Great Han Empire

Chapter 581: Troubled Times Heroic Chapter Dangerous
Li Hong made a tour of Jinyang City, and then went to General Hutian Zhonglang's Mansion.The main officials of Mintun District in Jinzhong gave a detailed account of the fallow next year.Considering that the current disaster of the Yellow Turban is getting worse and worse, it is difficult to ensure that Jizhou will have enough surplus grain to supply northern Xinjiang next year, so the General Hussar's Mansion has suggested several times that General Hutian Zhonglang's Mansion should re-evaluate the fallow policy. It is possible to replant some fields to alleviate the food shortage crisis in Jinzhong, and then implement a fallow rotation system ranging from one to three years on this basis.

The proceedings went on for a long time.Li Hong ate dinner with the officials of the Hutian Mansion, which was simple noodle cakes and vegetable soup.During the banquet, Li Hong was very emotional and said a lot of words of thanks to the officials.In today's difficult situation of the great Han, northern Xinjiang can persist tenaciously, can ensure that more than 300 million people can barely survive, can ensure that 10,000+ frontier troops guard the frontier fortress, and can ensure that there is no refugee riot in northern Xinjiang. .

The field officials saw that Li Hong was wearing worn-out leather armor and combat boots, sitting with them, eating simple rough food with relish, and saying endless words of thanks over and over again, feeling very happy and comforted in their hearts.

Li Hong is now a great Han Shangqing, not only has a high position and power, but also has eight thousand households in the city, but he is still the same as before, with simple and shabby clothes, eating the same food as the soldiers, and living in the same military tents as the soldiers , He also donated all his salary and food, any luxurious items, luxurious houses, fertile land, it has nothing to do with him.There is a joke among the rich and powerful in Jinyang that among the great generals of the Han Kingdom, Wei Qing from Emperor Xiaowu's dynasty is considered very poor, but today there is an even poorer one.Wei Qing still has a house, but Li Hong doesn't even have a place to live, and is extremely poor.Such people are idiots.

Li Hong didn't take it seriously after hearing this.There are quite a few idiots like this in the Han Kingdom.When the former Taiwei Qiaoxuan died, his family had no money for the funeral, so Yuan Fengyang sent some old friends to pay for his burial.Huangfusong, the former left chariot general, had the same board and lodging as the soldiers, and he also donated all his salary and food.His residence in Luoyang was rewarded by the first emperor, otherwise his family would not know where to live.During his tenure as Jizhou pastor, the people of Jizhou sang songs to praise him, which was known all over the world.Former Jing Zhaoyin Gaixun used to sell money to help the refugees when he was in Xiliang, but he became poor himself.Grand Tutor Liu Yu's virtues are well-known in the court, but his reputation is accompanied by a lifetime of poverty.In the past, Li Hong thought that he also accepted bribes, but later he found out that Liu Yu obtained money through this method, and then donated the money to the treasury to help the refugees or give gifts to the Hu tribe.There are still a certain number of officials like Qiaoxuan, Liu Yu, and Gai Xun who are dedicated to serving the people and doing nothing in their sleeves. There are also many generals like Huangfusong who share weal and woe with the soldiers.

Li Hong once said in the discussion of the various prefectures in northern Xinjiang that Da Sima (Liu Yu) went to the fields in Youzhou wearing common clothes and bare feet, and some people here complained that their salary was less and their official uniforms were old. .I don't get it, you have learned the etiquette of Confucianism all your life, is it all for nothing?Is this how the saints of the past taught you to be a man and govern a country?Is it that the sages tell you in the scriptures how to enjoy it to the fullest?How to get something for nothing?How to corrupt the law?How to kill and loot the people?
Some people called Li Hong hypocritical, ambitious, and contrived, and some called Li Hong a barbarian who killed people as well as killed people. But in some people's eyes, no matter what the purpose of Li Hong's simple life and living in a poor tent, at least It can explain that Li Hong currently has the intention of sharing joys and sorrows with Beijiang, which is infinitely better than his luxurious clothes, building a mansion, and extravagant prostitution.

