I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 389 Super Energy-Saving Mode

Yuan Shu knew that Zhong Yao would inevitably have some concerns about this matter, and he didn't want Zhong Yao to take office with such feelings.

So he made his meaning very clear.

“Yuan Chang, I know exactly what you’re worried about, but I want to tell you that you don’t need to worry about these things. Whether someone is a member of Yixin or not is not the most important thing to me. If I really cared about the status of a Yixin member, then more than half of the Tianxiong Army would have to be laid off.”

If I insist on using members of the same core membership as the standard for selecting subordinates, then my selection pool will be very narrow, which will hinder the selection of more talented individuals. I must allow for the existence of people with different opinions; it would be abnormal if everyone held the same view.

Yuan Shu's private words of comfort eased Zhong Yao somewhat, but the more important problem remained unresolved.

Yuan Shu treated him with sincerity, and Zhong Yao was also familiar with Yuan Shu's character and conduct, so when they saw that no one was around, he confided his innermost thoughts to Yuan Shu.

"I am delighted that the general is willing to appoint me, but I am also worried. This position is, after all, a position involving military power. Such a significant responsibility is something that many Yixin members could also undertake. Why should I be chosen to take on this responsibility? I am worried that some people will feel dissatisfied."

After hearing this, Yuan Shu shook his head and smiled.

“It’s bound to happen that some people will feel dissatisfied. You said it yourself, this is a position involving military power, and the responsibilities are huge. But Yuan Chang, in my opinion, the significance of you taking on this position is also very important.”

My reason for establishing the Zhixing Academy is, of course, to cultivate talents that I can trust. I am willing to appoint my own people to positions that I can control and to give them power, so that it will be easier for me to handle matters later.

However, I do not want the world to get the impression that I only use Yixin members. Yes, I must admit that if there are good things, I would definitely prefer to keep them for my own people, but that does not mean that I will reject all people who have different opinions.

The world is vast enough to accommodate many different voices. While I am running the Yixin Society, I also hope that talented people with different opinions in the world know that I will not refuse their service just because of differing views.

The ancients famously spent a fortune to buy a horse's bones, because someone who could afford even a horse's bones would surely be willing to spend a fortune to buy a truly exceptional steed. Now, Yuan Chang, I must humble you and make you my horse's bones, so that you may attract talented individuals who are unwilling to study the philosophy of mind.

Yuan Shu patted Zhong Yao on the shoulder with a smile and said, "It's no big deal if you don't agree, as long as you don't object. Yuan Chang, you won't refuse me, will you?"

Zhong Yao took a deep breath and relaxed completely.

Yuan Shu's pat on the shoulder explained his logic, and Zhong Yao had no more worries.

So he bowed to Yuan Shu.

"Since the general has spoken so frankly, how could I refuse? Rather, it would be my honor to become the general's horse bone!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu burst into laughter.

Therefore, Zhong Yao readily accepted Yuan Shu's appointment and officially took up the position of Wu Meng Congshi in the General of Chariots and Cavalry's Office. He was stationed in Jinyang County, Taiyuan Commandery, and became the de facto military leader of Bingzhou, commanding and directing the entire army of Bingzhou.

General Huang Zhong, also known as Eagle General, was Zhong Yao's deputy.

After arranging these matters, Yuan Shu officially led most of his subordinates to Youzhou in late February of the second year of the Yande era.

This includes himself, his family, his subordinates and officials, and the main force of the Tianxiong Army, totaling 40,000 men.

As Yuan Shu's army crossed the Taihang Mountains and entered Youzhou via Jizhou, Youzhou officially entered a new era in which Yuan Shu dominated everything.

Yuan Shu's arrival in Youzhou as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, who held full military and political power, was like a tiger entering a desolate mountain for the currently ravaged Youzhou. The rabbits, horses, cattle, sheep, jackals, bears, and leopards that originally lived in the mountains would feel a strong sense of insecurity about him.

The reason is simple: Yuan Shu is too strong, much stronger than when he led 30,000 men to Bingzhou.

Yes, he only brought 10,000 more troops than before, but everything else was an epic upgrade.

In particular, the factual achievement of eliminating 400,000 Xianbei people greatly enhanced his prestige, elevating him to the top of the first tier of the Han Empire. Even Yuan Feng, who actually held the main power, did not have the same deterrent power as Yuan Shu.

