The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 242 Cao Cao acquires a new tiger, Li Yi tests his skills in land surveying for the first time.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao, in response to Liu Bei's declaration of kingship and establishment of the Qi Kingdom, immediately took action himself.

He announced his promotion to Duke of Wei, established the State of Wei in Wei Commandery, and moved the capital to Ye City.

Cao Cao did this for two reasons. First, he did not want to be overshadowed by Liu Bei, which would put him at a disadvantage in the struggle.

Secondly, they hope to improve their strategic depth by relocating the capital.

Third, they hoped to break free from the Yingchuan Group headed by Xun Yu.

He moved the capital to Hebei and promoted Hebei scholars to help him counterbalance the Yingchuan scholar group.

However, Cao Cao's move would undoubtedly hurt the feelings of an old minister.

This man was Xun Yu, Cao Cao's major shareholder in his early career, who was known as my Zhang Liang.

There's a popular saying now.
They believed that Xun Yu was neither a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty nor loyal to Cao Cao.

He was simply loyal to his family and the Yingchuan scholar group behind him.

This makes Xun Yu's character too one-dimensional.

Xun Yu was a frugal man who distributed all his wealth to his clansmen and friends, leaving no surplus in his household.

Cao Cao married his daughter to Xun Yu's son, intending to officially appoint Xun Yu as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Cao Cao only gave up after being rejected by Xun Yu more than ten times.

It is clear that Xun Yu's purpose in working for Cao Cao was not for his own and his family's advancement.

As for the claim that Xun Yu was loyal to the scholars of Yingchuan behind him.

It should be noted that historical records clearly state that Xun Yu died because he opposed Cao Cao's claim to the title of Duke of Wei.

Only Xun Yu opposed it; the scholars of Yingchuan behind him were eager for Cao Cao to become a duke.

Zhao Yan, Du Xi, and Zhong Yao signed the "Memorial Urging Enthronement".

Xun You, Xun Yu's nephew, took the lead in urging him to ascend the throne.

It is true that Cao Cao proclaimed himself Duke of Wei in order to counterbalance the Yingchuan Group.

But that doesn't mean he's given up on Yingchuan Group.

This is an exchange of political bargaining chips: you support my claim to the throne, and I will give you corresponding benefits.

After Cao Cao became a duke, the former officials of Yingchuan were still given important positions, thus preserving their own interests.

Therefore, it is true that Xun Yu represented the interests of the scholars of Yingchuan, but it is nonsense to say that he was only loyal to the Yingchuan scholar group.

In the end, his Yingchuan scholar group failed to stand with Xun Yu to protect his ideals.

Therefore, we often say that Xun Yu was a "lone minister at the end of the Han Dynasty," because in the end, no one stood with him.

Xun Yu was like the patriarch of the family and the Yingchuan Group.

I can bring you wealth and glory, but you must obey and follow my policies.

These two are not contradictory.

So, was Xun Yu loyal to the Han Dynasty or to Cao Cao?
Actually, these two are not contradictory.

The Eastern Han Dynasty was a dual monarchy, so Xun Yu could be loyal to both Cao Cao and the Han Dynasty.

For example, when Xun Yu first served Cao Cao, he was appointed as a military commander.

He entered Cao Cao's staff and established a relationship between Cao Cao and his minister.

After Cao Cao moved Emperor Xian of Han to Xu County, Xun Yu became a court attendant and acted as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

In this way, Xun Yu established a relationship between ruler and subject with Liu Xie.

Therefore, in theory, Xun Yu at this time became Cao Cao's "former official".

According to the political morality of the time, Xun Yu had to fulfill his duties as a subject to both Cao Cao and Liu Xie.

This means facing a double loyalty.

When Xun Yu served Cao Cao, he devoted himself to providing Cao Cao with strategic advice, which is commendable.

When Cao Cao and Emperor Xian of Han shared the same interests, Xun Yu faced no moral dilemma and could simply focus on his work.

One job, two monarchs benefit.

However, Xun Yu found himself in a moral dilemma when Cao Cao's interests conflicted with those of Emperor Xian of Han.

Xun Yu happened to be a person who had extremely high standards for himself and did not allow any blemishes in his moral character, so he would not be careless.

That requires him to choose someone to be loyal to.

