Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 739 Unification of the world

Moving the great Confucian scholars from Guandong to Guanzhong could not only enrich the population of Guanzhong and educate the Qiang and Hu people in Guanzhong, but also sever their personal connections with local counties and even help to investigate a number of people and fields.

The big families in the Southern Han Dynasty had the phenomenon of hiding their population, and the situation in the Northern Wei Dynasty was even more serious. Since the late reign of Cao Cao, as the means of rule became more relaxed, many high-ranking officials of the Cao Wei Dynasty concealed their population and frantically reclaimed land.

It is no exaggeration to say that if all the high-ranking officials of Cao Wei were moved westward to Guanzhong, the population would no less than 100,000, or even reach more than 200,000, which would greatly alleviate the population shortage in Guanzhong.

The advantages and disadvantages of Chang'an and Luoyang as the capital became increasingly clear through various circumstances.

The capital was chosen to be Chang'an. As mentioned before, Guanzhong had a sparse population and was in need of reconstruction, requiring long-term governance. The capital was chosen to be Luoyang because it was close to Guandong, had convenient water transport, and had the foundation of Cao Wei, so the Han people could move in with just their bags.

However, the advantage of Guanzhong, apart from the pressure from foreign invasions, is that it is in need of reconstruction. The Southern Han could equalize the rich and the poor by implementing the mausoleum town system and strengthen its rule over the counties in Guandong.

As for why the mausoleum-town system could equalize the rich and the poor?
The reason is that in the agricultural society, the powerful families in Guandong occupied a lot of land and often forced the poor to work. If the local powerful families moved west to Guanzhong, the land where the powerful families lived would be taken by the state and then distributed to the people below the middle class to cultivate.

This was a case of forced intervention by the government, using the household registration in the capital and the land and houses awarded to purchase the land of the local families, in order to achieve equalization of wealth on a small scale.

Why did the Western Han Dynasty terminate the mausoleum town system? In addition to the temperament of Emperor Yuan himself and the fact that the central government of the Western Han Dynasty was not as strong as in early years, the Western Han Dynasty had been at peace for many years. Not only did the population in Guandong increase dramatically, but the population in Guanzhong was also large. The cost of continuing to implement the mausoleum town system was too high.

At present, the Southern Han Dynasty, relying on its military power, has restored the mausoleum town system of the Western Han Dynasty. This will help curb future land annexation problems in the early and middle stages, implement a policy of strengthening the root and weakening the branches, and increase the Han Dynasty's control over the local grassroots.

Because the two Caos still controlled the military and the three states in Hebei were initially pacified, Zhuge Liang did not rush to relocate the people or announce the restoration of the mausoleum town system, but instead adopted the strategy of boiling a frog in warm water.

In July, Cao Rui changed his name to Liu Rui and was forcibly moved to Guanzhong by the Han army.

Zhuge Liang selected two people from the surrendered officials, took Cao Rui's imperial edict, and ordered the two Caos to go to Yecheng to pay a visit to Liu Chan.

In order to get the two Caos to enter Ye as soon as possible, Zhuge Liang offered them the treatment of county marquis and appointed them to high positions.

In the Hedong area, Cao Zhen led his troops to confront Lu Xun. When he received the imperial edict from Cao Rui ordering him to surrender, Cao Zhen was filled with grief and anger, but he could do nothing.

Under the persuasion of the envoy, Cao Zhen, who was ill, had to go to Yecheng to meet Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang, and hand over his troops to Lu Xun.

When they reached Shangdang, Cao Zhen's condition suddenly became serious. He wrote a petition to Zhuge Liang, begging him to allow him to return to Yecheng after his condition improved.

Zhuge Liang confirmed from his attendants that Cao Zhen was not faking his illness, so he approved Cao Zhen's request and sent doctors and soldiers to take care of Cao Zhen.

Compared with Cao Zhen's poor health, Cao Hong was in relatively good health. He was very angry when he learned that Cao Rui was given a high official position because of changing his surname.

But under the persuasion of the envoy, Cao Hong reluctantly agreed to set off. Unlike Cao Zhen, Cao Hong handed over the troops to his son Cao Fu to lead, and went to Yecheng to meet Zhuge Liang himself.

Halfway through the journey, Cao Hong was unwilling to see the demise of Cao Wei, so he stopped for a few days on the pretext of being ill.