The most fundamental power comes from military strength and prestige, and Yuan Shu's military strength and prestige were already at their peak. Therefore, when he arrived in Youzhou, he was already at his peak and could easily take over all the power in Youzhou.

If anyone dares to question his power, then the first thing to do is to see how powerful and prestigious this person is, that he can stand up to the god of war who wiped out 400,000 Xianbei people.

Without a doubt, there is no such person in Youzhou.

Otherwise, Yuan Shu wouldn't have been able to so easily appoint his own people as governors of the five prefectures.

Then they easily seized control of the local power.

It went very smoothly, without any major setbacks.

As arranged by Yuan Shu, Lu Zhi, Lian Da, Shao Yuan, Zang Min, and Xia Yu, along with the administrative and military teams that Yuan Shu had prepared for them, had already set off to take up their posts in their respective prefectures on Yuan Shu's way to Zhuo County and Zhuo Prefecture.

After arriving in their respective counties and taking office, their first task was to carry out a major purge of the original county governments.

According to Yuan Shu's request, Youzhou consisted of eleven administrative regions, including ten prefectures and one vassal state. Only Zhuojun was not a border prefecture; the other ten were all border prefectures.

Zhuojun, the only one that was not a border prefecture, was Yuan Shu's own residence.

In theory, all administrative officials and clerks in these ten administrative districts could be assigned as outsiders instead of locals.

If Yuan Shu wanted to, he could completely break the unspoken political rules of the Eastern Han Dynasty, not share political power with the locals, and control everything entirely by himself.

As long as he wants.

However, considering the mental health of these people, Yuan Shu did not go too far. He allowed each county to retain one-tenth of the positions for local people, but the main real power had to be in the hands of Yuan Shu's own people.

Therefore, after Lu Zhi and others arrived at the prefectural government and took office, they immediately made a series of moves, dismissing most of the original staff and replacing them with their own people. They then announced the formation of the prefectural army and appointed military officers under their command, thus directly seizing political and military power.

Faced with their completely unreasonable and forceful actions, the local forces had neither the ability nor the courage to resist. Although Yuan Shu's unreasonableness exceeded their expectations, the thought of the enormous gains of 400,000 people made no one dare to make a move.

The more remote the area, the more the law of the jungle prevails. The inhabitants not only have great power but also overwhelming military force, enough to crush the locals. Naturally, the locals are "wise enough" to recognize their strength and dare not resist.

Otherwise, if you lose your life, you will lose everything you have now in an instant.

Yuan Shu's decisive and ruthless approach to dealing with landlords and powerful clans in Bingzhou was nothing new.

It is not news that the Wang clan, a prominent aristocratic family in Taiyuan Prefecture, was completely eradicated.

Faced with Yuan Shu's "unreasonableness," they dared not say a word, obediently packed their bags and left the prefectural government and the core of power, waiting for Yuan Shu's next move.

Moreover, it wasn't just the aristocratic families and powerful landlords who were very well-behaved and didn't cause trouble; even the Wuhuan people, who were widely distributed in various counties of Youzhou, were exceptionally well-behaved.

Perhaps it was because Yuan Shu's reputation for annihilating 400,000 Xianbei and tearing Tan Shihuai apart by chariots was too great that the Wuhuan people, who were more in line with the law of the jungle, practically wagged their tails at Yuan Shu like dogs.

Out of fear, the Wuhuan leaders of Dai and Shanggu counties, who had previously followed the Xianbei in causing trouble, personally led people and brought gifts to visit Yuan Shu after he arrived in Zhuo County.

They wanted to explain their previous alliance with the Xianbei people in rebellion and to inform Yuan Shu that the court had pardoned them, hoping that Yuan Shu would know this and not make things too difficult for them.

Whether they want money, people, or anything else, as long as they can provide it, it's all negotiable.

But don't resort to violence.

They were truly terrified by Yuan Shu's terrifying record of annihilating 400,000 Xianbei people. Upon hearing that Yuan Shu was coming to Youzhou to take charge, they all turned pale and their legs went weak, fearing that they would be held accountable by Yuan Shu.

Little did they know that Yuan Shu's first target upon arriving in Youzhou was the Wuhuan people of Dai and Shanggu counties.

