Chapter 177: Stabilize The Interior First
In the 2nd year of the Tian You Calendar, July, a new Son of Heaven brings new ministers. Xuan Chong began ranking the forces outside Zhenzhou.
Regarding Donghua Commandery, since they submitted the pledge of allegiance, they are direct lineage; Xuan Chong took all of Commander Li Zhao’s more than one thousand troops in the Donghua Commandery main camp under his command, regularized and reorganized them, and incorporated them into the staffing quota.
He also took Li Zhao and his family descendants into his own non-commissioned officer team for necessary training and assessment; at the same time, the more than twenty advisors he recommended were also taken into the government affairs hall for regulation and system retraining.
In some people’s view, Xuan Chong directly intervening in personnel matters under Li Zhao was equivalent to seizing power.
These laymen were those noble families from Changcheng, who enthusiastically speculated over tea and after meals, “Li Zhao must regret pledging allegiance to Wu Xiao Que; when Li Zhao comes to pledge allegiance, we can open the door wide!”
These “virtuous and talented” in Changcheng who enjoyed maidservants and servant girls serving them were already country bumpkins with “short-sightedness” facing Xuan Chong’s new system. They did not understand the operation of Xuan Chong’s ruling machine.
Xuan Chong did not transfer Li Zhao’s people out of Donghua Commandery, which gave Li Zhao a clear signal: he would still be the person in charge in Donghua Commandery in the future, just that its internal system needed to interface with Xuan Chong’s side.
The government special commissioners Xuan Chong sent to Li Zhao were not to seize Li Zhao’s power, but to supervise Li Zhao and his subordinates on how to grasp the power of the entire Donghua Commandery, how to give those good-for-nothings in Changcheng a curtain call.
For Xuan Chong, he would use Donghua Commandery as a springboard in the future to nibble away at Ji Prefecture forces; he still needed these local people in Donghua Commandery to gradually grasp military affairs, government, and local control.
Li Zhao and his subordinates waited in his mansion for the special commissioners sent by Xuan Chong. Subsequently, the special commissioners began interfacing systems with his subordinates.
Xuan Chong’s actions were completely within Li Zhao’s acceptable range! To preserve his efforts in Donghua Commandery, Xuan Chong preserved them for him.
As for his local connections, Xuan Chong did not touch them. As for him and his subordinates’ children, to climb to the high levels in his own circle, positions were also reserved for them on his own merit book.
What did he lose? Some hearts. After all, the people under him in military and civil affairs, after accepting Xuan Chong’s system, would value Xuan Chong’s set of nominal rewards and punishments more! Thus, Li Zhao could no longer have the final say in that large camp on the north bank of the Donghua River.
Of course, even if he had the final say, he could not handle the current mess in Donghua Commandery.
Wu Xiao Que back then made all the magnates in southern Changcheng of Donghua Commandery dare not speak, but Li Zhao himself could not do it now. However, as Wu Fei’s (Xuan Chong’s) direct lineage, with a backer, losing power within his own team was exchanged for issuing orders to Donghua Commandery.
This is the “logic” of heroes coming to pledge allegiance, using the “small rights” of one’s own group to exchange for the “great power” granted by the larger group for external affairs.
Xuan Chong has always followed the “power formula exchange”, so coming to Xuan Chong definitely has profits.
Li Zhao here is a model! It is the template for Xuan Chong handling these vassal lords placed outside by Wu Hanluan.
As Lord, he must divide power with these regional governors placed outside; otherwise, who would follow you without benefits? But in dividing power, they cannot be allowed to be completely independent.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang’s uprising committed this error; the language textbook describes less than half a year with “tens of thousands of armored soldiers, hundreds of war chariots”. Xuan Chong in his student days wanted to know what happened later? Later, nothing.
Xuan Chong: So many troops, even if defeated like sinking stones in water, should have been a famous great campaign.
Xuan Chong thought back then that the textbook was abbreviated, but later knew that Chen Sheng and Wu Guang directly enfeoffed their subordinates, striking in all directions. And those troops he enfeoffed did not obey his orders; finally, when encountering the suppression troops sent by Zhang Han, Chen Sheng could not hold, while those uprising armies he sent out “rationally observed” in their own territories.
Xuan Chong is now beginning to consider how to handle his relationship with the ministers he places outside.
Xuan Chong’s attitude toward these old ministers placed outside by Wu Hanluan in various places: “give resources, retain connections, take care of descendants”.
But ultimately, local finances, appointments of officials at the county system level and above, are all controlled by him.
