Under the operation of the officials Yuan Xi brought from Ji Province, North New City began to shed its previous makeshift image and began to move towards regularization, taking on the rudimentary form of a commandery's seat.
In the beginning, the various departments were not yet familiar with each other, which seemed a bit chaotic, but the people of North New City were surprisingly cooperative, which surprised the Ji Province officials who were accustomed to the world.
You must know that promoting government orders locally, especially the sensitive matters of land reclamation involving labor and land development, would face great resistance without the cooperation of prestigious local clans, and often many things would be delayed for years without any progress.
However, the people of North New City had great trust in Yuan Xi, and they enthusiastically participated in the labor services such as opening up wasteland and digging canals around North New City, which required the people to contribute labor, and soon large-scale land reclamation began.
Rongcheng and Fanyang had been managed for a short time, and fewer people responded relatively, but after Yuan Xi adopted another measure, more and more people also assisted the soldiers in land reclamation.
Wages were settled on the same day.
Ignoring the opposition of some officials, Yuan Xi, in addition to providing two meals a day for the people participating in the reclamation, also opened a private treasury, paying an extra few coins a day as remuneration, which was settled on the same day, and the people flocked to it after hearing about it.
Some officials advised that this would lead to an unsustainable situation, and the private treasury would be depleted in just over a year.
Yuan Xi had his own ideas, however, that not investing in the initial construction would slow down the progress later on. Now that everything was difficult at the beginning, as long as it was on the right track, investing a little more would bring more benefits later on.
Moreover, as long as he could survive the half-year starting from the spring plowing, there would be a good opportunity to make a fortune later on.
Take down Yijing!
There were millions of stones of grain inside alone, and who knows how many other good things. When the time comes, how much you can get will depend on your military merits on the battlefield.
However, what he had to solve now were the enemies who might come to harass and sneak attack.
He gathered Qu Yi, Zhao Yun, and Taishi Ci together. Now the three of them were in charge of defending one city each, and they rotated defenses every once in a while, which was just enough.
He said, "This is what I'm thinking about the next plan."
"Now the wasteland around the three cities has begun to be reclaimed, and there are two main problems facing us."
"One is the need to build corresponding water conservancy facilities and dig ditches, but the weather is cold and the ground is frozen, making it difficult to dig ditches, but if we miss the spring plowing, the crops will not be good."
Qu Yi said, "I don't understand internal affairs. Can't you find a clan familiar with this way?"
Yuan Xi thought to himself, of course I know, the key is that I don't have anyone at hand!
The civil engineering knowledge of his previous life is almost completely unusable in today's small-scale agricultural economy society. Only people of this era can improve the technology suitable for this era.
Yuan Xi now desperately hoped that he had someone like Chen Deng, who was proficient in agronomy, by his side!
He said, "I have a way, and I won't look for you."
"I have decided to let some soldiers repair the canals and pay them at the same time."
This is the approach of the conscription system. If labor is not paid, the soldiers will be dissatisfied.
Zhao Yun said, "We don't have enough money and food."
Yuan Xi nodded and said, "So we need to find another way. How to make money, everyone should think about it carefully and talk about it again tomorrow."
"The second problem is the Xiongnu, Gongsun Zan's army, and the Black Mountain bandits who may come to harass us at any time."
"Especially Yu Fuluo of the Southern Xiongnu, who once relied on Dong Zhuo and was an enemy of my father. This feud cannot be resolved."
"The three thousand soldiers brought, plus the original one thousand five hundred people, are exactly one thousand five hundred per city, which is one battalion."
"But the problem is that if they all go to farm, there will be no time to respond when the enemy comes."
"So I want to use the rotation method, with the three of you each leading hundreds of veterans and elite soldiers, plus some new recruits, rotating monthly, and the others farming. When the time comes, another group will be rotated."
Taishi Ci listened and agreed, "The lord knows the army. Taking the old to lead the new can also have the effect of training soldiers."
