Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 446 Waiting for the Right Opportunity (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"rake--"

In the latter half of the first lunar month, a time when the weather should be warming up, it is extremely cold.

In the Guanzhong Plain, countless farmers are turning over the soil, waiting for the weather to warm up before they can start sowing seedlings.

The Han army levied higher taxes, but they were much more lenient than those levied under the previous Tang dynasty.

With enough food to eat and no disturbances from officials or soldiers, life was much more peaceful than in the Guandong region.

In addition, the Han army never conscripted laborers, and this practice of exempting them from labor directly saved the people a lot of trouble.

The corvée labor in the Tang Dynasty was mainly divided into two categories. One was the regular corvée labor of twenty days a year, which involved public works such as road construction, city building, and transportation.

One type is temporary labor service conscripted by local governments, such as repairing government offices and managing rivers. These tasks are flexible in timing but are easily abused.

Despite the reasonable design of the system, many problems still exist in its actual implementation.

For example, although the official service period is nominally only twenty days, the round trip is not included in it. Therefore, the time that ordinary people spend on official service is as short as one month and as long as two or three months.

Moreover, since the official duties were notified by government officials, necessary bribes were unavoidable.

If one does not make arrangements in advance and offends the officials, being assigned to military service during the busy farming season will lead to the abandonment of fields and threaten the livelihood of the family.

In addition, local officials often levied excessive taxes, and after the mid-Tang Dynasty, miscellaneous corvée labor even became the norm, far exceeding the burden of regular corvée labor.

The description in Du Fu's poem "The Officer at Shihao" – "How angry the officer shouted, how bitter the woman cried" – actually depicts the tragic situation of the people of the Tang Dynasty being forced into forced labor and losing their homes since the mid-Tang period.

After Liu Jilong arrived, he abolished all corvée labor and replaced it with conscription.

Although the wages were not high, it did not affect the people, and ordinary people in both the city and the countryside had other sources of income as a result.

"You guys should cherish the present moment."

“When I was young, the government conscripted four or five months of labor every month. Where would I find the time to cultivate wasteland for myself?”

"Now the King of Han has allowed us to cultivate wasteland and has even provided us with fertile land to live on. In the past, that would have been something we could only dream of..."

More than ten miles west of Chang'an City, beside an official road, a fifty-year-old farmer with a hoe was telling his children and grandchildren about the hardships he had endured.

In the field he was facing, four boys around twelve or thirteen years old were busy turning over the soil.

Upon hearing the old farmer's words, the young men chimed in, "It's just military service, it's not like we haven't served before."

"Don't worry, Grandpa! After the busy farming season is over this year, we'll go to the west to reclaim wasteland and try to clear one acre of wasteland for each of us!"

"I'm not going to clear wasteland. I'd rather be a laborer. I've heard the government is recruiting workers and they pay fifteen coins a day!"

"Fifteen coins? What can you buy with that..."

"Fifteen coins can't buy much, but we're not going to work for just one day. If we work for two months, we'll have several hundred coins, enough to buy a bushel of wheat!"

"So many! I'll go too!"

The young people chatted animatedly, but their hands never stopped working.

When they said they were going to work, the old farmer said, "Do you think that kind of work is so easy?"

“I heard that a lot of people go there during the off-season, and you can’t find work without connections. You guys… you should just stick to clearing land.”

The old farmer's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the enthusiasm of the young men.

However, this is the reality. No matter how times change, wherever there are people, there will be human relationships, and with human relationships, there will be social connections.

The field quieted down after the old farmer spoke. The young people buried themselves in their work, while the old farmer rested for a moment before joining the group.

After the grandfather and his five grandchildren had finally managed to cultivate three acres of land, they saw Han cavalry suddenly appear on the official road in the distance, so they all looked around and went to investigate.

"Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up..."

More than a hundred cavalrymen galloped away without stopping for a moment.

The boys' faces showed longing, while the old farmer remained silent, before soon urging them to continue working.

However, it seemed that the Han army's experience had stirred the passion in the young men's hearts, and they began to speak one after another:

"If all else fails, I'll join the army when I turn eighteen."

"That's right. I heard that you can learn to read in the army and save several thousand dollars a year."

"Literacy is nothing. The main thing is military pay. I heard that ordinary infantrymen in the Han army can get 1,300 coins a month, and cavalrymen can get 1,800 coins a month."

"A month's military pay can buy two or three bushels of grain, enough to eat for three or four months."

"Moreover, I've also heard that the Han army gets to eat meat once a day, and they even get to eat beef during training."

"I've never eaten beef before in my life."

