In the third year of the Mandate of Heaven, the emperor issued an edict to inspect the world, and a large number of local heroes, nobles, and officials were investigated. With the passage of time, the intensity of the inventory has not weakened, but has become more and more vigorous.

Even the extent of the implication has reached a staggering 100,000. Among them, of course, there are local tyrants and officials who violate the law, but there are also many local officials who take the opportunity to attack political opponents and plunder money.

After Wang Ce found out that the situation was wrong, he immediately wrote to Wang Jing. After seeing Wang Ce's book, Wang Jing was also suddenly shocked, the matter really needs to be controlled here.

An edict was immediately issued to terminate the investigation.

The oppressive political atmosphere has slowly relaxed, and society has regained its vitality. After purging the previous vested interests, the imperial court acquired a large amount of land, and a large number of hermits were liberated and became ordinary people.

The taxes of the imperial court were not reduced because of those powerful distributions, but they were greatly increased. After all, those local tyrants and officials will have various ways to evade taxes, while ordinary people have no connections and can only pay taxes honestly.

Taifu, Taifu Zhengqing Xiao He was checking this year's tax situation, and at this time, a small official hurriedly walked over.

"Zhengqing, this is the Tianfu around Luoyang this year. Xia Guan has checked it several times, and there are no mistakes or omissions! As he spoke, he handed over the case.

Xiao He took the case and looked at it, quickly frowned, and then asked, "This year's grain endowment, why is there less grain?" ”

"Zhengqing, the people around Luoyang are more willing to pay copper money to offset taxes, so there is less food."

The implementation of the regular tax can be deducted by paying grain or copper money, but the people in other regions basically pay grain, and few pay copper money, but Luoyang is the opposite, and there are more people who pay copper money here than those who pay grain.

One of the most important reasons for this is that Luoyang City is too prosperous, and merchants from all over the world come and go, and a large number of goods gather here. As a result, commerce is flourishing here, and there are a lot of copper coins in the hands of the people.

Xiao He nodded and let the official go back, while he continued to check the case, and after a while, Xiao He sighed and said: "There is less grain in Luoyang this year, and it seems that the amount of conscription from other regions will be increased, and next year's conscription will also be increased." ”

"By the way, I have to show His Majesty first." Xiao He immediately picked up the case and walked out.

When this kind of problem appeared in the Luoyang area, Xiao He was also surprised.

There are many fertile fields in the Luoyang Basin, and there is water from Yin Luo to irrigate, so the grain should be self-sufficient, but the reality is that Luoyang's food is insufficient.

The city of Luoyang has become more prosperous, and since Wang Luo moved the capital to Luoyang, the population of Luoyang has been increasing. In this period when most of the world is in a civilized desert, Luoyang City at this time is a bright pearl.

In that year, Wang Luo moved the capital to Luoyang, with a population of 400,000, including 100,000 in Luoyang City and 300,000 in the surrounding areas. After more than 30 years of recuperation, the total population of Luoyang City, including the surrounding areas, has exceeded one million.

With such a large population and a large garrison, as well as royal nobles, civil and military officials, all living here, food needs even more.

Originally, even with such a large population, the Luoyang area could be supplied. But things changed with the development of commerce and the fact that a large number of the wealthy families in Luoyang City began to demand a variety of food.

Those wealthy dignitaries want to eat fruits and vegetables, which are easy to spoil and can only be planted nearby, so many people began to grow fruits and vegetables.

When these people planted it, they found that the benefits of growing fruits and vegetables were significantly higher than that of growing grain. And Luoyang, as the foot of the Son of Heaven, the price of grain is almost the lowest in the country.

The people are not stupid and make their choice easily. As a result, a large amount of farmland is no longer grown with food, but with cash crops.

There are many dignitaries and nobles in Luoyang City, the demand for fruits and vegetables is very amazing, the fruits and vegetables of this era are not as high as the later generations, so the planting area is very large, the cash crops are planted more, and the grain planting is naturally less.

Even though there is a large amount of fertile land in the Luoyang area, there is still not enough food.

Dragon's Head Palace.

Wang Jing was dealing with government affairs, and the chamberlain came to report, and Xiao He, the chief secretary of Taifu, came to ask for a meeting.

"Let him in!"

After a while, the chamberlain came with Xiao He.

"Chen Xiao He sees Your Majesty, Your Majesty Wan'an!"

"I'm there." Wang Jing said with a smile: "Xiao Qing came just in time, sit down, I just want to ask Xiao Qing here." ”

"What does Your Majesty want to ask?" Xiao He asked after sitting down.

"The first emperor took the test lightly, why is the conscription in the counties around Luoyang increasing every year?"

"Your Majesty, the increase in conscription is for the purpose of transporting supplies and food." Xiao He said.

"Oh, why is that?"

Xiao He said: "Luoyang is the center of the world, there are millions of people, there are many needs, and the world's wealth and goods are gathered here, so a large number of forced labor is needed. ”

"Isn't there a gallop?" Wang Jing asked.

"Your Majesty, although there is a gallop, there are more supplies." Xiao He sighed, then handed the case in his hand and the documents he sorted out to Wang Jing and said, "Your Majesty, please see, this is the amount of materials transported by Taifu. ”

Wang Jing took the case and looked through it briefly, and was immediately shocked by the numbers.

For charcoal alone, Luoyang needs to transport 30,000 truckloads, and the number of other materials is even more. Seeing this, Wang Jing realized how much supplies Luoyang, the most prosperous, most magnificent, and largest city in Zhuxia, needed to be supported.

"Xiao Qing can do it?" Wang Jing asked.

"Your Majesty can't help it!" Xiao He shook his head and said, if you want to reduce the supply of Luoyang, the best way is to reduce the number of high-ranking nobles and officials in the city, but how can this be reduced? Or the other way is to move the capital. But this is even more unlikely.

Wang Jing thought about it for a while and understood that it was almost impossible.

"Your Majesty, although you can't reduce the supply, there is another way!" Xiao He said suddenly.

"How?" Wang Jing immediately asked.

"Canal!" Xiao He said: "Your Majesty, Chidao can not transfer too many materials, but can dig a canal, when the Huai'an Canal is north to the Huai River, south to Gusu, goods gather in Huai'an, the required labor is much lower than Luoyang, now Luoyang has Yin Luo's water, there is the Yellow River in the north, if you can dig the canal, the world goods are unimpeded!" ”

When Wang Jing heard this, he felt that it made sense to dig a canal, and immediately ordered the craftsman to come as a supervisor.

After the master came, Wang Jing asked directly: "Is it feasible to dig a canal from Luoyang to Huai'an?" ”

The master craftsman said: "Your Majesty, Luoyang has abundant water sources, and Huai'an has a canal connecting the Huai River, and the canal from Luoyang to Huai'an can be dug up." ”

Wang Jing was overjoyed and said: "Wait until you make a plan as soon as possible, and then go to the court!" ”

"Yui!"

(End of chapter)