Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 517 Zhang Ying's Persuasion to Enter the Court
"Woooooooo..."

At dawn, while Liu Jilong returned to Luoyang and Li Shangyin and others were constantly refining the regulations of the Three Departments and the Five Military Commissions, Lingnan remained humid and hot.

Even the soldiers recruited from Jianghuai to march south are not in much better shape at this moment.

On the contrary, the more than 40,000 captured soldiers who surrendered were still full of energy.

In just two months, the dense forests surrounding Nanhai County were cut down in large areas, and the numerous shallows formed by the confluence of the Zhenshui and Yushui rivers into the Pearl River were also surrounded by wooden stakes and stone walls under Li Yangchun's orders.

Not only that, truckloads of shrubs were transported here and then burned on the spot, constantly mixing the mud and ash from these shallow areas.

This method is not only used on shallow waters, but also more often on the swamps and silts in the western and northwestern parts of Nanhai County.

Guangzhou has plenty of flat land, but due to insufficient population, it cannot be utilized.

Today, nearly 200,000 able-bodied men are cultivating the land here, and almost every day they can reclaim thousands of acres of farmland.

Two months have passed since the end of the war. The forests in the northern part of Nanhai County have been cut down all the way to the foot of Baiyun Mountain. The swamps in the west and northwest have also been pushed outwards by the Han army using the technique of digging dikes to drain water and covering them with wood ash, extending more than three miles outwards.

The amount of habitable land outside the entire Nanhai County has increased several times in the past two months.

"Give it your all! This city wall will protect you in the future. If you also lose your strength, and we are gone, don't curse us behind our backs!!"

"boom--"

Outside the city of Nanhai, the original city wall had been demolished and leveled, and an even more magnificent rammed earth wall was rising from the ground.

The high platform that Gao Pian had originally ordered to be built was preserved by Li Yangchun, who also raised it by two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) and built a drum tower on it.

At this moment, he stands on this drum tower, overlooking the construction site where the work is in full swing.

"The new outer city wall is twenty li in circumference and twenty-six feet high. It can accommodate at least four hundred thousand people. Why does Your Highness want to build such a large city here? The Lingnan region only has a population of a little over one million. There is no need for such a large city."

On the Drum Tower platform, Li Yangchun looked down over the entire construction site, while behind him stood Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, Zhang Guihou, and others.

Faced with the questions from Ge Congzhou and the others, Li Yangchun explained without turning his head:

“The population will always grow, and Lingnan will not remain so wild forever.”

"Not to mention the families of the more than 44,000 soldiers under Gao Pian who are about to migrate south, the number of the more than 20,000 captured soldiers and their families in Fujian alone is no less than 100,000."

"At least 300,000 people will flood into Lingnan in the next year."

“After these people entered Lingnan, there were not many places to settle them, and not many places suitable for cultivation.”

“A significant number of people need to be relocated from places like Guangzhou, Chaozhou, Leizhou, Guizhou (Guigang), and Yongzhou (Nanning) to support our army in suppressing the rebellious Dongman tribes in the mountains and streams.”

"Oh, right." Li Yangchun paused mid-sentence, glancing at Ge Congzhou behind him:
"Have you calculated how many soldiers from Lingnan were surrendered in the army, and how many of their families were involved?"

“I’ve got it all figured out!” Ge Congzhou said without hesitation: “Seven thousand six hundred and fifty-four people, plus forty-seven thousand six hundred and fifty-four others.”

"Are all these people to be relocated to Annam as His Highness commands?"

In response to Ge Congzhou's question, Li Yangchun nodded without hesitation: "Of course!"

Before returning to Luoyang from the north, Liu Jilong arranged for Wang Shi and Chen Jingchong to lead troops north with Gao Pian and the others. He also arranged for Li Yangchun to carry out large-scale land reclamation in Lingnan Road and to relocate all the surrendered soldiers south of the Yangtze River to Lingnan.

Surrendered soldiers from various parts of Jiangnan migrated to Lingnan, while those from Lingnan migrated to Annam...

Although there are only 40,000 to 50,000 people, all of them are Han Chinese. The influx of 40,000 to 50,000 Han Chinese into Annam can greatly fill the population gap left by the war in Annam over the years.

Although the Tang Dynasty had 100,000 people in Annam, this was only a nominal number, and many of them were Han Chinese who had been assimilated into minority groups.

Although Liu Jilong's arrival prevented Annam from being easily invaded by Dali as it had been in history, the number of Han Chinese in Annam was only thirty to fifty thousand.

