After the enthronement of the Son of Heaven, the external situation was relatively stable.
At this juncture, Cao Cao was troubled by only two major problems.
—The stability of Xudu City!
—Besides that, there was grain.
Including Runan Commandery, Cao Cao's territory now spanned the four provinces of Si, Xu, Yan, and Yu. Precisely… among these four provinces, with the exception of Xuzhou, all were areas with barren land.
Especially in the Sili region, Dong Zhuo had burned Luoyang to the ground. After relocating the capital to Chang'an, the Sili region had been overrun by mountain bandits for years.
Various small warlords and small bands of Hu cavalry had plundered here. It could be said… in such circumstances, let alone planting crops, no one dared to claim or reclaim the wastelands of Sili.
Coupled with the severe drought a year prior, it was no exaggeration to say that the grain problem had become a huge bottleneck for Cao Cao's continued development.
Of course…
At this time, Cao Cao was not the only one troubled by the grain shortage.
Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu also encountered this thorny problem.
For instance… Yuan Shao, who was always boastful and prone to attacking anyone he disliked. He was also short of grain, relying on the mountains for sustenance. His soldiers had resorted to picking mulberries for food.
At first glance, eating mulberries might sound good, but upon closer consideration, mulberries are fruit. A single meal of them might suffice, but to subsist on fruit for an extended period, who could endure it?
Furthermore… Yuan Shu in the Jianghuai region was even worse off… his grain reserves had long been depleted!
His only recourse was the Yangtze and Huai rivers. Yuan Shu drank honey nectar daily… but his soldiers had no choice but to dive into the rivers to catch fish every day…
However, how could fish sustain over a hundred thousand people? Soon… the fish were all gone, and they had to resort to shellfish, such as… river mussels, snails, and the like!
While it might sound as if eating seafood daily was a good life.
But… imagine having to fill one's stomach with seafood every day; the taste would not be pleasant!
In addition to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu…
Lü Bu and Liu Bei were also greatly troubled by the grain issue. Lü Bu even turned hostile and engaged in a fierce battle with Yuan Shu because Yuan Shu had not provided him with grain as agreed!
It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Han Dynasty was currently trapped in a massive grain famine!
And at this time… if any feudal lord could be the first to solve the grain problem, they would undoubtedly seize the initiative and gain a crucial advantage!
Lu Yu's most direct solution to the grain problem was summarized in four characters, two terms—
—"Civilian garrisons! Military garrisons!"
As soon as these four characters were uttered, Lu Yu's words followed:
"Esteemed Old Master Cao, in truth… the frequent wars in Cao Gong's territories over the years, while having negative aspects, also have positive ones. For example… aside from the lands controlled by wealthy clans, these wastelands and ownerless lands can be reclaimed and cultivated for grain! And these farmlands are under Cao Gong's control, allowing for flexible use!"
This…
Upon hearing this, Cao Song's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean to say, Meng De should take possession of these ownerless lands and have farmers cultivate them?"
"Yes! But not entirely. To speak plainly, Old Master Cao, even if your son provides farmland and invites farmers to cultivate it, the farmers dare not come!"
Lu Yu nodded, then shook his head. "The key problem now is the heavy land tax. Even if Cao Gong distributes land to the common people, they dare not accept it, nor dare they cultivate it! They fear that the grain they painstakingly grow will be ruthlessly harvested by Cao Gong! They also fear that if there is a year of disaster, they will not be able to afford the heavy grain rent!"
Hmm… harvest? Grain rent?
Cao Song's eyes darted. He understood his son, Cao Cao… he would never do anything that would gratuitously harvest grain and lose public favor!
However… this grain rent, that was a big problem.
Having served as Grand Minister of Agriculture for many years, Cao Song immediately understood the meaning of Lu Yu's words.
Besides the head tax, the Han Dynasty levied a tax on farmers who cultivated official lands, requiring them to pay the full grain rent the following year!
For example… if you were to cultivate this mu of land and rent a cow… regardless of the harvest, you must pay 120 jin of grain the following year. This is what is commonly known as "paying grain based on the cow rented."
The grain rent was paid based on the amount of land cultivated and the number of draft animals rented!
Such a policy… seemed fair on the surface. After all, if you rented more cows and cultivated more land, occupying more resources, it was only natural to pay more grain the following year!
Moreover, during the Han Dynasty, the average yield of ordinary crops could reach about 300 jin per mu. Paying 120 jin would still leave half, wouldn't it?
But… the problem lay precisely here.
Cao Song knew the drawbacks of "paying grain based on the cow rented" too well.
That was, it was too rigid!
…In years of good harvest, due to the fixed rate, the government collected insufficient grain. In years of flood or drought, the屯田客 (settled farmers) could not pay the grain rent.
