novelSusiti Chapter 7 How to Establish a Career
Chapter 7 How to Establish a Career
The lives of people in the border regions are so difficult!
So, with chaos looming, how can one establish a career?
Decades of dreams have taught Liu Bei that to establish a career, one must rely on a strong and well-equipped army!
So, what makes an army strong and well-equipped? Money and supplies!
In his dream, he lived a life of ups and downs, from raising an army in Zhuojun to entrusting his orphan to Baidi City, wandering for more than thirty years.
He had witnessed the rise and fall of too many feudal lords, and seen countless once-powerful figures ultimately meet a tragic end, with their heads severed and their empires collapsing.
With chaos looming, how can one establish a career?
He asked himself this question his whole life, even in his dreams.
In his youth, he believed that he relied on the unity of his brothers, the status of being a member of the Han imperial family, and righteousness.
During his middle age, he was constantly on the move and lived under the roof of others. He believed that his strength lay in his powerful army and his capable generals.
But it wasn't until he was over fifty and owned both Jing and Yi provinces that he truly saw through it all.
All military might and grand ambitions ultimately rest on just two words: money and supplies.
Without supplies, even the most elite troops will scatter.
Without money or silk, even the bravest soldiers will not be willing to risk their lives for you.
In the late Han Dynasty, the foundation of the empire was always determined by money and grain, which in turn determined the military strength, and the military strength determined the empire.
He had seen far too many bloody examples.
When Yuan Shao fled Luoyang, he was merely a nominal governor of Bohai.
Later, although he was the leader of the Kwantung Army, his strength did not rank among the top five, and he was even inferior to Sun Wentai of Jiangdong.
So how did he gradually become the most powerful warlord in the land?
It started when they tricked Han Fu into giving them Ji Province without losing a single soldier.
Jizhou was the wealthiest province in the north.
The historical records describe a place where "a million armored soldiers could sustain the grain supply for ten years!"
With a population of one million and tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, the taxes and grain from Ji Province alone would be enough for Yuan Shao to easily raise an army of 100,000.
Later, powerful families from Hebei came to surrender in droves, bringing their clans, retainers, and supplies.
His rise to power involved directly converting the resources of top-tier aristocratic families into financial and material capital for conquering the world.
The same applies to Yuan Shu; he was a direct descendant of the Yuan family, making his lineage more legitimate than that of Yuan Shao.
As soon as he left Luoyang, he effortlessly seized Nanyang County.
That was the largest prefecture in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the foundation upon which Emperor Guangwu of Han rose to power.
Its population numbered in the millions, even more than that of Jizhou, and its fertile land stretched for thousands of miles, with thriving agriculture and sericulture.
With the taxes from Nanyang alone, Yuan Shu could support an army of hundreds of thousands and continuously supply Sun Jian's troops with provisions and weapons.
Later, he retreated to the Jianghuai region, occupying the fertile lands of Shouchun and Lujiang. Relying on the wealth of Jiangnan, he raised an army of what was claimed to be a million men, becoming the most powerful warlord in the south.
Even Cao Cao, whom he feared most, could not escape this principle.
Although Cao Cao's starting point was lower than that of the two Yuan brothers, the Cao family of Qiao Commandery and the Xiahou family were both top local powerful clans.
When he raised an army to fight against Dong Zhuo, he first spent all his family wealth to recruit soldiers, and then Wei Zi, a wealthy man from Chenliu, gave him his entire fortune to help him. This allowed him to assemble the initial force of 5,000 men.
What about himself?
A bitter smile appeared on Liu Bei's lips.
In his dream, he was the one with the lowest starting point and the least financial and material resources among all the top feudal lords.
Despite bearing the title of a member of the Han imperial family, his family had long since fallen into poverty. In his youth, he and his mother made a living by weaving mats and selling shoes, barely able to make ends meet.
He first assembled his team thanks to the wealth and gifts he received from Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, prominent merchants from Zhongshan.
At his worst, his entire army collapsed, his food supplies ran out, and he was trapped in Haixi, unable to even get a meal.
It was only after Mi Zhu offered up all his family property, thousands of servants, and countless amounts of gold, silver, and grain that he was able to turn the tide in his desperate situation.
In his previous life, he wasted half his life, wandering and drifting, all because he never had a stable foundation to support the people and steadily accumulate wealth.
The support from aristocratic families is like duckweed, while the aid from feudal lords is like charity.
Only the grain that we ourselves hold in our own hands, the grain that the people grow, is truly a reliable source of wealth.
However, given the current state of Liaoxi Commandery, can it truly become such a foundation?
Can I be recruited into the army?
It is possible to wage war, but it will only make the situation worse; this is the epitome of militarism!
So, "where will the money and provisions come from?"
Liu Bei looked at the tightly closed doors inside the fortress, and then at the endless barren fields outside.
"The money and grain have never been in the treasury of the prefecture, nor in the granaries of the powerful, but in the hands of these common people, and in this barren land!"
The two constables looked at each other, and then a feeling of contempt arose in their hearts.
Bah, corrupt official!
I thought you came to comfort the people, but it turns out you're just here to skin them alive.
One of them muttered, "The people themselves are starving to death, where would they get any surplus grain for us..."
"I'm not trying to take anything from the people; I'm trying to give them a way to survive," Liu Bei said, his gaze sweeping over the dilapidated fortress.
