The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 84 A Gathering of Civil and Military Officials and Liu Bei's Reforms

With Qu Xingshou's head taken, the remaining bandits in Changsha are leaderless and no longer worth mentioning.

Liu Bei then stopped personally leading the troops into battle and instead ordered his generals to advance in different directions, each pacifying a prefecture or county.

Now, the Han army, together with the troops from Jingzhou, Nanyang, and newly recruited soldiers from Changsha, has nearly ten thousand men by land and water. This is an excellent opportunity to train troops and hone their skills in battle.

Liu Bei then divided Guan Yu into the Eastern Route Army, and commanded Huang Zhong and Qian Zhao, leading 3,000 infantry and cavalry to sweep down the Xiang River and eliminate the remaining bandits in the counties east of Linxiang and along the Liushui River.

Zhang Fei, in charge of the northern route, led Zhu Ling and Han Dang, with 3,000 infantry and cavalry, from Yiyang northward to attack the western shore of Dongting Lake and the area bordering Wuling.

Zhao Yun, in charge of the southern route, commanded Wen Chou and Gao Lan, leading 500 elite cavalry and 2,000 local troops, to pacify Liling, which borders Changsha and Lingling.

You County.

He also ordered Cheng Pu to lead the navy to patrol the Xiang River and cut off the bandits' communication between the north and south; Sun Guan, Yin Li and others were appointed as bandit officers to patrol various counties and capture bandits.

The other generals, such as Zhang Nan, Han Jing, Gao Huan, and Zhu You, all followed Ju Shou to Linxiang to pacify the counties and allocate grain and fodder.

With the allocations finalized, the generals each led their respective troops away.

Liu Bei ascended the Xiangcheng Tower and watched as the three armies, their banners covering the fields and the sounds of drums and horns echoing, marched off on their respective campaigns. He then said to his men with great emotion, "Guan Yu is resolute and steadfast, Zhang Fei is swift and agile, and Zhao Yun is loyal and brave—with these three armies advancing together, Changsha will surely be conquered."

After seeing off the three massive armies, Liu Bei was far from idle in the rear.

It is now September, the time for the Han Dynasty's "calculation of the people".

The September population census is crucial for Liu Bei's tax collection in October and the year-end tax report.

He raised an army of nearly 10,000 men in Changsha, far exceeding the size of Mount Tai.

Therefore, collecting taxes is his top priority at present.

Fortunately, he was already very familiar with this, and he only needed to continue to implement the "taxation by acreage" method of Mount Tai.

Moreover, just like his numerous military generals, he also had a wealth of talented civil officials under his command, including a large number of capable ministers and officials who could share his burdens.

Ju Shou continued to hold the high position of Gongcao (a high-ranking official) in Linxiang, overseeing the overall situation. Having followed Liu Bei from Hebei and spent a year in Mount Tai, he was already well-versed in government affairs and acted in an orderly manner.

Having been stationed in Linxiang for only a few days, he had already arranged all kinds of affairs meticulously and properly, and sent officials to deliver reports to the magistrates of various counties by fast horse.

Tian Feng, serving as an inspector, toured various counties to oversee local customs and responsibilities. He was resolute and did not shy away from powerful figures. Starting from Linxiang, he traveled south, checking the registers and comparing household registrations and land ownership in every county he visited. This was crucial to the implementation of Liu Bei's land-based tax collection method.

Jian Yong and Sun Qian then went to various counties to appease powerful and influential families.

Guo Yuan devoted himself entirely to agricultural affairs. He was well-versed in agricultural administration and had been in charge of land reclamation in Taishan. Now that he was in Changsha, he was thriving.

The banks of the Xiang River are fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles, but the water conservancy facilities are far less developed than those in the Central Plains. Guo Yuan led his officials to travel throughout the thirteen counties of Changsha to survey the terrain, plan ponds and ditches, and prepare for a major water conservancy project in the coming year.

Cui Yan was in charge of the household registration office, registering each household in a register. Anyone who concealed household registrations was to be punished according to the new law.

Aside from these few people who are exactly the same as Mount Tai, the changes in the other departments are too great!

First is Chen Qun, a prized disciple whom Liu Bei recruited from his father-in-law Cai Yong, and a capable man for the state!

