I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 107 South Central Planning

Meng Huo gently swept his hand across the cover and turned to the first page.

"Southern China experiences simultaneous rain and heat, with winters neither extremely cold nor summers extremely hot—a truly blessed land. However, the terrain is complex, and the people's farming methods are outdated, relying on slash-and-burn agriculture, which easily depletes the soil's fertility. Consequently, they migrate every year, living without a fixed abode..."

"Without proper water conservancy, droughts and floods are unpredictable; this is not due to the people's laziness, but rather to the lack of effective solutions..."

Meng Huo's fingers paused.

Having lived in the south for a long time, he only cared about how much rice and millet his granary had, and never knew how the people farmed. For a moment, he felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his chest.

He turned to the second page.

"Although the land in Nanzhong is fertile, the yield is far below expectations, which is a real pity. I would like to offer five suggestions in order to do my part for the people of Nanzhong."

"Firstly, it improved social relations in the southern region. The chieftains of the southern barbarians had many slaves, so they were assigned to large clans as 'servants' to stabilize the people's hearts and improve agricultural production."

"Secondly, we should develop the land and labor force. There are still many people living in the mountains and forests in the south. We should relocate them to the plains, build cities and towns, engage in sericulture and agriculture, and expand the arable land."

"Thirdly, we built canals to divert water to irrigate the fields, turning dry land into paddy fields."

"Fourthly, crop rotation, alternating between soybeans and wheat, nourishes the soil's strength invisibly."

"Fifth, innovate agricultural tools. To do a good job, one must first have the right tools. Use oxen instead of manual labor, introduce iron agricultural tools, and improve agricultural efficiency..."

He had seen these three terms before in Oden: irrigation canal repair, crop rotation, and farm tools.

What he didn't expect was that this not only included specific methods for improving farming, but also methods for improving the complex social and interpersonal relationships in South Central South.

The more Meng Huo read, the heavier the two thin booklets in his hands seemed to become.

After finishing the first volume, Meng Huo immediately turned to the second volume.

The second volume contains pictures, not text.

Although the location and scale of the irrigation canals, as well as the styles of various farm tools, are somewhat rough, every stroke is clear and distinct.

On the last page, there were a few lines of text.

"If this policy is implemented, grain production in the south can increase by 50% within three years. Within five years, the people will be able to eat their fill every day. Within ten years, the south can become the granary of the Han Dynasty."

"However, this strategy cannot be accomplished overnight. It requires schools to teach people skills, officials to supervise their conduct, and the court to support it consistently."

"The people of the South are also the people of the Great Han, and I cannot neglect either of them."

When Meng Huo saw the character "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the emperor"), his hand trembled slightly.

He turned his head, and Zhang Yi was looking at him.

"Who wrote this booklet, and who drew these pictures?"

Zhang Yi slowly said, "It was written and drawn by His Majesty himself."

"Yes... it's the young emperor..."

Meng Huo had already guessed it, but he still wanted to hear Zhang Yi say it with his own ears.

Zhang Yi nodded and said, "After His Majesty pacified the South, he immediately sent people to visit the South to understand the people's conditions and the agricultural situation there, and then personally drafted a good strategy for governance."

He paused, then continued, "His Majesty said that to govern the South, we must first know what the South lacks."

Meng Huo was somewhat moved.

He recalled that when Liu Zhang was in power, officials from Yizhou had also visited Nanzhong.

But they went to collect taxes, conscript soldiers, and requisition grain; no one ever asked what the South was lacking.

Meng Huo then thought of Liu Bei.

After Liu Bei entered Sichuan, he also sent people to Nanzhong to appease the local strongmen and win over the people.

But no one ever asked whether the people had enough to eat.

"Lord Zhang..." Meng Huo's voice was a little hoarse.

"Could I have this booklet?"

Zhang Yi said with relief, "This was originally for the general. His Majesty said that the general should take it back and take a good look at it."

After visiting Yutian, Zhang Yi did not take Meng Huo back to his residence.

"General, His Majesty has another place he wishes you to visit."

"where?"

"The Imperial Academy".

