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

Chapter 85: Conscripting 10,000 soldiers, this woman will one day rule the world as empress.

Liu Bei stood up excitedly, looked at Ju Shou, and asked, "Gongyu, I have the ambition to bring peace to the world and the heart to restore the Han Dynasty."

However, to bring peace and order to the world, a force of only two or three thousand elite soldiers is far from sufficient.

"Now that we possess Changsha, with a population of over 700,000, it is the perfect time to recruit soldiers on a large scale and build up our strength. In your opinion, given the current situation in Changsha, how many troops can we recruit?"

Ju Shou was clearly well-prepared. He picked up a document from his desk, unfolded it in front of Liu Bei, and said, "What you asked about, Lord Liu, is precisely what I have been repeatedly planning these past few days. As I am stationed in the prefecture, my top priority these days has been to take stock of the soldiers under your command."

"Currently, under the command of the Prefect, there are several elite units, including the Jingse Iron Cavalry, the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, the Gengshi Camp, and the Archer Camp, totaling approximately two thousand men."

.

"There are nearly a thousand auxiliary soldiers in the various camps of the Examination and Examination Office, the Medical Office, the Pasture Office, and the Supply and Transportation Office."

"In addition, on this trip back to Youzhou, the Prefect recruited his clansmen, fellow villagers, and old subordinates in Zhuojun, and obtained more than two thousand soldiers."

"In terms of soldiers, the Prefect has five thousand soldiers under his command. For a prefect of a prefecture, this number is not small."

Liu Bei largely agreed with this point. After all, the world was not yet in chaos, and a prefect with more than 5,000 soldiers was already extremely conspicuous.

Fortunately, the rebellion is currently being quelled. When Yang Xu was the governor of Lujiang, he mobilized all the able-bodied men in the prefecture as soldiers and trained them in battle, which ultimately led to a great victory over the Yellow Turban rebels in Yangzhou.

That's why Liu Bei said he genuinely hoped those powerful clans would launch a rebellion. During the suppression of the rebellion, any expansion of the army would be perfectly justified.

Ju Shou continued, "In order to quell the rebellion, since you entered Changsha, you have recruited soldiers twice, and obtained 3,000 new soldiers."

In total, Your Excellency now commands over eight thousand soldiers.

"With a population of 760,000 in Changsha, the number of 8,000 is already one in a hundred. In the past, when Guan Zhong governed Qi, he integrated soldiers into the populace and did not forcibly conscript soldiers to exhaust the people's strength. During the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, the focus was on agriculture and grain production, and the country was closed off to allow the people to rest before launching a northern expedition against the Xiongnu. These were all prudent approaches."

"Given the current situation, Changsha Prefecture can only support a maximum of 10,000 soldiers; any more than that would strain the people's resources."

"Moreover, the south is a boat and the north is a horse, which has always been the case. The soldiers and horses in Hebei are strong and powerful. The sons of Yan and Zhao learn to ride and shoot from childhood, and can ride horses as if they were walking on flat ground. Although Changsha also has a fierce folk culture, the area is crisscrossed by waterways, with the Xiang River running through it. The people learn to row and fish and hunt from childhood, but they rarely learn to ride and shoot."

"The troops in Changsha should mainly consist of infantry and naval forces. The infantry, armed with spears, halberds, bows, and crossbows, fight in formation and defend strategic locations, which is precisely the strength of the southern infantry."

"The navy, with its ships, controls the Xiang River, which can transport grain and cut off enemy routes, making it an indispensable force in Jingnan."

Ju Shou was from Hebei, so naturally he wanted to boast about the strength and might of the Hebei soldiers and horses.

However, Liu Bei didn't think it was a big problem that the southerners were not as strong as the northerners, as Ju Shou had said.

After all, in history, Sun Jian led the soldiers of Changsha to defeat the Xiliang cavalry step by step, and Guan Yu also led the soldiers of Jingnan to establish his reputation that shook the whole of China.

Therefore, Liu Bei calmly said, "Then we will use my elite cavalry as the vanguard and the soldiers of Hebei as the backbone. However, we also need to recruit soldiers from Changsha, which is precisely the purpose of our seeking a large prefecture."

