Late Han Zhao Tang

The fifth year of Shenwu, March.

"Two years ago, the army marched south to conquer Shu, which cost more than one million shi of grain and another twenty million qian of money for military expenses. Fortunately, Shu was rich and prosperous. After capturing Chengdu, the treasury was opened to reward the soldiers and generals who made meritorious contributions."

Yu Yi assessed the army's expenses and said, "Your Majesty has now mobilized nearly 300,000 troops for the southern expedition, and the number of laborers to be employed is no less than 300,000. Fortunately, supplies can be transported by ship to the south. I estimate that the southern expedition will take eight months. I have prepared 5 million shi of grain to be stored in the four prefectures of Yi, Jing, Yu, and Xu, and prepared 200,000 bolts of silk and brocade. I have also reserved 20 million coins for unforeseen needs."

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "The number of households in the imperial court is less than two million. Last year, the tax revenue was more than four million shi of grain, more than three hundred thousand bolts of silk and hemp, and two billion coins were paid from salt and iron taxes. This year, we are launching a military campaign to the south, which will cost almost a year's worth of the national budget."

Before the liberation of slaves, Zhang Tang had approximately 1.86 million registered households, with a total population of no more than ten million. Last year, all fiscal revenues, when tallied and converted to cash, amounted to roughly four billion. Of this, household taxes and commercial taxes totaled two billion, with salt and iron taxes making up the remaining half.

Forty billion in fiscal revenue may seem like a lot, but it's simply not enough for Zhang Tang, who needs money everywhere. This southern expedition to destroy Cao Cao has already used over twenty billion in military provisions and supplies. The largest expenditure was on provisions; five million shi of military provisions alone cost fifteen billion in procurement, not even counting other auxiliary expenses.

Therefore, Zhang Yu's statement that the southern expedition cost several times the national treasury's annual expenditure was not an exaggeration, but rather actual expenditure data.

Yu Yi gave a wry smile and said, "This year, the monthly salaries of all officials will be suspended, and the income and expenditure of their fiefs will be diverted. If our dynasty cannot unify the southeast, we may need to rest for several years before we have enough money to support a large army's southern expedition."

Zhang Yu said, "The salaries of officials below the rank of 1,000 shi will be paid as usual, but officials above the rank of 1,000 shi will receive half of their salaries. The monthly salaries of officials above the rank of 2,000 shi and concubines in the harem will be suspended. Half of the salaries will be paid at the autumn harvest, and the owed salaries will be paid together with next year's salaries."

"May the Prime Minister comfort the high-ranking officials in the country and hope that they will stand with the court and do their utmost to recover the southeast."

"Yes, sir!" Zhong Yao replied.

"Your Majesty, will this year's imperial examinations be held as scheduled?" Du Ji asked.

"The imperial examination is a grand ceremony for selecting officials. The imperial court is located in the southeast. With the existing officials in China, how can they fill the positions in the southern prefectures and counties?"

Zhang Yu rose from the couch and said, "Moreover, the officials of our dynasty are of mixed quality. In the past, due to the initial peace of the country, there were few outstanding individuals who were well-versed in Confucian classics, and I reluctantly appointed them. Now that the country is unified, the court should eliminate inferior officials and appoint virtuous ones to office."

In the context of the early days of peace after a period of chaos, it was unlikely that any scholar capable of passing the provincial and prefectural examinations and participating in the imperial examinations would be from a commoner family. Most were scions of aristocratic families, or at the very least, scholars from families that had fallen on hard times.

Therefore, for Zhang Yu, the purpose of the annual imperial examination was to get rid of the old ways of the protégés and former officials left over from the Han Dynasty, and to help him to rectify local governance and promote the imperial decrees to the whole country.

In truth, governing the country well requires not only wise rulers and ministers, but also capable local officials who can effectively govern the people. Punishing local bullies and ruffians, ensuring the people's peaceful lives, cultivating abandoned fields, and maintaining stability for several years are necessary to put the country on the right track. When life becomes prosperous and people have hope for the future, the population will naturally multiply.

As he spoke, Zhang Yu remembered something and asked, "Since the edict to release slaves was issued last year, what is the situation in the local prefectures and counties?"

"Your Majesty," Du Ji reported, "according to the recent statistics from the Ministry of Revenue, since the issuance of the edict on the release of slaves, more than 310,000 people have been released. In accordance with Your Majesty's edict, slaves are permitted to return to their hometowns on their own and be allocated land. Those without homes are grouped into households of three women and two men. Men are allocated 100 mu of land, and women are allocated 40 mu of arable land, in order to facilitate tax collection and defense."

