Chapter 110

Chapter 110

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the southern provinces were no longer as humid and hot as they had been in June and July. When passing through certain mountainous areas, the mornings and evenings were even refreshingly cool.

Emperor Xingwu, a founding emperor, had, after all, seen the world. Neither the border disturbances by the East Hu nor the Crown Prince’s frequent illnesses kept him agitated for long. After all, anxiety and resentment were useless; he would continue his southern tour for now and deal with matters in the capital upon his return.

The imperial carriage continued its journey towards Luzhou Prefecture in Yizhou, maintaining a pace of about thirty miles per day.

With the cooler weather, Qingyang no longer stayed cooped up in the carriage all the time. Instead, she rode on horseback for about three hours each day, intermittently.

This morning, the imperial carriage departed from Lin County and entered the jurisdiction of Xu County.

Although the imperial carriage would only stop overnight in such small counties, the administrative affairs of these small counties still required attention. Thus, Emperor Xingwu would dispatch scouts ahead to notify the county magistrates of the upcoming counties to await the imperial party at the border of their jurisdiction. He would then inquire about governance along the way.

The curtain of the imperial carriage was drawn high, and Emperor Xingwu sat inside. Qingyang and Yang Jie, the County Magistrate of Xu County, rode on horseback, side by side with the imperial carriage. Emperor Xingwu questioned Yang Jie for about half an hour before entrusting him to his daughter. He then lowered the curtain and read inside, though he could still hear the sounds from outside. With nothing else to do on the road, Prince Jing also remained by his father’s carriage, observing the road conditions ahead of his sister. Zhang Su and Fan Huaizhong guarded the little princess from behind.

While her father was conducting his inquiries, Qingyang had already thoroughly assessed Yang Jie.

Coincidentally, this Yang Jie was a third-tier graduate from last year’s spring imperial examinations, making him a fellow candidate with the little princess, who had “snuck in” to attend the palace examination.

Yang Jie was only twenty-two years old this year, with an average height and appearance. His skin was sun-darkened from frequent outdoor labor, and he wore the green official robe of a seventh-rank county magistrate. At first, his voice trembled nervously when answering the emperor’s questions, but he gradually calmed down.

The emperor had already inquired about Xu County’s administrative affairs for the past two years. Qingyang disliked asking questions that officials could easily evade without verification. After riding for a while, she pointed to a shallow stream, about six inches wide, flowing at the foot of the mountain a few steps away, and asked, “Has it rained here recently?”

When passing through certain green mountains in Yangzhou, Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Jingzhou, Jiaozhou, and Qianzhou before, Qingyang had often seen such small ditches at the foot of the mountains. When she asked the officials, some said they originated from mountain streams or springs, while others said they were formed by accumulated rainwater from the mountains after recent rains, which would dry up after the rainy season.

Yang Jie replied, “Your Highness, it hasn’t rained in this county for eleven consecutive days. However, there are many springs in the mountains, and the water meanders down, forming this stream.”

Qingyang sighed, “The south truly has abundant water. No wonder there are continuous green mountains everywhere.”

Prince Jing laughed from ahead, “It feels comfortable now, but it was truly hot in midsummer. Even hiding in the shade didn’t help. I still prefer the north, where it rains hard and clears up fast, and when it’s clear, it’s bone-dry.”

Qingyang pointed to the clear water in the stream and said, “Second Brother, do you remember the counties in the southeast of Liangzhou we passed during that northern tour? Including eastern Liangzhou and western Jinzhou, that area is almost entirely covered with loess hills. What I mean is, if those hills could be covered with trees like here in the south, the interconnected roots and shrubs would stabilize the soil. Then, when it rains, the streams flowing into the Wei River, Jing River, Luo River, Wuding River, and other tributaries of the Yellow River would be as clear as these mountain streams. The Yellow River might then become as clear and less sandy as the Yangtze River, Gan River, and other major rivers. With less sand, the riverbed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River would not continue to silt up, and the Yellow River’s flooding could be eliminated for good.”

Inside the carriage, Emperor Xingwu looked out the window. Through the thin gauze curtain, he could faintly discern his little daughter’s fair profile.

