Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 844 First Experience in the Western Regions

The smoke from the battle beneath Shanshan City had not yet completely dissipated, but the fighting was already over.

Under the leadership of Zhuo Heng and others, a series of tedious but necessary post-war tasks, such as clearing out the remaining enemy forces, cleaning up the battlefield, taking stock of the spoils, and comforting the people, were carried out in an orderly manner.

Xia Lin stood before the wolf-head banner that once belonged to Ashina Helu. This flag, a symbol of his authority, was now carelessly tossed on the ground, stained with mud and blood. He kicked the menacing wolf-head embroidery and curled his lip. "The embroidery is alright, but the aesthetics are too primitive. It's just an ordinary tribal totem, lacking any cultural depth. Don't you think it would be better if he replaced the wolf head with the sister of Wolf-Head Da Nai?"

General She Wen, standing beside him, tried his best to keep a straight face and dared not respond. After all, this commander's thinking was always so unpredictable and whimsical.

"Have the casualty statistics been released yet?" Xia Lin asked, turning to Wang Zhuoheng, who was walking over in a hurry.

"According to preliminary statistics, our army suffered 147 dead, all of whom were soldiers of the Northwest Army, and more than 300 wounded, mostly with minor injuries. We annihilated approximately 18,000 enemy soldiers, captured more than 6,000, and the rest scattered." Zhuo Heng reported meticulously, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow. Even after a great victory, the loss of his comrades was still a heavy blow.

Xia Lin was silent for a moment, his playful expression fading as he looked at the prisoners being held in a concentrated guard in the distance and the busy procession of those being buried further away.

"Write down the names of all the fallen brothers, give them a proper burial, and erect a monument. Pay them the highest possible compensation; Fuliang will take full responsibility. Make a promise that any disabled soldiers will be supported by the new army for life." He paused, his voice low. "As for prisoners... screen them. Officers and die-hards will be held separately. Ordinary soldiers who are willing to be reorganized will be dispersed and assigned to auxiliary troops or engineering battalions. Those who are unwilling will be forced into labor for a period of time, building roads and fortifications, and will be released as appropriate once the situation stabilizes."

He knew all too well that in the Western Regions, excessive killing would only sow the seeds of deeper hatred. A combination of kindness and severity, a strategy of divide and conquer, was the way to achieve lasting peace and stability.

Of course, this is contingent on having absolute military deterrence and a long-term development plan.

"Where is He Lu's body?" Xia Lin asked again.

"It has been recovered, and its head... according to custom, is that right?" Zhuo Heng made a gesture to display it to the public.

"Forget it." Xia Lin waved his hand. "He's dead. Cutting off his head and hanging it on the city wall won't do him any good. Find a place to bury him without leaving a mark. He didn't bring peace to the Western Regions when he was alive, so let him go without taking up space after he's dead. Let him return quietly to the land he coveted, to dust and ashes."

Having dealt with these matters, Xia Lin finally had time to carefully examine the city that had just been ravaged by war. Shanshan City, as the eastern gateway to the Western Regions, held an extremely important strategic position. The city walls were tall and thick, and despite the ravages of war, the main structure remained intact.

"The city walls can be kept, but the design of the surrounding defense system needs to be modified according to the new combat standards to make it more effective against artillery attacks. The locations of the water sources, granaries, and armories within the city also need to be adjusted and optimized..." Xia Lin said to Zhuo Heng and several generals as he inspected the city. His professional habit kicked in again, and he began to find fault with the city's planning and fortifications: "And the sanitation is terrible. Now that the battle is over, we need to quickly organize manpower to clean it up to prevent the spread of plague. Tell the quartermaster to spread as much quicklime as possible. Don't be stingy. Saving money now will cost more for medical treatment later, and there's no guarantee that the patients will survive."

His words were pragmatic and somewhat humorous, which reassured the generals who were feeling somewhat depressed after the great battle.

When Xia Lin arrived at the city's market area, he saw some bold merchants who had already started to set up their stalls again, but their eyes still held fear and hesitation.

He stopped at a pottery stall, picked up a pottery jar decorated with patterns characteristic of the Western Regions, and said to the trembling stall owner in as gentle a tone as possible, "This jar is nice, it shouldn't leak when filled with water, right? How much is it? I'll buy it."

He took out several large coins and placed them on the stall, then instructed the accompanying clerk: "Pass down the order that, effective immediately, Shanshan City will be exempt from commercial taxes for three months to encourage businesses to open and conduct fair trade. Any form of forced buying and selling or market manipulation is strictly prohibited. We are a royal army, not bandits; order and reputation are more important than gold."

The news spread quickly, and the commotion in the market gradually subsided, replaced by a cautious anticipation. In the eyes of these ordinary people, this newcomer, Lord Xia, who spoke somewhat strangely but seemed reasonable, might indeed bring about some changes.

Time flies, and the setting sun bathed Shanshan City in a golden-red hue.

Xia Lin ascended the city wall, gazing at the vast Western Regions. He Lu, the biggest thorn in their side, had been removed, but Liu Min's 50,000 elite troops from the Northern Han still lurked in the northeast, and the shadow of the Tang dynasty never truly faded. The journey to the Western Regions had only just begun.

