Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 415 Military and Political Affairs in Ji Province: Shocking News of Events in the South
Following Jia Xu's advice, Zhang Yu appointed Lü Fan as commander-in-chief and Xin Pi and Guo Tu as military advisors, leading 20,000 troops to besiege Handan. Zhang Yu then led his civil and military officials and soldiers to move to Ye City, and changed the capital of Ji Province from Xindu to Ye City, in order to get rid of Yuan Shao's influence in Xindu.

Inside the prefectural government building, Zhang Yu was chatting with Du Ji, the newly appointed governor of Ji Province.

"The people of Anyi were overjoyed to learn that you, my lord, had captured Xindu and defeated Yuan Shao's army." Du Ji took a sip of wine and smiled. "In her delight, the lady ordered that wine and meat be provided to the elderly, weak, women and children in the twelfth lunar month, and that officials of the two prefectures be granted three days of leave and given money and silk. My brother Yuan Chang even wrote a poem to celebrate your victory over Yuan Shao, praising your great achievement."

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yu poured wine for Du Ji and said with a smile, "Now everyone in Anyi Prefecture can rest assured."

"Yuan Shao came from a distinguished family, having held high office for four generations. Everything he enjoyed was exquisite. This wine is treasured by Yuan Shao. It leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth. My lord, you may have a few more cups."

Du Ji accepted the wine with both hands and asked, "When does Your Excellency intend to move your capital to Luoyang or Chang'an?"

"Why does Lord Bo ask such a question?" Zhang Yu asked in surprise.

Du Ji laughed and said, "Now, the soldiers and officials inside and outside Ye City all say that you, my lord, will soon become a king. If you are promoted to the rank of king, how can you make Anyi or Ye City your capital?"

After a moment of contemplation, Du Ji said, "After Dong Zhuo burned the capital, the warlords attacked Dong Zhuo, and the two Yuan brothers plundered the emperor, the Luoyang palace was ruined, and the area was desolate and uninhabited for hundreds of miles. The villages were dilapidated and no one could hear the crowing of roosters. Although Chang'an is no longer as prosperous and bustling as it was in the former Han Dynasty, if Your Excellency wishes to dominate the world, you must establish your capital in Chang'an."

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, although Chang'an had suffered greatly from the devastation of the late Western Han Dynasty and its overall economy was severely damaged, lacking the prosperity of the Western Han period, Luoyang, due to the wars at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, had also suffered a significant setback, becoming a no-man's land.

Historically, after Cao Pi moved the capital, due to the sparse population, he forcibly relocated 50,000 households from Hebei to the capital region, which finally brought some population to Luoyang. Therefore, if a capital were to be established now, from the perspectives of economy and population, there would be no more suitable place than Chang'an.

Of course, Du Ji's sudden mention of this matter was inevitably related to the fact that he was from Jingzhao, after all, who wouldn't want their hometown to become the capital?

"Not urgent!"

Zhang Yu took a sip of wine and calmly said, "Ji Province is not yet pacified, so it is too early to discuss the matter of establishing a capital. Now that you have been appointed governor, do you have any strategies for governing Ji Province?"

Du Ji put down his wine cup and said, "Yesterday, I went to Ye City and checked the household registration of Ji Province at the treasury. Ji Province has 350,000 households in its ten prefectures and one hundred counties, with a population of nearly two million. It is truly a prosperous province in the world. Your Excellency has obtained this large province and the people of Shanxi. The Central Plains are in awe of you. However, it will not be easy to restore production in Ji Province!"

“When Yuan Shao governed Ji Province, the laws were lax, the powerful and arrogant seized the land, and the people were resentful. Moreover, Yuan Shao waged war every year in order to gain control of the country, exhausting the soldiers and civilians and depleting the treasury. Therefore, in my opinion, if we want to govern Ji Province well, we need to implement strict laws, punish the evil and powerful, allow the people to rest, distribute land to the people, and cultivate wasteland. Only then can Ji Province gradually recover its vitality.”

Ji Province was the most populous of all the provinces in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Furthermore, due to the stabilization of the Yellow River's course, its land was fertile and rich in resources. In the early strategic discussions between Zhang Yu and his advisors, the people of Guanzhong (the area west of the Hangu Pass) were described as the greatest bandits in the land, while Hebei was portrayed as a prosperous region. Therefore, unifying Guanzhong and Hebei would allow them to dominate the entire country.

