Han Ji

Chapter 143 Land Offerings by Powerful Figures

He entered the central command tent. Liu Bei was reading a letter sent by Lu Zhi from Luoyang; the silk was yellowed, but the handwriting was still fresh.

Jian Yong sat down: "Brother, the salt well situation is stable, with a daily output of eighty shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Liu Bei put down the letter: "What about the Mian River canal?"

"Summer irrigation is complete, and all eight villages downstream have benefited. Veteran river worker Zheng San said that this autumn harvest will be at least 30% higher."

"Alright." Liu Bei pushed the letter over. "Take a look."

Jian Yong accepted the letter. It was short and mainly addressed two issues: first, the factional strife in the court was intensifying, with eunuchs and imperial relatives at loggerheads; second, Liu Yan, the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, was actively seeking a post as a governor in a remote prefecture, but was facing considerable resistance.

"Liu Yan..." Jian Yong pondered.

"He wants to be the governor of Yi Province." Liu Bei stood up and walked to the map hanging by the tent. "I'm afraid it won't go smoothly."

"So Liu Yanruo really came..."

"I bet you," Liu Bei turned around, "that he didn't even have a smooth start to his new post."

Jian Yong nodded, then remembered something else: "By the way, Du Xi sent over a scroll of 'Map of Yizhou Prefectures and Counties' the other day, which is even more detailed than the one in the government's collection. He said it was drawn by his family's merchant caravan over the years."

"Where's the picture?"

"Here it is." Jian Yong took out the silk scroll from his bosom.

Liu Bei unfolded the map. It was meticulously drawn, with mountains, rivers, passes, roads, and barbarian tribes all marked. Several hidden paths were not even found in the county government's maps.

He looked for a long time, pointing his finger at several places including Baishui Pass, Jiameng Pass, and Jiange.

"These places need to be thoroughly investigated." He looked up. "Send Qian Zhao with a skilled scout, disguised as a caravan. Don't alert the locals; just gather information on the terrain, the garrison, and the supply lines."

"clear."

"Also," Liu Bei rolled up the map, "send a reply to Lu Shi: Hanzhong is safe and sound, do not worry. Furthermore, ask Lu Shi to keep an eye on Liu Yan's movements; if he is transferred to another region, where is he most likely to go?"

"My brother is worried..."

"It's not worry, it's preparation." Liu Bei locked the map in the iron box. "The world is about to fall into chaos. The more prepared we are, the more chances we have to survive."

In mid-July, a banquet was held at Du Xi's residence.

The guests were powerful local figures, including Wang Chun and Yang Song, as well as several families who had recently donated land. Du Xi hosted the event, and Liu Bei was the guest of honor.

The banquet was held in a waterside pavilion, which was well-ventilated and relatively cool. The dishes were seasonal vegetables, and the wine was homemade rice wine—not extravagant, but exquisite. After a few rounds of drinks, Du Xi rose and raised his glass.

"Gentlemen," he said, looking around at the crowd, "I have invited you all here today for two reasons: first, to build camaraderie, and second, to... discuss a matter."

Everyone put down their cups.

Du Xi continued, "Since Your Excellency took charge of the prefecture, you have reduced rents, reclaimed wasteland, opened trade markets, and settled displaced people. Hanzhong has taken on a completely new look. We have been enjoying the benefits, and it is only right that we do something in return."

He clapped his hands. The butler brought over a wooden box, opened it, and inside was a thick stack of land deeds.

"These are the land properties of my Du family in various counties of Hanzhong, totaling 3,500 mu." Du Xi picked up the land deeds. "Today, I am donating 500 mu to be incorporated into the prefectural government's public land, to be uniformly distributed by the Ministry of Revenue to landless farmers for rent—the rent will be 40% according to the 'Pacifying the People's Decree'."

The room was completely silent.

Wang Chun stared at the stack of land deeds, his expression shifting. Yang Song dropped the chopsticks in his hand.

Du Xi looked at Liu Bei: "My lord, this is not an impulsive act. I have been in business for many years and understand one principle: wealth alone is not lasting, only shared wealth brings stability. Only when the people of Hanzhong are at peace can our business be carried out with confidence."

Liu Bei rose, accepted the land deed, and bowed deeply: "Lord Du is truly righteous. On behalf of the people of Hanzhong, I thank you."

