Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3742 Heaven is in a state of abstinence, and does not boast or brag. Majesty is lost, and even the virtuous are burdened with corpses.

Outside Sishui Pass, the main camp of the Flying Cavalry.

Inside the central command tent, torches and giant candles shone brightly, their flickering light casting long, swaying shadows of the tent's furnishings.

After autumn arrived, it gradually got cooler.

The evening breeze occasionally lifted the curtain and rushed into the tent, tearing and flickering the firelight, and bringing with it a scent of the Heluo region mixed with scorched earth and hope.

On the table, piles of bamboo slips and illustrated books seemed to silently tell the heavy story of the stalemate in the war and the need for reconstruction.

Fei Qian sat at the head of the table, wearing a two-piece armor that protected his core, frowning in deep thought as he faced the map. Although the two-piece armor offered relatively little protection, it was undeniably convenient, especially when he needed to read or write for extended periods.

Pang Tong wasn't even wearing armor, just a dark robe, and to avoid the night's chill, he wrapped a worn-out crane-feather cloak over it. Following the army, Pang Tong had become somewhat thinner; otherwise, the crane-feather cloak wouldn't have made him appear slender and elegant, but rather like a plucked, fat chicken…

At this moment, Pang Tong was holding a newly delivered official performance evaluation document from Luoyang. His brows were deeply furrowed, almost forming a deep frown. He unconsciously reached up to stroke his beard, but forgot that he was holding a writing brush. He accidentally poked his chin with the brush, staining it with ink...

"Sigh!" Pang Tong sighed, put down his brush, picked up a corner of his crane cloak, and casually wiped it on his chin.

Fei Qian shifted his gaze from the map, glanced at Pang Tong, and gestured to Pang Tong's chin where ink still clung to him. "Is there some complicated matter now?"

Pang Tong nodded. "My lord, judging from the performance evaluations submitted by the newly restored counties and prefectures of Heluo... the difficulty of governing is truly like walking on thin ice! Initially, there were no positions to reward merit, and now even those with talent are unworthy of the titles!"

Fei Qian frowned slightly; in the candlelight, his eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool. "Shi Yuan, what is the meaning of your words? Please explain in detail."

Pang Tong handed the performance evaluation document to Fei Qian, saying, "In the countryside of Heluo, there are many who are incompetent and unfit for their posts. When Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang and Li Zicheng and Guo Si were tyrannical, Heluo was devastated and the people scattered. Although it has been recovered, many of the old officials have perished, and the historical records have been lost. The newly promoted officials either rose from the fields or were promoted from the ranks; their loyalty and courage are commendable, but their skills in governing the people are like blind men trying to grasp an elephant..."

Pang Tong continued, "For example, the magistrate of Yiyang County, although aware of the 'equalization of transport and price levels,' implemented it rigidly and forcefully, nearly causing a disaster that harmed the farmers! If the county clerk hadn't been a seasoned official who quickly quelled the unrest, a peasant uprising might have occurred! This wasn't due to disloyalty, but rather a lack of ability!"

Fei Qian looked at the documents with a sense of helplessness.

During the Han Dynasty, not everyone had access to nine years of compulsory education, resulting in a wide range of knowledge levels. The imperial examination system did provide a relatively fair standard to some extent, but it was only "relative." After all, no matter what type of examination it was, it could only test one aspect or certain abilities. In daily work and life, abilities are multifaceted and multidimensional, and cannot be fully demonstrated through one or a few examinations.

Although Fei Qian was somewhat familiar with the history of the Three Kingdoms, it did not mean that he could be like a system and call up someone's stats anytime, anywhere. Moreover, for most people, the so-called numerical representation is an ideal state. In reality, it should be more about range representation, that is, there is an upper limit and a lower limit.

Moreover, these upper and lower limits can change over time or due to certain events. For example, corrupt officials may continuously lower their standards using various reasons and excuses.

To later generations, a county magistrate might seem like a minor official position, but in the Han Dynasty, it was quite the opposite. Due to limitations in communication and transportation, as well as the constraints of the bureaucratic system, the scope of direct administrative control was insufficient. Even the emperor himself referred to them as "county officials." Therefore, in the Han Dynasty, the "county magistrate" and "county head" were almost equivalent to the head of a local area, in charge of almost everything within that area.