Therefore, considering the importance of Ji Province, Zhang Yu chose Du Ji, the second-in-command of the General's Office, to take up the post. Although Du Ji favored Huang-Lao philosophy, he was adept at enforcing the law and punishing powerful and influential people who caused chaos among the people. This was one of the reasons why Zhang Yu entrusted Ji Province to Du Ji's governance.

Zhang Yu said, “It is easy to punish the powerful and wealthy, but difficult to let the people rest and recuperate. Although Yuan Shao was defeated, he fled and occupied Qingzhou; Yuan Shu dominated the Central Plains and his territory spanned four provinces. Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Tao Qian all carved out their own territories. If they do not send troops from the north to conquer the four directions, no one can pacify the world.”

In fact, Du Ji's governing philosophy was difficult to implement during times of war, as it was a crucial period for vying for supremacy, with wars almost every year. Zhang Yu's conquest of Ji Province did not bring peace to Ji Province, but rather aimed to utilize Ji Province's manpower and financial resources to alleviate the pressure on the other provinces in Guanzhong.

After all, if we were to conquer the Central Plains, it would be difficult to transport military supplies from Shanxi. If we were to force the transport, we would suffer too much loss. Therefore, we needed to rely on the nearby Jizhou for supplies.

Du Ji had a plan in mind and said, "The troops of Shanxi are the best in the land and the foundation of Your Majesty's power. Therefore, when Your Majesty conquers the land, you may order Shanxi to send troops and Shandong to supply them with provisions. The people of Shanxi will prosper, and the counties of Shandong will enjoy peace."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and smiled, "The people of Shanxi are known for their fierce and valiant nature, making them suitable for military service; Hebei is a land of plenty, with convenient supply of provisions by cart and boat. Your words, Lord Bo, are excellent, and you are sure to be competent to serve as the Governor of Ji Province."

The rivers of Ji Province are interconnected, and military supplies can be transported by boat to Henan via the He and Ji Rivers. Meanwhile, the troops from Shanxi can sweep through Henan directly by exiting through the Xiaohan Pass. Therefore, if the officials in both regions cooperate well, the burden on Zhang Yu's soldiers and civilians will be greatly reduced.

Du Ji smiled modestly and said, "This is not my opinion alone, but rather the result of a discussion between Zhong Jun and me before my departure."

After a pause, Du Ji countered, "To bring peace to Ji Province is not something I can do alone; it requires the assistance of local officials. Ji Province now has ten prefectures and one hundred counties, so Your Majesty needs to appoint one hundred and ten capable officials to govern the regions. Forgive my boldness in asking, but does Your Majesty have any suitable candidates?" Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "The unrest in Ji Province has not yet subsided. I intend to appoint ten prefects first, rather than appointing county officials. Later, I will order the inspectors to tour the counties, assess officials at all levels, and, based on the reports from the prefects, eliminate the inferior officials of the Yuan clan and appoint capable officials."

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; replacing a hundred county magistrates or chiefs at once would inevitably bring the entire Ji Province to a standstill. Therefore, Zhang Yu did not plan to replace a hundred county-level officials at once, but instead replaced the prefects first, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the situation under their jurisdiction. Once the government's orders were being communicated smoothly, he would then eliminate some and win over others, thus stabilizing Ji Province.

After all, the key to Ji Province right now lies in maintaining stability and restoring production, not in so-called large-scale governance of the counties. When the time is right, Zhang Yu will severely punish corrupt officials for the sake of the people's livelihood.

"There are ten prefects. I wonder who they are?" Du Ji asked.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the relationship between the governors and prefects was delicate. Governors received an annual salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), while prefects received 2,000 shi. In terms of salary, prefects held a higher rank than governors; however, in terms of authority, governors supervised prefects and, with the approval and permission of the imperial court, could lead subordinate prefectures in certain aspects.

In this era of great chaos, the governors and prefects of the provinces could no longer check and balance each other as they had in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Therefore, a clearer division of powers was needed. Thus, Du Ji's appointment as governor of Ji Province was a promotion in the imperial edict issued by Zhang Yu, which clearly stipulated that the governor was the direct administrative superior of all the prefectures, while the prefectures were under the unified command of the General-in-Chief's Office in military matters.

"Xun Yan, the Prefect of Anping, is a man of great political talent, and I have just appointed him as the Prefect. Wei Commandery is a prosperous and prosperous commandery, and I have now appointed Dong Zhao as its Prefect. Jia Qu has made meritorious contributions in supervising the transport of grain and fodder, and I have now appointed him as the Prefect of Hejian. Xin Pi has made meritorious contributions in accompanying the expedition, and can be transferred to the position of Prefect of Julu."

