Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 101 Salt and Iron Thieves (Bonus chapter for my daughter's first birthday, didn't expect that! 4k)

This year's Luqi seems somewhat different from previous years.

Materially, each family didn't gain much more meat, but spiritually, they seemed to have gained some kind of satisfaction.

The sun is shining high.

Today is a rare sunny day.

Rural people carried firewood, beans, and millet into the city to sell or buy.

Luqi covers an area of ​​600 square kilometers and has a population of 13,000. After the hidden households were replaced, the population reached 29,000.

About 20 percent of this population lives in the county town, while the remaining 80 percent are rural residents.

Luqi County administers three towns: Yangguan Town, Tieguan Town, and Heishuidu (Hutuo River).

The towns of Yan and Tie need little introduction; they mainly engaged in iron production and salt mining, while Heishuidu was a hub for trade and fishing.

The Hutuo River connects the southeast and north, and going upstream, one can reach Yuanping, Guangwu, and Lucheng counties to trade iron ore, timber, and animal hides.

Going down, you can reach Jingxing Pass. After passing through Jingxing Pass, you can travel by water directly to Zhengding County.

In other words, if Zhang Xian and his group wanted to return to Changshan, the return journey would be much faster than the journey there. They had traveled for six or seven days by land, but the return trip would only take two days.

Unfortunately, the well path was too treacherous, with rapid and winding waterways that were impassable by boat; otherwise, the travel time could have been reduced even further.

Besides the three towns, there are roughly fifty villages on the outskirts of Lüchi County. The larger villages have a population of seven or eight hundred, while the smaller ones have a population of several dozen. Basically, the villages are scattered wherever there is farmland.

Zhang Xian reviewed the revenue and expenditure of Luqi in recent years. Apart from the taxes paid by the people, the largest sources of income were iron ore and salt mines.

But now it needs to be changed.

Aside from the basic production capacity that had to be handed over to the imperial court, not a single pound of iron could leave Luqi County.

The requirements for salt can be relaxed a bit, but Zhang Xian should keep the majority of the output in his own hands.

That ten million dollars was well spent. If this were in the Central Plains, where would he find a place with both iron ore and salt mines?

He is currently reviewing some implementation difficulties encountered after the recent promulgation of new policies.

Huang Zhong strode in from outside the county government office and saw Zhang Xian sitting in the main seat of the main hall. He went up to him, picked up a pot of hot water next to him, and took a sip.

"Alas, I'm exhausted! Dealing with these common people is no easier than fighting on the battlefield. My lord, why don't you let me train the troops instead!"

Zhang Xian continued writing without stopping, instilling his views on the problems Han Ji and the officials encountered in governing, speaking without even raising his eyebrows.

"How about we switch you with Gongzhi?"

"My lord, please spare my family. I will continue to organize the people to express their grievances."

Huang Zhong had a bitter face.

"Alright, stop looking so gloomy. Brother Yun and the others should be arriving soon. Once they arrive, you can bring some farmers from our Peach Blossom Village and teach them for a few days. You can then teach them these things from now on."

"Alright, alright, my lord, it's settled then, there can be no reversal!"

Zhong was overjoyed and laughed.

"Yes, yes, no reversal!" Zhang Xian stamped the county seal on one wooden slip, set it aside, and picked up another one.

"Sigh, why are there always some clueless people who insist on going against me!"

As Zhang Xian read the contents of the new wooden tablet, his anger surged.

"Hansheng!"

"The lieutenant is here!"

"He led his troops to sweep through the salt and iron towns, and all the salt and iron officials were imprisoned!"

"Damn it, they've been blinded by greed, haven't they? Several powerful families have already backed down, yet these petty officials dare to challenge me!"

"promise!"

Huang Zhong showed no sign of amusement, clasped his hands in a salute, and walked out with a slingshot slung across his shoulder.

He shouted at the entrance of the main hall: "Announce to the county soldiers who are returning to their camp to rest! Wait at the west gate in a quarter of an hour!"

"promise!"

Huang Zhong strode away, but no sooner had he left than Han Ji returned.

Seeing the warm boiled water beside Zhang Xian, he went over, picked it up, and took a sip.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted! Dealing with these common people is no easier than reviewing official documents. My lord, why don't you let Ji do it instead?"

Zhang Xian raised his eyebrows. Hmm, this sounds familiar. It seems like someone said something similar just now.

But now is not the time to think about that. He tossed the wooden tablet in his hand to Han Jidao.

"Please come and see for yourself, have I been too lenient? These officials from the salt and iron towns have actually made a fool of me!"

"What do you mean by refusing to hand over without orders?"

"Tell me, what does this mean!"

Han Ji took the wooden tablet and glanced at it a few times, his brows furrowing.

"Hiss... there seems to be the shadow of the prefect involved."

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Xian frowned.

"Under normal circumstances, given our lord's current prestige, these people would never dare to do this with the bones of the He and Xu families in front of them. It would be highly impossible if there were no other people here to help us."

"You mean, the governor of Taiyuan is also eyeing Lüchi's salt and iron?!"