Some say Li Shimin was suppressed by his father this way; Li Shimin’s control of the Chancellor of the Secretariat could not appoint officials above rank six. But Li Yuan, that old good-for-nothing, none of the senior officials he promoted during the Li family conquering the world were from the grassroots.
During Li Er’s conquering the world, the people promoted from the grassroots actually bore the duty of taking down the world, yet were not employed by Li Yuan.
And now, the progress of the entrepreneurial projects is all in Xuan Chong’s grasp! Xuan Chong personally built a non-commissioned officer corps training system, possessing the unique ability to organize tens of thousands in a large corps.
Regional governors like Li Zhao, even if still retaining grassroots personnel rights in their original territories, could they rely on this personnel right to organize a military force to challenge Xuan Chong’s group? — Anyone can see they cannot, so those with any ability will lean toward Xuan Chong. Even economically, they cannot outlast Xuan Chong’s chamber of commerce system.
Not only is the entrepreneurial project of conquering the world in Xuan Chong’s hands, the team for guarding the enterprise and governing under heaven is also by Xuan Chong’s side.
When Wu Hanluan was still around, the Wu Family was already under Xuan Chong’s management.
The “reproduction” system invested in Lingnan has already led workshops toward factory clustering development; in pottery, bamboo ware, cloth, farming ironware, and even cattle and livestock breeding and aquaculture, cost-crushing advantages over other areas have formed.
Local factions like Li Zhao reincorporating into the Wu Family group, in the power structure, is about the same as those tusi in the southern border for Xuan Chong!
It can even be said that on the military level, Li Zhao lacks more confidence than the southern border tusi.
After all, roads within Da Yao territory are smooth, very suitable for campaigning against the disloyal. And in Donghua Commandery, lord-minister nominal relations are set; if he dares to rebel, Xuan Chong only needs to send one camp of five hundred men to solve him.
If Li Zhao really wants to oppose later, he can only “admonish” and “obstruct” Xuan Chong on the ritual law level.
After all, if southern border tusi are slightly improper in ritual law, Xuan Chong slaps them, making them change heirs, the rest exiled to the south. For Li Zhao’s active submission, Xuan Chong still needs to be reasonable, cannot be said to be harsh and ungrateful. Making the interior “disunited”.
Of course, Xuan Chong is certain that under his interest distribution, Li Zhao will have no “rebellious mind”.
Donghua Commandery’s military power was thus reclaimed; the eight hundred most combat-capable troops, with the cooperation of general Li Zhao, fully learned the commands in Xuan Chong’s “infantry drill manual”.
After Li Zhao took the lead, it was the peak period of various southern factions coming to pledge allegiance mutually; Xuan Chong organized the list, clarified both sides’ interest relations, then established regulations to ensure lord and ministers have linked interest chains.
After Xuan Chong was busy for a while, he turned his gaze to the inner residence. The one by his side was no pushover either.
…The family was busy reshaping Wu Hanluan’s golden body in the temple.…
On the fifteenth of July, Wu Yang Shi became the enshrined Empress of Lelang Commandery. The image holding the lotus lamp was enshrined in every household. People on both banks of Chong Shui released blessing lotus lamps, stretching for dozens of li.
Note: Yao San Niang from then on took the surname Yang, this Yang surname was decided by Xuan Chong; “Yao” is not a major surname in Da Yao, while Yang is a major surname. This is making her the proper wife.
In Lelang Commandery temple fair, the incense and fire of the people’s enshrinement peaked, even forming a several thousand zhang high lotus lamp illusion over the entire Chong Shui.
Countless spiritual birds flew in, landing on the giant lotus stamen. Torrential faith wish power suddenly pressed down on this land like a weight. She has already occupied the divine position of Chong Shui water god. The original Chong Shui water god, when still a cultivator eight hundred years ago, was dao companions with some sect leader of the former Linjian Sect, had problematic background, thus was removed from the temple.
The various sects already backlashed by Evil Moon power seeing this scene fell silent; although they realized their previous sealing of mountains and rivers was reaping what they sowed, they had no intention of admitting fault.
These months, they sent disciples down the mountain to various villages to perform rituals, dispel disasters and pray for blessings. Trying to make the people believe the sects were still benevolent through the rituals.
The sects’ little schemes now were under the flag of “mountains and rivers disasters will affect Chong Land people”, dragging the people to share the calamity.
During this time, those sects sealing Chong Land also favored the rich over the poor, constantly recruiting ordinary disciples from Chong Land. Often hundreds or thousands introduced to the sect gate, starting as misc workers, only after the assessment five years later determining if they can cultivate immortality.
