Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 178 Deer Cart
Changan.

dusk.

After observing the living conditions of the Yingyang soldiers in Tongtuo Street, Liu Shan instructed Zhao Guang to have someone distribute rewards from his own private treasury to the soldiers whose families had arrived in Chang'an.

Meanwhile, special personnel were arranged at the gates of Chang'an so that soldiers whose families had not yet arrived in Chang'an could receive the emperor's reward at the city gates once they met their families.

Similar to the rewards bestowed today, each household will receive one hundred and ten coins, one shi of millet, one bolt of kudzu cloth, two sheng of salt and fermented soybeans, and half a jin each of wine and meat.

The morale of the troops was greatly boosted.

The further back in time we go, the less productive the workforce becomes, and the worse the soldiers' treatment gets.

For example, during the current holidays, soldiers are mostly forced to serve in the military and do not receive military pay; the imperial court only provides them with food and drink.

However, every year on the first day of the tenth lunar month, there will be a large-scale winter blessing.

It depends on the individual's budget and the amount.

In short, even without a fixed quota, providing some salary to serving soldiers gives them something to look forward to.

As for why the winter gifts are given on the first day of the tenth month, it is a custom that has been followed for hundreds of years. From the time of the First Emperor to the time of Emperor Wu of Han, who changed the calendar for more than a hundred years, the first day of the new year was not the first day of the first month, but the first day of the tenth month.

The rewards that Liu Shan is currently distributing are roughly equivalent to half of the winter rewards.

These are all spoils of war accumulated by Liu Shan in the past few months of victories.

Winning over the hearts and minds of the troops cannot be done with just words.

Therefore, Liu Shan never refused to accept the spoils after each battle. He simply changed the original rule that the emperor would keep 30% of the spoils to 25%, which can be described as a great act of kindness.

The first batch of Yingyang Prefecture soldiers numbered over 1,500, which was 40-50% more than Liu Shan had anticipated, and was no small number.

From now on, people will retire every month. According to the proportion, Liu Shan estimates that he will eventually be able to recruit about seven or eight thousand soldiers from the Yingyang Army.

It is difficult to predict people when they are individuals, but when they become a whole, their behavior and choices can be predicted by samples, especially since this group of retired soldiers came from various counties in Shu and Hanzhong, so the sample is diverse enough.

Liu Shan estimated that his spoils of war were enough to distribute to the soldiers, since it was impossible to waste manpower to bring them back to Shu. It would be better to use them to win over the soldiers.

The imperial court will indeed spend more money on these soldiers who have at least one head taken from a household in the first year, but once they get through the first year and cultivate the land, they will be able to be self-sufficient.

When they grow 100 shi of grain, it will be almost equivalent to obtaining 400 to 500 shi of grain in Shu, not even counting the manpower consumed in transporting the grain over a thousand miles. The benefits will definitely far outweigh the costs.

As for the promised compensation for the wounded and injured soldiers, he would allocate funds from the Chengdu treasury after he returned to Sichuan.

East of Chang'an City.

North of Qingming Gate.

A narrow "deer carriage," barely big enough for one deer, was pulled by a slow horse and slowly made its way through the rather empty streets of Chang'an City, eventually stopping in front of the Prime Minister's residence.

After the narrow deer-drawn cart came to a stop, two young men got off one after the other.

The two turned back and hugged all the bamboo slips weighing more than ten kilograms from the deer cart. Just as they turned to walk towards the Prime Minister's residence, they bumped into Fei Yi and Dong Yun, who were walking out of the residence.

"Attendant-in-Ordinary Fei and Attendant-in-Ordinary Dong."

Since the Northern Expedition, Zhuge Qiao, the Commandant of the Imperial Carriage, and Huo Yi, the Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, who had been moving around the various military camps and handling miscellaneous military affairs, both bowed slightly to Fei Yi and Dong Yun, the two important ministers.

Dong Yun, who was always composed and rarely smiled, looked at the deer-drawn carriage behind the two of them and suddenly smiled with a touch of nostalgia for some reason.

Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi rarely saw Dong Yun with such an expression, and they looked at each other strangely for a moment. Then they turned to look at their deer-drawn carriage, but they couldn't see anything unusual about it.

When they turned around again, Attendant Fei Yi suddenly walked up to them with a smile, saying as he went:

"Bosong, Shaoxian, may I ride with Dong Shizhong in your deer-drawn carriage?"

Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi were both taken aback upon hearing this, and then turned their heads in unison, looking at the dozen or so brightly decorated carriages parked at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence. Before long, they found the carriages of Dong Yun and Fei Yi among the many carriages.

"If Fei Yizhong and Dong Shizhong don't mind that our deer-drawn carriage is too small and cramped, please feel free to ride in it," Zhuge Qiao said earnestly to Fei Yizhong and Dong Yun, steadying the bamboo slips that were about to fall.

Dong Yun and Fei Yi looked at each other and laughed heartily.

Then, they bypassed Huo Yi and Zhuge Qiao, with Fei Yi in front and Dong Yun behind, and boarded the narrow and simple deer-drawn carriage. Finally, Dong Yun personally drove the carriage and drove away, disappearing from Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi's sight in no time.

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi turned their heads again to look at the magnificent carriages belonging to Fei and Dong, who were still parked in the same spot. They were both puzzled by the unusual behavior of these two important Han officials.

He entered the Prime Minister's residence.

Although it was time for their off-duty period, many officials in the Prime Minister's residence were still rushing around, carrying bamboo slips and moving back and forth between various government offices.

The two men, each carrying a bamboo slip, headed straight for the main hall where the prime minister handled official business.

The prime minister heard the footsteps, but he still kept writing, bending over and reviewing the documents presented to him.

Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi placed the bamboo slips on the ground, then sorted them by category and according to their importance and urgency, stacking them neatly on the table. They explained to the Prime Minister where these documents came from, what specific issues required the Prime Minister's annotation, and which could be directly archived.

The prime minister listened attentively, first reviewing the bamboo slips that the two men mentioned could be directly archived. Only after confirming that there were no problems did a relieved smile appear on his face.

Zhuge Qiao was his adopted son. After Huo Yi's father, Huo Jun, died, the late emperor raised Huo Yi in the palace and the royal residence. Huo Yi grew up alongside the emperor and received the emperor's favor exclusively.

Therefore, the Prime Minister always paid close attention to the upbringing of these two children, fearing that they would become mediocre, and disciplined them very strictly.

After the Northern Army was stationed in Hanzhong last year, they had the two children start with some of the most basic military duties.

For example, organizing people to gather firewood, organizing people to transport grain and fodder, and personally delivering documents to various military camps. After a year and a half, there have been no major problems, and I can gradually entrust them with handling slightly more complex matters.

Judging from the annotations on the bamboo slips, both children were of above-average talent, and their moral character and interpersonal skills were commendable. The prime minister had no complaints about them.

About 45 minutes later, the Prime Minister finally finished all his official duties. He slowly stood up, leaning on the table. Seemingly because he had been bent over for too long, he reached behind his back and rubbed his lower back.

When Zhuge Qiao saw his father get up, he immediately rose from his seat and rushed over. He helped his father straight up with one hand and gently patted his father's back with his other fist.

"It's nothing, it's just the way things are with age." The Prime Minister recovered after a moment and smiled.

Just then, two gurgling sounds suddenly rang out in the somewhat empty main hall of the Prime Minister's residence, and the Prime Minister smiled again:
"You and Shaoxian haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"Since following His Majesty in the reconquest of Guanzhong and returning to the old capital, I have often felt hungry, and my appetite has increased by three times compared to before."

Upon hearing this, both Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi showed joy on their faces. Zhuge Qiao's eyes shone with a gentle smile: "Father not only does not look old, but he is even more energetic than before. His appetite has not decreased but increased, which is probably proof of this."

Since accompanying the Prime Minister to Hanzhong for more than a year, the Prime Minister has often been so engrossed in his work that he has been eating less and less, which is a cause for concern. Now, hearing the Prime Minister say with a smile that his appetite has increased is truly a joyful thing.

The emperor bestowed upon the prime minister, along with Zhuge Qiao, Huo Yi, and several others, escorted him to the entrance of the prime minister's residence.

Looking at the few remaining brightly colored carriages at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence, Zhuge Qiao suddenly remembered that his deer-drawn carriage had been borrowed by Fei Yi and Dong Yun.

The deer-drawn carriage for the two was specially provided by the Prime Minister, and it was the first time the two of them had ridden in it.

“Father, just now, Attendant Dong and Attendant Fei borrowed my and Shaoxian’s deer cart and laughed strangely. I wonder why?” Zhuge Qiao asked.

Neither Dong Shizhong nor Fei Shizhong have returned their deer-drawn carts yet, so they'll probably have to walk home.

Upon seeing Fei Yi and Dong Yun's carriages outside the gate, the Prime Minister's thoughts drifted back to more than a decade ago, and he smiled, saying:

"When the late emperor pacified Shu, Attendant Fei and Attendant Dong were the same age as you two are now, but their talents and reputations were far greater than yours, and they were both famous throughout Yizhou."

"Later, when Minister Xu lost his son, Attendant-in-Ordinary Dong and Attendant-in-Ordinary Fei wanted to meet at his burial site."

“Dong Shizhong asked his father, Youzai Gong, for a carriage, and Youzai Gong then sent a deer-drawn carriage to provide it.”

When Dong Shizhong saw the deer-drawn carriage, he looked troubled, but Fei Shizhong was calm and boarded the carriage before Dong Shizhong.

"When the two arrived at the funeral site, all the nobles gathered there. The carriages were very rare, and the horses were very strong. Dong Shizhong's expression was still not calm, while Fei Shizhong was completely at ease."

"After the driver returned, the young magistrate inquired about the two men and learned of their situation. He then said to Dong Shizhong, 'I have always suspected that you did not distinguish between Wenwei and Wei, but now I understand.'"

"When Dong Shizhong and Fei Shizhong saw you two riding together in a deer-drawn carriage, they were probably thinking of when they were as young as you were."

"In the blink of an eye, more than a decade has passed. Dong Shizhong, who used to look embarrassed when riding in a deer-drawn carriage, can now ride in it with ease and comfort."

After saying this, the Prime Minister chuckled.

Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi exchanged bewildered glances, completely surprised that the usually serious, composed, and unsmiling Dong Shizhong had such a dignified side when he was young.

Although they were as young as Dong Shizhong and Fei Shizhong back then, they did not have such thoughts.

But thinking about it now, it all makes sense.

One of them was the adopted son of the prime minister, and the other was adopted by the late emperor. They lived together in the palace and the royal residence with the current emperor and grew up together. Their favor and honor were unparalleled in Sichuan and Chongqing. How could they feel ashamed because of a mere deer cart?

Another reason is that, under the leadership of the prime minister, most of the officials and ministers were loyal to the royal family and took pride in being honest and upright, and they also educated their children in this way.

Those young people who were fond of carriages, clothes, hawks, and hounds were either from local powerful families in Yizhou or were sons or nephews of high-ranking officials in the court who held nominal positions but no real power.

In this way, a hierarchy of contempt was formed between the second generation of those with real power and those with nominal titles. Those who valued integrity and poverty looked down on each other, and they could not get along with each other since childhood.

Just as the prime minister's attendant led a slightly dilapidated carriage out of the prime minister's residence, everyone suddenly heard a series of rapid hoofbeats approaching from afar.

A moment later, dozens of riders slowly rode to a stop more than ten paces in front of the Prime Minister's residence. When everyone looked closely, the person at the head of the procession was none other than the Emperor.

Looking further back, the deer-drawn carriages ridden by ministers Fei Yi and Dong Yun followed closely behind the emperor.

The Prime Minister, along with Zhuge Qiao, Huo Yi, and a group of elite guards, hurriedly stepped forward to greet them.

Liu Shan saw the Prime Minister, Zhuge Qiao, Huo Yi and others standing at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence from afar. He then dismounted and headed towards the residence.

The Prime Minister led Zhuge Qiao, Huo Yi, and others down the steps. After the formalities were completed, he said:

"Now that Your Majesty has returned to Chang'an, why was no one informed of your return? You have been away from the capital for more than a month. I should lead all the officials and staff to the outskirts of the city to welcome you."

Liu Shan smiled and said to the Prime Minister:

"Prime Minister, the important officials of the palace and government each have their own important duties. There is no need for you and the court officials to come out of the city to welcome me just because I am the only one returning."

"So when I entered the city, I specifically instructed the guards at the city gate not to announce my arrival."

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister smiled slightly and said nothing more. He simply turned and made way for the Emperor to enter the Prime Minister's residence for a chat.

After the emperor and the prime minister had crossed the threshold of the prime minister's residence, Zhuge Qiao, Huo Yi, and generals Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, and Jiang Wei followed closely behind.

As Liu Shan walked, he slightly turned his head to the Prime Minister and said:
“Prime Minister, just now when I returned to the city, I met Wei Xing and a group of soldiers who were returning from dredging the canal.”

"Upon hearing that Wei Xing had disobeyed your orders and prevented the soldiers from welcoming his family at the city gate, you punished him in public, ordering him to be given ten strokes of the military rod and deducting one month's salary to be distributed among the soldiers."

The Prime Minister was somewhat surprised to hear this and said:

"This afternoon I saw the document from the officers of the garrison, which said that some officers of the garrison violated the orders and obstructed the garrison from welcoming the family members."

"This matter concerns the government troops, so I dare not be negligent. Therefore, I sent Wenwei (Fei Yi) and Xiuzhao (Dong Yun) to Tongtuo Street to handle the matter."

"I didn't expect Your Majesty to have handled it so well. However, Wei Guanghan's injuries have not yet healed. I'm afraid he can't withstand Your Majesty's ten strokes of the military rod."

Some time ago, when organizing the first batch of Fubing (a type of military unit), the Prime Minister summoned all the Fubing officers to a meeting and explained to these mid-level officers what Fubing was and what their duties were.

At the beginning of Wei Xing's Northern Expedition, he was just a squad leader. After gaining the emperor's favor, he risked his life to deliver messages, and his missions were always accomplished. Later, he captured kings and generals, and his meritorious service was outstanding. The prime minister paid special attention to him.

Liu Shan then explained to the Prime Minister his handling of Wei Xing's case.

The prime minister suddenly understood, and then nodded with a smile, clearly approving of the emperor's handling of the matter.

Liu Shan said as he walked:

"Before the Northern Expedition, the Prime Minister told me that the palace and the government are one body, and promotions and demotions should not be treated differently."

"The same principle applies to the army today. Punish those who deserve punishment and reward those who deserve reward. There should be no favoritism. Only in this way can Wei Xing be protected."

“He climbed up from the bottom and doesn’t understand many principles. This is just a small punishment to warn him. If he doesn’t repeat the mistake in the future, he may very well become a general who can stand alone in our great Han Dynasty.”

Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister felt a surge of pride, realizing that his "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops" had not been written in vain, and nodded repeatedly with a smile, saying, "Your Majesty's words are absolutely correct."

(End of this chapter)