Since Zhang Tang levied taxes on a household basis, men and women without wives or husbands would be arranged by the government to live together and pay taxes together. Furthermore, the government was obligated to grant land to all registered residents.

For example, a male adult or middle-aged man would be granted 100 mu of land, and a female adult would be granted 40 mu of land. The female adult's land would be transferred upon marriage. If a household owned 140 mu of land, and had adult children, the government would grant additional land according to the population.

If a household owns 104 mu of land, it is classified as a lower-middle or lower-upper household according to the household ranking system. The lower-lower households are generally widows or families that have been granted less than 60 mu of land.

Although the law stipulated a land allocation system, the population and land distribution varied across different prefectures. In the Central Plains, where the population was sparse, each household would certainly receive a sufficient amount of land. In Shu, which had experienced less warfare and had a dense population, the amount of land allocated would differ.

"This year's policies remain unchanged, and the Emancipation Edict will continue to be implemented. An edict has also been issued to all prefectures and counties in the Central Plains, ordering that all fortified villages must be dismantled and no one is allowed to keep them. Those who have not dismantled their fortified villages by the end of next year will be punished for the crime of privately hoarding weapons and plotting rebellion," Zhang Yu said in a deep voice.

"Your subject obeys!" Du Ji replied.

When the three-tiered, nine-level household tax system was first designed, there were concerns that imposing excessive taxes on wealthy households would provoke resistance. Therefore, Zhang Yu adopted Jia Xu's strategy of gradually increasing taxes by slowly boiling the frog in water. The key to preventing wealthy households from defying the court lay in whether or not to dismantle the fortified villages.

Every dynasty that came to power legitimately conducted land surveys and population checks. However, the only major upheaval was the land survey incident during the reign of Emperor Liu Xiu. Although the rebellion sparked by Liu Xiu's land survey was suppressed under his strong measures, the reason why the rebellion escalated further may have been related to the powerful clans' reliance on their fortified villages.

Subsequently, the founding emperors of the Sui and Tang dynasties all issued edicts to dismantle fortified villages as soon as the country was at peace, followed by large-scale inspections and the implementation of the household registration system. Zhu Yuanzhang was even more radical, sending soldiers to verify households. In Zhu Yuanzhang's words, "checking households and comparing their records," those who matched were good people, and those who didn't were sent to the army.

Regardless of which plan Zhang Yu adopts later, the powerful clans and wealthy families must be forced to dismantle their fortified villages so that the court can strengthen its control over the local powerful clans.

Zhang Yu looked around at everyone and asked, "Is there anything else important to report today?"

"Your Majesty, regarding the matter of the southern expedition, I still have some doubts!" ​​Tian Feng stepped forward, holding his scepter, and said.

“If you have any doubts, please speak freely!” Zhang Yu said.

"Your Majesty, since our army raided the southeast last year, the southern people have not dared to lay down their armor. Their ships and troops are fully prepared, and the soldiers and civilians are exhausted. However, despite this, the southern campaign should not be rushed. I believe that the main force should move later." Tian Feng looked worried and said, "We can order the detachment to make advance and secretly observe the movements of Cao Cao's troops."

"What do you mean by saying this?" Zhang Yu asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

Compared to Yuan Shao's autocratic approach, Zhang Yu was more likely to listen to the opinions of his advisors. Especially in matters concerning the southern expedition, Zhang Yu basically allowed the Privy Council to plan independently, at most inquiring about military operations and related strategic ideas.

Tian Feng glanced at Xun You and Jia Xu and said, "In my opinion, Cao Cao may not be misled by our army's deployment and station his troops in Huainan. Instead, he may deploy them in Jingzhou to ensure the peace of Jingchu."

"Could you please elaborate?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu seemed to be deep in thought, sat up straight, and asked.

Tian Feng boldly stated, "My views differ from those of Lord Jia. Lord Jia intends to deploy a large force in Huainan to lure Cao Cao into leading his troops to meet him. He also wants General Wen Yuan to lead troops to attack Jingchu from the southeast, seize the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and then capture Jinling downstream. However, if Lord Jia understands the importance of Jingzhou, how could Cao Cao not know?"

