Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 394 Household

As the troublemakers and stubborn individuals among the Liao people were gradually eliminated, the remaining people gradually became honest and dutiful, and began to work diligently.

Sichuan is a land of many mountains and rivers, with fertile soil everywhere.

The eight thousand or so barbarians he had were simply not enough. Liu Daogui selected a group of obedient barbarians to form a volunteer army. After some training and equipping them with a knife, he had them act as village guides, leading the local troops into the deep mountains to search for able-bodied men.

At the same time, a four-tiered household registration system was established in Sichuan, including good people, commoners, slaves, and lowly people. Marriage within the same ethnic group was prohibited, and all barbarian tribes were required to adopt Han surnames. Powerful chieftains were relocated to Luoyang.

There have been sporadic rebellions, but the Liao people are in a barbaric state, lacking even a sense of tribal identity, and are a disorganized bunch, easily manipulated by Liu Daogui.

Even if they resisted, they were no match for the local militia and the Tiger Guard Army, and were quickly suppressed. The chieftain's entire family was executed, and the whole tribe was reduced to a lowly status.

The decisive and ruthless killings, which left countless heads rolling, frightened the powerful and wealthy people of Jin in Shu into becoming more obedient, with many voluntarily reporting their land holdings and patronage.

"Only 873 households in one prefecture?" Liu Daogui stared at the official document delivered by Ma Dan, incredulous.

The people of Shanxi numbered about a hundred households in the county...

Ma Dan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "If we include hidden households and those with special privileges, there should be two thousand in the whole prefecture."

"It's still too little."

Sichuan cannot compare to Jiangnan. When Huan Wen destroyed Cheng Han, he took a group of people with him. When the Former Qin attacked Sichuan, another group of refugees returned to their homeland in Guanzhong.

As a result, the area has become so desolate that, apart from the surrounding areas of Chengdu, such as Shujun, Hanjia, and Badong, which still have some human activity, the areas to the south, such as Jianwei, Zhuti, Yuexi, Zangke, Jianning, and Yongchang, are basically barren mountains and wilderness, abandoned for over a hundred years.

Not to mention the Jin people, there weren't many even among the Liao and other barbarian peoples.

It's easy for the population to drop, but it's extremely difficult to increase it.

Therefore, the most important task for each monarch is to increase the population.

The emperor is the master of all living beings and the source of prosperity and benefit. He is called emperor because of his merit in procreation!
Liu Yixing said, “Household registration is not something that can be done overnight. We can encourage soldiers to marry and take concubines. Those who are willing to stay in Shu can be given land and houses by the government. We can also set up almshouses to take in orphans and provide delivery services for pregnant women. The population of Pengcheng, Lanling, Xiangyang and Nanjun has increased in recent years. We might as well relocate some landless people here.”

These counties have enjoyed peace for many years. The Dingling, Xianbei, and Xiongnu prisoners of war from previous years have gradually been converted into civilians. Coupled with various measures to encourage childbirth, the population has indeed increased significantly.

His methods do have merit.

In such a large area as Sichuan, the Jin people numbered less than 400,000, while the Liao people numbered as many as 500,000 to 600,000, posing a huge hidden danger.

The Han people can assimilate the Hu people, and the Hu people can assimilate the Han people.

So many Xianbei people suddenly appeared in the north, and many of them were from Jin.

The Cuanman people, who were active in Yunnan Prefecture, were descendants of the Ban family from Fufeng who migrated there at the end of the Han Dynasty. Through intermarriage with the local barbarians, they gradually became assimilated into barbarian culture.

Liu Yizhen interjected, "These wild and uncivilized lands are better off abandoned. Why waste so much energy? It may take hundreds of years to see results. Uncle's long-cherished wish is to launch a northern expedition, not to conquer the wild and uncivilized lands in the south."

Liu Daogui said earnestly, "Is there any naturally prosperous place in this world? It was only after Yu the Great controlled the floods that the Nine Provinces were formed. The prosperous cities along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River were all built by our ancestors in the wilderness. For example, Chengdu, if it weren't for Li Bing building the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, wouldn't it still be barren land? These things always have to be done by someone. If we don't do them, our descendants will have to spend even more energy. You only see the Liao people migrating north from the deep mountains and forests to Shu, but you don't see that their land and population are also declining. By incorporating them into Jin territory, the resistance has been greatly reduced."

The population is declining these days, and it's not just the people of Jin.

Li Shou's relocation of the Liao people to the counties surrounding Chengdu also created a vacuum in the southern counties.

The population recovery of the Liao and Man peoples was slower; in terms of population growth rate, they could not compare with the Jin people.

Liu Yixing said, “Father is absolutely right. If we do not occupy the lands of Nanzhong and Yunnan, they will be occupied by others. At that time, Shu will not be at peace either. Nanzhong is to Shu what Hexi is to Guanzhong. If we have Nanzhong, Shu will be safe. If Nanzhong is gone, Shu will be in danger! The four commanderies of Hexi were also conquered by Emperor Wu of Han. The two prefectures of Jiaozhou and Guangzhou were also developed by generations of people. They worked hard to open up the mountains and forests. What is now a desolate land may become a prosperous city in five hundred years.”

Liu Daogui felt a surge of satisfaction. Liu Yiwu had made rapid progress during his time with him, and their ways of thinking were becoming increasingly similar. He wondered when he could also bring Liu Yiwu to his side.

These days, blood ties and clans are the most stable.

And among blood relatives, none are closer than father and son.

The Qin state, through the accumulated strength of six generations, finally unified the six kingdoms. The Han dynasty had almost every generation of wise rulers, which laid the foundation for the strength of the Han dynasty. The Northern Expedition was not simply about recovering the northern kingdoms.