A look of longing appeared on their faces, and the old farmer nodded and said, "It's good to be a soldier. By the time you can join the army, the world will probably be at peace."

"I think the government troops are no match for the Han army. If it weren't for the drought and locust plague last year, the King of Han might have already attacked."

"If you can really join the army when you grow up, it's not a bad way out. At least you can marry a woman and settle down."

Marrying and having children is of paramount importance, but in every era, there will be men who are unable to marry and have children to continue their family line due to financial constraints.

However, in the old farmer's view, now that the King of Han has distributed the land equally, there should be no one who is unable to marry and have children.

As he was thinking this, Han army troops began to appear one after another on the official road in the distance.

"Yay! His Highness the Prince of Han has returned from his campaign!"

"what?"

The sharp-eyed teenagers spotted the familiar pattern, and the old farmer looked on in surprise.

They were illiterate, but they still remembered the scene when His Highness the Prince of Han went south a few months ago.

The scene today is exactly the same as it was back then.

"His Highness the Prince of Han has returned!"

"That's right! It's His Highness the Prince of Han!"

"His Highness the Prince of Han has returned..."

As Liu Jilong's banner appeared, the people on both sides of the official road called out and crowded onto the road, craning their necks to look up at the procession, trying to catch a glimpse of Liu Jilong.

Although they did not know who the King of Han was, countless people still maintained this posture.

The Han army began to pass by them. Some offered water, others offered flatbread, but no Han soldier accepted it, as this would be a violation of military orders.

The discipline of the Han army had long been ingrained in the bones of these soldiers. The daily literacy lessons not only made them understand the flag and drum commands, but also the contents of military orders.

Compared to the illiterate, those who know the law are more afraid of it and more adept at using it.

Seeing that the Han soldiers did not retreat, the smiles on the faces of these people became even more radiant, because they were even more certain that this army belonged to the King of Han.

It wasn't that the Han army left in Guanzhong treated them badly; it was just that they rarely saw the Han army, so judging the Han army by their military discipline became a compulsory course for the people of Guanzhong.

"Gululu..."

As the wheels rolled over the official road, Liu Jilong, who usually preferred riding horses, now had no choice but to sit in a carriage, simply because he had too many official duties to attend to.

Inside the six-wheeled carriage, Liu Jilong, with Luo Yin's help, handled government affairs. Among these, the most important matters, besides the repair of the water conservancy in Guanzhong, were the war that was breaking out in Guandong.

"Huang Chao actually breached the Luoyang pass so easily, and has now besieged Luoyang for more than five days. How strange..."

Holding the memorial delivered by An Pohu, Liu Jilong was surprised that Huang Chao had so easily breached the three southern passes of Luoyang.

After a moment's thought, he realized that the most capable generals of the Tang Dynasty were either on guard against him or had been captured and imprisoned in Linzhou prison, and he felt relieved.

"Your Highness, Luoyang is not easy to attack. I'm afraid it will take several months for Huang Chao to capture it."

"We could take this opportunity to send someone to Guandong to inquire about the emperor's well-being and offer him a way out."

Luo Yin spoke up at the appropriate time, and his words were not unfounded.

Luoyang is unlike Guanzhong; it can be said to be truly easy to defend and difficult to attack.

With sufficient troops and proper defense by the garrison commander, holding out for several months is not difficult.

If it were someone like Wang Shichong, even Li Shimin would need to spend a year and a half to defeat him.

Events like the An Lushan Rebellion, where Luoyang was captured in just over a month, are always rare.

"Huang Chao's siege of Luoyang is indeed beneficial to us. The longer it takes him to capture Luoyang, the more time we have to implement our strategies."

Liu Jilong put away the memorial, then looked at Luo Yin and said, "I will personally write one. You should select a capable person to go to Guandong, find the emperor's residence, and see if you can ease the tension between me and the court."

Luo Yin's eyes lit up, and he quickly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly live up to everyone's expectations."

During the exchange between the emperor and his minister, Liu Jilong wrote a letter and then handed it to Luo Yin.

Luo Yin carefully put it away, then looked at Liu Jilong, only to see Liu Jilong looking out of the carriage, his gaze fixed on the groups of farmers looking up at the carriage.

"Zhaojian, what do you think of the people's character?"

Liu Jilong asked Luo Yin, who did not dare to answer immediately, but cautiously replied, "The people are like water; water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

He used this quote from Xunzi's "Ai Gong" to answer, but Liu Jilong was not satisfied because he was asking about the nature of the people.

However, Luo Yin's evasive and even somewhat off-topic answers do reveal his views on the common people.

