Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 525 Political Harmony and Social Stability

"Where the general is buried, spring grass sprouts year after year; whose house is pounding clothes, night after night, the sound of shattered gold axes..."

"Moo-"

After the summer solstice, the hot winds on the northwestern grasslands whip up fine sand and grit, forcing everyone to squint as they walk.

The sweltering heat made even the old oxen pulling the carts bellow, and the grass along the roadside seemed to lose its flavor. The river in the distance not only failed to dispel the heat but also made them feel irritable.

On five oxcarts, twelve young men dressed in battle coats rode together with more than ten veterans in their thirties.

The young men, sweltering in the heat, bowed their heads and covered themselves with coarse cloth, while the older soldiers sang and joked, taking on the task of driving the chariots.

The northern grasslands stretch for dozens of miles before being cut off by gray mountains. Beyond these low mountain ranges, the snow line of the Tianshan Mountains can be seen in the distance.

It seems close, but it is actually very far away; even on horseback, it would take several days to reach the foot of the snow-capped mountain.

"You can see Shule City now, everyone raise your heads!"

The old soldier's voice rang out, and a conspicuous "Han" character flag was stuck on the shaft of the lead oxcart, fluttering in the hot wind blowing from the grassland.

The young people slowly raised their heads, and twelve pairs of eyes quickly spotted the gray-yellow city.

The Chihe River, formed by snowmelt, turns three miles south of the city and flows eastward.

Along the banks of the Chihe River, there are many poplar forests and miscellaneous trees, and occasionally you can see a few white-tailed ground jays fluttering and soaring.

At other times, the young people would definitely draw their bows and shoot birds.

But in such hot weather, all you want to do is find a shady place to rest.

As I was thinking this, I saw canals and bridges appearing ahead, and between the canals were fields of wheat.

It is wheat harvest season, and the vast wheat fields are filled with countless people harvesting wheat.

Even before getting close, one could feel the congestion on the official road in the distance, with a cacophony of voices, most of whom were wearing short clothes and turbans.

"The people here are all surrendered soldiers from the Central Plains and their relatives. Don't mention them deliberately, or it will cause trouble."

As the old driver of the lead oxcart made his introduction, he didn't forget to turn back and remind the young people behind him.

Faced with the veteran's reminder, the boys, already nearly dehydrated from the sun, weakly replied, "We know..."

"Hehe!" The old soldier couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the group of young men, and then continued to lead the chariot.

As they drew closer, the people on the official road who were harvesting and arranging wheat also turned their gazes toward them.

Most of them looked like Han Chinese from the Central Plains and spoke Mandarin with accents from Hedong, Guanzhong and other places.

However, along the way, they also saw many foreigners with different appearances, and they all avoided the caravan led by the old soldier.

The three-mile-long official road was very congested, but the people were very perceptive and drove their oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages away.

Under the watchful eyes of the people, the five oxcarts finally arrived at the city gate of Shule.

In front of the rammed earth city gate, more than ten soldiers guarding the city checked the fish tally and military pass from the leading old soldier. Only after confirming that they were correct did they look at the more than ten young men.

"His Majesty is quite generous, actually sending all these scholars to Shule."

The foreman at the gate couldn't help but make a joke, while the old soldier laughed and said, "We were originally going to Kucha, but a lot of migrants came to Shule, so we thought of bringing them to Shule to guide them in building villages and karez wells."

"Alright, take them to the Yin Hotel at the county government office to rest."

The foreman nodded and returned the fish tally and military pass to the old soldier, then gestured for them to enter the city.

The old soldier nodded, and then drove the group through the city gate passageway.

As the oxcart passed through the passageway, the scene inside Shule City was like a ladle of boiling oil poured into the eyes of the boys.

The rammed earth street was more than three zhang wide, with walls about ten zhang high on both sides. Inside the walls, it was very lively, with sounds constantly coming out.

There were no shops in sight along the long street, but countless ordinary people, merchants, and soldiers patrolling the street came and went.

Although there were no shops in sight, the sounds of people talking made one feel the liveliness of Shule, prompting one to ask, "Isn't Shule supposed to be full of Uyghurs?"

"That was true before, but not anymore!" the old soldier laughed heartily.

"The current emperor has moved the Hu people to Xizhou and Hexi, and relocated the surrendered soldiers and their relatives from Guandong. Last autumn, several thousand more rebels were relocated here. Now, Shule is mostly inhabited by Han people."

"There are three thousand garrison households and more than two thousand settlement households in the city, and the farmland outside the city is basically theirs."

"The places you are going to visit are mostly south and west of the Red River."