Xun Yu ultimately chose Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie.

Therefore, to summarize the relationship between Xun Yu and Cao Cao, it is as follows:

Xun Yu allowed Cao Cao to be like Huo Guang, but not like Wang Mang.

"...This matter is imperative."

Cao Cao said to Guo Jia:
“Fengxiao analyzed the benefits of calling himself Gong for me, but there is one point that Fengxiao did not mention.”

"Oh?"

Guo Jia raised an eyebrow and hurriedly asked, "I don't know which point it is. I am dull-witted and would appreciate your guidance, Lord Wei."

Cao Cao stroked his beard, looked south, and sighed:

"Liu Bei is no longer the same as when he occupied Xuzhou. He now occupies five provinces and commands an army of one million."

"It is truly difficult for our Wei state to resist them."

"Therefore, when it comes to allies, the first is Liu Biao, and the second is Sun Quan."

Cao Cao rose and paced back and forth, pointing to the map as he said:
"Of these two generations, Liu Biao is the strongest."

Guo Jia nodded and echoed:

"Liu Biao occupies Jingzhou and Xiangyang, with 100,000 armored soldiers and an elite navy, which can indeed restrain Liu Bei."

Cao Cao let out a cold laugh:
"Although Liu Biao was strong, he was suspicious by nature. He relied on Cai Mao internally and Huang Zu externally, so his power was actually divided."

"I fear that the alliance is not strong enough to match Liu Bei's cooperation in forming a powerful force."

Although this was also an alliance between Cao Cao and Liu Bei, Cao Cao was well aware of it.

An alliance with Liu Biao is certainly not as good as an alliance with Liu Bei.

"...Could it be that Lord Wei is thinking..."

Guo Jia reacted quickly and understood Cao Cao's meaning.

Cao Cao nodded, as if they were telepathically in sync, confirming Guo Jia's conjecture.

"Liu Bei claimed the title of King because he was a distant relative, while I claimed the title of Duke because I was a Han official."

"They all exploited loopholes in the Han system to silence the dissenting voices of the people."

Liu Bei was not a descendant of Liu Xiu, yet he became king, which violated the "unspoken rules" of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

But outwardly, people can't really criticize anything.

After all, Liu Xiu was also a descendant of Liu Bang.

Cao Cao's title of Duke of Wei did not outwardly violate the oath of "no one but Liu can be king" made at Baima.

Although he certainly faced more criticism and condemnation than Liu Bei, it was not to the point that he couldn't control public opinion.

After all, Cao Cao could simply insist that he had rendered meritorious service to the country.

He recovered Hebei for the country, eliminated the two traitors Li and Guo, and saved the emperor from dire straits.

The emperor showed him exceptional favor by granting him the title of "Duke of Wei," which was somewhat justifiable.

What Cao Cao really wanted was to open the door to the "Duke" title.

Not everyone can be a king.

First, you need to look at lineage; second, you need to look at ability.

However, the requirements for "public" positions are relatively less stringent.

"...Liu Biao harbored treacherous ambitions and occupied the land of Jingchu, commanding 100,000 armored soldiers and a fleet of over 1,000 naval troops."

"Now Liu Bei has usurped the title of king due to his distant relationship with the emperor, while I still retain the title of Duke of Wei, a title from the Han dynasty."

"I wish to invite Jing Sheng to claim the title of Duke of Chu, so that we may jointly subdue Da Er. What do you think, Feng Xiao?"

Cao Cao called himself Duke of Wei because he hoped that he could bear the "bad reputation".

Now that there's a first one, Liu Biao, who has always been ambitious, won't face too much criticism if he claims the title of Duke again.

In particular, Cao Cao was there to back him up.

This would facilitate a new alliance between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Guo Jia coughed lightly, tucked his sleeves, and replied:

"Your suggestion is truly a timely and appropriate response to the situation."

"Liu Jingsheng has always been ambitious. If he accepts the seal of the Duke of Chu, he will surely compete with Liu Bei for the southern lands."

"However, this may have led to the Han dynasty's practice of bestowing titles and rewards on an increasingly indiscriminate basis."

"...Today Xu Biao calls himself a public official, and tomorrow Xiliang and Hanzhong will all want to follow suit."

Guo Jia first affirmed the benefits of Cao Cao's plan, but then changed the subject and mentioned its drawbacks.

