Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 149 Soaring high internally, yielding externally

The name Yingyang Prefecture was adopted.

The emperor, along with the prime minister and other officials, happened to arrive at the Bailiang Terrace in the north of the palace. They sat down in a wooden pavilion in the middle of the terrace to rest for a while.

There is a huge bronze statue in Taichung.

The bronze figure is over two zhang tall, with both hands raised above its head, holding a huge bronze plate, yet it stands atop a massive bronze pillar that is two or three zhang tall.

"It is said that Emperor Xiaowu made a dew-collecting plate to collect the dew from the sky, mixed it with jade powder and drank it in order to seek immortality. Is this the one that is being referred to?"
"When Dong Zhuo melted down all the bronze statues in Chang'an to make coins, he didn't melt down this dew-collecting plate."

He vaguely remembered that after the Prime Minister's death, Cao Rui began to indulge himself, embarking on large-scale construction projects, and even wanted to move all the bronze bells, bronze camels, and dew-collecting plates from Chang'an to Luoyang.

The Prime Minister was also somewhat moved upon hearing this:
"I had heard about Dong Zhuo melting down bronze statues to mint coins back then."

"It is said that there were originally twelve golden statues in Chang'an City, each three zhang tall and weighing two to three hundred thousand jin. Dong Zhuo melted down ten of them to mint small coins."

"The Twelve Golden Di?" Liu Shan didn't understand.

The Prime Minister said:
It is said that the First Emperor Ying Zheng once saw twelve Di people in Lintao, all of whom were more than five zhang tall, which he regarded as an auspicious omen.

"Therefore, they collected all the soldiers in the land, gathered them in Xianyang, and melted them down to cast twelve bronze statues to represent them."

“Each weighs 240,000 catties, and they are placed in front of the palace gate, which is called the Golden Di.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan suddenly realized something, and then thought of something else:
"Your Excellency just said that Dong Zhuo melted down ten bronze statues and cast them into small coins. Are there still two left in Chang'an?"

The Prime Minister shook his head, not knowing.

Dong Yun then chimed in, "Your Majesty, those two golden statues are currently located at Qingming Gate in the east of the city."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan first nodded slightly, then suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

Before me stood the dew-collecting plate, the giant bronze bell that welcomed me into Chang'an, the bronze camels on the streets, and the golden scepter cast by the First Emperor at Qingming Gate…

To some extent, these bronze statues, cast by emperors of past dynasties, have survived for hundreds of years and endured the vicissitudes of life, bearing witness to the many disasters and misfortunes that have befallen Chang'an. They themselves already possess a certain sense of the inheritance of destiny.

No wonder Cao Rui wanted to move them to Luoyang.

Dong Zhuo melted down the ten bronze statues into small coins, which not only failed to improve his own economic situation but also caused the currency system to collapse. This showed that he did not understand the laws of economic operation and lacked any political foresight.

With this thought in mind, Liu Shan continued the previous topic, saying:
"Prime Minister, gentlemen, now that the name of the Eagle Banner Prefecture has been decided, I will briefly explain the reward system for the soldiers of the Eagle Banner Prefecture."

"This is just something I came up with on my own when I had nothing to do. It is bound to be rough and even impractical. I need the Prime Minister and all the ministers to discuss and improve it together."

The Prime Minister was also digesting Liu Shan's explanation of the Eagle Banner Army system. Upon hearing Liu Shan's words, he nodded and said softly, "Your Majesty, please speak."

In fact, Liu Shan did not have a deep understanding of the so-called Fubing system.

Regardless, this was indeed a cost-effective way to raise soldiers, and the combat effectiveness of the Fubing (府兵) was undoubtedly much higher than that of the Tuntian (屯田) soldiers and the conscripted soldiers.

The key to their high combat effectiveness was that the regime that established the Fubing system was willing to reward its soldiers.

"First of all, a new system of nobility was established specifically for the soldiers of the Eagle Banner."

"What I've come up with for now is to establish twelve ranks of nobility, which is to say, twelve promotions based on merit."

