Chapter 44: Study Diligently and Keep Good Notes

Chapter 44: Study Hard, Take Good Notes

With the three primary tasks assigned to their respective leaders, Li Tai turned his gaze toward Liu Shenwei, Wei Xu, and Que.

Ma Zhou continued outlining the plan he had coordinated with Li Tai: "If the tasks for Chunfeng, Chuzhi, and Chuke are about how to leverage the refugees to develop Gaoling, then your task—Shenwei, Wei Xu, and... Que—is to provide the refugees with the most basic necessities."

"From the moment the refugees arrive in Gaoling, every single person must first wash in hot water, then change into the clean clothes we have prepared. These garments will be marked with numbers to track their identities and facilitate registration by Lü Cai."

As Ma Zhou spoke, he looked toward Que. As Que’s talent for business had gradually blossomed, Li Tai had begun entrusting him with the management of various external commercial ventures, such as textiles, bathhouses, inns, and poultry farms. Ma Zhou, meanwhile, remained responsible for managing the coal mines and continued the ongoing acquisition and consolidation of coal pits throughout Guanzhong.

"I..." Que took a deep breath, clenching his fists. "The bathhouse is easy. As long as the coal supply is steady, I can pull staff from Chang'an and build a temporary facility at the port capable of bathing five hundred people at once. That is no trouble."

"But the clothes are different. They require fabric. Although the assets I inherited from the Zheng family include textiles, I can cut at most two thousand sets, and that is counting all the premium silk. In other words, our current inventory is insufficient!"

"While I am not stingy, I have a slight doubt: even for disaster relief, is fabric truly necessary?"

Hearing this, Ma Zhou smiled with understanding. "I discussed this with the Prince of Yue. He gave many reasons, but one point convinced me: only by putting them in clean clothes can we remind the people that they are no longer refugees, and that they are about to embrace a new life. To the refugees, these clothes are the best proof to soothe them and help them integrate into our city."

Li Tai took over the conversation. "A sense of belonging cannot be created overnight. But we can start with a piece of clothing to let them feel that a new life has begun. They have traveled from afar, and all that remains in them is the numbness and despair born of the struggle for survival. This garment offers not just warmth, but hope for a new life and a sliver of trust in us."

Hearing this, the others grew thoughtful. In truth, no matter how poor those present had been, they had always had enough to eat. They understood that the refugees were pitiful, but they lacked Li Tai’s deep empathy for the downtrodden. For a moment, they looked at Li Tai with a touch of warmth. Although Li Tai often spoke ill of Confucianism, was this not the very image of the benevolent ruler the Confucians praised?

Li Tai continued, "Of course, fabric is a major problem. I do not know if the imperial court has any in stock. Since the court collects taxes in kind, there must be a uniform standard for the fabric in the warehouses. But that standard represents the fruits of a commoner’s year of frugality; if we give it to them, they will surely be afraid to use it. While I am a Prince of Yue and can manage to get free grain for disaster relief, I do not believe I can secure free fabric. And if I were to purchase it from the court, I fear I cannot afford it—the number of refugees could be vast!"

Li Tai was truly broke. Within his own system, he could shift funds and accounts around to scrape together supplies, but assets outside his system required hard cash. He was so poor he couldn't even produce a single copper coin. Furthermore, the tax-collected fabric was meant to serve as currency; if he were to distribute it widely, it would be too extravagant, perhaps causing the refugees anxiety. Most importantly, Li Tai felt he was providing relief, not charity—giving them clothes was already quite generous.

"If we are not going through the imperial court..." Que said, "then there is only one place in all of Chang'an."

"Do not reveal yourself in this," Li Tai told Que. "I will have Zheng Fengchi come to hand over the fabric."

"Since this is a transaction, please allow me to handle it," Que replied. "Your Highness has always dealt fairly with the Zheng family. I will ensure we purchase one hundred thousand bolts of cloth at the lowest possible price."

Li Tai was stunned. He had not expected Que to show such bold spirit. Even at the cheapest price, a bolt of cloth cost around two hundred and fifty wen. With a bulk order of one hundred thousand, even with a discount, two hundred wen was likely the limit. That would amount to twenty thousand guan—a massive deal.

Li Tai’s down jackets cost one guan each, and the entire market for them might not reach eight thousand guan for the whole winter. This was partly due to the limited scale of poultry farming without solved feed issues, and partly because they were considered luxury goods for the upper class, not the common folk.

Curious about Que's capability, Li Tai said, "Very well, I leave this to you. Also, coordinate the other basic supplies with the court. These are the people's safety net; do not take them lightly."

"Understood!" Que nodded, his response serious and resolute.

"Liu Shenyi, your task is next," Ma Zhou said. "Within the herb garden, apart from the blood-tonifying and trauma-treating herbs which are strictly off-limits, you may mobilize any other medical resources you deem necessary, including personnel and supplies. Your task has only one goal: treat the people as much as possible, do not abandon anyone, and do not let an epidemic break out among the refugees!"

"Understood!" Liu Shenwei agreed decisively, eager to get to work. For him, saving lives was the most fulfilling duty of a physician. Hearing Li Tai’s thorough arrangements made him even more motivated. As for the restricted herbs, it didn't matter; the refugees were not soldiers in battle, so those specific medicines would rarely be needed.

