Chapter 132: Crown Prince Gao Liang, the Grand Banquet at the Imperial Palace

Chapter 132: The Crown Prince's Sorghum and the Grand Imperial Banquet

Xu Jingzong only owned a few estates and properties, but he could not use overt influence nor let anyone notice his actions. Easy to say, yet exceedingly difficult to carry out.

Slowly keeping them under surveillance might take a month, or perhaps two.

He Guangzhen led Shu'er out of the city, accompanied by another colleague, while the remaining three took portraits to try their luck at Xu Jingzong’s other farms and properties. Shu'er disguised herself as a young pageboy, and He Guangzhen and his companion posed as ordinary scholars. Shu'er’s appearance was not as strikingly breathtaking as Yang Min’s or Xu Li’s, making her unlikely to attract unwanted attention.

Once outside the city walls, the landscape was a sea of verdant green, with various crops growing furiously. In truth, high temperatures had their advantages; as long as water was not scarce, they were quite beneficial to agriculture. Yet how could water not be in short supply? Consequently, crops growing alongside irrigation ditches flourished, while those further away, deprived of moisture, withered one by one.

Suddenly, Shu'er pointed toward the southwest and said, "Look, everyone, those are the sorghum plants cultivated experimentally by the Crown Prince."

Standing out like a crane among chickens, they could be seen from afar.

In truth, Li Wei did not know much about sorghum. This crop had always yielded poorly; during the Tang Dynasty, the average harvest was only one *shi* per mu. Under good conditions with meticulous care, one might reap two *shi*, but in poor conditions, even a single *shi* was unattainable. However, the harvests of other crops were currently just as dismal. Even if the national average yield for two seasons combined, including the bountiful harvests across the thousands of miles of fertile plains in Jiangnan, reached only two *shi*, subsequent advancements in wheat and rice cultivation relegated sorghum—with its difficult husk-removal process and less favored taste—to the sidelines as a secondary food source. Consequently, right up until the founding of the People's Republic of China, the national sorghum harvest remained at a mere one hundred and fifty catties per mu. In many places, it was used merely for making brooms and green fodder. Following decades of technological innovation, the yield grew to over six hundred catties, which was the era in which Li Wei had grown up.

Later, upon entering the cities, he heard mentions of yields of one thousand or two thousand catties. This was achieved through experimental fields and seed improvement. In most rural areas, yields hovered around eight or nine hundred catties, falling short of a thousand-plus catties. Of course, what would it mean for the Tang Dynasty if a single season of sorghum could yield eight or nine hundred catties? Leaving aside the current severe drought, even if conditions worsened to the point where only the circuits of Hebei, Jianghuai, and Shannan experienced a bountiful harvest, the nation would never have to worry about food supplies.

Therefore, whenever people mentioned the sorghum in these few experimental plots, they spoke of three or four *shi*, representing their highest aspirations and the era's ultimate dream for sorghum yields. To imagine anything beyond that required too much daring.

Yet at present, these dozen-odd experimental mu of land possessed all the right techniques. From seed selection onward, the most advanced methods had been employed—at the very least, the most advanced and meticulous techniques of the early 1990s. The fertilizer was second to none, and the care was exceptional, save for the seeds, which were slightly inferior. However, under the catalytic effects of these advanced techniques and fertilizers, combined with the biological instinct of natural evolution, the seeds were also undergoing mutations. Thus, anything was possible...

"The Crown Prince's sorghum!" He Guangzhen grew curious. Working on behalf of the Crown Prince, he considered himself one of the Crown Prince's inner circle. "Let's go take a look," he said.

Many people were watching. Workers from the imperial estate were catching locusts; pests were abundant amidst the drought, though fortunately, they had not coalesced into a full-scale plague. The rest of the onlookers were local farmers. Officials and scholars had, up to this point, continued to neglect these dozen mu of land.

Standing beneath the towering stalks, He Guangzhen could not help but exclaim, "So tall!"

The harvest remained an unknown, but the height of these stalks was astonishing. If a person ducked into the sorghum field, their figure would be almost entirely concealed.

