Taiheiki

Chapter 288: Win people’s hearts
“I know that too!” Dou Miao frowned. “But how can it be the same? Jiaozhou is a vast, sparsely populated area with unclaimed farmland everywhere. How can it be compared to Luoyang?”

“Your Majesty, you are mistaken!” Wei Cong laughed. “Where in the world is there any land unclaimed? Even if no one is truly in its name, someone is watching it. Every inch of land I take from Jiaozhou to reward meritorious soldiers has been won through countless battles. Those who opposed it are either dead or dare not oppose it again!”

Dou Miao was a clever woman and immediately understood Wei Cong's implication. As Wei Cong said, even though Jiaozhou had a much smaller population than Luoyang, the arable land was still limited. Even the undeveloped land was being eyed by powerful local clans and neighboring barbarians. Granting such a large amount of land would inevitably provoke opposition from many vested interests, and Wei Cong was able to do so because he had already suppressed or even eliminated the opponents.

"Does the General mean that this is a good opportunity to eliminate our potential enemies?" Dou Miao asked doubtfully.

Wei Cong smiled and, instead of directly answering the Empress Dowager's question, asked, "Does Your Majesty know of Emperor Gaozu's 'Edict of Cessation of Military Action and Restoration' issued in the fifth year of the Han Dynasty (202 BC)?"

"This—" Dou Miao said with a wry smile, "I don't know, I'd like to hear the details!"

"In the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, after Emperor Gaozu defeated and killed Xiang Yu at Gaixia and pacified the Chu region, he issued an edict: Those sons of feudal lords residing in Guanzhong shall be restored to their former status after twelve years, and those who have returned shall have their status halved. Previously, some people gathered in the mountains and marshes without recording their names or numbers; now that the empire is at peace, they shall all return to their respective counties, and their former titles, lands, and houses shall be restored. Officials shall educate and admonish them according to the law, without resorting to beatings or humiliation. Those who sold themselves into slavery due to hunger shall be freed and reduced to commoners. Military officers and soldiers shall be pardoned; those who have committed no crime but lost their titles, or those below the rank of Grand Master, shall all be granted the title of Grand Master. Those above the rank of Grand Master shall each be granted one rank of title. Those of the rank of Grand Master of the Seventh Rank and above shall all be granted fiefs; those below the rank of Grand Master of the Seventh Rank and below shall all be restored to their former status and households, and shall not be required to serve in the government."

It is also said that those of the rank of Grand Master of the Seventh Rank and above are all of high rank. Many sons of feudal lords and those returning from military service also hold high ranks. I have repeatedly ordered officials to grant them land and houses first, and to promptly grant them what they should ask of the officials. However, some of these ranks belong to the ruler, and are highly respected by the emperor. Yet, officials stand before the officials for a long time without a decision being made; this is unacceptable. In the future, when the people of Qin hold the rank of Grand Master of the Seventh Rank or above, the magistrate will be given the highest honors. Now, I do not treat ranks lightly; why do the officials alone seek such things? Furthermore, the law rewards land and houses based on merit. Now, many low-ranking officials who have never served in the army are full of merit, while those who have rendered meritorious service are neglected. They betray public duty for private gain, and the local officials and magistrates are not properly instructing them. Therefore, I order all officials to treat those of high rank well, in accordance with my wishes. Moreover, conduct thorough investigations; those who do not comply with my edict will be severely punished!” After recounting the contents of the edict, Wei Cong said, “This edict of Emperor Gaozu has benefited at least several hundred thousand, and possibly over a million. I believe this is the true foundation for the rule of the Liu family!”

Dou Miao's eyes lit up: "What the General means is, if we can grant land to meritorious soldiers, then we can also—"

"Your Majesty must have heard of the Tian family's usurpation of the Qi throne, right?" Wei Cong asked. "When Tian Chenzi held power, he lent money to the people using large measures for lending and small measures for taking it back, thus bestowing favors upon them. The people, receiving his kindness, all yearned for it. This is how the Tian family was able to usurp the throne of the Jiang Qi dynasty. Now that the emperor is young and the government is in the hands of the Empress Dowager, if the imperial hunting grounds are distributed to meritorious soldiers in the name of the court, wouldn't these soldiers who received the favors know to whom they should be grateful? Even when the emperor grows older and intends to rule personally, with tens of thousands more soldiers outside the city who have benefited from your kindness, why worry about the safety of the Dou family?"

Wei Cong's words were extremely blunt. For powerful maternal relatives like the Dou family, the greatest worry was that the emperor would seize power as he grew older. However, they were powerless to stop it, because the power of maternal relatives derives from imperial power. They could kill an emperor, but they couldn't usurp the throne themselves; Wang Mang had already proven that this path was unworkable. Therefore, while all the powerful maternal relatives of the Eastern Han Dynasty wielded immense power, they always had a knife to their throats, ready to be chopped off at any moment. Wei Cong pointed out a clear path for Dou Miao—since Liu Bang could issue an edict to distribute land to meritorious generals according to their ranks, securing four hundred years of Liu's rule, she could also issue an edict to allocate the royal gardens and hunting grounds around Luoyang to these generals, in exchange for their support for generations. This would make it much more difficult for the future emperor to stage a coup against the Dou family.

