Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 460 Trivial Matters of Kansai (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"The envoy from the Kingdom of Khotan (Zhongyun) pays respects to His Highness the King of Han. May His Highness live a long and prosperous life..."

At the end of September in the eleventh year of Xiantong, while the Tang Dynasty in the east was suffering setbacks in its campaign against Huang Chao and Emperor Li Cui's condition was worsening, Liu Jilong in the west received envoys from Khotan and Zhongyun at the Hanyuan Hall in Chang'an.

The envoys from the two countries looked different; the one from Khotan had a high nose and deep-set eyes, while the one from Zhongyun had a round face and a flat nose.

Inside the Hanyuan Hall, Liu Jilong sat on the waist of the golden platform. Although he was not sitting in the emperor's seat, from below, he looked no different from the emperor.

More than two hundred officials of the seventh rank or above from the capital stood on either side of the hall, listening quietly to the memorials presented by the envoys from Khotan and Zhongyun.

"Flat body."

Liu Jilong, who was sitting in his seat, raised his hand to signal, and the two of them slowly stood up and saw Liu Jilong's face clearly.

Even though they had already inquired about it, they were still amazed, thinking to themselves that the sage of the Central Plains was indeed a dragon and phoenix in appearance, a god in form.

“I have already read the official documents of your two countries.”

Liu Jilong sat in the main seat and addressed the two men, saying, "The imperial court has restored the Anxi and Beiting Protectorates to protect small countries like yours and prevent you from being harmed by the barbarians."

"Most of the Karluks, Kyrgyz, Uyghurs, and Tibetan tribes have now been driven out by Governor Zhang. I have heard that Shule has been occupied by tens of thousands of Uyghurs, but you need not worry."

“I have already ordered Anxi to send troops next autumn to annihilate this Uyghur tribe.”

"As for Tibet, I have also ordered Molu Danzeng to restrain the Tuhun and Tibetan tribes and prevent them from harassing you."

"If any barbarians dare to harass you, I will not sit idly by; you can rest assured about that."

Liu Jilong made his stance clear, and also made it clear to the two that he could influence Tibet.

For these countries in the Western Regions, although the Central Plains was powerful, that was, after all, a "legend" from a hundred years ago.

For nearly a century, the one that truly ruled and influenced them was the once-powerful Tubo Kingdom.

Although Tibet is currently embroiled in internal strife, the Uyghurs who migrated westward have regained their dominant position.

Although they knew that a sage had emerged from the Hexi Corridor, they did not know that he was so powerful.

It wasn't until Zhang Huaishen recovered the towns of Kucha and Yanqi that they went to pay their respects to him and learned of Liu Jilong's strength from him.

They initially thought Zhang Huaishen was just boasting, but as they traveled eastward, they discovered that Zhang Huaishen not only didn't praise them, but actually belittled them.

Zhang Huaishen was unaware of the situation in Guanzhong and Longxi, so his statement was somewhat conservative.

That is why, when the envoys from Khotan and Zhongyun arrived in Chang'an, they were immediately attracted by the brand-new city.

The population of Chang'an is naturally not comparable to that of the past. Even though Guanzhong has been peaceful for two years now, the population of the city is only 320,000.

In terms of population, it is indeed not as prosperous as before, but the houses, streets and walls of Chang'an City have been renovated and look brand new.

The previous decline has long been swept into ruins, replaced by a new look.

However, for the envoys from the Western Regions of Khotan and Zhongyun, cities with populations of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, which were usually rare to see, were now awe-inspiring in the Central Plains.

"May Your Highness rest in peace. Your subject, on behalf of Yutian (Zhongyun), thanks you for your great favor..."

The two envoys bowed respectfully and continued, "If the Celestial Empire can station troops in our country to provide protection, we will not have to worry about the barbarians invading us."

As expected, the two countries, who were already used to having troops stationed there in turn by the Tang Dynasty and Tibet, indeed made a request to Liu Jilong to station troops there.

Before Liu Jilong could speak, the two envoys continued to bow respectfully to him: "Your Highness, we have brought maps and records from our vassal state for your perusal..."

As soon as the two finished speaking, two officials of the seventh rank carried wooden trays to the golden platform, which were then presented by Zhang Yanhui to Liu Jilong's table.

Liu Jilong had not expected that the two countries were so well prepared, and immediately picked up the maps and books of both countries to browse through them.

According to Xuanzang's records from his journey to the west in the early Tang Dynasty, the ancient country of Khotan had eighteen cities, ten thousand soldiers, a capital city with a circumference of eight or nine li, more than a hundred monasteries, and more than five thousand monks.

Judging from these factors alone, the population of the Khotan region was quite large, while the Zhongyun Kingdom was small and sparsely populated, with only about two thousand soldiers and an even smaller number of civilians.

Now that the two countries have presented maps and records, Liu Jilong can directly judge the general strength of the two countries through these maps and records.

With just a quick glance, Liu Jilong clearly understood the situation in both countries.

