Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 185

This even includes relocating the capital. For example, since Zhong Ding, the Shang Dynasty had experienced "nine generations of chaos," leading to the decline of royal power and the rise of the nobility. Therefore, after Pan Geng ascended the throne, he forced officials and people to relocate the capital to Yin, thus stabilizing the situation. When the dynasty passed to Wu Ding, it finally prospered.

Although Li Ji seemed to have unearthed some ancient materials before his time travel, and experts verified that Pan Geng's relocation of Yin was purely due to the Yellow River floods, and there were actually no political reasons... none of that matters. In short, lush vegetation dies when uprooted, and people fear death and will inevitably become chaotic; if it is merely transplanted, it can also have a weakening effect, but the resistance encountered may be much smaller.

That's why he set his sights on Mingsha City in Gaolan Prefecture.

So he explained to Hun Shizhi, “The generals each command their own troops, making it difficult to control them effectively. It would be better to move the capital to Mingsha under the pretext of training a new army, which would fulfill my ambition. Did the deputy envoy not feel any thorn in his side or feel restricted when he was stationed in Lingzhou? Moreover, I will eventually lead the army westward to attack Tubo and recover Gansu and Liangzhou. Mingsha City will be a little closer to the capital.”

West of Mingsha City, there are actually two other strategically important military passes: Feng'an Army and Xinquan Garrison. However, both are adjacent to the Gobi Desert and have virtually no productive capacity, making them unsuitable as the new seat of the Shuofang Military Governor. Especially since the Anxi and Beiting military camps are temporarily stationed in Huizhou, and Xinquan Garrison is controlled by Bai Xiaode; while Feng'an Army, with its registered force of eight thousand, already puts considerable pressure on Shuofang's finances…

Li Ji needed to manage both the military and finances—civil affairs could be put on hold for a while—so it was impossible for him to leave this fertile land between the Yellow River and Helan Mountains; heading south to Mingsha City was already the limit.

Hun Shizhi pondered for a moment, then glanced at Li Ji and said, "I understand the General's intentions, but I'm afraid this matter is inappropriate..."

He then explained that moving the administrative center to Mingsha was a major undertaking that required the court's approval—though the court rarely refused—and that such a process would inevitably cause delays, leading to much discussion and unrest within the army. Of course, there was another reason he didn't explicitly state, only hinting at it, which Li Ji readily understood.

Guo Ziyi's power was centered in Lingzhou, and Du Hongjian had also welcomed the emperor in Lingzhou and urged him to ascend the throne in Lingwu. If you suddenly abandon Lingzhou, what would those two think? If you interfere and obstruct, I'm afraid it will be even more difficult for the military commander to control the army.

As Lu Geng said, although Hun Shizhi held a high position in Shuofang, his foundation was not solid and his power was not great. In addition, since Guo Ziyi had ordered Lu Geng to join Li Ji's staff, it was tantamount to tacitly approving Li Ji's control of Shuofang. Therefore, with just a little effort, Hun Shizhi would willingly follow him. When Li Ji first arrived in Lingzhou, he showed Hun Jian a letter to Hun Shizhi, saying, "I am a friend of your son." Then he secretly had Lu Geng persuade Hun Shizhi to board the ship immediately. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have dared to speak frankly to Hun Shizhi today.

Hun Shizhi's objection was also from Li Ji's perspective, considering the superior's feelings, and he even offered a compromise suggestion—

"During the Tianbao era, Shuofang had 64,700 soldiers and 4,300 horses, with an annual allowance of 2 million bolts of silk for clothing, a quota that remains unchanged to this day. However, all the garrisons are recruiting soldiers on a large scale, such as in Hebei, where there are many who recruit more than twice the quota—the military governor, Fang, who came from Weibo, is naturally aware of this; Shuofang is already sparsely populated with a small population, and has repeatedly led its troops eastward to fight bandits in the two capitals, Henan, and Hebei, further weakening its military strength, not to mention the problem of receiving salaries without working..."

"The military governor should use this as an excuse, saying that he will be launching a large-scale campaign against the Tiele troops in Gaolan Prefecture to train new troops and increase the number of soldiers. From there, he can temporarily move to Mingsha to avoid the group of hypocritical scoundrels in Lingzhou. As a result, the military governor's office does not need to be moved hastily, which can deceive people."