Just as County Magistrate Yang Jie finished marveling at the little princess’s ingenious idea, Prince Jing poured a bucket of cold water on it: “Easier said than done. Liangzhou is dry and rainless, which is why the hills are all loess. Trees planted there won’t survive, and over time, those mountains have become barren. It’s as if Heaven doesn't want trees to grow there or the Yellow River to clear. No matter how beautifully you imagine it, little sister, it’s just a fantasy. Building embankments is still the most effective way to control the Yellow River.”

Qingyang said, “It’s doable if we try. If the court can organize people to build embankments thousands of *li* long, it can also make the yellow slopes grow green trees.”

Prince Jing replied, “It’s not the same. Embankments are inanimate structures made of sand and soil. As long as people keep piling them up, they can even reach the sky. But trees need water to live. Even if we had enough extra hands and funds to plant trees all over those loess slopes, the trees and grass would die within days after planting. Wouldn’t that be a waste of effort?”

Qingyang whipped her second brother’s horse on the rump, and the steed carried its complaining rider forward.

Prince Jing laughed, “Haha, little sister, there are times when you can’t out-argue me. Fine, I’ll go ahead to check things out and not argue with you anymore.”

Qingyang wasn’t out-argued by her second brother; it was just that such arguments were futile. Only by sending a capable official to select a location and actually try it out would they know whether it was feasible.

Yang Jie didn’t dare interrupt the banter between the prince and the princess, but he could see that the little princess was unhappy about Prince Jing’s dismissive remarks. After thinking for a moment, Yang Jie said, “I have never been to Liangzhou and don’t know what the loess slopes there are like. But my ancestral home is in Yunzhou, where the surrounding area is all hills. The local people, in order to farm, have reclaimed narrow strips of farmland on the hills, shaped like ladders, so the people mostly call them terraced fields.”

Qingyang exclaimed in surprise, “You have terraced fields there too?”

The reason Qingyang had the idea of turning Liangzhou’s loess slopes green was that she had seen some terraced fields in the south. Some were small patches reclaimed by local people for growing tea or vegetables, while others were entire hillsides reclaimed over generations for use as rice paddies.

Qingyang thought that if people were asked to plant wild grass and trees, they would not be willing. The court also didn’t have enough idle money to pay people specifically for this task, and it might even lead to people taking silver without working. But if people were allowed to reclaim wasteland for farming, supplemented with support for seeds and farm tools, and national policies like tax exemptions or reductions, people could gain an extra portion of grain. Even if it was hard work, diligent people would be willing to do it.

Thus, when encountering counties with extensive terraced fields, Qingyang specially assessed the talents of several prefects and even county magistrates. Unfortunately, most of those terraced fields were reclaimed by local people over generations, not the achievements of the current officials. At least, the officials Qingyang asked had only organized people to maintain the terraced fields; none had tried to encourage people elsewhere to reclaim new terraced fields.

The reasons were, first, the people’s existing farmland was already sufficient. Reclaiming wasteland was too arduous and yielded little return, especially since the mountains in the south were full of old trees with tangled roots. Digging up roots was exhausting, and the rampant weeds in the first few years severely affected crop yields. Second, officials didn’t want to exert effort without gaining credit. Reclaiming wasteland for three years wouldn’t show immediate political achievements—it would only benefit later officials.

For the vast majority of officials, fulfilling the court’s decrees was enough. Capable and ambitious officials would choose easier and more convenient ways to enhance their political achievements. Only a very few officials, who were both capable, dedicated to the people, and willing to endure hardship, would take on difficult tasks without fear.

Such was human nature. Qingyang didn’t blame those officials who, though ordinary, still did their duties. She simply longed for talented people who could serve her.

Yang Jie didn’t know what the little princess was thinking and only answered truthfully about the terraced fields in his homeland.

Qingyang then learned that Yang Jie’s father was a village chief. Yang Jie had studied from a young age, but during busy farming seasons, he would always help his family in the terraced fields. He knew all the nitty-gritty details, like how to store and divert water during dry seasons and how to drain water during rainy seasons. The little princess was interested in listening, so he explained in great detail, even mentioning a local delicacy in the rice paddies called red-clawed crayfish.

The little princess, accustomed to delicacies and fine wines, actually found her appetite whetted.

Yang Jie said, “...Nowadays, you can still catch some red-clawed crayfish in the rice paddies, though they’re not as delicious as in midsummer. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, I will send someone to catch some. We can add it to your meal after entering the city this evening.”

