Han official!

Chapter 145 Three Major Changes
In March of the second year of Jianyuan (139 BC), spring had passed and the weather was warm. Planting of rice, wheat, ramie, and soybeans began in March, but a heavy snow fell in the northwest.
The banks of the upper reaches of the Wei River were covered with a vast expanse of white snow. The tender yellow new buds of the mulberry trees were dotted with silver. From time to time, a few common people in plain hats appeared in the fields, holding plows and working in the fields despite the cold wind. Even the counties of the Left and Right Internal Affairs had snow, and the villages around Chang'an were cold and solemn.

The road between the post offices is still bustling with traffic.

On the highway fifty miles west of Chang'an, a closed clothing carriage pulled by oxen was heading towards Chang'an. The driver, sitting on the mud screen of the carriage, exhaled white air from his mouth and took out a handful of corn from time to time and chewed it slowly. A copper belt hook hung on his fine linen robe, engraved with the words "Never Forget Each Other".

Guo Jie tugged at his black clothes and smiled as he watched Mang Tong touching the copper belt hook from time to time.

Before he left Jinchengluli, Wei Junru gave birth to a daughter, named Guo Guanniang, and raised her at Xihe Horse Farm.

Mang Tong also married a virtuous wife, Xijun. Through his unremitting efforts, Xijun became pregnant before he left.

Guo Jie glanced at Mang Tong, then looked away and his gaze fell on Yi Zong, who had returned to Chang'an ahead of schedule and sent people to deliver three letters, talking about three major events that had happened in Chang'an.

"The army in Chang'an has been restructured."

Guo Jie opened the lacquer seal of the first letter and carefully examined its contents: "The Emperor has reformed the army and begun to centralize power to prevent the Chang'an garrison from rebellion."

The Han army was divided into the capital troops of Chang'an, local troops of counties and vassal states, and border defense forces.

The troops in the capital were divided into three armies: the emperor's palace guards led by the Langzhongling, that is, the palace guards standing inside the palace.

The palace army led by the Weiwei, that is, the army stationed on the walls and gates of the palace, was called the Southern Army.

Finally, there was the capital's garrison, commanded by a lieutenant, known as the Northern Army.

The southern and northern armies were all elite soldiers selected from the Dushe Army, who worked together to protect the security of the capital. Because they belonged to different systems, they avoided joining forces to rebel.

In order to centralize power and maintain political stability in Chang'an, Emperor Liu Che reorganized the troops in the capital based on the northern and southern military systems.

First, the number of the Southern Army was reduced, and the number of personal officials was expanded. The number of personal officials close to the emperor increased greatly.

Second, the excessive power of the lieutenant of the Northern Army was weakened, and the military power of the lieutenant who was also in charge of the left and right internal historians was removed. At the same time, an envoy to supervise the Northern Army was sent to the Northern Army to control the Northern Army's deployment power.

Third, the soldiers of the Southern Army and the Northern Army came from good families in the six counties. Since the soldiers came from different sources, the two armies checked and restrained each other to avoid threatening the emperor's rule.

Guo Jie knew that the military reform was an opportunity. Many low-level military officers in the three armies were later granted titles of marquisate due to their military merits. This military reform was an opportunity second only to the large number of titles granted when Emperor Gaozu of Han Liu Bang founded the country.

He quickly thought of Su Jian. He had already accepted Su Jian's two sons as his disciples. He could find a way to recommend Su Jian to the palace army, preferably to be a Langzhongling, which later became Guanglu Xun, as a palace official.

Guo Jie took out the second letter and saw an opportunity to recommend Su Jian as a palace attendant.

The content of the second letter was that Wei Zifu was favored.

Because Empress Chen Ajiao had no children, Princess Pingyang specially recruited a dozen girls from good families to present to the emperor. When the emperor went to Bashang to offer sacrifices, he passed by Princess Pingyang's house on his way back and went in to visit his elder sister.

Princess Pingyang brought out some good girls for the emperor to choose from, but he didn't pick any. Princess Pingyang then sent out a group of singing girls to sing and dance for the emperor, and the emperor fell in love with Wei Zifu at first sight.

Not long after, Wei Qing was appointed as Taizhong Dafu, an official under Langzhong Ling, one of the Nine Ministers, second only to Zhong Dafu (Guanglu Dafu of Guanglu Xun), equivalent to the deputy chief of military staff beside the emperor.

Wei Guang was also given an important position and was appointed as the Commander of Lu Ben, responsible for commanding the Lu Ben guards when the emperor traveled.

Guo Jie opened the third letter, took a look at it, and his hand trembled. He almost threw the letter away and had the idea of turning back.

In the second year of Jianyuan, the migration to Maoling began, and the powerful people from various counties and prefectures of the Han Dynasty were moved to Maoling Town. The policy of large-scale migration of powerful nobles began during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

Guo Jie felt a little anxious and said in a deep voice, "Hurry back to Chang'an as soon as possible and discuss with Wei Guang about the relocation of the powerful to Maoling. Go directly to Wei Guang's neighborhood. Once this matter is resolved, go to the official temple of the Right Secretary of the Interior."

