Chinese New Year

Chapter 1424 Retirement and Explanation

This year's twelfth lunar month seems less cold than in previous years, with temperatures rising slightly.

Of course, Shao Xun was well aware that this was just a rebound within the main downward wave, and the temperature was still in a downward channel.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, at the last grand court assembly of the year, Cheshi King Chelu personally came to the capital to present tribute: fifty fine horses, one hundred catties of Corydalis rhizome, and two hundred pieces of wild horsehide...

Shao Xun was granted a gold seal and purple ribbon, and was conferred a noble title, and was allowed to remain in the capital to participate in the New Year's Day court assembly.

After the New Year, the Court of State Ceremonial will send officials with gifts and official documents to accompany the King of Cheshi back to his country.

Preparations for the establishment of Jinman Town had already begun before the Lunar New Year.

From Jimsar to Qitai in later generations, the Later Cheshi Kingdom allocated about a thousand hectares of land on the northern slope of the snow-capped mountains for the garrison troops of various fortresses and villages in Jinman Town to cultivate.

According to the report sent back from Gaochang, most of these fields were barren land, and some were frequently visited by Xiongnu people for grazing. They were not entirely within the actual control of the Later Cheshi Kingdom.

Shao Xun didn't take it to heart. These were all minor matters. His younger brother could handle anything; what use was his elder brother?
Taking advantage of my younger brother's familiarity with the local conditions, culture, and geography, we should first solidify the settlement and reclamation efforts, and then gradually develop other aspects. This is the right way.

The Han and Wei dynasties had long maintained military settlements in Gaochang, and their influence permeated all aspects of life. Thus, by the time of Zhang Jun, a local warlord could abolish the feudal system and establish prefectures. This was not because Zhang Jun had more prestige than the central government, but rather because it was a natural progression, and he ultimately reaped the benefits.

The Western Regions Prefectural Governor's Office also had garrison troops who were stationed in Loulan year-round and had a strong influence over the Shanshan Kingdom. To put it bluntly, it wouldn't be impossible to abolish the Shanshan Kingdom and establish a prefecture there now.

Later in history, the Tang Dynasty stationed troops in various countries in the Western Regions. The most typical example was the Kingdom of Khotan, where the Tang people were responsible for things like tax collection. Khotan became a "true king of Khotan" who sat inside while Tang officials handled foreign affairs.

The Later Kingdom of Cheshi could also start by stationing troops and cultivating land to gradually deepen its control. However, this control would not be directly controlled by the Liang Dynasty, but would likely be exercised by the vassal king.

The King of Shanshan also came to the capital, and was extremely honest, as usual sending various gifts and Loulan beauties.

Shao Xun reciprocated with gifts and invited him to attend the court assembly.

The king of Yanqi, besides these two countries, seemed hesitant. According to the report of the later king of Cheshi, there was currently a great deal of contention within Yanqi, making it difficult to reach a consensus.

The kingdoms of Kucha and others were determined not to submit, seemingly relying on their remoteness and distance from the emperor to decide their own fate.

Let them be smug for a while longer. When the third batch of grain arrives in Dunhuang and Gaochang next spring, they'll know why the flowers are so red.

After defeating Kucha, the most powerful state in the Western Regions, we could have adopted a policy of appeasement, combining both military force and diplomacy, without constantly resorting to military means.

This is the general strategy. The court has discussed it privately many times, and everything is just waiting for the official military deployment in the middle of next year.

The entire twelfth lunar month passed in this lukewarm rhythm until the first month of the seventh year of Zhenming (340) arrived.

******
The entire Shaw family chose to spend the Lunar New Year at Kowloon Palace.

This is where Shao Xun's parents used to live. The old appearance remains largely unchanged, full of the flavor of yesteryear. However, when the children flooded in, the atmosphere changed and seemed much more cheerful.

Shao Xun called over his third brother and eldest nephew's family.

He is now the undisputed head of the Shao family, holding the highest position within the clan.