Li Ji thought for a moment and asked, "So the Vice Envoy still wishes to remain in Lingzhou?"

Hun Shizhi cupped his hands and said, "Please stay behind as the commander."

Li Ji understood Hun Shizhi's thoughts. On the one hand, he hoped that Li Ji could recruit a large number of his clansmen into the Shuofang Army to expand his family's power in the army. On the other hand, he was afraid that following Li Ji south would arouse Li Ji's suspicion. So, he said, "I will not go back to my hometown with you. I will stay in Lingzhou and take care of your logistics."

However, setting aside his ulterior motives, Hun Shizhi's suggestion still had its merits. He was only temporarily going to Mingsha City to recruit and train soldiers, without changing the existing system, so it wouldn't cause resentment or suspicion from all sides. As far as escaping the murky waters of Lingzhou and opening up a new world, there was actually not much difference between relocation and temporary administration.

"After further consideration... I would like to ask the deputy commander for some guidance regarding your unit's situation..."

The two talked until late, when Hun Shizhi took his leave. Only then was Li Ji able to return to his inner quarters and see his family. Cui Cuo couldn't help but complain to him, "My lord, you've come from afar, yet you're still preoccupied with state affairs. Don't you even think of us?" Li Ji smiled and comforted her, "What state affairs are these? They're all family matters—I led two thousand men westward into this Shuofang with tens of thousands of troops. If I don't sort things out clearly, how can I sleep peacefully?"

After washing up, they stayed in the main room. Cui Cuo took out a piece of paper from under his pillow and handed it to Li Ji, saying, "Hongxian is indeed exceptionally talented. The article that you asked me to write before you went to the Uyghurs has been completed by her..."

Li Ji casually took it, unfolded it under the lamp, and saw that the title was "The Tale of Qianniang"—

"In the fourth year of the Jinglong era, Zhang Sheng from Qinghe went to the provincial examination. His wife had passed away, leaving only his daughter, nicknamed Qianniang, who depended on him for survival. So he brought her to Chang'an. At that time, Princess Jincheng was being married to the Tibetan king. The Tibetan envoy claimed to be sent by the emperor's son-in-law and often acted tyrannically in the market. People complained to the authorities, but the officials were afraid of damaging their friendship and dared not take any action..."

The gist of the story is as follows: Before his exams, Zhang Sheng was invited by a friend to visit the West Market. There, he unexpectedly witnessed Tibetan envoys forcibly buying and selling goods. Zhang Sheng spoke out in defense of the envoys, but they beat him to death in the street. His daughter, Qian Niang, had someone write a complaint and went to Chang'an County to file a lawsuit. The magistrate of Chang'an refused to accept it, so she appealed to the Jingzhao Prefecture, only to be beaten and thrown out by the Jingzhao Prefect, Zong Jinqing.

Forced into a corner, Qianniang wanted to beat the drum to appeal, but was stopped by the Imperial Guards...

—Speaking of which, the rules of the Tang Dynasty were really ridiculous. The purpose of setting up the Lung Stone and the Dengwen Drum was to make it easier for the wronged to appeal to higher authorities. However, these two things were not set up in front of the palace gate, but inside the Mingfeng Gate and in front of the Hanyuan Hall. So, who among the common people could swagger into the outer court to beat the drum?

Upon hearing of this, the foreign envoy rushed to Mingfeng Gate, intending to capture and kill Qianniang to eliminate any future threats. However, upon seeing Qianniang's youth, beauty, and captivating charm, he was overcome with lust and openly attempted to abduct her. During the struggle, Wei Changli, the Qingyi general who had just won a victory against the Eastern Barbarians, returned to court to receive his reward. Enraged by the scene, he immediately led his Qingyi soldiers to capture the envoy and his entourage, taking them to the Jingzhao Prefecture. However, Zong Jinqing made numerous excuses and refused to investigate the case, and later that night, he released the envoy.

