Late Han Zhao Tang

When Zhang Yu's army entered Wancheng, the first thing he did was to open the treasury, take out gold, and bestow gold, silver, grain, and silk upon civil and military officials, and hold a grand banquet to reward the soldiers.

Opening the treasury to take gold was an old system of the Tang army. When Zhang Yu built his army, he was short of money, so he promised his subordinates a pie in the sky: gold would be taken from the captured city to reward them. Thus, it became a custom that, in addition to military pay, gold and silver would be taken as rewards for conquering a city. Only if money and provisions were insufficient would they be distributed upon the return of the army.

Now that they have received money and grain as rewards, all the soldiers and officers are overjoyed, and the morale of the army is greatly boosted!

With the soldiers appeased, Zhang Yu, with the help of Yuan Mi and Yuan Yin, pacified the surrendered people of Chen and issued and abolished a series of decrees.

When Yuan Shu was in power, he often supervised officials to collect heavy taxes. If the people could not pay in full, they were allowed to delay payment for three years. If they still could not pay the taxes within three years, the officials would sell their fields and houses to pay off the taxes.

Selling off taxes owed for three years seems cruel. However, compared to the Qin Dynasty, Yuan Shu's methods were much milder. During the Qin Dynasty, failing to pay taxes meant selling one's wife, children, land, and even becoming a government slave. Yet, even so, Yuan Shu's policies still bankrupted many people.

Therefore, Zhang Yu issued a decree that all those who owed taxes would have their debts forgiven. Those who sold their land and houses and became refugees and moved to Bingzhou would be given cattle and land; and those who were slaves would be restored to their status as commoners according to the system and would enjoy the same treatment as refugees.

Subsequently, Zhang Yu issued a second decree abolishing Yuan Shu's strict taxation, granting unclaimed wasteland, and ordering each household to pay three shi of millet, one bolt of silk (or cloth), and five liang of cotton, in accordance with the Tang Dynasty's tax system.

After the two decrees were issued, the people of Wancheng learned of them immediately, and everyone was overjoyed and celebrated, thus winning their hearts and minds.

After the soldiers and civilians were appeased, the next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

At midday, when the sun was at its gentlest, Zhang Yu held a banquet in the palace to win over the hearts of the people, inviting civil and military officials as well as those who had surrendered.

Zhang Yu removed his armor and changed into a bright red Shu robe with dragon and phoenix patterns. With his heroic appearance, Zhang Yu looked noble and imposing in the gorgeous clothes, and his every move exuded an aura of authority.

On the left were military generals such as Xu Huang, Gao Shun, Ma Chao, and Ji Ling, while on the right were scholars such as Xun You, Guo Tu, Jia Xu, and Yuan Mi. A few surrendered Chen soldiers were seated among the Tang military and civil officials, as Zhang Yu hoped that the two sides could get to know each other.

Zhang Yu raised his wine cup and said, "Ten years have passed since the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty. The Central Plains are in turmoil, and the people are impoverished. I rose from humble beginnings to raise an army to punish the rebels, all for the sake of unifying the world and ending war in China. Therefore, I hope that you all will be of one mind, assist me in eliminating the rebels, and establishing a new dynasty!"

"Assist the King in establishing a new dynasty!"

At the banquet, everyone stood up with their glasses in hand and shouted in response.

Now that we have conquered the Chen state, except for five and a half prefectures including Yi, Yang, Jiao, Ping, Xu, and southern Jingzhou, which we have not yet ruled, the rest have all submitted. Among them, Pingzhou is far away in Liaodong and has no influence on the south; the Shi family of Jiaozhou has no intention of fighting for hegemony, and if we can unify the south, Shi Xie will naturally come to court and surrender; as for Tao Shang and Gao Gan of Xuzhou, they have already been conquered by Li Song and will be conquered by the Tang army sooner or later.

Therefore, only Yi, Yang and the two and a half provinces of Southern Chu are still divided, and the pattern of unifying the world has been formed. Zhang Yu no longer hides his ambition and now speaks frankly to everyone about his vision of establishing a new dynasty.

Amidst the lively sounds and the beating of drums, musicians sang "Xianghe Song" as graceful dancers entered the stage.

"Green are your robes, deep is my longing. Though I do not go to you, will you not send me a message? Green are your robes, deep is my yearning. Though I do not go to you, will you not come to me? I look for you, I gaze at you, at the city gate. A day without seeing you is like three months!"

