Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 150 Tao Qian leads troops to Shangmo Mountain in the autumn, what about the people!
Xuzhou.

It has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times.

The terrain here is flat, the land is fertile, and the water system is well-developed, connecting the north and south.

Whether it is developing agriculture or commerce, it has unique advantages.

Especially after Tao Qian became the governor of Xuzhou, he resettled displaced people, built water conservancy projects, and developed agriculture and commerce, making Xuzhou a prosperous place that was second to none in the country.

Xiapi City, the residence of the Prefect of Xuzhou.

Inside the main hall, Tao Qian and his civil and military officials gathered together.

The authors include Chen Deng, Mi Zhu, Zhao Yu, and Wang Lang.

Among the warriors were Zang Ba, Cao Bao, and Sun Guan.

"Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu actually sent letters at the same time, recommending me as the Left General to command the military affairs of Qing and Xu provinces."

"Gentlemen, please share your thoughts on this," Tao Qian asked.

Chen Deng spoke first, saying, "My lord, the purpose of the Yuan brothers' actions is obvious. They want you to fight against Ji Qiu, so that the two sides can fight each other and the fisherman can benefit."

But Ji Qiu was no pushover. He conquered Beihai Kingdom and Pingyuan County in just three days, and his military might was truly terrifying.

If my lord wishes to engage him, he must proceed with utmost caution.

In my humble opinion, Your Excellency would be better off accepting the position of Left General and abandoning the attack on Jiqiu, since the Yuan brothers did not require Your Excellency to attack Jiqiu anyway.

Your Excellency can simply pretend you know nothing about this and ignore it!

Chen Deng was a representative figure of a prominent local family in Xuzhou.

The Chen family of Xiapi behind them has surpassed the limit of a mid-level family outside the city and reached the level of a high-level family outside the city.

In truth, Chen Deng did not have any affection for Ji Qiu.

Because Ji Qiu treated the powerful families under his rule too harshly.

People of the same kind feel sorrow for each other.

Chen Deng also came from a prominent family, so naturally he wouldn't have a good impression of him.

However, a low level of favorability does not mean that he will attack Ji Qiu.

After all, Ji Qiu's territory was in Qingzhou, while he belonged to a prominent family in Xuzhou.

Therefore, he did not have a particularly personal experience of Ji Qiu's oppressive rule.

His main reasons for not approving Tao Qian's attack on Ji Qiu were as follows:

Firstly, Tao Qian's attack on Ji Qiu would naturally require the powerful clans under his command to contribute troops and supplies, which was not a good thing for Chen Deng.

Secondly, he did not believe that Tao Qian could really gain any advantage from Ji Qiu.

Although he didn't like Ji Qiu, he quite respected Ji Qiu's abilities.

Since its rise to power, Ji Qiu has been invincible, conquering all enemies, from the three or four major families of Taishan County to the four counties of Qingzhou.

But in Ji Qiu's hands, they were as vulnerable as clay chickens and earthenware dogs.

Such a formidable enemy could not be easily defeated, even with Tao Qian's abilities.

If you're not careful, you might end up losing more than you gain by trying to steal a chicken.

Thirdly, even if Tao Qian really defeated Ji Qiu, it wouldn't be of much benefit to the Chen family of Xiapi.

The Chen family of Xiapi was based in Xiapi County, in Xuzhou, not in Qingzhou.

Therefore, even though Tao Qian obtained a large amount of land in Qingzhou, the Chen family of Xiapi could not extract much benefit from it.

Chen Deng had little interest in something that required him to pay a price, where there was no benefit in winning and a huge loss in losing.

However, Chen Deng has his own attitude, and others naturally have their own stances.

For example, Mi Zhu from Xuzhou had a completely different stance and attitude.

“Yuanlong, you are mistaken. Although the Yuan brothers did not explicitly state the price for recommending you, that is, you must attack Qingzhou, it is an unspoken understanding. How can you, as the magistrate, do such a despicable thing as breaking your word?”

Moreover, attacking Qingzhou would be entirely beneficial to the governor.

Firstly, since you have become the Left General and command the military affairs of Qing and Xu provinces, it is only right and proper for you to occupy Qing province. How can you give it up?
Secondly, Qingzhou has been a prosperous commercial center since ancient times, with the benefits of fish and salt production.

Taking Qingzhou would be of great benefit to our lord.

