Chapter 997 Restoration and Conservatism
“General, General Shi wants to see you.”
“Let him in.”
“General, I’m back.”
General Guan did not raise his head: "Well, how's it going?"
“Hey, General, don’t tell me, those wealthy families in Wuzhai are so hard-boned that they are unwilling to pay for their food.”
Shi Bao had a look of gloating on his face, but also a sense of revenge, "So the general ordered people to cut off all the food outside the stronghold in front of them."
It is autumn at this time, and the food is already mature. If you don't want to pay for it, you can use the crops in the fields outside to pay for it.
Hearing this, Guan Ji chuckled, closed the document, raised her head, and continued to ask:
“Is there any more?”
"Yes, how about the abundance in the east of the river? There are too many fields, so the general made a public statement directly. The food in this field belongs to whoever harvests it. Those farmers are going crazy to harvest it."
General Guan nodded and said with approval: "Well, you did a good job."
“I really didn’t expect that those farmers seemed to be submissive and cowardly, but they actually dared to accept the food from those wealthy families.”
"Because they have nothing to lose." Guan Ji sighed, "They look cowardly, but they have long held back a lot of resentment in their hearts."
"Who doesn't want to live a good life? For decades or a lifetime, the hard work and taxes on your body will make you breathless. If it were you, would you do it?"
Why can the Liangzhou army fight to the death without retreating?
It was because Alang let them know who they were fighting for and why.
The more times Wei thieves are defeated, the more Wei troops are captured, and the more they can know what it is like under the rule of Wei thieves.
If you want to protect your own good life and prevent future generations from falling into the same situation as the farmers, you must annihilate the Wei thieves.
“Now that the army is coming, it just gives the people of Hedong a chance and also gives them courage.”
"Of course, they may also feel that they can put all the blame on us afterwards. Anyway, there is military chaos everywhere now."
The barbarians, the rioters, and the rioters who were driven south, in order to feed themselves, would they care about whose food is in the fields?
If you are huddled in the village and cannot come out, then don't blame others for taking away the grain from the fields.
Guan Ji said and smiled again:
"But no matter what the reason is, as long as there is a beginning, that is enough, and people will become more and more bold later."
“If we hear that there are rebel troops or people attacking Wuzhai, then our actions will be considered a success.”
Shi Bao asked hesitantly:
“If this happens, there will be chaos in Hedong...”
“It’s chaos, without great chaos, how can there be great order?”
General Guan said lightly, "Don't worry, the prime minister and the princes will have their own way to deal with it."
If the aristocratic families in Shu are only second-rate, then the powerful people living among the Qiang and Hu in Liangzhou can only be regarded as third-rate at best.
The top aristocratic families are naturally located in the Central Plains.
The land of three rivers, Hedong, Hanoi and Henan (i.e. the Luoyang area), has been a place where aristocratic families have flourished since ancient times.
At the same time, it is also one of the areas where the family has the strongest influence.
It would be a delusion for the imperial court to really control these places without carrying out a powerful sweep of these areas.
How to clean?
Violence is the best way to clean up.
When Master Wang arrives, it is understandable that you will not be able to leave the village. After all, the situation is chaotic.
But if you are not even willing to support the king's army with some food and grass, don't you just want to be a loyal minister and filial son of the Wei thieves?
General Guan took out a small notebook from somewhere, turned to a certain page, and read:
"The Book of Songs says: Although the Zhou Dynasty was an old state, its destiny was restored. Although the Han Dynasty was an old state, it was the heart of the people in the world. However, although the Wei thieves claimed to be puppets not long ago, they were ruled by right-wing tyrants and the people suffered a lot."
“Therefore, even if the Han Dynasty annihilated the Wei thieves, it was not a change of dynasty, but it was the same as a change of dynasty. It can be called an act of restoration.”
Shi Bao stared blankly at the small notebook in General Guan's hand and asked subconsciously: "Reform?"
“That’s right, it’s the Restoration. The Han Dynasty restored the Xin, while the Wei thieves corrupted the old. It can be said to be a life-and-death struggle between the old and the new.”
"This is not a banquet for guests, let alone a classic in governance. It cannot be polite and modest, nor can it be gentle and thrifty. Its actions are also violent, its actions are fierce, and it will definitely lead to bloodshed!"
General Guan glanced at Shi Bao and hid the notebook again:
"Chaos is inevitable. What we have to do is to annihilate the Wei thieves as soon as possible, prohibit violence and calm the chaos, so that we can restore true peace to the world. Do you understand?"
This is the Feng family’s top-notch family education!
There is only one share in the world. Even if the emperor wants it, he has to ask the Feng family’s wife for her opinion first.
Shi Bao is already a great blessing to be able to hear such a passage.
In the process of quelling chaos, some innocent people will certainly be harmed, but in troubled times, how many people are not innocent?
There is no right or wrong, only positions.