After all, most of the officials in northern Xinjiang have a conscience, and they are loyal to the Han Kingdom and the emperor. Li Hong's words and deeds undoubtedly tell them that this person is worthy of trust, his virtue is worthy of praise, and his majesty is worthy of praise. Respect, this made them gradually trust and accept Li Hong, willing to defend the perilous northern border with him.For the sake of the country and the people, many people have been working hard and fulfilling their duties in northern Xinjiang for several years, silently contributing their meager strength.Without these people, Li Hong and Zhao Qi would not be able to defend northern Xinjiang, maintain and push northern Xinjiang to move forward with difficulty even if they had three heads and six arms.

=

Li Hong was still as usual, with a humble and peaceful attitude, which made many field officials who were familiar with him dare to speak freely.In this discussion, for the first time, someone put forward a proposal to streamline the frontier army.There are currently 12 frontier troops in Beijiang, and another [-] cavalry will be built in the next few years. However, it will be difficult for the imperial court to stand up in the next few years, and no money will be given to Beijiang.It is impossible to rely on the strength of Beijiang alone to support such a huge frontier military expenditure.

There is a financial gap of one billion yuan in northern Xinjiang this year, but because the imperial court has allocated all the funds for farming in northern Xinjiang for ten years, northern Xinjiang can use this money to temporarily support it.This year survived, what about next year?What about the year after?If the problem of border military resources cannot be resolved, Northern Xinjiang will inevitably be dragged down quickly by it.

From the point of view of farming in northern Xinjiang, officials in garrisoning fields are unwilling to allow Li Hong to misappropriate the funds used for garrisoning fields for use by the frontier army, so that the success of garrisoning fields in northern Xinjiang will fall short. manage?
The problem of border military resources is one of the biggest problems plaguing northern Xinjiang.At present, military expenditures in northern Xinjiang have been greatly reduced. Soldiers’ salaries have been reduced by 12%, the time for the army to replace ordnance has also been extended, and the repair of important passes has stopped. But that’s it, the [-] army needs at least [-] million yuan a year consumption.Eight hundred million yuan, Li Hong, who had lost the support of the court, could only shake his head and smile wryly after hearing this figure, helpless.Now he deeply felt why Lulongsai had only two thousand frontier troops during the Lulongsai war.If there is no money to pay the army, where will the soldiers come from?In order to get more money, the officers secretly reduced the number of soldiers to fill up the vacancies. As a result, the frontier troops became fewer and fewer, and they became more and more vulnerable.

In the past, the northern and southern armies in Gyeonggi were generally maintained at 5 people. After Dong Zhuo came to power, they expanded it to 12 people (12 for the northern army and [-] for the southern army.).No matter how rich Dong Zhuo was, he would not be able to support a [-] army for a long time, so he, like Li Hong, was about to lose himself.Although the imperial court has allowed Northern Xinjiang to mint money independently, can this money be minted casually?There is a lot of money, little food, and a lack of other materials, so the price of goods will soar, and finally the northern border will collapse.In addition, even if Beijiang wants to mint money, it must have enough copper. However, Beijiang currently has very low copper production and the amount of minted money is very limited.

The only way is to reduce the number of troops, as in the past.It's not like Li Hong hadn't thought about it, but the desert has just been pacified, the border counties have just been recovered, and the crisis in Gyeonggi hasn't eased yet, and the ant thieves in Yanqing, Xu and Sanzhou are rioting again. How can we do it without the army to control and defend the northern border?
=

It was already late at night when Li Hong returned to the posthouse with a heavy heart.

Xiaoyu and Fengxue were still chatting with Lie Kuangfeng.Fengxue is in a very good mood recently, smiling every day.She came to a very strange place far away from the desert. Apart from Li Hong and Xiao Yu, she had no relatives around her, which made her very lonely.The arrival of big brother Li Kuangfeng brought her great comfort and joy.

After Li Hong came back, the family talked and laughed happily for a while.Lie Kuangfeng saw that it was getting late, and immediately got up to say goodbye.

