Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 370 Step by step
In the first round of rewards, everyone received official positions that could be used to do practical work. Honorary positions such as prime minister, minister of ceremonies, and grand marshal had not yet been conferred.

Everyone was promoted, and no meritorious person was left out.

Liu Taozi was dressed in a royal robe and sat on the upper seat, looking very majestic.

The ministers stood neatly on both sides in official uniforms of different colors.

This was considered the beginning of the first court meeting of the Han Dynasty.

As the host, Wei Shou was finally able to kick Zu Ting away and shouted in a proud voice: Court officials have something to report!
Gao Yin was the first to stand up and bowed deeply to Liu Taozi.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Your Majesty has followed the will of the people and established a new country. This is a blessing for the world and you should bless the world. Please exempt the land tax of You and Ying states for one year!"

Gao Xun was not speaking nonsense, he had discussed this matter with everyone many times. Although the weather was warming up quickly, it was snowing heavily. There were several counties in Youzhou close to the border that had heavy snowfall, which caused roads to be blocked and farmland to suffer huge damage, so they needed to be appeased.

As for Yingzhou, it is simply too poor. People from other border areas who go there all say it is poor. Even the local government is extremely poor.

Youzhou is considered as disaster relief, Yingzhou is considered as a support.
Liu Taozi also knew about the two issues they had been discussing these days and was not surprised.

"That's right."

Gao Yu thanks you.

Then the other ministers began to report their thoughts one by one. After all, it was their first time, so everyone said something good. Most of them talked about good news and auspicious signs, such as the appearance of a centenarian somewhere, or a baby being born with a jade in its mouth, etc. Anyway, they were all auspicious signs that foreshadowed the ascension of the new king to the throne.

Liu Taozi didn't care much about these and just nodded.

Some people also said something that made Liu Taozi unhappy.

Someone reported to the emperor that when the new king ascended the throne, he should grant amnesty to the entire nation.

Liu Taozi directly rejected it.

Why should we pardon someone we caught with great difficulty?

After a long time, the court meeting finally ended and the ministers left.

Wei Shou wiped the sweat off his face and walked to Liu Taozi's side. "Your Majesty, I am following your Majesty's orders. Everything should be kept simple."

"I know you did a great job."

Liu Taozi rarely praised him, and he said: "Many etiquettes in the future can be kept simple and simple."

"only!!"

As soon as Liu Taozi walked out of the hall, she began to take off her clothes. It was not that the clothes were ill-fitting, but she was not used to them. The long sleeves and long skirt made it uncomfortable and cumbersome to walk in. Only after she changed into more convenient clothes did Liu Taozi leave the palace.

He had a few more people to meet.

Hulugu and Bao Xian were wearing exquisite official uniforms and sitting in the carriage. They were in a good mood.

Bao Xian smiled and said, "It's really your Majesty's usual style. It was over in less than half a day. I thought it would be delayed until the evening. There must be a dinner party or something."

Hulugu fiddled with his clothes and said, "It's just that this official uniform is too complicated. The official uniforms of Qi were so good in the past, but they had to be made in different colors. It's even more troublesome to wear than in the past."

"I think so."

Suddenly a voice came from outside the carriage.

Hulugu looked outside in astonishment. The carriage stopped hastily. The two generals were pulled forward by inertia and then hurriedly steadied themselves.

A man opened the car curtain and walked straight in.

The person who came in was Liu Taozi, who was wearing ordinary military uniform and sat opposite them.

The two were stunned for a moment before Bao Xian responded, "Your Majesty, I, Bao Xian, greet you!"

"Your Majesty, I, Hulugu, pay my respects to you!"

Liu Taozi waved her hand and said, "This is the most troublesome and the most unpleasant thing."

Bao Xian asked in confusion: "Wasn't your Majesty in the palace just now? How come..."

"I have something to talk to you about."

"Mr. Bao, are you okay? I heard that you are leading the troops into battle this time?"

Bao Xian was stunned for a moment, "It's okay, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

"It just so happens that Xu Zhicai is in Pingcheng right now. Let him take a look for you."

"From now on, you should stay in Pingcheng and let Xu Zhicai take good care of you."

Bao Xian hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, but over at the border"

"This is an imperial decree."

