Late Han Zhao Tang

"Commander-in-Chief, you have rendered meritorious service in the destruction of a nation. Now that you have returned home to receive your reward, I, Song, would like to extend my congratulations to you!"

On the Yangtze River, a fierce wind howled, and sails gathered, heading west against the current. Meanwhile, at Caishiji, Zhang Liao, Jia Xu, and other Tang military officers and officials were about to board ships to return home, with Yangzhou Governor Li Song leading his troops to see them off.

After destroying the pseudo-Han regime, besides leaving 30,000 troops in Lisong to suppress the remnants of the pseudo-Han forces, the remaining troops were sent back to the country in batches to escort the pseudo-Han emperor and his officials to Guanzhong.

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Liao was in a very good mood and returned Li Song's greeting with a smile, saying, "It's just a matter of time; I should be the one congratulating Bo Song then. Now that Your Majesty has placed you in a position of great importance and has left to govern the various prefectures of Yangzhou, there is something I must inform Bo Song of!"

"Please enlighten me, Commander."

Zhang Liao walked side by side with Li Song and said, "There are many Yue people in Jiangdong. When Cao Cao governed Jiangdong, although he recruited Yue people from the mountains to serve him, the mountains and ridges of the various prefectures are continuous, and the valleys and forests are intertwined, with many Yue people hiding in them. They are mostly scattered, but live in small groups. They like to practice martial arts and rely on the mountain's natural defenses. I wonder what plan you intend to use to govern them?"

Li Song pondered for a moment and said, "Taking military force and appeasement should be carried out simultaneously. The mountains and forests are not like the plains, with little grain and scarce resources. Perhaps we can entice the mountain people to register their households by offering light taxes and corvée labor. I wonder what the Commander-in-Chief thinks?"

Zhang Liao said, “When I pacified Jinling, I asked Xun Yu about the conditions of the people in Jiangdong. He said that there are two major problems in Jiangdong: first, the powerful clans and tyrants in the various prefectures; second, the bandits and thieves in the mountains and rivers. As the governor of Yangzhou, you have been ordered by His Majesty to pacify the region, so these two problems cannot be ignored. The bandits and thieves should be dealt with by force, and the powerful clans and tyrants should be dealt with by law.”

Li Song nodded slightly and said, "I wholeheartedly agree with what the Commander-in-Chief said about having two children. Fortunately, Cao Cao governs the powerful clans and their retainers strictly with the calendar, so the powerful clans in the various prefectures dare not act recklessly. Now that I am governing Yangzhou, I should suppress the strong and support the weak, so that the powerful clans will not dare to run rampant."

"As for the Shanyue?"

After a pause, Li Song said, “The Shanyue people live in remote and deep-rooted areas, and their hearts are not yet at peace, so the people cannot live in peace. Therefore, I want to select a local man as a general to lead an expedition against the Shanyue people, so that the people can be moved to the coast and populate the two provinces of Qing and Xu. I think Your Majesty will be very pleased.”

“China is devastated. The population of a single prefecture is less than that of a single county. If we could gain tens of thousands of mountain families, would Your Majesty not be pleased?” Zhang Liao said with a smile.

"Thank you for your parting words, Commander-in-Chief!" Li Song said gratefully.

"You're welcome!"

Li Song, mindful of the treatment of his former subordinates, asked, "Your Majesty previously declared the execution of the Cao family's three clans, but the Commander-in-Chief arbitrarily pardoned them. I wonder how Your Majesty will handle this?"

Zhang Liao said, "His Majesty is magnanimous and has not blamed me. As for the former members of the Cao family?"

As he spoke, Zhang Liao smiled and said, "Fortunately, His Majesty is benevolent and pardoned their past crimes, but they have all changed their surname to Zhang. They are not allowed to return to the Central Plains and have been exiled to the Western Sea to serve as a border guard. Xiahou will not change his name, but his crime and punishment are the same, and he will be exiled to Liangzhou with him."

"Nearly ten thousand members of the Cao clan and their families, along with ten thousand members of the Ding and Xiahou clans, will be relocated to remote border areas such as Xihai and Shanshan. Their punishment will be worse than death!" Li Song said gleefully.

The Cao family of Qiao County and their related clans, such as the Xiahou and Ding families, were all relocated to the Xihai Lake in the Hehuang region and Shanshan County in the Western Regions. The punishment was not as severe as physical extermination, but it would cause these people to suffer for decades to come.

After all, traveling from Jiangdong to remote places tens of thousands of miles away, some of the elderly and weak might not be able to endure it and would likely die along the way. Even if they eventually reached the border regions, they would have to start all over again, requiring more than ten or even decades of hard work to establish a foothold in the local area.

