Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 455 Grain Requisition (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Pattering..."

In early June, while an earthquake struck Hanzhong, the severe drought in the north seemed to have been driven away by the rainy season, with a light drizzle enveloping Henan Province.

"Chop, chop, chop..."

Inside Ruyang City in Caizhou, the sound of a thick knife chopping bones echoed continuously, mingling with the pattering rain to create an eerie atmosphere.

Inside the yamen, many soldiers were either sitting or standing, but without exception, their eyes were bloodshot and their gums were receding and red.

Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the air was filled with the aroma of meat, making everyone's mouths water.

"Damn it, tell the court that if they don't give my army enough food, I'll rebel and join the Yellow rebels!"

Inside the yamen hall, Qin Zongquan, his eyes bloodshot, stared at the official before him, completely ignoring the official's trembling and pathetic state, and continued to state his demands.

The official paid no attention to what was being said, his gaze frequently drifting to the large cauldron beside him. The sight of limbs floating inside sent chills down one's spine and made one break out in a cold sweat.

"Your humble servant will certainly inform the court of everything Your Excellency requires..."

The official stammered as he spoke, and Qin Zongquan waved his hand, saying, "Get lost!"

Upon hearing that he had agreed to leave, the official practically scrambled out of the Caizhou government office, using both his hands and feet.

At the same time, two soldiers stepped forward and used iron hooks to scoop the cooked limbs out of the cauldron, sliced ​​them, and arranged them on a plate. They were then placed on Qin Zongquan's table along with a plate of soybean paste.

Qin Zongquan unabashedly reached out and ate, and the surrounding soldiers did not avoid him either, but instead began to gnaw on the large bones.

They had been without food for many days. Tangzhou and Caizhou had been looted by Huang Chao, and there was not much food left.

Faced with hunger, they turned into wild beasts at Qin Zongquan's words and began to eat meat without any hesitation.

At this moment, the city of Ruyang in Caizhou was completely empty. Apart from the occasional Zhongwu Army soldier, there were no civilians at all.

The official, originally sent by the imperial court to supervise Qin Zongquan, fled back to Luoyang in such a sorry state.

Huang Chao burned down all the civilian houses in Luoyang except for the palace, leaving Luoyang in ruins except for the Ziwei City.

"Cough cough... I'm finally back."

Li Cui, who had lost a lot of weight, was being helped into the Zhenguan Hall by Li Meiling.

Looking at the Zhenguan Palace, which hadn't changed much, he coughed and looked at Li Meiling: "Nannan, I'm sorry to have made you suffer with your father."

"It's good that you're back." Li Meiling was quite sensible and comforted Li Cui instead.

Li Cui was helped to the couch to rest, and Tian Yun handed him honey water at the right time.

Li Cui took a couple of sips, feeling a slight sense of comfort, when he heard the sound of ceremonial chanting coming from the doorway.

"Your Majesty, the three ministers request an audience."

"pass……"

Li Cui managed to sit up, and at that moment, Lu Yan and the other two entered the Zhenguan Hall.

Li Meiling walked behind the screen, leaving Li Cui and Tian Yun to face the three of them.

"Your Majesty, the officials sent to Caizhou were driven back by Qin Zongquan. Qin Zongquan is unwilling to return Tangzhou and has requested the insignia of the military governor of Zhongwu Army."

"also……"

Lu Yan paused, pursed his dry lips, and then recounted Qin Zongquan's actions in Cai and Tang prefectures.

"He...he actually dared to eat people! This beastly behavior...cough cough!!"

Li Cui coughed incessantly, provoked by Qin Zongquan's beastly behavior, and Liu Zhan seized the opportunity to bow and say:

"Your Majesty, Qin Zongquan is difficult to control, but right now the court should deal with Huang Chao, who occupies Huainan."

"I believe that we should transport 5,000 shi of grain to stabilize Qin Zongquan, and temporarily appoint him as the governor of Caizhou and the defense commissioner of Caizhou. We can wait for our troops to march south to annihilate Huang Chao before we can pacify Qin Zongquan."

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal," Xiao Gou replied without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Li Cui tried his best to calm himself down and looked at Xiao Gou: "Where have Wang Duo's troops and supplies been transported to?"

"We have already arrived in Mengzhou, and there are still over 286,000 shi of grain left," Xiao Gou explained.

Upon learning that His Majesty had returned to Luoyang, Wang Duo ordered Zhang Shenwu to lead the Left and Right Shenwu Armies across the Yellow River, into the Luo River, and transport 30,000 shi of grain to Chang'an.

"The remaining grain and fodder were all transported from Huaizhou to Zhengzhou, and then south along the Grand Canal."

