Chapter 52: One County
All the ministers knelt down, and a large number of imperial guards had already disembarked and secretly controlled the docks. A few perceptive officials felt that something was wrong at first glance, but did not dare to disobey. At this time, the imperial edict had been read, and everyone knelt down.
"During the reign of Emperor Tianshun, I have received this imperial decree. I have heard that the governor of Kuaiji, Chen Jiezhi, has been entrusted with important tasks by the emperor, but he has privately established a military system and expanded the army in the county. Is he suspicious of me and intending to rebel?" Li Bo read the imperial decree aloud: "I have ordered you to capture him and bring him to me for inspection. Other officials will be detained for investigation. If they disobey, they will be charged with treason. I decree this!"
He deliberately used his internal energy to transmit the message so that the surrounding soldiers and civilians could hear it clearly.
When Chen Jie heard this, he was struck by lightning. He didn't care that he was listening to the imperial edict and was about to raise his head loudly. As a high-ranking official of his rank, he certainly knew that the procedure was wrong, and the previous news did not announce such content. At this moment, he felt a numbness in his body, and two imperial guards took him down like wolves and tigers.
The others all turned pale, and a few of them realized something was wrong, but when they looked up, they saw two hundred crossbows pointed at the kneeling officials, and immediately their backs were covered in cold sweats.
With this kind of crossbow, at such a distance, even a top-notch expert might not be able to escape unscathed.
Li Bo put away the imperial edict and used his inner strength to shout, "All those above the sixth rank will be arrested. The rest of the officials will be temporarily under your command. The same goes for the soldiers in the palace!"
"Nonsense, how could His Majesty do this...ah!" An official suddenly jumped up and roared, but before he could finish his words, dozens of crossbow arrows were aimed at him. He heard a continuous "puff puff" sound and was immediately hit by dozens of arrows and died on the spot.
This person was none other than Yun Ming, the official in charge of Jue Cao. Even several officials around him suffered, some died and some were injured.
"Violating the imperial edict is treason, and you must be killed without mercy!" Seeing that the officials and soldiers were a little agitated, Li Bo immediately shouted loudly, with that kind of awe-inspiring official authority, holding the imperial edict high: "Do you want to confiscate our property and exterminate our clan?"
By the end of the speech, the voice and expression were stern. When everyone saw the angry rebuke, the imperial edict, and the ferocious imperial guards, the commotion suddenly subsided and no one dared to resist on the spot.
The imperial guards stepped forward and ordered the troops present to lay down their weapons. In front of the imperial edict, the generals looked at each other in bewilderment. They were actually defeated like this. When all the soldiers in the army and on the ship laid down their weapons and surrounded Zhang Xuanning in groups, the people he led breathed a sigh of relief.
Knowing that the entire Kuaiji has fallen into our hands.
One thousand well-organized and fully armed soldiers are more than enough to control three thousand soldiers who have been divided and lost their weapons. At this point, even if someone resists, it will be of no avail.
"Leave the officials alone for now and imprison them. Meanwhile, the army will be purged immediately. All captains and deputy captains and above will be separated from the army and imprisoned. They will be camped inside." Zhang Xuanning immediately stepped forward and issued an order: "Each army will be led by fire captains and move to the city to wait for reorganization. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"
“My lord, there are four counties in Kuaiji County, namely Kuaiji County, Juzhang County, Shan County and Zhuji County. Kuaiji County and Juzhang County have been under our control, but Shan County and Zhuji County have not been completely controlled yet. We must quickly send 100 soldiers each in the name of the imperial envoy to take over them immediately to avoid disaster.” At this time, Li Bo had not yet taken off the imperial envoy’s clothes, but he had already called out “My lord”.
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up and he said, "That's right. I'll do it right away. Also, we must go to Kuaiji City right away. As long as we enter the city first, even if the remaining two counties resist, it will be useless."