"Pass down the word: there will be an extra meal tonight, with plenty of mutton. Let the brothers get a good rest, but the sentry patrols cannot be relaxed." Xia Lin said to the messenger behind him, "Tell the battalion commanders that there is still a battle to be fought. Don't let your guard down just because you've won one battle. That old dog Liu Min is probably thinking about how to bite us."

He rubbed his throbbing temples; the continuous mental strain and post-war affairs had left him exhausted. But his eyes remained sharp, like a hawk circling above the Tianshan Mountains, preparing for its next descent.

The long night in the Western Regions has only just begun. And Xia Lin's story in the Western Regions has turned a new page. This first page was written in blood and fire, but he hopes to write the future with prosperity and order. Of course, the prerequisite is to first persuade all those who are dissatisfied and want to cause trouble.

About twenty days after the war, everything gradually returned to calm, order was restored in Shanshan City, and Xia Lin's unique style of governance began to emerge.

He not only reduced or exempted taxes, but also quickly organized a "city appearance improvement team" composed of military craftsmen and local artisans, whose primary task was to improve the city's sanitation.

"Look at this street, garbage everywhere, sewage flowing freely. If this were Fuliang, the urban management team would have already washed it eight times with water trucks." Xia Lin pointed to a smelly alleyway and said to the captain in charge, "Dig drainage ditches, build public toilets, and set up designated garbage dumps for daily cleaning. Tell the locals that anyone whose doorstep is not clean enough will be fined! The money from the fines will be used to pay the cleaning staff."

He also made a special trip to inspect the newly established Shanshan Military-Civilian Service Station, which is staffed by some of the Hu women and military families who were willing to stay. They are responsible for laundry, sewing, making military rations, and providing some simple daily necessities. Xia Lin picked up a freshly baked naan bread mixed with local spices and raisins, took a bite, and nodded: "Hmm, this is a good innovation. It's a kind of Western Region-style compressed ration, much better than just eating hard marching biscuits. It can be promoted; caravans can take this with them in the future. However, I think we could add more sugar."

Facing the tribal chiefs who came to report on their work, Xia Lin's style was even more direct: "I know you're still wondering how long I, an official from the Wei Dynasty, will stay, and whether I'll just make a quick buck and leave." He scanned the various expressions on the faces below: "Let me make this clear: I, Xia Daosheng, have no intention of leaving easily. I've set my sights on the Western Regions and will turn it into a Jiangnan-like region beyond the Great Wall. You don't have to cooperate with me, but you'll be envious when you see others prospering."

"From now on, there will be no distinction between Wei people, Turks, and Khotan people here, only my people. Those who want to follow me to get rich and live a good life are welcome. Those who still want to harbor those petty thoughts of tribal struggle and stir up trouble..." He grinned insincerely, "He Lu's grave is overgrown with weeds... oh, he doesn't have a grave, anyway, you all saw what happened. I am a person who advocates multiculturalism, but I also believe in the unity of core values. Anyone who challenges my bottom line, I will physically send them to the core values."

In order to integrate and transform more quickly, Xia Lin then came up with the idea of ​​talent introduction. He asked Sun Jiuzhen to send people to search for scholars, craftsmen, doctors, and even some disgruntled minor officials from all over the Western Regions.

"Especially those who understand water conservancy, know farming, and can control desertification, we should hire them all at high salaries," Xia Lin explained to Zhuo Heng. "We're good at fighting, but for construction, we need professional talent. Look at this place, it has plenty of sunshine and a large temperature difference. If we can implement water-saving irrigation, we can grow grapes, cantaloupes, and long-staple cotton—that's all money! Then, our Western Region specialties can be sold directly to Jiangnan, making money off those nouveau riche. Wouldn't that be more satisfying than robbing them?"

Zhuo Heng couldn't help but remind him: "General, Liu Min of Northern Han is still eyeing us covetously. Is it appropriate to start such a large-scale construction project at this time...?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Xia Lin said nonchalantly. "If Liu Min had any guts, he would have attacked long ago. He's holding back now because he's wary of our firepower and he's waiting for an opportunity to seek outside help. The more calmly we proceed with our construction, the more uncertain he'll feel. This is called strategic composure, or psychological warfare. Letting him watch us build up his potential territory is more painful than directly beating him up."

In addition to these basic work arrangements, the most important order after the war was put forward at the first meeting of the multi-tribes.

"Now I propose that the Northwest Army be reorganized into the Western Regions Construction Corps, whose functions will encompass all aspects, including land reclamation and border defense, stability maintenance and comprehensive governance, economic development, social management, and ecological construction. Its core will be to assume the responsibility of maintaining stability and defending the border through the integration of government, military, and business, dispatching personnel to participate in handling border emergencies, and ensuring border security. It will also reclaim wasteland and construct water conservancy projects in harsh natural environments such as deserts and Gobi, forming multi-faceted oasis ecological economic zones and building a comprehensive defense line." Xia Lin put down his draft and looked up, saying, "I propose General Wang Boheng as the first corps commander. Who supports this? Who opposes it?"

The large group of people below, whether tribal chiefs or officers of various camps, remained silent. Xia Lin's tone when speaking to them left no room for negotiation; this was not a suggestion but a tacit order.

“Alright, in that case. Boheng, as the first legion commander, please come up and say a few words to everyone.” Xia Lin raised his hand: “Please welcome him.”

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Boheng strode forward with firm steps. He cleared his throat and said, "Thank you all for your support. Now, I will say a few words."

(End of this chapter)