Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 546 The Four Directions Will Be Settled
"Drive! Drive! Drive..."

April is a time of beautiful spring sunshine, but this sunshine cannot penetrate the deep walls of the official residences and mansions in the northern border regions of the Han Dynasty.

A silent chill, just like the heatwave of early summer, was spreading quietly from Luoyang, the eastern capital, to the counties and countryside along the official roads and post stations.

Cui Shu's tips in the mansion, through countless tacit understandings, have become specific instructions.

Officials from various circuits including Guannei, Longyou, Dongji, Hedong, Hebei, Daning, and Liaodong, who were deeply embroiled in the Jingchao vortex, frantically tried to salvage the situation, like drowning people grasping at a piece of driftwood.

On a certain official road in the north, several fast horses splashed mud as they veered off the official road and onto a rural road, then rushed into a village composed of hundreds of small courtyards.

When the villagers saw them dressed in brocade robes and riding large horses, they were curious, but they also knew that these were people they couldn't afford to offend.

Under the watchful eyes of the people, the steward, dressed in brocade robes, led several servants to a courtyard enclosed by a rammed earth wall and ruthlessly pushed open the half-closed door.

As the courtyard gate was violently pushed open, the farmers working inside immediately stood up in alarm, but the steward didn't give them a chance, impatiently shouting, "What are you looking at? Sign here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the servants behind him took out contracts and threw the heavy cloth bags in front of the farmers.

The old farmer's family was not poor. Although the courtyard had rammed earth walls, it covered an area of ​​nearly an acre. There was a main house with rammed earth and wooden pillars and gray tiles, as well as side rooms on the left and right, and two wing rooms on the east and west sides. In the backyard, one could vaguely see the woodshed and cowshed.

Faced with this group of people, the 60-year-old man who was the head of the household stood up, followed by two young men in their thirties, four women, and three children.

Although they were dressed in linen, they were all well-dressed and had plump figures.

In such a situation, even if they are not a wealthy family, their financial situation is definitely not bad; at least they haven't reached the point where they need to sell their house and land.

The old man stood up and bowed bitterly to the family head and others: "Family head Zhang, my family only has twenty-four mu of public land left, we really have no more land to sell..."

"You're a penniless wretch! Why would I come here to buy land?" Zhang Jiacheng said with a displeased expression, giving a cold snort.
"The head of the household felt that your family was poor, so he sent me to add ten more strings of cash. Now I want you to sign the contract again."

"If you don't believe me, you can find someone who can read to read the contract carefully!"

Zhang Jiacheng's words caused the old men's faces to change drastically. They couldn't believe that Zhang Jiacheng was giving them money; after all, it was no different from a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken.

Seeing that his face was pale and he didn't seem to be lying, the old man immediately looked at his eldest son behind him and said, "Eldest son, go and invite the second son of the Zhou family to come and let him take a look at this contract."

The middle-aged man nodded, looked at Zhang Jiacheng with apprehension, and then walked out of the courtyard. Soon he arrived with a young man dressed in coarse linen clothes but with a very spirited appearance.

After the young man arrived, the servants handed him the contract. The young man was not afraid of them. He took the contract, looked at it, and then nodded to the old man.

“Uncle Zhao, this is indeed a contract. Each mu of land is valued at three strings of cash. Your family’s five mu of private land should be valued at fifteen strings of cash.”

"Fifteen strings of cash?" The old man and his two sons and daughters-in-law all gasped in surprise, while Zhang Jiacheng sneered at the young man: "If you've seen enough, get out!"

The young man was no slouch either. He snorted coldly at Zhang Jiacheng, then handed the contract to a servant and turned to leave.

The servants looked at Zhang Jiacheng. If it were any other day, Zhang Jiacheng would definitely have taught this young man a lesson, even if he was studying at the official school.

However, given the turbulent times, and the fact that his patriarch had repeatedly instructed him to keep a low profile and avoid causing trouble, he swallowed his anger.

He turned to look at Old Man Zhao and scolded him, "Last time, I bought your five mu of private land for five strings of cash. Now, the paddy fields in Shizhou are only worth two thousand eight hundred coins. The head of the family gave you three thousand coins for the land. You should know what you should say and what you shouldn't say! Remember that!"

"Sign!" he urged Zhao Aweng. Zhao Aweng had no choice but to glance at the waist knife held by the servant behind the steward. Finally, he took the contract and pressed his thumb on it.

Upon receiving the contract, Zhang Jiacheng left with his men without looking back, while Zhao Dalang, who was behind Zhao Aweng, stepped forward and picked up the heavy cloth bag.

