Taiheiki

Chapter 308 Close Protection
event! "

"Your Majesty, I am currently dealing with matters of great importance to the nation!" Wei Cong smiled. "Do you know? When I arrived in Jiaozhou and captured Panyu, the first thing I did was to repair the docks and build ships!"

"Oh? How so?" Dou Miao asked with great interest.

"When I first entered Jiaozhou from Yuzhang, I had only a little over ten thousand soldiers. All the prefectures regarded me as a bandit. I only occupied the city of Panyu, from which all my resources and provisions came! Therefore, I first developed maritime trade, built ships, and promoted the profits from fish and salt to increase the population in the city, so that I could catch my breath! Then I first defeated Zhang Xu, and then Zhang Pan, and was able to occupy the land of Jiaozhou!"

Logically speaking, all of Wei Cong's stories were about his time as a bandit, but Dou Miao listened with great interest and was not offended at all: "Hmm, building ships in Jiaozhou was indeed a brilliant move, but Luoyang has no fishing or salt production, let alone maritime trade, so what is your intention?"

"Your Majesty, although Luoyang lacks the benefits of maritime trade in fish and salt, it possesses one advantage that Panyu cannot match: Luoyang is located in the heart of the country, with tributes from all directions coming from all directions. In the past, by repairing roads, gathering goods from all regions, processing them, and then distributing them to all places, the court could collect taxes, merchants could profit, and artisans and common people could obtain food and clothing. It was a win-win situation for all three parties!"

Upon hearing Wei Cong's words, Dou Miao couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, "I've only ever heard of the General's military affairs and military strategies, but I never imagined he would also manage industry and promote commerce. Isn't that the work of the Imperial Household Department and the Minister of Agriculture? I never imagined that you, General, would not only try to take over the position of the Director of Works, but also the work of the Imperial Household Department and the Minister of Agriculture!"

"I wouldn't dare!" Wei Cong chuckled dryly. He saw Dou Miaoyun, her hair slightly disheveled, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling. She leaned against a brocade stool, her bare feet playing with a black cat. She was indescribably charming and alluring. Wei Cong's heart stirred, and he quickly lowered his head. "Actually, my methods of warfare are nothing special. It's simply about having enough food and soldiers. The biggest problem facing the Han Dynasty right now is that the prefectures and counties are strong while the surrounding areas are weak. If we want to reverse this situation, the first priority is to develop the Grand Canal. Only in this way can we transport the grain and tribute from the prefectures and counties to Luoyang, filling the granaries. With full granaries, there will be a population. With a population, there will be commerce, handicrafts, and transportation from all directions. The court will then have more tax revenue, and only then can we support more soldiers and pacify the four directions!"

“The General is absolutely right!” Dou Miao nodded. While she didn’t quite understand the economic knowledge Wei Cong mentioned later, she was very familiar with the earlier point that “the great problem facing the Han Dynasty is that the prefectures and counties are strong while the surrounding areas are weak”—wasn’t this General the one who fought his way from Jingzhou into Luoyang?
The relationship between the central government and local authorities has been a long-standing issue throughout Chinese civilization. From the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties onward, the ancients repeatedly discussed it from various perspectives, including geopolitics, economic systems, political systems, and military systems. For example, the Zuo Zhuan (Commentary of Zuo) in the Spring and Autumn period records, "A capital city exceeding one hundred zhi (a unit of length) is a scourge to the state!" This means that a fiefdom's capital should not exceed three hundred fangzhang (another unit of length), otherwise it would become a national calamity (in ancient times, a city wall was three zhang high and one zhang long was called a zhi). In other words, by limiting the size of the fiefdom, the ruler ensured his political and military advantage over his vassals.

After Emperor Gaozu of Han defeated Xiang Yu, he chose Guanzhong as his capital between Luoyang and Guanzhong. The reason for this was the significant military and geographical advantage of the Guanzhong region compared to Luoyang. Although Emperor Xiu of the Eastern Han Dynasty weakened the military power of the prefectures and counties by abolishing the original county-level military system of the Western Han Dynasty, the central government's military and geographical advantage over the local areas could no longer compare with that of the Western Han Dynasty.

However, coincidentally, Luoyang had an advantage over Guanzhong that the capital could not match—significantly lower logistics costs. In other words, Luoyang, as a capital, could accommodate a much larger population than Guanzhong. For most ancient dynasties, this was not necessarily a good thing—because the vast majority of the population in ancient capitals were purely consumer populations: soldiers, officials, nobles, royalty, and those serving these groups. In other words, they were parasites on the ancient state's finances. Thus, while the capitals of the Song Dynasty were incredibly prosperous, the entire country was exhausted.