Enraged, Wei Changli stormed into the government hall to report to the prime minister, Zong Chuke, who turned out to be Zong Jinqing's elder brother… Zong Chuke, instead of rebuking Wei Changli's defeat, accused him of concealing his victory and demoted him to a general position in Lingnan. To save Wei Changli, Qianniang, following advice, stopped the Prince of Linzi and pleaded with him, detailing the tyranny of the foreign envoy and the prime minister's abuse of power. The Prince of Linzi was furious and immediately recruited Wei Changli into the Imperial Guard's Thousand Cavalry, conspiring with him to launch a mutiny that resulted in the execution of Zong Chuke and his son.

Immediately, Wei Changli captured the Tibetan envoy again and was ordered to go on a mission to Tibet. There, in front of the Tibetan king, he cut the envoy in two with a single stroke. He then returned to Qianniang, telling her that he had avenged his father. Ultimately, the Prince of Linzi presided over the marriage, uniting Wei Changli and Zhang Qianniang in matrimony…

Upon reading this, Li Ji frowned, then shook the scroll in his hand and said to Cui Cuo, "How can it be a happy ending? That is not what I intended."

He had only just arrived in Shuofang when Lu Qi sent an urgent report saying that the military governor's capture of the Hui envoy and his forced resignation of the Minister of Ceremonies, Wei Shaohua, had caused a great uproar in the capital. While most common people approved of the move, the literati were filled with resentment. Some worried that this would damage relations between the Tang and Hui people and reignite war in the north, blaming the military governor for lacking a sense of the bigger picture; others accused the military governor of being arrogant and domineering, even going so far as to threaten the emperor and demote Minister Wei…

—After all, Li Ji came from an unorthodox background, while Wei Shaohua was a legitimate Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), who had held important positions and served in the capital for a long time. Wei Shaohua was far more well-known than Li Ji.

Li Ji originally didn't care about those common scholars and mediocre people. As long as the people benefited from him and understood his intentions, that was enough. However, Lu Qi reminded him that the government was ultimately composed of scholars. If the military governor had a bad reputation among scholars, it would definitely affect his future and even the trust of the emperor. He should not take it lightly.

Li Ji thought to himself, "What should I do then? I'll wage a war of public opinion."

In those days, public opinion had no influence on scholars. To change their perceptions, literary works were necessary. Short stories first emerged in the Tang Dynasty, called "legends." To be honest, these works held a high status and could even be used for circulation. Zhang Yue, a famous prime minister during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, once wrote "The Tale of the Green-Clad Messenger," which was widely copied—it should have resonated with scholars to some extent, right?

If we're talking about the novels Li Ji read in his previous life, it's probably more than a hundred times more than the classics and histories read by learned scholars of this era. He could easily conceive a few hundred thousand words. However, most of the legends of the past were short stories, and readers valued the beauty of the language more than the bizarreness of the plot... Li Ji can now write practical and argumentative essays with a passable standard, but literary works are a real challenge for him.

So who should they ask for help? Originally, they thought of Gao Ying, but when they mentioned it to Cui Cuo, his wife suggested that they summon Hong Xian. In her opinion, Hong Xian's writing had a delicate and elegant quality that women appreciated—"If my lord can move the ladies of the inner chambers with this writing, then who would dare to say otherwise?"

Li Ji thought about it and realized it made sense. Taking the inner circle route might be more effective; if it were Gao Gongchu's writings, no matter how much the literati praised them, women might not have the patience to read them.

So he summoned Hongxian, gave her an outline, and ordered her to write a perfunctory article.

Writing a reportage directly wouldn't work; it might even provoke resistance. I had to fabricate something. So, after much deliberation, I finally set the background in the reign of Emperor Zhongzong half a century ago—basically everyone from that time was dead, so I could make things up. Thus, I used the Tibetans to allude to the Uyghurs, the Tibetan envoys to allude to the Uyghur envoys, Zong Jinqing to allude to Wei Shaohua, and Zong Chuke to allude to Li Xian, Du Hongjian, and other prime ministers of the time.

The fictional general Wei Changli of the Qingyi army is naturally referring to the real Li Changwei.

