Han officials

Chapter 273 Flexible Standards for Soldiers and Bandits [4.3K]

Wei Zhe's first meeting in Ye City had a great impact on the surrendered officials of Ji Province.

They had only heard of Wei Zhe's reputation before, but had never dealt with him face to face.

Therefore, as soon as they came into contact, everyone felt an inexplicable pressure.

This is completely different from Yuan Shao, who was known for his respect for scholars, and even from Gongsun Zan, who was also a hero of Youzhou.

Despite Gongsun Zan's brutality on the battlefield, his performance in Ji Province was highly praised by many scholars.

Because Gongsun Zan only cared about food and supplies, and was very generous in terms of local power.

It was precisely because of this that, after he occupied the counties of Ji Province, he allowed the local powerful families to grow stronger.

Gongsun Zan may not have heard of the tax farming system, but the policy he implemented in Ji Province was exactly the same.

If Gongsun Zan hadn't died on the spot in the Battle of Fushui, Yuan Shao wouldn't have had such an easy time winning.

In contrast, Wei Zhe, who also came from Youzhou, gave everyone a different feeling.

"overbearing!"

In the Xin family study, he gave such an evaluation without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Xun Chen and Xin Pi, who were in the room, couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Sinpi couldn't help but sigh softly:

"The way of the benevolent is no longer prevailing, while the way of the tyrant reigns supreme. What can be done?"

When Yuan Shao raised an army against Dong Zhuo, Xin Pi and his brother Xin Ping actually joined Yuan Shao's forces.

However, the influence of the scholars from Yingchuan in the Ye City government was already quite large, and Yuan Shao also needed to leave some room for the scholars from Ji Province. Therefore, Xin Pi's reputation remained obscure and he was not given important positions.

Even so, Xin Pi never considered leaving Ji Province to join Cao Cao or Yuan Shu.

Xin Pi always believed that Yuan Shao was the true wise ruler, and that the others were ultimately nothing more than mediocre.

Perhaps it was because of their overconfidence that the power struggles within Yuan Shao's staff were so intense.

With bets being placed by various parties, there will naturally be competition among them.

However, now that Yuan Shao has been defeated and killed, Wei Zhe will soon enjoy the same treatment.

For example, at this moment, Xun Chen was not swayed by personal emotions, but instead said in a deep voice:
"While Wei Gongwei was indeed domineering, he was a true hero of the world, capable of influencing the course of events."

"Now that this person has occupied Hebei, no one can say for sure what will happen in the future. We should make preparations as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ping, who was opposite him, pondered for a moment and then nodded.

He then stroked his beard with regret and sighed:
"It's a pity that Guo Gongze died at the hands of that scoundrel Ju Shou, otherwise we could have done more."

Although Ju Shou never joined Yuan Shao's staff, this did not prevent Xin Ping and others from disliking him.

The reason is nothing more than that Ju Shou was a scholar from Jizhou!

However, times have changed.

Now that Ji Province has changed hands, Xin Ping and others' number one rival has naturally changed as well.

Xinpi spoke as if reciting a familiar treasure:
"I've found out the details these past few days. The people from Qingzhou are the most powerful under the Wei family, followed by the people from Youzhou."

"However, in recent years, the scholars of Jizhou have been rising to prominence, with several holding the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure)."

"Among them, Geng Wu served as the Chancellor of Zhongshan, Ju Shou as the Prefect of Bohai, Cui Yan as the Prefect of Taiyuan, Tian Feng was in charge of the Xuanjing Bureau, and Zhao Yun was a Lieutenant General."

At this point, Xinpi's expression turned solemn as he lowered his voice and said:
"The most crucial one is the Zhen family of Zhongshan. Although their daughter was a concubine, she was betrothed to a wife with the rites due to a wife, and she has now given birth to a son."

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

There was no other way. You have to understand that when Yuan Shao was in power, although the scholars of Yingchuan didn't have a single dominant family, they were still very influential.

But now that he's under Wei Zhe's command, he can't even get second or third place, let alone move down to a lower position; he can only sit at the same table as the kids.

If it weren't for Xi Zhicai, a poor scholar from Yingchuan, they wouldn't even be able to compare to those barbarians from Bingzhou.

