Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 106

Li Ding said, "The chaos in Fengxiang has not yet subsided. How can Erlang leave? Therefore, I petitioned His Majesty to allow Erlang to stay here temporarily."

"Has the chaos surrounding the general not yet subsided? I would like to ask for your guidance."

Li Ding shook his head slightly: "You can't be unaware of the current situation, can you, Erlang? Last year, many provinces in the Central Plains suffered famine, and Fifth Yu Gui changed the currency system, which led to empty granaries, depleted grain, and soaring prices for everything. We will eventually receive our stipends in rice, though we may not realize it. Before we left, I sent someone to the market to inquire, and a dou of rice was priced at seven thousand!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's eyes widened in surprise.

During the Tang Dynasty, officials' salaries were mainly divided into four parts: money, grain, land, and labor. Money was their official salary, grain was their food rations, land was their assigned land, and labor included miscellaneous duties such as guarding the palace and serving as servants. From the Kaiyuan era onwards, these items were gradually merged into one, with grain and labor all converted into money, and even half of their assigned land was offset by money. However, after the chaos of war, the situation changed again. Because rice prices rose daily, officials in some areas—mainly the two capitals—continued to receive monthly rice rations.

Li Ji first served as a seventh-rank official, and then rose to the sixth rank. He received about five bushels of wheat grain per month, which was not only enough to feed his family, but also left him with some to sell. In addition, he entrusted all his family's finances to Qingluan. Therefore, although he felt that the wheat grain was aging month by month and its quality was getting worse and worse, and often the amount was not distributed in full, and he knew that grain was expensive in the capital, he never really inquired about it in detail.

Now, upon hearing this, I exclaimed, "What?! A bushel of rice costs seven thousand coins?!" That means not only ordinary people, but even I, without government grain to receive, would surely go hungry! How could ordinary people possibly survive?

Li Ding pressed his palm-leaf fan down slightly and continued, "This is the situation in the capital. It must be cheaper elsewhere, but even at half the price, a bushel of rice costs 3,500, which is still not enough for a small person like me to survive. The situation should have improved slightly after the autumn wheat harvest, but Fengxiang has been plundered. Not only is it difficult to feed itself, but the court also needs to allocate grain from other prefectures for relief. If the people have no food, won't they turn into bandits?"

"Furthermore, the magistrate explained the treasury accounts to me in detail during the day. When Cui Guangyuan was in power, he spent thousands of coins on each meal, which was extremely extravagant. He was unaware that the granaries were about to be empty! That is why I urgently sent the Weiyuan and Fuyan armies back, because Fengxiang simply cannot afford to supply them!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "No wonder! I thought Cui Guangyuan was quite generous. Although he wanted to cut back on the rewards for his own army, he gave the guest armies of Fuyan and Weiyuan quite a lot of money... Turns out, money isn't worth much, so he only gave money and not rations! That guy, you could say he's muddleheaded, but he does have some cleverness..."

"Second Brother, the Hu people of Longxi used to exchange cattle and sheep for salt and grain with the Tang people. Now the Tang people are short of supplies and can no longer send salt and grain to the Hu people. So, in order to survive, they have taken desperate measures. Although you have repelled 100,000 enemies and killed nearly 10,000 on the battlefield, as long as this problem is not resolved, how can we know that the Hu people will not come again?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was startled and alarmed.

He had initially thought that with Fengxiang Prefecture temporarily secured, he could return to Chang'an in triumph—since the culprit Guo Yin had been killed, and one-tenth of the rebellious barbarians had been eliminated, they wouldn't dare to invade again in the short term. However, after Li Ding's reminder, he realized that with widespread famine in Tang territory, the barbarian tribes residing in Longxi were also suffering. Driven to desperation by hunger, they would inevitably take desperate measures; unless they were all wiped out, it wouldn't be so easy to stabilize the situation.

"Does the commander mean that the chaotic barbarians might return?"

Li Ding nodded, then curled his lip: "If the government troops are available, I actually hope that the Hu people will cause trouble again. At that time, we can take advantage of the victory to pursue them into Jing and Qing prefectures, wipe them out, kill all the Hu people, and confiscate their cattle and sheep to help the people get through the famine."