"Shule Town set up two military settlements in the south and west, with at least tens of thousands of people reclaiming land in the south."

“They are different from you. You students from official schools are all good at doing things, but they are not.”

"Although these people from the Central Plains are learned, they do not know how to farm, nor do they know how to dig wells or canals."

“We are short-handed, otherwise we would not have transferred you from Kucha to Shule.”

As the old soldier drove and explained, the young people learned about the situation in the rural area they were going to.

While they were still pondering, several oxcarts had already arrived at the gate of Shule Town.

More than ten veterans dismounted and tied the oxcart to the dismounting stone, then went to the gate to negotiate with the officers and soldiers there.

Before long, the leading old soldier gestured for the young men to follow him into the gate, while the other old soldiers went to the main kitchen of the gate to eat.

The gate of Shule Town is not small, covering more than ten acres. As the old soldier walked, he introduced the differences between Shule Town and the counties in the Central Plains to everyone.

"Although the Hu people in the southern border region have been completely wiped out by the Dunhuang King's army, and there are also troops sent by the Protectorate General to Khotan and Zhongyun in the south, there are still quite a few small tribes in the southern border region that are nomadic."

"Although they are all people under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate, sometimes they will turn into bandits to rob traveling merchants."

"After you go to the countryside, although there are soldiers in the military settlement responsible for patrolling the official roads, the officers are worried about the patrols. People can carry bows and arrows, short weapons, and big sticks for self-defense."

"All matters within Shule Town are under the jurisdiction of Commandant Husi. Commandant Husi has three subordinate generals who control the troops, as well as military advisors in charge of administration, including the Registrar, the Granary Advisor, the Military Advisor, and the Armor Advisor, and the Military Supervisor dispatched by the Protectorate General and the Military Farming Commissioner in charge of managing the military farms of the Zhechong Prefecture."

“After you go to the countryside, you will mostly be greeting the agricultural commissioner.”

"This military agricultural commissioner only took office half a month ago. He is also from Didao in Linzhou, and one of you is from the same hometown. He might take good care of you."

As the old soldier spoke, the young men followed him to a courtyard marked with the words "Yingtian" (营田).

The two soldiers in front of the courtyard gate immediately became alert upon seeing them, while the old soldier walked up with the fish tally and military token.

After the inspection, one of the soldiers led them into the courtyard.

The courtyard occupies a considerable area, almost like a miniature county government office, with the front yard alone covering an area of ​​about one acre.

"Zhao Yue, the squad leader of the second company of the third brigade of the third regiment of the second battalion of Kucha Town, was ordered by Commander Zheng to escort the students of the government school to Shule. Please have the agricultural commissioner verify the documents."

The old soldier led them through the courtyard's stone archway, then to the main hall where they bowed in greeting, and the young people followed suit.

"Inside the main hall sat more than ten military officers on the left and right, while the chief officer in the main seat was a short-bearded man with a dignified appearance, wearing a light green official robe."

Upon seeing the visitors, the official seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and gestured for them to enter the hall.

More than ten people entered the hall, and then a military officer took the fish tally and military certificate from the old soldier, verified their authenticity, and returned them.

The officer's gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on a tall, dark-skinned young man in the group.

Although he was only fifteen or sixteen years old, the boy was five feet six or seven inches tall, which would be considered above average even among adults, let alone among this group of teenagers.

Although his skin was dark, he had a dignified appearance and a dashing demeanor, standing out like a crane among chickens, attracting much attention.

"This young man is quite handsome. May I ask his name?"

"Reporting to the Commissioner of Agricultural Development, I summon Cao Yuanren."

The young man spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, and the commanding officer immediately smiled upon hearing this, then looked at the military officer beside him.

The officer nodded slightly, then left with several other officers, returning shortly afterward with a large number of weapons.

“You will be sent to the countryside, but there are no villages in Shule, only military settlements and military farms.”

"The Tuntian Zhechong Prefecture was organized into prefectures, regiments, brigades, teams, and gangs to cultivate the fertile land of Shule."

"You shall all go to the Third Regiment of the Second Garrison Command in Shule and each of you shall assist a group of garrison households."

"These are protective weapons: a six-dou bow, a spear, a dagger and a broadsword, and a quiver of arrows."

"If you run out of arrows, come back here to get more."

The official did not ask them if they could draw the six-dou bow, because the children of the official schools in Longyou had to practice the six arts of a gentleman from elementary school.

Even the weakest university student can wield a six-dou (a unit of weight) foot bow and a four-dou (another unit of weight) horse bow.

"May I ask the Commissioner of Agricultural Development, is it possible to change the bow? The six-dou bow is too soft."

