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

Chapter 454 Supporting the King of Qin's Succession
At the Battle of Mingshui, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, defeated a much larger force with a smaller one, militarily crushing the Hebei people's dream of establishing a kingdom. Meanwhile, in Mingzhou, Li Yi's list of official appointments rallied the Hebei people back to his side.

The entire month of July was a mix of extremes, like fire and ice.

In the first half of the month, the Tang-Xia War resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. However, the following month, the war was quelled by a single proclamation. Whether it was the prominent families of Hebei, the military groups that followed Dou Jiande in his uprising, or the Sui Dynasty officials who had followed Yuwen Huaji northward, all were included.
They all abandoned their old identities and embraced their new ones.

Dramatic changes in Hebei.

The Chang'an court largely agreed to the post-war pacification policy for Hebei, jointly submitted by Prince Qin and Li Yi, with only minor adjustments made to the general administration and prefectures. Taking advantage of the favorable situation, they pressed their advantage...

The Shandong Circuit was directly established over the entire Hebei Circuit, with eight general administration offices under its jurisdiction, and was subsequently reduced to twenty-four prefectures.

Youzhou, Dingzhou, Jizhou, Weizhou, Yingzhou, Xiangzhou, Dezhou, plus Huaizhou.

The three general prefectures of Lizhou, Xingzhou, and Hengzhou were abolished, and Yingzhou and Huaizhou were added.

Huaizhou originally belonged to Henan Circuit, but this time it was incorporated into Hebei Circuit.

Many other prefectures in Hebei Province have also been abolished.

More than 30 prefectures, such as Lizhou, Maozhou, Guanzhou, Jingzhou, and Huangzhou, were abolished.

One line of government offices, eight general administration offices, and twenty-four prefectures.

Hebei is ushering in a brand-new layout.

Zheng Shanguo, the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei Province, and Cui Mingan, the Deputy Commissioner, both received imperial edicts to return to the capital. Zheng Shanguo was to return to the capital as the Left Vice-Minister of the Crown Prince and concurrently the Acting Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, while Cui Mingan was to remain the Vice-Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Deputy Envoy Lu Chisong remained at the administrative headquarters, serving as the Right Vice Minister of the Shandong Circuit.

Li Yi originally recommended Pei Shiju to be appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. The emperor summoned him back to the capital and appointed him as the Right Vice Minister of the Crown Prince and granted him the title of Duke of Anyi County.

The emperor's edict was sent to Hebei.

After it was read aloud,

Hebei is now completely at peace.

People still had to be skeptical of what Li Yi and the King of Qin said, but the emperor's edicts could not be changed overnight.

King Dou Jiande of Xia was pardoned by the emperor and granted the title of Duke of Changcheng County, and was summoned to the capital.

This outcome was unexpected by everyone. Even though many people had obtained Tang official positions, they still believed that Dou Jiande would definitely be killed.

What they didn't know was that when Emperor Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty learned that Dou Jiande had been captured, his first thought was to kill Dou Jiande to eliminate any future troubles.

The emperor never showed mercy to his defeated opponents, whether it was Wang Wei and Gao Junya, his deputies when he raised his army in Taiyuan, or Wei Wensheng and Yin Shishi after entering Chang'an, or later, Xue Rengao and Li Gui.

After the Battle of Luoyang, even if Wang Shichong wasn't killed by the Dugu family, Li Yuan would definitely have taken action.

This time, instead of killing him, the emperor issued an edict to appoint Dou Jiande as the Duke of Hebei. This was not because he had changed his ways, but because Li Yi and Li Shimin jointly submitted a lengthy memorial to the emperor, detailing how Dou Jiande was deeply popular in Hebei and that killing him at this time would do more harm than good.

Hebei is highly likely to experience another resurgence.
Now that Jieli has consolidated his position in the Turkic Khanate, he has begun to provoke conflict on the border. Meanwhile, the imperial court is waging war in Jingxiang, south of the mountains, and a major battle is imminent.

Li Yi repeatedly advised the emperor, hoping that Dou Jiande would not be killed.

They also said that when the Sui Dynasty conquered the Southern Chen Dynasty, they did not kill Chen Shubao, and when they abolished the Western Liang Dynasty, they did not kill Xiao Cong. Now, the Tang Dynasty has unified the world. It is the mandate of heaven and the trend of the times, and no one can stop it.