The sects’ these methods and intentions made the high-altitude blue moonlight flourish a bit more.
But Yang Sanniang is now the virtuous helper, cannot tolerate these sects causing trouble; at this time she mobilized wish power magic, everywhere giving dreams to village spirit mediums, pushing all the infamy and suffering entirely onto the surrounding sects.
Chong Land people did not buy into these sect disciples’ account, all participating in the welcoming god temple fair, shutting out the disciples sent by each sect.
The immortal families previously high in the clouds, and the prefects originally wanting to carve up Chong Land with white jade blade, summoning Sitian Cheng, after seeing this “human realm auspicious qi” gathered by the lotus lamps, respectively felt local earth dragons tumbling in the area, vaguely sensing something wrong.
Thus, in Heluo various prefectures. A Sitian Cheng famous throughout half the under heaven pointed out the predicaments of each sect and the families around Chong Shui. Some days ago, Evil Moon disaster greatly flourished, demon disaster has reached the human realm, already opening its great maw to drag one prefecture into the demon domain. Lelang City unwilling to sacrifice itself, then the immortal sect hosting this great sacrifice would be backlashed.
Heluo great scholars and famous scholars upon hearing this, all stated: sects indeed wrong, but Zhenzhou now completely shirking onto neighbors is not right.
Obviously, when Evil Moon devouring mountains and rivers is inevitable, the great scholars’ butts sit locally. But these great scholars do not know that such selfish desires precisely make Evil Moon find it more delicious.
If in the current exorcism, some places must sacrifice, then the great scholars in Heluo region all feel “Lelang City’s sacrifice priority” should rank above those spiritual mountains at their doorsteps.
So on July 20th, some Confucian scholars submitted petitions to the Da Yao imperial court, characterizing Yang Sanniang’s blessing activities in Chong Shui as: licentious sacrifices!
So in August, when Xuan Chong was preparing to have Da Yao enfeoff Yang Sanniang as proper wife, then establish Wu Lu as his heir, the Yao Dynasty side gave a disallowance!
Regarding the heir, Xuan Chong defaults Wu Lu must be the heir; in terms of status, he is simultaneously defaulted by the southern border faction, and is the eldest son.
Xuan Chong received the imperial decree from the imperial court, shook his head and said: Since Da Yao does not allow, then put it aside for now.
…Emperor Ling’s indulgence, Xuan Chong felt he did not have many years left…
Xuan Chong entered the courtyard and met with Wu Yang Shi; nominally they are husband and wife, but actually after Wu Lu was born, the relationship stopped.
Xuan Chong once hinted at “having another one”, but the two sides differed on how to have it.
Xuan Chong’s suggestion was “how about I leak Vermilion Bird essence again”; Yang Sanniang firmly opposed. Yang Sanniang: “For you it’s just leaking a bit of fire energy, but for me it’s burning half my life.”
So Sanniang at this time with a dignified face like white jade, legs leisurely placed, willing to serve in another way; but upholding eugenics spirit, Xuan Chong said: “our child-rearing concepts do not match”.
The spirit of Xuan Chong’s previous life era: either don’t have children, if have, have the best! Much more convenient for future child-rearing education. Xuan Chong wanted the system to endorse him.
Speaking of which, Xuan Chong still had reservations about Yang Sanniang.
Xuan Chong had a number about himself: he an ordinary person, although looks passable, but not Pan An in appearance; holding important military power, worth those sects for spreading the dao coming down to support, but absolutely not worth a cultivator willingly severing their dao base to assist. Sanniang originally an immortal sect fairy now entering the game in person, what exactly is she after?
“Such wholehearted love, I don’t believe, nor feel at ease!” Xuan Chong was vigilant about this. — Various idol dramas in previous life describing beautiful love, that is what the most beautiful and purest people possess.
Xuan Chong felt he should not even think about it! — Fairy tales are always for princes and princesses.
Xuan Chong’s such view caused rapid shock inside the system, lines of small text flashing quickly, but due to not passing review, Xuan Chong’s view could not see.
Now in the room discussing other matters, Xuan Chong said to Yang Sanniang: “Is the faith propagation activity in Zhenzhou now necessary?”
Sanniang looking at Xuan Chong’s obviously overly cautious probing expression, showed a stiff smile, then nodded: “Blessings are necessary, need people’s wish power to ignite.”
Xuan Chong glanced at her, for these strange supernatural things now half-believing half-doubting, but gave her a reminder: “But the imperial court has already named it, this matter has bad influence, you as my inner residence person, doing this monk ritual, inappropriate.”
Sanniang nodded, but did not promise to let go.