Zhang Liao said, "Your Majesty originally intended to execute them all, but considering that the border people are few and the Cao, Xiahou, Ding and other clans are knowledgeable in the classics and fond of martial arts, and that they can be moved to the border to reclaim wasteland for the country, Your Majesty pardoned their death sentence."

In the Tang Code, the death penalty was the most severe punishment, followed by exile. Therefore, Zhang Yu's punishment was a demotion, and he met the requirements for surrender and pardon from the death penalty, leaving Xun Yu, Lu Su, and their ilk with nothing to say.

As he spoke, Zhang Liao patted Li Song on the shoulder and said, "When I return to the capital this time, I will first move the false Han emperor and his officials and their families to Guanzhong. I will then trouble you to provide provisions and supplies for my troops, clansmen, and retainers!"

"good!"

After discussing other matters with Li Song, Zhang Liao, along with Jia Xu, Zhao Yun, and other generals, boarded a boat and returned to Jingzhou, intending to take the Wuguan Pass back to Chang'an. Liu Bei and his two brothers, having been summoned by Zhang Yu, accompanied Zhang Liao on the journey.

The army's ships sailed upstream to Xiangyang, then switched to land routes to head north. At that time, Zhuge Liang happened to be inspecting Xinye in Nanyang, so he went to pay his respects to the victorious generals.

"As the governor, why are you in Nanyang instead of residing in Jiangling to manage affairs?" Zhang Liao, still holding the position of military and political commander of Jingzhou, questioned Zhuge Liang's unexplained appearance in Nanyang. "Reporting to the commander," Zhuge Liang replied, "Nanyang is bordered by mountains and contains lakes and marshes. It connects to Wuguan Pass in the west and receives the Jianghuai River in the east, making it a crucial hub. The prefecture boasts vast fertile fields, supporting a million people. However, since the end of the Han Dynasty, water conservancy has been neglected, leading to frequent droughts and floods. I have come to Nanyang to oversee water conservancy projects!"

Zhuge Liang cupped his hands and said, “When Duke Shao governed Nanyang, he set up dozens of water gates and dikes to irrigate the fields. The number of irrigation canals increased year by year, reaching as many as 30,000 hectares. The people benefited from this and accumulated more than enough. After my exploration, I have found that by using the old canals as a base, we can draw water from the Zhi and Yu rivers into the fields, which can irrigate an additional 10,000 hectares of farmland.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao became very interested. He had thought that Zhuge Liang was unreliable due to his young age, but he did not expect that Zhuge Liang was so pragmatic and developed water conservancy in his first year in office.

“Nanyang has a prosperous population. By repairing the canals, irrigating the fields, and allowing the people to rest, it can be well governed. But I ask you, my lord, how can the water-rich lands of Jingnan be governed?” Zhang Liao asked.

Zhuge Liang composed himself and said, “Water is the foundation of agriculture and commerce. Fields become fertile with water, and fertile fields produce abundant grains. Goods flow smoothly with water, and smooth flow makes people prosperous. Therefore, Nanyang is a major city, and we should facilitate the exchange of goods between Jiangdong and Nanchu.”

“In the past, if people from the Southern Chu wanted to reach Nanyang, they had to go to Mengze and then take the Yang River or the Han River to reach Nanyang. But Liang has a good idea and wants to dredge the Yangkou River to Baling, so that the Xia River can be connected with the Yuan and Xiang Rivers and then pass through the Yangtze River. This way, goods from the Southern Chu can reach Yangkou directly, and the Yangtze River can be divided into north and south when it is flooded.”

The Yangshui River connects the Yangtze and Han Rivers, flowing roughly in a northeast-southwest direction. After Zhuge Liang's repairs, he dredged the gushing waters of Yunmengze, diverting the Yangshui River to Baling (present-day Yueyang City) on the banks of the Yangtze. The Yuan and Xiang Rivers converge at Baling, allowing the waters to flow upstream into the Yangshui River, and then to the Han River. This route avoided detouring through Xiakou and Jinling, greatly saving time and facilitating trade between the north and south of Jingzhou.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao looked at Liu Bei, who was sitting beside him, and asked, "Lord Xuande, what do you think of the waterway that Lord Ge mentioned?"

Looking at the young Zhuge Liang with such a grand vision, Liu Bei exclaimed, "Lord Ge is well-versed in the waterways of Jingzhou. If all the waters were to converge at Baling, merchants could travel freely, and the river water could irrigate the barren fields. In the long run, Baling would surely become a major metropolis, no less powerful than Jiangling and Changsha."

