Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3648: The broken border is finally difficult to continue, and the spring begins when Tianbei sets his heart

Xin Pi's strategy was like a strong medicine, which in the short term did suppress the unhealthy tendencies of "taking advantage of small things" at the grassroots level in Youzhou.

The upright, unsympathetic and strict obedience of the Wuhuan, Xianbei and other Hu peoples showed amazing efficiency in maintaining basic order.

The material distribution points are in good order and theft between fields has been sharply reduced.

The pressure on Zhao Yun's shoulders seemed to be relieved a little.

However, the aftereffects of this powerful medicine were more severe and complex than expected.

As these Hu people played a role in the short term, public opinion that "the Hu people oppress the Han people" surged like an undercurrent in Jixian, Youzhou.

The "inhumane" force of the Wuhuan warriors when they were carrying out their missions quickly fermented in the hearts of ordinary Han people. They would not think about the mistakes of those who were stopped from cutting in line and stealing seedlings, but would only see the "Hu people" rudely picking up and throwing "Han people" like animals, or even pressing them into the mud. The strong national self-esteem of the Han people was greatly hurt.

In the streets and fields, complaints and fears of "the barbarians are brutal and violent" and "bullying our Han people" began to spread.

Although they dared not to express this resentment in public, it quickly accumulated and spread in private. Moreover, this resentment was exactly the breakthrough point that those Han nobles in You and Ji states who were temporarily suppressed or not reused, especially those who surrendered, were dissatisfied or had high self-esteem, had been waiting for for a long time. They keenly seized this opportunity to strike a blow to the prestige of Zhao Yun and Xin Pi and to demonstrate their own "Han orthodoxy" position.

In teahouses, banquets, and even in letters to relatives and friends, they bitterly criticized Zhao Yun and Xin Pi's system of "employing barbarians and supervising Han people", saying it was "perverse", "contrary to the way of sages", and "which completely destroyed the defense against Chinese and barbarians".

They quoted from Confucius's words "It is better for the Chinese to have no ruler than for the barbarians to have one" and Mencius's words "I have heard of those who used the Chinese to change the barbarians, but I have never heard of anyone who was changed by the barbarians", and elevated Zhao Yun's policies to the level of undermining Confucian ethics and shaking the foundations of the Chinese nation.

These nobles deliberately exaggerated and exaggerated the Wuhuan’s unavoidable tough measures to maintain order, even if they did not cause serious injuries, and repeatedly emphasized them by cutting out fragments. They portrayed the misunderstandings caused by individual Wuhuan warriors due to language barriers and misunderstandings as universal "Hu cavalry rampage" and "disregard for human life". They claimed that Zhao Yun's move was "using barbarians to control the Chinese, and his heart is worthy of death", which was more chilling than the wars in Youzhou and Jizhou!
"Coincidentally", the ordinary people in Youzhou did not understand the truth of the matter, so the exaggerations of the sons of the nobles happened to hit the psychological weaknesses that these ordinary people were worried about and afraid of...

As a result, these sons of the noble families became more and more excited. They predicted that this approach would inevitably lead to "the disunity of the Han people" and "make the people of Youzhou regard the cavalry as enemies", and said that doing so would seriously damage the cavalry's ruling foundation in Youzhou and Jizhou. Then they raised their arms and shouted in the market and in the tavern, saying that they represented the will of the people and questioned Zhao Yun and Xin Pi on behalf of the people, "If the people of Youzhou cannot even guarantee the most basic dignity, how can we expect the people to sincerely submit to us?"

At the same time as these public opinions were surging, the mentality of the Wuhuan people, who were given certain "law enforcement powers" although limited, was also quietly changing.

These Hu people also gradually went from simply following orders at first to feeling a sense of "authority" that was superior to some Han people.

Although Zhao Yun strictly prohibited lynching, facing the resistance, abuse and even small-scale provocations of the Han people, such as spitting and deliberately blocking the road, some Wuhuan warriors, who were already tough in character, would inevitably overreact and trigger more intense conflicts.

"The barbarians are beating people up!"

"The Hu people are killing people!"

When voices like this are heard, no matter who is right or wrong, they will be infinitely magnified by the gentry and dissatisfied Han people, confirming the accusation of "barbarian brutality".

Under such circumstances, the position of the Han officials who were originally responsible for grassroots management became very awkward. On the one hand, they needed to rely on the military deterrence of the Wuhuan people to maintain order, which of course made them feel incompetent or humiliated; on the other hand, they were caught between the Wuhuan people's toughness and the people's resentment, becoming the outlet for the dissatisfaction of both sides.