Liu Jilong had studied a lot about politics in his previous life, and class contradictions were undoubtedly a political issue that had to be discussed.

Class contradictions differ in each era. If we really have to divide them, they are actually the exploiting class and the exploited class.

Liu Jilong is now also an exploiter, because the historical context and productivity determined that he could not become a liberator.

However, while exploiting people, he can open their eyes and minds as much as possible.

Open-mindedness undoubtedly requires more literate people, but the current official school system of the Han army is actually a system that serves the rulers.

If we want to truly open our minds, we need to lower the barriers to learning.

The elite-style official school system was only suitable for quickly training a group of commoner students, but once these commoner students became officials, a new form of exploitation began.

Liu Jilong was well aware of this, but he needed these people, so he had no choice.

Only by ending the war could he continue to promote official schools, and there are corresponding examples in history for him to copy, namely Zhu Yuanzhang's community school system.

However, although Zhu Yuanzhang's community school system was very good, it was limited by the Ming Dynasty's terrible financial problems and began to fail after less than a century.

Liu Jilong's idea was to rely on the community granary system to train more teachers to go to the countryside, with the government only responsible for the teachers' salaries and no longer responsible for the students' paper, pens, inkstones, and ink.

If the system of providing paper, pens, inkstones, and inkstones were stopped, the government could save a large amount of money to send instructors to the countryside.

However, a problem also exists: paper, brushes, inkstones, and ink are expensive, and ordinary people certainly cannot afford such a heavy burden.

Therefore, I must first solve the cost problem of paper, brushes, inkstones, and ink, and at least bring the prices down a bit.

Liu Jilong had considered literacy methods from the 1950s and 60s, but after thinking it over, he felt they were unrealistic.

Firstly, in the early days of the People's Republic of China, stationery prices were set by the state and were very low. As long as people didn't buy fountain pens and school bags, but instead used cloth bags and pencils, ordinary people would only spend three to five yuan on stationery. At that time, a farmer's work points earned each day were worth six yuan a month.

The difference in productivity forced Liu Jilong to abandon this method of rapid literacy education.

Therefore, the only option he could take was to recruit a large number of teachers to go to the countryside to eradicate illiteracy.

Compared to the cost of paper, brushes, inkstones, and other materials for students, the teachers' salaries seemed very cheap.

However, before promoting this disguised form of basic education, Liu Jilong still needs to continue with the elite route and cultivate a group of officials without any background.

Thinking of this, he reached out and flipped through the memorials from the Imperial Academy, where he saw the number of university students who graduated last year.

More than 2,800 people – this is the report card that the Longyou official school submits to him every year.

He picked up the memorials and began processing them one by one, and time flew by.

An hour later, as the carriage gradually came to a stop, Luo Yin reminded him, "Your Highness, we have arrived in Chang'an."

"Ah."

Liu Jilong put down his brush, got up and stepped off the carriage, where he met the civil and military officials outside the Mingde Gate of Chang'an.

"Greetings, Your Highness..."

Officials led by Gao Jinda and Cui Shu began to bow in greeting. Liu Jilong nodded slightly and stepped forward to reassure them:
"Sanchuan has been recovered. Thank you for your hard work during this time."

Gao Jinda and Cui Shu looked at each other, seemingly wanting to say something, but due to the large number of people around them, they both kept quiet.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong guessed their intentions, so he hastily appeased the officials who came to greet him, then returned to his carriage and traveled to the Prince of Han's residence.

Gao Jinda and others followed him to the Prince of Han's residence, while the troops were dispatched by Wang Jian, Li Yangchun, Ma Yi, Gao Huai and others to the military camps in the city that had been prepared in advance.

As Liu Jilong entered Chang'an, he could sense through the car window that Chang'an was gradually returning to its former prosperity.

A new atmosphere is enveloping Guanzhong; even ordinary people entering the city to buy and sell no longer hunch over, but stand tall and proud.

Judging from the current changes, Dou Bin has done a good job governing the capital region, which makes Liu Jilong very satisfied.

Meanwhile, as time went by, he arrived at the gate of the Prince of Han's mansion, parked his car, and entered the mansion.

Gao Jinda, Cui Shu, Luo Yin, Chen Ying, Dou Bin and others followed in his footsteps. Before long, the group entered the main hall of the Prince's Mansion. After Liu Jilong took his seat and gave him a signal, they took their seats one after another.

"I understand what you're trying to say. Do you think I don't need to go to the trouble of easing relations with the Tang court?"

