The terrifying flood that occurred several months ago finally receded slowly. The ravaged land gradually revealed its original outline amidst the turbid water stains. However, the court of the Tang Dynasty was still tightly enveloped by an atmosphere of solemnity and oppression that lingered for a long time. This flood was like a cruel baptism, taking away the precious lives of countless common people and destroying their warm homes. It was more like a heavy hammer that forcefully awakened Emperor Li Yi. He deeply realized that, under the severe blow of the natural disaster, the Tang Dynasty had already reached a crossroads of fate. If it wanted to regain its vitality and achieve long-term stability and peace, a comprehensive and in-depth reform was extremely urgent and there was no room for the slightest hesitation or retreat.
As early as when the flood was raging, with the assistance of several of his most trusted ministers, Li Yi secretly initiated the preparatory work for the reform. In the quiet side hall of the imperial palace, they burned the midnight oil for countless days and nights, carefully deliberating and discussing every detail of the reform. The formulation of each policy and the planning of each measure embodied their painstaking efforts and expectations, striving to achieve perfection. Now, with everything ready, Li Yi, with a determined gaze, resolutely made the reform policies public, determined to open up an unprecedented bright development path for the Tang Dynasty.
The reform policies implemented by Li Yi covered several key areas related to the lifeblood of the country, such as agriculture, commerce, and the military. In terms of agriculture, he was determined to re-measure the land across the country and levy taxes strictly according to the actual cultivated area. For a long time, the phenomenon of land annexation had spread wantonly like a malignant tumor on the land of the Tang Dynasty. A large amount of fertile land had been unjustly seized and monopolized by the nobles and powerful families. Under this dark oppression, ordinary common people had no land to cultivate and could only helplessly become tenants. They struggled bitterly every day under heavy labor, living in extreme hardship, with the common situation of not having enough food to eat and not enough clothes to cover their bodies. Li Yi knew very well that only by completely curbing this chaotic phenomenon of land annexation and enabling the common people to truly own their own land could the people's livelihood issues be fundamentally solved, allowing the common people to achieve food and clothing security and live a stable life.
In the commercial field, Li Yi strongly advocated free trade, firmly reduced commercial taxes, and actively planned to open up new trade routes. In the past, commercial activities were like birds bound by layers of shackles, subject to many unreasonable restrictions. The heavy commercial taxes were like huge rocks pressing on the shoulders of merchants, making the development of commerce extremely difficult and falling into a long-term stagnation. Li Yi hoped that through these reform measures, the vitality of commerce could be completely stimulated, the economic veins could be unblocked again, economic prosperity could be promoted, and thus the national financial revenue could be significantly increased.
He outlined a magnificent commercial blueprint in his mind: setting up bustling trade fairs in the vast border areas of the Tang Dynasty to conduct frequent and in-depth trade exchanges with neighboring countries. Importing those rare and precious goods from foreign regions to meet the growing material needs of the people of the Tang Dynasty; at the same time, promoting the world-famous specialties of the Tang Dynasty, such as silk and fragrant tea, to a broader world stage, making the commercial reputation of the Tang Dynasty spread far and wide.
In terms of the military, Li Yi detected that there were serious problems in the current army, such as uneven soldier quality and lax training. Such an army would undoubtedly be vulnerable in the face of potential external threats. Therefore, he was determined to carry out drastic reforms on
the military system. He planned to carefully select capable and responsible soldiers and conduct high-intensity and professional military training for them to comprehensively improve the overall combat effectiveness of the Tang army. In addition, he also considered establishing a specialized military institution, which would shoulder important responsibilities such as the recruitment, training, and deployment of soldiers, ensuring the efficient and orderly operation of the army, just like a precise war machine that could respond to various challenges at any time.
However, as soon as these reform policies were introduced, they were like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly setting off thousands of waves. The nobles had long relied on land annexation to accumulate huge wealth and lived a life of excessive luxury. The implementation of the land reform made it difficult for them to expand their land wantonly anymore, which undoubtedly severely deprived them of one of their most important sources of wealth. The commercial reform even more broke their long-term monopoly on commercial trade. In the past, they could arbitrarily raise prices to obtain huge profits, and the common people could only dare to be angry but not speak out. Now, the tide of reform made it impossible for them to act as they pleased anymore, and their former privileges and interests were gradually fading away. And the reform of the military system directly weakened their control over the army and reduced their influence in military affairs, which also greatly reduced their right to speak in the court.