"only."

Bao Xian responded blankly, and Liu Taozi ordered the soldiers to come in and carry the old man into another car.

Liu Taozi asked them to send Bao Xian to Xu Zhicai so that Xu Zhicai could diagnose and treat him properly.

Only Hulugu and Liu Taozi were left in the car.

Liu Taozi asked the driver to continue driving and looked at Hulugu.

"Father-in-law."

Hulugu looked at Liu Taozi with complicated eyes. He had witnessed this young man's rapid rise to fame, growing from a small general to where he is today.

He still had feelings for Qi, but not to the extent that Duan Shao did. At least he still felt pain when he heard about the demise of Qi.

However, this is the path I have chosen.

Once you choose, you must accept it.

"My father-in-law sent me a great gift for my ascension to the throne. Three heads, all of them were important generals of the enemy."

"Many people say that my father-in-law should be appointed as the General of Chariots and Cavalry."

"In the past, this position was mostly held by maternal relatives. However, I think that even if my father-in-law is not a maternal relative, he can still be awarded for his military merits."

Liu Taozi praised him for a few words, and then changed the subject, "But I also heard that my father-in-law led his troops deep into the enemy's territory this time and was almost surrounded by the enemy. If it weren't for General Bao, I'm afraid it would have been difficult to escape unscathed."

Huluguang did not deny it either, "I didn't expect there were so many elite troops in the enemy's lair."

Liu Taozi nodded and said, "My father-in-law has more experience in fighting than me, so I won't say much. There is something I need your help with right now."

"Oh?"

"You want me to beat Duan Shao?"

"Do not."

"I want my father-in-law to fight the fake Zhou."

Hulugu immediately became excited, as he was an expert in fighting against the fake Zhou.

"You want me to beat up Wei Xiaokuan?"

"It should have been done long ago! Wei Xiaokuan used to rely on the strength of his city to speak nonsense. I am willing to lead the troops and cut off Wei Xiaokuan's head."

"Father-in-law, I don't mean to hit Wei Xiaokuan."

Huluguang frowned and thought for a moment, "Do you want to fight Gan, Liang?"

"As expected of my father-in-law, you understand everything at once."

"I can only give you a small number of cavalry. You can set out from Lingzhou to the northwest. It is up to you to decide who to fight and how many to fight along the way."

Liu Taozi said seriously: "At that time, the ministers in the country were arguing. Some wanted to govern the country with all their heart, while others wanted to deal with the Pseudo-Zhou and prevent them from quickly restoring national strength."

“I chose the former.”

"Establish military offices in various places to develop ourselves."

"But Yuwen Yong should not be underestimated. I heard that he has made many drastic changes in order to restore the country's strength as soon as possible."

"I want to send a general with a small number of knights to circle behind him."

"Among the generals in the country at present, you are the most courageous. When it comes to leading an army alone deep into the enemy's territory, no one can match you." Hulugu frowned. Is this a compliment or a scolding?
Liu Taozi said excitedly: "Father-in-law, this is such a great opportunity."

"If we face the Turks, there are too many Turkish cavalrymen and nowhere to get supplies. Even if we win several times, it will be difficult to return if our retreat is cut off. But this Pseudo-Zhou is different. There are fewer troops stationed in Liang, Gan and other regions of the Pseudo-Zhou. The full strength of the military headquarters in these two places is less than 20,000, and there are so many places to garrison!"

"My father-in-law's fighting style is most suitable for this place. There is no need to consider anything else. Just attack everywhere."

"As long as the Pseudo-Zhou cannot easily implement domestic affairs, it will be fine."

Hulugu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What about the Turks?"

"I am in Hengzhou now, and they dare not come."

Hulugu stroked his chin. This was indeed the fighting style he was most familiar with. This was how he fought against the Zhou people in the past. He had captured all the garrison cities on the border in this way. Once he attacked from Bai Ma and finally retreated from near Yongfeng.

"There are many horses in these two states, and many Chihu merchants."

"Have you ever thought of taking it?"

Hulugu suddenly asked Liu Taozi, who frowned and shook her head slightly.

"impossible."