Liu Jilong got straight to the point, and Gao Jinda and the others nodded in agreement. Gao Jinda then said, "Your Highness, although our army has suffered from drought, locust plagues and other disasters, resulting in a shortage of food supplies in Guanzhong, we can still store enough grain in Longyou and the Three Rivers region to supply our army for the eastern expedition."

"In my opinion, there is really no need to ease relations with the Tang court. Since our army returned to Tang, the Tang court has provided little assistance and has hindered us much. All the garrisons have seen this."

"Even if Your Highness does not raise the banners of the Tang Dynasty, no one will blame Your Highness."

Gao Jinda's statement is correct. In fact, the resources that the Tang Dynasty has allocated to Longyou over the years amount to only four or five hundred thousand strings of cash.

Longyou guarded the borders of the Tang Dynasty, ensuring the safety of Guannei Road and Jingji Road. One vassal state did the work of eight garrisons in northwestern Beijing, but received only a fraction of their pay, and was ultimately targeted.

The various military commanders had all witnessed the methods employed by the Tang Dynasty, and even the Tang court found it difficult to say that Liu Jilong had failed the emperor's grace.

Even so, Liu Jilong still wanted to develop steadily for a period of time, to fully digest the five paths he controlled, before heading east to conquer the world.

This is slow, but there are advantages to being slow. As long as the internal problems are resolved, Liu Jilong is confident that he can pacify the country within three years, and the 260,000 Han troops behind him are his source of confidence.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Jilong was about to speak when he saw Wang Jian hurriedly walk into the main hall with a solemn expression.

"Your Highness, the Southern Barbarians have launched a surprise attack on our army's Qingxi Pass."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong frowned slightly: "What's the situation?"

"No military intelligence has come in yet, but Qingxi Pass has five thousand infantrymen. Although they have no firearms, they are not easy for the Southern Barbarians to take."

Wang Jian spoke with great confidence, but the Han army had the confidence to back it up.

"Send a message to Zhang Wu: if there is any good news, inform him immediately."

"The last general takes command!"

After giving his instructions, Liu Jilong looked at Gao Jinda and the others and said, "Making peace with the Tang court is nothing more than a delaying tactic."

"Huang Chao is causing a great disturbance in Luoyang, and the number of powerful and influential families gathered there is probably several times greater than in Chang'an."

"If Huang Chao causes a ruckus in Luoyang, our army will find it much easier to deal with these powerful and influential families."

Liu Jilong was waiting for Huang Chao to tear down the roofs of the powerful families. At that time, he, who had suggested opening the windows, would become the person supported by the powerful families.

Although Liu Jilong remembered that Huang Chao had treated scholars with respect when he attacked Chang'an in history, powerful families and clans ultimately looked down on him, just as Xiao Gou and others looked down on Liu Jilong at this moment.

As a result, Huang Chao was only provoked after learning that these powerful families were still secretly colluding with the Tang court and helped the Tang army defeat him and drive him out of Chang'an.

As a result, after Huang Chao recaptured Chang'an, he immediately massacred these people, and even the people in Chang'an were not spared, simply because the people of Chang'an also supported the Tang army.

In this regard, Liu Jilong could have easily fueled the flames, making it entirely unnecessary for Huang Chao to experience a single defeat.

"Is there anything else?"

He came to his senses and scrutinized everyone with his gaze.

Gao Jinda and Cui Shu fell silent upon hearing this, while Li Gunshi bowed and said, "Your Highness, the official school cannot be opened for the time being..."

"Why?" Liu Jilong asked with a frown. Li Gunshi replied, "It's because there isn't enough paper, brushes, ink, and inkstones, so we can't start in time."

"If you don't have enough paper, brush, inkstone and ink, then find a way. You can take a stone mill as a strip, take a piece of wood the size of a chopstick and cut it in half, put the graphite in it, brush it with resin and close it up, and use it to write."

Liu Jilong proposed an early pencil, but it didn't work well; he had tried it in Shandan.

The situation is urgent now, so we can't worry about anything else.

He must immediately train a group of young students, and after they have been largely literate, he will launch an army eastward to Hedong or Hehuai.

Li Gunshi noted down Liu Jilong's suggestion and then fell silent.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong asked Gao Jinda, "If we want to transport 70% of the grain harvested in Longyou last autumn to Chang'an, how much manpower and resources would be needed, and how many shi (a unit of dry measure) could be transported?" "This..." Gao Jinda pondered for a moment, then took out a pocket abacus from his sleeve and started typing. After a short while, he said, "It would require no less than 300,000 manpower and 200,000 horse-drawn carts. It would take four months, with a loss of about 40%, and could transport about 1.2 million shi."

