I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 769: Hanoi Reconquest, Separation of Powers

Hanoi is a large county in the Central Plains.

It is located on the north bank of the Yellow River, has a dense population and a prosperous economy. It is bordered by the Taihang Mountains to the north and Jizhou to the east. It has been one of the economic and cultural centers of the Central Plains since the pre-Qin period.

Especially in the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the decline of Guanzhong and the relocation of the capital to the east, the Sanhe area was the focus of the court's management and became the court's main source of tax revenue and military personnel.

For Su Yao, the recovery of Henei County not only meant the addition of an important source of tax revenue, but also symbolized the further strengthening of his control over the areas surrounding Luoyang.

"What? Governor Wang was defeated and beheaded?"

"How could it be so fast?!"

"Didn't the general only bring two hundred men with him?"

The magistrate of Chaoge County, which was under the jurisdiction of Hanoi County, looked shocked.

As the news spread, Wang Kuang's rapid defeat, like a domino, soon triggered a chain reaction in Hanoi County.

Those noble families, county officials and local magistrates who had been waiting and watching all changed their stance and announced their allegiance to the court, expressing their willingness to cooperate with Su Yao's policies.

Su Yao knew very well that the pacification of Henei County was just the beginning. If he wanted to truly stabilize the government, he needed to further consolidate his control over the local area.

So he immediately started a series of reform measures in Hanoi County.

First, Su Yao abolished the original prefectural system in Henei County and divided the powers into three: administrative, judicial and military.

The administrative power belongs to the county chief, the judicial power belongs to the county chancellor, and the military power is under the command of the local garrison, that is, the lieutenant general of the local garrison.

All three were directly appointed by the imperial court and checked and restrained each other, jointly maintaining the stability and development of Hanoi County.

The county magistrate is responsible for the daily administrative management and people's livelihood affairs in the county, ensuring that government orders are implemented smoothly and the people live and work in peace and contentment; the county chancellor is responsible for judicial trials, maintaining fairness and justice, and cracking down on crimes; the Lieutenant General of the Guard is the chief officer of the local guard post, and is responsible for leading the troops separately.

In normal times, they cultivated land and trained soldiers in local areas, integrating soldiers with farming and combining defense with garrisoning in order to save food and military supplies as much as possible.

During wartime, they would receive orders from the Central General's Office and be led by generals to carry out combat missions, responsible for resisting foreign enemies and expanding territory.

Such a system of separation of powers not only strengthened the imperial court's control over Hanoi County, but also effectively avoided corruption and abuse of power that might result from excessive concentration of power.

At the same time, Su Yao also set up a special supervisory agency, which was under the charge of the Jinyiwei and the Yushitai branch, to strictly supervise and evaluate the performance and behavior of local officials.

This series of reform measures not only strengthened the imperial court's control over Hanoi County, but also greatly improved the administrative efficiency and credibility of the local government.

At this point, even if Su Yao was not here, the possibility of Henei County separatist regime like Wang Kuang did at the will of the prefect would be very slim.

Su Yao knew very well that institutional reform was only the foundation. If Hanoi County was to be truly stable and peaceful, it would also require a group of loyal, reliable and capable officials to implement these policies.

Therefore, he took great pains in selecting officials for Hanoi County.

Some of these officials were his former subordinates, some were brave warriors who had made great achievements in the battle against Dong Zhuo, and some were elites recruited from the court.

County Magistrate Qian Zhao was a close friend of Liu Bei. He had previously traveled to Liaodong with Su Yao and had made many military achievements in the battle against Dong Zhuo.

However, since Su Yao had many capable and brave men under his command and the troops were never fully staffed, Qian Zhao's promotion in the military was a bit slow.

During the recovery of Hanoi, Su Yao knew that Qian Zhao was both civil and military, and a famous teacher, so he directly transferred Qian Zhao to the position of county magistrate to be in charge of local administration.

Qian Zhao accepted the appointment as county magistrate, feeling both excited and burdened with a heavy responsibility.

He knew very well that as a major county in the Central Plains, the importance of Henei County was self-evident. Now he was able to shoulder such an important responsibility, to help General Su Yao solve his problems and seek welfare for the people. This was the opportunity he had always dreamed of.

"General, Qian Zhao will not fail in his mission. He will do his best to govern Henei County well and share your worries!" Qian Zhao knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and solemnly promised Su Yao.

Su Yao smiled and nodded, patted Qian Zhao on the shoulder, and said: "Chief Qian, I believe in your ability. The future of Hanoi County is in your hands."

In addition to Qian Zhao, Su Yao also appointed Song Xian as the Lieutenant General of the local guard army.

