The news of the Western Army's great victory in Xixia and the destruction of Xixia reached Jingzhao City a month ago. Jingzhao City was filled with joy, and hundreds of thousands of people marched singing and dancing, which pushed the joy of victory to a climax and also made Chen Qing's
Personal prestige reaches its peak.
Just when the whole city was immersed in the joy of victory, Chen Qing's third child was born.
Twenty days passed by, but before the smiles of victory faded from people's faces, a heavy snowfall came quietly, and the festive Jingzhao Mansion turned into a world of ice and snow.
It was freezing and snowy outside, but the room was as warm as spring. Zhao Qiaoyun was lying on the bed, concentrating on reading an ultimatum. In the cradle next to him, a pink and jade-cut baby was sleeping soundly.
Zhao Qiaoyun had been in confinement for twenty days and was really bored, so she just helped her husband review the ultimatum.
This ultimatum was sent by Zheng Ping, the military envoy in Sichuan. He stated in the ultimatum that thieves were rampant on Jinghu South Road and the people were in miserable conditions. The people were in dire straits, but the imperial court ignored them. He hoped that the Xuanfu Envoy would agree to his sending troops.
Suppress bandits along Jinghu South Road and save the people from fire and water.
Zheng Ping's proposal was of great importance, and the Xuanfu Envoy could not decide, so he transferred it to Chen Qing's mansion, hoping that his wife would make a decision.
Of course, Jiang Yanxian, Zhou Kuan, and Zhang Miao all agreed to provide relief to the hungry people on Jinghu South Road, but it was not up to them to decide whether to send troops to suppress the bandits.
In the absence of Chen Qing, the Xuanfu envoy, the decision-making power rested with his wife Lu Xiu, and Lu Xiu naturally asked Zhao Qiaoyun to help consider it.
At this time, the door curtain opened, and Lu Xiu walked in from the outer room, pointed to the outer room and whispered: "The wet nurse is asleep."
Zhao Qiaoyun nodded, "Nanny stayed up all night and is exhausted. I asked her to take a nap as soon as possible."
Lu Xiu touched the child's little face and said with a smile: "Much fatter than her sister. Her sister was still like a skinny cat when she was twenty days old."
Zhao Qiaoyun also smiled and said: "The sisters are only one year apart. When they grow up, they will have playmates."
"Hey! I'm so naughty, I have a big head."
"It means she is in good health, which is a good thing."
"That's all I can think of."
Lu Xiu smiled and said: "There is good news. The army has withdrawn from the south of Xixia."
"Sister, it's not Xixia, it's Lingzhou Prefecture."
"I forgot again, I'm always used to talking about Xixia."
Lu Xiu laughed and laughed at himself, then asked: "How is this ultimatum? Today, Jiang Changshi sent someone to ask again."
"Are you in such a hurry?" Zhao Qiaoyun asked with a smile.
Lu Xiu smiled bitterly and said: "Zheng Ping is in a hurry. Spring plowing is due after the Chinese New Year. There are no seeds, no cattle, only thieves. If you miss the spring plowing, big trouble will happen."
Zhao Qiaoyun asked: "What is eldest sister's opinion?"
"Me?" Lu Xiu was a little embarrassed. She basically left all these matters to Zhao Qiaoyun.
Lu Xiu thought for a while and hesitated: "Does helping those people help improve my husband's reputation? I'm just imagining it."
Zhao Qiaoyun pursed her lips and smiled and said: "Actually, the eldest sister has touched on the key point. Why we send troops to suppress bandits and help the people is to maintain our reputation."
Lu Xiu thought for a while and said, "But it shouldn't be as simple as maintaining reputation! Zheng Ping is not a person who pays attention to false reputation. He must be in a hurry to send troops. There must be other reasons."
"There is another reason. My husband has roots in Jingxiang. Many people in the military are from the Jingxiang area. Now that Jingxiang is in trouble, the people have expectations for us. It is our duty to send troops. However, if too many troops are sent, the court will
There will be a violent reaction."
"What about your opinion?" Lu Xiu asked.
"Of course I agree to send troops, but I just suggest that the number of troops should not be too large, around 6,000. While suppressing the bandits, we should also send relief teams to cooperate with the local government, distribute seeds to farmers, and lend cattle to the government. The government will
Make unified arrangements for spring plowing.
In addition, the Xuanfu Envoy will come forward and write a memorial to the court. Even if the bandits are rampant, they have threatened the lives of the people of Bashu. Therefore, troops must be sent to suppress the bandits. After the suppression of the bandits is completed, the troops will be withdrawn and returned to Shu to say what needs to be said.