During his stay, Cao Hong sent someone to contact Cao Zhen, but Cao Zhen's health deteriorated and the letter was intercepted by Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang then became wary of Cao Hong, ordered Cao Hong to go to Yecheng as soon as possible, and asked Huo Fan to lead troops to prepare to quell the rebellion.

Seeing that Zhuge Liang was urging him urgently and he could not contact Cao Zhen, Cao Hong had no choice but to go to Yecheng.

When they arrived in Yecheng, Zhuge Liang pretended to appease Cao Hong and let him relax his vigilance.

The next day, Zhuge Liang issued an edict on behalf of Liu Chan, asking Wen Pin to lead troops to the tombs of Cao Cao and Cao Pi, expose their bodies to the sun, and take their heads to the warehouse for safekeeping. In addition, all the Cao family members in Qiao County had to change their surnames, not use Cao as their surname, not offer sacrifices to Cao Cao, and all had to move to Guanzhong.

When Cao Hong heard the imperial edict, he was furious and immediately prepared to flee back to Bohai at night and start a rebellion.

Zhuge Liang used a trap to enforce the law and deliberately let Cao Hong leave the city. After Cao Hong was convicted of desertion, he put Jiang Ji in charge of the matter.

When Cao Hong fled to Jie Bridge, he was caught up by the pursuers sent by Jiang Ji. After a fierce battle, Cao Hong was beheaded by the Han cavalry.

When Huo Fan received the news, he immediately led his troops to raid Cao Fu and captured all of Cao Fu's 20,000-plus men. Cao Fu was escorted to Yecheng.

Taking advantage of Cao Hong's rebellion, Jiang Ji, on the orders of Zhuge Liang, thoroughly investigated the civil and military officials who surrendered in Yecheng. In order to establish his prestige, Jiang Ji found several officials who had committed misconduct and tried them together with the Cao Hong case.

Cao Zhen, who was recuperating in Shangdang, learned that his adoptive father Cao Cao had been beheaded and his corpse had been exposed to the sun. He pounded the bed in anger and eventually died of excessive emotion.

Upon learning of Cao Zhen's death, some Han officials intended to expand the scope of the attack and wrote a memorial to Zhuge Liang requesting that Cao Zhen be punished.

In order to prevent the surrender of Cao Wei from causing collective panic, Zhuge Liang appeased Cao Zhen's son Cao Shuang, and saw that Cao Shuang had no strategy and was a mediocre person. Zhuge Liang only sentenced Cao Hong to treason on the grounds that Cao Zhen died of natural illness and handed over military power to Lu Xun. All the remaining members of Cao Hong's gang were to be beheaded and Cao Hong's property was confiscated.

Cao Shuang changed his name to Qin Shuang and was granted the title of Marquis of Duting by Zhuge Liang to show that the Han Dynasty was not a country that killed innocent people indiscriminately.

With the death of the two Caos, Lu Xun divided his troops and marched northward. The governor of Bingzhou, Bi Gui, surrendered and conquered seven counties, including Pingyang, Taiyuan, Xihe, Shangdang, Leping, Xinxing, and Yanmen. Huo Fan and Xu Sheng led their troops northward and conquered coastal counties such as Bohai, Hejian, Youbeiping, and Liaoxi.

In response to the Xianbei's looting in Hebei, Zhuge Liang sent two generals, Zhao Yun and Wen Pin, to advance from Guangping and Guantao counties respectively, and also sent envoys to Kebineng to order them to leave the country quickly.

In August, most of the three states of You, Bing and Ji in Hebei Province accepted the rule of the Han army.

Yecheng, inside the palace.

Zhuge Liang issued two letters of appointment and instructed his attendants, saying, "Now that Zhao and Ji provinces have all surrendered, quickly send a message to Lords Yu Huo and Pang to quickly take up their posts and resume production as soon as possible."

"promise!"

The attendant received the official document and quickly left the hall.

Over the past month, Zhuge Liang first solved the problem of the two Caos, then met with the governors of various counties in Hebei. With the assistance of Chen Qun, Zhuge Liang dismissed some governors and then selected more talented officials from among the new and old officials to succeed to the vacant positions.

With the confirmation of the prefects of various counties, Zhuge Liang will resign as the governor of Jizhou and split Jizhou into Zhaozhou, with Huo Fan as the governor of Zhaozhou and Pang Tong as the governor of Jizhou.

