Chapter 697 Taiyuan Arrangement

Chapter 697 Taiyuan Arrangement

Chapter 697 Taiyuan Arrangement
Wen Qiao rushed to Bianliang from Luoyang.

On the evening of the day when Shao Xun had something to do as a secretary and nothing to do as a secretary, he arrived at Cangyuan Posthouse north of Bianliang.

As it was getting dark and it seemed that it would rain at night, we stayed overnight in a post station.

The attendants took out the conscription order from the General's Mansion and the official seal of Wen Qiao, the military advisor of the Left Army. The postman at the relay station looked left and right, and finally nodded, and asked the woman to go to the kitchen to cook.

Wen Qiao looked at Cangyuan Station. It seemed to be a converted mansion of a wealthy family.

People were coming in and out, mostly delivering mail.

Some of them walked briskly on horseback, and they must be delivering urgent items with time limits.

Some people walk briskly, delivering ordinary official letters, which do not require a high level of time.

Jianbu and his men were all soldiers under the jurisdiction of the post station, living on the post station's fields. Their lives were mediocre and they could just make a living.

The post station commander is the person in charge of the post station, responsible for entertaining people who come on official business.

Wen Qiao chatted with him and found out that he had arranged all his family members and relatives to stay in the post station.

Women and children helped with cooking, washing, and taking care of the horses, strong men walked briskly to deliver messages, and the old and weak cultivated the fields and cut grass for fodder. He was responsible for reception and sometimes helped out.

"Can you make ends meet?" The meal was not ready yet. Wen Qiao and the postmaster were sitting under the jujube tree in the yard, chatting casually.

"There is plenty of land, so it's okay." The post commander replied.

"How much land is there in Cangyuan Station?" Wen Qiao asked.

"I originally had 3.42 mu and 50 steps of land, which was cultivated by five families. I also had 4.72 mu of grassland, which I used to graze horses and sheep." The postmaster said, "The county cleared some land a while ago and gave me more than 90 mu of land. The small mound of earth covered with miscellaneous trees to the southwest of the post station, with about 2.3 mu of forest and more than 10 mu of pond, was also given to me."

"Does the government give extra money?"

"I gave it." The post commander nodded, but did not say how much. It seemed that he gave it sporadically. If he had enough money, he would give more, and if he didn't, he would give less.

Running a post station is not easy, and this item is indispensable.

Without post stations, it was very troublesome to deliver official documents. I heard that when the former King of Donghai was appointed as the governor of Yanzhou, it was quite difficult to communicate with Luoyang. There were even messengers who were caught while sleeping in the wild, and the secret letters were leaked.

As they were talking, the rain started to fall again.

An old woman was picking vegetables in the garden not far away. Seeing this, she quickened her pace.

A girl in her early teens was making straw sandals under the eaves and quickly moved the finished shoes inside.

A young man came in with a bundle of firewood and ran very fast. Wherever he passed, the old hens that were foraging for food scattered and fled.

"It's raining again!" Wen Qiao sighed.

The postmaster hesitated and said, "My lord, you like sunny days, but I like rain."

"Why?" Wen Qiao guessed something, but still asked.

"It is the time when the crops are growing, and sufficient rain is a sign of a good harvest." The postmaster said, "You like sunny days because you can have fun and have gatherings."

Wen Qiao smiled bitterly. This was indeed the case.

"Your hands are covered with calluses. Have you ever been a soldier?" Wen Qiao asked.

"He used to be in the Central Army of Luoyang." The post commander said, "Then he joined Lord Liang and joined the Yamen Army. He fought in many battles in the south and the north for several years and became the leader of the team. Unfortunately, he was injured and easily breathless when he walked, so he couldn't accompany Lord Liang to the end."

After saying that, the post commander pointed to his chest and said, "He was hit by an arrow here, but he's lucky enough to survive."

Wen Qiao was silent.

The old soldier was actually lucky. Liang Gong was nostalgic and arranged a postmaster position for him. It was not an official post, but he had 50 mu of official land. The whole family lived together day and night, and they did not have to live in the wild. Their life was not rich, but they could get by, which was better than anything else.

"In fact, it's quite comfortable to grow fruits and vegetables at Cangyuan Posthouse." The postmaster smiled and said, "I have cleared a slope of the two or three hectares of forest you just mentioned and planted melons. Sir, come again next month, and I will treat you to melons for free."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to make it next month." The rain was getting heavier. Wen Qiao stood up and walked into the house, smiling, "I smell the fragrance of spring okra. Is the food ready?"

"Ready! Corn rice, sunflower seeds, and spring chives, everyone who has tried them says they are delicious." The postmaster also stood up.

The hospitality standard is actually very low, just a bowl of rice and fresh seasonal vegetables picked from the fields. If you want more, you have to pay for it yourself.

But Wen Qiao ate with great relish. He even took out a handful of "Yongjia Tongbao" and asked the post officer to send some fruits and vegetables to his followers who were eating dry food under the eaves.

The postmaster took the money and agreed with a smile.

Wen Qiao finished the meal in no time and sighed with satisfaction.