Li Hong accompanied Lie Kuangfeng to the courtyard, and Lie Kuangfeng asked Beijiang if there was going to be a war.He knew that it was not for him to inquire about such important national affairs, but he was leaving in a few days, and this matter had been kept in his heart, so he couldn't complain.

Li Hong shook his head with a smile, "I've already told you, and Liu Bao and the others, don't worry, as long as I'm in northern Xinjiang, the desert will be fine."

"Don't lie to me." Lie Kuangfeng looked at Li Hong suspiciously and said, "You really don't want to draw a single soldier from the desert?"

Li Hong stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder, and said in a low voice: "Three years, I swear that I will not transfer a single soldier from the desert within three years. I can't promise for too long, but I can still guarantee it for three years."

Lie Kuangfeng nodded and smiled and said, "I'm relieved when you say that. Now that the Huns are powerful, Liu Bao and Liu Ming have fought many battles with you, and they are all warriors. If they take advantage of our Xianbei When the strength of the people is weak, we can't stop the sudden attack. You have [-] troops stationed in the north and south of Yinshan Mountain. The Huns have the heart and don't have the guts. Three years, three years is enough, as long as the desert is no longer If there is a heavy snowstorm like last year, we can barely recover and can protect ourselves."

Li Hong said with a smile: "I invite you here this time, just to warn you, don't think that you can take advantage of the chaos in my country. I will never give up the desert. The [-] frontier army is only temporary. In the future, when my big man is stabilized, the frontier army will be expanded to at least [-], and at least [-] cavalry. Last year, the desert suffered from a rare snow disaster for decades. Going south to fight, but what is the actual situation this year? My big man has successfully rescued the tribes of the Hu tribe, saved many Hu people, helped you survive the severe winter, and saved you from the suffering of war. The strength of my big man Could it be that you, a small tribe, can resist? It is far better to be friends with us than to be enemies with us. This time, you should feel deeply, right?"

Lie Kuangfeng smiled faintly, and asked worriedly: "The current situation in the Great Han Kingdom is so bad, are you sure you can stabilize the situation?"

"As long as there is no accident in the desert, I have a solution."

"No accident in the desert?" Lie Kuangfeng smiled wryly, "If you had kept the Huns in the south of the Yin Mountain, the situation in the desert would have been much better than it is now. After the first battle in the setting sun, our strength dropped sharply, and then we suffered heavy losses. Disasters, especially the northern and central Xianbei, struggled and barely survived. On the other hand, the Huns were more affected by disasters. Because they were close to the border counties, they received more and timely relief, so their strength not only did not decrease but also slightly improved. Today The Huns are dominant in the desert, and they are a huge threat to everyone. If you don’t believe me, ask Shemoci, Lu Pofeng, Kuangfengsha and Loulu, what are they most worried about now?”

Li Hong smiled without saying a word, as if he didn't care about Li Kuangfeng's words.

Lie Kuangfeng looked at him, and said anxiously: "If there is another snow disaster in the desert this year, no matter how big or small, there will be accidents in the desert. Do you believe it?"

Li Hong's heart trembled, and the back of his head suddenly felt chilly.If there is another snow disaster, it is impossible for northern Xinjiang to have enough food to help the desert. Those affected tribes have nothing to eat, and their strength is even more vulnerable, while the unaffected or still strong tribes are bound to wait for an opportunity to attack.Due to the generational enmity among the Hu people, coupled with the nature of the Hu people to annex each other, war is inevitable.Even if there is an army strong enough to intimidate the Hu tribes in the desert, it can't stop the fighting among the Hu tribes.Brothers and sisters in big families often quarrel, not to mention these Hu clan tribes who have deep hatred like sea.You have to fight if you have nothing to eat, and you have to fight when you are full. If the vast desert wants to be stable for a period of time, you need to think of more ways to formulate more strategies.

Li Hong and Lie Kuangfeng walked side by side on the quiet path, silent.

How can northern Xinjiang survive?

