Han officials

Chapter 21 The Forgotten Group of People [4K]

Daifang City seems particularly deserted in winter.

Outside Daifang City, the desolate land was almost completely covered with cracks. There was no pattern, no direction, and even no fixed size. The smallest was no more than a foot, while the largest could be more than ten feet. They were scattered in a chaotic manner across the wilderness. As far as the eye could see, there was hardly a trace of green, and the world was filled with a sense of solemnity.

Taishi Ci, who had never been to Liaodong, knew for the first time that severe cold could actually freeze the earth.

"Thanks to my brother for building the greenhouse, otherwise mother..."

Thinking of the kang that Wei Zhe had people build in the official residence, Taishi Ci felt extremely fortunate at this moment.

After all, even someone as strong as him felt extremely cold at the moment, let alone the elderly, the weak, women and children.

Wei Zhe didn't say anything after hearing this. Even if it wasn't for Guan Mu, he would have built a kang.

Apart from anything else, if Xi Zhicai didn't have a kang, he would probably get seriously ill this winter.

Wang Cen, who had personally experienced the effects of the heated kang, could not help but sigh with emotion after hearing this: "The county lord is so kind! I wonder how many people will benefit from this. I'm sure fewer people will die this winter."

Yes, Wang Cen was successfully poached by Wei Zhe from the county government.

Xi Zhicai knew that Wei Zhe held the "fire bed" chess piece in his hand, so he used this thing to lure Wang Cen to resolutely leave Chao County and return to his hometown Daifang County.

After all, promoting "fire kang" can be considered a way to change customs.

It is most appropriate for a local person with a good reputation like Wang Cen to be in charge.

Of course, Wei Zhe did not treat him unfairly.

Wang Cen served as Gongcao Shuzuo in the prefectural government, which was just a minor official in the county government.

But after returning to Daifang County, Wei Zhe appointed him as a Jiangzuoyuan with a rank of 100 stones, in charge of all construction work.

In this way, Wang Cen could not only benefit the village, but also get promoted and get a raise, so naturally he couldn't refuse.

He is not a saint who is detached from the world; he still has basic human desires.

Wei Zhe was indifferent to the two people's praise and was only concerned about the progress of the matter.

"How is the popularity of kangs?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cen immediately stepped forward to report, "All the houses in the city have been renovated. Now only the three villages outside the city are still under construction."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe was a little surprised and said, "How fast the Lord is!"

This progress indeed exceeded Wei Zhe's expectations, so he immediately asked Wang Cen curiously how he promoted it.

"That's not difficult. It's just a matter of being familiar with the local customs." Wang Cen spoke modestly before explaining carefully, "In fact, I simply ordered the construction workers of the Ministry of Works to complete the official residence first. No private renovations are allowed. Even my own residence must be put last."

"As for the houses of village heads and officials in various parts of the city, the same rules apply: the more respected ones go first, and the less respected ones go last."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe laughed and shook his head: "Good for you, Wang Changjun! You are the right person to be the Chief Clerk!"

If he guessed correctly, the people in the city would probably be looking forward to the kang after Wang Cen's move.

Wang Cen was not pleased with Wei Zhe's praise. Instead, he flattered her, "I am merely taking advantage of the County Lord's influence. I heard that the woodcutters outside the city now worship the County Lord as a deity, and some even set up incense tablets for him."

Wang Cen's words were not flattery, but were indeed true.

After all, after the kang became popular in the city, their business did expand a lot.

Hearing this, Wei Zhe was a little amused.

However, this achievement is not enough to make Wei Zhe too proud.

After all, Daifang County only had 5,416 households and 26,624 registered residents. Including the entire Lelang County, there were only a little over 60,000 households, or nearly 260,000 people.

Wang Cen saw this number in the county government's household register last year, and it is probably not much different this year.

But in comparison, Yingchuan County had 430,000 households, a total of more than 2.2 million people.

