TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY, I CULTIVATE USING QI LUCK

Chapter 947: Chapter 395 Shenwu Prosperous Era_3 Chapter 947: Chapter 395 Shenwu Prosperous Era_3 The domestic population has increased by nearly nine million compared to twelve years ago.

Of this number, subtracting the three million people from the annexed Western Liang, and the one million three hundred thousand Snow Plains Nomads, the naturally grown population in the country is about four and a half million.

In other words, in these twelve years, the people of Great Chu have reproduced an additional four and a half million people.

This is still the case despite several large-scale migrations within the country during this period, which seriously affected the lives of the populace, leading to this increase in population.

Given that life is stable and living standards have become prosperous, the desire for childbearing among the citizens of the country will further increase.

Based on historical trends, perhaps in another ten years, the population of Great Chu will naturally increase to fifty-two million; in twenty years, it will be seventy million; and in thirty years, it might exceed one hundred million.

Even if it doesn’t reach that by then, in forty years, there will definitely be one hundred million people.

A population of one hundred million, Brother Sun, do you know what that means?”

Lu Yuan stared intently at Sun Siwen, posing a soul-searching question.

Gulp!

Sun Siwen swallowed, his throat dry from Lu Yuan’s topic of discussion.

Although he hadn’t studied statistics, nor the concept of population control,

being Prime Minister for so many years did not mean he was unaware of the consequences of an excessive population.

The simplest one, too many people and not enough land, leading to insufficient food, is a readily understandable principle.

Source: AllNovelFull.com, updated on Ɲονǥο.ƈο

“In that case, each prefecture in Great Chu would have a population of ten million,” Sun Siwen said in a low voice.

Lu Yuan lamented, “Yes, Great Chu has only ten prefectures, but if it really had a population of one hundred million, then the population of each prefecture would reach a tremendous ten million, with some prefectures possibly even reaching twenty to thirty million.

Although the prosperity of Xichuan, Jianghan, Dongting, and Pengli means they could support this many people,

by that time, it will no longer be so easy for every citizen to eat their fill as they do today.

Living in hunger will become the norm.

Even if the population increases further and food can no longer meet the basic survival needs of the entire nation, widespread famine and cannibalism, and uprisings that spring up everywhere, will follow in succession.

By then, this prosperous era will be destroyed in an instant.”

Speaking of this, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but shake his head.

Actually, for him, a larger population is certainly preferable.

Just like in the past twelve years, although Chu State did not expand its territory, maintaining the size of ten prefectures and eighteen nations,

with the development of the local prefectures and the continuous growth of the population, Chu State’s national strength improved, and the Qi Luck that Lu Yuan gathered has improved by several degrees compared to twelve years ago.

This is the benefit of a growing population.

But the territory has not changed, and the explosive increase in population brings with it realistic issues that cannot be ignored.

After all, Chu only has ten prefectures, and this territory will slowly collapse and shrink due to changes in the South Pole in the future.

By then, how can the increasingly dwindling territory sustain the ever-growing population?

This is an issue that cannot be bypassed no matter what.

If it were an ordinary sovereign who could only live for a few decades, one could simply say that the future generations will have their own blessings and leave these difficult problems for the successors to handle.

But Lu Yuan is immortal!

These problems, which will explode in just thirty or forty years, are just a blink of an eye away for him.

He simply cannot avoid them.

Therefore, this population issue has become an urgent matter for him to resolve.

But how to solve it?

The natural tendencies of men and women, the instinct to reproduce, are rooted in their genes; can you forcefully stop people from having children?

There are no condoms now, nor do people undergo surgery; even if you wanted to enforce it, you couldn’t.

Sun Siwen also thought of these issues.

After frowning and pondering for a while, he tentatively said, “Perhaps we could increase Tribute, carry out frequent labor call-ups, making the people exhausted and miserable, which could naturally suppress population growth.”

Lu Yuan glanced at him, surprised that his friend, always known for his love for the people, would suggest such a harsh theory.