These petty officials did not reflect on why they needed the help of the Wuhuan people, but instead became passive and lazy amid such public opinion against the Wuhuan people, and even secretly condoned the people's resistance to the Wuhuan people to express their dissatisfaction.

Xin Pi originally envisioned that the Wuhuan people were only responsible for "seeing" and "stopping", and the power of judgment was in the hands of the Han officials. But in actual operation, the situation changes rapidly and it is difficult to accurately divide. The Wuhuan people must use coercive force in the process of stopping. How to define "necessary stopping" and "excessive use of force"?
When the Han officials were judging afterwards, how could they remain absolutely fair in the face of the Wuhuan people's mentality of "making merit" and the Han people's cries?
Repeated reviews and re-examinations not only sow the seeds for conflicts and disputes, but also greatly consume the already limited administrative resources and Zhao Yun's energy.

The criticism from the sons of the aristocracy was not entirely out of justice, but more of a power struggle.

They took advantage of this storm of public opinion to portray themselves as "spokespersons for the interests of the Han people" and "defenders of etiquette and law" in order to win the sympathy and support of the grassroots people, even though they may look down on these ordinary people in normal times.

At the same time, they put pressure on Zhao Yun, demanding greater management authority and voice, and even demanding the removal of Xin Pi or a change in policy. The solutions they proposed were also the same old routine, returning to "appointing virtuous people", that is, asking Zhao Yun to use them, or talking about some empty talk of "extensively educating people" or "educating the people with virtue", which sounded right but were difficult to be effective in the short term and required them to lead the old routine.

The cold ruler drew a short straight line, but left a clear crack on the ground.

Zhao Yun discovered that the governance of Youzhou involved far more problems than those on the battlefield, and he had to struggle forward across this rift.

Zhao Yun now not only has to repair the rift, but also has to find a way of governance that can truly take root in this land and unite the people's hearts. Otherwise, the "late spring" may soon be shrouded in haze again.

The criticism from the gentry was more than just noise; it signaled a profound governance crisis and cultural conflict.

The atmosphere in Ji County government office was as heavy as lead.

The desk was no longer filled with piles of bamboo slips, but with "petitions" and "admonitions" from various counties in Youzhou and even northern Jizhou.

The words were either fierce or sad, and they directly pointed the finger at Zhao Yun for employing the barbarians and bullying the Han people.

What's more, there is a children's song circulating in the streets: "The Hu children are vicious, the Han children are hurt, the general sits in the hall, and no tears are seen."

The people were happy to sing these songs, seemingly forgetting that it was the Hussars who gave them hope of life at the mountain pass last winter...

Behind this, it is obvious that the You and Ji nobles were fanning the flames.

But the ones who were really surging on the surface were the people of Youzhou!

Xin Pi's face turned pale, and he slammed a copy of Cui's silk book on the table. "What a big tone! How dare you accuse the Grand Protector of being "ungrateful and betraying his ancestors, and committing the same tyranny as Jie and Zhou" and demanding the immediate expulsion of all Wuhuan "supervisors", otherwise he would be "fearing that Youzhou will no longer be Han territory"! He is simply a traitor!"

Zhao Yun did not look at the silk book, his eyes were looking out the window.

"George," Zhao Yun's voice was filled with deep fatigue, but was unusually clear, "What they said... is not entirely unreasonable."

Xin Pi raised his head, his voice filled with anger, "Grand Protector! The nobles are taking advantage of this situation to seize power! If we give in, all our efforts will be wasted! Those thieves who steal and cheat and enrich themselves at the expense of the public will surely come back, and then..."

"I know." Zhao Yun interrupted him, turned around, his eyes sharp as lightning, "I saw the effect. I also saw the price. The Wuhuan people are upright and inflexible. They hurt people's face and have deep resentment. Although what Cui and others said was exaggerated, the thorn of "the difference between Hu and Han" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of Youzhou. We cannot change it in a short time... Therefore, if this continues, not only will the governance be ineffective, but there may be unrest among the people, and it will also give Cao thieves an opportunity to take advantage of it!"

Zhao Yun walked to the map and pointed his finger heavily at the vast land of Youzhou. "What we need is not a cold ruler that divides people's hearts, but a piece of land that can unite people's hearts and cultivate together!"

Xin Pi fell silent, he knew very well that what Zhao Yun said was true.