"In addition, an extra 200,000 shi of soybeans and 540,000 guan of cash are needed."

Transporting grain from Longyou to Chang'an was indeed costly, but the loss rate was only half a percent less than that from Jiangnan via the Grand Canal to Luoyang, and then by land to Chang'an.

Based on this calculation, water transport is indeed very cost-effective, with only a 0.5% increase in losses despite the distance being twice that of Longyou.

In addition, since the Han army was exempted from corvée labor and instead recruited soldiers, there were additional costs associated with transporting grain.

However, Liu Jilong didn't care. After all, once the money was distributed, it would return to the national treasury in various ways, and changing corvée labor to levy was a step forward.

Given the high tax rates of the Han army, exempting them from corvée labor was not inappropriate.

Lost in thought, Liu Jilong said, "Let's start with two million shi (a unit of dry measure), and see how much we can ultimately deliver. As long as we get it to Chang'an before autumn, that's fine."

"Yes..." Gao Jinda took the opportunity to respond, while Liu Jilong looked around and, seeing that no one spoke, gestured for everyone to leave.

"We take our leave..."

The group took their leave and rose to depart from the main hall.

Half an hour after they left, Liu Jilong saw Zhao Ying enter the hall.

"How is it? Any news lately?"

He asked Zhao Ying, but Zhao Ying shook his head and said, "The people of Xiaogou have lost their morale and have no intention of causing trouble recently after hearing that the rebels have surrounded Luoyang."

"Hehe..." Liu Jilong couldn't help but laugh out loud, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "I'm looking forward to seeing their expressions when they learn that Luoyang has fallen."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ying's lips curled up, clearly indicating that she had the same idea as Liu Jilong.

As he laughed, Liu Jilong put down his teacup and said softly, "Send someone to follow Luo Yin."

"Aren't you worried about him?" Zhao Ying immediately snapped out of her reverie and bowed in inquiry. Liu Ji shook his head.
"There are not many people I can trust. Although his advice is for my own good, it is mostly for his own benefit."

"The advice of these people can be adopted, but not all of it should be used, and we should not follow their plans step by step."

Luo Yin's suggestion was excellent, and Liu Jilong was prepared to adopt it. However, his years of experience had taught him that human nature is the most unpredictable and difficult to fathom.

As the helmsman of the Han army, the ship's course of action had to be obeyed by him, not by a few strategists.

Zhao Ying nodded as if she understood, and then respectfully withdrew from the main hall.

After he left, Liu Jilong got up and walked towards the inner courtyard. He soon appeared at the entrance of the inner courtyard and saw Feng Hui leading all the women of his family to welcome him.

"Tiger Head and the others haven't come back from their vacation?"

Looking at the elegant imperial insignia and his six concubines, Liu Jilong couldn't help but inquire about the whereabouts of his children.

Feng Hui shook his head, stepped forward to help Liu Jilong change his clothes, and used a tree branch to wipe away the dust from his journey.

"School is about to start, so that child is going back home as soon as possible, and the other children are doing the same."

Liu Jilong was taken aback upon hearing this. After calculating the time, he simply said, "I'm still too late to get back."

“My lord is busy with military affairs, and I will take care of all the household matters. You need not worry.”

Feng Hui tried to comfort him, but his gaze kept drifting towards Liu Jilong's back.

She was a clever woman and naturally knew how tedious military campaigns were, so every time Liu Jilong returned, she would deliberately look to see if he would bring back any new female relatives.

However, since Liu Jilong gave birth, no more women have been born into the inner palace.

It wasn't that Liu Jilong didn't like women; it was just that he was busy with official duties and valued his life.

The eight women in the inner courtyard were enough for him to keep him occupied, not to mention that these women were only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and the oldest was only thirty-three or thirty-four, which was just the right amount of charm.

"I'll stay at Xijun's place tonight."

Liu Jilong whispered in Feng Hui's ear. Although they were an old married couple, Feng Hui's cheeks were still slightly flushed, and she looked up at Liu Jilong.

Although he was thirty-seven, Liu Jilong looked no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine, still possessing a dignified and imposing presence, like a god.

"it is good……"

Feng Hui responded softly, and then Liu Jilong strode into the inner courtyard. Not long after, the inner courtyard gate was closed by Zhang Sao's men.

As Liu Jilong returned to Chang'an, Xiao Gou and the others naturally greeted him at Mingde Gate, thus witnessing his outstanding appearance.

As darkness fell, Xiao Gou, Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che, and the others gathered together.

In the dimly lit room, the faces of the three people were exposed to the oil lamp, and their expressions were extremely unpleasant.

