I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 344: Lamenting the troubled times, the rise of aristocratic families (4K2)

Tian Chou is a man of great talent.

After Liu Yu's death, he was determined to avenge his lord and vowed to never obey Gongsun Zan. He led his family and hundreds of followers to live in seclusion in Xuwu Mountain and devoted himself to farming. In just a few years, the number of households increased to 5000.

In that small mountain, he formulated laws and built schools. For a time, the people had good morals. Not only were the Xianbei and Wuhuan willing to make friends with him, but Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others also extended olive branches to him.

However, Tian Chou insisted on not giving it. Only in the end, when Cao Cao led his army to the north to deal with the long-term rebellion of the Wuhuan, did Tian Chou serve as a guide and provide Cao Cao with advice and contributions.

However, when Cao Cao wanted to reward him greatly, Tian Chou began to refuse.

He thought that he had led everyone to escape because of his lord's death, and his ambition of revenge had not yet been realized, so how could he rely on it to benefit?

Yes, Tian Chou finally maintained his reputation and integrity, and neither Yuan Shao nor Cao Cao really got him throughout his life.

It would be quite difficult to recruit such a person.

When Su Yao was deep in thought, Liu Yu said "but", which aroused his interest.

"But the only problem with this person is that he is a little too young, as he will only be crowned next year."

"Since the envoy has said so, I must take a look!"

Su Yao came back to his senses from his past memories.

Those future things have not happened yet, and at this moment, Tian Chou is still a young boy.

This kind of young talent, like Wang Ling, has strong plasticity and is worth cultivating.

Moreover, Youbeiping was right on his way to Liaodong, so he could capture the person along the way. Perfect!

The next morning, the wind and snow stopped, and the sun shone through the clouds, casting a faint glow and bringing a touch of warmth to the cold winter day.

At the gate of Youzhou city, Su Yao and his party said goodbye to Liu Yu and the officials of the provincial governor's office after replenishing their supplies.

Liu Yu stood in front of the city gate, looking at Su Yao's team ready to go, with a complicated look in his eyes.

The two finally reached a consensus on the new General Du Liao who was in charge of the northern military affairs.

Liu Yu promised that, apart from continuing to follow the usual practice, such as providing food and logistical assistance as the governor of Youzhou, he would not interfere with Su Yao's mission of suppressing the rebellion for the time being.

But at the same time, he also made it clear that Su Yao must demonstrate his results as soon as possible, especially the key task of opening up the Liaoxi Corridor.

The Liaoxi Corridor connects the interior of the country with the outside of the Great Wall, and is an important channel for Youzhou to defend against foreign invasions. If Su Yao can successfully open up this corridor, it will not only ensure the peace of Youzhou, but also provide strong support for the court's strategic deployment in the north.

However, opening up the Liaoxi Corridor is not an easy task.

The terrain there is complex, the climate is harsh, and there are alien forces entrenched. Now there is no news.

Liu Yu knew this very well, so he made clear demands on Su Yao.

If Su Yao is unable to complete this task in a short period of time, then in order to protect the people of Youzhou from further suffering, they must adopt a more prudent strategy - appease the Wuhuan and temporarily settle the border affairs.

Afterwards, we will slowly prepare for war, take every step carefully, and slowly achieve your majesty's goal.

Su Yao had no objection to this.

After all, if he, the governor of Liaodong who was in charge of the Liaodong military, could only live inside the Great Wall, it would obviously be a major failure for him.

"General Su, this journey is long and arduous. I hope you take care of yourself, wipe out the bandits as soon as possible, and bring peace and prosperity to the people of Youzhou." Liu Yu bowed.

Su Yao bowed in return:

"The Wuhuan bandits are nothing to worry about. I will defeat them in one blow and reach Liaodong directly, thus living up to your majesty's trust and your high hopes."

Seeing Su Yao so confident, Liu Yu paused, pulled him aside, and whispered:
"There is a situation ahead, General Su, please pay attention."

"After the rebels fled, the Cavalry Commander Gongsun Zan led two thousand light cavalry in pursuit."

As he spoke, Liu Yu frowned:
"However, after retaking Lulong Pass, he lost his trace in the Liaoxi Corridor."

"General Su, please be careful on this journey. If there is a crisis, you can stay at Lulong Pass to observe first. Don't rush for quick success and instant benefits, which will lead to unexpected events."

Su Yao raised his eyebrows and nodded, indicating that he would keep it in mind.

He remembered that during the great event, Gongsun Zan pursued the enemy too deeply and was surrounded.

But the war and the plot have changed so much, is it possible that Gongsun Zan's plot has not been affected?
If this is the case, then the enemy forces must be quite large in number if they are able to surround Gongsun Zan, so we really need to be vigilant.

