The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 273 The Eight Prefectures of Northern Frontier, the Governor of Gansu

The Northern Frontier Cavalry marched eastward and decisively defeated over 100,000 elite Western Xia troops in the Hexi Corridor. Soon after, the entire Hexi region fell into their hands.

When the battle report reached the Song, Jin, and Western Xia dynasties, the courts and the public in the three kingdoms were shaken, and the situation changed drastically.

Within the territory of Western Xia, cries of despair filled the land; in the imperial court, officials were filled with trepidation; and the common people, young and old, fled in droves.

The Western Xia, whose national power was already declining, was now in danger of collapse after this severe blow.

Their rulers and ministers had no choice but to place their hopes on the suzerain state of Jin, hoping that it would remember the old friendship and send troops to punish the northern frontier in order to help Western Xia recover the Hexi Corridor.

The Jin court was in an uproar upon hearing the news.

The forces in the northern frontier spread like wildfire, rapidly rising in the western regions. They not only threatened the northwestern border defenses of the Jin Dynasty, but also shook its dominant position in the north.

The once impregnable defense line now seems to be on the verge of collapse under the threat of the northern border, causing great anxiety throughout the Jin Kingdom.

In contrast, the Southern Song Dynasty, due to its own flourishing in literature but decline in military strength, even doubted the remarkable military achievements of the Northern Frontier.

In the imperial court, the scholars and officials either stubbornly insisted that the battle reports were untrue, or they cited classical texts to debate the advantages and disadvantages of forming an alliance.

On the question of whether to form an alliance with the Northern Frontier, two factions were divided, each holding their own opinion. The debate raged on in the court, but no conclusion could be reached, leaving only a cacophony of noise echoing through the palace.

While the three kingdoms were still reeling from the shock and debate, the Northern Frontier Army had already accomplished its strategic objectives and was preparing to return to the Northern Frontier.

But before that, Li Xiao had a few important things to arrange while he stayed in the Hexi Corridor.

The construction of Hulang Pass, the reform of the Hexi Corridor, the relocation of people to populate the northern frontier, and most importantly, the 'land redistribution'.

Zhou Erniu was originally a commoner from Wangshe Village, south of Zhuoluo City.

When the northern cavalry raided Hexi, he, along with his entire family and most of the villagers, became prisoners and were forced to embark on a migration with their meager belongings.

After more than ten days of trekking, we finally arrived in Liangzhou City.

Before they could recover from their exhaustion, a burly, menacing officer from the northern frontier stepped into their open-air camp.

This man had eyes like knives, a cavalry saber at his waist, and paced back and forth among the prisoners, scrutinizing everyone's gaze as if he were examining goods waiting to be sold.

His name was Zhai Daya, deputy centurion of the Northern Frontier Army. He was furious when he saw Zhou Erniu and the others looking like honest, simple farmers.

"Why are they all a bunch of ugly ducklings? Aren't there any strong, sturdy men among them?"

The officer in charge of escorting them crossed his arms and chuckled, saying, "How many of these farmers are strong enough to be considered?"

"Those who are slightly stronger have long been conscripted into the Xia army and are currently in the prisoner-of-war line at the front."

"Damn it, no way."

Zhai Daya spat out a mouthful of phlegm: "I'll go talk to the commander later and ask him to give me, old Zhai, a few more prisoners of war."

He ripped open the rough cloth at his collar, revealing a hideous arrow scar on his chest, and strode towards the crowd.

Which village are you from?

He grabbed a man by the collar, and the man's knees buckled and he almost collapsed.

"From Liuwangzhai."

"Is that your little one in the back? Bring him out with you and let him stand on the other side."

Before he could finish speaking, he turned to another prisoner: "And you?"

"I'm also from Liuwangzhai."

"Go back and squat."

Soon, Zhai Daya arrived in front of Zhou Erniu and asked as usual.

Which village are you from?

"Wangshe Village," Zhou Erniu said nervously.

Zhai Daya looked Zhou Erniu up and down, nodded slightly, and casually waved his fat hand: "Your family can come over too."

Zhou Erniu's family could only stand on the opposite side. His wife was holding the child, her face pale and bloodless, her voice trembling: "Husband, what are you doing? Are you trying to kill us?"

On Tuesday, Niu Qiang remained calm, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, and he gently shook his head: "Don't overthink it."

"If these barbarians wanted to kill us, they would have done it back in Wangshe Village. Why go through all that trouble and waste so much food to bring us to Liangzhou?"