Yet it was not all good news. In some plots, the imperial estate workers had sown the seeds too closely, resulting in severe consequences: the plants failed to reach their full height, and the emerging tassels were pitifully small, causing the tenant farmers to feel deep regret. In other fields, excessive fertilization had caused rampant growth—producing only stalks without grain heads—which was largely an unfavorable outcome. However, half of the sorghum was growing normally, and the tassels were just beginning to emerge.

Meanwhile, Wu Zetian was deeply well-versed in Buddhist scriptures. The two of them conversed from the *Diamond Sutra* to the *Lotus Sutra*, and from the *Lotus Sutra* to the *Vimalakirti Sutra*. Li Wei had no choice but to accompany her, his head spinning from the discourse until the afternoon dharma assembly finally commenced.

***

The weather was sweltering, and with the dharma assembly scheduled to last for three days, even the commoners in the audience were barely holding onto their spirits, let alone the elderly high monks on the dais—not to mention the many aged monks among them. Consequently, proceedings concluded shortly. Then came the main event: large chests were brought out, accompanied by guest ledgers.

The purpose of the dharma assembly was to propagate the Buddhist Dharma and, furthermore, to deliver all living souls from suffering—specifically, to provide relief for the disaster victims of Guanzhong.

Empress Wu Zetian, holding Emperor Li Zhi's hand, took out several pieces of gold and silver jewelry and dropped them into the chests. Li Wei had brought nothing. After a moment of thought, he wrote a line in the ledger: Li Hong, Jiang Bi'er, and Liu Quan donated three million coins in charitable funds—amounting to three thousand strings of cash. However, since these funds were to be disbursed from the workshops, the names of Jiang Bi'er and Liu Quan were attached. Invisibly, this solved a difficult dilemma for the merchants. With the two sovereigns adopting this stance, it was unmistakably an act of extortion, and the merchants had no idea how much to give to please the imperial couple without inadvertently outshining the Crown Prince.

Consequently, the ledgers soon filled with entries of two million nine hundred thousand coins, or two million eight hundred thousand coins. Fortunately, many hands make light work; by the end of the three-day dharma assembly, a total of over three hundred and seventy thousand strings of cash had been raised in donations. Only upon hearing this in the palace did Wu Zetian and Li Zhi breathe sighs of relief. After all, they had organized this themselves; although Luoyang could not quite match Chang'an in scale, if the total amount raised fell short of what the monk Kuiji had raised through his dharma assemblies, it would inevitably become a laughingstock.

Yet many Confucian scholars felt a deep sense of aversion toward this dharma assembly.

Propagating the Buddhist Dharma was inherently undesirable. With the nation already hosting as many as two hundred thousand monks and nuns—to say nothing of the Daoists—the impact on the state was severe. Moreover, using religious pretexts to extort wealth made the affair all the more disgraceful.

This discontent contributed to the fact that half of the officials fell ill with heatstroke prior to the upcoming grand imperial banquet.

Money alone was useless; the grain had to be transported into Guanzhong. That was the paramount task. Thus, the grand imperial banquet commenced. It was not an event for ordinary merchants, yet three hundred merchants from the two capitals were granted the distinct honor of attending, accompanied by the Crown Prince, two chancellors, and a host of civil and military officials.

Li Zhi and Wu Zetian themselves did not take seats at the banquet.

Bi'er remarked quietly, "Your Highness, attending a public banquet with merchants in this manner will inevitably invite controversy once word spreads..."

Even this young maidservant could see it. Li Wei sighed and replied, "If I don't accompany them, what is the alternative? Consider it a way to bring joy to Your Majesty and the Empress."

Yan Liben and Hao Chujun shared the same gloomy sentiment; though seated at the banquet, their faces were as wrinkled as bitter melons.

Regardless, they had come. Meanwhile, various other officials had taken ill and were forced to be absent.

In truth, Li Wei very much approved of what Li Zhi and Wu Zetian were doing. The people affected by the drought were numerous—as many as eight or nine million—yet not every region experienced total crop failure. Near rivers, streams, and irrigation ditches, crops still yielded some harvest; in certain damp, low-lying areas, commoners dug wells for water; and in urban centers like Chang'an, with its population of over a million, residents did not rely solely on farming. They engaged in corvée labor, commerce, or craftsmanship. As long as grain prices were suppressed, a path to survival remained open to them. Furthermore, if grain prices were beaten down, the charitable funds gathered from the two dharma assemblies could purchase one million *shi* of grain to distribute directly to the people, helping those teetering on the edge of starvation to pull through. The imperial court could then organize further relief, and the crisis would pass.

