xymnovel Chapter 40: The Formation of the Gengshi Camp and the Prodigy Tian Feng
Chapter 40: The Formation of the Gengshi Camp and the Prodigy Tian Feng
A few days later, the results of the examination and selection of the surrendered soldiers were presented to Liu for record-keeping.
According to the "Military Training Order" set by Liu Bei, there are three examination items.
Those who can ride a horse and shoot arrows, and can draw a bow with either hand, are selected as the best.
Those who can draw a two-stone strong bow and crossbow and hit the target six or more times out of ten arrows will be selected.
Those who can carry a hundred pounds and walk fifty miles without falling are selected for the lower category.
After days of rigorous selection, Liu Bei recruited a thousand brave and strong men from among his dozen or so generals and officers.
These thousand men were all former Yellow Turban warriors, each one fierce and daring, with extraordinary strength.
Among them was a group of elite soldiers who had fought fiercely against the Jingse Iron Cavalry under Zhang Liang's command. They were given a separate piece of music, called the "Dare to Die Song".
These thousand people were collectively organized into the "Gengshi Camp," meaning "to cleanse the old and bring about a new beginning."
Those who joined the Gengshi Camp received a monthly salary twice that of ordinary infantrymen, and were provided with two crimson battle robes, one suit of heavy armor, one ring-pommel sword, and one long spear. In addition, depending on the unit, they were provided with strong bows and crossbows of varying strengths.
Military drills were conducted every five days and a review every ten days. Military law followed the Han system, and the old Yellow Turban names were no longer permitted, nor were rituals involving talismans and water used.
If any of the surrendered soldiers were literate, several dozen were selected to be specifically responsible for teaching Han law and military law.
Just as Liu Bei finished selecting and training his elite troops, Tian Yu rushed in to report: "My lord, General Lu has led his army to conquer Guangzong and confirmed that the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao is not in the city! Zhang Liang is being escorted to Luoyang in a prison cart."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was greatly encouraged, and Lu Shi successfully captured Guangzong!
History indeed took a different turn!
He immediately led more than ten riders to Guangzong to offer his congratulations.
He arrived just as the prison cart was setting off.
Outside Guangzong City, red flags fluttered, and thousands of Han soldiers stood in formation like a forest, leaving a passageway in the middle.
The prison cart moved slowly through the passageway. Zhang Liang was imprisoned in the cart, shackled and chained, his hair disheveled. The imposing demeanor of the former General was gone, leaving only a dejected and withered figure.
With each jolt of the cage cart, the iron shackles clanged, their sound particularly jarring in the silent army formation.
Lu Zhi led dozens of generals to stand by the roadside outside the city, watching the prison cart disappear into the distance.
Beside him was Zong Yuan, the Protector of the Wuhuan, and behind him were the Northern Army generals and officers, including the Yueqi Colonel and the Tunqi Colonel, all clad in bright armor and brimming with vigor.
After months of arduous fighting, the royal army has repeatedly defeated Zhang Jiao's main force, captured Guangzong, and taken the general Ren Gong prisoner. It is now only one step away from victory!
Lu Zhi, with his hands behind his back, watched the prison cart gradually disappear at the end of the official road. He turned to Liu Bei, who was standing beside him, and sighed, "What a pity. I originally intended to take advantage of the situation and capture Guangzong in one fell swoop, imprison Zhang Jiao and send him to Luoyang, thus ending the Yellow Turban Rebellion. But I never expected that Zhang Jiao would not be in the city. Now I can only temporarily send Zhang Liang to Luoyang to appease Your Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei cupped his hands to Lu Zhi and said, "My lord has already destroyed the enemy's lair and captured their leader. Although Zhang Jiao has temporarily escaped, the overall situation is hopeless, and his days are numbered."
After saying this, Liu Bei took one last look in the direction the prison cart had disappeared.
Historically, Lu Zhi was the one who was escorted across this road in a cage.
At that time, he besieged Guangzong for a long time without success. The eunuch Zuo Feng, after failing to extort bribes, returned to the capital and made false accusations. The emperor was furious and issued an edict to summon Lu Zhi back to Luoyang in a prison cart.
But now, sitting in the cage is Zhang Liang.
The prison cart rumbled, the iron shackles clanged, and everything seemed to be turned upside down—the mentor was in high spirits, winning battle after battle; while Zhang Liang was at his wit's end, about to face the emperor's thunderous wrath.
This general, who rose up in rebellion a few months ago, was full of vigor and ambition. He probably never imagined that in just a few months, he would become a prisoner of the Han army, imprisoned in a cage and escorted to Luoyang.
What awaited him was not the heavens, but the wrath of the Han emperor—treason, according to the Han law, was punishable by being cut in half at the waist and executed in the marketplace.