With the Changsha Prefecture newly established, there were countless administrative matters to attend to. Liu Bei remained wary of the powerful clans in Jingnan—these people were deeply entrenched and could easily become too powerful to control if not handled carefully.

He needs someone who is both well-versed in the law and unafraid of powerful figures to take charge of the legal affairs department and rectify the discipline of the prefecture.

So Liu Bei personally summoned Chen Qun, handed him the seal of the legal officer, and instructed him: "Changwen, there are quite a few powerful clans in Changsha who conceal household registrations and seize farmland. You witnessed the story of Mount Tai with your own eyes. If it weren't for the iron-fisted crackdown on evil, how could there have been such great order in a year? The same is true in Changsha today."

"As the Chief Justice, you are in charge of the criminal law of this prefecture. All those who commit crimes shall be punished according to the law. Do you dare to take on this important responsibility and uphold the moral standards of this prefecture?"

Chen Qun accepted the official seal with both hands and said with great emotion, "Your Excellency has entrusted me with the legal affairs, and I dare not fail to exert my utmost efforts!"

"In the past, Zichan governed Zheng with a balance of severity and leniency, and the state of Zheng was greatly well-governed. Now, the powerful and cunning in Changsha are deeply entrenched, and it is appropriate to govern them by law, without discrimination based on kinship or social status."

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, anyone who commits crimes will be punished according to the law, and no one, no matter how powerful or influential, will be spared."

Liu Bei nodded in satisfaction. Liu Bei's expectations for Chen Qun went beyond simply judging cases and administering justice.

He was the kind of person who was truly capable of designing laws and regulations for the country.

Historically, he designed the Nine-Rank System of the Cao Wei dynasty, although it later led to powerful families controlling the government and was criticized as "the upper ranks had no poor families and the lower ranks had no noble families".

Contrary to later impressions, the Nine-Rank System was initially used by Cao Wei as a tool to counterbalance powerful clans and attract talented individuals.

This was used to counter the custom of letting a single word from a respected scholar determine a person's future.

At its inception, the Nine-Rank System was indeed advanced, much like the Imperial Examination System, and was undoubtedly a sign of progress. However, in its later stages, it degenerated into the rigid, formulaic examination system, becoming a symbol of decadence.

Therefore, Liu Bei hoped that he could hone his skills and, in the future, work with Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, Liu Ba, and others to revise national regulations such as the "Han Official System", "Han Law", and even the "Imperial Examination System".

Following Chen Qun, Liu Bei personally handed over the Golden Cao Seal to Mi Zhu.

The Mi family was the richest family in Xuzhou. Their ancestors had been merchants for generations, with tens of thousands of servants and a fortune of hundreds of millions.

This time when he went south, Mi Zhu did not follow the Zhen family's strategy of dividing the family into separate branches. He only took a few hundred close followers with him to Changsha, while his younger brother Mi Fang remained in Donghai to maintain his family business.

This actually made Liu Bei pay more attention to Mi Zhu, since he no longer had to worry about Mi Fang's possible betrayal.

So Liu Bei took Mi Zhu's hand and solemnly entrusted him, saying, "Zi Zhong, Mount Tai is a small place with few people, and we live in a remote corner."

"Changsha is different. Its fertile land stretches for thousands of miles, and rice can be harvested twice a year. Once water conservancy is built, agriculture will surely be extremely developed, and the people will not lack food and clothing."

"Furthermore, Changsha is connected to Jiangling in the north, Jiaozhou and Guangzhou in the south, and Wu and Hui in the east. The Xiang River runs through the entire territory, with boats coming and going like a weaving cloth. It is rich in products and attracts merchants from all over the world. It is a place to develop industry and commerce and accumulate wealth."

"I have heard that agriculture is the foundation of a prefecture, and commerce and industry are the basis for its prosperity!"

"Now, Zizhong is appointed as the Jin Cao Yuan, in charge of the salt and iron, market trade, and commercial tax affairs of the prefecture."

"Zizhong comes from a family of merchants and is well-versed in business. He is well-suited to make the most of this opportunity. I intend to establish a new porcelain kiln outside Linxiang City to produce Changsha porcelain, which will then be shipped down the Xiang River and sold to Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Jiaozhou, and Guangzhou."

