Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 550 The reason why Han Dynasty prospered
After Jiang Wei and his son paid a visit to Cao Pi from Luoyang, they led the delegation to Guanzhong. Under the guidance of the mountain people, they went south from the merchant place, took small roads, crossed the mountains, traveled thousands of miles, and went south along the Dan River to Hannan County.

Because the prefect Liao Hua was in charge of the county affairs, the county administrator came forward to greet the hungry envoys.

When Liao Hua learned that the Longyou delegation had arrived, he immediately rushed back to the county and held a banquet in honor of Jiang Ji and his son. The two parties had a great conversation and returned home exhausted.

In the meantime, Jiang Wei sneaked out of the inn and visited the situation of the people in Hannan County. It was as expected. Because it was located on the border, there were very few people in the county. But since the first year of the year is approaching, every household is filled with smoke.

Before Jiang Wei could find out more about him, he was immediately regarded by the villagers as a scout for the Wei army because of his unfamiliar face. After the villagers informed the Han army of the nearby stronghold, more than a hundred soldiers and civilians went out to capture Jiang Wei.

Because he was on patrol, Jiang Wei was not wearing any armor or a long bow, and he only had a Han sword. Faced with the roundup by the military and civilians, Jiang Wei did not dare to resist for fear of causing a chain reaction, and was arrested on the spot by both the military and civilians.

No matter how the captured Jiang Wei explained his identity, the military and civilians regarded it as a trick. Even because he was too noisy, he was severely beaten by Han soldiers and warned not to talk nonsense. However, because Jiang Wei struggled to prove his identity, the sergeant finally reported it to the county governor Liao Hua.

Liao Hua learned of this and took Jiang Ji with him to identify Jiang Wei. After some explanation, everyone cleared up their misunderstanding, which also made Liao Hua dumbfounded.

Worried that he had damaged the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Liao Hua apologized to Jiang Wei on behalf of his subordinates. Jiang Wei knew that he was wrong, and because of his magnanimity, he made peace with Liao Hua.

After the two sides cleared up their misunderstandings, Jiang Weifang learned that the military policy of the Southern Han Dynasty's border control was to integrate the military and civilians. The common people on the border are not only civilians, but also the scouts for the Han Dynasty to monitor the border; the soldiers are not only soldiers, but also common people responsible for farming.

Jiang Wei was quite surprised to see such a scene in the troubled times on the border.

Although soldiers are stationed at the border, they need to be alert and participate in the war. However, each soldier spent one-third of his time working in the fields. According to military orders, in addition to handing over the crops produced by the fields to the army, part of them could be kept for himself as farming expenses.

The next day, Liao Hua bid farewell to Jiang Ji and his son in the river, and sent the navy to escort the mission along the way to Xiangfan.

When Jiang Wei learned about the border system of Southern Han Dynasty, he not only praised it full of praise, but also secretly excerpted it and prepared to absorb it for his own use.

During the journey, they passed Xiakou Village. Jiang Wei grew up in Longyou and had never seen the river flowing eastward. Looking at the hundreds of boats and boats all over the Yangtze River, I was filled with emotion and exclaimed in surprise.

People in border counties are not responsible for cross-border exploration. In normal times, they farm to support their families and are also responsible for the movements in their own area and whether there are any strange faces sneaking into the countryside. If the report is successful, the county will allocate a large amount of money and food as rewards, and have corresponding supporting policies to retain the people and prevent them from migrating south to the hinterland counties.

The vibrant scene in Xiangyang reminded Jiang Wei of the capital in Guanzhong.

In order to obtain Wuhan's approval, the Longyou delegation stayed in Xiangyang for two days before being approved to go south to Wuhan.

The reason why he tended to Cao Wei in the early days was not only because Cao Wei lived in the Central Plains, but also because of the influence of Yin Shouyan Fei. He believed that for such a good official, his superior must be wise.

Under the escort of the Han Navy, Jiang Ji and his son took a boat and sailed down the Han River, a journey of thousands of miles across the Han River. After another four or five days of sailing, we finally arrived at Wuhan, the capital of Southern Han Dynasty.

Now that he has just arrived at the border of Wu and Chu, Jiang Wei has seen the vibrant scene again. Compared with Wei's previous and previous encounters, he has more expectations for the Han Dynasty.

According to Jiang Wei's understanding, the above defense system for border counties was created by the famous general Huo Jun. It was first implemented in Wancheng, Lujiang, and was later adopted by Emperor Liu Bei of the Han Dynasty. After many modifications, it was eventually spread throughout the country.