Han Ji nodded slightly: "It could be. It could also be the work of powerful local figures under the prefect. I just saw Han Sheng leave the county office. Perhaps the lord sent him out?"

Zhang Xian nodded: "I told him to sweep up these two salt and iron towns. Other things can be discarded, but these two salt and iron towns must be in my hands!"

Han Ji hesitated for a moment.

But Zhang Xian said frankly, "I understand your intentions, but please do not try to persuade me. I will not retract the order to clean up the salt and iron towns. Regardless of whether their superiors are the prefect or the powerful figures under the prefect, the struggle for interests is a back-and-forth affair. I will make the first move now. We'll see what other methods they have!"

Han Ji pondered for a moment and nodded: "My lord's move is indeed brilliant. Rather than letting him take root in the salt and iron industry and remain hidden in the shadows, it is better to sweep away the deep-seated problems now and force them to confront each other openly."

"It is indeed Ji Shaozhi." He cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhang Xian sighed: "Alas, if even a small county like Lüqi is like this, I dare not imagine what kind of money and power collusion exists throughout the entire Han Dynasty."

"Forget about these things. Now that you've returned on your official journey, you should have dealt with most of the people's affairs, right?"

Han Ji nodded: "It's almost done. We've been visiting almost every household in the county. There are countless people who have been oppressed by the He and Xu families, and they are all indignant now."

"In that case, it's time to make the first move."

"Issue the order: at noon tomorrow, detain the sons of the He and Xu families at Caishikou and behead them as a warning to the public!"

"Order!"

Zhao Shi's voice came from outside the main hall.

His current position is the head of the yamen runners, in charge of all forty-three yamen runners in the Lüchi County yamen.

"What did those five families say?"

Zhang Xian turned his gaze back to Han Ji.

“Now they are all like frightened birds. None of them dare to disobey the lord’s orders. The Gu family is the most obedient. They believe that since the pressure has been put on, the lord should also show some mercy.”

Zhang Xian nodded: "How is Grain Rain?"

Gu Yu was the head of the Gu family who, along with Han Ji and Huang Zhong, led the clan's servants to help clean up the He and Xu families that day.

He is still young, only twenty-six years old.

"He has some skill and is intelligent. If it weren't for the long-standing traditions of the He and Xu families, the current situation in Luqi might have changed." "Being able to perceive the danger in an instant and respond accordingly, Gu Yu is someone who can seize opportunities. Therefore, I believe this person is useful!"

Where will it be used?

Zhang Xian couldn't make up his mind. He was skilled at killing people, but it depended on the person. Either they were historical figures, or they were impoverished young men like Han Ji, burdened with deep-seated hatred.

He's not very good at judging the others.

“He could be appointed as a clerk to handle official business, so that he would be under the lord’s watchful eye and be easily controlled.”

"As you wish, I will appoint him as the chief clerk. However, if we are to bestow favors upon him, an official position alone is not enough. Let's wait for Brother Yun to arrive. Once Brother Yun arrives, all the craftsmen will also arrive. At that time, the brewing business can be reopened, and the wine trade can be entrusted to his family."

Zhang Xian rubbed his fingers together: "That's the main purpose of bringing the craftsmen here. Having only knives isn't enough to stand firm; we also need to use their advantages to truly win people's hearts."

"If the other four families come to our aid in the future, we can share all the profits from this wine trade,"

"Indeed." Han Ji nodded: "The reputation of Taoyuan Wine has already spread. The Gu family alone cannot take it all. Even if the five Lu families join together, they still cannot get a clean share. My lord should find some distributors in Taiyuan as soon as possible."

"No rush. Accumulating wealth is no longer the main goal. This surplus can be used to bribe the powerful families in other counties. Once they see the benefits, they will naturally come to visit."

"My lord is a man of profound wisdom and foresight."
-
The straight road through the countryside.

One hundred and twenty iron cavalrymen galloped at full speed.

The leader was Huang Zhong.

He led 120 soldiers from Taoyuan (now Lüchi County) straight to the salt and iron towns at the foot of Wufeng Mountain in the southwest.

The cavalry charged directly into the town.

On the stone-paved street of Yanguan Town, Huang Zhong dismounted and kicked open the gate of the Salt Tax Office. The cold glint of his ring-pommel sword reflected the plaque on the wall that read "Salt Administration Benefits the People".

"Take them all down!" He pointed the tip of his knife at the officials and clerks behind the desk who were still unaware of what was happening.

The county soldiers advanced and retreated in orderly formations of three to three, with one in front and two on the left and right to keep watch for any rioters who might be hiding in the three directions.

Bamboo slips scattered all over the ground with a clatter.

"General, please wait!" Liu Sicheng tried to remain calm. "This humble official is from Taiyuan."

"Crack!" A soldier smashed three of his front teeth with the back of his blade: "Silence, it's not your turn to speak yet!"

Hearing the commotion, the soldiers of Yanguan Town arrived late. Upon seeing Huang Zhong and the others, they all stopped in their tracks and looked up at the sky.

"Confiscate all weapons! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

"promise!"

With lightning speed, Huang Zhong captured Yanguan Town. He left thirty riders to guard the local officials and then rushed off to the neighboring Tieguan Town, which was more than ten miles away.