Pang Tong paused for a moment, a look of worry appearing on his face. "My lord," he said, "there is another matter that I am deeply concerned about. Your Majesty's granting of land titles and military ranks has won the hearts of the people and the bravery of the soldiers. Now that the Hedong and Heluo regions are newly pacified, there are already many who have rendered meritorious service in conquering cities and fortresses, pacifying the people, and reclaiming wasteland. While they may not be countless, the number of officials appointed by the court—prefects, magistrates, assistant magistrates, registrars, officials of various ranks, tax collectors, patrol officers, and village heads—is all limited..."

Pang Tong continued, "In a county, there are only a dozen or so officials with the rank of 'hundred shi' (a unit of grain measure). If we conquer Shandong, how many hundreds or thousands will be credited? Even if honorary titles and honorary official positions are granted, without real power or salary, what use are empty names? If this continues, I fear that those who have rendered meritorious service will become disheartened, harboring resentment like 'the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.' At that time, the remaining corrupt officials in Shandong will surely seize the opportunity to cause trouble... This matter must be guarded against!"

Fei Qian nodded; this was indeed a problem.

In chaotic times, both Cao Cao's army and Fei's army would make many promises to the soldiers and civilians at the grassroots level when boosting morale and overcoming difficulties, but this did not mean that these promises could necessarily be fulfilled...

For example, if you promise ten, you might change it to fifteen, twenty, or even twenty-five or thirty.

Anyway, that's how it is, so what?

Fei Qian and Pang Tong wanted to correct the deep-seated problems of the collapse of the recommendation system and the rigidity of hereditary official positions since the Eastern Han Dynasty, but they also had to face the sharp contradiction between rewarding merit and governing officials in the new regime during the chaotic times.

Pang Tong's concerns about the imbalance between "position" and "talent," and his worries about the shortage of official positions, were inevitable conflicts arising from this reform process.

Therefore, most feudal dynasties in history were unwilling to take any reform measures. They were like frogs being slowly boiled in water, not caring about the flood after they died. The wisdom of later generations is also like this.

In feudal dynasties, especially traditional agrarian dynasties, the system of "official position, salary, and land" was a trinity. This meant that official positions were a scarce resource and a key to distributing social wealth, including salaries, privileged households, and land.

After listening, Fei Qian remained calm and pondered for a moment before saying, "Shi Yuan's considerations are profound and far-sighted, truly the words of a seasoned statesman. However, I believe your thinking is still confined to the old ways, failing to see the breadth of new possibilities!"

Pang Tong nodded, but then shook his head. "Even with the new system in Longxi, the county structure of 4-3-2-1, it's still only twice as much... How can it be sufficient?"

Fei Qian smiled and said, "Shi Yuan is mistaken... The system in Longxi still follows the old tripod."

"I am foolish and dull, but I wish to hear about the size of the new cauldron, my lord!" Pang Tong said, bowing.

Fei Qian said in a deep voice, "This matter... requires clarification on the comparison between officials and commoners..."

Pang Tong frowned. "What...are you referring to the comparison between officials and commoners?"

Fei Qian said, "When the people have rest, they will naturally thrive; when there are many people, there will be many affairs to attend to. If there are no officials, chaos will easily ensue. Shi Yuan... let me ask you, is a large population a good thing or a bad thing?"

Pang Tong replied, "For the people...it is naturally more beneficial than harmful."

Fei Qian nodded and said, "Shi Yuan, are you aware that even the 'people' are subject to constraints?"

Pang Tong said, "I would like to hear the details." Fei Qian pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I have observed the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history, and the constraints on population growth. There are two: 'land' and 'technology'! From the beginning of time, when chaos reigned, people multiplied. Examining history and observing changes, rise and fall have their origins. The greatest constraints are these two: land provides the foundation, and technology holds the key! Consider the traces left by Yu the Great and the measures implemented by Zhou Suo; they are all as clear as the sun and moon, and can be verified and described."

