Han officials

Chapter 258 Small People, Big History [4.6K] [Two-in-One]

The latter half of the third year of the Chuping era was a rare period of peace in the northern lands.

Apart from the occasional bandit suppression and rebellion quelling in Qingzhou, there were basically no battles under Wei's rule.

The same was true in Ji Province; Yuan Shao seemed to be conserving his strength, preparing for another battle next year.

This is not surprising, though; even a fool could have guessed that Wei Zhe would retaliate.

Therefore, news unexpectedly spread from Ye City after July.

First, Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan, married the legitimate daughter of the Li family of Zhao. Then, Yuan Shao's second son, Yuan Xi, who was not yet of age, and his youngest son, Yuan Shang, both rushed to marry into the Zhang family of Anping and the Liu family of Julu.

It's unclear how many conditions Yuan Shao promised, but he managed to appease the restless gentry of Ji Province.

Compared to Yuan Shao, Wei Zhe's life was much simpler and more unpretentious.

Having just returned to Ji County and relaxed for a few days, he then inspected the various military settlements and organized the garrison soldiers and civilians for the autumn harvest.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief after the autumn harvest, he arranged for the various military farms to prepare for the planting of winter wheat.

Autumn is busy, so busy, it's like being a dog.

Even so, Wei Zhe did not forget to care for the prisoners of war who had gone south to the grasslands, and had several team-building activities with them.

First, they were assigned to repair the Guangwu Old Canal and Liling Weir. Later, seeing that these Hu people still had the strength to cause trouble, they were simply ordered to continue dredging the river and directly divert the Yongding River water into the Chexiang Canal to irrigate the farmland around Jicheng.

Furthermore, since Youzhou has begun large-scale land reclamation, the demand for irrigation water has increased significantly.

Wei Zhe then ordered the grassland engineering team to travel around Youzhou to dig small supporting ditches.

For example, the newly built Dukang Canal diverts water from the Juma River to irrigate both banks, directly creating a million mu of new fertile land.

Although many members of the construction team died from exhaustion during this period, fortunately no one dared to cause trouble anymore. After all, the Hu people who dared to cause trouble were all dead, and the rest were basically worn down and lost their fighting spirit.

It can be said that Wei Zhe achieved two goals at once with this move.

No, to be precise, it should be killing three birds with one stone:
It not only benefited the people's livelihood and solved the problem of resettling prisoners, but also allowed the Han people of Youzhou to vent their anger.

In other words, Wei Zhe was able to use people in this way because he had hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there to keep him in check and was not afraid of the more than 300,000 barbarian rebels causing trouble.

If it were a high-ranking official from Luoyang in the past, they would probably have been transferred to another region and granted a title long ago.

In contrast, Wei Zhe's methods were clearly more appreciated by the Han people, at least the scholars and commoners of Youzhou were pleased.
Even the Youzhou gentry, who had been secretly criticizing Wei Zhe's large-scale land reclamation, now sincerely praised him.

Praise was secondary; the main point was that this group of people finally recognized reality and began to actively gravitate towards the shogunate.

This is important even for Wei Zhe at present, because the resources controlled by the aristocratic families are extremely important.

Although they are not a personalized group, they can form a certain consensus among stakeholders.

Although what Wei Zhe wanted to do went against the interests of the aristocratic families, that did not prevent him from hoping to gain their support—the greater the support, the better.

Rather than excluding the social resources controlled by the military clans, Wei Zhe preferred to have them "used for his own purposes."

After all, there are only so many social production resources available now. The more resources he can utilize, the less the enemy can use.

This is a very simple principle, but achieving this goal is not easy.

Since taking control of Youzhou in the second year of the Chuping era, Wei Zhe had spent more than a year taming and subduing Wei Zhe before achieving this goal.

During this time, the Youzhou gentry were like a noble lady unwilling to marry down, and he teased them quite a bit.

Ultimately, however, the "lady of a noble family" still had to humble herself and serve this peasant from Liaodong.

The complexities of love and hate involved are truly beyond the comprehension of outsiders!
April of the fourth year of the Chuping era, on the day of Dingmao.

