Han officials

Chapter 20: Governing is easy, don't offend the rich [4K]

As Wei Zhe and his party gradually moved eastward, they finally arrived at the easternmost part of the Han Dynasty - Daifang County the next day.

The seat of Daifang County is in Daifang City.

After crossing the Dai River, Wei Zhe and others arrived at the foot of Daifang City.

The name of Daifang County actually comes from Daishui. This name may seem a little strange, but in later generations it has another familiar name - "Hanjiang".

"I've heard that Lelang has wild customs, and today I finally got to see it for myself!"

Standing at the foot of Daifang City, Wei Zhe couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the mottled marks of swords and knives on the rough city walls.

This is probably why the court referred to Xuantu County, Liaodong County, and Liaoxi vassal state as "Liaodong", but called Lelang County and the land of the Three Han "Haidong".

After all, this place is really far away, even more remote than the bitter and cold Liaodong!

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but nod in agreement, his face full of emotion.

Having lived in the Central Plains for a long time, he finally saw what it meant to have a vast land and a sparse population.

Judging from the area alone, these counties are almost the same size as Yingchuan County.

However, the population of this county is not even as large as that of a county in Yingchuan Commandery. There is little smoke from cooking fires and the settlements are sparse.

As we traveled, the Hu wind became stronger and the Han wind became weaker, and Dongyi people with their hair loose and their clothes on the left could be seen almost everywhere in the wilderness.

At first, Wei Zhe and his group were cautious and alert, but later a local named Wang Cen told them that these were naturalized foreigners.

Some of them look like Hu people, but their ancestors are also from the Central Plains.

In fact, from the end of the Warring States Period to the end of the Qin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty, there was a continuous flow of Han people fleeing here.

Over time, this place has almost become a place where Han and Hu people live together.

It was not until Emperor Wu of Han established Lelang County here that the Han people here gradually took the dominant position.

However, the surrounding areas are all barbarians and foreigners, which has caused the Han people here to be somewhat assimilated to the barbarians.

What is manifested on the surface is the strong character of the people. Almost all the young and strong men can ride horses and shoot arrows, and even women dare to pick up knives and fight with others. They are extremely tough.

On the way here, Wei Zhe saw more than once that strong and sturdy Han women wielded spears and beat the playboys who were loitering outside their homes, forcing them to flee in panic.

However, seeing this situation, Wei Zhe felt half happy and half worried.

After all, only when local governments become incompetent will the common people be forced to take up arms and swords to protect themselves.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Just as everyone was looking at the square city, a group of officials in black and white robes who had been waiting outside the city for a long time hurried up to greet Wei Zhe. Wang Cen introduced them one by one. It was amazing that he could remember everyone's information.

"This is Mr. Huang, whose taboo name is Xiong and whose courtesy name is Deyan. He is from Liaoxi and holds the position of County Magistrate."

"This is Mr. Tian, the chief clerk. His taboo name is Wen, and his courtesy name is Yuansheng. He is from Yangqiu Township in this county."

"This is Mr. Zhang, a court official. His taboo name is An, and his courtesy name is Wannian. He is from Zhaoming Township, north of the city."

Following Wang Cen's introduction, many of his subordinates came to Wei Zhe respectfully to pay their respects. Wei Zhe didn't say anything, but just nodded with a smile.

However, there is a saying that goes, the leader may not remember who comes, but will definitely notice who doesn't come.

This is what Wei Zhe is like at this moment.

He glanced around and suddenly asked, "Why isn't County Lieutenant Liu here?"

Upon hearing him say this, County Magistrate Huang Xiong immediately stepped forward and sighed softly, "Your Excellency, the Xianbei invaded a few years ago, and Mr. Liu was seriously injured and unfortunately passed away the day before yesterday."

Hearing this, Wei Zhe showed a look of pity on his face and immediately ordered:
"Bo Yan, take a piece of silk and send it to Lord Liu's house as a gift of tribute."

Many of the clerks under his command felt relieved upon hearing this.

At least from the current point of view, this new county lord is a person who abides by the rules and is not a mean person.

He seems to be quite rich and generous.

You should know that nowadays one piece of silk can be exchanged for five stone of wheat in the city, so this gift money is not light.

Of course, it would be impossible to afford so many guests without money.

After taking a look at the cavalry followers behind Wei Zhe, many people automatically put away their thoughts.

Wei Zhe was not planning to do anything right now, so he went straight into the city after meeting everyone.

However, he did not rush to the official residence, but walked up the steps to the city wall to inspect it.

After all, the information in the official residence is dead, but what you see with your eyes is alive.

Seeing this, the officials could only follow behind helplessly. However, some smart people in the crowd had already guessed something, and there was a hint of expectation in their eyes.

Compared with the Central Plains cities that Wei Zhe saw during the suppression of the rebellion, Daifang City was not that big.

It is no more than two zhang high, four miles long from north to south, and two miles wide from east to west. It is all made of rammed earth walls. The overall shape is an irregular rectangle. It looks ordinary, even a little shabby.