One of the students spoke up, and the commanding officer laughed heartily, "Good, good, good! You truly are a fine man from the Longyou Official School!"

"Tell the official beside you what kind of bow you want."

"After you have changed your bows, go and collect your bedding, coal, and rations. Tomorrow, an official will take you to the countryside."

"Thank you for your guidance, Commander Yingtian..."

The students bowed respectfully, and then the officer signaled that everyone could leave.

Several military officers led the veterans and students away, and the commanding officer lowered his head to continue handling government affairs.

Half an hour later, hurried footsteps were heard from outside. When the commander looked up, he saw a forty-year-old military officer in a scarlet robe striding towards him with great strides.

"Zheng Yingtian, has anyone arrived yet?!"

This man had a loud voice, but Zheng Yingtian, the envoy, was not angry when he heard this. He simply stood up and bowed to the court, saying, "This humble official greets Commandant Husi."

"Don't be so formal. I'm just asking if you've arrived yet."

The forty-something-year-old Commandant Husi hurriedly inquired, and Zheng Yingtian nodded with a smile upon hearing this: "Although there were twists and turns, they have finally arrived."

"Although his appearance is not as striking as that one's, one can still tell at a glance that he is different from the people around him."

"It's good that you've come! It's good that you've come!" Husi Jing breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected that he would have the opportunity to control that person's offspring.

When Zheng Yingtian saw him like this, he didn't find it strange at all, but thought it was perfectly normal.

After Zhang Huaishen changed his flag and banner, the imperial court sent officials to enter Hexi and the Western Regions.

Although he did not directly interfere in the positions of officials, he promoted many generals from the former Shandan soldiers to local leadership positions.

Husi Jing was a former soldier from Shandan who participated in the recapture of Liangzhou. However, he did not abandon his family and followed Liu Jilong eastward to Lanzhou.

After more than twenty years of hard work, he has finally become the Commandant of Shule Town. It is impossible for him not to regret it, but fortunately he is very satisfied with his current life and does not dwell on it too much.

"I will personally lead a team to protect this person's safety, so the Commandant need not worry."

Zheng Yingtian began to explain, and Hu Sijing nodded without saying anything, only instructing, "If there are any problems, please come to me."

“Yes…” Zheng Yingtian bowed and agreed, and then Husi Jing turned and left Yingtian’s gate.

Half an hour later, as the military officer who had led the young men to exchange their weapons returned, Zheng Yingtian took the document from them and his gaze lingered on the name behind Cao Yuanren.

"Eight-pronged bow and arrow..."

Zheng Yingtian smiled, but then shook his head as if remembering something.

If it were anyone else, a sixteen-year-old who could draw a bow with a volume of eight dou (a unit of dry measure) would surely win his praise, but this person was, after all, that person's child, and that person was someone who could draw a bow with a volume of nearly two dou (another unit of dry measure) at the age of seventeen.

Compared to this, the young man is inevitably somewhat lacking...

"Judging from his temperament, he's a patient and hardworking person. I just don't know how he'll perform after he goes to the countryside."

Zheng Yingtian closed the document and placed it on the table so he could access it at any time. Then he focused on handling government affairs.

At this moment, he felt that the weather in Shule was much cooler and less likely to make him feel anxious.

However, compared to his calm state of mind, those around him, who were in a much cooler place, were extremely anxious at this moment.

"Wow..."

In the same month of June, while the western regions are scorching hot, birds soar and cattle and sheep roam freely over the eastern grasslands of northern Mongolia.

In the distance, the waters of Lake Julun shimmered, while to the south of Lake Julun stood a rammed earth city with a circumference of three or four miles, surrounded by various canals and small farmlands.

The city gate of this rammed earth city has a stone plaque with the words "Dadu" engraved on it.

On the city walls of Dadu, dozens of banners were inscribed with the reign titles "Tang" and "Qianfu".

The city was mostly filled with earthen houses, and the streets were also made of rammed earth. The population was only a few thousand, and the number of soldiers on the city walls was not large either, at most three thousand.

Even so, the presence of three thousand armored soldiers was enough to dominate the vast grasslands west of Shiwei Mountain.

"The Southern Dynasty has increased the number of scouts on the border. Li Sigong of the Dangxiang wants to move north, but if they do, are we supposed to abandon the vast grasslands in the south?"

In the main hall of a courtyard on the central axis of the capital city, which was regarded as the "palace city", many officials dressed in scarlet and green robes were speaking.

Li Guochang and Li Keyong sat in the main seats, both dressed in bright yellow round-necked robes, resembling the attire of emperors.