Thirdly, the world is now divided among warlords. In such a competitive world, everyone is striving to be the first, or else they will fall behind.

If my lord can conquer Qingzhou, he will control both Qingzhou and Xuzhou, becoming one of the most powerful warlords in the world.

"How can we let such a golden opportunity slip by?!" Mi Zhu said in a deep voice.

Mi Zhu was born into a powerful family in the East China Sea.

The status of a powerful clan allows them to rival established families of the same rank in terms of financial and military resources.

However, in terms of family background, they may be even less privileged than those from humble backgrounds.

Throughout history, money and power have been intertwined; with money comes power.

However, there is always a process from being rich to having power.

Generally speaking, the rise of ordinary people in the Eastern Han Empire was achieved by first becoming powerful clans, and then transforming them into aristocratic families.

When a once-powerful family declines, it becomes a humble family.

Even powerful families were divided into different ranks.

Similarly, it is divided into six levels: primary, secondary, and advanced, both inside and outside the city, which correspond exactly to the aristocratic families of the same level.

When a powerful clan produces officials of the corresponding rank, it can be directly promoted to a noble family of the same rank.

The ambition of powerful clans is far stronger than that of noble families of the same level.

After all, these are prominent families that have been passed down for hundreds of years, and stability is the most important thing for them.

As long as we can honestly pass on the family business and prevent it from declining, that's fine.

But powerful families need to work even harder to improve themselves.

On the one hand, there is still a road above them, and the road has not yet been completed.

On the other hand, they lack the foundation of aristocratic families. If they cannot keep moving up the social ladder, they will often start to decline.

In light of this, it is understandable that Mi Zhu supported Tao Qian's attack on Ji Qiu.

Although their status as powerful clans meant that Ji Qiu's policies did not cause them much harm.

Mi Zhu himself also had a good impression of Ji Qiu, believing that he should be able to achieve great things in the chaotic world.

On the one hand, Mi Zhu is now Tao Qian's subordinate, and for his own ambition, he must encourage Tao Qian to make progress.

After all, only when Tao Qian's power increases can the power of the Mi family increase accordingly.

On the other hand, the Mi family's base is in Donghai County, which is close to Qingzhou. Moreover, the Mi family is proficient in commerce. If Tao Qian can take over Qingzhou, it will be of great benefit to the Mi family's business empire.

Following Chen Deng and Mi Zhu, Zhao Yu and Wang Lang also expressed their views.

Both of them shared the same view as Mi Zhu.

Of course, the reasons vary.

Among them, Zhao Yu came from the Langya Zhao clan, which was one of the early aristocratic families outside the city of Langya County.

Langya Commandery was also a northern border commandery of Xuzhou.

This prefecture borders Taishan Prefecture to the west and Beihai Prefecture to the north.

As for Zhao Yu, he did not value the benefits that Tao Qian would gain after taking Qingzhou.

However, for the powerful families of Langya County today, this is simply too insecure.

Taishan County and Beihai County have both fallen into Ji Qiu's hands.

Heaven knows when Ji Qiu will attack.

Once Ji Qiu attacks, given his ruthless methods towards the powerful families under his rule, they will definitely not come out on top.

To prevent such an unbearable situation from occurring, the best course of action would be to strike first and have Tao Qian eliminate Ji Qiu!

Wang Lang, on the other hand, simply disliked Ji Qiu and wanted to rid the world of this scourge.

Wang Lang was born into the Wang clan of Donghai, a minor family outside the city, but he was a great Confucian scholar in the country.

In a sense, his view was similar to Cui Yan's; both believed that Ji Qiu was a great enemy of the world.

Given the chance, I will eliminate him as soon as possible!
However, he was still better than Cui Yan; at least he wouldn't do what Cui Yan did, arranging for others to die while he himself escaped.

Have some shame!
Thus, all four senior civilian officials expressed their opinions, resulting in a three-to-one vote.

However, because the Chen family of Xiapi was extremely powerful and was a high-ranking family outside the city, Chen Deng's opinion alone was equivalent to that of the other three.

Therefore, the civil service system is in a delicate balance.

Tao Qian then inquired about the opinions of the military officers.

Zang Ba, the foremost military commander in Xuzhou, was naturally very clear in his opinion: "Fight! We must fight! I am willing to lead the army for you, my lord. If we cannot eliminate Ji Qiu and occupy Qingzhou, I am willing to offer my head to you!"