The frenzy of public opinion, potential conflicts, the ignorance of the people, and the ambition of the nobles to take advantage of the opportunity to grow powerful have all made this "ruler" extremely hot.

"So... what does the Grand Protector mean?" Xin Pi's voice dropped.

"The ruler must be put away, but the rules cannot be abolished!"

Zhao Yun was decisive.

"George, pass the order!"

"All Wuhuan tribesmen who participated in maintaining order and inspecting the fields shall withdraw to the barracks. You shall personally explain to Guligan and the leaders of each tribe that this is a strategic adjustment and not their fault. You shall appease their hearts, reward those who have made contributions, and severely punish those who have made mistakes. You must stabilize the morale of the army and not let them resent it."

"Immediately post notices in all villages, pavilions, and towns, stating that the use of Wuhuan to maintain order is a temporary measure, intended to quickly stabilize people's livelihood and eliminate treason. Now that this law has a small effect, it hurts the dignity of the people and violates the original intention of benevolent government, so it is abolished immediately. Reiterate the laws of the Han family, emphasize public order and good customs, and the government will protect and reward those who abide by the rules and work hard; those who harm the public and enrich themselves and disrupt order, no matter who they are, will be severely punished! This order is signed by me personally. "A cold light flashed in Zhao Yun's eyes, "Those who jump the highest, such as Cui and his ilk, have already known their intentions. There is no need to rush to suppress them, just ignore them for now. But in Youji, not all the nobles are so short-sighted. Go and find those poor scholars and children of small surnames who have a good reputation, whose families have fallen into decline, or who have no deep connection with the local big families, and are familiar with practical matters. I made my point clear. "To rebuild Youzhou, we need talents. As long as you care about the people, understand agricultural laws, and are willing to start as a grassroots official, you can be hired regardless of your background!" Grant them real power and be responsible for specific village affairs, but supervision must be stricter, and their performance and conduct must be evaluated. The best will be promoted, and the worst will be replaced, and there will be no mercy! 』

Xin Pi wrote them down one by one, "Grand Protector... But even so..."

Aren’t these measures not much different from before?

Zhao Yun understood what Xin Pi had not yet said. "This is a different time, that is a different time! While the Wuhuan and Xianbei are being cleaned up and the rebellion has not yet started again, we should remove the fuel from under the cauldron and solve the root cause!"

Zhao Yun's eyes fell on the word "land". "All the troubles are rooted in the word "land"! Land is a means of livelihood! People are impatient and take advantage of small things because the immediate benefits are greater than the long-term worries! Relying on prohibitions alone is only a temporary solution... After all, the law requires that the offender be caught before he can be punished! Now that the punishment has been used, it is better to drive them away with benefits!"

"George, how much food and seeds do we have now?" Zhao Yun asked.

"Except for the necessary military rations and the reserved emergency rations, the millet seeds available for allocation are about... about 5,000 hu." Xin Pi answered quickly.

"Okay!" Zhao Yun made up his mind, "Immediately start implementing the policy of 'setting up monuments to divide the land, granting land according to performance'!"

"Erect a monument to divide the land, and grant land according to performance?" Xin Pi asked.

Zhao Yun nodded. "Organize people to quickly sort out the boundaries between unowned wasteland and official farmland. Put up stone tablets at the head of the farmland to clearly mark the ownership. Those who move the farmland without permission will have their farmland taken away and will not be given wasteland! Work hard to repair water conservancy roads and distribute money and grain as compensation!"

"At the same time, we will make it clear to all the people who participated in the work that the government will prioritize the unowned official land after the autumn harvest, according to the amount of labor and diligence of each household in the public works, as well as the farming conditions of the allocated land. The land grant contracts will be stamped by the government to clarify the ownership. This is the foundation for the people to live and work! "

When the benefits outweigh the penalties, human nature naturally chooses greed.

Why did corrupt officials in the feudal dynasties dare to be corrupt? Wasn't it because even if they were caught, it was only a small probability event? Stealing a thousand coins would result in a ten-year sentence, while embezzling tens of millions of coins would only result in a few years of imprisonment, and it might even be shorter than stealing a thousand coins!

The answer to how to choose will naturally come to you.

Zhao Yun's move directly targeted the core contradiction, the most important interest point of the feudal dynasty, land.

"In addition, you and I will take some time to lead the team to walk in the countryside, inspect various material points, construction sites and key farm areas. Once we find anyone who defies the law, harms the public for personal gain, or oppresses the good, no matter who it is, we will arrest them on the spot and punish them severely according to military law or the newly issued "Law on the Security of the People", and announce it to the whole village to serve as a warning to others!"

