A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 422 Li Yi Releases Military Power Over a Cup of Wine
Caozhou, Zhouqiao.

The lotus buds are just beginning to emerge.
"Is that Meng Haicheng?" Li Yi pointed with his riding whip.

Jiang Shanhe chimed in, "Back then, Meng Haigong gathered a crowd at Zhouqiao and, after seizing Caozhou, built two cities, one in the north and one in the south. The people called them Meng Haicheng."

The two castles weren't very large, but they were said to be quite luxuriously decorated inside. Meng Haigong was originally a commoner, but he preferred martial arts to literature. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he gathered a crowd here to start an uprising, calling himself a registrar.

He did occupy Cao Dai's territory for six or seven years, but he had no great ambitions. After raising an army, he was busy building castles in his hometown, and he was determined to become a wealthy and powerful man. You can tell from the title of registrar he gave himself.

"Was Chiang Kai-shek from Luoyang?"

"Yes, my ancestral home is Luoyang."

Unlike Meng Haigong, Jiang Shanhe came from a family of officials and military officers. In the eighth year of the Daye era, he participated in the campaign against Goguryeo and was awarded the title of Jianjiewei. Later, he served as the magistrate of Yucheng County in Daizhou.

Meng Haigong rallied a rebellion and quickly amassed tens of thousands of troops. At that time, the country was in chaos, and Jiang Shanhe, the newly appointed county magistrate, was unable to resist him and eventually had no choice but to submit to Meng Haigong. Later, he captured Yunzhou in the east and proclaimed himself the governor of Yunzhou, half of whom was subordinate to Meng Haigong.

Meng Haigong probably never imagined that one day he would die at the hands of Jiang Shanhe.

Li Yi's headquarters were located in Jiyin City, on the south bank of the Baigou River, which was also the capital of Caozhou. Since Li Yi arrived in Caozhou, the entire city of Jiyin had been thoroughly searched several times.

The city had long been taken over by Li Yi's elite troops, and the streets were filled with sentry posts.

Outside the gate, soldiers stood like a forest.

Their armor gleamed, their swords and spears flashed coldly, and six large banners hung from a six-zhang-high flagpole. Behind them stood a row of banners bearing the names of various high-ranking officials: the Pacification Commissioner of Henan Circuit, the Left Vice Minister of the Grand Secretariat of Shaanxi East Circuit, the Acting Minister of Works, the Acting Grand Chancellor, the Minister of War, the Banner General, the Pillar of State, the Duke of Jin…
Banners and flags fluttered in the wind, creating an atmosphere of solemnity and grandeur.

Jiang Shanhe stayed close to Li Yi, feeling very uneasy.

Everyone has ambitions. For example, he was just the magistrate of Yucheng County at first, but later he attached himself to Meng Haigong. Seeing that the world was in chaos and that someone like Meng Haigong could raise tens of thousands of people and seize two prefectures, he also volunteered to recruit soldiers and then attacked Yunzhou. After capturing Yunzhou, he also had tens of thousands of soldiers and ruled a prefecture by himself.

Now he has killed Meng Haigong and his brothers, sons and confidants, seized his men and territory, and is also thinking of replacing Meng Haigong and becoming the new governor of Caozhou.

After all, he now commands an army of 50,000.

"Master Sikong, Chief Steward Du has arrived."

Song Yi stepped forward to report.

Li Yi nodded, "Please invite him and his generals and officers to come. His troops, like Governor Jiang's, should first be stationed outside the city."

Once everyone has arrived...

Li Yisheng took his seat in the Baihu Hall.

Outside the second gate stood two seven-foot-long flags with sharp blades and leopard tails. No officer or soldier was allowed to enter without orders; otherwise, they would be executed on the spot.

Military music played inside the gate.

The guards summoned the generals to the hall.

The generals filed into the White Tiger Hall.

These generals were clearly divided into three groups. The first to enter were naturally the Tang generals who had followed Li Yi from Luoyang.
Such as Chief Secretary Yuwen Shi and Sima Zhang Liang, as well as Yizhou Governor Li Fengci, Zhengzhou Governor Li Boyi, Lu Chengqing, Zhang Gongjin, Liu Rengui, Liang Jianfang, Gao Zhensheng, etc.

The other two groups were Du Caigan and Lu Mu from Huazhou, and Jiang Shanhe and others from Caoyun.

The officers and soldiers, according to their rank, paid their respects to Li Yi in turn.

They stood in two shifts, bowing respectfully, awaiting instructions.

"Please be seated, everyone."

Li Yi pressed down a few times.

"Han Hong, Meng Haigong, Xu Yuanlang, Zhang Qingte, Zang Junxiang and other generals and governors of Henan colluded with Dou Jiande of Hebei, surrendering and then rebelling again, being fickle and unpredictable."