Yet because the endeavor involved merchants, the situation had grown immensely complicated, drawing reservations even from figures like Di Renjie...

Raising his cup in a toast, Li Wei addressed the assembly: "Gentlemen, human nature is fundamentally good, and only later becomes stained by circumstance. Even among merchants, not all are villains of the greatest magnitude. During this dharma assembly, you have contributed wealth and provisions for the sake of the disaster victims. On behalf of millions of sufferers, I express my sincere gratitude to you all."

"We dare not accept Your Highness's praise," came the synchronized response. Having practically never set foot inside the imperial palace before, these men—despite lording over the commercial world—felt profound tension upon entering the sacred grounds. They dared not drink their wine, nor touch the delicacies before them. In truth, upon walking through the palace gates and gazing upon those towering, majestic halls, the legs of several merchants had begun to tremble.

"This is the commendation you rightfully deserve," Li Wei continued. "More than that, Master Kuiji, when organizing the dharma assembly in the Western Capital, specifically stated his intention to convert these charitable funds into grain and deliver them directly into the hands of the disaster victims. Yet, as you can all see, the imperial court has done its utmost. His Majesty and the Empress grow visibly thinner by the day over this matter, and the ministers share their loss of appetite. However, the waters of the Wei River have grown shallow, and the state cannot coordinate transport swiftly enough. This realm belongs to His Majesty, and it also belongs to the common people. When the realm is at peace, the people are at peace, and your commercial enterprises will proceed smoothly. When the realm is in turmoil, the people are in turmoil, and your trade will falter. Therefore, this is the very moment for us to pool our wisdom and strength. It is not merely a matter of donations, but of grain. If any of you possess ingenious methods to transport grain into Guanzhong—even if you intend to sell it there—I, alongside the chancellors, can memorialize the throne to bestow imperial titles upon those who perform well, or even grant them official posts."

As soon as these words fell, a restless murmur rippled through the gathered merchants.

After centuries of official suppression directed at the merchant class, the desire for scholarly fame and official recognition ran deep among them; these men were starved for such status. Furthermore, they were not being asked to donate outright, but rather to sell. Given the massive price gap between Guanzhong and the other circuits, a considerable profit was practically guaranteed.

Not far away, several merchants from Luoyang sat together. One of them, mustering his courage, called out, "Your Highness, what if the two sovereigns refuse to permit this later on?"

Li Wei walked over to them, adopted a conspiratorial tone, and lowered his voice. "In truth, this is precisely the intent of the two sovereigns. They merely fear opposition from the civil ministers. As long as you gentlemen perform admirably and save countless lives in Guanzhong, the voices of opposition among the ministers will naturally weaken."

Few heard these words directly, but once the banquet dispersed, others would inevitably press for details, ensuring the sentiment spread just as swiftly.

Li Wei wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, a vulgar yet apt phrase flashing through his mind: *wanting to act the whore while setting up a monument to chastity*...

Yet the rationale behind his actions immediately became apparent.

The news leaked nonetheless. Though heavily distorted through layers of gossip, memorials penned by officials and Confucian scholars from every corner of the realm once more flew toward Luoyang like drifting snowflakes.

Some scholars even prostrated themselves in front of the southern end of Tianjin Bridge, weeping aloud as they proclaimed that the Emperor first resorted to witchcraft, then elevated the status of merchants, and was now breaking ancestral precedents by offering official ranks and titles to tradesmen. Yet the orthodox rain-seeking rituals of the *Dayu* ceremony were repeatedly delayed. "Your Majesty, you must not remain deluded!"

With that, they struck their heads against the pavement.

Yet right at this juncture, the imperial court finally initiated legal proceedings against Ming Chongyan.

During morning court, Li Zhi bellowed furiously: "Talk of illness! Even if he is truly sick, carry Ming Chongyan to me on a stretcher!"