Now that these 40,000 to 50,000 Han Chinese have entered Annam, the situation in Annam will gradually improve.

"A messenger arrived this morning with a report of victory: Commander Cao has led his troops to repel the Southern Barbarians and recovered previously lost territories such as Fengzhou."

"If it weren't for Governor Cao's illness preventing him from pursuing the enemy, we might have been able to invade the southern barbarian territory."

Li Yangchun frowned and recounted the war in Annam. Although the letter said that Cao Mao was not seriously ill, Li Yangchun knew very well how severe the miasma in Lingnan was.

Thinking of this, he looked at Ge Congzhou and the others and continued, "Governor Cao has fallen ill and needs to return north to recuperate, and Cai Xi will also accompany him north to Luoyang to report on his duties."

“There is a vacancy in Annam now. Governor Cao asked me to make a recommendation, and I recommended Deng Yan to go to Annam to serve as the Grand Protector. I plan to appoint you, Ge Langjun, as the Deputy Protector. What do you think?”

"This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission!" Ge Congzhou bowed without hesitation and agreed. Li Yangchun nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Zhang Guiba, Zhang Guihou, and Pang Shigu.

"Liu Song will lead his troops to Lingxi next month. I want you brothers to go there, and I want Pang Lang and Gao Qin to go to Chaozhou for military reclamation. What do you think?"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Upon hearing Li Yangchun's words, Zhang Guiba and the others responded in unison.

Pang Shigu understood Li Yangchun's meaning, which was to have him keep a close watch on Gao Qin.

Since Liu Jilong had promised to give Gao Qin an official position, Li Yangchun naturally couldn't just give him any official position to get rid of him.

Many areas in Chaozhou have flat terrain, suitable for military reclamation, so it was best to have Pang Shigu as the main leader and Gao Qin as the deputy.

Seeing that they all agreed, Li Yangchun instructed, "I will send 10,000 surrendered soldiers from Lingnan and their families to Lingxi, and transfer another 20,000 new soldiers to accompany them."

"Chaozhou will settle the more than 20,000 surrendered soldiers from Fujian and their families, along with 5,000 new recruits."

“Annam currently has more than 30,000 troops, but after winter, 20,000 will be transferred to Lingxi to quell the rebellion. Therefore, in addition to the 40,000 to 50,000 surrendered soldiers from Lingnan and their families, 5,000 troops will be transferred to assist.”

"Based on this calculation, Annam will have 15,000 troops, 50 cannons will be deployed, and another 5,000-strong South China Sea naval force will be ready to reinforce Lingnan at any time."

“These places are somewhat wild and untamed, but you must not be discouraged.”

"His Highness promised that starting next year, people from Jiangnan and other places will be continuously relocated to Lingnan, and military settlements here are also considered a legitimate achievement."

"The military reclamation area is currently divided into four parts: Lingxi, Lingdong, Yaqiong, and Annam. Yaqiong will be recovered by a certain leader after winter."

"By His Highness's decree, the conditions in the four regions are different, and the annual reclamation quotas also vary. As long as the quota is completed, a merit will be recorded once."

Military merit refers to merit in the military. Each year, one only needs to complete the quota for military reclamation to be awarded military merit once. According to the performance evaluation of officials, three merits can lead to a promotion of one rank.

Such treatment is quite generous, which shows just how much Liu Jilong values ​​the development of Lingnan.

"May I ask, Governor, what are the quotas for military reclamation in various regions?"

Ge Congzhou bowed and inquired, and the others also turned their attention to him.

Li Yangchun calmly explained to everyone, "The two places in Lingdong and Lingxi have the largest populations, with a fixed quota of 200,000 mu to be reclaimed each year, while Annam and Qiongzhou have a quota of 50,000 mu."

Upon hearing this, everyone did the math and realized that the military reclamation quota set by Liu Jilong was basically based on population.

If 200,000 military settlers move in, the quota will be set at 200,000; if 50,000 move in, the quota will be set at 50,000.

According to this, Liu Jilong would need to relocate at least 500,000 people to Lingnan within the next year.

In addition to the 400,000 surrendered soldiers and their families, Liu Jilong also needs to find a way to relocate 100,000 more people.

"This humble general will certainly not fail the Commander's trust!"

Upon hearing that the quota was not too difficult, Ge Congzhou and the others breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Li Yangchun.

Seeing this, Li Yangchun simply shared with them the Lingnan knowledge he had learned from Liu Jilong, and the generals studied very diligently.

Through their exchange, the prospects of Lingnan seemed to become more promising.

