Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 103 Stability
Arctic Martial looked at the map and felt very unhappy.

Six staff members, all civil officials from several large garrisons, were seated near the Arctic Ward for a meeting.

"What a waste of the houses I had built. Now, 500,000 people in this Kyushu region have houses and farms. All the irrigation ditches and farmhouses that were dug during the land reclamation were for nothing."

As Beijiwu grumbled, several people nearby smiled.

Shi Wenyuan smiled and said, "Now that the master has acquired the land of Kyushu, with six million mu of farmland, as long as we think of some other ways, it will be enough to support the current army and civilians of more than 500,000."

Gao Laishun, the advisor of Gaoliuwei, said, "We have enough grain to last until next year, but we don't know if the south will be willing to do business."

"If we can do business, that would be great. If not, it would be best to take over the seven prefectures in front of the mountain, so we won't have to worry about running out of food."

Nie Zhen, a disciple of a prominent family in Luoyang who had surrendered, suggested, "If our master takes action, those people in Youzhou and Jizhou will surely surrender at the mere sight of him. Those regional commanders have long wanted to become local emperors. Our master here retains the original hereditary system, and when we go out to fight, we can also get 30% of the spoils of war. This is ten times better than them obeying Emperor Wen of the Dynasty."

Beiji Wu lay back on the quilt of the heated kang and said listlessly, "Even if I take them down, I don't want to care. What use are they? Besides, those people are used to being lawless and harming their own compatriots all day long. I might get angry if I see them and might kill them all."

Everyone knows the bravery of Beiji Wu. Now, to the north there are Mongols and Xianbei, to the east there are Khitans and Jurchens, and to the south there is the million-strong army of the Wen Dynasty and the powerful troops of the Jizhou vassal state.

But no one is afraid of those people invading.

With a capable leader like Beijiwu, neither the Han nor the Hu people worried about being invaded.

Anyone who dares to come near, kill them all!
The people and soldiers of the Nine Provinces behind the mountains now have an extremely powerful master, a fierce general who can force the million-strong army of the Wen Dynasty to retreat.

Zhang Zixing asked, "What are your next plans, Master? Will you expand your territory and contend for supremacy?"

The others looked at Arctic Martial, wondering what he was planning.

They were all standing in the open space near the bedroom window, which was also the entrance to the bedroom.

Beijiwu, meanwhile, was having a meeting with them while lying in bed.

“Of course, the mountain farmers should farm.” Beijiwu said casually, “Farm well, train the soldiers well, take good care of the cattle, sheep, donkeys and horses, protect the people, and reorganize the original military households according to their household registration. We can talk about the rest after the wheat harvest next year.”

Everyone answered in unison, "Yes, Master!"

Beijiwu repeated: "Mining coal, smelting iron, building water conservancy projects, printing official gazettes, constructing libraries, and conducting statistics on the number of fields, people, and livestock—you seven people should do these six things. The person who is free can be assigned tasks when needed."

Everyone answered in unison, "Yes, Master!"

Beijiwu waved his hand, "If there's nothing else, you can go out now."

Just as everyone was about to leave, Ai Dake walked in.

Ai Dake immediately said, "Reporting to Master, Qiao Guozhong, a merchant from Jinzhou in Shannong County, has donated 10,000 taels of silver, two beautiful women, ten horses, twenty cattle, and one hundred sheep to apologize for offending you before."

Beijiwu smiled and said, "It was my fault before. I almost killed someone because I didn't know my own strength. I will accept his kindness. Call the beauty over so I can take a look. Send the rest of the cattle and horses to the livestock pen to be well cared for. Pick out twenty old and weak sheep to give to the soldiers guarding the city as an extra meal."

Ai Dake laughed and said, "Yes, Master! Your servants will be grateful for your consideration and will serve you to the death!"

Beijiwu added, “I’ll not see that merchant anymore. Tell him to go back and call over twenty other merchants to be in charge of the tea, salt, and iron business. I’ll produce the ironware, and these merchants will just be responsible for doing business for me. I’ll take 70% of the profits.”