Seeing Zhang Jiacheng and his men ride away, he opened the cloth bag, looked at the copper coins inside, and couldn't help but curse:
“They forcibly bought five acres of private land at a low price back then, and now they’re selling it at a high price. They must have some tricks up their sleeves.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Aweng's expression changed, and Zhao Erlang, the women, and the children behind him also looked aggrieved.

Far from the county town, they were unaware of the earth-shattering events that had occurred outside, and they were just one of many victims.

Upon receiving the news, the officials and powerful figures who were trying to remedy the situation began to imitate the practice and re-sign private land deeds with the people whose land they had forcibly seized.

When it comes to murders or oppression of the people, they search for scapegoats and falsely attribute crimes to ordinary citizens.

The fields they concealed were disguised as wasteland reclaimed over the past three years and re-registered in the county government offices.

The policy of exempting cultivated wasteland from taxes for three years was originally a national policy formulated by Liu Jilong to benefit the people, but now it has become a loophole for corrupt officials and powerful families to exploit.

Although they do these things discreetly, it's still possible to find out about them with a little inquiry.

Because they bribed people both inside and outside the organization, those who had the evidence became their accomplices.

The oppressor and the oppressed have become allies—this is truly a colossal joke…

"Did you hear that? Old Zhao from outside the city had his land seized by Liu Jiaqiang the year before last, and his wife died of grief..."

"How could I not know! Yesterday I even saw him testify for the Liu family, saying that he sold the land voluntarily!"

"Pah! You spineless bastard!"

"The imperial court sent an envoy to help us, but this fellow, for a few strings of copper coins, sold his heart and soul, and now he's sharing the same trousers with that bunch of pigs and dogs!"

"Helping jackals tear lambs apart! You spineless bastards!"

In the streets and alleys, those who knew the inside story gathered in small groups to mock the evil powerful families and officials, and to curse the compromised commoners.

Those victims who had accepted money and signed the papers could only blush and lower their heads when faced with accusations, hastily fleeing the crowd without daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.

Without witnesses and physical evidence, the imperial court's investigations in the capital, while not frequently thwarted, did indeed uncover fewer and fewer corrupt officials.

In addition, due to the constant denunciation of honest officials by local officials and powerful figures, the already murky waters of the north have become even more turbid.

All these measures undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the imperial court's inspection in the capital.

"thump……"

At the pond in the back garden of the imperial palace in Didao City, Linzhou, Liu Lie stood expressionlessly, picking at fish food and throwing it into the water, watching the carp thrash and fight for it.

The intense activity beneath the water's surface contrasts eerily with the tranquility above.

He felt somewhat relieved at that moment, but mostly he was also irritable.

The good thing is that the number of cases reported by his subordinates seems to have gradually decreased. Since evidence is hard to find, many cases can be closed because there is no evidence to support them, and he no longer has to be the villain who offends all the nobles in the world.

What's frustrating is that, based on the small fry uncovered so far, even if it involves three generations of relatives, it's unlikely to fulfill his father's grand plan of "immigrating to the border regions," let alone satisfy his father.

"Heh..." He suddenly sneered and threw the whole handful of fish food into the pond, causing the fish to thrash about wildly.

Just like the world, if you throw in a little bait, you can see the greed of all living beings.

Just then, footsteps sounded from behind. Liu Lie knew without turning around that it was Zhang Chengye. Zhang Chengye quietly approached from behind, bowed, and whispered, "Your Highness, there is news from Luoyang."

"Hmm," Liu Lie responded, while Zhang Chengye carefully recounted in detail how Cui Shu and others had launched their attack at the recent court assembly, how Cao Mao, Han Zhengke, and others had withstood the pressure, and how the Emperor had refuted the ministers.

Upon learning that his father had not been swayed by the court's decision, Liu Lie's tense back relaxed slightly, and he exhaled a breath of stale air.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked in a calm tone, "What is your uncle's attitude?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengye suddenly fell silent, and after a moment he said in a barely audible voice, "Minister Feng... has not yet expressed his opinion."

In an instant, the air in the garden seemed to freeze. Liu Lie's face showed no emotion, but his gaze suddenly turned cold as he stared at the koi carp fighting for food in the pond, remaining silent for a long time.

Zhang Chengye, however, knew perfectly well that his own uncle, the Crown Prince's maternal uncle, had chosen to protect himself at such a critical juncture, which was a great loss of judgment and had chilled the prince's heart.

