Chinese New Year

Chapter 1429 Deer Garden

The meeting with the military and political officials of Chang'an was held in the Deer Garden in Chang'an.

More than ten state-level officials, including the Governor of Yongzhou, Governor Zhuge Hui, the Prefect Yu Bing, and the Chief Administrator Duan Rong, along with county and prefectural officials, including the Prefect of Jingzhao Xiahou Zheng and the Magistrate of Chang'an Lu Na, and generals and officers, including the Commander of the Longxiang Army of Acheng Qin Yin, the Commander of the Lantian Army Jing Hao, and the Colonel Ma Gong, were all present.

Among them, Duan Rong was considered an elder. He was the youngest son of the late Right Valiant Cavalry General Duan Liang. He had served as a staff member, a county magistrate, and a prefect before returning home to mourn. After his return to public service, he was appointed as the Chief Administrator, succeeding the deceased Jiang Ying.

Xiahou Zheng was originally the magistrate of Wuyang in Jianwei Commandery. He and the prefect Jiang Bin had fought against the Liao people's rebellion and made some contributions. He also had another identity: the third brother of Shao Xun and the eldest son-in-law of Prince Shao Fan of Lu. Last year, he was transferred to Yongzhou to serve as the prefect of Jingzhao, while the former prefect Zheng Shida was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Secretariat.

Lu Na was Lu Wan's son. His appointment as the magistrate of Chang'an was a strategic move, since Lu Wan and Lu Ye's families had been pardoned, and the deceased Lu Ye had been unwittingly coerced into surrendering by Zhuge Hui, yet he was "meritorious and innocent".

Qin Yin was the son of Qin San, an old friend of Shao Xun.

Qin San's life—well, he didn't like studying, he only knew how to fight and kill. Even after becoming the commander of the troops, he refused to study. So Shao Xun could only increase his fiefdom and grant his two sons official positions.

Qin Yin was also a rough and uncouth warrior, skilled in all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, bows, and shields. Moreover, he was as strong as an ox. When charging into battle, he was unstoppable, clad in armor and wielding a spear. As long as he was provided with enough horses to ride, he could charge for more than twenty rounds and accumulate merit to become the commander of the Acheng tribe.

Shao Xun wanted to take care of him but was greatly disappointed to find that the guy only knew a little over a hundred characters.

Qin San's upbringing is problematic!

However, I heard that Qin Yin is now forcing himself to learn, writing commonly used characters on screens, pasting them on walls, and carving them on his couch...

For a man of his stature, learning was painful, but reason told him he had to learn, otherwise he would end up like his father, never getting promoted in his entire life.

Jing Hao is a martial arts student from Hedong. His ancestors were among the people who migrated to Shu after the fall of Shu Han.

Ma Gong was born into the Ma clan of Fufeng and was a valiant general in the Chang'an military. His daughter, also surnamed Ma, married Jin Zhu, the third son of Jin Zheng.

Shao Xun glanced around and found that almost everyone was there except for Yu Liang, who was far away in Hezhou supervising the transport of grain. He then asked everyone to take their seats in turn.

"I have mostly gotten to know you through your reports in the past. It is wonderful to sit face to face with you today." Shao Xun made a joke first, and then said, "It is said that seeing is believing. This applies to people and things. What I have seen along the way has made me quite gratified."

"Take Fengyi for example. During the Han Dynasty, there was a Qiang rebellion, which continued into the Wei and Jin Dynasties. At the beginning of the dynasty, there were even regional warlords like the Four Corners King, who dared not speak out against them for fear of causing further chaos," Shao Xun said. "However, after more than ten years of governance, those who disobeyed the imperial orders were either killed, dispersed, or relocated. After several years of registering households and establishing a unified populace, the region was remarkably well-governed. Now, schools are everywhere, the sound of reading fills the air, and the people have changed their customs, becoming no different from those in the Central Plains. Daoming, you have done a good job in this matter. Especially the matter of getting the Qiang people to change their surnames and names, you did a very good job."