"I understand!" Dou Miao smiled and said, "Send me your memorial tomorrow, and I will issue an edict immediately!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wei Cong bowed deeply.

"General, you jest!" Dou Miao was relieved of her worries and felt very cheerful: "Wasn't this all your idea? If anyone is wise, it's you. Why bring it up?"

"The Empress Dowager is the ruler, and I am merely a subject!" Wei Cong laughed. "Your Majesty's willingness to heed my loyal advice is truly a sign of your wisdom!"

"The world only knows that the Great General is a skilled commander, but they don't know that you're also so eloquent!" Dou Miao laughed.

"I wouldn't dare!" Wei Cong laughed. "There's one more thing. Could you perhaps invite the Marquis of Weiyang to serve as my chief secretary?"

"Ah Ji is appointed as the military commander?" Dou Miao asked, "Why is that?"

"I intend to entrust the matter of bestowing titles and lands upon meritorious soldiers to the Marquis of Weiyang!" Wei Cong said. "Of course, he won't need to do it himself; I will assign him two capable deputies to assist him. That way, everyone in the world will know who truly owes this favor!"

"Good, good!" Dou Miao was overjoyed upon hearing this: "I will remember the General's kindness! Someone, summon the Marquis of Weiyang. I want him to personally thank the General!"

"Hehe!" Wei Cong laughed, "Your Majesty is being too polite. We're all family!"

"Indeed, we're all family!" Dou Miao laughed. "General, please rest assured, as long as I stay in this West Palace for even a day, the position of General will surely be yours!"

"That's not necessary! I'm only temporarily assuming the position of Grand General for the Dou family for a few years, and I don't want to be away from Jiaozhou for too long. If Marquis Weiyang learns quickly, I'll return to Jiaozhou in three years and hand the Grand General position back to the Dou family!"

"Return it to the Dou family?" Dou Miao looked closely at Wei Cong's face. She couldn't find any trace of a lie on this man's face, but then again, if he were so easy to read, he wouldn't have gotten to where he is today.

"What does the General mean by this? Aren't you a member of the Dou family? Marquis of Weiyang is young and inexperienced; how can he shoulder such a great responsibility!"

“The Marquis of Weiyang is young and wealthy, so he naturally lacks experience. But if he goes through this experience of bestowing land upon the soldiers, he will be more or less experienced. After all, distributing land to tens of thousands of people is no simple matter,” Wei Cong laughed. “He’s going to suffer a lot!”

Just as Dou Miao was about to speak, a palace maid announced that Marquis Dou Ji of Weiyang had arrived. She nodded, and as soon as Dou Ji entered the hall and bowed to the Empress Dowager, she heard Dou Miao say, "Ah Ji, why don't you quickly thank the General! We owe him a great debt this time!"

Dou Ji glanced at his sister with a puzzled look, then turned to look at Wei Cong beside him. Seeing his reaction, Dou Miao snapped at him impatiently, "Why aren't you thanking me yet? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Yes, yes!" Dou Ji hurriedly bowed twice to Wei Cong, saying, "This humble one thanks the Great General!"

"I wouldn't dare!" Wei Cong accepted Dou Ji's two bows and said with a smile, "I suppose the Marquis of Weiyang doesn't yet understand the whole story, so please allow me to explain it to you!" He then recounted the matters he had just discussed with Dou Miao, and finally said, "If you have no objections, then this matter is settled!"

"This—" Dou Ji was stunned. His current official position was Attendant-in-Ordinary. During the Han Dynasty, Attendant-in-Ordinary was a nominal official who could enter the palace and receive orders from the emperor. He did not have any specific duties. For Dou Ji, it was a job with little work, high pay, close to home, and super fast promotion. It was a coveted position that only the emperor's favorite ministers or noble sons of the empress's family could get. Compared to Attendant-in-Ordinary, being the Chief Clerk of the General's Mansion was also a good position, but the work would be much more complicated and arduous. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but hesitate.

"Ah Ji, the General trusts you so much, why don't you speak?" Dou Miao frowned. "Yes, yes!" Dou Ji quickly bowed to Wei Cong again: "Thank you, General!"

"It's alright, we're all family!" Wei Cong smiled, then got up to take his leave. After he left, Dou Ji asked Dou Miao, "Sister, what's he planning? Why did he suddenly ask me to work for his staff?"

"Did you know? He also said that he would only serve as the Grand General for three years, and after three years he would return to Jiaozhou and hand over the position to you!"

"Huh? Really?" Dou Ji exclaimed in surprise.