After nearly a century of invasion and exploitation by the Tibetan Empire, the Kingdom of Khotan now has a population of just over 57,000, a standing army of no more than 3,000, 18 cities, 326,000 mu of arable land, 12,000 cattle, and over 100,000 sheep.

The environment of Zhongyun Kingdom was even more severe than that of Khotan. Its population was only over 18,000, with just over 1,000 soldiers. It had four cities, over 49,000 mu of arable land, and the people mainly made a living by herding. They had over 3,000 oxen and over 100,000 herds.

The annual tax revenue of the Kingdom of Khotan was approximately 27,000 strings of cash, while that of Zhongyun was approximately 9,000 strings of cash.

Given the tax revenue of the two countries, the only way to protect the country is to invest the tax revenue in military equipment. Moreover, the soldiers are weak and their combat strength is low. Three thousand men cannot defeat a few hundred invading Tuhun tribesmen.

It was precisely because their combat strength was insufficient that they wanted Liu Jilong to send troops to garrison the area.

After all, according to past tradition, when the Tang Dynasty stationed troops, the Anxi Protectorate would bear the military expenses, while small countries only needed to be responsible for food rations.

Liu Jilong naturally wouldn't break this tradition, since the Tu Hun people were easy to defend against without too many soldiers.

"How many troops did the imperial court and Tibet respectively send to Zhongyun and Khotan?"

Liu Jilong questioned the envoys from the two countries, and upon seeing this, the two men took the lead and answered first: "In the past, the imperial court stationed more than 2,000 troops in Khotan."

"Zhongyun has about eight hundred men," Zhongyun's envoy replied.

The responses from the envoys of the two countries caused quite a stir among the ministers in the Hanyuan Hall.

Although they didn't speak, they communicated with their eyes, and most of them felt that the number of troops stationed there wasn't that many.

However, the veterans of the Guiyi Army who were familiar with the situation in Hexi and the Western Regions were well aware of the enormous cost of stationing nearly three thousand troops along the southern route of the Silk Road.

Putting aside other issues, why did deserters gradually begin to emerge within the Han army?

The main reason for this is the expansion of the territory, which has made soldiers farther and farther away from their hometowns. Many soldiers are homesick and cannot be discharged before their term expires, which leads to desertion.

Back in Longyou, if we had two days of rest after training each month, we could easily ride home to rest and see our families.

However, as the Han army's territory expanded, many soldiers needed to be rotated, and they couldn't even get home for half a month or a month, let alone a few days of rest.

This situation is not uncommon even in later generations with advanced transportation, let alone in this era where carriages and horses are backward.

For many officials born in the Central Plains, they had no idea how vast the Western Regions were.

Putting everything else aside, where should the nearly three thousand garrison soldiers be dispatched from?
Even if the troops were dispatched from the nearest city of Shazhou, the distance from Shazhou to the westernmost part of Khotan is more than two thousand li.

Under constant travel conditions, it would take ordinary soldiers no less than two months to travel back and forth, and they might not be able to go home even once a year.

If soldiers were to be dispatched from the Longxi and Guanzhong regions, the distance would be even greater, and the round trip would take more than half a year.

The journey is so long, it is not only difficult to send troops to guard the border, but it is also difficult to deal with the homesickness of the troops. If the time spent guarding the border is shortened, it means increasing the cost of guarding the troops.

The reason why people like Pang Xun rebelled in history is simply because the agreed-upon term of exile was three years, but it ended up being three years later.

The reason for this was that the soldiers spent a great deal of time traveling to and from the border.

The costs of recruiting new soldiers and sending out garrison troops are enough to cover the original garrison troops' pay and rewards.

Unless the imperial court can consistently maintain its wealth and shorten the garrison period for soldiers, the problem of desertion will always exist when conscripting soldiers.

Even though history offers two different answers—the garrison troops and the construction corps—in reality, there were quite a few deserters from both groups.

During the Ming Dynasty, the military garrison system relocated a million military households from the Jiangnan region to the north and southwest. As a result, more than half of them deserted within fifty years.

It should be noted that the soldiers of the garrison in the early Ming Dynasty were treated quite well. They not only had access to garrison schools, but also received monthly rations, salt, and wine, and even travel provisions when they went out. This was incomparable to the beggar-like garrison soldiers of the late Ming Dynasty.

Taking the Weixue (military academy) as an example, the Weixue system directly allowed ordinary military households to occupy 30% of the imperial examination quotas each year, making many military households successful.

Despite such treatment, it still couldn't stop the garrison soldiers from deserting, and the construction corps, which was more advanced than the garrison system, still couldn't stop deserters.

Ultimately, homesickness and environment have such a profound impact on people that even ample money and food cannot compensate for these factors.

The problem of deserters cannot be solved, but there are ways to reduce desertion.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong said to the envoys from Khotan and Zhongyun in the hall, "You have all had a long journey, so please go and rest for now."