My nephew wasn't in a good mood, and seemed rather lost.

Shao Xun understood him.

His mother has passed away, and his grief remains. He has also been removed from his position as Grand Protector-General, commanding tens of thousands of troops, and is finding it difficult to adjust. Most importantly, he feels lost about the future.

He doesn't feel old, nor does he feel he should be staying at home taking care of himself; but that's life.

"Yunwen, I heard that no one lives in Yiquanwu anymore?" Shao Xun asked, pulling his eldest nephew to sit down on the porch after avoiding the running children.

“Yes,” Shao Shen replied. “The previous generation of the Du family members have all passed away. Their descendants either live in Chang’an or are scattered in Luoyang, Bianliang, and Pengcheng. The Yiyang mansion is indeed uninhabited.”

The year Shao Xun returned to his hometown, he even summoned Du Yin, but Du Yin passed away in the middle of last year. Before that, Du Dan had already passed away, and all four brothers of the previous generation of the Du family had died.

When the family property was divided, whether intentionally or unintentionally, a portion of the property was actually given to Shao Shen's wife, Du, which became Yiyang Yiquanwu.

This is a very rare occurrence. As the saying goes, a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup, let alone the fact that Princess Du, the wife of the Prince of Julu, is not a daughter but a granddaughter. Those who know, know.

When Shao Xun asked this question, Shao Shen understood that his uncle already knew about it.

In truth, he didn't care. He had grand residences in Luoyang and Bianliang, and also an estate in the suburbs of Jiangling. As the southward migration intensified, he didn't fall behind. He sent his family and servants south to Baling to cultivate the land and build estates, and had already achieved some success.

During his tenure as the Great Protector of the Xiongnu, the tributes he received from the Hu tribes piled up like mountains, leaving him worried about where to put all those cattle, sheep, horses, and camels.

Money was just a number to him, and he wasn't interested in it. If it weren't for his wife's deep affection for Yiquanwu, saying it was where she grew up, he wouldn't have bothered to pay any attention to it at all.

"Now that Yiquanwu is yours, manage it well," Shao Xun said. "The Imperial Household Department will allocate five thousand bolts of silk to help you renovate this place. I am very familiar with Yiquanwu; it is located on a hilltop with stunning scenery, but it is not very comfortable to live in and needs renovation. You don't need to worry about this; just stay home and observe mourning. Your uncle will take care of it for you. Once completed, it will be more magnificent than any mansion in Luoyang or Bianliang, and it will also have a natural and rustic charm, which will be enough to comfort you in your later years."

Shao Shen hesitated for a moment, then could only respond with a single word.

My uncle has already mentioned "old age," what else could he possibly say? He'll likely spend the rest of his days at home in leisure.

His political and military career is over.

There's no denying the disappointment with this outcome, but it's the reality, and all we can do is try to accept it. Perhaps it won't be too difficult; it'll only be a little painful at first, but he's been at home in mourning for months, and he doesn't seem to be as unaccustomed to it as he was at the beginning.

"Let's go have dinner." Shao Xun looked inside, patted Shao Shen on the shoulder, and stood up to say.

“Okay.” Shao Shen stood up calmly and followed behind Shao Xun.

His life was quite eventful, marked by repeated battles with Wang Mi in Hongnong, a desperate fight with Suotou in Zhonglingchuan, travels to Sichuan, and journeys to the border regions.

Living a life of leisure here seems like a good option.

******
After the Lantern Festival, the various government offices gradually resumed their duties.

Yang Man, the Grand Councilor, was seriously ill and requested to resign. Shao Xun visited him at his residence, told him to rest assured and recuperate, and that his position would be retained for him. He also appointed his son, Yang Zha, the Prefect of Diaoyin, as a redundant assistant minister and transferred him to the capital.

Fan Yi and Liu Runzhong were in good health, so Shao Xun summoned them to the Taiji Hall and gave them instructions.