After a long silence, Liu Lie finally spoke slowly, his voice devoid of any emotion: "Is there anything else?"

Zhang Chengye then took out four secret letters from his sleeve and respectfully presented them: "These are letters from the four gentlemen from various places."

Upon hearing this, Liu Lie felt slightly better, reached out and took the letter, and began to read it.

The letters, though written in different handwriting, contained strikingly similar content: all urging him to remain steadfast and not be swayed by empty words, and included specific strategies for dealing with his current predicament.

The four people's suggestions were largely the same, but Liu Lie found them fascinating.

In the eyes of private individuals, if aristocratic families wanted to deceive the public by claiming "wasteland," they only needed to instruct all prefectures and counties to re-examine the soil fertility of all reclaimed land reported since the eighth year of the Hongwu reign and to verify the old contracts of adjacent land.

Newly reclaimed land naturally cannot have the fertility of old land, not to mention that the former owner of the neighboring land would surely know when the land was to be reclaimed.
As for those chosen scapegoats, as long as they are isolated and interrogated separately, and allowed to redeem themselves through meritorious service, with the principle of "reducing the punishment of those who accuse the mastermind and severely punishing those who remain obstinate," it is easy to break through from within!
In addition, a public notice could be issued stating that "the court will only investigate the ringleaders, and those who accomplices can be pardoned if they report and expose others." This would allow the court to divide and weaken the faction.

Faced with these strategies, Liu Lie regained his confidence and handed the letter to Zhang Chengye, giving instructions without turning his head:

"Order everyone to continue the investigation according to the methods proposed by these four gentlemen. Do not be discouraged. After we succeed, I will personally recommend you for credit."

"In addition, tell them how many official vacancies can be found now, and how many official vacancies the court will need to fill in later, and hope that they can distinguish between the benefits and the risks."

"Yes!" Zhang Chengye's spirits lifted, and he immediately accepted the order and took his leave.

After his footsteps faded into the distance, the image of his uncle, with whom he had never been close since childhood, appeared in Liu Lie's mind.

"Uncle? He's nothing special..."

As Liu Lie was thinking this, orders were continuously issued by fast horses through Zhang Chengye's instructions, rushing to various prefectures and counties.

The once-calm imperial inspection, unsurprisingly, erupted into chaos again, and their reactive approach put officials in the northern provinces on the defensive.

In an instant, the Six Armies of the Northern Army and the officials of the Capital Inspection were all mobilized. The rustling of armor plates echoed through the streets and alleys of various counties. Countless soldiers of the Six Armies of the Northern Army, under the orders of the officials of the Capital Inspection, interrogated the criminals who had been arrested as scapegoats.

Moreover, the relatives of these criminals were also thoroughly investigated, putting considerable pressure on them.

Under this pressure, some people chose to recant their testimonies, while others chose to grit their teeth and go all the way.

Faced with these people, Liu Lie's choice was simple: kill!

Liu Lie didn't know what those behind the scenes had promised these scapegoats, but he knew that most of them had definitely been tricked into becoming scapegoats.

After all, according to the traditions of the Han Dynasty, apart from those who committed heinous crimes and were executed, most others were exiled, and the most serious case was that their entire family was exiled.

For ordinary people, although the journey to exile was dangerous, at least the family was still together and could reunite at the frontier.

Liu Lie simply wanted to extinguish these people's hopes and drive these scapegoats completely insane...

"Uh...uh..."

In the dimly lit county jail, all the criminals who had been interrogated were returned to their cells. These criminals, already covered in wounds, lay on the cold, rammed earth, barely clinging to life.

The voices of the officials could be heard from afar, but their general meaning could still be discerned.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has decreed that criminals this year will be severely punished. Criminals will be beheaded, and their relatives within three degrees of kinship will be exiled to Yunnan."

"Yunnan? Shouldn't it be Daning, or Liaodong, Anxi, or Beiting?"

"That's ancient history. Now, Yunnan is newly developed, with only a few hundred thousand barbarians, and we need this group of people."

"They're going to suffer terribly. It's at least three thousand miles from the north to Yunnan, and the plank roads along the way are constantly shrouded in miasma. I estimate that only one out of ten people will survive."

"Go to the bathhouse and wash away this grumbling. I'll talk to you later."

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the officials' laughter and chatter gradually disappeared.

But for the criminals in the county jail, their consciousness gradually became clearer through the conversations of the officials, and then they became terrified.

Despite being in excruciating pain, they forced themselves to crawl to the edge of the prison and shouted to the outside world:
"Wasn't I supposed to be exiled? Why was I executed?"

