Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 210: All the talents have arrived
There is a place called Jili Pavilion, also known as "Jili Pavilion", in the southern suburbs of Linzi, Qingzhou. It is the site of an old military camp of the State of Qi during the Warring States period. It was used to garrison imperial guards to protect the capital Linzi.

The idiom "而反棘焉" refers to this place.

At this moment, a contingent of Wei troops was encamped at Jili Pavilion. These were hereditary soldiers under Shi Shouxin's command, which made Lu Zhi, the governor of Qingzhou, feel uneasy.

Several thousand soldiers are not a large number, but they need Linzi to continuously supply them with military provisions, are not under Lu Zhi's control, and have no connections with him whatsoever.

This made Lu Zhi feel as if she had been raising a wild wolf in her backyard that hadn't bitten anyone yet, but was uncontrollable and harbored ulterior motives!
In the vicinity of Luoyang, such armies might not be uncommon, and an imperial edict would be enough to subdue them. However, Qingzhou is a place where "stars gather," and there is no room for carelessness.

"Has Shi Shouxin not arrived in Linzi yet?"

Inside the study of the governor's office, Lu Zhi inquired about Wang Zhaodao, the prefect of Qingzhou who also served as a cavalry captain but couldn't even lift a sword.

"This, I do not know either."

Wang Zhao said with a smile, his tone gentle and his face innocent.

Once people leave, the tea cools. Having learned that Lu Zhi was to be transferred, Wang Zhao no longer took him seriously. This is similar to the concept of "death in futures trading".

Lu Zhi was over seventy years old, and Wang Zhao was being very polite by not calling him an old man.

Hearing this, Lu Zhi frowned slightly, not wanting to argue with a local bully like Wang Zhao, so she didn't say anything in response.

Wang Zhao's father, Wang Xiang, was a high-ranking official in the imperial court. Their hometown was in Linyi, which is not in Qingzhou, which is quite confusing to outsiders. However, Linyi is not far from Qingzhou, and many members of the Wang family have settled in Qingzhou.

This family is really not someone you should offend.

"There are many bandits from Mount Tai active in Donglai and Chengyang counties. Is there any news about them?"

Lu Zhi asked again.

The term "Taishan Bandits" here is just a derogatory term. Their origins lie in the "Five Tigers of Taishan" led by Zang Ba! They are now nominally the "regular army" of the imperial court, but they are not under the command of the Qingzhou Prefectural Governor's Office.

Wang Zhao continued with a smile and replied, "It's the same as always, nothing has gone wrong."

What does "the old way" mean?
Lu Zhi, who was over seventy years old, was getting angry at Wang Zhao, but considering that he was about to leave his post and go to Luoyang, he really had no mood to confront a scoundrel like Wang Zhao.

Oh well, let's just pretend it's a dog wandering around.

Lu Zhi comforted herself inwardly.

"That's it, just step back."

Lu Zhi waved her hand gently, saying she didn't want to see Wang Zhao for even a moment longer. The Wang family were all people who didn't do anything worthwhile.

For example, Wang Zhao's father, Wang Xiang, was famous for his filial piety performance art, "lying on ice to catch carp," which was completely different from Lu Zhi's pragmatic style. Wang Zhao inherited his father's "fine tradition" and would slack off when working, only doing superficial work.

Wang Zhao didn't take these words to heart. He knew Lu Zhi didn't like him, but he didn't care.

This is no longer the era of the Three Kingdoms where one could rise to power by accumulating political achievements!

These days, to get by in the world, you need connections and influence! The saying goes, "If you work hard, you can be a dog forever!"
Why work so hard? The real key is to scheme and plot!

Wang Zhao bowed and withdrew, his outward manners impeccable, leaving no room for criticism.

But as soon as he left the governor's office, he quickly returned. Before Lu Zhi could speak, Wang Zhao reported with a smile, "Governor Lu, Shi Shouxin has arrived."

"Alright! I'll go greet them myself!"

Lu Zhi's stern face finally broke into a smile, and he strode briskly to the entrance of the yamen, where he saw the incredibly young Shi Shouxin, who had been waiting there for a long time.

