Late Han Zhao Tang

Cao Cao seized Jingzhou in less than two months through a surprise attack and betrayal of his allies. Zhang Yu, far away in Chang'an, was always a step behind in processing information. Now, with information gathered from all sides, Zhang Yu and his decision-makers not only clarified the course of events but also decided to take advantage of the turmoil in Jingzhou to make a move.

For example, Jia Xu once accompanied Li Song south to Jiangling, and then proposed a new strategy to Zhang Yu to destroy Cao Cao.

In his memorial, he argued that if the military campaigns were launched without success, it would damage the prestige of the Tang dynasty both internally and externally, and would also deplete the treasury and provisions. Therefore, only a strategy to destroy Cao Cao could be employed before military action could be taken.

To be absolutely certain of the inevitable annihilation of the Southeast, there are generally three things that must be done.

Firstly, although Yi and Jing provinces share the Yangtze River, there is currently no waterway connecting the two provinces. Therefore, if the upstream and downstream waterways could be opened up, and the three strategic passes of Yufu, Zigui, and Yiling could be traversed, then the naval forces of Yi and Jing could easily join forces and cross the Yangtze River southward to Jingchu!
Secondly, we should stockpile provisions to supply the army. Jiangling has the Ju and Zhang rivers, which irrigate thousands of acres of fertile land; Jiangxia and Anlu have ponds and fertile fields suitable for cultivation. Therefore, we can select strong and capable men to train the navy, while the elderly and weak cultivate the fields. With both land and water agriculture, and grain transported from the north to the south, military supplies will not be lacking.

Thirdly, by occupying strategic locations such as Yiling and Xiakou, grain could be transported down the river for supply, making the southern rebels aware that the government troops were poised for a prolonged siege. They also continuously spread rumors, urging Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to recruit Liu Bei's former troops and to contact the Chu barbarians as internal allies.

If the above three conditions can be met, when the main army marches south, the Chu barbarians will attack from within, while elite troops will quell the external attacks. With the combined forces of Yi and Jing, the area above Xiakou can be captured, and the prefectures and counties outside Yangzhou will be difficult to defend.

While Cao Cao was attacking Yangzhou, the central army marched south to Shouchun, and the naval forces of Yi and Jing attacked Chaisang. The two armies combined their strength to defeat him, and Huainan could not be held. With Huainan recovered, the southeast was in grave danger, and Cao Cao's death seemed imminent!
Jia Xu's strategy for conquering the south was meticulously planned, with each step revealing a cautious approach to war, which greatly pleased Zhang Yu.

As Jia Xu said, Zhang Yu's southern expedition was a matter of life and death for the Tang dynasty, and he could only win, not lose. If his military might was thwarted, not only would soldiers die and supplies be wasted, but the prestige of the newly established Tang dynasty would also be shaken.

Therefore, after discussions between Zhang Yu, Xun You, Zhong Yao, Li Song, and other high-ranking officials, they decided to follow Jia Xu's strategy of conquering the south and prepare for the southern expedition to the southeast.

First, he ordered Hao Zhao, the governor of Jingzhou, and Wen Ping, the commander of Nanjun, to launch a military campaign against Yiling the following spring to eliminate the enemy forces north of the Yangtze River. He then ordered Gao Shun, the commander of Yizhou, and Guo Huai, the commander of Jiangzhou, to march east and open up the waterways between the two prefectures, so that they could join forces with Generals Hao and Wen at Yiling.

Furthermore, following Xun You's advice, they sent Huan Jie, a man from Chu, to write a letter to persuade Wu Ju to surrender, hoping to see if Wu Ju could defect to Tang.

The initial strategy for the southern campaign was discussed for three days, with Zhang Yu summoning more than ten high-ranking officials to consult before all matters were properly arranged.

Once things were going smoothly for the southern expedition, Zhang Yu reviewed the national household registration records archived by the Ministry of Personnel before the end of the year.

Since the counties of Yizhou had just surrendered, there was no time to verify the household registrations, so the population from the previous Sun family's reign was used as a reference. There were 200,000 households and 900,000 commoners. The former soldiers and officials totaled 117,000, so the total number was slightly over one million.

Because Chinese household registration was compiled once when a ruler was crowned, the data, though fluctuating, is not significant. The main population change was due to the relocation of approximately 10,000 to 20,000 families of former Yuan Shao and Yuan Shuyan's followers, as well as those of Tao Shang and Zang Ba, to the capital region and Longyou area.