"This is all thanks to Your Majesty's might," Zhuge Hui replied modestly.

Kim Jong and Zhuge Hui, the two leaders of the military and political affairs in the Guanzhong Plain, had different governing styles.

Jin Zheng was more focused on killing and conquest. During his tenure, he quelled the Qiang rebellion in Fengyi, subdued the northern regions and newly pacified the Xiongnu, and massacred the Lushui Hu in Anding. As for other small and medium-sized suppressions besides these "three major campaigns," to be honest, not all of them could necessarily be reported to the court.

In times of peace, a rebellion involving a few hundred people might be a major event that must be reported to the imperial court immediately.

But these people have all come from chaotic times, and their nerves are numb. A rebellion of less than a thousand people is nothing to them, and even a rebellion of several thousand or tens of thousands of people is not a big deal.

Kim Jong-il's indiscriminate killing and massacres, while certainly undesirable, laid the foundation for Zhuge Hui's governance.

Zhuge Daoming was rather "ruthless." He changed people's surnames to Han surnames, used Han names, celebrated Han festivals, and spoke Han language, constantly changing customs and traditions. He also ordered each tribe to send its direct descendants to Chang'an for intensive study.

Zhuge Hui was highly cultured and often took these students out for games, composing poems, commenting on their works, and promoting them, displaying the demeanor of a scholar.

Once someone is discovered to have a talent for studying, they are immediately recommended to enter the Imperial Academy in Bianliang.

Even those without a talent for studying got along well with them. After they had learned enough, trusted officials were sent to escort them back to their tribes. These people were often used as intermediaries in matters large and small, which continuously enhanced their status within the tribe and their families.

These are the methods he uses that Kim Jong would not, or rather, would not be willing to, use. In particular, he has never done things like commenting on the sons of chieftains and helping them gain fame in Kansai, because this is something that often happens in scholarly discussions.

You know what, Zhuge Hui's tactics were quite effective. Compared to before, the Guanzhong region is much more stable.

If Shao Xun were to grade him, Jin Zheng would only pass, but Zhuge Hui could be considered excellent because he used both soft and hard tactics, and it wasn't all about fighting and killing.

"I have come to Chang'an not only to deal with the Western Regions, but also to see the sights and sounds of Guanzhong." After a pause, Shao Xun continued, "While you are transporting supplies, you must not slack off. You should govern the country, comfort the people, and train the troops. Do not let my presence here throw you off balance. I am just taking a walk around and looking around. If there is anything I need to discuss, I will summon you for a talk."

Everyone agreed in unison, while some secretly thought: This kind of "wandering around" is the scariest thing; who knows what they might see?

If we ask ourselves honestly, who among us can guarantee that there won't be a single mistake?

"Ji Jian." Shao Xun's gaze shifted to Yu Bing, and he smiled, "As the Prefect, you need not avoid suspicion. Daoming has many matters to attend to, so you should help share some of the burden. The three matters of schools, commerce, and criminal justice are of great importance to me, so please take good care of them."

"Yes, sir," Yu Bing and Zhuge Hui replied in unison.

Zhuge Hui held both military and political positions. Shao Xun had asked Yu Bing, the Prefectural Governor, to transfer some of his duties, and Zhuge Hui naturally had to express his agreement. At the same time, he was secretly worried – had he already lost the Emperor's favor? But upon closer reflection, that seemed unlikely; it was probably just the Emperor subconsciously trying to check and balance him.

However, he then thought of Xiahou Zheng, who had been appointed governor last October...

Intelligent people sometimes tend to overthink, especially someone like him who has surrendered; he is more prone to worrying about gains and losses. Shao Xun then inquired about the affairs of the hereditary soldiers in Chang'an and promoted Ma Gong to Tiger Might General, in charge of all military training.

******
On the 24th, Shao Xun came to Zhuge's residence again.

Sisters Zhuge Wenbiao and Wenbao returned home for the first time in several years, and their eyes were filled with tears upon seeing their mother.