Treating Dou Jiande well would actually make it easier to win over the people of Hebei and help the imperial court quickly establish its rule in Hebei.

Perhaps due to the pressure from Jieli, or perhaps because the Battle of Jiangling was about to begin, the emperor ultimately suppressed his murderous intent and agreed to Li Shimin and Li Yi's request.

Dou Jiande was granted the title of Duke of Changcheng County and summoned to the capital.

The aristocratic families of Hebei were still given preferential treatment, and Dou Jiande's officials and generals who rose from humble backgrounds were also accepted.

Thus,
It's less like conquest and more like annexation.

There are several imperial edicts.

The plan was set for the triumphant return to the capital in September, and Li Yi would also be on the trip. There would be a grand triumphant ceremony, including a military parade on the main street, the presentation of prisoners of war at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the bestowal of titles in the Golden Hall, and a banquet at the palace.

This time, not only was Li Yi, the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, returning to the capital, but also the eight chief administrators and twenty-four prefects of Hebei were to accompany the army to the capital.

This includes figures such as Li Yi, the Prince of Yan and Governor of Youzhou; Deng Song, the Prince of Yingzhou; Li Kaidao, the Prince of Beiping and Governor of Weizhou; and Li Da'en, the Prince of Dingxiang and Governor of Daizhou. Although they had long submitted to the imperial court, they were still, in reality, local warlords in the northern frontier.

The Ministry of War of the Imperial Court has approved the establishment of forty-eight military prefectures in Hebei and has selected locations for the garrisons.

The total number of soldiers was 50,000.
Li Yi and Li Daliang's subordinates, Li Yi, Li Kaidao, and Deng Song's subordinates, plus some former subordinates of Dou Jiande from Hebei.

The number of soldiers is a bit small.
However, the Ministry of War designated that 20,000 troops under Li Yi and Li Daliang be transferred to Hebei, and these 20,000 were basically veteran soldiers from Guanzhong.

This is the mainstay of the imperial court in Hebei.

Dou Jiande's former troops selected 10,000 men, and then Li Yi and several other groups selected 20,000 men.

To ensure stability in Hebei,
The imperial court will also leave several garrison troops temporarily stationed in the Qin King's Hebei camp. These are temporary garrisons of the central army.
Li Xuantong, Qin Wutong, Zhang Shigui, Tian Liuan and other generals of the Guard were left to guard the area.

A total of eight generals remained to guard the area, each commanding three thousand troops, and were stationed at the eight generals' residences.

This is the imperial court's last line of defense. With the addition of these 24,000 central troops, Hebei will be safe from chaos. Furthermore, these eight generals' elite forces can be used to urge the Hebei local army to complete its new reorganization as quickly as possible.

The organization was reorganized and disbanded, and the Forty-Eight Military Headquarters was newly built.

The rest should be withdrawn or laid off as appropriate.

Li Yi and Li Kaidao, these military leaders, all commanded considerable troops, and this time they will all be incorporated into the Twelve Guards system.

It is foreseeable that after this reorganization is completed, officers will be gradually adjusted, and Li Yi and others may be recruited into Korea or transferred to other places in the future.

Entering August,

The weather is gradually getting cooler.

Li Yi has been very busy lately, so busy that he hasn't had much time to spend with Huo Yu.

Although Li Shimin would not return until September, the Hebei military camp had already begun to hand over the Hebei military and political affairs to the Shandong Circuit Administration. The most important thing for the Prince of Qin now was to select 24,000 soldiers and distribute them to the eight generals, so that they could lead their troops to the eight generals' residences.

It extends south to Huaizhou, north to Youzhou, and east to Yingzhou.

With these eight central armies stationed in the eight general administrations, the reorganization and demobilization of troops in various places could no longer be a mere formality, and the establishment of the subsequent forty-eight military prefectures could also strictly adhere to the imperial court's orders.

The military and political affairs of the eight prefectures and twenty-four states all fell on Li Yi's shoulders.

Fortunately, the Shandong Circuit Office is now well-equipped, with Lu Chisong as Right Vice Minister, Wei Zheng as Left Chancellor, and Yuwen Shiji as Right Chancellor.

The Minister of War was Xu Shiji, the Minister of Personnel was Cui Junsu, and the Minister of Works was He Chou. The secretaries of each ministry were also carefully selected, roughly one-third from the military camp, one-third from Hebei, and one-third from those sent by the imperial court.

