gnovel Chapter 55: Sharpening the Knife for Weiyang!
Chapter 55: Sharpening the Knife for Weiyang!
"Dongfang Qing, Zhang Mian."
Immediately, Liu Ju called out the names of the two men.
"Your Highness."
Dongfang Qing and Zhang Mian stood up together, their faces full of anticipation.
"The area from the Wei River to the Qinling Mountains, which is the Weinan region, is covered by six rivers: Feng, Lao, Yu, Hao, Chan, and Ba."
"On the plains, water resources are abundant and irrigation is not a problem; this is the foundation of fertile fields."
"Among the towering mountains, the trees are lush, and there are many medicinal herbs and wild animals, which are all natural and convenient conditions for supporting the refugees."
"When farmers have nothing to do, they can go into the Qinling Mountains to hunt, and ordinary people can also go into the mountains to collect herbs to supplement their household income."
"I am not worried about Zhang Mian. The Marquis of Bowang's mansion still has its foundation. It is not difficult to select some people to serve as the Director of Agriculture and Military Affairs."
"Dongfang Qing, you are different. Master Dongfang is renowned and associates with many scholars. These people are suitable to be the Assistant Director of Agriculture, but not the Chief Inspector of Agriculture."
"Your Highness."
Dongfang Qing glanced at Zhang Mian beside him, his lips curving into a bitter smile.
Although Zhang Mian did not inherit the title of Marquis of Bowang, he was still the son of the Marquis of Bowang. Zhang Qian made many trips to the Western Regions and the Southwest, and most of the people who followed him were skilled warriors. Training peasant soldiers was exactly the simplest thing for him.
But he was different. Dongfang Shuo was just a Grand Master of the Palace. He was impeached by the censor for urinating in the Weiyang Palace while drunk, which was considered a serious offense of disrespect. He was dismissed from his post and became a waiter in the eunuch office. Most of the people Dongfang Shuo associated with were boastful Confucian scholars. The Crown Prince said that they could become the Director of Agriculture, but that was an overestimation of them.
"The Crown Prince's left and right guards only need eight hundred men."
"Countless people came from all over the country."
"I have instructed the left and right guards that you may stay by my side during this time."
Liu Ju gave instructions.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Dongfang Qing's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and a smile blossomed on her face.
Most of the people who came from the surrounding counties and kingdoms to join the Crown Prince's palace were descendants of marquises who had been stripped of their titles or descendants of criminals. These people had profound family traditions, were skilled in martial arts, and were knowledgeable in military strategy. They were more than qualified to serve as agricultural officials, let alone agricultural commanders.
『.............』
Having witnessed Dongfang Qing and Zhang Mian make arrangements, Tian Qianqiu felt somewhat at a loss.
He was just a minor official, with no outstanding family background or talent, not even as good as others. How could he possibly aspire to the position of Agricultural Commandant?
"South of the Wei River, with the Feng River as the boundary, the area to the east is the Zhili region, and the area to the west is the Weinan region."
"The Zhili region encompasses Chang'an and Jianzhang Palace, and the office of the Director of Agriculture will also be located here in the future."
"Dongfang Qing was appointed as the Agricultural Commandant of Zhili, and Zhang Mian was appointed as the Agricultural Commandant of Weinan."
"Tian Qianqiu was appointed as the Agricultural Commandant of Weibei, overseeing the area north of the Wei River and 150,000 refugees from Guandong."
Immediately afterwards, Liu issued three appointments.
"promise."
Dongfang Qing and Zhang Mian were overjoyed and quickly agreed.
"Your Highness."
"I...."
Tian Qianqiu hesitated, not daring to agree at all.
The position of Agricultural Supervisor with a salary of 1,200 shi (a unit of grain) was certainly attractive, but the responsibilities and pressures of this position were immense.
"Dongfang Qing".
"Mr. Dongfang is now enjoying a leisurely life at home."
"Please convey my message: If you are interested, I will welcome you to the Crown Prince's palace."
"Zhang Mian".
"I wish to meet with the Envoy."
Liu Ju ignored Tian Qianqiu and went on to give instructions to Dongfang Qing and Zhang Mian.
"promise."
The two responded in unison and turned to leave the main hall of the Crown Prince's Palace.
As they walked out, they all glanced at Tian Qianqiu, wondering what qualities this future 'colleague' possessed that would make the Crown Prince treat a mere high-ranking official with special regard.