"Changsha Prefecture has 143,000 households, so a total of 14,000 infantry and cavalry will be conscripted. One man will be conscripted from every ten households!"

With over 14,000 infantry and cavalry, Liu Bei was able to gain an initial advantage at the beginning of the chaotic era.

At that time, the other governors of the three commanderies in Jingnan would each have only five hundred or a thousand or so troops, while Liu Bei would have a mighty army of over fourteen thousand. Only by attacking them with force could he achieve a sweeping victory.

They could also head north to seize Jiangxia, advance into Runan and Nanyang, and attack Dong Zhuo.

It took more than 10,000 elite troops to fight Dong Zhuo's elite troops to a standstill.

Ju Shou, upon hearing Liu Bei's decisive action, was slightly taken aback and said, "My lord, this will surely increase the burden on the people. Moreover, with over 14,000 infantry and cavalry, even disregarding other salaries, the grain rations alone will consume over 50,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) per month!"

Liu Bei solemnly replied, "The burden will be extremely heavy next year, but it will ease afterward. This is also something I wish to discuss in detail with you, sir. Is the Changsha treasury currently capable of supporting 14,000 infantry and cavalry?"

Although Liu Bei asked this question, he had already set a goal of recruiting more than 14,000 elite infantry and cavalry, and his subordinates could only do their best to achieve this feat.

Ju Shou calmly unfolded another volume of text, recounting it as if it were a treasure: "When I first arrived in Changsha, I ordered the granary officials to inventory the treasuries in each county."

The counties and prefectures of Changsha are indeed more prosperous than those of Mount Tai. According to reports from various counties, the current treasury holds over 2.3 million coins and over 400,000 shi of grain.

"But these funds and provisions are for the daily expenses of each county, the salaries of officials, the postal service, and relief and compensation, and cannot all be diverted to military use."

"The treasury's reserves are already exhausted by this amount. At most, it can be used to supply the army with one million coins and one hundred thousand bushels of grain."

17

That is indeed much richer than Mount Tai.

When Liu Bei entered Mount Tai, the entire prefecture's treasury only had tens of thousands of bushels of grain stored.

Changsha alone had a million taels of silver and grain available for military supplies.

However, compared to supporting 14,000 elite infantry and cavalry, this amount of money and supplies is still a drop in the bucket.

Ju Shou continued, "If Your Excellency insists on recruiting 14,000 elite infantry and cavalry, you will still need to rely on the taxes collected in Changsha, especially the income from taxes levied per mu (unit of land area)."

This was also Liu Bei's top priority. He implemented reforms and centralized the power of the local gentry in the prefectures. Ultimately, all of this was to collect more taxes!

He immediately asked, "How much tax revenue does Changsha generate?"

Ju Shou calmly replied, "Regarding taxes, Your Excellency has petitioned to exempt Changsha from taxes for half a year, which is a benevolent policy to pacify the people. However, this also means that there will be no taxes to collect this autumn and winter. We will have to wait until after the summer harvest in April of next year before we can start collecting taxes according to the new law."

He unfolded the register and reported in detail: "According to the population census in September, Changsha Prefecture has more than 143,000 registered households and a population of over 760,000. It has more than 71,000 hectares of land, of which about 6,000 hectares are government land."

"However, due to the short timeframe, the hidden population and powerful clans' hidden lands have not yet been completely cleared out. It is estimated that there will be further increases by April."

"However, even if we follow the current method of taxing land according to the acreage system of Mount Tai, with a tax rate of one-fifteenth, and considering the fertile soil of Changsha and the advantage of two rice harvests per mu per year, yielding approximately three shi (a unit of dry measure), 41,000 qing (another unit of dry measure) would amount to eight million hu (another unit of dry measure). Even with a one-fifteenth tax rate, the annual land tax revenue would still be one million four hundred thousand hu."

"Based on a population of 760,000, the combined income from poll tax, tax, and tax on taxes would amount to no less than 60 million coins annually."