As for using a woman named Zhang Qianniang as the main character, it was Hongxian's strong request. She said, "If the general wants to touch the hearts of women in their boudoirs, there must be a pitiful woman in the story, and it would be even better if she had feelings and love..." Li Ji said that a woman could be added, but as for love, that was out of the question.

However, his initial concept was very realistic, even somewhat cruel. He wrote that Wei Changli was demoted, and Qianniang was eventually seized by a foreign envoy, committing suicide due to unbearable humiliation. Upon hearing the news, Wei Changli flew into a rage and secretly returned to Chang'an during his exile, seeking refuge with the Prince of Linzi, and finally launching the "Tanglong Rebellion"... Otherwise, you can't explain how it was such a coincidence that Emperor Zhongzong died just then? And if Emperor Zhongzong hadn't died, would the great revenge have ultimately been impossible to avenge?

Who would have thought that Hongxian wouldn't listen to him and would ultimately give a happy ending, even getting the male and female protagonists married.

Li Ji asked Cui Cuo a question, and Cui Cuo rolled his eyes at him: "If good people can't get good rewards in the end, and virtuous women are forced to hang themselves, even if they kill treacherous ministers and sycophants, what good will it do? If it's as you wish, then the scholarly world and the women's quarters will be unbearable to watch! This is what I asked Hongxian to change!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "What's going on? Don't you allow to torment the protagonist these days?" He sighed helplessly, "My wife is the most important person in the world, whatever you say goes..."

Chapter Four: Measuring Income by Expenditure

"The Tale of Qianniang" was completed, totaling about four thousand words, which was considered a long novel for that era. Li Ji showed it to his advisors, and everyone from Gao Gongchu down liked it—because Hongxian's writing was indeed excellent. However, when it came to the issue of authorship, Li Ji was troubled again.

It's impossible to sign the name on the red line.

It wasn't that she was just a woman, but rather that this legend couldn't be associated with Li Ji in any way. Otherwise, scholars would have preconceived notions and would see it as a whitewash—which it certainly was—and would resist it. It had to be written by someone with little connection to Li Ji, so that even if it was obvious at a glance that it contained allusions, it could still be categorized as speaking out for justice.

However, one cannot simply choose a pseudonym; works by anonymous authors are rarely well-received.

Finally, Gao Ying suggested, "We can submit this to His Highness the Crown Prince and ask him to help spread the word." Li Ji, however, didn't intend to trouble Li Shi again. After much thought, he realized that his actions that day had earned him Yang Wan's praise, so he decided to ask Yang Gongquan for help—that old man's reputation was now widespread, even surpassing that of Li Qiyun and Cui Youfu. Regardless of what name he ultimately attributed it to, as long as he wrote a few words of recommendation, wouldn't scholars both inside and outside the court be eager to copy it?

No sooner had the plan been decided than Lü Xiqian offered another suggestion: "Does the General know the common saying?"

Li Ji nodded: "I've heard about it."

The reason why Buddhism flourished more than Taoism is indeed due to its strengths—Taoist priests often focused solely on their own cultivation behind closed doors, while Buddhism, especially Mahayana Buddhism, emphasized universal salvation and spared no effort in its missionary activities. One important aspect of this was that monks often composed catchy rhyming verses from Buddhist myths and stories and went from street to street, preaching them to ordinary people—this custom was called "popular preaching" or "bianwen" during the Tang Dynasty, and even professional "popular preaching monks" emerged.

Lu Xiqian then suggested: "What the military commander did the other day was certainly welcomed by the people in the capital, but no one outside the capital knows about it..." The reason is simple: although the envoys were tyrannical, their scope of violence was ultimately limited to Chang'an City and a few major roads to the south. The people in other places were not harmed and had no personal experience of it.

"It would be better to have the monks compile this 'Tales of Qianniang' into popular stories and spread it throughout the north and south of the Yellow River. Then the name of the military commander will surely be greatly enhanced."

Li Ji was a little confused: "Do laymen talk about secular matters as well?" In his memory, didn't they all talk about myths and legends like Mulian rescuing his mother and subduing demons in hell?