"When I make my western tour, the Guandong region should be kept quiet." Shao Xun set the tone first.

"After three years of river management in Xuzhou, the Han Canal has been greatly improved. After the spring, the remaining 40,000 men, women, and children were organized into labor households, along with the captives captured during the pacification of the Tuoba Xianbei, totaling more than 90,000 people, and were all sent to Xinxing and Yanmen counties to manage the Hutuo River. The Directorate of Water Conservancy has already sent people to inspect it, and it may take two years. So prepare the necessary supplies for two years and work diligently on the management. After completion, the ponds and waterways in Taiyuan, Kelan, Xihe, Shangdang, Leping, Pingyang, and Hedong counties that need repair will also be managed in due course."

At this point, Shao Xun pondered for a moment and said, "So many people digging ditches, dredging waterways, and building dikes—this is no small matter. Should we deploy imperial guards and local militia to guard them?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Runzhong immediately said, “Your Majesty overestimates them. Those who survived three years of river management in Xuzhou are emaciated and have long lost the will to resist. Although Suotou’s men number in the tens of thousands, they have been utterly defeated by the court and have lost their courage. They have neither horses nor bows and swords. Even if some commoner instigates them, what can they do? Many prefectures in Bingzhou have their own troops managing the river. Just gather those troops. If there aren’t enough prefecture troops, I will mobilize the elite cavalry from the barbarian tribes. I guarantee no one will cause trouble.”

Shao Xun nodded and said, "It's still about Bingzhou. There are many vacancies in the military academy, county school, and prefectural school. I don't expect you to fill them this year, but please fill some so that the people and soldiers of Bingzhou can see that the court is working hard to resolve this matter. Do you understand?"

Fan Yi bowed and replied, "Changing customs and habits is a major national affair. The Council of State Affairs will convene officials from the three provinces tomorrow to discuss the matter, draw up a list, and expedite the process."

"The third matter," Shao Xun continued, "is that the powerful clans of the north are moving south in droves, causing some chaos and numerous incidents. The Council of State should discuss this and perhaps send officials south to provide guidance. The court is indeed not interfering and is letting them cultivate the land, but order is better than disorder. We cannot completely ignore them. You can decide what to do."

"Yes," Fan and Liu replied in unison.

Liu Runzhong may not have realized it yet, but Fan Yi has already figured out some of the implications.

The emperor likely refers to two things.

One reason is that powerful clans moving south would see a promising place and flock there, leading to endless fighting and damaging relationships, which would slow down the land reclamation process. This needed to be addressed.

Secondly, many powerful clans from Jiangdong are migrating to the southern prefectures of Yangzhou. The prefectures of Jin'an and Jian'an have seen a significant influx of people in the past two years, cultivating the plains in the mountains and gradually settling down. Their movements have become somewhat chaotic, further provoking hostility from the barbarians, requiring intervention from the imperial court, perhaps even with financial and material support, and possibly the cooperation of the garrison.

This matter is rather complicated and needs careful consideration.

"The fourth matter," Shao Xun glanced at the two men and said, "Many talented people from the north have gone to the south and become indulgent in pleasure. The court may think of a way to get them to study new theories on morality and explore the principles of the universe, so as to eliminate the bad habits of the scholar class. This matter is not urgent, but it requires constant attention. You two should pay close attention."

"Yes," Fan and Liu replied in unison once again.

"There is one last thing," Shao Xun said. "The Council of State Affairs and the Imperial Household Department should discuss how to ensure the safest navigation between Jiaozhou and Guangzhou, and between Yangzhou and Guangzhou. This has been going on for more than a year or two. The most suitable ships should be chosen and written down. In particular, the Water Conservancy Bureau should send people to investigate the important ports along the route and register all the conditions so that future generations can refer to them."

"Yes."

Shao Xun thought for a moment and realized there was nothing more he needed to say.

One must eat one bite at a time; making progress every year is already quite good.

(End of this chapter)