Chapter 103 Pan Tao

Chapter 103 Pan Tao

Chapter 103 Pan Tao
More than a month passed in a flash.

After the emperor returned to the capital, the court headed by Wang Yan seemed to have been in constant contact with the princes, with messengers going back and forth continuously.

In mid-December, the emperor issued an edict: changing the era name to Yongxing.

In other words, the remaining half month of this year will be called the first year of Yongxing.

This year was full of disasters for the emperor, so much so that he changed the reign title several times.

In the first month of the year, the reign name was Yongxing, at the end of the month it was changed to Yong'an, in August it was changed to Jianwu, in October it was changed back to Yong'an, and in December it was changed back to Yongxing.

The historians in charge of recording the emperor's actual records were all dumbfounded. After a heated debate, they decided to set the reign title for this year in history books as Yongxing.

The emperor issued another decree: Sima Ying was deposed from the position of Crown Prince, and was restored as the King of Chengdu, ordered to live in the capital, and not to leave without permission.

At the same time, Yang Xianrong was restored to the position of Queen, and Sima Tan was restored to the position of Crown Prince.

After all the trouble, just like the year number, we are back to the starting point.

The war seemed to have been fought in vain and people seemed to have died in vain.

But people have to look forward and life has to go on. In the midst of heavy snow, the second year of Yongxing (305) arrived unexpectedly.

"Grand Chancellor Sima Yong recommended Sikong to be the Grand Tutor. When the news came from Donghai, Sikong firmly declined the offer." Pan Tao, the Yellow Gate Assistant Minister, said in the northwest of Hualin Garden.

Shao Xun did not answer him, but drew his bow and arrow and shot down a pheasant.

The soldiers cheered in unison.

Chen Yougen, Huang Biao, Yu An and Yao Yuan rushed out quickly. In the end, Huang Biao was quick-witted and caught the pheasant in his arms.

After riding back, he jumped down lightly, half-knelt in the snow, held the pheasant high above his head, and said, "General, the prey is here."

"Here's a reward for you." Shao Xun laughed.

Behind him followed two pack horses, with a lot of prey hanging on both sides of the saddles - I told you not to hibernate, but to come out and wander around in this cold weather. Did something happen?

Some brave men in the teaching team who were skilled in riding and shooting also made some gains, mostly pheasants and hares.

By now it had been skinned and gutted and was being processed.

Meat should naturally be eaten by everyone together.

"The general is truly an excellent archer." Pan Tao followed Shao Xun closely and exclaimed in admiration.

Shao Xun was still looking ahead, his eyes capturing the withered grass in the forest, not missing any movement.

"Boom, boom, boom..." The drums sounded, and several teams of soldiers holding spears, lined up in neat formation, and quickly moved forward.

There was a commotion in the forest, and several prey fled out in panic.

Shao Xun grabbed the bow as fast as lightning, took a rough aim, and the arrow flew out.

A fiery red fox rolled on the ground, swept its legs, and stopped moving.

The soldiers who were confident in their archery skills also took to hunting with their bows, and there was constant laughter in the field.

Wang Que'er rode a fast horse to the fox, leaned sideways to grab it, and rode back.

Zhang Daniu, a student soldier from the second phase of Luoyang, sighed with regret as he failed to get the ticket.

The fox was quickly delivered.

"Master Shao shot the fox's eye..." Wang Que'er said as if he were looking at a god.

Shao Xun coughed. He intended to shoot his right eye, but ended up shooting his left eye.

This error is reasonable, right?
"Cook it while it's hot and keep the skin, I have a need for it." Shao Xun said as he handed the fox back.

Sikong is far away in the East China Sea, and the princess is all alone in Luoyang. They should not be in a very good mood - well, they seem to be in a good mood.

In any case, shoot a few more foxes and make a new fur coat for the princess as a belated New Year's gift.

In addition, hunting in autumn and winter is also a form of military training.

The soldiers advanced or retreated in unison according to the flags, gongs and drums to drive the prey away.

Hunters can also improve their archery skills.

People who are not very proficient can also participate, so that they can be more skilled in future battles.

As the population in the Luoyang Basin decreases, there are more and more animals in the mountains and forests. In the future, we can organize more hunting activities, which can not only provide meat but also train soldiers, thus achieving the best of both worlds.

While I was daydreaming, another fox ran out.

"Swoosh!" The arrow flew through the air and killed him on the spot.

The cheers rang out again.

The new soldiers who joined after the Battle of Dangyin looked at Shao Xun with awe. They didn't even take aim just now. They just raised their hands and shot, and they actually hit the target.

It has long been rumored in the army that General Shao's archery skills are the best in the capital. Even if this is an exaggeration, he should still be one of the best.

