ATPnovel Chapter 13 The Embryonic Formation of the Military System of the Tuntianfu
Chapter 13 The Embryonic Formation of the Military System of the Tuntianfu
After Liu Bei took his leave, only Hou Chong, Yan Gang, Zou Dan, and Shan Jing remained in the warm pavilion.
Looking in the direction Liu Bei had left, Shan Jing whispered to Hou Chong, "Your Excellency has good taste."
"Liu Xuande is young, but he is calm and resourceful, neither arrogant nor impetuous. He also has the status of a member of the Han imperial family. His future is limitless."
"With him here, there is hope for the future of western Liaoning."
Yan Gang nodded and said in a deep voice, "This young man understands the practicalities of the frontier, speaks and acts with tact, and is a person who can achieve great things."
"If he needs to train troops to defend against the barbarians in the future, I, Yan Gang, will definitely give him my full support without hesitation."
Zou Dan echoed, "His ideas on barrier layout coincide with my own."
"With his efforts, the border defenses in western Liaoning will surely be improved to a new level. This marriage arrangement with the Prefect was absolutely the right one."
Hou Chong looked at the three of them, sighed slowly, and said frankly, "As you all know, I have been staying in western Liaoning for seven years, but there is only so much I can do."
"I'm afraid we don't have many years left!"
"And you lot, you don't come from high social standing, and in this northern border region, this is pretty much how your lives will be."
"But Xuande is different. He is a member of the Han imperial family, has Mr. Lu Zigan as his backer, and has such abilities. His potential is far greater than just this Liaoxi prefecture."
"Your good relationship with him is not only for my sake and for Liaoxi, but also for your own future."
Upon hearing this, the three bowed in unison: "Your subordinates understand the Lord's good intentions."
They all knew in their hearts that the prefect's words had hit the nail on the head.
The position of prefect with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) is a hurdle!
Given their family background and social standing, their careers in government are already over.
He's not qualified for the rank of prefect!
For Hou Chong to make progress, he must achieve even greater development.
But given Hou Chong's current development and age, it seems he has reached the end of his career!
But Liu Bei was different!
The goodwill they show today, the positive connections they forge, may pave a wider path for them in the future.
However, the officialdom is treacherous, and people's hearts are unpredictable. They will not easily stake their lives on a fifteen-year-old boy. They can only observe his actions first, then determine his mind, and proceed step by step.
Meanwhile, Liu Bei returned to the post station but did not rest.
He sat at his desk and, by the light of the lamp, first wrote a letter to his mother in Zhuojun, informing her of the marriage arrangements.
They then spread out a map and began to work out detailed plans for the relief efforts in Xipingbao, the repair of beacon towers, and the training of local militia.
The next morning, Hou Chong issued an edict in the main hall of the prefectural government:
All matters concerning relief efforts in Liaoxi and along the border forts, repair of beacon towers and fortifications, and training of local militias were to be overseen and coordinated by Liu Bei, the Military Clerk. All officials in the prefecture and county were required to fully cooperate and were not allowed to shirk their responsibilities.
This decree essentially granted Liu Bei the authority to command the entire prefecture.
The news spread, and the entire Liaoxi Prefecture was shaken.
No one expected that this young man, who had only been in western Liaoning for a little over a month, would gain the trust of the governor and become a powerful figure in western Liaoning.
Liu Bei, however, did not flaunt his abilities in the slightest.
He immediately contacted Shan Jing and together they finalized the plan for allocating funds and supplies.
According to Shan Jing's suggestion, half of the money and half of the grain should be allocated first in order to make up for the taxes owed by the prefecture.
But Liu Bei rejected it!
"Brother Shichang, Liaoxi has been in arrears with taxes for quite some time now. The prefecture is in dire straits, as the officials of Youzhou are surely aware of!"
"The autumn harvest is over. If we suddenly make up for the arrears, what will they think?"
"Yes, I think we should pay one-third of the arrears first! The rest can be paid off slowly next year! Right now, Liaoxi is in dire need of money and provisions!"
After a moment's thought, Dan Jinglue realized he had a point, and said in the tunnel, "Haha, you're just causing the Prefect unnecessary trouble!"
"I have no objection, but you'll need to speak to the Prefect himself!"
"nature!"
Subsequently, the two allocated another 30,000 coins to pay back the three months' worth of military pay owed by the county soldiers, thus stabilizing the border troops.
Another 60,000 shi of grain were allocated to provide relief to the people of the eight border forts surrounding Yangle County and other counties.
The remaining 40,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) were reserved as provisions for the border troops and local militia.