“I will allocate a thousand acres of land in Wuzhoukou for them to use as warehouses and residences. They can build their own houses and run their own businesses. If they have any problems, they can just come to me. No one in Shannong County will make things difficult for them in the future. However, if they lose money in business and cannot make up for the losses, they should stop doing business and go back to farming.”

Ai Dake replied, "Yes."

Beijiwu was getting impatient. "Get out of here. Do what I told you to do. If you can't do it well, then don't do it anymore. I'll find someone else."

Everyone readily agreed and then respectfully withdrew.

Before long, a beautiful young woman came in to serve him. Beiji Wu didn't like the women sent by the merchants, so he gave them to the single Xue Chonghu, who was the soldier who had rushed out to fight with him before and was now a commander of a thousand.

One was awarded to Xue Chonghu, and the other to Wang Xiang, a commander of the Wanzhou Iron Cavalry.

Xue Chonghu and Wang Xiang, who respectively commanded the light cavalry and heavy cavalry, met soon to discuss the matter.

Wang Xiang first asked, "Was your wife a gift from your master?"

Xue Chonghu nodded, and the two talked in a private room at the post station without bringing anyone else in.

The subordinates were eating in the courtyard and couldn't hear the confidential conversations inside.

Wang Xiang frowned and asked, "Was this also just delivered?"

Xue Chonghu knew that the two women were in the same situation, so he said directly, "I asked that woman, and she said that she and your woman served the master together, and the master gave them to us as a reward."

Wang Xiang also learned these things from his own woman, and his brows furrowed at this moment.

Xue Chonghu looked at this former commander of a thousand men who had once served under the emperor and cautiously asked, "What should we do now?"

Wang Xiang quickly said, "Don't do anything to them yet. Wait three or four months. If they're not pregnant, then forget it. If they are, then tell the master."

Xue Chonghu sensed something was wrong. "If she doesn't get pregnant, are we going to support her or treat her like a daughter-in-law?"

Wang Xiang hesitated for a moment, "It depends on the master's attitude. If he inquires about this matter, it means he still likes her. If he ignores it, it means he has truly bestowed her upon us as our wives."

Xue Chonghu was still very uneasy, "As a wife, is it...is it okay for me to do that kind of thing?"

That was a woman their master had slept with; neither of them dared to think about it, feeling they would lose their heads.

Seeing Xue Chonghu's frightened appearance, Wang Xiang mocked, "She's just a woman! Look how scared you are!"

Xue Chonghu argued, "Even when I'm on the battlefield fighting the enemy, I've never been this scared. That woman was used by my master. Our master might become the emperor. How could I dare to touch a woman he's been with? That would be a capital offense of disrespect."

Wang Xiang laughed and said, "The mountain farmers don't have as many rules as the Han people. I arrived later than you, but I know that the host has always been helping unmarried men find women to marry."

"I've heard this from others as well. The master often says that we shouldn't possess too many women, but rather let the servants get married, have children, and live a peaceful life."

"Besides, the master doesn't care about these things. The master's fields and houses have all been given to the Kitada family as fiefdoms. The master has lofty ambitions and will not be troubled by women and small villages."

"There are plenty of beautiful women, land, silver, and slaves outside. Once our master gives them to us, he can have something new every day if he wants!"

Xue Chonghu felt a little more at ease and much more at ease.

Although Beijiwu had given him the woman he had been with, Xue Chonghu was grateful and didn't care about the beautiful woman's past at all.

To be able to marry a beautiful wife and also obtain the hereditary official title of a thousand households is already an incredible stroke of luck!

The news of the Arctic warriors rewarding women quickly spread throughout the army.

Everyone discovered that this master was truly a good person. He shared his silver, cattle, and land with everyone, and even after enjoying the women himself, he still remembered his loyal subordinates who had risked their lives for him.

