Tiger Guards

Chapter 469 The Copy of the Melon Vine
As the Hebei troops withdrew from Hanoi, Gao Chong, an official in charge of the capital, led more than a hundred of his followers across the river.

Apart from Gan Ning's troops remaining stationed at Aocang, all other ships were used for transporting captured people.

Starting from Aocang, traveling upstream for about 300 li, you will arrive at Mengjin.

However, in order to improve the efficiency of the transfer, it was difficult to reach Mengjin by going upstream each time. Instead, they would go south of Wen County to the north bank, unload the captives, and then walk in groups to Zhiguan Pass.

Only in this way can the transport fleet maintain an efficiency of one round trip per day.

Each transport can deliver more than 20,000 women and children.

Not only were the cabins crowded, but many small boats and barges also carried people, which were then attached to the back of the transport ship by ropes and moved slowly upstream with the help of the sails.

The small boats were too inconvenient for transporting people, so they stopped participating in the population transfer and instead used the Luo River to load the grain from the Luoyang granary and transport it to Mengjin to replenish the food supplies for the migrating groups gathered there.

Once the captives gathered at Mengjin had completed their regrouping, rations would be distributed, and final preparations for their migration would begin.

For example, making straw sandals, or bundling and weaving straw mats.

The vehicles brought from the Central Plains... many had to be abandoned. Only a small portion could be transported to Luoyang for storage. The rest, even if abandoned, would be scattered and hidden, waiting to be used later.

The mountain road through Zhiguan Pass is treacherous. Although prisoners could carry more supplies by pushing and shoving the vehicles, it would also increase their fatigue and lead to unnecessary casualties.

With limited shipping capacity, it was impossible to transport light vehicles to Mengjin.

Therefore, the migrating population could only receive enough food for ten days, and then set off carrying one or two bundles of straw mats.

The Zhiguan Pass already had well-established military outposts and post stations, so the migrating teams only needed to focus on their journey, as there were rest stops along the way.

These stations would clear out bandits in the mountains and provide necessary order for the entire migrating procession.

If someone falls ill and dies suddenly on the way, or is injured and dies... there's nothing the patrolling soldiers at these stations can do; at most, they can collect the bodies and bury them in one place.

To ensure that these people arrived in Pingyang alive as much as possible, the officers and soldiers responsible for escorting them were drawn from various armies and selected those who had rendered meritorious service.

Transport as many prisoners as possible back to Pingyang, and their merits will be fully rewarded.

As for the rescue of the wounded, that can only be done after they arrive in Pingyang and are reassigned.

These are just prisoners of war, not yet government slaves.

Three days after the Hebei troops withdrew, many powerful families in Hanoi joined the migration.

Their servants were naturally taken over by Zhao Ji, and their household savings were used as military funds.

After the uninhabited area in northern Yanzhou, Zhao Ji began to systematically create an uninhabited area in eastern Hanoi.

After defeating Yuan Shao, Lü Bu was granted three more counties, bringing his total fiefdom in Hanoi to nine counties, which were the previous six.

Hanoi includes the prefectural capital, Hoai District, and all eight western districts are included, as well as Vu Duc District, which is located east of Hoai District and directly opposite Ao Cang in the north.

Because Wude County was part of Lü Bu's fiefdom, the magistrate of Wude County was executed by Zhao Ji for failing to report the thief, and all the officials at the county and township levels, as well as their relatives, were demoted to government slaves.

Because of their relatives being officials, all the nobles and officials in Wude County had their clothes confiscated by Zhao Ji... Almost everyone who could write was demoted to government slaves and exiled to Xizhou. The servants and retainers they left behind were all incorporated into the Wude household register, and their former masters' houses and lands were practically divided up on the spot.

The number of registered households in Wude County surged from over 400 to 1,700, becoming the tax base for Lü Bu's fiefdom.

The people of six counties—Shanyang, Wude, Jixian, Huojia, Xiuwu, and Chaoge—are being continuously purged by Zhao Ji. Linlu, located in the northeastern corner of Hanoi Commandery, is too far away for Gao Chong, who is in charge of the purge, to effectively manage.

Before anyone could be sent there, the powerful and influential families of Linlu County had already moved their people to Weijun, abandoning their prestigious Sizhou household registration.