Shortly after their conversation, Deng Yan and Liu Song approached from a distance.

Upon seeing the two arrive, Li Yangchun instructed Ge Congzhou and the others, "Go and prepare."

"Yes!" Ge Congzhou and the others naturally saw Deng Yan and his group arrive, and knew that they were going to talk about things they shouldn't hear, so they bowed and quickly left.

As Deng Yan and Liu Song brushed past the group, they subconsciously nodded at them.

After exchanging nods and greetings, they continued walking towards Li Yangchun.

“Qie Biao”.

After the two got closer, they began to address Li Yangchun by his courtesy name to show their intimacy.

Seeing Li Yangchun nod, they looked at the bustling scene of land reclamation outside the city, then frowned and said:
"Your Highness is too kind to these people. More than a hundred people escaped yesterday, but they have all been caught and brought back."

"What kind of person leads what kind of soldiers? In my opinion, although Gao Pian and others outwardly submit to Your Highness, they are only lip service and not truly convinced. Sooner or later, they will cause trouble."

As soon as Liu Song finished speaking, Deng Yan frowned and said, "Yang Xingmin and Li Bo surrendered earlier and helped our army contain Gao Pian and his men, so it's not a big deal that they were appointed as observers."

"Gao Pian has always been our enemy, yet Your Highness has still retained his title of Prince and his honorary official position. Hasn't that chilled the hearts of our brothers?"

"We fought them to the death, and more than 7,000 of our brothers died in battle, yet they are still treated like this. How do the brothers who died in battle feel about this?"

The two men came to express their views, but their attitude also represented the attitude of the vast majority of the soldiers who were on the southern expedition.

They all felt that their prince was being too lenient and too accommodating towards these surrendered generals.

Faced with their questions, Li Yangchun seemed to have anticipated them, calmly retorting, "Have you forgotten everything you learned in the classroom in Linzhou?"

"Win them over when you should, and cut them off when you should."

"Now that the country has just been pacified, there are still many places in the south that have not been fully controlled, so it is natural to appease them first."

"Once the south is completely at peace, you will see what happens to those people and then you will know what His Highness is thinking."

"However, at that time, we should probably start addressing you as His Majesty..."

As Li Yangchun finished speaking, Deng Yan and his companion exchanged glances, their expressions complex.

The two seemed not to believe Li Yangchun's words, because in their view, their prince was always a "good person" no matter what.

Seeing that the two did not believe him, Li Yangchun did not explain further, or perhaps he was worried that saying too much would lead to mistakes.

He spent five years in class with Liu Jilong, and later served in the army in the countryside for thirteen years. He was constantly trying to figure out his prince's policies and thoughts.

From the lessons and the many decrees issued by Liu Jilong, he could vaguely sense the forbearance of his prince.

He knew that his prince was not a person who liked to tolerate things. If his prince really kept tolerating things, it would definitely be something that could affect the future of the Han army.

The world is at peace now, except that the governance of the south has not yet been returned to the imperial court.

He had heard that officials were being dispatched south from the north, and once those officials arrived, his prince would likely no longer tolerate such behavior…

“We are all classmates. If you trust me, then you should stay in the Lingnan military reclamation area and not get involved in things in the north.”

Li Yangchun reminded Deng Yan and Liu Song, but both of them frowned. Liu Song even spoke up:

"Everyone is currently plotting to urge His Highness to ascend the throne. If we do nothing, I'm afraid His Highness will not be pleased."

"Hehe..." Li Yangchun couldn't help but laugh. He wanted to ask his two classmates whether they had studied seriously at all when they were at Linzhou University.

If the group hadn't spent so much time together, and if Li Yangchun hadn't known that he was currently the most accomplished student at Linzhou University, he wouldn't have thought to remind them at all.

However, since so many reminders have already been given, it won't hurt to add a few more.

Thinking of this, he slowly said, "Don't forget, we are all graduates of Linzhou University, and are officials who were personally taught by His Highness for five years."

"Those students from Kansai call themselves His Highness's disciples, but little do they know that only a few of us are the true disciples of the King of Han."

Although he looked at the two at eye level, he gave the illusion of looking down on them.

But after he said that, Deng Yan and Liu Song couldn't help but be slightly moved.

Seeing that the two of them had probably guessed what he meant, Li Yangchun strode down the path, reminding them as he passed them:
"When you are in the military reclamation area, think back to what His Highness taught you. Don't be so confused about who you should listen to."

