Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 167 Civilian Settlement? Farm

The tiger rider reported that the place was called Liangyili.

The established rule of one hundred households per li was no longer valid in the war-torn era when not a single household was left behind. As for the li chieftain who was in charge of one hundred households per li, Cao Wei did not even set up such a position.

In other words, the administrative branches of Cao Wei ended at the township level.

However, after traveling for a short while, the Tiger Cavalry brought over a villager. Upon inquiry, Liu Shan learned that not only did the village no longer exist, but even the administrative branch of township no longer existed.

With the village gone, the three elders in charge of education, the tax collector in charge of hearing lawsuits and collecting taxes, and the patrol officers who prohibited thieves and robbers would naturally also disappear.

Therefore, all administrative affairs, including education, prohibition of theft, hearing of lawsuits, taxation, and corvée labor, were handled, collected, and apportioned by the local powerful clans.

Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, and the others sighed in dismay.

When all administration relies entirely on the self-governance of local powerful clans, the fate of the remaining registered households depends entirely on the conscience of these powerful clans.

If you encounter someone with a good conscience, you can barely make ends meet.

If you encounter someone with a bad conscience, in the end you'll have to sell your land and your body to become a tenant farmer or slave of a powerful clan. Then, things like being unable to raise children or being unable to be buried after death will become commonplace and predictable.

As they passed a grove of trees, Liu Shan suddenly smelled a stench coming from rotting corpses and covered his nose repeatedly.

At first, they thought it was some dead wild beast, but then they felt something was wrong, so they ordered the tiger riders to scatter and investigate.

Soon someone reported that there was indeed a body floating in the irrigation ditch beside the field, and it seemed to have been there for some time.

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan sighed.

In fact, along the way north along the Yellow River, he had already witnessed what it meant to have bones exposed in the wild. There were so many of them, so many scattered, and so many remote places that it was difficult to contain them unless the army was specifically called in to deal with them.

It is unknown whether it was the chaos caused by Dong Zhuo and Li Guo, or the legacy of the Battle of Tongguan between Ma Chao and Cao Cao, or the deaths of starving people there over the decades.

But... that place is far from the village, while Liu Shan is currently in a rural settlement, only a mile away from the nearest house. How could the dead not be buried?

The corpses of soldiers who died on the battlefield are ultimately different from the corpses left unburied in villages. Liu Shan thought of many things and a feeling of compassion arose spontaneously in his mind.

Ignoring the advice of Zhao Guang and other generals, Liu Shan personally reined in his horse and headed towards the ditch.

The closer Liu Shan got to the ditch, the stronger the stench became. He felt like vomiting several times. Before he even reached the edge of the ditch, he saw swarms of mosquitoes and flies flying all over it, a dense, dark mass that was truly horrifying.

After reining in his horse a few more times, Liu Shan suddenly stopped.

“This…” He cast a questioning look at the tiger rider who had just reported back.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant deserves to die!" The tiger rider immediately knelt down on both knees and kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhao Guang and Mi Wei, along with other generals, also stepped forward to apologize.

Liu Shan frowned:
"From now on, report everything to me directly, and do not be vague."

"The fact that these people's bodies were abandoned here is not the fault of the officials of our Great Han Dynasty, nor is it your fault."

"Is there anything I cannot know or see?"
"Does that mean I can't see these things and therefore think that Guanzhong is peaceful and the people are living in peace and contentment?"
"Do you expect me to be deceived like this when you make mistakes in the future, or when your loved ones make mistakes?"

"Your Majesty, we are guilty! We dare not!" Zhao Guang and Mi Wei were shocked upon hearing this and both knelt down to apologize.

On horseback, Liu Shan shifted his gaze from the three people on the ground to the ditch.

He thought that the tiger rider's mention of a corpse in the ditch meant there was indeed a corpse.

And now, right before his eyes, seven or eight naked corpses lay haphazardly piled in the ditch, their bones exposed in severe decay.

Without exception, none of these corpses were covered with clothes, presumably because they had been stripped of their clothes before being abandoned.

Clothing is an important asset for the poorest people in this kind of festival and place.

Liu Shan shifted his gaze from the rotting corpses in the ditch and looked back at the three people kneeling on the ground.

The Tiger Cavalryman who came to report was of low rank and insignificant position, so it was impossible for him to have any intention or motive to deceive the emperor. Therefore, it was clear that Zhao Guang and Mi Wei did not want the emperor to see such a tragic scene.