Zang Ba was the former head of the Taishan Zang clan, but the Taishan Zang clan no longer exists.

As early as the beginning of autumn when I arrived in Taishan County, the first wave of powerful families to be eliminated included the Zang family of Taishan!
With his clan wiped out, Zang Ba's attitude towards Ji Qiu was naturally one of irreconcilable enmity!

For the past two years, all he's been thinking about is getting revenge on Ji Qiu!

Unfortunately, Ji Qiu didn't give him a chance at all.

The passage through Xuzhou in Taishan County was sealed off from the inside, making it impossible for Zang Ba to break through.

Later, when Ji Qiu left Taishan County, he chose Qingzhou as the direction to send troops.

This left Zang Ba helpless and anxious.

Now that he has finally found an opportunity to attack Ji Qiu, he will definitely not let it go!

After Zang Ba agreed, Sun Guan also expressed his agreement.

Sun Guan was originally a subordinate of Zang Ba.

However, he fought bravely and made many meritorious contributions. Tao Qian then appointed him as a cavalry captain, giving him the same status as Zang Ba.

However, in many matters, he still followed Zang Ba's lead and advanced and retreated together with Zang Ba.

In the end, only Cao Bao remained, but he did not express his opinion.

Because he was a general under Tao Qian, and the commander of the Danyang troops that Tao Qian brought with him when he took office as the governor of Xuzhou.

Therefore, among all the civil and military officials in Xuzhou, he was actually Tao Qian's most trusted retainer.

Generally speaking, when high-level officials in Xuzhou hold meetings, he refrains from expressing his opinion if Tao Qian is present. However, if Tao Qian is absent, his opinion can, to some extent, represent Tao Qian's.
After listening to the opinions of his civil and military officials, Tao Qian couldn't help but smile and say, "It seems that everyone's opinions are relatively unified, and most people tend to send troops to attack Qingzhou."

"Since that's the case, let's appoint Zang Ba as general, leading 30,000 Danyang troops and 70,000 private soldiers, to attack Beihai Commandery. What do you all think?"

From Tao Qian's personal perspective, he was actually inclined to attack Ji Qiu.

Firstly, Tao Qian was also a hero with ambition, especially in a time of great strife, he naturally wanted to compete.

Now that we have the moral high ground in our hands and a stable external environment, this is a golden opportunity to attack Qingzhou, and naturally we don't want to let it go.

Secondly, Ji Qiu's threat should not be underestimated. A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Judging from the potential that Ji Qiu has shown, his future will not be limited to Qingzhou.

Once he has occupied the entire territory of Qingzhou, he will likely launch a war against Xuzhou.

Therefore, his early attack on Qingzhou was also a way to eliminate potential threats for the future.

Thirdly, the Battle of Qingzhou can be used to weaken the power of the powerful clans within the territory!

For any feudal lord, how to control the power of the powerful clans within his territory is a problem that must be considered.

After all, resources are limited. If powerful families consume more, then the feudal lords will naturally consume less.

Ji Qiu used unparalleled martial prowess to physically annihilate the powerful clans within the territory.

Other feudal lords obviously couldn't do this, but that didn't stop them from using other means to weaken the powerful clans within their territories.

For example, when Tao Qian first sent troops to Qingzhou, he used his own 30,000 Danyang soldiers as the core and mobilized 70,000 private troops from aristocratic families in Xuzhou as auxiliary forces, for a total of 100,000 troops to attack Qingzhou.

Regardless of victory or defeat, this would certainly weaken the power of powerful clans to some extent.

Of course, the powerful clans weren't stupid either; they had already explained their reasons for being willing to send troops.

Each party has its own interests to consider.

It is only natural that they would contribute some troops to support this war for their own benefit!
Anyway, as long as we win, the losses here can naturally be made up for from other places.

If we lose, well, didn't Tao Qian also send out 30,000 Danyang soldiers?

At least in terms of internal forces, a balance can still be maintained.

Tao Qian made the decision to attack Qingzhou, and the entire Xuzhou began a vigorous war preparation phase.

Don't assume this is a very short period of time.

Don't mistake Ji Qiu's ability to summon armies and wage war at any time through a time portal as the standard state of all feudal lords.