I have been deeply favored by the Sage and entrusted with the important task of pacifying Henan. I am determined to quell the rebellion. You gentlemen have also been deeply favored by the Sage. We should work together to repay the Sage.

I am deeply gratified that Chief Steward Du and Prefect Jiang were able to maintain their stance and quell the rebellion for the country.

The imperial court has always rewarded merit and punished crime. His Majesty has granted me the authority to act expediently, bestowing upon me two banners and two insignia—the banners for exclusive reward and the insignia for exclusive execution—allowing me to execute first and report later.

The generals were solemn.

"Chief Steward Du!"

"Your subordinate is here." Du Caigan stepped forward; he was not even thirty years old and was quite young.

Li Yi beckoned, and a guard brought out a box.

"General Du, a certain general, swiftly reported to the Emperor in Chang'an for his meritorious service in quelling the rebellion and eliminating the traitors. The Emperor was greatly pleased and issued an edict to commend him."

He bestowed upon Duke Du a silver pot and a pair of gold cups, as well as a set of bright armor and a set of gilded silk armor.

As he spoke, Li Yi took out another bright yellow imperial edict.

"Du Gong is hereby granted the title of Duke of Pingyu, concurrently serving as the Inspector-General of Huazhou, and holding the authority to command the military affairs of the four prefectures of Hua, Pu, Cao, and Yun, as well as the position of Prefect of Huazhou."

Du Caigan stepped forward to express his gratitude and accept the imperial decree.

Jiang Shanhe felt very disappointed.

The Caozhou General Administration was abolished, Daizhou was abolished, and Cao and Yun were incorporated into the Huazhou General Administration. His dream of becoming a general was shattered.

"Prefect Jiang of Yunzhou".

Jiang Shanhe took a few deep breaths, forced a smile, and stepped forward.

He was only a few years older than Du Caigan, just over thirty, and had a burly build. Ten years ago, he was summoned to Liaodong to fight against Goguryeo. Many people went to Liaodong that year with the ambition to make a name for themselves, such as Liu Wuzhou, who also enlisted in Luoyang.

"The Sage was very pleased to hear that General Jiang did not follow General Meng Hai in the rebellion, but instead went to Caozhou to lead troops to quell the rebellion and punish the bandits."

An imperial edict conferred upon Jiang the title of Duke of Yuncheng, appointed him Military Governor of Yunzhou, and promoted him to Grand General.

He bestowed upon the recipient a set of Bright Light Armor, a silver bottle, and two gold cups.

Jiang Shanhe received the imperial edict after being granted an audience with the emperor.

He couldn't help but feel disappointed; he was merely a county duke and a nine-time meritorious official. He was still the prefect of Yunzhou, the so-called military commander of Yunzhou, but he was still just a prefect.

The governor was usually granted the title of "Imperial Envoy with Imperial Credentials," and only those who held the title of Imperial Envoy for the military affairs of several prefectures were considered "General Managers." Du Caigan, who held the title of Imperial Envoy for the four prefectures of Hua, Cao, Pu, and Yun, was the General Manager. Originally, there were eight prefectures, but they had now been reduced to four.

Before the Northern Zhou Dynasty, there was no name Caozhou. It was the Northern Zhou Dynasty that changed Xiyanzhou to Caozhou. At that time, Caozhou was divided into two prefectures, Jiyin Prefecture and Puyang Prefecture, each prefecture governing four counties.

Cao and Pu were originally one entity, and Yunzhou was originally part of Yanzhou.

Geographically, Huazhou is closer to Bianzhou and Zhengzhou.

In terms of geographical location, Caozhou is not as good as Huazhou today.

This is because the Yellow River now flows north of Huazhou and has not yet changed its course to pass through Caozhou. Caozhou has not become the gateway connecting the three provinces, but Huazhou has an important Yellow River ferry crossing.

Such an important place as Huacao
The chief administrator of this general administration, and even the four prefects below him, should ideally be appointed by the imperial court, especially given the recent rebellion of Meng Haigong and Han Hong.

However, these things can't be rushed; we can only take it one step at a time.

Du Caigan and Jiang Shanhe had just made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion, and the court could not make things too ugly for them. After all, Xu Yuanlang, Zhang Qingte and others were still rebelling, and their men were needed to turn back.

But some things can't wait any longer.

Now that the Huazhou General Administration has been reduced to four prefectures, the troops under Du Caigan and Jiang Shanhe, though claimed to number 100,000, actually number 50,000 to 60,000, are far too many.

We must take advantage of the arrival of the royal army to reorganize these troops.

The day.

Li Yi ordered a reward for the troops.