After a pause, he continued, "Send someone to Yangzhou quickly to bring Wei Zhenzhen here before Yu Wenzhi finds out. I think Yu Wenzhi may be keeping an eye on her, but he doesn't value me at this moment, so I think you can bring her back. Also, contact my Xiangkou and Master Su and ask them to come quickly. Of course, except for Wei Zhenzhen, they can bring her if they want, and it's up to them if they don't want to."
After saying this, he couldn't help but laugh, the matter of Shilong might be resolved, but at this time, even if it happened, he couldn't step forward and take control of the entire county, so he must not leave at this time.
Perhaps, the order of priority would change. Precisely because of his relationship with the Bamboo Flower Gang, Emperor Yang of Sui and Yu Wenzhi, who were furious upon hearing the news, would probably not only kill Yin Kaishan but would also bring disaster to the entire Bamboo Flower Gang. This was an obvious thing. However, it didn't matter.
Now, when Yu Wenzhi heard the news, he would definitely destroy the Bamboo Flower Gang first and then deal with Shi Long. So what changes would happen then?
Really looking forward to it!
A few days later, six warships docked at Juzhang Port.
Zhang Xuanning stood out in the harbor. Not only because he hadn't been seen for a few days, but his majestic demeanor was even more evident. Also, everyone around him, no matter who they were, consciously submitted to him. This feeling was very subtle, but in fact it was obvious at a glance.
Anyone who has been in officialdom for a few years can keenly feel this aura.
The one who got off the boat was Li Bo. Li Bo was well versed in political tactics, so he went to pick up Wei Zhenzhen personally without interfering with Zhang Xuanning's efforts to establish his position as the ruler.
This is to ensure a good beginning and a good ending in the future.
As soon as Li Bo came down, Zhang Xuanning stepped forward and said, "Uncle, you have worked hard. Please take a seat with us."
Then he turned to Wei Zhenzhen behind him, walked up to her, looked at her, and shook her hand. Although the atmosphere was open at that time, it still attracted people's attention. Wei Zhenzhen couldn't help but blush.
Zhang Xuanning looked at him and said softly, "Ah, I haven't seen you for more than a year. You have really lost weight. Let's go back to the car behind. I have something to say to my uncle."
Wei Zhenzhen nodded silently, and under the guidance of a maid, she sat in the car at the back. Behind her were her parents, family members, etc., but Su Ye and others did not come.
Then he asked, "Where are the others?"
"They have already informed us, but they wanted to inform the Bamboo Flower Gang. They seemed to have some resentment and did not come." Li Bo replied.
There was definitely resentment. The former incense master of the Bamboo Flower Gang had rebelled and occupied a county, so they were naturally implicated. However, it didn't matter anymore. He said, "Everyone has their own aspirations. Since you're not coming, forget it."
But he knew in his heart that these people would not be able to escape death. Yu Wenzhi and Emperor Yang of Sui were so furious, so naturally it would be difficult for these people who were once closest to him to escape.
At this time, it was already March, the temperature had risen, and farmers began to appear in the fields. When the two got on the carriage, Zhang Xuanning sighed softly: "I have reorganized the military system these days by cleaning up and splitting up the old army. What do you think?"
"How to reorganize? Please tell me clearly, my lord." Li Bo was slightly surprised and said.
"It is still a unit of ten people, called a team, with a squad leader as the main position, but there is a sergeant as the deputy. If the squad leader dies in battle, the sergeant will take his place."
"This is normal." The system of ten and five was the simplest and most common military system in the era of cold weapons. It is said that it even dates back to the Shang Dynasty. It was the smallest organizational unit. The name has changed, but it doesn't really matter. It just emphasizes the definition of a "non-court system."
"Five teams form a garrison, and the garrison leader is a ninth-rank official. Five garrisons form a battalion. In the army, a battalion is a deputy lieutenant and a lieutenant. The deputy lieutenant is an eighth-rank official and the lieutenant is an eighth-rank official. In the local area, he is a county lieutenant, who is also an eighth-rank official. He belongs to the garrison and is usually responsible for security patrols and other matters. What do you think?"