"With each merit accumulated, the soldiers of the garrison would be granted more land occupation qualifications."

"From the first to the sixth turn, each turn will occupy 100 mu of land."

"From the seventh to the twelfth turn, each turn will occupy two hundred mu of land, in addition..."

Before the emperor could finish speaking, Dong Yun, Fei Yi, and the others were already utterly astonished and speechless.

A simple calculation shows that if the soldiers of Yingyang Prefecture could achieve twelve promotions, they could occupy nearly two thousand acres of land!
Your Majesty is cultivating powerful landlords and tycoons!

It should be noted that despite the great merits of the Prime Minister and the rewards he has received from the late emperor, he has only acquired a meager 1,500 mu of land.

A soldier who has been awarded twelve ranks of merit can own more land than the prime minister of the Han Dynasty. Isn't that amazing enough?

Liu Shan noticed the surprise of his ministers and said:

"Prime Minister, my ministers, when I say 'occupying land,' I don't mean directly bestowing land upon them, but rather granting them the right to possess such a large amount of land."

"Whether they buy and sell, reclaim wasteland, or do something else, it has nothing to do with the imperial court. As long as the procedures are legal, they are allowed to occupy so much land."

Upon hearing this, the ministers suddenly realized what was happening and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Guanzhong is mostly unclaimed land, what if one day too many soldiers are awarded merits and all the land in Guanzhong is distributed away?
Furthermore, what if one day we conquer a certain place in the Central Plains and find that there isn't enough land to give away?
The emperor's promise of granting land would perfectly solve this problem.

If there is no more land in Guanzhong, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard can still go to Hanzhong, Shuzhong, Hongnong, and even Hedong to buy land and reclaim wasteland.

Legitimate possession is, of course, a reward.

The prime minister implemented the equal-field system in Sichuan and Chongqing.

Every male aged 15 and above was entitled to 30 mu of farmland specifically for growing grain, and every female was entitled to 20 mu.

One cow can be used to obtain twenty mu of farmland, and the total number of cows is limited to four. In other words, livestock can help a household obtain a maximum of eighty mu of farmland.

However, this land equalization policy only applies to those people whose household registration is on record and whose land holdings do not reach a certain number.

It is not aimed at powerful families who own vast tracts of fertile land, nor at unregistered households that have been hidden by these powerful families.

This was a last resort.

The Han Dynasty still needs the support of the powerful families of Sichuan and Chongqing, so it is impossible to be too harsh on them.

As for freeing the hidden households from the fortified manors and estates of powerful families, the Han Dynasty needs even greater prestige and more troops; otherwise, stability must be the priority.

Liu Chan continued:
"In addition to granting land ownership for each of the twelve promotions, each promotion should also be accompanied by a corresponding official title, for example..."

"He was promoted to the rank of Military Cavalry Captain, equivalent to a Hundred-Stone Official."

"He was promoted to Yunqiwei (a military rank) and given a salary of 200 shi (a unit of grain).

He was promoted to Flying Cavalry Captain after three promotions, with a salary of 300 shi (a unit of grain).

"After four promotions, he was appointed as a valiant cavalry captain, with a salary of 400 shi

"Let's follow this principle roughly. I've only given a rough draft of the title of nobility, and the corresponding rank is also just a rough approximation. Neither of them are valid."

"I still need the Prime Minister and all the ministers to work with me in the future to assist in this matter and to carefully consider all aspects."

"However, these honorary titles are all nominal."

"That is, only an official seal was granted, but no salary was provided."

"But it's not all without its advantages."

"For example, if one reaches a certain rank or above, or fights for the Han Dynasty for three to four years, one will become a minor official and receive the corresponding salary for a noble title."

"For example, if one reaches a certain level of advancement, one can be qualified to be selected as an official."

"Not only that, but the sons and nephews of meritorious officials can also be given the special privilege of entering officialdom through family connections."

"For example, after a person has been granted several ranks of nobility, his sons and nephews can qualify to attend the Imperial Academy."

"Or they may be qualified to be selected as officials, and so on, and so forth."

