I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 534 The Edict to Relocate the Hu People

The Great Han is searching for a new goal.

The Great Zhao of the North, no, the Eastern Zhao, remained immersed in its past glory.

Unfortunately, even with its "glory," the Eastern Zhao of today doesn't have much left.

After the war between Han and Zhao, almost everyone in the world could see that the world would definitely belong to the Han Dynasty in the future. So anyone with a bit of insight went to Jinling to pay homage to the Emperor of Han. Who would be blind to go to Yecheng?
……

In fact, there are still some.

For example, in the Han-Zhao War, the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu had already offended the Han Dynasty and could only go down a dark path.

When Yuan Shangxin ascended the throne, there had to be a celebration similar to "all nations paying tribute".

But a pity.

The only envoys who came were those from the Wuhuan and the Southern Xiongnu.

Even Gongsun Du, who was usually the most indecisive, did not send any messengers to celebrate Yuan Shang's ascension to the throne.

But how can two countries be worthy of the emperor's aura?
Fortunately, Pang Ji, who was in charge of the celebration, came up with a solution.

That would involve further subdividing the envoys from the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu, with each tribe representing one of them in the celebration.

In this way, they managed to gather a few dozen "foreign envoys" and barely managed to save face.

But while the outward appearance is sufficient, the substance is lacking.

The fundamental reason why the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu still sent envoys to Ye City was to collect debts.

In the past, when Yuan Shao asked them for help in battle, he didn't offer them anything.

If Yuan Shao wins, these things will be nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

But now, Yuan Shao has lost, Hebei has lost, and the entire Eastern Zhao has lost.

In addition, Liu Miao, who was driven to Ye City, extorted a lot of things from them. Now the entire treasury of the Eastern Zhao Prefecture is so empty that even the rats have moved away. Where would they find the money to pay the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu?
"You gentlemen must think of a way to resolve this matter."

Yuan Shang, who had only been on the throne for a few months, had already lost a lot of weight.

He never dreamed that becoming emperor would be so difficult!
It feels like you've put in all your effort, only to end up with a pile of dog poop—it's disgusting!
Liu Miao, Yuan Tan, and now the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu are all putting Yuan Shang under immense pressure...

The officials of Dongzhao remained silent, making the atmosphere even more oppressive.

They knew the country was broke.

Yuan Shang knew that they were rich.

But they knew even better that they would never use the money to rescue the country!
This kind of thing must never be set as a precedent!

Once it happens, it will happen again.

Once it happens twice, it will happen a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth time.

If you refuse one day, you will be met not with gratitude, but with knives!
The officials of Eastern Zhao just waited like that.

Although they were the ones who initially demanded compensation from Liu Miao and emptied the entire treasury of the Eastern Zhao state, the country's current difficulties seem to have nothing to do with them whatsoever...

"Your Majesty."

Yuan Shang was also helpless.

In that instant, he even began to understand why Liu Miao was so eager to antagonize powerful and influential families.

If we don't kill them, they will kill themselves and their country!

Even knowing this, Yuan Shang still couldn't do anything about it.

He lacked Liu Miao's thuggishness, which would put a knife to someone's throat at the slightest disagreement, and he also lacked Yuan Shao's ability to manage the situation through checks and balances. Therefore, he could only say in an almost pleading tone, "No matter what, we should get rid of them first."

"I have heard from the generals of Youzhou that the Wuhuan cavalry have been repeatedly raiding the border recently... The Great Zhao can no longer withstand any more turmoil!"

Dongzhao needs time!
However, neither Yuan Tan, who was sharpening his sword nearby, nor Liu Miao, who inevitably had to go home for a meal to replenish his strength, could give it much time.

Next, Hebei should try its best to allow the people to rest and recuperate, rather than focusing its energy on the Wuhuan people who come to harass it from the north!
Shen Pei looked at the assembled officials, his eyes filled with anger.

But in the end, Shen Pei turned back and bowed to Yuan Shang, saying, "Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty, and we really cannot agree to the demands of the Wuhuan and the Southern Xiongnu."