Even though the population was greatly reduced due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the population of Yingchuan County was several times that of Lelang County.

It is no wonder that the area east of Liaoze was not affected at all when the Yellow Turban Rebellion stirred up the world. It turned out that even the Yellow Turban Army looked down on this poor place.

Of course, it’s better to be poorer, at least the resistance is much smaller than in the inner counties.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe suddenly asked, "What are the reactions of the powerful families in the city?"

Although Wang Cen was puzzled, he still explained everything. "No one from the other families reacted. However, there are rumors that most of the county lord's guests are from the Central Plains and can't stand the Haidong climate, so they have to use this kang. Their words... seem to be somewhat contemptuous of the county lord and quite disdainful of the kang."

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhe was not angry at all when he heard this. Instead, he laughed: "Haha~ This is not surprising!"

After all, those wealthy families have all kinds of luxurious greenhouses to use, and the effect is even better. In comparison, this kang is indeed too rough, but this is exactly the effect Wei Zhe wants!
Thinking this, Wei Zhe turned to Taishi Ci and said, "The county soldiers should start training as quickly as possible. The more you move, the better. Don't worry about the depletion of food and fodder. I still have enough food."

The butler had previously given Wei Zhe four ships, two of which were used to carry people, and the other two were naturally not empty.

Guan Yue understood that no matter what Wei Zhe planned to do after taking office, food and fodder would be indispensable, so he loaded two ships with wheat and millet for him, totaling 12,000 stones, more than enough to feed 500 people.

Taishi Ci agreed to this.

However, as the cold wind grew stronger, everyone soon fell silent.

So Wei Zhe led more than a hundred riders on horseback, riding silently and galloping along the official road towards Yangqiu Township.

……

Unlike the inner counties, the winters in Liaodong and Haidong are extremely cold, so the clothing is also different.

Take, for example, the winter windproof cap, often made of black cloth or satin in the inner counties. The cap consists of two pieces, either shoulder-length or ear-length, primarily for wind and cold protection. They are sewn together in the middle. When worn, the cap's crown covers the forehead, while the sides scoop up the cheeks. Straps on either side can be tied under the chin, providing both ear protection and shoulder and back protection.

However, in Lelang County, the "wind hoods" made of cloth are not enough.

Therefore, the hoods on Wei Zhe and others' heads were all made of fur, which was very warm.

But no matter how warm a hat is, there are always some places it cannot cover.

When Wei Zhe and his companions arrived at Xinchuan Pass, a thin layer of frost had already formed on their eyelashes. Their hoods were frozen solid, and the scarves wrapped around their mouths and noses were covered in a thin layer of ice.

After the group stopped, they saw steam rising from the horses and people, which was really interesting to watch.

However, the soldiers stationed at Xinchuan Pass were a little surprised and even a little terrified.

How to say it...Lelang County is at the easternmost part of the Han Dynasty, Daifang County is at the easternmost part of Lelang County, and Yangqiu Township is at the easternmost part of Daifang County. As for Xinchuan Sai?

Haha~ Xinchuan Pass is the easternmost pass of Yangqiu Township. After passing Xinchuan Pass, you will reach the land of barbarians such as the Three Han.

The so-called "鄣" and "塞" are actually forts used for defense in dangerous places on the border.

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin system and set up barriers and forts in dangerous areas on the border.

The larger one is called a barrier, and the smaller one is called a sail. There are both a barrier lieutenant and a sail lieutenant.

However, unlike the forts built by powerful people, most of the border forts were only one acre in size, mostly square in shape, with walls made of stone or earth, similar in nature to the border outposts of later generations.

With forts and passes as the main means and pavilions and watchtowers as the auxiliary means, they were connected in a line to form the most basic defense system of the Han Dynasty's border.

