Chapter 1177: Imperial Family and Family Assets

Chapter 1177: Imperial Family and Family Assets

Chapter 1177: Imperial Family and Family Assets (Additional chapter for Alliance Leader Slyshen)

After Jinyang had been stable for many years, many buildings began to "grow" outside the city.

From a military point of view, this is harmful because it makes it easier for the enemy to use local materials and even climb up.

So after the hailstorm damaged many houses, Shao Guang, who had been promoted from Taiyuan prefect to Bingzhou governor, ordered them to be cleared and moved to a place one mile away from the city.

This was the scene Shao Jin saw when he arrived in Jinyang.

Bingzhou has now almost become the Shao family's nest.

Shao Guang, a member of Shao Xun's clan, had served as the prefect of Taiyuan for many years. This year, when the position of governor became vacant, he was promoted on the spot and still stationed in Jinyang.

My cousin Shao Jie started out as the lieutenant of Ye County, then served as the magistrate of Jiuyuan, and now he has taken over from Shao Guang as the prefect of Taiyuan.

Bingzhou, a place that has been repeatedly devastated by wars, has become one of the most important foundations of the family under the vigorous development of the Shao family - those who establish their capital in Luoyang or Yecheng must also develop Taiyuan.

"Your Highness."

"Your Majesty."

Outside the city of Jinyang, officials headed by the governor Shao Guang came out of the city to greet them and exchanged pleasantries.

In addition to the officials, there were also local nobles, headed by Sun Bi, a descendant of the Sun family - he was the eldest brother of Sun Jue, the prefect of Xinxing.

Logically speaking, the largest aristocratic family in Taiyuan should be the family of Yang Jian and Yang Jingqi who moved here after the family split up, and both of them have settled in Jinyang.

However, Yang Jian died of illness at the beginning of the year while serving as the governor of Jizhou, so the whole family was in mourning and could not come to welcome the King of Qin.

But the second most powerful family after the Yang family is actually the Sun family?

Shao Jin was also surprised when he saw it.

The Taiyuan Sun family still has some fame in this dynasty, but it is not a good reputation.

Back then, Liu Kun and the Huns fought back and forth in Taiyuan, and then the Liang army fought fiercely with the Huns. After twenty years of daily erosion, the big clans could no longer hold on.

There were only a few hundred farmers left in the main branch of the Sun family, and later Shao Guang recruited their servants.

The Sun family's branch was even more miserable. Sun Jue had to farm on his own, but he was soon favored by Liu Runzhong, who gave him a large dowry and married him to a woman seven years younger than him, which became a laughing stock for a while.

The Sun family is actually the second largest family after the Yang family.

At this point, Shao Jin had a deeper understanding of the situation in Bingzhou.

Someone had told him before that the great families in Bingzhou were dying out, but that dry statement was far less shocking than what he actually saw. Coupled with the fact that his subordinates had mentioned that the Linghu family wanted to farm on their own, the Taiyuan gentry was really finished. At least they had become the kind of literati in the Later Han Dynasty who passed down their family traditions purely through the study of classics. I just don't know how accomplished they were in classics...

After the greetings, the three Shaos rode in the same carriage and entered Jinyang City.

The ox cart moved very slowly, and Shao Guang gave a detailed introduction to each place.

"Your Highness, that's the armory." Shao Guang pointed to a heavily guarded courtyard with high walls and said, "Taiyuan has only 3,000 county soldiers, but the armory has 12,000 spears, 2,000 horse lances, 2,400 large infantry shields, 2,000 cavalry round shields, 2,400 crossbows, 7,200 strings, 120,000 arrows, 12,000 bow tips, 36,000 strings, 360,000 arrows, 10,000 ring-handled swords, 1,200 heavy swords, 1,200 long-handled axes, cotton clothes..."

Shao Jin did some calculations and said, "Your Majesty, if you lead the Silver Spear Right Camp and the Black Spear Central Camp north, even if you come empty-handed, you can just use the weapons from the Jinyang Arsenal."

When Shao Guang heard this, he couldn't help but look at Shao Jin again. The King of Qin was very knowledgeable. These were the weapons prepared for an army like the 12,000 imperial guards.

"I was in Anting last time to suppress the rebellion, and I have some understanding of the military expenses." Shao Jin said.

Shao Guang nodded with satisfaction.