When Yuan Shao wanted to send troops to Pingyuan County, it took him ten days. Even after Ji Qiu sent Wei Yan to guard Pingyuan County, he still hadn't completed his war preparations.

In fact, this is the norm for warring states.

Generally speaking, unless it is a small battle with fewer than 10,000 people, wars with more than 10,000 people require a preparation period of half a month to a month.

If the number exceeds 100,000, the preparation period could even reach two months.

The specific timing depends on the elite status of the troops and the efficiency of the government's organizational system.

……

Just as Xuzhou was making vigorous preparations for battle, Ji Qiu arrived at Moshan.

He came to Moshan alone.

The reason he came here alone was because the various signals Zheng Xuan had given him made him feel that Jinan County could be peacefully occupied.

Since they wanted to peacefully occupy Jinan County, they naturally had to show some sincerity.

As for safety, he wasn't particularly worried.

Sometimes, when you have an open door in your hand, there are not many places in the world that can trap you.

If Zheng Xuan truly possesses such abilities, then even if he brings many people, it will be useless.

It was late autumn, and Moshan had shed the romance of spring and the lushness of summer, but was now imbued with a rich poetic atmosphere.

The clouds and mist still lingered around the mountains, swirling and lingering on the dark green peaks, as if draping this world in a hazy veil.

Looking up, the entire mountain resembles a painting rendered by the passage of time.

The forests are ablaze with color, the red maples like fire, like burning clouds on the horizon, turning half the sky crimson.

The ginkgo leaves, golden and shimmering, flutter down in the autumn wind, like scattered gold dust covering the winding stone path.

Meanwhile, the evergreen pines and cypresses remain verdant and upright, steadfastly maintaining their green amidst the vibrant autumn colors, adding a touch of fortitude and composure to Moshan.

The mountain streams murmur, but they are no longer as vibrant as in the height of summer; instead, they possess a crisp and tranquil quality reminiscent of late autumn.

The sound of flowing water and rustling leaves intertwine, like a melodious autumn whisper.

The rocks by the stream were covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, their red and yellow hues adding a touch of warmth to the cool water.

Occasionally, a mountain sparrow skims across the water's surface, startling a few fallen leaves, which swirl and drift slowly into the distance with the stream.

The Moshan Academy, nestled halfway up the mountain, appears even more ancient and weathered against the backdrop of late autumn.

The eaves were covered with golden ginkgo leaves, as if the academy was wearing a unique crown.

The four characters "Moshan Academy" on the plaque, illuminated by the warm autumn sun, gleamed even more brilliantly in gold, as if they encapsulated a thousand years of literary spirit within them.

An elderly man with white hair stood in front of the academy gate.

He wore a faded coarse cloth robe, the wide sleeves of which were gently lifted by the mountain wind, and the faded sash tied around his waist swayed slightly in the autumn breeze. Although there were no gorgeous patterns, it was hard to hide his refined and scholarly air.

Time has etched deep wrinkles on his face, like winding ravines in the mountains, but his deep eyes still sparkle with wisdom, as if they contain a vast collection of classics and philosophical texts.

He leaned against the mottled door frame, his well-defined fingers stained with ink—marks left from years of studying and annotating classical texts.

His slightly hunched back bears witness to a lifetime of dedication and perseverance in pursuing knowledge.

His gaze slowly swept over the withered branches of the ancient locust tree in the academy, then looked towards the dark mountains in the distance, their forests ablaze with autumn colors, as if he were pondering the great principles of the universe.

Suddenly, an autumn gust of wind swept a few ginkgo leaves past his feet. He bent down, picked up a leaf, and gently stroked it, murmuring to himself, "The Book of Songs says, 'The reeds are green, the dew is white as frost,' and this scene is just like the painting in the poem."

Although his voice was aged, it was steady and powerful, carrying the composure that comes with the passage of time.

In a daze, I seemed to see countless young students surrounding him, listening to him explain the meaning of the classics. The scene of their heated discussions intertwined with the tranquility in front of the academy at this moment, which made his profoundness and loneliness as a great Confucian scholar even more apparent.

"It's a pity that the beautiful scenery described in the Book of Songs only appears on this Mo Mountain. How many people in the world can actually see it?" Ji Qiu sighed softly.

Then he walked up to Zheng Xuan, bowed and said, "This humble student, Ji Qiu, pays his respects to Lord Zheng!"