"Alright, get up, all of you." Liu Shan still looked sadly at the few white-haired, naked corpses in the ditch, his expression somewhat gloomy.

"Dragon General and Tiger Cavalry Guard, you two are to have your salaries reduced by half a year."

"Tiger-riding Xiong Dalang will be fined one month's salary."

"A small punishment serves as a warning, and this will not be repeated."

"If this happens again, I will have no choice but to punish him for deceiving the emperor."

Although the matter was minor, there was no real deception of the emperor; in fact, there was genuine concern that getting too close to these rotting corpses would cause Liu Shan to contract the plague.

But Liu Shan still hoped to hear the truth and see the real events, so he had no choice but to make a mountain out of a molehill and escalate the matter.

Zhao Guang and Mi Wei, who were kneeling on one knee, and Xiong Dalang, who was kneeling on both knees, repeatedly expressed their gratitude before rising at the emperor's command.

After Xiong Dalang left, Liu Shan then addressed Mi Wei and Zhao Guang:

"Buwu, Pijiang, the reason I brought you on this tour of Guanzhong is precisely to see with you the real suffering that is happening among the people, and then to have you work with me to find ways to solve these sufferings."

"During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, the world collapsed. Was it all the fault of Emperors Huan and Ling? Did those treacherous officials who pretended to be loyal to the emperor but harbored evil intentions, deceived the emperor, and falsely claimed that the world was at peace, also bear no responsibility?"

"Now that I have the opportunity to travel around the world, if I were to remain in the deep palace, how could I see what is happening in the world, and how could I know what I should do for the world?"

"I can only rely on you loyal and brave trusted advisors to be my eyes and ears, to see and hear the true nature of the world for me, and then bring back the truth of the world to me."

"With the Prime Minister here, with a host of ministers here, and with you trusted advisors, I believe the world will get better and better. But even if it doesn't, don't try to whitewash the situation."

At this point, Liu Shan suddenly sighed again:
"You are all by my side now, but I'm afraid those days won't last long."

"Sooner or later, you will become high-ranking officials of the Han Dynasty, guarding the four seas and eight directions on behalf of me and the Han Dynasty."

"I hope that when I receive your letter and meet your envoys, I will see the most authentic world and hear the most authentic voices."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, not only were Zhao Guang and Mi Wei, who had offended the emperor, moved to tears.

Even Guan Xing, Jiang Wei, Zhao Tong, and the others who had been standing silently by couldn't help but feel their hearts surging with emotion and gratitude.

If Emperors Huan and Ling could have understood the suffering of the common people as Your Majesty does, would the world have fallen into such a state?
As Your Majesty said, if Emperors Huan and Ling could step out of the palace and experience the real world and the suffering of the common people, would they still be the same Emperors Huan and Ling?

History cannot be rewritten.

With Emperors Huan and Ling gone, a benevolent ruler has taken the throne. The world is fortunate to have such a ruler; what more could one ask for?
"These corpses of the common people... have someone fill this ditch later," Liu Shan ordered, looking at the eight naked, rotting corpses in the ditch.

These corpses are too badly decomposed; close contact could easily lead to disease outbreaks. Burying them on the spot is probably the best solution.

Turning his head to look at the dilapidated village at the end of the field, Liu Shan said again, "Go to the village and borrow some hoes, and ask these people how they died and who dumped them here."

The generals immediately accepted the order.

The path leading to the field is no longer suitable for horseback riding.

Zhao Guang left some men to guard the horses, and sent the Dragon Cavalry and Tiger Cavalry ahead, while he and the other generals escorted the emperor on foot.

However, before Long Xianghu, who was leading the way, could reach the outermost walled house of the village, Liu Shan saw a hunched old woman peeking out from behind the dilapidated wall, looking at them with a slightly helpless expression as she rubbed her hands.

Liu Shan suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, and then looked toward the wall behind the old woman.

"An old man climbed over the wall and ran away, while an old woman went out to see what was happening."

"Although the old woman is weak, please go home with the official tonight."

Could it be that this old woman thought they were here to conscript men?
Ordinary people at the bottom of society are very out of touch with the world. The saying "they know nothing of the Han Dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin Dynasties" is not actually a utopian paradise, but a true reflection of the mindset of ordinary people at the bottom of society in those days.

As Liu Shan approached and Zhao Guang stepped forward to ask questions, the old woman asked hesitantly in a weathered voice, "Are you... are you people sent by Lady Chen? Has my old man... has my old man returned?"