If the number of registered households in the three prefectures of Hebei remains unchanged, it will remain at just over 400,000, with a population of around 2 million. The number of registered households in the three prefectures of Yong, Sili, and Bing will rise to over 560,000, with a population approaching 2.8 million.

Although many people from Xu, Qing, Yu, and Jing prefectures were relocated to the Guanzhong region, the number of households decreased only slightly because most of them concealed their household registrations. The number of households remained around 700,000.

If we include Liangzhou with its 50,000 households, the total number of households in the country has now reached 1.86 million, with a population of over 9.4 million, approaching the 10 million mark.

Zhang Yu reviewed the household registration records of various prefectures and counties and said, "The empire is divided into four parts, and I own three. However, the population is less than ten million, which shows that many household registrations are being concealed. Starting next year, the Ministry of Personnel must urge all prefectures to verify their household registration records."

"Your Majesty, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, China has been engulfed in war, and the people have been displaced. Powerful families have seized strongholds and taken in the people, who are forced to become servants and slaves in order to survive. Therefore, in my opinion, Your Majesty should conduct a thorough review of the household registers and issue another decree to emancipate slaves."

Cui Yan said, “Last year, Your Majesty ordered the release of slaves in Hebei. Although it had some effect, it did not address the root cause. Now, it is appropriate to issue another decree to release slaves, and make the performance evaluation of the prefectural and county officials based on the number of slaves released. Those who fail to meet the requirements should be dismissed from their posts. With the strict enforcement of the law, the population will increase year by year.”

In the second year of the Shenwu era, at Cui Yan's suggestion, Zhang Yu issued an edict to release slaves in Hebei, primarily targeting those who had been sold into slavery during the Yuan Shao era or enslaved due to war. From last year to this year, approximately 30,000 elderly and weak slaves were released from slavery in Hebei, showing some positive results.

Now that Sichuan and Chongqing have been pacified, Cui Yan, the Minister of Revenue, hopes to expand the scope of the Emancipation Edict to extend it to all prefectures and counties across the country.

“The world is not at peace today, yet we order the release of slaves in the prefectures and counties. I fear this will displease the powerful and influential families!” Zhong Yao worriedly said.

"No!"

Cui Yan, undaunted by Prime Minister Zhong Yao, spoke frankly: "The world is now at peace, and Your Majesty's military prowess is renowned throughout the land. Mountain bandits and clansmen tremble with fear at the mere mention of your name. Therefore, if we do not seize this opportunity, I wonder when the Prime Minister intends to do so?"

As he spoke, Cui Yan bowed to Zhang Yu and said, “When Emperor Guangwu was not yet in control of the empire, he issued several edicts to release slaves. After conquering Ba and Shu, he issued six more edicts to release slaves, which led to a surge in the number of people leaving the country. Since Your Majesty began ruling China, you have only issued an edict to release slaves at the beginning of last year. Your Majesty founded this empire; how could you possibly be inferior to Emperor Guangwu?” Liu Xiu, who came from a small landowning family, was well aware of the situation of hidden slaves among the people. Therefore, Liu Xiu was very proactive in releasing slaves, issuing edicts to release slaves for three consecutive years, and the scope of the releases continued to expand.

For example, when Liu Xiu destroyed Gongsun Shu, he issued a special edict to pardon the slaves in Bashu based on the large number of slaves in the region, thus encouraging them to defect.

Therefore, considering the current situation, Zhang Yu chose to adopt Cui Yan's suggestion and continue to increase the efforts to release slaves, saying: "China is vast, with hundreds of prefectures, but the population is sparse, and there must be hidden slaves among them. Now that the world is at peace, I should release slaves extensively for the sake of the people."

"An edict is issued to the seven provinces of Yin, Hai, You, Bing, Si, Yong, and Liang, all those who have been enslaved since the end of the Han Dynasty shall be freed and restored to commoners, and those who were sold shall not be returned their money. Those who have been enslaved due to war in the six provinces of Yan, Yu, Qing, Xu, Jing, and Yi, or those who are involved in lawsuits but are not condemned to death, shall all be pardoned. The above-mentioned people are permitted to return to their hometowns on their own, and the prefectures and counties shall not obstruct them. Those powerful clans and wealthy families who obstruct them shall be punished for resisting the law."

"An edict was issued in Shu that all government slaves aged 65 and above must be released. All public and private slaves aged 70 and above shall be redeemed by the local government and made commoners."

