Chapter 236 Everyone has a Luo Binwang in their childhood (asking for monthly tickets)

Li Shimin had a deeper understanding of Li Xiaoxiang's sharp tongue.

This kid, who speaks lightly, always comes up with some twisted ideas.

"You." Lao Li's words sounded somewhat helpless.

Li Xiang smiled and continued, "There is one more thing, Aung. Since Dengzhou implemented the policy of equalizing the land tax, the birth rate has increased significantly."

"Really?" Li Shimin's face lit up with joy.

"Of course." Li Xiang smiled and said, "Think about it, the salt fields in Dengzhou are no longer subject to population tax, and all other miscellaneous taxes are levied on the land. How can the people's enthusiasm for increasing population not be high?"

"You are right." Li Shimin nodded in affirmation of this statement.

"Of course, there is more than that. There is also the forceps invented by Master Sun." Li Xiang gestured: "Master Sun was troubled by the difficulties women had in childbirth, so he invented this thing to help the fetus deliver and assist in childbirth. According to incomplete statistics, the mortality rate of mothers due to difficult labor has dropped by more than half as a result."

As he spoke, Li Xiang raised his hand high, then dropped it down again.

"Forceps?" Li Shimin's eyes widened. "What is that? It's so magical?"

It’s no wonder that Li Shimin was shocked. Since ancient times, giving birth has been the gate of hell for women.

When Empress Changsun gave birth to Li Chengqian, she almost had a close call with death.

Hearing Li Shimin's question, Li Xiang described the shape of the forceps to Li Shimin, and then said to him: "Use this thing to pinch the baby's head, left and right... pull him out."

"This..." Old Li was even more shocked this time: "A newborn is so fragile, won't its head be crushed?"

"No, this thing fits the baby's head very well in shape." Li Xiang explained to Li Shimin with a smile: "If you control the strength well, there will be no problem."

"Since you have such a good thing, why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Li Shimin became anxious.

It is no exaggeration to say that something like this, which can significantly reduce maternal mortality, is a national treasure for a country, especially an expansionist empire like the Tang Dynasty.

It can be said that the Tang Dynasty needs such good things!
"I've already told you this." Li Xiang scratched his head. "Before, the forceps were only used as a test because no one knew if it was useful. As a result, many women who were predicted to die by midwives were saved by this thing. After repeated experiments, it was finally confirmed that this thing was useful in clinical practice."

"I see." Old Li nodded, and then sighed: "If your mother could have been able to do that back then..."

Having said this, Lao Li stopped talking.

"Alas." Li Xiang also sighed.

In fact, even today when technology is advanced, using forceps to assist delivery is still the best auxiliary delivery technique besides caesarean section.

In many underdeveloped regions or countries that do not have cesarean section capabilities, forceps are still widely used and have never been withdrawn from clinical use.

The reason why this backward midwifery technology, which was invented three hundred years ago, is still used today is because, thanks to the invention of forceps, the maternal mortality rate due to dystocia has dropped by an order of magnitude, and childbirth is no longer regarded as a death sentence for women.

This is not just a small advancement in equipment, but also a major step forward in the history of human public health and medical care.

"Since it has been proven that forceps are effective, let's promote them in the Tang Dynasty," Li Shimin said in a deep voice.

"We can't rush this matter. After all, how to use forceps still requires some professional training." Li Xiang said: "If the force is not used correctly, it will be bad."

"Well, let's hand this matter over to Jingzhao Prefecture, and you will take the lead." Old Li believed that professional matters should be left to professionals, so he threw the task to Li Xiang.

Of course Li Xiang would not refuse. Promoting the use of forceps is a great deed.

That afternoon, Li Xiang found Sun Simiao.

Old Sun has been living a pretty good life lately. At least Li Xiang thinks that he should find something for the old man to do.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhaolin had a very good relationship with Sun Simiao and was quite willing to become Sun's disciple.

Li Xiang didn't care too much, but asked Lao Sun to organize people to learn advanced experience in forceps delivery.

Sun Simiao would not refuse such a meritorious deed, so he immediately went to the Imperial Medical Bureau and prepared to teach people how to use forceps.

Li Xiang also summoned the midwives in Chang'an City and went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to learn how to use forceps.