Lu Zhi, unaware of Liu Bei's thoughts, only noticed the melancholy on his face and smiled, "Xuande, are you worried about the surrendered soldiers?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei clasped his hands and sighed deeply, saying, "My esteemed teacher, I now realize that saving a person is easy, but saving a life is difficult."
The reason he sighed like this was because he had almost turned gray prematurely from worry these past few days.
Now, he has a deeper understanding of the importance of logistics.
Previously, he had only a few hundred or a thousand men under his command, and with the support of Zhang Shiping and Zhuojun, he was quite secure.
But when the number exceeds ten thousand, the situation changes drastically.
Of these 60,000 surrendered soldiers, he could at most select a few thousand elite troops from them, and the Gengshi camp could only be expanded to a maximum of three thousand men.
The remaining 50,000 people, with food for both humans and horses, consumed astronomical amounts of grain every day.
The Han soldiers stationed there consumed 1.5 shi of grain per month. These surrendered soldiers could not be compared to the elite border troops. Even if they were ten times as good as one, the 60,000 surrendered soldiers would still consume more than 9,000 shi of grain per month and more than 100,000 shi of grain per year.
Jizhou suffered a major plague last year and is in great turmoil this year. The prefectures and counties are starving, so where can they possibly come up with 100,000 shi of grain?
Besides, even if there were 100,000 shi of grain, why would they use it to feed a group of Yellow Turban rebels?
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi stroked his beard and laughed heartily. His disciple possessed a kind heart, lofty ambitions, and brilliant strategies; he was truly a man of exceptional talent.
Encountering a minor setback today is actually a good thing.
This would allow him to personally observe the difficulties of practical matters and understand the challenges of governing the people.
Only through this process of refinement and tempering can one shed all roughness and become a pillar of society.
However, as Liu Bei's mentor, he only wanted to refine Liu Bei a little. Too much of a good thing would be bad, and he didn't want his prized disciple to lose heart and his noble aspirations.
Then he looked at Liu Bei with admiration and said, "Xuande, you have great ambitions and a benevolent heart. You wish to provide your tens of thousands of troops with the resources for survival and the means to ensure your stability. How could I, your teacher, not lend you a helping hand?"
"Guangzong City has stored over 60,000 shi of grain, which Zhang Jiao had accumulated over the years as provisions for his lair. Now that we have breached the city, this grain will all belong to the royal army."
"I will allocate 20,000 shi of grain as a means to settle the surrendered soldiers. With these 20,000 shi of grain in hand, you will have the resources to handle things at your own pace and will not be troubled by temporary food shortages."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and the immense pressure weighing on his mind seemed to lessen considerably.
Twenty thousand shi of grain and fodder would be enough to sustain the lives of sixty thousand surrendered soldiers for more than two months.
This is thanks to my mentor's guidance; otherwise, if he had insisted on keeping the surrendered soldiers, he would not only have been unsuccessful but also guilty.
If the commander had been different, it would have been a stroke of luck if the provisions hadn't been withheld, let alone the allocation of supplies.
He quickly cupped his hands in thanks.
Lu Zhi waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for further formalities, and continued, "However, the stored grain is ultimately finite. If we simply eat up our reserves, it will only be enough to sustain the 50,000 surrendered soldiers for a few months. If we cannot feed ourselves, we will still face a dead end when the grain runs out. Does Xuande have a long-term plan?"
After a moment's thought, Liu Bei frankly said, "I have an immature idea, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to accomplish anything by relying on myself alone."
Lu Zhi also knew that it was absolutely impossible for Liu Bei, a mere assistant military officer, to properly settle 60,000 surrendered soldiers.
He waved his hand and said, "Come with me into the city, and I will explain in detail."
After returning to the county temple, Lu Zhi had someone do a little cleaning and then sat down opposite Liu Bei.
Liu Bei straightened his clothes, sat up straight, and began to explain his recent thoughts: "Master, in addition to taking stock of the surrendered soldiers, I also inspected the countryside outside Guangzong City. What I saw was desolate fields, no trace of paths, villages reduced to ashes, and people either died in the war or fled into the mountains and forests, leaving nine out of ten houses empty."
"Julu was originally the granary of Jizhou, with the Zhang River running through it. The soil was fertile and irrigation was convenient. Now it is a desolate place, with abandoned fields everywhere that no one cultivates."
"Therefore, I believe that the most important thing this time is to distribute land. If we can gather these unclaimed wastelands and give them to surrendered soldiers and refugees so that they can cultivate and support themselves, we can not only solve the current food shortage, but also reassure the people and consolidate the local area."
