Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

In a tavern in the West Market of Chang'an, vendors in coarse shorts were clinking glasses with wandering monks carrying loads of goods. Amid the crisp sound of wine cups colliding, there was lively discussion about the new policy.

"Have you heard? This year's autumn grain yield in Guanzhong is two dan more per mu than in previous years!"

The vendor wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth, his voice filled with incredible excitement. "My cousin who's farming in Huayin County sent a message saying that the newly built canal in the county has water. The dry land that used to rely on the weather for food is now irrigated by the canal, and the rice is growing taller than people!"

The wandering monk clasped his hands together and nodded, his rosary beads spinning rapidly between his fingers: "Amitabha, this is all thanks to Your Majesty.

At the beginning of spring, I came to Chang'an from Luoyang. I saw with my own eyes that the officials of the Ministry of Personnel posted a notice outside the post station, saying that anyone who could propose a good plan for developing water conservancy would receive a reward regardless of his background.

An old river engineer presented a water control plan, and Prime Minister Yao Chong personally summoned him. Now the plan has been engraved on a stele and erected outside the Ministry of Works."

The scholar in a blue robe at the next table heard this and couldn't help but interject, "It's more than just water conservancy. A few days ago, I went to the Imperial College to observe the class and saw the doctor of the Imperial College explaining the newly revised Kaiyuan Code to the students.

In the past, officials handled cases based on their mood, but now the laws are clearly written, and even village heads have to memorize the clause "Anyone who deceives the people will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane."

The county magistrate in my hometown was stripped of his official hat by the Censorate last month for collecting half a bolt of extra silk from farmers!"

The tavern owner came over with a glass of newly brewed rice wine and interjected, "Everyone is right, but what warms our hearts the most is this year's 'Helian Law.'"

"In previous years, the government bought grain like it was robbery. They forced people to pay one penny for rice that cost three cents. But now it's different - the officials sent by the Ministry of Revenue come with scales and measuring cups, and they weigh the grain and calculate the money in front of the village head. They also give people newly minted Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, which are heavy and weigh down their hands."

"My second son works at the post station. He said that after the autumn harvest this year, over 200,000 dan of grain were stored in the government warehouses around Chang'an alone. All of this was sold voluntarily by the people. I haven't heard of anyone being forced to hand over grain."

As he was speaking, the sound of a gong was heard from the street, and several officials walked by carrying a wooden sign with four large characters "Edict to Encourage Agriculture and Sericulture" written on it in red ink.

Everyone in the tavern leaned out to look, only to see the leading county lieutenant standing on the street corner, reading aloud: "Your Majesty has decreed that anyone who reclaims more than 100 acres of wasteland will be exempted from taxes for three years; anyone with three or more oxen will be given two pieces of cloth; and county officials who can encourage agriculture and sericulture to increase the population will be ranked high in their performance..."

The scholar in the blue robe's eyes lit up. "This is the new policy Your Majesty approved at court last month! I've seen the files in the Ministry of Personnel. Last year, the amount of cultivated land nationwide was 300,000 hectares less than the year before. Your Majesty was so anxious that he couldn't sleep for three days. He summoned the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Revenue officials to discuss the matter for an entire night before issuing this decree to encourage farming."

"I heard that even the Li people in Lingnan have started to learn to grow rice like the people in the Central Plains. Local officials reported that the newly opened terraced fields there can stretch from the foot of the mountain to the top, like a silver belt around the green mountains."

Upon hearing this, the wandering monk took out a roll of paper from his bag and spread it out. It turned out to be a beautifully painted "Map of the Post Roads of the Two Capitals".

“When I returned from Yangzhou last month, I saw this painting hanging at every post station along the way.

You see, the official road from Chang'an to Luoyang is paved with bluestone slabs, and there is a teahouse every ten miles for merchants and travelers to rest.

There was a post station every thirty miles, and the delivery of official documents was half as fast as before.

The most surprising thing is that the newly built grain ships on the riverbank have a 'watertight compartment' at the bow, so even if they hit a reef, the entire ship will not be flooded. The loss of grain when transporting grain is 30% less than in previous years."

He pointed to the "Guangyuntan" marked on the map and said, "I heard that after the spring, Your Majesty will go there in person to witness the grand ceremony of the grain transport. By then, silks from Jiangnan, brocades from Shu, and lychees from Lingnan will be transported to Chang'an not only by train but also by water."

The tavern owner smacked his lips at this. "Officials really know what's going on. We common people only know our lives are getting better. Last winter, when my wife gave birth, I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine, and the owner actually charged me two cents less, saying, 'Your Majesty has waived the medicine tax, so we should pass on the benefits to the people.'"

"A few days ago, I went to the West Market to buy cloth, and saw Persian merchants giving thumbs up to the newly minted Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, saying that the coins were of high quality and accurate weight, and could be used in all countries."

He called out to the kitchen, "More wine!" and added, "Do you remember the Jinglong era? You had to bring a basket of copper coins to buy a dou of rice, and the vendors would refuse to accept them because they thought the coins were too cheap. Now, one Kaiyuan Tongbao coin can be exchanged for three liters of rice, and the writing on the coin looks like it was engraved on the coin. Everyone is fascinated by it."

The vendor in the coarse cloth shorts replied, "That's right! Last month I went to Taiyuan to sell cloth, and I saw the blacksmith shops there were busy making new farm tools, things like the 'curved plow' and the 'water-powered drum cart'. I heard the Minister of Works personally oversaw their improvement."