"The Kou family's iron-smelting skills are unparalleled in Jingnan. Zizhong can join forces with them to open more ironworks. The agricultural tools and weapons they cast will not only be supplied to Changsha, but will also be sold to other prefectures."

"Furthermore, we can plant mulberry trees extensively along the Xiang River and teach the people to raise silkworms and reel silk. In a few years, Changsha's silk will be able to rival that of Qi and Lu. All of this depends on Zizhong's planning and coordination."

Mi Zhu accepted the seal with both hands and said with a sigh, "Your Excellency has entrusted me with the administration of commerce and industry, and I dare not fail to do my utmost. In the past, Tao Zhugong amassed a fortune of a thousand gold pieces three times. The way of commerce lies in the smooth flow of goods."

"Changsha has such favorable timing and location, Zhu should use the money in his hands to help the Prefect to trade goods from all directions and gather wealth from all over the world."

With so many virtuous ministers and capable officials handling government affairs for Liu Bei, the administration of the prefecture was worry-free.

So he began to drastically reorganize the counties, since the foundation of a prefecture's governance still lies in the county and township levels.

Meanwhile, the county seat of Changsha nearly collapsed.

Not only because of the chaos caused by Qu Xing, but also because many local officials abandoned their posts in the city and fled to the mountains and fields.

Furthermore, because of Liu Bei's arrival, many officials resigned their posts upon hearing that Liu Bei was coming.

These people were also very pragmatic. They all knew that rather than waiting for Tian Feng to inspect the county and uncover the old accounts of embezzlement and concealment over the years, it was better to get away as soon as possible.

After all, if he resigned and left, Liu Bei could forgive and forget.

If the inspector comes to check the records, the evidence of hidden land and concealed persons will be laid bare before them, leading to imprisonment and confiscation of their property.

Of the thirteen counties, only two county magistrates and six county assistants remained, and all the county lieutenants had been dismissed.

This, in turn, gave Liu Bei the opportunity to fully demonstrate his abilities.

He then appointed his civil and military officials as magistrates in various counties: Cheng Pu as magistrate of Linxiang, Qian Zhao as magistrate of Luo County, Sun Qian as magistrate of Yiyang, Tian Yu as magistrate of You County, Fan Shu as magistrate of Liling, Geng Wu as magistrate of Xiangnan, Yan Rou as magistrate of Zhaoling, and Xue Ti as magistrate of Rongling. He also appointed his trusted confidants to various other counties.

The positions of county magistrate and county commandant were filled by selecting those who were literate and knowledgeable in laws from the old subordinates brought from Mount Tai.

Within a month, the officials of the thirteen counties of Changsha were completely transformed.

Even so, Liu Bei was still not satisfied.

Based on his many years of experience, the real implementers of grassroots government affairs in the Han Dynasty were not county magistrates, but rather those petty officials such as village chiefs, tax collectors, patrolmen, and village assistants.

These people have been entrenched in the village for generations, sharing the same interests with the local powerful families. When government orders are implemented down to the village level, they are often met with outward compliance but inward resistance, or even covert obstruction.

Liu Bei experienced this situation when he was at Mount Tai. During the investigation of hidden land, it was found that many local officials were exchanging favors and concealing the truth. In the end, it was only through the inspection of each village by the supervisors that the investigation was barely carried out.

The power of the local strongmen in Changsha far surpasses that of Mount Tai. If the minor officials in the villages are still members of their clans, then the methods of measuring land, checking households, and collecting taxes based on land area will be extremely difficult to implement.

Therefore, Liu Bei decisively ordered: all the village chiefs in the thirteen counties of Changsha Prefecture should be dismissed.

The removal of this pavilion chief is not merely a dismissal of his post, but a complete abolition of the system itself!

From then on, no more pavilions were set up in Changsha.

The reason Liu Bei did this was because the position of village head had become a burden due to the problem of redundant officials.

According to the Han system, there was a pavilion every ten li, and each pavilion had a pavilion chief who was responsible for catching thieves, mediating disputes, and delivering messages.

Within a county, there are county magistrates who command the troops of the villages and towns and supervise the arrest of thieves; patrol officers who patrol the villages and towns and prohibit thieves and criminals; and tax collectors who know the good and evil of the people and decide on the order of service.

The duties of the village head were intertwined with those of the patrol officers and the tax collectors, with three officials jointly governing the same matter, resulting in multiple orders being issued and the people not knowing which to follow.

