The person who came to Hanzhong County to deliver the message was Ma Su.
His official position has also been finalized: he is no longer the assistant to the prime minister's office as the decision-making center of the Han Dynasty, but he has been transferred to the position of Hanzhong prefectural official.
The meaning of moving to the left is clear at a glance.
After all, he had previously joined the army with real power and had the same authority as Jiang Wan, Yang Yi and others.
And Jiang Wan has now assisted the governor of the Liu Prefecture, Shi Zhang Yi, to control the affairs of the Liu Prefecture and make decisions on the entire government affairs of Yizhou.
However, he did not look decadent.
Prime Minister Zhuge Liang arranged this, and he had some expectations for him.
This is because today's Hanzhong County will be used as a food and cropland for Longyou, and the person guarding Hanzhong is Zhao Yun, who is known for his loyal temperament. He is also the commander-in-chief to deal with the invasion from the three eastern counties and Guanzhong against the Wei Dynasty.
Ma Di served as Fu Cheng, who could not only handle government affairs, but also participate in military affairs for Zhao Yun.
It can be said that people have made the best use of their talents, and there will be no shortage of opportunities to make a comeback in the future.
The only embarrassing thing is that he will be led by Yang Yi, who was left in Hanzhong by the prime minister to allocate grain, grass and baggage.
However, having worn off his sharp edges, he should no longer be motivated to fight.
With his arrival, Zhuge Qiao could also step down from his post in Hanzhong where Yang Yi had been left behind, so he was summoned by the prime minister to rush to Longyou with Zheng Pu.
Zheng Pu asked Zhang Yi to lead the infantry behind, and asked Yang Ji to lead the cavalry to rush to the camp in Ji County. He took Fu Qian and his retainers Qi Yacuo and others to meet Zhuge Qiao.
Along the way, we saw countless carriages and horses of the Longyou wealthy family, surrounded by servants and guarded by Han soldiers, stretching along the Qishan Road for dozens of miles.
We also met Chen Shi.
He guards the front and rear, and has the largest number of wealthy people.
Moreover, many wealthy families let their servants drive the carriages, and let their daughters or young girls sit on them.
Warblers and swallows are walking along the road, and the streets are full of beautiful smiles.
Chen Shi's face looked as if it had been splashed with ink and was completely black.
How could he not know the plans of these wealthy families?
It was just that they wanted to find an opportunity to have a relationship with him, and then rely on his authority in the military to be able to comfortably serve as a "powerful right" after moving to Hanzhong. However, these wealthy families did not expect that he could be sent to take charge by the prime minister. , is it possible that a few women can mess up a person’s mind?
However, he was upset, but he did not order the expulsion.
Being in the military has always been a hard life, and I rarely return home.
Therefore, the soldiers who followed him, with these women by their side, were full of energy whether they were marching or guarding.
Alas, I should just let them look at the plum blossoms to quench their thirst.
Zheng Pu and Zhuge Qiao arrived and couldn't help but smile when they saw this.
Among them, Zheng Pu also relied on his familiarity and joked a few Chen-style words such as "old things make you stronger".
Let Chen Shihu raise his face, pretend to be angry and blame them, wave his hands to drive them away, and stop them from getting in the way.
Go ahead and hurry up.
Running all the way to Ji County.
After being notified by the soldiers, Zheng Pu and his two men entered the Taishou Mansion, which the Prime Minister had renamed as the Longyou Official Office.
In the hall, the Prime Minister sat on the throne in the middle.
Later, there was a man sitting on a flat desk with a pen and inkstone spread out. He was Wang Shan, the son of the late Prime Minister Shi Wang Lian, who served as the military recorder's office.
There are three seats lined up on the left and right, and there are already people sitting there.
On the right is Xiang Lang, the chief minister of the prime minister's office, in the first place, followed by Yao Min, the former prefect of Guanghan and now the governor of the prime minister's office.
The last empty seat should be reserved for Zhuge Qiao.
Guan Xing took second place on the left, and Jiang Wei took the lead again, leaving the chief position vacant.
It goes without saying that it was left to Zheng Pu.
He joined the army and held a military position in the prime minister's office. Regardless of his official position or authority, he surpassed Guan and Jiang.
