A thousand pairs of eyes looked at Guo Song eagerly, everyone was looking forward to receiving satisfactory news.
Guo Song continued with a smile: "It concerns everyone's vital interests. Of course I will try my best to fight for the best interests from the court. In fact, it will be beneficial to everyone to bring the family members to Fengzhou. Everyone can go home to rest in winter, and
You can continue to receive stipends. In the three seasons of spring, summer and autumn, you can have a month off to go home and reunite with your family.
As for your family moving to Fengzhou, I can guarantee that each family has at least three hectares of fertile land. If they want to live in the city, each family will be provided with two acres of homeland. If they want to live in the countryside outside the city, each family will be provided with five acres of homeland. As for the land tax,
, as long as you are still serving in the army, your family members can be tax-free. Even if you retire from the army and return to farming in the future, your land tax will be half that of the Central Plains, and the land will still belong to you and be passed on to your descendants as permanent land."
"What if my parents are not in good health and cannot bear the cold in Fengzhou?" a soldier asked loudly.
"I have said that I will not force everyone to move their families here. I will only use favorable conditions to attract everyone to move their families here. Everything is voluntary. I believe that most of the soldiers are from poor backgrounds and their families rely on rent.
I also know that many soldiers have been away from home for several years, and their children cannot remember their fathers. Their parents are old and cannot be filial to them, so they moved their families here and own 300 acres of fertile land.
, irrigation is convenient, and you can also take care of your wife, children, and parents.
Dear brothers, we have food to eat, clothing to wear, houses to live in, horses to travel, and children to go to school. Such conditions have never existed before, and we are not certain that they will exist in the future. This is an opportunity, and I sincerely hope that the brothers can seize it.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, everyone should think carefully, contact their families as soon as possible, and move here within this year and next, and then allocate land and food rations, so that they can start plowing in spring."
Guo Song's words really moved the soldiers. Everyone was excited and eager to write letters to their families. Only three hundred acres of Yongye land and tax exemption completely moved everyone.
You must know that under the land equalization system implemented in the early Tang Dynasty, each man only had twenty acres of permanent land, which lasted only a few decades and then disappeared, and the military system was also destroyed.
The biggest advantage of Fengzhou is its vast land and sparse population. This fertile land can support a population of one million, but now there are only more than 10,000 people. The Fengzhou government is fully qualified to give generous treatment to soldiers.
But Guo Song also knows that there are a lot of things to deal with when migrating here, and he may not be able to make it in time this year, but he hopes that family members of the military will start to come here one after another next year.
........
Shortly after Guo Song went to Xihou to surrender to the city, a guest came to his home in Jiuyuan County, Liang Yundao's daughter Liang Ling'er. This time she came to Fengzhou was actually her father's decision. The young lady was fourteen years old.
, happened to be in the rebellious stage, and her father Liang Yundao could not control her. She led a group of wealthy children to fight for justice all day long, fighting injustices everywhere, which was a headache.
Liang Yundao then thought of this plan to drain the firepower and let her live with brother Fengzhou for a period of time to cut off her contact with those wealthy children. This trip also made Liang Ling'er quite interested, but she didn't want to live with her brother Liang Wu.
There, she wrote to Xiaoyu Niang, planning to live in Guo Song's mansion.
Three carriages drove slowly into Jiuyuan City, escorted by more than a dozen attendants. Inside the carriage window, Liang Ling'er looked around, curious about everything in Jiuyuan County. This was her first time to Fengzhou, although Fengzhou and
The climate and environment in Lingzhou are similar, but Liang Ling'er is still very interested. What makes her happiest is that after coming to Fengzhou, she no longer has her father's strict control.
Liang Ling'er has a cheerful and outgoing personality, but her emotions are not delicate enough. She seems to be eccentric, but in fact she has no scheming at all. She belongs to the kind of little lady who looks like a big boss.
In the past, she admired Guo Song very much and had a vague favorable impression. However, as time passed and she had no contact with him for more than two years, her favorable impression gradually faded away. In fact, she did not even realize it.
She still likes Guo Song very much, but she no longer has the special affection she had before. She wants to come to Fengzhou more to avoid her father's control and to live freely. She also likes Xiaoyu Niang, especially Xiaoyu Niang.
Fish Girl's special identity and experience in the Hidden Sword Pavilion filled her heart with mystery.
The carriage stopped in front of Guo Song's house. Xiaoyu Niang was already waiting for her at the door. Liang Ling'er jumped off the carriage and ran forward and said with a smile: "Xiaoyu Niang, long time no see!"
Xiaoyu Niang held her hand and smiled: "I thought you would come at the beginning of spring, but it's only mid-February now!"
Liang Ling'er curled her lips and said: "Dad forces me to study every day. I memorize those Confucian sayings, Mencius and the like, and write a thousand words every day. It annoys me to death. It's still March, and I can't survive a day.