After finishing speaking, Ju Shou closed the document, took a deep breath, looked at Liu Bei, and said, "Based on the income of the people, these 60 million coins and 1.4 million bushels of grain are insufficient to support 14,000 elite infantry and cavalry. Unless taxes are waived, we will inevitably be stretched thin."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei paced back and forth several times, pondering the key points.

With 60 million coins and 1.4 million bushels of grain, it is more than enough to support an army of 10,000. Even if we are a little more demanding, it is not impossible to support an army of 20,000 or 30,000.

But the key point is that the 14,000 infantry and cavalry under Liu Bei's command were not the followers of ordinary warlords, but elite troops recruited with generous rewards.

Otherwise, Zhang Fei could not have defeated Qu Xing's more than 5,000 troops with only 600 elite Xuanjia Iron Cavalry.

It's impossible for Liu Bei to have quelled the Changsha rebellion within a month with only a few thousand men, and still have the resources to support Lingling and Wuling.

An ordinary soldier in the Gengshi Battalion received a monthly salary of 600 coins and a ration of 3 shi of grain.

Based on this standard alone, the tax revenue of Changsha would be barely enough to support 14,000 elite infantry and cavalry.

A portion of the tax revenue was allocated to Luoyang and the emperor, while another portion was used for official salaries, water conservancy projects, and relief for orphans and widows. No matter how you calculated it, this tax revenue was not enough.

Liu Bei stopped and said resolutely, "Then we will not hand it over for now. We will petition the Emperor, saying that Changsha has just been pacified, the powerful clans have not yet submitted, the new policies have just been implemented, and the treasury is empty. We request an extension of several months, and we will pay it all at once in the future."

Ju Shou was slightly taken aback and asked, "My lord! The reason the Emperor overruled all objections and appointed you, Prefect, as the Governor of Changsha is precisely so that you can implement new policies in Jingnan, collect taxes to replenish the national treasury, and rebuild the palaces. If you refuse to hand over the taxes now, wouldn't you be angering the Emperor?"

Liu Bei smiled calmly and said, "I will not refuse to hand over the goods, but will instead request an extension. Changsha has just been pacified, and everything needs to be rebuilt. We need to raise troops and quell the rebellion..."

The construction of water conservancy projects and the relief of orphans and widows all require funds. If taxes are forcibly diverted north to Luoyang at this time, not only will the new policies be difficult to implement, but Changsha may also face unrest. The Emperor is wise and will surely understand.

Ju Shou remained silent for a moment, then stood up, solemnly cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, a man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Your many plans are all about calculating the gains and losses of the next year."

"As the *Guanzi* says: 'If one does not take advantage of the seasons, wealth will not be generated; if one does not take advantage of the land, granaries will not be full.' Your Excellency intends to use Changsha as your base, to nurture your army and accumulate grain to await the changing times. This ambition is indeed grand."

"Even if we can delay for several months and raise over 14,000 elite troops, what good will it do? By the sixth year of Zhongping, won't we still be short of money and provisions, and still have to pay taxes?"

Liu Bei looked at Ju Shou, knowing he couldn't very well tell him directly that if he delayed paying taxes for a few more months until next year, the emperor would be on his deathbed.

It might not even need to be deliberately delayed; the transportation of taxes takes a long time. By the time the Grand Commandant's office realizes that the taxes from Changsha have not arrived, the court is already in chaos. General He Jin and the Ten Attendants are at odds and have no time to deal with the turmoil in the south.

Seeing how serious this strategist was, Liu Bei could not sit idly by, otherwise the strategist would think that he would no longer value him after arriving in the south, which might hurt the feelings of a loyal minister.

So Liu Bei stepped forward, helped Ju Shou up, took his hand, and solemnly said, "I know that your words are those of a loyal and prudent person, and I am not greedy for short-term gains but have no long-term plan!"

Upon hearing this, Ju Shou's worried expression vanished, his eyes lit up, and he looked up at Liu Bei, asking, "Does Your Excellency have some grand plan?"

Liu Bei nodded heavily and said with emotion, "The most wondrous, magnificent, and extraordinary sights in the world are often found in dangerous and remote places, rarely visited by people. Therefore, only those with a strong will can reach them."