There was no point in thinking too much. After replying to Liu Yu that he would pay more attention, Su Yao turned around, mounted his warhorse, waved the whip, and the team slowly started.

The 600-man new army of Du Liao, protecting the team's carriages and baggage, embarked on the journey to Liaodong.

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, and the team left a series of deep footprints on the snow, extending into the distance.
Along the way inside the pass, Su Yao and others progressed quite smoothly.

Although the harsh climate caused certain difficulties for the march, the heavy snow also prevented the army from moving.

No matter whether it was the post-war bandits or the Wuhuan and other Hu cavalry, no one was willing to rob in such a cold winter.

The cost of going out for a robbery at this time is far greater than the possible gains.

So, everyone went into hibernation in tacit understanding.

Only a team like Su Yao's with a mission would head eastward against the wind at this time of year.

Soon, Su Yao arrived at his first destination, Wuzhong County in Youbeiping.

Wuzhong County was a small clan state based on blood ties before the King of Zhou divided the world.

After King Zhou established the State of Yan, these small countries, as local indigenous peoples who refused to submit to the king's rule, had intense cultural exchanges with the State of Yan. The early kings of Yan in Jicheng were trembling in fear in this environment surrounded by Rong countries so close to them. They had to work hard and advance at every step.

Eventually, in the long river of history they were integrated into the vast Chinese nation and became a part of it since ancient times.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s just a stone’s throw away.

Although there is Yuyang County between Wuzhong County of Youbeiping and Youzhou City of Guangyang County.

But just take a look at the map and you will clearly see that this place is just in the area of ​​today's Jizhou District, Tianjin.

If calculated by distance, it is only a hundred kilometers east of Youzhou City, which is less than two hours' drive in later generations.

But today, in such a harsh environment, it took Su Yao a little more than three days, and he arrived at the destination before noon on the fourth day.

The distance between these counties within Youzhou Pass is so close.

Of course, it can also be said that the jurisdiction of the two cities of Beijing and Tianjin in later generations is large enough. In the era of large-scale infrastructure, the integration of urban circles constructed by highways and high-speed rail networks has greatly expanded people's living scope.

Pulling our thoughts back from the future to the present, what is even more worthy of regret is the corpses faintly visible in the snow.

Some of them had their hands tied and died on the roadside due to the torture of being taken captive outside the Great Wall.

Some were half-naked and emaciated. They became homeless after the war and begged on the streets in order to survive. Eventually, they fell in the sudden heavy snow.

At first, when Su Yao received the news, he would send knights to dismount and collect the bodies of the civilians.

However, the further east we went, the more people died on the roadside.

So Su Yao finally had no choice but to order the entire army to march quickly.

“This must end as soon as possible.”

"Your Excellency is right."

Liu Bei bowed and said:
"Youzhou was in chaos, and the people fled to the border areas, some to the Xianbei and Wuhuan, and some to the Liaodong Plain.

You should have made plans for how to deal with these refugees."

"Oh? Brother Xuande, do you have any ideas?" Su Yao asked. Liu Bei paused, glanced at Qian Zhao, then nodded to Su Yao and said:

"Later, Wuzhong Tian may be able to give you an answer."

What's the secret behind this?
Soon, Su Yao understood what they meant.

Towards evening, Su Yao and his army arrived at the Wuzhong Tian family's manor.

Manor, or Wu Castle, this was certainly not the first time Su Yao had seen it.

However, this was the first time Su Yao had seen such a bustling manor that was almost like a city.

The walls of the manor are tall, not inferior to those of a county town. Outside the walls, houses are arranged in an orderly manner, row upon row.

Although these houses are simple, there is smoke rising from every house, full of the atmosphere of life.

There were children playing and fighting on the streets, men standing in front of their doors bragging and chatting, and even peddlers walking along the street, shouting at the top of their lungs to sell something.

A vibrant gathering place has formed around Tian’s manor.

And it was even more prosperous than the dilapidated county town they had passed through before!
Such a scene formed a sharp contrast with the tragic scene of corpses all over the road just now.

"Is the Wuzhong Tian clan such a big clan?!"

The Wuzhong Tian family must have its own outstanding qualities to be able to make Su Yao exclaim in amazement.

Just looking at the walls of Wubao, it is not inferior to

"The Tian family is derived from the Gui family name."

Qian Zhao said:
"Chen Ligongzi Wan, whose courtesy name was Jingzhong, served in Qi. He first had a mining plot, so he called himself Tian. It is also said that Chen and Tian sound similar.

Tian He usurped the throne of Qi and became a vassal state. Nine generations later, Wang Jian was the last king of Qi to be conquered by Qin.

This is the origin of the Wuzhongtian clan."

Su Yao blinked.

Should we say that this guy is worthy of being the disciple of the famous teacher Le Yin? This bookworm Su Yao feels like he has heard something.