Seeing Li Yangchun repeatedly answer their questions, the two bowed to his departing figure, saying, "We have learned a great deal..."

As their conversation ended, the surrendered soldiers and Han troops in the distance continued to cut down trees and build dikes, turning this wild land into fertile fields.

Such scenes are not limited to Lingnan; they also exist in Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian.

However, compared to the sparsely populated Lingnan and Qianzhong regions, places like Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian relied on government funds and grain to hire people who had just escaped their lowly status and migrants to continuously reclaim wasteland.

As long as you are willing to use wood and stone to build dikes for drainage and continuously use wood ash to clear silt, the speed of land reclamation is not slow.

However, the fields created in this way need to be planted with salt grass and reeds in the first year, and while they are left to die naturally, they also need to be drained continuously, with river water being drawn in from time to time to wash them before draining them again.

In this way, water chestnuts and water bamboo can be planted in the second and third years, and rice can be planted in the fourth year.

This efficiency is naturally much slower compared to the water-rich wastelands of the north, but the output after reclamation is much higher than that of the north.

For a time, land reclamation was encouraged everywhere, and government offices even issued decrees exempting reclaimed land from taxes for four years.

Those people who were able to settle down gradually became more active and prepared to work hard after the summer harvest.

Amidst this flourishing situation, officials from Sichuan and other mountainous regions, who were adapted to the climate of Jiangnan, were also dispatched to Jiangnan and Lingnan.

Meanwhile, Tian Lingzi, who attempted to escape, and Tian Yun, who surrendered, were both arrested by the Han army and escorted to Luoyang.

In early June, as the autumn harvest began across the land, two decapitation blades were placed against the necks of the two men.

"cut!"

"Don't kill me!!!"

"Pfft-"

Kneeling outside the gate of Ziwei City, Tian Lingzi let out a long, unwilling roar. The next moment, his head fell to the ground, and blood spurted from the severed wound, reaching a height of several feet.

After the breaths subsided, more than ten corpses fell to the ground. The onlookers cheered, while the former officials of the Tang court who were watching from the shadows could not bear to look and turned their eyes away from the bloody scene.

"The Tang Dynasty..."

In a distant pavilion, Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che, along with other officials, looked at the fallen corpses and couldn't help but sigh.

Although they deeply despised the eunuchs of the Northern Division, these eunuchs had, after all, tried to gain influence in the south, while the former officials had been plotting for a long time but had never taken action.

"When exactly will we be able to make our move?!"

Suddenly, a robust official standing in the crowd stepped out; although he was over fifty, he was still very energetic.

He was Zhang Zhifang, the former military governor of Lulong, who later suppressed Liu Jilong in Huizhou, but was overthrown and expelled by the barbarians.

Shortly after being expelled, Zhang Zhifang returned to Luoyang and served as a minor official. After Liu Jilong took control of Luoyang, he continued to serve as a minor official, but in private he associated with Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che, and others.

"This place is open, there's no need to hide. I just want to ask, do we have to wait until Liu Jilong is sitting on the golden platform before we can make our move?!"

Zhang Zhifang glared angrily at the dozen or so officials present, and finally couldn't help but look at Doulu Zhuo: "Why don't we take action when Liu Jilong returns to the city in triumph!"

"Once Liu Jilong dies, the world will surely be in chaos. We can then escort Your Majesty out of the palace and south with our servants."

"Liu Jilong has not yet completely taken control of Jiangnan, and many officials in Jiangnan were appointed by the court in the past. I do not believe that no one is supporting His Majesty!"

"Even without anyone's support, the Tang Dynasty can at least continue its reign even without Liu Jilong!"

Zhang Zhifang's words were quite naive; compared to him, the other officials were much more astute.

"As long as Liu Jilong is assassinated, even if we follow in the footsteps of the Northern Wei, we can at least extend the dynasty's lifespan by more than ten years, which can be considered as fulfilling the loyalty of a certain subject."

The people present were less concerned with continuing the Tang dynasty's rule and more interested in retaliating against Liu Jilong for not being valued by him.

People like Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che, who still thought about saving the Tang Dynasty, were extremely rare.

Faced with everyone's questions, Doulu Zhu frowned and said, "I have received news that Liu Jilong has already returned to Luoyang."

"I suspect that this so-called triumphant return is a conspiracy orchestrated by Liu Jilong to wipe us all out in one fell swoop."

"Let's put the assassination on hold for now. You all don't need to mention it again. I've been plotting with Lord Pei, and we're determined not to let Liu Jilong succeed in usurping the Tang throne."