"Oh dear, Lord Shi, you have kept this old man waiting anxiously."

Lu Zhi warmly stepped forward and grasped Shi Shouxin's hands, almost bursting into tears of joy.

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here!
"Lord Lu, you're too kind. Why don't we go to the study and talk some more?"

Shi Shouxin gestured for Lu Zhi to come in, and Lu Zhi then "suddenly realized" and said, "Yes, yes, I'm just too happy. Please come in, please come in."

Lu Zhi led Shi Shouxin to the governor's study, and then with a "smack," shut the door on Wang Zhao outside!
Old Deng isn't without a temper; he just hasn't reached the point of snapping yet.

Lu Zhi, who had long disliked Wang Zhao, gave the newly appointed governor Shi Shouxin a hard time!

This move was undeniably ruthless. After witnessing this, Shi Shouxin would surely be able to guess Wang Zhao's true capabilities.

Before entering, Shi Shouxin glanced at Wang Zhao thoughtfully, said nothing, and followed Lu Zhi into the study.

After taking his seat, Lu Zhi sighed and said, "Wang Zhao outside the door, relying on his father being Grand Commandant Wang Xiang, never does any real official business. He's just coasting along in the local area."

"Is that the one who lay on ice to catch carp?"

Shi Shouxin suddenly remembered this and asked in return.

Lu Zhi smiled wryly, then nodded and said, "It seems that Magistrate Shi is a reasonable person. The world today is very different from what it was twenty years ago."

These words were tactful and to the point, conveying the meaning without offending anyone, demonstrating the demeanor of a kind and virtuous elder.

However, Shi Shouxin is a straightforward person and would not beat around the bush like Lu Zhi.

He directly tore away the fig leaf and said:
The saying goes, "The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; and if you do nothing, you make no mistakes."

The sons of powerful and wealthy families sit back and wait for promotions. They don't need to do anything on a daily basis; all they need to do is follow the right person at crucial moments.

Wang Xiang may have known back then that he needed to achieve some political accomplishments, but now, his family only needs to practice filial piety and become famous for it, and they can sit back and wait for promotion.

What are they needed to do?

As long as Wang Zhaoping doesn't bully or oppress the villagers, he's considered to be of excellent character. Need I say anything more?

Shi Shouxin's words were not without sarcasm; they essentially voiced everything Lu Zhi wanted to say. This veteran official, who had been active in the bureaucracy since the late Han Dynasty, couldn't help but think more highly of Shi Shouxin.

“Prefect Shi is sharp-minded and has keen insight; he will surely bring benefits to the people of Qingzhou.”

Lu Zhi nodded with satisfaction, then handed the governor's seal from the table to the other party.

"With the governor's seal here, I, Lu, can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"I, Lu, will be returning to Luoyang today to retire. However, there are some things I'd like to discuss with Magistrate Shi before my departure."

Lu Zhi sat up straight, looked at Shi Shouxin, and put away the smile on her face.

"Please, Mr. Lu, do not hesitate to offer your guidance!"

Once Shi Shouxin received the official seal of the governor, he could no longer address Lu Zhi as "Governor," so he directly addressed him as "Sir."

"Among all the states in the Great Wei, Qingzhou has the fewest people listed in the government's accounts, except for the remote Qinzhou and Yongzhou."

For example, the population of Huainan is more than five times that of Qingzhou. Even the neighboring Xuzhou has a population that is roughly twice that of Qingzhou.

The rights and wrongs of this matter are beyond my comprehension. I can only say that Rome wasn't built in a day, and I leave it to Magistrate Shi to decide for himself.”

Lu Zhi said it very subtly.

Shi Shouxin nodded slightly and succinctly summarized: "Qingzhou is like a banquet, and the guests who come to feast here are all wise men, which is naturally different from other places."

Lu Zhi pondered Shi Shouxin's words, "all the wise men have gathered," and suddenly felt that it was wonderful.

"Qingzhou once had many prominent families, but now most of them are not well-known. For example, some of the Liu family members who were enfeoffed as kings during the Han Dynasty have many descendants in Qingzhou."

"I can't say for sure what's become of these people now, but they're certainly not people who can be easily manipulated."

