Yang Yuanpu now came out to the garrison military headquarters almost every other day. Besides listening to Chief Administrator Shen Yang teach lessons, he also personally participated in matters such as troop training drills and even soldier-household field cultivation.
Apart from Han Qian, Yang Yuanpu probably had the greatest sense of urgency. He could be said to think constantly about being able to shake off the shadow and threat of Anning Palace one moment sooner.
Han Qian had been away from Jinling for several months. Over four hundred more severely plague-infected patients had died successively, but the population at the garrison military headquarters had not decreased further.
On one hand, the vast majority of famine refugees had been settled and new babies were being born. On the other hand, with Marquis Xinchang Li Pu’s promotion, after the Ministry of War reduced the garrison military headquarters’ soldier-household count, they again incorporated over ten thousand refugees from around Jinling city into the garrison military headquarters, bringing the Dragon Sparrow Army’s actual enrolled soldier-households back up to twelve thousand five hundred.
In the view of Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and others, since the Dragon Sparrow Army could enlist over twelve thousand troops, the soldier-household count naturally needed to be actually enrolled so its strength wouldn’t be weakened. But the problem was that people were added without adding land, and the additionally allocated military resources weren’t increased either. The garrison military headquarters’ financial situation was truly precarious.
Currently, the garrison military headquarters had an actual enrolled population of slightly over forty-four thousand. Shen Yang was also an extremely capable official who knew agriculture, construction, and other skills, which was why Emperor Tianyou—who himself also greatly valued practical affairs—had forced him to serve as a tutor to the Third Prince. Shen Yang himself was extremely sympathetic to the refugees’ plight. Over the past year, he had done everything possible to manage the garrison military headquarters, but at Taowu Market had only reclaimed one hundred thousand mu of dry fields.
When Han Qian returned, the year’s final harvest had just been stored in the granaries, and winter wheat had just been planted in the fields. But calculating the garrison military headquarters’ annual farming yields, they converted to one hundred twenty thousand shi of polished rice.
In this era, this was already quite a high yield, equivalent to each mu of dry field producing two shi of grain annually, converting to one shi two dou of polished rice. It could be said that Shen Yang had extremely high attainments in agriculture and was already considered a greatly talented minister in this era. But it was still roughly only equivalent to half the per capita annual grain production of the Jianghuai region.
At the same time, because all reclaimed farmland was used to plant grains, there was simply no surplus land to plant cotton, hemp, and other equally necessary items for daily life. Therefore, the vast majority of soldier-households and their dependents were still dressed in rags at this point, and in the short term, there was simply no hope of being able to change into new clothes.
It was already mid-September now. Yang Yuanpu, Li Pu, Shen Yang, and others had to consider cold-weather clothing, otherwise this winter would still be very difficult to endure.
At this time, Shen Yang was organizing manpower to harvest reed flowers from the lakeshores along Chishan Lake, or to beat rice straw and wheat stalks into fluff to stuff into the interlayers of tattered clothing, hoping to barely get through the cold winter.
Last year, Shen Yang had only had frost at his temples. This year, his hair was already mostly white.
The reason why Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, along with Chai Jian, Li Chong, and others didn’t criticize Han Qian too much this time for acting on his own initiative in secretly trading with Tanzhou was actually because the supplies Han Qian brought back could temporarily alleviate their urgent needs.
Five thousand shi of grain could be stored to deal with spring famine. One thousand bolts of homespun cloth, filled with reed flowers, could make three to four thousand cold-weather outfits. This way, at least they could barely ensure that the Dragon Sparrow Army’s over ten thousand troops could endure the cold winter.
Seeing quite a few sallow-faced, emaciated boys and girls in their teens working naked in the fields, Han Qian couldn’t help but sigh deeply in his heart. He said to Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, who had also accompanied them to the garrison military headquarters today:
“We shouldn’t have taken in so many more refugees!”
Faced with Han Qian’s public questioning, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu naturally felt somewhat displeased. He also secretly sensed that this youth might be using this to gradually sever ties with the Xinchang Marquis manor and the Wanhong Pavilion, ultimately forming his own faction under the Third Prince. However, since Han Qian said this in front of the Third Prince, Li Pu had to provide an explanation, saying:
“The northern front is under pressure. If we don’t take in these refugees, the refugees from Jinling and nearby prefectures and counties will all be incorporated into the various armies this time and relocated to the northern front.”