Seeing Su Yao's expression, Wei Ming stepped forward and explained:
"The surname Gui is one of the eight ancient Chinese surnames. It and the surname Yao both come from Yu Shun, one of the Five Emperors. The Tian family was the protagonist of the famous Tian family replacing Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period. Later, they fought with the tyrannical Qin for the world and united the two emperors of the East and the West. It was the most powerful vassal state in Guandong and had the largest royal population."

"Descendants of King Qi?"

Su Yao nodded and asked:
"Why did you come to Youzhou?"

This time, it was Liu Bei who responded:

"After Emperor Gaozu destroyed Qin and Xiang Yu, in order to prevent the restoration of the states in Guandong, he moved the nobles of the six states to Fangling in Guanzhong, and Zhu Tian was among them."

"Later, Wang Mang brought disaster to the country and Guanzhong was in chaos. Some groups of people moved to Youzhou and settled there."

"The current Wuzhongtian clan is a descendant of their branch family."

"I see."

Su Yao nodded and asked curiously:
"Then what is the influence of the Tian family in Youzhou?"

"The Tian family has lived in Youzhou for hundreds of years, with Guangyang and Yuyang as the core, and has continued to spread to other prefectures and counties. They are a first-class prestigious family in Youzhou."

Qian Zhao replied:

"It is one of the four great families in Youzhou, along with the Liu family, the Gongsun family, and the Yongnu Xianyu family."

Su Yao listened for a moment and thought, well, in that case, he would soon meet all the four major families.

As they were talking, they approached the manor.

It was the opposite of the welcoming reception that many people had imagined.

Not only did the manor Wubao suddenly close its gates to these soldiers flying the Han flag, but even the common people showed great vigilance. The people who had come out to get some fresh air because the weather was clear hurriedly returned home and closed their doors.

"What do they mean?" Su Yao frowned.

"Prince"

Liu Bei bowed and said:
"These people are refugees."

"Refugee?"

Su Yao was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

These people may have been forced to become homeless due to war and drifted here, where they were accepted by the Wuzhong Tian family and settled down.

However, due to long-term war and oppression, they were full of vigilance and distrust of the government troops and the outside world. Therefore, when they saw Su Yao and others coming, they instinctively chose to escape.

"Your Excellency is right."

Qian Zhao said:
"But it's more that these people are afraid of your punishment."

Punishment, yes.

In an agricultural society, farmers are the foundation of social productivity. At the same time, their relationship with the land can be said to be vital. Land is not only the foundation of farmers' survival, but also their entire hope for life.

Only by owning land can farmers grow crops and harvest food to support their families. However, once war or famine strikes, farmers often lose their land and are forced to flee and become refugees.

At the same time, due to the reality that farmers account for more than 90% of the total population, the management of farmers and land is an important issue that determines the rise and fall of a dynasty.

Agriculture-based is not just a slogan, but also a reality.

Therefore, during the Han Dynasty, the state's management of land was quite strict, and farmers' land ownership was strictly monitored by the government.

Once farmers flee their land and become refugees for various reasons, they will lose their original land ownership.

But what is more serious is that the Han Dynasty court often took severe punishment measures against refugees to prevent them from becoming a destabilizing factor in society.

These penalties include, but are not limited to, forced repatriation to one’s place of origin, confiscation of remaining property, and even possible punishment such as flogging or imprisonment.

To this end, the imperial court issued the "Migration Law" and the "Shenanigans Law" to strictly control population mobility.

In particular, severe crackdowns were imposed on local tyrants who took in refugees.

Therefore, when Su Yao and his army arrived with the Han flag, these refugees naturally felt extremely panicked and uneasy.

They were afraid that the arrival of the army would mean that they would be forced to leave this temporary safe haven, lose the protection of the Wuzhong Tian clan, and become homeless refugees again.

What’s worse, they worry that once they are caught and taken back to their hometown, they will be faced with severe punishment and endless suffering.

"So, in this chaos, the aristocratic families replaced the imperial court and became the protectors of the people."

Su Yao understood that this was the basis for the chaos in the world since the end of the Han Dynasty, which subsequently led to the birth of the aristocratic politics of the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

People have to live, and when the imperial court cannot solve the problem of food for everyone, the people will follow whoever can provide them with food and land to farm.

In this process, aristocratic families who already possessed enormous financial resources and prestige intervened at the right time to fill the power vacuum at the grassroots level.

On behalf of the imperial court, they appeased the people, took in refugees, distributed farming tools and seeds, and even helped these people start families and businesses.

At this moment, the aristocratic families actively played their role and became an indispensable force for social stability.

However, as the saying goes, all gifts come with a hidden price tag.

All of this, of course, is not without cost.

(End of this chapter)