Xuan Chong: “Next few months, I am going on a business trip to southern border, when I return, can settle karma with the immortal sects, do you have any needs.”
Sanniang took out the lotus lamp and said: “In southern border, you already have much incense and fire enshrinement, and your body’s Vermilion Bird Fire is a divine object, just need to leave some blood, as oil for the lamp, light the flame in the city to suppress all evils.”
Xuan Chong: “How long can the lamp burn?”
Xuan Chong knew now the surrounding sects, even prefects’ hostility, at that time those cultivators and Demon Suppressing Division would, taking advantage of his absence, use metaphysics to cause trouble, Sanniang is in danger.
Sanniang thought a bit, opened: “One or two blood can burn one month.”
Xuan Chong looking at Sanniang, knew she was asking for more out of thin air, but did not expose: “Then I offer two taels.” — Thoroughly blocking her reason to go to city god there to do any rituals.
Sanniang slightly paused, heart involuntarily warmed, silently thought in heart: “He cares about me”.
But then Sanniang denied in heart: “He is rational, not because of any affection, wants to protect me.” But even knowing Xuan Chong is pure rational decision, her heart could not help deer bumping chest.
Xuan Chong stood up and looked outside, filth qi over the city already faded much; after a downpour washing, already flowing out the city along stone ditches on both sides of streets. Slowly said: “Heard southern border has blood dyeing mountains red.”
Sanniang slightly startled, suddenly understood, it was a transaction; suddenly she felt the barrier, heart suppressed and uncomfortable.
Yang Sanniang said: “Husband, that rust-stained mountain range in the south I mentioned before. But this mountain is dangerous.”
Xuan Chong turned head: “No need to exaggerate, I went to see, roughly understand that layout, that day you suggested to me, now do you have more specific intelligence?
Yang Sanniang slightly startled, she faltered: “Back then, was back then. Now—”
Yang Sanniang back then still had a game human world mentality, but after giving birth to Wu Lu, mentality changed; she did not want Xuan Chong to go get that fierce weapon. Also did not hope Xuan Chong to settle old accounts with her.
Xuan Chong at this time understood the homework problem, northern contest done, next is southern expedition; such that the final key exam is to fight up along the collapse point where Evil Moon fell. So “teaching aid” Yang Sanniang’s provided information elements must be one of the “conditions” for finally completing homework, must go touch.
Under Xuan Chong’s gaze pressing, Yang Sanniang unwillingly said the intelligence she knew, and emphasized: Chi You Soldiers, ultimately erode user’s emotions, turning person into emotionless iron man.
Xuan Chong nodded to this, “Before sixty, I will solve everything and let go. Will not leave any trouble for descendants.”
Then Xuan Chong looking at Yang Sanniang leisurely said the most immoral words: “You best also settle worldly ties after my sixty. Resume your immortal cultivation, do not linger in human world, otherwise I will make you give birth and follow in death.”
Yang Sanniang hearing this, did not sever ties, immediately act as strangers, but with dazed eyes said: “Born together in forest, die together in cave? Husband this is pledging to me!”
Xuan Chong paused without answering. However Yang Sanniang’s smile became more charming a bit.
Xuan Chong obviously made an error, using “birth follow in death” to threaten a silly girl ok, but to threaten a smart woman is wrong!
Yang Sanniang very clear, petty Wu Xiao Que really wants to settle accounts with someone, all hold it in slyly, will not reveal at all. While openly using “birth follow in death” to warn her, actually heart has a bit reluctance to her. — Thus, guessing Xuan Chong has this layer of mind, she quite happy.
While Xuan Chong with stern face, avoiding talk, indeed was spot on; he indeed treated Yang Sanniang as teaching aid. But! Xuan Chong stubborn mouth: my heart still hard as iron.
Xuan Chong does not like randomly changing things, like used bamboo tube water cups and such implements, because time long, unwilling to discard destroy, even if others send golden goblet.
…System small text…
A formula girls before 23rd century did not care about, simple boys are precisely affectionate, while luxurious wasteful ones are scumbags.
What is “affection”? Affection is attachment to accompanying things.
When a man has no attachment to things around, use and discard, seemingly treating money as dirt, but why would he fall in love at first sight with some woman, loyal unto death?
What? After 23rd century? Boys without need to save wife capital, basically no concept of simplicity.
History teacher heartbroken: They in vast deep sea space residences, with high-fidelity AI girlfriends forming harems, that really is extravagant to extreme!
Although AI girlfriend harems in future also mom would beat, but deep sea brothers all help hide, just like two centuries ago, porn friends would not use this handle to tell parents.