The captured population gathered in Xingyang and Aocang continued to migrate. As more and more people migrated westward, Zhao Jin was able to mobilize more troops.

In this way, under the coercion of the army and with the support of the servants of each household, the six eastern districts of Hanoi completed the confiscation of property in an efficient and brutal manner.

This kind of confiscation of property was called "Guaman Chao" by the scholars from Henan who fled to Weijun.

Anyone with even the slightest connection to the crime would be implicated and their property confiscated.

If they did not resist, they could bring their changes of clothes and migrate together as a family; if they resisted, the adult males would be executed on the spot, and the rest would be scattered and migrated!
The more a matter involves family business and succession, the less room there is for being soft-hearted.

The more resolute the execution, the less resistance it encounters.

As for what the governor of Hanoi, Miao Shang, thought about it?
Miao Shang had no opinion. Gao Chong crossed the river and immediately entered Huai County, where he publicly reprimanded Miao Shang and ordered him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors.

The county officials below Miao Shang could only cooperate with Gao Chong in confiscating property; only by actively cooperating could they exonerate themselves.

The choice wasn't difficult: either go to the West to mine and work like slaves, or send these old friends to mine in the West. It really wasn't a difficult choice.

Under strict orders, officials were ruthless towards the people and also towards their so-called "own people."

The Hebei troops withdrew from the Hanoi region, and the officials of Hanoi had no better option than to actively cooperate.

And so, Wang Xiang, a young shepherd who was helping someone herd sheep in the mountains one day, also had his identity changed in this rapidly rising storm.

He went from being a shepherd hired by a local tyrant to a slave of Grand Marshal Zhao Ji, and joined the migrating procession in a daze, driving herds of animals alongside other herders.

Originally, Bi Chen, the governor of Henan, wanted to oppose Zhao Ji's use of the official granaries in Luoyang, but upon hearing of the confiscation of grain in Henan, he immediately chose to cooperate. With more than 20,000 people accompanying the army moving out every day, the mobility of Zhao Ji's troops grew stronger and stronger.

Yuan Shao remained stationed in Liyang, observing Zhao Ji's actions in Hanoi.

Not to mention Zhao Ji, even Yuan Shao wanted to wreak havoc on Hanoi and turn it into a no-man's land, which would be more in their mutual interest.

The eastern part of Hanoi is adjacent to Ye City, and the remaining productivity and grain reserves in the eastern counties themselves pose a hidden danger to the defense perimeter of Ye City.

Although it is very close to Ye City, it is constantly under the influence and control of Ye City.

But stored grain is a tangible thing. If the Hebei troops want to strengthen the defense line in eastern Hanoi, they need to divide their troops to garrison and, more importantly, strengthen grain production and reserves.

No one could guarantee that the grain would be burned before it reached Zhao Ji's hands, so destroying this place and leaving the people without grain would naturally increase the difficulty for Zhao Ji to attack Ye City.

The eastern counties are sparsely populated, and the roads will break down even faster, making it even more difficult for Zhao Ji to launch his attack.

Eight days after Ju Shou withdrew his troops, the name of Guamanchao also reached Liyang.

Seeing Zhao Ji so cruelly persecute the scholars and officials of the Hexi Corridor, Yuan Shao was naturally filled with righteous indignation... Only he himself knew how much envy he felt deep down.

Under pressure from public opinion, Yuan Shao had no choice but to send a letter to Zhao Ji, rebuking him for his excessive use of torture and indiscriminate executions.

During this period, Yuan Shao focused his main efforts on integrating the remaining Cao army on the south bank.

This resulted in a 700-mile-long uninhabited area being completely formed on the south bank of the Yellow River in the Central Plains.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu withdrew his troops from the Huainan front. He was too embarrassed to retreat back to Xuchang, so he stopped at Shangcai in Huaibei to maintain his control over Shouchun.

Gao Shun and Wei Yue also withdrew their troops back to the north bank, and their armies were scattered and stationed along the Ru and Ying Rivers to slow the spread of the epidemic.

Yu Fan also returned to the Huainan battlefield with the team of renowned doctors he had gathered. Zhang Ji from Nanyang and Hua Tuo from Peiguo also arrived one after another, and together they took action to suppress the epidemic.

