Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 743: Patriot!

Although Huo Jun's conferment of the Nine Gifts shocked the court and the public, no one raised a petition to refute it. After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see that as a powerful official, Huo Jun could have continued to hold power by relying on his prestige, but he chose to retire, return home to study, and return power to the Han Dynasty.

In order to make up for Huo Jun, Liu Chan honored him with the Nine Gifts. Although his treatment exceeded that of other ministers, considering Huo Jun's achievements, no one would feel it was excessive.

Although the bestowal of the Nine Gifts caused quite a stir, the heat gradually faded over time.

It was midsummer and as the situation in Guanzhong stabilized, Bu Lianshi and his family moved to Chang'an after more than a month of moving.

Because the new capital was under a long construction, Huo Jun's temporary residence in Chang'an was based on the government office where Dong Zhuo lived and was renovated by Xiahou Hui.

Chang'an, Prime Minister's Mansion.

Upon learning that Bu Lianshi's carriage had arrived at the mansion, Xiahou Hui went out to greet her with two maids.

Bu Lianshi was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a hairpin in her bun, and she walked slowly into the mansion surrounded by concubines.

Seeing the elegant demeanor of the visitor, surrounded by many people, Xiahou Hui knelt down and saluted, saying, "I, Xiahou Hui, greet the Madam!"

"Madam, you have traveled thousands of miles and you must have worked hard on the journey."

Bu Lianshi looked at Xiahou Hui's outstanding face and said with a faint smile: "Yuanrong is indeed beautiful and can attract the love of my husband."

Xiahou Hui raised her eyes slightly and looked at the various expressions of Bu Lianshi and the concubines. However, without waiting for her to reply, Bu Lianshi went straight in along the stone path and instructed the concubines on the layout of the mansion.

Seeing that Bu Lianshi was behaving like a hostess, Xiahou Hui was secretly unhappy, but considering the difference in status, she had no choice but to catch up with her, holding her dress, and introduce the furnishings of the mansion to Bu Lianshi.

"Madam, the Prime Minister's Mansion is Dong Zhuo's old residence. It has been neglected for decades, and many of the furnishings in the mansion are outdated. I, under the order of my husband, have sent more craftsmen and servants to repair it." Xiahou Hui said.

Bu Lianshi nodded slightly and responded to Xiahou Hui's words.

Da Qiao, who was already middle-aged, was sweating profusely. She fanned herself with a silk fan and looked around the house. She asked, "It's hot and stuffy in the summer in Chang'an. I wonder if there are cold alleys and self-rain pavilions?"

Cold alleys are traditional summer resorts in the south. They use air currents to enter buildings to allow for indoor air circulation. In addition, the buildings are tall and narrow and are not exposed to the sun all year round, so the alleys are exceptionally cool.

The Ziyu Pavilion uses a waterwheel to bring river water to the pavilion. The water flows down from the eaves of the pavilion, forming a water screen around it to drive away the summer heat.

Xiahou Hui naturally didn't know about the buildings that only existed in the south. After a little hesitation, she said, "There is an ice cellar in the mansion!"

"That's it!"

Da Qiao fanned herself and said helplessly, "It's hot today. How can a little ice water cool me down? Without a cold alley, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well tonight. Besides, traveling in and out of Chang'an by carriage is far less convenient than traveling by boat in Wuhan."

"It's so hot!" said Xiao Qiao.

Not only Da Qiao was afraid of the heat, but Xiao Qiao, because of her broad mind, had already felt very hot. Seeing that she was surrounded by women, she tore open her thin collar with her hands, revealing her white cleavage. A few drops of sweat flowed from her neck into the cleavage, which was crystal clear and combined with her full chest, was enough to make people unable to look away.

Xiahou Hui gritted her teeth and said, "Although Chang'an is hot during the day, it is quite cool at night."

Seeing that the time had come, the calm and composed Bu Lianshi said, "Yuanrong, southerners are not suited to the northern climate. I'm afraid they won't be able to adapt. From now on, the construction of the palace will be left to Da Qiao."

