Tiger Guards

Chapter 713 Two Recent Events
A sudden cold snap swept through the Qin and Jin regions.

North of Pingyang, the former site of the Empress's temporary palace.

The palace remains largely intact, but most people have moved to Jinyang with the Empress, the eldest prince, and Consort Zhao.

However, the palace maids who remained were promoted to female officials, and some female slaves were added to the ranks.

As the officers and soldiers stationed at Pingyang Camp were gradually dismissed and returned to their hometowns, Zhao Ji had some free time.

Just as spring plowing was about to begin at the imperial palace, Zhao Ji moved in with his guards.

When he traveled, if he was near the military camp, he would bring at least five hundred chariots and cavalry; if he was at the imperial palace, he would bring three hundred chariots and cavalry.

Within the palace grounds, there was a small manor belonging to his sister, Zhao Xing.

When Zhao Ji moved in, the weather was cold, and the peach trees in the front yard, which had blossomed in early spring, were covered with icicles.

He glanced a few more times at the peach trees of varying heights and shapes, all of which had been transplanted from nearby. Zhao Xing wasn't a picky person, nor did he know anything about gardening or pruning.

Throughout the four years of Jian'an, this small manor was left unattended, with the vegetation growing wildly in the courtyard.

When Zhao Ji suddenly arrived, Chunyan, the female official in charge of the operation of the palace, dressed up slightly and came to greet him.

Seeing that there were still withered grasses from last autumn in the front yard, she said nervously, "Grand Tutor, this servant will arrange for the servants to clean the yard immediately."

"No need."

Zhao Ji wasn't angry. The messy courtyard actually gave him a sense of peace. He turned to look at the female official he had some affection for: "This is my sister's villa. You don't need to get involved in its management. Even if it collapses, I won't hold you responsible."

"Here."

The female official agreed and wanted to follow Zhao Ji to the backyard, but the guards on duty on both sides of the gate suddenly crossed their arms to block the way after Zhao Ji passed by.

Seeing no reaction from Zhao Ji, the female official stomped her feet in anger, but could not retaliate. She could only watch Zhao Ji's figure disappear before leading a dozen or so palace servants away.

The main courtyard in the backyard and the small courtyards on the left and right sides were all in the same dilapidated state, so Zhao Ji chose the small courtyard on the east side.

When he entered, the dozen or so guards who had arrived earlier were sweeping the dust in the corridor and inside the room, and starting a fire to drive away the cold and damp air.

Looking at the weeds being cleared in the courtyard, Zhao Ji said, "Let's light it here, it'll add some warmth and life."

"Here."

The guards who were working kept a close eye on Zhao Ji's actions and immediately changed their work, piling up weeds in the center of the flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.

Zhao Ji then climbed the wooden ladder to the roof and looked out into the distance.

Zhuge Jin also climbed up, but as soon as he got up, the guards who were guarding the wooden ladder removed it.

Zhao Ji walked steadily to the rooftop and looked northeast. Under the misty weather, he could vaguely see the outline of the Fen River and the willows on both banks.

Zhuge Jin spread his arms and tried to balance himself as he walked towards the roof ridge, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and reminding, "Grand Tutor, the tiles are slippery, please be careful."

"I have never been careless."

Zhao Ji turned around, stepped over the roof ridge, and sat on it, looking at the soldiers and officials working in the courtyard and front yard: "I also want to ride a spirited horse and be as unrestrained as I was in Jishan. Now, I walk on thin ice, and although the northwest prefectures are still at peace, these people don't seem to be satisfied with this life. If that's the case, I don't want to restrain myself anymore."

Zhuge Jin was taken aback by what he heard and didn't know how to respond to such a remark.

Zhao Ji raised his eyebrows and looked at him, then smiled: "Everyone's desires are insatiable, greed is like a mad demon. When I try my best to restrain myself from doing evil, they come to do evil and act violently. Now that I think about it, it's really laughable. They dare to commit violence against things that I wouldn't even bear to destroy."

"When it comes to violence, who can compare to me?"

Zhao Ji sighed, then suddenly asked Zhuge Jin, "Ziyu, do you think that having violence but not using it is the same as not having it at all?"

Now Zhuge Jin could no longer remain silent, and replied, "Grand Tutor, in my humble opinion, to suppress violence while practicing benevolence is the virtue of the ancient sages." "What ancient sages existed?"

Zhao Ji countered, "Wearing animal skins, living by fishing, hunting, herding, and gathering, with weak agriculture, they have little savings to last through the winter, let alone three years' worth of savings. Such a world is worse than the barbarians and wild tribes of today. What kind of saintly virtue is this?"

Seeing that Zhuge Jin remained silent and did not cite any classical texts to refute him.