"It's just that in practice, we also need to adapt to the situation. It seems that after we go back, we need to seize the time to train the soldiers."
Qu Yi said, "Although there have been some bandits harassing the Southern Xiongnu these days, there are not many people, but sooner or later there will be a large wave."
"The good news is that Gongsun Zan and them are also at odds, and it is unlikely that the two sides will join forces."
Zhao Yun said in a deep voice, "Although they will not join forces, if they take turns or attack the three cities at the same time, we will also be stretched thin."
"Leaving aside the Xiongnu, Tian Yu's hundreds of White Horse Volunteers are also a great trouble."
Yuan Xi nodded and said, "So, leaving aside everything else, Tian Yu is a trouble. Even if he cannot be used by me, he cannot be allowed to stay in Gongsun Zan's army."
"We have to find an opportunity to lure him out."
"After that, it will be up to you."
When Zhao Yun and the other three left, they couldn't help but shake their heads. The three forces around North New City were all quite troublesome. The lord really found a good place.
However, it is precisely because of this that the people of North New City have suffered so much in recent years, so they are so grateful to Yuan Xi for protecting them.
Now Yuan Xi's reputation has spread throughout Zhuo Commandery, and the reason why the people of Fanyang and Rongcheng have not had major disturbances is also due to this influence.
Yuan Xi deeply felt the benefits of reputation. As long as he has a good reputation among the people, it doesn't mean that he can't succeed even if there are fewer supporting clans.
But relatively speaking, the reputation among the people is also very easily affected.
For example, the Yellow Turbans.
Yuan Xi thought of that sentence, if you don't occupy the position, the enemy will occupy it.
He called Wu Zhao and Cao Xian and said, "What do you think of Taoism?"
Seeing Wu Zhao signaling her to speak first, Cao Xian thought for a while and said, "Many clans in Yan Province are devout believers in the Yellow Emperor and Lao Tzu's teachings, and even sympathize with the Yellow Turbans."
"When they talked, they often compared Taoism and Confucianism, measuring their merits and demerits. Some of their words were quite disrespectful."
Yuan Xi was quite surprised: "Are there many aristocratic families who believe in Taoism rather than Confucianism?"
Cao Xian thought for a moment, "From my impression, there are quite a few, at least thirty or forty percent."
Yuan Xi said, "Do you think this was caused by the great chaos in the world and the decline of the Han court, or has it been around for a long time?"
Cao Xian listened, and said with some difficulty: "Young master, this question is too difficult. I'm just a child."
These words made Yuan Xi and Wu Zhao laugh. Wu Zhao turned to Yuan Xi and smiled, "Let me speak."
Yuan Xi saw Cao Xian taking advantage of Wu Zhao's turning her head, sticking out her tongue at him with a mischievous smile, and licking the corner of her mouth, almost losing his composure on the spot.
Wu Zhao didn't notice, and said: "This matter is very complicated."
"My father studied Confucian classics, but he discovered some truths in them that are not good to tell outsiders."
"To say that Taoism evolved from the Taoist school of thought during the ancient period of the Hundred Schools of Thought into a religious sect, Confucianism has also undergone similar changes."
Yuan Xi heard this kind of statement for the first time, and immediately said: "I would like to hear the details."
Wu Zhao said: "Since Emperor Wu of Han, the implementation of dismissing the Hundred Schools of Thought and exclusively honoring Confucianism was the theory of 'interaction between Heaven and man' proposed by the great Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu, which is different from Confucius's pre-Qin Confucianism, and even goes against it."
"Confucius did not speak of strange forces, chaotic forces, or spirits, but the interaction between Heaven and man is based on gods and ghosts."
These words were like a thunderbolt, suddenly broadening Yuan Xi's vision, and he understood many vague principles that he could not understand before.
The sacredness of imperial power.
Although Qin Shi Huang unified the world, he did not secure his rule. Although there were many reasons for this, he did not control the nominal concept of the Mandate of Heaven well.
