Han officials

Following Zhang He's large-scale purge in Yuzhang, the Yuzhang gentry suffered a severe blow.

Local powerful families suffered heavy losses, with five or six out of ten losing their fortunes; county and prefectural gentry were reduced to two out of three.

After the news spread, the entire city of Yangzhou fell into a state of solemnity.

Even the Yue tribes in Yuzhang County became docile at this time and dared not cause trouble.

After all, the Wei army really knew how to kill people, and they were very good at it.

When the Yuzhang gentry, who were once considered invincible in the eyes of the Shanyue tribes, were slaughtered like pigs and dogs, these Shanyue barbarians suddenly gained a clear understanding of the strength of the Wei army.

Yes, they are barbaric, but not stupid.

With 100,000 Wei troops currently suppressing Yangzhou, they must be out of their minds to nitpick over something like this.

Some sensible Yue tribes even took the initiative to send people to present treasures to the Wei military officers.

Rare and exotic animals, beautiful women and fine wines, and much more.

Wei Zhe accepted them all with a smile and even reciprocated with gold and silver jewelry.

As for how to govern these mountain tribes and barbarians, Wei Zhe doesn't need to do it personally; that's a matter for the future Prefect of Yuzhang.

In contrast, what he was truly concerned about was the implementation of land reclamation programs in various counties of Yangzhou.

Even today, Wei Zhe has not given up on land reclamation.

Whether it was civilian settlement or military settlement, he stubbornly persisted in promoting it.

Even if these lands are inevitably lost in the future, he will keep these farmlands in the hands of the state.

In addition, military reforms in Yangzhou are also in full swing.

From Wu Commandery to Kuaiji, from Jiujiang to Yuzhang, the local troops were replaced by garrison troops.

After the old and weak were dismissed from the original county soldiers, the brave and strong were selected to become the prefectural soldiers.

After these dramatic changes, the people of Yangzhou became more and more obedient.

It should be noted that if the 200,000 Yuan troops are included, then the selection pool for this conscription of soldiers would be nearly 300,000.

Even though many of them were Yangzhou residents who were forcibly conscripted into the army, the large number of them would still produce some talented individuals.

As a result, Wei Zhe only selected 20,000 soldiers from the 300,000 troops, a standard so strict that it left all the forces in Yangzhou speechless.

As for the remaining troops, they were either released back to civilian life or incorporated into civilian and military settlements to solidify the foundation.

After such a series of actions, everyone understood that Wei's foundation in Yangzhou was now completely solid.

If anyone tries to stir up trouble again, Yangzhou alone could probably quell the rebellion without even sending troops from Yecheng.

It could be said that during this trip to Yangzhou, while fighting was the main event, land surveying and military reform became the main focus.

……

The words are divided into two parts.

While reforms were in full swing in Yangzhou, Jingzhou was also bustling with activity.

In Wuling County of Jingzhou, there lived a woman named Li E who died at the age of sixty and was buried outside the city. Unexpectedly, a passerby heard a sound coming from the tomb and informed her family, thus allowing her to see the light of day again.

The miraculous story of the old woman's resurrection fourteen days after her death quickly spread like wildfire throughout Jingzhou.

Gradually, this strange tale even spread to the neighboring state of Yizhou, sparking much discussion among the people.

Liu Biao, in Xiangyang, naturally heard about this matter.

Zhang Yun even solemnly recounted the matter vividly at the prefectural court assembly.

As Liu Biao's nephew, Zhang Yun knew his maternal uncle's preferences all too well.

After a long and eloquent speech, he bowed deeply and offered his congratulations:
"Congratulations, Your Highness! This auspicious omen is a sign that the Han Dynasty has been restored from darkness!"

"Your humble servant dares to speak presumptuously, but I urge Your Highness to quickly establish the new title of King, so as to ensure the safety of the people!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Biao immediately waved his hand repeatedly, but the smile in his eyes was obvious to everyone.

In this way, how could the civil and military officials of Jingzhou in the main hall not know what he was thinking?
Therefore, immediately, voices urging him to ascend the throne rang out both inside and outside the main hall.

Liu Biao declined repeatedly before reluctantly agreeing to accept the title of "King of Chu".

He then bestowed titles and rewards upon his civil and military officials in his capacity as King of Chu, which pleased everyone.

However, Kuai Liang was the only one who felt somewhat unhappy.

You should know that he went through a lot of trouble to travel to Yizhou and finally persuaded Liu Zhang to form an alliance with Jingzhou, and set out the process of "Jing and Yi becoming kings" and "mutually honoring each other with titles".

Now that Zhang Yun has suddenly intervened, Kuai Liang's achievements have been greatly diminished, so it's no wonder he's unhappy.

Even Kuai Liang couldn't help but wonder if Zhang Yun had heard something beforehand and deliberately made his move at this moment.

However, Kuai Liang did indeed wrong Zhang Yun this time; he wasn't as powerful as Kuai Liang thought.

Zhang Yun simply knew all too well how to flatter his maternal uncle, so he went along with it.

Of course, it was also because Zhang Yun's excuse was so good that Liu Biao couldn't bear to miss it.

After all, such auspicious omens from heaven are rare and precious. If you miss this one, you might not get another chance.

But Liu Biao still had some idea of ​​what was going on.

After the court assembly ended, he summoned Kuai Liang for a private conversation.

What else could Kuai Liang say about this?

Your boss has already had a heart-to-heart talk with you; if you still don't understand, then you're truly clueless!
Left with no other choice, Kuai Liang had to reluctantly help Zhang Yun clean up the mess.

Before the news spread, the plan to appoint Liu Zhang as King of Hanzhong was launched, with Jingzhou recommending him.

Although Liu Zhang did not know why the plan was brought forward, he was happy to see it happen.

