Pingyu is a county town. In Liu Xiu's mind, even if Pingyu is not as prosperous as Wancheng, it will not be too far behind. In fact, the situation in Pingyu City is completely different from what he imagined.
There are not as many shops in the city as there are in Wancheng, and there are no bustling streets and markets. What is left is deserted and depressed. Even in broad daylight, there are very few pedestrians on the street.
There were not many shops on both sides of the street, and most of them were still closed. As Liu Xiu walked toward the county government, looking at the surrounding street scene, he asked: "Prefect Xu."
"The official is here!" Xu Lang hurriedly urged his horse forward, nodding and bowing in response.
"How many people are there in Pingyu now?" Liu Xiu asked curiously.
Xu Lang rubbed his hands and said: "There are more than 80,000 recorded civilians, but now... it is estimated that there are less than 50,000."
This huge county town doesn’t even have 50,000 people now?
Seeing Liu Xiu frowning, Xu Lang quickly said: "It's not that the officials are here to prey on the people, but the imperial court...the imperial court's taxes are so heavy that many people can no longer live in the city and have to move elsewhere."
Speaking of this, Xu Lang also had a helpless smile on his face, shook his head and said: "I know that the people are living in poverty, but I can't do anything about it!"
At the end of Wang Mang's reign, the situation in Nanyang County was relatively good, and not many people starved to death.
But this was not the case here in Runan. A widespread famine really broke out, and the court failed to provide disaster relief. As a result, many people starved to death, and more people had to move away from their hometowns and migrate to other places.
As a county town, it is far behind Wancheng, and it is not even comparable to an ordinary county town in Nanyang.
The Runan County army was defeated in one blow by Ma Wu's First Division. Naturally, there was a reason. When it came time to fight, no one was willing to sacrifice their lives for the imperial court. They didn't even need to see the enemy. They just heard the enemy's voice.
They were all scared away.
Liu Xiu took a deep breath and said: "Now that Pingyu has belonged to the Han Dynasty, all Xinmang's taxes and duties will be void..."
Before he could finish speaking, hundreds of refugees suddenly poured out from both sides of the street. They knelt in the middle of the road one by one. Looking around, they saw a large area of darkness.
People cried: "Sir, please give us something to eat!" "Sir, I haven't had a bite of food for three days!" "Sir..."
So many refugees suddenly appeared and blocked the way. Xu Lang was a little embarrassed and shouted loudly to the government officials behind him: "What are you doing standing still? Go and open the way!"
The government officials agreed one after another and rushed forward to pull away all the refugees kneeling on the road. When Liu Xiu saw this, he sighed secretly and asked, "Prefect Xu, how much food is left in the city?"
"Uh...this..."
"Is there no food?" Liu Xiu raised his eyebrows and asked. In any case, Pingyu is also a county town, so it shouldn't be so poor that it has no food, right?
Xu Lang coughed twice and whispered: "There are still 200,000 shi of food in the city..."
Liu Xiudu wondered if his ears had heard it wrong. He raised his eyebrows and asked again: "How much food is left in the city?"
"Two...two hundred thousand stones." Xu Lang lowered his head and stuttered.
With two hundred thousand stones of grain, there are still so many hungry people in Pingyu City? Seeing Liu Xiu's eyes changed when he looked at him, with a terrifying light flashing in his eyes, Xu Lang was shocked and quickly explained: "
General... General, this food does not belong to the county government, but... it belongs to the imperial court!"
Seeing that Liu Xiu was still staring at him intently, Xu Lang explained in detail: "The chief... Wang Yi, Wang Xun has assembled hundreds of thousands of troops, but with so many soldiers and horses, how can there be no food and grass? The imperial court cannot supply so much.
Therefore, the required grain and grass can only be mobilized from various counties. The two hundred thousand stones of grain currently stored in Pingyu City are... to be transported to Wang Yi and Wang Xun."
However, before the grain collected by the Runan County Government had time to be transported out of the county, Wang Yi and Wang Xun were defeated in Kunyang, and were killed by Liu Xiu's army and were completely annihilated.
The two hundred thousand shi of grain could not be sent out, and the Runan County government did not dare to use it privately, so it kept it in the granary in the city.
After listening to Xu Lang's explanation, Liu Xiu's expression softened slightly and said: "From now on, the county government needs to provide porridge to the hungry people in the city, and the required food will be used from the 200,000 stone grain harvest.
"
"Yes, yes, yes! I will personally supervise this matter!" Xu Lang nodded in response.
Liu Xiu continued to move forward, and under the guidance of Xu Lang, they arrived at the county mansion.
There were dozens of officials, large and small, from the county government. After Liu Xiu took his seat in the center of the lobby, a large group of people were kneeling below him. Liu Xiu waved his hands to everyone and said, "Everyone, please get up!"
"Thank you, General!" Seeing Liu Xiu's peaceful face, elegant temperament, and gentle manners, the county officials could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
When people stood up one after another, Liu Xiu said: "Now is the time for the imperial court to employ people. If you are willing to stay in the county and serve as an official for the Han Dynasty, I welcome you. If you are unwilling to stay and want to retire and return to your hometown, I will welcome you."
I won’t stop you.”
Everyone present looked at each other. If there was a chance to continue serving as an official, who would be willing to leave? People all bowed their hands and saluted, saying: "We are willing to serve the imperial court with all our hard work!"