An imperial edict was issued from Chang'an, granting a general amnesty to the entire realm.

The following day, Yuan Shu killed Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, and seized control of Huainan.
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"Ugh, I can't live like this anymore!"

At the foot of Qingliang Peak, three or five young men dressed in coarse clothes and short brown robes were seen diligently chopping firewood.

After sighing, one of the tall, thin men wiped the sweat from his brow and sat down to rest.

"Brother Da Hu, why do you think we're working so hard?"

He spoke for a long time but received no response, so he shook his head helplessly.

Seeing this, the others laughed and said, "Don't you know what kind of person our elder brother is? Asking him is pointless. You might as well fan us and keep us company for a chat."

The tall, thin man wasn't angry when he heard this; he just rolled his eyes in annoyance and leaned against the tree trunk to rest.

After a while, a burly man came back from deep in the woods ahead, carrying firewood.

After taking a sip of water, he muttered, "It's good to suffer a little while living. It's good to be alive."

Upon hearing his words, the others nearby sighed softly and fell silent for a moment.

Yes, it's good enough to be alive. Back when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, so many people died in the wilderness.

They, these lowly people, are already lucky to have survived until now; what more could they ask for?

However, even so, after a moment the tall, thin man couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"Suffering a little is nothing, it's just that the mountain tax can be reduced, my sister depends on me to support her."

Upon hearing this, the others nearby couldn't help but complain.

"That old scoundrel Hu is too ruthless. Isn't he just taking advantage of the fact that his daughter is Zhang Erlang's favorite concubine?"

"Exactly! That damned old dog is utterly heartless!"

“I heard that the county never said they would collect so much; it was all this old scoundrel who added it on his own to curry favor with the inspector.”

Indeed, nowadays even woodcutters have to pay money to local officials in exchange for a permit to cut firewood.

However, this is not a rare occurrence. In fact, since the Zhou Dynasty, the pre-Qin and pre-Han periods have all collected "taxes on mountains and marshes".

That is, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, the control over mountains, forests, lakes and marshes was relaxed somewhat, allowing the people to use them for their livelihood.

Apart from that, in other years everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, swims in the water, or grows in the mountains has an owner.

Even though the world is in chaos right now, these taxes have not been reduced or exempted; they have simply been collected by a different person.

For example, in this village, woodcutters had to pay taxes to the village head, who was appointed by the Zhang family.

Although it's against the rules, the county never cares, as long as their share isn't reduced.

The more chaotic the world became, the less officials in the city liked to go to the countryside; they were eager to have someone take on all the miscellaneous tasks.

The Zhang family of Julu may not even know that they own this mountain forest, but the taxes that the people are supposed to pay cannot be reduced by a single penny.

For example, Gao Wannian, the head of Xiyang Pavilion, was originally a country rogue. He rose to the position of head of the pavilion because his daughter sold herself into the Zhang family and became the favorite maid of a young master in the third branch of the family.

However, seeing that the group was getting increasingly absurd, Wang Hu couldn't help but tap the tree trunk with his axe:

"Stop rambling, it's getting dark, let's all go back!"

After saying that, he got up and pressed down the firewood beside him, then tied it tightly with straw rope.

Seeing this, the tall, thin man asked in surprise, "Brother, why are you back so early today?"

He knew that his cousin was usually very diligent and would not stop working until it got dark.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu immediately smiled憨厚ly and said, "I just caught a nest of bird eggs. I'm afraid I'll crush them if I chop firewood. I'll take them back to your sister-in-law to help her recover."

After saying that, Wang Hu carried the firewood, which weighed over a hundred pounds, and hurried home as fast as he could.

Upon seeing this, the others immediately burst into laughter and teasing, before dispersing shortly afterward.

However, to their surprise, before Wang Hu could even offer his treasures upon arriving home, he found his courtyard gate wide open and a yellow horse parked in the yard. Intrigued, he approached to see who had come to visit.

To his utter surprise, he heard a string of lewd words as soon as he stepped by the window.

"...Stop touching me...I'm already wet...you rascal...do I have to beg you...that good-for-nothing will be back soon, hurry up..."