As she spoke, Master Bu Lian pointed to the flower garden and said, "A palace can only gather momentum if it has mountains and water. Now the pond is small and there are no mountains, so it is difficult for people to enjoy it. We should rebuild the flower garden."

"Yes!" Da Qiao replied.

Xiahou Hui blinked her eyes and immediately realized that she had been seized by Bu Lianshi, and that she could not refute it. Thinking of the hard work she had put in for half a year, she felt wronged when she was belittled by Bu Lianshi and Da Qiao.

Bu Lianshi seemed not to notice Xia Houhui's change of mood and asked casually, "Where is my husband today?"

Xiahou Hui endured the grievance and said, "Madam, my husband wants to build an academy to recruit talented people to study. He has gone to Nanshan to look for a site."

"good!"

Seeing that the concubines behind her looked a little tired, Bu Lianshi smiled and said, "It's hard to travel so fast. Now each of you should find a house to stay in and wash up. We will have dinner in the hall in the evening, which will be regarded as a housewarming party."

"Thank you ma'am!"

With Master Bu Lian's instructions, the concubines bowed and left, taking their servants with them to move. Master Bu Lian had something to ask Xiahou Hui, so the two of them sat down in the hall together.

Sitting on the bamboo mat, Bu Lianshi took the initiative to talk and said with a smile: "My husband and the concubines in the harem are mostly from the south. If there are any conflicts in food and customs in the future, you should adapt and be tolerant."

"I know!"

Although Xiahou Hui felt aggrieved in her heart, her expression remained unchanged. She bowed and said, "I am willing to follow Madam's instructions."

"How is the fetus in your belly?" Master Bu Lian asked with concern.

Xiahou Hui suspected that she was pregnant before, but the truth was that it was all for nothing. Since the beginning of this year, because Xiahou Hui was the only one favored by Huo Jun, she was finally diagnosed with pregnancy.

Xiahou Hui said carefully, "The fetus is fine. Thank you for your concern, Madam."

While the two were talking, Xiao Qiao came over with a smile and said, "Madam, the houses in this mansion are different from those in the old mansion. Do you think the layout of the old mansion will be the same?" "What's the difference?"

Xiao Qiao knelt down and said, "In the past, my sister and I lived closer to our husbands, but sister Yuanrong now lives closer."

Xiahou Hui arranged the location of the concubines' houses. In order to gain Huo Jun's favor, she chose a house near the palace.

This time Xia Hou Hui frowned slightly and looked up at Bu Lianshi, hoping that Bu Lianshi could protect her.

Bu Lianshi smiled and said, "Since my husband went north to the Central Plains, Yuanrong has been taking care of him. Moreover, the furnishings, decorations, and houses in the house were all repaired by Yuanrong. Now, to reward Yuanrong, we should let her live near the house."

Xiao Qiao pouted. Although she was unhappy, she obeyed Master Bu Lian's arrangements.

Seeing that Bu Lianshi was standing by her side, Xiahou Hui felt grateful and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Madam, for your care!"

Bu Lianshi smiled and said, "My concubines are getting old, but Yuanrong is young and beautiful, so you should be loved by your husband."

Xiahou Hui blushed and responded softly.

Not to mention that Xiahou Hui was subdued by Master Bu Lian's operation, and now Huo Jun is meeting Zhuge Liang in Zhongnan Mountain.

In the pavilion, Huo Jun poured tea for Zhuge Liang and asked, "Kong Ming is busy with government affairs, how can he have time to come to Nanshan now?"

Zhuge Liang breathed in a pleasant breath and said with a smile: "Today is a day off, I have no time, so I came to visit the Prime Minister."

"How is the government doing today?" Huo Jun asked.

Zhuge Liang took a sip of tea and said, "Checking household registration, selecting officials, resuming production, revising laws, and rectifying the military system are the top priorities of the government, and they are also what I am worried about."

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Fortunately, Gu Yong, Jiang Wan, Man Chong, Pan Jun and others are all talented people who serve as my arms and take care of state affairs. Lu Boyan, Jiang Zitong and Wen Zhongye followed your good advice and selected soldiers for Han to share the country's worries."