=

The next day, at the invitation of Wang Rou, Li Hong visited the Wang Clan with Xu Rong, Zhang Yan, Li Wei, Zhu Mu and others.

After Li Hong arrived in Northern Xinjiang, he never accepted an invitation from any powerful family. This was the first time in history.Li Hong's move was undoubtedly to give a warning to the Hedong Clan.In today's situation, whoever is willing to provide the greatest help to northern Xinjiang will be able to get greater benefits in northern Xinjiang.In the early days of Bingzhou’s farmland, the Hedong clan and Chang’an Xuling, Qu Zhong and others gave Li Hong great assistance, but they immediately received a generous return from Northern Xinjiang, but now they are not satisfied with this return, they have become Get more and more greedy, more and more unscrupulous.Li Hong planned to use the Jinzhong Clan to suppress and eliminate the threat brought by the Hedong Clan to northern Xinjiang, and at the same time, he also wanted to use the Hedong Clan to restrict and reduce the influence of the Jinzhong Clan on the military and political affairs of Northern Xinjiang.

The mansion of the Wang family is located in the east of Jinyang City, on the shore of the Jinshui River. There are many buildings that belong to Miwang, which is very grand.Occasionally, there are secluded pools and flowing water, dotted with exotic flowers and plants, which makes people sigh that there is no lack of beauty and elegance in its simplicity and solemnity.What surprised Li Hong in particular was that some cornices and column wall carvings were specially decorated with copper lacquer. From a distance, they looked yellow and bright, which was extremely eye-catching.

While Li Hong was heartbroken, he quietly asked Zhang Yan beside him, "Brother Feiyan, why didn't you demolish this house when you occupied Jinyang? It's all money."

Zhang Yan couldn't help laughing, leaned close to Li Hong's ear helplessly, and whispered in a low voice: "After we captured Jinyang, some of Wang Rou's other clans had already gone to Hedong long ago. They moved all the things in the house away. They were all folded away, not even the windows were left. Apart from the empty house, there was not even a ghost.”

Li Hong shook his head regretfully, pointed to an exquisite window engraved with a picture of the cloud and air fairy, and sighed in a low voice: "This window sash is worth at least a thousand dollars. An ordinary farmer can't afford to buy one... ..."

Zhang Yan looked up to the sky with a sad expression and sighed.

Li Wei stood in front of a four-story tower and lingered for a long time.Li Hong walked up to him, looked up at this magnificent building, and said in admiration, "This building can not only climb high and look far away, but also keep the enemy out. I don't know how much it will cost to build such a tower?"

"Lord Wang's house has been around for nearly a hundred years. After several generations of construction, the money spent must be astonishing." Li Wei said with a smile, "I think this is no longer a mansion, but a fortress. General You see, this tower, plus the surrounding high walls, turrets, and pavilions extending in all directions, if there is sufficient food and weapons, it will not be a problem to guard it for several months."

Li Hong looked at Li Wei in surprise, and said in a low voice, "Zhong Yuan, if I use a trebuchet, I can blow it away in a day."

Li Wei was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "General, we have that thing, but others don't."

Li Hong smiled and asked, "Have you been to the Hedong Wei family? How is it compared to here?"

"I've been there before, and it's similar to here. These big clans are extremely wealthy people in the Han Kingdom. There are hundreds of slaves in each family, and dozens of wives and concubines in the back room. In the deep hall, there are even more entertainers. It's a matter of extravagance and sensuality. Look at the clothes they wear, everyone is embroidered with embroidered clothes, and fox white gold thread, and then look at us, isn't it very shabby?" Li Wei pointed to the old leather armor on Li Hong's body , laughed out loud, "Before I left, I told you not to wear this thing, but you didn't listen. Look, the clothes worn by the servants of the Wang family are worth more than your clothes."

Li Hong's face was slightly red, and he said embarrassingly: "I won't come next time, I'd better stay in the barracks, and..." He looked around, and said in a low voice, "When I get to this place, I feel uncomfortable all over. It’s true that I’m poor, I’m poor, it doesn’t matter if I lose face, but I want to rob, do you think I was born to be a horse bandit?”