"Liu Muzhi's southern expedition was a great victory, yet Gao Pian is such a useless man!"

Doulu Zhu gritted his teeth and spoke, and Pei Che also said in a deep voice: "Recently, someone in the manor reported that Liu Muzhi was saddened and sighed upon hearing that the emperor had moved east."

"Judging from his appearance today, he is not like the one rumored. He clearly just wants to take this opportunity to force the court to clear his name as a traitor."

"Absolutely impossible!" Doulu Zhuo trembled with anger, but Xiao Gou frowned and said:

"That being said, if the court can truly make peace with them, even if it's just a delaying tactic, the court can take this opportunity to send troops south and drive the Huang bandits out of Luoyang."

"This..." Upon hearing this, Doulu Zhuo gradually calmed down.

Liu Jilong was certainly hateful, but he was, after all, a military governor of the imperial court.

This wasn't the first time a military governor had stormed the capital. For the Tang Dynasty, while it was a disgrace, it didn't diminish its prestige.

However, Huang Chao was just a commoner who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. If he were to enter Luoyang, the imperial court would truly be at the mercy of others.

Although it was rare for a regional military governor to attack Chang'an, it was not unusual. The governors could understand that it was because Longyou was powerful and the court had suffered a defeat.

But if peasants were to invade Chang'an, it would mean that even without a rebellion, a few bandits could still bully the imperial court, which would truly mean that everyone could be bullied.

As Luo Yin once said, the court no longer had the strength to refuse the way out offered by Liu Jilong. After all, after the court lost the five routes in Guanzhong, the taxes collected were barely enough to deal with Huang Chao, let alone Longyou.

Taking this opportunity to reconcile might actually preserve the last shred of dignity for the Tang court.

"Should we write a letter to inform His Majesty of this matter?"

Xiao Gou asked cautiously, and Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che exchanged glances, a conflicted look flashing in their eyes, before finally nodding.

Seeing this, Xiao Gou then talked to the two about how to write a memorial to the throne.

Half an hour later, the three of them left one after another.

The following day, Xiao Gou continued to communicate with the spy disguised as a woodcutter, but just like before, Xiao Gou's letter was delivered to Liu Jilong by Zhao Ying in less than two hours.

After a night of refreshed spirits, Liu Jilong carefully read through the letter jointly signed by Xiao Gou and more than seventy other officials, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Their praise for me in the letter made me feel quite embarrassed."

Liu Jilong put the letter back into the envelope, marveling at how Xiao Gou and others, in order to reconcile with the court, had actually praised him as a loyal minister and general, a reincarnation of Guo Ziyi.

The contents of the letter were so bad that he himself was embarrassed to continue reading; as long as the message was conveyed, that was enough.

"Your Highness, do we need to make any changes?"

Zhao Ying cautiously inquired, and Liu Jilong stroked his mustache upon hearing this: "Where has that supreme ruler moved eastward to now?"

"According to the spies who were turned, the emperor is currently resting in Heyin, Zhengzhou, and Kang Chengxun has led his troops to take control of Wulao Pass."

"However, Kang Chengxun's troops are currently stretched too thin. Although they can rely on the canal to replenish their supplies, the treasury is already empty. Therefore, they cannot send troops to recapture Luoyang and can only temporarily rely on the canal for defense."

As soon as Zhao Ying finished speaking, Liu Jilong chuckled softly, "They are short of food. Since that's the case, we should also show our appreciation."

"Change this letter to say that I guessed that the emperor would lack food and clothing when he moved east, so I prepared 100,000 shi of grain and 3,000 bolts of brocade in Tongzhou."

"However, due to the excessive prejudice of the imperial court, and the fear that the ships would be attacked by government troops, we dare not send them out."

"If the imperial court makes peace, these ships loaded with grain will surely be transported to Zhengzhou via the Yellow River."

He smiled knowingly, but Zhao Ying said awkwardly, "Your Highness, isn't this too much?"

"A lot?" Liu Jilong chuckled. "The exact number to be shipped is up to us."

"From Chang'an to Zhengzhou, the Yellow River has a complex and rugged hydrology, and Huang Chao also occupied many boats at Mengjin Pass and on the Luo River."

"At worst, we can just say that most of them sank into the Yellow River, or that they were looted by Huang Chao."

"Take my warrant to Gao Jinda and tell him to prepare 5,000 shi of grain and 200 bolts of brocade."

"Yes!" Hearing Liu Jilong say this, Zhao Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look for Gao Jinda.

While he was searching for Gao Jinda, Luo Yin was recommending candidates to Gao Jinda for an envoy to Guandong.