But this wasn't a problem for Wei Cong—he possessed a wealth of advanced technology, allowing him to develop large-scale handicraft workshops around the capital, producing ceramics, textiles, metallurgy, and weapons. Leveraging Luoyang's central location, he could sell his products far and wide. It's important to understand that the output per unit of an industrial population, even a handicraft one, far surpasses that of an agricultural population, and their tax-paying capacity is significantly higher. In any era, the tax revenue generated by one million industrial and commercial workers far exceeds that of an equivalent number of agricultural workers. And given sufficient central government funds and the legitimacy of the government, overwhelming local counties would be incredibly easy.

Therefore, in Wei Cong's view, the tens of thousands of refugees in Luoyang and even the Sanfu and Sanhe regions were walking money-printing machines. As long as the granary in Luokou was completed, the grain stored in the granaries of the prefectures and counties on both sides of the Guandong and Huanghuai Rivers could be transported to Luokou. Then, a large number of factories could be built in the surrounding area, and the refugees could be driven into the factories to make money for him.

"Since the General has considered everything so thoroughly, then I will not ask any more questions!" Dou Miao covered her mouth and yawned. "However, the scholars of Guandong have always been stubborn. You must act prudently this time in Runan. The Han Dynasty has finally managed to pacify the country, and we must not allow it to descend into chaos again!"

"Your Majesty, please rest assured!" Wei Cong said in a deep voice, "With me here, even if there are a few clowns jumping around, the world will not be thrown into chaos!"

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Pingyu, Runan.

Xu Shao sat at his desk, his shadow swaying slightly on the wall. Judging from the sky outside the window, it was nearly midnight. Several letters lay on the desk, some inviting him, others suggesting he flee for refuge. Suddenly, he let out a long sigh, rose, and walked to the window, gazing at the night sky: "Is this truly the only way?"

"General!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Xu Shao turned around and saw Liu Biao standing at the door. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Brother Jingsheng, what brings you here so late?"

"An urgent message has arrived from the capital!" Liu Biao lowered his voice: "The court has issued an edict appointing Kuai Sheng of Nan Commandery as Imperial Censor, with imperial credentials, to go to Runan to handle this matter. He will arrive in Runan in six or seven days at most, or two or three days at least. You'd better hurry and go far away!"

“Kuai Sheng of Nanjun? Who is this?” Xu Shao asked.

"The Kuai family is a prominent clan in Nanjun, Jingzhou. Kuai Sheng once did Wei Cong a great favor. Later, after Wei Cong gained power, he recruited Kuai Sheng into his staff and made him a confidant. This time, sending him to Runan will likely cause a major purge, with rivers of blood flowing!"

Upon hearing Liu Biao's words, Xu Shao's body trembled. The Han law inherited the Qin law and was far more severe than that of later generations. Especially in cases involving treason and rebellion, and with Wei Cong's confidant being sent and given such absolute power as an imperial envoy, it was likely that they would fabricate charges and would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

“But if I just leave like this, wouldn’t that be admitting that I was involved in Dou Xuan’s death? Wouldn’t that be admitting my guilt?” Xu Shao said with a bitter smile.

"Dou Xuan humiliated you on the island, and hundreds of people witnessed it. Then, just two days later, he was assassinated. You say it had nothing to do with you? Do you think that Imperial Censor Kuai would believe you?"

"Brother Jingsheng, I really didn't send anyone to assassinate Young Master Dou!" Xu Shao said anxiously. "He is the Empress Dowager's cousin and the General's brother-in-law. Just because of a few words, I would risk the extermination of my entire clan to kill him. There's no such logic in the world!"

"Whether it makes sense or not, you can talk to the jailer about it and see if your mouth is tougher or the instruments of torture are tougher." Liu Biao sneered, "Zijiang, don't you understand? These past few years, your monthly reviews have indeed made you famous, but they've also offended many people. Too many people want you dead. In this situation, what do you think they'll do? I bet Kuai Sheng will receive several boxes of accusations against you the moment he enters Runan. Finding evidence to convict you in those boxes won't be difficult at all."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shao's face turned ashen. Just as Liu Biao had said, throughout history and across cultures, those who act as opinion leaders and manipulate public opinion are the most hated. If you can't win an argument, anyone can resort to physical elimination. The reputation of the Monthly Appraisal Committee might serve as a shield in minor matters, but it couldn't stop Wei Cong's butcher's knife. Others might hesitate to act against Xu Shao because of his reputation, but Wei Cong might choose someone with a greater reputation to make an example of.

“You’re right, I’ll pack up right away and set off tonight!” Xu Shao stood up.