Lu Zhi said seriously, "Finally, the real deal is here."

The statement doesn't explicitly say that some people have fallen from being "prominent families" to being "just ordinary people."

But this doesn't mean those people didn't have land, tenants, or weapons! They were just "insignificant and powerless" at the government level.

Shi Shouxin nodded in understanding.

Seeing that he understood, Lu Zhi continued, "In Chengyang and Donglai counties, there are many remnants of the Taishan bandits. They operate under the banner of the government army but do the work of mountain bandits. If Prefect Shi has the time, it would be good to deal with these people. If these people are not eliminated, Qingzhou will be difficult to stabilize."

The so-called "Taishan bandits" were the troops of Zang Ba's faction.

After Cao Cao's death, due to Cao Pi's improper handling, some of these soldiers became bandits and scattered throughout Qingzhou, no longer active in Taishan County.

The powerful Yang clan also forbade them to operate in Taishan County. Although these people were later recruited by the government, well... those who know, know.

For example, Sima Zhao had no influence over the hereditary military forces under Shi Shouxin. To some extent, Qingzhou had many similar detachments, except that their leaders only held official positions in Cao Wei.

What Shi Shouxin was planning to do was exactly what these people were doing at that moment; there was no fundamental difference between the two.

Lu Zhi told Shi Shouxin these things because Shi Shouxin had his own loyal troops. With his own army, he could fight bandits. If he didn't have his own troops, and the court didn't send imperial guards to suppress bandits, then the governorship was just... a job for doing nothing.

There's nothing we can do.

"I already know all of that, but what about the land reclamation in Qingzhou?"

Shi Shouxin asked again.

When it comes to land reclamation, Lu Zhi has a real headache.

"To be honest, in the Qingzhou military farms, there are hardly any tenant farmers left."

Local wealthy families frequently seized land intended for military settlements, leading to frequent disputes. The government, however, tended to appease them, turning a blind eye.

Lu Zhi sighed, saying that the amount of information in her words was enormous, and if she were to explain it in detail, it would probably take three days and three nights to finish.

"The government's rent collection was excessive, and the tenants could not bear it. They also heard that working on the lands of noble families was even better, so they fled one after another and became unregistered residents in the manors of noble families."

Conversely, the areas where the military farms were established lacked labor, leaving large tracts of farmland idle. Powerful families then sent people to secretly seize the fertile land and manipulate it.

So, this cycle repeats, right?

Shi Shouxin inquired.

Lu Zhi nodded. It was rare to meet someone knowledgeable like this. At this moment, he found Shi Shouxin pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at him.

"Just because you get land doesn't mean you can definitely grow crops."

There are many talented people in prominent families, and they can teach tenant farmers how to cultivate the land and produce more.

How could the government compare? Besides, in this chaotic world, living and farming in the military settlements might not be safe, especially since there are many private armies of powerful families.

In short, these things are a long story.

Lu Zhi sighed, "No matter the era, it will always be difficult to find people who truly get things done."

"The accounts for the military settlements are a mess, aren't they? The Qingzhou army numbered 300,000 back then, but now the entire Qingzhou government's accounts don't even show 300,000!"
Even the official position of Colonial Colony Commander was no longer located in Qingzhou. Could the government possibly reclaim the land seized by powerful clans?

Shi Shouxin countered with a question.

Lu Zhi waved his hand, a playful look on his face: "Wang Zhao's family outside the gate owns quite a lot of land in Qingzhou. If Magistrate Shi can tie him up and demand it, the Wang family will probably have to give up some of it."

Wang Zhao was the Prefectural Governor of Qingzhou, the second-in-command in the governor's office. If Shi Shouxin was "out of contact," Wang Zhao could take over the governor's power.

Is there only one Wang Zhao in Qingzhou?

Does the imperial court only have Wang Xiang?

If anyone takes Lu Zhi's words seriously, they'll be like someone who wouldn't survive a single episode in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Shi Shouxin quipped, "Mr. Lu is joking. As long as Wang Zhao stops digging into the public land, I'll be laughing in my sleep. Expecting them to give back the public land is simply unthinkable."

