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The soil and water conservation during the Han Dynasty was remarkably well-maintained, at least not like in later generations where deforested areas and vacant commercial and industrial zones were ubiquitous. However, this pristine environment was somewhat unsettling for Fei Qian.
On the official roads, it was manageable; stepping about two hundred paces off the road, one would find overgrown weeds. Fortunately, according to the Han Dynasty's road standards, the roads had to be at least ten feet wide, so they couldn't be built through dense forests. They were mostly laid out on broader terrains. Otherwise, with the high mountains and dense forests, Fei Qian would have been worried about someone jumping out suddenly, shouting, "This road was built by me, and these trees were planted by me..."
When he first left Luoyang, there were more people, and sometimes carriages and horses would get stuck together. But as he traveled further, the number of people and vehicles gradually decreased, and sometimes he wouldn't encounter anyone for half a day.
The official roads were paved with blue stone slabs, maintained by the government. Although not perfectly smooth, they were much better than the muddy paths alongside. Luoyang, located in the heart of the Central Plains, had most of the land along the official roads cultivated into fields, mainly growing wheat and millet. It was late autumn, and most crops had been harvested, leaving only bare stubble in the fields.
Fei Qian, having sat for too long, got off the carriage to walk for a while, as the ride was quite jarring. The Han Dynasty didn't have rubber, so wooden carriage wheels were reinforced with iron rims to prevent wear. Rolling on stone slabs, the ride inside the carriage was quite an experience—near Luoyang, the roads were relatively smooth, and the vibrations were bearable, but further away, it was a different story.
Wealthy families would cushion their carriages with furs to reduce the discomfort, but Fei Qian wasn't that extravagant. He used the common cotton and linen padding, which provided some relief but not much. Sitting for long periods was truly uncomfortable.
As Fei Qian walked, he observed the farmland on both sides of the road and suddenly thought of a question. He turned to Zhang Zhao and asked, "What's the usual yield per mu here?"
Zhang Zhao looked around and said, "Young Master Fei, I'm not sure about here. I only know that in my hometown, one mu of land yields about three dan of millet a year. In a good year, it might be more, but in a bad year, sometimes only a little over one dan."
Three dan, Fei Qian calculated, was really not much. The Han Dynasty's measurement system was very complex, with different units like large dan, small dan, zhong, fu, hu, dou, ge, sheng, etc. The imperial court hadn't yet realized the problems caused by inconsistent measurement units and hadn't mandated unified measuring tools, leading to highly imprecise calculations, often just rough estimates.
For example, the dan Zhang Zhao mentioned was likely the military dan. Converting it, a yield of about three dan per mu would be roughly 270 to 280 jin in modern terms. This 280 jin, or three dan, was indeed very low.
To illustrate, Fei Qian knew that the imperial court calculated rations as follows: adult males, adult females, working boys, working girls, non-working boys, and non-working girls—adults were those aged 16 and above; working children were those aged 6 to 15; non-working children were those under 6.
Adult males, being strong laborers, consumed 1.8 large dan per month; adult females and working boys consumed 1.3 large dan; working girls and non-working boys consumed 1 large dan; and non-working girls consumed 0.7 large dan.
Assuming an average household of three generations, two people per generation—grandparents, parents, and children—a family would consume 9 dan per month, equivalent to the annual yield of 3 mu of land. Thus, a year's rations would require 36 mu of land.
Adding taxes, levies, and other fees, a Han Dynasty farmer needed at least 50 mu of land to avoid bankruptcy. And that was just for food, not including other expenses or illnesses...
Fei Qian shook his head. Whether in ancient times or modern days, illness was always the most feared and dreaded thing for the poorest and lowest classes. Yet, these very people were the most prone to illness...
After walking for a while, Fei Qian saw a farmer plowing in the distance. He told Zhang Zhao and approached the farmer, cupping his hands in respect, and asked, "Elder, may I ask about the yield of this land?"
The farmer straightened up, saw Fei Qian's attire, and noticed the guards behind him, assuming he was a young noble investigating local conditions. He politely replied, "You flatter me. This is considered good land. This year's harvest was decent, yielding 4 dan of millet."
The farmer smiled, clearly satisfied with this year's yield. Fei Qian pointed to the distant fields and asked, "Are the fields over there the same?"
The farmer shook his head, "It depends on the land. Good fields yield more, but poor fields..." He pointed to an area near the foot of the mountain, "Young master, see that newly reclaimed land over there? It's the first year of cultivation, and without water from the mountain, relying solely on manual labor, one mu yielding one dan is already very good."
Fei Qian took out a few Han Dynasty coins from his pocket, thanked the farmer, and handed him the money. The farmer repeatedly thanked him, hesitant to dirty Fei Qian's hand, so he used his short coat to receive the coins.
Returning to the carriage, Fei Qian continued his journey without speaking, but his mind was boiling with thoughts...
That farmer was like the foundation of the Han Dynasty's lowest class. Without traveling, one wouldn't know how dire the situation was. That farmer was relatively well-off, but what about those hit by natural disasters? Those without land to farm? Those with sick family members? No wonder during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Zhang Jiao and his brothers could easily incite thousands of peasants to revolt...
If everyone had enough to eat and wear, who would rebel? Every dynasty, in its later stages, pushed the lowest classes to the brink of survival, leading inevitably to rebellion. This has been true throughout history.
As long as the basic needs of life are met, these simple people will naturally support and follow you, and the so-called "people's hearts" will naturally align.
Fei Qian pondered and found the problem quite tricky. Most of the land, after two hundred years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, had been continuously merged and reorganized, with the vast majority now in the hands of powerful families and clans, such as the Wei family of Chenliu, the Yang family of Hongnong, the Mi family of Xuzhou, etc. To touch these lands would mean cutting off the wealth roots of these families, inevitably leading to fierce resistance...
Alternatively, could increasing productivity temporarily alleviate the situation? Or introducing new high-yield crops? Fei Qian looked up at the sky. The Han Dynasty's sky was clear and blue, with white clouds, very pleasing to the eye.
To change the future fate of the people living under this beautiful sky, one must start from the most fundamental things...
*****
A/N: Food is always the primary need... Nowadays, with prices soaring, it's becoming hard to afford.
T/N: So true...