Qingyang said, “Then let’s try it. I’ve traveled through much of the south, but only today, from you, have I heard of this local delicacy.”

Yang Jie broke into a smile.

Zhang Su, silently following behind, thought: "..."

Qingyang continued asking about terraced fields.

Hearing about something is not as good as seeing it. Yang Jie said, “Actually, after I took office last year, I saw that the people in this county were poor due to lack of farmland. Since Danshan here is suitable for reclaiming terraced fields, I persuaded villagers from several villages to reclaim wasteland. However, due to insufficient manpower, we only reclaimed one mountain, yielding over three hundred *mu* of farmland. But since the rice paddies yielded a harvest this year, more villagers are willing to follow me in reclaiming wasteland. I expect we can have more terraced fields next year.”

Qingyang said in surprise, “Why didn’t you mention this during the governance inquiry earlier?”

Yang Jie said modestly, “It’s only over three hundred *mu* of terraced fields. I didn’t dare claim credit. I originally planned to report it to the court after reaching a thousand *mu*.”

At this point, Emperor Xingwu inside the carriage spoke up: “How far is the terraced field you mentioned from here?”

Facing the emperor, Yang Jie’s voice became even more respectful. “Danshan is twenty *li* east of the county town. From here, it’s about fifty *li* away.”

Emperor Xingwu then halted the imperial carriage. He took Qingyang, her brother, Zhang Su, and a thousand cavalrymen with Yang Jie to quickly ride to the terraced fields. Fan Zhong and his son led two thousand cavalrymen to escort Consort Li to Xu County town.

Riding hard, Emperor Xingwu and his party reached the mountain with the terraced fields, which had been reclaimed for at most a year, in about half an hour. The mountain wasn’t high, and at its summit was a storage pond, its yellowish water reflecting the blue sky and the shadows of trees by the pond.

Yang Jie pointed to a small village at the foot of the mountain and said, “These are people who moved here from elsewhere to reclaim wasteland, making it easier to tend the terraced field crops.”

People were always like this: wherever there was more farmland, they would move there. The wealthy households with abundant land naturally remained in their original places, as farming on flat land was more convenient.

Emperor Xingwu nodded and pointed to several nearby mountains, asking, “Are those also suitable for reclaiming as terraced fields?”

Yang Jie said, “Yes, I have inspected each mountain. This county can probably yield about ten thousand *mu* of terraced fields in total.”

Though there were many mountains, not every one was suitable for farming.

The court had a reward policy of exempting taxes for three years on newly reclaimed farmland, but that was for later. Moreover, reclaiming terraced fields was harder than reclaiming flat wasteland. Emperor Xingwu immediately said to Yang Jie, “The costs for building ponds and other works will come from the county treasury. Additionally, for every *mu* of terraced field reclaimed by the people, if the yield the following year reaches the local average for rice paddies, they will receive a silver coin as a reward. I will also grant a five-year tax exemption for such newly reclaimed terraced fields.”

Yang Jie immediately thanked the emperor on behalf of the local people.

***

That evening, the imperial banquet featured an additional dish: spicy braised red-clawed crayfish.

Yang Jie personally demonstrated how to eat the red-clawed crayfish for the esteemed guests. Although the hostel chefs had prepared them carefully, the crayfish still had shells and had to be peeled by hand.

The Emperor and Consort were served by He Yuanjing. Qingyang hadn’t brought Jie Yu along. Glancing at her second brother opposite, who was digging in without a second thought, Qingyang finally missed the Third Young Master left behind in the capital.

“If Your Highness doesn’t mind, I am willing to peel the shrimp for you,” said the prospective imperial son-in-law, who was sitting at the table next to Prince Jing. He suddenly rose and asked politely.

Qingyang smiled. “Then I’ll trouble the Third Young Master.”

Zhang Su, with a calm expression, sat down beside the little princess.

Qingyang ordered that Zhang Su’s table be placed directly beside hers, and the two ate together at the same table.

Because of the terraced fields matter, County Magistrate Yang Jie had undoubtedly become one of the potential candidates in the little princess’s mind. But in terms of being easy on the eyes and his attentive service when serving her, Zhang Su still firmly held the top position in the little princess’s heart.

For example, Qingyang couldn’t help but watch Zhang Su’s elegant hands for a long time as he peeled the shrimp with an air of grace.