"To be honest, Huainan has a dense network of waterways, and the Han Canal freezes over in winter due to strong winds. Cao Cao abandoned Huainan, and our army entered Huainan, but our boats could not cross Chaohu Lake or the Han Canal. What use was it to stand on foot and sigh at the river?"

"But the river in Jingzhou is different; it doesn't freeze in winter, so if boats can sail down the river to defeat the enemy, and the army can cross the river, they will be invincible in the southern Chu prefectures. Cao Cao has been stationed in the southeast for a long time; how could he not know the importance of Jingzhou?"

Tian Feng said, "Therefore, I believe Cao Cao will first defend Jingzhou, repel our Jing and Yi naval forces, and then return to aid Huainan to relieve the military threat. Judging from this, Your Majesty may need to carefully consider your strategy if you wish to conquer the southeast." Tian Feng, along with Jia Xu, Xun You, and other strategists of the Privy Council, all knew the importance of Jingzhou. Therefore, Jia Xu and Xun You deployed the armies of Xu Huang and Li Song in Huainan, with a total force of 150,000, hoping that Cao Cao would lead his troops to fight them on land due to the superior numbers of the two armies.

However, Tian Feng believed that since everyone knew Jingzhou was important, how could Cao Cao not defend Jingchu upstream?
As for Huainan, Tian Feng listed the advantages and climate of Huainan, explaining that Huainan was less important than Jingzhou. Even if they swept through Huainan, they would eventually be blocked by Cao Cao's army on the north bank of the river because they had no boats to cross it.

Zhang Yu looked at Jia Xu and Xun You and asked, "What differing opinions do you two have?"

Xun You hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have heard about the ice on the Han Canal. But if we let the soldiers and civilians break the ice, we should be able to clear the waterway."

"The Han Canal is different from the waterways in Hebei. It was built during the Spring and Autumn Period. King Fuchai connected the lakes in Huaidong so that the Wu army could enter the Huai River directly. The Han Canal is a complex waterway. In summer and winter, strong winds cause the river to dry up. At that time, boats would be unable to move forward or backward because the river would freeze."

Tian Feng said, "Last year, I thoroughly investigated the climate of Huainan and learned that the geography and water conditions of Huainan are complex. It is difficult for our troops to quickly descend into Huainan and to guide boats into the Yangtze River."

Jia Xu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “I have failed to thoroughly investigate the geography and water conditions of Huainan. I thought that since the southern land is hot and the Yangtze and Han rivers flow endlessly, the Han Canal would be navigable year-round. If the Han Canal freezes and becomes impassable, boats on the Huai River will have difficulty entering the Yangtze River, which will inevitably delay military operations.”

Zhang Yu stroked his mustache, searching his mind for relevant historical battles to see if they could corroborate Tian Feng's account.

When Cao Pi launched his southern campaign against Eastern Wu, he once sailed south along the Han Canal. However, it seems that the canal froze due to the cold weather and the drop in water level, causing the boats to become stuck. Later, Jiang Ji took charge of the navy and broke the ice to allow the boats to enter the Huai River.

Looking at the Jin dynasty's conquest of Eastern Wu, its smooth progress was perhaps related to Cao Wei's occupation of Huainan. With a large army deployed in Huainan, eyeing Jiangdong with predatory intent, and with no major general stationed in Jingzhou upstream, Eastern Wu was ultimately destroyed by the Western Jin.

Now, Huainan, which serves as a buffer zone, is in Cao Cao's hands, preventing the Central Plains troops from directly threatening Jinling. In particular, the strategically important cities of Shouchun and Huaiyin along the way pose no threat to Jiangdong unless they can be captured within a month.

"What are your thoughts, Tian Qing?" Zhang Yu asked.

"Your Majesty, I have two strategies for you to choose from!" Tian Feng said.

Tian Feng spoke frankly, saying, "First, Your Majesty should first order Generals Xu and Li to seize Huainan. At that time, Cao Cao will lead troops to aid them. Then, General Wen Yuan should lead troops to attack Jingchu. Once Jingchu falls, the army upstream can then attack the downstream, and we can take advantage of the situation to seize Jinling and cut off Cao Cao's retreat."

"Secondly, Your Majesty orders General Wen Yuan to march out of Hankou and confront Cao Cao at Guishan in Xiakou. The troops of Yizhou are to sail down the river and capture Yidao and Gong'an. Generals Li and Xu are to abandon their attacks on Shouchun and Huaiyin and lead their troops directly to Hefei and Guangling, forcing Shouchun and Huaiyin to surrender. Once Huainan surrenders, light boats will cross the river, and Jinling will be able to surrender!"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and then asked, "Yuan Hao's insights are remarkable. I wonder what Gongda and Wenhe think?"