After Xiao Gou finished speaking, Liu Zhan continued, "Your Majesty, Zhu Quanzhong, the defense commissioner of Chuzhou, has recovered the two cities of Gaoyou and Hailing. Grain from Jiangnan can be transported to Hailing and then traveled more than 200 li overland to enter the Grand Canal and head north."

"I believe that we can dispatch grain supplies from Jiangnan to the north, and at the same time, the 100,000 shi of grain supplies that Gao Qianli has anchored in Runzhou can also be transported north."

After Liu Zhan finished speaking, Xiao Gou continued to bow and said, "Upon hearing that Your Majesty has returned to Luoyang, Liu Jilong has ordered the transport of 10,000 shi of grain and 1,000 bolts of brocade to Luoyang."

"Good, good..." Li Cui listened to these good news reports and felt that her health had improved a lot.

Seeing that everyone was saying nice things, Lu Yan took the opportunity to say something even better.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Yunshen, the military governor of Lulong, has heard that the court is short of funds and grain, and has specially donated 500,000 shi of rice and 20,000 shi of salt to assist the army."

"How many?!"

Upon hearing the amount of salt and rice that Zhang Yunshen from Lulong Town had presented, Li Cui felt his cough had disappeared, but at the same time, he couldn't help but worry that Zhang Yunshen might have other plans.

Five hundred thousand shi of rice was a considerable expense, not only for Lulong Town, but also for the imperial court in previous years.

If the grain were transported south to Luoyang via the Grand Canal, at least 400,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) could be delivered, enough to meet the needs of the imperial army of 70,000 and 100,000 laborers for half a year.

Thinking of this, Li Cui couldn't help but ask, "Why did Zhang Yunshen offer so much grain and fodder?"

When Lu Yan heard Li Cui ask this question, he could empathize with him. After all, when he first learned that Zhang Yunshen had transported so much grain and fodder to the south, his first reaction was also that he suspected something was amiss.

However, after making inquiries and analyzing the situation from various sources, he confirmed that there was no problem with the batch of grain.

“Your Majesty, Zhang Yunshen is old and frail, and his son Zhang Jianhui has no prestige. Meanwhile, within Lulong, Zhang Gong is ambitious.”

"I believe that Zhang Yunshen did this because he was worried that after his death, Zhang Gongsu would rebel and kill his son, so he sought to befriend the court."

After Lu Yan's analysis, Li Cui finally felt relieved.

Mutinies in Lulong Town were indeed frequent. If Zhang Jian had the imperial court as a fallback option, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to fight Lulong.

Thinking about this, Li Cui admired Zhang Yunshen for using 500,000 shi of grain and 20,000 shi of salt to buy a way out for his descendants.

However, this shipment of salt and rice arrived just in time. Given the grain and salt prices in Henan Province, this amount of grain was sufficient to support the army in suppressing the rebels.

Thinking of this, Li Cui nodded and said, "Zhang Yunshen has made great contributions. An imperial edict was issued to reward him, bestowing upon him brocade, jade belt, gold and silver utensils, and other items. He was also granted the title of Special Advisor and concurrently appointed as a Chamberlain."

"Your Majesty is wise..." Lu Yan and the other two bowed and paid their respects. Li Cui, having calmed down somewhat, addressed the three:
"Including Zhang Yunshen's batch of grain, the imperial court has nearly one million shi of grain in hand, while more than three million shi of taxes from Henan and Hedong provinces have not yet been transported to Luoyang."

"Once the money and provisions arrive, we will send more troops to advance. I do not want to see even a single banner of the Yellow Turban rebels before the end of the year..."

Faced with Li Cui's words, Lu Yan and the other two could only bow and reply, "Your subjects obey the decree!"

The three bowed and left Zhenguan Hall. As soon as they left, Li Cui could no longer hold back and continued to cough.

“Father…”

Li Meiling stepped out from behind the screen, looking at him with complicated emotions. Not knowing what to say, she could only reach out and gently pat his back.

Feeling the gentle caress on his back, Li Cui looked at Li Meiling, a hint of guilt flashing across his face:

“Nannan, you may be right. Father shouldn’t have attacked Liu Jilong. Otherwise, the situation would not have come to this.”

"The situation is so dire now that Father can't even afford money, let alone choose a son-in-law..."

Li Cui had never felt such regret before, regretting his falling out with Liu Jilong and causing the collapse of the political situation.

Despite all his faults, Liu Jilong was able to forgive and forget about the court in the face of its crisis, and even twice sent grain to the court.

Although it was not as much as Zhang Yunshen's 500,000 shi of grain, Liu Jilong did not have Zhang Yunshen's worries and had no need to curry favor with the court.

