My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 501 The Current Situation in Jiaozhou
As Liu Feng had expected, Liu Ba not only did not complain about the heavy task, but was also grateful to Liu Feng for the important trust placed in him.

Liu Ba possessed exceptional talent in law and economics. Later, when Liu Feng's father had wreaked havoc on the economy of Shu, it was Liu Ba who stepped in to clean up the mess.

Subsequently, Liu Ba served as Zhuge Liang's important deputy, helping him to formulate the "Shu Code".

Although the Shu Code was only the law of Shu Han, it was very comprehensive, especially reflecting the legal philosophy of Zhuge Liang and Liu Ba. Its ideological sources were mainly the Legalists Shang Yang and Han Fei of the pre-Qin period, as well as the Neo-Confucianist Dong Zhongshu of the former Han dynasty.

Its most outstanding feature is that it combines law enforcement with education, emphasizing both the principle of fairness and objectivity as the foundation and the application of morality as the basis, with education as the core. This legal concept, which combines Legalist and Confucian thought, was innovative and progressive at the time and has had a certain influence on legal thought and practice in later generations.

This was what Liu Feng appreciated most. Therefore, in his conversation with Liu Ba, he emphasized that Liu Feng's purpose was not to prioritize agriculture and suppress commerce, but rather to promote both agriculture and commerce.

Therefore, it is hoped that Liu Ba will prioritize the fairness, impartiality, and transparency of the laws when formulating them, and secondly, emphasize the need for a reasonable, compliant, and appropriate tax collection system.

The saying goes, "Without agriculture, there is no stability; without commerce, there is no wealth."

Why are these eight characters used?

Ultimately, it's because agricultural taxes are easier to collect, while commercial taxes are difficult to collect due to excessively high administrative costs.

In ancient China, the promotion of virtue was, to some extent, actually driven by self-interest.

It sounds contradictory, but it becomes clear once you break it down: it's because governance by virtue has the lowest cost.

If everyone is a virtuous person, then naturally they cannot evade taxes; if everyone is a virtuous person, then naturally they cannot commit crimes.

Doesn't that reduce administrative costs?
Moreover, unlike in the West, China's rule of virtue has indeed achieved its goals to some extent.

Why did the Western Middle Ages, and even the Roman Empire, implement a tax farming system?

It's because the cost of tax collection in Western countries is too high, even higher than the tax revenue they collect, that they have no choice but to implement the tax farming system.

Yet, such a large dynasty in the East was able to extend its rule to the county level, and then indirectly extend it to the countryside through powerful clans. While virtue was not the decisive factor, it was certainly indispensable.

“Brother Zichu, a nation is like a person; agriculture is its bones, and commerce is its blood. Without flesh and blood to nourish it, how can a person live alone?”

After discussing it with Liu Ba, Liu Bei discovered that Liu Ba was indeed very knowledgeable about economics and did not reject commercial activities, which made Liu Bei very happy.

Finally, Liu Ba patted his chest and guaranteed Liu Feng that he would do his utmost to compile a law suitable for the present, promoting trade and commerce, and providing a supporting tax system.

Although Liu Ba was proud and arrogant, he was a smart man. The reason why he was so easily convinced by Liu Feng was largely due to Liu Feng's sincerity.

Liu Feng not only directly approved 200,000 coins, 2,000 shi of grain, and 500 bolts of silk for public expenses, but also recommended Liu Ba for a position in the Commercial Law Department, which was equivalent to 1,000 shi of grain and was of the same rank as the Chief Secretary, and was highly regarded.

In addition, Liu Feng also gave Liu Ba two positions of 600 shi, four positions of 300 shi, and twelve positions of 100 shi, allowing Liu Ba to submit his own proposals. Liu Feng responded to every proposal.

Such a generous gesture demonstrates Liu Feng's emphasis on commercial laws. How could Liu Ba, who had been given such an important position, still be dissatisfied?