According to the "Sai Shang Beacon Fire Agreement," whenever barbarians and barbarians entered the fortress, garrison troops were required to guard the fortress. If the situation was urgent and firewood was not permitted, a nearby fortress could light a beacon and firewood, passing the message in turn. If a force of over a thousand cavalry attacked a fortress, they would raise the beacon and light two piles of firewood; if they had less than a thousand cavalry, they would only burn one pile; and if they had over two thousand, they would burn three piles. Other beacon towers would use the size of the fire to determine the number of incoming enemies.

It can be said that they are the soldiers on the border, shouldering huge responsibilities and doing the most tiring work.

However, the soldiers stationed at Xinchuan Pass had never seen a county magistrate come to inspect the border.

At least, Zhao Chang, the commander of Xinchuan Pass, has never brought Fang Ling here in the past ten years.

Wei Zhe was not surprised to see this, and immediately led everyone into the dock.

"Greetings, my Lord. I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't have time to clean up."

Looking at the chaotic scene within the fort, Lieutenant Zhao Chang bowed nervously. As in later times, Han officials today also dreaded unexpected visits from their superiors.

However, looking at the several cracks on the back of the hand of Zhao Chang, the lieutenant, Wei Zhe couldn't help but sigh.

"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Zhao, in defending the border for your country!"

For some reason, Wei Zhe's ordinary words made the guard Zhao Chang stunned on the spot.

A bearded man with scars all over his body suddenly had red eyes for no apparent reason.

After so many years, he still thought that his family's efforts had been forgotten!

Seeing this, Wei Zhe didn't say anything, but waved his hand gently.

Seeing this, they immediately took bags of corn from their horses and transported them into the Great Wall.

That’s right, Wei Zhe came here to win people’s hearts.

Although both the nobles in the court and the powerful families in the local area regarded this group of people as trash, Wei Zhe felt that this group of people might be the most worth winning over.

After a moment, Zhao Chang, the lieutenant who had finally controlled his emotions, bowed solemnly to Wei Zhe.

This bow is not for the millet, but for the word "hard work".

The other garrison soldiers understood this, and Wei Zhe also understood this, so they did not avoid it.

After he stood up, Wei Zhe went up to the beacon tower to inquire about the situation in Xinchuan Pass.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chang didn't respond with his usual clichés. Instead, he said bluntly, "There should be a hundred people at Xinchuan Fortress, but now there are only forty-three left, and most of them are old and sick. Border patrols are now meaningless. Unless the Dongyi cavalry are dispatched in their entirety, it will be impossible to stop them if they come alone."

When saying these words, Zhao Chang's eyes were full of helplessness.

He had no choice but to keep going as he was short of money.

Wei Zhe was silent for a moment before he spoke: "Have you reported the situation here?"

"Oh~ How could it not be reported? But I could only report it to the county government, and then there was no further news." Zhao Chang smiled bitterly and said, "The court... must have known about it."

After all, the amount of food allocated is getting less and less, so even if you don’t know, you will know it.

Hearing this, Wei Zhe fell silent again.

Allowing the border defense line to be abandoned, is this what the court wants?

We had Lelang County two thousand years ago, but two thousand years later it retreated back to the Yalu River.

The party is imprisoned, the party is imprisoned, what a party!
What about eunuchs and what about the gentry? They are all birds of the same flock!
Wei Zhe took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the anger in his heart.

There was no way. Being angry now was useless. Wei Zhe could only patiently ask for details about Xin Chuansai.

It is said that this dynasty is different from the previous Han Dynasty. The frontier system generally has a system of exile to the border and a system of garrison service running in parallel.

The people who were exiled were mainly criminals, sons-in-law, small handicraft merchants, etc.

As for the garrison service in this dynasty, it is divided into two types, namely regular soldiers and shift soldiers.

The service period for regular soldiers is generally two years, and may be extended if there is war.

Night watchmen are young and strong adults who must guard the border for three days every year.

The former is fine, but the irrationality of the latter is obvious.

After all, if you are in the inner county, it will often take several months to travel back and forth.