Li Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Unfortunately, the Fengxiang army is now ineffective. Even if it were, it would only number ten thousand, while the various barbarian tribes number no less than five hundred thousand. How can we wipe them out completely? If the war drags on, we will inevitably be defeated due to running out of food."

Li Ding nodded and sighed softly, "Fortunately, Erlang and the others repelled the barbarian invaders, and the spoils are enough to fill the treasury, preventing us from starving to death..."

Some things are best left unsaid; saying them aloud can be quite unpleasant.

If it weren't for the chaos, the productivity in Fengxiang Prefecture had recovered quite well in the last two years. Even though, due to unfavorable weather and harsh taxation, the harvest was far from what it was before the turmoil, it was still more than enough to supply the government. Perhaps they could even have transported several thousand or tens of thousands of bushels of grain to relieve the capital's urgent needs. But after this chaos, the plan was completely ruined. It would be good enough if the court didn't have to transport grain from other prefectures to make up for the losses.

In fact, there was no need to patch up the leaks, because the grain and gold looted from the countryside by the barbarians were all put into the government treasury after the government army's victory. In other words, the government had previously had great difficulty collecting the life-saving grain stored up in the homes of ordinary people, but this time it was all taken away in one go…

As a result, the government's financial situation improved slightly, but as for the common people, they either died or were ultimately doomed to die, and the government had neither the power nor the will to deal with it.

Li Ji hurriedly suggested, "During this rebellion, many people have been displaced. Once the rebellion is quelled, they will return to their hometowns in droves. However, their houses have been reduced to ruins, their fields have been trampled, and they will have no food to last the night or firewood to start a fire. They will inevitably freeze and starve to death... The commander should open the granaries to provide relief."

Li Ding shook his fan: "Relief should certainly be provided, but... let's do what we can."

He had no intention of distributing the bulk of the government's grain to the people, nor did he intend to discuss this issue further with Li Ji. So he changed the subject: "Moreover, after the autumn harvest, the barbarian bandits may invade Longyou. I don't know if His Highness Prince Qi can defend against them. If the war goes poorly, there will be refugees fleeing eastward to Qin, Long, and Fengxiang; or even if Shanzhou falls, the Longyou army will retreat into our town. Therefore, we must make plans in advance regarding money and grain."

As he spoke, he looked at Li Ji and said, "At this critical moment, it is the time for patriots and people of noble character to devote their utmost loyalty. If Erlang does not stay in Fengxiang, are you going to go back to the palace to eat a life of ease? Can you really stomach that?"

Li Ji remained silent.

"Second Brother, this journey from the capital to the west was originally intended to quell the rebellion of the barbarians and stabilize Fengxiang. If you cannot fulfill your duty to the end, is it acceptable to abandon your mission now?"

Li Ji finally sighed and crossed his hands, saying, "I will follow the commander's orders."

He was initially reluctant to return to Chang'an immediately—though letting his horse roam freely is like a bird soaring to the heavens or a dragon returning to the sea, the war was over, so why keep him here?—but Li Ding's words dispelled his gloom. He then sincerely stated: "I am willing to stay in Fengxiang temporarily. Please, Commander, use my talents wisely."

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Li Ding appointed Li Ji, who, like Ban Hong, served as a judge in the shogunate. Ban Hong was in charge of civil administration and was known as "the one who manages all affairs of the shogunate," while Li Ji was mainly in charge of the military and was "in charge of the four departments of granary, cavalry, and armor."

Li Ji first met with Ban Hong, inquired in detail about the household's finances and provisions, and then suggested to Li Ding: Let's reduce the number of troops.

Leaving aside the distant areas, the total military strength in Fengxiang and Qinzhou alone is nearly 20,000, with 10,000 stationed in Fengxiang alone. The military expenditure is extremely high—in fact, if calculated based on the population of the two prefectures, the taxes and labor service during peacetime could support even a large army. If these 20,000 soldiers were all of the same quality as the Fuyan Army, Li Ji would never have been willing to reduce their numbers. The problem is that most of them are old, weak, sick, or disabled, and are basically useless.

Then why are you keeping so many soldiers?

Although Li Ding judged that the Hu might return, he believed there shouldn't be any major problems in the next two or three months. Furthermore, even if the Hu resurfaced, an incompetent army would be powerless to resist. The saying "quality over quantity" applied; a reduced force was preferable.