After seeing Liu Ba off, Xu Chu suddenly walked in.

Under Liu Feng's questioning gaze, he cupped his hands and reported, "My lord, Yu Zhongxiang and Bu Zishan have arrived."

"How did they get here so quickly?"

Liu Feng asked in surprise, "Yu Zhongxiang is fine, he is serving as the prefect of the neighboring Gan County, but Bu Zishan should be in Wu County, how come he arrived so quickly?"

Suppressing his curiosity, Liu Feng personally went to the Second Hospital.

At this moment, Yu Fan and Bu Zhi were already waiting at the entrance of the Second Courtyard. In fact, given their status, they should have been able to enter the hall and sit down to wait for Liu Feng to receive them.

However, Yu Fan and Bu Zhi were very humble and waited outside the Second Courtyard early on, watching Xu Chu go in to announce his arrival without leaving.

Whether it was Yu Fan or Bu Zhi, they were both upright officials under Sun Quan, each one capable of sharp criticism and outspokenness, even Sun Quan himself couldn't stand their scathing remarks. Yet, in front of him, they were as docile as cats, vying to be obedient. Even Liu Feng couldn't help but feel a little smug.

“Zhongxiang, Zishan, why did you come so quickly?”

Liu Feng stepped forward and, with one hand on each of Yu Fan and Bu Zhi, pulled them up as they bowed deeply to him.

“We are nominally ruler and subject, but in reality, we are good friends. I consider you two as my confidants and should treat you with courtesy. Why should you two be so formal?”

Liu Feng smiled and took their arms. By this time, he had grown to about 1.73 meters tall, definitely over seven feet.

Even though he was a head shorter than Yu Fan, he was about the same height as Bu Zhi. Therefore, even though Liu Feng was holding the two of them, he didn't have to worry about looking like a child.

Yu Fan and Bu Zhi were burning with excitement, especially the former. Although he was renowned in the prefecture and his talent and abilities were top-notch, he had always struggled to break through the threshold of the prefecture and the state.

Since joining Liu Feng's forces, he had been recommended for the position of Prefect of Gan Commandery in just over a year. Although it was separated from Yuzhang Commandery, it was still a real prefect with a salary of two thousand shi, making him the highest-ranking official in the history of his family.

Later generations could not comprehend the ecstasy Yu Fan felt, nor the gratitude he felt towards Liu Feng.

Liu Feng essentially helped Yu Fan and the entire Yu family achieve a meteoric rise in their social standing. From then on, the Yu family became a family with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measurement). This set a precedent for future generations, making it much easier for them to attain the official rank of two thousand shi. Moreover, with the improvement in their social standing, the number of marriage partners they could form also expanded to include those with salaries of two thousand shi or higher. This was a true leap in social class.

Although Bu Zhi was not as capable as Yu Fan, he had an extremely rich resume within the Liu family system. He started as a county magistrate, served as a county magistrate for two terms, and then participated in drought relief water conservancy projects in the two prefectures north of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou. His achievements were remarkable.

Under such circumstances, being transferred to Liu Feng's side was obviously a great thing.

Sure enough, upon meeting, the two were immediately treated with great respect by Liu Feng, and their hearts burned with passion, eager to serve him to the death.

After entering the study and taking their seats, Liu Feng inquired about the recent situations of Yu Fan and Bu Zhi, but did not immediately get to the main topic.

Soon, Xu Chu entered with several other people. These people included Huan Jie, Liu Ba, Liu Pan, Qu Jing, Pan Ren, Jiang Xin, Jiang Wan and his son, and Liu Min.

Yu Fan and Bu Zhi did not know each other, so Liu Feng immediately introduced them one by one. They were all Liu Feng's trusted and beloved generals. Even Liu Ba, who was so proud and arrogant, couldn't help but lower his stance at this moment, and the atmosphere on the field was quite harmonious.

