Late Han Zhao Tang

To be precise, Nanzhong should be called Guizhou, but since it became an independent prefecture this summer, it is not a problem to still call it Nanzhong.

Zhang Feng and Wang Ling had been stationing troops in Nanzhong for two or three years. The local powerful families in Nanzhong were initially wary, but after their sons were recommended to serve in the Central Plains, their attitude turned friendly, and they were willing to accept the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

With the cooperation of powerful Chinese families, the Yi tribes gradually submitted. For those Yi tribes that did not submit, Zhang Feng and Wang Ling led troops to attack and kill their chieftains, and relocated their people to Sichuan or Dianchi Lake to cultivate the land.

The most crucial military operation was Huang Quan's recapture of Yuexi County.

Yuexi Commandery was located in the south of Shu (Sichuan). It had the Maoniu Road, a wide and short road that facilitated travel between Chengdu and the southern regions. However, due to frequent military turmoil since the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty, the Maoniu Qiang people blocked the road. Therefore, the only way for Shu to reach the southern regions was to go south from Zhuti.

Previously, Sun Ce considered Yuexi Commandery too remote and sparsely populated by Han Chinese, so he simply did not conquer it, instead focusing on dealing with the powerful local lords and rebellious barbarians in Yizhou and Zangke Commandery. After the Tang army marched south, Huang Quan was tasked with recovering the commanderies in the south. Because of his proficiency in both civil and military affairs, he was promoted from a surrendered official to the position of commandery governor. With the support of Wang Ling, he was responsible for re-establishing Yuexi Commandery.

In Yuexi County, the most powerful force was the Maoniu Qiang in the northern frontier, with about seven or eight thousand households. Besides the Maoniu Qiang, there were many other Yi tribes, large and small, in the county, ranging from several hundred to one or two thousand households.

After careful analysis, Huang Quan decided to first target the northern barbarians, subjugating the Yi tribes in Dingzuo, Taideng, and Beishui, and seizing salt and iron resources. He then annihilated the Zhuoma and Suqi tribes in the northwest, largely recovering Yuexi County.

Because Su Qi was related to the Maoniu Qiang by marriage, when the Maoniu Qiang learned of Su Qi's death, they gathered tens of thousands of their people and marched south to attack Huang Quan. However, Huang Quan took the initiative, leading two thousand armored soldiers to defend against the enemy. He devised a plan at the Beishui River and decisively defeated the Maoniu Qiang, beheading several and capturing two thousand, which terrified the Maoniu Qiang.

Huang Quan submitted a memorial to Zhang Feng and Wang Ling, requesting that they take advantage of the situation to pursue the enemy and reopen the severed Yak Road, thus facilitating communication between Shu and Nanzhong. Zhang Feng ordered Wang Ling to lead 3,000 infantry and cavalry, bringing the combined force to 5,000. Wang Ling was responsible for transporting supplies, while Huang Quan served as the vanguard. They marched north, engaging in seven or eight battles along the way, beheading two to three thousand enemy soldiers, until they reached Hanjia County. The barbarians along the Yak Road were terrified and surrendered to Wang Ling.

Wang Ling adopted Huang Quan's suggestion, slaughtered an ox for a feast, reaffirmed his benevolence and trustworthiness, and agreed to levy corvée labor. The various barbarian tribes, fearing and submitting, all complied with the agreement. After the barbarian tribes in the prefecture were dealt with, Huang Quan appointed officials in the prefecture and counties and conscripted the barbarians to repair the city walls. The barbarians dared not disobey, and thus last year they undertook a major renovation of the city for the government.

After reviewing the memorial, Zhang Yu said with great appreciation: "Huang Quan has rendered meritorious service in restoring the prefecture, and an imperial edict has been issued to confer upon him the title of baron."

"promise!"

Zhong Yao responded and said, “Your Majesty, among the prefectures in the south, only Jianning, Zhuti, and Zangke have a large Han population. Yunnan and Yongchang are next, and Yuexi and Xinggu are last. Among these seven prefectures, powerful clans and local gentry have intermarried with the Yi tribes, forming a complex and intertwined network. In my opinion, it is not advisable to conduct a large-scale search for households.”

Zhang Yu frowned slightly and asked, "If we don't investigate the people, how can we know their household registration? And how can we suppress the powerful and support the weak?"

Zhong Yao said, “Many of the powerful clans in Guizhou are inhabited by barbarians. Instead of counting the number of barbarians, it would be better to count the number of powerful Han Chinese. If Your Majesty issues a land-occupation decree in Guizhou, Han Chinese men shall occupy 200 mu of mountain land, Han Chinese women and second-generation males shall occupy 100 mu of mountain land, and second-generation females and slaves shall occupy 50 mu of land. As for taxation, it shall be paid according to the household tax system of the Central Plains.”