This is not about accountability. It's about complete annihilation.

Don't you guys talk about the law of the jungle?

Okay, then I'll tell you about the law of the jungle.

Yuan Shu was delighted by the two Wuhuan leaders' act of delivering takeout to his door. He warmly welcomed the two Wuhuan leaders and their subordinates and accepted all the gifts they brought.

Gold, silver, pearls, silk, and even Shu brocade.

It seems they brought out all the loot and spoils they had accumulated over the years, displaying a skillful ability to pass on their ill-gotten gains.

Then I heard them recount the previous "misunderstanding" and the agreement they reached with Duan Jiong afterwards.

Yuan Shu smiled and nodded repeatedly. After they finished speaking, he said only one sentence.

"I am glad that you have come here to apologize, but I am very unhappy with what you did before. It is General Duan Jiong who has forgiven you, not me. I will explain this matter to General Duan Jiong later, so you can go in peace!"

After saying this, Yuan Shu waved his hand and ordered the two Wuhuan leaders and their followers to be arrested and beheaded as a warning to others.

The two men were completely bewildered and didn't react at first. It wasn't until the strong soldiers stepped forward and captured them that they screamed and begged for mercy in terror.

But it's no use.

After killing them, Yuan Shu ordered General Lü Bu to lead 5,000 cavalry to Dai Commandery to annihilate the Wuhuan people there, and also ordered General Xu Huang to lead 5,000 cavalry to Shanggu Commandery to annihilate the Wuhuan people there.

His demand was to completely annihilate them, kill all those who dared to resist, and then take them under his control, handling the Wuhuan prisoners of war in the same way as the Xianbei prisoners of war he had dealt with before.

Next, Youzhou needs to build large-scale villages, roads, and cities, which requires a large labor force. Since Youzhou lacks local manpower, these Wuhuan people can fill the gap.

At Yuan Shu's command, his subordinates immediately began to act. They were used to obeying Yuan Shu's orders and carrying them out to the end, without any other thoughts.

Within a month, Lü Bu and Xu Huang's armies, with the cooperation of the local government, completely wiped out the Wuhuan people in Dai and Shanggu counties, killing more than 20,000 and capturing more than 200,000 people, as well as a large number of livestock and supplies.

These items naturally all went into the General of Chariots and Cavalry's treasury, becoming funds for Yuan Shu's reform of Youzhou.

As for the matter itself, it naturally caused quite a stir in Youzhou.

Yuan Shu handled this matter too quickly, efficiently, and decisively. He immediately gave everyone a show of force upon arrival, demonstrating to the entire Youzhou that his power was unquestionable through the life and death of more than 200,000 people.

The people of Youzhou held Yuan Shu in even higher esteem. From then on, Yuan Shu's policies were implemented smoothly, and no one dared to question them. Even the five prefects who were not reassigned were intimidated by Yuan Shu's actions and obediently followed his orders without daring to object in the slightest.

Yuan Shu was able to successfully implement the same strategy in Youzhou as he had in Bingzhou. The operation was essentially the same as in Bingzhou; Youzhou operated exactly the same way as Bingzhou.

This includes the matter of auditing the accounts.

In Bingzhou, Yuan Shu audited the accounts twice before finally tracing the audit back to the eighth year of the Yanxi era of Emperor Huan of Han.

In Youzhou, Yuan Shu directly ordered a one-time investigation, rewinding the audit period to the eighth year of the Yanxi era. He stipulated that matters before the eighth year of the Yanxi era would be forgiven, while those after the eighth year would be subject to strict investigation. Every prefecture and county was required to produce their account books, so that no one could cause any trouble.

Anyone who dares to falsify the accounts will face severe consequences once discovered.

Yuan Shu made it clear that he had killed many people in Bingzhou because of this matter. He had killed many landlords and powerful families, and also uprooted many noble families. Over the years, countless "nobles" had died at his hands. He hoped that people would learn a lesson and stop doing things that would lead to their deaths.

It is gratifying that, because of Yuan Shu's notorious reputation, far fewer people in Youzhou were looking for death than in Bingzhou. Officials and powerful families were much more well-behaved than those in Bingzhou.

In particular, Zhuojun, the richest prefecture in Youzhou, with a registered population of 700,000, handed over a total of 199,673 hidden people in the nearly five months from March to July of the second year of Yande.