"The land, as a boundary, is truly the barrier for the people! Though the land under Yu's rule was vast, it was not all fertile fields. Mountains and hills rose high, marshes and lakes flowed in meandering. Stony fields were barren, and saline soil spread everywhere. The *Yu Gong* (Tribute of Yu) distinguished their grades, listing their hardships in the Nine Categories. The crisscrossing paths marked the boundaries. The Zhou rites measured the land, and the population was measured to maintain its boundaries. As the population grew daily, spreading like stars and clouds, Guan Zhong worried that the land was not enough to feed the people, and Shang Yang lamented that the land was insufficient to feed his many."

"The land system is fragmented due to land consolidation; the wealthy own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand. The rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to even stand. This is why Chao Cuo sighed, and why Mencius spoke of the difficulty of maintaining a stable livelihood! A hundred acres of land, if not deprived of its growing season, could provide for a family of several without hunger. However, the land's fertility is finite, and natural disasters frequently occur. Tang suffered a seven-year drought, and Zhou encountered the Jing and Wei rivers overflowing their banks. Even Ao Fen, braving hardship and toil, opened up the mountains and forests, expanding the territory with great difficulty. When Qin opened up the Baiyue region, and Han established trade routes to the southwest, opening up the Western Regions, what did they seek? Nothing more than the desire for vast lands and a large population. Yet, I constantly worry that the territory will eventually have its limits, and that its capacity will not be without its constraints. The shackles of this land are like golden chains binding heaven and earth!"

"As for 'skill' as the key, it is truly the origin of opening up! Tracing back to ancient times, Suiren drilled wood, transforming the stench of meat into stale odor; Youchao built trees, sheltering from wind and rain. Shennong created plows and hoes, teaching the world the benefits of these tools! Grain and food flourished from then on. The Yellow Emperor wore robes, and Hu Cao made clothes to cover their bodies and protect them from the cold. Houji sowed the hundred grains, and crops were harvested. Gongshu carved magpies from wood, and Mozi created kites to soar through the sky; though these are ingenious creations, they also reveal the source of wisdom. Yu the Great dredged the nine rivers, opened the Ru and Han rivers, and channeled the Huai and Si rivers into the Yangtze River, thus stopping the floods and allowing fertile fields to flourish. Li Bing excavated the Li Dui, piercing the two rivers, creating fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles, known as the 'Land and Sea.' The benefits of skill for the people—is this not truly magnificent?"

"Observe how fire-plowing and shovel-based farming are easily replaced by deep plowing and thorough weeding; stone axes and bone hoes are replaced by the strength of metal and iron. Fine metal is used to forge swords and halberds, tested on dogs and horses; inferior metal is used to forge hoes and axes, tested on the soil. Iron plows and ox-plowing save effort and double the result, dramatically increasing the yield per mu. When Zheng Guo dug canals, there were no years of famine in Guanzhong. After the canals were completed, water from the Tian'e irrigation system was used to irrigate over 40,000 hectares of saline-alkali land, yielding a harvest of one zhong per mu, turning saline-alkali land into fertile land, and making barren soil produce cooking smoke. Zhao Guo taught the practice of alternating cultivation, and the annual harvest often exceeded that of ordinary fields by more than one hu per mu. All these examples show that for every inch the 'skill' improves, the 'land' limit expands by one foot!"

"Heaven has its seasons, earth has its energy, materials have their beauty, and craftsmanship has its skill; only when these four are combined can something be truly excellent. Is this not what it means? Therefore, it is said: the advancement of skill is truly a divine power capable of moving mountains and filling seas, of recreating the universe!"

"Therefore it is said that the livelihood of the people depends on the land. The land has its limits, but life is boundless. It is not that the earth is not fertile, yet it sustains all things; it is not that technology is not essential for prosperity, yet it breaks through limitations and specializes in specific areas. In the past, with slash-and-burn agriculture and the shifting of the soil, the land's fertility was almost exhausted. Now, look at the irrigation ditches and canals, and the millet piled high like mountains. This is not because the land has expanded, but because of the ingenuity of technology! However, technology does not arise spontaneously; it lies in the profound contemplation of sages and the meticulous research of craftsmen. To prepare materials for use, to establish tools for the benefit of the world, none is greater than the sage. Thus, the pivot of rise and fall, the key to order and chaos, lies in the skillful use of the land and the profound interplay of technology. Those who follow it prosper, those who oppose it perish."