You have to eat your food one bite at a time, and kill people one by one!

Now, the priority is to quell the chaos of "bandits everywhere" in Qingzhou. The various misdeeds of the powerful families are a matter for later and cannot be addressed indiscriminately.

Shi Shouxin naturally wouldn't make any promises to Lu Zhi. Even if they had a pleasant conversation, he was very careful not to speak too intimately with someone he didn't know well.

"By the way, the most important thing for me, Shi, when I came to Linzi is not to become the governor, but to build a palace for the King of Qi and manage his fiefdom."

Shi Shouxin said solemnly.

Lu Zhi was taken aback, not understanding who the King of Qi was or how there could be a royal palace.

"King Qi is..."

He asked doubtfully.

Shi Shouxin advised, "The King of Qi is Sima You, the second son of the King of Jin. The official document of investiture will not be sent until after the change of dynasty. But this does not prevent the King of Qi from sending people to his fiefdom to build a palace and manage the fiefdom."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi sighed deeply and said nothing.

After King Cao Fang of Qi ascended the throne, he was assisted by General Cao Shuang, who appointed Lu Zhi as his military advisor. During this time, Lu Zhi offered many strategies and plans, including numerous treacherous schemes specifically targeting the Sima family.

After the "Incident at Gaoping Tombs," Lu Zhi led his men to protect Cao Shuang and persuaded him to fight back. Afterwards, he was naturally imprisoned by Sima Yi.

Compared to some guys who just talk the talk of "Wei Chen," Lu Zhi was a true pragmatist who never played games.

Hearing Shi Shouxin say "dynastic change," he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"Back then, Lu once offered advice and strategies to Cao Shuang."

Lu Zhi sighed, but kept the rest of her words to herself and did not continue.

There's no need to bring it up again; it's all in the past.

"Mr. Lu is a very honest person."

Shi Shouxin complimented Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi said meaningfully:

"Your troops were stationed at Jili Pavilion before, which made me feel like I had a thorn in my side."

I can probably guess some of what you're thinking, but it doesn't really matter.

I've witnessed all those things before. I've said enough; it's time for me to head back to Luoyang.

Qingzhou is in chaos, please take care.

Lu Zhi stood up and left. Shi Shouxin also stood up to see him off, but the seventy-year-old veteran of three dynasties simply patted him on the shoulder, indicating that he did not need to see him off.

"This grand feast for the founding of the nation is just like the gathering of wise men you just mentioned. I am old and frail, so I will not join in the fun."

After leaving those words, Lu Zhi headed towards the gate of the Central Governor's Mansion, his figure gradually disappearing into the distance.

As Shi Shouxin watched his departing figure, he also felt the helplessness and sorrow of the Yangtze River, where the new waves push the old waves forward, and the old waves die on the beach.

After Lu Zhi left, Wang Zhao, who had been standing in the courtyard and dared not approach the study, stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Lord Shi, I am Wang Zhao, the Prefect of Qingzhou. Do you have time now? Perhaps I could arrange a banquet to welcome you?"

Wang Zhao, who had just been insincere with Lu Zhi, now seemed particularly "sincere".

"No need, we won't need it."

Shi Shouxin waved his hand casually.

Wang Zhao sensed something was amiss in those words, so he continued, "Lord Shi, it's alright, I'll make the arrangements right away."

"I mean, I have my own private carriage, so you don't need it. I'm not saying the welcome banquet won't be needed."

Shi Shouxin looked at Wang Zhao and said seriously.

"what?"

Wang Zhao stood there dumbfounded. Just then, Meng Guan strode forward from outside the door and took out an official appointment document from the imperial court.

"As the new Prefect of Qingzhou, I will naturally take care of the welcoming banquet for Prefect Shi."

Seeing this, Wang Zhao's face flushed red and then turned pale, unsure of what to say.

The Prefectural Governor was an official under the Governor. The court did not dismiss Wang Zhao, but merely "tacitly" allowed Shi Shouxin to accept him as his successor.

However, Shi Shouxin could also use this official position to reward his own people, especially a governor like him who had his own troops.

(End of this chapter)