"As you have seen, what Xipingbao lacks has never been land."
"There are tens of thousands of acres of fertile land outside the fort, all of which are suitable for growing crops, so why are they left barren?"
"Because the people dare not plant it."
"When the barbarian cavalry came, all the grain we planted was looted. We couldn't even save our own lives, so who would dare to cultivate the land?"
"With the government's levies and the powerful's exploitation, if you grow a bushel of grain, most of it will be taken away. After a year of hard work, you still can't get enough to eat. Who would want to stay in this fortress?"
"They ran away, they died, the land was abandoned, and we had no food, no men, and no border guards."
"This is a vicious cycle. There is only one way to break this cycle—first, take care of the people."
"Nurture the people first?"
The constable was puzzled, muttering the three words repeatedly, still seemingly understanding but not quite.
"good."
Liu Bei nodded, his tone revealing a profound understanding of the ways of the world.
"It's not about directly levying money and grain from the people; it's about first supporting the people so that money and grain can be generated continuously."
"Then, a portion of the taxes and provisions must be drawn from the collected revenue to maintain this relationship, ensuring a stable supply of funds and provisions!"
This principle was taught to him by the Wolong Master in his dream.
"In this chaotic world, the most precious thing is not wasteland, but people."
"They are people who can pick up a hoe to till the land and take up a sword and spear to defend the fortress."
"The first thing we need to do is to make them feel safe."
"First, repair the fort walls and rebuild the beacon towers."
"In this way, when the Hu cavalry come again, they will have a place to hide and a barrier to guard them, and they will no longer have to rush into the cellar at the sound of horses' hooves."
"Let them dare to step out of the fortress gates and dare to go to the fields to cultivate the land."
"The second thing is to give them a way to survive."
"For the first two years of land reclamation and restoration, we will not collect a single grain of rent. Even if we collect rent in the future, we will only collect one-tenth of the tax, which is even lighter than the one-thirtieth tax set by the imperial court."
"I'll find a way to block the exorbitant taxes and levies imposed by the prefectural government."
"So that the vast majority of the grain they grow can be kept by themselves, enough to eat and feed their families."
"The people aren't fools. As long as they can live peacefully and have enough to eat here, those young and strong people who have fled to other places, and those displaced refugees, will all come here."
"When more people gather, there is more land to cultivate, and more grain can be produced."
"With food, we can support local militia, strengthen border defenses, and protect more people."
"This is a positive cycle, and the true foundation for building a business."
His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, striking the hearts of the two constables.
They had served in the Liaoxi Prefecture for many years, and were used to officials urging them to pay taxes and demanding their lives, and to the desolation of the border forts. No one had ever said such things to them before.
No one ever thought that instead of squeezing money from the people first, they should first give the people a way to survive.
Upon closer reflection, what Xuande said turned out to be the most practical truth.
There are no more farmers in the fort. Even if the rent is raised higher, what will be collected?
Liu Bei turned around and said to the two constables who had clearly switched sides, "One of you go back to Yangle City first and report the situation at Xiping Fort to the Prefect."
"I, Liu Bei, will remain in Xiping Fort to reorganize the border fort, pacify the people, and verify the household registration. Once things are in order, I will return to the prefecture to report back."
"The other person stayed behind to help me compile household registers and record the information of each family."
"The rations I brought, besides what we need for our daily meals, will be distributed to the families in the fort who are running out of food as an emergency measure."
"Xuande, this..." The constable still hesitated.
"We only have so much food; if we give it all away, what will we eat?"
"Furthermore, will the Prefect blame you for acting on your own initiative?"
"I have my own explanation for what happened to the Prefect," Liu Bei said firmly.
"The foundation of Liaoxi Commandery lies in these border forts and in these people. When the forts were destroyed and the people fled, Yangle City became an isolated city."
"All that I have done is for the defense of the Liaoxi border, and the Prefect will not blame me."
"As for food rations, as long as we can reassure our fellow villagers, we will have a new harvest soon, and we won't go hungry."
The two constables exchanged a glance, and finally bowed in agreement.
Having followed this official, Xuande, all the way here, they now felt a strange sense of anticipation rising in their hearts.
Perhaps, this abandoned Xiping Fortress, which has been desolate for many years, can truly be brought back to life in the hands of this clerk Liu.
Perhaps, this Liaoxi Prefecture will really become different!
As darkness fell, more lights than usual illuminated Xiping Fort for the first time.
The people gathered in the streets and alleys, talking in hushed tones. Their faces, besides the usual numbness and fear, seemed to have gained a certain something.
Liu Bei stood in front of the fortress gate, gazing at the desolate Liaoxi plains under the night sky, and gripped the double-edged sword at his waist.
In his previous life, he could only start by weaving mats and selling shoes, and it took him half his life to finally gain a share of the world.
In this life, he has been given a second chance and has different opportunities. So, let's start from the western border region of Liaoning!
Even though the road ahead is still fraught with danger, heroes rise up, and the chaotic world remains.
He will no longer be confused and will move forward step by step.
In times of chaos, the foundation for success lies in the people.
When the people are at peace, there will be sufficient funds and provisions; when there are sufficient funds and provisions, the army will be strong; when the army is strong, hegemony can be achieved!