Compared to Liu Jilong, it was those towns that usually seemed obedient who not only arbitrarily reduced the amount of money and grain to be transported, but some even stopped transporting altogether.

He witnessed the devastation in the Hebei and Huai River regions, but his body had long been weakened by wine and women, leaving him unable to handle the aftermath.

He was completely unaware of the true state of the Tang Dynasty at this moment, his mind in a daze...

“Ayemo, don’t say such discouraging things. The imperial court has plenty of troops and supplies, and will soon be able to defeat the Yellow bandits.”

"In addition, Liu Jilong in the western border is law-abiding and obedient. As long as Father Emperor works hard, the Tang Dynasty still has the possibility of prosperity."

Li Meiling tried to comfort Li Cui, but Li Cui smiled bitterly upon hearing this: "Prosperity..."

No one knows his body better than Li Cui himself. Right now, he is like a candle in the wind, its light flickering.

He knew very well what the consequences would be if he collapsed at this moment, but even if he wanted to hold on, he had no strength left.

"Father is tired, and daughter, you must be exhausted from your journey. Go back to the palace to rest..."

Li Cui shook his head and waved his hand. Li Meiling opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. In the end, she could only bow and leave.

After she left, Li Cui stared blankly in the direction where her figure disappeared for a long time until Tian Yun brought him the medicine. Only then did he come back to his senses and slowly drink the bitter medicine.

However, compared to Li Cui, who still had palaces to live in, the officials and common people who followed the emperor back to Luoyang were in a much worse situation.

"Cough cough..."

Outside Ziwei City, dust rose and coughs echoed. Looking at the ruins left by the fire, Zhang Huaicheng frowned and turned to walk towards the carriage parked on the road not far away.

He approached the carriage, opened the window, and inside sat Zhang Yichao, whose complexion was slightly worse than it had been half a month ago.

“Uncle, the entire Luoyang, except for Ziwei City, has been burned down by the Yellow bandits. Whether it’s the walls or the houses, they will probably have to be rebuilt.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yichao struggled to move to the window, holding onto the low stool inside the car, and looked out.

When he saw Luoyang reduced to ashes and charred beyond recognition, he sighed instinctively before saying, "It doesn't need to be repaired too well; just enough for my family to live in is sufficient."

“Yes!” Zhang Huaicheng nodded in agreement, while Zhang Yichao looked into the distance and saw thousands of wealthy households and ordinary people.

They were all commoners who had followed the emperor back to Luoyang, but given the current state of Luoyang, it would take at least several months to recover.

This is assuming Huang Chao did not burn down Ziwei City. If Ziwei City had been burned down, it would have required even more manpower and resources, and would have taken even longer.

More importantly, during the months that Huang Chao had spent repairing the houses in Luoyang, he had already cut down almost all the mature trees in the vicinity of Luoyang.

Nowadays, if you want trees, you have to go to the Xiaoshan, Xiong'ershan, and Funiushan mountains, which are more than a hundred miles away, and the manpower and resources required are not small.

"Let's set up a tent for now, cough cough..."

Zhang Yichao couldn't help but cough. Seeing this, Zhang Huaicheng quickly advised, "Uncle, you can't be exposed to the wind. Please close the window."

"I'm getting old..." Faced with his current physical condition, Zhang Yichao could only shake his head and admit that he was getting old, then raised his hand to close the car window.

There were quite a few people like him who fell ill. After all, many ministers were already old, and with the arduous journeys and exposure to the elements during the rainy season, it was inevitable that they would catch a cold.

However, even more pitiful than them were the Henan refugees who followed the emperor.

Tens of thousands of refugees arrived in Luoyang and were astonished by the city's charred remains.

Fortunately, the officials in the court needed their services in order to enjoy life, so despite the limited food supply, the court decided to open soup kitchens to keep these refugees there.

After they were left behind, Zhang Huaiding and Yang Fugong led about three thousand Shenwu soldiers and several hundred boats along the Luo River into Luoyang, bringing with them 100,000 shi of grain.

With the unloading of 100,000 shi of grain, the previously wavering refugees quickly settled down, and the officials, who were adept at understanding people's hearts, began to use their own methods.

While they were using tricks, Huang Chao, who had retreated to Huainan, was forced to change his capital from Jiangdu to Hefei because of Zhu Wen's capture of two counties.

The original residence of the Kuai family in Hefei was forcibly cleared out and became Huang Chao's temporary palace.

Because the Kuai family produced officials of the third rank or above during the Tang Dynasty, they were qualified to open a black-headed gate in the ward wall, set up a screen wall in the mansion, and insert long halberds outside.

The Kuai family mansion was a three-courtyard house, the standard for a third-rank official. The main hall had five rooms, was six zhang wide from east to west, and two zhang high, which was not small at all.