"They said they would distribute land to us back then, maybe it's happening now."

Although his words were mere guesses, they unexpectedly touched upon the truth.

It means dividing up the land.

However, the distribution was not random and disorderly, but rather each household first made a selection.

When people first arrive in an unfamiliar environment, they instinctively seek out familiar people to bond with.

If people from the same village or clan are allowed to gather together, it is easy for local forces to emerge. With clans banding together, officials sent from the northern frontier may become mere figureheads, and their orders will be difficult to implement.

Therefore, a strict order to "mix in sand" was issued—when dividing land and households, people from the same village could not be assigned to the same household, and brothers and relatives had to be forcibly separated.

At this moment, Zhai Daya's seemingly random selection of people in the crowd was actually a way of separating each household under this ironclad order, preventing them from forming cliques and making it easier for him to manage and control them.

Soon, more than twenty households were led out of the queue. Each able-bodied man was counted as a household, even if he was alone.

Not long after, Zhai Daya led them to other camps to select, and soon gathered two hundred households.

They came from all walks of life, including commoners from Hexi like Zhou Erniu and captured laborers from Hedong.

There were also natives of the Hexi Corridor, and even captured Xia soldiers.

Zhai Daya gathered the two hundred households together, mounted his horse, and shouted loudly:

"My name is Zhai Daya!"

"From now on, you'll be centurions, but I prefer to hear you call me deputy commander!"

Spittle flew as he roared: "No matter if you were from Xia Kingdom or anywhere else before, from now on, you are all citizens of my Northern Frontier!"

"Listen to me, work hard, pay rent, pay taxes, serve in the army, and I guarantee you'll live a peaceful life!"

The harsh words came one after another, but Zhou Erniu felt inexplicably at ease—in chaotic times, such a direct threat actually made people feel more secure.

Although the surrounding people hunched over, hope slowly ignited in their eyes.

"I'm taking you to divide the land, all of you follow me!" Zhai Daya cracked his whip and spurred his horse forward.

At the end of the line, Granny Niu on Tuesday hugged her child tightly, her voice trembling: "Husband, are we really going to divide the land?"

Despite the promises made by the Northern Frontier Army beforehand, they still felt uneasy until they saw the fields.

Now things are really going to get better; the Northern Frontier Army is really going to allocate land to them!

Her eyes gleamed, and her chapped lips moved incessantly: "Back home, they take 50% of the rent, but in northern Xinjiang it's only 20%..."

On Tuesday, the cow's throat bobbed as it murmured, "From now on, our family will be able to eat our fill."

He took a deep breath, but his pace quickened unconsciously.

Behind him, a man kept muttering "What a loss, what a loss," his face full of regret.

"If I had known the land was really being redistributed, I would have dragged my wife and kids out no matter what!"

His family hid in the deep mountains when the Northern Frontier Army came, thinking they had escaped a calamity, but unexpectedly they lost a chance to turn their lives around.

Alone and alone, he gazed at the vast fields, feeling utterly empty—how many acres could one person and two hands possibly cultivate?
Those laborers separated from their families and soldiers captured alone also looked somber.

Fortunately, there were also many women among the prisoners of war who had lost their husbands, and they were able to gradually come together and live together in the future.

In the afternoon, the group dragged their meager belongings to a deserted village.

A white flag has been planted here, with the words "Reclamation Team, 832" written on it in simplified Chinese characters.

The reclamation team was a transitional name that Li Xiao gave to these immigrants, and 832 meant the 80,000th household, the 3,000th household, and the 200th household.

It refers to the organizational structure of Zhou Daniu's reclamation team.

Zhai Daya, mounted on his horse, casually pointed his whip at the village and roared, "Don't worry about what this wretched place was called before. Everyone has gone to the northern frontier to make a living. From now on, this is our territory."

“Each household has one room, not enough for them to build their own mud bricks. The fields outside the village also belong to our hundred households.”

He paused deliberately, looking at the countless bright eyes in the crowd: "Twenty mu per household, and we can increase the rent if that's not enough!"

"Pay 20% rent and 20% tax to the Protectorate every year, and all other miscellaneous exorbitant taxes will be waived!"

Before he finished speaking, the crowd began to stir.

Zhai Daya raised his voice: "Anyone who wants to reclaim wasteland will be rewarded with one string of cash per mu (unit of land area), and newly reclaimed land will be exempt from rent and taxes for ten years!"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, startling the people into an uproar.