"Yes, exile! It should be exile!"

"Official! Official, don't go! I should be exiled!"

As time went on, countless criminals continued to ask questions, their faces growing increasingly desperate.

From afternoon to dusk, from dusk to night...

They were as if abandoned; apart from the soldiers who came to deliver thin porridge, no one paid them any attention.

Even the soldiers would quickly leave the place after delivering the porridge, as if there was some great terror there.

For several days in a row, the criminals' questions went unanswered, and their psychological defenses gradually collapsed under this neglect.

This breakdown finally reached its peak when the soldiers placed a bowl of millet rice stuffed with meat and vegetables in front of them.

Those soldiers who usually didn't interact with them were now placing their bowls of millet rice brimming with minced meat heavily outside the fence, their voices as cold as iron shackles in the dead of winter:

"After eating this farewell meal, you can bid farewell to the sun properly tomorrow morning."

In an instant, dozens of fences, large and small, throughout the county prison fell into a deathly silence, followed by a terrifying commotion.

A man covered in blood scabs suddenly lunged at the railing, shattering the earthenware bowl into pieces.

"I was only a top-tier celebrity! How did I end up being executed?!"

At his prompting, countless prisoners, disregarding their injuries, unleashed their greatest strength and voice.

"The Third Young Master Xu from the west of the city personally slipped me fifty strings of cash! He said it would only cover up the crime of bullying Madam Zhang!"

"The Li family's steward is forcing me to confess to a murder case! He says he'll kill my whole family if I don't agree!"

"The humiliation of the Zhang family's shop was done by the second son of the Wang family, not by me!"

“The Zhao family…”

In an instant, the prison transformed into a battlefield, with criminals scrambling to cling to the bars and screaming.

Some people beat their chests and stamped their feet, saying they had taken the blame for the county magistrate's nephew who had beaten and killed civilians; others cried and said that the village head had forced him to admit to the crime of arson and burning down the granary.

In the foul air of the county prison, the names of powerful families, officials, and nobles constantly surged, interspersed with details of the amounts of money involved in convictions and bribes, as well as the coercion.

Even so, the soldiers who delivered the food remained as indifferent as clay statues, silently collecting the empty bowls and turning away, causing countless criminals to wail.

Amidst the wailing, unseen by the criminals around the corner, three clerks in green robes, seated in chairs, were already writing page after page of documents on the table before them.

According to the confession, the officials from the capital who were prepared to inspect the city early the next morning immediately led the Six Armies of the Northern Army to go through the streets and alleys and arrested all the witnesses mentioned in the confession and sent them to the county prison.

After witnessing the fate of the criminals in the county jail, the group of witnesses who had been paid off were so frightened that they immediately revealed everything they knew.

Having obtained witness testimonies and confessions from the criminals, the Six Armies of the Northern Army began to raid the homes of the people.

For a time, the entire northern region was filled with the rustling sound of armor plates, especially in the heavily guarded city of Luoyang, where the rustling sound of armor plates kept people awake.

Cui Shu stood in the courtyard under the cover of night, wearing a cloak. Although his mansion was large enough, the rustling sound of armor plates coming from the street still sent chills down his spine.

Jia Cheng stood behind him, and although he pretended to be calm, he could not hide the tension in his heart.

While they were anxious, Guo Chongtao led more than a hundred elite cavalrymen to surround the former Duke of Ying's mansion, now the Earl of Changsong's mansion.

Guo Chongtao stood in front of the Wutou Gate of the Changsong Earl's Mansion, with more than a hundred elite Imperial Guards behind him standing silently like mountains.

As the torchlight flickered, he slightly raised his hand. Two Imperial Guardsmen carrying battering rams were about to step forward when the Wutou Gate suddenly opened from the inside.

"crunch-"

Wang Sifeng, a former founding minister, now stepped out like a tiger driven to the brink of despair, fully clad in well-preserved Mingguang armor and wielding a Zhangdao.

Behind him, more than twenty servants were all clad in armor, and more than thirty strong slaves, armed with standard infantry spears, formed a makeshift military formation in front of the mansion gate.

"Guo, you brat!" Wang Sifeng's voice boomed like a bell as he pointed his sword directly at Guo Chongtao, who was on horseback: "When I accompanied His Majesty to conquer Tibet and pacify Hexi, you were still just learning to speak!"

"Today, not only do you intend to take the life of my eldest son, but you also dare to lead troops to surround my residence and humiliate me?!"