"What do you think?" Dou Miao looked at her younger brother with disdain. "How could I have such a stupid brother like you? It seems I really took too good care of you in the past! I've raised a spoiled brat!"

"Hehe!" Dou Ji chuckled dryly twice: "I also think it doesn't seem very real!"

"As long as you know!"

"Then why did you send me to Wei Cong's office, sister?" Dou Ji's eyes darted around. "Do you want me to be a spy, to see what he's been up to behind the scenes?"

"Pfft!" Dou Miao laughed out loud: "Little brother, do you think you can get anything out of Wei Cong?"

Dou Ji thought for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "It seems impossible!"

“That’s it. Even if you could, I wouldn’t let you go. You’re my own brother, Father’s youngest son. How could I bear to let you become a spy?” Dou Miao sighed.

"Then the older sister is—"

"Of course it's a good thing!" Dou Miao recounted Wei Cong's account of how Emperor Gaozu, after defeating Xiang Yu, issued an edict granting titles and lands to his soldiers, and how he and Tian Chenzi used the "big fight" and "small fight" to win over the people and eventually replace Jiang Qi. She concluded, "Aji, although I reside in the Western Palace, I will one day pass away. When the emperor grows old, he will inevitably turn against the Dou family. Ultimately, the Han Dynasty still belongs to the Liu family. If we want to maintain our power and stability, we must bestow favors upon others while I am still in power. I sent you to Wei Cong's staff for two reasons: first, to let those soldiers who have received favors know who gave them the benefits; and second, to give you more experience. Wei Cong is a renowned general; even learning just a little from him will be invaluable!"

"Understood!" Dou Ji nodded. "But sister, why does Wei Cong want me to go on such a good trip? Does he have some ulterior motive?"

"I don't quite understand what you're saying either!" Dou Miao sighed. "Although this person is ruthless, he's still quite good to his friends and subordinates. He probably thinks he's already in the same boat as us, right?"

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The General's Mansion.

"What? The Empress Dowager has already agreed?" Zhang Huan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Excellent!" Wei Cong nodded with a grin. "His Majesty has already agreed to entrust the Imperial Hunting Grounds and the rebel property to us for handling, to be used as rewards for the meritorious soldiers this time. He has also sent the Marquis of Weiyang to my headquarters as Chief Secretary to specifically deal with this matter!"

Zhang Huan and Feng Kun exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. In times of famine, it was not uncommon for the emperor to allow people to cultivate and graze in his imperial forests, but this was only an emergency measure. In other words, once the famine was over, the people would have to leave the imperial forests and could not occupy them permanently. Although the forests and gardens were nominally just hunting grounds and amusement parks for the emperor, in reality, the imperial forests and gardens of the Han Dynasty had a large number of servants engaged in agricultural and pastoral production. They were essentially the emperor's private estates, albeit enormous in size (the Shanglin Garden in the Western Han Dynasty covered more than 2,000 square kilometers). However, if Wei Cong were to distribute these lands to meritorious soldiers, it would be equivalent to permanently carving out a piece of the emperor's property, a far more significant move.

"General, have you considered that this involves the Emperor's private property?" Feng Kun said. "It's best to be cautious about such matters!"

“That’s right!” Zhang Huan said, “The emperor is still young now, but he will eventually grow up. And there are also the imperial clan members; have you considered their thoughts?”

"Gentlemen, have you ever considered why the Empress Dowager would agree? She is well aware of what you are saying!"

Zhang Huan and Feng Kun exchanged a glance: "I don't know, perhaps it's your silver tongue, General!"

"Hehehe!" Wei Cong laughed, "Zhang Sikong, you think too highly of me. It's very simple. The Empress Dowager wants to use the Emperor's private property to bribe and please these meritorious generals, so as to ensure that the Dou family will be worry-free after her death!"

"Minister Zhang, let me ask you, since the founding of this dynasty, how many imperial relatives have had a good ending?" Wei Cong asked. "Aside from a few at the beginning of the dynasty, not one, right? But this wasn't because the imperial relatives wanted to usurp the emperor's power, but because the emperor's offspring were few and many died young. The empress dowager had to take charge of the government for the young emperor. Was this the fault of the imperial relatives? No, right? The Empress Dowager wasn't stupid, and there were many wise people in the Dou family. If you were a member of the Dou family, would you just stand by and watch the emperor exterminate your clan after he came of age?"

"Then you'll help the Dou family deal with the emperor?" Zhang Huan said angrily.

"Zhang Sikong, do you still not understand?" Wei Cong shook his head with a wry smile. "The Emperor is only a few years old now. It will be at least a decade before he can rule in his own right. He is currently in the deep palace, and the only one who can protect his life is the Empress Dowager. Even if I have great abilities, I cannot go to the palace to protect the Emperor, right? But the older the Emperor gets, the closer the day of the Dou family's extermination will be. If you were the Empress Dowager, what would you do?"

(End of this chapter)