"This also reflects the meaning of the Zhou Li’s statement that ‘the land should be distinguished into five kinds and nine grades by the method of equal distribution of soil, and the land tax of the world should be levied accordingly’—the land should not be left barren for long, and the people should not suffer from hunger for long. If this is implemented, after the autumn harvest, there will be no worry about food and fodder, and these surrendered soldiers will no longer be a burden on the court, but rather the people of Julu.”
"What does my mentor think?"
Land cannot be left barren for long, nor can people suffer from hunger for long.
What Liu Bei thought was a common sense throughout history.
Any normal dynasty, at this time—with many powerful families in Julu being destroyed and vast tracts of land in the prefectures and counties lying fallow—should have recruited refugees and granted them land to cultivate.
This is nothing more than the usual method of governance used by upright officials.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "Xuande, I'm afraid this matter is difficult to implement. We need to discuss it further."
Liu Bei was taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "May I ask, my esteemed teacher, what is the difficulty? Julu is the stronghold of the Yellow Turbans, and the powerful clans suffered the most. Zhang Jiao rose up here, attacking cities and counties, killing officials, and many of the powerful clans and fortified villages in Julu County were destroyed, with less than one in ten remaining."
"Those once powerful clans, with their vast tracts of land, have either been wiped out or fled to other places, their fields now abandoned and unclaimed. If there was any obstruction from powerful families—now even those who obstructed are gone, aren't these fields ready-made land grants?"
Lu Zhi slowly shook his head: "Xuande, you take this matter too lightly. Although the powerful clans have been ravaged, they have not been completely eradicated."
"Which of those powerful clans didn't have hundreds or thousands of members? Could they all be wiped out when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out? There must have been survivors who fled into the deep mountains or sought refuge with relatives in other prefectures."
"Once the royal army has quelled the rebellion, these people will return to their homeland, holding their land deeds and demanding the return of their fields and houses. How can you arbitrarily grant their land to displaced people and surrendered soldiers?"
Moreover, as a great Confucian scholar of his time, he was not known for his philosophical discussions, but rather for his focus on practical matters. He had served as the prefect of Jiujiang and Lujiang, and was very familiar with the greed, cruelty, and ruthlessness of powerful and influential people.
"Even assuming some powerful clans have been wiped out and their lands have become unclaimed—do you think these lands can be easily distributed to displaced people?"
"Whenever there is a major disaster or chaos, it is always a time for powerful clans to annex each other. Those surviving powerful clans have long been eyeing these unclaimed fields, waiting to take them over."
"If you, a mere Assistant Military Advisor, rashly distribute these fertile fields to the surrendered soldiers, you will be taking away their food. At that time, the powerful clans will rise up and attack. Not to mention you, a mere Assistant Military Advisor, even I, your master, a General of the Northern Army, may not be able to defend you."
At this point, Lu Zhi sighed deeply and said, "Dealing with surrendered soldiers has always been difficult. Xuande, you must think carefully."
What Lu Zhi said can be summarized in simple terms: all that hard-earned silver was being distributed to the poor like that? Isn't that a sin?
If Liu Bei, with his mere position of Assistant Military Advisor, were to do this, it would be tantamount to cutting off someone's livelihood, akin to killing one's father and mother!
Granting land or equalizing land distribution is not impossible, after all, there are many examples in history books, from national policies of a dynasty to capable ministers and officials, all of which have been successfully implemented.
However, it is absolutely impossible for a mere junior military officer like him to carry out this task.
Liu Bei also sighed deeply, perhaps he had indeed underestimated the deep-rooted influence of the powerful clans of today.
He only saw successful examples in history books, but it was much more difficult to put them into practice himself.
He could only bid farewell to his mentor and then ponder a solution.
He had just stepped out of the county temple when a figure rushed towards him. It was Lu Shao, returning just in time, his face covered in dust, but his eyes were full of excitement.
Then he grabbed Liu Bei's arm and said with great emotion, "Xuande, I've only been away for a few days, searching for talented people for you, and you've already accomplished such a monumental feat! You personally captured Zhang Liang, decisively defeated the Yellow Turbans at the Zhang River, and your achievements surpass all other armies! When I heard the news on my way, I was both surprised and delighted, wishing I could sprout wings and fly back to drink a celebratory cup with you!"
Liu Bei then came to his senses, smiled, and cupped his hands, saying, "Brother Zicheng, you've had a long and arduous journey. It was only by relying on our master's reputation that we were able to succeed."
He paused, his gaze passing over Lu Shao's shoulder and landing on the man behind him. "Brother Zicheng, did your trip go smoothly?"
Lu Shao understood and stepped aside, revealing the scholar behind him.
This man was dressed in a dark black robe and wore a scholar's cap. He was seven feet eight inches tall, with an elegant demeanor and natural grace. He could be described as having the bearing of a dragon and the appearance of a phoenix.