He censused all the old and weak, gave them a small amount of money and silk, and allowed them to return to their hometowns. In Fengxiang City, Li Ji left only all the recruited soldiers—a total of more than 500—and 4,000 conscripts, with another 1,000 conscripts on leave.

With a small number of soldiers, management was easier, and Li Ji spent almost all his time in the barracks, training the 4,500 Fengxiang soldiers. Then, he received news of Zhang Xun's death…

Chapter Five, Evening Breeze over Longshang

Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others staged a "military remonstrance" against Yu Chaoen. Left with no other choice, Yu Chaoen was forced to agree to retain the garrison of the Eastern Capital. However, he then turned around and submitted a memorial to the court, falsely claiming that the generals had caused chaos and demanding the execution of Nan, Lei, and thirteen others, and the dispersal of their troops, which were then incorporated into the Shaanxi-Guo Army.

Fortunately, Chen Ruo informed Li Shi in time, allowing Li Shi to prepare. Thus, before Yu Chaoen's memorial reached the court, a wave of mourning and commemoration for Zhang Xun was stirred up, and the court was asked to recognize and honor him.

Naturally, some people jumped out to smear Zhang Xun, bringing up his past of cannibalism in Suiyang. Moral issues are always the hardest to clarify, and if you argue with these passersby, you've already lost... The princelings simply shifted all the blame onto Helan Jinming and Xu Shuji—if the two generals had come to their rescue in time, things wouldn't have come to this. Anyway, Xu Shuji had already surrendered to the rebels, and Helan Jinming, because of his close relationship with Fifth Qi, had been demoted to Sima of Luzhou, so they could freely desecrate his corpse without fear of any negative consequences.

In addition, Li Shi, through various connections, earnestly requested several famous poets in the capital—Wang Wei, Jia Zhi, Cen Shen, Yuan Jie, etc.—regardless of whether they knew him or not, to write poems praising Zhang Xun. Subsequently, Xu Yuan indeed passed away due to illness, so he requested that he be honored as well, and that the generals who had previously protected Suiyang and Luoyang, such as Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun, be richly rewarded.

Yu Chaoen's memorial was sent to Chang'an City in this atmosphere, and many people from the Censorate immediately stepped forward to petition for the pardon of the Southern and Lei generals who were stationed in the Eastern Capital.

Yan Zhenqing, then Vice Minister of Justice, had led a group of officials to the Western Palace to inquire about the Emperor's well-being, incurring the jealousy of Li Fuguo and being demoted to Prefect of Pengzhou. Before leaving the capital, Yan Zhenqing submitted a lengthy memorial of over five thousand words to defend Zhang Xun from false accusations and recounted the deeds of generals such as Nan Jiyun. Of course, his memorial could not actually be sent to the palace, but Li Shi, under the pretext of admiring Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, made a copy and, taking advantage of a visit to inquire about Li Heng's well-being, presented it as a "treasure"...

After reading it, Li Heng said, "Among contemporary calligraphers, none surpasses Yan Qingchen. His strokes are extremely vigorous, and he will surely be able to rival Ouyang Xinben (Ouyang Xun) in the future. However, your copy is not done properly; the pauses and turns are too rigid and monotonous."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Pengzhou is too far away; you can be reassigned to Bizhou."

—Yan Zhenqing thus avoided traveling more than 300 li.

Yu Chaoen's memorial was met with unanimous opposition from both inside and outside the court—the Crown Prince's faction obstructed the matter, the Empress's faction disliked him, and after receiving a signal from Li Shi that he had been released, Li Fuguo simply sat back and watched the two sides fight—ultimately, the Ministry of War issued an order that because Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun and others had coerced their superiors, their previous merits would be negated and they would not be promoted, and the garrison troops stationed in the Eastern Capital would be transferred to Shangzhou.

This facilitates a timely northward advance to reinforce Shaanxi and Guo, or to protect the capital.

As for who would lead this army, after a series of maneuvers, Li Shi finally got his wish and appointed Li Qijun as the prefect of Shangzhou.