"Regarding the matter of stationing troops, I will discuss it with my ministers and will give you a reply within ten days."

Upon hearing this, the envoys from both countries immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Your humble servants take their leave. May you live a thousand years..."

Faced with their somewhat presumptuous chanting, Liu Jilong did not correct them, but simply nodded and watched them rise and leave Hanyuan Hall before turning his gaze to the assembled officials.

After the envoys from both countries left, many people in the hall began to offer their advice.

"Your Highness, our court is at its zenith and should restore our former territories."

"The matter of stationing troops in Khotan should be agreed upon."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

Lu Guimeng from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward, bowed, and then more than ten officials seconded his proposal.

Most of these officials were of the sixth or seventh rank, while officials of the fifth rank or above were very few.

The main reason is that officials of the fifth rank and above were mostly older people from the Hexi Corridor, and they understood the poverty and harshness of the Northwest better than these officials from the Central Plains.

Just then, after Lu Guimeng and others finished reciting their memorials, Gao Huai, who was familiar with the Guanzhong Plain, stood up, bowed, and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the northwest is bitterly cold, and the western regions are even more bitterly cold."

"Two thousand eight hundred soldiers may not seem like many, but where to recruit them, how long they should be stationed on the border, and how to determine their pay are all problems."

"With the Central Plains in turmoil, the court should shift its focus to the Guandong region rather than the Western Regions."

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal." Ma Yi decisively expressed his support for Gao Huai, which subsequently garnered the support of dozens of officials from the Hexi Corridor.

Lu Guimeng and the others were clearly dissatisfied, and Liu Jilong looked at Zhang Yanhui upon seeing this.

“You are all from the Hexi Corridor, Guanzhong, Guandong, and Jiangnan regions. You have never been to the Western Regions. Why don’t you ask those who have actually been to the Western Regions?”

Liu Jilong's words drew everyone's attention to Zhang Yanhui.

Feeling the gazes of the officials, Zhang Yanhui couldn't help but feel nervous, but encouraged by Liu Jilong's look, he still mustered his courage and stood up to speak:

"The Western Regions are far superior to the Hexi Corridor and the Central Plains. Just consider the sandstorms that sweep in every spring and summer, which blot out the sun and add three inches of yellow sand to the city out of nowhere. How many ministers have ever seen such a situation?"

"Khotan and Zhongyun are both located on the southern side of the Western Regions. To the south are the Kunlun Mountains, to the north are the desert, and to the west are the bitter and cold Pamir Mountains. They can only rely on the snowmelt from the Kunlun Mountains for farming."

"Although the two countries have nearly 400,000 mu of arable land, the Western Regions are not comparable to Guanzhong and Longxi, let alone the Central Plains."

"With 400,000 mu of arable land, it is probably not enough to guarantee 300,000 shi of grain, so the local people can only eat livestock and cheese to supplement their food and fill their stomachs."

"The Western Regions are dry, even drier than Chang'an. An orange left in Chang'an will rot over time, but in the Western Regions it will become dried fruit."

"Not to mention those in the Central Plains, even many soldiers who grew up in Shazhou are prone to dryness and bleeding from their mouths and noses after going to Xizhou, Kucha and other places to guard the border."

"Moreover, the Western Regions are three thousand li long from east to west and two thousand li long from north to south, which is more than enough distance to reach the hometown of any minister in the palace."

"At such a distance, it would take three months to travel from Chang'an to Khotan, and half a year to make a round trip."

"If the garrison period is too short, the court will spend too much; if the garrison period is too long, the soldiers will be homesick and may desert."

At this point, Zhang Yanhui looked at Liu Jilong and respectfully bowed, saying:
"Your Highness, I believe that we should send able-bodied men to settle in Kucha and Yanqi, and then recruit able-bodied men from the local areas to serve as soldiers and station them in Khotan and Zhongyun."

What Zhang Yanhui said was that they had made initial progress in understanding the garrison system and the construction corps system, but it was still far from enough.

"Your Majesty, if that's the case, I'm afraid it won't be completed in three to five years!"

When officials like Lu Guimeng spoke up, Zhang Yanhui did not deny it, but nodded and said:
“It certainly won’t be done in three to five years, but if it is done, the Western Regions will never lack Han soldiers.”

"Compared to sending troops to defend the border from Guanzhong, sending troops to defend the border from places like Kucha and Yanqi is undoubtedly closer."

“Even if the soldiers are homesick, they can simply take a two- or three-month leave and go home to rest. It’s better than the soldiers deserting and returning to Guanzhong.”

Although Zhang Yanhui was young, he used his knowledge of the Western Regions to leave Lu Guimeng and the others speechless.

After all, they really didn't know anything about the Western Regions. Their understanding of the Western Regions was only from books, while Zhang Yanhui had actually been to the Western Regions.

Hearing more is not as good as seeing.