Clearly, Guo Jia believed that this move would do more harm than good.

Cao Cao pondered for a long time before slowly saying:

"How could I not know the evils of unjustly bestowing titles?"

"However, the world is in turmoil today, and extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"Looking at the heroes of the four seas, none of them do not covet the title of king."

“My actions are merely as Fengxiao said, taking advantage of the situation.”

"As for Han Sui of Xiliang and Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, they are nothing but rats and sparrows; how dare they emulate them?"

May you have no worries.

Seeing this, Guo Jia stopped trying to persuade him and only added one sentence:
"Ke Yang sent an envoy with the imperial seal and ribbon, while secretly ordering Cai Mao to present it."

"Liu Biao will certainly not refuse him if he sees this."

Cao Cao clapped his hands in approval and followed his advice.

He immediately ordered the Ministry of Personnel to draft an edict, and sent an attendant with the seal and ribbon of the Duke of Chu to Xiangyang.

He then secretly bestowed upon Cai Mao 500 catties of gold, instructing him: "Great things can be accomplished today."

Subsequently, Cao Cao officially moved the capital to Ye City.

They began to recruit talent from the north.

Cui Yan, a native of Qinghe, was appointed as the West Cao Yuan (a minor official), and someone was sent to recruit him again.

Cui Yan could not resist Cao Cao's coercion and had no choice but to comply.

I have also heard that there is a great talent in Wen County, Hanoi.

He was intelligent and insightful, and his judgment was decisive.

His surname was Sima, his given name was Yi, and his courtesy name was Zhongda.

He was the grandson of Sima Jun, the Prefect of Yingchuan, the son of Sima Fang, the Prefect of Jingzhao, and the younger brother of Sima Lang, the Chief Clerk.

He was then recruited as a literary clerk.

At that time, Sima Yi was twenty-five years old. He knew that the world was in turmoil and that this was the time for a man to make a name for himself.

He then answered Cao Cao's summons and went to the State of Wei to take up his post.

thus,

The newly established state of Wei was well-equipped in both civil and military affairs.

They helped each other, and everyone praised their achievements.

Not to be discussed.

……

Jizhou, Bohai Sea.

Meanwhile, Li Yi, along with his ministers, submitted a memorial advising Liu Bei to declare himself King of Qi.

He himself was appointed as the prime minister.

As the prime minister, he must establish his own government office.

Liu Bei was very open-minded and generous, allowing Li Yi to choose his own retainers in order to reduce Li Yi's workload.

I don't want him to work as hard as he used to.

Li Yi was equally uncompromising, following the old system of the Han Dynasty's Chancellor's Office.

Liu Bei's great-nephew, Qian, was appointed as the chief clerk to oversee all affairs of the government.

Chen Dao was appointed as Sima, overseeing military affairs and commanding the elite imperial guards.

Xun You was appointed as the chief clerk to manage confidential documents.

Xu Sheng was appointed as a military advisor to discuss military matters in the Prime Minister's office.

Zhen Yao was appointed as the Chief Clerk to assist Li Yi in handling government affairs.

With the help of a group of talented people, Li Yi was able to officially govern Ji Province.

They began a sweeping overhaul, eliminating the bad habits that had existed during Yuan Shikai's time.

The first priority is to curb land annexation.

This is something Li Yi has always wanted to do, but lacked the ability to do.

Because this harms the interests of landlords and powerful families.

But now the political landscape in Hebei has been reshuffled, and the interests have been redistributed.

Li Yi had soldiers and guns at his disposal, and a group of loyal followers.

It's time to take action against the powerful and influential.

Li Yi immediately issued a proclamation, stating:

"Those who govern a country or a family are not worried about scarcity but about inequality; they are not worried about poverty but about instability."

“During Yuan’s rule, powerful and influential families were allowed to act arbitrarily, and relatives and relatives were allowed to seize land.”

“The common people are poor and weak, and the taxes they pay are insufficient to meet their demands.”

"One man tills the land, and a hundred men are fed; the granaries are empty, and the treasury is depleted."

“Strict laws should be enacted to suppress powerful clans.”

Therefore, the "Land Restriction Order" was promulgated, stating:
"Anyone who occupies more than 500 mu of land shall have the remaining land confiscated by the government and distributed to landless people."