After a long journey and when you are hungry, eating a bowl of fragrant corn rice with sunflowers and leeks is a simple joy that is even better than winning money in gambling.

Perhaps, there is another layer of happiness in my heart: this world was about to rush towards the abyss, but was pulled back little by little. The evidence is the existence of this post station, which means an overall improvement in the rural situation.

Many people scolded Lord Liang, and Wen Qiao felt that he deserved the scolding, but some of his achievements were real. As a member of the Wen family of Taiyuan, and having served Liu Bingzhou for many years, he had seen many scenes of the destruction of the country and the ruin of the family, so he took some things lightly.

To put it simply, some people had never suffered much at the hands of the Huns, so they looked down upon Duke Liang's achievements in sweeping away the Huns.

Wen Qiao had experienced this kind of hardship, so his thoughts were slightly different.

This trip back to Taiyuan is risky, but he is willing to do it.

One wanted to do something for the people of the world, and the other was more realistic - he looked down upon the interests of Taiyuan Township.

******
On May 11th, at 3 p.m., after being informed, Wen Qiao arrived at Fangzhou Pavilion to meet with Lord Liang.

Quite a few people have gathered in the small courtyard next to Fangzhou Pavilion.

Wen Qiao took a quick look: there were military strategist Zhang Bin, General Guo Rong of the Former Han Dynasty, the Protector of Longxiang and Commander of Heqing Town Liu Quan, the attendant Liu Zhao, the Deputy Governor of Yicong Liu Da, and also representatives of various tribes from Taiyuan who had sneaked to the south - Wen Qiao knew many of them.

"Taizhen." Many people saw him and came over to say hello.

Wen Qiao returned the gifts one by one.

The twenty or so people in the field were divided into two circles and started chatting with each other.

Liu Quan, Liu Zhao, and Liu Da stood together, Wen Qiao and a group of old Taiyuan clans stood together, Guo Rong chatted here for a while, then went to say a few words over there, and finally stood behind Zhang Bin.

He came from an old family in Taiyuan, and was a close confidant of Shi Le and Shi Hu, so he was able to establish connections with both sides.

After the fall of Ji County, his family was captured. Shao Xun had people search for them and returned all those they could find. However, his wife had already been awarded to a meritorious soldier as a concubine. To compensate him, he directly gave Zhao Lu's wife Hu Yanshi to him as his wife, and also gave him some money and property.

If he can make achievements during this trip to the north, he will definitely be promoted to an official position.

The Minister of the Palace, Cai Cheng, walked over from afar and whispered, "Lord Liang is here." Everyone was in awe and ended the conversation.

A moment later, a small boat docked at the shore. Mr. Liang took Mrs. Liu's hand, and the two chatted and laughed as they went ashore together.

Liu Quan, Liu Zhao and Liu Da looked at each other and were all excited: It seems that the rumors are true, Lord Liang likes Madam Liu very much.

"Greetings, Lord Liang." Everyone bowed.

Shao Xun returned the greeting and said with a smile: "All the talents of Bingzhou are gathered here."

Everyone laughed along.

Since Mr. Liang said that you are a talented person, then you are truly a talented person, whether you are not talented or not.

"I have to go to Xuchang later, so I'll make it short." Shao Xun pondered for a moment and said, "Last year there was a locust plague and we had to fight for several months, which was very costly. This year there are many refugees who need to be resettled, which is also very expensive, but we can finally take a breath. By next year, food and grass may be a little more abundant. Some things should be resolved."

Since the two-year three-crop system was adopted, the harvest has been divided into "big and small years" with one year having more harvest and another year having less harvest. This year is a small year and next year is a big year.

Everyone waited quietly for what would happen next.

"In the past, the three kings of Chengdu, Changsha and Hejian were fighting each other. Liu Yuanhai was lucky enough to escape and returned to Bingzhou. He took advantage of the chaos to start a rebellion. It has been fourteen years now." Shao Xun said: "The matter must be resolved, and Jinyang will be the first to bear the brunt."

"Liu Yao has only been here for a year. I don't believe he can gather much food and soldiers. When you go back, you can pretend to be nice to him and lull him into submission. Once I have gathered enough food and equipment, we can march north and arrest him on the steps to question him."

"And you——" Shao Xun glanced at everyone and said, "You have come south to see me, which shows that you have the heart to return to the right path. Every one of you will be rewarded according to your merits. After the royal army takes Bingzhou, wouldn't it be good for you to be an official of Zhongxia? Why do you have to endure the anger of the Xiongnu again!"

"Taizhen is the military advisor of the General's Office. I have always respected her. She has also been a painter for Liu Yueshi and is familiar with the customs of the people in Taiyuan. After returning to the north, I can discuss everything with her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Everyone responded in unison.

After giving the instructions, Shao Xun waved his hand and asked everyone to leave, but kept the three Lius and Wen Qiao.

"Taizhen, if you have time, contact Liu Yueshi." Shao Xun said, "I know he has ambitions, but given the current situation, we should just go with the flow. There is no benefit in continuing to make trouble. The Liu family of Zhongshan is a famous and prestigious family. Isn't it a pity to destroy it in one day?"