The most important task for the administration now is to distribute land equally among the farmers.
Registering households, surveying land, suppressing bandits, and maintaining public order.

They comforted displaced people, provided relief to disaster victims, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, and restored industry and commerce.

Hebei has a good foundation. It must be said that Dou Jiande came from a humble background and cared more about the people's livelihood. Hebei under his rule was not chaotic.

Compared to figures like Meng Haigong and Xu Yuanlang, who ruled over a region for seven or eight years, only to have the people in their territory nearly drained dry, these people were far superior.

Hebei did not have a large number of displaced people or thieves.
Production was not significantly disrupted.
The work of the Xingtai is relatively easier. The main task now is to stabilize people's minds and reassure them, especially the powerful clans. As long as they are settled and can follow the Tang Dynasty, the common people will follow suit.

For ordinary people who may never even leave their county in their entire lives, how could they possibly know anything about the grand scheme of things?

The power of discourse was entirely in the hands of powerful clans and wealthy families. They didn't know whether what others said was true or false; they could simply decide whether to attack the Tang Dynasty or pledge allegiance to it.
Many people didn't even care who became emperor or governor; they only cared about whether the weather would be favorable throughout the four seasons, whether the harvests in the fields would be guaranteed, and whether taxes and corvée labor would be lighter.

Huo Yu went back to his hometown of Weizhou, and Li Wenxiang also took leave to return home with him.

This trip can be considered a triumphant return home. Back then, they were forced to rise up in rebellion and were cursed as thieves. Who would have thought that they would now be the Duke of Wen and the Dowager Lady of Wen?

When I returned to my hometown, it was already a pile of ruins.

Only the houses, wells, and ancestral graves can be vaguely discerned.

"I never imagined it would be so dilapidated."

"It doesn't matter. We'll hire craftsmen to build a large manor, rebuild the ancestral graves, and buy a thousand or two acres of land nearby. We'll prosper immediately."

The mother and daughter walked around in circles.
Li Wenxiang directed his personal guards to unload the grain from the carts and set up soup kitchens to distribute the porridge.

"Mother, about you and Li Sikong?" Li Wenxiang finally couldn't help but bring up the matter.

Huo Yu nodded readily, "Yes, this matter is widely known now, and I can't hide it from you anymore, it is true."

"Did he force you to do that?"

Huo Yu laughed and said, "Silly son, don't you know your mother's temperament? If I don't want to, who can force me?"

“Then you two, he’s the same age as me.” Li Wenxiang’s face flushed red.

"I'm only in my early thirties, not an old woman," Huo Yu said with a smile.

Li Wenxiang blushed and didn't know how to continue.

"Actually, we fell in love while we were fighting in the south of the mountains. We spent so much time together and it didn't bother anyone. It's a mutual affection, and it doesn't bother anyone else. Mother hasn't had it easy these past few years. Why can't you find someone you like?"

Li Wenxiang remained silent. He found it hard to accept, but since it was already done, and his mother had acted voluntarily, perhaps even taking the initiative, he, as her son, felt it was inappropriate to say anything more.

"Don't worry, we are us, and you are you. When you see Wuyi in the future, you can still call each other brothers. We'll each be our own people," Huo Yu said with a smile.

Li Wenxiang kept his head down for a long time.

"When we return to Chang'an in September, Mother, come with me and stay in Chang'an from now on."

"Chang'an is too boring. I plan to stay in my hometown of Weizhou and build a manor. I will stay in the Hebei manor in the future. It is much more comfortable than Chang'an."

Li Wenxiang thought it was because Li Yi would return to Hebei to serve as the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. But thinking of the hardships she had endured over the years—how a mere woman had risen to become the formidable General Huo in the rebel army, escaping death countless times—he could only remain silent.
It's going to rain, and my mother is going to remarry.
Let her be.

In Mingzhou city,

Li Yi carried two jars of persimmon liquor, two boxes of beautifully packaged soap, two reams of Nanshan bamboo paper, and two bolts of Li Ji cotton cloth to Wei Zheng's home in Yongnian City, Mingzhou.

The small courtyard, covering only about two acres, is very simple and even a bit shabby. Even the main room has a thatched roof, and various vegetables are grown in the courtyard.

"You've come all this way, why did you bring so much stuff?" Wei Zheng and his wife, Pei Shi, came out to greet them.