"Those prisoners captured during the southern expedition to Sichuan and Chongqing and put into official captivity will be freed and returned to civilian life. Those who were conscripted as soldiers or slaves will be redeemed by the government for half the amount of money and will be allowed to return to their hometowns on their own!"

Zhang Yu looked at the assembled officials and asked, "Is there anything lacking in the above edict on the release of slaves?"

Du Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Although His Majesty's pardon of slaves is extensive, it has not reached the common people. It would be better to issue an edict to the villages and towns, ordering the village heads and elders to investigate and conceal people, and punish those who conceal five households."

Zhong Yao frowned and said, "Your Majesty's decree to release slaves is already harsh, and now it also affects the common people. It should not be implemented in parallel, lest bandits rise up throughout the country."

"The Prime Minister's words are cautious; we should heed them!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "The edict to release slaves covers all thirteen provinces in the empire. We can observe the situation first and then issue the edict accordingly."

In agrarian societies, slavery persisted due to insufficient productivity. The central rulers and their officials were particularly averse to those they could not control. Therefore, founding emperors who aspired to great achievements invariably prioritized pardoning slaves.

Not to mention that Liu Xiu issued six edicts to pardon slaves, even Liu Bang released slaves multiple times after founding the dynasty, though the effects varied. The period with the loosest control over slaves was undoubtedly the Wei and Jin dynasties in history, thus, under such relaxed slave management, the Wei and Jin dynasties can be described as a feast for the aristocratic class.

The Wei and Jin aristocratic families grew stronger due to the relaxation of slave control. As for their decline, there were many factors. One was the continuous war in the north, which led to the continuous weakening of the northern aristocratic families, while the southern aristocratic families gradually rose in power.

Secondly, the long-term appeasement and suppression of the northern gentry by foreign rulers, along with the constant changes in power, all served as a reshuffling for the gentry. Furthermore, the foreign rulers' lack of support for the northern gentry and their reluctance to cooperate further contributed to the continuous weakening of the Central Plains gentry.

Thirdly, although the South was ruled by Han Chinese dynasties, each dynastic change and the blows brought by the two large-scale rebellions of Sun En and Hou Jing led to the fragmentation of the Southern gentry. The emergence of commoner military men and high-ranking officials further weakened the gentry.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, prolonged warfare led to the abandonment of vast tracts of land. Furthermore, the allocation of land to soldiers fostered a powerful force of commoners during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, who formed a strong foundation for the Fubing system (a military system based on conscription). However, with the development of the commodity economy in the Tang Dynasty, these commoners gradually differentiated, monopolizing land and forming a new class of large landowners.

Therefore, throughout the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, only the Eastern Jin Dynasty was a true aristocratic dynasty. Subsequent dynasties continuously cracked down on aristocratic families and powerful clans, and supported commoner landlords.

Zhang Yu had a basic understanding of Wei-Jin society. Although he implemented the so-called aristocratic tax, his purpose was to collect taxes in disguise. However, this did not mean that he allowed his dynasty to be controlled by aristocratic families and for them to monopolize all social classes. Therefore, the release of slaves was a necessary step.

While the freeing of slaves is a necessary task, the method of freeing them requires skill. It is impossible to free all slaves at once, and freeing all slaves is unrealistic.

For example, those who became slaves of Tang soldiers during the Tang unification wars could not be pardoned because they were part of Zhang Yu's core faction. Those enslaved for generations formed a long-term vassal relationship with the gentry, and the Tang court lacked a legal basis for their release. Those who had been forced into slavery since the end of the Han dynasty were among the better targets for release by the Tang court.

"His Majesty!"

Zhong Yao suggested, “When Emperor Guangwu conquered Shu, he issued several edicts to pardon the slaves in Shu. Now, the people of the southeast are devoted to Cao Cao. In my opinion, Your Majesty could issue an edict that, starting now, those who appeal to the government can be registered as citizens. When our army marches south, it may be able to incite the Wu slaves to revolt.”

"The Prime Minister's suggestion is feasible!"

After considering for a moment, Zhang Yu said, "Have the officials of Jing, Yu, and Xu provinces contact the soldiers and civilians in the southeast to see if there are any who have surrendered."

Cao Cao's policies in the southeast followed the systems implemented in the Central Plains, still employing the military-agricultural colony system and the gentry system. Therefore, the issuance of this edict would strike at Cao Cao's Achilles' heel. (End of Chapter)