The court then posthumously conferred upon Zhang Xun the title of Minister of Works, promoted him to Duke of Song, and gave him the posthumous title "Wenlie"; and posthumously conferred upon Xu Yuan the title of Minister of Rites, promoted him to Viscount of Xiangyi, and gave him the posthumous title "Zhen".

However, when Li Shi went to the Eastern Palace to meet Li Yu and proudly reported the matter, Li Yu's face showed a hint of anger. He reprimanded him, saying, "You are too meddlesome. If you want to secure the country, you must first cultivate virtue. Can the state be secured by conspiracies and secret schemes? 'Only by not contending can one be invincible.' You should read more of the Tao Te Ching."

Li Shi, filled with excitement, was suddenly doused with cold water and could only quickly bow and explain, "I originally did not want to get involved in this matter, but Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun and others are all friends of Li Ji. Li Ji wrote a letter, earnestly requesting that I take good care of them. He has truly done my family a great favor, so I dare not refuse..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu's expression softened slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh, saying, "This is not a model to follow, not a model to follow..."

When the news reached Fengxiang, Li Ji felt deeply saddened. He had only met Zhang Xun once, but he always felt that the old man with the sunken mouth and missing teeth possessed an inexhaustible, heroic spirit that captivated the heart. He couldn't help but pick up his pen and quickly wrote two lines of poetry:

"The general died in a hundred battles, and the evening wind blew over Longshang."

After I finished writing it, I took a look at it. The first line sounded familiar, it seemed to be a line from "The Ballad of Mulan". It didn't quite fit the tonal pattern of this era. As for the second line, it was more of a self-portrait than a eulogy to Zhang Xun... Forget it, I can't write poetry at all. I'd better just crumple it up and throw it away to avoid making a fool of myself.

Why did these two lines suddenly come to mind? Could it be that I became friends with Du Zimei two years ago and listened to him recite poetry all day long, and was deeply influenced by him?

Fortunately, Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others were unharmed, and the garrison of the Eastern Capital also managed to muster two thousand men, preventing a complete annihilation... But Li Qijun was appointed as the governor of Shangzhou, effectively leading this army. Could this be a trick played by that little rascal Li Shi? Does he think that Li Qijun is inclined towards the Crown Prince and is also my cousin, making him easier to control?

If it weren't for the country and its people, do you think you could even order me around? Let alone control me...

A few days later, Qingluan also sent a letter from home. Although the writing was crude, Li Ji could understand its meaning—it was about Chen Ruoye's meeting with Li Shi. Li Ji couldn't help but wonder, Cui Qi, where did you come from? I wanted to visit you but couldn't find a way, but you took the initiative to come to my door—if only I were in the capital.

I couldn't help but recall a few lines from a poem from my past life: "I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, then suddenly turning around, I found him where the lights were dim..."

Picking up his pen to reply, he simply revealed the girl's background to Qingluan: "That girl, Cui Qi, is a member of the family of Cui Gong, the former Prefect of Fengxiang. I have a relationship with Cui Gong, so he sent her to invite me to a drink the other day. This time, perhaps Cui Gong sent her to look after my house, and it just so happens that someone from Shan County came..." Of course, he didn't need to mention his own feelings for Cui Qi.

If things go well, it would be best to explain to Qingluan in person so as to seek her understanding; if things don't go well, it's better for Qingluan not to know than to know.

Suddenly one day, an urgent report arrived, saying that three hundred barbarian prisoners, being driven to repair irrigation canals along the Qi River east of the city, seized weapons and killed people while the guards were off guard and fled. Upon hearing the news, Li Ji hurriedly led two hundred cavalrymen in pursuit, killing most of the barbarians and capturing another hundred, but more than ten still escaped without a trace.

Upon returning, I reported to Li Ding that I planned to gather the prisoners and execute the escapees in front of everyone as a warning to others. Li Ding waved his hand and said, "Why bother? Just kill them all."

When Cui Guangyuan adopted Li Ji's suggestion to temporarily spare most of the prisoners from the death penalty, he intended to use them for hard labor until their deaths. The official granaries were already low on grain, and although the autumn harvest was approaching, given this year's situation, it was estimated that little would be harvested. Where would the surplus grain come from to feed the prisoners? They were given only a bowl of thin porridge each day, barely enough to keep them alive, while the work was extremely arduous, requiring them to work six full hours a day. Consequently, within just over a month, nearly 20% of the prisoners either died from exhaustion or were executed for disobeying orders.

