Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 148 The Venerable Master, the Soaring Eagle

Changan.

Miyagi.

The Han emperor, dressed in magnificent imperial robes, along with his equally dignified prime minister and a group of Han officials, strolled around, chatting and laughing.

The palaces of Weiyang Palace were still quite impressive after years of repairs by Cao Wei, but once outside Weiyang Palace, Chang'an City appeared somewhat dilapidated and empty.

Apart from the guards, there wasn't a single person in sight on the street.

Such a small number of people must seem desolate for a giant city with a circumference of sixty miles and a capacity of hundreds of thousands of people.

“Nowadays, Guanzhong is vast and sparsely populated, and the area around Chang’an is also deserted. I’m afraid this ancient capital of the Han Dynasty is not suitable as Your Majesty’s capital.” Guo Youzhi, the Chamberlain, sighed as he looked at the broken walls and ruins by the roadside.

In fact, after the restoration of the Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu, Chang'an was no longer suitable as a capital city. Even at its peak, the combined population of Chang'an and the surrounding counties was only 270,000 to 280,000.

The entire Guanzhong Plain, including the populations of Zuo Fengyi and You Fufeng, has only about 500,000 people. Adding the neighboring Hongnong County, the total population is 600,000.

Such a small number of people cannot support the tens of thousands of civil and military officials and guards of the capital.

Now, even if we include all the hidden households and those who have fled, there are probably only 300,000 people left in Guanzhong. This is only after Cao Cao relocated people from Hanzhong and Longyou to Guanzhong to cultivate land.

"It can be used as the central capital," Liu Shan said casually.

“Zhongdu?” Guo Youzhi paused, it was the first time he had heard of this concept, but after a moment’s thought he nodded repeatedly.

The Prime Minister, Dong Yun, Fei Yi, Chen Zhen, and others also realized what the Emperor meant.

Since Emperor Guangwu established his capital in Luoyang, the Han Dynasty had a system of two capitals, one in the east and one in the west.

Your Majesty continued the Han dynasty in Chengdu, which is located at the westernmost point of the world and is therefore known as the Western Capital.

Now that Chang'an has been recovered, it is situated in the center of the nine provinces and should be called the Central Capital.

As for Luoyang, it remained the Eastern Capital as before.

The name "Zhongjing" signifies not only the existence of a secondary capital but also the emperor's ambition to not be content with the western lands but to restore Luoyang, revitalize the eastern capital, and revive the Han dynasty.

The Prime Minister suddenly stopped and respectfully addressed Liu Shan:
"Your Majesty, now that Guanzhong is pacified and Chang'an has been returned, Your Majesty also intends to make Chang'an the central capital."

"I believe that I should resign from my post as Commandant of the Capital Region and Your Majesty should select a capable minister to take over the position."

Liu Shan was taken aback: "Besides the Chancellor, who else in the Han Dynasty can oversee the affairs of Guanzhong?"

The Prime Minister said, “Your Majesty, that is not my intention. It is just that before me, the General of Chariots and Cavalry concurrently held the position of Sili. Now that Guanzhong has been recovered, I think it is possible to follow the precedent set by our predecessors and appoint a capable minister to lead the position.”

Liu Shan nodded in realization.

The term "Sili" does not refer solely to Guanzhong, but rather to the area surrounding the capital.

The Western Han Dynasty refers to the area of ​​the Three Auxiliary Regions and the Three Rivers, centered around the Jingzhao Yin (Chang'an).

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, it included the Governor of Henan (Luoyang), the Governor of Jingzhao, and the Three Rivers and Three Auxiliary Regions.

The term "Ji Han" refers to Chengdu and its surrounding areas, as it contains neither Henan nor Jingzhao.

During the Former and Later Han Dynasties, the Sili Xiaowei was actually in charge of supervising officials in the capital region and surrounding areas.

They wielded immense power, capable of impeaching the three highest officials and even directly arresting them.

After Zhaolie became emperor, he was led by Zhang Fei.

After Zhang Fei's death, the late emperor ordered the prime minister to concurrently serve as the Commandant of the Capital Region.

In reality, the Chancellor's office, which oversees all officials, is incredibly powerful, encompassing the authority of the Commandant of the Capital Region to supervise officials in the capital region.

Therefore, for the Chancellor, the title of Commandant of the Capital Region was more of an honorary or part-time one, reflecting the Chancellor's trust in him.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister's ancestor was Zhuge Feng, the Commandant of the Capital Region, which implies a remembrance of his ancestor's achievements.

After a moment's thought, Liu Shan said, "I think it's best for the Chancellor to temporarily assume the seal of office of the Sili."

"When the Prime Minister leaves Guanzhong, I will appoint the general who will remain in Guanzhong as the Commandant of the Capital Region."