Zhuge Jin had such a gentle and tolerant personality. He didn't like to argue with his colleagues and subordinates, so how could he possibly argue with Zhao Ji about right and wrong?
Moreover, this is merely a verbal debate, and Zhuge Jin is not concerned with winning or losing.

However, if Zhao Ji were to take action, Zhuge Jin would definitely step forward to stop him.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Ji said, "In a few days I will return to Jinyang to discuss politics, and Ziyu will go to Tianshui to become the magistrate of Shanggui County."

"I accept your order."

Zhuge Jin, oblivious to the slippery tiles beneath his feet, bowed respectfully and inquired, "What instructions does the Grand Tutor have?"

"Do the job of a county magistrate."

Zhao Ji responded with one sentence, then added, "The imperial court will soon bestow upon Zhang Chang the title of River God of the Wei River. You are in charge of implementing this matter. The temple will be built according to the standards of a local marquis, and an additional 500 mu of sacrificial land will be allocated. I will select five households to cultivate the land and serve the temple."

"Here."

Zhuge Jin bowed again, sensing that Zhao Ji had something to ask, so he stood still.

Seeing that Zhuge Jin remained calm even when he was transferred to a county as magistrate, Zhao Ji felt much more at ease.

The people of Hedong were very unlucky. Over a hundred people from Hedong who held positions with a salary of over 600 shi (a unit of grain) were hanged or beheaded. Many more people from Hedong were implicated and had their titles and ranks reduced or were demoted, or had their titles removed or were dismissed from office, or had their titles reduced or retained but were dismissed from office and left to live in idleness.

This would create approximately five hundred vacant positions worth over six hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), providing a perfect opportunity for outsiders to hunt for these positions.

The people of Langya were no exception; everyone felt that although Zhuge Jin was young, he had a calm and steady personality, and it would be no problem for him to be sent out to serve as a prefect.

However, Zhao Ji did not want Zhuge Jin to take the official position left by the people of Hedong. Zhuge Jin had served as the chief secretary of the expeditionary force for less than a year, and his seniority and influence had not yet spread. Sending him down to be a county magistrate would not cause Zhuge Jin too much of a sense of loss.

If there is a genuine sense of disparity that is difficult to conceal, Zhao Ji will take his time to arrange Zhuge Jin's fate.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Ji spoke up: "There are two very difficult things right now. First, Sun Ce, Chen Deng, Liu Ai, and Liu Xun are about to launch a pincer attack on Xuzhou from the north and south, which Zang Ba will find difficult to resist. I suspect that this is to force our army to take the initiative and to lure me to the Guandong battlefield."

"The second thing is that Gongsun Zan repeatedly asked the court for help. The court decided to appoint Xu Huang as general to lead the Shuofang Righteous Army to rescue Gongsun Zan. Some people privately reported that the treacherous officials in Xudu had repeatedly sent envoys to persuade Xu Gongming, believing that Xu Gongming would lead his troops into the Youyan region and establish a separatist regime in the northeast."

After Zhao Ji finished speaking, he looked out to the banks of the Fen River to the northeast.

After a moment's thought, Zhuge Jin gave his answer: "Grand Tutor, in my opinion, after the execution of Pei Mao's traitorous party, the court and the people are at peace. Although the Grand Tutor is old, he is still in good health and skilled in the art of health preservation, and can still serve the court for ten years. With the Grand Tutor's extraordinary talent, let alone ten years, he can eliminate the villains and restore peace to the people within five years."

After thinking for a moment, Zhuge Jin said, "I am not familiar with Xu Gongming, but I have heard that he is strict in his military discipline and does not manage his own property. He often compares himself to Zhou Yafu and Yan Junji. From what I have seen, Xu Gongming has repeatedly divided his troops to seize territory, and he has never been afraid of hardship. He always puts the Grand Tutor's orders first and rarely has any selfish thoughts. Such a pillar of the state is truly a talent under the Grand Tutor."

"Understood. I will bid farewell to your younger brother tonight and head to Tianshui to take up my post first thing tomorrow morning."

Zhao Ji gave a reply and then continued to look at the Fen River in the northeast direction.

On the icy Fen River, a fleet of boats from Jinyang was slowly sailing south on the thawed surface.

This fleet will go straight to Chencang and escort Zhao Lian, the governor of Hexi, and his wife, who are on their way to take up their posts in Liangzhou, to the eastern border of Liangzhou.

However, when the fleet reached the area of ​​influence of Pingyang, more than 30 boats in the middle and rear groups broke away from the group and headed straight for the simple dock on the shore.

As the cargo ships docked, Gao Yanglong, who had been waiting there, led more than three thousand officials and soldiers and waved his hand: "Go!"

More than two thousand Han and Hu outlaws that Zhao Lian had gathered were on these ships, and they were just the right time to be captured and taken away to mine iron ore nearby.

(End of this chapter)