Although Li Zhi is the Son of Heaven, in this purely agrarian society, there is still some common sense of agriculture after all.

In the spring sowing season, the fields were empty, and Li Zhi finally found the problem, and his face suddenly became ugly.

No matter how important the issue of food is, whether it is the Son of Heaven or ordinary people, they attach more importance to agriculture than their own lives.

In such an important spring sowing season, there were no crops planted in the field.

"What's going on? What about the crops? No matter whose family this land is, will you not grow crops in the spring, waiting to starve to death? Li Zhi was a little angry.

Li Qinzai gently comforted beside him: "Your Majesty, don't worry, there must be some misunderstanding......

After a pause, Li Qinzai said again: "The minister sees that there are a lot of fields in this village, and a few pieces of land are nothing, and Datang is so big, how can you collect less grain?" Hunger does not kill people. ”

Li Zhi was taken aback, and glanced at Li Qinzai quickly, obviously surprised by Li Qinzai's words.

"Datang is so big, but no acre of land is superfluous, as long as it is a field, you must plant crops when it is time to plant crops, how can there be a reason to make the fields barren!" Li Zhi's tone was a little dissatisfied.

Li Qinzai hurriedly said: "Your Majesty is angry, today the monarchs and ministers will hunt, why should you spoil Your Majesty's Yaxing for this inconspicuous little thing?" Let's continue to rush to the mountain forest, and let the guards surround the mountain forest and hunt. ”

Li Zhi glanced at him again.

I don't know why, Li Zhi always feels that what Li Qinzai said today is a bit harsh, if Li Qinzai in the past has both the ability and compassion, then today's Li Qinzai is like a scumbag who doesn't know the suffering and ignores the people.

Li Zhi didn't understand why Li Qinzai's temperament had changed drastically today, but he was the Son of Heaven, and of course it was impossible to turn a blind eye to the phenomenon of delaying spring sowing on farmland like Li Qinzai.

"No, come here, spread the landlord and the mayor of this village, I must ask clearly." Li Zhi's face was ugly.

The palace attendants hurriedly ran towards the village.

Li Zhi's face sank like water, staring at the barren farmland and was silent.

Li Qinzai said: "Your Majesty, it's not early, if you delay, you will hunt ......."

Li Zhi finally couldn't help it: "Jing Chu, what's wrong with you today?" What is more important in the world than delaying spring sowing? Today, I must find out the reason for the delay in spring sowing, and whether the delay in spring sowing is the only case, or whether it can be seen everywhere. ”

"I finally look forward to this year's wind and rain, if the landlord farmer barren farmland for no reason, it is really damned!"

Li Qinzai smiled and stepped aside without squeaking.

After a long time, an old man in his sixties hurriedly came, Xu is palace people told Li Zhi's identity, the old man came to Li Zhi and shook his head and bowed, called the Son of Heaven, and introduced himself as the chief of the village.

Li Zhi ordered the old man to get up, pointed to the farmland and asked with a calm face: "The spring sowing season is about to pass, what is going on with this farmland?" Why weren't crops planted? If the great fields are not cultivated, will you wait for the court to come to your aid after the autumn? ”

The old man trembled with fright, and said: "Your Majesty, it's not that the grass people don't grow crops, it's really that the village is now ten rooms and nine empty, and the young and strong have been requisitioned, and there are only some old people, women and children left in the whole village, and there is really nothing to do." ”

Li Zhi was stunned: "Now is the Taiping year, the Tang Dynasty has not launched a big war, why are ten rooms and nine empty, why are all the young and strong being recruited?" ”

The old man's eyes showed a look of consternation, and then he quickly lowered his head and said in a trembling voice: "I heard from the official, Your Majesty plans to seal Mount Tai next year, from Chang'an to Mount Tai, along the way to build roads, build a palace, Guanzhong all over the village of the young and strong almost have been requisitioned, so there is no farmland to cultivate." ”

Li Zhi suddenly remembered that the requisition of young men was his will to Shangshu Province, and Shangshu Province then passed the will to the state and county officials in various prefectures.

Li Zhi's face became more and more ugly, and after being stunned for a long time, he said with some embarrassment: "My will is to recruit young and strong people after spring sowing, first grab the agricultural time, and then build the palace, how do the local officials do things?" ”

The old man lowered his head and said: "Don't blame the county government, I heard that the above is urging urgently, and when the work is rushed, there are officials in Chang'an City who come to ask for people from the county order almost every day, and the county order can't do it, so I have to hurriedly recruit young people." ”

"It said that this requisition of young and strong people can be worth three years of forced labor for each household, so we told the young men that the spring sowing of the family can be entrusted to the elderly, women and children in the village......"

The old man sighed and said: "After all, it is the old and the small, not as good as the young and strong laborers, the old and weak women and children of the whole village have tried their best, but they have still delayed a lot of fields, and the grass people are really ashamed of the descendants of the village as the chief......

Li Zhi took a deep breath, his face suddenly turned red, he wanted to be angry, but he didn't know who to attack.

Li Qinzai hurriedly comforted: "Your Majesty is angry, don't be angry." It's just a matter of sowing a few acres of land, and it doesn't hurt. ”

Li Zhi said angrily: "Is it just a few acres of land? According to the lieutenant chief, the spring sowing farmland delayed in the entire Guanzhong is probably measured in 100,000 million mu, and when the autumn harvest comes, how will the state treasury support it, and how will the people live? ”

Li Qinzai blinked puzzledly: "Eh, what is Your Majesty angry about?" Is it the qi sign that adjusts the youth and the strong, or is the spring sowing delayed in the qi pass? ”

Li Zhi froze for a moment, opened his mouth, and found himself speechless.

The initiator of everything is him, the emperor.

Li Qinzai laughed and said: "Your Majesty doesn't have to be angry about this little thing, anyway, the spring sowing of the farmland has been delayed, and it can't be made up, so it's better to forget about it, let's hunt happily, and finally go home happy?" ”

Li Zhi said angrily: "Jing Chu, what are you doing today? You have always cared about the people of Li, why do you repeatedly make such cold-blooded remarks today? With such a big event, am I still in the mood to hunt? ”

Li Qinzai said in a low voice: "I wonder if Your Majesty has heard of the saying 'natural selection'?" ”

Li Zhi was stunned: "What is 'natural selection'?" ”

Li Qinzai said slowly: "Natural selection, survival of the fittest. This is true of man, fowl, and wild beasts. ”

"Born in heaven and earth, it is a cruel competition for survival, whoever has great ability will have a chance to survive and live well, if anyone is born weak, of course they can't compete for those who have great ability, and they will be eliminated by nature and die naturally, isn't it normal?"

"The same is true for people, if the grain harvest in Guanzhong this year is not enough, it depends on who has the means to survive when there is a shortage of food, and the people who survive the difficulties are often extraordinary, in other words, the winners, these people are valuable people to Your Majesty."

Li Zhi looked at him dumbfounded, and said in shock: "Jing Chu, why did you say such cold words in your mouth? You...... Is it possessed by a demon? ”

Li Qinzai's smile gradually converged, looked directly into Li Zhi's eyes, and said slowly, word by word: "Your Majesty, isn't this exactly what you are doing now?" ”

"Build roads, build a palace, and recruit hundreds of thousands of young people in the customs, what Your Majesty wants is a wide and smooth road, a magnificent palace, and a Taishan altar paved with splendid satin."

"Spring sowing, farmland, harvest, all fuck it! As long as you can seal Mount Tai, let it be a monstrous flood! Your Majesty, the officials below are all doing your bidding, and they are doing it perfectly, what is Your Majesty angry about? ”