"They're really going to give us land, and they'll only charge us 40% in rent!"

"Thank God, thank Buddha, we've finally overcome all our suffering."

Their taxes used to be ridiculously high, and they could only barely keep their families from starving by renting large amounts of land from landlords and working themselves to the bone.

But now, the 40% tax rate has greatly reduced their burden.

Especially for families without able-bodied laborers, 60% of the grain was a lifesaver.

In the crowd, an elderly woman with white hair, holding her grandson, knelt down with a thud and said excitedly, "Heaven has opened its eyes! Buddha has shown its power! The Great Protector has a bodhisattva's heart; may he live to be a hundred years old!"

Soon, Zhai Daya made them line up to receive their fields, waving his horsewhip and shouting, "Come one by one, count off your fields!"

A hunched-over man from Hedong squeezed to the front, his Adam's apple bobbing: "I...I'll rent fifty mu!"

His eyes burned with an almost frantic desire. When he was a laborer in Western Xia, he had nothing. Now, he only wanted to hold the land he had never seen in his life in his hands.

Zhai Daya's eyebrows instantly furrowed into a V-shape as she sized up the man: "You're alone?"

"Yes, yes, I'm all alone."

He was from Hedong and was conscripted by the Western Xia to work as a laborer. His wife and children were still in his hometown, so he was a single person living alone.

Zhai Daya immediately sneered, "With your skinny chicken-like appearance?"

"One person cultivates fifty acres of land? You think the Grand Protector's rules are worthless? If the land is left to fallow, you'll lose your head!"

Li Xiao wouldn't allow farmland to be wasted, so he'd been taking precautions for a long time.

"I'll let you plant twenty acres first."

Zhai Daya snorted coldly, then nodded to Shi Hu behind him.

The opponent mounted his warhorse and ran a hundred paces laterally and a hundred paces longitudinally.

They also stuck wooden sticks into the ground to mark the spots.

One step is about 1.5 meters, and the total distance between them is 150 meters.

This method of measurement is not absolutely accurate, as it also takes into account the elevation changes of the terrain, but twenty acres is definitely a high elevation!
Land redistribution is a very labor-intensive task, and there aren't enough people in northern Xinjiang to do the detailed redistribution.

Fortunately, Zhai Daya and his fellow villagers were ordinary farmers, so they knew a little about how to measure land.

Therefore, Li Xiao had people roughly divide the cultivated land area of ​​each thousand households and each hundred households, and then had the hundred households and captains at all levels divide the land among each household.

"This is your land."

"Plant well, and after paying the rent in the fall, the leftovers will be enough to feed you for ten years!" Zhai Daya laughed heartily. The man nodded repeatedly, "Thank you, Deputy Commander, thank you, Deputy Commander."

He grinned, but then he started to cry.

Twenty acres of land, and every year they manage to save 60% of the grain.

Based on a yield of 200 jin per mu, that's 2,400 jin.

He can't finish it all by himself, he simply can't finish it.

Therefore, the man made up his mind that he would do everything he could to bring his wife and children over and rent another twenty acres of land.

Life in northern Xinjiang is going very well.

Soon, it was Zhou Erniu's turn to divide the land.

He has a large family; besides himself and his wife, he also has three children.

So he rented fifty acres.

Then, the man rode his horse again and started running. After a certain number of steps, he stuck a sharpened wooden stick into the ground.

With all four corners planted, this became the land belonging to the Zhou family.

They were aggressively expanding their territory, very wildly.

The sun was high in the sky, and the land allocation site was bustling with activity. Shouts, laughter, and the smell of turning soil filled the air.

On a distant earthen slope, a man and a woman stood quietly.

Looking down at the scene below, Daya remained calm, while Su Renli looked dejected and mournful.

"My land!"

"Our Su family's possessions are gone just like that."

Su Renli said with grief and indignation, squatting on the ground with a pitiful expression and a face full of reluctance.

Zhou Erniu and the others, who were excitedly measuring the land, had no idea that the fertile farmland they were about to own had once been Su Renli's prized possession.

But now, the land has changed hands and become property under the jurisdiction of the Grand Protectorate.

Daya sighed softly, squatted down, and patted her husband's shoulder: "What's the use of being reluctant now that things have come to this? Do you expect the land to grow legs and run back on its own?"