Lu Xiqian laughed and said, "When I was in the capital, I loved listening to popular stories. I learned that they gradually went beyond just discussing Buddhist scriptures, and also covered Chinese history and folk tales. For example, there are stories like 'The Story of General Wang Ling of the Han Dynasty,' 'The Story of Wu Zixu,' and 'The Story of Meng Jiangnu.' So, 'The Story of Zhang Qianniang' might not be out of the question."

Li Ji thought for a moment and said, "This matter will require the assistance of Master Zhizang..."

Amoghavajra is now the Imperial Preceptor, deeply trusted, or rather, devoutly trusted, by Emperor Li Yu and his ministers. Li Ji had met him several times, and the old monk seemed to have good intentions towards him. So he wrote a letter and the "Biography of Qian Niang," and ordered someone to send it to Luoyang by fast horse—not to Amoghavajra, but to Yu Ling.

Ultimately, "Millionaire Yu" was closer to Li Ji, and his friendship with Amoghavajra was also deeper than Li Ji's. Li Ji mainly discussed with Yu Ling that since he was now stationed in Shuofang, he still needed Yu Ling's assistance in expanding trade routes and facilitating the flow of goods, and he would also like to ask him for this favor. Moreover, Yu Ling might not need to go to the high-ranking Amoghavajra; he could simply find a few lay monks to complete the task—that wealthy merchant was a major benefactor in the Buddhist community of the Central Plains.

Li Ji couldn't help but think that, whether it was legend or popular tale, in this era with its limited and even fewer forms of entertainment, it was a powerful tool that could influence public opinion in the court and among the people, and it should be promoted widely.

In the past, when recruiting staff, he only valued practical abilities and did not place much importance on literary talent—otherwise, he would have tried every means to recruit Du Fu—and he had secretly harbored disdain for the imperial examinations' overemphasis on literary skills, which led local warlords to often recruit famous scholars and poets into their staffs—what use was it, no matter how ornate the writing? Now he realized that literary figures also have their uses…

Therefore, he planned to gather a group of literary masters to create a series of literary works in accordance with his own wishes. These works would become legends among scholars and popular tales among the common people, both to spread his own reputation and enhance his prestige, and to promote his political ideals.

This includes concepts such as "China within, barbarians without," "the people are the most important, the ruler is the least important," and "knowledge is power." As for some of the more advanced ideas, such as the fundamental nature of feudal ownership and the truth about land exploitation, let's leave those aside for now.

Considering that Lü Xiqian, recommended by Li Shi, had no particular strengths in his daily life—partly due to the short time they had spent together and the lack of in-depth understanding—but had a unique sense for publicity work, able to connect legends with popular stories, Li Shi summoned her for a discussion and entrusted this important task to Lü Xiqian.

He first instructed Lü Xiqian to gather information from former officials such as Yin Shen and Ma Meng, as well as his trusted soldiers, to expound his "glorious deeds" into popular stories and narratives. He didn't need to find any monks; anyone with a silver tongue would suffice. He then began to spread these stories among the soldiers in order to quickly win their hearts.

Soldiers certainly admire fierce generals, especially those who can lead them to victory and do not easily waste the lives of their men.

Lu Xiqian accepted the order and withdrew, dedicating herself to the propaganda front for over a decade...

However, what Li Ji did not expect was that Lü Xiqian had ulterior motives. He also wrote or presided over the writing of many legends and popular tales praising Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji. The main content was about the time when Li Longji was the crown prince, describing how his father Ruizong was incompetent, how his aunt Princess Taiping was domineering, and how prime ministers Cui Shi and Dou Huaizhen were incompetent and useless...

Heaven knows, Jingyun, Taiji, and Yanhe, although there are three reign titles, only lasted for two short years. How could he have made up so many stories? Moreover, Song Jing and Zhang Yue were also prime ministers at the time, known for their wisdom and virtue, yet he didn't mention them at all, as if they didn't exist at all... Anyway, it's a legend, a popular saying, and it's about events from the previous era, so he can make up stories at will.

Furthermore, Li Ji did not immediately mention going to Mingsha City to recruit new soldiers. Instead, he first thoroughly investigated the military, political, and financial situation within the town through Gao Ying. Then, ten days after he returned to Lingzhou, Yang Yan finally arrived.