He stood respectfully before Gao Jinda, carefully choosing his words, and said, "I believe that sending an official with no background would likely cause concern in the court."

"In that case, why not send Vice Minister Xiao Gou, Assistant Minister Lu Guimeng, and Wei Zhuang as envoys to travel overland from Hedong to Guandong?"

Faced with Luo Yin's recommendation, Gao Jinda frowned slightly: "Of these three, Xiao Gou and Wei Zhuang both come from prestigious families. Although Lu Guimeng has been a member of the imperial family for generations, he is not from a prestigious family and may be looked down upon."

"This is exactly what I desire," Luo Yin said without any attempt to conceal his intentions.

“Lu Guimeng is a man of great talent. Although he supports Your Highness, he also misses the glorious Tang Dynasty. If he is not allowed to be looked down upon by the officials of the Tang court, how will he know how great Your Highness’s favor to him is?”

"Not only Lu Guimeng, but I believe it would be best to send more officials from impoverished backgrounds who are scholars and farmers, so that they can clearly understand the difference between our Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty!"

Luo Yin's words, "My great Han," instantly softened Gao Jinda's stance.

Unlike Cui Shu, he was more inclined towards Li Shangyin's personality and political views. Even so, they still hoped that Liu Jilong could ascend the throne as an emperor of the "Han Dynasty" and replace the Tang Dynasty.

Otherwise, he and Li Shangyin wouldn't have incited Chen Jingchong to attack Hanyin County, and he wouldn't have gone to compile Liu Jilong's family genealogy.

Whether Liu Jilong doesn't want to do it is one thing; whether they do it or not is another.

Now that Luo Yin keeps referring to the Han Dynasty, how could Gao Jinda not be pleased?
However, Gao Jinda was still secretly wary of Luo Yin.

If it weren't for Luo Yin's advice, His Highness would probably already be planning to attack Shannan East Circuit or Hedong Circuit, and would not continue to submit to the Tang court.

Luo Yin's strategy could be said to be for the sake of the Han Dynasty, but he was more concerned with his own interests.

Gao Jinda never thought "judging a person by their appearance" was a good thing, but given Luo Yin's current methods and his slightly ugly and short appearance, Gao Jinda had to be wary of him.

"You should draft a memorial on this matter. If there are no problems, I will then forward it to His Highness."

“Yes…” Luo Yin replied respectfully, but before he could stand up, he heard Gao Jinda continue:

"You are temporarily relieved of your duties as Imperial Diarist. His Highness has mentioned your merits, so you have been promoted to the rank of Senior Fifth Rank and appointed as Attendant Secretary of the Secretariat."

"Your subordinate obeys." Luo Yin knew that what seemed to be Liu Jilong's arrangement was actually Gao Jinda's arrangement.

The fifth-rank official of the Secretariat, the Attendant Censor, was one of the core officials of the Secretariat, responsible for reviewing government orders, supervising government affairs, and rejecting imperial edicts.

However, compared to Liu Jilong's personal attendant, a sixth-rank official, this could be considered a demotion in disguise.

Luo Yin was somewhat disappointed, but considering that no official of the fifth rank had ever been produced in his family, he still respectfully bowed to Gao Jinda.

"As long as I remain in the imperial court, I need not worry about not being able to rise in rank..."

Luo Yin composed himself, and at that moment Zhao Ying also came out of the hall.

"Governor Gao, this is a letter from His Highness."

As soon as Zhao Ying finished speaking, Luo Yin tactfully bowed and said, "In that case, I shall take my leave."

"Go ahead." Gao Jinda nodded, signaling him to leave. Luo Yin glanced at him as he passed Zhao Ying.

Zhao Ying often followed Liu Jilong around. He was taciturn and no one knew his identity except that he was a "valiant cavalry" general who guarded the prince.

The "Xiaoqi" was a system modeled after Li Shimin's "Baiqi" ​​(hundred riders) by Liu Jilong, consisting of eight hundred elite cavalrymen, primarily responsible for protecting his daily safety.

The eight hundred elite cavalrymen were mostly from families of martyrs, proficient in volley shooting, literature, and arithmetic. Although they had not attended university, they were all top students in their respective primary schools.

"To be able to command the elite cavalry, this Zhao Ying is definitely no ordinary person. It's just a pity that strangers shouldn't approach him, otherwise I could break through from him..."

Luo Yin showed a hint of regret, but remained calm on the surface until he left the provincial government office, at which point he regained his composure.

"This is a letter written by His Highness."