Lord Chen?
Zhao Guang paused upon hearing this, then turned his head and cast his gaze upon the emperor.

Liu Shan seemed to be deep in thought. He stepped forward and asked the hunched old woman gently, "Does the old lady mean that Lady Chen has already come?"

The old woman looked up at Liu Chan, sized him up, and said, "Young master, you are joking. How could Lady Chen come to such a far place as us? But Lady Chen's men came by, and they said... said that my old man will come back."

Liu Shan roughly understood.

The old woman's family members must have been forcibly conscripted into labor by Cao Wei some time ago. Meanwhile, in Huayin, Zong Yu has already sent someone to Chang'an to deliver a letter to the Prime Minister.

It is hoped that the Prime Minister can arrange for people to send the conscripted laborers from the counties of Guanzhong back to their original places and re-register them as households.

The situation is similar in Linjin; Chen Zhi and Guo Youzhi should have already started taking action.

But... Chen Zhi's actions are too fast, aren't they? He's only been in office for two or three days, and he's already sent his subordinates to appease the people?

Liu Shan glanced at the old woman in tattered clothes in front of him, dismissed these thoughts, and turned to order Zhao Tong, Guan Xing, and others to disperse and lead their men to investigate the lives of the people in the village.

As for what to investigate, Liu Shan had already drafted some regulations, such as the number of households, the amount of land, the types of farming tools and grains, and whether they were already tenants of powerful clans, etc.

"Grandma, may we come into your house for a while?" Liu Chan asked the old woman after Guan Xing and the others left.

The old woman's short, hunched body trembled slightly, and after a moment she refused with an awkward smile:
“My lord, our home…we really don’t have any place for you to sit.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan paused for a moment, then suddenly heard what sounded like something coming from inside the wall. He then looked over the half-person-high wall and peered inside.

But then he saw a dirty face peeking out from behind the half-open door, its hair disheveled, making it impossible to tell whether it was male or female, young or old.

Turning his gaze away, Liu Shan took out a flatbread and a piece of dried meat from his waist and handed them to the old woman:

"Old man, we are men sent by Magistrate Chen. We just came across a ditch outside the village and saw the bodies of our fellow villagers in it. I want to ask, do you know what happened?"

Seeing the emperor take something out, Zhao Guang quickly handed over the dried meat from his waist and asked the old woman to take it.

The old woman glanced at the things in Liu Shan and Zhao Guang's hands, but dared not take them. After a moment, she looked up at Liu Shan:

"Is the young master truly someone sent by Magistrate Chen? Didn't Magistrate Chen's men come to ask you the same question yesterday?"

Liu Shan was momentarily stunned.

Since you've already asked, why haven't you taken any action?

Just then, Liu Shan suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw that it was none other than Chen Zhi, the magistrate of Linjin.
Chen Zhi strode quickly to the Emperor's side, panting, and asked, "Your Majesty... General Liu, what brings you here?"

"What, can't I come?" Liu Shan was genuinely surprised that Chen Zhi would be here. "Did Wei Chang's men inform you?"

Chen Zhi shook his head repeatedly: "No, I was just in the Sanhe Lane next door when my men told me that they saw hundreds of cavalry suddenly arrive, so I came to see who it was. I never expected it to be His Majesty... General Liu."

Liu Shan glanced at the old woman, bid her farewell, and then led Chen Zhi to a large locust tree: "Fengzong, you should have heard about the corpse in the ditch, who abandoned it there, and why it wasn't buried?"

Chen Zhi's expression darkened upon hearing this, and he said:
"Your Majesty, those corpses weren't thrown in by anyone."

"They had no other way to survive, so they drowned themselves in the ditch."

Liu Shan's expression darkened: "Drown in the ditch?"

Chen Zhi sighed again: "Your Majesty is right. Sitting in the government office, nothing can be accomplished. Only by going to the fields can one know what the world is really like."

"I just happened to be investigating the people's livelihood in the neighboring Sanhe Village. Not only in these two villages, but in every village I visited, there was a ditch like this, and several corpses like this were piled up in it."

"They're all... all from the last few months."

"It seems that Cao Wei's excessive conscription left the people with no way to survive, so they could only... sigh."

As for why he was not buried after his death...

"Your Majesty may not know this, but most of these registered people do not even have iron hoes."

"The stone and wooden hoes aren't even enough to plow the land, so how could they possibly be used to dig up and bury these corpses?"