"An old blacksmith said that this curved plow is ten pounds lighter than the old plow, and even women can pull it, and they can plow an extra two mu of land a day."

"The government also sent agricultural technicians to the countryside to teach farmers how to use the new tools. I saw with my own eyes the water-driven drum cart. It didn't need oxen or people to pull it, it just relied on the water flow to irrigate the fields. The whole village gathered around and applauded."

As they were talking animatedly, they suddenly heard children singing on the street: "The Kaiyuan Emperor is truly wise, the officials are honest, and the people live happily. The rice is fat and the corn is white, and the public and private granaries are full..."

Everyone laughed, and the scholar sighed, "This song was composed by students at the Imperial College, and now even children in Chang'an can sing it. A few days ago, I went to Qujiang Lake and saw dozens of new study rooms built on the banks, all for the scholars to study. His Majesty even personally inscribed the words 'Jixian Hall' on them."

"I heard that this year's imperial examination will include an additional test on 'Current Affairs Policy', which will test how to make the people more prosperous. This is the proper way to select officials!"

The wandering monk clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha, I have traveled far and wide and have seen many chaotic times. But a scene like this, where people don't pick up things on the road and doors are left unlocked at night, is truly rare."

"Last month in Guozhou, I saw the government open the 'Changping Granary'. When grain prices are high, they sell grain at a low price, and when prices are low, they buy grain at a high price. The people no longer have to worry about low grain prices in good years and starvation in bad years."

"One old farmer said that in his sixty years of life, this was the first time he had seen the government hand over the granary keys to the village head for safekeeping, saying, 'This grain belongs to the people and should be looked after by the people.'"

Outside the tavern, the setting sun was dyeing the walls of Zhuque Street red. A team of Jinwu Guards marched past in neat steps, their armor shining in the afterglow.

At the street stalls, vendors selling Hubing were giving change to customers with newly minted copper coins. A clerk in a green robe was hurried on his way, holding official documents, and the fish bag around his waist swayed gently with his steps - that was the newly made "fish token" in the early Kaiyuan period. With it, he could enter and exit government offices, no longer having to carry a pile of documents stamped with seals as before.

The scholar in a blue robe looked at this scene and suddenly stood up: "Everyone, I will go to the Ministry of Personnel for the selection tomorrow. If I can get an official position, I will do as Zhang Jiuling said, 'Serve the people and benefit the people.'"

Everyone raised their glasses to congratulate each other, and the crisp sound of the wine cups colliding was full of expectations for the future.

Inside the Purple Palace of the Daming Palace, Li Longji was concentrating on a map depicting the "National Tax Collection in the Ninth Year of the Kaiyuan Period." The map, colored by color, indicated tax increases for each prefecture. The green area in Jiangnan Road had nearly doubled in size compared to the previous year. Next to the red area in Lingnan Road was the inscription "3,000 Tribute Lychees." And the yellow area in Guanzhong Road was densely packed with notes stating "57 New Water Conservancy Projects" and "120,000 Hectares of Reclaimed Land."

Yao Chong, standing by, reported, "Your Majesty, this year the national population has increased by 120,000 households compared to the first year of the Kaiyuan era, and tax revenue has increased by 1.8 million strings of cash. The grain reserves are sufficient to last for five years."

"Yesterday, the Luoyang warehouse reported that due to excessive grain, they have begun transporting it to the newly built Hanjia Warehouse."

Li Longji traced his fingertips over the area of ​​the "Hexi Jiedushi" on the map and asked, "Do the border troops have enough food and fodder? I heard Wang Junkuo won a victory in Liang Province. Should we send him some more silk as a reward?"

Song Jing stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. The grain supply in Hexi is sufficient. I have ordered the shipment of 200,000 bolts of Shu brocade to Anxi. This will serve as a reward for the troops and facilitate trade with other states, killing two birds with one stone. However, the grain transport in Jiangnan needs further improvement. I intend to build a new shipyard in Yangzi County next year and construct 300 'resting boats' to expedite the grain transport."

Li Longji nodded and smiled, "You are absolutely right. Last night, I was reading 'Zhenguan Zhengyao' and saw Emperor Taizong say, 'Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.' Now I truly understand that only when the people are happy can the world be at peace."

"Only when the government is clean and honest can government orders be implemented." He looked out the window at the dusk and continued, "Pass the decree down. Tomorrow morning, we will discuss how to reduce or exempt taxes in the disaster-stricken areas. Then, have the Imperial Music Bureau set the folk song 'Rice Flowing Fat' to music and have it sung far and wide."

When the first ray of morning light passed through the Chiwen of the Daming Palace, the West Market in Chang'an was already bustling with activity.

Persian merchants used Kaiyuan Tongbao to buy a whole ship of Yue Kiln celadon, tea merchants from Lingnan were bargaining with horse dealers from the north, and farmers in coarse clothes were carrying newly harvested millet to the government warehouse.

The starting point of all this was nothing more than the young emperor's firm gaze at the serious problems of officialdom when he held the imperial power tightly.

The picture of the Kaiyuan Prosperity is slowly unfolding across the territory of the Tang Dynasty, using the daily necessities of the people as ink and the diligence and love of the wise officials for the people as brush.

Discussions on the streets and alleys continued, those trivial topics about "new rice yield per mu", "grain boat speed" and "fairness of the imperial examination".