“Anyone who dares to conceal it shall be treated as having stolen government land.”

“Any household with more than one hundred slaves or servants shall be released and registered as a household.”

Indeed, Li Yi's "Land Limitation Order" was modeled after Liu Xiu's land measurement system in order to restrict land annexation.

As early as when he was in Xuzhou, Li Yi sent Taishi Ci to Yuzhang to conduct a preliminary trial of land surveying.

After taking office, Taishi Ci wrote down his experiences of failure and success and sent them to Li Yi.

After reading it, Li Yi had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

One should not be too hasty in anything. Li Yi's decree seems harsh.

In reality, it is a selective attack.

Within a certain area of ​​Jizhou, select specific targets for land surveying.

Li Yi feared that indiscriminate coverage would cause a huge uproar.

After all, this involves the interests of too many people.

I've decided to boil the frog in lukewarm water, taking it slow and steady.

Even so, it still caused great anxiety and unrest among the powerful clans of Bohai.

Chief Secretary Sun Qian then approached Li Yi and advised him:

"When the Prime Minister first takes office in Hebei, he should appease the gentry and clans to reassure the people."

"If we seize their land now, we fear it will incite unrest and give the Wei invaders an opportunity to take advantage of us."

Zhen Yao, also from a powerful family, fearing the knife might fall on their side, also offered his advice:

“The powerful clans of Jizhou have been entrenched for a long time, and their followers and private armies number no less than ten thousand.”

"If we push them too hard, they might surrender to Cao Cao, and then Ji Province will be in danger."

"Only the wise and prudent!"

Li Yi was well aware that these powerful clans had their own private armies and retinues.

To know,
When Lao Liu started out, he relied on the private soldiers, money, and provisions provided by Mi Zhu.

But it was precisely because of this that Li Yi's determination to cross the land became even stronger.

Take Li Dian's family as an example.

Their clan, without any external assistance, was actually able to defeat Lü Bu's army, even though Lü Bu's army hadn't eaten at the time.

But the fact that a clan's private army defeated a fully armed regular army is quite shocking in itself.

Li Yi could certainly keep the powerful clans in line and support his rule by protecting their interests.

But what's the price?

These powerful clans inevitably seized land on a large scale and concealed their population.

Jizhou was originally a wealthy place, but now it has very little government-owned land and a small population.

What kind of development are we talking about?
In this respect, we really need to learn from Lao Cao.

After Cao Cao unified Hebei, he also issued a series of decrees in order to curb land annexation.

It's even stricter than Li Yi's; Li Yi's decree is already considered lenient.

Finally, this provoked resistance from the people of Hebei. Cao's measures were relatively simple: kill, kill, kill.

It took seven years of killing to frighten the powerful clans so they dared not resist anymore.

Of course, Cao Cao did offer some rewards along the way, such as promoting Cui Yan, a wealthy landowner from Hebei.

Li Yi's approach was not so extreme; he decided to first target a wider range of people and kill a select group.

Anyway, he's still young, he has plenty of time to reclaim these hidden lands and people.

"Hebei has been plagued by war for several years, with millions of people displaced, all because the land has fallen into the hands of powerful and wealthy families."

"If we continue to tolerate this, popular uprisings will break out everywhere, and the Wei army will collapse before it even arrives."

"This is an imminent disaster!"

Li Yi explained to everyone the reasons why he insisted on doing this.

"Without land, there are no soldiers; tenant farmers all attach themselves to powerful families. How can the state conscript soldiers?"

"If we release those who have been granted hereditary privileges and make them registered citizens, we will increase the number of able-bodied men by 100,000 annually. This is the foundation of a strong army!"

"I ask you gentlemen, do you wish to preserve Hebei as a land of lasting peace, or leave it to be meat on the chopping block of powerful and tyrannical men?"

No one spoke again, so Li Yi ordered Chen Dao to spread the decree to the entire Bohai prefecture.

...This matter must be done.

When Zhen Yao returned home, he drank in a depressed mood and talked about the matter with his younger sister, Zhen Mi.

"Prime Minister Li implemented the land survey, intending to seize the property of scholars in order to appease the common people."

"...My Zhen family of Zhongshan has accumulated considerable wealth, but I fear we too will not escape disaster."