Without the prime minister, Liu Shan couldn't think of anyone else who could govern Guanzhong well, so the prime minister was bound to work hard in Guanzhong for several years.

It's unclear whether the next battle will involve continuing eastward from Guanzhong, attacking the three counties of Shangyong, or fighting against the cowardly Eastern Wu.

But it is highly likely that General Zhao will serve as the Commandant of the Capital Region, guarding Guanzhong for the Han Dynasty.

Otherwise, it's Wu Yi.

Wei Yan is not suitable for the time being.

Although Wei Yan was granted the title of General of the Han Dynasty, he still needed the Prime Minister to keep him in check and temper his temperament.

Just as everyone was pondering, Liu Shan suddenly changed the subject, saying:

"Prime Minister, according to the twelve-shift system of our Han Dynasty, shouldn't a group of soldiers finish their military service at the end of the month and retire to return home?"

The so-called twelve-month rotation system means that every member of the family must serve twelve months of military service.

Therefore, every month there are soldiers discharged from the garrison, and every month there are new soldiers enlisting.

When the Prime Minister and Zhang Hewu were locked in a standoff, it happened to be the end of the month, and another batch of garrison soldiers were due to return home for their rotation.

The officials advised the Prime Minister to temporarily retain the demobilized soldiers for a month to bolster the morale of the Han Dynasty.

The prime minister replied, “When I lead an army, I take great trust as my foundation. To gain the cause but lose the trust is something the ancients regretted. Those who go are packing their bags and waiting for the appointed time, while their wives and children eagerly count the days. Even if we face difficulties in the campaign, we will not abandon our duty.”

Subsequently, he ordered the soldiers who were supposed to retire at that time to return to their hometowns.

As a result, the retired soldiers were pleased and wished to stay and fight one more time.

Those who enlisted were filled with righteous indignation and contemplated suicide.

They went around telling each other, "We cannot repay the kindness of Lord Zhuge even if we die."

As for the day of battle, they all drew their swords and rushed to the front, each one fighting like ten, and won a great victory in one battle.

It was in this battle that Zhang He was shot in the knee by Jiang Wei.

It's almost the end of May, and the Han Dynasty has 60,000 troops in Guanzhong. This rotation will involve about 4,000 to 5,000 men.

The Prime Minister said solemnly:
"Your Majesty, in recent months, Guanzhong has achieved a series of victories. The statistics on the spoils of war and the merits of the soldiers will take some time to be fully determined."

"It would be more appropriate to allow the retired officers and soldiers, or those who have rendered meritorious service, to return to their hometowns after the matters of bestowing rewards have been concluded."

Liu Shan nodded.

This is only natural. If there were no war, people would naturally retire when it was time to retire. But now is the time to reward merit, and who wouldn't want to receive a reward before returning home?

Otherwise, they would have to wait several more months before the Han officials could bring the silk, money, and other rewards back to their hometowns, and no one could guarantee that they wouldn't be embezzled on the way.

Liu Shan looked around at the extremely empty and desolate streets of Chang'an and voiced his thoughts:

"Prime Minister, if these retired soldiers were rewarded with land in Guanzhong, do you think they would be willing to stay in Guanzhong?"

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Fei Yi, Dong Yun, and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

The emperor had just sacrificed himself to make peace with the Rong and Di tribes.

This is already an unprecedented and extraordinary event.

You've only walked less than two miles in Chang'an City. What ingenious idea have you come up with now?
The Prime Minister shook his head and said seriously, "I know that Your Majesty wishes to increase the population of Guanzhong and make Chang'an prosperous. This will not only benefit Your Majesty's policy of garrisoning and defending the border, but also allow the soldiers and civilians of Guanzhong to counterbalance the puppet Wei regime."

"It is true that Guanzhong is a vast and sparsely populated area. Your Majesty's wish to grant the land in Guanzhong to meritorious generals and soldiers is also a long-term plan for governing the country."

"However, Guanzhong has been abandoned for many years, with dilapidated houses and overgrown fields, making it an unsuitable place to live."

"Moreover, the people have always been attached to their homeland and are reluctant to leave their hometown easily."

"If we were to distribute the land in Guanzhong to the meritorious generals and soldiers, it would likely cause a great uproar among the troops, which would not only damage Your Majesty's virtue but also be very detrimental to the restoration of the Han Dynasty."

The Prime Minister's words of advice ceased.

Dong Yun, Fei Yi, Chen Zhen, and others also stepped forward to advise the emperor against his idea of ​​bestowing the meager fields of Guanzhong upon the meritorious generals and soldiers.