A songstress, holding a drum, swayed gracefully as she entered the palace. The drum was then laid flat on the ground, and sixty-four people gracefully and solemnly turned and placed it on the ground before singing and dancing.

The dancers, with their sleeves raised and waists bent, and hands slightly lowered to cover their faces, sometimes danced around the drum, sometimes their toes touched the drumhead. Their figures were charming but not vulgar, their songs and dances were approachable but not decadent, and the grand court dances captivated both the civil and military officials.

Seeing the beautiful singing and dancing, Zhang Yu nodded in approval. He had fought countless battles over the years, conquering vast territories, yet he had never seen such a grand court dance. It wasn't that China didn't have them, but rather that he had never intended to do it this way.

Maintaining a song and dance troupe is quite expensive; purchasing instruments, arranging music, and costumes are all major expenses. It would be more helpful to him to maintain a hundred cavalrymen.

Yuan Shu, born into a powerful family, never skimped on his enjoyment of life. From the moment he declared himself king, he supported a troupe of singers and dancers for his entertainment. However, his enjoyment lasted only a few years before the troupe fell into the hands of Zhang Yu.

After the singing and dancing ended, Zhang Yu clapped his hands in response and said to his men with a smile, "Yuan Shu may not be good at fighting, but he is exceptional at appreciating singing and dancing."

After a pause, seeing that some people were still not satisfied, Zhang Yu pointed to the sixty-four singing girls and asked, "These singing girls are all exceptionally beautiful. Are any of you interested in taking one of them home?"

Yang Fu stepped forward and said, "The dancers of the Eight Rows are reserved for the emperor's enjoyment. Sending them to subordinates is probably against etiquette!"

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "This is a dancer of the false emperor. Why can't I reward her?"

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked to his left and right and said, "I am not afraid of going into battle, so why are you making excuses when it comes to choosing singing girls?"

Then, Zhang Yu picked out the most beautiful one and said, "Yang Fu has made meritorious contributions by offering advice in the past, and today I bestow upon him a singing girl."

"Your Majesty!"

Yang Fu wanted to decline, but Zhang Yu interrupted him.

Zhang Yu feigned anger and said, "How can you refuse a gift from your superior? If you do not accept it, I will make you raise horses!"

"promise!"

Yang Fu had no choice but to accept the singer. So, amidst the envious glances of the crowd, the singer sat down next to Yang Fu.

"Ha ha!"

Seeing Yang Fu's troubled expression, Zhang Yu laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased.

With Zhang Yu's approval, everyone was afraid of being left behind, so they all asked for their turn, and more than ten were quickly taken away. When Zhang Yu saw that Xun You and Jia Xu had not asked for their turn, he waved his hand and bestowed two singing girls upon them. Seeing that there were still more than twenty singing girls left, Zhang Yu ordered, "Give them to those who have made outstanding contributions in the army as wives."

"promise!"

All sixty-four singing girls were given away to various people, with Zhang Yu keeping none for himself, leaving the surrendered men speechless. These girls were not only exceptionally beautiful, but also skilled in singing and dancing, and Yuan Shu had cherished them greatly in the past. Even if Zhang Yu didn't favor them, why give them all away? Wouldn't it have been better to keep them in the palace for enjoyment?
In fact, it was quite simple to not keep Zhang Yu. First, the singing and dancing were Yuan Shu's domain, which Zhang Yu resented. Second, the five generals Liu Bei, Sun Quan, Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, and Shi Shi were not yet at peace, so it was appropriate to make good use of military men and give singing girls to win them over. Third, he should establish a persona of not being greedy for enjoyment and treating his subordinates well in order to win the loyalty of those who surrendered.

With Zhang Yu warming up the atmosphere, everyone clinked glasses, played drinking games, and had a great time.

Following proper etiquette, the officials took time out of their busy schedules to pay their respects to Zhang Yu with wine. Zhang Yu responded with words of encouragement, reminisced about the past, or offered words of reassurance, which put the assembled surrendered officials at ease.

“Since we parted ways in Luoyang, it has been more than ten years since I last saw you, Lord Kuai!” Zhang Yu said with a smile.

Kuai Yue bowed and said, "Your Majesty resides in Luoyang like a dragon hidden in the abyss; please forgive me for not recognizing you."