At this point, Zhen Yao couldn't help but sigh again, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

If it weren't for Li Yi protecting the Zhen family, their clan would indeed have been doomed.

But how many people would be willing to give up so much land and property?
Zhen Mi was combing her hair in front of the mirror when she heard this. She stopped, and, sensing her brother's intention, slowly asked:
"What you mean by 'accumulated property' are you referring to as land acquired through mergers and acquisitions, or hidden households?"

Zhen Yao's expression changed drastically:

"How can you speak like that, little sister? Aren't you a member of the Zhen family?"

“Tell me, which landlord or powerful family does not seize land and conceal household registrations?”

“There are thousands of families that have it, it’s not just my Zhen family that has it.”

Zhen Mi then led her brother to the window and pointed to the refugees outside, saying:
"Brother, when you see starving people exchanging children to eat, have you ever considered that this is all caused by the land grabbing by powerful and wealthy families?"

"Yi Gong's land survey is not for personal gain, but to save millions of lives in Hebei."

"Those who defy the will of Heaven will surely perish!"

Zhen Yao was horrified and exclaimed, "Little sister, watch your words!"

Zhen Mi analyzed methodically:

“When Yuan Shao occupied Hebei, my Zhen family curried favor with powerful figures, and was eventually purged by the court.”

"If we defy the laws of the King of Qi again, the calamity of our clan's extermination is not far off."

Zhen Yao was taken aback, and then he understood what Zhen Mi meant.

If Yuan Shao's regime had been stable and his administration clean and efficient, how could he have been defeated by Cao Cao and Liu Bei?
The Zhen family made the wrong bet and nearly suffered the extermination of their clan.

Now, a new choice is presented to the Zhen family.

It is a betrayal of one's own class, a steadfast support for Li Yi's laws.

Or should we continue to collude with the powerful families and fight to the end?

Seeing her brother deep in thought, Zhen Mi whispered in his ear:

"...The Prime Minister promised that anyone who voluntarily donates land will have their children enter the state school and become officials."

"Wouldn't it be a great act of kindness for the Zhen family to relinquish some land in exchange for generations of official rank?"

Li Yi did not only attack relentlessly, but also offered some incentives.

To put it harshly,

Land annexation has existed since ancient times; you can only suppress it, not eliminate it.

Even if you clear out the land now, the meritorious officials and their descendants will continue to annex the land in the future.

Li Yi is simply forcing these powerful figures to reshuffle the deck and relinquish the fruits of their labor over the years.

Of course, you can also return to officialdom.

Let's start "land consolidation" again together with our people.

If we're really talking about powerful figures, Li Yi, the county marquis with a fief of several thousand households, is the most powerful figure in Ji Province.

All the measures he took were in service of the State of Qi, aimed at strengthening his own power as quickly as possible.

Zhen Mi offered three pieces of advice: first, on the overall situation; second, on the family's fortunes; and third, on long-term planning.

After three rounds of sharp attacks, Zhen Yao finally had an epiphany.

After a long silence, he suddenly took his sister's hand and wept, saying:
"If it weren't for my sister's words, the family would have been ruined!"

So he worked through the night to organize the land registers and went to the Prime Minister's residence the next day.

He donated two thousand acres of fertile land and freed five thousand slaves.

Li Yi was overjoyed and appointed Zhen Yao as the Director of Education in Jizhou.

He also established the Field Measurement Commissioner, ordering Xun You and Zhen Yao to tour the prefectures and counties to verify the acreage.

As expected, the decree immediately provoked resistance from many powerful figures.

They refused to cooperate with Li Yi's land survey and instead spent large sums of money to bribe local officials.

This led to local officials falsely reporting land area and population, which greatly increased the workload of the Prime Minister's office.

This was naturally within Li Yi's expectations. Li Yi ordered people to investigate who was shouting the loudest.

The report states that the Gao family of Bohai was a prominent clan for generations, owning thousands of acres of land and having more than three thousand households.

These unregistered individuals are not included in the total population even in official documents.

All of it became the private property of their landlords.

This is also the main target that Li Yi wants to crack down on.

Immediately,

Li Yi dispatched Chen Dao with 3,000 troops to surround the fortified village and search for its household registers.