It was precisely for this reason that even though those wealthy clans were more exploitative and offered less compensation to the farmers!
The farmers were more willing to work for them as tenant farmers. In the final analysis… it was because they feared cooperating with the government. In years of disaster, they would be unable to pay the grain rent and end up in prison.
This was a very realistic problem…
Cao Song was not unaware of this, but… this allocation method between the government and the 屯田客 had been in use since ancient times and had never changed. Cao Song naturally dared not risk reform.
Now, Lu Yu had raised this issue that had been hindering agricultural development for hundreds of years. How did he intend to deal with it?
…
In fact… at this moment!
It was not only Cao Song but also Cao Cao outside the main hall whose eyes were narrowed.
Recently, Xun Yu had consulted him repeatedly on the matter of reclaiming wasteland.
But the wasteland had been reclaimed, yet the farmers' enthusiasm was extraordinarily low…
The farmers still preferred to be tenant farmers for wealthy clans rather than cultivate government land. Xun Yu had also pointed out that this was the drawback of "paying grain based on the cow rented!"
Having just experienced a severe drought, the people were frightened. They feared a complete crop failure and being unable to pay the heavy grain rent.
Now… as the issue was brought up, Cao Cao paid his utmost attention…
He was very curious, how would Yu'er deal with it?
"Esteemed Old Master Cao…"
Finally, after a brief silence, Lu Yu spoke. "In truth… the compromise method I mentioned is to abolish 'paying grain based on the cow rented'! The government and the 屯田客 will use a new allocation method! This will solve the drawbacks of 'paying grain based on the cow rented' once and for all!"
"A new method?" Cao Song was startled…
Lu Yu nodded and continued, "Considering both bumper and poor harvests, the government can allocate the harvest proportionally with the 屯田客. If the farmers have draft animals, and the government provides farmland, then the allocation of the harvest can be: —Government fifty percent, farmers fifty percent!"
"If the farmers do not have draft animals and need to rent government draft animals, then the allocation method will be changed to: —Government sixty percent, farmers forty percent!"
At this point, Lu Yu paused.
"This way, regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad…
The 屯田客 will always be able to keep a portion of the grain proportionally!
Whether it is the government or the 屯田客, their income is only related to the year's harvest. This means… the government and the 屯田客 share the risk!"
Hiss…
Lu Yu's words made Cao Song take a deep breath.
This remark was like lightning striking his forehead!
It was a moment of enlightenment…
Having been the Grand Minister of Agriculture for so many years, Cao Song naturally had profound attainments and research in agricultural policy.
The more he understood and the more familiar he was with agricultural policy, the more shocked and astonished Cao Song became…
He had never expected that the conflict between the government and the 屯田客 in agricultural policy, which had troubled the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, could be so easily resolved by Lu Yu's few brief words.
The key was… that every word and every sentence from Lu Yu was incredibly convincing to Cao Song.
Hoo…
He let out a long sigh.
"Well said, 'proportional allocation,' and 'government five, people five'! 'Government six, people four'!"
Cao Song couldn't help but sigh, "In this way, the income of the 屯田客 is directly linked to the year's harvest. Then… they will inevitably strive to increase the harvest. The better the harvest, the better their lives will be. Most importantly, they will no longer be afraid, no longer fearful, and such a policy will completely eliminate all their concerns!"
"In this way, between the farmland of wealthy landlords and the farmland of the government, they will naturally choose the government's farmland! Gradually, after five years, after ten years… the cooperation between the government and the 屯田客 will become increasingly close, and the farmland of wealthy landlords will have no one to cultivate it. The policy of '摊丁入亩' (tax based on individuals instead of land) can then be put on the agenda!"
In short…
Cao Song let out a long sigh again.
Yu'er had not only solved the grain problem but had laid out a grand strategy!
Step by step, he was guiding the farmers' thinking and step by step leading those wealthy clans to ruin.
What a meticulous mind, what a meticulous psychological strategy!
Before coming to Xudu, Cao Song had placed great expectations on this grandson. He had never underestimated this grandson…
But… as of today, at this very moment…
Cao Song realized that he had still underestimated his grandson, underestimated Yin Lin.
He could see three steps ahead with one move. His grandson's vision and perspective were truly incomparable to his own Cao Song!
Speaking of which, originally… his Cao clan was a beneficiary of Yin Lin's words…
Heh heh, he had still underestimated him!
Yin Lin… no… his grandson was far more outstanding than he had imagined… far, far more outstanding.
It was no wonder the rumors in the market said—Yin Lin's words, leaked heavenly secrets. He who obtains Yin Lin can bring peace to the world!
…
Hoo…
Besides Cao Song exhaling deeply, Cao Cao outside the door was also equally shocked.