It is said that Xiang Yu held the seal of office but was stingy with rewards, which ultimately led to the siege of Gaixia. Emperor Gaozu, on the other hand, recognized his merit by granting him land and titles of kings, thus establishing a foundation for four hundred years of rule.

They say that now that Guanzhong has just been recovered, it is the right time to follow the principle of "sharing food and clothing with others," and that we should not fail to recognize those who have made contributions or record those who have worked hard.

In short, everyone worried that the emperor would use the poor arable land of Guanzhong to deceive meritorious generals, and under some pretext, force the people of Shu to remain in Guanzhong as military farmers. Their words were so urgent that Liu Shan didn't even have a chance to interject. Only after they had all fallen silent did Liu Shan, his forehead beaded with sweat from the May sun, finally speak:

"If he achieves a first-class merit, he will be granted 150 mu of land in Guanzhong and three prisoners as his retainers to help him cultivate the land?"

"One hundred and fifty acres?" Fei Yi blurted out, his face full of disbelief.

Attendant Chen Zhen also lost his composure: "Give three captives to them as your retainers?"

Even the Prime Minister was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances with Dong Yun and other high-ranking officials.

Meanwhile, the central army generals Zhao Guang, Guan Xing, and Mi Wei, who were closely protecting the emperor, stared at each other with wide eyes, but dared not speak recklessly in front of the emperor and the prime minister.

Although they didn't speak, they all understood each other's meaning through their eyes.

Who would dare bestow 150 acres of land upon a single severed head?!

Who would bestow such a reward upon a captive as a servant to cultivate the land?!
At that very moment, the emperor continued with his startling remarks:
"If they are willing to stay as a reward, they may be given fine iron armor, weapons, and even bows and crossbows."

"Those who are beheaded at level two or above will be given a warhorse or a foal as a reward for their merits in this battle. As for silk, money or the like, they will not be given any more."

"Furthermore, they are exempted from corvée labor and are only required to perform military service."

"But they need to continue honing their battlefield killing skills during the off-season, and the battle must not be interrupted."

“Whenever the Han Dynasty goes to war, and when it calls upon them to go to war, they must be armed with armor and weapons, and bring their troops and warhorses to join the expedition.”

When the emperor spoke of this, all the officials, including the prime minister, were completely dumbfounded.

Dong Yun, Chen Zhen, and the others, who had just been worrying that the emperor would become arrogant and "bitter and ungrateful" after returning to the old capital, looked at each other in bewilderment.

One by one, they searched their minds for words and prepared another argument, all in the spirit of advising His Majesty not to squander the wealth.

Dong Yun, being more practical, asked, "But... Your Majesty, where does our Great Han Dynasty get so many warhorses and foals to bestow upon meritorious soldiers?"

Liu Shan had already made a plan: "The matter of warhorses and foals is easy. There are plenty of horses among the Qiang and Di tribes in Longyou and Anding. If we exchange them with salt from Ba and brocade from Shu, they will have no reason not to."

Everyone began to ponder.

That sounds like it might be true.

But upon closer reflection, something seems amiss.

The Prime Minister, who had a great deal of knowledge about the Qiang and Di peoples, was the first to arrive at the crucial point:

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, although the Qiang and Di tribes in Guanzhong have many horses, most of them are slow-moving horses used for pulling heavy loads and are not suitable for long-distance raids."

"As for fine steeds capable of galloping, they are in short supply, and I'm afraid they would be reluctant to open up trade with our great Han."

After the Prime Minister finished speaking, the Chamberlain Dong Yun thought of something else:
"Furthermore, even if warhorses are bestowed upon them, at most only one or two out of ten soldiers will be able to truly learn how to ride and shoot. Wouldn't that be a futile waste of warhorses?"

Liu Shan shook his head directly:

"Prime Minister, Attendant-in-Ordinary, as long as we can find suitable nag horses for pulling heavy loads, that will suffice."

"Moreover, these soldiers who receive the bestowal do not need to learn archery and horsemanship; being able to ride a horse is sufficient."

Upon hearing this, the ministers looked puzzled.

The Prime Minister asked first, "Does Your Majesty mean that when these soldiers who have been granted these gifts are called up to go to war in the future, they should bring their own dwarf horses and lead them into the supply depot to carry provisions and armor?"

Liu Shan shook his head again: "Prime Minister, who says a slow horse can't go to the battlefield?"

Even the Prime Minister was puzzled, and Dong Yun, Fei Yi, and others were even more confused.

The officers and generals of the central army, including Zhao Guang, Guan Xing, and Mi Wei, who were guarding the area, could not imagine what role a slow horse could play on the battlefield.
Liu Shan said, "Prime Minister, the rewards I just mentioned were all given to those who had been beheaded on the battlefield at the first level or above."