Huang Chao entered the main hall, his face dark, and sat down in the main seat. He looked travel-worn.

But when he looked up, he saw Shang Rang and Bi Shiduo locked in a fierce confrontation, the two seemingly eager to draw their swords and kill each other.

Shang Rang resented Bi Shiduo for betraying Wang Xianzhi, while Bi Shiduo was wary of Shang Rang and was plotting something.

Seeing the farce unfolding before him, Huang Chao slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Enough!"

"I don't care what grudges you have. The right thing to do is to resolve the current predicament first!"

Under Huang Chao's reprimand, the two had no choice but to temporarily suppress their hostility.

At the same time, Meng Kai led a group of people carrying books into the main hall, attracting the attention of the three.

"Your Majesty, these are the summer harvest grain registers for Huainan Circuit, as well as the granaries of various prefectures and counties, sent by Zhao Zhang."

Meng Kai explained, while reporting, "Hundreds of thousands of people from Chenzhou and Yingzhou have been driven into Huainan by our army and have now been settled in Shouzhou and Luzhou."

"Without these hundreds of thousands of people, it would be difficult for the Tang emperor to recruit laborers. Our army, on the other hand, can use them to cultivate wasteland and wait for the harvest next year before marching north."

Meng Kai's words made Shang Rang, the prime minister of the Great Qi, feel a sense of crisis, and he had no choice but to stand up and bow, saying:
"Your Majesty, although our army has 100,000 men, the troops are particularly bloated, with less than a quarter of them wearing armor."

"I believe that each army should reduce the number of old and weak soldiers, and not rush into battle with the Tang army. Instead, they should train them well and at the same time recruit artisans to make armor as soon as possible."

After Shang Rang finished speaking, he saw that Huang Chao remained silent and simply looked through the granary.

Huang Chao, who was initially somewhat anxious, felt a little relieved after seeing the granaries and summer harvest in the various prefectures of Huainan.

He placed the document back on the table and said calmly, "This summer harvest yielded a million taels of grain in Huainan Province, and the harvest after the autumn harvest will certainly be substantial."

"This million tons of grain is enough to feed our army for a year, and is sufficient to train a strong army!"

Huang Chao's words did not reassure Shang Rang; instead, they made him nervous.

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, how did Governor Huang manage to collect grain in Huainan Circuit?"

Shang Rang's words made Huang Chao realize what was happening, and he looked at Meng Kai.

Meng Kai felt Huang Chao's gaze and immediately bowed, saying, "Lord Huang has decreed that every adult male in Huainan shall pay three shi of grain."

"Three shi?" Shang Rang looked surprised, then stepped forward to look through the granary. He saw in the grain register that "976,452 shi of grain were collected during the summer harvest".

This means that there are at least 320,000 males in Huainan Circuit, which seems to be not a big problem. After all, in the early Tang Dynasty, the "rent, labor and tax" system meant that each male paid two shi of millet or three shi of rice per year.

Huainan mainly grows rice, so there is no problem in collecting three shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice.

“During the rental and adjustment period, each adult male was taxed three shi of grain per year. Now, three shi of grain are being levied for the summer harvest alone. Who knows how many more shi will be levied for the autumn harvest?”

"Moreover, Huainan has just suffered from a drought and was hit by locusts last year. The people have no stored grain. The three shi of grain that Magistrate Huang is collecting is probably the little food that many people have left."

Shang Rang explained his concerns to Huang Chao and suggested, "Your Majesty, I suggest returning two shi of grain to the people and keeping only one shi."

"A loss of 600,000 shi of grain poses no immediate threat to our army, but for the people, it concerns the outcome of the autumn harvest."

"If people die before the autumn harvest, who will take care of the crops in the fields?"

Shang Rang, considering the bigger picture, offered advice to Huang Chao. Upon hearing this, Huang Chao realized the seriousness of the matter and was about to speak when Meng Kai bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't."

The three people in the hall looked at him, and Meng Kai explained, "Your Majesty, our army has less than 300,000 coins and silk, and now we have 100,000 soldiers. According to the military pay Your Majesty previously set, we need to distribute 150,000 shi of grain every month."

"If we return the more than 600,000 jin of grain to the people, our army will only have more than 300,000 jin of grain, which can last for at most two months, while the autumn harvest will not be until at least September."

"It's only June now, and the imperial court still needs to pay three months' worth of military salaries, at least 450,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), of which 150,000 shi are short. Where will we get those 150,000 shi?"

"Moreover, military pay is military pay, and rations are rations."

"An army of 100,000 men needs no less than 50,000 shi of food per month. In three months, that's 150,000 shi. This leaves a shortfall of 300,000 shi."