After the central army in Luoyang was completely destroyed and the archers of the base camp were scattered, he might have become the most powerful one.

"There are so many prey. This must have been a forbidden garden before, right?" Shao Xun asked, putting down his horn bow.

"It's still a forbidden garden, but the fence is broken." Pan Tao laughed and said, "Since the Cao Wei Dynasty, there has been a forbidden area in the northwest of Fanglin Garden, which is more than a thousand miles wide. Gao Rou once wrote a memorial saying that there were 600 tigers of all sizes, 500 wolves, 10,000 foxes, and countless deer. After Shaoling County Duke (Cao Fang) succeeded to the throne, he changed the name to Hualin Garden. The imperial court followed suit. Unfortunately, no one has repaired it in the past 20 years, and many tigers and wolves have escaped, but they are rarely seen."

Simply put, the Forbidden Garden is a man-made, deformed ecosystem dedicated to royal hunting.

There were fences all around, "more than a thousand miles wide," and the people were not allowed to farm or cut down trees.

The animals inside were all artificially placed there, and their species are relatively limited.

Deer and rabbits are at the bottom of the food chain, tigers, foxes and wolves are predators, and they are also prey for humans.

When the emperor takes a break from hunting, the animals in the area will reproduce rapidly and the ecology will be on the verge of collapse. At this time, human intervention is even needed, either by hunting or releasing prey.

To put it bluntly, this is not a real forest, it is just an artificial place for royal hunting, and it is a simple and easy version.

Luoyang has been troubled in the past decade.

Not many people care about the Forbidden Garden anymore, and it is gradually being encroached upon by aristocratic families.

Part of Shi Chong's Jingu Garden encroached upon the grassland of the Forbidden Garden, but no one cared about it.

Of course, the noble families that have encroached on the Forbidden Gardens don’t want these lands very much now.

Some were convicted in the political reshuffle, some lost their entire families in the war, and some fled to other states, just like the general climate of the entire Luoyang Basin - some people come, some people go, but the population has been decreasing.

"Minister Pan..." Shao Xun picked up the bow again and said.

"General, what's the matter?" Pan Tao was a little surprised. He had brought up the topic a few times before, but the other party was not very enthusiastic. Why did he take the initiative to talk now? "It's cold in winter, but the minister doesn't even have a pair of warm shoes. How can you treat such a loyal minister so badly!" After saying that, he raised his hand and shot another arrow, knocking a fleeing wolf to the ground.

When the knights saw this, they rushed out to grab the prey.

"The wolf skin will be given to the minister to make a pair of boots to keep out the cold." Shao Xun looked back at him and said with a smile.

Pan Tao was slightly touched, bowed solemnly, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, General."

"Can a general of the royal army also be called a general?" Shao Xun asked with a laugh.

"The court has promised you the position of general." Pan Tao said.

"I resign." Shao Xun waved his hand and said, "I am a general of Yuefu. How can I accept this position without the permission of the Minister of Works?"

Strictly speaking, Lieutenant Sima is also a court position, because it is appointed by the court. The princes do not have the power to appoint officials of this level, even if it is just a minor official of the eighth rank.

But rules are rules and reality is reality.

Strictly speaking, lieutenant, lieutenant Sima, and even feudal official positions such as Nei Shi, Lang Zhong Ling, and Da Nong were all "officials appointed by the court", but in the eyes of the world, they were "subordinate officials" with very obvious personal dependence, especially in the last ten years or so.

Therefore, in order to commend Shao Xun for his contribution in welcoming him, the emperor happily promoted him to the title of "General of Talents" (fifth rank), but Shao Xun "firmly declined".

This result almost made the emperor autistic.

Why does such a loyal minister refuse the fifth-rank general position I gave him?

Shao Xun was embarrassed to tell him that even if it meant a promotion, he wouldn't dare to accept it.

An 18-year-old boy was promoted to a general so quickly. Regardless of what others think, would the prime minister still dare to employ me? Wouldn't everyone in the shogunate rebel?

This is not the era where one can become a military governor at the age of 19 or 20.

At that time, as long as you dared to fight, had courage, and had the support of your brothers, you could kill generals and drive away commanders, and you could make yourself a governor. What would that do? Wouldn't the court still have to pinch its nose and go through a process of formalities, send you a banner, map, and seal, and turn your governor into a legitimate governor?

But not now.

The emperor's trust will be betrayed unless the prime minister agrees.

"You don't want the title of general, but you can't be sent to serve in other places. You are caught in the middle." Pan Tao looked into Shao Xun's eyes, as if trying to catch something.