"Please continue, my lord."
"Four battalions, 1,200 men, form a guard, which is the regular garrison unit of the county city. This is the local military system, used to suppress local areas. For important towns that can be dispatched, four battalions form a prefecture, which is 5,000 men, and three prefectures form an army, which is 15,000 men. This is the highest. However, this time is different. I order the four counties to each set up a guard, and build a prefecture in the county city, with a fixed number of 5,000 men."
In this way, there are 10,000 people. With the strength of a county, building 10,000 people is not too many, but not too few. After calculating, he smiled and said, "My lord, please understand. Let's do it this way!"
After a pause, he asked again: "What about the official system?"
"I will discuss three situations. Please give me some advice, uncle."
"Please let me know, my lord."
"When conquering a county, the army will be in charge. Each county will first appoint a county lieutenant, build a garrison, manage the prison, and eliminate rebellion. This usually takes half a year. After half a year, if the situation is good, the county will station troops, and the county will delegate power and appoint a county magistrate and a chief clerk. Under him, there are three departments: the household department, which is responsible for counting the able-bodied men in the county and registering the households; the field department, which is responsible for reclaiming farmland, counting the acres of land, and distributing land to the families of soldiers according to regulations; the warehouse department, which is responsible for collecting rent from the people and counting the county warehouses. The three departments have been established, and after the basic household registration, land, and public security are cleared, they can be put under the control of the government after a year. Other functions of the government offices can be increased. However, during wartime, the reduction should be made and the control should be grasped. Power should not be divided and things should not be delayed. However, the township and pavilion levels must be set up, and the township elders should be appointed."
"The land officials are responsible for reclaiming farmland, counting the acres of land, and distributing land to the families of soldiers according to regulations?" Li Bo was shocked when he heard this, and just said, "Please explain it in detail, my lord!"
"No matter they are soldiers or officials, they are all rewarded with land. When soldiers are on duty in the army, their families can be exempted from taxes. If they serve for three years, or if they suffer a defeat in battle and escape back, their taxes will be collected and they will be demoted to labor service. If they defect, their land will be seized and their entire family will be demoted to official slaves. This is the responsibility of the land officials and household officials." Zhang Xuanning said with a sneer.
This is a typical case of being implicated. Li Bo remained silent, thinking in his heart whether it was feasible.
"If you are a deputy village chief, your family will be granted 30 mu of land; if you are a village chief, you will be granted 50 mu; if you are a deputy lieutenant, you will be granted 100 mu; if you are a lieutenant, you will be granted 150 mu. The same is true for other ranks. This is a permanent land that can be passed down to future generations or bought and sold. If you die in battle, your son will inherit it."
This is the reward, using land to win the hearts of soldiers instead of plundering them with wealth. This is a very strict rule: if you have any merit, you have to wait until you return home to enjoy it, or when you die, your family will enjoy it.
Because of this, not only did we not have to pay on the spot, reducing expenses and enforcing strict military discipline, but we also made everyone understand that while the regime is in power, you have made many contributions, but without it, your previous hard work will have no reward.
Urge them to fight with all their might.
"In addition to military positions, there are five levels of military merit. Those who cut off one enemy head are called sergeants, those who cut off three enemy heads are called sharp soldiers, those who cut off ten enemy heads are called village scholars, and those who are willing to be officials can be village officials. Those who cut off twenty enemy heads are called county scholars, starting from the ninth rank. Those who cut off fifty enemy heads are called county scholars, and those who are willing to be officials are considered eighth rank military officers." Zhang Xuanning added, "If it is found that civilians were killed to fill the position, one head is worth ten heads. If the merit is not worth the crime, the person will be executed immediately!"
"Above military merit is the title of nobility. At the beginning, the title of nobility was given to those who killed 100 enemy soldiers. They were immediately awarded the title and were registered in the nobility register. The title was hereditary and they were granted 300 acres of land, which could not be transferred or traded. This was equivalent to the seventh rank. There were also various privileges. Those who became national scholars through literary skills also had other privileges, which were announced separately. In short, those who were famous throughout the country and those who were outstanding in skills could use this title."