Li Guochang remained silent, but Li Keyong, sitting next to him, said in a gloomy tone, "That dog-like fellow Li Sigong, does he think he can contend with me?"

More than five years have passed since Li Keyong was driven out of the Central Plains and wandered to the grasslands.

With the support of the Xi Jie tribe, Li Keyong joined forces with the Xi and Khitan people to launch three southward expeditions.

However, apart from the first southward expedition that rescued several thousand Tatars and Shatuo people, the other three expeditions all ended in failure.

Now, the Han Dynasty has launched a counterattack and easily recovered Yingzhou, which has instilled fear in both the Xi and Khitan people.

On Gai Yu's advice, Li Keyong chose to go north, build cities and cultivate land in the valleys of Shiwei Mountain, and at the same time, he built the present-day Dadu City on the south side of Julun Lake and cultivated more than 3,000 mu of farmland.

Unfortunately, the northern desert is bitterly cold, and the more than 3,000 mu of arable land can only grow oats and millet, with very meager yields.

Even so, it was enough, since these crops were not meant for ordinary people, but were exclusively for the Ya'er Army and nobles like Li Keyong.

Ordinary people could only eat dairy products, wild vegetables, and wild fruits, while also making a living by herding livestock for the nobles.

This is why the population of the capital city was so sparse, as most people were either herding livestock or farming in the narrow river valleys.

The northern desert is not uncultivable, but due to its flat terrain, the wind and snow in winter, combined with frost damage, make it impossible to cultivate many crops.

In addition, most of its soil is thin, and without fertilization, it is impossible to grow many crops, so there are not many suitable places for cultivation.

There is a lot of arable land in Julunbo, but the downside is that it is prone to drought and frost damage in winter. Therefore, Li Keyong and his men would only migrate here after the spring, and otherwise stay in the mountains south of Shiwei Mountain.

“We have 50,000 troops and can field tens of thousands of strong men to fight him. If he wanted to surrender to Liu Jilong, he wouldn’t have fled to Monan in the first place.”

"This move is nothing more than an attempt to seize grasslands."

As the current chief strategist of the Shatuo, Gai Yu stated his speculations and looked at Li Keyong, saying:
"The northern desert is only suitable for recuperation. If we want to expand our strength, we must go south and seize the grasslands and valleys from the Khitans."

"The Shiwei Mountain Valley north of the Liao River can cultivate many crops without worrying about wind and snow."

"Since Li Sigong is restless, why not join forces with him to send troops and absorb the Khitan tribes north of the Liao River..."

Gai Yu proposed a plan, after all, the Kyrgyz in the west were too large, and the Xi people were too close to the Han Dynasty, only the Khitans could deal with them.

Although the Khitans are very powerful, the Khitans are now an alliance of eight tribes, but the internal strife between the Yaolian clan and the various tribes is very serious. As long as they can sow discord appropriately, it is not difficult to annex a few small tribes.

Thinking of this, Li Keyong looked at everyone, and seeing that no one objected, he turned to Gai Yu and said, "You shall handle this matter."

"Yes!" Gai Yu agreed without hesitation. Li Keyong and Li Guochang also got up one after the other and hastily finalized a plan to annex the Khitan. At the same time as they finalized the plan, Zhang Yanhui, who had been sent to the Western Regions by Liu Jilong, also personally led several hundred cavalrymen and more than five thousand laborers to transport grain, which arrived at Gaochang, the capital of Xizhou, after a delay.

For a time, Gaochang was bustling with activity. Although nearly half of the grain brought by the five thousand grain carts had been emptied, a considerable amount of grain had still been delivered.

"Good, good, how much grain is there?"

Outside Gaochang City, watching the carriages continuously entering the city, Zhang Huaishen couldn't help but ask Zhang Yanhui, who had rushed over from a long journey, a question.

Zhang Yanhui wiped his sweat-covered face and said, "After Father's memorial arrived in Luoyang, His Majesty ordered people to purchase grain in Longyou, transport it to Liangzhou, and then send it to Ganzhou by 50,000 horse-drawn carts and oxcarts."

"Then, together with the wine envoy, transported the grain to Suzhou and Guazhou, and finally brought it here along with the grain from Dunhuang, bringing with them 5,000 carts of about 30,000 shi of grain."

His words made Zhang Huai feel somewhat embarrassed, and he couldn't help but say, "So, the remaining two hundred thousand shi of grain were lost on the way?"

"More than 264,000 shi were lost, and another 6,000 shi were unloaded in Yizhou." Zhang Yanhui said, taking out a handwritten letter from his bosom and handing it to Zhang Huaishen:

"Father, this is a letter from His Majesty. He hopes you can go to Luoyang to report on your duties and also visit your uncle."