Guo Chongtao paid no heed to Wang Sifeng's words. He merely glanced at the heavily armored servants and smiled, saying, "Hidden armor, forming ranks to resist the law..." "Lord Changsong, you should think carefully about whether your sword is aimed at the court or at His Majesty."

"Don't try to use His Majesty to intimidate me!!"

Wang Sifeng's eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with rage, while Guo Chongtao coldly snorted, "If we don't talk about His Majesty, do you know what your sons in the household have done?"

"Is it true that you forcibly seized 300 hectares of farmland? Is it true that you allowed your slaves to beat and kill thirteen farmers?!"

"Absurd!!" Wang Sifeng glared fiercely at Guo Chongtao, his hand gripping the dagger tightly: "Those properties were won through bloody battles, don't you dare slander me!"

"You're all silver-tongued, but today I'll rip out your tongues and see how you'll try to bewitch His Majesty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Sifeng roared and pounced on Guo Chongtao like a mad tiger.

Guo Chongtao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly took several steps back while waving his hand: "Take him down!"

As he disappeared into the army formation, the elite Imperial Guards behind him had already dismounted and formed ranks, engaging in battle with the servants of the Marquis of Changsong's household.

"Crack, crackle, crackle!!"

"Pfft!"

"Uh-huh!!"

"Humph……"

Gunshots, the clang of metal on metal, the sound of spears piercing flesh, and the screams of the dying instantly tore through the night sky of Luoyang.

Although Wang Sifeng's servants were brave, how could they possibly defeat the well-equipped Six Armies of the Northern Army?
In the blink of an eye, the arquebusiers severely wounded several armored soldiers and killed most of the unarmored servants behind them.

The two sides clashed in close combat, and people were constantly pierced by long spears, with blood spreading through the cracks in the stone slabs.

At the same time, similar shouts and cries could be faintly heard from various parts of Luoyang, indicating that the conflicts and clashes within Luoyang were not limited to the Changsong Earl's residence.

Amidst the shouts of battle, in the dimly lit side hall of Zhenguan Temple, Ximen Jun hurriedly entered, sweating profusely as he bowed and greeted Liu Jilong.
"Your Majesty, the residences of twelve noble families, including the Earl of Changsong, the Duke of Zhangye, the Marquis of Wuchuan, the Earl of Yan'en, and the Earl of Wuyuan, have been surrounded by Guo Sheren's troops. In addition, the residences of many officials in the court have also been surrounded."

"The Earl of Changsong, the Duke of Zhangye, and others secretly hoarded armor and led their servants to fight against the Six Armies of the Northern Army..."

Ximen Jun was sweating profusely. He never imagined things would turn out this way. Meanwhile, Liu Jilong, sitting in the main seat, calmly flipped through his book.

The armor plates rustled, and the Zhenguan Hall was immediately surrounded by the soldiers of the Shenwu Army. Zhao Ying, clad in armor, strode into the hall and bowed at the entrance of the side hall.

"Your Majesty, I have come to protect Your Majesty's safety!"

"Um……"

In response to Zhao Ying's words, Liu Jilong nodded slightly. He had long guessed that Wang Sifeng and his gang of scoundrels would not surrender so quickly.

Seeing Liu Jilong nod, Zhao Ying got up and walked back to the palace gate, her hand on the hilt of her sword at her waist, pacing back and forth outside the palace gate.

Under the night sky over the distant palace, two Han soldiers who had rushed over arrived at the palace gate and bowed to Zhao Ying.

"Lord, a large number of officials have gathered outside the gates of Yingtian Palace..."

"Tell them to rest well in the South Office and not to think of anything else."

After giving his instructions, Zhao Ying waved for the two men to leave and continued to lead his troops to guard the Zhenguan Hall.

Over the next few hours, Imperial Guardsmen would frequently come to report on the situation, from Wang Sifeng to Liu Yingyan, and then to all the meritorious officials, big and small...

The rebellion of these people was suppressed by the garrison troops of the Six Armies of the Northern Army and the Jinwu Guard. The main culprits were arrested and imprisoned, while the sons of nobles, nobles and officials who were investigated were directly thrown into the prison of the Dali Temple.

As dawn broke, the bloodstains on the streets had long been cleaned up. Apart from the occasional echoes of the shouts of battle from last night, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

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

As the morning bell rang, the officials arrived for court as usual, but this time the number of attendees was nearly 20% less, causing anxiety among many officials. Even as they entered the Qian Yuan Hall, they remained uneasy.

"Singing!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Amidst the chaotic shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", Liu Jilong, dressed in ordinary clothes, walked up to the golden platform, sat down in a chair with an imposing air, and scanned the hall with his eyes.