Furthermore, the village chiefs were mostly sons of local powerful families. Although they were officials in name, they were actually the eyes and ears of these powerful clans. They occupied the villages and colluded with the county officials, so the orders of the prefecture and government were often obstructed from reaching the villages.

Now Liu Bei has ordered each county to set up one thief clerk and several thief officials, who are responsible for arresting and apprehending thieves. There are also patrol officers who go on patrol in the villages and prohibit thieves and bandits. The position of village head is becoming more and more of a hindrance.

Abolishing them would not only reduce the burden on the people by eliminating redundant officials, but also eliminate the influence of powerful local magnates in the villages, achieving two goals at once.

From then on, Changsha Prefecture was divided into four levels: prefecture, county, township, and village, and the pavilions were no longer used.

The responsibilities of catching thieves, delivering messages, and mediating disputes, which originally belonged to the village head, were all transferred to the township-level patrol officer.

The position of patrol chief, responsible for patrolling and preventing theft, was perfectly suited to the role of village head. Within the village, the power to maintain order was entirely in one person's hands, eliminating the need for three officials to hold multiple posts and issue orders from multiple departments.

However, if the power of the village head is simply transferred to the patrol officers without changing the patrol officers themselves, new problems will likely arise.

In the past, the patrolmen were mostly local heroes who had lived in the countryside for generations and were closely connected with powerful clans.

Although the position of village head has been abolished, the power of the patrol officers has greatly increased. If they are still controlled by powerful local families, then abolishing the village head is merely a way to consolidate the scattered henchmen into a more powerful force, turning local government into a tool for the private use of powerful families. This will not only be unhelpful to the implementation of the imperial decrees, but will actually be harmful.

At that time, the situation will truly arise where imperial power does not extend to the county level.

Therefore, Liu Bei issued a second decree: the power to appoint and dismiss all officials at the township level in Changsha Commandery, including the elders, tax collectors, and patrolmen, shall be transferred to the commandery government!

Although the three elders, the tax collector, and the patrolman were village officials, their power and responsibilities concerned the governance of the entire village.

The three elders were in charge of education and could lead the people in political discussions; their word was law in the village.

The tax collector knows the good and evil of the people, and decides on the order of service; the collection of taxes depends entirely on him.

They patrolled the villages, punished thieves and robbers, and were the de facto controllers of the local armed forces.

In the past, these three positions were mostly selected by the county magistrate from among the local powerful families. They were nominally officials of the imperial court, but in reality, they were private servants of powerful families. When the government orders reached the villages, these "village officials" often paid lip service to them, or even openly defied them.

Now Liu Bei has centralized the power of appointment in the prefectures and counties. From now on, the three elders, the tax collectors, and the patrol officers will all be appointed by the prefect himself, serving three-year terms. Their performance will be evaluated to determine their promotion or demotion, thus completely eliminating the abuses of powerful families inheriting local officials.

This is thanks to Cai Yong's teachings. Since Cai Yong was appointed as a literary aide, the Taishan Academy has gathered more than two thousand scholars, among whom four or five hundred admired Liu Bei's benevolent rule and were willing to follow him south.

These people were either well-versed in classics and history, knowledgeable in laws and regulations, or skilled in mathematics. Although they were not as famous as the renowned scholars of the Central Plains, they were all truly capable individuals.

They followed Liu Bei south to Changsha, and originally served as clerks and officials in various departments of the prefecture. Now that the power of the local officials has been transferred to the prefecture, it is time for these people to show their talents.

What's even more remarkable is that Xiahou Lan had been teaching writing in the army for several years.

Since the time of the Taishan Incident, he had been ordered by Liu Bei to teach soldiers to read and write during their spare time from training. Over the years, two or three hundred of Liu Bei's old soldiers had become literate.

These veteran soldiers had followed him for many years, were loyal and reliable, and were capable of both capturing thieves and apprehending criminals. They were also literate and knowledgeable in law, making them competent for local government duties.

At the same time, outstanding students from poor families in Changsha Academy were selected to serve as stewards, thus shifting government affairs from powerful and private officials to virtuous officials from humble backgrounds.

Of course, Liu Bei also took reality into full consideration and did not simply replace local heroes with his own loyalists.