Of the remaining money, 70% was allocated to Zou Dan for the construction of beacon towers and fortifications, and the wages of the craftsmen.
Thirty percent was reserved for the training of local militia and the forging of weapons.
The plan was reasonable and justified. It solved the most pressing issue of military pay while also taking into account relief and border defense. After reviewing it, Dan Jing immediately agreed and pledged his full cooperation.
Afterwards, Liu Bei went to the Commandant's Office to discuss the training of local militia with Yan Gang.
In fact, the current border garrison system already has the prototype of the later military system of garrisoning and farming.
The Tang Dynasty's military system was based on the principle of "integration of soldiers and farmers." Farmers cultivated the land during peacetime and went on expeditions during wartime. There was no expense in maintaining the army, and there were soldiers to defend the territory. The old system of the Liaoxi garrison fortresses was exactly the same.
During the farming season, reclamation areas were demarcated around the garrison fort. The villagers and refugees within the fort were allocated land according to their households. The government took the lead in providing seeds and farming tools, and the local militia worked together with the villagers, cultivating the land meticulously to ensure that every grain was harvested.
Of the harvest, in addition to reserving enough food for each household, a portion was paid in proportion and stored in the granary within the fortress as provisions for training local militia and defending the border.
The rest belonged to the people, which not only ensured their basic needs were met but also provided provisions for border defense, achieving two goals at once.
In their spare time, they would organize the able-bodied men in the forts into local militias, using the fort as a unit.
During the daily breaks from farming, they would concentrate on drills, practicing formations, combat, archery, and fort defense. They were taught how to rely on the fort walls to defend against enemies, how to transmit beacon signals, and how to form formations for self-protection. This way, they could hone their combat capabilities without delaying farming.
The local militia's weaponry was partly funded by the prefectural government and partly prepared by the militia themselves. Although they lacked fine armor, they were equipped with basic weapons such as spears, machetes, and bows and arrows, ensuring that they could train in peacetime and use them in wartime.
During wartime, the fortresses served as strong barriers, and all the people were moved into the fortresses to defend themselves. Local militias climbed the city walls to guard the area, relying on the collapsed walls and temporary fortifications to build camps and defend against the attacks of the nomadic cavalry.
At the same time, beacon towers were lit to send warnings to surrounding fortresses and prefectures, awaiting reinforcements.
If they encounter small groups of barbarian cavalry raiding, the local militia can go out of the city to harass and drive them away, without having to rely on the prefectural army for everything.
If it is necessary to wage war against foreign enemies, suppress barbarian cavalry, or support neighboring fortresses, local militias can be drawn from various fortresses, reorganized, and placed under the unified command of prefectural officials, transforming scattered forces into a powerful and capable army.
They can be described as "farmers in peacetime, soldiers in wartime" and "soldiers when gathered, farmers when dispersed".
However, the western border region of Liaoning is now desolate, with all the garrison forts long abandoned, beacon towers crumbling, fort walls collapsed, granaries empty, and young men leaving the region.
Let alone drawing local militia according to the old system for foreign wars, even when the barbarian cavalry attacked, they were not even able to protect themselves!
Now that they had money and provisions, Liu Bei proposed that each fortress must reorganize its local militia, with at least fifty men in each fortress to serve as local militia.
Yan Gang then dispatched instructors from the prefectural army to train them, who were responsible for guarding the beacon towers and protecting the people along the route, and could supplement the prefectural army's combat strength in times of war.
Yan Gang was already worried about the lack of troops in the prefecture, so he immediately agreed and not only sent an instructor, but also allocated a batch of idle weapons and armor.
Everything is progressing smoothly and in an orderly manner.
Liu Bei traveled daily between Yangle City and various forts, personally visiting every household of border residents to check on the distribution of relief grain, seeds, and farming tools, and to instruct the people on how to repair their houses and cultivate their fields.
He also frequently visited the beacon tower repair site to check on the progress of the construction and worked with Zou Dan to optimize the layout of the fortifications.
Occasionally, he would visit the local militia camps to watch Yan Gang train the soldiers and offer his own insights.
Gradually, the desolate plains of Liaoxi County began to show signs of life.
The collapsed fortress wall has been reinforced and now stands tall amidst the wind and sand of northern Xinjiang.
One by one, the damaged beacon towers were repaired, and the police flags on the watchtowers fluttered in the wind.
In the barren fields, the people held plows and harrows, sowing seeds for the coming year, their faces showing long-lost smiles.
Within the village militia camp, shouts of battle echoed, and a defensive force belonging to the people of western Liaoning was slowly taking shape.