The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 173 Liu Bei's fame spread throughout Hebei, and the common people of Changshan sang praises of Liu Qingtian (3rd update)
While Yuan Shang was overseeing the delivery of 200,000 shi of grain to Changshan, Liu Bei's land reclamation program in Changshan was also steadily progressing.

Two hundred thousand shi of grain sounds like a lot, but Liu Bei had more than 100,000 people to settle. This two hundred thousand shi of grain, plus the grain stored in Black Mountain and the supplies captured from the Hu people, could not even support the first year of farming.

Fortunately, Liu Bei still had Yuan Xi procuring grain in Zhongshan, and a bunch of "transfer orders" signed by powerful clans in Changshan.

Both Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang actually enjoyed taking advantage of powerful clans.

If Yuan Shao hadn't been alive, Zhuge Liang would have wanted to have Liu Ba's Zhibai coins minted ahead of schedule.

Although the Zhibai coin reduced the amount of money available to ordinary people, how much money could they possibly have?
Once the wealthy gentry had their money, Zhuge Liang could implement policies that benefited the people, stabilize prices, and achieve a redistribution of social wealth where "the money of the common people was returned in full, and the money of the powerful clans was divided 50/50."

Are the powerful clans pitiful?
The powerful are not to be pitied.

If it weren't for the excessive annexation by powerful clans, the Han Dynasty would never have descended into such chaos.

In the city of Zhen Ding.

Tao Sheng returned to the Prime Minister's residence, his face full of shame, and reported to Zhuge Liang on the implementation of the "handover order." When he mentioned Zhang Chao, a powerful clan leader in Zhending, his tone became even more indignant: "Military Advisor, that old man Zhang Chao argued that since Huchuquan had been captured alive, why should we hire Zhang Yan and other Black Mountain leaders to fight against the barbarians? In order to assist the Left General in the land reclamation, he shamelessly claimed that he could 'call on the people of Zhending to serve enthusiastically' to offset the handover cost!"

Tao Sheng boasted that he had seen plenty of stingy people, but he had never seen anyone more stingy and cunning than Zhang Chao.

The millet, wheat, cloth, silk, gold, silver, copper coins, wine, meat, cattle, and sheep promised in the delivery order were things that Zhang Chao had no intention of fulfilling. Even when it came to supporting Liu Bei's land reclamation efforts, he was only willing to call on the people of Zhending to actively participate in the service!
What does it mean to serve in the military?

It means making the people provide their own money, food, and drinking water, essentially making them work for the government for free!

Zhang Chao's abacus beads were practically rolling off his face!
It's as bizarre as the rumor that Zhang Chao just rubbed some dried meat around the edge of the pot and said it was a treat for the farmhands!
"Prime Minister Tao, there's no need to be angry. Zhang Chao is truly a 'good man.'" Zhuge Liang remained calm, handing Tao Sheng a document: "A virtuous official has secretly reported that the Zhang family of Zhending has irrefutable evidence of their crimes: First, they falsified land surveys, concealed acreage, and evaded national taxes; second, they acted arbitrarily in the countryside, bullying the weak and terrorizing the villagers; third, they facilitated the distribution of food and drink, secretly recruited bandits, and secretly amassed a private army; fourth, they disobeyed orders, openly defied command, and showed contempt for the laws of the court. Each and every charge constitutes one of the 'ten heinous crimes,' and their crimes are unforgivable! Prime Minister Tao, you must immediately muster your officers and soldiers and arrest the entire Zhang family. Their land, houses, wealth, and hoards must all be inventoried, seized, and confiscated. This matter concerns the dignity of the national law and must be completed before sunset without delay!"

The crimes that Zhuge Liang listed for Zhang Chao in a gentle tone, if we were to exaggerate them, would mean that every single one of the powerful clans in Zhending would be implicated.

Upon hearing this, Tao Sheng gasped in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Strategist! This...isn't this too harsh?"

Zhuge Liang slightly raised his eyelids, his sharp gaze sweeping over Tao Sheng like lightning. His voice suddenly turned cold: "What's excessive? I ordered you to arrest criminals and confiscate their property. Did I order the execution of a single person? The law is clear, and punishments are used to educate and warn. The fines and property are imposed to deter others. How can you say it's excessive? This is benevolence within the law! Go and do it quickly. If you are unable to do it or hesitate, the prime minister of Changshan Kingdom can be replaced."