Once everyone had finished their conversation, Liu Feng brought up the main topic.

"Gentlemen, I have been honored by the Emperor and the court, and I am highly regarded by the General, who has entrusted me with the affairs of Yang, Jing and Jiao provinces. Now, Yang and Jing provinces have been pacified and the people are living in peace and prosperity. Only Jiao province is in turmoil and political chaos. Prefect Shi has submitted memorials in succession, which have caused great concern to the court, the Emperor, the General and I."

After ceding Nanyang Commandery, Liu Feng obtained control of Jingzhou from Cao Cao. As long as Liu Feng submitted memorials regarding matters concerning Jingzhou, Cao Cao would not obstruct him.

Therefore, Liu Feng is now the rightful ruler of the three prefectures appointed by the imperial court.

With Jingzhou and Yangzhou stabilized, the remaining Jiaozhou naturally became an urgent issue.

Although Jiaozhou is remote and isolated, it is rich in resources, has a large population, and its grain output is incredibly high. With control of the sea routes, Liu Feng is not worried about transporting the grain out, so the sooner the better.

When discussing Jiaozhou, one cannot help but mention the Shi family, and when discussing the Shi family, one cannot help but mention Shi Xie.

Shi Xie was from Guangxin, Cangwu County, Jiaozhou. The Shi family was a prominent family in the area, and Shi Xie, as a scion of such a family, naturally had a considerable reputation from a young age.

However, Shi Xie's fame was limited to Jiaozhou. What truly changed Shi Xie's fate was his resolute decision to leave his hometown and go to Luoyang to study when he was young.

During his years of study in Luoyang, thanks to his family background, his personal talent and hard work, and the reputation of his father Shi Ci, who served as the governor of Rinan during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, he was able to become a disciple of Liu Tao, a member of the Han imperial family from Yingyin, Yingchuan.

This Liu Tao was no ordinary person. He was a genuine member of the Han imperial family, a descendant of Liu Bo, the Prince of Jibei. He was a famous writer and scholar of classics at the time. His childhood friend was Xun Yu's grandfather, his friend was Zhong Yao's father, and his colleague was Chen Qun's grandfather.

During the reign of Emperor Ling, he also served as an official in the court, holding important positions such as Imperial Censor, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Governor of the Capital Region, and Grand Counselor.

Shi Xie gained Liu Tao's favor and was thus appointed as the governor of Jiaozhi.

Originally, according to the family law of the Han Dynasty, a prefect could not serve for a long time. However, Shi Xie happened to be in a good position. Not long after he took office, just two years later, Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang and the world was in chaos.

Jiaozhi is far away and remote, and has almost lost contact with the region. To date, Shi Xie has served as the governor of Jiaozhi for a full thirteen years.

This is not the most terrifying thing. What is even more frightening is that the Shi family has multiplied for six generations and two hundred years in Cangwu County, and has become the leader among the powerful clans of Cangwu.

Of the seven counties in Jiaozhou, two were already the Shi family's base of operations.

But that wasn't the end of it. What was even more suffocating was that after the great chaos in Jiaozhou last year and the death of Zhu Fu, Shi Xie actually submitted a memorial to the court, recommending his second brother Shi Yi as the governor of Hepu County, his third brother Shi as the governor of Jiuzhen County, and his fourth brother Shi Wu as the governor of Nanhai County.

Good heavens, Jiaozhou has a total of seven prefectures and kingdoms. The Shi family has one stronghold, and each of the four brothers has one. They took over a total of five in one go.

The strangest thing is that even though the Shi family has become so powerful, Shi Xie himself is still quite loyal to the Han Dynasty. He serves the successive governors and prefects well, and on the surface, the deaths of these governors and prefects have nothing to do with him.

