Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 417 Purge of Powerful Clans, Marriage Alliance with Xianyu

What has made Ziyuan so happy?

Zhang Yu asked with a forced smile.

Xu You, oblivious to Zhang Yu's displeasure, smiled smugly and said, "I have been ordered by you, Lord, to investigate the illegal acts of the civil and military officials under Yuan Shao. I have now compiled a complete list. If you, Lord, can punish them severely according to the list, the people of Ji Province will be pleased and submit to you."

As he spoke, Xu You presented a bamboo slip and said, “Shen Pei has annexed thousands of acres of land in various counties of Ji Province, and has about five hundred households of retainers, servants, and hidden households under his command; while the Shen family, relying on Shen Pei’s power, owns two thousand acres of land in Ji Province, a thousand oxen and horses, and their wealth is piled up like mountains.”

One qing equals one hundred mu, and one thousand qing equals one hundred thousand mu. Ideally, in a prosperous situation, one household would be allocated one hundred mu of land, and one thousand qing of fertile land could be allocated to one thousand households. Currently, the land belonging to Shen Pei and the Shen family amounts to as much as three thousand qing, enough to make three thousand households prosperous and easily support twenty thousand people. Therefore, three thousand qing of land is indispensable!

"Three thousand hectares!"

The people in the hall either showed surprise or gasped. They had never expected the Shen family to be so wealthy. They truly deserved to be the top family in Jizhou.

Du Ji lamented, “I thought the Guanqiu family of Hedong was extremely wealthy, owning four hundred hectares of land. But compared to the Shen family’s three thousand hectares, they are not as rich.”

“Shen Pei has always been known for his integrity in Hebei, but unexpectedly, he and his clansmen own three thousand hectares of land. If he were a corrupt person, who knows how many acres of land he would own?” Jia Xu couldn’t help but say.

“When Zhao Zhong, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, was in Wei Commandery, he donated tens of thousands of acres of land and his mansion was like a palace. He was a huge corrupt official!” Xu You said with a smile.

In a society where land is a crucial means of production, power inevitably leads to the accumulation of wealth, and the accumulation of wealth inevitably leads to the transfer of land. Therefore, in ancient times, once tax-exempt groups emerged, land would accumulate under their names for various reasons.

During the Ming Dynasty, for example, Zhu Yuanzhang granted his sons and princes economic privileges due to his generous treatment of them. Over time, a large amount of land was registered under the names of these princes. Once this land was registered under their names, the imperial court could no longer control it or collect taxes from it.

Besides the princes, nobles and even the emperor in the Ming Dynasty would seize land. Among them, the imperial estates, which were nominally contributed to the emperor, served as a natural tax-exempt protection. Nobles would donate their land to the imperial estates, thereby ensuring that the land under their names was exempt from taxes.

The powerful gentry, due to their high level of influence, often paid significantly less tax. Conversely, the middle and lower-ranking gentry, with their lower levels of influence but greater wealth, typically bore a substantial share of the tax burden.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, feudal lords did not possess economic privileges, so land was not concentrated in their hands. However, the vast aristocratic class, with its intricate local connections and direct influence at the imperial court, owned vast amounts of land. Therefore, the aristocratic class of the Eastern Han Dynasty could be described as extremely corrupt.

In his last letter, Zhuge Liang mentioned owning only fifteen acres of land. While some in later generations believed that an honest person should not accept a single penny, in the context of Eastern Han society, Zhuge Liang undoubtedly deserved to be called honest. For example, although Guo Tu's acceptance of bribes from generals violated the law, the amount was so small that it initially made Zhang Yu feel guilty.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yu looked up at Xu You and thought to himself, "Even Shen Pei embezzled so much, I wonder how much Xu You, who is known for his greed, will embezzle?"

Seeing Zhang Yu looking at him, Xu You smiled and asked, "My lord, the Shen family has violated the law and caused resentment among the people. I request permission to investigate and confiscate their property."

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "The Shen family has committed many evils. Dong Zhao will take charge of the matter after he takes office. Ziyuan can lead the county troops to search and confiscate the Shen family's property. Remember that Shen Rong surrendered and was meritorious. His relatives and family members should not be touched, and their land should not be searched."

"Thank you, Lord!"

Seeing that Zhang Yu had entrusted him with the task of settling accounts with the Shen clan, Xu You grinned and thanked him, saying, "I will certainly not fail your expectations, my lord."

"The remaining clans will be managed by the Marquis after he takes office. No one should be wronged, nor should anyone be let off the hook. If there are any unresolved matters, you may report to me," Zhang Yu instructed.

"As ordered!"

Winner takes all, loser for Kou.

Yuan Shao has failed, and those loyal followers who followed him will be purged by Zhang Yu, forced to relinquish their past gains and hand them over to Zhang Yu to distribute among his subordinates.

As for the charges?

Don't joke around. The higher you climb, the more dirty evidence you accumulate, especially since those close to you are bound to use your power to bully others. Therefore, if a purge is to be carried out, Zhang Yu can be wiped out entirely.

However, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. Zhang Yu would first compile a partial list, which Du Ji would then use to settle scores after taking office. This would serve two purposes: first, to punish Yuan Shao's former subordinates, and second, to appease the people.