Even if General Guan is insensitive to politics, as Governor Feng's bedfellow, he has heard and seen many things over the years, and he still knows many things in his mind.
Not to mention that over the years, his identity as Alang has become more and more important in the Han Dynasty, and there is also a certain young lady named Zhang around him who has been trying to make a move.
This forces her, as the head wife, to constantly learn more things.
Light corvee and low taxes sound wonderful.
But the beautiful era of Cangtou Qianshou does not mean that it is the era that aristocratic families want.
Because the corvee tax on Cangtou Qianshou was light and low, it meant that in order to make up for the gap, the court needed to collect more taxes from other places.
The low corvee tax also means that the imperial court still has control over the local area, so it can collect enough taxes.
The stronger the imperial court's control over local areas, the greater the restrictions on aristocratic families.
The rural system of Qin was originally designed to strengthen local control.
The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, but things were better in the early Han Dynasty.
However, as the power of aristocratic families continued to expand, in the Later Han Dynasty, although the place was called a township, its original role had long been lost, and it even became a tool for the powerful families to control the place.
Nowadays, some counties and counties in Yuexun and Liangzhou directly send literate veterans from the army to the countryside, and then cooperate with the strict laws implemented by the prime minister.
In fact, the purpose is to restore the rural system of the Qin and the former Han Dynasty and fundamentally weaken the influence of the powerful families on the local area.
General Guan dared to promise a tithe to the elders in Hedong, so he naturally knew the inside story that others did not know:
The Han Dynasty is now ready to reform its tax laws.
After years of war, the total registered population of the Han Dynasty now combined cannot even compare with a large county during the peak population period of the Han Dynasty.
How much poll tax do you expect to collect?
In order to expand tax sources, the Han Dynasty has continued to carry out household registration checks, land measurements, and reallocation of acres in recent years.
At the same time, a new tax law called "Everyone is divided into an acre, and the officials and gentry pay the grain together" has been implemented in some areas of Liangzhou.
There are also emerging tea gardens, sugar cane gardens, sugar cane mills, workshops, leather mills, pastures...
Not only is it enough to make up for the loss caused by the abolition of suanfu, there is even a huge surplus.
The most important thing is that the things they produce add countless financial resources to the court every year.
Otherwise, where would the big man get the money and food to replace weapons and armor in the army over the years?
Liangzhou’s tax law of “dividing a small person into an acre” is not only widely supported by the people, but also accepted by the new rich and emerging powerful people.
Although they gave up tight control over Cangtou Qianshou's person, what they got in exchange was that the emerging industries at their hands gained greater development potential.
Because the development of these emerging industries requires countless laborers most.
It is simply impossible to meet the demand for so much labor by selling foreign labor alone.
It happened that the tax was calculated, and it was stipulated that Cangtou Guizhou must be tied to death in the field.
In the words of Feng Jishi, this old-style production relationship can no longer adapt to the current requirements for the development of productive forces in the Han Dynasty, and may even create some obstacles.
General Guan certainly doesn’t understand this, but she also has her own understanding:
If necessary, General Guan believes that the Han Prime Minister and Alang would not mind another wave of Li family clan-style dismemberment.
In the past, aristocratic families could monopolize talents and influence the taxation of the court.
What now?
The Han Dynasty not only had the support of the new rich, but also had printing and papermaking technology, and even Liangzhou's examination to obtain scholars had been successful.
Under such a good situation, the imperial court had no reason to make concessions to the powerful families in the Central Plains.
After Guanzhong is captured and the emperor returns to the old capital, there is no need to grant amnesty to the whole country.
As long as the implementation of the new tax law is officially announced, the officials and people in the world who have suffered from heavy taxes for a long time will probably really have to "eat the pot of pulp to welcome the king's teacher, nothing else."
The impact of this matter is as great as the three-chapter agreement between Emperor Gaozu and the fathers of Guanzhong, and it may even shake the hearts of the people of Wei and Wu:
Tithe tax one and ten tax fifty-six, no tax and accumulated tax are calculated, the farmer has his own land and the land is occupied by aristocratic families, plus the people under the rule of the Han emperor have "enough food and clothing", which one would you choose?
Who would leave the good life behind and live in the hard life?
What is the general trend?
This is called the general trend.
No matter how clever the conspiracy is, it is nothing more than a mantis trying to control the chariot in the face of the overwhelming trend.
Therefore, General Guan is not only not worried about the upcoming chaos in Hedong, he even has a little expectation:
Those aristocratic families in the east of Hedong had better be tougher-boned and serve as loyal ministers to the Wei thieves for a longer time. Wouldn't it be easier to deal with them later?
At that time you will understand what it means that times have changed.
“The general is dull and does not quite understand what the general is saying.”
Shi Bao said with some fear.
For some reason, he felt his heart pounding, as if there was a force about to break out, but he couldn't find the direction.
It’s just that General Guan is no longer willing to reveal the Feng family’s family history:
“It’s okay if you don’t understand. Just go down and figure it out slowly. By the way, have you written down all the people who are unwilling to cooperate?”