"Uncle's health is not very good, which is why His Majesty hopes that you will go to Luoyang and send me to the Western Regions."

Zhang Huaishen, who was initially excited, calmed down immediately after hearing that Zhang Yichao was unwell and that Liu Jilong wanted him to go to Luoyang.

He knew that the situation in the Western Regions was still unstable, and he also knew that Liu Jilong sent Zhang Yanhui mainly to take over his duties and stabilize the situation in the Western Regions.

But he was still worried about entrusting the Western Regions to Zhang Yanhui, fearing that something bad might happen after he left.

"Father, rest assured, I am no longer the ignorant person I was a few years ago."

Zhang Yanhui spoke proudly, while telling Zhang Huaishen about his experiences over the past few years.

Although the father and son often corresponded, they only learned about a part of each other through those letters.

After more than half an hour of conversation, Zhang Huaishen finally felt relieved.

He couldn't help but reach out and pat Zhang Yanhui on the shoulder, proudly saying, "I haven't disgraced the Zhang family of Dunhuang!"

"Hehe!" Zhang Yanhui couldn't help but smile when he heard his father say that.

He knew his father wasn't good at giving praise, so this was already an excellent compliment.

Thinking of this, he added, "These three thousand laborers are all young and strong men that I selected from among the rebels. If Father thinks it is acceptable, he can let them rest for a few days and then transport the grain to Tingzhou."

"Okay!" Upon hearing Zhang Yanhui's arrangement, Zhang Huaishen nodded and said to him:
"In the past six months, the imperial court has relocated more than 20,000 rebels to the Western Regions, most of whom were settled in Kucha and Shule."

"I didn't expect that he would send that boy to the Western Regions as well. I took a look and he seems to be a good match for Madam."

The person Zhang Huaishen was referring to was clearly Liu Lie, who had already arrived in Shule and was preparing to go to the countryside. Zhang Yanhui nodded in agreement.
"When I arrived in Linzhou, I was planning to visit him, but I never expected that he would take the initiative to come to the Western Regions to work in the countryside."

"After Father leaves, I will keep a close eye on him. Once he finishes his rural assignment, I can send him directly to Tingzhou to join the army."

"He came on his own initiative?" Zhang Huaishen's expression changed slightly, clearly not expecting Liu Lie to have this kind of heart.

He thought about it for a moment, then nodded and said, "After all, he is his son, so it is only right that he has such a character."

After giving his evaluation, Zhang Huaishen signaled Zhang Yanhui to follow, and led him toward the Anxi Protectorate Government Office.

Half an hour later, the father and son appeared here, and more than ten officials holding important positions in the Anxi Protectorate, including Li Mingzhen, Cao Yijin, and Zhang Huairong, also appeared in the hall.

Among the officials, Zhang Yanhui paid special attention to several captains, who were generals promoted by Liu Jilong and were mostly former soldiers from Shandan.

Under Zhang Huaishen's indulgence and Liu Jilong's arrangement, the military forces in Anxi, Beiting, and Hexi were basically controlled by generals who came from the old Shandan army.

After gaining control of the army, Liu Jilong dispatched more than ten military agricultural commissioners as officials to take the lead in entering the Western Regions to manage the agricultural settlements.

In addition, the establishment of the military agricultural settlements also strengthened the imperial court's control over the Western Regions.

Therefore, when Zhang Yanhui sat down and announced that he was going to Luoyang to report on his duties and that he would temporarily take charge of the affairs of the Grand Protector as the Deputy Protector-General, Li Mingzhen, Cao Yijin, and others did not raise any objections.

The situation was crystal clear: the Han Dynasty had replaced the Tang Dynasty, and if they wanted to go any further, they had no choice but to go to Luoyang.

Zhang Huaishen's trip to Luoyang marked the beginning of their group's subsequent journeys to Luoyang.

After explaining the change of positions, Zhang Yanhui took the initiative to speak to everyone:

"I'm sure you all have seen the grain outside Gaochang today, and you all know better than I do the help the court has given to Hexi, Anxi, and Beiting over the years."

"Before I set off, His Majesty told me that there were still 120,000 rebellious people in Guannei Road and Jingji Road. These rebellious people were to be exiled to Anxi and Beiting to expand the territory of the Han people by establishing military settlements."

"Although there are hundreds of thousands of people in the Western Regions today, most of them live south of the Tianshan Mountains, while there are only about 30,000 people living north of the Tianshan Mountains."

