Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 103 Liu Jianjun's Real Plan (Part 2) (I'll write tomorrow's draft tomorrow!)

Liu Jianjun's statement is utterly absurd.

What does it mean that Guanzhong will suffer from drought?

Is this kind of thing... something that can be predicted by human beings?
"You... this is no laughing matter. According to the Tang Code, those who fabricate or spread rumors can be sentenced to hanging or exiled three thousand li away!"

Li Xian imagined the desolate landscape of Guanzhong that Liu Jianjun had described, and couldn't help but shudder.

Before his eyes appeared a vast, cracked land, and the sky was no longer azure, but covered with a deathly, dim yellow, with the scorching sun baking everything.

The Wei River had thinned into a muddy trickle, with the silt in the riverbed almost visible. The Jing River had also lost its former rushing flow and was on its last legs. In the distance, the outline of Zhongnan Mountain was distorted by the heat wave, and the trees on the mountain seemed to have lost their greenness and were covered with a layer of gray dust.

Emaciated farmers wandered outside the ruined village, gnawing on anything that could barely be called food...

“My dear son, I know this may seem a bit unbelievable, but the recent celestial phenomena have already given us a glimpse of what is to come. The night sky is clear and bright with no clouds, the spring bamboo is in bloom, the willow leaves are wilting ahead of schedule, and the water levels of the Wei and Jing rivers, and even the well in my yard, are all dropping continuously!”
“All of this is a sign of a severe drought!” Liu Jianjun looked at Li Xian with unwavering eyes.

“Even if… even if what you say has some merit,” Li Xian’s voice was hoarse, “what does this have to do with your promotion of cotton planting? In years of severe drought, even food security is precarious; wouldn’t planting cotton be even worse…”

"It is precisely because of the possibility of a severe drought that we need to plant cotton!"

Liu Jianjun interrupted him, his eyes sharp, "I just said that cotton is drought-resistant and can withstand poor soil!"
"It can survive and even produce something on sandy soil and slopes where many crops cannot grow! My son, think about it, what would happen if a severe drought really came, the crops would fail, and the people would have nothing?"

Li Xian felt a chill in his heart.

Refugees, famine, turmoil... these words alone are enough to send chills down your spine.

Especially now that Chang'an has just moved its capital, its economy is sluggish.

"At that time, the imperial court will certainly do its best to provide disaster relief, but distant water cannot quench immediate thirst."

"If we can plan ahead and have people plant cotton on some poor land, even if grain production decreases, at least we can still harvest cotton!"

“Our Prince Pei’s Mansion can continue to purchase cotton as usual, so the people will have some cash on hand to buy grain and at least they can hold on for a while longer, instead of immediately becoming refugees! This cotton may be a lifesaver in critical moments, something that can stabilize people’s hearts!”
“My 100 mu of cotton is not a crop, but seeds, seeds to supply the entire Chang’an and even the entire Yongzhou.”

Liu Jianjun finally revealed his true intention in cultivating that piece of land.

Li Xian was utterly shocked.

He never imagined that behind Liu Jianjun's seemingly absurd "cotton business" lay such profound considerations. This was no longer a simple money-making plan, but a strategic move aimed at addressing a potential crisis in the national economy and people's livelihood.

He stared blankly at Liu Jianjun for a long while before slowly exhaling.

"Su Liangsi can't do this..."

Before Liu Jianjun could speak, Li Xian continued, "There are other people in Chang'an who can do it, so we don't need to go to such lengths."

"You mean..."

"Yes, Liu Rengui. He oversees the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites. Although most of his power has been stripped away since the Empress Dowager moved the capital to Chang'an, at least he would have a legitimate reason to take charge of the Ministry of Revenue in the entire Yongzhou."

Liu Jianjun's eyes lit up: "That's right. I was so focused on having this old man protect us that I forgot that this is what he does for a living."

"Okay, contact them again later. We'll go find them once our first batch of cotton cloth comes out... Oh, by the way."

"Ok?"

"Didn't we beat up Wu Youji's men before? Did he come looking for us?" Li Xian nodded with a smile: "He did come, but he came to apologize. He not only returned the money that Grandpa Aisha had returned to him, but he also went to apologize to Grandpa Aisha. He was planning to come to you and Aisha, but I stopped him."

Liu Jianjun was right; he really didn't need to be afraid of the Wu family.

But this time, Liu Jianjun's expression was not good. He asked, "He just swallowed his anger like that?"

"What else can we do?" Li Xian asked, puzzled.

"Although there's no news from Luoyang yet, let me give you a guess... Danzi is weak-willed, right?"

Li Xian nodded.

"So your mother will soon be able to completely sideline Danzi and become a retired emperor. This will be the time for the Wu clan to finally rise to power. But who is Wu Youji? A spoiled brat who goes to brothels and even fights with people over prostitutes!"

Li Xian thought to himself that Liu Jianjun didn't think about himself when he said those words.

Liu Jianjun continued, "This spoiled brat has gained power, yet he dares not provoke a powerless and idle prince like you. Don't you realize something's wrong?"

Li Xian was still puzzled.

"This means that when your mother moved the capital to Luoyang, she specifically instructed him not to provoke you!"

"What's the reason?"

"The reason... I suspect that your mother is planning to take action against the Li clan. She is doing this so as not to alert them."

Li Xian was taken aback: "Then... you're still provoking Wu Youji at this critical juncture? The Empress Dowager is planning to target the Li clan. If we step forward now, won't that be... what you call 'the nail that sticks out gets hammered down'?"

“You are different. You are Emperor Gaozong’s own son, and you live in a sensitive place like Chang’an, so your mother would never use you as a scapegoat.”

"Besides, she hasn't even made a move yet, and you suddenly backed down. What will she think?"

Liu Jianjun rolled his eyes, then said earnestly, "My dear son, you need to understand your position. In your mother's eyes, you are someone who has a little bit of brains, but not much. If you appear too resourceful, that won't be good."

"In that case, she will either suspect that you are biding your time or that you have a powerful ally, which is not good for us either."

Li Xian was secretly delighted.

Because Liu Jianjun's words were tantamount to praising his intelligence, while he was trying to hide his own shortcomings.

"So we want it?"

“We will continue to do as we please until news of your mother’s large-scale targeting of the Li Tang clan reaches Chang’an. Then we will restrain ourselves a little.”

After saying that, Liu Jianjun stood up: "Alright, I'll go back to working on the cotton. By the way, that old man Bai Yuanli used to grow cotton, he's a professional, so I arranged for him to be a supervisor and teach those Kunlun slaves how to grow cotton. I just wanted to let you know."

Li Xian nodded indifferently; such a trivial matter was within the authority of Liu Jianjun, the chief secretary of the Prince's mansion.

But when Liu Jianjun reached the door, he suddenly paused and said in an inexplicable tone, "Also, keep an eye on Wu Youji, and it's best to keep him away from your sister."

……

(End of this chapter)