"That is precisely why I urge Your Majesty to reconsider..."

Meng Kai's words made sense, and Huang Chao, who had originally been prepared to agree to Shang Rang's request, suddenly hesitated.

Seeing his hesitation, Shang Rang tried to argue his point, but Bi Shiduo didn't give him the chance and directly bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, not to mention the people of Huainan, the people our army has migrated from Chenzhou and Yingzhou also need food."

"To keep these two or three hundred thousand people alive until the autumn harvest, we need at least three or four hundred thousand bushels of grain."

After hearing Bi Shiduo's words, Huang Chao could only look to Shang Rang and discuss the matter:

"Let's put this matter aside for now. If it really doesn't work, let the people go up the mountain to hunt and go down to the water to catch fish and shrimp. The situation won't be that bad." Huang Chao's words made Shang Rang seem to understand him again. He was stunned and didn't know what to say.

Seeing that he was stunned, Huang Chao seemed to realize that what he had said was somewhat irresponsible, and could only try to make amends:
“Huainan has been a land of fish and rice since ancient times. I believe that the people will not lack these three shi of grain.”

"If there is a real shortage, we can urgently transfer some grain from the granary to provide relief."

"Alright, let's drop this matter and not discuss it further!"

He quickly brushed aside the question and then looked at Meng Kai: "Have someone prepare the meal!"

"Yes!" Meng Kai glanced at Shang Rang discreetly, then left the main hall.

Before long, the food prepared by the kitchen was brought into the hall, but Shang Rang had left the palace at some point.

Huang Chao paid no attention to this, but instead sent an imperial edict to Meng Kai, ordering him to lay off the old and weak soldiers from all the armies, leaving only 70,000 able-bodied men, and to order craftsmen from all the prefectures and counties to make armor.

The fast horse galloped out of Hefei and quickly spread Huang Chao's decree throughout the Huainan prefectures.

The Qi army began to lay off the old and weak and to make armor in preparation for the possible outbreak of war.

Meanwhile, as Zhu Wen occupied the prefectures and counties east of the Grand Canal, he also, at Xie Tong's urging, forcibly conscripted laborers to smash sea reefs at the seashore and ordered the dredging of the Huai River channel.

This move allowed boats from Jiangnan to sail along the Yangtze River to the sea, then north by sea to the Huai River, and finally into the Grand Canal.

In return, Huang Chao set up checkpoints on the Huai River and at sea, using the guise of "inspection" to select items to take ashore.

Occasionally, Zhu Wen would use the excuse of problems with the ship to seize all the supplies on board.

Since his work wasn't particularly successful, no one in the court impeached him at this critical juncture.

Even so, he still managed to amass a considerable fortune through this opportunity.

By mid-July, he had enough money, silk, and food, and had also bought enough iron to forge armor.

"Ding! Ding! Ding..."

Inside the scorching workshop in Gaoyou, Zhu Wen and Xie Tong strolled among dozens of craftsmen, watching firsthand how the armor plates were forged, strung together, and made into armor.

However, due to the extreme heat inside the workshop, the two could not stand it for long and had to leave the workshop to wipe the sweat from their foreheads.

"Currently, the armory can produce eighty sets of armor per month. We still have too few craftsmen. If we had more craftsmen, we could forge three thousand sets of armor with the iron we have."

"At that time, you will have at least eight thousand armored soldiers under your command. Even if the Yellow bandits gather their forces to attack, it will be difficult for them to take Gaoyou."

Xie Tong showered Zhu Wen with praise, making him somewhat flattered. However, Zhu Wen quickly regained his composure, touching his bushy mustache as he said:

"Even with eight thousand armored soldiers, I am no match for the Taiping Loyal and Filial Army and the Loyal and Righteous Army under Huang's command."

"Huang the traitor probably has at least 50,000 Tianping Loyal and Filial Army soldiers and Loyal and Righteous Army soldiers in his hands right now. I am no match for him."

Zhu Wen's fear of Huang Chao was evident on his face, but Xie Tong chuckled and said, "My lord, there's no need to worry."

"Although the Yellow bandits have a large army, how can they compare to the imperial court?"

"This morning, Governor Zeng sent a message claiming that Governor Kang and Governor Wang have joined forces, with a total of 70,000 troops. If we include our troops, the total is nearly 80,000."

"If Gao Pian from Hunan also takes this opportunity to make a move, what are the chances of the Huang bandits winning?"

"Now that they have entered Huainan, they think it is a safe place, but they never expected that this place is also a battleground."

"In my opinion, if the government troops work together with one heart and one mind, the Yellow rebels will probably never see the winter snow."