Pang Tong nodded slightly.

These issues have been discussed before, but often only in one aspect. For example, land is land, and household registration is household registration. It is rare to see these two aspects elevated to a higher level and summarized like Fei Qian has done now.

Fei Qian then shifted his tone, becoming even more incisive: "Breaking the shackles of land alone is not enough! Even worse are the shackles of skill! But look at the world today, where is the skill of craftsmanship? The gentry and powerful, fearing that ingenious and frivolous skills will disrupt their social hierarchy, and that the rise of advanced tools will devalue labor, therefore employ policies that keep the common people ignorant, suppressing them in every way! Why? Because they fear that if these skills succeed, the artisans will be able to stand on their own, no longer relying on the powerful! This is a chronic disease of maintaining power through ignorance and consolidating profits through the suppression of skills! If these shackles are not broken, even with ten thousand acres of fertile land, the yield per acre will only be a little over a bushel. How can this feed the masses? How can this prosper the nation?"

Pang Tong nodded and said, "What you say is quite right, my lord... but this... oh, oh, I understand! My lord means that the people are the land, and officials are the skills? And... are official positions like the land, and the abilities of officials like skills?"

Fei Qian laughed heartily, "As expected of Shi Yuan! Therefore, Shi Yuan's concern about insufficient officials and too many merits for too few positions is truly putting the cart before the horse! It's not that there aren't enough official positions, but rather that the old system of officials is like a square peg in a round hole, incompatible with the needs of the new era! It's not that they are incompetent, but rather that the talents of the past are like the skills of a slash-and-burn farmer, unable to manage the flourishing of a hundred crops!"

Fei Qian walked back to his desk and patted the map of the Yellow River and Luo River region: "Now, Shi Yuan, compared to the time of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling, which region has more or less work to do in governing its people?"

Pang Tong pondered for a moment, then said, "The newly recovered land is in dire need of rebuilding. Land allocation requires measurement, registration, and cataloging; water conservancy requires surveying, planning, and supervision; workshops need to be established, artisans need to be managed, and products need to be allocated; roads need to be repaired, post stations need to be rebuilt, and merchants need to be guided; moreover, primary education needs to be promoted, medical clinics need to be established, and the orphans and widows need to be cared for... There are countless things to do, and if not ten times more, it is certainly three to five times more than in times of peace..."

"Indeed!" Fei Qian exclaimed in approval. "With a larger population and more diverse industries, how can we rely solely on the few prefects, magistrates, and registrars of the past to manage everything? For example, can agriculture be managed by the county magistrate alone? That's why I established the Academy of Agriculture and Industry! Furthermore, consider the restoration of ruins, the construction of new sites, water conservancy, city building, toolmaking, mining, and metallurgy... which of these doesn't require specialists? Did the old system have such duties? Were the old officials up to the task? The land has increased, the skills have changed, but the officials remain the same—what can be done?"

Fei Qian said, "I established the system of Longxi, but how does the chaos in Longxi compare to that in the Heluo region? How can the people of Longxi compare to those of Shandong? If one intends to control Shandong solely through the system of Longxi, wouldn't that be a violation of the old order?"

"Oops!" Pang Tong slapped his forehead, ignoring the ink stains on his forehead again. "Haha! My lord's words are truly... thunderous! I was wrong about this!"

This is not entirely Pang Tong's fault. After all, Pang Tong was only standing on the toes of a thousand years of history. No matter how hard he tried to look ahead, he could not see as far as Fei Qian, who was lying on the shoulders of history.

Fei Qian's analysis of the current contradictions breaks down the chaotic "officialdom" in Pang Tong's eyes into a series of new "duties" requiring specialized skills. Fei Qian does not deny the existence of "officials," but rather redefines the connotation of "officials."

From a "shepherd" who ruled over all people, to a "specialist" who served all industries...

This is the "hidden agenda" that Fei Qian wanted to infiltrate into the feudal dynasty's system!
Thinking of the great figures of later generations who single-handedly fought against the remnants of a thousand years of feudalism, trying to change the roles from "local officials" to "servants," Fei Qian couldn't help but feel deeply moved...