When Meng Huo was in Nanzhong, he had heard of this Imperial Academy.

It is said that the first thing Liu Shan did after ascending the throne was to revive the Imperial Academy and establish an academy.

As a member of a prominent local family, he looked down on these literary trends, considering them too pedantic and pretentious. He thought that the new emperor's establishment of the academy was merely a means to win people's hearts.

But he doesn't think that way anymore.

Guan Xing and Zhang Bao were graduates of the Imperial Academy, and were proficient in martial arts, military strategy, and tactics.

The things I saw at Oden today all came from the Imperial Academy.

Even if Zhang Yi didn't take him to visit today, he would find a way to see this somewhat mysterious place in the future.

Meng Huo followed Zhang Yi through North Street, then through a bamboo grove, and arrived at the Imperial Academy, located directly north of the palace.

There are no luxurious buildings here, but rather rows of bungalows nestled in the garden.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Under several old trees, there were stone tables and benches, where several students were sitting and reading.

When they saw someone come in, they looked up, nodded politely, and then looked down again to continue looking.

Meng Huo looked around and was surprised to find that there were few students.

"This...is this the Imperial Academy?"

"That's right." Zhang Yi slowly introduced, "There are nearly ten classes here, including liberal arts classes, military classes, agricultural science classes, tea ceremony classes, water conservancy engineering classes, etc. His Majesty said that more specialized classes will be opened in the future to select talents for the country."

"Many students in the classes have already achieved academic success, so there are fewer students in the academy now. Once the new school year starts and students enroll, it will be a different story."

Meng Huo couldn't understand these classes or those classes, but he noticed some details.

The students here are dressed simply, but their eyes are bright, and they look at people with confidence.

"Lord Zhang," Meng Huo suddenly asked, "who are they?"

"There are all sorts of people here," Zhang Yi said. "There are scions of noble families, scholars from poor families, ordinary people, and... people from the south."

Meng Huo was taken aback.

"In the south?"

"Yes." Zhang Yi pointed to a classroom in the distance and said, "General, would you like to go take a look?"

Meng Huo nodded and followed.

He was curious to see who these people were, considering they were from powerful and influential families in the south, and why they were able to come here to study.

As Meng Huo approached the school building, he looked through the window and saw familiar faces sitting inside.

Meng Huo was taken aback. These so-called people from Nanzhong were actually his personal guards who had been captured and brought to Chengdu with him.

They sat upright, holding bamboo slips in their hands, their brows furrowed, listening to the teacher's lecture.

"The soil's fertility depends on crop rotation. The method of crop rotation lies in soybeans and wheat..."

Meng Huo stood outside the window, looking at his subordinates, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

They originally thought that after being taken to Chengdu, they would be subjected to severe torture and confess their crimes of rebelling against the imperial court.

Or they might be forced into corvée labor, ultimately ending up dead.

But he never expected that they would be wearing clean clothes and sitting in a spacious classroom reading.

Zhang Yi whispered from the side, "General, after these people were brought to Chengdu, His Majesty did not imprison them, but sent them to the Agricultural Department of the Imperial Academy. He had them learn to farm, build canals, and fertilize fields. After they finished their studies, they were to return to the south to teach the people."

"If one teaches ten, and ten teach a hundred, soon the people of Nanzhong will all know how to farm, and they will no longer have to worry about not having enough to eat."

Meng Huo suddenly turned his head and looked at Zhang Yi.

"Your Majesty...aren't you afraid they'll escape?"

"His Majesty said that those who want to run away cannot be kept. Those who want to learn cannot be driven away. What they learn is what they will bring back to the south to teach the people, and also what will ensure they have enough to eat for the rest of their lives."

Meng Huo opened his mouth, but could not utter a word.

He stood outside the window, looking at his former subordinates who only knew how to fight and kill.

They studied very hard. Although they didn't know many characters, everyone stared wide-eyed at the old teacher on the podium, afraid of missing a single word.

Meng Huo suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

After leaving the classroom, Zhang Yi led Meng Huo to another teaching building, where a huge sand table was placed.

