Eastern Jin Dynasty: My powerful father

Chapter 74 Yongzhou Expatriates
  Huan Xi and Zhou Chu were old acquaintances. Zhou Chu followed his father Zhou Fu to Jiangling to pay homage to Huan Wen, but was left in Huan Wen's shogunate to work with Huan Xi.

When old friends reunited, Zhou Chu was a lot more restrained in etiquette.

"At the end of the day, I will pay my respects to the Crown Prince."

Although Huan Xi was granted the title of Duke of Jingzhao County, for Huan Wen's subordinates, it was more appropriate to call him Crown Prince, which meant that Huan Xi was the heir to Huan Wen's legacy.

"After several years of separation, I didn't expect that Yuan Sun (Zhou Chu) would become more powerful and majestic, quite like the governor of Zhou Dynasty."

Huan Xi smiled and helped Zhou Chu up. Regardless of their personal friendship, he pointed out that his father Zhou Fu had guarded Shuzhong for the Huan family for several years and worked conscientiously. Huan Xi could not wait for him to be slow.

After the two exchanged greetings, they never left each other. Deng Xia, who was following Huan Xi, finally joined in the conversation:

"Yuansun, I wonder how my uncle's health is lately?"

It turns out that Deng Xia's father, Deng Yue, once served under Wang Dun with Zhou Fu. After Wang Dun's defeat, the two hid together. Zhou Guang, Zhou Fu's younger brother, planned to capture Deng Yue to receive the reward.

In anger, Zhou Fu and Deng Yue defected to the Barbarian King Xiangcan. They did not return to official service until the imperial court granted amnesty.

In fact, Zhou Fu's body was also a concern for Huan Xi. He looked at Zhou Chu, and Zhou Chu smiled and said:
  "My father is far away in Shu, and I am working in Jingzhou. I have not seen him for several years. However, I heard that my father can eat a bushel of rice and five kilograms of meat in one meal. I think he is in good health."

Huan Xi said happily:
  "This is very good. Without the governor of Zhou Dynasty, there would be no peace in Shu."

Zhou Chu waved his hands repeatedly:

"The prince is full of praise. My father often said in his letters that he was just a follower of Xiao Gui and Cao Cao. The great rule in Shu can be achieved because of the power of the prince."

The three of them talked together for a long time, and then the team set off again. Huan Xi no longer rode in a car, but instead rode a horse. Zhou Chu and Deng Xia were on the left and right, lagging slightly behind and not daring to keep pace with him.

On the way, Huan Xi tirelessly inquired about news from the south from Zhou Chu. Although he had been communicating with Xi Chao, the correspondence was not as detailed as what he heard by ear.

During the days of Huanxi's Northern Expedition, many major events occurred in the south. For example, Xiao Jingwen, the Zhenwei guard, rebelled. Taking advantage of Huanxi's entry into the pass and Zhou Fu personally leading his soldiers to guard the border of Yi and Liang, he attempted to attack and kill the conquering general Yang. Qian, occupied Yizhou.

Fortunately, Zhou Fu had already taken precautions. When Huan Xi invited him to send troops, he made it clear in his letter that Xiao Jingwen was rebellious and reminded Zhou Fu to take more precautions.

In the end, Xiao Jingwen's plan failed and he was killed by Yang Qian, passing on Jiankang.

Zhou Fu didn't know how Huan Xi was able to conclude that Xiao Jingwen had different intentions through a quick encounter in Chengdu that day, but compared to Huan Xi's current achievements, this ability to recognize people is not surprising.

Now, Zhou Fu is recruiting Huanxi people to go north and immigrate to Liangzhou in Yizhou, but he still has little effect. After all, Yizhou is also vast and sparsely populated, and the land equalization order is also being implemented.

Jingzhou does not have the basis for equalizing land, but Yizhou does. Since you can get land in the middle of Shu, who is willing to travel all the way to Liangzhou?

At this time, Huan Xi also had no hope for the Xue people to go north. For the current plan, he could only find ways to recruit some people in Jingzhou to follow him back to Yongzhou.

