I Can Control My Ancestors-Chapter 225 - 17: Gu Chen Governs the Realm, Liu Bei Meets Zhuge Again (Part 2)
Only by thoroughly stabilizing the people’s hearts.
Gu Chen successively summoned Gu Wei and Xun Yu to Luoyang, and after several days of discussion, thoroughly settled the internal affairs.
He implemented several schemes.
——First and foremost, to implement the Tun Tian system.
In the land of Sii Province, civilian garrison farming is conducted, distributing the lands of the withdrawn aristocratic families to the commoners and displaced people, tax-free for the first year, and a six-to-four split between government and people in the second year.
As for the border areas like Liangzhou State, military garrison farming is conducted.
Combining soldiers and displaced people, opening up land for farming.
A tax rate of seven parts to the government and three parts to the people, promising that the land will always belong to the pioneers, issuing "Red Seal Land Vouchers", allowing inheritance and prohibiting annexation by the powerful families.
A three-color token system is implemented for the displaced people.
"Green token" represents local farmers;
"Yellow token" represents newly affiliated displaced people;
"Red token" represents those awaiting settlement;
Matching facilities are established along the way, allowing those who come to receive different supplies based on the token;
And the displaced people are registered by profession, such as blacksmith, carpenter, doctor, etc.
Salaries are given based on their different skills.
Especially blacksmiths.
Those with extraordinary skills receive not only salaries but also have chances to obtain land.
Moreover, granaries are established in places like Chang’an and Jinyang.
These grains, of course, are contributed by the extinguished families of Bingzhou State.
In fact, this series of policies would absolutely have caused dissatisfaction among the aristocratic families in the past, and they might have even allied with Cao Cao.
But now it’s completely different.
Gu Chen only eliminated those family clans seeking contact with Cao Cao.
This fundamentally sets them apart.
And most crucially, it’s about rectifying the governance in various places.
This is the specialty of the Gu Clan members.
Gu Chen established a special department to oversee this matter.
As for the Barbarians in Liangzhou State.
Gu Chen also has a special policy.
It is using the Gu Clan’s prestige among the Barbarians to break the deadlock between the two sides, open commerce, and collect commercial taxes.
Gu Yi was dumbfounded by all these means.
He couldn’t help it, Gu Chen had been too exaggerated in his display.
Unfortunately, Gu Chen’s attributes still remain question marks.
The precise values cannot be determined.
But based on Gu Chen’s performance thus far, Gu Yi could confirm that Gu Chen’s current overall attributes absolutely exceed ninety points.
This is a very exaggerated figure.
One could say.... it’s as if all the advantages of the Gu Clan members from Gu Kang’s generation to Gu Xi are combined.
Gu Yi wished he could directly go all-in and draw more "Wall-breaking Cards".
If every member of the Gu Clan had this capability.
What would he need to worry about?
But after thinking it over, Gu Yi calmed down.
The emergence of Gu Chen is due to a convergence of the right time, place, and people.
It’s not just Gu Xi’s education of the clan’s youth, but also the changing times, and Gu Chen’s own character.
Even if more wall-breaking cards were drawn, it’s probably difficult to cultivate another individual like Gu Chen.
The environment might be artificially created.
But Gu Chen’s character of refusing to accept defeat or fate cannot be interfered with by human effort.
....
While Gu Chen is constantly developing, Cao Cao on the other side is not idle either.
Tao Qian was indeed a bit too timid.
Although he participated in the battle, he handed over the entirety of Yu and Yang Provinces to Cao Cao.
This move, in the eyes of those with aspirations, is undoubtedly a very foolish action.
After all, if Cao Cao occupies Yu and Yang Provinces, it can be said that he essentially surrounds Xuzhou State.
But Tao Qian doesn’t think so, he simply seeks stability.
He doesn’t want to give Cao Cao a reason to attack him.
And indeed, things didn’t deviate from his expectations, Cao Cao indeed did not attack him.
It’s not that he can’t.
But there’s simply no need.
Tao Qian’s attitude has made the entire Chuzhou aristocracy begin to incline toward Cao Cao.
Those who leaned towards the Han Dynasty have long since left Xuzhou.
The entire Xuzhou, while nominally still in Tao Qian’s hands, has in reality been completely under Cao Cao’s control.
As long as Cao Cao wishes,
Xuzhou could change hands in an instant.
Under such circumstances, why would he need to dispatch troops again?
Now gazing across the entire land, the only person that truly concerns Cao Cao is Gu Chen alone.