Thinking of this, even Xun Chen couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

There was nothing we could do; they arrived too late.

If you're slow on one step, you'll be slow on every step. We're already doing quite well to have the current situation.

Fortunately, none of them were the type to complain or blame others, and Xin Ping quickly suppressed his complicated emotions.

"What's done is done, there's no point in saying more. It's not too late for us to make our move now." Xin Ping looked at Xun Chen seriously and said, "You Ruo, write a letter to Gongda. Jingzhou is not a place to stay for long. We should come to Jizhou as soon as possible. If we come too late, we may miss many opportunities!"

Upon hearing this, Xun Chen shook his head with a wry smile:

“Gongda has been opinionated since childhood, and I can’t persuade him… Sigh, I’ll give it a try!”

It's true that the younger generation of the Xun family each has their own unique personality.

Xun Chen belonged to the most traditional group, following Yuan Shao, whose family had held high office for four generations, from the very beginning.

Xun Yu, however, was not misled by Yuan Shao's family background. Instead, he abandoned Yuan Shao and joined Cao Cao when Yuan Shao's power was at its peak.

Xun You was even more eccentric, and could even be considered the most courageous young man in the Xun clan.

After Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, Xun You secretly plotted with Zheng Tai, He Yong, Zhong Ji, and Wu Qiong, believing that although Dong Zhuo was strong, he had no foundation and was just a commoner, so he could be assassinated.

Xun You even bluntly stated: "We can rely on Yao and Han to assist the king's mandate and command the world; this is the approach of Huan and Wen."

However, before they could even make a move, the plan was leaked, resulting in Zhong Ji and Wu Qiong being killed by Dong Zhuo, He Yong and Xun You being arrested and imprisoned, while Zheng Tai took the opportunity to escape and join Yuan Shu.

During this time, He Yong committed suicide in prison out of fear and anxiety, while Xun You remained calm and composed, and was fortunate enough to survive after Dong Zhuo's death.

Later, rumors circulated in Chang'an that it was Wang Yun who secretly informed Dong Zhuo of this matter in order to gain Dong Zhuo's trust.

However, after Xun You was released from prison, he never discussed the matter and treated Wang Yun the same way.

However, during Wang Yun's tenure in the court, he refused the appointment as chancellor of Rencheng and instead requested to be the governor of Shu Commandery.

Xun You believed that Shu Han was strategically important and its people were prosperous. Although he could not become the ruler of Huan or Wen, he could still occupy Shu Commandery in this chaotic world to observe the changes in the world and wait for the right time to act.

However, last year Liu Yan blocked the roads, which prevented Xun You from taking office despite his appointment, and he could only stay in Jingzhou.

It must be admitted that among the philosophers of the Xun family, Xun You should be considered the most outstanding in terms of overall vision, with Xun Yu coming in second.

After all, while the other members of the Xun clan were searching for a wise ruler, only Xun You was trying to start his own business.

In other words, it was by a twist of fate that Wang Yun came to power. Otherwise, if Xun You had been in charge of the government in Chang'an last year, the situation would probably be very different. At least the government would not have changed its policies so frequently and capriciously, causing the Liangzhou army to cause such a mess.

Of course, although Xun You was strong, Xin Ping and others did not place all their hopes on him.

Xin Ping then asked, "Where is the long article right now?"

Xun Chen pondered for a moment and then said, "Now we should follow Lord Yuanfang to seek refuge in Xuzhou and live in the wilderness of Pi and Tan."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ping felt a slight sense of relief and immediately said decisively, "Then send another letter."

The Yuanfang Gong they mentioned was actually Chen Qun's father, Chen Ji.

Chen Ji was the son of Chen Shi, one of the "Four Elders of Yingchuan," and was known as one of the "Three Gentlemen" along with his father Chen Shi and brother Chen Chen.

Due to the early persecution of political parties, Chen Ji was unable to take office. So he devoted himself to studying classical texts and wrote more than 300,000 words. People at the time called him "Master Chen" because they believed that his writings were "not flowery and not embellished" and were in accordance with the way of the sages.

However, even a sage would be helpless in such chaotic times.