"
When Xiaoyu Niang saw the followers carrying out a lot of boxes and cages from the third carriage, she couldn't help but exclaimed: "You brought so many things!"
Liang Ling'er said with a smile: "I plan to stay here for a year and a half before going back. Of course I need to prepare more things."
Xiaoyu Niang is a bit big-headed. This little girl actually wants to live here for a year and a half?
"Stop talking, take me to see the room. Where do I live?"
Before Xiaoyu Niang could take her away, Liang Ling'er ran into the mansion like a gust of wind and left a large group of people waiting at the door...
This time Liang Ling'er brought two wives and a maid with her, and they had to be accommodated. Although the dozen or so followers wanted to go back, they had to rest for one night and eat two meals before leaving. Xiaoyu Niang had no choice but to ask Butler Liang.
After arranging for them, she quickly walked into the inner house to catch up with Liang Ling'er.
"Ling'er, you can live in the same courtyard with me, or you can live in a separate courtyard. There are two empty courtyards next to it. It's your choice."
Liang Ling'er said with a smile: "How can I live here casually? Those two courtyards must be for the future Mrs. Guo, so I'll live with you!"
She looked through a small door at the yard next door, and her eyes lit up, "Where is this place? It's very nice!"
"That's where the young master lives. He doesn't like to be disturbed."
Xiaoyu Niang was afraid that Liang Ling'er would get hot-headed and want to live in the same courtyard as the young master, so she quickly explained: "I originally wanted to live there to serve him, but he drove me here."
What she meant was that if I'm not even qualified, don't even think about it.
Liang Ling'er pursed her lips and muttered: "Who cares about living with him? Now that he is an official, he has become as straight-faced as his father all day long. It's not as fun as before."
Before Guo Song came to Fengzhou from Lingzhou last year, he scolded Liang Ling'er and told her to study hard and stop bringing a bunch of half-year-old children around to cause trouble, which made Liang Ling'er feel resentful.
"By the way, where has Brother Guo gone? Is he at the government office?"
"He has gone to Xishoujiang City, and he will go to Zhongshoujiang City and Dongshoujiang City. After walking around in this circle, he will not be able to come back until at least early March."
"Ha! If he's not around, I'll be freer."
Liang Ling'er danced with joy and pulled Xiaoyu Niang along: "I just learned how to make smoky makeup. Let me show you how to draw it. Hey! Where is my suitcase?"
Only then did she remember that her boxes and everything were at the door and she hadn't moved them in yet!
........
Guo Song stayed in Xishoujiang City for three days, and then went to Zhongshoujiang City. Zhongshoujiang City is located 300 miles east of Jiuyuan County and also belongs to the Hetao Plain. It is located in Fengzhou, which is today's Baotou, Inner Mongolia.
On the north bank of the Yellow River, the land is also fertile and irrigation is convenient.
Zhongshoujiang City had been abandoned before. It was reactivated by the imperial court last spring and stationed a thousand troops. Zhongshoujiang City was a military city with basically no civilians. In the past, family members of the army lived here. All the residents have moved south. Only
Some desolate and deserted villages remain.
Guo Song's goal today is to restore the old tradition of military family members living with the army, and to relocate the military family members back, either near Zhongshoujiang City or in Feng'an County a hundred miles away. He needs to discuss with the soldiers.
It's up to them to decide.
One thousand soldiers who surrendered to the city also participated in last year's Jiuyuan Defense War. After the war, the army also underwent adjustments. Ten brigade commanders were transferred back to the Shuofang Army, or were given favorable conditions to retire and return to the countryside, and his confidants took over as brigade commanders.
He held the post of commander, thereby firmly controlling these thousands of troops in his own hands.
That afternoon, Guo Song arrived at Zhongshoujiang City, and the town general Lu Mingbo went out of the city to welcome Guo Song.
When the two met, Guo Song smiled and asked, "General Lu should have received my letter?"
Lu Mingbo cupped his fists and said: "I have received the envoy's letter, and I have also talked with all the soldiers according to the envoy's request. Ninety percent of the soldiers have expressed their willingness to move their families to Fengzhou, and there are still 10% of the soldiers who are considering it, but I estimate that I
It’s not a big problem.”
"Have you decided where to place the family members?"
"The opinions are not unanimous. Some want to arrange their family members in Feng'an County, while others want to live closer to the city of surrender. It is up to the envoy to decide."
Guo Song smiled slightly and said: "Then I will talk to the soldiers again. My opinions are all arranged near Feng'an County to facilitate mutual assistance. If you really want to live near the surrender city, that's fine. Then you need to form a small town or
Regarding the village, I will clearly explain the advantages and disadvantages to everyone before making a final decision."
"Everything is at your disposal. Please go to the city and rest."
As the two of them talked, they entered the city of Shoujiang together.