"Even if we see winter snow, we're probably not far from defeat."

Xie Tong's words eased Zhu Wen's slightly anxious mood, and he couldn't help but relax, saying:

"That being said, we still have to be on guard."

"Our army's warehouses now contain more than 30,000 shi of grain and more than 140,000 coins, enough to cover half a year's military expenses."

"If we wait until the autumn harvest, we can profit even more. I would be happy to see the government troops fight Huang Chao to the death."

Zhu Wen's somewhat shortsighted words were quickly corrected by Xie Tong.

"What you say is true, but you should not forget that compared to the imperial court and the various garrisons, our strength is not that great."

"Furthermore, the territory occupied by our army is also a key point. Whether it is the imperial court or the Yellow rebels, if the stalemate lasts for even a little longer, it will be impossible for our army to continue to occupy this place."

"The imperial court's methods are basically to transfer people away, while the Yellow rebels' methods are to launch a direct attack."

"That is why you should save money and silk now, to use for smoothing things over in the future."

Xie Tong's words were not problematic, but Zhu Wen was somewhat displeased.

He had already grown accustomed to Huainan, and besides, the imperial court was bound to be wary of someone of his background.

Therefore, he had no intention of leaving Huainan. If the court insisted on transferring him away from Huainan, he would have no choice but to resort to some tricks.

"I understand."

Even though he already had a plan, Zhu Wen did not refute Xie Tong, but nodded in agreement, and then walked towards the city wall with Xie Tong.

Before long, the two climbed the horse trail in Gaoyou County and walked around the city wall.

Before the formation of Gaoyou Lake in later generations, the western part of Gaoyou City at this time was mainly composed of a dozen or so lakes of varying sizes, plus various marshes.

The main usable land in Gaoyou is the millions of acres of farmland to the east, as well as millions of acres of tidal flats.

With these million acres of arable land, Zhu Wen could have easily established a separatist regime here, relying on the Grand Canal, the Huai River, and the Yangtze River to hold out.

Thinking of this, Zhu Wen remained calm on the surface, but he had already made a plan in his heart.

When the two reached the east side of the city, Zhu Wen pointed to the farmers cultivating the land outside the city and said:

“Many rice varieties grow in Huainan, but the area is prone to flooding, causing people to lose their entire harvest.”

"After thinking about it these past few days, I have decided to repair the abandoned canals in Gaoyou, Hailing, Baoying and other counties, and at the same time build weirs."

"Once the busy farming season is over, please draft a military order to conscript the people of each county for corvée labor until the eve of the autumn harvest."

"In addition, if the water conservancy projects have not yet been repaired, corvée labor will be conscripted again after the autumn harvest to continue building the river channels and embankments."

As Zhu Wen spoke, Xie Tong knew that he was reluctant to part with this place.

He wanted to speak up and dissuade him, but Zhu Wen quickened his pace and left the place, leaving Xie Tong speechless.

Xie Tong was quick-witted. He knew from Zhu Wen's reaction that Zhu Wen didn't want to hear these words, so he didn't rush to catch up. Instead, he waited a while before catching up with Zhu Wen.

While Zhu Wen was determined to cultivate Huainan, the mission that set out from Chang'an had already passed through the old Hangu Pass and arrived in the Luoyang Basin.

"Gulu gulu..."

"Be careful not to damage the material!"

By mid-July, Luoyang had emerged from the rainy season, and the weather had become bright and hot.

Even so, the official road on the west side of Luoyang was still filled with many thin and weak laborers.

They pulled the cart, on which dozens of pieces of timber, each three or four zhang long, were fixedly placed, totaling more than ten pieces and weighing over a thousand jin.

There were several laborers pulling the load, each of them very thin and dressed in tattered clothes.

A well-dressed man, who looked like a foreman, sat on a cart, drinking water and shouting orders to drive them along, as if he were the master of his own cattle and horses.

The convoy of the Chang'an delegation passed by, escorted by more than 300 elite cavalry. The entire convoy was about 1 li long and consisted of more than 500 carriages and more than 7,000 laborers.

Among the more than 500 carriages, there were also five carriages carrying officials.

Because communication between Chang'an and the imperial court was already very frequent, only a dozen or so Chang'an officials were sent to Luoyang to pay homage to the emperor. The person leading the delegation was Doulu Zhuo, who had been transferred by Liu Jilong to serve as a vice minister in the Ministry of Rites.

Zhang Yanhui, using the alias Liu Hui, plays a minor role as a Taichang Doctor.

Liu Jilong wanted him to witness the darkness of Guandong as soon as possible, and he joined the mission with the same intention.

Because the mission was carrying tribute of grain and brocade, their journey was slower, and it took them a full half month to finally arrive in Luoyang.

