Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 396 Town

Winter in Chengdu is much warmer than in Huaihe River Basin and Jiangzuo area; throughout the winter, there were only a few light snowfalls.

People from Huaisi and Jingxiang gradually migrated to fill various counties.

These people were either Hu people who had been Sinicized in the Huai and Si regions, or poor people from Guandong who had no land. After entering Sichuan, the government provided them with houses and land, and exempted them from land taxes for five years.

One winter, nearly 13,000 households migrated from various parts of the Central Plains.

More people followed, traveling upstream on Cao Ji's cargo boats with their families.

Even the poor people from Guangling, Jinling, and Danyang around Jiankang were attracted here.

By the time of spring plowing, rebellions in various places had been quelled one after another.

A total of seven thousand Liao and Man people were killed. It was not because the Tiger Guard and the government troops showed mercy, but because each able-bodied prisoner could be exchanged for five liters of grain, which allowed these people to survive.

Those who remained stubborn and unyielding were all demoted to commoners.

There were more than 2,500 households in total.

The other Liao and Man people obediently migrated to the outskirts of the county towns and settled in scattered locations.

Customs also changed, and various bad habits gradually disappeared. People began to learn from the people of Jin Dynasty, wearing their hair tied up and their robes fastened on the right.

Their children were forcibly sent to schools by the local government.

Liu Daogui manipulated these schools, not only teaching Chinese language and literature but also setting up supervisors to lecture on the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the Book of Han, and the Three Kingdoms Period, thus carrying out ideological reform.

The barbarians and rabbit people who are still alive today have little sense of resistance and are relatively obedient.

During the reigns of the Former Qin and Jin dynasties in Shu, some foundations were also laid.

The Liao people are also divided into the "cooked Liao" and the "raw Liao".

The more enlightened among them were also willing to submit to the Chinese.

Liu Daogui then began the second step, establishing the Yijiang Governor's Office and submitting a memorial to the court, appointing Zhu Lin as the Governor of Yijiang and restoring the seven prefectures of Jianning, Yongchang, Yunnan, Xinggu, Yuexi, Zangke, and Zhuti established by Shu Han.

They then formed sixteen military academies from the domesticated barbarian tribes, with eight hundred men in each academy, for a total of twelve thousand eight hundred men.

Each prefecture had two schools with personnel, and the governor's office directly governed the two schools. They were both soldiers and farmers, engaging in both farming and warfare.

In addition, Liu Daogui selected a contingent of elite troops from the Tiger Guard Army to serve as the personal guards of Zhu Lin, the governor of Yijiang.

Without absolute military force, one cannot subdue the southern barbarians.

In addition to the local military forces, Liu Daogui also transferred officials from Qiao and Shu to the Governor's Office.

These officials were all from prominent families in Sichuan. By having people from Sichuan govern the south, they could both subtly weaken the powerful families in Sichuan and strengthen their control over the south.

This can be considered killing two birds with one stone.

In Chengdu, they were merely clerks and officials under the General's Office, but in the south, they would at least become county magistrates.

Liu Daogui also allowed them to recruit their own troops and occupy any mountains and rivers they wanted, with a five-year term. Those with good performance would be promoted, and those with poor performance would be demoted.

With a stick in one hand and sweet dates in the other, these people have no choice but to obey.

They had long witnessed Liu Daogui's ruthless methods; under his authoritarian rule, there was simply little room for negotiation.

The prominent families of Chang, Li, Ma, Qiao, Chen, and Yang from Sichuan obediently led their troops south to serve as the vanguard.

During the Shu Han period, the Yijiang Commandery provided a steady stream of provisions and military aid for the Northern Expeditions. Zhuge Liang once formed the Wudang Flying Army to participate in the Northern Expeditions and made many military achievements under Wang Ping's command.

Even today, many people in southern China still cherish the memory of the Shu Han dynasty and the memory of Zhuge Liang.

Although Liu Daogui did not expect the Yijiang Governor's Office to supply grain and soldiers, he did hope that it could defend the territory conquered by his ancestors.

All officers of the rank of sergeant and above in the army were surrendered soldiers from Qiao Shu, and their families were still in Chengdu, so there was no need to worry about their loyalty.

The suppression of the Liao and Man rebellion brought unprecedented unity to the Jin people in Shu, who gathered under the command of the Grand General and united against external forces, thus reducing the barriers between them and the Jin court.

Even some powerful clans in Sichuan became much more obedient, and even formed their own militia to join the war against the bandits.

By May, before the imperial edict had been issued, the troops of the sixteen military districts had already assembled.

Whether there is an imperial edict or not is actually irrelevant, as the Yijiang Governor's Office has already been established.

"With the South and Sichuan pacified, Governor Zhu need not hold back on his journey. He can do anything that benefits China!" Liu Daogui placed high hopes on Zhu Lin.