He was also making every effort to win over the locals in order to facilitate the transition. Liu Bei deliberately reserved the positions of the Three Elders for respected elders in the local area to show respect for local traditions, but on the premise that they must be approved by the prefectural government and could not be held concurrently by powerful clan leaders.

This comprehensive system of control, from the prefecture to the county and from the county to the township, made the power network of Changsha Prefecture more tightly controlled than ever before. The imperial decrees and prefectural strategies could finally reach the villages without any obstruction.

Liu Bei has reaped all the benefits, while the powerful clans of Changsha are full of complaints!

The powerful families of Changsha probably knew that after Liu Bei entered the prefecture, they would have to spend money to avoid disaster.

However, there was nothing that could be done about it; in chaotic times, taxation based on acreage was an inevitable trend.

The emperor approves of Liu Bei's policies, and they are being implemented in all directions, making it difficult for Changsha to remain unaffected.

Paying taxes is better than being robbed by Qu Xing, losing your life and your clan, and having your wife and children humiliated.

But they never expected that Liu Bei, who was known throughout the world for his benevolence and virtue, would be so fierce and decisive.

The position of pavilion chief could be abolished overnight with a single imperial edict, leaving hundreds of pavilion chiefs without their posts.

The power of local officials could be taken away at will, and the seals of the three elders, the tax collector, and the patrolmen were all personally signed by the prefectural government.

Those people had been entrenched in the village for generations, treating the local government as their private property and the neighborhood as a forbidden place. Now, however, they were caught off guard by Liu Bei's series of attacks, and their foundations were shaken.

Immediately, heroes rose up, eager to draw their swords and fight back, calling on all the major clans to gather their troops and fight Liu Bei to the bitter end.

But soon those heroes who had risen up with swords fell silent.

No one can challenge the authority of a monarch who is winning battle after battle!

As long as Liu Bei can continue to bring victory, then victory will be the best incentive for people's hearts.

At this time, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun's three armies were sweeping through Jingnan, not only wiping out the Qu Xing bandits.

Guan Yu then led his troops into Wuling, where he, along with the troops from the state and Wuling County, decisively defeated more than 5,000 Wuling barbarians, beheading over a thousand of them.

Cao Yin, the Prefect of Wuling, wrote a letter praising Liu Bei's military prowess and righteous deeds.

At this point, for powerful figures to directly raise an army and revolt is tantamount to suicide.

At this very moment, Liu Bei launched another appeasement measure, raising the banner of conscription in various counties.

Those deposed village chiefs, local valiant heroes, and powerful clansmen aspiring to be ennobled and appointed generals were instead recruited into Liu Bei's ranks.

This further weakened the wave of rebellion against the governor, since the village head had been recruited into Liu Bei's army, the three elders were already highly respected local figures, and You Wei had also been given more power.

Only the tax collector remained, responsible for knowing the people's good and bad deeds, determining the order of service, and collecting taxes. This was the position most easily manipulated by powerful clans, and Liu Bei, determined to enforce a land-based tax system, would not allow powerful clans to interfere.

The powerful and wealthy had tolerated the practice of taxing by the acreage of land, and in the end, they could only endure the removal of this position.

Thus, Liu Bei's sweeping reforms, which should have caused a great upheaval in Changsha, did not happen at all; instead, two months passed peacefully.

In December, although Changsha is not as cold as Hebei, where the north wind is like a knife and water freezes instantly, it is still chilling to the bone and damp.

Inside the main hall of the prefectural government, the charcoal brazier was burning brightly. Liu Bei and Ju Shou sat facing each other, with a pot of warm wine and several dishes of dried meat and pickled vegetables on the table.

The north wind howled outside the window, but the room was warm and cozy.

"How can these powerful families in Changsha be so tolerant?" Liu Bei picked up his cup, took a sip of warm wine, and said with a hint of regret, "When I was in Mount Tai, I was merely investigating hidden land and collecting taxes by acreage, which led to a massive rebellion by more than ten powerful families, including the Hu family of Fenggao, the Shen family of Liangfu, and the Wang family of Fei."

"Now in Changsha, abolishing the village head system, confiscating local officials, and reforming taxes—each of these measures hits the nail on the head. Yet they remain silent. It seems that in this day and age, the people of the North are indeed more robust than those of the South, while the Southerners are relatively weak."