In just half a month, Zhang Yanhui watched as he walked from the peaceful and prosperous Guanzhong region into the turbulent Shaanxi and Guo regions. He thought the people of Shaanxi and Guo were already miserable enough, but after arriving in Luoyang, he realized that his knowledge and experience were far too limited.

Looking out of the carriage at the overseers who treated the laborers like cattle, Zhang Yanhui gasped in shock, thinking that even the Tibetans' enslavement of the Han people was no different.

"After the imperial court recovered Luoyang, some government offices started selling grain in the city for 800 coins per dou (a unit of dry measure)."

"The summer harvest in Hedong has just ended, and the price of grain in Luoyang is still 800 coins, tsk tsk..."

Hearing the discussion among the officials traveling with him, Zhang Yanhui, who had remained calm throughout, couldn't help but speak up: "Eight hundred coins, how can ordinary people afford that?"

"Hehe..." Upon hearing Zhang Yanhui's words, two young sixth-rank officials dressed in dark green robes chuckled:
"Dr. Liu, you are unaware of this. These are merely the tactics of officials in the court. We have seen such methods before when we were commoners."

"What methods?" Zhang Yanhui asked, puzzled. The two people opposite him, seeing that he was a seventh-rank official at such a young age, had talked to him quite a bit along the way. They originally thought Zhang Yanhui was not talkative, but they soon realized that the topic was not right.

Seeing Zhang Yanhui's interest, one of them then spoke, relating it to the current events in Luoyang:
"During famine years, whenever refugees gathered, officials would send out their household slaves to recruit workers, seeking out skilled craftsmen from among the refugees."

"As for those migrants who have no skills, they will be recruited as tenant farmers or as laborers. After working for a few days, they will be driven away."

"I had a casual conversation with the garrison commander of Hangu Pass about the news from Luoyang."

"It is said that officials in Luoyang have proposed a method of exchanging grain for wood in order to repair their houses."

“The price of each piece of timber transported from Xiaoshan and Xiong'ershan to Luoyang ranges from two liters of grain to one dou.”

"For such a piece of timber, these able-bodied men walked three hundred miles round trip, carrying it on their shoulders and in their hands, barely managing to bring it back. The price was undeniably cheap."

After the official finished speaking, Zhang Yanhui took a breath and said instead, "So, the officials are also thinking of the people?"

"Consideration?" The two officials looked at each other, and finally gave a helpless smile.

"Am I wrong?" Zhang Yanhui asked humbly, though puzzled.

When questioned, the two officials, who had experienced life under the emperor's nose, immediately exposed the methods of these officials in Luoyang.

"This grain was originally intended to be distributed to the people in order to stabilize their lives."

"It's just that some people used underhanded tactics, which led to a situation similar to work relief."

"Nowadays, the common people are doing their own private work, but the grain for disaster relief is the imperial court's grain."

"Not only that, but if you don't believe me, you can go to Luoyang and see for yourself."

“If the mansions in Luoyang are built, the common people will not be built immediately. Instead, the people will be left to barely survive, and the government will continue to use them to do the work.”

Zhang Yanhui had no experience with these things, so he could only have a vague understanding of what the two were talking about.

"So it is a case of misappropriation of public grain for private purposes."

"If that's the case, why doesn't the imperial court send someone to investigate?"

"Investigate?" The two officials couldn't help but laugh. "They're all officials, and most of them are related by blood."

"The doctor asked them to investigate, but they didn't know where to begin."

"Furthermore, even if it is discovered, no one will suffer because of it. After all, officials protect each other, and they all need the cheap labor of ordinary people."

The two men's words seemed to open a new door for Zhang Yanhui, and at this moment the convoy arrived at Huian Gate in the north of Luoyang City.

The convoy stopped, and the guards at Huian Gate began to check the seals and the grain they had brought.

Since they were facing an envoy sent by Liu Jilong, the Shence Army soldiers did not dare to be arrogant. They simply conducted a quick inspection and then directed more than 7,000 laborers to transport the grain to Hanjia Granary to allow the envoy to pass.

The convoy passed through the rammed earth passageway of Luoyang and entered the city, which was bustling with activity at that time.

Countless newly built walls rose from the ground, the streets were filled with timber being transported back and forth, and the sounds of hammering and banging filled the air. The streets were filled with craftsmen and laborers, and occasionally one could see carriages and soldiers patrolling the streets.

The delegation was arranged to rest at the post station in Chengfu Ward. So after walking two or three miles south along the imperial city, the delegation entered Chengfu Ward, and the scene inside greatly impressed Zhang Yanhui.

Countless shirtless men are clearing the ruins and rebuilding houses amidst them.