After the two left, Liu Ju turned his gaze to the unassuming young man before him. No one could have imagined that a mere court official would have the courage to be the first to petition for justice for the Crown Prince after the witchcraft scandal. It was this courage and sense of justice that made Emperor Wu of Han look at him with new eyes, promote him to the position of Grand Herald, and a few months later appoint him as Chancellor and enfeoff him as Marquis of Fumin.
Like Huo Guang, this man was a regent minister of Emperor Zhao of Han. Because of his loyalty, prudence, honesty, and high moral character, even Huo Guang, who held immense power in the court, respected him greatly and often consulted him on matters of governing the country.
"Lift your head up!"
"what?"
Tian Qianqiu raised her head somewhat timidly, never daring to look directly at the Crown Prince.
Liu Ju then saw Tian Qianqiu's true appearance clearly. He was over eight feet tall (about 1.86 meters) and had a majestic and handsome appearance. Perhaps because of his low rank, he was unable to talk to him as openly as Dongfang Qing and Zhang Mian.
"The area north of the Wei River, where Shanglin Garden is located, is far less expansive than the area south of the Wei River."
"It is 160 li from east to west and only 20 li from north to south, which is a total of 12,000 qing (800 square kilometers)."
"Besides Baling, the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozu, the Anling Mausoleum of Emperor Hui, and the Yangling Mausoleum of Emperor Dafu are all located north of the Wei River."
"Since the time of Emperor Gaozu, our Great Han Dynasty has implemented the system of mausoleum towns, which relocated powerful and wealthy families from all directions to live in the mausoleum towns. The mausoleum towns are called counties, but in reality they are prefecture towns. The magistrate of a mausoleum town has a salary of 2,000 shi, which is the same as the governor of a prefecture. He is directly under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master of Ceremonies. Under him are officials such as the garden magistrate and the town assistant magistrate."
"Over the years, the people of Lingyi have been reclaiming wasteland for farming, and there is not much wasteland left to cultivate north of the Wei River."
"Settling 150,000 refugees from Northeast China in Weibei will surely arouse the hostility of the local people."
"Do you know why I insist on relocating refugees from Guandong to the north of the Wei River?"
"I don't know."
Tian Qianqiu shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion.
"The population of Changlingyi, Anlingyi, Yanglingyi, and Maolingyi is no less than 500,000."
"The descendants of these powerful and wealthy families indulged in dog fighting, cockfighting, and extravagance in the local area, repeatedly provoking the government and threatening the peace and stability of Chang'an."
"I have already instructed the Grand Master of Ceremonies to draft a memorial to recruit members of the imperial clan as soldiers to be stationed north of the Wei River and to quell these scoundrels."
"But that's not enough. To solve this problem, we must address it at its root."
"The system of mausoleum towns has become too powerful to be controlled. It is imperative to abolish mausoleum towns and establish counties instead."
Meeting his gaze, Liu Ju's deep voice echoed throughout the main hall.
The system of mausoleum cities was originally established by Qin Shi Huang, serving both military defense and political control functions.
Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, developed this into an important measure to relocate powerful local families and consolidate the central government. It was tasked with strengthening the core and weakening the branches, as well as defending against the Xiongnu. Its main purpose was to increase the population of Guanzhong, weaken the powerful local families, and strengthen the central government's authority.
To date, the population of Lingyi north of the Wei River has reached 500,000. It is home to a large number of wealthy people, high-ranking officials, relatives of the emperor, and other powerful figures, making it the second largest political, economic, and cultural center after the capital Chang'an. Moreover, it is directly under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, one of the Nine Ministers, and cannot be governed by the Prefect of the Capital or local counties, thus breeding countless filth.
As the empire drove the Xiongnu north, recovered the Hetao region, and expanded into the Hexi Corridor, the most important military defense function of the mausoleum system was completely lost.
Moreover, the Guanzhong region has a population of 2.4 million, plus 550,000 migrants, bringing the total to a staggering nearly 3 million. The population density has surpassed that of any other prefecture or kingdom in the country, rendering its political control function virtually nonexistent.
PS: "Fengshijun" was a title bestowed upon Tangyifu by Emperor Wu of Han to recognize his loyalty and contributions during his mission to the Western Regions. In the Western Han Dynasty, this title was an honorary rank or official position, with a fief equivalent to that of a Marquis within the Passes.