Li Pu wasn’t unaware that the garrison military headquarters was tight on money and grain, but he feared that if they missed this opportunity, there wouldn’t be another chance to actually enroll the Dragon Sparrow Army to over twelve thousand troops.
“What’s valuable in troops is quality, not quantity. Taking in so many more people all at once—if we can’t resolve matters of hunger and cold, it’s not conducive to winning people’s hearts,” Han Qian said to Marquis Xinchang Li Pu without beating around the bush at this point. After pondering for a moment, he continued, “Given this situation, before winter sets in this year, His Highness and the Dragon Sparrow Army must strive to participate in combat.”
Beyond the personal prestige the Third Prince needed to establish and the newly trained troops needing to be tempered on the battlefield to become veteran and fierce soldiers, from the perspective of the currently urgent military headquarters finances, there was even greater need to participate in combat.
As long as the Dragon Sparrow Army departed from Jinling—even if merely deploying three to five thousand troops to reinforce the northern front—before departing from Jinling, the supplies for those three to five thousand troops would be provided by the Bureau of Military Affairs. This would actually save the garrison military headquarters the consumption of three to five thousand shi of grain monthly.
More importantly, after the Dragon Sparrow Army left Jinling city and advanced north along the route, the officials along the way and at their garrison locations couldn’t possibly fail to offer tribute. Otherwise, if they slightly relaxed military discipline constraints, that would be enough for the localities to bear.
If they could achieve military merit, the subsequent rewards could also make the garrison military headquarters’ days in the coming year relatively comfortable and relaxed.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and the others had originally thought that the fighting that might erupt this winter along the Shouzhou and Guangzhou front would have nothing to do with them. But they hadn’t expected that after Han Qian had been back only two days, even they themselves had begun to waver.
……
……
After Yang Qin, Feng Xuan, and others unloaded the goods into the military headquarters’ great granary, Han Qian had them dock the ships at the wharf in front of the military headquarters’ earthen city to be repaired by craftsmen from the Works Section. Meanwhile, the helmsmen, sailors, and fleet guards were led by Lin Haizheng to stay at Qiuhu Mountain Villa, where they should also undergo reorganization during their rest intervals.
When they departed from Xuzhou, raising sails and flowing downstream, their speed had been extremely fast. The river bandits and water pirates along the banks hadn’t had time to react, so they hadn’t encountered danger the entire way.
When loading up with cargo to travel upstream back to Xuzhou, whether the journey could remain as peaceful was hard to say.
Even though Han Qian was determined to deal with the four surnames someday, at this time he also hoped the four surnames’ descendants could contribute their strength in resisting river bandits and water pirates.
Han Qian even secretly instructed Feng Xuan to strictly train the sixty men under his command. When they truly encountered river bandits and water pirates, he would need to cooperate fully with Yang Qin to resist them. He would also secretly supply Feng Xuan with some weapons and armor.
At the military headquarters office, Han Qian directly summoned Feng Zhang and others. In front of Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, and others, he discussed bartering goods and other matters. Feng Zhang and the others didn’t refuse.
On one hand, they needed to transport products abundant in Jinling but scarce in Xuzhou back home. On the other hand, no matter how straitened the garrison military headquarters was, it still had over ten thousand elite troops. Having seen the Marquis of Linjiang manor’s prestige, they didn’t think that personages like the Third Prince and Marquis Xinchang would pocket their small amount of money.
Four million coins, converted to gold, was merely over three hundred taels. However, only after these matters were settled could Han Qian breathe slightly easier.
Before nightfall, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, along with Chai Jian, Li Chong, and others, still had to lead the Guard Battalion to escort Yang Yuanpu back to the city. Without special permission, imperial princes were not allowed to stay overnight outside the city. Shen Yang kept Han Qian, Li Zhigao, Guo Liang, Zhou Yuan, Zhang Qian, and others at the military headquarters office for a banquet and discussion of matters.
The so-called banquet was quite simple—wine brewed from wild fruits that was sour and astringent on entry, a plate of preserved meat, and a few plates of fruits and vegetables. This was the finest fare that Shen Yang, as chief administrator, could bring out to entertain guests.
Seeing Shen Yang’s head full of white hair, Han Qian felt somewhat unable to bear it.
Shen Yang absolutely didn’t want to become involved in succession disputes, yet since the garrison military headquarters was established, he had expended the most effort.