"Don't look at me like that." Shao Xun smiled and said, "There is no sign of rebuilding the imperial army yet. The generals are really useless. Do you want me to recruit the masters to build roads? It is not something a wise man would do to gain a false reputation and bring real disaster."

If he were to take up a military post or be sent out to serve as a government official, he would only be able to be a county magistrate.

Don't think this is small.

Gan Zhuo of Danyang had declined the invitation of Sikong in the past, but was invited again and again last year and finally served as a military officer of the shogunate. However, he left the government soon and was appointed as the magistrate of Lihu County.

With such a good family background, how could he be appreciated by Sikong? But when he was transferred to be a local official, he was only a county magistrate.

Lieutenant Sima was appointed as the county magistrate, which can be regarded as a promotion, right?

But Shao Xun was stupid enough to give up his military post and go into politics, which was courting death.

Hearing Shao Xun's straightforward answer, Pan Tao laughed.

He holds on to the military power tightly and won't release the eagle until he sees the rabbit. It is really rare to find such a clear-headed and rational person.

He appreciated it more and more.

"Actually, General, you don't have to worry at all." Pan Tao said suddenly.

"Oh? What does Minister Pan mean?"

"May I ask, General, why are county magistrates, prefects, and even governors so highly respected?"

"People, land, and wealth?"

"That's right." Pan Tao didn't expect Shao Xun's thinking to be so direct and said happily: "Even a small county magistrate can call on teachers, recruit soldiers, and raise money and food. This is difficult for many court officials to do."

Shao Xun looked at him and waited for him to continue.

"General, since you know the trick, why don't you make some adjustments?" Pan Tao asked with a smile.

"You mean..." Shao Xun seemed to understand.

"That's right!" Pan Tao laughed and clapped his hands. "There are more than ten counties in Henan Prefecture. There have been countless people who have fled and abandoned their homes due to years of war. As a result, we have to transport grain from other states to Beijing while guarding the fertile land. Why don't you use it, General?"

Shao Xun thought for a while and shook his head, "No, the court will not allow large forts and manors to appear near Luoyang."

"Then go further away." Pan Tao said without hesitation: "Do you know that during the Wannian Rebellion in Guanzhong Qi, refugees from Xizhou migrated in large numbers, first to Shu, then to Henan, where they grew their own crops and gathered together to form villages? Moreover, the general may have heard that Liu Yuan of Bingzhou raised an army, defeated Dongying Gongteng, captured several cities in succession, and attacked Taiyuan. A large number of people from Bingzhou went south, passed through Henei, and headed straight for Luoyang. These people will also gather together to form villages like the refugees from Xizhou in the future. Can the court control them?"

Shao Xun was somewhat persuaded.

Pan Tao observed his expression and added more strength, saying, "General, do you know Yu Gun of Yingchuan?"

"The hermit Yu Gun?" Shao Xun asked.

Pan Tao smiled and said, "He was indeed a hermit, but he was more than just a hermit. Four years ago, King Lun of Zhao usurped the throne, and the kings rose up in arms, and there was a lot of fighting. During this time, Zhang Hong led his army to attack Yangdi, and Yu Gun led his people to defend Yushan and built Yushan Fort. Seeing that they were well disciplined, Hong did not dare to attack and retreated."

"I see." Shao Xun nodded and said, "I underestimated Yu Gun before. I thought he was just a coward who hid in the mountains with his wife."

"Yu Shubao is indeed a coward." Pan Tao laughed and said, "He has taken his wife to Ji County and built a fort in Linlu Mountain to gather people to farm."

Shao Xun burst out laughing.

He had to admit that he was persuaded by Pan Tao.

Everything he has now is too dependent on the trust of his superiors.

If one day Sikong believed slander and thought that he could not control himself, or for other reasons, no longer trusted himself, then the resources he could get would be greatly reduced.

Forewarned is forearmed, without prejudging the waste.

Even if we are destined to leave Luoyang in the future, it would be good to occupy more land, recruit more farmhands and refugees, and produce money and food before that.

The Silver Spear Army is his own private army.

How should Sikong explain this when he returns to Luoyang in the future? What if he insists on incorporating them into the Kingdom Army or even the Imperial Guard? What if he refuses to pay the Silver Spear Army?
It is correct for Pan Tao to allow himself to occupy more land and raise his own soldiers.

But the specific operations and the locations to build the manors still need further consideration.

At the same time, Shao Xun was also speechless.

He held great military power in Luoyang and was well-known. He thought that he would attract some unsuccessful low-level talents to join him. Unexpectedly, he caught a big shark with one cast...

Most people don't dare to use a vicious man like Jia Xu like Pan Tao, so they still have to think carefully about what he says.

(End of this chapter)