After the cart had gone for a while, Shao Guang pointed to another place and said, "This is the Jinyang granary, which is not owned by the Sinong Temple. It can support 12,000 soldiers for a year. It has 400,000 hu of millet and wheat, and 6,750 hu of salt. In addition, there are 1.35 million hu of millet, wheat, beans, and 13,000 hu of coarse salt. If a war breaks out, they will store millions of bundles of hay."

Horses can eat much more than humans, and this warehouse is actually equipped with food supplies based on the standard of two horses for one person.

"The disaster relief the day before yesterday..." Shao Jin said.

"Two hundred thousand hu have been allocated." Shao Guang said solemnly: "The remaining servants dare not touch it, and will replenish it as soon as possible. This is the preparation for the Shao family to suppress the rebellion."

Shao Jin didn't ask any more questions.

My cousin is really dedicated. No wonder my father has always let him work in Jinyang and gradually promoted him to the governor of Bingzhou.

The ox cart finally stopped in front of the governor's mansion.

In fact, not only the governor's office, but also the prefectural office and the county government office were located here, working together.

Shao Guang pointed to the vast courtyard and said, "The emperor ordered the establishment of the left and right storehouses in Jinyang. All the silk and cloth collected by the counties of Bingzhou are stored here and can be used at any time. The left storehouse currently has 80,000 rolls of silk and 100,000 rolls of linen, and the right storehouse is mostly colorful objects, such as saddles and bridles, gold and silver reins, gold and silver utensils, colorful silk and brocade, food utensils, wine jars, high-quality bedding, brocade curtains, white felt, etc."

"If there is a war, Bingzhou's grain shipments will be stopped immediately and all will be gathered here to serve as military rewards."

"Eight prefectures in Taiyuan, three prefectures in Xinxing, two prefectures in Yanmen, one prefecture each in Dai County and Guangning, a total of 15 prefectures with 18,000 guards. Every winter during the off-season, except for those on duty or going to war, most of them gather in Taiyuan to practice military formations or go hunting in the mountains. The best ones will be rewarded with artifacts from the right collection to encourage them."

"If the army has no money, the soldiers will not come; if the army has no rewards, the soldiers will not go. Your Highness, this is the foundation of the Shao family." Shao Jin felt a surge of emotion when he heard this, but also felt a little ashamed. He didn't even know how many years his father had been working hard to manage Bingzhou.

Yes, the Tuoba Xianbei were there, how could Bingzhou not work hard to develop it?

My cousin started out as a military commander in the military farms. He has been in Jinyang for so many years and it seems that he has won the trust of my father.

Sixteen-year-olds are at the age of fantasy. If one day, I can lead these 20,000 elite soldiers, how happy it would be!
After suppressing the rebellion in Guanzhong, Shao Jin had a very intuitive understanding of the differences between the armies.

An army like Bingzhou's 18,000 soldiers, who are well-equipped, well-rewarded, well-trained and rich in war experience, could defeat a group of 180,000 farmers who were temporarily assembled!

No wonder the Hu people here are so peaceful, no wonder no wonder...

Shao Guang was also secretly looking at this nephew, this noble scion.

As a distant relative of the royal family, he did not want to get involved in certain things, but the Prince of Qin was, after all, the child of the Emperor and Queen Yu, and had the greatest possibility of inheriting the throne, so he had to pay attention.

Besides, he was also pondering the emperor's intention of sending the King of Qin to Bingzhou to provide disaster relief. They should get along well for some time, so he had plenty of time to observe.

I just hope that King Qin can understand that the Shao family's foundation was hard-earned and that Bingzhou's thriving situation should not be ruined.

******
Preparations for the luncheon have already begun.

Shao Guang and Shao Jie introduced their wives and children, and Shao Jin did not mention the gifts they gave to each of them - in fact, he had met these people several times, but did not have a deep impression of them.

"The north is not peaceful." Shao Guang pulled the two of them to sit under a tree in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air, and said, "In recent days, there have been many reports from Yanmen that Hu and Han people from Dai have flowed into the pass, and the number has reached 3,000."

"Why?" Shao Jin asked.

"There was a tribal rebellion near Pingcheng, and the soldiers were sent to suppress it. There was a lot of killing on both sides. Many people went south to Yanmen to avoid the war." Shao Guang said: "I have sent people to close the city gate and strictly prohibit people from entering or leaving."