For example, Chen Ji was appointed as the Prefect of Pingyuan, but the Yellow Turban rebels didn't care that he was one of the "Three Lords" or "Master Chen".

Thus, long before Kong Rong, Chen Ji's county was captured by the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, forcing him to flee to Xuzhou with his son Chen Qun.

With manpower scarce in Ji Province, Xin Ping naturally wouldn't let go of prominent figures from Yingchuan County like the Chen family. After a brief review, the three quickly added Zhao Yan, Du Xi, and Fan Qin, who had fled to Jing Province to escape the chaos, to the list.

As for Zhong Yao and the other two, they did want to invite them, but at the moment he was still in Chang'an making empty promises to Guo Si, Li Jue and others.

Despite the renowned reputation of the scholars from Yingchuan, their ability to occupy high positions in the court during the Wei and Jin dynasties was mainly due to their successful bet on Cao Cao, which led to their rise in power and made them the leading aristocratic families in the land.

In fact, in terms of both the quantity and quality of famous officials, the scholars of Qing and Xu were the true cradle of talent.

However, in the original history, the lands of Qing and Xu did not encounter an enlightened ruler, which is why they scattered and drifted, unable to distinguish themselves.

That explains why Xin Ping was so nervous and didn't resort to any of the usual tactics of waiting for a higher price.

After all, if they waited for Wei Zhe to recruit them, the scholars of Yingchuan might not even be able to get a sip of meat soup.

However, after returning home, Xun Chen thought about it and decided to write another letter to Guo Jia.

Although Guo Jia was only a collateral branch of the Guo family of Yingchuan and was not as famous as Guo Tu, Xun Chen knew that he was a man of extraordinary talent.

In fact, after Yuan Shao took over Ji Province, Guo Jia went north to meet Yuan Shao at Guo Tu's invitation.

However, after their conversation, Guo Jia was quite disappointed and privately told Xin Ping, Xun Chen, and others:

"Yuan Gong merely wishes to emulate the Duke of Zhou's humility towards scholars, but he does not understand the art of employing people. He is full of inconsistencies and lacks focus, fond of making plans but indecisive. It will be difficult to establish a hegemonic dynasty with him!"

In the end, he ignored Guo Tu's attempts to persuade him to stay and left directly, which greatly displeased Xin Ping.

You should know that although Xun Yu also did not think highly of Yuan Shao, he did not say it so bluntly. He simply left quietly. But Guo Jia's words were tantamount to scolding them for being blind and not recognizing a wise ruler.

Xin Ping has always been a bit petty, so naturally he won't invite Guo Jia to Ji Province again this time.

But Xun Chen was different; now he admired Guo Jia's discerning eye even more.

If Xun Yu hadn't already been serving under Cao Cao, Xun Chen would have even considered bringing his elder brother over as well.

This shows that as long as you are strong enough, there is no such thing as modesty.

This applies to both men and women!

……

Meanwhile, at the south gate of Ye City.

Standing atop the city wall, gazing at the winding Zhang River and the fertile plains on both banks, Wei Zhe felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

He patted the battlement and laughed with no small amount of pride:
"With this Ji Province, I can support another 20,000 soldiers!"

Xi Zhicai, standing behind him, immediately understood and chuckled:

"There is no idle land in Jizhou. It won't be easy for you, my lord, to support 20,000 soldiers."

However, Wei Zhe laughed and said, "No rush, take your time."

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; Wei Zhe was neither Yang Guang nor Cao Pi.

He has patience, and even more importantly, time!
A gentle breeze blew by, and the Wei-character flag on the city wall fluttered and rustled in the wind.

On the empty city wall, Wei Zhe quickly regained his usual composure after his initial excitement.

"The surrendered soldiers should first be screened in Shangdang. The remaining soldiers should be selected from the elite and promoted from the poor, and then dispersed to various counties in Jizhou. Oh, and since Zhang He is willing to surrender, let's take him with us."

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai didn't ask why, but instead brought up another point:
"What about the local garrison troops?"

In front of Xi Zhicai, Wei Zhe made no attempt to hide anything, directly stating with a slight frown:

“I’m not comfortable with them… Let’s break up their organization and send them, along with their families, to Qingzhou to cultivate the land.”