The key issue is that even after a slight change, how many officials, even dressed in the clothes of the new era, still secretly want to bully and oppress the people?
The Han Dynasty lasted four hundred years, and the lingering poison was already so thick. What would it be like after a thousand-year feudal dynasty?

However, to avoid any unnecessary resistance, Fei Qian added a bit of "theoretical basis": "Xunzi said, 'Farmers divide the land to cultivate, merchants divide the goods to sell, artisans divide the tasks to encourage, and scholars and officials divide the duties to listen'... This is the beginning of the division of labor!"

Fei Qian spoke of this with great emotion. In fact, many theories and strategies showed some promise during the contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought, or at least represented a directional exploration. However, after Confucianism, many of these ideas were suppressed.

Centralization and division of labor are inherently a unity of opposites and the foundation of social development, just like freedom and equality. They are conditional, and all attempts to absolutize them are essentially engaging in political maneuvering.

Fei Qian, citing classical texts and with a sharp gaze, declared, “However, the division of labor in the past was extremely crude! The scholar-officials oversaw everything, while farmers, artisans, and merchants each guarded their own trades, creating a rigid hierarchy. What I desire now is to further subdivide these categories! Among farmers, there are those specializing in breeding, those skilled in water conservancy, and those adept at using machinery; among artisans, there are carpenters, metallurgists, and ingenious craftsmen; among merchants, there are traders, accountants, and those skilled in long-distance trade… Thus, even the officials of the scholar-official class should have their duties subdivided, each specializing in their own area of ​​expertise! This is not a matter of ‘few’ positions, but rather the creation of new roles, like bamboo shoots sprouting in spring, a timely necessity!”

In fact, similar attempts were made during the Song Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty, many positions were temporary, and titles and ranks did not represent much; rather, the specific tasks performed were the important distinction between superiors and inferiors.

Of course, this will inevitably lead to the problem of "redundant officials".

But redundant officials are more likely to be promoted but not demoted, like being "treated as equals." Is it only when they've already run into financial difficulties that they start investigating the one-year-old child? So all that previous redundancy was then passed on to the people, and that's considered a relief?
It must be because he saw that there were cultivators in the West who had reached the Nascent Soul stage at the age of three hundred years, and he was unwilling to be inferior to them.
Is the person asking about the material of the Han Dynasty clothing detained?

Those who utter the twelve-character mantra will be imprisoned?

How magnificent!
This kind of relentless pursuit of advancement without any possibility of retreat is precisely what those unscrupulous officials and clerks do!

If there were a proper exit mechanism and it were strictly enforced, anyone who made a careless remark would lose their official position. Who would be so arrogant and domineering, running rampant in the countryside?

Therefore, there is no pure freedom, nor a perfect system, and it is impossible to achieve lasting peace and stability for thousands of years with just an empty document or a slogan!

Fei Qian slowly said, "Shi Yuan's concern about incompetence stems from this very issue! One person's wisdom is limited; how can one be proficient in all trades? A county magistrate must oversee agriculture, industry, law, and education… even if Yi Yin and Lü Shang were reborn, they would struggle to manage everything! Therefore, division of labor is necessary! The complex tasks must be broken down into smaller, more manageable parts. Those who encourage agriculture only need to be skilled in farming; those in industry only need to be knowledgeable in construction; teachers only need to be good at teaching children… With focused responsibilities, standards are clear, and assessments are easy. Those lacking ability can specialize in one skill; those with exceptional talent can manage a region. For example, in craftsmanship, the more specialized the work, the more refined the skills, and the better the products! Isn't the same true for governing a country? The more specialized the work, the more specialized the talent, the higher the efficiency, and the faster the skills can improve, the more abundant the land's resources can be, and the more peaceful and prosperous the people can live! This breaks the shackles of mere skills and resolves the dilemma of position versus talent!"

By refining the division of labor, the requirement for individual talents to be "all-rounders" is reduced, while the overall governance efficiency and technological driving force are improved.

Of course, these are merely the superficial benefits and the resulting superficial problem of "redundant personnel." At a deeper level, however, it is Fei Qian's desire to create a new system within the old feudal framework...