After saying this, Liu Bei sighed inwardly at the abundance of talent in Jingzhou, which had produced brilliant strategists like Pang Tong and statesmen like Zhuge Liang. It was a pity that neither of them could be employed by him, but instead served the Tang Dynasty. He finally encountered the outstanding Li Yan, but Li Yan betrayed him due to his wickedness and greed for fame and fortune.

Zhang Liao stroked his beard and said in a gentle tone, "The Five Streams Prefecture has been established in the southwest, and officials from all levels are barbarians. As the governor, you should take this to heart."

Zhuge Liang replied, “Five rivers flow through Wuxi County, with many valleys along the way. The land is fertile and easy to cultivate. I will now recruit intelligent people to come to Nanyang to learn agricultural techniques so that they can return to their hometowns and teach them to the Yi people. Once the Yi people know how to farm, every family will have surplus grain, and then we can carry out our education.”

"As the ancients said, 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame.' If the barbarians were wealthy, would they engage in plunder and fighting? Therefore, if we want to bring peace to the southwestern barbarians, we must first teach them agriculture and skills. When the barbarians are wealthy, we should teach them classics and etiquette, and everyone should strive to be the first to do so. Once they understand education, it will be easier to appoint officials to govern the world!"

"Then how should we govern Xiangyang?" Jia Xu, who was not involved, asked with great interest.

"Xiangyang is bordered by the Han River to the east and the Tushan Mountains to the west. The Han River irrigates the land, making it fertile. Within the Tushan Mountains, there are 100,000 Yi people. At the confluence of the Tushan Mountains and the Han River, west of Zhonglu and Yicheng, there are the Yan and Mian Valleys. The land there is flat and open, suitable for mulberry and hemp cultivation, with fertile fields on both land and water. This fertile land is called the Tuzhong Valley."

"Therefore, if we wish to make Xiangyang prosper, we should invite the barbarians of Tushan to return to the Han Dynasty, bestow titles and rewards upon their chieftains, and have them cultivate the land in the border region of Zhazhong. Grains will flourish, the barbarians will become wealthy, and education will be promoted. Thus, the prosperity of Xiangyang Prefecture lies in the Han River and in Tushan. The prosperity of Nanjun Prefecture is similar to that of Xiangyang. We should attract people from the mountains and seek profits from the water."

The barbarians of Jingzhou were not limited to southern Jingzhou; they lived in all the prefectures of Jingzhou south of Nanyang. For example, the Tushan barbarians rebelled during the Eastern Han Dynasty but were subsequently suppressed. During the Three Kingdoms period, Mei Fu of the Tushan barbarians moved between Wei and Wu, occupying the area in Zuzhong, and his followers numbered over ten thousand households.

During the Han Dynasty, the Jingzhou region spanned thousands of miles of vast territory, yet it was governed only through appeasement and failed to subdue the Yi people. However, after four hundred years of education, the Yi people gradually differentiated into the uncivilized and the civilized.

Therefore, an important plan for Zhuge Liang to develop Jingzhou was to register the civilized Yi people as commoners and transform the uncivilized Yi people into civilized Yi people!

Zhuge Liang spoke eloquently, readily outlining various governance policies. Clearly, within months of assuming office, he already possessed development plans for each prefecture. The current irrigation project in Nanyang Prefecture was merely the first step in his development of Jingzhou. Significant actions were bound to follow in Xiangyang, Nan Prefecture, and indeed, in other prefectures of Jingzhou.

A look of amazement flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. Having fought on the battlefield for so long, traveling far and wide, he had seen countless outstanding individuals. The Zhuge Liang before him possessed abilities far surpassing any of the talents he had encountered before, and his abilities far exceeded those of Xun Yu under Cao Cao. Zhang Yu's ability to judge character was truly remarkable!
Zhang Liao whispered to Jia Xu beside him, "I initially thought Zhuge Liang was young and prone to carelessness, but I didn't expect him to be so resourceful and meticulous in his thinking, comparable to Zhong Yao and Du Fu. I wonder how his talent compares to theirs?"

Jia Xu laughed and said, "It is this gentleman who can bring prosperity to Jingzhou!"

Zhang Liao agreed wholeheartedly and said in a calm tone, “The repair of the four canals of Yang, Yuan, Xiang and Yong involves thousands of miles of waterways and requires the mobilization of no less than 100,000 people. It will inevitably be hampered by the audit of the Accounting Department, and I am afraid that the Ministry of Personnel will not be able to make a decision. It will need to be reported to His Majesty. I am returning to the capital now and can submit a memorial on your behalf.”

Seeing that Zhang Liao was willing to help him submit a memorial, thus saving him from the usual bureaucratic wrangling, Zhuge Liang bowed and thanked him, saying, "I will organize the documents tonight and report them to the commander-in-chief tomorrow."

"Excellent!" (End of Chapter)