"I actually hope they cause a ruckus. Taking advantage of the aftermath of the Qu Xing Rebellion, we can uproot those lawless powerful families who have hidden their land and protected their households. This would give us a legitimate reason to fight, and we could also use the pretext of suppressing the rebellion to continue expanding our army."

"Eliminating dozens of powerful clans in this way can not only raise money and food for the army, but also prolong the time for suppressing the rebellion, so as to prevent the court from suspecting that I am supporting bandits for my own benefit."

Upon hearing this, Ju Shou stroked his beard and laughed: "In the past, when Shang Yang reformed the laws in Qin, even if the crown prince broke the law, his tutor was tattooed; powerful and influential families complained bitterly throughout the roads, yet until the reign of Duke Xiao, no one dared to rebel. Why was that?"

"Although Shang Yang's decrees were harsh, Qin's armor and military were unparalleled in the world, and those who rebelled would surely die, so they did not rebel. The situation in Changsha today is exactly the same. It's not that they don't want to rebel, but that they dare not rebel."

"With eight hundred iron cavalry, the Duke led his army to Yiyang, and Qu Xing's more than ten thousand troops collapsed within ten days; Yun Chang, Yi De, and Zi Long led three armies to advance separately, and the bandits in Jingnan were routed at the mere sight of them. Yun Chang defeated more than five thousand Wuling barbarians in one battle, beheading a thousand of them—such military might, such illustrious martial achievements, how could those powerful figures not think twice? Rebellion? What difference is there between that and suicide?"

"Moreover, although Your Excellency has stripped him of his power, he has not cut off his path. Although the position of village head is abolished, he can still join the army and strive for a future of military merit and ennoblement."

The power of the border patrols did not diminish but rather increased; although it was no longer hereditary, it remained a respected position in the village. Even the title of "Three Elders" was deliberately reserved for respected local elders, not entirely taken away from them.

"What was taken away was merely the position of tax collector, a real power over tax collection and the allocation of corvée labor. Your Excellency does not want the powerful and wealthy to have their hands on it, how could they not know that? But it is better to just pay more taxes than to have your entire clan slaughtered."

"Profits are still possible, but strength is insufficient to resist. Rebellion means certain death, while forbearance offers only a precarious peace. Given this situation, why should powerful figures risk everything?"

"As the Guanzi says, 'When granaries are full, people know etiquette; when food and clothing are plentiful, people know honor and shame.' Now, their granaries are not empty, and they have enough food and clothing, so naturally they will not provoke your military might."

Hearing Ju Shou's words, Liu Bei felt it was only natural. Although he was a bit domineering, compared to Cao Cao's greed, cruelty, and ruthlessness, he was still much more benevolent.

At least he didn't dig up the ancestral graves of powerful clans, didn't confiscate their property or exterminate their families, and certainly didn't massacre tens or hundreds of thousands of people.

Even with Cao Cao's brutality, they didn't rebel. Besides, all I've really done is take back the power of corvée labor and taxation from the local gentry to the prefectural government.

Liu Bei immediately perked up and asked, "Now we have sent capable people to various villages to investigate and clarify the hidden household registrations and land ownership. How many people are there in Changsha County now?"

'

Ju Shou smiled calmly and replied, "What you asked is precisely what I wish to report today. The census of the people in September has been completed, and the accounts of each county have been compiled and submitted to the prefectural government. After the household registration department has reviewed them county by county, the Changsha prefecture now has a total of over 143,000 registered households and a population of over 760,000."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed.

Changsha truly lives up to its reputation as a great city.

With over 143,000 households, if divided equally among all counties, each county would have over 10,000 households!

With a population of 760,000, it was at its peak.

It is naturally incomparable to the peak of 1.05 million, after all, since the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, the world has been in chaos, with constant warfare and rampant plagues.

Although Changsha Prefecture was not as chaotic as the Central Plains, it still experienced the Qu Xing Rebellion and typhoid fever, resulting in a sharp decline in population, with three-tenths of its population disappearing.

One in three people died, which means that every family suffers the pain of a zombie.

But no matter what, if the population of 760,000 is used well, it will be the foundation of his main business!

Historically, it is possible that the predecessor could not truly control such a large population until after the Battle of Red Cliffs and the capture of the four counties in Jingnan.