Kuai Yue gained fame at a young age for his exceptional intelligence, tall stature, and imposing presence, which led He Jin to recruit him as an Eastern Cao Yuan (a minor official position). Previously in Luoyang, Kuai Yue had interacted with Zhang Yu, but because they were not in the same social circle, their interactions were limited and their relationship was not particularly close. Later, because He Jin did not execute the eunuchs, Kuai Yue fled Luoyang to avoid political turmoil.

Zhang Yu held Kuai Yue's hand and laughed, "I am not happy to have gained Nanyang, but I am happy to have gained Minister Kuai!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Yu asked, "You have served under Yuan Shu for a long time. Do you have any talented individuals to recommend?"

Kuai Yue pondered for a moment and said, “Jingzhou has many virtuous people. Among them are scholars such as Sima Hui, Song Zhong, Pang Shang (Pang Degong), Pang Ji, Wang Can, Fu Xun, Han Song, and Zhuge Jin, and warriors such as Han Hao, Huang Zhong, Wang Wei, and Han Xi. All of these men are talented in both literature and military affairs, and their reputations are prominent among the rulers of the state. They are all capable of being valued and employed by Your Majesty.”

Zhang Yu looked amused. Zhuge Jin was in Jingzhou. He wondered if Zhuge Liang was there.
"good!"

Zhang Yu nodded and smiled, saying, "You have a good eye for people. When I was in Jingzhou, I was grateful for your guidance on my shortcomings."

"Don't dare!"

Seeing Zhang Yu's humble tone and apparent intention to consult him, Kuai Yue pondered for a moment and said, "I have a suggestion, but I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to accept it?"

"Please speak up, sir!"

Kuai Yue said, “Your Majesty, Liu Bei has already captured Changsha and Cao Cao has taken Yuzhang. Now the land south of Jingzhou has been completely lost, with Nanjun bearing the brunt; with the fall of Yuzhang, there are already fortifications on the left bank of the Yangtze River. If Your Majesty wishes to achieve merit in Jingzhou and Yangzhou, I hope Your Majesty will urgently send troops south to support Jiangling and Xiakou.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu was startled and asked, "I have been in Wancheng for two days, why has no one mentioned the border to me?"

Kuai Yue replied, “Some people are privately seeking official positions and busy trying to please the emperor; others think they have no hope and therefore have no interest in politics. How could such people have any interest in paying attention to border affairs?”

News of the border incident reached Wancheng several days ago, but everyone was busy welcoming Zhang Yu and had no time to pay attention to it. Moreover, the generals at the time were worried that leading troops south would cause Zhang Yu to harbor resentment, so they simply ignored it.

"If it weren't for Kuai Qing, I would have almost ruined my great undertaking!" Zhang Yu exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table.

Where is Ma Chao?

"exist!"

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's urgent call, Ma Chao abandoned the singing girl and stepped out of the ranks.

"Liu Bei has already taken Changsha and may attack Jiangling. You and the naval commander Wen Ping should go to Jiangling immediately. Repel Liu Bei, but do not cross the river rashly," Zhang Yu instructed.

"promise!"

"What is the meaning of 'qu'?"

"The general is here!"

Zhang Yu appointed the general and said, "You will lead your 5,000 troops south from Sui County to Xiakou to support Huang Zu's forces. Your troops are not good at swimming. If you encounter Cao Cao's army, you and Huang Zu will abandon the south bank and garrison on the north bank, which will allow you to defend against Cao Cao's troops."

"Yes, sir!" The three men accepted the order and quickly retreated.

After the three men withdrew, Zhang Yu felt somewhat relieved and said, "Without Kuai Qing's report on the military situation, ordering Liu Bei to seize Jiangling and Cao Cao to take Xiakou, we would have no control over the entire Yangtze River. At that time, with our navy blocked at Xiakou, it would be difficult for our army to defeat Cao and Liu!"

"Don't dare!"

Kuai Yue said, “Your Majesty’s troops are not familiar with water. If you wish to conquer Cao Cao and Liu Bei, you will need to make greater use of the Chen Kingdom’s navy. Huang Zu is a talented man, and Huang Zhong is a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men. Once the border is somewhat secure, Your Majesty may consider employing them.”

"good!"

Zhang Yu kept this in mind and asked again, "Is there anything else to see today?"

Kuai Yue pondered for a long time before saying, "Since Your Majesty has been implementing benevolent policies and has no intention of residing in the Southern Palace, why not let the people take the stones from the Southern Palace and destroy it to win the hearts of the people of Jingzhou?"

"Approved!" (End of Chapter)