Seeing that their argument had almost ended, Liu Jilong also spoke up: "Since the beginning of our dynasty, although we have expanded our territory, encompassing the Three Hans in the east, reaching the Great Desert in the west, bordering the South China Sea in the south, and extending to the Gobi Desert in the north, we have ultimately only been a tributary state."

"After the An Lushan Rebellion, the country was shattered, all because the Han people mostly lived in the Central Plains and were few in the surrounding areas."

“After careful consideration, I have decided to re-establish Zhechong Prefecture to defend the border regions.”

The Zhechongfu mentioned by Liu Jilong was actually the system initially adopted by the Guiyi Army.

However, after the land had been roughly distributed, both Liu Jilong and Zhang Huaishen chose to change the system again.

Liu Jilong's current plan to reinstate the Zhechongfu system is actually aimed at implementing a system similar to the Weisuo system for military farming and border defense.

Facing the assembled officials, Liu Jilong recited his prepared speech: "At the beginning of the dynasty, the Zhechong Prefecture was divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The upper prefecture had 1,200 people, the middle prefecture had 1,000 people, and the lower prefecture had 800 people."

“Each prefecture shall be headed by one Commandant of the Vanguard, one Commandant of the Left and Right, one General, one Chief Clerk, and one Military Advisor.”

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the official ranks and staffing below the prefectural level, so I won't go into details."

"The reason I am bringing up Zhechong Prefecture again is to send immigrants to guard the border and to cultivate and settle farmland."

“I have decided to form a team of fifty households, with each household contributing one person as a garrison soldier. Each garrison soldier will receive a monthly ration of one shi (a unit of dry measure), five hundred coins, and fifty mu (another unit of land) of farmland, with a tax of one-tenth of the rations.”

"Three teams form a brigade, with a brigade commander and a brigade deputy; three brigades form a regiment, with a colonel and a clerk; three regiments form a prefecture, with a deputy general, a chief clerk, and a clerk."

“Each prefecture shall establish an official school for the children of garrison soldiers to study for free, but each household shall provide its own paper and pens, and they may participate in the imperial examinations.”

"In addition, each prefecture selects four hundred soldiers from the garrison troops. The soldiers receive an extra five hundred coins per month and are provided with provisions for expeditions, with five liters of provisions issued daily."

"For now, two military command posts will be temporarily established in Kucha and Khotan. Lonely men will be recruited to go to these places, and soldiers over the age of forty-five will be selected to serve as officers of the military command posts."

Liu Jilong's so-called Zhechongfu system was actually an enhanced version of the Weisuo system.

Although the garrison system in the early Ming Dynasty was quite good, it still placed a heavy burden on the soldiers and their welfare was somewhat inadequate.

Liu Jilong reduced the burden on the stationed troops and improved their welfare.

According to this system, a garrison soldier owned fifty mu of farmland, and after paying taxes each year, the output was about thirty-five shi. Including military pay, that was six guan of cash and forty-seven shi of grain, which was a very generous treatment.

Although Liu Jilong established a recommendation system for official schools in the five provinces of Guanzhong, this was ultimately aimed at cultivating commoner officials to replace the educational monopoly of powerful families.

Once the number of students reached a certain level, this expensive government-run school system had to be discontinued and replaced with a more accessible government-run school system where tuition was waived and the people provided their own paper, pens, inkstones, and other materials.

This process was very long, and the official schools in Zhechong Prefecture were open to all the children of garrison soldiers, which was still very attractive to the common people at that time.

"Your Majesty, the Zhechong Prefecture treats its soldiers so well that the soldiers under the Commander-in-Chief's command may complain..."

Someone spoke, and Liu Jilong looked in the direction of the voice, only to find that the speaker was none other than Ma Cheng, who had been living in seclusion at home for a long time.

Ma Cheng currently receives the salary of a second-rank official, but holds no real position. This is not only because Liu Jilong is using him as a warning to those who form cliques, but also because he is too old.

Ma Cheng is now sixty-five years old, and given his lack of ability to lead troops and govern local areas, Liu Jilong could only give him a nominal position to preserve his wealth and status.

Ma Cheng was clearly unwilling to be a figurehead official and was now trying to make a name for himself, but he was obviously getting a little confused as he got older and was making a mistake in his approach.

Ma Yi knew that his father was getting senile, so before Liu Jilong could speak, he took the initiative to refute his father.

"Your Majesty, I believe that what the Grand Pillar of State said is inappropriate..."

Ma Yi's sudden appearance surprised Ma Cheng, but Ma Cheng's next words made him realize his mistake.

"I believe that since the Zhechong Prefecture is to be set up in the harsh and cold border region, it would be fine to provide higher military pay and benefits."

"If a soldier has any objections, he/she may choose to be transferred from the position of soldier."

"In addition, there are many veterans in the army, with nearly 10,000 veterans over the age of 40. Why not take this opportunity to let the veterans choose to be transferred out of the combat force, and promote them one or two ranks as appropriate?"

Ma Yi's words, seemingly refuting the veterans' pride, were actually for their benefit.