The reason he rushed back from Jincheng was that Zhao Yu appointed him as the Right Internal History and Zhang Tang appointed him as the County Commandant.

The Right Secretary of the Interior was the prefect, in charge of the political affairs of a county, and the Commandant was in charge of the military affairs of a county.

Zhao Yu left Guo Jie a county official position, and he needed to rush back to Chang'an as soon as possible so that he could participate in the dividends first since Zhao Yu had just promoted him to the right internal historian.

Otherwise, if you arrive too late, only some county officials at the bottom of the power ranking will be left.

Unexpectedly, not long after Guo Jie arrived in Chang'an, he learned the bad news that Emperor Liu Che began to relocate powerful nobles to Maoling on a large scale.

The focus of this migration was not only the powerful princes and dukes who were frantically annexing land in various counties, but also heroes like Guo Jie, who were the leaders of local evil forces.

Everyone must move to Maoling!

"Not in the neighborhood?"

Guo Jie got off the car at the gate of the neighborhood and walked towards the small house where Wei Guang lived. The Wei brothers had moved out of the ordinary neighborhood and lived in the small houses where officials with a salary of more than 2,000 stones lived in Chang'an.

What made Guo Jie even more anxious was that when Madam Jia invited him into the guest room, she did not see Wei Guang.

"Pooh!"

Yi Zong spat and said disdainfully, "I think Wei Guang is a mean man, a traitor. Back then, my brother-in-law despised him for being a riding slave and brought him along with him to prosperity. Now that Wei Guang has become prosperous, he hides away and doesn't see anyone."

Chong Huangrou, An Guo Shaoji, and Su Jian all looked disdainful and felt ashamed of Wei Guang's character.

Shame on you!

"you!"

Madam Jia's face flushed with anger. "My husband is not the kind of person you say he is. When he heard that Mr. Guo's name was on the list of those exiled to Maoling, he immediately rushed to Maoling to try to stop it."

Guo Jie's face turned pale.

He smiled bitterly and said, "After all this effort, I still couldn't avoid being exiled to Maoling."

Moving to Maoling was not a simple move; the past of the heroes, powerful men, and dukes would be thoroughly investigated, with the guilty ones being punished and the innocent ones being relocated.

Guo Jie has too much blood debt on his shoulders.

Can't stand up to scrutiny.

"Don't worry."

Chong Huangrou raised her eyebrows and said, "Let's go to Maoling first and find Wei Guang. He is now a relative by marriage, and the Wei family is an extremely favored relative. Let's see how he resolves this matter."

Guo Jie nodded slightly.

The only solution now is to go to Maoling Town to find Wei Guang first.

Every emperor of the Han Dynasty would start building a mausoleum when he ascended the throne. The mausoleum would be built against a mountain and surrounded by a wall.

Outside the city wall of the emperor's mausoleum are the tombs of dukes and ministers, as well as various burial pits. These tombs and pits are surrounded by a circle of city walls.

The powerful princes and dukes who migrated from various counties lived in the south of the second city wall, which was the mausoleum town system of the Han Dynasty.

Guo Jie was quite nervous on his way to Maoling. He was not worried that Wei Guang would forget him after he became rich and powerful, but he was worried that Wei Guang would not be able to stop Guo Jie from Chen County and move to Maoling with him.

Wei Guang held a noble position and served as the chief guard around the emperor. It could be said that the emperor's safety was entrusted in his hands.

However, Guo Jie knew that even if Wei Qing, the general who would later command all the armies under heaven, interceded for Guo Jie of Chen County, it would still be useless. Was he destined to die during the relocation to Maoling?

"Everyone!"

Guo Jie clenched his ring-handled sword and said, "Today will determine whether I stay or go. If...if Wei Guang cannot stop me from moving to Maoling, we will part ways now and meet again if fate allows."

He had already made up his mind that if he couldn't stop Xi Yu from moving to Maoling, he would not sit there and wait for death.

Guo Jie immediately went to Jincheng, temporarily abandoned his neighborhood, and took the little wealth he had accumulated with great difficulty to go to the Hehuang Valley to conquer the West Sea occupied by the Qiang people.

Fortunately, his two wives, one was the eldest sister of the cruel official Yi Zong, and the other was from the Wei family.

Through the wives and families of Yi Shuo and Wei Junru, a steady supply of prisoners and other populations could be obtained.

After all, war depends on people.

When Guo Jie returned to Chang'an, he replaced the long-distance clothing carriage with a Hexi horse. He rode the Hexi horse and stopped at the gate of the official temple in Maoling Town, near the Hanque, where someone was already waiting.

"Brother-in-law."

Wei Guang changed his silk robe into a black robe, and the turban on his head into a Jinxian crown. He stood at the gate of Hanque, looking curiously at the road, looking for Guo Jie.

When he saw Guo Jie and his companions riding Hexi horses coming over, he was filled with joy and hurried to meet them.

Wei Guang pointed to the Liang Jinxian crown on his head and said proudly: "Brother-in-law, see, I am also an official wearing a Liang crown."

He is still the same as always, and likes to boast about his flamboyant personality.