Why did Zhuge Liang choose veteran generals to serve as governors of Zhao and Ji states? It was mainly because Zhuge Liang took into account that the Xianbei were powerful and the strength of You and Bing states alone was not enough to defend the border. After considering multiple factors, he let the generals in the army serve as governors of the two states of Hebei.

The two states of Qi and Xu, where the two had been appointed before, did not need to face military problems, but were responsible for people's livelihood issues. Therefore, after careful consideration, Zhuge Liang appointed Zhang Zhao's eldest son Zhang Cheng as the governor of Qizhou, and Wu Can was promoted to the governor of Xuzhou, responsible for managing the local people's livelihood.

"Prime Minister, Tian Yu is outside asking for a meeting!" the attendant reported.

"Please quickly!"

Previously, in order to get the Xianbei to leave Hebei as soon as possible, Zhuge Liang not only sent Zhao Yun and Wen Pin to the northern border, but also sent Tian Yu to negotiate with them, hoping to stabilize Hebei as soon as possible by using both civil and military means.

Tian Yu stepped into the hall, bowed, and said, "Yu has fulfilled his mission and has met Ke Bineng."

Zhuge Liang motioned Tian Yu to take a seat and asked, "Guorang, what can Kebi Neng ask for now?"

Tian Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Kebi is very eloquent. If we want the two countries to stop fighting, we need to let our country give up the Western Regions and open border trade. We must not close it without authorization."

Zhuge Liang fanned himself and thought, then asked, "Guorang has had many contacts with the Xianbei. What do you think of that?"

"It's okay to open border trade, but you can't cede the Western Regions!"

Tian Yu said without hesitation: "Kebi Neng has great ambitions and often compares himself to Maodun of the Xiongnu. Now Kebi Neng has taken control of the south of the desert. If the Prime Minister promises him the Western Regions, it may be a burden to Kebi Neng. When Kebi Neng takes control of the north of the desert, the northern territory will be as powerful as the Xiongnu again."

Kebi Neng, who rose in the chaos, unified the eastern and central parts of the desert south of the desert in history, but never stopped at Hexi. Kebi Neng took advantage of the contradictions between the Han and Wei dynasties to unify the desert south of the desert. Kebi Neng was only short of cutting off Liangzhou and occupying the Western Regions and the desert north of the desert, which was a powerful Xiongnu dynasty in history.

Zhuge Liang sent Tian Yu to Kebi Neng because he considered that the first task of the Han Dynasty was to restore people's livelihood and develop agriculture. If the war with the Xianbei lasted for a long time, the Southern Han Dynasty might not be able to bear it, so he hoped to temporarily stabilize the border.

"Ke Bineng covets the Western Regions. Now that we can't get them, the war will be difficult to stop!" Zhuge Liang said with a frown.

Tian Yu pondered for a while and said, "Prime Minister, it is better to fight with the Xianbei in the east and west. The Xianbei want to take the western region, and our army will gather all the countries to fight. Because of the opening of border trade in the east, the Xianbei will be willing to negotiate peace with us Han."

"Will Kebineng agree to this?" Zhuge Liang asked.

Tian Yu stroked his beard and thought deeply, then said: "Although Kebi Neng ruled the southern part of the desert, many tribes secretly rebelled against him. Kebi Neng needs to expand and gain benefits in order to gain the support of the tribes. If Yu's prediction is correct, Kebi Neng will plan for the northern part of the desert and march west to the Western Regions, and has no intention of going to war with the Central Plains."

As a tribal state, Kebi Neng had to balance the interests of his people. So what Tian Yu said was not without reason. Although the Central Plains was rich, it was extremely difficult to conquer. How could Kebi Neng not know that?

Today, the best option for the Xianbei is not to fight to the death with the Central Plains, but to annex weaker regions, such as Mobei and the Western Regions.

"The policy of giving up one's country is a good one."

Zhuge Liang thought for a long time and said, "The Protector General of the Western Regions, Jiang Wei, has military strategies and may be able to lead the troops of various countries to fight against the Xianbei. Now we can follow your advice and open up border trade with the Xianbei and temporarily pacify the border counties in the east. When the time is right, it will not be too late to attack the Xianbei in the north!"

"The Prime Minister is wise!" Tian Yu said.

"Come here, order the General of Chariots and Cavalry to lead the troops to Yanmen County to consolidate the border defense of Bingzhou." Zhuge Liang ordered.

"promise!"

ps: Please give me some monthly votes. I haven’t asked for them for a long time!

(End of this chapter)