The Nameless of the Common Clans

The winter of the 19th year of Hanshou passed, and in the spring of the 20th year of Hanshou, Lü Bu returned to the court. Now it was Zhang Liao who took over Yunzhong. Just as Chen Mo expected, in the 20th year of Hanshou, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong. Fortunately, the court had been prepared, and a large amount of grain was transported to Guanzhong at the beginning of the year, so that not many people in Guanzhong starved to death because of the drought. However, something went wrong after all.

The grain and grass that Chen Mo transported to Guanzhong were enough for the people in Guanzhong to survive this drought year, and there was even a surplus, but the fact is that according to subsequent investigations, the grain and grass that actually fell into the hands of the people was not even half enough.

During the disaster relief, Chen Mo did not take action, and everything was stable, but his anger was never suppressed. When it was spring of the 21st year of Hanshou, Guanzhong had basically stabilized, and the matter of disaster relief grain began to brew among the people in Guanzhong. Many people whose family members had starved to death heard that the grain and grass allocated by the court was originally enough for the people in Guanzhong to eat, but in the end it was more than half less. No one dared to directly resist the local officials, but public opinion was getting more and more intense.

Even the court in Chang'an suffered an unprovoked disaster. After all, when Chen Mo was in Guanzhong and was penniless, he was able to lead the people of Guanzhong through the drought. Now that the world is peaceful and the treasury has surplus grain, so many people starved to death. Although the court did nothing here, you are the emperor after all, and you are here. Who else can they look for?

Liu Neng is also very miserable. He also wants to be in charge, but he can't.

However, the people obviously don't care so much. Liu Neng didn't have much presence, but this time he made enough presence and was scolded by the people.

In April, after the disaster relief was over, Chen Mo quickly ordered a thorough investigation. In Guanzhong, from the prefect to the county magistrate, anyone who touched the disaster relief grain would be punished according to the law regardless of the reason.

Originally, most people thought that Chen Mo would turn a blind eye to the matter for the sake of stability, as he had done in the past. After all, everyone took a little bit in this matter, and no one crossed the line. However, no one knew that this line was set by Chen Mo. In the past, the world was in chaos and the rear needed stability, so Chen Mo would choose the method of maintaining stability. This time, it was time to settle accounts.

As for instability, the people's hearts have been lost, and the people will not protect you. Who will make trouble with you? There are more than 30,000 people waiting for vacancies in the Imperial Academy now. The so-called "no law punishes the masses" does not apply to the present.

In fact, most of the prefects and county magistrates in Guanzhong today are also the first batch of Taixue disciples sent to this position by Chen Mo. However, after 20 years, how many people who hold power in a place can still remember their original intentions?

Chen Mo never overestimated the greed of human nature, so before deciding to investigate the matter thoroughly, he had made sufficient preparations. In fact, it was no different from what Chen Mo expected. After this investigation, thousands of officials in Guanzhong were beheaded, and the governors of Sanfu and Xiliang were all spared. Almost all the county magistrates, county magistrates, and county lieutenants in various places were involved and were taken down by Chen Mo with thunder and lightning. And every time he went to a place, he first announced the crimes, then arrested people, investigated, and confiscated their assets. The property obtained was used to compensate the families of the victims, and if there was any surplus, it was filled into the treasury.

In the vast Guanzhong, 800 miles of fertile Qinchuan, only three county magistrates survived this liquidation, and there were no more than 30 people including some county officials. The speed of filling officials was also shocking. New officials came with the investigation team. The previous officials were beheaded, and the new officials took office immediately.

This action chilled many people's hearts. Although Chen Mo had always been criticized by the princes for his origin and for usurping the Han Dynasty, he had always been quite benevolent and righteous internally. This was the first time that Chen Mo showed his cold and ruthless side to the officials under his rule, and the speed of replacing the old with the new also taught many people a lesson. After decades of training, the court's lack of officials had long passed. Not to mention the top talents, at least the court was not short of talents in local governance.

Chen Mo had established the Three Schools for decades, and for the first time proved to the world what the greatest significance of its existence was.

And Chen Mo also took this opportunity to make the court's salary sufficient. If someone was corrupt and perverted the law, the more than a thousand heads in Guanzhong and the more than a thousand families that suddenly fell into decline would be examples.

The scholars had become a thing of the past with Chen Mo's new policy. The system that Chen Mo had created by imitating the Enfeoffment Order had successfully disintegrated the scholars from within, and it was difficult for the scholars to compete with the court.

Of course, everything in the world has its yin and yang. When the old powerful people fall, new powerful people will naturally rise. But at least for now, under Chen Mo's attack, there is no soil for the formation of parties that can coerce the imperial power, such as the scholars and relatives in the past.

Chen Mo also used the Guanzhong incident to intimidate the officials and began to establish a new system with great force. The former Skynet began to be gradually known to people, and the system of mutual supervision among officials began to be established. At the same time, the military power was independent of the political power and was only controlled by Chen Mo. Local officials, regardless of their rank, had no right to touch the military power.

No matter how the official evaluated Chen Mo in private, Chen Mo's reputation among the people was getting higher and higher with the large-scale killing of officials.