Li Ji had originally planned a little further ahead, hoping that most of the captives would be pardoned after three to five years of hard labor as atonement. However, pardon would not mean letting them return to their hometowns to be ruled by tribal leaders again, but rather keeping them in Fengxiang Prefecture, or in Qin, Long, or other prefectures, to cultivate wasteland and naturally become farmers. He hoped to use these people as examples to gradually entice more Hu people to switch from herding to farming.

Comparatively speaking, the agricultural population is easier to control, and the government is happy to control it. Perhaps this will allow them to break up the Hu tribes in Longxi and gradually assimilate them into the Tang Dynasty.

Because of the numerous upheavals and turmoil, the Tang people in Guanzhong suffered heavy casualties, while the Hu tribes did not suffer as many population losses. If this continued, the Hu power would only grow stronger. Moreover, there was the huge external threat of Tibet nearby. The Hu and Tibet might collude with each other, thus threatening the heartland of the Tang Dynasty.

In fact, the late Western Jin Dynasty serves as a cautionary tale for a similar situation. In Li Ji's original timeline, this counter-current was severely suppressed. However, in this timeline, through reading the "Book of Jin," "Book of Wei," "Book of Northern Qi," and "Book of Zhou," it is known that the Guanzhong region had long been dominated by the Hu people, and its transformation from Hu customs back into Chinese territory was only a recent event, less than two hundred years ago.

However, while his idea was good, the timing was poor. At that moment, Fengxiang Prefecture had no surplus grain to feed the prisoners. When Li Dingchu took office, because this was the policy of his predecessor Cui Guangyuan, it was inconvenient to change it abruptly. Therefore, he took this opportunity to simply instruct Li Ji: "Kill them all."

I would love to have a team of laborers to help the government dig canals and repair roads. The problem is that the facilities around the prefectural city have all been repaired, and the various projects further away are not urgent. However, the shortage of food is an immediate problem, so we have to save as much as possible.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but sigh softly. To be honest, his advice to Cui Guangyuan that day was quite impulsive. He had seen hundreds of prisoners digging their own graves in front of the city gate and felt a pang of pity for them. However, firstly, those prisoners were indeed courting death, and secondly, he had just wiped out a group of fleeing Hu and was still in a bad mood. Considering the practical issues, he had no choice but to bow to reality.

But he still hesitated – “Killing him the day before yesterday was still somewhat justifiable, but now that he has been forced into hard labor, killing him again without cause would truly damage the government’s reputation.”

Li Ding smiled and said, "Isn't it easy to find a reason? Just secretly order the soldiers at each construction site to be less vigilant. Some of them will surely try to escape, and then we can use the pretext of collective punishment to kill them all."

Seeing that Li Ji still hesitated, Li Ding advised, "Second Brother, while one should have the heart of a Bodhisattva, one should also have the wrath of a Vajra and use thunderous methods, otherwise one will surely suffer harm."

Li Ji said with a wry smile, "I see the ox but not the sheep."

Li Ding smiled and said, "Alright then, I'll handle this. You don't need to worry about it. Just kill the captured fugitives first. There's no need to publicize it, lest the others be afraid and dare not escape again."

Li Ji obeyed the order and went out to execute the more than one hundred fleeing Hu people outside the East Gate. Then he dug a pit and buried them. Even though they were criminals, Li Ji still couldn't bring himself to make them dig their own burial pits.

Just as they were about to return to the city after the deed was done, a soldier captured a barbarian and reported, "That barbarian was watching nearby. He saw us killing barbarians and had tears on his face. He is probably one of our accomplices."

The Hu man immediately cried out in protest, "I do not know them at all. I was simply saddened by their plight. I have come here specifically to see the Prefect, and I am by no means an accomplice of rebels. Your Excellency is wise!"

Li Ji glanced at the man and saw that he was about thirty years old, with a square face and a long beard. He was bareheaded and without a hat, wearing a round-necked long robe, a leather belt, and leather boots. In fact, if it weren't for his unusual hairstyle, you wouldn't be able to tell that he was a Hu person at all if he wore a turban.

