I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 138

Chapter 138

As the procession neared, Prefecture Magistrate Liu, Great General Wei, and others had already come to meet them.

Ming Yu adjusted his attire and, with the help of his attendants, alighted from the carriage. Xie Yixiu followed closely behind as they walked toward the group.

Seeing Ming Yu, Prefecture Magistrate Liu and the others quickly bowed and greeted him. Ming Yu smiled warmly and helped them up. “I’m grateful for everyone’s hard work in Liangzhou during my absence.”

“Not at all, Your Highness. It was our duty,” Prefecture Magistrate Liu responded.

Ming Yu nodded. “While I was away, everything in Liangzhou went smoothly, right? Have there been any problems? Has everything gone according to plan?”

He asked all these questions in one breath, as they had been on his mind for some time. The development model for Liangzhou was unprecedented, and every step had been a trial-and-error process. There had been no blueprint to follow. They could only move forward with trial and error.

When Ming Yu was in charge of Liangzhou, any problems could be resolved quickly by consulting him.

But now that he had been in the capital, everything had been left to them. While in the capital, Ming Yu had worried about Liangzhou’s situation, hoping only that they could keep things running smoothly without any major issues.

“Your Highness, we’ve been following your guidance for the most part, and things have been progressing smoothly. There have been a few minor issues, but we’ve resolved most of them through discussion. The remaining problems that we can’t handle, we’ve put aside for now, and we’ll wait for your return to make a decision.” Prefecture Magistrate Liu said.

Liu Zhen had been in the borderlands for many years, and when Ming Yu first saw him in Liangzhou, he was in his forties or fifties, with his hair and beard already turning white. The years of worrying and hard work had aged him by more than twenty years.

The people of Liangzhou were living in dire straits, and as the governor of the region, Liu Zhen felt deeply guilty for being unable to improve their situation. In the past, he had done his best to petition the court for aid, but the relief was always limited. At first, there had been hopes that the court would allocate funds and grain, but eventually, even the court had become helpless.

In these years, the court had been dealing with internal and external crises, and money was flowing out as if it were water. The imperial treasury grew emptier with each passing year, and the emperor himself had cut back on expenses, including military funds. Who would still think of the people in Liangzhou and their survival?

As a result, the people of Liangzhou were suffering more and more each year, with many freezing or starving to death. Countless families had been torn apart by bandits and invaders.

This situation caused Liu Zhen, as the official responsible for the people, great sorrow, but there seemed to be no way to help.

Then, when he learned that the Fourteenth Prince had been given the title of Duan Wang and had been assigned the land of Liangzhou, Liu Zhen both sighed in relief and felt a renewed sense of anxiety. The Fourteenth Prince’s title meant that Liu Zhen would now serve as a subordinate official under Duan Wang. This meant that major matters would be handled by the prince, and the income and taxes of the land would be his responsibility. According to the rules, Duan Wang would send tribute to the court every year.

The Fourteenth Prince, who was thought to be foolish, was not someone who could be relied upon to govern Liangzhou. At first, Liu Zhen only hoped that Duan Wang would not make any drastic changes, not increase taxes on the common people, and maintain the status quo. This was already a great wish.

After all, many feudal lords increased taxes on the people to support their extravagant lifestyles, often burdening the commoners.

When Duan Wang arrived, he didn’t interfere too much with the administration of the state. He didn’t issue any new decrees or policies and didn’t involve himself with the affairs of the government. Instead, he only set up a small area outside the city to establish a guard camp.

Since Duan Wang was sensible and didn’t add to the burden of the people in Liangzhou, Liu Zhen was relieved. He had been worried that Duan Wang, an outsider, might mess things up, and if that happened, there would be no way for the people of Liangzhou to survive.

But at some point, the lives of the people near Liangzhou began to change. Perhaps it was because Duan Wang’s guard camp had cleared out bandits in the area, or maybe it was because Duan Wang’s trade caravans returned with rare seeds, or perhaps it was because Duan Wang’s artisans had created many wondrous items. Everything felt so new and strange.

In any case, it seemed that Liangzhou was slowly changing, and although this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, Liu Zhen couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

For example, Duan Wang had brought back rare seeds from the Western Regions—something called watermelon. These seeds were cultivated in Duan Wang’s manor and then given to selected villages to grow.

When Liu Zhen first heard this news, he was shocked. What was Duan Wang trying to do? The common people weren’t growing grains; what would they eat next year? This seemed like nonsense. Before he could go to advise Duan Wang, he heard that Duan Wang had provided subsidies to the farmers.

This meant that farmers who planted watermelons would be compensated with grain and money according to the yield of their crops, so they wouldn’t lose anything.

Liu Zhen relaxed. Although he knew this might not be the best solution, he didn’t speak out. The area devoted to watermelon cultivation was not large, only a few villages. Moreover, Duan Wang’s actions weren’t wrong; at least the farmers wouldn’t suffer any loss.

However, Liu Zhen still thought he should bring it up with Duan Wang. Such things shouldn’t be done carelessly. The farmers should focus on growing staple crops, and only then would people feel secure.

But when he raised the issue, Duan Wang wasn’t concerned. He smiled and reassured Liu Zhen, saying that he intended to develop watermelon cultivation further. Liangzhou’s soil was poor, and growing grains didn’t yield good results. It would be better to develop unique agricultural products and sell them, benefiting the people.

Liu Zhen had never heard anything like this before. He had tasted the watermelons that Duan Wang’s manor had grown, and they were indeed sweet and delicious. But could they replace food?

Liu Zhen wondered if Duan Wang was sure that watermelons could be sold. Liangzhou was a poor place, and people couldn’t even afford to feed themselves; who would buy watermelons? It seemed like Duan Wang didn’t understand the hardships of the people. His words seemed no different from the famous saying “Let them eat cake.”