"If we can settle these 120,000 people north of Tianshan, let alone recovering the area east of Huangcaobo, it will no longer be difficult to recover Gongyue City and Suiye City."

"These people are just the beginning. In the future, prisoners from Guannei Circuit, Jingji Circuit, and Longyou Circuit will also be exiled to the Western Regions, and the salaries of officials and soldiers in Anxi and Beiting will also be borne by the imperial court."

"More than 120,000 rebels moved into Beiting over the next five years. In the western part of Beiting, four counties, namely Luntai, Qinghai, Yehe and Xilin, were established under the control of Tingzhou, with Luntai as the capital."

“Anzhou was established in Kucha, Yanqi, and Wulei, with its capital in Kucha.”

"Shule, Gumo, Wensu, and Weitou were established as the Southern Prefecture, with its capital at Shule."

“Anxi Circuit will be established south of Tianshan Mountain, and Beiting Circuit will be established north of Tianshan Mountain. The two circuits will not be subject to the Three Offices for the time being, and will still be under the control of the Grand Protectorate.”

The news brought by Zhang Yanhui was enough to bring about earth-shattering changes to the entire Western Regions. The 120,000 people who were about to migrate into Hankou would be added to the original nearly 200,000 people in Hankou.

This population is enough to allow the Western Regions to become Han territory completely within twenty or thirty years, and the land reclaimed along the Tianshan Mountains will become a shortcut for the army to expand westward in the future.

"When the rebels migrate in the future, the court will send officials and troops to escort them to the destination, where they will be settled and begin to cultivate the land. They must not be obstructed."

Zhang Yanhui glanced at everyone, and seeing that they all nodded in agreement, he sat back down in his chair.

After he sat down, Cao Yijin took the initiative to speak, saying, "There are 30,000 troops in Anxi, Beiting, Hexi, and other places. Their previous military pay was 12 strings of cash. I wonder if the court..."

“The imperial court has already decided,” Zhang Yanhui interrupted, “150 strings of cash for infantry, 180 strings of cash for cavalry and infantry, and 200 strings of cash for cavalry.”

"Tomorrow I will send someone to inform all the towns about this matter, and the officials' salaries will also be increased, but the official land and permanent land must be taken back."

The news that official land and permanent land were to be reclaimed caused Cao Yijin and Li Mingzhen to frown inwardly, but they did not raise any objections. Instead, they prepared to check the officials' salaries.

As long as the losses are not too great, they are willing to accept the new policies of the imperial court.

Thinking this, Cao Yijin continued to bow and said, "In that case, I have no objection."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanhui looked at everyone. Seeing that no one showed any dissatisfaction, he got up and dismissed them, then walked with Zhang Huaishen into the inner courtyard.

"It seems they also know that the current imperial court is not what it used to be."

Zhang Huai was deeply impressed by the performance of Cao Yijin and the others. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanhui chuckled and said, "If Father goes to Luoyang, don't forget to check how the troops in the Eastern Capital are trained."

"If these people don't obey orders, the cities of Hexi and the Western Regions won't be able to withstand the imperial court's cannons."

"Cannons?" Zhang Huaishen couldn't help but show curiosity, but Zhang Yanhui didn't explain. He just said with a hint of teasing, "You'll know what this is when you arrive in Luoyang."

"You scoundrel..."

Seeing that Zhang Yanhui now dared to joke with him, Zhang Huaishen was both angry and satisfied. He could only slap him hard on the back and then urge him on:
“Your mother has been thinking of you every day. Now that you’re here, hurry up and see her as soon as possible.”

"Yes……"

Zhang Yanhui grimaced in pain, only able to move his shoulders to relieve the pain, and followed Zhang Huaishen into the inner courtyard in a disheveled state.

The figures of the father and son gradually receded into the distance, finally disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Before long, the laughter of a family reunion echoed from the inner courtyard. The laughter was melodious, but compared to the peace here, the situation in the Central Plains was much more complicated.

"Clang... clang... clang..."

"Long live, long live, long live!"

When the morning bell rang in Luoyang, more than thirty officials had already gathered in the Zhenguan Hall.

They entered the ceremonial hall and took their seats according to the announcements of the Minister of Ceremonies. When Liu Jilong appeared, they all stood up and sang "Long live the Emperor" three times.

"Rise..."

Liu Jilong slowly sat down, and the assembled officials, at his signal, slowly sat down during the ceremony.

"Your Majesty, your subject Liu Zhan, the Chancellor, has something to report."

"allow!"

As soon as the ministers were seated, Liu Zhan spoke up, saying he had something to report. After receiving permission, he said:

"On the day of Yichou this month, a great earthquake struck Xiongzhou, and it has not yet subsided. Houses in the city were completely destroyed, the ground cracked and springs gushed forth, and more than four hundred people were killed or injured."