, if you do what you need to do, the court will have nothing to say."
"Okay! You write down your opinion, I will stamp it and send it to Jiang Changshi."
Zhao Qiaoyun immediately wrote an opinion, and Lu Xiu stamped it with Chen Qing's seal and sent it to Jiang Yanxian.
........
Chen Qing's 200,000-strong army has entered Qingzhou and is marching south along the Maling Valley. The winter on Shaanxi Road is obviously much warmer than that of Xixia. Although it has entered the coldest month of December, there is not much in the valley.
There was snow and the ice on the Maling River was not too cold. There was no bone-chilling chill. Soldiers wore thicker clothes and could walk on horseback on the ice.
The 200,000 troops and 30,000 camels stretched for more than 50 miles, and the vastness could not be seen. The army marched in the morning and evening for more than 20 days. This afternoon, the army finally arrived in Xiping County.
Xiping County is the prefectural government of Pizhou and is also the most important strategic place on the Jingyuan Road. The Jingyuan Road to the northwest and the Maling River Valley to the north meet in Xiping County.
Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Qing ordered the army to camp and rest on the spot. The soldiers took out their marching stoves, honeycomb briquettes and iron pots to boil water for cooking. At this time, Pizhou Governor Li Houzhi and County Magistrate Zhou Ga led people to rush
Hundreds of fat pigs came to see Chen Qing.
Chen Qing praised them a few words, then ordered people to kill pigs and send them to the wounded barracks. Basically, the lightly injured soldiers recovered. There were thousands of seriously injured soldiers who continued to nurse their injuries, but most of them were healed. They did not stay.
Lingzhou Prefecture also followed them southward.
"Envoy Xuanfu should go into the city to rest!" Li Houzhi, the governor of the state, felt a little uneasy when he saw that Chen Qing's marching tent was very crude.
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said: "I appreciate your kindness. If you have anything to say, just tell me and I won't go into the city."
"There is something that requires clear instructions from Ambassador Xuan!"
Li Houzhi scratched his head and said: "I have already written a report to Jingzhao. It is actually about the issue of land ownership. Last year, the Xuanfu envoy issued an order to encourage reclamation, stipulating that the land to be reclaimed should be owned by farmers, which indeed caused a great response.
It has also greatly mobilized the enthusiasm of farmers. This year's cultivated land has increased by 30% compared with last year. However, there is a problem, that is, the old cultivated land has been left idle because the owner is no longer there. Some farmers have reclaimed these old cultivated lands.
We ask the government to apply for the land deed, but the government already has the land deed, so things are a bit difficult."
Chen Qing frowned and said: "Unowned farmland belongs to the government. It is official land. The land ownership is very clear. Farmers can use it as tenants after cultivating it. At most, they do not need to collect rent for the first few years. However, the land rights belong to the government. This
There is no doubt that the reclamation order I issued last year also made it very clear. It is to reclaim wasteland, not ownerless farmland, and it cannot turn into the robbery of official land."
Zhou La, the magistrate of the nearby county, added: "The key is that the cultivated land has been left idle for many years and is no longer clearly distinguishable from wasteland. The farmers don't know that once it is reclaimed, they will make a fuss if we don't issue the land deed. There have been several fuss this year."
, throwing feces into the county and state government offices is simply unbearable!"
Chen Qing said coldly: "There have been unruly people in all dynasties. The archers of the government not only catch thieves, but also maintain order. They must be caught when they need to be caught, and punished severely when needed. They cannot be tolerated. The reclamation order has principles.
, cannot be used as an excuse for some large households to take the opportunity to occupy land."
Li Houzhi and Zhou Gao were sweating profusely and said quickly: "I understand the humble position!"
Chen Qing added with seriousness: "The reclamation order was issued in February last year. In March, some people in Chencang County were reclaiming unowned farmland. At that time, the county government did not strictly review the land and issued land deeds to them. As a result, they changed hands and sold it as
It was sold to large households at a price of five guan per acre. After discovering this loophole, we issued several laws successively, including requirements for the number of years of continuous farming, a requirement for an upper limit on the quantity, and a requirement that it cannot be transferred within ten years.
I remember that in June last year, I issued a special order to prevent this kind of encroachment on government land, make it clear that property rights belong to the government, and that land reclamators are exempt from rent and tax for ten years. All laws and regulations are sound. The key is to make it clear to farmers that if
If you still make trouble after you have made it clear, you are being unruly."
Li Houzhi felt ashamed and said: "When I returned from my humble position, I summoned the county officials and asked them to send people to the countryside to explain these laws clearly."