Zhao Ying handed over the letter, and although Gao Jinda did not know Zhao Ying's exact identity, they had a general idea of ​​her background.

Liu Jilong was adept at using spies. From establishing the Sanxianlou (Three Immortals Pavilion) through brokers to setting up the Censorate, Liu Jilong employed two sets of methods, one for external affairs and one for internal affairs, to subdue many officials.

After Longyou broke with the imperial court, the Sanxianlou was destroyed, most of the spies went into hiding among the people, and their means of dealing with the outside world disappeared.

Under these circumstances, Liu Jilong will definitely continue to rebuild a set of external methods, and Zhao Ying is most likely the person in charge of managing these spies.

"Five thousand shi of grain and two hundred bolts of brocade?"

Gao Jinda looked at Zhao Ying in surprise: "Isn't this a bit too little?"

“That’s enough,” Zhao Ying replied, while simultaneously reiterating Liu Jilong’s argument.

Gao Jinda nodded after hearing this, agreeing with Liu Jilong's assessment.

In these chaotic times, who knows whether the goods have been transported or stolen?

Once a batch is delivered, the matter becomes difficult to verify.

However, Gao Jinda still had to make arrangements. At the very least, he couldn't let Xiao Gou, Doulu Zhuo, and others know about Liu Jilong's arrangements. It would be best if they also thought that the allocated grain and brocade amounted to 100,000 shi and 3,000 bolts.

Gao Jinda was deep in thought. Seeing that he was silent, Zhao Ying immediately bowed and turned to leave.

As he left, someone appeared before Liu Jilong, someone who was both expected and unexpected.

"Your Highness, why not send me as an envoy to the Eastern Capital? Perhaps I can persuade Lord Huang to surrender."

In the main hall of the Prince of Han's mansion, Chen Ying respectfully bowed to Liu Jilong, clearly still cherishing the old friendship he had with Huang Chao.

In response, Liu Jilong shook his head and said, "Once a person gains power, he is no longer the same person he was before."

"But their families are all in Chang'an, they..."

Chen Ying wanted to argue her point, but Liu Jilong's words extinguished her enthusiasm:
"Having grown up like this, would he really still care about these family members? If he did, he wouldn't have canceled my banner and started using his own."

Liu Jilong stared intently at Chen Ying, and before he could retort, he continued:

"How many women does he have now, and how many of them have borne him children?"

"A mere few dozen family members want to exchange for hundreds of prefectures and counties, and 100,000 troops... If you were in his shoes, would you make that exchange?"

To be honest, Liu Jilong admired Huang Chao quite a bit. At least Liu Jilong wouldn't have been able to make the decision to abandon his family if his own family members were being held hostage.

Huang Chao must have planned this out long ago, otherwise he wouldn't have started by using his own banner and then suddenly changed his allegiance.

"At least, his family..."

Chen Ying didn't know what to say, but Liu Jilong laughed and said, "When did your prince become a ruthless tyrant who uses his family to threaten others?"

Since he knew that his family members posed no threat to Huang Chao, he naturally wouldn't do something that would damage his reputation.

Moreover, in his view, Huang Chao's troops were nothing more than chickens and dogs.

Nothing in the world can stop him except the aristocratic system that has been passed down for thousands of years.

If he only wanted the world, he could simply wait for the autumn harvest this year and then march eastward.

But if that were the case, the scholar-official system and the hereditary system of the Song and Yuan dynasties would still continue, and I would simply be going through the cycle again.

While the rise of commoners through the imperial examination system during the Ming and Qing dynasties certainly led to the emergence of many corrupt officials, it was a form of institutional progress.

Even though many corrupt officials are produced by ordinary people, there will always be figures like Hai Rui, Kuang Zhong, Zhou Chen, and Yang Jizong among them.

Even corrupt officials have suffered hardships and worked in rural areas; they know where the bottom line is for ordinary people.

"Your Highness, may I take his family with me...?"

Chen Ying's words brought Liu Jilong back to reality, but he shook his head and refused:
“You can’t take them with you, but they will live in Xuanyangfang. Once the official school is established, they will be able to attend classes normally.”

"If you want to see them, you can go anytime."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ying cupped his hands and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness..."

"Go and do your job. I didn't call you to Chang'an to be good at social niceties."

Liu Jilong picked up his brush and the memorial, and issued an order to leave.

Seeing this, Chen Ying respectfully withdrew from the yamen, but her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts due to Liu Jilong's words.

As he walked to the door, he couldn't help but turn back to look at the Han Prince's Mansion behind him, his brows furrowed with sorrow.

"People change, so will Your Highness change too...?"

(End of this chapter)