The sand table shows mountains, rivers, cities, and passes, all of which are included.

Several officials were gathered around the sand table, discussing something.

The leader, dressed in official robes, was thin and held a pen, writing and drawing on the picture.

"This is the irrigation official from the Imperial Academy's engineering department, surnamed Deng," Zhang Yi introduced. "He's currently working on the water conservancy plan for the southern region."

Deng Yanguan raised his head, saw Meng Huo, and bowed respectfully.

Meng Huo returned the greeting and walked to the sand table.

On the sand table, the mountains and rivers of southern China are marked.

He recognized the mountains of his hometown and the river that flowed past his doorstep.

But there were many lines on the sand table that he had never seen before.

"What are these?" he asked, pointing to the lines.

Deng Yanguan put down his pen and walked to the sand table.

"This is the planned irrigation canal," he said, pointing to a red line. "Water drawn from this river can irrigate three thousand hectares of dry land in the eastern part of Jianning County."

He then pointed to another blue line.

"This canal connects two lakes. After it was completed, the fields in the northern part of Juti County will be guaranteed a good harvest regardless of drought or flood."

He drew another circle, encircling all the densely packed little lines.

"These are the branch canals. Once the main canal is completed, the branch canals can extend to every field. When the people open the sluice gates, the water can flow into their own land."

Looking at the lines, Meng Huo felt his mind go blank, and in the end, he could only ask one question.

"Lord Deng, how long will it take to repair these canals?"

Without hesitation, Deng Yanguan replied, "The main canal will take three years, and the branch canals five years. After five years, half of the dry land in the seven prefectures of southern China will be converted into paddy fields."

"How many people do you need?"

"Laborers were conscripted from the local area, with the imperial court and local powerful clans providing money and grain, split 70/30. The labor of the people was not used for nothing; they were provided with food and wages."

The imperial court contributed seven, and the southern regions contributed three.

Meng Huo nodded slightly.

"His Majesty said," Deng Yanguan added, "that building canals is a matter of benefiting the people, and we should not let the people suffer."

After Meng Huo finished his investigation, it was already noon.

"It's lunchtime. Would the General like to have lunch at the academy?"

Meng Huo nodded repeatedly without hesitation.

"Does the academy provide meals?"

"Only one lunch will be provided."

Upon arriving at the canteen, Meng Huo took a plate and went to the window to collect his lunch.

A bowl of wheat rice, a bowl of vegetable soup, a piece of dried meat, and seasonal fruit.

Although it wasn't as lavish as the meal he had in Nanzhong, it still made his mouth water.

"May I ask, Lord Zhang, is everyone eating the same thing?"

Zhang Yi presented his own to Meng Huo, saying, "Of course it's the same."

Meng Huo turned his head and looked around. Everyone was eating with relish, their faces full of happiness.

"Lord Zhang, is this what the people of Chengdu eat?"

"No!"

Zhang Yi suddenly sighed and said, "Nowadays, not many people can afford a meal like this, let alone have dried meat and fruit."

Meng Huo felt somewhat guilty after hearing this.

Everyone says that the Han people have more food than they do. He recalled how his personal guards wolfed down their food, and thought that this was probably the most satisfying meal they had ever had since they were born.

He never cared about what his subordinates ate for two meals a day.

That evening, Meng Huo returned to his residence.

He placed the book "Strategies for Agricultural Transformation in Southern China" on the table and turned the pages one by one.

Turning to the last page, he saw that sentence again—

"The people of the South are also the people of the Great Han. I cannot neglect either of them."

He stared at that sentence for a long time.

Then he stood up and walked around the room a few times.

Several guards looked at him, not daring to speak.

"Bring me paper and pen," Meng Huo suddenly said.

The guard was taken aback.

"Your Majesty, do you... wish to write?"

"right."

His personal guards brought paper and pen. Meng Huo sat down at the desk, holding the pen, his hand trembling slightly. He didn't write often, and his handwriting was crooked and uneven, like earthworms crawling.

But he wrote each stroke very carefully.

After he finished writing, he folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

"I need to see His Majesty tomorrow."