At that time, the head of the Gao clan was Gao Heng. Upon receiving Li Yi's edict, he angrily threw the edict to the ground and shouted:

"Li Yi is a lowly commoner; how dare he seize my ancestral property?!"

"Even when Lord Yuan was alive, he never did this!"

then,

Gao Heng refused the order and instead ordered the blockade of the fortified village, where he gathered servants to defend it.

They then distributed all the granaries, armor, and weapons, and obtained three thousand armored soldiers.

Seeing that Lady Gao refused to cooperate, Li Yi personally led his troops to attack the fortified village.

Night, midnight.

Li Yi dispatched a hundred assassins, carrying firewood, to sneak to the east of the fortress and set fire to the watchtowers.

He then ordered Chen Dao to lead armored soldiers to carry ladders and brave arrows and stones to climb the wall.

Gao's troops used rolling logs and stones to repel them, resulting in over a hundred casualties among Chen's troops.

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Gao Shun led his elite troops to breach the fortress gate with battering rams.

Amidst the chaos of battle, they captured Gao Heng, the patriarch of the Gao clan.

then,

Yijun was able to enter the fort, seize all of Gao's land registers, and release more than 3,000 slaves.

Then Gao Heng and his son were executed in the marketplace, and the remaining members of their gang were exiled to Liaodong.

When the news spread, the Bohai gentry were all terrified.

Within a month, people who had donated land to return to their hometowns flocked to the roads.

However, many powerful clans in Ji Province were still observing and hesitating, since Bohai was quite far away.

The purge of many powerful clans in Bohai made powerful clans in other prefectures and counties feel insecure.

They feared that Li Yi would also seize their land.

So they spontaneously discussed countermeasures, whether or not to raise the banner of rebellion to protect their land.

Some even suggested forming an alliance with Cao Cao.

Surprisingly, just as the field preparations were in full swing, Li Yi called a halt to them.

He publicly stated that this land survey was only aimed at his state capital, Bohai.

I won't ask about the rest.

The group spent a month in this state of fear and unease, and found that the matter of crossing the fields was indeed no longer mentioned.

The nephew carries a lantern—everything remains the same (as the uncle would).
Only then were the powerful figures relieved.

Although some people worry that this is just a delaying tactic by Li Yi.

Once the heat of the battle over the land subsides, they might immediately turn their attention to the next prefecture or county.

If we don't speak up for Bohai today, sooner or later this knife will cut us.

Today we cede five cities, tomorrow we cede ten more, and we gain a night's rest.

Looking around, I saw that Li Yi had arrived!

But who wouldn't see it?

Even though he knew it might just be Li Yi's fast or slow blade, Gao Heng's fate was still fresh in his mind.

Now that the Prime Minister hasn't taken any action against you, you've openly raised the banner of rebellion. Who would dare to follow you?
Therefore, everyone preferred to deceive themselves and believe that Li Yi would not take action against them.

Enjoy the remaining time to the fullest...

Thus, the initial attempt at cultivating land in the Bohai Sea was a complete success.

Li Yi lay on the couch, his legs resting on Yuan Ying's lap.

Yuan Ying, who had also learned some medical principles from Zhang Zhongjing, gently massaged Li Yi's thighs down to his feet with her slender fingers, and whispered:

"My husband's journey across the Bohai Sea has only covered one prefecture, yet it has already shaken Hebei."

"The powerful and wealthy have withdrawn from public life, and the displaced people have come to submit; this is truly a great blessing."

Mi Zhen held the bamboo slips in her hand and read softly:

"In the Bohai prefecture, 20,000 hectares of hidden land were surveyed, more than 10,000 private slaves were released, and more than 50,000 new taxpayers were added."

"The King of Qi was delighted upon hearing the news and bestowed upon him a hundred yi of gold and a thousand bolts of silk."

Mi Zhen put down the bamboo slips and said with a smile:

"...This successful crossing of the fields has indeed fulfilled what my husband said earlier."

"With such a huge number of households, it's no wonder the King of Qi is so happy."

Li Yi lay with his eyes closed on the soft quilt, and upon hearing this, the corners of his lips slightly curved upwards:

"This land survey is only aimed at Bohai; other counties in Ji Province have not yet been touched."

"So the success was due to Zhen Yao's understanding and willingness to offer up his land, which set an example. His contribution is indispensable."