"Your Excellency need not be so polite. You must be tired from your journey to Moshan," Zheng Xuan said calmly.

Ji Qiu chuckled and said, "I don't find it tiring to work for the people."

"For the people? I wonder what Your Excellency thinks is the meaning of 'for the people'?" Zheng Xuan asked.

Ji Qiu laughed and said, "The people are the foundation of the nation! What is the foundation of the nation? It lies in the dragon's energy, taxes, and corvée labor! Therefore, all those who can provide the nation with dragon's energy, taxes, and corvée labor are the people!"

"There are so many people here, how should we manage them?" Zheng Xuan asked.

Ji Qiu said, "Build a large city and gather ten thousand people, and that will suffice."

"Where did you get so much supplies?" Zheng Xuan asked.

Ji Qiu said, "I have my own way. The twelve cities in Taishan County have been completed for a year and are thriving!"

What is the people?
This has been a major problem for the University of Tokyo since ancient times.

Or, one could say that the entire history of Tokyo University is actually the evolution of the character "民" (min, meaning people/people).

During the pre-Qin period, the term "people" actually referred to citizens with formal status, namely the gentry.

The main members included lower-class nobles, industrialists and merchants, and commoners.

They possess the rights to participate in politics, the military, and to perform rituals and receive education.

They also bore the responsibility of paying taxes and performing corvée labor, as well as defending the country.

From the Qin Dynasty to the Former Han Dynasty, with the unification of the country, the territory and population of the dynasty increased significantly, and the system of having the people as the subjects of the state could no longer be maintained.

Thus, the people became small landowners who should have a certain amount of property and land.

These small landowners bore the primary responsibility for paying taxes to the state.

The mausoleum system, which was consistently implemented throughout the Former Han Dynasty, was essentially designed to protect the interests of local small landowners by forcibly relocating the large landowners and powerful clans who had suppressed and persecuted them.

However, after the Later Han Dynasty was established, because Liu Xiu relied on large landowners and powerful families to rise to power, he could only serve the interests of these large landowners and powerful families.

This has led to the fact that the people of the world today have become those aristocratic families that have been passed down for hundreds of years!

In short, the people are the main bearers of taxes and corvée labor.

It is also the core and main body of a country's governance.

So Zheng Xuan's question, seemingly asking what constitutes the people, was actually asking which social class Ji Qiu intended to use as the main force!

The question is: whose interests does his power represent?
Ji Qiu's answer was very clear: the people are the common people at the bottom of society who can provide the country with dragon energy, taxes, and corvée labor.

They are the foundation of the nation, and their power represents their interests.

Zheng Xuan said that there are too many common people at the bottom of society, and the court has difficulty managing them directly. So what should be done?

Ji Qiu suggested that large cities could be built to gather a large number of ordinary people into them, so that the imperial court could bypass the middlemen and govern directly.

Zheng Xuan said that this would require a large amount of resources and food, but where would these resources and food come from?
Ji Qiu said, "I have a solution, so you don't need to worry. There are twelve large cities in Taishan County that have been operating smoothly for a year without any problems."

Zheng Xuan gave Ji Qiu a deep look, then stopped asking the question and instead asked, "I've heard that you are quite harsh on the powerful families under your jurisdiction, and have already eliminated all the powerful families outside the city. But I wonder if you think that powerful families can be completely eradicated?"

"No," Ji Qiu shook his head.

Zheng Xuan asked, "Then why do you act in this way?"

"Although we cannot completely eliminate them, we can limit them. In my lifetime, as long as I can restrict the powerful clans to a certain extent, that will be enough," Ji Qiu said calmly.

Even in modern times, the class of aristocratic families has not been completely eliminated.

It's just a change in form.

Therefore, I never dared to hope to completely escape this social class.

Moreover, objectively speaking, eliminating this class might not necessarily be a good thing.

Because the emergence of this level is essentially rooted in human nature.

If this level is completely eliminated, then humanity is completely eliminated.

It's really hard to say what would happen if humanity lost its humanity.

Therefore, Ji Qiu's goal was never to eliminate the aristocratic families.

He simply wanted to limit this social class to a certain scope.

Just like the mausoleum system of the Former Han Dynasty, it was used to periodically harvest the wealth of powerful families!

(End of this chapter)