Seeing that he did not reveal any information, everyone's expressions changed, and finally, at Doulu Zhu's signal, they left the pavilion one after another.

After they left, looking at the pavilion where only he and Pei Che remained, Doulu Zhuo said grimly, "The secret has been leaked!"

Pei Che's face flashed with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure: "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

"If Liu Jilong didn't know, why would he secretly return to Luoyang?"

Doulu Zhu explained, while cursing inwardly, "The matter was accomplished in secrecy; indeed, too many people should not be involved." "I was worried that among that group of people, there might also be spies planted by Liu Jilong, which is why I spread the news and canceled the assassination plan against Liu Jilong."

"If Liu Jilong learns that the assassination attempt has been cancelled, he will surely lower his guard, and that will be the time for the two of us to serve the country."

Pei Che hadn't expected Doulu Zhuo to have thought so much, nor had he expected Liu Jilong to be able to plant so many spies among them.

"I will personally handle the assassination, and the fewer people who know about it, the better."

Doulu Zhuo didn't give Pei Che a chance to speak. He simply arranged everything on his own and then turned and walked down from the pavilion.

After watching him leave, Pei Che waited a while before following him down from the pavilion.

Sure enough, shortly after they left, Liu Jilong learned that Doulu Zhuo had canceled the assassination attempt.

"Interesting, this Doulu Zhuo isn't stupid."

In the main hall of the Prince of Han's residence, Liu Jilong spoke with great interest, while Zhao Ying frowned and bowed, saying:

"Your Highness, Doulu Zhuo harbors malicious intentions. It would be better if I immediately dispatched troops to capture him!"

Zhao Ying was worried about Liu Jilong's safety. In response to her concern, Liu Jilong said, "I will not put myself in danger."

"Since Doulu Zhuo has figured out this matter, then let Li Shangyin make preparations and arrange for the triumphant army to return to Luoyang via the East Gate."

Liu Jilong's words indicate that he will not personally go to this so-called triumphant army; he is merely putting on a show of his triumphant return.

"Your Highness, since Doulu Zhuo has already guessed it, why should we continue to feign compliance with them?"

Zhao Ying's plan was simple: just send troops to arrest all of them, and then torture them severely to end the matter.

In response to his question, Liu Jilong explained, "Doing this will indeed clean up Doulu Zhuo and his group, but I'm not just cleaning them up."

Zhao Ying looked puzzled, but Liu Jilong calmly ordered, "Send scouts to find a way to bring Gao Pian, Zhu Wen and their group onto the ship as well."

“This…” Zhao Ying looked at Liu Jilong in surprise, but Liu Jilong remained calm.

He knew when to do what was appropriate. The country should be pacified after it was first settled, but once that was done, it was time to take action.

These former Tang officials who could not be used by Liu Jilong included Gao Pian, Song Wei, Dong Chang, Liang Zuan, Wang Jingchong, Zhang Gongsu, Zhu Wen, Zhang Sitai, Zeng Yuanyu, and other surrendered military governors and their generals...

Liu Jilong has no intention of letting them live if they show any ambition in this test.

By dealing with this group of people, the problem of redundant officials will be solved, and many destabilizing factors for the new dynasty can also be eliminated.

"Your Majesty, I understand. Please rest assured!"

Zhao Ying quickly guessed Liu Jilong's thoughts, and hurriedly bowed to him before respectfully retreating from the main hall.

After he left, Liu Jilong remained seated in his place, now holding two more memorials.

The former is Cao Mao's memorial on recovering lost territories such as Fengzhou, while the latter is a memorial sent by An Pohu, which concerns Li Sigong and Li Keyong's grazing in the southern desert.

Liu Jilong only glanced at it and got a general idea before stopping.

As far as he was concerned, there was not much that Li Keyong and Li Sigong could do. As long as he restored order to the world, he could send a detachment to quell them within a few years.

As for the present, he needs to clean up the mess in the Tang Dynasty first, and then resolve those potential internal threats...

While he was making his plans, Zhao Ying also began to secretly arrange for spies, and at the same time discussed the matter of their triumphant return with Li Shangyin.

More than half a month later, as the summer harvest gradually came to an end, a triumphant procession of several thousand cavalrymen entered Luoyang through the Shangdong Gate.

Five magnificent horses pulled the luxurious elephant carriage into the city, and the people lined both sides of the street to watch.

Upon learning that it was the King of Han returning in triumph, the people of the city flocked to the main street to watch and cheer, making the entire city of Luoyang lively.