Her gaze swept over the distant ruins, and she said calmly, "Look at the people in the city. So many wealthy families have been robbed clean, and some can't even save their lives."

"We only handed over the land, and thanks to Hu Zi's help, we still have everything else. We're already very lucky."

Su Renli nodded heavily, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down: "I understand, I understand everything..."

His voice choked with emotion: "But this land has been passed down from generation to generation, I... I just can't accept it!"

The armies of this era were nothing but bandits. Whether it was the Song army, the Jin army, or even the Northern Frontier army, they were all more arrogant and barbaric than the last.

Looting civilians was commonplace for them.

Therefore, when Liangzhou fell, the people inside the city suffered greatly.

Li Xiao only ordered that the city not be massacred, but he did not care at all about the soldiers' private looting.

After all, Li Xiao's strategy was to unite the general public and overthrow the wealthy merchants, rich citizens, and officials in the city.

They divided their wealth to fund the army and their land to benefit the people.

Therefore, many of the people Su Renli knew had their wealth plundered and were reduced to ordinary citizens. They even faced ostracism from other people because of their previous status.

Thanks to Wei Xuan's protection, Su Renli's family only had to hand over their land; everything else remained intact.

That's quite lucky.

"I never imagined that in my lifetime I, Su Renli, would have to rely on my cousin's protection..." Su Renli shook his head and sighed.

"Tiger is my own brother. It's only right that he protects us since he's so successful!" Daya said with a light hum, looking quite proud.

Thinking of her younger sister whom she hadn't seen in a long time, her eyes softened: "I wonder how my little sister is doing in the northern frontier. I really want to see her soon."

As she spoke, Daya stood up and dusted herself off: "Don't be discouraged. You are, after all, a scholar who passed the imperial examination; you have some knowledge."

"After a few days, I'll talk to Tiger and try to get you a clerical job."

"With your physique, you're definitely not suited to be a military household. But Fatty, who's always wielding swords and spears, might actually make a name for himself in the army!"

"Perhaps we can even get the Su family's ancestral land back."

After saying that, she pulled Su Renli up, mounted her horse, and headed towards Liangzhou City.

The couple returned to the city, packed their things, and then left home with their three children, heading to what was once the governor's mansion, now the headquarters of the Northern Frontier Protectorate.

However, they arrived early. When they reached the headquarters, the sun was still high in the sky, and Li Xiao was discussing important matters with officials and generals from the northern frontier.

Inside the main hall, the setting sun cast long shadows of Li Xiao.

He sat upright in the head seat, dressed in a thin, round-necked shirt, his face stern and his deep eyes revealing an undeniable air of authority.

Below the hall, Gao Zhongyi, the military advisor of the Agricultural Development Bureau, stood with his hands at his sides and reported to Li Xiao: "Grand Protector, the relocation of the people of Hexi is proceeding in an orderly manner."

"Currently, there are still more than 400,000 people living outside Liangzhou City and Ganzhou City."

"I have discussed this with Commander Jiu Meng'an, Military Advisor Zhang, and others, and we have already assigned and organized more than 200,000 of them. They will be setting off in succession to the northern frontier..."

During this campaign against the Western Xia, the Northern Frontier Army captured more than 700,000 soldiers and civilians from the Hexi Corridor and the Hexi and Hehuang Valleys.

Many of them were strong, muscular men.

It originated from the defeated Western Xia army and the laborers transporting grain.

Li Xiao has already made arrangements for these 700,000-plus people.

Of these, 500,000 people will be relocated to northern Xinjiang, while 200,000 will remain to cultivate the land in the Hexi Corridor.

However, such a massive population migration plan is not something that can be accomplished easily.

It involves all aspects of the work.

First and foremost is the guarantee of food supplies. Although the Northern Frontier Army intercepted nearly 700,000 shi of grain from the Ganliang and Yuanchuan granaries and from the defeated Western Xia army.

But with such a huge population, there is no shortage of food.

Therefore, Li Xiao set a limit on the distribution of grain to these people.

Adult men should consume 6 liang (300 grams) per day, adult women 5 liang (250 grams) per day, and the elderly and children 4 liang (200 grams) per day.

The ration was about the same as what the people usually ate. It wasn't enough to fill them up, but at least they wouldn't starve. They could find some food on their own while migrating.

It should be noted that in later generations, North Korea's per capita food ration was less than three ounces.

Li Xiao was much more kind and honest than the three generals.