The framework of many houses has been erected, and all that remains is to build the rammed earth walls.

Zhang Yanhui's gaze passed over these frames and fell upon the charred and chaotic ruins inside the workshop, trying to guess what had happened in these places.

Before he could think further, he saw that the area in front of him suddenly became chaotic.

Looking ahead, Zhang Yanhui saw a simple grain shop. The people of Luoyang worked hard for a month and finally earned several hundred coins, but they could only buy a bushel of grain here.

Watching these people, who had exhausted themselves through physical labor, leave with only a bushel of grain, Zhang Yanhui couldn't help but say, "Grain prices in Guandong are exorbitant. I didn't believe it at first, but now I have no choice but to believe it..."

"Hehe." His words elicited a shake of the head from the two officials opposite him.
"Luoyang is not short of food. Nowadays, hundreds or thousands of shi of grain from Hedong are transported into Luoyang every day, so Luoyang is not short of food."

“But this…” Zhang Yanhui tried to explain with everything happening outside the window, but another official interrupted him, saying:

"The high price of grain in Luoyang is because officials have inflated the price of grain."

"As for what they're after, it's naturally for these reasons..."

He gestured for Zhang Yanhui to look out the window, where Zhang Yanhui saw rows of mansions under construction.

Before he could ask, the two men continued, "By raising the price of grain, they can exchange it for timber brought from the mountains by the people, and then build their mansions at a cheaper price."

"So, as someone once said, it's not that this matter shouldn't be investigated, it's just that nobody wants to investigate it."

"The mansions and houses in Luoyang were all burned to the ground, and the officials had nowhere to live. Everything was in ruins."

"In this situation, the only option is to reach out to the people and drive them to build mansions for us."

As one person finished speaking, another added, "Of the five arts of governing the people, exhausting and weakening them is the most important. Only when the people are exhausted and weak can they be easily driven."

“Look at Luoyang. Although the officials have used various methods, the tens of thousands of refugees, suffering from hunger, cold, and exhaustion, are managed in an orderly manner. Isn’t that a clever tactic?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanhui was at a loss for words. At that moment, the carriage stopped in front of a newly built post station.

Three hundred elite Han cavalry dismounted and thoroughly inspected the post station inside and out. After confirming that there were no problems, they allowed more than ten envoys to dismount from their carriages and walk towards the post station.

Looking at the brand-new post station, Zhang Yanhui recalled the scene on the way here, when several people struggled to pull more than a thousand pounds of heavy timber and were ridiculed by the foreman.

"Every blade of grass and every tree represents the blood and sweat of countless people..."

Zhang Yanhui felt somewhat distressed. Having grown up in Hexi, he never imagined that the relationship between the government and the people would be so complicated.

The harmonious and joyful scenes of the Han people in Hexi do not exist here. Instead, there are scenes where those in power use a few tricks to make the common people busy and suffer their whole lives.

Zhang Yanhui finally understood why his prince had said that he and his father were naive.

Compared to the officials in Luoyang, the father and son were indeed naive.

"Dr. Liu..."

A team leader suddenly walked up behind Zhang Yanhui and said in a low voice, "Zhang Situ and the others are in Chengfu Lane. You can see them if you walk three alleys forward."

"Okay." Zhang Yanhui nodded in agreement, but the excitement he had felt when he set off was completely gone, leaving only indescribable emotions.

He didn't know whether his uncle, whom he had never met, or his uncle, the hero praised by the people of Hexi, would be involved in corruption within the court.

If the two men are already confused, what should I say to them? I'm afraid no matter what I say, they'll think I'm very naive, just like the two colleagues on the bus thought of me.

Zhang Yanhui felt a little sad. After all, he was only fifteen years old, and Zhang Huaishen had protected him very well, so he had never experienced any hardship.

The stories of suffering he encountered since childhood were all about how the Tibetans enslaved the Han people in Hexi.

It seems that everyone's story is filled with longing for the Tang Dynasty, as if the Tang Dynasty is still the prosperous Kaiyuan era of the past.

Now he has arrived, but the Tang Dynasty is not as the old people in Shazhou have described.

As he traveled eastward, he saw only the enslavement of the people by officials, generals, and soldiers, and saw no trace of the harmonious and joyful scenes of Guanzhong.

Even in Chang'an, he would see some injustices, but compared to the blatant enslavement in Guandong, the injustices in Guanxi were truly insignificant.

"Sorry..."

The whistling of passing horses pulled Zhang Yanhui back to reality. After securing his belt and sword, he quickly walked towards the direction the man had pointed out...

He was going to meet his uncle, whom he had never met, and the great hero praised by the people of Hexi.

(End of this chapter)