On September 12th, Lü Bu went out of camp to ride his horse and relax.
He returned to camp near noon. Lü Bu had been in a bad mood lately, and whenever he thought of Gan Ning and Zhang Liao, his mood became indescribably gloomy.

Zhang Liao and Gan Ning divided their forces to plunder eastern Yanzhou, and together they captured 60,000 to 70,000 people for Zhao Ji... Only they themselves know how much wealth they seized.

In the battles of Puyang and Suanzao, these two men launched a flanking attack from different directions, capturing no fewer than 120,000 families and relatives of Cao Cao's army outside Puyang!
Subsequently, Zhao Ji and Yuan Shao were clearly about to fight, and Gan Ning's troops scared off the Hebei soldiers with their superb naval warfare skills.

Because Lü Bu was in a bad mood, the guards and officials who came to greet him in the camp did not dare to smile, making the overall atmosphere in the camp even more gloomy.

Including the eight thousand men that Zhang Liao and Gan Ning brought, as well as the people that Zhao Ji captured before and after... the total population of Zhao Ji increased by two hundred thousand!
This isn't 200,000 bushels of millet, it's 200,000 people!

By this time next year, these 200,000 people, after deducting their own expenses, will be able to provide Zhao Ji with at least 300,000 bolts of cloth and 2 million shi of grain!

Twenty years later, their children will be able to don armor and go to the battlefield, and will also be able to produce grain and cloth for Zhao Ji and pay taxes.

Once he calms down a bit, Lü Bu will remember the deeper significance of these 200,000 people.

Although Zhao Ji could send other generals to plunder people even without Zhang Liao and Gan Ning, he could never have done it this well.

If I retain Zhang Liao and Gan Ning and grant them maximum authority to divide their troops and plunder, I can easily gain 70,000 to 80,000 people.

After Lü Bu sat down, he thought of the matter of the 200,000 people again. His face was devoid of emotion, and his eyes stared blankly out of the tent, appearing somewhat empty.

He only came to his senses when he heard the neighing of horses outside the tent. He instinctively reached for the official documents on the table, only to find that his right hand was still holding the riding whip.

He wanted to crack the whip hard, but he was afraid of making too much noise and being laughed at by his subordinates in private.

Lu Bu, feeling utterly bored, casually placed his riding whip on the corner of the table, picked up an official document, and began to read it. The document at the top was signed by Yang Jun, the chief secretary of the shogunate who was left to guard Xuchang.

This is a private letter from Yang Jun, in which he expresses his deepest sorrow and requests that he write to Grand Marshal Zhao in order to ask Grand Marshal Zhao to be lenient towards Yang Jun's relatives and fellow villagers in Xiuwu County.

After reading the letter, Lü Bu picked up the second one, an official document from Pang Shu, the Chancellor of Wenhou State, which focused on the results of Zhao Da Sima's handling of the rebellious clansmen in Wude County.

The number of registered households in Wude County surged by 1,200, all of which were part of Lü Bu's fiefdom income.

Judging from Pang Shu's words, it seems he wanted Zhao Ji to take the opportunity to implicate the eight western counties of Hanoi. Taking Wude as an example, it is estimated that it could add at least 10,000 households to Lü Bu's population.

The fiefdom comprised nine counties, and the soldiers recruited from there could legally and justifiably pledge their loyalty to Lü Bu.

It is perfectly reasonable to address Lü Bu as "Your Majesty".

Unfortunately, Yang Jun was from Xiuwu County, which is right next to Wude County, and therefore was not included in the feudal system.

Otherwise, they could have forged a more solid relationship between ruler and subject.

Lu Bu pondered for a moment, then decided not to reply and left the decision to Pang Shu.

Zhao Ji eliminated the traitorous clan and left the people to him... How to put it, this was somewhat of a consolation for Lü Bu.

But when he thought of how many graves Cao Cao's army had dug up in the Central Plains, how many people Zhao Ji had taken away, and how the enormous wealth had flowed to Zhao Ji, Lü Bu's face went numb again, as if he were saddened by the fact that the officers and soldiers in his camp had been infected with the disease and died one after another.

(End of this chapter)