"An earthquake struck Puzhou, but fortunately no one was injured or killed. I humbly request that Your Majesty exempt Xiongzhou from this year's autumn tax and order all prefectures and counties to open their granaries to provide relief and bury the deceased."

Upon learning of the earthquake in Xiongzhou, Liu Jilong frowned slightly, remarking that there were just too many disasters during this "medieval cold period."

From the third year of the Xiantong era until now, it seems that the disasters will never stop, with various different disasters occurring every year.

This year, the drought had finally narrowed down to Henan Province, but then an earthquake struck Hebei.

Thinking of the various disasters that might follow, Liu Jilong took the initiative to speak:

“Now, due to the famine and the people’s hunger, they must wait for the emperor to report to the emperor. The journey to and from the capital is long and often takes more than ten days. As a result, many people will starve to death.”

"This decree shall be issued to all officials throughout the land from this day forward. From now on, all officials, prefectures and counties shall, in the event of a famine, first release grain from the granaries to lend to the people, and then report to the emperor. This shall be established as an order."

In the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, local governments and prefectures had to submit petitions to the imperial court and obtain permission before they could provide disaster relief, which would take more than ten days to travel to and from the capital.

Now that Liu Jilong has expressed his opinion, all provinces and prefectures can open their granaries to provide disaster relief first, and then submit a formal report later.

However, doing so could easily create loopholes, and if officials took advantage of these loopholes, it would inevitably harm the interests of the court. Therefore, after making his statement, Liu Jilong looked at Han Zhengke of the Censorate.

"Since the number of Censors has increased to an excessive degree, local authorities should be strictly instructed that if any prefecture or county suffers from disaster, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner or the Circuit Inspector must personally go to investigate and verify the situation, and must not delay or disobey."

"Your Majesty's instructions will be heeded..."

Han Zheng quickly stood up to return the greeting, and then sat back down in his chair after Liu Jilong nodded in acknowledgment.

After he sat down, Li Shangyin also spoke up: "Since the beginning of peace in the world, the Eastern Capital and the Capital Region have been established as the two capitals. The people of the world consider the two capitals to be the most prosperous, so merchants flock in continuously."

"Today, there are 840,000 people in the eastern region and nearly 3 million people in the capital region."

"Although the drought has subsided now, if another drought were to return in the future, Donggi Province could weather it safely, but with such a large population in Gyeonggi Province, it could lead to famine."

"I believe that since the population of Sannamdong Province is sparse due to the war, it would be better to relocate those who were traitors within five degrees of kinship from the capital region to Sannamdong Province. This would not only allow the millions of acres of abandoned land in Sannamdong Province to be reclaimed, but also reduce the pressure on the capital region."

As soon as Li Shangyin spoke, Feng Bangyan of the Ministry of Revenue stood up on his own initiative:
Since the third year of the lunar calendar, Your Majesty has frequently undertaken the relocation of people, incurring a staggering expenditure of six million strings of cash in the Ministry of Revenue.

“If we were to relocate the people of the capital region to the eastern part of the mountains, it would likely cost millions more.”

"Your Majesty, I humbly believe that with the nation's treasury depleted and the people's lives in turmoil, it is not a long-term solution to rashly mobilize the masses. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to consider this carefully."

Over the past three years, Liu Jilong has indeed carried out many large-scale migrations, and the money and grain he has spent are astronomical figures.

The policy of relocating 400,000 surrendered soldiers and their relatives in Jiangnan was not yet completely over when they came up with the idea of ​​relocating more than 400,000 rebels to the Northwest, Southwest and Northeast.

These two issues are still unresolved, and now the people who have flooded into Guanzhong are to be relocated to Shannan East Road. This is indeed quite a large-scale undertaking.

Although Liu Jilong confiscated the wealth of aristocratic families, resulting in a very full national treasury, even the fullest treasury cannot withstand such depletion.

After all, the imperial court is still working on dredging the Wusong River and the Huangpu River, not to mention dredging the Grand Canal, clearing the Yellow River channel, and rebuilding the river embankments.

While these are all measures that benefit the people, the cost of pursuing them simultaneously is too high.

"I am already aware of the excessive number of people in the capital region."

“What Prime Minister Li said is very true, but it is also true that the country is exhausted. We can first deal with the relocation of the surrendered soldiers’ relatives and the rebels, and then it will not be too late to relocate the people of the capital region to Shannan East Road.”