The imperial court they are talking about now naturally does not refer to the Xinmang Imperial Court, but to the Gengshi Imperial Court of the Han Dynasty which was just established.
Hearing this, Liu Xiu nodded with satisfaction. Next, he changed the topic and said seriously: "However, not everyone can be an official in the Han court. There are those who have bullied men and women, and preyed on the common people. Now they take the initiative to stand up."
If you come out, I can consider giving you a lighter sentence. If you are unwilling to admit it and are found out by me, you will be severely punished."
Upon hearing this, people subconsciously shrank their necks, not even daring to breathe, and no one was willing to stand up and confess their guilt.
Liu Xiu glanced around at everyone present. As his gaze swept across, people lowered their heads one after another, not daring to look him in the face.
He nodded and said with a smile: "It seems that all of you are quite confident, so that's very good." He didn't say anything more, turned to look at Xu Lang and said, "Prefect Xu."
"My... your official is here!" Xu Lang quickly bowed and saluted.
"Don't delay in giving porridge to the hungry people in the city. Get it done immediately. Also, where are the county's account books and files? I want to see them myself."
"They're all...in the warehouse. General, please come here!"
Liu Xiu stood up, let Xu Lang lead the way, and went straight to the warehouse.
The county officials who stayed in place looked at each other and whispered. They felt that Liu Xiu was just louder than the raindrops.
When it comes to commanding troops to fight, Liu Xiu is indeed very powerful and unparalleled, but when it comes to government affairs, he can't be equally good at it, right?
Liu Xiu was led to the warehouse by Xu Lang. The space inside was very large, with several large bookshelves placed, and each compartment was filled with bamboo slips. Xu Lang said: "General, the account books and files of the county are all here.
It’s here!”
After roughly looking around, Liu Xiu nodded and said, "Prefect Xu, go and do your work. I'll just take a look around here."
"Yes! General!" Xu Lang bowed his hands and saluted, then exited the warehouse.
After he left, Liu Xiu said to Long Yuan who was beside him: "Go and find Xi Guang."
Not long after, Yao Qi walked into the warehouse, raised his hand to Liu Xiu and said, "My lord!"
"Secondly, I want to send people to investigate the county officials. I want to know their conduct and their political achievements during their official tenure." Liu Xiu said in an emphasis: "Everyone."
Yao Qi glanced at Liu Xiu, bowed and saluted, and said, "My subordinates will start investigating now."
"Yeah." Seeing Liu Xiu nodding, Yao Qi turned and left.
Now that Pingyu has been recaptured by the Han army, it is impossible for Liu Xiu to continue to serve as officials who usually do evil things. This is related to the issue of people's will.
If the Pingyu of the past was like the Pingyu of the future, then why should the common people support the Han Dynasty?
Since all the county officials were taking chances and refused to take the initiative to be honest, Liu Xiu could only investigate secretly in his own way. What he said to the county officials just now was not just casual remarks.
If someone is willing to take the initiative to admit his fault, he will indeed deal with it leniently, or even not deal with it and only give a warning, but if he finds out that there is a problem, he will never be lenient.
On the day when the Han army occupied Pingyu, the county government held a large-scale porridge soup in the city. This also made the people in Pingyu City truly feel the difference after the change of dynasties.
In the afternoon of that day, the nobles in Pingyu City came to visit Liu Xiu one after another.
Their visit was not only to test Liu Xiu's tone, to see what measures the Han army would implement in Pingyu and whether it would affect their interests, but also to please Liu Xiu.
Liu Xiu's attitude towards the gentry was, as always, mainly tolerant and appeasing. Of course, he also needed the gentry to give him real support, such as donating food, money, and people.
However, Liu Xiu's requests were usually not too excessive and could be easily accepted by various noble families.
The nobles were full of praise for Liu Xiu. They felt that Liu Xiu neither used force to threaten them nor took advantage of them, nor did he have any airs. He was very approachable and treated them with courtesy.
This is completely different from Liu Sheng, another member of the Liu clan. The first people to suffer in the cities captured by Liu Sheng's tribe were the local gentry. They were plundered by him, and even the wives and daughters of the gentry were taken over, including some of the same clan.
Only the Liu clan could survive.
Comparing the two, Liu Xiu is much better than Liu Sheng.
The day after the Han army captured Pingyu, Liu Xiu immediately sent Ma Wu, Gai Yan, Feng Yi, and Fu Jun to lead his troops southward.
Ma Wu and Gai Yan led two thousand soldiers and horses to attack Linyang, while Feng Yi and Fu Jun led two thousand soldiers and horses to attack Zaocheng.
Linyang and Zaocheng are both located in the south of Pingyu and north of Xincai. Xincai has been captured by Liu Sheng's tribe. In order to prevent Liu Sheng's tribe from continuing to expand northward and further expand its strength, Liu Xiu decided to attack Linyang and Zaocheng first.
.
Liu Sheng was naturally very dissatisfied with the movements of Liu Xiu's tribe. He hoped that Liu Xiu would stop at Pingyu and that all the land south of Pingyu would belong to him.
What Liu Xiu is doing now undoubtedly touches Liu Sheng's fundamental interests and makes Liu Sheng hate him to the very core.
But if he and Liu Xiu were to fall out and fight with real swords and guns, he really didn't have the guts, not to mention that he didn't have the guts, not even Yan You and Chen Mao who had taken refuge in him.