The pre-Qin Confucianism advocated governing the country with virtue and the Tao, but could not provide a good explanation for the emperor receiving the Mandate of Heaven.
Therefore, after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, starting from Emperor Wu of Han, the theory of prophetic books and weft threads became very popular, reaching its peak during the time of Liu Xiu.
The theory of prophetic books and weft threads attributed Confucius's words and deeds to the prophecies of Heaven, which could predict future events, thereby adding religious sanctity.
Dong Zhongshu was inspired by this and proposed the theory of interaction between Heaven and man.
Objectively speaking, this was a compromise and a helpless move, because having Heaven above the emperor undoubtedly added a shackle.
Therefore, Dong Zhongshu's Three Strategies of Heaven and Man also restrained imperial power, because according to this theory, earthquakes, droughts, floods, insect plagues, and all other earthly anomalies were warnings from Heaven to the emperor. If the emperor's rule was stable, then so-called auspicious omens would appear.
This Heaven is like a father to a child in relation to imperial power, and Dong Zhongshu himself also performed the work of praying for rain, looking exactly like an ancient shaman who worshiped Heaven, making people feel as if they had returned to the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
It is difficult to say how much Dong Zhongshu mixed into it, but what is certain is that, combined with Emperor Wu of Han's later actions, Dong Zhongshu's Confucianism was completely different from the core of pre-Qin Confucianism, adding many religious factors.
The official formation of Taoism was marked by the creation of the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice by Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
This was separated from Dong Zhongshu's Confucianism by several hundred years. The process of its birth and the principles within it were extremely similar. It drew on the evolution of Confucianism to Confucian techniques, integrated the will of Heaven and ghosts and gods into itself, and combined it with the missionary model of Buddhism, and thus Taoism was born.
Wu Zhao spoke of the cause-and-effect relationship between Confucianism, Confucian techniques, Taoism, and Buddhism, clearly and Tell the story, even Cao Xian listened in amazement, nodding repeatedly.
Wu Zhao finally said: "It is precisely because of Dong Zhongshu's proposal of the interaction between Heaven and man, and the deification of Confucius, that Confucianism became Confucianism, adding supreme authority to imperial power, but also bringing an unbreakable chain."
"Heaven is always above man, and the emperor is always subject to the Mandate of Heaven, restrained by ghosts and gods, the incarnations of Heaven, so the imperial power must worship ghosts and gods."
"Taoism took advantage of this weakness and occupied the position of ghosts and gods, shaking the imperial power. This is one of the important reasons for the Yellow Turban Rebellion."
Yuan Xi listened and said: "Are these all the thoughts of Cai Zhonglang? They are truly remarkable."
Wu Zhao's face turned slightly red: "No, how could Father say such rebellious things so directly? Many parts of it were thought out by myself after I followed you, young master."
"Do you remember when I first met you, young master, I said that the Han system is not necessarily all correct?"
"It was this sentence that awakened me and made me start to think about the unreasonable aspects of it, and put forward ideas that were different from my father's."
Yuan Xi thought to himself that the ways of the world are truly wonderful. Confucian techniques gave birth to Taoism, and his unintentional words gave birth to Wu Zhao's new ideas.
He said: "The gentry worship Confucianism, and the common people believe in Taoism. If I want to win the hearts of the people, I must create momentum through Taoism."
"The reputation of the people in Beixin City spreading to Zhuo County, and even Youzhou, is still too slow, and it is easily distorted by rumors."
Wu Zhao nodded: "I know what you want to do, young master. Digging at the foundation of Confucianism is very taboo, but digging at the corner of Taoism and turning it to your advantage is still possible."
"From now on, spread the word about your identity in Taoism, young master. As it spreads, as long as it continues, coupled with your achievements, young master, you will be able to occupy a place in Taoism."
"Good idea, young master. Cao Mengde is also doing this. If you want to fight against him, you can only fight poison with poison."
Yuan Xi nodded. Although spreading rumors was somewhat dishonorable, who didn't start by spreading rumors in the beginning?