What's more, even though things had come to this point, the court was prepared to grit its teeth and directly appoint Shi Xie as the governor of Jiaozhou. However, Shi Xie refused to take office, adhering to the Three Mutual Law. In the end, the court came up with an unconventional solution: appointing Shi Xie as the General of Suinan, overseeing the seven prefectures of Jiaozhou, and concurrently serving as the governor of Jiaozhi.

This was essentially just changing the name of the Governor of Jiaozhou and handing it over to Shi Xie.

At the time, Cao Cao was in power, so this was naturally his intention. Ultimately, his actions stemmed from Liu Biao's invasion of Jiaozhou.

Cao Cao would rather give Jiaozhou to Shi Xie than allow Liu Biao to continue expanding his power.

Liu Feng, however, was different. To Liu Feng, Jiaozhou was now his territory. If Shi Xie was willing to obediently act as the master of Jiaozhou, Liu Feng would not hesitate to reward him handsomely. But if Shi Xie had other ideas, Liu Feng would not mind using Sun Quan's old methods to raze the entire Shi family to the ground.

Apart from Yu Fan and Bu Zhi, whom Liu Feng intended to go to Jiaozhou, most of the people present were from Jingnan, especially from Lingling.

Liu Ba, Pan Ren, Jiang Xin, Jiang Wan and his son, Liu Min, and Fei Yi's uncle who had not yet arrived, were all first-class aristocratic and powerful families in Lingling.

Lingling is adjacent to Cangwu Commandery of Jiaozhou, which is the seat of Jiaozhou. Guangxin County of Cangwu Commandery is not only the seat of the Cangwu Commandery, but also the seat of Jiaozhou.

Although Lingling County and Cangwu County are mountainous, transportation is very convenient. In addition to being connected by roads, they are also connected by the Li River, and the two sides have a close relationship.

Therefore, the powerful clans and gentry of Lingling and Cangwu prefectures had many connections, knew each other, and formed countless friendships.

What Liu Feng wanted was for the scholars of Lingling to contribute their efforts to help him stabilize Cangwu.

The current governor of Cangwu Prefecture is named Shi Huang. He is frail and sickly and is nearing the end of his life.

Historically, after Zhu Fu's death, Zhang Jin succeeded him, but his good fortune did not last long. Zhang Jin was ordered by Cao Cao to frequently launch northern expeditions against Jingzhou in order to contain Liu Biao's expansion. The battles between the two sides led to a rebellion by powerful clans in Jiaozhou, who then assassinated Zhang Jin.

After Zhang Jin's death, Liu Biao, with the help of the rebellious powerful families, naturally extended his influence into Jiaozhou. He appointed Lai Gong as the governor of Jiaozhou and Wu Ju as the prefect of Cangwu.

Shi Huang died around this time. It's hard to say whether his illness was exacerbated by the shock of the war, or whether he was simply murdered by Liu Biao, Wu Ju, and others.

Therefore, the most suitable place for Liu Feng to focus his efforts is actually Cangwu Commandery, followed by Nanhai Commandery and Hepu Commandery.

That's why Liu Feng never considered trying to win over Shi Xie. The two had irreconcilable differences, and unless Shi Xie surrendered, Liu Feng wouldn't even consider appeasing him. Instead, he should be thinking about how to seize the positions of Prefect of Nanhai and Prefect of Hepu for himself.

Liu Feng's introduction sent chills down the spines of everyone in the hall. The Lingling people, especially Liu Ba and his group, were utterly astonished and trembling with fear.

Liu Ba and the others were all intelligent people, so as soon as Liu Feng spoke, they could guess something and knew that Liu Feng probably needed their help to expand into Jiaozhou.

Putting aside other factors, with Lingling backing them up, they could easily maintain an army of ten thousand men to enter Cangwu. Given that the people of Jiaozhou didn't have much ambition, it was hard to imagine them launching an armed resistance against a royal army of ten thousand men with an imperial decree.

In this way, Liu Feng's first piece will surely be able to gain a foothold in Cangwu.

(End of this chapter)