After the Southern Han unified the country, people discussed endlessly whether to adopt the conscription system or the military conscription system.

Those who support the recruitment system say that the widespread county conscription system will easily allow local forces to grow stronger, and it would be better to follow the example of the Eastern Han Dynasty and establish northern and southern armies to strengthen the central government and weaken the local areas.

Those who support the conscription system believe that the Xianbei were powerful, but the country is now in decline, and the recruitment system is unable to cope with the current situation, so the county conscription system is still implemented.

While the debate was going on, Zhuge Liang sent someone to ask Huo Jun for his opinion.

Huo Jun wrote back a letter, suggesting that the extensive county conscription system of the Western Han Dynasty be changed to a conscription system that emphasized the central government and weakened the local areas, with both the recruitment and conscription systems being implemented simultaneously.

That is, a quota was set every year to recruit elite soldiers in the interior of Kanto, and conscription was adopted in Kansai to govern the soldiers in service. The elite soldiers recruited in Kanto were supported by money and food, while the soldiers in Kansai were exempted from tax on their land.

The elite recruits, as professional soldiers, go to the battlefield in times of war and stay in the capital when there is no war; the county soldiers under the conscription system farm on weekdays and receive training during the slack season, and are mainly composed of the elite soldiers at the time.

Huo Jun briefly explained why the two systems of recruitment and conscription were used in parallel. The current taxation is insufficient to support the recruitment system. The conscription system is based on land wealth. If land annexation occurs in the future, the county soldiers will be weakened in battle.

Therefore, we can now run two tracks in parallel, using the strong military resources in Guanxi as the basis and tax exemption as the condition, adopting the prefecture and town system. In the Guandong region, we recruit brave warriors as soldiers to supplement the strength to prevent the county soldiers from fighting and weakening their combat effectiveness due to land annexation.

Upon hearing Huo Jun's letter, Zhuge Liang was greatly amazed and decided to adopt Huo Jun's suggestion. He implemented the conscription system in Guanxi to use local troops to guard the center and borders; and implemented the recruitment system in the inland areas of Guandong to absorb local warriors as supplementary troops.

Huo Jun put down the teacup and said with a smile: "Kong Ming has a serious temperament. If you can rule the world with your talent, it won't be long before the world prospers!"

Zhuge Liang sighed slightly and said, "The country is in decline and all industries need to be revived. It is necessary to eliminate old abuses and implement new systems. However, I am always worried that my talents and virtues are insufficient, and I am worried day and night."

As he spoke, Zhuge Liang looked at the scenery of Mount Zhongnan and sighed, "I am not as leisurely as you, enjoying the mountains and rivers."

Huo Jun looked at the green mountains and said with a smile: "Jun's ability in governing is not as good as Kong Ming's. Today, the world is peaceful, and it is time for Kong Ming to show his skills. If you are willing, you can govern for a few years, and then hand over to the next generation, or return the power to Your Majesty."

"I feel uneasy until the Xianbei rebellion is pacified!" Zhuge Liang said unwillingly.

Although people often know that Zhuge Liang's political ability is better than his military talent, they do not have a specific understanding of Zhuge Liang's political ability. It can even be boldly said that the Shu Han in history actually hindered Zhuge Liang's talent.

Although Zhuge Liang was in charge of the government of Shu Han for more than ten years, his frequent military campaigns hindered his administration and he could only roughly build a system, but could not establish a long-term system. With the death of Zhuge Liang, the governance level of Shu Han declined seriously, the number of deserters and hidden households increased sharply, and the administration of officials collapsed.

At the beginning of the Southern Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang was able to display his talents. How could he easily resign from his post, not only for the sake of his ambitions, but also for the sake of the people of the world?

Huo Jun drank the tea in his cup and said with a smile: "General Jun will build a school in Nanshan. When Kong Ming is free, he can come to the mountain to teach."

Huo Jun put on a straw hat and walked down the mountain with a cane.

"Kong Ming, my wife and children have traveled a long way to Beijing. I'm sorry I can't stay with you for long."

"What a national hero!"

Looking at Huo Jun's graceful back as he left, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but admire him.

(End of this chapter)