The team passed through Nanyang, Bowang and Xinye along the way and arrived at the shore of Han River.

Huan Xi did not take a boat directly in the north of the Yangtze River, but sailed down the river and drove directly to Jiangling.

He crossed the river and came to Xiangyang, specifically stopping in the city to stay overnight.

When they heard that Huan Xi had entered the city, people from all over the city flocked to see the young prince.

Huan Xi's recovery of Guanzhong was of special significance to the people of Xiangyang.

After the Yongjia Rebellion, Yiguan crossed south, and a large number of northern people fled to the south with their families.

The Eastern Jin Dynasty set up Qiaozhou and Qiaojun in various places to resettle immigrants. Xiangyang County was the former Yongzhou.

Now that Huan Xi has regained Guanzhong, Xiangyang County has naturally been re-integrated into Jingzhou, but the overseas Chinese in Guanzhong still live here.

They are also the main goal of Huan Xi's trip, which is to bring these expats back.

Huan Xi waved cordially to the crowded crowds on both sides of the street. Deng Xia tensed his nerves and protected Huan Xi with Zhou Chu, lest assassins appear.

Fortunately, Huan Xi's visit to Xiangyang was only temporary. Even if there was an assassination attempt, it would be difficult to make an effective plan in a hurry in the face of emergencies.

After Huan Xi stayed in the post house, he lived in seclusion and no longer received guests. He only took time to meet with the governor of Xiangyang.

Huan Wen ruled Jingzhou for several years, and these officials looked more like retainers of the Huan family than imperial officials.

The guard work of the post house was handed over to Zhou Chu. As for the thousand soldiers who followed him south, Huan Xi gave them a holiday and allowed them to have fun in the city.

These thousand soldiers belong to the ranks of soldiers. Not only do they have military pay and fertile land, they also receive heavy rewards for their successive battles. They are not rich in wealth, but they also have considerable wealth.

As the saying goes, wealth does not return to its hometown, but it is like walking in fine clothes at night.

Although his family had already moved to Guanzhong with the army, his neighbors were still there, and his relatives and friends were all in Jingzhou.

In order to show off in front of others, naturally he will not be stingy with purchases.

Huan Xi had not given them a chance to buy before, so he had to wait until they came to Xiangyang.

With the influx of a thousand soldiers into Xiangyang, consumption in the city was greatly stimulated. While they were throwing away money, there would always be many Yongzhou expatriates asking them about the situation in their hometown.

At this time, there will always be people who loudly advocate life in the north, especially the land policy. These soldiers are the direct beneficiaries of this policy, and the fields they have been granted are also the most fertile.

Of course, as retired soldiers, they do not farm themselves. They either sublet it out or give it to their families to farm.

Huan Xi only prohibited the sale of public land, but allowed the sublease of acres.

The Yongzhou overseas Chinese heard about the specific situation in their hometown and compared it with their lives in Xiangyang. A large number of landless overseas Chinese had an increasingly strong desire to return home.

Huan Xi simply left a scribe in Xiangyang and opened an office to introduce in detail the current situation in Guanzhong to overseas Chinese who were willing to go back to the north.

However, he did not immediately encourage the expatriates to leave. In any case, this matter would have to be discussed with Huan Wen.

After all, since Shang Yang established the household registration system, people have not been allowed to move freely unless the ruling order has been seriously damaged.

If you want to take away these Yongzhou residents, you must obtain Huan Wen's consent.

Huan Xi only stayed in Xiangyang for one day. When he left, the restaurants and brothels in Xiangyang city were the ones he was most reluctant to leave behind.

I don’t know when I will encounter such a rich army again.

The soldiers not only ate, drank, and gambled in Xiangyang, they also purchased a lot of goods. For this reason, Huan Xi had to find two more official ships to carry the goods they purchased.

The fleet went down the river and drove directly to Jiangling.

　There is another chapter, which will be relatively late, probably before twelve o'clock. I went to bed at five o'clock yesterday morning. Today, my throat started to feel dry and sore, and it took me an afternoon to recover.

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)