The age requirement for combat soldiers is between eighteen and forty-five, while many veterans are over forty and only a few years away from retirement.

If I could be transferred to Zhechong Prefecture and serve as a garrison commander, I might be able to continue serving for a few more years.

His words won the support of many Guanzhong officials, and Gao Jinda also seconded them:

"Your Majesty, I believe that the enemy forces encountered by the garrison troops are nothing more than weak and feeble groups such as the Tuhun, Tubo, and Uyghur. The age limit should be raised accordingly."

"I believe that the age of garrison soldiers should be raised to fifty."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

As soon as Gao Jinda finished speaking, dozens of officials from the Hexi Corridor expressed their support. After all, the veterans over forty years old were mostly from the Hexi Corridor, and some might even have been their former subordinates. They certainly wouldn't let go of an opportunity to improve the lives of their subordinates.

Liu Jilong was aware of their ulterior motives, but he was also happy to see it, since although the old soldier's physical functions had declined, his eyesight was still intact.

As long as they don't become senile, having them lead the training of the garrison troops in Zhechong Prefecture will undoubtedly better protect the border regions.

"In that case, let's follow your suggestion and draft a new set of rules, adding these provisions to it."

Liu Jilong was happy to hand over the benefits of the border regions to these veterans, since it was much better to give them the benefits than to let powerful local lords seize them.

The deeper the interests of these garrison troops in the local area, the more firmly the Han people would establish themselves there.

Thinking this through, Liu Jilong added, "The soldiers stationed in the garrison will still be subject to the command of the Governor-General's Office and the Protectorate General's Office."

"Under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate, there were the Xizhou Protectorate, the Kucha Protectorate, the Shule (Kashgar) Protectorate, the Yutian Protectorate, and the Yanqi Protectorate."

"Under the jurisdiction of the Beiting Protectorate, there were the Tingzhou Protectorate, the Suyab Protectorate, and the Kunling (Ili) Protectorate."

"Although there are still many places that have not been recovered, as long as the court is of one mind, it is only a matter of time before these places are recovered."

"The imperial edict ordered Zhang Huaishen and Zhang Huairong to find suitable sites for military settlements in Zhechong Prefecture, draw up maps and records, and present them to the court."

Although Liu Jilong had been to Xinjiang in his previous life, the world has changed drastically over the past thousand years. Many places in the Gobi Desert in his later life are still places with lush grass and abundant water.

Therefore, the matter of establishing Zhechong Prefecture for military settlement and border defense still requires on-site investigation by Zhang Huaishen and Zhang Huairong.

With that, Liu Jilong set the tone for the deployment of troops to Zhechong Prefecture and Khotan.

First, develop Kucha and Yanqi. Once there are enough Han Chinese in the area, recruit soldiers to garrison in Khotan and Zhongyun.

By leveraging the Zhechong Prefecture incident, Liu Jilong was also able to extend his reach into Hexi, Anxi, and Beiting, gradually and peacefully taking over governance from the powerful clans of Shazhou.

Thinking this, Liu Jilong looked at Gao Jinda and asked, "It's almost the end of the month. Have the tax and grain registers for the five provinces been delivered to the court yet?"

"Your Highness, it has been delivered."

Gao Jinda spoke without hesitation, while looking towards the entrance of Hanyuan Hall.

At the same time, several officials from the Ministry of Revenue began to enter the Hanyuan Hall, carrying wooden trays containing grain registers.

When the document was presented to Liu Jilong by Zhang Yanhui, Liu Jilong naturally could not read out the details of the five tax collection points in a grand manner, but instead silently flipped through it.

The drought has still affected Gwannei Province and Gyeonggi Province, especially Gwannei Province, which is already relatively short of water resources.

Although water conservancy projects have restored some land production, the land tax for Guannei Circuit this year is only 880,000 shi. Based on the land tax, the conclusion is that the grain output of Guannei Circuit is far from enough to feed the people of Guannei Circuit, with a shortfall of at least 2 million shi.

Liu Jilong frowned slightly and continued to look at the other four situations.

Grain production in Longyou Circuit is very stable, but due to Liu Jilong's reduction of the tax rate by 30%, this year's land tax is 3.2 million shi.

There is more than enough grain in Longyou to feed its people, so Liu Jilong took the initiative to say, "One million shi of official grain from Longyou will be transported into Chang'an, and the remaining official grain will be transported to Guannei Road."

"Your subject receives the imperial decree..." Gao Jinda replied unhurriedly, while Liu Jilong continued to look through the grain registers of the other three circuits.

The tax revenue of Gyeonggi Province was 3.4 million shi (a unit of dry measure), the total tax revenue of some prefectures and counties in Sannamseo and Sannamdong Provinces was 1.2 million shi, and the tax revenue of Geonnam Province was 4.8 million shi.

Besides land tax, the government-run salt, iron, wine, tea, and mining taxes and commercial taxes of the five circuits amounted to 1.74 million strings of cash and 3.67 million bolts of brocade, silk, and cotton cloth.