Although the Northern Army had acquired four million mu of public land, most of this land was seized from the Prince of Jin, some princes, and wealthy households, and was not used to compete with ordinary soldiers for profits.

At most, they would exchange their own land with that of the soldiers, concentrating it in suitable river valleys and plains, while sending the soldiers to remote areas to dig irrigation canals and build water conservancy projects to tend their fields.

While it's true that many places are inhumane, it's still more than ten times better than the princes and officers of the past.

They did not conscript soldiers, disturb the people, collect money, or increase taxes. They distributed grain, restrained their subordinates from causing trouble, and ordered them to build roads for each village and help find missing persons who had fled and whose whereabouts were unknown. In just one month, the mountain farmers won the hearts and minds of the army and the people of the nine provinces behind the mountains.

*
Tongzhou
Beiji Wu received the Wenchao envoy in the mansion where he had been staying for half a month.

This time, Beiji Wu did not kneel down, but sat quietly in the main room watching the people who entered.

"Please have a seat, everyone. Just say what you need to say. The mountain people don't like formalities; we'll handle things officially."

Beijiwu didn't have a very good attitude towards the eight people who came in; he just wanted to resolve this troublesome matter as soon as possible.

Minister of Rites Wang Mingyun looked at the young Beiji Wu and said politely, "Greetings, Prefect of Shannong County and Chief of Beiji Clan."

Upon hearing this title, Beijiwu smiled.

"I don't receive a salary from the imperial court. What you say is your business. Sit down and let's talk. It seems you've agreed to the trade agreement, haven't you?"

Wang Mingyun felt a little relieved. Beijiwu's attitude was very clear: he didn't care about his identity, he only cared about the gains and losses.

"Thank you, sir." Wang Mingyun, sitting to the side, turned to Beijiwu and asked, "Shouldn't the officials from the prefecture be invited to join the discussion?"

Beijiwu laughed and said, "In my territory, as long as I agree, it doesn't matter what others think. Anyone who opposes me deserves to die."

No one inside or outside the main hall had any objections. Even if all one hundred of his subordinates were here, they wouldn't dare to object.

The territory of Shannong County was all won through conquest. Even if they had 100,000 men, they probably wouldn't dare to rebel.

The soldiers who were assigned to various commanders of a thousand households also obeyed the command of the Northern Army.

If you let them kill the commander of the thousand men who command them, they will kill.

Basically, everyone was defeated and surrendered by Arctic Martial Arts, and they were all well aware of Arctic Martial Arts' strength.

"That's good." Wang Mingyun instantly realized that the counter-espionage strategy couldn't be used in this place.

Even if they contacted those who were still loyal to the Wen Dynasty to rebel together, they would be quickly suppressed by the others.

It's true that they only surrendered recently, so logically they could still take it back.

But the reality is that it can't be taken back; the people here have all taken money from Arctic Martial Arts and received military pay.

The relationship between Wenguo and the Shannong tribe is rather delicate. Beijiwu did not declare himself king, but instead took the title of Shannong County.

However, the imperial court couldn't really treat him as a prefect, since prefects had long been abolished these days.

"His Majesty wishes to bestow upon you the title of Marquis of the North Pole."

Wang Mingyun smiled as he looked at Beijiwu, delivering the good news while keeping a close eye on Beijiwu's changing expression.

Beijiwu disliked being looked at by men, and frowned, saying, "That sounds too awful. We don't need a title; 'Chief of the Mountain Farmers' tribe' is fine."

Wang Mingyun said with a smile, "If the title of Marquis of Shannong is granted, there will naturally be a salary and reward."

Beijiwu shook his head again, "No need, everything in Shannong County is mine, I can take it if I want."

Wang Mingyun still wanted to incorporate the Shannong County of Beijiwu into the Wen Dynasty system. Even if he didn't obey the Wen Dynasty's orders, it was still Wen Dynasty's territory, so it was nominally acceptable.

The loss of the Nine Provinces beyond the mountains was a great blow to the reputation of the Han dynasty. The current plan is to persuade the Northern Army to surrender in order to save face.