Upon hearing this, the officials pondered for a moment and then realized what was happening.

"Honors" is a title.

After reaching a certain rank, or after fighting for the Han Dynasty for several years, the honorary official would become a minor official.

Honorary officials were those who received both a title and a salary. As for official positions, these were the ones who actually did the work, such as county magistrates, prefects, and assistant prefects.

If the soldiers who were granted merit were truly capable, that is, if they had passed the imperial court's selection process, they would be qualified to serve as officials.

This provides the soldiers of Yingyang Prefecture with a path to officialdom, allowing them to completely change their personal and family destinies.

Not to mention that the emperor just mentioned that after meritorious officials reach a certain level of advancement, their sons and nephews can obtain qualifications such as hereditary official positions or students of the Imperial Academy.

No matter how small the probability or how narrow the path, it is still a way, just like the recommendation of filial and incorruptible officials, which only takes one or two people per prefecture each year.

In today's world, even minor officials like county magistrates and prefectural clerks must be scholars. Even the most powerful and wealthy families find it difficult to obtain official positions.

However, the Han Dynasty is an exception.

The late emperor and the prime minister appointed a large number of powerful local figures as officials in Bashu.

Although the Han Dynasty had only over 300,000 registered households and a population of no more than 1.5 million, it employed over 50,000 officials.

After a long period of contemplation, the Prime Minister spoke with a rather complicated expression:
"Your Majesty, since entering Guanzhong, I have been pondering what policies we can implement to strengthen the Han state, in addition to establishing military farms in Guanzhong, if we were to recover all of Guanzhong's territory."

"I have always thought of allocating some of the land in Guanzhong to reward those who have made contributions."

"But as we have said before, we are worried that the fields in Guanzhong have been barren for many years. If we give them this as a gift, we fear that the soldiers will be dissatisfied."

"Furthermore, considering that most of the soldiers are attached to their homeland and reluctant to move, I have been hesitant and unable to make a decision."

"We never imagined that Your Majesty would be so wise and insightful as to devise this excellent strategy before us."

"Your Majesty must be working tirelessly day and night, and we, your ministers, are deeply ashamed that we have been unable to share your burdens in our high positions."

After the Prime Minister finished speaking, Dong Yun, Chen Zhen, Guo Youzhi, and the other attendants all looked at each other in bewilderment.

The emperor established the Eagle Banner Army, and awarded twelve ranks of merit to encourage the soldiers of the army to be loyal to the Han Dynasty and die for it. This system sounds simple and is easy to understand.

Even the vast and sparsely populated Guanzhong region naturally provided fertile ground for the implementation of the Emperor's system of awarding merits through the Eagle-Raising Prefecture.

But who could be as bold as the emperor?

Who, besides the emperor, would dare to be so bold?

It wasn't that the Han Dynasty lacked men from good families; many of the Tiger Warriors came from such backgrounds. However, due to the limited land in Sichuan and Chongqing, the vast majority of them automatically ignored the system of rewarding merit with land.

And as the Prime Minister said.

Using the barren land of Guanzhong to reward merit and sending soldiers away from their hometowns, wouldn't that be criticized as being harsh and ungrateful?

Who will be willing to serve the Han Dynasty in the future?
But now, after the emperor's explanation, Dong Yun, Fei Yi, Guo Youzhi, Chen Zhen, and other high-ranking officials finally realized the truth.

The root of all the problems is simply that they are not willing to give enough rewards.

As long as enough is given, what does it matter if the fields are barren or one is far from home?
But here's the problem.

No matter what, they, as subjects, could never do something as extravagant as the emperor.

It is entirely conceivable that once the Emperor's proposed system of rewarding merits in the Eagle Banner Army is implemented, the Eagle Banner Army soldiers, who will gain land, property, and promotions, will be full of fighting spirit and willing to die for their cause.

With excellent equipment and almost full-time training, a truly elite force can be formed within two or three years.

Without a doubt, it is of great benefit to the country.

Such an unprecedented system could never be conceived simply by trying hard.