“We haven’t met in months—you’ve truly worked hard, Sir,” Han Qian said to Shen Yang, taking small sips of the sour fruit wine.
“The Han household produces capable officials. These past days, Fan Dahei has helped me with quite a bit. If I didn’t need to ask you first, I would have already recommended him to enter the military headquarters as an attendant,” Shen Yang said.
Over a year ago, Fan Dahei had still been a somewhat slow-witted warrior. These days, he had been forced by Han Qian to rise to the occasion. Even during Han Qian’s absence from Jinling, he had concurrently managed the investigation office and workshop affairs. Though somewhat mentally and physically exhausted, he prided himself on barely managing, which he himself considered a miracle.
Meanwhile, Lin Haizheng merely concurrently managed the Military Section, and since most of the scouts had been transferred out of Jinling by Han Qian, the burden on his shoulders was much lighter.
Han Qian turned his head in considerable surprise to glance at Fan Dahei, who was kneeling behind him in attendance.
At this time, Fan Dahei was his household guard retainer. Even though his status was higher than slaves and servants who were equivalent to livestock, he still wasn’t a free person. Being recommended for official position by a personage like Shen Yang was actually a rare opportunity to shed his household guard status and advance in position.
Moreover, according to Great Chu’s laws and regulations, only mid to high-ranking military officials like Shen Yang had the qualification to recommend others for official positions, and could only recommend one or two people every three years. Otherwise, his uncle Han Daoming’s two concubine-born sons wouldn’t still be unable to enter officialdom to this day.
But he hadn’t even sought this out—why had Shen Yang taken the initiative to take on this matter?
Seeing Han Qian look over, Fan Dahei obediently lowered his head, afraid Han Qian would misunderstand that he had privately sought anything from Shen Yang.
Han Qian turned his head back and said to Shen Yang with a smile:
“For Fan Dahei to gain your appreciation, Sir—he’s truly eaten eight lifetimes’ worth of dog shit luck.”
Li Zhigao, Guo Liang, Zhang Qian, and Zhou Yuan all cupped their hands to congratulate Fan Dahei.
After drinking, Shen Yang and Li Zhigao still wanted to continue discussing military headquarters matters, but Han Qian said with a smile: “I just returned to Jinling and am quite tired. Don’t expect to straighten out in a single day all the matters that have accumulated over months. It’s already late today—if there’s anything, let’s discuss it tomorrow.”
Having said this, Han Qian stood up to take his leave.
All the way, he remained silent. Returning to Qiuhu Mountain Villa, Han Qian had Zhao Ting’er bring a basin of hot water to soak his feet, which had become somewhat swollen from running around all day.
Lin Haizheng came over to report matters. Han Qian waved his hand and said: “If there’s nothing life-threatening, save it all for tomorrow.”
Fan Dahei wanted to speak but hesitated.
Han Qian glanced at him, exhaled lightly, and said: “The Left Office of the Secret Bureau still cannot be brought to light. Besides my concurrent position as deputy commander of the Guard Battalion, we still can’t give you all official status for now. However, if the Dragon Sparrow Army can truly deploy this time, even without directly participating in combat, there will still be military merit. At that time, I’ll help you obtain some military merit from the Third Prince’s side to give you all low-ranking merit official status—that shouldn’t be difficult. Why are you so eager, thinking about Sir Shen Yang personally recommending you?”
“…” Seeing Han Qian’s expression was somewhat off, Fan Dahei dropped to his knees with a thud, too slow-witted to know how to explain for himself.
“Dahei has his eye on Director Zhang Qian’s daughter. She seems to be already eighteen years old and can’t delay marriage. Perhaps Director Zhang Qian approached Sir Shen on his behalf?” Lin Haizheng knew some of the situation and explained with considerable envy while standing to the side.
No matter how minor an official Zhang Qian was, he couldn’t possibly agree to his daughter marrying into the Han household as a guard, because if his daughter truly married over, legally she would be equivalent to a Han household slave or servant. Therefore, for Fan Dahei to marry Zhang Qian’s daughter, he first had to shed his status as a Han household guard.
“Oh, so that’s how it is. This is a good thing.” Seeing the two men’s expressions, Han Qian waved his hand somewhat wearily and said, “I’ll press Sir Shen Yang to implement this matter quickly so it doesn’t delay the betrothal—you both may withdraw now.”