Chapter 453: You Can't Become a Sea, You Can Also Quench Your Thirst
"Zhang Xiang!"
Liu An bowed to Zhang Cangxing respectfully.
Zhang Cang nodded and just focused on the articles in front of him. Feng Tang suddenly looked unhappy and was about to speak when Mao Chang hurriedly stopped him.
Liu An noticed his displeasure and said with a smile: "You can rest in the courtyard for a while."
Mao Chang pulled the reluctant Feng Tang out of the inner room.
"Even if you are the third prince, how dare you disrespect the prince?!"
Feng Tang walked out of the door and expressed his thoughts loudly. Mao Chang had a look of helplessness on his face and pulled him away from the inner room, "Prime Minister Zhang is now His Majesty's favorite minister. Even the Left Prime Minister is not as good as him. Zhang
When the Prime Minister comes in and out of the palace, even the palace gates don't dare to stop him. He can come in and out with a sword. He doesn't have to take off his shoes or shout his name. He just walks in with great swagger. Every time he goes out, His Majesty personally sends him out... Don't
If he says he is disrespectful to the prince, even if he beats the prince now, your majesty will never interfere..."
With the implementation of the policy of promoting agriculture, Zhang Cang's status is getting higher and higher, even vaguely starting to reach the height of Xiao He. Xiao He originally had 500 soldiers in his mansion, and now there are 100 soldiers in Zhang Cang's mansion.
, Xiao He originally had an exaggerated food town of more than 10,000 households, and Zhang Cang's current food town has reached 4,000 households. You must know that Zhang Cang's original food town only had 1,300 households.
This growth rate makes Zhou Bo's teeth itch after hearing it.
Zhang Cang's current status is not only because of the emperor's favor, but also because of his own ability. Zhang Zuoxiang is also very favored by his majesty, but his ability is not as good as Zhang Cang, and his qualifications are even worse. Coupled with his young age and low seniority, he is simply not good enough.
There is no way to "dominate the world" like Zhang Cang.
Feng Tang was still a little angry, "No matter how favored you are, you are still just a minister. How can you dare to deceive the emperor?"
"Your Highness didn't say anything, forget it... Prime Minister Zhang cannot be offended."
Liu An's two servants had complementary personalities, Mao Chang was cautious, Feng Tang was fierce, and there was no big conflict between them, and they got along pretty well. Feng Tang and Mao Chang stood in the courtyard.
, waiting for the prince to come out.
This is not the first time that the prince has come to Prime Minister Zhang's Mansion. Recently, the prince has become a frequent visitor here.
Zhang Cang has a little daughter who even stands outside the door of the inner room every day, just wanting to see her good-looking brother.
Zhang Cang quickly looked through the memorials in his hand, kept reviewing and replying, and piled the finished memorials aside. After a long time, he stood up and rubbed his abdomen. Zhang Cang had a wide body and was a little fat.
The fair and fat Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty has a completely different style from the bunch of murderous elders in the Manchu Dynasty. People like Liu Jing and Zhou Chang can scare children to tears just by looking at them. As for people like Zhou Bo, Xia Hou Ying and others,
Just the look in his eyes can make adults cry.
Zhang Cang is different. He looks completely non-deterrent. He is white and fat, like a smooth white gourd. He does not look malicious at all, and his face is full of kindness and joy.
Every time Zhang Cang sits for a long time, his abdomen always hurts. The meat is piled together, forming red marks. This makes Zhang Cang very helpless. He has also had the idea of losing weight several times, but...
This body of flesh is always lingering. For a delicious person like Zhang Cang, losing weight is probably the second cruelest punishment in the world, the first being castration.
Standing up and rubbing his round belly, Zhang Cang turned around and saw Liu An writing with a pen.
Zhang Cang walked to Liu An's side calmly and looked down.
I saw that Liu An was looking at the grain production statistics chart, household registration growth chart, and cultivated land area of various places, and then calculated it at the bottom. The per capita grain looks very good. If you look at the calculated per capita grain ratio,
, then no one of the big men should starve to death, and they should all eat as white and fat as Zhang Cang.
But the problem is that it is impossible for the grain produced to be evenly distributed to the people of the world. 60%, no, maybe 80%, falls into the hands of large households.
Seeing the prince frowning, constantly calculating, and writing, Zhang Cang showed a happy smile.