"If I wish to bring peace to the world, how can I avoid taking risks and dangers? In my view, the emperor is corrupt and his reign will not last long. The Han dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and the world is in danger of ruin! Therefore, I must seize the opportune moment and devise a grand plan!"

"I can confidently predict that there will be a change in the court in the next year or two. We only need to endure these few months and wait for the world to change. With 14,000 elite troops in hand and the fertile land of Jingnan under my control, we can either advance to contend for the world or retreat to protect our borders and people. That will be the real turning point."

Thinking of Liu Bei's several famous prophecies, Ju Shou's spirits lifted, and he said, "If this is indeed the case, it is time for heroes to rise up. My lord, you have foresight and insight, and I am simply sticking to old ways."

Now that the ruler and his minister understand each other, Ju Shou said excitedly, "If Your Excellency wishes to support 14,000 elite infantry and cavalry, even without paying taxes, you will still be struggling to make ends meet."

"I believe we should open up new avenues. The *Guanzi* says: 'The market is the standard for goods.' It also says: 'Where there is gathering, there is a market; where there is no market, the people suffer.'"

"Changsha is located in southern Jingzhou, connecting Jiangling to the north, Jiaozhou and Guangzhou to the south, and Wu and Hui to the east. The Xiang River runs through the entire area, and boats come and go like a woven tapestry, making it a vital hub for the distribution of goods between the north and south."

"Ironware, silk, and lacquerware from the Central Plains flowed down the river, while pearls, rhinoceros horns, and ivory from Lingnan flowed upstream, all gathering and distributing at the Linxiang Wharf. Merchant ships came and went every day, and merchants from all directions flocked to the area. Although its market prosperity could not compare with Luoyang or Handan, it was second to none among the four prefectures of Jingnan."

"However, such a prosperous commercial port, with merchants coming and going and goods worth a fortune, is not valued by the prefectural government? Isn't this just watching wealth flow away in vain?"

"In the past, the prefecture did not pay much attention to commercial taxes. The root cause of this was that these merchants were closely connected with the powerful clans of Changsha. The goods carried by the merchant ships were mostly the property of these powerful clans, and the dockworkers were all guests kept by these clans. If the prefecture were to set up checkpoints to collect taxes, it would inevitably infringe upon the interests of these powerful clans. Therefore, no governor in successive years dared to act rashly."

"But Changsha today is not the Changsha of the past." Ju Shou looked up at Liu Bei, his eyes brimming with vigor. "With your illustrious military achievements, Lord Liu has abolished the village head system, taken over the township officials, and changed the tax system. Although the powerful and wealthy resent this, they dare not rebel. This is the perfect opportunity to seize the moment and bring commercial taxes into the treasury."

"Now that the Kou family has submitted, their iron smelting profits can be used by the Prefect; the Zhen and Mi families have been merchants for generations and are well-versed in business, which can help the Prefect to organize trade routes and set up checkpoints to collect taxes."

"Given the enormous volume of trade in Changsha each year, if we were to take two-hundredths of the value of the goods, the annual tax revenue would be no less than tens of millions of coins, enough to support several thousand elite soldiers."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Excellent! Excellent! Your strategy is exactly what I wanted to hear."

"When I was in Mount Tai, the land was small and the population was small. Moreover, I was located in a remote corner. Merchants could only travel between a few counties, such as Qing and Xu. Even if there were profits from industry and commerce, it would be difficult to make a big difference. Therefore, the administration of Mount Tai should be based on agriculture."

"But Changsha is different. As you said, it is truly a heaven-sent thoroughfare. The 'Biographies of Merchants' says: 'Wealth is human nature; it is something everyone desires without learning.' Merchants pursue profit like water flowing downstream, which cannot be stopped by government decrees. Rather than prohibiting it and letting all the profits go to the powerful, it is better to guide them so that the profits go into the government treasury."

"The key to good governance lies in adapting to the times and the local conditions. In governing Changsha, agriculture should be the foundation, while industry and commerce should be developed in tandem. Land rent should be used to provide food for the army, and commercial taxes should be used to replenish the treasury. Only by doing both in parallel can we achieve long-term stability and security."