Although Liu Jilong did not show himself, the magnificent elephant carriage made people subconsciously assume that he was sitting inside, watching them at this moment.

"Uuuuuu——"

Long live Your Highness!

"Your Highness Qianqiu..."

For the common people, Liu Jilong, who abolished corvée labor and quelled the chaos, was undoubtedly their savior.

Although the Han army's tax rate of two-tenths was not low, it was much better than the various miscellaneous taxes they used to pay.

The key to his ability to gain popular support was the abolition of corvée labor and the equalization of land distribution.

These two policies have truly benefited the people.

From then on, the people no longer had to worry about being conscripted for corvée labor twice a year by the state and the imperial court, and the farmland given to them by His Highness the Prince of Han guaranteed their future of having something to cultivate and eat.

The issuance of the two decrees immediately relieved the two heaviest burdens on the people, and they naturally supported Liu Jilong.

"Popular support is valuable..."

On the Drum Tower, Liu Jilong gazed at the scene of the people welcoming his carriage, and while sighing with emotion, his eyes couldn't help but wander back and forth.

He did hope someone would assassinate him today, but he didn't see anything amiss.

Gradually, he turned his attention to the people on the street.

Compared to the people in the south, the people of Luoyang have enjoyed three years of peace. Even though they have experienced a severe drought and are still suffering from it, they have survived and are living better than before the disaster.

All of this was thanks to Liu Jilong's policy of providing relief through work and abolishing exorbitant taxes.

However, what is more important is the system of sending officials to counties and clerks to rural areas, with most officials being temporary officials and the annual performance evaluation system.

Under these systems, the imperial court and local authorities maintained a clean and efficient approach to governance, but there were still quite a few bad apples.

The people on the streets of Luoyang's North Market were mostly wealthy, and they wore brocade. So, you can't judge the people of Luoyang by their standards.

The people who came from the south of the city to the north were the best able to reflect the situation, and the drum tower that Liu Jilong chose had a good view of the south of the city.

Many people were seen coming from the south of the city to the north. Most of them were dressed in silk or cloth, and their feet were mainly straw sandals or cloth shoes. Although they were thin, they looked very healthy.

Compared to when Liu Jilong first arrived in Luoyang and saw people dressed in rags, walking barefoot and emaciated, the situation now is much better.

This is just a change over three years, and it happened during a severe drought.

If the drought subsides, people across the land will live even better lives as time goes on.

If there were enough money and supplies, many things in the court could be put on the agenda earlier, which is one of the reasons why Liu Jilong wanted to spread the word and affect the whole country.

Unless these powerful and influential families are dealt with, the problem of land annexation will never be alleviated.

Although Liu Jilong had already been allocated land once, that amount was nothing compared to the land controlled by powerful and influential families.

To someone unfamiliar with the world, the term "land consolidation" might simply mean large landowners buying and selling land from small landowners, small landowners buying and selling land from wealthy households, and wealthy households buying and selling land from poor farmers.

In reality, however, land consolidation is a situation where powerful families rely on their official positions to use their power to suppress everyone and forcibly buy their land at low prices.

Land is a means of production, and as long as it has value and investment attributes, it will continue to attract people who want to seize it.

Liu Jilong naturally understood this principle, and he also knew that such people could not be eliminated, but could be contained.

After he resolves these powerful and influential families, there will be no land disputes for at least the next seventy or eighty years.

If future rulers can revitalize the system, this period might be extended.

He couldn't control what would happen to future generations; all he could do was ensure that the people could live peacefully and have opportunities for advancement while he was alive.

Thinking this, Liu Jilong sighed and walked down the Drum Tower, returning to the Prince of Han's Mansion ahead of schedule.

Half an hour later, when the imperial carriage entered the Prince of Han's residence, all the officials came to pay their respects to him.

With Liu Jilong's permission, the officials entered the main hall of the Prince of Han's residence, making it very crowded, with more than two hundred people standing there.

"Greetings, Your Highness..."

When Liu Jilong emerged from behind the screen, countless eyes fell upon him, and Liu Jilong pretended to be tired from his journey and sat down.

"I have been away from the Eastern Capital for nearly two years, and now I have finally returned after pacifying the world. This is all thanks to you all for managing the court and assisting His Majesty in governing the country in the Eastern Capital."

"We dare not..."

Liu Jilong had the power to establish his own government, but that was not enough to make everyone submit to him.

Their factions were complex, including former officials, surrendered generals, veteran officials from Longyou, and officials from Guanzhong.