The number of hidden people handed over by one prefecture was close to the total number of hidden people investigated in the first crackdown in Bingzhou. This shows that the situation of hidden people and land annexation in Youzhou was much more serious than that in Bingzhou. Moreover, the development conditions in Youzhou were slightly better than those in Bingzhou.

Zhuojun handled the situation very well because Yuan Shu himself testified to it. After Zhuojun, Liaoxijun handled the problem the second best.

After Zang Min, the former governor of Taiyuan, was transferred to Liaoxi Commandery as governor, he received strong support from local forces. Led by the powerful local clan Gongsun, these forces greatly admired Yuan Shu, who was behind Zang Min, and took the lead in handing over their account books to fully cooperate in implementing Yuan Shu's auditing policy.

Finally, the Gongsun family of Liaoxi alone handed over 29,100 people who had been hiding, as well as 683 hectares of land that had been annexed and reclaimed since the eighth year of the Yanxi era.

Yes, fearing that they wouldn't win Yuan Shu's favor by handing over enough land, the Gongsun family even allocated a portion of the high-quality land they had cultivated with their own people to the Liaoxi government as a sign of their obedience to Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu had nothing to criticize about such a family that had slid down to their knees; in fact, it was a prime example worthy of being highlighted. So Yuan Shu summoned the head of the Gongsun family of Liaoxi and asked him to bring his family members to Zhuojun for a public audience and praise.

Afterwards, Yuan Shu decided to recruit three members of the Gongsun family into his personal guard cavalry for training, as a way of showing his respect for the Gongsun family.

Among them was a handsome and tall member of the Gongsun clan named Gongsun Zan.

With this family's outstanding example set before them, the other powerful local clans in Youzhou also had their own ideas.

They were originally local tyrants in the border region, and by all accounts, they could only rule as local kings and emperors behind closed doors for the rest of their lives, with no other possibilities.

To reach the central level and climb to a higher rank is as difficult as plucking the moon from the sky.

But now, an opportunity is right in front of them.

The future ruler of the Great Han Empire, Yuan Shu, needs their cooperation. They only need to give up some interests, even those that are very important to a family, in exchange for Yuan Shu's favor and appointment.

Why can't that be considered a meteoric rise to success?

If the people of Bingzhou were somewhat confused about the situation before, then the people of Youzhou were even more so.

Yuan Shu is even more powerful than before, and his position as the family heir is now fixed and unchangeable. In the future, he will be the supreme ruler, and it is not impossible for him to even become king, dominate the country, or change the dynasty.

Now, the opportunity to befriend him and follow him is right in front of us. Instead of seizing it, we should offend him for the sake of some land and people. Isn't that just asking for trouble?
Isn't this just handing over the opportunity to rise to prominence to someone else for no reason?

In any case, the Gongsun clan of Liaoxi would never give up on this point.

Following the example of the Gongsun clan in western Liaoning, their kinsmen, the Gongsun clan in eastern Liaoning, quickly followed suit, offering Yuan Shu a large amount of land and people to express their absolute support and obedience to him.

From this perspective, because the dust has settled, the situation faced by the people of Youzhou is much clearer than that faced by the people of Bingzhou. The people of Youzhou can be certain of everything that the people of Bingzhou could not.

As a result, Yuan Shu's plans to promote the construction of good villages, city walls, roads, and water conservancy projects in Youzhou went very smoothly, even unexpectedly smoothly.

The only minor setbacks occurred in places like Yuyang County, Youbeiping County, and Lelang County, which was due to the locals' insufficient understanding of the situation.

Yuan Shu initially planned to make a name for himself in Youzhou, but the people of Youzhou were far more pragmatic than he had imagined. Their active cooperation greatly expanded Yuan Shu's power, which pleased him greatly.

What was thought would take more than a year to complete was finished in Youzhou in just eight months. The next step is to focus on construction and bring Youzhou into a super energy-saving mode similar to Bingzhou.

Of course, besides this matter, there were also issues concerning the Wuhuan people in the other prefectures.

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P.S.: The project for this book went terribly wrong, its foundation was unstable, and it was on the verge of collapse, so I'm preparing to end it in disgrace. I'm truly ashamed to face my family and friends back home...

(End of this chapter)