The remaining individuals on the list will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis; those whose offenses are not serious may or may not be punished. For example, Zhen Shi, who became Zhang Yu's concubine because of Zhen Mi, will most likely be spared this purge.

After chatting for a few more minutes, everyone took their leave as it grew late. Xu You, however, stayed behind to speak a few more words to Zhang Yu, who had other matters to discuss.

Watching Xu You's departing figure, Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes, revealing a hint of coldness.

"Bring Wang Ling into the palace!"

"Yes, sir!" A moment later, Wang Ling hurriedly entered the palace, though his face still showed signs of gloom.

Seeing Wang Ling's emotions written all over his face, Zhang Yu smiled and asked, "Is Yan Yun angry?"

Wang Ling said in a muffled voice, "How dare I be angry? What Xu You said is true. If he hadn't leaked Yuan Shao's secrets, our army would not have been able to take Ji Province so easily."

Zhang Yu pointed to the seat and laughed, "Merit is merit, and fault is fault. If he hadn't defected to our army, he would have been dealt with by Shen Pei sooner or later. Besides, I've treated him well and rewarded him for his advice."

Zhang Yu was generous in bestowing rewards. Not long after capturing Ye City, Zhang Yu enfeoffed Xu You as a Marquis of Xiang, with a fief of eight hundred households. Therefore, if Xu You did not commit suicide, he could enjoy wealth and honor forever, which would continue to his descendants.

"Then why has Your Excellency summoned me here?" Wang Ling asked in confusion.

Zhang Yu took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Send someone to bribe the servants in Xu You's household and find out what Xu You has been doing lately. If you find that Xu You has used his position to settle personal scores or condoned his children's evil deeds, you must make a good note of it."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ling's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Does Your Majesty intend to punish Xu You?"

“Xu You has rendered me service; how can I punish a meritorious official for a little corruption?” Zhang Yu laughed.

There are some dirty things I need Xu You to do right now, and the evidence of his crimes is only left behind for unforeseen circumstances. If Xu You doesn't know what's good for him, don't blame me for taking action.

"As ordered!"

Wang Ling happily agreed.

After a pause, Wang Ling seemed to remember something and said in a low voice, "My lord, my elder sister recently wrote to me, inquiring about your recent situation and asking how Zhen Shi's appearance is?"

Zhang Yu's expression turned serious, and he asked, "What did you say?"

Wang Ling scratched his head and said, "I think you are very good, but it is inconvenient for me to return to Anyi because I have just arrived in Jizhou. As for Zhen Mi, I think she is not as beautiful as my elder sister!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Yan Yun answered well. I will bring your sister to Ye City later."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu countered, "If I remember correctly, father-in-law, are you currently arranging a marriage for Yan Yun with a woman from the Linghu family?"

“My father originally intended for me to marry the daughter of the Linghu family, but recently he has been trying to arrange for me to marry a woman from a prominent family in Jizhou!” Wang Ling said.

"What are Yan Yun's thoughts?"

“My father’s opinion is that of an old man; I now wish to hear your opinion, my lord!” Wang Ling said.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "The Linghu family was a prominent clan in Taiyuan in the past. Although it is not as prominent as the Wang family now, it is still a friendly clan, and marriage between them can help each other. However, in my opinion, it would be better for Yan Yun to marry into a prominent family in Youzhou. For example, the Xianyu family is a prominent family in Youzhou, with many outstanding members. Xianyu Fu's sister is of marriageable age, with a beautiful appearance, which is quite suitable for Yan Yun."

Zhang Yu has very few relatives; apart from Zhang Yang, he has no adult male relatives. If he wants to arrange a marriage, the only option is to marry his brother-in-law, who has followed him since childhood.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the powerful Xianyu clan was no match for the aristocratic Linghu clan. However, in this chaotic era, the Xianyu clan held some military power in Youzhou, making them far more valuable in terms of political maneuvering than the Linghu clan.

Historically, after the Xianyu clan rose to prominence at the end of the Han Dynasty, during the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Xianyu clan evolved from a powerful family to an aristocratic family through their study of Confucian classics and entered officialdom. Through marriage alliances with Xianbei nobles, their reputation gradually became prominent.

If the Xianyu clan can form a marriage alliance with Wang Ling, they will be able to indirectly gain access to Zhang Yu's territory. In turn, Zhang Yu will be able to win over the Xianyu clan. With the Xianyu clan's support, coupled with Zhang Yu's marriage alliance with the Liu clan, Youzhou will most likely be peacefully incorporated into Zhang Yu's territory.

Wang Ling pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I will follow your advice, my lord. If my father inquires about this matter, I'm afraid it will be up to you to reply."

"Ok!"

Seeing that Wang Ling had no objection, Zhang Yu smiled and said, "The day after tomorrow, you will take my letter north to meet with Xianyu Fu first, and then pay your respects to Liu Youzhou."

"Yes!" Wang Ling replied.

In order to persuade Liu He to agree to his claim to the throne, Zhang Yu had sent someone to contact Xianyu Fu well in advance. Through the envoy's communication, not only did Zhang Yu intend to form a marriage alliance with Xianyu Fu, but Xianyu Fu also longed to form a marriage alliance with Zhang Yu. So Zhang Yu arranged for Wang Ling to marry into the family.

(End of this chapter)