"Therefore, I entrust you and Mi Zizhong to jointly establish this industrial and commercial tax law. Zizhong has been in business for generations, is well-versed in the ways of commerce, and is deeply familiar with the feelings of merchants. He can be the one to oversee this matter. You, on the other hand, will take overall control, assess the situation, and determine the framework of the tax system and the methods of auditing."

"You and Zizhong must plan carefully and not rush things, lest you frighten merchants and cause the market to decline. Once the tax law is established, it must be communicated to the merchants first, so that they are fully aware of its details, before it is gradually implemented. If you have any questions, please report them to me at any time."

Ju Shou clasped his hands in agreement and said with great enthusiasm, "We will certainly not fail the trust placed in us by the Prefect."

For more than ten days thereafter, Mi Zhu led the Jin Cao officials to inspect the wharves, ferry crossings, and residences along the Xiang River, registering the number of merchant ships coming and going and the distribution of goods.

Ju Shou then visited the towns and villages of Linxiang, held talks with merchants, and inquired about local products, value, and transportation costs.

With the two working seamlessly together, one inside and one outside, the "Changsha Commercial Tax Regulations" are being rapidly prepared and finalized.

Just as things were getting busy, the Zhen family's convoy for their southward migration finally arrived in Linxiang.

This convoy started from Wuji in Zhongshan and took more than five months to travel through four prefectures: Ji, Chong, Yu, and Jing. It crossed the Yellow River, traversed the Central Plains, crossed the Han River, entered Jiangling, and then went down the Xiang River, trekking more than 2,000 li before finally arriving in Changsha.

Even if Liu Bei left Tian Yu to assist them, it would still be extremely difficult to lead three thousand guests on a journey of thousands of miles. It was almost comparable to the level of a general in the Beggars' Army.

It's important to understand that in military operations, marching is far more difficult than fighting. To lead an entire army thousands of miles away is a testament to the exceptional talent of a general.

It should be noted that Li Guang, who was known as a famous general, always got lost, so he was not suited for great responsibilities.

The Zhen family was able to travel through four states mainly because they had a large number of caravan leaders who traveled all over the country.

In this day and age, caravans rarely travel with just a few dozen people. Especially in chaotic times, how can a caravan possibly travel far and wide?

It doesn't rely on order or morality, but on real force.

A caravan typically consists of at least several hundred people, and sometimes even thousands or tens of thousands.

Even so, with Tian Yu's assistance, the hardships they faced during the southward migration exceeded everyone's expectations.

At the start of the journey, there were more than 3,000 guests and craftsmen, more than 3,000 vehicles of various sizes, and nearly 10,000 cattle, horses, donkeys and snails, forming a magnificent procession that stretched for dozens of miles.

When they reached Yanzhou, a torrential rainstorm struck, causing the Yellow River to overflow. The caravan was stranded in Chenliu for more than a month, and their food supplies were running out.

When they arrived in Yuzhou, they were again plundered by remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Fortunately, their guards fought back desperately and saved them from disaster.

Along the way, no fewer than a hundred elderly, weak, sick, and dead people were killed, more than a thousand cattle and horses died, and countless broken and discarded spokes were lost.

After overcoming numerous hardships, the caravan finally brought the accumulated wisdom of the Zhen family over generations to the vast land of Jingnan, showcasing the generosity and boldness of the Yan and Zhao regions, as well as their advanced iron smelting, bow making, brocade weaving, and porcelain making techniques.

Liu Bei attached great importance to this, and he personally led the officials of the prefecture and government out of the city gate of Linxiang to the ferry crossing on the Xiang River to welcome him.

It was winter, and the river wind was biting, but his heart was burning with passion as he watched the fleet of boats slowly approach the shore.

This was the greatest resource he had when he moved south to develop the Jiangnan region!

Many people may have underestimated the significance of Zhen's southward journey; only Liu Bei knew what it meant.

If he could have brought order to the world, unified the country, and restored the Han dynasty three times, then there would have been no Wei and Jin dynasties.

That means he successfully averted the greatest regret of the Five Barbarian Invasions.

Without the Five Barbarian Invasions, there would have been no migration of the elite south of the Central Plains, and no development of the Jiangnan region.