"I heard that it was his younger sister who was very righteous and explained the advantages and disadvantages to him..."

The conversation abruptly stopped here.

Yuan Ying applied slightly more pressure with her fingertips and exchanged a knowing look with Mi Zhen.

Mi Zhen then placed the bamboo slips on the table and said gently:
“Since it was Lady Zhen who first initiated this righteous act, my husband should express his gratitude.”

"I have prepared a coral tree from Qingzhou, twenty bolts of Shu brocade, and ten pearls from the East Sea."

Yuan Ying took a warm medicinal towel and applied it to Li Yi's leg, seemingly casually saying:
"I heard that the young lady of the Zhen family has recently been studying the 'Discourses on Salt and Iron.' The old copy with annotations by the ancient sages in my husband's study is quite suitable."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but laugh, and then said:
“I once heard Zhen Yao say that when Zhen Mi was nine years old…”

"He loved reading, could recognize characters at a glance, and often used his brothers' writing brushes and inkstones."

"Then her brothers asked her, 'Should you learn needlework, study books, and become a female PhD?'"

Zhen Mi replied, “I have heard that all virtuous women of the past learned from the successes and failures of their predecessors and took them as a warning.”

"If you don't know books, how can you see them?"

The meaning is that her brothers advised Zhen Mi to learn more needlework, as reading so many books was useless.

However, Zhen Mi believed that a truly virtuous woman should read more books.

Only by reading can we learn from the successes and failures of those who came before us.

One to say one,

Eighteen hundred years ago, Zhen Mi's thinking was considered very advanced and enlightened.

Li Yi appreciated this very much and sat up from the couch.

"Madam is right, the Zhen family has made a contribution to this land survey."

"This is absolutely necessary!"

He immediately summoned Tao Hong to prepare a carriage for him.

He wanted to personally visit the Zhen family to express his gratitude.

Then, looking back at Mi Zhen and Yuan Ying, he said:

"I will trouble you two ladies to take care of Zhi'er and Ping'er at home."

"When I return, I will test Zhi'er's studies."

Mi Zhen nodded and said yes.

Yuan Ying pouted and said casually, "...Yes, yes, yes."

Li Yi traveled by carriage to visit the Zhen residence, and first sent his personal guards with a letter to pay their respects.

Zhen Yao personally went out of the mansion to greet them. Upon seeing the carriage arrive, he stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"...I just received the Prime Minister's invitation. I am sorry for not greeting you properly. Please forgive me."

"...It's alright, I just decided to come and take a look on a whim."

As Li Yi stepped out of the carriage, everyone rushed to help him.

Li Yi ordered his men to take down the gifts that had been prepared in advance and hand them to Zhen Yao, who thanked him repeatedly.

“I have heard that your mother is still in Zhongshan, and your children are in power in Bohai.”

“I will not separate mother and child, thus breaking the code of human relations.”

Li Yi entered the mansion with his hands behind his back, talking as he walked.

Zhen Yao was taken aback, thinking to himself that Zhang was staying in Zhongshan to manage the family business there.

The Zhen family's assets are all in Zhongshan, so they have to stay in Zhongshan, right?
Judging from Li Yi's words, could it be that he was going to take away even the last bit of family property they had left in Zhongshan?
Li Yi noticed Zhen Yao's worry and comforted him, saying:
"Don't worry, Zhen Gongcao, that's not what I meant at all."

"Now that you are in charge of affairs in my Prime Minister's residence, your mother may move her entire family to Bohai."

"...so that you and your child can be reunited."

Zhen Yao wondered to himself, could it be that Li Yi wanted to help the Zhen family establish a business in Bohai?
Now that the capital of Jizhou has been moved to Bohai, Bohai, as the political and economic center, certainly has a better development prospect than Zhongshan.

But why should Li Yi give their family so much help?
What if they're fattening them up to slaughter them?
Zhen Yao's mind raced, and he was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Li Yi suddenly asked:
"...Where is your younger sister?"

Zhen Yao quickly pointed to the backyard, "My little sister is admiring the flowers in the courtyard."

Li Yinai went straight to the backyard.

He happened to run into Zhen Mi, dressed in plain clothes and wearing a wooden hairpin.

She is naturally beautiful without wearing makeup.

……

(End of this chapter)