"Not even an iron hoe?" Liu Shan was genuinely surprised.

He had considered that the people might lack grain seeds and other means of production, but he never imagined that they would be so short-sighted that they couldn't even produce a hoe.

Chen Zhi sighed deeply: "It's because there wasn't even a hoe that the people drowned themselves in the ditch. There's no need to bury them. As for why they didn't jump into the river... when they really wanted to die, their bodies probably couldn't support them to walk to the riverbank."

Liu Shan was taken aback upon hearing this, and gazed wistfully toward the direction of the great river.

As darkness fell, Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, and the others returned to the emperor's side with somber expressions.

Liu Shan secretly left some grain and meat, bid farewell to the old woman outside the wall, and headed towards Linjin.

On the way, Guan Xing sighed:
"Your Majesty, Cao Wei relies solely on powerful clans and wealthy families to rule Guanzhong. Their policies are ineffective, and they levy exorbitant taxes. How can the people live in peace?"

Zhao Tong, Zhao Guang, and others nodded repeatedly.

They had just spent a week investigating the village and learned how miserable the lives of these registered residents were.

Chen Zhi sighed, “But what can we do without relying on powerful clans? Guanzhong probably can’t develop as many officials as Shu in a short time. Without officials, there’s no way to govern.”

The Han Dynasty now occupies Yizhou, a region with a population of just over one million, yet it has nearly 60,000 officials.

These more than 50,000 officials, distributed across counties, townships, villages, and hamlets, maximized the administrative capacity of the Han Dynasty under the Prime Minister's rule, extending the reach of administration directly to the hamlets and hamlets.

As a result, government orders can be effectively implemented.

Taxes can be effectively collected.

Corvée labor was effectively apportioned.

Although the land tax, which was one-tenth of the total tax, was quite heavy, no one who was to perform corvée labor could escape it.

However, the Prime Minister's laws were strict and his net was tight. In addition to the regular taxes such as land tax, poll tax, and tax on taxes, exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous levies were almost completely banned. He also did his best to prevent the occurrence of the evil incident of a able-bodied man being repeatedly assigned corvée labor within a year.

The people have their own scales of justice.

They could grit their teeth and accept the heavy taxes, and they could also grit their teeth and endure the hardships of corvée labor.

However, they could not tolerate the chaotic and excessive taxes and levies levied by powerful and wealthy families.

They also found it difficult to endure the repeated collection of taxes throughout the year, sometimes as many as fourteen or fifteen times, yet they had no way to voice their grievances.

As for serving year-round without being able to return home, and having to provide their own food to endure the hardships, this was a common occurrence before the Prime Minister governed Shu.

Therefore, after the prime minister took control of the country, the people of Shu all praised him.

After the Prime Minister promoted water conservancy, emphasized agriculture and people's livelihood in Shu, and implemented a series of policies and measures that benefited the country and the people, the people of Shu began to praise and admire the Prime Minister.

Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Mi Wei, and others knew what Shu was like before the late emperor and the prime minister governed it, and they also knew what it would be like afterward.

Therefore, when they truly witnessed the near-collapse of the administrative capacity of the Guanzhong prefectures and counties, and how backward and absurd their governance was, they admired the prime minister's rule even more.

A group of people walked along the ridge of the field.

They soon arrived back near the ditch.

Liu Shan suddenly stopped, looked at Chen Zhi, and said:
“The counties and prefectures in Guanzhong were basically controlled by powerful clans and wealthy families.”

"These registered households cannot even guarantee basic iron farm tools, and their families have almost no grain reserves, so their ability to withstand risks is really too poor."

“If a natural disaster strikes and the stored grain cannot last until the following year, one can either sell oneself and one’s land to become dependent on these powerful clans, or, as we see today, throw oneself into a ditch and die.”

“They were forcibly conscripted into labor by local powerful clans, and no one spoke up for them.”

"However, Guanzhong was newly restored, and there was a shortage of minor officials responsible for grassroots administration."

"I... have an idea."

"Why not establish farms, appoint agricultural officials, and centrally manage these registered households, with the imperial court providing them with concentrated assistance to enhance their ability to withstand risks? What does Fengzong think?"

farm?

Chen Zhi paused, then asked nervously, "Does Your Majesty mean to emulate the civilian settlements of Cao Wei?"

People's settlement?

it seems that.

But that's not it either.

(End of this chapter)