Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 503 Wanyan Tribe (Special thanks to the book friend Youhai Fengwu for the 2 monthly tickets!)

"Zhe Yuxun City" was built in the 25th year of Kaixi. At that time, Chai Zongxun sent Zhe Yuxun and three other Longxiang Army corps to destroy Liao and then go north to take over the entire Beiming area.

Because of the advantageous geographical location, a city was built. Later, Chai Zongxun ordered the newly built city of Beiming to be named after the generals who had made meritorious contributions in the expedition. Thus, this large city in the northeastern Ming was named "Zheyu Xun City".

The temperature here is over 20 degrees in winter and over 20 degrees in summer. When Chai Zongxun arrived here with his army in early May of the 38th year of Kaixi, the temperature was just over 10 degrees.

After more than ten years of continuous development, "Zheyu Xun City" has developed into one of the three major cities in Beiming with a population of 300,000, with logging of giant trees and fishing and hunting as its main pillar industries.

Among them were 120,000 immigrants from the interior, and the rest were prisoners exiled to the North Sea and Jurchens who were enslaved.

On the afternoon of the second day after Chai Zongxun led his army into "Zheyuxun City", he held a banquet in the temporary camp and invited hundreds of local people's representatives to the banquet, as well as fifty representatives of prisoners and Jurchen tribes.

The first people Chai Zongxun asked were the representatives of the immigrant people.

Chai Zongxun said:

"Fellow villagers have come from far away to respond to my call to immigrate to the North Sea to develop it. Has the government delivered the promised benefits to the villagers?
If there is anything illegal, you can report it to me now, and I will punish you severely!"

All the people said:
“Your Majesty, when we arrived in Beiming, the government had already prepared the land for us, and the slaves were also fully equipped within a few months.

There were a few delayed cases, but I heard that they were quickly resolved after the parties involved reported them to the Wude Division and Longxiang Guards."

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly and said:

"Fellow villagers, you must have the courage to protect your own interests. So, have you participated in the election of the "Village Worthies Bureau" in various states and counties?"

The people said:

"The 'Local Worthies Bureau' created by Your Majesty is the patron saint of justice for the people like us. The common people all know that they must elect people with upright character and selflessness as 'Local Worthies' so that they can speak out for the people like us. Therefore, almost every household will participate in every election."

Chai Zongxun said happily:

"That's great! Expecting officials to rely on moral self-discipline is pure wishful thinking! Only when you, the people, actually participate in supervising officials can we ensure that the government serves the people.

Institutional protection is the most important thing.”

After several rounds of drinking, Chai Zongxun turned to the serving prisoners and asked:

"Although you are prisoners, basic survival guarantees are necessary. As long as you work diligently during your sentence, you can be integrated into the citizens of our Great Zhou after serving your sentence.

How are your living conditions? I want to hear the truth. "

Several prisoner representatives looked at each other, and one of them said:

"Your Majesty, the criminals have voluntarily been exiled to the North Sea. The government has provided them with food and lodging, so they can be said to have no worries about food and clothing.

We worked for five hours every day, and there were military doctors in the camp who provided free medical treatment. When the service period was over, the government would also issue us a sum of "reform silver" to help us gain a foothold in society as soon as possible and integrate into the normal people. "

According to the "Old Book of Tang" Volume 632 "Taizong Benji II", in December of the sixth year of Zhenguan (290), Emperor Taizong of Tang Li Shimin personally went to the prison to check the criminal records of prisoners and found that prisoners had been sentenced to death. Li Shimin ordered that these death row prisoners be released home first and allowed to be executed in the last month of autumn next year.

By the end of autumn of the following year, all 290 prisoners returned to prison on time, ready to continue their punishment.

After receiving the report, Li Shimin pardoned all the death row prisoners. The prisoners and their families all shouted "Long live Li Shimin" and called him a benevolent emperor. Chai Zongxun ruled the country with "filial piety and law". Except for occasional amnesty for major state events, he valued protecting and improving the basic human rights of prisoners: the right to survive with enough food and clothing, and the right to return to society as soon as possible after serving their sentences.

Therefore, for prisoners serving labor service, the imperial court set up a "reformation silver" when they were released after serving their sentences. The amount was determined based on the length of time the prisoner served labor service, and was generally 500 coins per month.

Although the amount is not much, it plays a big role in helping newly released prisoners gain a foothold in society and greatly reduces the possibility of reoffending.

Chai Zongxun said:

"If there are any illegal activities in the prison camp, you can report it to the Wude Division or Longxiang Guards who patrol regularly, and they will definitely uphold justice for you."

All the prisoner representatives bowed deeply to express their gratitude.

Seeing the dozen or so Jurchen tribal leaders attending the banquet, and thinking that the Jurchens, Shiwei and other barbaric nations had all been conquered by him, Chai Zongxun felt very pleased and said:
"Now that I have unified the world, I am having a feast with the people today. I have heard that the Jurchens are good at singing and dancing. I would like to see them for myself!"

The emperor had already spoken, and more than a dozen Jurchen tribal leaders had no choice but to come out one by one and dance their own dance in the hall to celebrate Chai Zongxun's birthday.

After about an hour, all the Jurchen tribal leaders had finished dancing, except for a young leader in his twenties who remained sitting at the table and did not leave.

He Yao, the chief eunuch in the palace who was standing behind Chai Zongxun, looked at the leader and scolded:

"Which Jurchen tribe leader are you?
Everyone is dancing to celebrate His Majesty's birthday, why don't you come down and dance? ! "

The leader stood up reluctantly and saluted to Chai Zongxun:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have only been good at hunting since I was a child, and I have never learned to dance. Therefore, I cannot dance to celebrate your birthday!"

When Chai Zongxun heard this person emphasize the word "slave" with great hatred, he was moved and said:
"You haven't answered which Jurchen tribe leader you are? What's your name?"

The leader hesitated for a moment and said through gritted teeth:

"I am the leader of the Wanyan tribe, Wanyan Wugunai."

The ancestor of the Jurchens is said to be Wanyan Hanpu, a member of the Suomote Mohe tribe.

During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, due to the dispersal of the Su-mohe clan, Hanpu, who was over 60 years old, fled from his old home in Goryeo. When he arrived at the Wanyan tribe, he encountered a tribal dispute. Hanpu stepped in to quell the situation and stayed in the Wanyan tribe. He had two sons and one daughter. The eldest son was named Wulu, the second son was named Wulu, and the daughter was named Zhusiban.

When Emperor Taizu of Liao was in power, the Khitan took over all of Bohai, and the Suomutan Mohe became subordinate to the Khitan. Those in the south of Bohai were included in the Khitan nationality and were called "cooked Jurchens", while those in the north of Bohai were not included in the Khitan nationality and were called "raw Jurchens".

The Wanyan tribe was a branch of the Jurchens.

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
"I feel like dancing today. You can try to dance to celebrate my birthday."

Wanyan Wugunai refused to go on stage, saying that he could not dance.

Chai Zongxun was furious and said:
"From your tone, it seems that you are extremely resentful of the Jurchens being taken as slaves by me?! Do you have rebellious intentions towards my Great Zhou?"

Amid the sounds of "clangs and clangs", more than a hundred of the thousands of imperial guards standing around the hall had drawn their swords and loaded their muskets, and in an instant they surrounded Wanyan Wugunai and more than a dozen Jurchen leaders.

(End of this chapter)