Because of this, he even accepted Lu Bu’s allegiance.
No, it shouldn’t be called acceptance.
It’s exploitation.
He stationed Lu Bu in Wei Commandery, without granting him any real power, providing only limited grain and fodder, clearly intending to use Lu Bu against Gu Chen.
Cao Cao does not intend to go to war with Gu Chen now.
He also needs to pacify all sides.
Whether it is Qing Province or Yu and Yang Provinces.
He needs to completely settle the hearts of people in these four regions.
Yet, Cao Cao has shown his attitude.
In Jian’an fourth year, February;
Cao Cao finally assumed the position of "Grand Tutor", formally stepping onto the peak of nominal power.
...
The two most powerful warlords in the world today have not gone to war, instead each managing their own territories.
This indeed has had some impact on the trend of the whole world.
The world that has been in chaos for many years, surprisingly, at this moment, seems to have a taste of stability.
But how could the wars on all sides completely stop?
——Sun Ce has risen!
This was beyond everyone’s expectations; he, with just a few hundred men and horses, successively attacked and conquered lands in Jiangdong, capturing the entire Jiangdong in a short time.
People call him the "Little Conqueror of Jiangdong".
This event even attracted Gu Chen’s attention.
Because between him and Sun Ce, they can be called absolute arch-enemies.
After all, Sun Jian died at his hands.
Yet, Gu Chen didn’t pay much heed to it; now he has already developed the ambition to dominate the world, little Sun Ce is not enough to warrant his excessive attention.
Jingzhou State, Xinye.
Unlike Tao Qian, Liu Biao accepted Liu Bei.
In fact, Liu Bei’s current strength is truly not weak.
With two thousand battle-hardened troops and mighty generals like Guan, Zhang, Zhao under his command.
Liu Bei is only lacking a foundation, a base of his own; relying on others to provide grain to stabilize his army.
Now, although under Liu Biao’s command with Liu Biao’s support.
Liu Bei is still anxious daily.
The Jingzhou aristocracy far exceeds his expectations, he can sense Liu Biao’s inadequate control over Jingzhou.
And most crucially——
With the current world situation, he can’t think of a way to break through.
He hasn’t dismissed the idea of allying with Gu Chen.
But Liu Bei’s attitude towards Gu Chen is truly complex.
He can’t understand what Gu Chen ultimately wants to accomplish.
Additionally, he harbors some resentment towards Gu Chen for killing Empress Dowager He.
This is an entirely unavoidable issue.
Although Liu Bei doesn’t like the Emperors Huan and Ling, he has to acknowledge their status as Emperors.
And similarly for Empress Dowager He.
To him, no matter how mistaken Empress Dowager He was, she was still the Empress Dowager of the Great Han and shouldn’t have died by Gu Chen’s hand.
This is the limitation of the era.
No matter how extraordinary Liu Bei is, the "loyalty to the Emperor and serving the country" thought always shackles him.
Gu Chen, with a mind as solid as steel and capable of quick retribution, is ultimately the only variable of this era.
This is also the reason why Liu Bei has not visited Gu Chen.
At this moment, he stands on the city wall.
Feeling the gentle breeze, his eyes fixed tightly in the direction of Luoyang, his expression particularly complex.
"Big brother."
At this time, Zhang Fei’s shout suddenly rang out.
Liu Bei turned his head, only to see Zhang Fei hurriedly running onto the city wall, saying, "Mr. Kongming has returned."
"Kongming has returned?"
Upon hearing these words, Liu Bei immediately became spirited and urgently said, "Quick! Prepare the horse quickly and accompany me to meet Mr. Kongming."
He’s always remembered Zhuge Liang.
The words Zhuge Liang spoke in Julu have now all come to pass.
This made Liu Bei feel all the more that Zhuge Liang was extraordinary.
Since coming to Jingzhou State, he has gone to look for Zhuge Liang, but did not see him.
Now hearing of Zhuge Liang’s return, how can he not be excited?
"Already prepared," Zhang Fei laughed heartily.
Ever since the incident in Qing Province, Zhang Fei seemed like a changed person.
Seldom drinking, always hoping to storm into Xuchang and personally slaughter Cao Cao and Cao Chun to honor Gu Tao.
Liu Bei attached great importance to this meeting with Zhuge Liang.
He took trusted followers like Guan, Zhang, Zhao with him, then spurred his horse, leaving Xinye, heading straight for Nanyang. ...
....
Ps: Begging for monthly votes!