Zhang Yu took out a list from his bosom and handed it to Du Ji, saying, "Bohai Commandery is adjacent to Qingzhou, a place of conflict between military strategists. I have already appointed Man Chong as the governor of Bohai. As for the candidates for the chief officials of the remaining five commanderies of Changshan, Zhongshan, Zhao, Boling, and Qinghe, I have no idea yet. I wonder if the Marquis has any ideas?"

Since Du Ji has been chosen as the governor of Ji Province, Zhang Yu needs to give him some advisory power in personnel matters.

Du Ji looked at the list, cupped his hands and said, “My lord, Qinghe borders the Yellow River, borders Pingyuan to the east and Dongjun to the west. The governor of Qinghe must be a man of both literary and military talent, preferably one who can command both military and political affairs. As for the four prefectures of Changshan, Zhongshan, Boling and Zhao, we can appoint someone who is good at governing.”

"Ji wants to recommend Cui Yan. He is from Jizhou and is familiar with the people of Hebei. Moreover, since taking office, Cui Yan has been diligent and upright, and has the talent to understand government policies. He may be appointed as a prefect."

Zhang Yu considered for a moment and then smiled and said, "I originally intended to keep Cui Yan in my residence, but now that you have recommended him as the prefect, then I will appoint him as the prefect of Zhongshan. Xu Shu will be appointed to Qinghe Prefecture and will also oversee Jiang Qi's troops. As for the remaining three prefectures of Changshan, Boling, and Zhao, Yang Jun will select suitable candidates, and you will then make your own appointments."

"Thank you for your high regard, my lord. I will certainly live up to your expectations," Du Ji said, rising from his seat and bowing.

"No need for formalities!" Zhang Yu said with a smile.

Du Ji sat back on the couch and suddenly remembered something. He reported, "When you were fighting against Yuan Shao, Jingchu was in great turmoil. Sun Jian was defeated in his campaign against Yuan Shu and died in battle at Jiangling. Now his son Sun Ce has taken over Bashu."

"Sun Jian died in battle?"

Zhang Yu was immediately astonished and said, "Sun Jian was a fierce tiger of the Jianghan region. He fought against Longyou and Dong Zhuo, and made many contributions. Now he has rebelled against Yuan Shu while occupying Bashu. How could he suddenly die under the walls of Jiangling?"

Du Ji said, "After Yuan Shu declared himself emperor and changed the era name, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian formed an alliance to attack him. Sun Jian led his troops out of Baidi and fought against Qiao Rui, defeating him decisively. Yuan Shu then appointed Huang Zu to lead the campaign, who defeated Sun Jian again at Yiling, and then retreated to Jiangling. Sun Jian wanted to capture Jiangling, so he led his troops to besiege it. At that time, Sun Jian personally led the army to attack the city, but unexpectedly he was hit by a stray arrow and died under the walls of Jiangling."

"Sun Jun was in a panic and was defeated by Huang Zu's troops. Sun Jing led the defeated army to defend Baidi and block Huang Zu outside Sichuan. When Bashu learned that Sun Jian had died in battle, many counties and prefectures rebelled. Sun Ce led his troops to quell the rebellion."

Seeing that Sun Jian still could not escape the misfortune in history and was killed by Huang Zu in a muddle, Zhang Yu could not help but feel sorry and said: "Sun Jian was a rare hero, but now he has died under a stray arrow. It is hard to predict."

Du Ji said, "Sun Ce submitted a memorial to Anyi, requesting that you, my lord, be appointed Governor of Yizhou. The military advisor, fearing it would distract you, has been reviewing the memorial for over a month. Now he has asked me to inquire about your opinion!"

Zhang Yu stroked his mustache and said, "Sun Ce has the same qualities as his father. With his abilities, quelling the rebellion in Ba and Shu would be very easy. Now, let Zhao Zi draft a memorial on my behalf, recommending Sun Ce as the governor of Yi Province."

With Liu Xie's abdication, the four-hundred-year-old Han Dynasty came to an end. The Sun family's rule in Bashu was illegitimate and lacked legitimacy, so Sun Ce urgently needed external recognition. Therefore, he not only asked Zhang Yu for official recognition, but also asked Cao Cao's newly established small court in Jiangzuo for official recognition.

(End of this chapter)