Liu Jilong noted this down, and upon seeing this, Li Shangyin and Feng Bangyan bowed and sang, "Your Majesty is wise."

Seeing that things had settled down, Liu Jilong couldn't help but ask Feng Bangyan, "The antiques and paintings confiscated from the rebels have been deposited into the imperial treasury, but the residences and villas left behind by various officials, I wonder if the authorities have dealt with them properly?"

The mansions left behind by powerful and wealthy families are all mansions worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. If they could be sold off, the proceeds would certainly be substantial. Liu Jilong naturally had not forgotten this.

Now that almost a year has passed, it's time to ask about this.

"Your Majesty, I report that all the mansions and villas have been disposed of, yielding more than 2,476,000 strings of cash."

"The money and silk have been transported to the capital and sealed up, ready to be retrieved by the relevant authorities as needed."

Feng Bangyan truthfully explained the situation, and the officials had their own thoughts after hearing it. However, since the various departments were either already doing their tasks or lacked the manpower to do them, no one suggested allocating money or silk.

Seeing that no one spoke, Liu Jilong spoke first, saying, "Now the salaries of soldiers and officials in the Western Regions are all paid by the imperial court, but the Western Regions are too far away from the two capitals, so the taxes from Longyou Road should not be transported to Chang'an in the future."

"After the taxes from Longyou Road were collected, they were sent to the Western Regions to pay the salaries of soldiers and officials. The grain from Longyou Road was also transported to the Western Regions in large quantities through the transshipment method."

“In the future, officials and criminals from the capital region, Guanzhong region, and Guannei region will also be exiled to the military farms in the Western Regions.”

"This matter concerns the very foundation of the world and is beyond dispute."

Many officials had objections to Liu Jilong's allocation of resources to develop the Western Regions, since the Silk Road could only bring the Han Dynasty about two to three million strings of cash in trade.

However, the Han Dynasty's investment in the Western Regions amounted to at least a million strings of cash every year, which could be described as a completely thankless task.

In the eyes of the court officials, there was no problem in simply maintaining the Silk Road and making money by monopolizing the trade along it; there was no need to invest money and silk in it.

Since Liu Jilong had said that there was no room for debate, the officials had no choice but to keep quiet.

Fortunately, Liu Jilong did not continue discussing the Western Regions, but instead changed the subject to talk about the promotion of the new policies.

Upon seeing this, the officials also began to report on the implementation of the new policies.

After discussing with his ministers for most of the hour and resolving all the minor issues, Liu Jilong adjourned the court.

However, after the court session ended, he specifically kept Li Shangyin behind to give instructions regarding the affairs of the capital region:
“You must remember this matter well. Once the matter of the surrendered soldiers’ relatives and the rebels is settled, the people of the capital region should be relocated to Longyou and Shannan East Road. At the same time, the people who committed crimes in Longyou should be relocated to the Western Regions.”

"Your subject obeys the decree and will remember it..."

Faced with Liu Jilong's instructions, Li Shangyin calmly agreed, and then spoke to Liu Jilong:

"Hebei submitted a memorial to the court, stating that although Liaodong is now invaded by Bohai, Bohai has not governed Liaodong, and the population of Liaodong is only about 200,000."

"I believe that Bohai is also a subject of our dynasty. When His Majesty Dae Heonseok heard that Your Majesty had succeeded to the Tang dynasty, he also sent envoys to present treasures and offer congratulations."

"If Da Xuanxi knew the court's intentions, he probably wouldn't dare to oppose the court."

Liu Jilong was determined to recover Liaodong, and not only that, but he also wanted to relocate the people and put the area back under his control.

Now that Liaodong has been occupied by the Bohai Kingdom, if they are unwilling to return it, Liu Jilong will have no choice but to resort to force.

If they were willing to return the land directly, Liu Jilong wouldn't mind continuing to support the Bohai Kingdom.

Compared to Yelü Abaoji and Wanyan Aguda, the Sinicized nobles of the Bohai Kingdom, who preferred peace and tranquility, were easier to control and maintain peace.

However, if we want to achieve peace, we must demonstrate the military strength of the court to these people in order to better promote peace through war.

Thinking of this, he looked at Li Shangyin and thought of the navy he had ordered to be built.

The Liaoxi Corridor has not yet appeared, and the other two land routes are occupied by the Khitan and Xi people.

So it seems that only waterways were left for the Han Dynasty.

"After the naval training is completed, the commander shall order the voyage to be postponed and instead go north to inspect Liaodong. Warehouses shall be set up on the islands between Dengzhou and Laizhou and Liaodong so that the army can go out to sea to recover Liaodong in the future."

"Yes……"

(End of this chapter)