Therefore, since the founding of this dynasty, the people of the inner counties would often spend hundreds of coins to ask their fellow townsmen to serve in their place.

People call it "taking labor to garrison", which means that the hired people guard the border on behalf of their employers.

In the early days, it was just the guards, but now even the regular soldiers are like this.

Therefore, most of the soldiers stationed in Xinchuan Pass have been stationed at the border for several years and have not returned home.

As time goes by, all kinds of changes are inevitable.

Zhao Chang said bluntly: "Although the court has issued a clear order that those who flee to the Three Kingdoms of Han will have their wives and children enslaved, there has been a continuous stream of people abandoning their pavilions, beacon towers and tunnels in recent years!"

Even at Xinchuan Pass, Zhao Chang could not control the thoughts of all the garrison soldiers.

In fact, just three years ago, Wang Hong, the commander of the Baihukou beacon tower on the right side of the Xinchuan Fort, led five garrison soldiers, including Fan Xi, to flee to the land of Mahan, carrying a sword and a long spear. Even now, a wanted poster for Wang Hong and the other five is still hanging in Xinchuan Fort.

Although Wei Zhe had heard about Han people fleeing the border a long time ago, he did not expect the situation to be so serious that the border defense system itself had begun to experience mass defections.

You must know that if they leave, their wives and families who stay in the Han area will inevitably be implicated.

Knowing this, they still did it, which shows that the fleeing soldiers were clearly determined.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but frown and asked, "Why did these five people flee to the border?"

Zhao Chang heard this but said softly: "Why else? We are short of money and food, we have no food or clothing, and we are in a state of uncertainty about life and death!"

After saying that, he took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his arms and handed it to Wei Zhe.

Wei Zhe opened it and found that it was Xin Chuansai's account book record:

Zhang Jing, a soldier in Zhangzhou, was supposed to receive 3 shi 3 dou of millet and 3 liters of salt in November, but he actually received 2 shi 3 dou of millet and 2 liters of salt.

Li Ju, the soldier of the Zhuang, should receive grain in November...

The garrison commander Shi Ci...

Sun Chang, the guard...

Wei Zhe was already a little nervous when he saw these, but he didn’t expect there was more to come.

The above are public accounts, and there are private accounts below.

Because border guards like the chief guard and the chief beacon tower guard received monthly salaries from the imperial court, but they were not paid to individuals, and were usually collected by their families.

Then Wei Zhe saw these few lines of words:
When the Qusui Chang Xing Yan Yuelu gave his wife a piece of silk that was three feet and three inches long, she took it; upon inspection, it was found to be one foot and fourteen inches long.

Changping Tunnel's eldest grandson Changyue Lu had a silk bag of 33 feet, which his mother took; upon verification, it turned out to be 10 feet.

Wang Hongyue, the chief of Baihu Fire, gave his wife a piece of silk of thirty-three feet in length, and when she checked, found nothing.

Zhou Yuqi, the chief minister of Beichuan, was given a monthly salary of one piece of silk and was allowed to remain in office.

Although transportation between the border and the inner counties is difficult, there are always some ways to communicate.

As a result, some things inevitably reached the ears of the soldiers guarding the border.

In other words, they worked hard to guard the border, but both their food supplies and salaries were withheld.

It is no wonder that Zhao Chang would lament that "there is not enough money and food, no food or clothing, and no certainty about life and death."

Seeing this, Wei Zhe fell silent for the third time...
-
references:
Liang Fangzhong's Statistics of Population, Land, and Land Tax in China Throughout the Ages

Juyan Han Bamboo Slips

The Book of Han, Records of Food and Goods, records:
"Today, a man with five people tends a hundred mu of land and harvests one and a half dan of millet per mu per year, which is equivalent to 10 dan of millet." The "dan" here refers to dou.

At least in the Han Dynasty, hu and shi were equal.

That is: 1 hu = 1 shi = 10 dou = 100 liters.

(End of this chapter)