Besides the grain, the task of escorting the people was also a challenge.

It is essential to ensure that every civilian group is managed by a troop of northern frontier cavalry.

Therefore, when they were in Liangzhou City, they needed to distribute these 500,000 people according to the system of 10,000 households, 1,000 households, and 100 households.

Currently, 300,000 people are on their way to northern Xinjiang, taking two routes: one to Heishui City and the other to Dunhuang City, escorted by the Second and Sixth Garrisons.

Next, Li Xiao will personally lead the First Garrison to escort the last 200,000 people to the northern frontier.

After listening to Gao Zhongyi's report, Li Xiao nodded slightly, feeling quite satisfied.

Although his subordinates were not particularly outstanding, they were able to complete their tasks well.

"Good job, you did very well." Li Xiao said to Gao Zhongyi without reservation.

Then he looked at all the generals in the hall and said in a deep voice, "In this world of frequent wars, people are the most precious resource and the foundation for the rise of the Northern Frontier."

"Without the people cultivating the land, the granaries will eventually run dry; without the people guarding the borders, the iron cavalry is nothing but a tree without roots."

He murmured softly, his voice filled with an undeniable certainty.

"Although our northern frontier has a vast territory, it is barren due to a small population. Only by gathering people from all directions can we turn the wasteland into a granary and forge refugees into a strong army."

"Therefore, you must not underestimate the people of Hexi."

"During the relocation, minimize casualties as much as possible, and do not exceed 20%."

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, all the generals and officials in the hall patted their chests and shouted in unison, "We will obey the Grand Protector's teachings."

After discussing immigration matters, Li Xiao's gaze swept over Zhang Xinghua and the others, and he said in a deep voice:

"The Hexi Corridor is the throat of the northern frontier and a vital point on the Silk Road. Now that it has fallen into the hands of our northern frontier, we should naturally make use of it."

"Ganzhou and Suzhou are the essence of the Hexi Corridor."

"Ben Du has decided, taking into account the intentions of the two prefectures, to establish the Hexi Corridor as Gansu Prefecture and incorporate it into the territory of the eight prefectures in northern Xinjiang."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall shouted, "The Grand Protector is wise!"

The decision to establish a prefecture in the Hexi Corridor had already been made; it was just announced publicly today.

After all, this place is too important, connecting east and west, with thriving commerce, and fertile soil suitable for farming and animal husbandry.

Such a blessed land must be ruled over by the Northern Frontier for a long time.

Thus, in addition to Jinzhou, the desert, Yinshan, Beihai, Donghai, Yili, and the Seven Rivers, the northern frontier now has an eighth prefecture.

Gansu!

“The Hexi Corridor, since Emperor Wu of Han expanded the territory and Ban Chao pacified the Yuan, has been imbued with the spirit of the Han Dynasty, but it has been renamed many times since then,” Li Xiao continued.

He got up and walked to the map, his fingertips tracing over places like Liangzhou and Dunhuang.

"Now that Gansu has been established in the Hexi Corridor in northern Xinjiang, the names of the towns in Hexi need to be changed."

"Effective immediately, all towns in Hexi will be restored to their ancient names!"

"Liangzhou was renamed Wuwei; Ganzhou was renamed Zhangye; and Suzhou retained its old name Jiuquan."

Zhuzhen remained part of Gansu Prefecture.

However, it will certainly not regain its former glory in the short term.

Because a large number of people were relocated to northern Xinjiang, only 200,000 people remained in the entire Hexi Corridor to engage in farming and animal husbandry.

Towns have lost their original function, while the countryside has instead surrounded the cities.

However, with the end of the war, those people who had fled into the mountains will gradually come out.

Moreover, the Northern Frontier Army would frequently venture eastward out of Hulang Pass to continue plundering the Western Xia population.

In short, the population of the Hexi Corridor will gradually increase.

Hearing the crowd in the hall shout in unison, "The Grand Protector is wise!"

Li Xiao nodded slightly and continued, "Now that Gansu has been established as a prefecture and county, some rules also need to be changed."

"I intend to establish a new provincial governorship in Gansu, named 'Governor,' to be in charge of the important civil affairs of Gansu."

　1. In the Song Dynasty, one jin (斤) was sixteen liang (两). For ease of reading, we will use ten liang (两) here.
　　2. Referring to the large-scale population migration during the Hongwu era, it was still possible to complete the migration to the northern frontier. Of course, some people would die along the way, mainly the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)