That’s right, Hao Meng didn’t get the position.

Although Hao Meng did help him take down Wang Kuang, Su Yao believed that this guy surrendered only after he broke into the general's tent. His loyalty was questionable and he was not as trustworthy as his good brothers in Bingzhou. He needed to continue to prove himself in the future.

As a result, the post of the local military chief of Henei County fell to Song Xian. However, as a local general of Henei, Hao Meng was not treated unfairly by Su Yao, who allowed him to continue to serve as the original lieutenant and as Song Xian's adjutant, the two of them were in charge of the military affairs of Henei together.

Finally, Su Yao did not spend too much time thinking about the candidate for the post of county magistrate in charge of judicial affairs in Hanoi. He directly entrusted it to the court and asked them to select an official who was well versed in Han laws.

After appointing these important officials, Su Yao also specially convened officials at all levels and representatives of aristocratic families in Hanoi County for an unconventional meeting.

At the meeting, Su Yao first elaborated on the court's reform measures and future development plans for Hanoi County, emphasizing the importance of the court's control and governance over the local area.

Then, he encouraged officials at all levels and representatives of aristocratic families to actively offer suggestions and contribute to the prosperity and development of Hanoi County. He also urged and encouraged everyone to actively participate in the imperial examinations to be held by the court in the future.

At this time, Zhang Cheng, who had surrendered earlier, and Sima Lang, brought by Su Yao, played an important role.

As both of them are well-known local families in Hanoi, their support through their own actions has set a good example.

It won't work if it is not supported.

Sima Lang's father was still the magistrate of Luoyang, and he himself was also very good at dealing with people in the Censorate. Although they had doubts about Su Yao's various reforms, Su Yao's military power did bring stability to the court, especially to the areas around Luoyang.

This is in stark contrast to the later period when Dong Zhuo was in power and the Central Plains was in chaos, and the Sima family and other Central Plains aristocratic families fled.

Therefore, even if they have doubts and dissatisfaction, they are far from giving up their family business and openly opposing it.

The same is true for the Sima family and the Zhang family.

Zhang Cheng himself was almost captured on the battlefield. He had personal experience and deep understanding of Su Yao's reputation and methods, and he would never dare to object.

Haven’t you seen that Xiang Xiong was slow to surrender and fled away, and was finally captured at the back door while still talking nonsense, and ended up with his entire family being executed.

Recalling Xiang Xiong's tragic end, Zhang Cheng and other local noble families couldn't help but shudder.

Now everyone knew that although Su Yao was young, he was swift and decisive and would show no mercy to his enemies.

Confrontation is a dead end, but cooperation still offers a glimmer of hope.

In this case, everyone is naturally in harmony at the moment, blowing flowers and flowers, and fully expressing their support for Su Yao's reforms and policies.

Su Yao actually knew about these people's little thoughts.

But that doesn't matter.

It is enough as long as these people are willing to cooperate on the surface, can implement his policies, and do not engage in armed uprising.

After all, real power is never gained by words, but is controlled by strength and means.

Once his policies take effect and the situation stabilizes, if these people still want to oppose him, they will be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot and will be of no use.

"Everyone, I thank you for your support and trust." Su Yao stood up, and swept his eyes across the people present. His voice was steady and powerful, "The future of Hanoi County requires everyone's joint efforts and contributions."

"General, rest assured. We will do our best to live up to your expectations!" Everyone bowed and saluted, expressing their full support for Su Yao's reform and development plan.

Su Yao nodded slightly, secretly thinking about the next plan in his mind.

He knew very well that although Hanoi County had been pacified, the situation in the world was still turbulent.

The local princes were divided and there were frequent conflicts. There were countless people like Wang Kuang who were ambitious and pretended to obey the central government's orders but actually disobeyed them.

Not only has the strength of the central army of the imperial court not recovered, but it is also facing a serious financial crisis.

Su Yao must race against time to establish a solid foundation and maintain a strong military force before a wave of opposition forms in various places.

To this end, after ordering the collection of money, grain and supplies in Henei and transporting them to Luoyang to temporarily solve the urgent problem, Su Yao did not choose to return to Beijing, but directly turned his attention to Hedong County to the west.

The salt and iron base of the imperial court was now being torn apart by the Baibo Army. The local prefect Wang Yi was trapped in the county seat of Anyi for several years without any success.

This governor could neither resolve the unrest caused by the local Baibo Army nor obtain financial and material support from the imperial court.

Now that Wang Kuang has been captive and Henei has been recovered, it is time to resolve the remaining issues in Hedong County.

(End of this chapter)