Facing them, Liu Jilong mainly tried to appease them, but at this moment someone suddenly stepped forward and bowed: "Your Highness, Attendant-in-Ordinary Ma Cheng has something to report."

A familiar voice and figure appeared. Liu Jilong turned his head and saw Ma Cheng, who was over sixty years old, wearing a purple robe and bowing to him.

After feeling unwell at the beginning of the year, Ma Cheng was transferred from an official post to a nominal one. He now holds the titles of Second-Rank Attendant-in-Ordinary, Pillar of State, and County Duke while working in the court.

His sudden words almost made Liu Jilong think he had returned to the time in Shandan, but he quickly realized that everyone now had their own interests, and their feelings were no longer as pure as they used to be.

Ma Cheng suddenly spoke up, clearly intending to discuss something of mutual interest.

Liu Jilong responded calmly, and seeing this, Ma Cheng continued:
"General Mingwei, Li Ji, is ill. Your Highness, I request permission to enter Luoyang for treatment."

Ma Cheng deliberately chose an occasion where both high-ranking officials were present, and he also emphasized Li Ji's official position.

As for the so-called illness and the treatment in Luoyang, it was just a pretext.

All Ma Cheng wanted was for Liu Jilong to lift Li Ji's confinement and bring him to Luoyang to serve in the government.

Liu Jilong had never forgotten Li Ji, and he had not given him any important positions for nine years. Those who had relied on Li Ji in the past had mostly either died or retired.

Under these circumstances, Li Ji could no longer pose any threat to Liu Jilong, so Liu Jilong nodded in agreement after hearing this.
"If that is the case, then he shall be allowed to enter Luoyang for treatment, and the Imperial Physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy shall be dispatched to treat him."

"In addition, although Li Ji did not have any great achievements, he had made many hard-earned contributions, which led to his promotion to Vice Minister of Agriculture, concurrently serving as Grand Master of Ceremonies and General of Valor."

After adjustments, the Vice Minister of Agriculture is now a fourth-rank official, mainly responsible for assisting the Minister of Agriculture in managing national agriculture, warehousing, and resource allocation.

Given Li Ji's qualifications, this official position was naturally not high, but since he was a person who had been reinstated after being convicted, this position was already quite good as a starting point.

As long as he performs his duties honestly and doesn't cause any more trouble, even without any merit, Liu Jilong will still find a way to bestow upon him a noble title and high-ranking official position.

"On behalf of Li Ji, I express my gratitude..."

When Ma Cheng heard that Li Ji was able to enter Luoyang, he breathed a sigh of relief but could not hide his excitement, and repeatedly bowed.

After resolving his matter, Liu Jilong inquired, "Have the issues regarding the residences of Pu Shuren and Gao Qianli been resolved?"

"Your Highness, the residence is ready for immediate occupancy. Once Pu Shuren and Gao Qianli return to the capital, they can be settled in the residence."

Dou Bin from the Ministry of Works quickly stepped forward to explain, and then stepped back again after seeing Liu Jilong nod in satisfaction.

Shortly after he stepped down, none of the more than two hundred officials in the hall spoke until Liu Jilong became somewhat impatient. Only then did Li Shangyin step forward with a memorial in hand, bow and say, "Li Shangyin, the Co-Prime Minister, has something to report."

Liu Jilong nodded in agreement, and Li Shangyin then said, "Now that the country has just been pacified, all the rivers, canals, dikes, and fields in various places are abandoned, and the court is struggling to pay taxes."

"I believe that we should reduce the number of old and weak soldiers in the army, change the military system to the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War, and set up three offices in each province to clarify their powers."

"This is a memorial to the throne; please take a look, Your Highness..."

Li Shangyin wrote down the system of the Five Military Commands and the Three Departments, Six Ministries and Three Offices that had been discussed in the Southern Court on a memorial, and then presented it to Liu Jilong for review.

Liu Jilong took it, opened it, and examined it carefully. After confirming that the main body had not been changed, and only minor details had been added, he nodded and said:

"This system is good. It can be implemented in the Eastern Capital and Gyeonggi Provinces for the time being. The candidates for the Governor-General, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner and Provincial Administration Commissioner of each province should be determined and presented to His Majesty after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"As for the matter of phasing out the old and weak, let's wait until the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War have the authority to decide on it before making a decision."

Upon hearing Liu Jilong's words, many people turned to Li Shangyin, eager to know what the Five Military Commands meant and what the Three Local Offices meant.

"Your subordinate obeys..."

Li Shangyin respectfully bowed in return, then returned to his seat.

