My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 314 Land Survey
Jinzhou, within Baima City.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

Gao Yang is aiming at the target with a longbow in his hand. Although he is not very tall and his face still looks childish, his movements are quite impressive.

Shooting five arrows in a row, with three hitting the target and one even hitting the bullseye, is an extremely rare feat for a child around ten years old.

Right next to him, Duan Shao, who was a little older and already a teenager, had grown very quickly and was already up to Gao Huan's shoulder.

It also fires five arrows in quick succession, but with a faster rate of fire and each arrow hitting the target precisely.

Gao Yang turned his head to the side, a look of envy on his face.

"Ah Yang, are you playing around again?"

Lou Zhaojun's face was serious, and she said coldly, "Can't you learn from Ahui?"

Gao Cheng was holding a book in his hands, sitting in the pavilion and flipping through it.

Gao Yang felt very wronged, "But my brother has been practicing archery before. I just wanted to improve my archery skills so that I could help Father in the future..."

Gao Cheng chuckled and said, “Ah Yang, even someone as brave and valiant as your uncle, whom people call a reincarnation of the ancient overlord, still needs the help of his scholars to govern. Can you be as brave and valiant as your uncle? If you really want to become your father’s help in the future, you should study the classics properly.”

Upon hearing this, Lou Zhaojun's expression softened considerably, and her eyes even held a deep expectation. She couldn't help but praise, "Ahui is absolutely right. Your bravery is even less than that of Tie Fa, yet you don't study properly. You call it archery practice, but isn't it just because you're playful?"

Gao Yang felt even more aggrieved, but he was also afraid of Lou Zhaojun, so he had no choice but to obediently put down his bow and arrows and return to the pavilion to bow respectfully. "Mother is right. I will never dare to be playful again."

"Get up."

Lou Zhaojun frowned slightly, "Learn more from your elder brother and your cousin."

After speaking, Gao Yang sat back down at the table, looking at Gao Cheng with considerable envy. Lou Zhaojun stood up beside him and asked with concern, "Ahui, remember to wear more clothes if you get cold."

Looking down at his fingers, which were red from the cold, Gao Yang suppressed his inner grievances and gritted his teeth to stop himself from crying, but his vision began to blur.

He quickly wiped away his tears and picked up a book to read.

At this time.

There was a sound of rapid footsteps.

Gao Huan hurriedly arrived at the inner courtyard. Seeing everyone there, he was somewhat surprised. "A-Yang, why did you switch to studying halfway through your archery practice? You can't do without perseverance like that."

Gao Yang felt very wronged, "I was practicing archery, but my mother told me to..."

Gao Huan paused for a moment, then changed his words, saying, "Studying is good, then you should focus on your studies."

Then he looked at Lou Zhaojun and said, "Get ready to pack up."

Lou Zhaojun looked puzzled and asked, "What is it, my husband?"

"I received an official document ordering me to go to Hengzhou as governor."

"Hengzhou?"

Lou Zhaojun was taken aback at first, then realized, "Whose edict is this?"

"Prime Minister."

"The Prime Minister would actually allow my husband to return to his hometown?"

"I am also unaware of the details."

Gao Huan shook his head. The official document arrived suddenly without any prior notice, which caught him off guard.

He guessed it was Yuan Ziyou's idea.

"In short... pack your things, we're about to set off. We'll first go to Luoyang to see His Majesty, then head to Shandong to see my elder sister and my second brother, and then turn back to Jinyang to see the Prime Minister."

It's equivalent to traveling back and forth between Shanxi and Shandong.

But this is necessary for Gao Huan.

The purpose of going to Luoyang was to understand the whole story; the purpose of going to Shandong was to communicate with Gao Yu; and the purpose of going to Jinyang was to find out Erzhu Rong's attitude.

"What happened?"

"Could it be... that I'm to go to Hengzhou to manage the surrendered people in the six towns?"

The thought crossed his mind, but Gao Huan quickly dismissed it. Erzhu Rong knew that the surrendered people of the Six Garrisons were brave warriors, but he only suppressed and tortured them and refused to organize them into an army for his own use. How could he give him such a good opportunity?
But what if?
In short, being able to leave Jinzhou is a good thing.

In February, the ice and snow melt in the northern lands, and all things revive.

A vibrant scene of life and everything flourishing is presented before our eyes.

In the fields near the outskirts of Dongyang City.

Jia Sixie was busy in the fields with several farmers. After receiving Gao Yu's support, Jia Sixie devoted himself to agriculture. Gao Yu did not assign him any administrative duties, believing that technical talents should focus on studying and mastering technology.

Two anxious figures paced back and forth by the field.

One of them tried to step forward, but soldiers wielding long spears immediately forced them back with murderous intent.

These two men, with their menacing faces, were no kind souls, but seeing the valiant soldiers before them, they could only obediently put on smiles and take a few steps back.

Seeing that there was no one around.

Wu Ze was furious. "A bunch of bastards! Just because they have the protection of the Tian Ce Mansion, they dare to boss me around. And that General Tian Ce is no better. He greets us with a smile on his face, but stabs us in the back behind our backs!"

"Be careful!"

Li Jun, who was standing nearby, quickly grabbed him and looked around in terror. "If the Xuanjia Army hears this, you will be dead by their swords just for saying this."

Wu Ze looked around with lingering fear; he had been driven to desperation.

"Taxing the land, isn't this forcing us to a dead end?"

Li Jun was also furious when the matter was brought up.

Everyone did it this way, rendering the imperial "Land Occupation Law" ineffective.

Why target them specifically starting last year?

After the chaos of war, there will be unclaimed fields left idle, and fertile fields will turn into wasteland. They simply occupy these fields to continue cultivating them.

What's wrong?

The land of Qingzhou was indeed 'ravaged' by Xing Gao.

It does not refer to destruction.

Back when Xing Gao led a rebellion.

The powerful families didn't care; their fortified villages, built over generations, were very well-defended, and Xing Gao couldn't do anything about them.

But those powerful families couldn't withstand it.

Many powerful families moved away to save their lives.

Their estates and fields became ownerless.

Xing Gao essentially cleansed out all the powerful clans in Qingzhou for Gao Yu in advance.

In this situation.

That means the bold get rich while the timid starve.

Li Jun was originally a clerk who worked for a powerful family's estate. He didn't follow his master but stayed behind with a few trusted confidants, taking over all of his master's estate and land for himself.

As things gradually developed, he became a new powerful figure in Qingzhou.

But here’s the problem.

His estate and his land were all seized.

He had no social standing or family influence to support him.

He held no official position in the imperial court.

In Gao Yu's eyes, such people are 'fat sheep,' fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered!
Targeting them is both reasonable and justified.

No one can find fault with it.

There are many such powerful and influential people in Qingzhou, and Gao Yu is not afraid of offending them.

(End of this chapter)