Guo Jie secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Wei Guang had not changed and was still his brother as before.

"Brother-in-law, please come in."

Wei Guang walked in front with his head held high, inviting Guo Jie to enter the official temple of Maoling, like a young boy who had found something fun and was showing off to his friends.

Wei Guang chattered all the way, saying so much that Guo Jie's ears were almost callused. He even boasted about the chicken coop in Lingshe several times.

Guo Jie and his companions knelt down in the guest room of Lingshe. Chong Huangrou could not stand Wei Guang's nagging any longer, so she asked a question, interrupting Wei Guang, whose face was flushed.

"How are you handling the matter of Mr. Guo's relocation to Maoling?"

Wei Guang looked over and saw Guo Jie sit up straight in his black clothes when he heard the words "move to Maoling" and looked at him seriously.

"hehe."

Wei Guang laughed happily, "The matter of relocating to Maoling was originally entrusted to the Minister of Rites, one of the Nine Ministers. Since I recommended myself as the Sima of the Maoling Garrison, the Emperor has appointed me as the Maoling Magistrate to take charge of the matter."

In addition to the northern and southern armies, the Chang'an capital garrison also includes twenty-two garrison guards and Sima.

Twenty-two guards were in charge of the garrisons of twenty-two camps, and were in charge of leading the troops to guard the palace gates. Some of them were under the command of the city gate captains, and were in charge of leading the garrison guards to guard the city gates.

There were guards and Sima in the palaces such as Changle Palace and Weiyang Palace, as well as the mausoleums such as Changling, Anling, Yangling and Maoling.

Guo Jie looked at Wei Guang with a complicated expression: "You don't have to be like this!"

His voice finally turned into a deep sigh.

In order to move to Maoling and for Guo Jie, Wei Guang could almost be said to have cut off his own future.

The Weihou Sima of Maolingtun was only the captain of the county armed police, but the Lubenling was in charge of the Luben guards around the emperor.

Wei Guang did this for only one purpose, which was to personally take charge of the relocation to Maoling. As long as he was in charge of the relocation of heroes and powerful people for one day, he could help Guo Jie resist the relocation to Maoling.

Unless Wei Guang no longer serves as the Wei Hou Sima of Maoling Tun.

"Don't worry, brother-in-law. Don't feel guilty about my affairs."

Wei Guang said happily, "It's a great honor to frequently enter the palace, but I don't like the atmosphere in the palace. It's full of conspiracies and struggles. I might get caught up in a conspiracy one day. I prefer the heartless actors and servants. Throwing banquets for guests is just a waste of money, but I can also learn about all the gossips about the nobles in Chang'an. Such a life is much more comfortable."

Who doesn’t want to be a high-ranking official?

What's more, he is the Li Bin Commander who is close to the emperor.

Wei Guang wanted to too.

However, just as Zhang Qian got rid of Dou Pengzu, the biggest threat to Guo Jie, before leaving Chang'an.

Wei Guang was willing to give up his position as the commander of Lu Bin for Guo Jie and ran to the emperor's mausoleum to be a tomb keeper.

"Lord Wei."

Chong Huangrou suddenly stood up, bowed with both hands, and said solemnly: "There are not many people in Chang'an that I admire. Guo Jie is one of them. From now on, you will be one too, Gao Yi!"

Wei Guang was very happy.

His face flushed and he quickly responded with a bow. Looking at Hou Zi Chonghuangrou, who was initially appointed as the Eighteenth Marquis, bowing solemnly, he felt indescribable ecstasy in his heart.

It’s so respectable.

Wei Guang was overjoyed and said, "As long as I'm in Maoling, my brother-in-law won't be forced to move to Maoling. However, he should be transferred out of Maoling in a few years at most. My brother-in-law should buy a title as soon as possible to atone for his sin."

The heroes in every county and prefecture of the Han Dynasty were all involved in a large number of murders.

Normally, no one would bother them in the counties, but only after they were moved to Chang'an would the cruel officials around the emperor take action against them.

Yi Zong and Wei Guang, the two brothers-in-law, knew very well that Guo Jie was involved in many blood debts, so many that they were outrageous.

Wei Guang was willing to give up his position as the Commander of Lu Ben in order to guard the tomb of Emperor Liu Che, just to buy Guo Jie a few years of breathing time.

"Duke Wei."

A bell servant hurried into the magistrate's residence and said respectfully, "Several dukes and marquises of Maoling have invited the Duke of Wei to a banquet to discuss the official business of moving to Maoling."

Wei Guang's face changed. He had no choice but to go. He stood up and said, "My brother-in-law, don't worry about moving to Maoling for now. Instead, hurry to the You Nei Shi's official temple and find Zhao Yu to take away a county official. With the help of the county official, we can confiscate more powerful people."

Guo Jie nodded and walked out of the Maoling official temple. The moment he walked out of the Hanque.

His expression relaxed.

The issue of moving to Maoling was temporarily resolved.

The next step was to go to the official temple of the Right Secretary of the Interior and officially take up the position of a county official and serve as the director of a provincial bureau.

It is not known which provincial bureau he serves as director of.

(End of this chapter)