Even though he already knew who had resisted the law last night, Liu Jilong still couldn't help but feel somewhat down when their faces actually disappeared from his sight.

"Your Majesty, Marquis Wang Sifeng of Changsong, Duke Liu Yingyan of Zhangye County, Marquis Wuchuan, and sixty-seven other meritorious officials resisted the law last night and were also found guilty of possessing armor and harming civilians and colleagues. They are now imprisoned in Guancheng Prison. We request Your Majesty's instructions..."

Having stayed up all night, Guo Chongtao, dressed in his official robes and holding his official tablet, stepped forward to recount the events of the previous night in detail.

Many officials listened in silence, and finally cautiously glanced at the golden platform.

They had expected Liu Jilong to show some sadness, but Liu Jilong remained unmoved and spoke calmly:

"The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people, and the same applies to meritorious officials."

“The officials who committed crimes last night shall all be punished according to the Law of the Great Han Dynasty. We must uphold justice and enforce the law.”

"Your Majesty's decree shall be obeyed..."

Guo Chongtao bowed and stepped back, his green robe standing out among the many scarlet and purple robes.

However, all the officials knew that after today, his green robe would probably soon be replaced with a scarlet one.

"Do any of you gentlemen have anything else to report?"

Liu Jilong questioned his ministers, and a few ministers immediately changed the subject, but the new topic was nothing more than the old refrain of drought and flood.

The situation of drought in the north and floods in the south has continued since the Xiantong era. Only because the Han Dynasty built water conservancy projects and dug more wells did it avoid a major famine in the drought-stricken areas, where people even exchanged their own children to eat.

Even so, annual tax exemptions and grain price stabilization policies in dozens of prefectures and counties were still unavoidable.

In an agrarian society, the people's ability to withstand risks was too weak. If Liu Jilong hadn't levied such high taxes to mobilize resources, and if the Han Dynasty hadn't been able to organize its forces relatively quickly, the practice of exchanging children for food might not have been impossible.

Under natural disasters, it seems that everything can be postponed, but for the Han Dynasty, the war in the southwest cannot be postponed.

While Hebei, Henan, and other parts of the country were suffering from drought, Jiannan Road, the granary of the Han Dynasty, continued to transport grain to Yunnan.

The five million strings of cash that the imperial court had previously seized in Gyeonggi Province were all transferred to Jiannan Province. The cash was used to purchase grain in the summer and autumn seasons to ensure that the grain price in Jiannan Province would not fall, while also transporting batches of grain to Yunnan.

Although a lot of grain was transported, and it also increased the income of the laborers, not much of the grain was actually delivered, especially after the battle line was extended to Yongchang, this situation became even more obvious.

Compared to the panic in the north caused by the Beijing-Chahar Incident, Yunnan, despite being on the front line, appears to be quite peaceful.

Under Gao Pian's pacification efforts, tens of thousands of barbarian tribes left the Ailao Mountains and became members of the Han army as auxiliary soldiers.

Today is payday. The former Yangjumei City has now been replaced by a stone plaque that reads "Dali County".

The original territory of the Nanzhao Kingdom has now been renamed Lizhou, with its capital in Dali and subordinate counties including Taihe, Weishan, and Yuexi.

Outside Dali City, a military camp of tens of thousands of soldiers stood on the banks of the Xier River. Thirty thousand Han soldiers and fifty thousand Man soldiers were stationed here, preparing for the western expedition a few months later.

The Han army, as the regular troops, continued to receive their pay according to the established rules of the past, while the barbarian army, as auxiliary troops, was uniformly paid 500 coins and 3 dou of grain per month.

Although they were called auxiliary soldiers, they were actually just civilian laborers accompanying the army, only they were more capable of fighting than the civilian laborers recruited by the Han Dynasty itself.

Gao Pian did not hide the difference in military pay, but openly told the barbarian tribes about it.

If any barbarian tribe wants to become a regular soldier, they need to undergo regular soldier training, including wearing armor, daily practice, and drills every three days.

Although the regular soldiers received three times the pay of the auxiliary soldiers, their workload was also far greater. Moreover, if the barbarians wanted to join the army, they would have to send their entire families to guard the border in order to be granted arable land.

Many barbarian tribes were unwilling to leave their ancestral lands where they had lived for generations, but many clever barbarians chose to join the Han army.

These barbarian soldiers who joined the Han army were handed over to Li Yangchun by Gao Pian. Now they are organized into a force of 5,000. In the morning, they learn to read and write Mandarin, and in the afternoon they receive training.