Therefore, these nobles whose interests had been damaged quickly colluded with each other and launched the most intense opposition to Li Yi's reform in the court. In the court meeting, they were vehement in their words and excited in their emotions, accusing the disadvantages of the reform with all kinds of absurd reasons. Some nobles talked nonsense, claiming that re-measuring the land would seriously disrupt social order and cause panic and unease among the common people; some exaggerated the situation and said that reducing commercial taxes would lead to a sharp decline in national financial revenue and that the court could not be maintained normally at all, and the Tang Dynasty would fall into an abyss of eternal damnation. In private, they even colluded with each other, like cunning poisonous snakes, inciting other officials everywhere to resist the reform together. They used their extensive personal connections to win over those officials with unsteady stances, trying to form a powerful and unbreakable opposition force to prevent the wheels of reform from moving forward under their obstruction. In just a few days, the reform fell into a dilemma, and Li Yi and Lin Yue faced unprecedented great pressure, as if they were firmly pressed down by an invisible mountain.
In the face of the strong opposition from the nobles, Li Yi did not show the slightest intention of backing down. His eyes revealed firmness and determination. He knew very well that the road to reform would inevitably be full of thorns and difficulties. But for the future of the Tang Dynasty and the well-being of thousands of common people, he had to move forward unswervingly. Even if there were mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, he would never turn back. In this difficult moment, Lin Yue, a courtier who was an imperial doctor but always concerned about national affairs, with her unique modern thinking, bravely stepped forward and took the initiative to offer suggestions and strategies for Li Yi.
Lin Yue proposed that the modern joint-stock system model could be boldly borrowed to transform some commercial projects into joint-stock systems. She came to Li Yi's study and, under the flickering candlelight, explained this innovative concept in detail to Li Yi. She said that nobles and merchants should be allowed to participate in the investment together and obtain profits according to their shares. In this way, not only could the smooth progress of the commercial reform be ensured, but also the nobles could obtain tangible benefits in commercial development, thus effectively reducing their resistance. She also gave an example, saying that a large trading company could be established, in which nobles and merchants could invest with funds or goods, and the company would be responsible for organizing various trade activities and distributing dividends according to the profit situation. In this way, the nobles could not only profit from the commercial reform but also actively offer suggestions for commercial development and promote the process of reform.
In terms of agricultural reform, Lin Yue suggested establishing agricultural technology promotion stations. Drawing rich experience from modern agricultural knowledge, she was well aware that advanced planting techniques and irrigation methods played a crucial role in increasing grain production. Lin Yue proposed to Li Yi that promotion stations should be widely established in various places, and professional agricultural technicians proficient in agricultural technology should be hired to go deep into the fields and teach farmers scientific planting methods, such as reasonable close planting to make full use of every inch of land; crop rotation and intercropping to skillfully utilize the soil fertility and increase the yield of crops. At the same time, new irrigation technologies should be promoted, such as waterwheel irrigation, using the power of the water flow to drive the waterwheel and introduce water into the farmland; canal irrigation, reasonably planning the canals to enable the water resources to be evenly distributed to each piece of land and improve the utilization efficiency of water resources. In addition, she also proposed to establish an agricultural product storage and circulation system to avoid the unsalable situation of agricultural products due to a bumper harvest and ensure that the hard work of farmers could be rewarded accordingly. She envisioned establishing large storage centers in various prefectures and counties. During the harvest season, the surplus agricultural products would be stored and then put on the market when there was a shortage, so as to stabilize the prices of agricultural products and prevent farmers from suffering losses due to market fluctuations.
In terms of military reform, Lin Yue borrowed modern military management concepts and proposed establishing military academies. She believed that only through systematic military theory study and actual combat training could truly professional military talents be cultivated and the quality and combat effectiveness of soldiers be comprehensively improved. She suggested establishing a comprehensive military academy in the bustling area of the capital city, offering multiple majors such as strategy and tactics, weapon manufacturing, and military logistics. Select those battle-tested and experienced excellent generals to serve as instructors, and they would impart their actual combat experience and military wisdom to the young trainees. Through strict training and study, batch after batch of high-quality military talents would be cultivated to inject fresh blood into the Tang army. She also suggested introducing modern military equipment manufacturing technology to improve the weapons and equipment of the Tang Dynasty. She envisioned cooperating with those skilled craftsmen in the folk to give full play to their wisdom and creativity and develop new types of weapons, such as improved crossbows with a longer range and greater power; more powerful catapults that could play a greater role on the battlefield and enhance the strength of the army.
Li Yi highly appreciated Lin Yue's suggestions, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. He immediately summoned the relevant ministers and set about implementing these reform measures. They began to conduct pilot projects in some areas and closely monitor the implementation effects. In the pilot areas, the establishment of agricultural technology promotion stations caught the farmers' attention. They actively learned new planting techniques, and the grain yield increased significantly. The originally barren land became fertile under scientific planting methods, the crops grew vigorously, and the joy of a bumper harvest filled the faces of every farmer.