On February 30th, Lu Zhaolin also received a letter from Luo Binwang, saying that he had arrived at the gate of Jingzhao Prefecture.

"Your Highness." Lu Zhaolin waved the letter, still indignant: "You said that this Guanguang brother actually teased me like this, he really deserves to be punished!"

"In that case, let him drink three cups as punishment today." Li Xiang said with a smile, "Isn't he already outside the door? Then go and invite him in."

When it comes to talents, Li Xiang has always been respectful and prudent.

Since we are respecting the wise and humble, we should use the word "please".

As for going out to greet him in person...that's not the case yet.

Not long after, Lu Zhaolin brought back a young man with a flushed face and a thin appearance.

"I am King Luo Bin, honored to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." King Luo Bin immediately saluted with his arms crossed.

"Okay, let's go sightseeing." Li Xiang smiled and nodded: "I have heard of your talent for a long time, but I regret that I have never met you. I heard that you have been traveling on the grassland for the past two years?"

"Your Highness, I am just responding to your call and going to the grassland to preach." Luo Binwang said solemnly.

"In this case, as the saying goes, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Since Guan Guan has read ten thousand books and traveled ten thousand miles, I wonder if he has gained anything?" Li Xiang asked.

If you want to be an official in the Prince's Mansion, you must not only have literary talent, but also political talent.

Between the two, the latter is obviously more important.

In fact, Li Xiang could understand Li Sanlang at this time. If Li Bai asked Li Shimin or him for an official position, perhaps Li Bai would be valued because of his talent and reputation. But if he had no political talent, he would definitely be given an official position like Li Sanlang, such as Hanlin Bachelor.

By then, he and his grandfather might be the ones who are blind. The same is true when facing Luo Binwang.

It is necessary to conduct an examination and verification, and we need to know what kind of person Luo Binwang is.

Luo Binwang's heart trembled, for he knew that Li Xiang was just testing him.

His future now depends on whether his answers can satisfy His Highness.

Thinking of this, Luo Binwang considered his words for a while, and then said: "To reply to your Highness, according to what I have seen and heard, the most core political structure on the grassland is the family, which also constitutes the structure of their rule."

As the saying goes, an expert will know if something is there as soon as he takes action.

As soon as Luo Binwang said this, Li Xiang became interested in listening further.

"go on."

"Yes, on the grassland, it is not much different from the Tang Dynasty. It is composed of a family-like system, with the older male as the leader. After reaching adulthood and getting married, men on the grassland usually ask the head of the family for some livestock as their own property and a tool to support their family. Similar to the Tang Dynasty, he will still live in this big family and will not be away from his relatives."

"But unlike the Tang Dynasty, the bond between them is not just blood. The harsh natural environment of the grassland is different from that of the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, a man and a woman could support themselves by farming and weaving, but the environment on the grassland is harsh, and nomads need more people to work together to survive better."

"So, many blood-related families formed tribes or clans, and the men herded together, doing something that a small family could not do independently."

"In fact, the Khan on the grassland is also a common leader elected by all tribes. The Khan's orders cannot be directly passed down to a specific small tribe, but can be passed on to relatively larger tribes to achieve layer-by-layer management."

At this point, Luo Binwang continued, "However, due to the special climate of the grassland, no matter how big or small the tribe is, they can only live by following the water and grass, and the tribes are always migrating."

"The Central Plains relies on cultivated land, and the settlements are more fixed, which makes it easier to collect taxes, and then establish a corresponding management system to achieve effective control." Luo Binwang looked up at Li Xiang, and seeing that he was still listening, he continued boldly: "I think that since ancient times, it has been difficult for the Central Plains to effectively control the grasslands because of this reason."

"The tribes on the grassland live wherever there is water and grass, and their lives are highly mobile. It is too easy for them to evade taxation. The Central Plains cannot establish a similar system on the grassland and bring the grassland under its rule."

Luo Binwang's words were already very euphemistic. To put it simply, the farmers' land was fixed and easy to exploit and rule; and the grassland people did not depend on the land to survive, so if they couldn't stay here they could just take their livestock and run away to other places. There was no way to control them at all.