Zhu Lin came from a military family; his father was Zhu Xu, and his grandfather was Zhu Tao, who served as the Commandant of the Western Barbarians, the Governor of Yizhou, and the General Who Pacifies the West. He was essentially carrying on his family's legacy.

During times of war, military families do not decay as quickly as noble families, and there are still many capable individuals among them.

"General, rest assured, I will go and restore the seven commanderies of the Han dynasty, expand our territory, and ensure that the Governor-General will have no more worries about the southwest!" Zhu Lin said with a serious expression and full of confidence.

Liu Daogui exclaimed in admiration: "General, you are a pillar of the nation!"

"This humble general takes his leave!" Zhu Lin bowed respectfully, then turned and led his men slowly southward.

After all, it was a newly formed army, mainly composed of Liao people and barbarians. Their formation was scattered and they had no military discipline whatsoever. However, driven by more than four hundred Tiger Guard elite cavalry, they marched south in a grand procession like a flock of sheep.

Whether the Yijiang Governor's Office could gain a foothold depended largely on Zhu Lin's abilities.

However, he was the son of Zhu Xu, and his abilities were already quite strong; he could lead an army on horseback and govern the people on foot.

There are no weak soldiers under a strong general.

These soldiers were no match for the Tiger Guard Army, but they were still much stronger than the barbarians and savages of the south.

Liu Daogui watched the men and horses depart into the distance.

"This man is indeed a capable general," Liu Yizhen murmured to himself.

"Would you rather stay in Chengdu or come back to Xiangyang with me?" Liu Daogui was also preparing to return to Xiangyang.

The framework of Sichuan has been established. To the south is Zhu Lin, the governor of Yijiang, and in Sichuan is Wang Zhongde, the governor of Yizhou. The Liao and Man peoples have been basically tamed, and what remains is the slow integration.

Liu Yizhen's eyes darted around. "When I'm with my father and uncle, people call me 'Young Master' and treat me with great respect. If I stay alone in Chengdu, who will even look at me? It would be better to go back to Xiangyang with my uncle."

Liu Daogui was taken aback. "When did you change your ways, kid?"

“My nephew has seen and heard a lot this year and has gained some knowledge.”

In Chengdu, no one flattered him, especially after Liu Daogui sidelined him. His cronies who had come with him also scattered. As his surroundings changed, so did his personality.

Liu Yu's sons were all quite talented, but they had lived a life of luxury since childhood and had not experienced any hardship or setbacks, which led them to develop a proud, extravagant, and dissolute nature.

Liu Daogui smiled and said, "You can still be salvaged, buddy. Well then, when we return to Xiangyang this time, I will summon Yiwu, and the two of you will join the army together."

Liu Yizhen's expression changed, "This... let's forget it, my nephew can't endure this hardship..."

Liu Daogui didn't care whether he agreed or not, "It's settled then. You are a member of the Liu family of Pengcheng, the son of the Tiger of Jiangdong. How can you be mediocre and weak?"

The military is the best place to hone one's skills.

Regardless, Liu Yi is indeed a nephew, a member of the Liu family of Pengcheng, so it would be best to lend a hand.

I don't expect him to be successful in the future, I just hope he can have a normal sense of right and wrong.

"I wish to stay in Shu!" Liu Yixing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Liu Yizhen advised, "Ah Xing, why are you doing this? Shu has been abandoned for a long time, and it is full of barbarians."

“It is precisely because Sichuan is desolate that we can put our talents to use and accumulate experience. Father will soon be heading north to the Central Plains, and I can stay in Sichuan to keep people’s hearts at ease.”

"You're right."

An eagle should spread its wings and soar; if it stays under the protection of its parents, it will be difficult for it to truly grow.

He is currently the Prefect of Shu Commandery, having only been in office for a few months. If he leaves now, it will be like leaving behind a huge mess.

Liu Yixing said, "Although the Liao and Man people have been subdued by force, they are not truly loyal. They still need to be carefully governed. Only when I am in Shu can the civil and military officials work together with one heart."

His implication was that Shu needed a member of the Liu family to keep order; otherwise, in time, the people of Shu would either elect a new "Qiao Zong" or gather under the banner of the Governor of Yizhou to form a new interest group.

There's no way around it; when the world is in turmoil, it's also a time when various local powers rise up.

The rift between the Shu people and the Jin dynasty was too great, and the region was relatively isolated.

When Liu Yu appointed Liu Yizhen as the governor of Yizhou, this was actually one of his considerations.

"With you here in Shu, your father can rest easy." Liu Daogui felt a sense of relief.

Fathers and sons fight together in battle, and brothers fight together in war.

Liu Yixing's words clearly showed that he had seen through the essence of the problem.

(End of this chapter)