Tao Shengping often saw Zhuge Liang's gentle and refined demeanor and mistakenly thought that Zhuge Liang was an expert in Confucianism. However, Zhuge Liang was an out-and-out Legalist activist.

In the past, after discovering that Liu Zhang had neglected state affairs, resulting in the lack of laws and the rampant abuse of power in Xichuan, Zhuge Liang directly adopted strict laws and punishments to govern Xichuan.

It can be seen.

Zhang Chao, believing himself to be a local strongman in Zhen Ding and having deceived Liu Bei into acting with benevolence and righteousness, attempted to renege on the delivery order regarding the supplies.

For Zhuge Liang, Zhang Chao's actions were like a pillow delivered to his sleepy head; he was just worried about not having anyone to set an example, and Zhang Chao delivered himself right to his doorstep.

Seeing the coldness on Zhuge Liang's face, Tao Sheng felt a chill run down his spine.

With Liu Bei's current power, replacing the Chancellor of Changshan would only require a word to Yuan Shao. Yuan Shang has already dutifully supervised the delivery of 200,000 shi of grain to Changshan, so how could Tao Sheng dare to disobey?
Tao Sheng acted swiftly.

Under the personal supervision of Tao Sheng, the officials and soldiers of Zhending acted swiftly, uprooting the once-powerful Zhang family in a single day. The entire clan was imprisoned, and all the land, mansions, and property they had accumulated over the years were confiscated and put into the government treasury.

Although the grounds for conviction had nothing to do with Liu Bei demanding supplies, and only mentioned the laws and regulations of the country, were there any fools among the powerful clans of Changshan?

Rumors spread like wildfire that Zhang Chao suffered a "huge change" for trying to save a "small amount" on the delivery order, and it was like a thunderclap to the heads of all the big families who were still watching and delaying.

In an instant, the powerful clans that had been observing and delaying rushed to hand over the goods.

Liu Bei resolved the banditry and barbarian calamities in Changshan Kingdom, and the powerful clans voluntarily signed the handover order. Morally, Liu Bei was not at all wrong.

If they wanted to renege on Liu Bei's debt, Zhang Chao's entire clan would serve as a cautionary tale, and they wouldn't even have had the chance to find someone to smooth things over!
Following this incident, Zhuge Liang seized the opportunity to issue a series of decrees jointly issued by Liu Bei's Left General's Office and Changshan State Chancellor's Office, to rectify official corruption, equalize taxes, prohibit private feuds, and encourage agriculture, and strictly ordered all counties to comply.

For a time, officials in Changshan were awed, powerful figures held their breath, and the atmosphere in the country was completely renewed.

at the same time.

During this period, Liu Bei went deep into the front lines of the agricultural settlements. On one hand, he had Huchuquan lead the Hu people to do hard labor to reclaim wasteland, and on the other hand, he personally led the common people of Heishan to cultivate the land.

Since Liu Bei had sent the strong men of the Black Mountain army and civilians to Bingzhou, the remaining weak and vulnerable were mostly the elderly, women, and children.

The first step in reclaiming wasteland is to cut down trees and shrubs, cut down tall grass, and use larger tree trunks to build simple sheds or as fuel. The remaining vegetation is dried and burned. This is the core step of slash-and-burn agriculture.

These hard labor tasks certainly cannot be given to the elderly, weak, women, and children in the Black Mountain; it is most appropriate to use the Tu Ge and Wu Huan as consumables.

Since they dared to invade southward, they should naturally be punished if they lost.

It was already Liu Bei's mercy that he spared the beheading and only subjected the son to labor reform.

In contrast, Liu Bei took great care of the common people of Heishan, doing his best to solve their problems regarding food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. He also fulfilled his promise to send people to teach them, enabling young people with a thirst for knowledge to read and write.

Over the course of a month, Liu Bei's prestige among the 100,000 commoners of Black Mountain grew day by day.

A children's rhyme goes: "Liu Gong came to Changshan, turning barren land into green fields. The barbarians were forced into hard labor, and the people smiled with joy. The wicked were punished by having their property confiscated, and grain and money were distributed to the people. The Chanyu wielded his weeds, and Changshan saw the clear sky!"

Liu Bei made a huge commotion in Changshan Kingdom, especially the children's rhymes he sang, which greatly enhanced his reputation. The news quickly reached Cao Cao's ears in Xuchang.

　Update 3 is here!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)