In total, the land tax of the five circuits and some prefectures and counties in Shannan East Circuit amounted to 13.48 million shi, while the commercial tax and miscellaneous taxes were converted into cash at around 4 million guan.

Although it cannot compare to the more than two million strings of cash in taxes, twenty-five million shi of land tax, and twenty-five million bolts of brocade and silk cloth during the Tianbao era, it is certainly much richer than the Guandong court of the Tang Dynasty today.

Much of this grain was needed to stabilize grain prices, and its sale also raised cash for the imperial court.

Currently, the annual military expenditure of the Han army is around 5.4 million strings of cash, the expenditure of court officials is around 2.5 million strings of cash, the expenditure of official schools is around 800,000 strings of cash, the annual expenditure of the Ministry of Works on water conservancy repairs is 800,000 strings of cash, and the expenditure of the Military Equipment Bureau is around 300,000 strings of cash.

After deducting these expenses, we should still have a surplus of five or six hundred thousand strings of cash this year.

This year's surplus, plus last year's surplus, means that the amount of money and grain available in the national treasury is about three million strings of cash, but there should only be a few hundred thousand in cash. The rest is stored in official granaries in various places in the form of grain.

"As long as no disasters occur next year, the army can advance eastward if the situation changes."

Liu Jilong slowly closed the document, then looked at the assembled officials in the hall: "In recent years, we have been plagued by droughts, floods, locust plagues, and wars."

"Although our army has not suffered from war, it has encountered many droughts, floods and locust plagues, which we must guard against."

"Order all prefectures and counties to keep a close eye on the water levels of rivers and canals, ensure that the dikes are filled with water, and to inspect the waterways frequently after winter begins this year to prevent locusts from laying eggs on the mudflats and causing a locust plague."

Liu Jilong was truly troubled by these natural disasters, but there was nothing he could do except take preventative measures.

These natural disasters are bound to happen. Some can be prevented through human intervention, but others cannot.

No matter how powerful Liu Jilong is, he can't expect God to bless him with good weather and abundant harvests every year, and then transfer all the disasters to Northeast China.

"Your subject receives the imperial decree..."

All the officials bowed and chanted salutations, and Liu Jilong, seeing this, also stood up, turned to the empty chair on the golden platform, and bowed: "Long live the Emperor..."

After the ceremony concluded, the officials left Hanyuan Hall in the order they had entered, and Liu Jilong also returned to the Prince of Han's residence.

He initially thought nothing was wrong, but shortly after returning to the Prince of Han's residence, Luo Yin approached him.

"Your Highness, news has come from Linzhou that Wang Shi, Zheng Tian, ​​Zhou Bao, and others are willing to submit to the imperial court."

"Have you figured it out? Or are you resorting to some tricks?"

Faced with this unexpected good news, Liu Jilong's first reaction was to be on guard, after all, the Tang court still held a very high position in the hearts of these Tang officials.

Wang Shi and his group's sudden willingness to surrender must have some ulterior motive.

"I'm afraid they've heard that His Highness has reconciled with the court, but the court hasn't mentioned them yet, so they're a bit anxious."

Luo Yin spoke respectfully, adding, "Yang Gongqing of the Northern Division is willing to pay 100,000 strings of cash to redeem me."

"Yang Gongqing?" Liu Jilong remembered him, his expression shifting, and asked Luo Yin:

"Do you think I should appease them and release Yang Gongqing?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yin felt a surge of excitement, but he feigned composure and cautiously offered his advice:
"I believe that Wang Shi, Zheng Tian and others are all highly talented, and although Zhou Bao is arrogant, he can be used by Your Highness."

"Yang Gongqing is the deputy envoy of the Northern Division Shence Army. I have heard that since Ximen Jixuan passed away, the position of Right Shence Army Lieutenant has been filled. It is not that Qi Yuanjian and others did not make arrangements, but rather that their arrangements could not satisfy the Left Shence Army and several families in the Northern Division."

“If Your Highness can release Yang Gongqing, given the influence of Yang Gongqing’s family on the Northern Division, he will surely be able to become the Right Shence Army Lieutenant.”

Luo Yin glanced at Liu Jilong, and seeing that Liu Jilong didn't intend to interrupt him, he mustered his courage and continued:

"The Tang emperor has not attended court for many days; he must be having some health problems."

“If Your Highness trusts me, I am willing to lead Yang Gongqing on a tour of Guanzhong and persuade him to rely on Your Highness.”

Luo Yin's idea of ​​getting the captured Yang Gongqing to relax and rely on Liu Jilong was undeniably bold.

"How sure are you?"

Liu Jilong asked Luo Yin, who confidently replied, "As long as Your Highness is willing to support Yang Gongqing, I am at least 80% certain."

"What do you mean?" Liu Jilong asked curiously, and Luo Yin explained it to him.

In the context of the late Tang Dynasty, many families in the Northern Military Commission actually cared a great deal about maintaining good relations with the regional military governors, hoping to draw them in as external aid when necessary.