"From Lingzhou to Liangzhou, there is a desert in the middle, a vast desert that stretches endlessly, and the army cannot pass through."

"If we go around from the south, there are Zhou garrisons, forts, and passes along the way. A small group of cavalry can still pass through, but a large group of people will be intercepted by them and then dragged to death around Jincheng County."

"Moreover, even if we take Liang, Gan and other states with a small force, as long as Jincheng is still in the hands of the enemy, they can move their troops north at any time, and we won't be able to defend it."

Huluguang narrowed his eyes and said, "That's really a pity."

"The key lies in Wei Xiaokuan. If Wei Xiaokuan is eliminated, the enemy's defense line will shrink again. Jincheng will probably be affected. Have you figured out how to defeat Wei Xiaokuan?"

Liu Taozi shook her head. "I have some ideas, but I haven't decided yet. If I decide, I will let my father-in-law lead the front army."

Huluguang nodded, "Okay."

At this time, the carriage had arrived at Hulugu's mansion, and Liu Taozi and Hulugu got off together.

"Then please think carefully about Liang and Gan's matter."

“If you think it’s feasible, you can set off in the spring.”

Until Liu Taozi left, Hulugu did not ask about his daughter. Since the other party did not ask, Liu Taozi did not mention it. Liu Taozi left several maps and related documents about Liangzhou and Ganzhou to Hulugu, and left in a hurry.

Hulugu's fighting style is really suitable for long-distance raids on the enemy, especially on the enemy's weak areas.

After leaving here, Liu Taozi held another "discussion" in the Zhaoxin Hall of the Royal Palace.

The participants in this discussion were all provincial governors. Except for the governor of Guangzhou, Lu Yao, who was unable to come due to illness, all other provincial governors were included.

You can choose not to attend other events, but you must attend the enthronement ceremony.

The provincial governors including Gao Changgong sat in front of Liu Taozi, while Zu Ting, Lu Qubing and Gao Yin sat alone opposite him.

The first thing is to report the situation of each autonomous region.

Before taking office, Liu Taozi and others reorganized the numerous states in the country, redivided the regions, reduced states and counties to avoid the appearance of states and counties with only one county. The Pseudo-Qi actually had states and counties consisting of only one county. No one knew what they were thinking. According to Zu Ting and others, it was to free up more positions to accommodate meritorious officials.

It is much cleaner now. Hundreds of provincial governors have been reduced to the current number.

The provincial governors were different from the court officials. They could not report good news but not bad news. They often reported bad news but not good news.

When facing the king and courtiers, they could only complain and cry poor, hoping to get more relief and care.

They even don't hesitate to sabotage each other.

The governor of Yingzhou, Yuan Yuxiu, inadvertently revealed the patched clothes under his official uniform, "Your Majesty can reduce the land tax of Yingzhou for one year. The people of Yingzhou are grateful. Yingzhou is a bitter and cold place with little arable land and a bad climate. It is difficult to farm and the people have nothing to eat."

Tang Yong, the governor of Youzhou, said immediately: "Mr. Yuan, what you said is not appropriate. I saw many carriages heading to Yingzhou. The heavy snow blocked the road. Some merchants complained and asked us to find a way to get them to Yingzhou as soon as possible. I heard that you opened up the mountains and swamps in Yingzhou and encouraged the people to mine and plant many medicinal herbs and yams, and sell these things to the medical clinics in other states and counties."

"What Mr. Tang said is true, and the price is high. The purchase of herbs in several counties has taken up a lot of expenses. The key is that these herbs can only grow in their place. If you take them to other places, they will not grow."

Jizhou Governor Cui Jie confirmed Tang Yong's words.

He looked at Yuan Yuxiu seriously, "Mr. Yuan, I think that instead of selling at a high price, if we can cooperate more, you provide us with these herbs, and we can also provide you with grain and cattle, wouldn't that be better?"

Yuan Yuxiu was still serious. "Yingzhou is poor, and there are only so many herbs and yams. Merchants come to buy them and they bargain for them. Other counties come to us to scare people with their power. In Yingzhou, especially in the easternmost part, the people dare not go out in winter. If you want to join forces, that's fine, but you can't bargain for them."