Liu An put down his pen and ink, gritted his teeth and began to think deeply. He suddenly noticed someone behind him and was startled. He suddenly turned his head and saw Zhang Cang behind him.
"Zhang Xiang..."
"Why don't you just move on and forget it?"
"Do you think there is any way to make food distribution more even?"
"Why does the prince ask this?"
"If we can't equalize the rich and the poor, and equalize the rich and the poor, it will be useless no matter how much the grain production increases, and the benefits will not fall into the hands of the farmers at all! Liang's grain production has increased dramatically in these years, but you see, according to calculations
, the food storage situation of ordinary people's families is only slightly better than that of Zhao State. The richest families here are the rich and powerful families, with four to five thousand tenants in their families and countless fertile fields..."
"But the most powerful and richest noble family in the Liang Kingdom is your father-in-law... It is not easy to wait for the nobles and the lowly to be rich and poor."
Zhang Cang shook his head gently.
"If I set up large-scale centralized farmland, let the people farm it together and distribute it uniformly, is it possible?"
"When will Your Highness start to imitate Confucianism and try to be retro?"
Liu An didn't speak, just frowned.
"His Royal Highness is still very young and still studying... My teacher once told me that in order to reach the level of scholarship, he studied for a full fifty years and only started to study after he achieved some achievements... You are now
You're only over ten years old, why are you so anxious?"
"Come, Your Highness, don't think too much, have some food with me..."
Zhang Cang took Liu An and took him to eat regardless of whether he was happy or not.
The food at Zhang Cang's house is not very large, but it is definitely rich. It's not much, but it has everything.
"Come, Your Highness, eat meat. There is a way to eat meat. If you wolf it down like Your Majesty, you will lose the taste of the meat..."
Zhang Cang taught him how to eat meat, and it was a pleasure to eat. Liu An looked at him helplessly and could only nod in agreement.
"Prime Minister Zhang, is there any way to achieve equal wealth and honor?"
"It can't be done."
Zhang Cang shook his head and said simply.
Liu An was a little unhappy, "You can make everyone in the world have enough to eat, but you can't achieve equal wealth and honor?"
"It is impossible to feed everyone in the world...this is impossible."
"Do...."
Liu An was stunned for a long time, "But didn't you say it would take thirty years? And you also came up with so many policies??"
"yes."
Liu An looked at Zhang Cang in surprise, "I don't understand..."
Zhang Cang shook his head, "It's impossible to do it... Let alone thirty years, it's three hundred years, three thousand years. It's impossible for everyone to have enough food and food and clothing. It's impossible... to eat
, someone has to grow food, and if there are more people, more food needs to be eaten... Such a cycle is impossible to complete."
"Then what are you doing?!"
"I'm trying to feed everyone in the world."
"Then aren't you dragging the whole big man into doing something useless??"
Zhang Cang didn't answer. He picked up the piece of meat gracefully, rubbed it in the sauce repeatedly, and then bit it gently. "How can it be in vain? During the time when I came to power, there should still be many people.
Because of the policy of promoting agriculture, I got benefits and had enough meals... The introduction of iron farm tools, pedal plows, and plow mirrors should also have allowed many people to save energy and produce more food...
.Your Highness, why don’t you eat?”
Liu An was silent for a moment and then picked up the meat slices in front of him.
"When this person is alive, he must have an ideal, otherwise, it will be no different from death... This big man is the same. If he has no long-term goals, is content with pleasure, is self-satisfied, and just gets by, he will live for hundreds of years.
It will cease to exist, just like those dynasties in the past... A man who does nothing will always be inferior to a man whose ambition is to feed everyone in the world, right?"
"You said you want to share wealth and honor, then just write it. It doesn't matter whether it can be completed. The most successful thing is if someone does it."
"One day, people all over the world will find that I am wrong. According to my policies, there is no way to feed everyone in the world. However, by then, they will come up with better ways to replace my policies.
..”
"Standing water may not become the sea, but if there is too much water, it can quench your thirst..."
"The accumulated soil may not necessarily turn into a mountain, but it is still higher than other places..."
"However, if these words were spoken outside, I would not admit them."
When Liu An walked out of the Prime Minister's Mansion, he looked a little dazed.
After getting in the car, the two housekeepers were going to take him away from here.
Just as he was about to leave, he saw a person running towards the direction of the carriage.