An opportunity is needed.

It also needed "Shang Yang".

Such a system can certainly be called a reform.

Think about it again, what is the most crucial point of this system for the emperor?
The big man is simply trying to get something for nothing!
It was said that armor, weapons, bows and arrows, and horses were bestowed upon meritorious soldiers.

But can soldiers who join the army and fight not be given military equipment?
As for the titles of meritorious officials who achieved twelve ranks of merit, the right to occupy land, and other honorary official positions, hereditary official positions, and the qualification of sons and nephews to become students of the Imperial Academy, these were all gradually bestowed upon the soldiers after they had performed meritorious service in beheading enemies for the Han Dynasty.

When they are finally rewarded for their merits and possess vast amounts of land, assets, and retainers, their interests will be deeply intertwined with the Han Dynasty, making them the most loyal new powerful families in the Han Dynasty.

Not only are they the most loyal, but they are also the bravest and most fierce.

Using them to counterbalance the increasingly outrageous powerful clans in the Kanto region is the most suitable approach.

In fact, the greatest opposition to the system of awarding merits to the Emperor's Eagle Banner Office came from powerful aristocratic families.

Because mass-producing powerful families and distributing land to them, allowing the local militia to occupy the already limited number of official positions, was jeopardizing the interests of aristocratic clans.

But how many aristocratic families are left in Guanzhong?

The emperor personally led the expedition and returned to the old capital, his prestige becoming unparalleled for the time being.

What gives the powerful families who did not contribute to the Han Dynasty in this battle the confidence to talk about interests with the Emperor of Han?
Just as Marquis Guiyi Yang Tiao said to Yang Qianwan and the other Qiang and Di people, now the Han Dynasty is giving them a chance to follow the emperor.

Are they really that short-sighted?

The Guanzhong Plain is sparsely populated, so land disputes are unlikely to erupt in the short term.

As for the powerful clans in Yizhou, the land allocated to the imperial guards by the emperor was not in Yizhou, and the honorary officials were honorary officials who did not occupy official positions, so their interests could not be affected.

They had nothing to say.

"Prime Minister, my ministers, since you all think the Fubing system is feasible, I actually have another idea, so I'll mention it here as well."

The emperor suddenly spoke, interrupting the thoughts of his ministers.

"Your Majesty, please speak," the Prime Minister said earnestly.

Liu Shan nodded and calmly spoke:
“In addition to Yingyang Prefecture, I also wish to establish another prefecture, named Zhechong.”

"The eagle soars internally, while the strategist negotiates externally."

"The Eagle Banner Prefecture will only record meritorious soldiers who have retired from the Han Dynasty for the time being."

"At the beginning, the state provided the Yingyang Army with land, armor, weapons, bows and crossbows, horses, servants, and provisions."

"The Zhechong Prefecture records all the people of powerful and wealthy households in the Guanzhong region, regardless of whether they are Han or Qiang."

"Eight households of average or above quality should support one soldier from the Zhechong Prefecture."

"The soldiers of the Zhechongfu are exempt from taxes and corvée labor, and their honors and benefits are the same as those of the Yingyang."

"The soldiers' armor, weapons, bows and crossbows, cattle and donkeys, warhorses and provisions were provided by eight households, who raised and trained them as if they were their own children."

"After the soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture were transferred to civilian positions and received merits, they would repay the eight households that had supported them."

"These eight households are all entitled to share the land occupied by the soldiers supplied by the government."

"His sons and nephews also had the qualifications to be selected as officials through meritorious service and to enter the Imperial Academy, just like the soldiers of the Eagle Banner Army."

"These are the soldiers from the outer prefecture."

"Zhechong Prefecture records all the Qiang, Di, and Han people."

"In this way, the Qiang and Di people lived, trained, and fought alongside the Han people, sharing life and death, honor and disgrace."

"In this way, the soldiers of the Hu and Han armies will become more and more familiar with each other, the conflicts between the Hu and Han will become smaller and smaller, and after a few decades, they will eventually become one and inseparable."

(End of this chapter)