Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 447 New Policies (Part 3)

With two Hanlin scholars on board, Pei Qinghe could consult on various government affairs at any time, which greatly increased his speed in reading memorials.

Mu Hanlin and Wu Hanlin couldn't help but privately praise and marvel: "The Emperor is indeed worthy of being a military general; he acts swiftly and decisively. In the past, with so many memorials, it would have taken Emperor Xie four or five days just to read them. After discussing them with the Prime Minister and wrestling with General Zhang, it would have taken at least ten days or half a month to finish reviewing them."

"Isn't that right? Look at Emperor Zhaoyuan, he read through all the memorials in just three days and personally reviewed them one by one."

“Every night he also has to teach his personal guards to read! The emperor has really gone to great lengths for these sons of generals and the Pei family.”

"The emperor also cares about us civil officials. Every day he inquires about how the various departments are doing and whether there are any difficulties. He is always ready to support and defend his officials."

“Your diligence in your duties is noticed by the Emperor. Even if there are minor improprieties, the Emperor will not reprimand you, but will only ask you to improve as soon as possible.”

"It is a blessing for us subjects to have such an emperor."

The grand court assembly was held once a month, while the smaller court assemblies were held daily, with longer assemblies for important matters and shorter assemblies for less important matters.

If there's something to discuss, then discuss it; if not, the court session is adjourned. There should be no shirking of responsibility or wrangling. Everyone should return to their respective offices and perform their duties.

The new dynasty and the new emperor have brought about a new atmosphere, transforming the old officials into new figures and giving them a new brilliance.

Time flies, and March has arrived, bringing with it the warmth of spring.

It is the perfect time of year when peach blossoms are in full bloom and willows are turning green, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass.

Pei Yan, the commander of the imperial guards who had always been by the emperor's side, said with some melancholy, "We should go hunting in the Yanshan Mountains during such a fine time. The pheasants in spring are the most delicious."

Isn't it?

Pei Qinghe put down the memorial, looked up at the direction of Yanshan for a moment, reminiscing about the carefree and joyful times of the past, and then sighed deeply: "I took advantage of the spring planting to go out for more than a month. I've only been back for a little over a month, how can I go out again? Oh well, I'll just have to endure it a little longer!"

He then instructed Pei Yan: "I have nothing to do here, so you don't need to guard me all day. Take Song Dalang and the others, and also take Pei Yue and Pei Wan, and go to Yanshan. Let them practice their archery skills in the mountains. Don't stay too long; they should be back in four or five days."

Pei Yan's eyes almost lit up. She rubbed her hands together, grinned, and said shamelessly, "As the commander of the Emperor's personal guards, it's not appropriate for me to be so close to the Emperor!"

Pei Qinghe glanced at Pei Yan, who was putting on an act, and said, "Then you stay here and let Pei Yue lead the people away."

Pei Yan replied with a serious expression, "Pei Yue is young and impulsive, not reliable enough. How can I trust him? I'll go instead. If we encounter any wild beasts, I can handle them."

Pei Qinghe had no time to listen to her banter and waved her hand to indicate that she could leave.

Pei Yan finally remembered to bow and take her leave, then happily slipped away.

The guards were overjoyed to learn that they could go to Yanshan. Fei Lin, in particular, was beaming with delight: "This is wonderful! After being cooped up for so many days, we can finally relax a bit."

These imperial guards, who had to train and stand guard during the day, and study military and historical texts at night, were so exhausted that they would fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Now they could finally go out for a few days.

Even the usually composed Song Dalang grinned. The young Pei Yue and Pei Wan, along with Lu Wulang, Ge Siniang, and others, cheered with joy.

Pei Yan selected one hundred men and, by order of the Emperor, openly led his personal guards to Yanshan for "real combat training."

Pei Qinghe was tied down by tedious government affairs and continued his monotonous life of attending small court meetings every day to read and approve memorials.

At the end of March, war broke out again in Luoyang.

This capital city of the Jing Dynasty, having changed hands several times and been repeatedly ravaged by war, is no longer the prosperous place it once was. However, its political significance and status remain unshakable. At least in the hearts of King Qiao and General Situ, whoever can firmly hold Luoyang is the one destined for greatness.

As for the new dynasty in the north, it was naturally a major threat. After unifying the south, they planned to launch a northern expedition to unify the country.

The Northern Court established its capital in Yan Commandery, with Pei Qinghe personally overseeing the defense against the Xiongnu invaders. Although they were unwilling to admit it, they all acknowledged Pei Qinghe's capabilities. With Pei Qinghe there, Youzhou could be firmly held, and the Xiongnu barbarians could not wreak havoc elsewhere.

Returning to the current war, Luoyang has been occupied by King Qiao, and General Situ is once again leading a large army to attack Luoyang. A great battle has broken out, and the flames of war are incessant. The most pitiful and innocent are the people inside and outside Luoyang.

In just a few years, Luoyang was repeatedly ravaged by war, and its population dwindled to about half. People fled the city every day.

King Qiao issued a strict order: any fleeing civilians caught would face certain death. General Situ, busy with his siege and battles, had no patience for these useless civilians. He might take in a few wealthy families who brought money, grain, and property, but those who only had mouths to feed were completely ignored and simply driven away.

Of these people who managed to escape with great difficulty, some died under the soldiers' swords, some starved to death on their way out, and some were lucky enough to eat wild vegetables and tree bark along the way and escaped to places like Jizhou and Youzhou.

Pei Qinghe's new policies included clear regulations for accepting refugees. It was almost a carbon copy of how Pei Family Village had taken in refugees back then.

Regardless of age or gender, as long as they were confirmed to be free of infectious diseases, they were to be taken in. Local government offices took the lead in building simple thatched huts for the refugees to live in. Grain shops were required to provide food, two meals of thick porridge a day, to prevent the refugees from starving to death.

In addition, the government should send people to register and investigate the names, origins, identities, and backgrounds of the refugees, and screen for any spies. Then, they should allocate some wasteland to the refugees, lend them oxen and iron plows, and let them settle down in the local area.

These matters, though easy to talk about, are complex and chaotic in practice, involving countless details, and soon caused some trouble. For example, some prefects were unwilling to accept the refugees and secretly sent people to drive them away. In order to survive, these refugees had no choice but to continue northward, and countless people died along the way.

Upon learning of this, Pei Qinghe immediately issued an edict dismissing the prefect from his post. This incident caused quite a stir in the officialdom of the northern region.

There was no murder, nor was it dereliction of duty; it was just driving away the refugees. Is that not enough?

Emperor Zhaoyuan used forceful methods to directly tell the officials in the north: This is unacceptable!
There was also a corrupt county magistrate who lured a group of dozens of refugees to a private mine. The refugees were enslaved, working day and night to mine the minerals. This private mine was the corrupt county magistrate's own property.

By the time the news reached Pei Qinghe's ears, it was already May.

Pei Qinghe smiled coldly, the murderous intent in her eyes causing the temperature in the Golden Palace to drop sharply: "Pei Yan, go and bring this Magistrate Jiang here. I want to deal with him personally!"

Pei Yan let out a sinister laugh, cupped his hands in acceptance, and said, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)