Gao Changgong sat among the crowd, truly like a breath of fresh air. He watched these famous sages arguing with each other and bargaining like merchants. The reputation and filters he usually had seemed to be shattered to the ground.

Gao Changgong was a little at a loss.

During the coronation ceremony, he heard that the "Provincial Council" would be held after noon.

He was very happy at that time, thinking about learning the experience of local governance from everyone, and he had already thought about how to share Lingzhou's political achievements.

But he didn't expect that at the beginning, these governors began to complain one by one, and none of them took the initiative to show their political achievements. Later, they even started to debate the price of medicinal herbs. Gao Changgong was a little confused.

"Your Majesty, Shuozhou is still the most miserable!!"

Tian Zili sat aside, feeling heartbroken.

Gao Changgong didn't know why he could say this so openly.

"Your Majesty, there are a large number of deceased people in Shuozhou, and Shuozhou no longer has much land to accommodate them. I hope that the court will allow the Shuozhou government to reclaim land for the second time next year, and the newly reclaimed land can be exempted from some taxes."

"Your Majesty, since the establishment of Guangzhou, there have been no ships docking at the port of Qingzhou. Merchants are unwilling to come, and commercial taxes have dropped significantly. Please allow Qingzhou to expand the port to attract merchants from the north."

Gao Changgong gradually understood.

Complaining is to achieve one's own goals.

Everyone has things they want to do, but unfortunately, the government only has so many money and craftsmen, and it is impossible to handle all the affairs of the ten states. Without the support of the government, large projects cannot be accomplished by local governments alone.

Take the port issue in Qingzhou for example. What he wants to build is not a small dock, but a sea-viewing platform similar to Guangzhou. Building a city by the sea is not something that the locals can do alone. And the reclamation in Shuozhou is obviously in the hope that the imperial court can provide food and personnel support.
Gao Changgong woke up quickly and got into the state the next moment.

"Your Majesty, Lingzhou is surrounded by enemies on three sides! The people are suffering!!"

Zu Ting and others have been writing something based on the conditions of many states.

After everyone has finished speaking, these few people will discuss and make the decision.

In the end, he only approved the memorials from Lingzhou Governor Gao Changgong and Yanzhou Governor Shi Yao.

Gao Changgong hoped to build post houses and forts on the road from Lingzhou to Shuozhou to maintain the road, because Lingzhou was too far away from Pingcheng, as if it was hanging in the enemy's belly. The road in the rear had been destroyed due to previous wars, making it very difficult to travel back and forth. Gao Changgong had marched all the way this time, but was still the last to arrive.

Shi Yao hopes to rebuild three abandoned cities. These three cities were abandoned for various reasons in the past. As the weather warms up, Shi Yao hopes to redevelop these three cities.
The other provincial governors were helpless but there was nothing they could do. The court's expenditure was limited, and even Liu Taozi could not create something out of thin air.

These two major projects will probably consume a huge amount of national strength.

The part of selling misery ended just like that, and the governors returned to their former appearance as upright gentlemen.

The confrontation and rudeness just now disappeared immediately, and they were all smiling and happy again.

They discussed some important matters with the court officials, such as this year's goals, development direction, etc.

Gao Changgong found that Liu Taozi had been very silent the whole time. He listened to what the governors said, and then listened to what Zu Ting and others said. He rarely spoke, either shaking his head or nodding.

When the meeting was over and everyone left, Gao Changgong and Tian Zilie were not in a hurry to leave.

Gao Changgong moved slightly closer to Liu Taozi and said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for approving my memorial."

"The ministers thought it was okay, so I agreed."

"I noticed that Your Majesty rarely speaks for himself."

Liu Taozi said calmly: "When it comes to fighting, these people are probably not as good as us, but when it comes to governing government, how can I compare to Zu Ting, Gao Yu and others?"

"I don't know as much as they do, so I'll just listen to their decisions and then adopt them. Why would I bother to speak nonsense?"

"Many of the current domestic policies are basically a continuation of past policies, or are borrowed from policies of other countries. Following the rules is not a bad thing sometimes."

Gao Changgong nodded heavily, "That makes sense."

"You are integrating into the society quickly, Governor Gao. Have you learned how to complain so quickly?"

"Hahaha~~"

(End of this chapter)