In the 20th year of Kaibao's reign (982), in April of summer, Hedong Road, Xizhou.
Xizhou is under the rule of Hedong. It is a large state in the east, west and south of Hedong. Geographically, it belongs to the hinterland of the Han Empire. However, in the eyes of many people, this place is a remote place, although this is indeed the case.
Thirty years ago, Emperor Liu personally conquered the Southern Tang Dynasty and captured Huainan. After his triumphant return, he took great strides to solve the internal vassal and town issues. The emperor's uncle Liu Chong, who controlled Hedong, naturally became a typical example.
With the combined efforts of various means, Hedong was also completed and completely became a state under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, which was one of the signs of the Han Dynasty's advancement of centralization. Later, Emperor Liu ordered the governor of Hedong to be governor and carried out a large-scale system for the entire Hedong area.
Reform, the abolition of states and the merging of governments, is one of the main measures.
Xizhou was also merged into Daning Prefecture at that time, but this affiliation only lasted for about ten years. After the north and south were unified and the world was unified, Emperor Liu once again held the Government Hall to conduct a survey of the prefectures and counties across the country.
Comprehensive merger.
After all, Daning Mansion is the product of special circumstances. The local politics, economy, geography, and people's sentiments really make it unqualified to set up a government. Let's take a look at where the Han Dynasty has set up a government. Take Hedong as an example.
A Taiyuan Prefecture.
In terms of administrative level, the prefectural government is at the same level, but in the minds of all officials in the Han Dynasty, the prefectural government is higher than the prefectural government. This has now been made clear and written into the "Han Huidian".
Therefore, after Daning Prefecture was abolished, Xizhou was restored and became an independent administrative region again. Xizhou is located at the southern end of the Luliang Mountains. On the Shanxi Plateau, there are overlapping mountain ridges and crisscrossed ravines. Although it is close to the Yellow River, it has many resources.
It is a poor place with a backward economy. It is also relatively closed, with few outside merchants coming.
Similarly, the public security in this place is relatively poor. The poor mountains and rivers are full of unruly people. In order to compete for survival resources, the battles between villages have never stopped. Every year, there are armed fights and casualties, and it is difficult for the government to cure it.
Up to now, the Xizhou government has actually been in a state of laissez-faire. The place is already poor enough, and it still needs to use severe punishments and laws to restrain the people. Local officials feel that it is unnecessary.
Etiquette is evident in warehouses. For local officials in Xizhou, it is difficult for the people to have enough to eat, let alone social harmony and good neighborliness. As long as it does not make too much noise and makes any big noise, it is acceptable.
of.
The current prosperity of the Han Dynasty will always only be at an overall level. In individual areas, such as remote and remote areas like Xizhou, it is already difficult for ordinary people in Guizhou to live happily.
And despite being poor, at least there is still a relatively stable environment, there is no war, and every household can still protect the mountains, water, fields and soil.
In recent years, what the villages of Xizhou are probably most looking forward to is the notice of the imperial court recruiting soldiers. Today's Han Dynasty, the threshold for becoming a soldier is also constantly increasing. After all, the number of soldiers is being reduced year by year, and the number is small.
The quality requirements are also higher.
As for the recruitment of soldiers by the Han Dynasty, in addition to those from rich and good families, now they also prefer farmers and mountain people in these poor areas. After all, they are better to feed, more obedient, and easier to brainwash. As for the stubborn people, what's wrong with walking around in the army?
It can also be eliminated. In the Han army, for more than thirty years, one thing that has not changed much is military discipline and military law, and hundreds of officers and soldiers are sentenced every year for violating military law.
What happened two years ago was that Sun Yongzhen, the grandson of Pingyuan Gongsun Li, had a drunken conflict with Ma Jiyuan, the nephew of Ma Renyu, the Marquis of Leling. Both of them were officers of the Forbidden Army. After returning to the camp, they led their subordinate officers and soldiers to fight.
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There were not many people involved, only about fifty people in total, but the matter was serious. According to the Han military law, mobilizing troops and horses without authorization without military orders would be punished as treason, not to mention that it was still in the capital and it was for personal grudges.
As a result, all the officers and soldiers involved in the fight were killed, including the officers and guards on duty that day. More than 200 people were directly implicated and punished. As for Ma Renyu, he was the deputy commander of the guards and resigned because of this.
He was demoted to Yunnan.
As for his grandson, Pingyuan Gongsunli, who was already very old, did not even dare to say a word of mercy. He could only watch his grandson's body being separated with tears.
For the children of mountain farmers in Xizhou, the army is a rare life-changing opportunity. If nothing else, at least they can have enough food and clothing. Even if they are just training as a regiment, it is better than digging for food in the mountains and valleys.
As for military discipline, and even going out to fight, it is insignificant compared with hunger and cold. The quota of soldiers recruited by Xizhou every year has also become a bargaining chip for the Xizhou government to coordinate rural conflicts. Whoever disobeys discipline will receive this treatment.
Even though the Ministry of War is mainly responsible for conscription, the localities still have a certain say.
However, the poor will be poor and the poor will be poor. As a whole, Xizhou is relatively stable. Although it is unavoidable to cause trouble for the people, this place is not eye-catching enough. Even the Hedong Road directly under it rarely pays attention to this place.
Not to mention the height of the temple.
Such remote and remote areas have been like this since ancient times. We have become accustomed to being poor. Our ancestors could survive, and today's Guizhou can do the same.
From the perspective of the Xizhou government, the poor people living in poverty are on the one hand, but it does not hinder their enjoyment, nor does it affect their authority. The state government in Xizhou is very grand.
There are advantages to being poor. There is less pressure from competition. At the same time, it is easier to ask for assistance, policies, and favors from Hedong Road and the court. The biggest advantage naturally falls on these bureaucrats.
Because of this, places like Xizhou are most likely to have local emperors, corruption, and violations of laws and disciplines. The imperial court has been engaged in official governance for decades, and has made many achievements. To sum up,
The places where major crimes and abuses occur are of course those wealthy places, but in terms of depth, depth, darkness, and cruelty, they have to be in these remote areas. The poorer the country, the more serious the situation.
Wang Yin, the former magistrate of Xizhou, was found out by Lu Duoxun. During his six-year tenure, he was listed with 53 major and minor crimes. Basically, he committed all the crimes that a "local emperor" could commit. There was no list.
Yes, it's just enough to sentence him to death, so as to save time.
The newly appointed magistrate of Xizhou is named Zhang Wei. He once served in the Palace of the Prince of Wei and was one of the apprentices of King Liu Min of Wei. Xizhou is his second actual post.
However, even if such a knowledgeable scholar-bureaucrat with the people's heart took office in Xizhou, the local situation still did not fundamentally change.
The people are still suffering from poverty, and famine is still unavoidable when natural disasters occur. However, relying on the reputation of the governor of the state, they can get more preferential policies.
At the same time, because of the weakness of the literati, who likes education, promotes moralization, and is unwilling to punish the people harshly, the security situation in Xizhou becomes more and more chaotic.
Within the prefecture and county, harmony can still be maintained, which is the moral education expected by Zhang Zhizhou. However, in the vast countryside and mountains outside the city, the political power has long been weakened, and the government seems to have gradually given up on those things that once existed as time goes by.
Leveraged rural governance power.
Why bother? It’s troublesome and hard work. Isn’t it nice to be your own official in a state or county?