—Yes, the daily clothing of the Tang people was quite different from that of the Qin and Han dynasties, and it did indeed evolve from the clothing of the Hu people.

He originally thought this person was a family member of a prisoner who had come to redeem him, but he found that the man's clothes were quite luxurious, unlike ordinary Hu people. Among the captured Hu people, those of higher status had long been surrendered to Chang'an and would not be serving as laborers in Fengxiang Prefecture.

So he waved his hand, ordering his soldiers to release the man temporarily—did he think I was afraid he would assassinate me?—and asked, "Tell the truth, who are you?"

The Hu man clasped his hands in a deep bow and replied, "I am Li Chaoxian, the younger brother of Li Chaoguang, the Prefect of Rongzhou and Commander of the Tianzhu Army. I pay my respects to my superior."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but feel suspicious.

This man, who called himself Li Chaoxian, should actually be called Tuoba Chaoxian. He was the younger brother of Tuoba Chaoguang, the chieftain of the Tuoba tribe of the Dangxiang Qiang. The Dangxiang people, led by the Tuoba tribe, migrated eastward and were settled in Qingzhou during the Longshuo era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. Their leader was given the surname Li. When Li Heng fled north to Lingwu and then returned south to Chang'an, Li Shouji (Tuoba Shouji), the leader of the Tuoba tribe, once sent troops to help him and was appointed as the prefect of Rongzhou (in Lingnan Road, a remote position) and commander of the Tianzhu Army. Last year, Li Shouji passed away, and the court allowed his son Li Chaoxian (Tuoba Chaoxian) to succeed his father.

It is said that the Tuoba tribe was the most powerful among the Dangxiang tribes, and Li Chaoxian was also highly respected, acting like a local emperor behind closed doors. Therefore, when facing the chaos of the Hu, Li Ji specifically asked him about it, and learned that the Tuoba tribe did not seem to be involved in this Hu rebellion, and Li Chaoxian was not in the Hu camp.

However, Li Ji remained uneasy. The eight Dangxiang tribes were one people and intermarried; it was hard to believe that while six tribes were causing trouble, the remaining two would remain loyal to the Tang. If they were truly loyal, he should have at least sent someone to Fengxiang Prefecture to warn them sooner. At most, it meant that Li Chaoguang was cunning and shrewd, unwilling to act rashly without a sure chance of victory, preferring to remain behind the scenes and manipulate the other tribes.

Li Ji had planned to send someone to infiltrate Qingzhou to gather intelligence on Li Chaoguang after the reorganization of the Fengxiang army was complete—unfortunately, he couldn't find a suitable spy—but unexpectedly, Li Chaoguang proactively sent his brother Li Chaoxian to Fengxiang. What did he mean? Was he using the pretext of apologizing to secretly investigate the government troops?

He smiled slightly and said, "Since it was sent by Li Rongzhou, then come with me to see the military governor." He secretly ordered his subordinates, "Go and move my most elite team to the front of the military governor's office. Don't let the barbarian thieves underestimate the government troops."

Leaving aside Li Chaoguang's audience with Li Ding, at dusk that day, Li Ding specially invited Li Ji and Ban Hong to his residence for dinner.

Li Ding's banquet was much simpler than Cui Guangyuan's. Each of the three had only two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, plus a plate of pickled sunflower greens and a large bowl of "Qingfeng Rice." Of course, for ordinary people, it was still a feast, especially the "Qingfeng Rice," which was made by mixing crystal rice with spices and cow's milk, and then cooling it in a deep well—Li Ding's aversion to heat was evident from this.

During the banquet, the topic naturally turned to Li Chaoxian's visit. Li Ding smiled and asked the two judges, "Do you know why Tuoba Chaoguang sent his brother here?"

Li Ji and Ban Hong both shook their heads—not to mention not being able to guess, even if they had some suspicions, they couldn't appear too shrewd in front of their superiors, could they?

Li Ding dipped his chopsticks into the pickled vegetables, then lifted them up and tossed them into the air, laughing as he said, "This is for this—salt."