Wen Qiao sighed inwardly, cupped his hands, and said, "I will persuade him."

It is said that Lord Liang is kind and benevolent, but is that true? He rarely takes action against aristocratic families, but once he has a handle on them and can justify it, the cruelty of his methods will be even more cruel than Sima Yue and others.

Destroying a family is the lightest punishment; extermination of a clan is not unheard of. Lord Liang was actually quite ruthless in his actions.

"The Liu family of Shangdang can be a great support." Shao Xun pointed at the three Lius and said, "You don't have to trust others, but the Shangdang Liu Fujun, the Heqing Liu Zhenjiang, the Mufu Liu Sheren, and the Yicong Liu Fudu are all loyal ministers of the country. You can trust them without any worries."

"Yes." Wen Qiao responded.

At the same time, he secretly glanced at the blushing San Liu, and Madam Liu who was looking at Lord Liang with watery eyes, and secretly sighed, when will the Hu people be able to sit at the table to eat?
However, there were more than 100,000 Jie people in Shangdang, Youzhou and Jizhou, and there were tens of thousands more in Yong and Qin, and even in Hanzhong.

There are countless Wuhuan, Xianbei, Xiongnu, Di and Qiang. If we fail to handle the affairs of the Hu people well, the north cannot be unified and we can only expect rebellions and wars every day.

Fighting the Huns was not a purely military war; Wen Qiao had thought about this issue a long time ago.

At this time, Wen Qiao felt a little sorry for Mr. Liang.

All the problems since the Han Dynasty have been put into his hands. I really don’t know what to say.

Seeing that Shao Xun had nothing else to say, Wen Qiao bowed and took his leave.

The three Lius looked at Shao Xun with sharp eyes.

Shao Xun walked up to Liu Ye first, and in her surprised eyes, he brushed off the flower petals on her forehead and said, "If you are tired, go over there and take a rest. I asked someone to pick the water chestnuts you like to eat."

Liu Ye nodded, feeling extremely happy. He stopped when he passed by the three Lius.

"Dog slave, listen to Lord Liang's words carefully." Liu Ye straightened Liu Quan's robe like when he was a child, and said, "You are seventeen years old this year, and you can capture and kill enemy generals in battle. When aunt saw you, she only remembered your childhood."

After hearing this, Liu Quan showed admiration on his face.

In fact, the aunt was only eight or nine years older than the three brothers, but their father was often away when they were young and their mother died early, so it was the aunt who raised them.

They cried when their aunt married Shi Le eleven years ago.

They will help whoever their aunt asks them to help.

It’s a pity that Mr. Liang is not his real uncle yet. It would be great if one day, my aunt could become Mr. Liang’s wife. That way, they would fight with more enthusiasm.

"Li, my aunt will hand over the more than 10,000 people she brought here to you first. Lord Liang has allocated a piece of land in Henei, and you can take your people there to graze first." Liu Ye Na looked at Liu Zhao again and said softly.

"Those are my aunt's tribe. How can I lead them?" Liu Zhao declined quickly.

"Aunt still has her own tribe. Four thousand more families have come from the Tuoba Dai Kingdom." Liu Ye said, "You lead them first and wait for Lord Liang's orders."

"Alright." Liu Zhao nodded and said, "I'll take them with me first and train them. I'll give them to my aunt and Mr. Liang's children in the future. I won't want them."

As he said this, he secretly glanced at Shao Xun, and was relieved when he saw that there was no strange expression on his face.

Liu Ye nodded, and finally looked at Liu Da and said, "Fudu, you don't even have your own people now, so you must fight even more bravely."

Liu Da was still quite afraid of this cousin, so he responded, "I will."

It is not entirely accurate for Liu Ye to say that he had no followers, because he brought a considerable number of Jie cavalry to join the Yicong Army, and thus got the title of deputy governor.

Besides, if I really can't make it, can't I go back to Hebei and inherit my family property?

His uncle Liu Hezhu once had a deep talk with him, asking him to make friends with Shi Le's former subordinates, not for the purpose of rebellion, but to better develop under Lord Liang - their forces were not strong to begin with, and if they did not unite, they would probably be trampled into the mud.

Liu Da agreed deeply.

Liang Gong's subordinates now consist of two major groups: warriors and gentry. If he defeats the Huns in the future and marches into Guanxi, what will he do when faced with the various tribes of Hu people everywhere?
It is impossible to kill them all. Half of Guanzhong is Hu people, how can we kill them?

If he wanted to recover the territories lost by Qin and Han, there would be even more Hu people. In fact, in many areas there were no Han people left, only Hu people. Should he continue to kill them?

The current situation in the north means that the issue of the Hu people is inevitable.

Either kill them all or recruit them.

Incorporation involves the integration of the Hu and Han peoples, so it is inevitable that some official positions and benefits will be allocated. Those Hu people who were the first to surrender will receive more benefits, after all, they are to serve as role models.

Liu Da admired his uncle's insight very much and thought it was worth a try.

They will have a place in the Liang Dynasty that will surely be established in the future.

(End of this chapter)