"That's right, Wei Cong can't stay like this for long!" Liu Biao laughed. "Where are you planning to go?"

"I have a good friend in Guangling who has invited me many times!"

"Excellent, it saves us from any unforeseen complications!" Liu Biao laughed. "Otherwise, if that scoundrel Qian Wen sends troops to surround us, it will be too late!" "That's right!" Xu Shao was about to call the steward to instruct him to pack his belongings when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. Just as he was wondering what was going on, he saw the steward come in from the outside, looking disheveled.

"What happened?"

"The pursuers' soldiers are outside, saying they want to see you, sir!"

"The Pursuers? Wei Cong's henchmen?" Xu Shao was startled: "This, does this mean they're about to make a move?"

"How many people have come?" Liu Biao asked.

"There aren't many people, only a dozen or so riders! But they're all armored and carrying bows, they look quite intimidating!" the steward said with a wry smile.

"A dozen or so riders, that should be fine!" Liu Biao thought for a moment and then laughed. "If he really came for you, he would have brought at least several hundred men, otherwise he wouldn't even have enough to surround the mansion!"

Liu Biao's analysis made Xu Shao feel a little better. He took a deep breath and said, "Ask them to the study and tell them I'll be there soon!"

"Here!"

Watching the butler leave, Xu Shao sighed, "Brother Jingsheng, you're right. We need to leave here as soon as possible, or we won't be able to leave!"

When Xu Shao arrived at the study, he saw Qian Wen standing in front of the bookshelf, looking at the neatly arranged bamboo slips. He was wearing a black robe over his iron lamellar armor, and a ring-pommel sword and a bow and arrow quiver were hanging from his belt.

"Captain Qian, what brings you here so late?" Xu Shao asked.

"It's on the orders of the General!" Qian Wen nodded to Xu Shao: "The imperial court has issued an edict appointing Kuai Sheng as Imperial Censor, to go to Runan with imperial credentials to handle the assassination attempt on Young Master Dou. The General ordered me to send someone to personally protect Young Master Xu, to prevent him from being harmed by villains!"

"Protect me?" Xu Shao was stunned. "This... there shouldn't be any need for that!"

“This is the General’s order!” Qian Wen emphasized the last two words, adding, “Please don’t make things difficult for me!” With that, he bowed to Xu Shao.

"This—" Xu Shao quickly returned the greeting: "I wonder how Commandant Qian intends to protect you?"

“Just as I said, close protection!” Qian Wen laughed. “I brought eight men with me, all elite soldiers, two to a shift, four shifts in total, to take turns following Mr. Xu. Don’t worry, they won’t interfere with what you do on a daily basis, they’re just for protection. Once Censor Kuai arrives, this protection will cease!”

"Captain Qian!" Xu Shao's anger flared up: "Is this protection or imprisonment? You don't actually think I'm involved in Young Master Dou's death, do you?"

“Mr. Xu!” Qian Wen said with a smile, “I’m just following orders. Besides, I also think this protection is very necessary!”

"What do you mean? Someone wants to kill me?" Xu Shao sneered.

"Not bad!"

"I haven't made any enemies before, so who would want to kill me?"

“Mr. Xu!” Qian Wen explained patiently, “Young Master Dou is only sixteen years old this year. This is his first time in Runan. Where would he have any enemies? Yet someone still tried to harm him. If you were to die suddenly now, it would be a considerable trouble for the General. You may not have any enemies, but the General has countless enemies! Men!” At Qian Wen’s command, two armored guards entered the room, stood on either side of Xu Shao with their hands on their swords, and remained motionless.

“Do as I previously ordered!” Qian Wen said coldly, then nodded to Xu Shao: “Mr. Xu, many things in this world cannot be seen clearly until the very last moment. Be patient, and you may be surprised in the end!”

After seeing Qian Wen off, Xu Shao returned to his bedroom. Looking at the two armored guards waiting at the door, he was deeply troubled by Qian Wen's words. He didn't know if Qian Wen was doing this to prevent his escape or to protect him, or perhaps both. But one thing was certain—Dou Xuan's death might not be so simple. Was escaping really his best option? Thinking this, he sighed deeply and lay back down on the bed.

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Xincai County, Runan Prefecture, Chaya Mountain.

"What? Wei Cong specifically assigned someone to protect Xu Zijiang closely, so he couldn't escape?" Yuan Shu's face showed annoyance after hearing the messenger's report: "Damn it, this Wei Cong thinks of everything before us, he's really troublesome!"

"Gonglu, what do you mean by this?" Wu Jing asked. "Do you have another purpose in persuading Xu Zijiang to escape?"

(End of this chapter)