Li Ji personally went to the South Gate to greet Yang Yan, holding his hand and asking him about his well-being.

Actually, he and Yang Yan weren't particularly close personally. They even clashed frequently while serving under Li Tan in Longyou. However, Yang Yan devoted himself wholeheartedly to managing finances and accounts in the Longyou headquarters, and Li Ji recognized his talent and ability (regardless of his character). He had to admit that without Yang Yan, Longyou would likely have been conquered by the barbarian invaders a year or two earlier.

Unfortunately, "even a clever cook cannot cook without rice." Longyou was not prosperous to begin with, and at that time the imperial court provided almost no rice. Even if Yang Gong was as talented as Xiao He, a single tree cannot support the sky.

When Li Ji was in Weibo, he mainly relied on Yan Zhenqing and Du Huangshang for financial matters. However, to be honest, although both of them were highly talented, they were not good at financial planning. In fact, they were too conservative in their management and operation of finances, which often made Li Ji anxious. Now, Shuofang's productivity is far inferior to that of Weibo, so without a good official to oversee it, it would be difficult to make any progress. Therefore, Li Ji thought of employing Yang Yan and eagerly awaited his arrival every day, hoping that he would come a few days sooner.

Yang Gongnan had no intention of returning to the shogunate. The problem was that he was branded with Yuan Zai's name, and his former benefactor, Li Tan, was of no help whatsoever—Li Tan himself had to avoid suspicion. Therefore, he was likely to serve as a Sima in a local area, at most as a governor of a remote prefecture, a position he would hold until his death, with no bright future ahead of him! After all, he was only forty years old, the prime of his life among nobles and officials. How could he possibly withdraw from the stage of history like this?

Only then was he forced to obey orders and travel north to join Li Ji's staff.

Unlike Li Ji, who deliberately showed warmth, Yang Yan's attitude was somewhat arrogant. Firstly, when they were in Longyou, his rank was above Li Ji's, and although Li Ji rose through the ranks afterward, the two remained friends. Secondly, it was Li Ji who earnestly invited him, not Yang Yan who came to serve him voluntarily. A staff member is a "guest," and could be treated as an equal to the host.

Upon returning to the government office, Yang Gongnan frankly stated, "My ambition lies in the central court, but due to setbacks in my official career, I am only temporarily serving under the Changwei. I am only five years old at most. I hope the Changwei can recommend me to return to the capital. If he does not agree, I will resign immediately, as there is no point in staying."

Li Ji smiled and said, "Scholars all look to the central government. Not only Yang Jun, but even the remaining officials under my command, can they be bound to the staff for the rest of their lives? However, if we can ensure sufficient food and troops so that we can win against the barbarians, then we can reward Yang Jun for his achievements. How to ensure sufficient food and troops depends on Yang Jun's abilities."

Yang Yan shook his head repeatedly: "It's difficult, difficult, difficult to have enough to eat in this barren land of Shuofang!"

Li Ji hurriedly said, "I only ask that you provide enough for my tens of thousands of troops to march west and recover Hexi. I do not ask that all the money and grain in Shuofang be provided by you and that you not ask the court for a single coin or a single grain of rice. Is that something you, Lord Yang, can do?"

Yang Yan replied, "To understand the specific situation, I must first check the treasury and clarify the town's situation. May I ask what position and authority the Chief Guard has given me?"

Li Ji replied, "I will temporarily assume the position of Deputy Commissioner of Finance, overseeing the salt lake and the water transport of the six cities, and leave it to them."

The Jiedushi (military governor) was originally a military commander, but he also customarily held the positions of Inspector and Governor, controlling civil administration, and often also the position of Finance Commissioner, wielding financial power. In the case of Shuofang Town, the Shuofang Jiedushi usually also held a series of other concurrent positions, such as Governor of the Barbarian Tribes, Inspector of the Hun Tribes, Grand Protector of the Shanyu, Commissioner of the Palace Gardens, and Supervisor of Pastures, etc. In terms of finance, he also served as Commissioner of the Salt Lakes and Commissioner of the Water Transport of the Six Cities.