“Write it down, write it down.”
Although he was very curious about what was written in the small notebook in the general's hand, Shi Bao saw that General Guan didn't want to say more, so he naturally didn't dare to ask anymore.
He also took out a small notebook from his pocket.
“The last generals have all been written down in the book.”
General Guan nodded: "That's very good. Someone will settle this account with them in the future. Go down and count the grain and grass collected, and we will set off immediately to Anyi."
Anyi is a county in Hedong, and it is also the largest farmland established by the Wei State in Hedong.
What is unexpected is that the city of Anyi, which was supposed to have no defenders, actually had its gates closed, refusing to allow the Han army to enter the city.
It seems that the Dian Nong Zhonglang in Anyi will be much tougher than the Nong Duwei in Wenxi County.
Seeing this, Shi Bao couldn’t help but be eager to give it a try:
"General, why don't you let the last general lead the men to attack the city? Aren't the bandits in Hedong defeated by us in Guanjuejin Valley a long time ago?"
“Now the people who defend the city are at most a few country warriors. If we attack it, we may not be unable to do so.”
General Guan put down the telescope in his hand and shook his head:
"No need. If he wants to defend the city, just let him defend it. There is no need for us to waste our time here. There is plenty of food and grass in the land anyway, and there is no need to go into the city to collect it."
When people enter the city, can the food in the fields grow legs and run into the city?
Most of the land east of the river is wilderness and flat land, which is a suitable terrain for cavalry. As long as there is no shortage of food and grass, there is no need to worry about being cut off.
There is no need to waste troops on siege.
As she spoke, she looked at Shi Bao: "Do you know what to do?"
Shi Bao geared up and said, "General, don't worry, the general will understand!"
Even if the big households have gone into hiding in the city, can the farmers also run into the city?
As long as the farmers are outside the city, Shi Bao believes that he can quickly raise food and grass.
“Go.”
“No!”
General Guan led the army and set up camp under Anyi City.
It was night, and the bodyguard came into the account and reported:
“General, Coach Han is back.”
General Guan, who was looking through a small book, stood up quickly and said, "Please!"
Soon, the tired Han Long entered the tent: "Meet the general."
“Mr. Han, you don’t have to be like this.”
General Guan, who had always been something people didn't dare to approach, actually showed no signs of losing his composure at this time. He took two steps forward, with a rare look of hope in his eyes, "How did you find out about that matter... Mr. Han?"
Han Long couldn't help but sigh when he saw General Guan's demeanor, and then said with shame:
“I am incompetent.”
General Guan was startled.
After a while, the light in his eyes flickered and went out quietly.
Her eyes lowered, and her face returned to coldness and calmness.
He tried hard to adjust his breath, as if talking to himself or asking, and said in a somewhat astringent voice:
“Didn’t you hear about it?”
“I did find the place the general mentioned, but when I went there, there was no one there.”
"That's it..." General Guan sighed inaudibly, and his expression finally revealed his disappointment.
Seeing this, Han Long quickly comforted him and said:
"But according to my opinion, although the village is empty, there are several families there, and it seems that they have moved away not long ago."
Upon hearing this, General Guan immediately raised his eyes again: "Huh? What does Mr. Han mean?"
“If my guess is correct, then the families in the village most likely moved away to avoid the war. After the war, maybe they will come back.”
General Guan pursed his lips and finally exhaled:
“I understand, no matter what, I still have to thank you sir for this.”
Han Long waved his hand:
"It's just a trip back and forth. It's not much easier than the previous trip."
I recall that starting from Yinshan Mountain, I killed Ke Bineng, captured and returned him to the mud, acted as an internal response, and spread rumors. I don’t know how many great things he accomplished along the way.
I didn’t expect that I would stumble on this matter, which would give this trip a black mark...
Thinking of this, Han Long couldn't help but said:
"General, don't worry. The rangers from Bingzhou have formed a martial arts alliance. Sooner or later, I will teach the rangers in this land east of the river how to act chivalrous and righteous."
“When the time comes, as long as we have access, it will be easier to inquire about the general’s hometown.”
“Mr. Han is interested.”
After Han Long went out, General Guan turned to look at the map on the wall of the tent and murmured:
“Autumn has already entered, so we have to find a way to end the battle in Guanzhong as soon as possible..."
“Come here!”
“General!”
"Early tomorrow morning, we will immediately send out scouting horses to find out where the Lord is as soon as possible."
)
General Guan's fingers gently tapped the word "Pu Ban Jin", but his eyes fell on the location of Longmen Ferry.
“I don’t know if Liu Hun has arrived in Pubanjin...”
The next day, General Guan asked Shi Bao to lead the Yi Congjun and the Xiongnu tribe to continue collecting grain and grass in Anyi. He did not stay too much and led the elite cavalry towards Pubanjin.
(End of this chapter)