Upon hearing this, Da Hu immediately glared with anger, his eyes bloodshot, and the bird egg in his hand was instantly crushed to pieces.

He was panting heavily, his face flushed, when he strode forward and kicked the door open.

Suddenly, a plump woman was seen sitting on the body of a bald, scarred middle-aged man, her body heaving.

The scarred middle-aged man was none other than Hu Fu, the head of Xiyang Pavilion, who was often called Hu San in the countryside. The woman was of average appearance, but she was plump and fertile, making her a good mother in the village.

At that moment, the woman subconsciously turned around and was immediately terrified, her face turning deathly pale.

Unexpectedly, Hu San beneath her cried out in pleasure. Even after seeing the large tiger outside the door, he remained completely unconcerned, instead giving the woman's large breasts a hard squeeze and arrogantly declaring:
"Ignore this good-for-nothing. If he dares to make a move today, he is a spy for the Wei army, and I can kill his whole family with a wave of my hand."

In any case, within Xiyang Pavilion, he, as the pavilion chief, was the law; outside Xiyang Pavilion, the Zhang family was the law.

He said Wang Hu was a spy, and the county would probably give him a commendation.

After hearing what Hu San said, the village woman came to her senses and actually continued to learn from his strengths and make up for her weaknesses.

Seeing her husband glaring at her with wide, angry eyes, she retorted with a sharp, shrewish retort:
"What are you looking at? If you weren't so poor, would I even need to find a man?"

It should be noted that Hu San didn't use force to seduce this village woman; he only occasionally sent her some wine and meat, and that was enough.

A few rotten bird eggs? She doesn't care!

But there's an old saying that goes, "Adultery has always led to death."

The two acted recklessly, forgetting that even an honest person can kill when pushed to the limit.

Enraged, Wang Hu immediately drew his axe and swung it at the adulterous couple. The village woman, with her back to her husband, didn't notice, but her husband Hu San saw it and immediately collapsed in fear.

In a moment of desperation, Hu San pushed the woman directly in front of Wang Hu.

In an instant, Wang Hu instinctively swung his sword forward as if chopping down a tree, and saw that half of the woman's neck was severed.

Blood splattered all over Wang Hu's face, soaking him in a bloody mess.

However, taking advantage of this moment, Hu San slipped away from the room.

Hearing the neighing of horses outside the window, Wang Hu, snapping out of his daze, glanced at the harlot lying on the ground, convulsing, and spat in disgust before chasing after her without hesitation.

But a man can't outrun a horse, and by the time Da Hu chased after him out the door, Hu San had already vanished without a trace.

His neighbors, who were not far away, saw him covered in blood and quickly came over to ask him a few questions; after all, they were all brothers of the same clan.

But Wang Hu was a man of few words, so he couldn't bring himself to say anything at this moment.

When the group entered the room and saw the adulterous woman's corpse, and then connected it with the image of Hu San riding a naked horse, they immediately understood what had happened and were filled with righteous indignation.

The tall, thin man and the others gritted their teeth and said:

"Brother, whatever you say, we'll do without hesitation!"

Because Wang Hu is an honest and kind person, he has helped many people in the past, and now his brothers are all willing to support him.

Not to mention that such adulterers are most hated in the countryside, and even bystanders can't help but speak out in defense of justice.

Some of the timid ones, though too afraid to show themselves, hurriedly ran back to the ancestral hall to tell the clan elders.

That's how clans are; only by forming cliques can one survive in this countryside.

Clans that prioritize reason over kinship have long since died out. Those who survive in this chaotic world are those who prioritize kinship over reason.

Even though Hu San has powerful backers, he can't afford to embarrass their king like this.

Even if we can't do anything to him, we should at least make Hu San bow his head, otherwise how will he survive in this rural kingpin's world?
Seeing how loyal his brothers were, Wang Hu was deeply moved.

In a moment of impulse, he immediately led several brothers and a dozen or so clansmen he knew to head towards Xiyang Pavilion.