The establishment of the commercial joint-stock company attracted the participation of many nobles and merchants. They successively took out their funds and goods to invest in shares. The company's trade activities became increasingly active, and the market was filled with a wide variety of goods. The prosperity of commerce drove the economic development of the entire region.
The preparatory work for the military academy was also carried out in full swing. Some young and promising soldiers were selected, and they walked into the military academy with great
anticipation to receive professional military training. In the campus, the shouts of killing resounded through the sky, and the soldiers trained hard, striving to become excellent soldiers.
At the same time, Li Yi summoned the ministers who supported the reform and launched a fierce debate with the opposition forces in the court. The atmosphere in the court was as tense as the calm before a storm. Standing in the center of the court, Li Yi, with a determined gaze, elaborated on the purpose and significance of the reform in detail. His voice was loud and powerful, echoing in the grand hall: "The reform is for the overall interests of the Tang Dynasty, to make our country stronger and to enable the common people to live a happy and healthy life. We can no longer let the common people live in dire straits, and we can no longer let the Tang Dynasty decline in stagnation." He listed the remarkable achievements obtained in the reform pilot areas, speaking with real data and vivid examples, making it difficult for the opponents to refute. The ministers who supported the reform also spoke one after another. They were passionate and listed various benefits brought by the reform, such as the prosperity of commerce driving employment, and more and more common people having a stable source of income; the development of agriculture ensuring the food supply, and the common people no longer having to worry about hunger.
In order to break the deadlock, on the one hand, Li Yi actively soothed the emotions of the nobles, promising that their reasonable demands would be fully considered and their basic rights and interests would be protected during the reform process. He personally summoned some influential figures among the nobles and had patient communication and exchanges with them in the spacious and bright palace of the imperial palace. He listened to their opinions. No matter how intense the words of the other party were, he always maintained humility and respect, making them feel the attention of the court to them. On the other hand, he increased the publicity of the reform achievements, allowing more officials and common people to understand the benefits of the reform. He dispatched officials to go deep into the folk, walking through the streets and alleys, having cordial conversations with the common people, and collecting their views and suggestions on the reform. After organizing these feedbacks, he displayed them in the court to prove that the reform was in line with the will of the people. He also carefully organized the common people's representatives to visit the reform pilot areas, allowing them to see the huge changes brought by the reform with their own eyes. When the common people saw the bountiful fields, the bustling marketplaces, and the vibrant military academy, they successively expressed their support and endorsement for the reform.
Lin Yue, taking advantage of her advantage of making many friends in the Imperial Hospital and among the common people, deeply understood the private movements and weaknesses of the nobles. She often entered and exited the noble mansions on the pretext of treating illnesses. When communicating with the servants and imperial doctors in the noble mansions, she skillfully obtained a lot of important information. She learned that some nobles had illegal business practices, such as tax evasion and passing off inferior goods as superior ones. She then secretly informed Li Yi of this information, providing an important basis for Li Yi to formulate countermeasures. Taking this as an opportunity, Li Yi issued a severe warning to these nobles, making them dare not openly oppose the reform anymore. Those nobles with ulterior motives, under Li Yi's warning, were like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, and they no longer dared to speak out easily.
After a period of unremitting efforts, things finally took a turn for the better. Some officials who were originally wavering began to be shaken in their hearts when they saw the actual benefits brought by the reform, and they gradually changed their attitudes and joined the camp supporting Li Yi's reform. There was also a split within the nobles. Some far-sighted nobles realized that the general trend of reform was irresistible. If they continued to resist, they would only lose more benefits. They began to actively participate in the reform, such as investing in the commercial joint-stock company and becoming the promoters of the commercial reform; supporting the promotion of agricultural technology and contributing their own strength to the development of agriculture. Li Yi keenly seized this opportunity and quickly promoted the full implementation of the reform policies.
Although the reform process was still full of difficulties, such as encountering stubborn resistance in the implementation of the reform in some areas, and some nobles still secretly resisting and trying to undermine the achievements of the reform. But with the joint efforts of Li Yi and Lin Yue, the reform finally continued to move forward. In this fierce contest between reform and anti-reform, Li Yi and Lin Yue, with their firm beliefs and unique wisdom, temporarily stabilized the situation and won a precious glimmer of hope for the future of the Tang Dynasty. However, they also clearly knew that there were more difficulties and challenges waiting for them ahead. The road to reform was still long and arduous, full of unknown risks, but they were not afraid and would work hand in hand to make unremitting efforts for the prosperity and strength of the Tang Dynasty...