Compared to Yanguan Town, Tieguan Town was much stronger militarily, but this was still nothing in Huang Zhong's eyes. He dismounted and fought alone with a bow, which terrified the soldiers of Tieguan Town.

The county soldiers marched in formation with steady steps, swords and shields in front, and two swords behind them, their arms around each other's shoulders. They would only release their grip on those who surrendered and then bind them.

In less than half an hour, everything in Tieguan Town was settled.

"Arrest them all! Take them all back to the government office along with the magistrate and clerks of Yanguan Town to await further orders!"

Huang Zhong shook off the bloodstains on his sword, wiped it with a cloth, and slowly sheathed it.

The firelight beside the furnace illuminated the kneeling craftsmen's weeping pleas: "My lord, please be wise! We were merely following orders to melt iron; we knew nothing else."

"I know, but do you know where the iron production register is?"

The craftsman nodded slightly: "I've seen the officials and clerks often go down to the cellar; perhaps it's there."

"Take me to get it."

"Yes"

As dusk fell, Huang Zhong led 120 county soldiers and 50 salt and iron officials back to Lüchi County.

In the main hall, Zhang Xian and Han Ji were both present.

He then took out the iron and salt production registers and cloths that had been seized from the salt and iron towns and handed them over, before sitting down to the side.

Zhang Xian and his companion took the salt and iron registers and examined them.

It was no wonder that Zhang Xian was in an uproar after seeing it!
"Damn it! This salt production is more than five times the amount recorded in the county register! What was the previous magistrate doing?! Did he just sit around eating for years?!"

Han Ji, standing to the side, also frowned. According to the records in this iron production register, the output of Tieguan Town was more than three times that of the county register over the years.

He put down the ledger and bowed, saying, "My lord, please don't be angry. The previous magistrate of Luqi County only cares about extorting money from the people and doesn't care about these things. However, we can now plant spies by his side, and they will come in handy one day."

Zhang Xian slammed his fist on the table: "Last year's county records show that 2,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) and 60,000 jin (another unit of dry measure) of salt were produced! But the salt produced in Yanguan Town is 300,000 jin (another unit of dry measure). Where did 240,000 jin (another unit of dry measure) of that salt go?!"

"When you arrive, how much iron have you produced?"

"The iron production register records 100,000 catties of pig iron last year."

"Ha! It's three times more than the county register, while last year's iron imports were only 30,000."

Zhang Xian had completely lost faith in this corrupt official.

He slammed his fist on the table: "Gongzhi! Hansheng! From this day forward, not a single pound of salt or iron produced shall leave Luqi County without my written instruction!"

"promise!"

After putting down the salt production record, Zhang Xian rubbed his brow to relieve the swelling and pain in his eyes.

"Hansheng, how many of those four hundred bandits have surrendered?"

There were still too few people, and Zhang Xian always felt uneasy. So he also had Huang Zhong subdue the bandits from Wufeng Mountain who had surrendered that day, intending to use them as soldiers.

The bandits raised by the He and Xu families were all robust and strong, much better looking than the refugees from Taoyuan back then.

Huang Zhong cupped his hands and said, "Of the 413 mountain bandits, 379 remain. After several interrogations, I have eliminated those who were close to the He and Xu families. These days I have been training them in discipline and obedience, and they should be ready to use in another eight or nine days."

"Okay, finally some good news."

Zhang Xian sighed.

"Your Excellency has arrived."

"My lord?"

Han Ji raised his eyes as he took the salt production register from Zhang Xian and looked at it again.

"Let those five families pool together five hundred private soldiers to fill the county's military quota."

Han Ji pondered for a moment: "I will personally visit him tomorrow."

Zhang Xian stood up, nodded, waved, and headed towards the back residence, muttering calculations along the way: "Currently, there are 120 county soldiers. Once the mountain bandits are won over, the number of soldiers will reach 500. Add to that 500 private soldiers and 300 soldiers from Taoyuan escorting supplies, and the total strength of the troops will be 1,300."

"Not enough! Next year alone, the number needs to be at least two thousand. Two thousand elite troops will be sufficient for the next few years."

After a long day of work, Zhang Xian went back to sleep, grumbling and cursing.

After a few days in office, he was more than ten times more exhausted than when he was working in Taoyuan's agricultural and pastoral craftsmanship.

Sigh, go to sleep.

Silent all night.

At dawn the next day, Zhang Xian, who had been thinking all night, got up early and instructed Zhao Shi to secretly release a minor official from Yanguan Town.

On the city wall, the group watched the hastily departing figures in silence.

"My lord, a brilliant plan." Han Ji bowed, watching the retreating figure. "Waiting for them to lose their composure is ten times better than resorting to torture."

Huang Zhong rested one hand on the hilt of his sword: "It seems a fierce battle is inevitable."

"Hmph, those who come without proper identification are nothing but scoundrels. I'd like to see how many soldiers they can afford to lose!"

Zhang Xian gazed into the distance: "No matter how well you use intrigue and trickery, it's not as good as starting from scratch!"

(End of this chapter)