As people who grew up in the high-altitude mountains, their physical strength is beyond doubt. Therefore, Li Yangchun mainly focused on ideological education, literacy, and cooperative combat training.

Today is the day for pay distribution. Li Yangchun came here specifically to supervise the distribution of pay to the five thousand barbarian soldiers and Han soldiers. When he encountered those who were not fluent in Han language, he brought along scribes who understood the barbarian language to translate for them.

"Someone, receiving pay... Second Army, Third Battalion, Third Regiment, First Squad Leader, Yan Meng..."

"The infantry captain's annual salary is thirty strings of cash, and this is two strings and five hundred coins. Count them yourself."

Under the thatched shed, heavy bags of copper coins were piled up at the back. The clerks sat in front of the coins, helping the barbarian soldiers, who spoke Mandarin haltingly, to sign and affix their fingerprints to the documents, and finally handed the money over to them.

After receiving the money, the dark-skinned barbarian soldier turned around, clutching the money, and approached Li Yangchun with a simple, honest smile, saying, "Money, exchange..."

“Speak your language, what do you want to exchange?” Li Yangchun communicated with Yan Meng in fluent Mengman dialect.

Yunnan has hundreds of tribes of varying sizes, each with its own language, but the Mengman are considered a large tribe. Li Yangchun spent more than two years in Yunnan and naturally learned the Mengman language.

In addition, he also learned the languages ​​of the Bai Man and Wu Man, so he was able to communicate easily with the Yan Meng and other barbarian groups.

These barbarian soldiers, who had only been in the army for less than half a year, had very limited vocabulary and writing skills, so the camp mainly communicated in their native language.

"Five large iron pots and ten pieces of clothing, as well as grain and salt."

Yan Meng, who was in his early twenties, smiled innocently. As a barbarian tribe in the eyes of Nanzhao, unless they were selected into the regular army, the other barbarians did not receive any military pay and could only take whatever they could get.

After Yan Meng was captured by Li Yangchun in Tonghai, he was quickly recruited and became a captain among the barbarian soldiers after Li Yangchun arrived in Yangjumei City.

"You want an iron pot too?"

Li Yangchun frowned and looked at Yan Meng. After all, this was not the first time he had received his pay, but every time he received his pay, he would buy an iron pot, and a big one at that.

“The tribe needs iron pots, grain, and salt, and my family needs clothes.”

Yan Meng smiled innocently, not feeling anything about being exploited by the tribe, because he was living a very comfortable life now, able to eat meat once a day and having enough food.

Therefore, he did not feel there was anything wrong with using the military pay to buy things that the tribe needed.

"Never mind, just give it to him."

Li Yangchun sighed, seemingly used to seeing barbarian soldiers like Yan Meng who were exploited by their tribes. After instructing his clerks to take Yan Meng to collect his supplies, he stepped out of the thatched hut and shouted at the long line of barbarian soldiers:

"Taking care of the tribe is a good thing, but you should also keep some money on yourselves!"

He repeated himself in Mandarin and three different languages, and the barbarian soldiers smiled at him with a simple and honest expression, but no one echoed his words.

In their view, the tribe had sent them to such a good place, and they should repay the tribe.

Li Yangchun could only shake his head at their ideas, hoping that they would change their minds after they learned Mandarin and Chinese characters.

As he was thinking this, a fast horse galloped up from afar, dismounted in front of the thatched hut, and bowed to Li Yangchun, saying, "King Li, King Gao invites you..."

"Understood." Upon hearing that it was Gao Pian who had invited him, Li Yangchun immediately ordered his men to bring horses, and then headed towards Dali City.

Although You Shilong attempted to burn down Yangjumei City, the city was too large, and the Han army arrived in time, so the main structures of many buildings were still relatively well preserved.

After more than seven months of repairs, no trace of the fire can be seen in Dali City. The Wuhua Tower has shrunk by two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), but it is still a good place to enjoy the scenery.

The Han army replaced the Nanzhao army and became the scenery here. Li Yangchun, wearing a battle coat, also walked briskly to the top floor of Wuhua Tower.

Although not as prosperous as the former Wuhua Tower, the current Wuhua Tower, with Cangshan Mountain on the left and Xier River on the right, has scenery that is enough to replace those magnificent decorations.

Gao Pian, Zhang Wu, Wang Jian, Wang Zhongren, Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba and others had already taken their seats, and Li Yangchun took the seat of honor on the left after he arrived.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Gao Pian then spoke: "It is already the end of June. In the past two years, our army has only moved troops in October. Now, the southwestern provinces have successively transported more than four million shi of grain, and Dali has stockpiled more than three hundred thousand shi of military grain."