Seeing that no one spoke, Zhang Ying, who was standing in the line, suddenly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Liu Jilong.

"Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty has been in turmoil, with eunuchs arbitrarily deposing and installing emperors, and the Tibetans frequently invading the borders, which shows that the dynasty's fate has declined."

“Pang Xun, Huang Chao, Wang Xianzhi and their ilk, acting on divine warnings, instigated rebellion, which led to the collapse of the empire.”

"His Highness raised an army in Hexi and took up his sword to eliminate the rebellious forces for the Emperor. The fate of the Tang Dynasty is almost over!"

“Now Your Majesty is young and playing around, and Heaven has sent down years of severe drought to warn Your Highness. If you still do not follow the will of Heaven and the people, I fear that the people will suffer again.”

Zhang Ying's words immediately ignited the restless hearts of the group of officials from Longyou in the hall, and even made Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che and others hidden among the crowd grit their teeth.

According to Zhang Ying, if Liu Jilong hadn't led troops to quell the rebellion, the Tang Dynasty would have perished long ago due to the rebellions of Pang Xun, Wang Xianzhi, and Huang Chao.

However, those inside the hall knew very well that if Emperor Yizong of Tang, Li Cui, had not insisted on dealing with Liu Jilong and forcibly levied taxes, it would not have sparked widespread rebellions and uprisings.

Liu Jilong was the cause, and the rise of bandits and the decline of the nation were the consequences—this is a well-known fact.

Zhang Ying is now distorting the truth in order to prove that the Tang Dynasty's fate has ended and that Liu Jilong is the one favored by Heaven.

To this end, he even brought up the severe drought in the north over the years, to show that Heaven did not want the Tang Dynasty to continue its reign.

Although his words reversed cause and effect, they were indeed reasonable and well-founded, especially the claim that Heaven disliked the Tang Dynasty and sent down a severe drought, which left many former officials of the Tang Dynasty at a loss for words.

After all, the things Li Cui did during his reign were indeed draining the people's and the nation's resources, especially his actions in dealing with bandits like Liu Jilong, You Shilong, and Huang Chao, which were particularly infuriating.

If Li Cui hadn't been so ambitious yet incompetent, the Tang Dynasty wouldn't be in its current state.

Thinking of this, many former officials began to secretly resent Li Cui.

Given what he did, it's no wonder Zhang Ying slandered him, given that since Li Cui ascended the throne, the north has been plagued by frequent droughts.

Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che, and other former officials opened and closed their mouths, but could not utter a single word of rebuttal.

It's not that they have nothing to say, they just don't dare to directly confront Liu Jilong.

Fortunately, while they were struggling with their dilemma, Liu Jilong calmly said, "I have never believed in fate. Now that Your Majesty is about to come of age, if you can change your nature, the world can still be saved."

Upon hearing Liu Jilong's words, Doulu Zhuo and others breathed a sigh of relief, as did many neutral officials.

"I have come here today after a long journey and am feeling quite tired. Let's postpone all official business until after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"This humble official takes his leave..."

Liu Jilong issued an order to leave, and more than two hundred officials sang as they withdrew from the main hall. Liu Jilong also got up and walked towards the inner courtyard.

On their way out of the Prince of Han's residence, Zhang Ying was surrounded by dozens of officials, most of whom were from Longyou and Guanzhong.

"Your Highness has not accepted it. Could it be that you truly intend to support the Tang Dynasty?"

"The ancients declined three times, this is only the first time, why worry?"

"Zhang Lang must have a plan, so there's no need for you all to worry unnecessarily..."

Their voices were not quiet, and they were not afraid of being overheard, which caused the former officials to clench their tablets tightly and grit their teeth.

Zhang Ying then glanced at the former officials and said with a smile, "Please wait a moment, everyone. I already understand His Highness's intentions..."

"As expected of Zhang Lang!"

The crowd escorted Zhang Ying away from the Han Prince's residence, while Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che, among others, left in the second group with dark faces.

Li Shangyin, along with Li Gunshi, Lu Guimeng, Han Zhengke, and others, walked at the back. Seeing Zhang Ying's high-profile manner, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Compared to her father, Zhang Ying is capable, but her character is far inferior."

Upon hearing this, Li Gunshi couldn't help but worry, saying, "Father, about urging him to ascend the throne..."

"Don't mention it again." Li Shangyin interrupted him upon seeing this, then stopped and turned to look at the simple yet subtly oppressive main hall behind him.

"His Highness has his own arrangements for this matter, and none of you should interfere."

(End of this chapter)