"The Grand Protector has foresight!" Xin Pi bowed deeply, "I will do it immediately! I will show those noisy nobles what the real solution is!"

The order was promptly issued and executed.

The withdrawal of the Wuhuan warriors eased the tense atmosphere among the people. Although private discussions still existed, public resentment was significantly reduced. Although Guligan and others were unwilling, they also accepted the military order after Zhao Yun comforted and rewarded them.

The posted notice and the promise signed by Zhao Yun himself calmed the people to a certain extent and also silenced some of the people.

North of Ji County, next to an old canal that has been silted up for many years.

Under the blazing sun, hundreds of strong men, shirtless, shouted rough slogans, wielded crude hoes and pickaxes, and dug the mud with all their might. Sweat and mud mixed together and flowed down their dark backs.

The supervisors were no longer the cold-faced Wuhuan warriors, but several young clerks in neat cloth robes holding bamboo slips - they were the poor scholars Xin Pi had recently recruited. They were not even poor, but poor among the poor, who knew a little bit of writing and a little bit of arithmetic.

After all, people from poor families like Guo Jia still have jade on their waists and wine in their arms, while these poor children sometimes even have trouble eating. Therefore, after being allowed to become a clerk, they also work doubly hard at this stage.

As for whether it will deteriorate in the future...

Someone will definitely change, but not now.

"Wang Sanlang, this area of ​​silt is three feet deep and five feet wide. You have completed your work today!"

A young clerk shouted loudly and made a careful mark on the bamboo slips.

The man who was called raised his head, wiped the mud off his face, grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, "Thank you, Liu Shuzuo!"

He worked even harder.

Some people watched enviously, but soon they also buried their heads and started working hard...

Not far away, an old official led his men to measure the land and engrave numbers next to the newly erected boundary marker.

Every erected stone tablet will attract the eager eyes of nearby workers.

"Have you heard? Li Quezi from Dongting also got half a liter of corn just because his wife and the baby helped pick up gravel beside the official road!" Someone whispered during the break.

"That's right! The Grand Protector said that as long as you work hard and don't cheat, you will get a share of the land in autumn! It's our own land!" Another person's eyes gleamed, "With a land, who would steal those things? It's too embarrassing to be a person like that!"

"That's right! We couldn't survive before, there was nothing we could do... but now we have a future! We have to work hard, save up points, change seeds, take good care of our own fields, and look forward to the new fields in autumn!" The man took a sip of water, his tone filled with unprecedented confidence.

On a high slope farther away, Zhao Yun and Xin Pi stopped their horses and looked at the bustling scene.

Sweat, mud, calls, and the desire for "land" that permeated the air formed a picture that was far more vivid and powerful than the dead "order" under the cold eyes of the Wuhuan people.

"The people's hearts are like water, George." Zhao Yun sighed softly, his face still tired, but his eyes were full of warmth, "It's just as the lord said... It's better to open up the people's hearts and affairs than to block them... Give them hope, give them a visible future, give them "permanent property" that they can earn with their own hands, and people's hearts will naturally settle. Rules will also be established in it."

Xin Pi nodded, revealing a relieved smile: "The Grand Protector is right. Although this method takes a while to take effect, it is like a spring breeze that nourishes the roots. Those nobles who want to use the "Hu-Han" issue to stir up trouble will probably have a hard time."

He paused, looking at the wilderness that was still to be reclaimed in the distance, "However, the matter of distributing land involves a huge amount of things... I haven't even reported this to the lord yet, and the land has already been divided..."

"My lord is wise, I will definitely support you..." Zhao Yun looked into the distance with a firm gaze, "My lord always says that although the road is long, we will reach our destination if we keep walking... Let this belated spring truly take root in the land of Youzhou..."

He rode his horse slowly down the hill, his figure blending into the crowd of working people full of sweat and hope.

The sunlight shone on the newly dredged ditch, and the turbid water began to flow slowly, soaking the thirsty land on both sides.

The newly erected field boundary marker silently points to the future.

After experiencing bloody swords and guns, cold rulers, and the pain of retreat, Youzhou's autumn, winter, spring and summer finally showed tenacious vitality breaking through the ground driven by "hope".

However, as Xin Pi said, the road ahead is still full of thorns. The cold eyes of the nobles, the scarcity of resources, and the complexity of people's hearts all indicate that in just one spring, Youzhou is far from being peaceful.

Zhao Yun and the Youzhou he governs will continue to move forward in the storm.