In other words, Zheng Pu's authority now, in addition to the older generation of generals such as Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, Wu Yi, and Gao Xiang, can already be called the number one young man in the army.
After all, Guan Xingjin is still with the prime minister, serving as the general before the battle.
Jiang Wei, who was transferred to the Tiger Infantry Army, served as a general and was controlled by Meng Yan, the commander of the Tiger Infantry Army.
As for why the Prime Minister made such a big deal and summoned many people from Yuan Cong, Jing Xiang, Dongzhou, Yizhou and Longyou to discuss it, it was because Zheng Pu's letter was about joining the army and being able to participate in government affairs.
Thousands of words.
What is involved is not just the relocation of the Baima Qiang people to enter the country.
After a brief greeting, everyone took their seats.
Wang Shan, who was sitting behind the Prime Minister, was already writing and writing, waiting to write down the words.
The prime minister waved his hand, telling the soldiers guarding the door to stay away and be on guard. He turned his head and looked at Zheng Pu and said, "I have read Zijin's book. I have also shared many details with everyone here.
We have discussed it together, and there are many contradictory opinions in the details. Now I urgently summoned Zijin because I want to hear in detail the original intention of Zijin's advice and suggestions, so that I can make a final conclusion. Hmm."
At this point, the Prime Minister lost his voice.
He lowered his head and looked at the table with his eyes, and selected one of the many pieces of cloth spread out with one hand before continuing, "Zijin will describe in detail the strategy of 'consolidating the foundation of Yizhou'."
"promise."
He lowered his head and respectfully accepted the order, and Zheng Pu said loudly, "Prime Minister, gentlemen, let me try to say something. If there are any inappropriate remarks, please don't hesitate to correct them."
After speaking politely, he began to speak eloquently.
"Now that our Han Dynasty has recaptured Longyou, it is the result of several years of dormancy. After this battle, no matter how much soldiers, food or supplies were lost, our muscles and bones have been damaged. Moreover, the rebels against Wei will definitely not be willing to lose Longyou and will definitely send heavy troops forward.
Come and garrison Guanzhong and Liangzhou to counterattack our army."
"Our Han Dynasty is in decline. If we don't accumulate grain and enrich our people, it may be difficult to withstand the attrition of the counter-Wei Dynasty's frequent wars. Our Han Dynasty is basically Yizhou. If we can't consolidate our roots, Longyou will have no foundation for continuous warfare and cannot be defended!"
"Therefore, Pu has been thinking recently and has come up with three strategies to consolidate the foundation of Yizhou. Please discuss them with the Prime Minister and all the gentlemen."
After saying this, Zheng Pu stood up and bowed his hands to those who were sitting at the table.
"First, it is to encourage Li Shu to have children."
Encouraging childbearing has been done throughout the ages.
The most typical one is Gou Jian, King of Yue, who said: "To give birth to a husband, two pots of wine and a dog; to give birth to a woman, two pots of wine and a dolphin; to give birth to three people, a male and his mother; to give birth to two sons, the male and his wife."
However, now that all the wealth of the Han Dynasty has been used for conquest, there is no money left to follow suit.
Therefore, Zheng Pu's advice was to change the way the imperial court collected "oral taxes" and "calculated taxes" from Li Shu people based on their population.
The oral tax belongs to the military tax, which is money "for the management of troops, chariots and horses". It is paid from the 15th to the 50th year of the Republic of China.
The tax belongs to the Shaofu and is used by the royal family. It is paid from the age of seven to fourteen. [Note 1]
However, the world has been in turmoil for decades, land has been merged seriously, and many common people have no permanent property. They dare not have more children because they are unable to pay taxes.
If you want to breed more people, you must let Li Shu get rid of this layer of worry.
Zheng Pu's method was to remove the "oral Fu" and "calculated Fu" and replace them with "share one person among the acres"!
By levying an acre tax instead of a tax per person, the common people can have children and raise offspring without worrying about being unable to pay the tax.
Naturally, if the land measurement of wealthy families is forced to be measured now, it may cause unrest in the Bashu land. Zheng Pu's original intention was to try to implement it in Hanzhong County and Wudu County.
