Chapter 69: Why Not to Buy Land

“It was in the travelling physician’s book…”

Shaoyang suddenly remembered that physicians generally cared about medicinal use and insisted on materials from the proper regions, but seldom concerned themselves with growing them. His father might find such knowledge unlikely in a wandering practitioner.

He hastily added, “Miss Miao Peilan from Laohuai Village told me some of it too. She knows a little about growing herbs.”

“Does she?”

Zuo Gui plainly doubted it.

“Peilan is very capable,” Huixiang said with an appeasing smile, supporting her brother. “Country people know something about most work in the fields.”

That made sense to Zuo Gui. He nodded and fixed his gaze on Shaoyang.

“You truly want to grow gardenias?”

“Medicinal herbs, not necessarily all gardenias. They take a long time; we won’t see results for a year or two. I may plant other medicines alongside them.”

He was leaving himself room. Gardenias were only the opening move. Ultimately he wanted to grow commonly used medicines not yet recognised in the Tang, preparing for his future practice.

Zuo Gui waved a hand.

“I don’t care what you plant. Since your brother-in-law supports you, very well. But let us settle this first: everything depends on you. Not one wen from the household!”

Fortified by wine, Shaoyang straightened his chest.

“Agreed! What about money I earn myself?”

“Earn yourself?”

His father paused, then laughed.

“If you can earn it, spend it however you please!”

“Settled! Thank you, Father!”

He toasted him, then Hou Pu in thanks for his support.

After drinking, Hou Pu spoke.

“I know nothing of medicinal plants, but surely they are like crops? Good land grows good herbs. Can waste slopes that have never been farmed really produce them?”

“Fertile soil is naturally better than poor soil,” Shaoyang said ruefully. “Better yield and quality. But I have no money, so I must make do. If I had some, buying cultivated fields now would certainly be worthwhile later.”

“Don’t you know? The court says good farmland may grow only grain, nothing else. But so much lies abandoned now that the rule isn’t strictly enforced. And with your brother-in-law at the yamen, I have a little influence. If you bought good fields for herbs, no one would bother you.

“Still, if one day you do have money, take my advice: don’t buy land.”

“Why?”

Hou Pu gave a wine-scented hiccup and a mysterious chuckle. He looked round the table and lowered his voice.

“Do you know why excellent fields are only two thousand wen a mu, yet vast stretches remain unsold?”

“What else?” Madam Liang said. “No money. Life is hard enough. Who has spare cash for land?”

“No, Mother-in-law. Every age has rich and poor. We poor remain poor; the rich still have gold and silver in their purses. Yet they hold on to it and won’t buy fields. Do you know why?”

Zuo Gui sighed.

“Hardly difficult to guess. Too much land, too few people. No one to farm it, but tax still due. A losing business. Besides, what use is buying land in wartime?”

Hou Pu slapped his thigh and raised a thumb.

“Exactly! Father-in-law sees clearly. Do you know the land tax? One in five! For five mu, you pay the yield of one. With no one to work the fields, most stand idle, but the tax must still be paid. Buy now and you’ll lose money.”

*Author’s note: The Two-Tax System appeared only in the late Tang. Taxation was confused during the wars at the end of the Sui and beginning of the Tang, and historical records mention taxation by land. This novel therefore assumes that a land tax existed in the early Tang.*

“So much?” Shaoyang exclaimed.

“And that isn’t the chief problem. Think: you spend silver on land, but cannot carry it away or hide it. You plant crops and work for half a year. Just as harvest comes, war arrives. Everything is looted or burned before you can reap it.

“Why bother? With silver, when fighting breaks out you wrap it up and leave. Convenient! Wait until the country is peaceful before buying. It may cost more, but how much more? Better than throwing money away now. That’s what the rich are thinking.”

“I heard the court is going to allot land,” Madam Liang said. “Why buy any?”

“There are restrictions. The grants are called permanent-holding fields and personal-share fields. They cannot be sold, except in special circumstances such as having no money to bury the dead. Even then, only a small part of the permanent holding can be sold.

“And after death, the land goes back to the court. It cannot pass to descendants. Taxes are much higher too. It isn’t really your own land. How can that compare with buying?”

“True,” she said awkwardly.

Shaoyang had not understood.

“What land grants?”

Hou Pu sipped his wine.

“It’s been rumoured for ages. Yes, the court intends to divide ownerless fields and waste land according to population, giving everyone land to farm and bringing in more tax. I hear some northern districts have begun. We grant waste land too, don’t we? But these other allotments… I doubt Hezhou will see them for years.”

“Why?”

“Too few people! There are only so many of us. Give a man as much land as you like; how much can he farm? Besides, we’re too busy suppressing rebellions to fuss with that.”

“Rebellions?”

Shaoyang was startled.

“This is Zhenguan—the age of peace and prosperity. How can there still be rebellions?”

“What do you know? The situation is far from certain…”

Hou Pu glanced at the entrance. It was dark now. The children had finished their food, set their bowls aside and were still playing on the threshold.

“Dadou, bring your sister in. Play inside and close the door.”

“Yes!”

The boy led Douhua indoors. Taking a door leaf each, they laboriously pushed them shut, then stretched up to secure the bar.

Only then did Hou Pu lower his voice.

“I’ll tell you, but don’t repeat it outside.”

The others leaned close and nodded, ready to hear affairs of state.

“In the third month, the northern Xueyantuo tribes raided our borders, burning, killing and plundering. It took two months of fighting to drive them off.

“That reminds me of a dispatch we received just the day before yesterday. The Tuyuhun in the north-west invaded Minzhou. We defeated them after fierce fighting, but countless border people were killed or wounded. The court has ordered relief…”

Shaoyang managed a smile.

“Foreign attacks are inevitable when a dynasty is new. As long as things are calm inside the country…”

“Calm? Who told you that?”

Hou Pu checked the barred door again, then lowered his voice as far as it would go.

“We’re family, so I’ll tell you. But not a word outside, or I’ll lose my position!”

They nodded, eyes wide.

“This spring—no, it’s already the second day of the New Year, so last spring—Li Yi, Prince of Yanjun, rebelled in Jingzhou. Youliang, Prince of Changle and governor of Liangzhou, rose in support. It took months to suppress them.

“And at the year’s end, two or three months ago, the former crown prince’s commanders Feng Li and Xue Wanqi, who fled after the Xuanwu Gate coup, gathered their remaining forces around Longzhou in the north. They joined Prefect Fan in rebellion, soon raising tens of thousands of men, storming towns and stockades. For a time they marched towards Hezhou. People here were terrified; many fled.

“The court’s armies blocked them, so they turned towards Suizhou instead. The trouble lasted until the end of the year. I hear it has only just quietened. Isn’t that right, Father-in-law?”

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