But he nodded anyway, “This strategy is indeed feasible.”

What drives the common people of Great Chu to be so eager to have children?

Is it not because the times are good, they have money, and therefore they wish to have more children?

But if we impose heavy taxation and strip the people of their wealth, then they are only left with just enough resources to scrape by.

Further, by subjecting them to frequent labor conscription that separates husbands and wives, preventing them from reuniting often.

When they return, they are too weary and exhausted, their desires naturally diminish.

Under both these pressures, it indeed could lessen population growth.

To speak cruelly, under such policies, even if the low-level people were to have children, they simply could not afford to raise them.

The excess children would inevitably meet a fate of drowning.

However, such a policy is too ruthless, too harsh a repression on the low-level classes.

Over the years since his transmigration, Lu Yuan had honed his heart to be as hard as iron and did not lack the resolve to enforce such policies.

But unless it was necessary, he still did not wish to push the people too hard, his conscience still retained a shred of mercy.

Moreover, there are indeed other methods to address this issue.

Therefore, after affirming Sun Siwen’s approach, Lu Yuan continued, “Brother Sun’s method is suited for peacetime, when the country’s borders cannot be expanded and resources are in dire straits, a compromise when we have no choice but to consume ourselves.

But for now, there is no need to be so extreme.

Thirty years later, the population issue of Great Chu will be pressing.

By then, the northern states would likely be worn out from warfare.

At that time, the power of Great Chu will have reached its pinnacle.

After decades of recuperation, we can amass millions of soldiers, dispatch dozens of generals, mobilize thirty million citizens, and launch a Northern Expedition.

After several years of fierce fighting, we could eliminate the contending forces and unify Central State.

In this way, not only can we expand our territory, but the surplus population in the country can also be consumed by warfare.

And with Central State depopulated from the successive Great Wars, there will be ample space to sustain the people of Great Chu.

At the same time, after the ravages of war, the people of the world will inevitably be more resilient.

By then, applying Brother Sun’s policy of exhausting the people in a slightly milder form should suffice in controlling the population.”

Indeed, Lu Yuan’s idea was to allow the population to grow to its limits, reaping the demographic dividend first.

When it became uncontrollable, then through a war, we could reduce the excess population.

After all, news of the increasingly severe northern cold wave had already reached Jiangnan.

It is well-known that, with the changes happening in Heaven and Earth, many places apparently are no longer suitable for human habitation anymore.

Lu Yuan had originally estimated that the South Pole would undergo changes in a hundred years, which clearly was too optimistic.

ƝονǤᴑ.ƈ0

Possibly within thirty to forty years, when the population of Chu State grows to its limits, the toxic fires of the South Pole might start erupting.

By then, with the example of the northern cold wave before our eyes, Great Chu can easily justify launching a Northern Expedition by the looming threat of the toxic fires.

With the natural righteousness of survival at stake, we can unite all the hearts within the country, concentrate all forces in one place, and fully support the Northern Expedition.

Who would dare oppose it would be going against all the people of Yangzhou.

Compared to warfare, Sun Siwen’s method of exhausting the people is simply weak.

If enacted, it would not only stir up public resentment, unnecessarily offending the entire populace and potentially inciting rebellion.

It could also weaken the state, consuming its own strength.

What Lu Yuan proposes is much better.

Under the pretense of seizing a way of life for the people of Yangzhou, we can mobilize the entire nation to join the Northern Expedition and let the citizens participate in the war themselves.

Apart from natural disasters, there is no better way to reduce population than through the catastrophe of war.

This way, we need not worry about reputational damage and can effortlessly gain immense prestige.

Lu Yuan, with his arms around the trembling Qingyu, soothed the poor girl who had been terrified by their cruel discussion, smilingly said, “Therefore, before this war arrives, let the people of Great Chu enjoy the little time left of this prosperous era.

In thirty years, it will be chaos.”

Sun Siwen looked deeply at Lu Yuan and eventually nodded, “Alright.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!