Li Wei was stunned for a moment, rubbed his chin, glanced at the tower, then shook his head, sneered and said, "It's not complete, it's better to set it on fire."

Li Hong nodded solemnly, "Fold it, it's a pity to burn it."

=

The Wang family is a powerful family in the north, and the ancestors are military generals. Most of the children in the family are both civil and military.During autumn hunting, the Wang family's children are the most prominent in the Jinyang area.The horses and hunting dogs of the Wang family are second to none in northern Xinjiang.Li Hong is not interested in the Wang family's horses. These horses cannot be compared with his past mount Black Panther and Feng Xue's mount Feixue. He is very interested in the Wang family's hunting dogs.Originally he wanted to ask for one, but seeing Wang Rou triumphant and looking like the best dog in the world, he was angry and decided not to.

At the noon banquet, Li Hong's eyes were opened. He couldn't imagine that there is such a luxurious family in the poor northern Xinjiang.Li Hong remembered that when he was celebrating the New Year in Luoyang, the first emperor had a big banquet for his ministers, that time was considered the most luxurious, and then this time.The table is full of all kinds of tableware and wine utensils, some made of lacquer, silver, or jade.The servants served dishes and wine in an endless stream, some of which Li Hong didn't know the names of, and some of them were taken away before he even had time to taste them.In the lobby, the sound of female music, silk and bamboo music was pleasant to the ear, and the graceful dancers dazzled everyone.

Li Hong couldn't eat after two sips of wine.It's not that I don't want to eat, but I'm not in the mood to eat.

He asked Li Wei in a low voice, isn't this female music only available to the royal family and the army?Why do these aristocrats dare to violate the law and enjoy female music privately.Li Wei almost spit out a sip of wine, "General, the law belongs to the law, and extravagance belongs to extravagance. These are two different things. The power of wealth has already shattered the etiquette. As long as you have huge wealth, whether it is a prince or relative Merchants and rich people, no matter how they enjoy extravagance in life, they are not guilty. As early as Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaowu, the wind of extravagance and lewdness had spread endlessly. After the general fled from Xianbei and returned to Dahan, he has been fighting on the battlefield. It’s normal to not know about this kind of thing before, but the general must not ask again next time, so as not to make people laugh.”

Li Hong became angrier when he heard it.For the purpose of farming in northern Xinjiang, I begged the emperor to open up the salt and iron business to benefit the country and the people, but I was accused by the ministers of the DPRK and China of violating the law.What about themselves?It is generally accepted that breaking the law has been fine for hundreds of years.As long as you have power and money, any violation of laws and etiquette is worthless bullshit, just a joke.

"What's wrong in the world..." Facing the piles of delicacies on the table, the beautiful maidservants around, and the female music singing and dancing in the lobby, Li Hong was dizzy and a little furious, "People outside Crowds starved to death, and even changed wives and sons to eat, millions of people, tens of millions of people rebelled, but here they are enjoying themselves..."

Li Wei saw that Li Hong's face was getting more and more ugly, and knew that he had lost his composure, so he hurriedly persuaded him: "General, if you persist for a while, don't get angry. We will leave immediately after the banquet is over."

Li Hong swallowed with difficulty, the muscles on his face twitched violently, and a murderous look suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Li Wei was taken aback, and persuaded again: "General, Master Wang and the Jinzhong clan have brought down the price of food within a month, which shows the importance of the clan to Northern Xinjiang. Some things can't be done without killing." It solves everything. Killing a family leader can save 10,000+ refugees at most, but what about next year? We killed all the family members this year, but who will we kill to save the refugees next year?"

"The meat in the clan's house can't be eaten, and it will be left after it breaks. The wine in the clan's house can't be drunk, and it will be dropped after it goes bad. But these meat and wine can't save many people. If we want to save the world, we need There is meat and wine every year, so that millions of people can have enough food and drink every year."

Li Hong let out a long breath of anger, and then said bitterly: "I will never enter the gate of the family again."

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(End of this chapter)