Wei Xu watched as Ma Zhou assigned tasks, but he seemed to have nothing to do, feeling a bit envious. He wanted to speak, but remembering he was a newcomer, he hesitated, fearing he shouldn't interrupt. He looked left and right, counting the people, silently hoping it would be his turn soon.

"Wei Xu!" Ma Zhou looked at him, as if reading his mind. "Your task is the heaviest, for you must maintain order among the refugees. Although the court will send troops to Gaoling, the daily patrol and security will fall to you. The refugees will inevitably be a mixed crowd of good and bad. I will draft a set of regulations, and you and your men must memorize them all! For those who cannot read, I will arrange for people to teach you by chanting them aloud. You must memorize them. If a refugee violates them, scold them the first time; the second time, drag them out of the ranks and send them to the coal mines. Deal with these refugees just as you dealt with the Hero Gang!"

"Understood!" Wei Xu rubbed his hands; this was work he was quite familiar with.

"As for me," Ma Zhou said confidently, "I will be responsible for coordinating everyone as the primary lead for the refugee influx. If anyone encounters difficulties, come to the county office at any time. Starting today, I will be living there."

The others looked at Ma Zhou with surprise but nodded in agreement. Seeing that everyone understood their tasks, Li Tai bowed to them. "To me, if we can accept these refugees and successfully assimilate them, Gaoling County will certainly receive a top-tier evaluation. Therefore, I thank you all for your dedicated support, and I hope you will help me overcome this hurdle!"

The group was taken aback, some even bowing in return with slight trepidation. Ma Zhou, however, remained composed and saluted. "It is we who should thank the Prince of Yue. We were once hidden like pebbles in the sand, and only by meeting Your Highness did we have the chance to stand out. If we can quell this refugee tide, this experience alone will likely make the court willing to promote us to county magistrates."

The others nodded in agreement, knowing that was all that needed to be said. As the meeting concluded, everyone left with high spirits, their steps feeling firmer.

Once they had gone, Li Tai turned to Bai He. "Bai He, as before. After summarizing today’s meeting minutes, make a copy for each participant. Keep one copy in the Prince of Yue's mansion and another in the Gaoling county records."

"Understood!" Bai He replied in a low voice. He hesitated before adding, "Your Highness, should we keep an eye on Que?"

"Why?" Li Tai asked, slightly puzzled.

"When Que agreed to the one hundred thousand bolts of cloth, the look in his eyes was one of deep resolve," Bai He said seriously.

"A look? You can tell what that means?" Li Tai asked, surprised.

Bai He replied as if it were obvious, "In the palace, we were not allowed to speak loudly; if our voices were too heavy, we would be punished. So, we communicated through our eyes. I can generally judge the meaning quite accurately. It is a pity I have been out of the palace for a while and haven't had to use eye contact to converse."

Li Tai, feeling he had learned something new, waved his hand. "Understood. Go investigate, and report back if there is anything."

"Understood!" Bai He did not hesitate, looking even a bit excited.

With the planning complete, Li Tai went to find Yan Qinli. For no particular reason other than two words: class time! At nine years old, Li Tai mostly made plans and had Ma Zhou execute them, ensuring he didn't do the heavy lifting himself. However, he wasn't exactly idle, as Yan Qinli would soon drag him off to study. While the one-on-one sessions allowed for flexible scheduling, Yan Qinli would never let him slack off on his monthly curriculum.

Truth be told, Yan Qinli felt a bit melancholic that he alone had not been called to the meeting. Compared to all the clever technical tricks, the Prince of Yue did not seem to like or value Confucianism, and Yan Qinli was helpless about that. However, seeing Li Tai listen attentively to his lectures and show him respect whenever he returned, Yan Qinli felt a renewed sense of responsibility. Even though Li Tai was now a county administrator, he never neglected his studies.

This reminded him of the Crown Prince, who also received a traditional Confucian education from masters who lectured him daily. The Crown Prince was an excellent student, praised by the officials, and even his occasional memorials were quite graceful. Thinking of this, Yan Qinli encouraged himself to teach the Prince of Yue well, so as to live up to the name of the Yan family.

Although Li Tai didn't know what Yan Qinli was thinking, he never looked down on Confucian knowledge. It had a unique way of reconciling social contradictions and allocating resources, maintaining a tenacious vitality even in the twenty-first century. Not to mention that in the Tang Dynasty, it was the ideology best suited for imperial power.

Therefore, Li Tai studied diligently. By understanding Confucianism, he could better understand the era and the rules by which the Tang Dynasty operated. For instance, beyond the law, there was ritual—it was the combination of ritual and law that built the foundation of Tang society. As a prince, he could naturally ignore many rituals, but Li Tai knew that only by knowing and understanding them could he utilize or even modify them.

Most ordinary people would never study the law; only criminals and lawyers would delve into thick legal volumes. Only then could they understand, utilize, and manipulate the rules to their advantage. If you saw someone poring over the Criminal Law at midnight, they were either studying for the bar or planning to make a fortune. After all, knowing where the legal lines were drawn meant knowing what could and could not be done. The rituals of this era were no different.

Thus, Li Tai was very respectful toward Yan Qinli and kept detailed notes on the rituals he taught. Even if he didn't use them, for the imperial family, the rules of ritual sometimes carried more weight than the law itself.

Just as Li Tai was busy enriching himself, the drought caused by the long absence of rain in Guanzhong forced the refugees to instinctively head toward the major cities. And the largest city in Guanzhong was, naturally, the capital: Chang'an.