But after nine months of fighting, Wei Zhe quickly discovered the power of this city.

For example, the four corners of the square city are all horse-faced walls, and there are no blind spots in defense.

And because Daifang City is located to the east of Daishui, the two are only eight zhang apart, so moats are dug on the other three sides of the city wall to connect with Daishui.

It can be said that Daishui is Daifangcheng’s natural moat, and there is no risk of water interruption.

If the enemy wanted to fill the moat, the vastness of the Han River would make them despair.

The most important thing is that there are no gates on the south and north walls of the square city.

There are only two city gates on the east wall facing the water, one is the main gate and the other is the side gate.

There is a city gate on the west side, facing the main gate on the east side, and they are connected by a road that runs through the entire city.

The official residence of the county temple is located in the northeast corner. Near the north wall is a military camp with a training ground, a foundry workshop and other places.

To a certain extent, this is a military city built entirely from a military perspective.

If Dongwuyang County had made such arrangements at the beginning, it would probably not have fallen so easily.

From this we can see that there is a reason why Daifang County has been able to exist in this Haidong area for hundreds of years.

After seeing this, Wei Zhe finally felt relieved.

After all, Dai Fangcheng is now his foundation.

If the foundation is not solid, then there is no point in talking about ambitions. One day the city might be destroyed and people might die.

So, Wei Zhe strolled on the city wall for more than an hour before entering the official residence.

……

“There’s still a long way to go!”

The next day, after reading the files left by his predecessor, Wei Zhe couldn't help but sigh.

In a word: lack of soldiers and food.

Although there was certainly no shortage of food in the Central Plains, the court in Luoyang could not collect it.

Of course, even if the court allocates funds, there will probably be nothing left in the hands of Daifang County.

As for the little tax collected by Lelang County every year, it is barely enough to support the county soldiers in Korea City, let alone subsidize Daifang County.

Without food, Daifang County had no way to train its troops.

There are more than 200 county soldiers on the military register, but this number is of no use at all.

At least from the information in the case files, when the Dongyi peoples such as the Xianbei, the Three Han, etc. invaded in the past, the main resistance force was mostly volunteers in the county, and most of these people were guests of the powerful people in the county.

Therefore, it would have been better if all the previous leaders had done nothing, and they could have muddled through for a few years.

But if the county magistrate wants to do something, he must first discuss it with the wealthy families in the county.

Otherwise, they would be dismissed from their posts at the very least, or even killed by the Dongyi people "accidentally" encountering them. As a result, Daifang County became a deadlock.

Even after being abused by successive county magistrates, the only two hundred or so county soldiers had become a paper army.

If not for this, the predecessor Fang Ling would not have been so scared that he resigned.

When he heard him say this, Xi Zhicai, who was sitting behind the desk, couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you going to give up in the face of difficulties, my lord?"

"No, I'm even more interested. Otherwise, how can I show off my skills?"

When Xi Zhicai heard this, he immediately agreed with it.

As Wei Zhe said, the more difficult the situation was, the more interested he became.

Even if Wei Zhe did nothing, Fang County would only be doomed to a slow death if it continued to develop in this way.

This is what has happened in history. When the imperial court had no time to care about the border counties, the shortsightedness of local tyrants was fully exposed.

Seeing Wei Zhe's disdain for the powerful, Xi Zhicai immediately asked curiously, "So, my lord, are you planning to wipe out a few powerful families first to make an example of them?"

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhe raised his lips slightly and shook his head, saying: "Mencius said: Governance is not difficult, as long as you don't offend the powerful."

"The saints and sages have said so, how could I be so cruel?"

"I'm still waiting for these talented people to show their talents and serve me!"

After all, apart from the county magistrate and county lieutenant who were appointed by the court, all other officials were appointed by the county magistrate himself.

In other words, among the officials who came to greet Wei Zhe a few days ago, except for the county magistrate Huang Xiong, he could handle them on his own, either retaining them or appointing someone else.

However, according to official conventions, such officials would generally dismiss talented people from the county.

To some extent, it can also be regarded as a bargaining chip in the transaction between the county magistrate and local tyrants.

This power seems to have no effect, and successive leaders have tried to make changes but still failed to break the deadlock.

But Wei Zhe is different from them. The five hundred elite cavalry under his command give him the authority to overturn the table at any time.

Some things are like this, whether you use them or not is one thing, but you can't live without them.

After hearing what Wei Zhe said, Xi Zhicai said no more.

"I originally wanted Zhicai to take the position of Chief Clerk, but now it seems I have to wait and see."

Xi Zhicai smiled freely upon hearing this.

"It's my wish, but I dare not invite you!"

Obviously, he had guessed what Wei Zhe was going to do.

……

The next day, news of the new county magistrate's several appointments spread out of the official residence.

"Appoint Xi Zhicai as Gongcao, also in charge of Hucao. His rank is 100 dan, with a bronze seal and yellow ribbon."