Xun You said, "Tian Jun's previous strategy is similar to the original plan. I think we should adopt the former and order Zhang Liao to postpone the southern expedition to wait for the movement of the Huainan troops."

"inappropriate!"

Jia Xu shook his head and said, "Our army has two advantages over the southeast: first, our forces are large, and second, we are advancing on multiple fronts. Delaying Zhang Liao's southern campaign would give us time to allow Cao Cao to defeat our central army."

"After listening to Tian Jun's opinion, I humbly believe that it would be better to continue with multiple routes, ordering Zhang Liao to go out of Hankou to block Cao Cao's troops coming to the west to reinforce Jingzhou. Meanwhile, let Gao Shun and Guo Huai command the land and naval forces of Yizhou to go out of the Three Gorges. If they can defeat Cao Ren's navy, they can join forces with Zhang Liao to attack Cao Cao together."

"Generals Xu Huang and Li Song might as well follow Tian Jun's strategy and take advantage of Cao Cao's westward turn to quickly conquer the cities of Huainan. If the army reaches Chaohu, wouldn't it be convenient to cross the river?"

Zhang Yu lightly patted the gold-inlaid jade armrest and said, "The sea is unobstructed and invincible. I wonder if we can send troops out to sea, enter the Yangtze River estuary again, take advantage of the situation to seize the southeastern counties, and drive the troops straight to Nanjing, making the enemies on all sides fearful!"

"The surprise attack should coordinate with the main force. Your Majesty should write a letter to Xu Huang so that Xu Huang can give orders on the spot!" Tian Feng said.

"Can!"

After considering for a long time, Zhang Yu said, "Zhang Liao will remain in command of the main army. Therefore, we will follow Tian Qing's strategy and have Zhang Liao restrain Cao Cao. Cao Cao is cunning and treacherous, so we should not underestimate him. We will appoint Wenhe as Protector of the Army and send him south to assist Zhang Liao."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu emphasized, "Wenhe, if any soldiers from the southeast surrender, Zhang Liao is not allowed to take them into his camp. Furthermore, all surrendered soldiers from the southeast must go ashore and are not allowed to remain on the river."

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's strange edict, Jia Xu realized what was going on and asked, "Is Your Majesty worried that Cao Cao is sending someone to feign surrender?"

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "Although I am not familiar with naval warfare, I know that fire attacks are a powerful weapon in naval warfare. If Zhang Liao holds his ground and refuses to fight, I fear that Cao Cao will send someone to feign surrender and open the camp gates to burn the ships. If the ships are burned, Zhang Liao's army will surely be defeated!"

The feigned surrender and burning of ships was a tactic used by the Eastern Wu in the Battle of Red Cliffs. Now, Zhang Yu is worried that Cao Cao will use the feigned surrender tactic in turn.

Jia Xu noted down Zhang Yu's instructions and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty's command will be remembered!"

"good!"

Zhang Yu then looked at Tian Feng and said, "Li Bosong is good at accepting advice. Now, I trouble you, Minister Tian, ​​to go south to Li Song's army and give him the strategy for the southern expedition. Li Song has a large number of troops under his command. If there are any mistakes in the deployment, I trouble you to assist in the deployment of troops."

"Your subject obeys!" Tian Feng replied happily.

Compared to serving as a strategist under Yuan Shao, it's far more pleasant to serve Zhang Yu now. Zhang Yu has the ability to judge the merits of military strategies, and he's acting decisively right now. Not only has he directly adopted Zhang Yu's strategies, but he's also been appointed as Protector of the Army, participating in troop deployment.

"As for Xu Huang?"

Zhang Yu looked at everyone and said, "Do not establish a military commander for the time being. Be sure to tell Xu Huang that although his troops are few, they may still be able to achieve great feats."

With military arrangements in place, Zhang Yu rose from his imperial couch and addressed the assembled officials, saying, "Whether the world can be unified depends on this year. I hope you will all exert yourselves to share in this prosperous and wealthy era."

"promise!"

P.S.: I'm having a bit of writer's block today, so I'll only be updating 4k words a day for now. My back feels good today, so I'll make up for last time with three updates tomorrow. (End of Chapter)