This is just the first step; the biggest challenge is how to maintain stability.

Liu Yizhen stretched and replied perfunctorily, "Ah Xing is no ordinary person."

Liu Daogui ignored him and, following Liu Yixing's advice, planned to relocate some people from Huai, Si, Jing and Xiang after the autumn harvest this year.

Even if development is slow, it's still moving forward step by step, which is much better than doing nothing.

The addition of these domesticated barbarians greatly increased their efficiency, as they marched from Badong to Baxi, and then into Jianwei and Zhuti.

Some powerful figures in Sichuan also took the initiative to join in order to win Liu Daogui's favor.

While powerful local warlords are a cancer in the interior, they have some positive value on the borders, at least in defending the territory.

They also benefited greatly from Liu Daogui's various policies that benefited the people; at least their status improved considerably, and they no longer had to live in fear before the Liao barbarians as before. Expanding territory was a major event for the entire tribe, requiring not only the military means of the government but also the support of these powerful clans.

"Land and servants, depending on their abilities, but only in the southern prefectures." Liu Daogui left them a way out.

The greatest skill of powerful families is to seize mountains, rivers, forests, and marshes.

"Report! Yao Xing has retreated." A scout came to report.

"He's smart to be sensible," Liu Daogui had expected.

With his support, Qiu Chi was more confident. If Yao Xing failed, he would not only have to face Liu Daogui's Northern Expedition, but also wolves from all sides.

Two days later, Huan Qian, Huan Zhen, and a group of Huan family members escorted them to Chengdu.

Liu Daogui ordered the execution of Huan Qian and Huan Zhen, and the other members of the Huan family were demoted to slaves. Some were exiled to the south, and some were exiled to Lingnan, which could be considered as preserving some of Huan Wen's bloodline.

Regardless, Huan Wen made contributions to China.

Huan Qian also had a good reputation. Huan Xuan had implemented many good policies during his usurpation of the throne, so even after the fall of Huan Chu, so many people still supported the Huan family.

Liu Daogui had no blood feud with them, they were just on different sides. Since Huan Qian and Huan Zhen had been killed, there was no need to kill all the other members of the Huan family.

However, in those days, exile was more terrifying than the death penalty. Lingnan was alright; after so many years of development, it had become quite decent. But the southern part of the country was a complete wasteland.

Whether they can pull through or not depends entirely on themselves.

"From now on, all criminals within the territory, except those guilty of the ten heinous crimes, will be exiled to the south."

During normal migrations, no one would want to settle in the desolate mountains and wilderness of the south, and these criminals could be put to use.

With Liu Daogui stationed in Chengdu, everything proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner.

In this day and age, whether a ruler is a tyrant, a wise ruler, or a foolish ruler, as long as the people can eat, they will wholeheartedly support him, regardless of whether they are Jin people, Liao people, or barbarians.

Survival is a person's ultimate goal; everything else is meaningless.

Unlike the Xianbei and Xiongnu, the Liao people and the Man people did not have their own lineage and were a disorganized group. After eliminating the troublemakers and powerful chieftains, the remaining ordinary people were easy to govern.

As the crops in the garrison fields gradually ripened, the people of Sichuan gradually felt at ease.

Even many of the Liao people and barbarians living deep in the mountains voluntarily came down from the mountains and requested to be registered as households.

Those who had fled the war also left the mountains and returned to their ancestral homes.

The registered population has finally reached one million.

Liu Daogui ordered Liu Yixing to establish military command posts in various prefectures. This boy seemed to have inexhaustible energy, working from morning till night. Moreover, he was extremely meticulous. He discovered many things that Liu Daogui had not thought of in advance, and he also purged a group of corrupt officials and uprooted some powerful families who had a great deal of public resentment.

The former officials of Sichuan were completely subdued by him.

Liu Daogui simply transferred these former officials from Shu to his subordinates as clerks, and brought Liu Huaimo, Liu Elang, and a group of elite guards to his side to protect him day and night.

It is not easy to cultivate a qualified successor. Liu Daogui has devoted too much effort and expectations to Liu Yixing.

If it were in Jiangzuo or Jingxiang, Liu Daogui would never dare to be so ostentatious. There are too many enemies hiding in the shadows, who will stop at nothing to gain power. Liu Daogui has to be on guard.

“Young master is not young anymore, he has reached the age to get married.” Feng Kai noticed this and came to remind him.

Liu Daogui thought about it and realized that Liu Yixing was already fourteen years old, almost of marriageable age. "Is there a suitable family?"

"I heard that General Zhu Lingshi has a daughter who is only twelve years old and has not yet been betrothed."

Liu Daogui had thought he would recommend Lady Feng, but unexpectedly he chose Zhu Lingshi instead.

The underlying intention to poach talent is self-evident.

The Zhu family of Pei County was also a military family, and they were from the same hometown as the Liu family. The marriage between the two families was considered a good match. In addition to winning over the Zhu brothers, it was also to find a backer for Liu Yixing.

It's far better than marrying a woman from a wealthy family, no matter what.

In Liu Daogui's view, Liu Yifu's marriage to Sima Maoying, the daughter of Sima Dewen, was a major blunder.

"Since the General cannot come forward, I can go and act as matchmaker to facilitate this matter." Feng Kai was entirely thinking of Liu Daogui's interests, which shows his loyalty.

"Then I'll trouble you, Si Ti," Liu Daogui addressed him affectionately by his courtesy name.

"It is my duty as a subject to share your burdens."

(End of this chapter)