The development of this fertile land of Jiangnan, the Land of Abundance, might be delayed by several hundred years!

Therefore, it can be said that this fleet and the Zhen family were related to Liu Bei's grand plan to develop Jiangnan!

As Liu Bei was pondering this, the fleet docked. The first to step ashore was not Tian Yu, but a young boy.

Zhen Yao wore a traveler's hat and a dark black robe, with a short sword at his waist. He had a more mature and composed air about him, making him completely different from the naive boy he was back in Zhongshan.

He stepped forward a few paces, bowed deeply to Liu Bei, and said in a clear voice, "Brother-in-law, my mother fell ill on the way and is unable to attend to her duties. She has specially sent Yao to pay her respects on my behalf. I apologize for the long journey and hope you will forgive me for waiting so long."

Looking at his brother-in-law, who had endured countless hardships yet remained increasingly composed, Liu Bei's eyes were filled with satisfaction. He stepped forward, helped Zhen Yao up with both hands, patted his arm forcefully, and said with emotion, "A Yao, it's been several months since we last met, and you are now capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities!"

Excellent! This journey of thousands of miles, with countless complexities, has allowed you, a young man yet to reach adulthood, to safely bring three thousand guests to Changsha. Even an ordinary general might not be able to accomplish such a feat.

Even with Tian Yu assisting him, Liu Bei was still very pleased that he could achieve this.

This means that he can be entrusted with even greater responsibilities in the future.

Zhen Yao blushed slightly at the praise and quickly declined.

Liu Bei solemnly replied, "Don't worry, once you're here with your brother-in-law, you'll be home. No one will be able to bully you anymore."

"Once you come of age, I will recommend you as a candidate for officialdom and officially begin your career in government."

Then he turned and pointed to the vast plains on the east bank of the Xiang River, his spirits high, "Ayao, look at that land—"

I have reserved thousands of acres of fertile land for your Zhen family, stretching along the Xiang River, easily irrigated, with rich soil, no less than that of the old Zhongshan region. Your Zhen family was a prominent clan in Hebei, and you will remain so in Changsha!

At this moment, Zhen Jiang also came up to greet them with Cai Dan, Mi Zhu and others.

When she saw her younger brother, her eyes were already red. She stepped forward, reached out and stroked Zhen Yao's much thinner face, and said softly, "A-Yao, you've gotten darker and thinner. You must have suffered a lot on this journey, right?"

Zhen Yao felt a little embarrassed by her sister's caress, but her eyes also reddened. She forced herself not to shed tears and simply nodded emphatically.

Zhen Jiang turned around to look for her mother. She saw her mother being helped off the boat by a maid. Although her face was pale, she was still able to walk. Zhen Jiang was relieved and quickly went to support her.

Just then, the cabin curtain was lifted again, and a little girl with delicate features peeked out. She was about six or seven years old, with her hair in a topknot and wrapped in a snow-white fox fur coat, which made her little face look even more exquisite and lovely.

She blinked her bright, dark eyes, curiously surveying the dense crowd on the dock, then called out in a clear, crisp voice, "Brother-in-law!"

"Mother says you are the highest-ranking official in Changsha. Then Mother is the most honored elder in the entire household, and elder sister is the most esteemed empress—wouldn't Mi'er be the most precious child of all?"

The crowd on the shore was amused by her charming words, but Liu Bei laughed and picked her up, saying, "This girl is of noble age and already shows signs of nobility; one day she will be the empress of the world."

Zhen Bi clapped his hands with a smile, then winked at Liu Bei and asked, "Brother-in-law, has my sister caused you any trouble? She's so fierce at home, always saying I don't study hard enough, but she's lazy when she practices the zither!"

Zhen Jiang was surprised that the little one knew how to find a backer at such a young age, and scolded, "Don't think that just because your husband protects you, you can act recklessly. After New Year's Day, I will send you to Master Cai's school so that he can strictly supervise your studies!"

This joyous scene made Liu Bei laugh heartily. This was the peace and ease that came with his own established business. He didn't have to rely on others; he could live a relaxed and carefree life.