Du Xi returned the greeting and sat down.

The pressure shifted to Wang Chun.

He remained silent for a long time before finally standing up: "Since Lord Du has taken the lead, how can I, Wang, fall behind? My Wang family... will donate eight hundred mu."

"I'll offer eight hundred!"

"I'll pay five hundred!"

Yang Song was the last to stand up, his face somewhat pale: "The Yang family... will donate six hundred mu."

Liu Bei thanked them one by one and instructed Jian Yong to register them on the spot.

When the banquet ended, Du Xi escorted Liu Bei to the gate of his residence.

"My lord," he said in a low voice, "are you satisfied with today's events?"

"Lord Du's intentions are good," Liu Bei said, looking at him. "It's just... a bit pricey."

"It's no expense," Du Xi laughed. "Fields are inanimate, but people are alive. If you, my lord, can revitalize Hanzhong, then we merchants will have a source of vitality."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, this is also a way to protect ourselves. With the world on the verge of chaos, clinging to the governor's ship is better than fighting alone."

Liu Bei didn't say anything, patted him on the shoulder, mounted his horse and left.

On the way back to camp, Jian Yong said, "Du Xi has staked everything on us."

"He sees things clearly." Liu Bei gazed at the night sky. "In chaotic times, money, grain, and land are all meaningless; what matters are soldiers and the hearts of the people. By offering up his land, he is buying our protection."

"What about the other companies..."

"Just following the trend," Liu Bei shook his head. "But following the trend is good. At least for now, the powerful families of Hanzhong are all tied to the same boat."

August is approaching, and the autumn harvest is just around the corner.

Liu Bei ordered each camp to send men to assist the farmers in the harvest. Only half of the soldiers remained in the camps for daily drills, while the rest went to the fields. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Qian Zhao, and Zhang Wu all went, and even the children from the military corps went to help glean the ears of grain.

In the fields, soldiers and farmers mingled together. Some old farmers taught new recruits how to bundle rice, while the new recruits helped the old farmers carry loads. During the midday break, they sat around in the shade of trees, sharing the dry rations and pickled vegetables they had brought.

Liu Bei ordered: A grand review will be held in Nanzheng in five days.

This military parade was conducted without any outsiders, only with members of the military camp and key officials from the prefecture. However, the news still spread like wildfire.

In the "Su Garden", Su Gu simply nodded after hearing the old servant's report.

He was practicing calligraphy, writing the "Jijiuzhang" (a classic text), taking each stroke very seriously.

The old servant asked, "Isn't the prefect going to take a look?"

"What are you looking at?" Su Gu didn't look up. "Watching how they train their troops, how they focus their minds, how they prepare... for the battle for supremacy?"

He finished writing the last stroke, put down his pen, and looked at it.

The characters are steady, but they lack a bit of spirit and energy.

"I'm not going." He waved his hand. "From now on, these things are none of my business."

He walked to the window and looked at the trees in the garden that were beginning to shed their leaves.

On the tenth day of the ninth month, at the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), the sky was still pitch black.

Torches were planted all around the Nanzheng drill ground, crackling and illuminating the thirty-acre area as bright as day. Five thousand soldiers stood in formation, a dense, dark mass covering the entire field. No one spoke; only the soft clinking of armor plates, the occasional snorting of horses, and the crackling of the torches filled the air.

Guan Yu stood on the command platform, clad in black armor and a black robe, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade held upright at his side. His phoenix eyes slowly swept over each formation: the left wing had a thousand cavalrymen, all of them riding Hequ horses, with horn bows and ring-pommel swords hanging beside their saddles; the central army had two thousand infantrymen, their spears like a forest and their shields like a wall; the right wing had eight hundred crossbowmen, their crossbows already strung, the arrowheads gleaming coldly in the firelight; the personal guards had eight hundred men at the rear, fully equipped with swords and shields; and on the flank were three hundred men from Wang Wu's river camp, newly formed auxiliary troops, all wearing leather armor and carrying spears.

Further out, thirty-seven children from the local militia stood tall and proud in their newly issued short brown coats, their eyes wide with surprise. Li Sigou stood at the head of the line, his hands gripping the hem of his coat tightly, his knuckles white.