"The governor of Dingxiang was assassinated while hunting. The assassin was a member of the Wang family." Shao Jie added, "Shengle was from Dingxiang County."

"Is Shengle okay?" Shao Jin asked.

"There is a Wuhuan tribe near Shengle, so it is safe for now." Shao Jie said, "The Wuhuan people benefited a lot from Wang's rule."

Shao Jin nodded. It seemed that the Wuhuan people were still reliable.

My mother often said that Lady Wang, the Dowager Lady of Dai, was seductive and lewd, and apart from bewitching my father, she didn't have much ability... Well, that might not be true.

She came from a prominent Wuhuan clan and was able to win over the Wuhuan people very well. That was her real ability.

Don't think that the Wuhuan people should naturally listen to the Wuhuan clans. This is not necessarily the case. Shao Jin has seen a lot in Guanxi. The Qiang kings and chiefs can only win over a part of the people, and the whole is divided.

Old Yao - Yao Yi Zhong was the most prestigious and the one who was most capable of winning over people, but his rule over the Wuhuan people was still inferior to that of the Wang family.

Of course, there are two sides to everything.

Since Wang had given the Wuhuan people many benefits, this would naturally cause dissatisfaction among the Xianbei people, and there was nothing that could be done about it.

"In fact, it's not just the Wuhuan. The Pu and Daxi tribes of the Xianbei have always obeyed the orders of the Wang family. The Tuoba tribe has been disciplined for so many years, and the people's hearts are divided. Some people have also joined the Wang family. Wuyuan and Liangcheng are governed by officials sent by the Wang family and the Shanyu Mansion. They are also a reliable force. However, Wuyuan was established not long ago, with no more than a thousand soldiers and no more than ten thousand people. It is still a bit weak. Liangcheng has 50,000 to 60,000 people, and 3,000 soldiers have been trained for many years, so they can fight." Shao Guang shook his head and said, "In general, if the Wang family is not attacked by the masses, she can maintain it. After all, there are still many people in Pingcheng who are not affiliated with other tribes, but only belong to the Daiting. There are more than 10,000 guards and personal troops to suppress the capital, so it is not a big problem."

"Speaking of which..." Shao Guang finally sighed and said, "Madam Wang has bad luck. She was already forced into a corner because of Shi Yijian's personal rule, and then she encountered the violent wind and meteorite frost. Maybe someone secretly instigated her to this point."

When Shao Jin heard this, he couldn't help but ask, "Why not abolish the vassal state of Dai and establish a county?"

Shao Guang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your Highness is right. However, at present, the only two places that can be set up as vassal counties are Mayi and Liangcheng, which are more likely to be established. It is hard to say about Yunzhong and Wuyuan counties, but the chances are not small. Dingxiang, Shuofang and Hexi counties are almost impossible. As for the back of the mountain, forget it. The gains and losses are difficult to discuss. Although I have been in Jinyang for many years and have heard about the affairs of Daibei, I dare not jump to conclusions. There are gains and losses, gains and losses..."

"I think the loss outweighs the gain." Shao Jie said, "Once the feudal system is abolished and counties are established, as my uncle said, only Mayi and Liangcheng are more likely to be captured, and Yunzhong is also somewhat possible, but I think Wuyuan will most likely be captured by the Hu people, and the court will be unable to control it. By then, the tribes will be out of control and lawless, and the court's military, financial, and human resources will have to be wasted in the north."

"It has to be resolved eventually. It's not a good idea to keep dragging it out." Shao Guang shook his head and said, "But this matter needs the final decision from His Majesty."

Shao Jin listened quietly, constantly absorbing nutrition from the two people's words.

This is a general aspect of the matter. It is actually quite interesting to hear what others think and what their reasons are.

However, he would not express his own opinions, but would just listen and observe silently.

On the third day of June, news came from the south: the emperor had entered the territory of Taiyuan County.

At this time, the number of Hu and Han men who had gathered had swelled to as many as 30,000.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, the fourth battalion of the Yellow Head Army arrived at Kelan County.

That night, 10,000 soldiers from the Zuochang Guard of the government also arrived at Kelan.

Messengers travelled between Pingcheng and the emperor's camp, constantly delivering messages, and the incident of the Yinshan Frost entered a stage of deep fermentation.

(End of this chapter)