Shuofang was an important salt-producing area, mainly distributed in Lingzhou, Huaiyuan, and Wuyuan. It not only supplied the needs of the town itself but also transported salt south to Guanzhong—mainly because the population of Shuofang was too sparse, resulting in low demand—hence the low price of salt in Shuofang, and the people's preference for salty food. This was a major source of revenue for the Shuofang army. Although Liu Yan reformed the salt system, making it a state-run system, the Salt Lake Commissioner remained in power and held real authority.

In addition, the population of the Shuofang prefectures was only over 200,000 during the Tianbao era, but they had to support more than 60,000 soldiers. There was a huge food shortage, so they were forced to transport food from the Hedong region to the west via the Yellow River. For this reason, the "Six Cities Water Transport Commissioner" was set up to be in charge of this matter.

Therefore, Li Ji meant that, given your current position and status, and the fact that you have only recently joined my staff, you can only temporarily serve as the Deputy Director of Finance. However, I have handed over all financial power to you, and I will only act as a rubber stamp. Are you satisfied with this?

The key issue is that Li Ji has limited energy and intends to focus mainly on recruiting and training soldiers. As for civil affairs and finance, he simply doesn't have the time or the inclination to manage them.

Yang Yan thought for a moment and then said, "Since you have entrusted me with this important task of managing finances, please let me have a word."

"Please speak, Mr. Yang."

"Since ancient times, financial matters have always been managed according to the principle of living within one's means. This is also true for Shuofang. The revenue from taxes, plus the annual stipend from the imperial court, is used to support the people and maintain the army. However, since the Tianbao era, the amount of aid given to Shuofang has remained unchanged for a long time, while Shuofang has suffered population loss and land abandonment, resulting in a daily decrease in revenue. How can it possibly maintain the amount of aid given? Even if it manages to maintain the army, will there be enough for military operations? Therefore, last year the emperor wanted Shuofang to send troops to contain the barbarian bandits, but the garrison troops dared not move..."

Li Ji interjected, "I have heard about Yang Jun's proposal to change the expenditure to the income, and I wholeheartedly agree with it."

Yang Yan was taken aback. He had originally planned to launch into a long speech to Li Ji, trying to sell him his idea of ​​"living within one's means," but before he could even open his mouth, Li Ji had already pointed it out and expressed his agreement. He was momentarily speechless, but then his spirits lifted: "Since the commander approves, things will be much easier."

In his excitement, he even changed how he addressed her.

"It is inconvenient to reform the system this year. I earnestly request that the military governor quickly sort out the situation in the town and list out the amounts needed in all aspects after next autumn. I will then devise a plan for the military governor. As for the specifics of how to collect taxes and how to manage finances, the military governor need not ask too much. I will do my best. As for any shortfall, I will list out the uses in detail and request the court to provide the funds. If the request is doubled, the court will surely provide half of it, and that will be sufficient."

Li Ji said, "That's wonderful! I've long known of Lord Yang's talent. Back in Longyou, without Lord Yang's assistance, the King of Qi would have been unable to advance an inch. In that case, I will entrust all matters of finance and strategy to you." He paused, then couldn't help but add, "However, you must not exploit the common people, lest chaos arise..."

Yang Yan smiled slightly: "Shuofang has only this many people, and its annual output is limited. If you want to make money from petty people, how much more can you do with double that? General, there is no need to remind me."

Therefore, Li Ji handed over financial power to Yang Yan, personnel power to Lu Geng, and civil affairs to Gao Ying. Although Hun Shizhi was the deputy envoy, he actually had no power to coordinate the military and civilian affairs. So, let him be mainly responsible for the management of the various Hu tribes within the territory.

Ren Lü Xiqian was appointed as the chief secretary and was also in charge of propaganda; Luo Yiping remained as the military judge and was responsible for law enforcement in the army; Liu Ji was responsible for liaison with the imperial court.

In addition, Han Hui has arrived in the capital and has successfully replaced Lu Qi as the official in charge of reporting to the emperor from Shuofang.

As for Yan Zhuang, he had no actual duties, so Li Ji kept him by his side as a "senior advisor." Firstly, he really didn't trust that guy, and secondly... Yan Zhuang truly had the talent of a prime minister; taking charge from the center was far more competent than holding a single position.