Madam Kong glanced in the direction of the study, then took her two daughters' hands and led them to the inner courtyard.

As a mother, her biggest concern is naturally how her daughter is doing in the palace.

Zhuge Wenbiao answered somewhat embarrassedly, only saying that it was alright.

Kong was relieved, thinking to herself that Shao Taibai was indeed quite capable, and that Wen Biao was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and she could tell at a glance whether he cared about her or not.

After putting down his eldest daughter, he looked at his second daughter and said, "Wenbao, were you conferred the title of Cairen in February?"

"Yes, the title was conferred before the tour," Zhuge Wenbao said frankly.

Mr. Kong breathed a sigh of relief.

It would be pitiful if she remained a female official, without even a formal title.

"Then is there...?" Kong Shi didn't want to ask, but there were only the mother and her two daughters here, so there was nothing to hide.

Zhuge Wenbao blushed and said in a whisper, "Not yet."

Confucius sighed, realizing he had only received the title in vain.

After thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but say, "Wenbiao—"

Zhuge Wenbiao's expression wasn't very good. There were some things she couldn't do, and disdained to do.

Helping her sister seduce men? The two sisters working together to secure the emperor's favor? That's something only a wicked woman who brings ruin to a country would do; she truly doesn't want that.

Besides, even the emperor didn't coax her, so why would he do this?
"Mother!" Zhuge Wenbao couldn't bear it any longer and said, "It's enough to see my elder sister. Didn't I enter the palace to be with her? Besides, I also like Xiao Tu very much. When he grows up, he will definitely be filial to his aunt."

Zhuge Wenbiao stared at his sister blankly, somewhat moved.

Thinking back to that time during the northern tour to Youzhou, that shameless woman Shi was in the next tent...

She sighed softly, "That bastard of a man still won't come to coax me!"
Seeing that her two daughters clearly didn't want to talk about palace affairs, Lady Kong changed the subject, saying, "The Emperor has placed Yu Bing, Ma Gong, and Xiahou Zheng under the control of your father, but I don't know why. Has something happened in the court?"

Zhuge Wenbiao remained silent, because she was unaware of these things and didn't usually care about them.

Zhuge Wenbao said, "Father may be going to court or being transferred elsewhere."

Kong Shi and Zhuge Wenbiao both looked at Zhuge Wenbao.

Zhuge Wenbao continued, "This is my guess. Being a female official has this advantage: you can read memorials. In early February, Beigong Chun submitted a memorial, saying that she had been seriously ill for many days and was unable to perform her duties, so she requested to resign and return to her hometown. His Majesty did not issue the memorial, but there were two marks in red and black ink on it, which clearly showed that he was hesitant. Hence this guess."

After saying that, she sighed again and said, "I won't see it anymore. Actually, being a lady-in-waiting is more fun than being a concubine. Mother, you have no idea how sycophantic some court officials are in their memorials. Even Father—"

Kong glared at her and said, "Shut up! How old are you? All you do is play."

Zhuge Wenbao seemed to have been used to being disciplined since childhood and was somewhat indifferent. However, she quickly thought of something and suddenly laughed, "Mother, I am now a concubine, you should bow to me."

Kong grabbed her daughter's ear, and Zhuge Wenbao immediately begged for mercy.

Zhuge Wenbiao chuckled softly to himself.

The warm feeling she craved most was the carefree laughter and playfulness of family members, and the mutual care and support they offered each other.

It really doesn't matter where you live; Langya, Jianye, Chang'an are all fine. The important thing is the people.

In the evening, Shao Xun left Zhuge Mansion and returned to Luziyuan.

The Zhuge Wenbiao sisters stayed at his home for a while and did not leave with him.

At the end of March, Shao Xu, the third son, arrived in Chang'an from Lingzhou. Accompanying him were more than ten foreign merchants and seven or eight hundred camels, all fully loaded with goods, which attracted the attention of the people of Chang'an.

Such a large caravan of merchants from the Western Regions is truly rare.

(End of this chapter)