The population in these places had long been moved away by the Wei Dynasty.
Idle land abounds, and the newly relocated Li Shu people are determined by the government's unified drawing of land. There is no theory of infringing on the interests of the wealthy families. As long as this policy is implemented and the Bashu Li Shu people are promised to move to Hanzhong and be granted land, there will be countless
The poor and helpless common people, the apprentices of wealthy and powerful families, or the hermits who have fled to the mountains due to taxes, will all come in droves.
After all, the common people in Li do not want more than just enough food and clothing to survive.
Who would refuse to have their own acres of land to cultivate and support their family without being attached to others or suffering from taxes?
In this way, the population of Hanzhong County can be quickly enriched, and it will become a food source for Longyou's future campaigns.
However, the method of "dividing a small family into an acre" is a long-term solution.
It takes only twenty years for a man to become a man at the age of fifteen, and he cannot see the grand growth of the population.
Therefore, Zheng Pu's short-term effective strategy is the second one: attracting people.
The counties in Nanzhong are located in remote areas, and the Han Dynasty has always implemented a "restriction" policy on tribal leaders to maintain local stability.
It only allowed each tribe to pay tribute regularly and no taxes were levied.
To a certain extent, it will also lead to a situation where the nobles are hereditary and the poor are slaves for life.
Moreover, tribes often attack and merge with each other.
Zheng Pu advised the court to set up "envoys to appease the people", who would be stationed in various counties in southern China for a long time to recruit defeated tribes or barbarians who no longer wanted to be "people's servants" to migrate to Hanzhong or Shu.
Moreover, now that the "Ancient Tea-Horse Road" is now open to traffic, Zheng Pu also advised the court to privately form a "national merchant" to carry Shu brocade and other trade items to negotiate with the barbarians in the southwest of Yongchang County who were not convinced by the king, in exchange for
The native men and women returned as slaves.
Whether it is working as a labor force in the Yanjing Iron Mine, or registering as a registered household to cultivate grain for the country, you can all benefit for a while.
Naturally, for the Baima Qiang outside the northwest, Yang Ji, the original Baima Di king, also tried to communicate that there was no possibility of "internal attachment".
However, it was not Yang Ji's father, Yang Teng, who summoned tigers into the house and gathered people to live there, raising tigers to cause trouble.
Instead, they followed the strategy of Fu Zhang, the king of Di in Wudu, and granted the leader a prominent official position, allowing his direct bloodline to become a prince and enjoy wealth and honor for generations, while dispersing his tribesmen and settling them in various counties.
They may be recruited as soldiers or allowed to work in agriculture and mulberry fields for the benefit of the country.
After feeling dry in his mouth, Zheng Pu finished his narration and held up his hands again, saying, "Prime Minister, gentlemen, this is the strategy I have in mind to 'consolidate the foundation of Yizhou'. If there are any omissions in not detailing all the details, please don't hesitate to let me know."
.”
"Well, Zijin's determination to benefit the country is commendable!"
Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, who was in the high position, smiled gurglingly. He first praised Zheng Pu's intentions, then looked at everyone at the table and said, "Zi Jin's plan has been clearly revealed. If you have any doubts or feel that there is something wrong with it,
Let’s just say this. This is a policy for the country. We don’t have to take anything else into account. We are all expressing our own opinions and seeking common ground while reserving differences!”
"promise!"
When everyone had something to say, they all responded loudly.
Xiang Lang, who had the highest official position and the heaviest resume among the group, raised his hand to Zheng Puwei and took the lead in asking, "Zijin, as the chief minister of the prime minister's office, I am responsible for the country's financial resources. Therefore, I also know that the national treasury is no longer sufficient.
.If we follow Zijin’s policy of removing oral taxes, calculating taxes, and levying land tax, and spending money and food to move people, I am afraid that within three to five years, the country will have no resources for the Northern Expedition. I don’t know what Zijin can do.
Have you ever thought about how to supplement military needs?"
Upon hearing the question, Zheng Pu bowed his hands in return and smiled sternly, "Looking back at Chang Shi, I have certainly thought about it."
After saying this, he bowed to the Prime Minister and said, "Prime Minister, I think that within three to five years of my age, I, a great man, should give priority to guarding the country and bringing peace to the people, and I should not send out any more troops to attack."