The slaughtering of pigs and sheep, as well as various chickens, ducks, and vegetables, caused a surge in the prices of meat, vegetables, and grains in Caozhou.

They even bought out all the drinks.

Li Yi rewarded the soldiers of the Huazhou General's Office, and the royal troops he brought joined them in a celebration.

Holding his wine cup, he didn't stay in the city to drink with the generals and officials, but instead went to the camp to drink with the soldiers.
They drank and chatted.

The conversation was simple, and I took the opportunity to ask everyone's true thoughts.

Why did you wear this military uniform?
What are your expectations and plans for the future?

Whether they were soldiers from Caozhou, Yunzhou, or Huazhou, no one expected that Li Gong, who held the position of one of the Three Dukes and was appointed Prime Minister, would drink with them.

Speak freely and without reservation.

Answer every question without hesitation.

Many soldiers were so excited that they could hardly speak clearly.

"During the late Sui Dynasty, the world was in chaos, especially Henan, located in the Central Plains, where people were forced to take this path."

Now that stability is imminent, if any of you are willing to retire from the military and return to your rural homes, the imperial court will grant you land equally, with each person entitled to 100 mu (approximately 6.7 hectares), and you will be given priority and full allocation of land.

The court will not forget your merits in protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people; you will be rewarded with honors and awards. Furthermore, when you retire from military service, the court will provide you with a settlement allowance.

Wherever Li Yi went, countless soldiers surrounded him.

Hearing Li Yi's down-to-earth words, the soldiers were very excited and began to seriously consider them.

Retiring from the military, receiving a medal, severance pay, and land redistribution—sounds pretty good.

Some people were used to military life and wanted to stay. Li Yi also told everyone that the imperial court would select soldiers from the state troops. As long as they were selected, the young and strong ones could be retained and even granted military positions to become officers.

"Those who become soldiers will also be granted land, one hundred acres per soldier. This land will not be subject to rent or taxes. They only need to serve as guards and go to war in times of war."

"Brothers, whether we put on this uniform or take it off, it's all for a better life."
Once, when the world was in chaos, we donned our armor to protect our land and people, and to safeguard our homes. Now, as peace is on the horizon, we take off our uniforms, receive land equally, and become ordinary citizens, able to live more peaceful and comfortable lives.

"Those who leave will receive severance pay, and those who stay will also receive a resettlement allowance."

Du Caigan and Jiang Shanhe, along with other local military officers, stood behind Li Yi, listening to him raise his wine cup and toast with the lower-ranking soldiers, speaking so passionately.

Do they not understand the meaning behind Li Yi's words?
The two general administrations of Caozhou and Yunzhou were abolished, and the four prefectures of Dai and Zuo were merged. The next step is to reduce their troops.

I felt a pang of reluctance.

But he also knew this was inevitable. It was impossible for him to continue as before, holding troops and controlling territory, and becoming a regional warlord.

The fact that Han Hong and Meng Haigong's soldiers all surrendered after their deaths shows that few soldiers were truly willing to fight.

As long as the imperial court can make proper arrangements, everyone is willing to accept it.

Soldiers who retired received severance pay and were granted land upon returning to their hometowns. Those who remained and were selected became soldiers of the local government, received resettlement allowances, and were also granted military land.

As for the officers, they were all retained, but most of them had to go to the Ministry of War in Chang'an for selection to obtain new appointments.

Li Yi toured all the battalions.
After a round of drinks, the message of troop reduction was conveyed, and almost all the soldiers were willing to retire.

Back in the city,

Du Caigan and Jiang Shanhe both took the initiative to express their support for the court and the Minister of Works' decision.

Li Yi, slightly drunk and with a flushed face, looked at them and said with a smile, "With the world at peace, it is the inevitable trend for people to retire from military service and return to farming."

The imperial court has established 72 new military prefectures in Henan and selected 70,000 troops, so there is no need to retain too many of the original local troops.

The governor of Huazhou will temporarily select two thousand soldiers to remain, while one thousand soldiers will be retained in each of the other three prefectures. The rest will be reduced or dismissed as much as possible this time.

The five thousand men left behind are only a temporary measure. The next step may be to transfer these five thousand soldiers to fight the rebels in Yanzhou and other places. In the future, they will be stationed in other states, while the troops in Huazhou, Caozhou and other states will be transferred from Luoyang, Yuzhou and Huaizhou in the west to the Henan Military Government.

This approach is the fastest and most effective way to dismantle local separatist forces.

Without soldiers, they become a paper tiger without claws and teeth. In the future, if the court wants to mobilize these officials, it will only be a matter of issuing an order.

"What do you think, Lord Du and Lord Jiang?"

"We firmly support the decision of the court and the official in charge." The two men showed no hesitation and were very happy.

(End of this chapter)