After all, this kind of thing is a bit gratifying for the people. No matter whether the former officials persecuted themselves, it was a relief.

In the 22nd year of Han Shu, the Xiongnu submitted a petition for surrender for the eighth time. The Xiongnu Chanyu even came to Luoyang in person. After submitting the surrender petition, he refused to leave Luoyang. Chen Mo did not force him to leave. However, the matter of surrender still needed to be planned slowly. How to surrender, how to settle, and customs and habits were all issues that needed to be considered. If the court accepted it, it would mean that the Xiongnu surrendered. Chen Mo wanted more than just a form, but to truly turn these people into Han people.

In August, Chen Mo issued an edict to open the border and allow the Hu people outside the Great Wall to trade with the Han people. At the same time, he allowed the border troops stationed in Bingzhou, Youzhou, and Xiliang to expand outward. As long as the tribes were willing to fly the Mingwang flag, they would be considered Han people. Of course, these tribes also needed to pay taxes to the Han people.

However, Chen Mo could not think of a feasible way to govern the grassland for a while. After the border was opened, Youzhou and Bingzhou had frequent wars in the second half of the year.

"Your Majesty, should we close the border again?" In the lobby of the palace in Luoyang, a minister frowned and said, "Frequent border wars have caused people in border areas to live in fear."

"Let's wait and see." Chen Mo shook his head. When Lu Bu was transferred from Bingzhou before, he didn't see these people start a war. Now that the border ban has been opened and the Hu people are allowed to trade at the border, the Xianbei tribes and the Wuhuan people have started to fight. This move must have touched the interests of these people. Although he doesn't like war, Chen Mo knows that this is a good thing.

"This war should be fought. Wars in the world are nothing but interests. This time the Hu people come to fight, and they must be personally hurt. Let's figure this out first, and then talk about whether to fight or not!" Chen Mo smiled and said, "Send a message to the generals at the border. Those who are willing to come to trade are welcome, but if they think that our dynasty is easy to bully, then we can't tolerate it. Whoever moves will be killed. Although the grassland is not our Han land, the rules must be set by our dynasty!"

"Your servants obey your orders!" All the generals agreed and left.

As Chen Mo's order was issued, the border generals had a different attitude after they understood the court's attitude. In September, Zhao Yun went north from Bailang Mountain and massacred the thirty-seven Wuhuan tribes again. The Wuhuan, who had just recovered, were killed and fled north again.

In October, Taishi Ci led his troops to the Chuchou River, and the Xianbei tribes fled. Zhang Liao led his troops across the Yinshan Mountains and personally beheaded three Xianbei leaders, forcing the six major Xianbei tribes to submit collectively.

So far, the grassland has been much calmer. It was not until this time that Chen Mo knew the reason. After the Han Dynasty lifted the border ban, the people of various tribes flocked to the Han territory in large numbers. Some were indeed merchants, but more wanted to settle in the Yunzhong area. The population on the grassland was originally sparse. Even if it was once as powerful as Tan Shihuai, who spanned the east and west and even established the Xianbei court, the actual population of the grassland was less than 10 million. Not to mention that now under the threat of Chen Mo, many of the most fertile grasslands in the grassland have become farmland for the Han people. The tribes were naturally unwilling, and with Lu Bu transferred away, Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci old, they had this test. Who knew that once they tried, they were beaten by the border army and fled in embarrassment, and their vitality was greatly damaged. Under such circumstances, they could only pinch their noses and approve the rules set by Chen Mo for the grassland.

At this point, the Xianbei, Wuhuan and other grassland tribes were quiet for five years. After getting Chen Mo's permission, the Xiongnu began to migrate south on a large scale, and the Hetao area also became a place for military households. Many border soldiers began to settle here, and some directly married Hu women. These five years were a transitional period for the integration of the grassland and the Han people. There were minor frictions, but not many, and the Hu people did not dare to make a big deal.

Until the sixth year, the 27th year of Han Shu, Zhang Liao died of illness, which gave the Hu people hope. The tribe headed by Kebi Neng gathered all the major tribes and assembled 130,000 Hu cavalry to march south, and the war between the Hu and Han started again.

But this year, the court did not send another general, but promoted Chen Zheng to be the General of the Northern Expedition to preside over the war. Although it was his first time to take charge of the army, Chen Zheng had been fighting with Lu Bu since the time of Lu Bu, and later followed Zhang Liao. He had enough popularity in the army. In this battle between the two sides, Chen Zheng also showed his military talent to the world for the first time. He led the army to fight against the Hu cavalry without losing an inch of land. He also personally led the elite to raid Kebi Neng's camp, cut off Kebi Neng's head, beheaded more than 10,000 people, and repelled the Hu cavalry. This battle also established Chen Zheng's identity as a famous general in his youth.

This year, Chen Zheng was 35 years old, which was not young, but his ability was generally recognized for the first time. Chen Mo was overjoyed after hearing the news. He hosted a banquet to entertain the ministers and personally recalled Chen Zheng to confer a title.

In the 28th year of Han Shou, Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci resigned their posts, and the two old generals returned to the court. Chen Mo personally led all the officials to welcome them, reported to the court, and conferred titles on the two men, allowing them to live out their lives in peace. The Han Dynasty then entered a period of prosperity.