Liu Zhen was about to argue further, but Ming Yu was firm in his stance, telling him not to worry about it and that he had everything under control. Since the prince had decided, and Duan Wang had personally funded the subsidies, the people were willing to plant the crops, so Liu Zhen stopped pushing the issue.

For example, Duan Wang’s workshop produced all sorts of strange and unusual items, and he didn’t even know what their purpose was. However, Duan Wang built many workshops outside the city, specifically for mass production of these things.

Since the quantity was large, it required more labor, so each workshop aggressively recruited workers, offering excellent terms. Not only could the workers eat well every day, but they could earn a fair amount of money and supplies in just a month, which was far more profitable than farming. Many workers sent their earnings back home, greatly helping their families, making life much easier for everyone.

Villagers from all the small and large villages around Liangcheng got the news, and as a result, many common folk came rushing in, eager to get into the workshops and work.

The area around Liangcheng became lively, bustling, and prosperous, which was a good thing. But Liu Zhen was still worried, wondering what would happen to the fields if all the common folk went to work in the workshops.

The things produced in those workshops had an unclear purpose, but Duan Wang said they could be sold. However, in Liangzhou, where there were very few merchant caravans, where could they sell these things?

For instance, Duan Wang’s plan to turn the Western Qi Corridor into part of Liangzhou’s territory and establish it as a part of the Great Yan Kingdom was another topic. He also aimed to build the Western Qi Corridor into a Silk Road to the Western Regions.

Liu Zhen understood the grand vision Duan Wang had for the future, realizing that the development of the Western Qi Corridor was intended to lay the foundation for a prosperous future for the Great Yan, one that would benefit generations to come and be recorded in history. But he also knew it was an incredibly difficult task, and in his view, it would take several generations of effort to succeed. It wasn’t as simple as Duan Wang just deciding to make it happen.

It was said that Duan Wang had come to the capital to discuss the matter with the court, but Liu Zhen didn’t know how it was progressing. If the court didn’t approve, it wouldn’t be surprising. After all, it seemed like a fantasy, and with the court’s financial difficulties, how could they allow Duan Wang to act recklessly?

Liu Zhen had mixed feelings. Now that Duan Wang had returned, it seemed like there was some certainty. Everything happening inLiangcheng could not be separated from Ming Yu, and whether it was good or bad, only Ming Yu could resolve it.

“Your Highness, I wonder how your matters are progressing?” Liu Zhen asked. What he really wanted to say was that if the Western Qi Corridor plan didn’t succeed, it didn’t matter. It could be taken slow, there was no rush.

Ming Yu shook his head and nodded, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we return later.” He was in a good mood, and many things couldn’t be explained in a short time. He needed to sort everything out in his mind before making any decisions.

Liu Zhen watched as Ming Yu both shook and nodded his head, still unclear whether it was a success or not. He could only endure after hearing Ming Yu’s words.

At this point, Great General Wei was already impatient. He grabbed Liu Zhen and stepped forward, asking, “Your Highness, is the news true? Has the court really agreed to allow the unrestricted recruitment of new soldiers?”

Great General Wei, being a military officer, naturally cared about increasing troops for warfare. Previously, Ming Yu had sent someone with a letter mentioning the court’s decision regarding military recruitment reforms. But this was a big matter, and without an imperial edict, Great General Wei couldn’t believe it was true. So, as soon as he saw Ming Yu, he immediately asked about this important issue.

Ming Yu smiled and nodded, “It’s true. I’ve brought the imperial edict back myself, how could it be false? But unrestricted recruitment is not possible. There’s a fixed quota. This is a new system, directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War.”

Great General Wei stroked his beard and laughed heartily, “Good, that’s wonderful! As expected, Your Highness has a way. As long as this system works well, we’ll have a constant supply of new recruits and won’t have to worry about not having enough soldiers.”

Liu Zhen glared at him and sneered, “Yes, there will be more soldiers, but the military expenses will also increase. How many months have your soldiers’ pay been delayed?”

With a single sentence, Great General Wei’s laughter stopped. He said angrily, “I’ve already asked the court to release the funds for military pay. But these useless old foxes in the court, all they do is fight among themselves and never care about the lives of the frontier soldiers. It’s outrageous!”

“Enough, don’t blame the ministers. The court also has difficulties. What doesn’t require money?”

“Hmph! The court has difficulties, but those parasites who harm the country are living luxuriously!”

Seeing the two about to argue again, Ming Yu intervened, “Enough, you two don’t need to quarrel. Regarding the military pay, I’ve already raised it with my father and it will be issued soon.”

Great General Wei was finally satisfied, giving Liu Zhen a smug look. Liu Zhen just shook his head and ignored him.

At this moment, Mo Jiang finally had time to step forward and cupped his hands, “Your Highness, everything has been prepared according to your orders.”

Ming Yu patted his shoulder and smiled, “Thank you for your hard work.”

A burning gaze fell on Ming Yu’s hand, and Ming Yu immediately sensed it. He turned his head and saw Xie Yixiu’s stern face, eyes fixed on his hand resting on Mo Jiang’s shoulder.

Ming Yu froze for a moment, then awkwardly withdrew his hand, saying to Mo Jiang, “In the future, I’ll need you to handle many things.”

“It’s my duty to serve Wang Ye. Please give your orders, and I will do my best,” Mo Jiang promised earnestly, as he didn’t like Ming Yu being too polite with him.

“Good! In the future, Mo Jiang, you won’t just have five hundred guards. The newly recruited army will also be under your command. Do you have the confidence to lead an iron army for me?” Ming Yu’s smile faded, and he said sternly.

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