"With the promulgation of the land occupation decree, people in southern China will surely flock to register and occupy land, which will further attract people from Sichuan to move south. However, suppressing the powerful without weakening the Chinese population is the key to dividing households. Your Majesty should set a limit on the land occupied by each household. For example, if a family occupies fifty hectares of land, those who exceed this limit should be divided into separate households. Otherwise, they should be subject to heavy taxes and not allowed to occupy additional land."

"Therefore, if a wealthy and powerful family in Jianning County owns fifty hectares of land, and their descendants multiply and they wish to seize more land from the common people, the only solution is to dissolve their household and establish separate households. Although the two families may be of the same lineage, the government can relocate them to a place a hundred miles away. Over time, even if they share the same surname, their affection will fade." Zhong Yao had spent over ten years working at the grassroots level and was extremely knowledgeable about the affairs of the common people. When he learned of the powerful and influential families in the border prefectures of Jiao, Liang, Gui, and Liao, Zhong Yao began to devise a strategy. After several months, he finally came up with a suitable policy.

"After a hundred years of reproduction, the fields have been encroached upon. Your Majesty can then order them to relocate to Kuanxiang, such as from Jianning to Yunnan. In Yunnan, there is Xielong County, which has Kunming Lake. The land is fertile and suitable for cultivation. In Guizhou, the most fertile places are Kunming Lake and Dianchi Lake. If these two lakes can be owned by the government, the rice will be plentiful, the people will be content, and the barbarians will find it difficult to cause trouble!"

Zhang Yu showed an appreciative look. Although Zhong Yao was getting older, he was becoming more and more politically astute and could see that the most important strongholds in Guizhou were Kunming Lake and Dianchi Lake.

The two most important regimes in the history of the Nanzhong region were the Nanzhao Kingdom and the Dian Kingdom.

The Dian Kingdom, as a regime in southern China, was a state established with Dianchi Lake as its center and radiating outwards through the surrounding rivers. The Nanzhao Kingdom was different from the Dian Kingdom. It was centered on Kunming Lake (Erhai Lake), first unifying the barbarians around Erhai Lake, and then controlling southern China.

Therefore, if the imperial court can establish a foothold in Dianchi and Kunming Lake, the southern barbarians will find it difficult to unify and will instead gradually be Sinicized under the spread of Chinese civilization. Unless the Cuan clan actively pursues barbarianization again, and the reason why the Cuan clan would pursue barbarianization is simply because many powerful families in the south have weakened in the fighting, while the Cuan clan alone has become powerful.

If various powerful figures coexist, in order to win over the Han people and ensure their own rule, they will most likely protect the territory and its people, becoming figures like Shi Xie and Gongsun Du.

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and said, "The land occupation and household division decree is feasible. It can be implemented not only in Guizhou, but also in Yingzhou, Shuoshang, and Jiaozhou. With slight modifications, it can even be implemented in Liangzhou and Yangzhou. With a small population and vast land, the land occupation decree can be implemented to encourage people to have children and persuade them to migrate to the border regions."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked at Xun You and said, "Do you think we can select five thousand households to relocate to the military settlement at Dianchi Lake?"

Xun You pondered for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, Dianchi Lake is far from the Central Plains. Unless criminals are exiled, few soldiers and civilians will be willing to go there. Your Majesty would be better off relocating the Xianbei, Qiang, or Di people to Dianchi Lake.”

“The water and heat in the south are difficult for the barbarians of Guanzhong to adapt to. Perhaps we can select some of the barbarians of Guanzhong to relocate to Huainan.” Zhang Yu considered for a moment and said, “The Yue people of Yangzhou are hiding in the mountains and forests. Let’s see if we can conquer and exterminate the Yue people and relocate them to the south.”

"promise!"

"Your Majesty, there are many barbarian tribes in the region. Now we need to both conquer them and bestow titles upon them. Therefore, in my opinion, Your Majesty should follow the example of Wuxi Commandery and bestow hereditary governorships upon the southern region, allowing them to govern the people under the jurisdiction of the provincial governor," Xun You suggested.

Zhang Yu put down the memorial and said, "It is not appropriate to establish hereditary prefects in Zhuti, Jian'an, and Yunnan, but hereditary prefects can be established in Yuexi, Yongchang, Zangke, and Xinggu. In particular, Yongchang Prefecture is almost entirely inhabited by barbarians with few Han Chinese. If the court wants to govern it, it can only rely on the submission of the rulers."

"promise!"

P.S.: I can't update at 3 PM today. My stomach is upset, I keep going to the bathroom, and I need to go again now. Please allow me to update at 3 PM tomorrow. (End of Chapter)