"With this military ration, our army may be able to launch an attack at the end of August, seize the opportunity to harvest the autumn grain of the southern barbarians, and continue westward to recover the entire Yongchang Prefecture."

Recapturing the entire Yongchang Prefecture meant that the Han army would have to penetrate at least 600 li into the western border, which was no easy task.

They have been stationed in Dali for more than six months and have long since figured out the situation in the west.

Not to mention the treacherous roads along the way when attacking Yongchang from Dali, the situation within Yongchang itself was complicated enough.

Not only do they have to cross the Gaoligong Mountains, but they also have to travel to Yaxi City, Tuonan City, and Yueli City, which are surrounded by poisonous insects, snakes, and ants.

If it were winter, it wouldn't be so bad, but Gao Pian suggested launching the attack at the end of August, a whole month earlier.

A month's difference may not seem like much, but it could be fatal for the Han army.

While this might intercept military supplies from the Southern Barbarians, the deaths and injuries caused by miasma and disease are likely far more significant than these supplies.

"I believe there is no need to be in such a hurry."

"This humble general believes it is unacceptable..."

Zhang Wu spoke first, and after he did, Wang Jian, Wang Zhongren, Zhang Guiba, Ge Congzhou and others also expressed their opinions, basically all of whom did not support sending troops at the end of August.

Seeing this, Gao Pian turned his gaze to Li Yangchun, who pondered for a moment before saying, "If we take the barbarian soldiers under my command as the vanguard, and add two thousand musketeers and artillerymen, we might be able to successfully capture Yongchang City."

"Yongchang City has more than 100,000 mu of cultivated land. If we can obtain the grain produced from these 100,000 mu of cultivated land, we can reduce the loss of millions of shi in the future."

"In addition, the tens of thousands of civilians captured from Yongcheng can also be relocated to Quzhou, Kunzhou, Zhaozhou and other places, and the abandoned farmland in the rear can be used to grow food, which can also reduce the pressure on our army's food supply."

"However, the road from Dali to Yongchang is rugged, and our heavy artillery may not be able to be mobilized. We can only attack with light artillery."

"Even with light artillery attacks, combined with cavalry assaults and explosives, it wouldn't be so easy to breach Yongchang."

"Therefore, King Gao must prepare for defeat and consult His Majesty to determine whether it is necessary to launch an attack at this time, since now is indeed not a good time to take action..."

Li Yangchun's words caused everyone to frown. They naturally knew that Li Yangchun was not only talking about things on the battlefield, but also about the turmoil caused by the capital inspection in the rear.

Although the Northern Capital Inspection did not affect them, they still had some shady dealings behind them.

If we mobilize troops now, will His Majesty think they are threatening him with their military force, causing His Majesty to stop the capital inspection against them?
Li Yangchun's words made sense, but upon hearing this, Gao Pian took out a handwritten letter from the table.

"This is His Majesty's handwritten letter, which was issued two months ago. It grants us permission to act as we see fit."

"Even if you have some problems at home, they can be offset by the merit of recovering Yunnan. Therefore, the affairs of the Central Plains are irrelevant to us. We only need to recover Yongchang."

Gao Pian's words and the emperor's handwritten letter immediately put Wang Jian and the others at ease, and Li Yangchun couldn't help but marvel at how well his emperor had arranged things.

With this promise, generals with questionable backgrounds will think about striving to make meritorious contributions to offset their demerits.

Military officers with clean records will not have so many concerns and can command their troops with confidence.

Thinking of this, Li Yangchun and the others bowed one after another: "In that case, this humble general will obey the orders of King Gao."

"Hmm..." Gao Pian stroked his beard with satisfaction, and then discussed with everyone how to recapture Yongchang.

With Li Yangchun as the vanguard, they first occupied Yongchang, where the grain had not yet been harvested, and then slowly expanded and repaired the post roads, moving the entire Yongchang territory southward and forcing You Shilong to move west to Lishui.

Once You Shilong goes to Lishui, the high mountains and dense forests between Lishui and Yongchang will become an obstacle for both armies. The Han army only needs to focus its defenses on Yongchang to resolve the external threat.

The remaining internal troubles among the barbarians can be resolved gradually through other means.

The generals had no objections, and Gao Pian then set the date for the expedition as August 25th.

In comparison, Nanzhao at this time was truly beset by internal and external troubles...

(End of this chapter)