These uncontrollable nomadic families formed small tribes; the small tribes gathered together to form large tribes, and finally formed a huge nomadic empire, which became a major threat to the Central Plains dynasty in the south.

In fact, this problem was not a small one. It was not only faced by the Han regime. Even the Xianbei who moved south had to face harassment from the Rouran. The Liao Dynasty's border threat also came from the Jurchens in the north. After the Jurchens established the Jin Dynasty, the border threat came from Mongolia on the grassland. As for Mongolia's self-established Yuan Dynasty, in fact, its border threat to the north was still Mongolia. Even Emperor Taizu of the Central Plains, who led a group of Han troops and hereditary nobles to massacre Karakorum, was unable to solve the problem.

Take the Qing? Isn't there still Tsarist Russia to deal with him?
"I understand what you mean." Li Xiang nodded, then looked at him and asked, "Does Guan Guan have any good advice?"

"I am ashamed." Luo Binwang said in a low voice. He has been thinking hard on the grassland until now, but he still can't figure out how to solve this problem.

In fact, Li Xiang did not expect Luo Binwang to come up with any suggestions. After all, it was not easy for him to think so deeply.

If this problem could really be solved, Luo Binwang would have become a figure like Di Renjie long ago. Would Wu Zetian still have to sigh about the talented people left in the wild?

"Well, I would like to recruit you as the right secretary of the Prince's Mansion, a seventh-rank position. Are you willing?" Li Xiang asked in a gentle voice.

Luo Binwang looked up suddenly. He thought he was rejected in the interview, but he never expected that he would be promoted by Li Xiang.

"I, Prince Luo Bin, thank you for your promotion!"

It would be a lie if he said he was not excited. In fact, Lu Zhaolin did not tell him that he wanted to recruit him as the right secretary of the Prince's Palace. He just mentioned that Li Xiang wanted to meet him.

Before coming here, I thought that based on my merits, I should be able to get a position as a county magistrate or something like that. I never expected that I would be appreciated by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. It was almost like rising to the top overnight, and I came to the Crown Prince's Mansion to become the Right Secretary of the Crown Prince's Mansion, a seventh-rank official!

There aren't many opportunities to get close to the third generation...

Luo Binwang even saw the future, becoming the You Pushe, marrying a Tang princess, and reaching the peak of his life.

Just thinking about it makes me a little excited.

However, what Luo Binwang didn't know was that Li Xiang had been eyeing him for a long time.

When he was four years old, he wrote "red palm waves and clear waves", and was spanked twice by his grandfather; when he was eight years old, he was spanked twice by his grandfather because he could not recite "no one believes in nobleness, who expresses my heart"...

It hurts, it hurts too much!
Everyone probably has a Luo Binwang in their childhood!

Lao Luo, we still have a long way to go!
Not only Luo Binwang, but also Chen Ziang, He Zhizhang, Meng Haoran and Wang Wei...

Li Xiang felt that he needed to live a few more years, if not for anything else, just to wait for Li Bai and Du Fu!
Not only for the childhood, but also for the slaps in the childhood.

"Since you have entered the Crown Prince's Mansion, I will entrust you with a glorious and arduous task." Li Xiang's smile was a little gloomy.

Luo Binwang instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he also felt that something was wrong.

I didn't make the crown prince angry, how could he possibly deal with me?
"I think that giving equal weight to both civil and military affairs is the long-term solution. Several generals in the palace, such as Xue Rengui, Li Qinling and others, should strengthen their studies in cultural subjects." Li Xiang said with a smile: "This task will temporarily fall on you and Shengzhi. How do you think you will be responsible for teaching these military generals in the palace cultural subjects?"

"How dare I disobey your order!" Luo Binwang agreed readily.

Isn't it just teaching a few rough guys? It's not like they haven't taught them before on the grassland.

Which tribe on the grassland have I not been to? The Xueyantuo tribe is so generous, and they are much more rude than them. When they see me, they still call me Mr. Luo.

Boil oil...

Li Xiang was a little surprised when he saw Luo Binwang, who looked so confident.

It’s true that a fierce dragon cannot cross the river. This old Luo is indeed a character!

Xue Rengui and Li Qinling, who were playing ball outside, sneezed at the same time.

The two looked at each other, neither of them knowing why they suddenly felt so cold.

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)