In an instant, a warm current surged from Cao Cao's heart. At this moment, Cao Cao's eyes were incredibly fervent. He could almost not contain himself. He wanted to laugh… he wanted to laugh heartily!
He never expected that the solution to the grain problem that troubled all the feudal lords was contained within Yu'er's few words.
In the long term, it was '摊丁入亩'.
In the short term, it was precisely the strategy of abolishing 'paying grain based on the cow rented'!
Step by step, Yu'er's pace in agricultural and tax reforms was exceptionally steady.
At first… he had lamented why Yu'er was made Grand Minister of Agriculture.
This position was indeed too important, but… the professionalism required was extremely high!
Imagine, Yu'er was not yet eighteen years old. How could he possibly understand the current agricultural policies of the Han Dynasty? Even in this position, it seemed to be just an empty title, and most agricultural policies still had to be handled by him, Cao Cao, and Xun Yu.
But now…
What Yu'er had shown was not just an understanding of the Han Dynasty's agricultural policies. The proportional allocation strategy he proposed far surpassed the "paying grain based on the cow rented" of this era! The "摊丁入亩" he proposed far surpassed the understanding of taxes and land taxes of this era!
Hoo…
Cao Cao's chest rose and fell. Although he desperately wanted to laugh, he had to hold back…
He did not want to interrupt Yu'er's train of thought with a sudden laugh. He still wanted to listen further.
…
"Grand Minister Lu's move is truly exquisite! I am full of admiration…" Cao Song did not spare his praise for his grandson. "I predict that if this is done, the harvest next year will at least double!"
Double…
This was already a bold prediction. After all, ancient productivity was low. Simply by increasing production enthusiasm, doubling the harvest was already considered extraordinary.
But…
Unexpectedly, Lu Yu's words were even bolder: "More than double, I'm afraid it will be at least another two-fold increase!"
Hmm… Upon hearing this, Cao Song was stunned. "Why is that?"
"Because…" Lu Yu's eyes blinked slightly. "Old Master, you probably don't know yet, but I am a successor of the Yin Yang School. Next year… the weather will be favorable, and it will be a year of great harvest! With proportional allocation… the government will receive twice as much grain as with 'paying grain based on the cow rented'!"
Proportional allocation…
Then it would no longer be a fixed quota. Everything would be possible!
This was why, before crossing over, male salespeople often had very high incomes, far surpassing administrative female clerks… wasn't it precisely because they earned money based on commission? Female clerks earned a fixed salary!
This principle was the same as cultivation under the new model. With proportional grain allocation, in years of bumper harvest, it was a huge profit!
And according to Lu Yu's memory, although the Han Dynasty was still suffering under the grip of the Little Ice Age, the next three years… were rare periods of favorable weather, and there would be unusually large harvests!
Great Yin Yang Master…
Lu Yu's title was not just for show!
Of course, Lu Yu said it lightly, but… Cao Song's eyes narrowed. He had heard about his grandson being a successor of the Great Yin Yang School… He had forgotten about it today!
And…
It seemed that the drought and floods last year were predicted by his grandson from the Yin Yang School!
"Haha!" Thinking of this, Cao Song burst into laughter… both for the favorable weather next year and for his grandson's incredibility, and for the successive pleasant surprises.
But… after the laughter, Cao Song suddenly realized a problem.
That's right… The compromise method Yu'er mentioned earlier was two-pronged: military garrisons and civilian garrisons!
Now, the civilian garrisons were resolved by abolishing "paying grain based on the cow rented" and implementing a new allocation method…
What about the military garrisons?
"Grandson… ah, Grand Minister Lu…" Cao Song continued. "I understand the civilian garrisons you mentioned. I will formulate a new agricultural policy in the Ministry of Agriculture and try to promote it… But what do you mean by military garrisons?"
"Oh… military garrisons…" If Cao Song hadn't reminded him, Lu Yu would have almost forgotten. He smiled slightly and continued, "This involves the concept of surplus value."
Surplus value? Cao Song was startled…
Today, his grandson had proposed countless strange words.
At first… Cao Song didn't understand most of them, but… by understanding them in context and grasping their meaning, he found them quite fitting.
Before Cao Song could ponder this…
Lu Yu's words had already been spoken.
"Esteemed Old Master Cao, you are in Mount Tai Commandery of Yanzhou, you must know… how many soldiers does Cao Gong have now?"
"One hundred thousand?" Cao Song asked doubtfully… Due to limited information, he only had a general idea, but he didn't know the exact number.
"More than that!" Lu Yu waved his hand.
"Could Meng De have two hundred thousand troops?" Cao Song continued to ask…
"Much more. That's right." Lu Yu replied with a smile, waving his hand. "To be precise, it's one hundred and fifty thousand."