At that moment, Feng Tang immediately pulled out his sword, and several vendors around him who were hawking also drew out their long swords. I don't know when embroidered clothes appeared on both sides, and they all raised their crossbows. There were soldiers in the Prime Minister's Mansion.
As he ran out wildly, the heavy footsteps of soldiers could be heard on both sides of the street. Within a moment, two to three hundred people were protecting Liu An.
The man who ran over looked at the glinting crossbows aimed at him, and was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground and shouted: "I am the servant of the king's palace! The servant of the King of Nanyue!
"
Not only that man, but also Liu An was shocked. He looked at the soldiers around him with a blank expression.
"Mr. Feng...who is this person??"
"They must all be soldiers responsible for protecting Prime Minister Zhang."
A man who looked like a general came forward, checked the man's ID, and talked for a long time. The soldiers just evacuated the place. Just as they appeared, they disappeared very quickly. Liu An almost didn't see them clearly.
How do people leave?
The man walked up to Liu An in horror, his hands still trembling.
"Your Majesty...Your Highness, I...I...my king invites you to come to the mansion..."
This man was already frightened into being Zhou Chang.
Under the leadership of this person, Liu An came to the Nanyue Palace.
"Hahaha, An is here!
"
Zhao Tuo came out to greet him with a big smile. He claimed that he was seriously ill and wanted to spend his old age in Chang'an. He also asked his son Zhao Shi to return to the Nanyue Kingdom and handle the affairs of the Nanyue Kingdom as the prince.
In Chang'an.
After raising the sword for several years, the old man seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. He ate a lot of meat and drank a lot of wine. After drinking too much, he could wear armor and dance with a sword. Ordinary soldiers were no match for him.
He is very low-key in Chang'an, rarely participating in any temple disputes, and trying his best to prevent others from noticing him. The only people he is willing to get close to are Liu Chang and Liu An. He often invites Liu Chang to come and eat meat.
Liu An liked to read, so he gave him a large collection of books.
Liu An has heard about his father.
However, he didn't quite believe in such rumors. How could his father not be his eldest mother's biological son?
As much as my eldest mother dotes on my father and is so close to her, it’s not like she’s close to him? How is that possible?
However, Liu An did not like to speak harshly to this old man who loved him very much, always gave gifts, and greeted him warmly. He was not Liu Chang, and he respected ordinary old men, let alone one who was very good to him.
Where is the old man?
Liu An paid homage to Zhao Tuo, and Zhao Tuo pulled him to sit down.
"I've sent some food from China, but I haven't sent it to your father yet. If he finds out, I'm afraid he won't be able to leave much for you. Come on, you eat first!"
Zhao Tuo's face was full of kindness, but his ruthlessness as the King of South Vietnam could hardly be seen.
While Liu An was eating, he talked about the incident where the attendant was almost shot. Zhao Tuo shook his head, "Your father loves you very much and arranged so many people to protect you. When you were in the countryside,
, there should be many such embroidered clothes around..."
Probably noticing that Liu An was not in a good mood, Zhao Tuo asked, "What happened? Could it be that your father said something?"
"It's not that...it's just that there are some things that I don't understand."
"You are not as good as your father in this regard. Look at your father. If you don't understand, just don't think about it. He is cheerful all day long..."
"My father is just more tolerant than me. I went to see my father earlier and found him dancing with a fou. He was very sad..."
"It's about farming, it's about farming."
Zhao Tuo gently stroked his beard and his expression became solemn.
Zhao Tuo pondered for a moment, his expression changed again, and he said with a smile: "It's okay, don't think about this now, eat more...you will find a solution."
After Liu An had eaten his fill, he bid farewell to Zhao Tuo.
After Liu An left, Zhao Tuo looked at Zhao Mei.
"I remember...the cultivated land in Jiaozhi County is fertile land that matures more than a year, right?"
"That's true in some places."
Zhao Tuo nodded thoughtfully.
........
In the Jiao Fang Hall, Liu Chang smiled silly, gently caressed Cao Shu's abdomen, and muttered something.
"I want a daughter... I want a daughter... I want a daughter..."
Cao Shu glanced at him and said, "What I told you! Did you hear it?!"
"Hey, I heard it, I heard it, wasn't it just a few hugs? I'm at his age..."
"Um??"