Chapter Six: Salt Administration of the Prefecture

Li Ding said that Li Chao had come to see him first about salt. Upon hearing this, Ban Hong feigned sudden understanding. Li Ji, however, had no knowledge of salt administration, so he turned his questioning gaze to Ban Hong. Ban Hong smiled and explained, "Does the Commander know where the salt we eat comes from?"

"Please advise."

"You should know that Puzhou in Hedong is rich in high-quality salt, but only a small amount is supplied to Guanzhong, because Guanzhong also has many salt wells and salt ponds. For example, Fuping County in Jingzhao Prefecture, Liyang County in Huazhou, Fengxian County and Chaoyi County in Tongzhou..."

Li Ding coughed, meaning you've gone off on a tangent.

Ban Hong then hurriedly got to the point: "The salt of Fengxiang Prefecture mainly comes from Qin Prefecture in the west, and there are salt wells in Changdao County. In addition, Ling Prefecture, Yan Prefecture, and Xia Prefecture also produce salt..."

The states he mentioned, when connected, form a semicircle, and the center of the circle is… Li Ji immediately understood and asked, “Qingzhou has no salt?”

Ban Hong nodded and said, "Not only Qingzhou, but also Jing, Ning and Bin have no salt."

The Hu people of Longshang were mainly located in these few prefectures, where no salt was produced, and all salt had to be imported from other prefectures.

Li Ji then asked, "Where did the Dangxiang and other barbarian tribes obtain salt in previous years?"

Before Ban Hong could answer, Li Ding explained, "At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, we followed the Sui Dynasty's policies and did not impose salt taxes..."

In the early Tang Dynasty, there was no salt monopoly system, and salt producers were essentially registered households, only permitted to use salt to partially replace grain taxes. After Emperor Gaozong's reign, supervisors were first appointed at several large salt fields in Hedong and Guanzhong regions to supply the capital and border garrisons, ensuring no shortages. During the Tianbao era, local governments were allowed to manage and collect salt taxes independently to supplement agricultural taxes.

Until the first year of the Qianyuan era, due to financial difficulties, the Tang Dynasty established the Salt and Iron Commissioner, who was directly under the central government, to manage the salt and iron monopoly. The first Salt and Iron Commissioner was Wu Qi and Wu Yugui.

It seems that Li Ding was quite disgusted with Wu Qi's salt monopoly system. He said, "Separating salt producers from registered households disrupts the national household registration system; preventing others from privately producing salt cuts off the livelihoods of many people; establishing officials to supervise the production inevitably leads to the problem of redundant staff; and the government's monopoly further isolates merchants. As a result, people in salt-producing prefectures are often forced to buy salt, while those in prefectures that do not produce salt wait for the government's salt supply and suffer from bland food all year round... Wu Qi only knows how to amass wealth, which is truly detrimental to the Tang government, just like Sang Hongyang of the Former Han Dynasty!"

Li Ji finally managed to get a chance to ask again during the pause: "Where did the Hu people get their salt in previous years?"

Li Ding, after rambling on for a while, finally brought the conversation back on track: "Before the Fifth Emperor Yu Gui changed the salt laws, the salt was naturally supplied by merchants; after the changes, the salt officials of each salt pond and well were in charge of coordinating the supply and distributing it to the various prefectures and armies, which then allocated it to the provinces and armies. The salt from Jing, Bin, and Ning prefectures was previously dispatched by Qin Prefecture; the salt from Qing Prefecture was dispatched by Yan Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji became even more puzzled and hurriedly asked, "Then why don't the Dangxiang people go to Yanzhou to ask for salt, but instead come to Fengxiang to beg for it?"

Li Ding laughed and said, "Shuofang is a bottomless pit!"

The Shuofang military governor was stationed in Lingzhou, and his jurisdiction included the Shanyu Grand Protectorate, six prefectures (Xia, Yan, Sui, Yin, Feng, and Sheng), two armies (Dingyuan and Feng'an), and three surrendered cities. The Shuofang army was originally slated to have 64,700 men and 4,300 horses, but due to the needs of the suppression of the rebellion, it was constantly expanded and now probably numbered no less than 100,000.

Of course, the figure of 100,000 is a figurative number. No one knows exactly how much of that was paid without actually working. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been less than 20,000 Shuofang troops under the command of Pugu Huaien, who were defending Heyang from Li Guangbi.