"Anyone who refuses will be treated as a rebel and exiled to the mines in Liaodong."

It should be noted that Qingzhou is a major province in the Central Plains and is by no means a harsh or cold place.

Even in times of peace, Qingzhou is more prosperous than Youzhou.

If Qingzhou weren't so sparsely populated, it would be impossible for these county soldiers to own a hundred acres of farmland in Qingzhou.

In this situation, if anyone is still unwilling to go, then don't blame Wei Zhe for being rude.

At present, "filling Qingzhou with Jizhou" is indeed a very effective method; otherwise, Qingzhou alone might not be able to recover its vitality in several decades.

However, restoring the livelihood of the people in Qingzhou was only a secondary concern. Wei Zhe's main target was the counties and prefectures of Jizhou, because the prefectural troops were the most heavily infiltrated by powerful clans from various regions, and they were essentially using the imperial court's grain to support their own troops.

Only by disrupting the original organizational structure of Ji Province can Wei Zhe make some moves.

At this point, Wei Zhe looked at Tian Feng, who had remained silent to his left, and slowly said:
"After the troops from the prefectures are moved to their garrisons, the prefectures of Ji Province can begin the initial clearing of the fields, with the Tuntian Office taking the lead and the Xuanjing Office assisting."

"If there is any disagreement, the Suspended Mirror Bureau will investigate local injustices... Yuan Hao, do you have any difficulties?"

Hearing this, Xi Zhicai was slightly startled, but not too surprised.

The saying "The rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand" is absolutely true in Jizhou.

Otherwise, Jizhou wouldn't have become such a disaster area during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Xi Zhicai understood this point, and Tian Feng, who came from a poor family in Julu, understood it even more clearly.

So he immediately bowed and accepted the order, resolutely saying:
"Governing the country is not difficult at all!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe stroked his beard and smiled.

Seeing this, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but sigh, but said nothing.

After all, the land in Jizhou was owned by someone else, and without land surveying, it would be impossible to implement the system of military farming in Youzhou at the county level.

Without sufficient land reclamation, a large number of garrison troops could not take root in the counties and prefectures of Ji Province, and Wei Zhe's will could not extend, but could only float on the surface.

In this way, Ji Province may seem to belong to him, but in reality, it is only nominally under a different master.

In fact, as early as Liaodong, Xi Zhicai gradually saw through the deeper meaning behind Wei Zhe's promotion of the military-agricultural system.

Therefore, during a certain year-end festival, he once asked Wei Zhe:
If killing one family could save a million people, what should be done?
At that time, Wei Zhe did not hesitate and frankly stated:
If this happens, it means that the existence of this family is inherently unreasonable.

Let alone killing one family to save a million people, even if it only saves 100,000 or 10,000 people, it is still possible.

From that moment on, Xi Zhicai understood that Wei Zhe was playing a grand game.

He intends to use land reclamation as a remedy to alleviate the suffering of tens of millions of people in the Han Dynasty!

Today, the land survey in Ji Province may result in continuous bloodshed, but what difference does the weeping of one family make over the weeping of the entire province?

Wei Zhe was willing to spend time and effort to retake Youzhou back then, so naturally he wouldn't mind the trouble now.

However, while one can despise the enemy strategically, one must still take the enemy seriously tactically.

The specific implementation of the "land clearing" in Ji Province required careful consideration from Wei Zhe down.

He brought this up today only to let Tian Feng and the others prepare, not to launch an attack before taking action.

For example, the Suspended Mirror Bureau can now collect wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice from various counties and prefectures in Ji Province.

In addition, there is another huge hidden danger in Jizhou that needs to be eliminated.

"Furthermore, order Zilong to join forces with Bingzhou to encircle and suppress the Black Mountain Army. Whether to suppress or appease them is up to him to decide."

At this point, Wei Zhe frowned slightly and emphasized:
"The clearing of the fields must not be carried out rashly before the banditry in the Black Mountain area is eliminated."

"Understood!" Both Tian Feng and Xi Zhicai were aware of this.

If they were to truly begin the land clearing campaign, it would be difficult to say in the eyes of the Ji Province gentry who would be the Han army and who would be the mountain bandits…

(End of this chapter)