In late June, Li Ji had roughly sorted out the political affairs of Shuofang and ordered his generals to tally the number of troops under their command. The result was that there were fewer than 50,000 troops, not including the possibility of ghost soldiers receiving pay. Therefore, he used the excuse of having recruited enough soldiers to leave Lingzhou and head south to Mingsha City in Gaolan Prefecture.

Chapter 5, Autumn Prevention Every Year

Li Ji did not go to Mingsha alone; he brought his family and soldiers with him, clearly intending to stay there for a long time.

In any case, his intentions behind this move could not be hidden from those who were interested—for example, a shrewd fellow like Guo Ziyi, with a large number of brothers, sons, and sons-in-law around him helping him come up with ideas, how could he not notice? This move was just as Hun Shizhi said, on the surface it was only a temporary measure, so that they could avoid falling out and maintain harmony among everyone.

The governor of Gaolan Prefecture welcomed Li Ji into the city and said that his uncle, Hun Shizhi, had already sent word that he had arranged a residence for the military governor. However, the Mingsha area was narrow and barren, and the house was hastily built with very basic conditions. He earnestly requested the military governor's magnanimity.

Li Ji waved his hand and said, "It's alright." But when he actually entered the new house, he found it to be quite simple... There were only two courtyards and a dozen rooms, which was not enough to accommodate his whole family!

Given his current status, even if he didn't want to be extravagant, he still had dozens of servants and maids. This little space was simply not enough for them to live in... He was forced to forcibly take over the houses of the two households on either side, knock down the walls, and only then could he barely find a place to live.

South of Gaolan Prefecture lay Zhulong and Anle Prefectures, mostly inhabited by non-Han tribes who had submitted to the Han rule, their daily lives primarily based on nomadic pastoralism. When Li Ji raised his recruitment banner, the impoverished non-Han people flocked to enlist, arriving in droves daily. Li Ji estimated that there were at least forty to fifty thousand non-Han people in the prefectures, perhaps even more than the number of Han people!

In those days, the Hu people mostly ate dairy products, and those from the middle class and above generally had better physical fitness than the Han people. In addition, they were used to riding horses and hunting from a young age, so they only needed strict training to recognize flags and obey military orders, making them easier to train into good soldiers. However, with 50,000 Hu people, there were no fewer than 10,000 victorious soldiers, and Li Ji really did not dare to recruit them all.

Firstly, if the ratio of Han to Hu people in the army is too unbalanced, he fears he will have difficulty controlling it—it will take at least a considerable amount of time to integrate them; secondly, the Shuofang treasury is empty and will not be able to provide enough money and grain to support the army; thirdly… the Hu people here are either from the Hun tribe or have relatives or marriage ties with the Hun tribe. If the Hun clan becomes too powerful, Hun Shizhi will definitely be happy, but Li Jiedu may not be so pleased.

Therefore, in addition to the usual recruitment conditions such as physique and skills, new regulations were added, requiring that the recruited Hu soldiers must be fluent in Tang language, and it would be even better if they could write—well, basically none of them could. In the end, the first batch of recruits consisted of two thousand men, who were mixed with the two thousand Han soldiers he brought from Weibo, forming eight battalions.

There was an unexpected bonus: half of the Hu people brought their own horses, and with the addition of the Uyghur horses they were forced to buy with the fine silk from Weizhou, these eight battalions of soldiers could be organized into cavalry.

Then, another 5,000 soldiers were summoned from Lingzhou, carefully selected, and organized into four battalions of garrison troops and six battalions of auxiliary troops. Yuan Jing'an still led one battalion of elite soldiers, and the other battalions were commanded by the following officers: Wei Gao, Ma Meng, Gao Chongwen, Li Fengguo, Jiao Hui, Bai Yu, etc.—of which Jiao Hui, Bai Yu, and half of them were former generals from Shuofang.

Li Ji organized the eight battalions of mixed Han and Hu troops into the Left Wing, firmly controlling them, and appointed Xu Yu as the Left Wing Military Commander; the ten battalions of old troops were organized into the Right Wing, with Chen Lizhen as the Right Wing Military Commander.