Pei looked quite young, probably not even twenty, giving off a somewhat old-age-and-young-grass vibe. Besides the couple, there was only Wei Zheng's old servant and a few servants from Pei's dowry household.

"Sister-in-law, I hope you don't mind that I come here so often."

Although Pei was young, she was quite generous in her dealings with people. She smiled and invited him to sit down in the hall, saying, "I'll make you some tea."

Wei Zheng seemed preoccupied today; as soon as he sat down, he started boiling a jar of persimmons that Li Yi had brought.

"The Crown Prince sent a letter inviting me to serve as the Crown Prince's tutor. He also sent me many gifts, including two fine horses, a mansion in Yongxingfang, Chang'an, covering an area of ​​eighteen acres, and a thousand bolts of silk."

Li Yi smiled and said, "It seems that Senior Brother is interested?"

Wei Zheng shook his head. "I am currently serving as the Left Chancellor in Shandong. Although I am busy, I am also very fulfilled. In particular, I feel proud to be working for my hometown. My concern is that if the Crown Prince issues an edict to summon me to the Eastern Palace, I will not be able to resist."

“If that’s the case, then there’s no need to worry. You’re a fourth-rank Left Assistant in the Xingtai, while the Crown Prince’s tutor is only a fifth-rank official. You’ve done a good job and haven’t made any mistakes, so how could you be demoted? I absolutely refuse to release you. You can stay in Xingtai with peace of mind,” Li Yi said with a smile.

Normally, the fourth-rank Left Assistant of the Imperial Secretariat would follow the fifth-rank Crown Prince's Tutor. In fact, the Crown Prince's Tutor had a better future, since he was an official of the Eastern Palace. The Tutor was equivalent to the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat in the court.

Li Yi was unwilling for Wei Zheng to go to the Eastern Palace, because it was a trap, a bottomless pit.

Wei Zheng poured Li Yi a bowl of persimmon wine.

His family didn't have any exquisite porcelain. Although Xingzhou's Xing kiln white porcelain was very famous, Wei Zheng had been unsuccessful in Hebei for the past few years. His salary as a sixth-rank official was meager, and he was fond of wine and collecting books, so he had no extra money.

"Wu Yi, you are the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and concurrently the Left Guard Commander, but I've noticed that you seem to have only a so-so relationship with the Crown Prince, while you seem to be getting very close to the King of Qin?" Wei Zheng said frankly.

“I am indeed an official of the Crown Prince’s Palace, but officials of the Crown Prince’s Palace are also court officials, not the Crown Prince’s retainers.”

Wei Zheng took a sip of baijiu (Chinese liquor), "But the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the future emperor."

"The crown prince is right, but the future emperor is not necessarily so." This statement was so bold that Wei Zheng couldn't help but turn his head to look around, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was around.

"Wu Yi, what do you mean by that? Do you mean you support the King of Qin in seizing the throne?" Wei Zheng asked boldly.

Li Yi picked up the rough bowl and took a big sip of the persimmon sauce, savoring its spiciness.

"After the New Year, the Crown Prince quelled the rebellion of the Ji Hu in the northern part of the capital. He first feigned to pacify the rebellious Ji Hu and offer them official positions. Then, under the pretext of building a city, he lured more than 10,000 young men from the Ji Hu to the capital. He then lured and killed hundreds of Ji Hu tribal leaders, followed by an attack that killed several thousand young men from the Ji Hu and captured nearly 10,000 of them, selling them into slavery. He also plundered the Ji Hu tribes, kidnapping people and selling them into slavery."

Li Yi let out a long breath, "What do you think of the Crown Prince's handling of this matter, Senior Brother?"

“Breaking one’s word, killing prisoners, and selling them off are not things a crown prince should do,” Wei Zheng shook his head.

Li Yi continued, "Actually, when the rebellion was quelled in Nanshan, Zhuyuan, Zhouzhi, the Crown Prince's actions were already quite outrageous. He treated the refugees as bandits and massacred and plundered them, which was a breach of benevolence and trustworthiness. His cunning tactics in the north of the capital are truly lamentable."

Wei Zheng pressed further, “But he is still the Crown Prince and the heir apparent. No matter how many merits the King of Qin has made, he is only the second son of the legitimate wife, a prince, and a subject.”

(End of this chapter)