This was extremely important to the emperor, and also to the prestige of the entire court.

Moreover, the fact that the Arctic Warriors do not require a royal title is very advantageous to the Wen Dynasty!
"If you, clan leader, were to become the Marquis of Shannong County, the imperial court would bestow upon you treasures such as gold, silver, silk, and tea, and facilitate trade between the two regions."

Wang Mingyun looked at Beiji Wu, and seeing that Beiji Wu was thinking and not speaking, he continued, "His Majesty is also willing to marry his noble daughter to the Marquis of Shannong."

Beijiwu has women, but no wife, nor has he ever formally married anyone.

They were either stolen, bought, or brought here on their own.

Too many women are troublesome. After playing with the women given to him by the merchants, Beijiwu gave them to his servants to prevent them from gossiping.

If these women are influencing things by bribing their former employers, then it's best to kill them all.

"Forget about those women. How can women who are used to a good life work in the fields in our poor, remote area?"

Beiji Wu looked at the envoys seriously and said, “How about this? Every place has government offices and prisons. There are male prisoners and female prisoners. In the future, female prisoners in the Wen Dynasty can be exiled here to settle down. I will also acknowledge that Shannong County is the territory of the Wen Dynasty.”

"The Wen Dynasty has millions of people. We only need to exile a thousand female prisoners every year. Whether they are murderers who killed their husbands for money or disrespectful to their parents-in-law, as long as they are still alive, they can be exiled."

"Changing death row inmates to exile is a benevolent act. To show our sincerity, I will also release some scholars and scions of prominent families back home. This time, I will release a thousand back first."

Arctic Wu has no shortage of men, nor does it need those rich old men and young masters who have had their land and women taken away.

Because of the military settlements and land reclamation in Kyushu, a large number of landlords and merchants came to seize land and turned the land reclaimed by others into their assets.

These things now belong to Arctic Martial Arts, and even these people are commodities that Arctic Martial Arts uses for trade.

Women stay, men are sold; what Arctic Warfare needs are farmers to cultivate the land, craftsmen to work, and soldiers to fight.

The aristocracy doesn't need them; they've been raised to this day just to be sold.

"This is good."

Wang Mingyun agreed to Beijiwu's request, but it was just a matter of exiling the female prisoner who had been exiled elsewhere to Shannong County; it was not a serious matter.

On the contrary, the fact that Shannong County could continue to recognize the Wen Dynasty and accept the marquisate bestowed by the Wen Dynasty was the only thing that brought some comfort after all the misfortunes.

"I have another matter to discuss with you. The imperial court hopes that some of the soldiers here can return home. I have been ordered to bring 300,000 taels of silver to exchange for them."

Beijiwu said directly, "I'll have someone ask around. Whoever wants to go back can go back, and those who don't want to go back can continue living here. Those who have wives, children, and parents at home should indeed go back and reunite with their families."

Wang Mingyun was relieved; he hadn't expected the negotiations to go so smoothly.

Seven or eight days later, Wang Mingyun led more than 10,000 captured nobles and 20,000 soldiers with families back home.

More than 20,000 people in San Nong County who needed to be matched with partners left, and the male-to-female ratio quickly improved.

Those who left were soldiers who had fought their way from Luoyang; those who remained were people who had originally been stationed here, and whose families had been forcibly exiled by the imperial court.

The reason why the male-to-female ratio was so skewed in the past was that only the Beiyuan Guard captured the Wenchao Army and the Tongju Army, whose strength was several times that of their own.

Now that these people have all gone home, most of them have reunited with their wives and children. In addition, many local soldiers died in several battles, and widows can remarry.

Especially after robbing the rich and keeping the women while forcibly providing them with wives, the ratio is now quite healthy.

Emperor Wen quickly determined that the reason for this was the Marquis of Dingxi's fault, not that the Marquis of Dingxi was deliberately causing trouble. Beiji Wu was indeed a very easy person to talk to.

(End of this chapter)