"Ahem, don't worry! When this guy comes back, I will break his legs!
"
Cao Shu said angrily: "How can he be addicted to women at his age?"
"I asked why he always goes to Zhang Cang's mansion. It turns out it's because of this! Thanks to me for trusting him so much, you must not go around him this time!"
"I know, I know, don't worry, don't get pregnant, I will take care of him."
While the two were chatting, Liu An absentmindedly walked into the hall and entered the ceremony. Liu Chang and Cao Shu immediately looked at him.
Cao Shu's expression looked a little bad, "Liu! An!"
"Ah... Mom, what's wrong?"
Liu Chang stood up abruptly, "Shu, don't get angry, it's not good for the child. I will deal with this guy myself! Come with me!"
"
Liu Chang said, turned around and walked into the inner room. Liu An followed his father in with a confused look on his face.
"Tell me! What rude behavior did you do?!"
Faced with his father's question, Liu An hesitated for a long time and then said: "I went to the Nanyue Prince's Mansion to eat without my father's knowledge..."
"Um???"
Liu Chang was about to curse, but he held back. He said angrily: "Shu! What good things you do outside, but you actually collude with women in private, cuddling and hugging each other. You are not a son of a man, I want to make you angry to death."
Mother?!"
Liu Chang shouted, looked outside the door again, lowered his voice, and asked with a smile: "How is it? Is that woman pretty?"
Liu An looked at his father blankly, "What kind of woman is she??"
Just as Liu Chang was about to speak, Cao Shu walked in.
When he saw Cao Shu walking in, Liu Chang immediately changed his face, pulled Liu An over, picked up the wooden stick and hit her a few times.
"I want you to tease a good girl! I want you to be a seductress!
"
Cao Shu watched Liu Chang move the stick and then persuaded him.
Liu An lay in Liu Chang's arms, "Father!
This is a rumor made by someone!
Have I ever teased a common woman?!"
"This person's hair is long-lasting!"
"Hairy traitor!
Bloody mouth!
"
Seeing that Liu An refused to admit his fault, Cao Shu became even more angry, "He told me that when you were in Prime Minister Zhang's house, you loved his daughter very much. You often held her in your arms and gave her food. He was a gentleman. Could it be that he was a gentleman?"
Will they still slander you?!"
Liu An was silent for a moment, and then said sadly and angrily:
"Mom!
!Zhang Xiang’s daughter is only two years old!
!”
"Ah?? At Zhang Xiang's age, he still has a two-year-old daughter??"
Cao Shu didn't believe it, but Liu Chang believed it. He knew very well what his teacher was. He suddenly let go of Liu An and looked at Cao Shu with some displeasure, "Look, I said you should trust An.
You insisted on letting me beat him up, now it’s okay, it’s all your fault!
"
Looking at the sad and angry son in front of her, Cao Shu also said angrily: "Didn't you say that this son has got bad habits and needs to be disciplined?"
"You made your own random guesses. After Mao Chang said so much, you just remembered this one sentence and still insisted on thinking the worst..."
Looking at his unreliable parents, Liu An raised his head and sighed.
After Liu An left, Cao Shu asked hesitantly: "Do you think it's time to arrange a marriage for the child?"
"Marriage?? He is only thirteen years old!"
"The prince's marriage is for a period of three years. Now that the marriage has been agreed, he will be sixteen in three years. Isn't it just right?"
Liu Chang hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is there anything you like more?"
"The granddaughter of Marquis Liu has been betrothed to Bo, and there is no daughter in Marquis Qu Ni's family. How about choosing one from the family of Prime Minister Zhang?"
The three people Cao Shu mentioned were all famous handsome men among the Han Dynasty. The same goes for Zhang Cang. Even though he was white and fat, he was tall and as white as jade. He was also a famous handsome man when he was young.
When Cang was about to be executed, it was because he was good-looking that he avoided death.
"No...what do you think of Wang Tianqi's family?"
"Well... I'm just afraid of being like my mother..."
ps: In the previous chapter, I saw someone refute me saying that there were no watermelons in the Han Dynasty. Well, watermelon seeds were found in the mud of the coffin chamber of the Western Han Dynasty tomb in Guixian County, Guangxi Province. Watermelon seeds were found in the lacquerware of the Han tombs in Hanjiang County, the western suburb of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province.
The owner of the tomb died in the third year of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty.