Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 276

The title "Biejia" was established during the Han Dynasty. It was an official in charge of all affairs of a prefecture or state, wielding immense power and holding a position second only to the governor. When traveling on tours, the Biejia did not ride in the same carriage as the governor, but instead rode in a separate carriage, hence the name.

To put it bluntly, He Danzhi was a thorn in Huan Xiu's side.

Huan Xuan hadn't even settled in yet, and he was already eyeing Huai Si. It was clear that Huan Xuan would never tolerate him in the future.

"Governor, He Danzhi has entered the city, and no one has gone to greet him. Liu Xuanzhi has assigned him the cowshed in the south of the city as his camp!" Meng Ganqian reported.

"Did He Danzhi say anything?"

"This man is quite a tough character. He didn't utter a single complaint and even cleaned up the cowshed. However, many of the soldiers around him complained."

“Pay attention to these complaining soldiers.”

"I accept the order!" Meng Ganzhi bowed and withdrew.

Since He Danzhi did not come to pay his respects to Liu Daogui, Liu Daogui would not lower himself to go and see him.

However, his low-key approach is good for everyone.

To start off by tearing off all pretenses is the act of a reckless person.

He Danzhi was sent by Huan Xiu to act as a spies, not to risk his life.

Liu Daogui also grasped the proper measure; at this stage, the more low-key the better.

Whether Huan Xuan could stabilize the mess that the Jin dynasty had inherited was another matter entirely.

Liu Daogui was busy rectifying internal affairs, making sweeping changes, dismissing all the so-called "honest officials" in Pengcheng, and promoting talented people.

All of Liu Laozhi's retainers were converted into military households, from which brave and skilled men were selected to join the Jianwei Central Army.

"The biggest problem in Pengcheng is that there are too many landless refugees, making survival difficult," Liu Cui pointed out the crux of the matter.

With 200,000 people crammed around Pengcheng, all struggling to survive in the fields, the pressure to live was immense.

Moreover, Pengcheng also had powerful clans who occupied large tracts of fertile land and mountains, further shrinking the living space of displaced people. Liu Daogui felt this situation deeply in Jingkou.

The Jin dynasty was a mess, and so was Pengcheng.

The fact that the treasury of Huaibei, a city known for its numerous merchants, only held 170,000 strings of cash speaks volumes.

“This matter is easy to handle. Issue an order to occupy land and relocate displaced people to populate the four prefectures of Jiyin, Puyang, Dongping, and Taishan.”

The northern prefectures are sparsely populated and lack manpower.

"A land occupation decree? What if the imperial court finds out..." Liu Cui wiped the cold sweat from his face.

The land occupation decree was issued by Sima Yan, marking the end of the Taikang era.

Initially, it was beneficial to the country and its people, but things gradually changed later on.

"Do you think the imperial court still cares about us? Since these 200,000 people have followed me, I must ensure they have food to eat. Otherwise, why would they support me? Don't be timid, just go for it."

Huan Xuan's elaborate efforts to take control of Jiankang were certainly not for the purpose of restoring the state or assisting the Sima clan.

Rather, it was to replace it.

His current approach is quite similar to that of Cao Pi back then: first gaining the support of the gentry, then turning his attention to the generals of the Northern Army.

Exhuming Liu Laozhi from his grave, delivering the final blow, beheading him, and displaying his corpse in the marketplace was both an act of venting anger for the aristocratic clans and a clear signal.

The grand drama in Jiangzuo is not yet over.

Nobody knows how it will ultimately turn out.

Liu Cui hesitated and said, "I'm afraid I alone am not capable of handling such an important matter..."

Liu Daogui knew that he harbored doubts and was worried that the court would settle scores with him later. After all, he had just joined his ranks, and it was inevitable that he would have selfish motives.

But on second thought, what he said made some sense.

The land seizure order is no small matter; it requires a capable person to manage the overall situation.

If any small detail is not carefully considered, it can sow the seeds of disaster. For example, when Sima Yan first issued the land occupation decree, it was indeed a good deed, but in the process of implementation, it was exploited by powerful clans and gentry, which exacerbated land annexation.

Therefore, the reign of Emperor Taikang lasted only ten years before it vanished like smoke.

The common people suffered even more, while the powerful aristocratic families grew stronger.

After much deliberation, only one person was deemed capable of this task. "Quickly go to Langya and invite Registrar Liu here!"

Liu Daogui is currently the military governor of Huai and Si, and Langya also belongs to Huai and Si, so it is perfectly legitimate to transfer Liu Muzhi here.

Shen Qingzhi, who was on duty, cupped his hands and said, "I obey!"

He immediately led a dozen or so riders out of the city.

Four days later, Liu Muzhi arrived, travel-worn. "General, what brings you in such a hurry?"

Liu Daogui said, "Most of the population of Huai and Si is concentrated in Pengcheng. The north is sparsely populated. What should we do?"

After a moment's thought, Liu Muzhi said, "I have three strategies. The best strategy is to register all households and conduct a land survey of the wealthy households in Pengcheng. The middle strategy is to follow Emperor Wu's example and implement the land occupation decree. The worst strategy is to follow Cao Cao's example and implement the military-agricultural colony policy." His ideas were even more radical than Liu Daogui's, and he wanted to take action against the powerful families in Pengcheng right from the start.

But doing so would cause too much of a commotion.

The powerful clans of Pengcheng are different from those in other places; they are all Martial Grandmasters who have been entrenched for many years and possess considerable strength. If these people were to cause trouble, Pengcheng would never have peace.

Liu Daogui was new to the area, and this was the perfect time to win them over.

As for the worst option, Cao Cao's military-agricultural colonies were already infamous. Those who settled in these colonies were worse off than slaves and military households, toiling away their entire lives and suffering greatly from harsh laws and punishments, and their descendants were not spared either.

When Cao Cao conquered Huainan, he planned to establish large-scale military farms. Upon hearing the news, hundreds of thousands of people from the Jianghuai region fled to Eastern Wu with their families.

The Jianghuai region has been abandoned ever since.

Sima Yan's abolition of the military-agricultural colonies was one of his few benevolent policies.

"In your opinion, Brother Liu, what strategy should be taken?" Liu Daogui asked, knowing the answer already.

Liu Muzhi laughed heartily, “The governor is also skilled in governing the people, and must have already had a prejudice. The best strategy is too hasty and can be implemented later. The worst strategy is unpopular and should never be used. The middle strategy is the best, as it can win the hearts of both the people and the powerful.”

"Brother Liu is truly a reincarnation of Xiao He!" Liu Daogui exclaimed.

Liu Muzhi said, seemingly unintentionally, "Xiao He only had a chance to use his talents because he met Emperor Gaozu of Han; otherwise, he would have remained a minor official in Sishang County."

"With Brother Liu's talent, he is destined to become a prime minister one day!"

Liu Daogui became a high-ranking official before he was even thirty years old. It was impossible for him not to have ambitions. With the world in such chaos and the Sima family's prestige in ruins, Huan Xuan's entry into Jiankang was actually setting an example for everyone.

Those with strong troops and powerful horses can do it!

The two only exchanged a brief glance before tacitly agreeing to stop there.

In general, the conflict between the people and the land in Huai and Si has not yet become so acute as to be irreconcilable.

Liu Daogui, Liu Muzhi, and Liu Cui discussed for several days and formulated various details of the land occupation decree.

People were encouraged to reclaim wasteland and occupy land in Gaoping, Jiyin, Dongping, Shanyang, and Taishan.

Puyang to the north and Xingyang to the east are adjacent to the Hu people, and the status quo is maintained for the time being.

Under his rule, the men were all entitled to a minimum of 40 mu of farmland, and depending on the local customs, an additional 20 mu of mulberry fields or 10 mu of hemp fields. The women were entitled to 20 mu of farmland and 10 mu of mulberry fields.

Each husband and wife shall pay six shi of grain rent annually, and two zhang of silk and three liang of cotton, or two zhang and five chi of cloth and three jin of hemp.

Twenty days of corvée labor were required each year; if there was no corvée labor, military training would be provided instead.

The three systems of rent, labor service, and taxation were integrated, and everyone, from Liu Daogui to soldiers, was subject to the same taxes, with no special privileges.

Newly cultivated land will be exempt from rent, labor service, and taxes for three years. The military government will lend seeds at a 20% interest rate and provide oxen and farm tools free of charge.

Of course, the land occupation decree only applied to military households and civilian households; slave households were not included.

A couple owned nearly sixty mu of farmland, with each mu producing about one shi of grain annually. The land tax only accounted for one-tenth of the annual harvest, making them truly a family with light taxes and levies.

After capturing Pengcheng, the number of military and civilian households under its jurisdiction increased to 70,000, and the annual land tax alone amounted to more than 400,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

This does not include the more than 9,000 slave households under his rule, of whom 80% of their output was handed over to the government.

The annual harvest is conservatively estimated at around 720,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

Of course, the harvest depends on the weather, but the Huai and Si rivers have had favorable weather in recent years, resulting in almost always a bumper harvest.

Even in the event of natural disasters, the military government's mobilization capabilities allow for swift resolution.

These days, natural disasters have far greater impact than human-caused disasters.

With Liu Muzhi in command, Liu Daogui was spared a lot of trouble.

This man is indeed very talented. While others handle things one by one, he can listen to the reports from his clerks, write government orders, and give verbal replies on the spot. He can use his eyes, hands, ears, and mouth simultaneously without confusion or disorder, and he handles everything with ease.

He handled government affairs flawlessly, without making a single mistake.

Liu Daogui was greatly impressed; such a person was merely a corrupt official, a complete waste of talent.

In a single day, he handled three times the amount of official business that Liu Daogui had.

The long-standing legal disputes in Pengcheng were also resolved, and various exorbitant taxes and levies in Pengcheng were abolished.

Even government offices at all levels had their own public fields, detailing in detail how much rice each official received per month and how many servants they hired...

"That's all for today. Has the Commander prepared a meal?" Liu Muzhi stretched and rubbed his stomach.

"Yes, yes, someone come quickly and bring the food." Liu Daogui hurriedly gave the order.

He was just being polite when he said that Xiao He had talent.

Having met him today, I suspect his talent surpasses even that of Xiao He.

Such talent as a prime minister is a once-in-a-century occurrence.

(End of this chapter)