"Hahaha~~~~~"
Suddenly, the Prime Minister put his hands on his hands and laughed, and said happily, "Zijin's words have won my heart!"
After a pause, he nodded slightly and said in a urging voice, "Giuda has so many political affairs, it is difficult to have time to think about military strategies, and there may be people at the table who don't know. Hmm."
With a slight nasal sound, the Prime Minister turned his gaze to Jiang Wei, "Bo Yue is from Ji County, and he has a strategy. Let me tell you the reason, there is no need to worry."
"promise!"
Hearing this, Jiang Wei lowered his head and bowed respectfully in response.
He also bowed to everyone at the banquet and said, "My talent is shallow, so I'm just saying it for your reference. I secretly believe that Zheng's intention to join the army is that it is difficult for our army to capture the four fortresses on the right side of Longlong today."
"
However, due to the terrain shaped by the trends of mountains, rivers and rivers, there are also four dangerous fortresses in Longyou.
The most dangerous point in the southern fortress is the Qishan River Valley through which the Western Han River passes.
You only need to guard the Wooden Gate Road, Simen Valley (Dong Pavilion), and Maoyan Gorge (Houtian Shuiguan) in the Qishan River Valley in Qishan Mountain to defeat the enemies coming from the south.
The most dangerous points in the east fortress are Xiaoguan Road, Longguan Road and the Weishui River Valley.
Now the east and south have been occupied by the Han Dynasty.
The most dangerous point in the North Fortress is the Fortress Ferry at Manyin, located in Wuwei County and Juzuli County.
Its terrain has the Quwu Mountains in the east and north, blocking the invasion from the Hetao Plain. It is also where the Zuli River flows into the big river (Yellow River), making it a natural and dangerous pass.
As for the strategic point of Xisai, it is located in Jincheng County. It can not only cross the four counties of Hexi in the north, but also connect to Siwang Gorge in the Hehuang Valley in the west. [Note 2]
The canyon is named after the fact that when you look around, you are all looking at the river.
It is the confluence of big rivers. The Zhuanglang River flows into the north, the big river flows out of the gorge in the east, the big river flows into the gorge in the southwest, and the Huangshui River merges into the big river in the northwest. Similar to the Fortress of Manyin, it is a natural dangerous pass created by the terrain.
If the four dangerous fortresses on the right side of Longlong can be captured by the Han Dynasty, they can rest easy.
Even if an army of more than 100,000 people from the Wei Dynasty attacks, the Han Dynasty only needs to send thousands of soldiers to each of the four fortresses and leave 20,000 troops in Tianshui County as mobile reinforcements to defeat the enemy.
And what Jiang Wei claimed was that the dangers in all directions of Longyou were now undefeated because the Han Dynasty had too few cavalry!
Siwang Gorge in Jincheng County can still be attacked by infantry from the head of the Longxi River, along the Tao River from Didao, and up north.
However, now, Xu Miao, the governor of Liangzhou against the Wei Dynasty, has sent a large army to garrison in Jincheng.
The Han Dynasty cannot seize it at once.
However, it is even more difficult to conquer the city of Jianyin.
Because it is hundreds of miles away from Tianshui County!
Among them, Zuli River is a river of bitter water, and humans, animals, birds and animals are not allowed to drink from it.
Moreover, within the river basin, there is an abnormal drought and it is difficult for vegetation to grow, so it is also completely uninhabited.
It is a natural place for riding and fighting!
If the Han Dynasty wanted to attack it, it would have to have four to five thousand elite cavalry to spread out along the road to protect the grain road from being attacked by the cavalry against the Wei Dynasty.
Nowadays, the cavalry and pawns of the Han Dynasty cannot be called elite, and their number is very small.
If you can't protect the food path, you can't have delusions either.
——
[Note 1: "The Biography of the Sages of Lingling" records, "In the late Han Dynasty, when a child was one year old, he would export (give) money, and many people did not raise property."]
[Note 2: Siwang Gorge was renamed "Bapan Gorge" in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It got its name because the mountaineering path is tortuous and twists and turns, reaching almost 20% off. 】