For example, the Yang family of the Left Shence Army, represented by Yang Xuanjie, Yang Fugong, and Yang Fuguang, had good relations with towns such as Hezhong, Heyang, Zhongwu, and Xuanwu, and many generals had received favors from their family.

Although the Yang family of the Right Shence Army, represented by Yang Gongqing, was not as powerful as the Left Yang family, they still relied heavily on the regional military governors.

However, the Right Yang family mainly maintained good relations with the Guanzhong and Xichuan warlords, but now these warlords have been wiped out by Liu Jilong, so Yang Gongqing doesn't have many bargaining chips.

Therefore, as long as Liu Jilong agrees to support Yang Gongqing, Yang Gongqing can return to Luoyang with his entourage.

With Liu Jilong's support, it was almost a certainty that he would be appointed as the right lieutenant of the Shence Army.

After all, Liu Jilong alone is almost equivalent to the three towns of Hebei or the towns of Hebei and Huaihe.

After hearing this, Liu Jilong did indeed want to support one of his own in the Northern Army, so that he would not be unable to intervene in the chaos in Luoyang in the future.

"I'll leave this matter to you, but I can only give you half a month. The situation in Guandong is changing, and Yang Gongqing needs to return to Luoyang as soon as possible."

"Yes……"

Seeing that he had received Liu Jilong's permission, Luo Yin tried his best to suppress his excitement, bowed to Liu Jilong, and left the Prince of Han's residence.

After he left, Liu Jilong began to devote himself to handling government affairs, while Luo Yin, after leaving the Prince of Han's residence, immediately went to find Gao Jinda.

Upon learning of Liu Jilong's intentions, Gao Jinda immediately ordered the release of Wang Shi and others, and dispatched troops to escort them from Linzhou to Chang'an.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Just when Liu Jilong thought he could meet Zheng Tian, ​​Wang Shi and others safely, military intelligence arrived from Guandong.

Huang Chao inflicted a major defeat on Wang Duo at Hefei, thwarting two Tang army attacks on Hefei. Gao Pian led his troops north, capturing Shuzhou, while Shang Rang retreated to Luzhou.

How many troops does the government army still have?

In early October, Liu Jilong asked Zhao Ying in the Han Prince's mansion. Zhao Ying replied in a deep voice, "According to the report from the court, there should be no fewer than 70,000 troops at the front."

"Seventy thousand..."

Liu Jilong pondered for a moment. He roughly calculated that Huang Chao still had more than 40,000 troops, while the imperial court had 70,000.

However, of the 70,000 troops, more than 20,000 were Gao Pian's troops. If Gao Pian did not want to be dealt with by the imperial court, he probably would not have sent troops to Luzhou immediately.

In that case, it would be 40,000 against 50,000, and it's really hard to say who would win.

Just as Liu Jilong was about to say something to Zhao Ying, Luo Yin appeared outside the hall.

"Your Highness, Wang Shi and the others are outside the hall. Shall we invite them in?"

In just ten days, Wang Shi and his group arrived in Chang'an, which was quite fast.

"Summon them inside."

Liu Jilong gestured, and Luo Yin bowed and withdrew, while Liu Jilong looked at Zhao Ying:

"Keep a close eye on the Huainan battlefield, but pay even more attention to the changes in Luoyang."

"Yes!" Zhao Ying replied, then turned and walked out of the main hall.

As he left, Luo Yin led Wang Shi, Zheng Tian, ​​Yang Gongqing, and Zhou Bao into the courtyard and arrived at the main hall.

"come in."

Liu Jilong sat in the main seat and gestured for everyone to enter the hall.

Apart from Luo Yin, Wang Shi and the others all looked somewhat embarrassed and slightly uneasy.

After all, having been defeated and imprisoned by Liu Jilong for almost two years, their original vigor had gradually been worn down.

Wang Shi had come to terms with it. After all, he was now sixty years old, and with Liu Jilong having reconciled with the court and his eldest son Wang She having been captured, he no longer needed to fear what the court might do to him.

At worst, he can simply surrender to Liu Jilong and stop offering advice.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Prince of Han..."

Wang Shi took the lead in speaking, and Zheng Tian, ​​Yang Gongqing, and Zhou Bao had no choice but to bite the bullet and sing the etiquette.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong nodded and happily raised his teacup, saying, "I have already instructed the kitchen to prepare a banquet, and we will drink together later. For now, let's use tea instead of wine to congratulate the three of you on resolving your inner conflicts."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Yang Gongqing and chuckled, "The misunderstanding between me and the court has been resolved. I was going to release Vice Envoy Yang as soon as possible, but unfortunately someone interfered, which is why it has been delayed until now."

Liu Jilong deliberately said this, and before Yang Gongqing could ask, he said cheerfully, "Fortunately, the east is much more stable now, and Vice Envoy Yang can return to Luoyang to continue serving the Emperor."