As a result, they were naturally unable to enter and were instead subjected to a barrage of foul language and insults from Hu San's lackeys.

So no one knows who started it, but when a group of hot-blooded young people put down their hoes and sickles, the post station was already littered with corpses and covered in blood.

After all, farmers either cultivate the land or chop wood; they are stronger than oxen, and these scoundrels simply cannot handle them.

Even with all the smashing and hacking, they were free to run rampant in the cramped post station.

Upon seeing this scene, Wang Hu, who had come to his senses, was also stunned.

It was only after the tall, thin man asked a few questions of one of his henchmen, who was still alive despite being seriously injured, that he learned that Hu San had gone to the county town.

"Brother, that fellow went to the city to accuse you of treason. What should we do?"

The tall, thin man panicked; he hadn't expected that Hu San, that scoundrel, would be so shameless.

He was the one who seduced another woman's wife, yet he still had the nerve to frame her husband.

When things got to this point, Wang Hu didn't know what to do.

He clearly just wanted to cook some bird eggs to nourish his wife's body, so how did he become a traitor who colluded with the enemy?

Before long, when several clan elders rushed to the scene, their faces turned pale upon seeing the tragic sight before them.

Regardless of whether they were in the right before, they are now criminals who killed officials.

Especially since that scoundrel Hu San escaped to the county town, it became even harder for them to clear their name.

However, after hearing that Hu San accused Wang Hu of treason, one of the clan elders felt reassured.

"If that's the case... then let's go against it."

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man exclaimed in alarm, "Sixth Uncle, are you perhaps drunk?"

They were just catching an adulterer, how did it come to the point of treason?

The other two elders, however, understood his meaning upon hearing this, and their expressions immediately became uncertain.

A moment later, the two of them nodded in unison and said, "Good! We've rebelled!"

Despite their gray hair, these three elders are only in their fifties.

After reaching a consensus, he did not hesitate at all and immediately went back to gather all his clansmen.

Because now it's not just Wang Hu's problem anymore.

With that scoundrel Youhu San stirring things up, the Wang clan is likely to face annihilation.

After all, these peasants have nothing to offer besides having many children.

Let alone the Zhang family, even if it were a minor official from the county's bandit bureau, they would have to treat him like a grandfather.

With only 1,800 members, the clan could hardly be considered a large clan in the fertile land of Jizhou.

Rather than that, we might as well take the opportunity to rebel; maybe then we can survive.

Although the Yuan and Wei sides fought continuously last year, they themselves remained relatively quiet.

From Xiyangting to Linping and Anxiang, the area was filled with peace and prosperity, and Quyang, the county seat, was free from any fighting.

There was nothing they could do; the Zhongshan Kingdom was situated in a rugged terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Even though Ye City harbored resentment over the rebellion of Zhongshan, they didn't send troops to attack this area at all.

This resulted in the Yuan army fighting fiercely on the borders of Hejian State and Bohai Commandery to the east of Julu, while the northern border of Julu remained peaceful and undisturbed.

Since Julu County did not launch an attack, Geng Wu, the Chancellor of Zhongshan at the time, naturally would not cause any unnecessary trouble.

It was precisely because of this that the elders of the Wang clan, after some discussion, hurriedly sent people to Wuji County to seek help.

Without saying a word, the old man made a show of force, raised the banner of the Wei army, and began to attack from all sides.

Under the guidance of several clansmen who had once been involved with the Yellow Turbans, they even mastered the art of coercing the surrounding villagers without any formal instruction.

The Julu gentry had already been excessively exploiting the countryside, and their arrogance only grew after their marriage alliance with Yuan Shao.

As soon as the Wang family raised their banner of righteousness, many wandering knights, mountain bandits, and even common people responded.

So, after a few back and forth, the Wang family actually managed to gather an army of over ten thousand and march towards Xiaquyang.

However, at this time, neither the Ji County government nor Yuan Shao, who was in Ye City, knew anything about this.

In reality, neither Yuan Shao nor Wei Zhe had considered starting a war at this time.

This adulterous couple probably never dreamed that their lovemaking would have such a profound impact on the course of history...

(End of this chapter)