"Appoint Taishi Ci as a military official, temporarily acting as a county lieutenant, with a rank of 100 dan, a bronze seal and a yellow ribbon."

"Appoint Zhong Hu as a clerk in the Bandits' Division, with a rank of 100 stones, a bronze seal and a yellow ribbon."

The so-called Gongcao is the head of all the Cao officials, and is responsible for assisting the county magistrate.

Generally, the county magistrate's confidant will be in this position, and if there is a vacancy in the other departments, they can be replaced at any time.

The Hucaoyuan was the most powerful position among the clerks under the county magistrate.

Not only was he in charge of the people's household registration, sacrifices, agriculture and sericulture, he was also in charge of litigation and punishment.

As for the "Fa Cao Yuan" who seems to be in charge of judicial affairs on the surface, in fact, it is only responsible for the transportation of the post stations and is an absolutely marginal department.

So when Wei Zhe made the appointment, Xi Zhicai immediately became the second most important person in Daifang City.

Unless County Magistrate Huang Xiong wants to break up with Wei Zhe, it may not be effective to speak in a joking manner.

The appointment of Taishi Ci and Zhong Hu was the result of Wei Zhe's repeated consideration.

Because the Bingcao Yuan is in charge of military affairs, conscription, and the transportation of soldiers; the Zeicao Yuan is in charge of public security matters.

With two people in position, Wei Zhe was able to truly control Fangcheng.

So within a few hours, Daifang County knew almost everything it needed to know.

Western suburbs, Tianshiwu, Yangqiu Township.

I saw a sinister old man in a green silk robe and a black bearskin cloak repeating these words over and over again.

After a moment, the old man suddenly turned to look at the servant and asked, "Are there any other changes in the county temple?"

Upon hearing this, the old servant bowed hurriedly and said, "I heard that the county lord has demoted all the county soldiers on the roster to auxiliary soldiers, and instead appointed two hundred of his own guests as such. Now, the county lord's five hundred elite cavalry have already arrived at the parade grounds and are carrying out a major reorganization."

Hearing this, the old man's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Is this... a deliberate test?"

The old man was not surprised that Wei Zhe wanted to mobilize the county soldiers, because he was not the first county magistrate to think so, but he did not expect Wei Zhe to act so openly.

Thinking of this, the old man couldn't help but curse the former county lieutenant Liu Huan again. If he hadn't died so quickly, they wouldn't be so caught off guard now.

Seeing the old man lose his composure, the middle-aged scholar beside him immediately waved to the servant.

After he left, the middle-aged scholar stepped forward and comforted him, "Father, why worry? I have the advantage! Even if that Wei Zhe brat has a few cavalrymen, what good is that? A single letter from my family can instantly summon five hundred Hu cavalrymen! If this man doesn't obey, he'll be nothing but a pile of dry bones in a grave!"

Having said that, the middle-aged scholar glanced towards the county town with disdain, his eyes full of disdain.

Judging from his face, it was Tian Wen, the chief clerk who greeted Wei Zhe at the city gate that day.

If Wei Zhe had replaced him as the chief clerk upon his arrival, Tian Wen might have looked at him with more respect.

But Wei Zhe didn't even dare to touch himself, and only dared to make trouble for the officials in various departments. This shows that he is just strong on the outside but weak on the inside!

In fact, Tian Wen is indeed qualified to be proud.

After all, Daifang County has had several county magistrates over the past decade, but the position of chief clerk has always been in the hands of the powerful local tyrants, and he himself has served in various positions in the county and temples.

To put it bluntly, he even knows Daifang County better than Wei Zhe, the county magistrate.

When the old man heard him say this, his expression immediately eased a little.

This thin old man is called Tian Shao. He is the head of the Tian family and Tian Wen's father.

Although the Daifang Tian family was not a prominent aristocratic family, they were a well-known and powerful family in the county with great strength.

But Tian Shao might be old, after thinking about it, he hesitated and said:

"What if this guy doesn't know the seriousness of the matter and insists on having his own way?"

There is no way, Tian Shao has seen too many reckless men in his life.

Many young people don’t think too much at all, and often ignore everything when they get angry.

Especially since Wei Zhe was a warrior who had just returned from the Yellow Turban battlefield, he might not have much brains.

Tian Shao didn't want to lose in the end because of this, that would be too shameful.

Unexpectedly, Tian Wen put his hands behind his back and stroked his beard, smiling proudly and said:

"That guy is just an outsider official, how can he compare with my family!"

"With this fortress, even if Wei Zhe wants to act on his own, what can he do? A mere five hundred cavalrymen are nothing to worry about!"

After hearing this, Tian Shao finally felt relieved and said comfortingly: "Well, let's do as you think. Perhaps the Fangtian family I lead will be revived in your hands!"

After saying this, the old man turned and left with a look of relief, leaving Tian Wen alone in the study, excitedly planning something...

(End of this chapter)