Yang Gongqing initially felt somewhat embarrassed, but after hearing Liu Jilong's words, he immediately thought of Qi Yuanshi, Yang Xuanjie, and others.

If we're talking about who would be happiest if he were to stay in Kansai, it would undoubtedly be these two.

"I will never forget Your Highness's great kindness."

Yang Gongqing raised his teacup and drank it down with gusto.

Liu Jilong smiled and looked at Zheng Tian and Zhou Bao, who were still somewhat embarrassed.

Zhou Bao was embarrassed that he had verbally abused Liu Jilong so harshly, and worried that Liu Jilong would make things difficult for him in the future.

Zheng Tian had no intention of surrendering to Liu Jilong; he only pretended to surrender to escape his predicament.

He would never miss an opportunity to return to Luoyang and would return to serve the court.

"You two need not dwell on the past. I have a bad memory and have long forgotten what happened before."

Liu Jilong offered the two a way out, after all, Zheng Tian was a great talent, and Zhou Bao, although impulsive, was no less capable of fighting.

Liu Jilong still wanted to subdue them as much as possible. Even if he couldn't, it didn't matter, since the world would eventually belong to him anyway, and they would still have to serve him in the future.

"Your Highness possesses boundless magnanimity, which I cannot match..."

Zheng Tian respectfully raised his glass in praise, and Zhou Bao quickly echoed, "I think so too!"

Seeing that everyone had expressed their opinions, Liu Jilong put down his teacup and said, "I am a commoner from Hexi. I originally wanted to defend the border for the court, but the court is corrupt and there are many slanderous people. I am afraid it will not last long."

"I know what you all think, so I assure you that I will never use force against the court."

"The Ministry of War is currently lacking a Minister; please appoint the Prime Minister to temporarily fill the position."

“Fengzhou lacks decisive men. I think I should appoint Wang She as the Commandant of Fengzhou to lead the troops and defend against the Hu people.”

Liu Jilong addressed the crowd and simultaneously granted official positions to Wang Shi and his eldest son, Wang She.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi bowed and said, "Your Highness has invited me; how could I dare refuse?"

Seeing that Wang Shi agreed, Liu Jilong nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Zhou Bao and Zheng Tian: "The Ministry of Rites lacks a Minister, and I think it would be better to appoint Prefect Zheng to the position."

"Xichuan lacks valiant generals. We would like to appoint General Zhou as the garrison commander of Huichuan Town. Is that acceptable?"

The Minister of Rites and the Garrison Commander of Huichuan Town were both high-ranking positions. The former needs no further explanation, while the latter was a third-rank official. For Zhou Bao, a surrendered general, being able to command three captains and tens of thousands of troops was already considered a significant appointment.

Before Zheng Tian could react, Zhou Bao quickly bowed and said, "This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission to repay Your Highness's kindness!"

Seeing Zhou Bao's statement, Zheng Tian also looked at Liu Jilong: "I am determined to oversee the Ministry of Rites for Your Highness, so that its prestige may be spread throughout the lands..."

"Alright!" Seeing the three accept the official positions, Liu Jilong looked at Luo Yin and said, "Serve the meal."

"Yes……"

Luo Yin agreed, then instructed the soldiers at the door to serve the meal, while he and Yang Gongqing exchanged toasts during the banquet.

Yang Gongqing was no fool. He knew that he had no outside support left and would certainly not receive any support if he returned to Luoyang in such a disgraceful manner.

However, if he could gain Liu Jilong's support, he would be confident of securing the position of Right Shence Army Lieutenant and becoming one of the Four Nobles.

Shortly after the banquet ended, Luo Yin saw Liu Jilong off.

When he returned to the main hall, he immediately bowed confidently to Liu Jilong:

"Your Highness, the matter has been settled, and Yang Gongqing can be sent back to Luoyang at any time."

“Okay…” Liu Jilong wiped his forehead with a hot silk handkerchief and continued:

"The situation in Luoyang is complicated. You are to use the fish tally to order Anpo Hu to mobilize 300 troops to escort Yang Gongqing to Luoyang."

"After arriving in Luoyang, use these three hundred soldiers to reopen the Jinzouyuan and tell Yang Gongqing that these three hundred soldiers are at his command."

Since we have chosen to support Yang Gongqing, we must at least not let his momentum decline.

Three hundred men may not seem like many, but they are enough to deal with more than a thousand good-for-nothings like the Shence Army.

"Yes!" Luo Yin replied respectfully, and Liu Jilong also gave the order:
"You will be in charge of maintaining contact with Yang Gongqing from now on..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out the fish-shaped tally and handed it to Luo Yin. Luo Yin accepted the tally with both hands, bowed respectfully, and left the palace.

As he left the palace and boarded the carriage to go home, he couldn't help but look at the fish tally that Liu Jilong had given him again and again, his eyes darting around.

"Now that we have met an enlightened ruler, how far away is the position of prime minister?"

(End of this chapter)