After the Battle of Xiangfan, Lu Meng came to Xiangfan and gathered the people in Hannan. With Xiangyang's excellent natural conditions and the water conservancy facilities left over from Liu Biao's period, Xiangyang gradually revived. Although it is far less than the more than 200,000 people at its peak, it still has tens of thousands of people.

When the mission arrived in Xiangfan, it was the twelfth lunar month. People either worship their ancestors, buy new year's goods, or catch fish in the river, each trying to make ends meet. Although the people were not rich, they had no food. There are also the sounds of couples getting married and children running around and playing.

The military system covers a wide range of content, ranging from scouts and intelligence systems to logistics and supply systems. When the two countries fight against each other, they rely on the military system composed of various departments.

Under the guidance of the Han officials, the envoys stayed temporarily in Wuhan Station, where they were briefly taught etiquette and promised to go to the palace to see His Majesty tomorrow.

Under the governance of Yin Shouyan Fei, the Jingzhao area has good roads, extensive farming, officials do not bother the people, and the people do not ask for officials. The people became prosperous and prosperous.

Jiang Wei climbed Xian Mountain and looked at Xiangyang. Although it was the depth of winter, white snow covered the inside and outside of Xiangyang. But through the fields covered with white snow, Jiang Wei could imagine the scene of the spring and autumn, with rivers and canals outside the city, rice fields, and people working.

After this trip east to visit Cao Pi, Jiang Wei was disappointed with Cao Pi. Many officials in Cao Wei were outstandingly talented, but Cao Pi could not be said to be wise or powerful. Especially since he came to the throne, he seems to have been tormenting the Wei State.

Leaving Hannan County, Jiang Wei traveled to Xiangfan Realm and found a situation that was similar to Hannan County. Fancheng on the north bank of the Han River is similar to Hannan County and can be said to be a militarized society; Xiangyang City on the north bank of the Han River is more like a normal society.

Relying on his strict border control policy, Cao Cao made many southern expeditions, but was captured in advance by the Han army. The Han army sent troops to block him from the north of the Yangtze River, preventing Cao Cao from going south for the rest of his life.

Jiang Jiong and his son were surprised by Nanhan's extremely high work efficiency. You must know that they stayed in Luoyang for five or six days before they were summoned by Cao Pi.

On that day, Jiang Wei, who couldn't take any time off, pushed Jiang Ji out of the inn. They rode horses and rode around the city of Wuhan, making secret visits to the people's livelihood officials.

Wuhan was formerly known as E County. Before Liu Bei moved to E County, the county had less than 20,000 residents. With Liu Bei moving to E County and changing its name to Wuhan, it was governed by the four Wuhan Yins including Pan Jun, Fazheng, Huanjie, and Sima Zhi. In addition, high-ranking officials and families, as well as the families of civilians and soldiers moved in one after another, and the city suddenly prospered. The population is between 200,000 and 300,000, and they can no longer reach Luoyang, the eastern capital.

And because it is located at the end of Chu and the head of Wu, merchants from all over the country gather here. There are Gaotu Qiang products in the north, Jiaoling pearls in the south, Wuyue treasures in the east, and Bashu silk in the west. There is almost everything in the world.

For example, Cao Pi liked sugar and was afraid that Liu Bei would not sell it, so he secretly sent an envoy south to Wuhan to buy sugar for him. After Liu Bei learned about this, under Zhuge Liang's suggestion, there were more sugar smuggling merchants on the market, specializing in selling sugar in the Yiyang Mountains, and asking for names in exchange for war horses.

In order to satisfy Cao Pi's appetite for sweets, the Wei people did not hesitate to use war horses in exchange. Over time, the big man earned four to five hundred war horses through this channel. As this incident gradually spread in the Han court, many insiders laughed about it.

Of course, Cao Pi was not the only one who loved candy. In the era when condiments were scarce, many high-ranking officials of the Southern Han Dynasty were also keen on candy, including Huo Jun. However, due to the scarcity of production, the price of candy remained high and continued to rise.

During this period, Mi Zhu seized the opportunity through commercial means and made a small profit by copying sugar products. Huo Jun partnered with Jiang Ji and Wang Can and sent people to Jiaozhou to buy mountainous land and hired barbarians to plant sugar cane to make money.

Lu Dai, who was the governor of Jiaozhou at the time, saw the prospect of rich sugar products and wanted to make money. Following one another, they taught the barbarians in Jiaoling how to grow sugar cane, and the government monopolized the operation. They then made sugar cane and sold it to Wuhan, making a lot of money.

Last year, when Lu Dai reported his work to the Chancellor, he reported the income from sugar cane products.