In reality, especially in the era of cold weapons, it is rare to find a warrior who can kill ten people. But in this world with martial arts, it is completely different. Martial arts can be passed down from generation to generation. Zhang Xuanning very much hopes that there will be martial arts families in China similar to the Western knight families, and they will be spread all over the world. Of course, they must be officially recognized.
He was suspicious of the current chaotic martial arts world. No one knew where a master might jump out to disrupt public order, kill officials and rebel. He recalled that when Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, inherited the imperial examination system, he looked at the new scholars filing in from the gate and said proudly: "All the heroes in the world are in my wheel." The current national scholar system is actually the same. Its purpose is to bring the military class into the ruling circle. In the future, if any martial arts master wants to "avenge", he will probably be killed on the spot by these "national scholar families" who have been recruited.
And those who are literary saints, or have a family background in learning, or a family of chess players, etc., can also be given this title, thus forming a stable family of patriots in various aspects such as martial arts, culture, and technology, in order to create a brilliant civilization in the future.
He firmly believed that any talent was based on a certain economic foundation and social status. The economy did not have to be too extravagant, but having enough food and clothing was the most basic condition. The status did not have to be too high, and there was no need to ask others for everything. Creating a relatively comfortable environment was inevitable. It was rare in ancient and modern times for hungry slaves to create culture and technology. In the entire history, it was even more of a dream. He did not believe at all that the working people created history.
"From now on, men, sons, earls, marquises, and dukes can all inherit the land. The amount of land will be discussed later." These words have been considered almost completely and should be discussed one by one.
Li Bo listened and thought silently for a long time before he said, "My Lord, what you said is a serious matter. Please allow me to think about it."
"That's right. We'll discuss the specific personnel matters and the handling of the wealthy families in the county tomorrow." Having said this, the carriage arrived at the prefectural governor's mansion, which is now Zhang Xuanning's residence.
Li Bo left, and the palace's personal guards had already come to greet him. Not to mention the palace's personal guards, the other cooks, housekeepers, servants, maids, etc., all gathered together.
Seeing Zhang Xuanning and Wei Zhenzhen coming in, they all knelt down and said, "Greetings, Master. Greetings, Madam."
Dozens of people knelt together, and Wei Zhenzhen was stunned. At this moment, she was actually only nineteen years old, and she grew up in a small family. She had never seen such a thing, and she was at a loss as to what to do.
Zhang Xuanning touched her hand and said with a smile: "From now on, you will be in charge of all these things. These people are nothing. In the future, hundreds or thousands of them will be serious."
Then he smiled and said, "From now on, all matters will be managed by Madam. If anyone violates the family rules, they will be severely punished."
Although he said it with a smile, he really had this intention. These people did not know how powerful he was. If they had committed corruption, it would be fine. But if they did not follow the rules, had secret dealings with outsiders, and passed on secrets, wouldn't that be a big harm? Even if there were personal soldiers investigating, it would be difficult to prevent thieves every day. At present, the only way was to kill them more and let them know how powerful he was.
I'm already thinking about how to skin and slow the person down, or maybe raising a few giant dogs to dismember anyone who offends me.
As he was thinking this, a butler came forward. This butler was recommended by Li Bo, and this was the only way to use him. The butler bowed slightly and said softly, "Master, it's almost noon. Is it time to have a banquet?"
"Yes, pass it on."
Following an order, all the cooks in the hall brought out the dishes one by one.
When the foundation was just established, everything was a problem. Let alone Li Shimin and others, even Li Mi, Du Fuwei, and Dou Jiande would not be so uneasy that even the eunuchs could not be trusted.
If we are talking about a family of ancestors, who would worry about this problem? They are all loyal servants trained by generations, and there is no problem with their loyalty and work.
But there is no other way now. We can only test it slowly over time, promote confidants, cultivate rules, and wait for the passage of time to get on the right track.