Yuan Shang immediately panicked!

Don't agree?
If we don't agree, are we just going to wait for them to destroy the Eastern Zhao kingdom? But...

Shen Pei and Tian Feng exchanged a glance and took a deep breath at the same time.

"I believe that the purpose of granting or not granting money is merely to appease the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan and prevent them from harassing the border."

That's half right.

On the other hand, Yuan Shang was also worried that the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan had been won over by others.

First of all, Liu Miao was married to the daughter of the Chanyu (Xiongnu ruler), and his relationship with the Southern Xiongnu was, by any measure, closer than that of Yuan Shang.

Secondly, in a sense, the Southern Xiongnu... they were surnamed Liu!

Moreover, what Yuan Shang was most worried about was not Liu Miao, who was far to the south, but his good elder brother Yuan Tan!

With the current strength of the Han Dynasty, it simply doesn't care about the inferior and worthless Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan.

But Yuan Tan, who was standing next to him, and his Western Zhao state, had the advantage of both timing and location!
If Yuan Tan were to win over the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan, it would be adding insult to injury for the entire Eastern Zhao!

Therefore, in order to resolve this matter, Shen Pei, Tian Feng, and other scholars from Hebei made a decision—

The Edict to Move the Hu People!
"We propose that the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan lead their own troops to populate Hebei!"

"In this way, we can not only stabilize the border and prevent the two tribes from being exploited by those with ulterior motives, but also allow them to recuperate as soon as possible!"

A year ago, these officials of Eastern Zhao would probably not have believed that Hebei would be short of people.

But right now, Hebei is indeed short of people.

In particular, there was a lack of able-bodied young men who could farm and fight!

In the battle between Han and Zhao, Liu Miao prevented 200,000 Yuan troops from crossing the river to the north, which completely broke the backbone of Northern Zhao!
Throughout Hebei, almost every household was dressed in mourning clothes and wept.

The entire Hebei province is currently facing a severe labor shortage!
Relocating the Southern Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and even Xianbei people to Hebei and teaching them agriculture would both prevent them from being won over by Yuan Tan and increase the population of Hebei. Why not do it?

Yuan Shang could not believe what Shen Pei and Tian Feng said.

"Shen Gong, Tian Gong... what are you saying?"

Back then, Duke Huan of Qi respected the king and expelled the barbarians. After hundreds of years of effort by the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Seven Warring States, he finally drove the barbarians out of Han territory. But now he wants to bring them back.
Confucius once said, "Without Guan Zhong, we would be wearing our hair loose and our robes fastened on the left!"

It means that if it weren't for Guan Zhong, who assisted Duke Huan of Qi and proposed "honoring the king and repelling the barbarians," I would probably be a barbarian by now!

Now, instead of continuing to fight against the Hu people, their descendants want to relocate them to Hebei?

After a brief moment of shock, Yuan Shang fell silent again.

From the perspective of etiquette and law, this is truly outrageous!
From a utilitarian point of view, this "Edict to Move the Hu" is simply fantastic!

This would both replenish the population and fill the huge gap left by Liu Miao's capture of 200,000 young men, and stabilize the border, depriving Yuan Tan of his support...

In any case, as long as the rulers of Hebei had people under their command who could fight, farm, and pay taxes, it didn't really matter whether they were Wuhuan or Xiongnu.

The only ones who will suffer are perhaps the Han Chinese people of Hebei.

Yuan Shangchang was in Hebei and knew the deep hatred the people of Hebei harbored towards the nomadic peoples from the border regions.

In that case, if the people of Hebei had to watch their sworn enemies, the Hu people, swagger around, bullying men and women in their own hometown, then...

"nothing."

Shen Pei comforted Yuan Shang.

The people of Hebei will not have any objections.

Even if you have opinions, you can simply pretend you didn't hear them.

In any case, the opinions of the people have never been important.

"..."

"I grant your permission."

From this day forward, the people of the Southern Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei will be relocated to various places in Hebei to populate the prefectures and counties!

(End of this chapter)