After all, with the recognition from Jingzhou, his title as King of Hanzhong would have gained more weight. Therefore, after receiving congratulations from Jingzhou, he also pretended to submit a memorial to the court, requesting that Liu Biao be made King of Chu.

For a time, Jingzhou and Yizhou were constantly exchanging visits and were very close.

The interactions between the people of Jingzhou and Yizhou also became more frequent due to their alliance.

However, in places unnoticed by Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, certain changes were quietly taking place.

……

Nanzhang Township, southern suburbs of Xiangyang.

Sima Hui looked at the four large characters "Shuijing Academy" on the plaque and couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile.

Huang Chengyan also stood aside with a smile and offered his congratulations:

"From this day forward, the cultural heritage of Jingzhou will be immeasurably enriched by virtue and merit!"

"No, no!" Sima Hui waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this.

However, after taking another look at the plaque, he couldn't help but sigh:

"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening... Now I understand!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Mo and Li Ren, the two disciples standing to Sima Hui's left and right, immediately showed great respect.

Thanks to Xun You's efforts, the chief editor of the "Zhixing Dibao" in Jingzhou was finally appointed.

Given Sima Hui's wide network of goodwill and his fondness for mentoring younger generations, this task finally fell to him.

After careful consideration, Sima Hui decided to accept the offer.

After all, the Zhixing Dibao was ostensibly just a gazette of the Zhixing Academy.

Zhixing Academy, on the other hand, was no different from private schools and academies; it was an unofficial institution and not particularly sensitive.

Most importantly, the main function of the Zhixing Dibao was to debate scriptures.

He debated the classics with Chen Ji of Yingchuan, with the Confucian academy in Xiangyang, and with all the corrupt scholars in the world.

Even if this were discussed at length, it would still be considered a refined literary affair, something that even the Xiangyang Academy itself didn't find particularly remarkable.

Most importantly, the Xiangyang Academy was also happy to see this happen.

At least in the future, when they quarrel, they won't have to send letters all the way to Zhixing Academy; they can just send them to Sima Hui. Many learned scholars even wrote to Sima Hui, asking him to be lenient.

These old men had long regretted not being able to participate in such a literary event, and considered themselves to be highly learned, believing that if they were allowed to participate in the debate, they would surely be able to refute the fallacies and heresies of Ye City.

Seeing this, Sima Hui simply converted his Shuijing Villa into Shuijing Academy.

Therefore, he even wrote a letter to Liu Biao in Xiangyang to explain that although the study of classical Chinese learning was created by Wei Zhe, it does have its merits and is beneficial to young scholars. The young people of Jingzhou should not miss this opportunity.

Interestingly, Sima Hui also stated that he was cultivating talent for Jingzhou.

In the future, the disciples who graduate from Shuijing Academy will ultimately have to serve him, the King of Chu.

To be honest, Liu Biao agreed wholeheartedly with this.

He felt that both the New Text School and the Old Text School of Confucianism were merely tools.

Just because Wei Zhe is usable doesn't mean he's unusable.

Therefore, Liu Biao turned a blind eye to the establishment of the Shuijing Academy and allowed them to study traditional Chinese culture.

It must be said that the Jingxiang region is truly a place where hidden talents abound.

After Wang Can and Pang Tong left, a new batch of talented people emerged at Shuijing Academy.

Among them, Xu Shu, Cui Jun, Shi Tao, and Meng Jian stood out in the debate with the Xiangyang Academy and were called the "Four Friends of Shuijing" by the enthusiasts in Jingzhou, who followed the example of the "Seven Masters of Wei".

As a result, more and more private schools and academies for studying traditional Chinese culture began to emerge in Jingzhou.

Yizhou is similar.

However, as the chief editor of the Zhixing Dibao in Yizhou, Zhang Song did not establish an academy.

He merely used the guise of soliciting manuscripts to wander around various literary studios and frequently appeared at literary gatherings.

Then, the various scholars and Confucianists in the organization debated the classics, while he took notes on the sidelines.

This above-board academic activity did not arouse any suspicion. On the contrary, it was sought after by many literati in Yizhou. Whenever they had a gathering, they would compete to invite Zhang Song, hoping that their brilliant remarks could be published by him in the "Zhixing Dibao" and thus become famous throughout the world.

If Sima Hui was establishing a base area, then Zhang Song was waging guerrilla warfare.

Regardless of the form, both men greatly promoted traditional Chinese learning, making Wei Zhe's doctrines, opinions, and political ambitions known to the scholars and people of Jing and Yi provinces.

As these young scholars gained a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese learning and gradually began to believe in this doctrine, they inevitably developed a sincere longing for Ye City and a heartfelt admiration for Wei Zhe.

In places where Wei's army could not reach, the subtle influence of traditional Chinese culture helped Wei Zhe win over a wave of people's hearts.

In fact, the reason is very simple.

When people subconsciously believe in a country's theories, they will naturally develop a favorable impression of that country.

This is an inevitable phenomenon and will not be affected by personal feelings.

In the current context, this means that the pro-Wei faction in Jing and Yi provinces is growing rapidly.

However, neither Liu Biao of Jingzhou nor Liu Zhang of Yizhou noticed these changes in their thinking.

Many local officials in Jing and Yi provinces felt that these young scholars who had studied classical Chinese literature were indeed more useful, as they were much better than the original scholars in terms of execution ability, work attitude, and even moral character.

As a result, many prefects and magistrates gradually came to favor these scholars of classical learning.

After all, leaders of all kinds like capable subordinates, and the Han Dynasty was no exception!

For a time, Wei seemed not to be waging war against Jing and Yi provinces, but the situation in the world was slowly evolving in a way that Liu Biao and Liu Zhang could not understand... (End of this chapter)