This was a roughly accurate number. For example… Cao Cao's boast to Emperor Liu Xie about having half a million troops was all nonsense, with more pretense than actual numbers.
Of course…
Even with these one hundred and fifty thousand troops, apart from the seventy to eighty thousand Qingzhou soldiers, most of them were formed from newly surrendered Yellow Turban rebels from Runan and Sili regions.
It could be said that the Yellow Turban Uprising had been spectacular, but Cao Cao reaped the most of the final fruits…
He had even managed to form a formidable army capable of contending for the empire, completely avoiding the influence of noble clans and military families!
"So many…" Cao Song's eyes darted. His first thought was, with so many soldiers… how much grain did they consume daily?
After all, having managed the Han Dynasty's treasury and granaries for years, he instinctively thought in this direction.
"What is the meaning of Grand Minister Lu asking this?"
"This is surplus value!" Lu Yu said with a smile. "Esteemed Old Master Cao, imagine, each soldier needs to eat grain every day, and each soldier receives a monthly stipend. But… what they need to do now is only regular training and fighting in wartime…"
"But? They can't train all day, and the efficiency is low. Instead, it would be better… to let these one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers cultivate the land. In this way… wouldn't half of Cao Gong's arable land be utilized at once?"
At this point, Lu Yu paused.
"These soldiers cultivating the land do not need to be allocated grain proportionally. Their revenue is greater than the cooperation between the government and the 屯田客! This is a net gain!"
"Moreover, serving as soldiers in wartime and farmers in peacetime, this way, not only ensures a sufficient number of soldiers in times of war but also ensures the reclamation and cultivation of wasteland during peacetime. Making them do two things for one meal and one salary, this is the so-called surplus value of the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers!"
Hiss…
Upon hearing this, Cao Song's eyes darted, and he fell into deep thought.
But… Cao Cao outside the door immediately understood. Compared to civilian garrisons, military garrisons were even more enlightening.
One would never realize what a massive number the daily consumption of military grain was, without being a commander and leading tens of thousands of soldiers.
It was no exaggeration to say that the grain eaten by fifteen thousand soldiers annually, piled up, would be higher than a mountain.
It was precisely for this reason that when Cao Cao incorporated these armies from Runan and Sili, the first thing he thought of was not that he had grown stronger or more powerful… but… where would the military grain come from?
How to feed them?
Even… recently, Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai had been discussing troop reduction.
If it weren't for the limited grain supply, who would want to reduce troops? To go back ten thousand steps, it was easy to reduce troops now, but it would be extremely difficult to recruit soldiers in wartime.
This was like two poisons. You either drink one, or you drink the other!
But unexpectedly, Yu'er's proposed method of "military garrisons" today was like merging the two poisons, adding a medicinal prescription, and then, miraculously, it was no longer poisonous, but exceptionally refreshing and clear!
And this medicinal prescription was precisely—military garrisons!
"Brilliant… brilliant!" Cao Cao exclaimed subconsciously…
If he didn't want to reduce troops and needed to solve the grain problem for the army, then… wasn't Yu'er's proposal of "military garrisons" the optimal solution to this problem?
"Haha…"
"Hahahahaha…"
The major problem that had been bothering him for a long time and filled his heart with worry was suddenly resolved. Cao Cao could no longer hold back… he burst into hearty laughter.
This laughter was extremely clear, and this laughter shook the roof tiles!
Lu Yu, who was inside the main hall, was startled. Before he could recover from the laughter…
Cao Song, however, took the lead. Through this laughter… he realized that his son Cao Cao had arrived!
He raised his eyes and looked outside the door.
"Since Meng De is here, why not come in? What, is your habit of eavesdropping when you were young? Have you not changed it yet?"
In the entire Han Dynasty, only one person dared to scold Old Cao as soon as he spoke, and that was Cao Cao's father—Cao Song!
At this moment, his tone added a bit more coldness.
"You are already a feudal lord. You should conduct yourself with integrity! Hurry and come in!"
Upon hearing this…
With a "clatter," the door was pushed open… Cao Cao stepped in. He walked to Cao Song and knelt directly. "Your son Cao Cao pays his respects to Father!"
The older he grew, the more Cao Cao could feel his father's love for him…
Especially… now that Cao Cao was learning from his father and passing this love on to Yu'er! In this way, he could understand it even more!
"Thump"
Cao Cao kowtowed to Cao Song.
This was a father who had survived a near-death experience, a father he almost never saw again.
"Get up, Meng De. You've lost weight recently!"
At Cao Song's words, Cao Cao was on the verge of tears…
He knew that his father was not a person who was good at expressing mushy words. This one sentence, "You've lost weight," was enough to make him imagine… memories of the past vividly.
What a scene of "filial affection between father and son"!
What a scene of "three generations living together"!
…
…