In other words, they have most likely mastered the art of killing on the battlefield.

"They are more elite than newly enlisted soldiers or those who failed to behead their enemies."

"If my great Han could obtain three thousand elite soldiers, all armed with armor and weapons, all carrying bows and crossbows, and all riding a capable drudgery horse."

"Once an opportunity arises, we will order our elite troops to ride to the enemy's flank, dismount, and form ranks for battle. What can the enemy do then?"

Horsemen and infantry?

Zhao Guang, Guan Xing, Mi Wei and other officers of the central army looked at each other in bewilderment. This was a path they had never imagined.

However, it must be said that His Majesty's ingenious ideas do seem to have some merit.

No matter how slow a nag is, it is still faster than a human's stamina.

On battlefields that can easily stretch for miles, having a highly mobile elite infantry force means that once the enemy's weakness is discovered, the enemy may not even have a chance to react.

Furthermore, with slow horses to carry the load, the soldiers' physical strength in rushing to the battlefield can be greatly reduced, and once they engage the enemy, they will have an advantage in terms of physical strength alone.

Guo Youzhi suddenly spoke up:
"Your Majesty, with the bestowal of armor, weapons, bows, and crossbows, what will our Han army use? How will we fight the upcoming battles?"

These are not problems, Liu Shan said:
"Minister Guo, now that Guanzhong is pacified, there will be no major battles in the near future."

"Our great Han Dynasty has captured more than 100,000 pieces of armor, weapons, and powerful bows and crossbows during this northern expedition."

"And the number of retired soldiers who can be granted this privilege in a short period of time is at most two or three thousand. Why not grant it to them?"
"However, the armor, weapons, and horses bestowed upon them, though all belong to them, will only be given to them once."

"The Great Han will no longer be responsible for all their equipment in the future."

"Once there is a war, once they are conscripted, they must bring food, warhorses, armor, weapons, bows and crossbows to join the army."

"If there is any damage, loss, or death, they will need to make up for it themselves when they are conscripted in the future, otherwise they will be deprived of their right to receive land."

"In order to prevent them from becoming lazy after being rewarded and no longer honing their killing skills and military formations, they must be assessed."

"After the autumn harvest, they will be summoned for drills and tests of their martial arts and battle formations. If it is found that their skills are rusty or their flags and drums are unclear, they will be deprived of their right to receive land."

"To gain such great benefits, one must naturally also bear the corresponding obligations."

After Liu Shan finished speaking, all the civil and military officials around him were completely dumbfounded.

Dong Yun was utterly astonished: "Such a comprehensive system... When did Your Majesty begin to conceive of it? And with whom did you conceive of it?"

Not only was Dong Yun taken aback, but Fei Yi, Yang Yi, Guan Xing, Zhao Guang and others were also taken aback.

The emperor's astonishing reward plan could only be implemented by two or three thousand, or even one or two thousand people in a short period of time.

But if it can be implemented, the Han Dynasty will gain an elite standing army out of thin air!
It should be noted that these award recipients were all elite soldiers who should have retired!

One hundred and fifty acres of land, three servants and retainers, armor, weapons, warhorses, and bows and crossbows—once these are bestowed upon them, they will absolutely be enough to make them continue to serve the Han Dynasty.

Especially the 150 mu of land.

Moreover, they will be responsible for all weapons, equipment, and warhorses themselves in the future.

This is purely a matter of exchanging the future harvest of 150 acres of land for the service of this group of people to kill enemies for the Han Dynasty for several years.

Is it worth it?
It's definitely worth it for them.

It would certainly be worthwhile for the Han Dynasty.

In other words, it's a win-win situation!

However, just as everyone was marveling and pondering, the Emperor shook his head at Dong Yun and said:
“If it were only this, Dong Shizhong, it wouldn’t be considered a complete solution.”

"The best course of action would be to establish a system of rewards to encourage them to continue fighting for the Han Dynasty to the death."

"However, this reward system requires that these rewarded soldiers form their own separate armies."

"I have also thought of a name for this army."

The poem says: "The Master Shangfu, in his time, soared like an eagle."

"How about we call it Eagle Soaring Mansion?"

Eagle Banner Mansion? The crowd exchanged glances, and finally all turned their attention to the Prime Minister.

The emperor had just recited these two lines of poetry, which are from the "Da Ming" section of the "Book of Songs".

Its meaning is to praise Jiang Shang, who assisted King Wu in overthrowing King Zhou, for his outstanding achievements on the battlefield.

Is the Prime Minister to Your Majesty not just as Jiang Shang was to King Wu? Upon this thought, the ministers, led by Dong Yun and Fei Yi, all replied, "We think it is appropriate."

(End of this chapter)