"I have accomplished my mission," Lu Shao said with a smile. "This is Tian Feng, also known as Tian Yuanhao, a renowned scholar from Julu. I have traveled hundreds of miles to finally bring you here."
Liu Bei was overjoyed.
Tian Feng, courtesy name Yuanhao, was a renowned scholar from Julu. He was exceptionally talented, possessed extraordinary strategic skills, was well-read and knowledgeable, and was highly respected in the region.
Historically, he first served Han Fu and later joined Yuan Shao, and was one of the top strategists in Ji Province.
On the eve of the Battle of Guandu, he strongly advised Yuan Shao not to engage in a decisive battle with Cao Cao, but Yuan Shao did not listen and imprisoned him. After Yuan Shao's great defeat, the soldiers in the army all sighed and lamented, "If Tian Feng had been here, things wouldn't have turned out this way."
This renowned scholar was successfully recruited by Lu Zhi, Liu Bei's mentor, to assist the royal army in conquering the enemy.
He dared not delay, and quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in front of his forehead, and bowed deeply to the ground: "Mr. Tian Yuanhao, your name is renowned far and wide. I have long admired you, and to meet you today is truly an honor!"
Tian Feng returned the greeting with a bow, his voice steady and neither humble nor arrogant: "I have long heard of Liu Bei's awe-inspiring reputation in Youzhou, his humility in treating scholars, and his divine military prowess. Meeting him today, I see that he truly possesses the bearing of a hero, living up to his reputation. I am but a humble commoner, and I have been recommended by you and summoned here by the General of the Central Army. I dare not fail to serve you with utmost loyalty."
Liu Bei straightened up, took Tian Feng's hand, and praised him, "I am but a commoner who has achieved some minor merit by chance. How dare I call myself a hero? It is you, sir, who are of exceptional talent, have extraordinary strategies, and are renowned throughout the region. You are truly a peerless national hero."
"Although I have great ambitions, I am lacking in talent and learning, and I always fear that I am not up to the task. Now, with your help, sir, I am like a fish in water, or a tiger with wings."
His courteous manner pleased Tian Feng greatly.
In fact, Tian Feng had long heard of Liu Bei's name and greatly admired him. The two shared similar aspirations, both taking it upon themselves to save the people from the crisis.
When he heard that Lu Shao had personally come to summon him, Tian Feng, considering the many troubles facing the royal family and his desire to save it, accepted the mission.
The statement that "the royal family is in many troubles, and we are determined to save it" is by no means an empty boast.
Historically, Tian Feng was recruited by Yuan Shao for this very reason.
It can be said that among the top strategists in the world today, apart from the still young Zhuge Liang, Tian Feng and Liu Bei shared the same ambitions—both had lofty aspirations and wanted to restore the Han Dynasty.
Seeing Liu Bei's humble words and generous gifts, Tian Feng also harbored a desire to help him, and said, "Since Lord Liu treats me with such sincerity, I will speak frankly. Just now, I saw Lord Liu walking out of the county temple from afar, his face deep and serious, as if he had something difficult to decide. I wonder what Lord Liu is worried about? Since I have been summoned, I will assist the royal army and am willing to share your worries."
Liu Bei was slightly taken aback, not expecting Tian Feng to have such keen insight.
It should be noted that he was not one to show his emotions, and just now he did not frown; he was merely thinking about how to settle the surrendered soldiers.
Tian Feng was able to see through it at a glance, which truly shows his talent.
But he also wanted to see the extraordinary talent of this top-notch strategist.
He then decisively sought his advice, frankly saying, "Sir, your insight is as clear as day. There is indeed one thing that I cannot understand, and it keeps me from eating or sleeping."
He then recounted in detail the matters he had just discussed with Lu Zhi, including the treatment of the surrendered soldiers and the granting of land for reclamation.
Upon hearing this, Tian Feng, with unwavering composure, raised his arm and said, "This matter is easy!"
"What Mr. Liu said—that land cannot remain barren for long, and people cannot endure prolonged hunger—is a truth that has remained constant throughout history! The land distribution system is an excellent strategy for relieving this crisis!"
"The difficulty lies solely in allocating land. Feng believes that land should not be allocated lightly!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed.
The problem that he and his mentor had discussed repeatedly and were at a loss for was described by Tian Feng as "an easy matter"! Such a genius truly deserves to be called a top strategist in Hebei, known for his extraordinary strategies and wisdom.
He quickly cupped his hands in greeting and eagerly asked, "May I ask, sir, what does it mean that 'land should not be lightly granted'?"
"As my teacher and I just discussed, the crux of the problem lies in the fact that powerful families regard barren land as their own property. If we were to seize it rashly, cutting off their livelihood would be like killing their parents, and they would surely rise up in protest. How do you, sir, resolve this predicament?"