After Zhuge Liang learned about it, he decided to let Zhongxu and Jiaozhou join forces to set up a government-run sugar mill in Panyu (Guangzhou) to earn money for the production of sugar products. He would not participate in the sales or planting of sugar cane.

These things are not secrets. Jiang Wei has a brief understanding of the basic situation in Nanhan through inquiries in the market.

Before the curfew, the father and son ate the most delicious Wuhan fish in a wine shop, and then returned to the Yiguan to rest.

Under the lamp, Jiang Wei and Jiang Ji were sitting opposite each other, with a few snacks on the table.

Jiang Ji drank some wine, his face was slightly red, and he said: "Although the Han Dynasty is located in Jiangchu, it really has the spirit of a great country. The government orders are clear and clear, the officials are not strict and miscellaneous, there are teams in farming and fighting, the criminal law is neat, the people are safe and happy, and the business is prosperous. Although China is big, it is not as big as the South.”

Jiang Jiong originally thought that there were many barbarians in Chu, not much different from Longyou. After a trip to Wuhan today, I realized that I am arrogant.

Wuhan's water and soil are not as good as Luoyang's. The land is barren, mountainous and humid. However, in such a natural environment, Wuhan prospered under the governance of Zhuge Liang and the Wuhan Yins of the past dynasties. Today's Wuhan may not be as good as Luoyang in agriculture, but it is worse than Luoyang in other aspects.

Jiang Wei was full of praise and said: "Prime Minister Zhuge is good at governing the country. His decrees are clear and his punishments are solemn. From Xiangyang to Wuhan for more than a thousand miles, the army and the people live together and do not interfere with each other. There are acres of fields, high river embankments, endless smoke, and prosperous markets. , Who in the world can reach it?”

As he spoke, Jiang Wei was full of admiration for Prime Minister Zhuge. Although he has never seen it before, he has been impressed by Zhuge Liang's policies. People often say that Zhuge Liang is good at governing the country, but this goodness is beyond the imagination of many people, including Jiang Wei.

In his eyes, Yan Fei's governance of Jingzhao was already a good governance of the country. Unexpectedly, after this trip to the south, Jiang Wei had a new definition of the word "good" after seeing the rural markets of Southern Han Dynasty.

One Xiangyang may not prove that Zhuge Liang is good at governing the country, but along the way he saw so many county towns, as well as the scenes in Xiakou and Wuhan. If it is not Zhuge Liang's contribution, who else can do this?
Jiang Ji hugged his legs and sighed, and said with emotion: "Ge Xiang is good at governing the country, Huo Du is in control of the world, your majesty has two people to assist you, why should the Han Dynasty be unhappy?"

Jiang Wei nodded and said with admiration: "Your Majesty appointed Sima Gong to govern Wuhan, enforce the law, and search for hidden households. Xiahoulan was an old follower. He only hid in two households and was sentenced to death. Although the punishment was harsh, he followed the order. However, if the law is followed, no one can compare with Wei."

In formulating the punishment method, Zhuge Liang personally stipulated that anyone who conceals his or her household registration and fails to report truthfully will be beheaded. Therefore, Xiahou Lan violated the law by hiding from two households, and was killed by Sima Zhi, which was in compliance with the law.

The reason why Zhuge Liang stipulates this is to deter those high-ranking officials and wealthy families. It's not that Zhuge Liang didn't give high-ranking officials and wealthy families the right to choose. Now that he's reporting the hidden population, it's not like he's depriving his subordinates or slaves of his subordinates. He's just asking them to pay more tributes.

Now the opportunity has been given to them, let's see whether the big families adopt it or not. Next, if the law enforcement is not thorough, it will definitely bring luck to the wealthy and senior officials, which means that the law is not thorough.

Of course, Cao Wei did not fail to search for the population. For example, during Cao Cao's reign, Cao Cao, who governed the country with Shang and Han, also made great efforts to search for the population.

Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xia Houyuan and other high-ranking officials had many followers. Under Cao Cao's management, they all reported truthfully. Even local counties and counties were searched, and many people were recruited into the army.

With the death of Cao Cao and the succession of Cao Pi, the laws of Cao Wei gradually relaxed, and the wealthy families began to play the trick of hiding their household registration.

At present, in the two countries of Han and Wei, one is going uphill and the other is going downhill due to the relationship between the rulers. This makes Jiang Jiong and his son feel very clearly.

The father and son chatted about their experiences, lamented the differences between Han and Wei, and became more and more fond of the Han.

It was late at night before the father and son went back to their beds to rest in preparation for meeting Liu Bei tomorrow.

That night, Jiang Wei lay on the couch and gradually fell asleep in excitement.

(End of this chapter)