usatvline Chapter 39 The Liaoxi Team
Chapter 39 The Liaoxi Team
The hall fell silent instantly, and even the noise in the courtyard subsided.
"We were born in the borderlands and have seen the barbarian cavalry raid our territory and the people displaced. What we hate most are those who bully the weak and prey on the villagers."
"Since I, Liu Bei, began my career as an official, I have protected the people of Liaoxi and guarded the territory of the Han Dynasty. I have never tolerated the lawless outlaws under my command."
He paused, then said firmly, "Regardless of the past, from this day forward, those who join my school must abide by my rules."
"If anyone still harbors the intention to oppress the people or act recklessly because of their merits, they may leave this door now, and I, Liu, will not stop them."
"If you have no such thought, then drink this cup to the brim. From now on, we will live and die together, share both fortune and misfortune!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Pu stood up first, raised his cup, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and spoke in a booming voice.
"Our lord's words are exactly what we've been thinking!"
"We have pledged our allegiance to our lord out of respect for his love of the people and protection of the borders, and out of a sense of righteousness. How could we possibly do anything that harms the people and is utterly despicable!"
"Cheng Pu hereby swears that he will follow only his lord's lead for the rest of his life, and if he breaks this oath, may he be struck down by heaven and earth!"
"I, Han Dang, am the same!"
Han Dangdang immediately slammed his hand on the table and stood up, raising his wine cup high. "Wherever my lord goes, I will go! Anyone who dares to harm the people, I will be the first to chop him down!"
Xu Rong and Tian Yu also rose, raised their cups, nodded, and said in unison, "We will obey our lord's orders without any disloyalty!"
As soon as the four finished speaking, the two hundred brothers in the courtyard raised their arms in unison and shouted, their voices shaking the heavens: "We will obey our lord's orders! We have no disloyalty!"
A glint flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. He raised his cup and clinked it against the four men from afar, then drank it all in one gulp. Everyone in the room drank their cups, and the sound of the cups being tossed around rang out loudly.
After everyone was seated, Liu Bei picked up the third cup of wine.
A smile returned to his face, his tone brimming with undisguised sharpness and pride.
"You have all come here with your lives, abandoning your families and careers. I believe you are not ordinary people who merely seek three meals a day. You all aspire to achieve great things in this chaotic world!"
"I, Liu Bei, hereby swear that in this life I will lead you all, wielding our swords, to defend this land, secure the Han dynasty, and achieve unparalleled merit!"
"With a three-foot sword, I will achieve unparalleled feats!"
"With a three-foot sword, I will achieve unparalleled feats!"
The shouts first rose inside the hall, then swept across the entire courtyard.
The shouts of the two hundred brothers rose higher and higher, mixed with the alcohol and passion, and carried far into the night.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone started eating and drinking more freely, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.
However, since it was the first time the lord and his subjects had met, and everyone held Liu Bei in high esteem, they dared not be too presumptuous.
The banquet lasted for a while, and after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they gradually dispersed.
Once the hall had quieted down, Liu Bei summoned the four men to his study in the central courtyard to discuss matters and make further arrangements.
The six people sat around the tea table. Liu Bei took the teapot from Tian Yu and began to pour tea while talking.
"Gentlemen, although western Liaoning may seem stable now, it is actually a vast area with a sparse population of less than 80,000, and its foundation is still shallow."
"After the great plague in Youzhou, refugees from various counties have been pouring into western Liaoning. There are now more than 20,000 registered people, and the number will continue to increase."
"We must thoroughly assimilate these refugees in order to strengthen the foundation of western Liaoning."
He pushed the first cup of tea, which he had filled to the brim, towards Tian Yu.
He solemnly said, "Guorang, you are meticulous and thorough in your work. You will be in charge of all matters concerning the resettlement of the displaced people."
"These refugees were all reassigned to the border fortresses of the five counties of Yangle, Linyu, Lingzhi, Haiyang, and Feiru."
"Make sure each fort has at least two hundred households. Only with enough people can the fort be defended."
"After the refugees were properly settled, we immediately organized them to reclaim wasteland and repair water conservancy projects."
"Afterwards, we assisted the original inhabitants in completing the autumn harvest."
"We must ensure that every household has work to do, land to cultivate, food to eat, and shelter to live in. We must never allow any homeless people to become refugees."
Tian Yu was about to get up, but Liu Bei looked up and gestured for him to sit down.
"No need for formalities, please have some tea first!"
Tian Yu then sat down again, took a sip of tea, his expression softened, and said earnestly, "My lord, rest assured, I will properly resettle every displaced household!"
Liu Bei nodded and pushed another cup of tea toward Xu Rong.
"Yuanzhao, with the increase in the number of people in the fort, the local militia should also be expanded accordingly."
"Originally, each fort only had fifty local militiamen, but after the refugees were settled, the number was expanded to two hundred, divided into two hundred-man teams, rotating every three days."
"The hundred-man team was divided in half, with half training for patrolling and garrisoning the fortresses, and the other half helping refugees to reclaim wasteland and repair houses and fortresses."
"As the military clerk, you are fully responsible for this matter. You must ensure that the local militia are trained to be disciplined and combat-ready, and not just put on a show."
"After the local militias in each fort have stabilized, you will select five hundred elite soldiers from them and organize them into the county government's standing garrison, under your personal command."
"This will be our foundation for the future; you must put your heart into it!"
Xu Rong accepted the hot tea and said in a booming voice, "This humble general obeys! I will certainly train an elite force for my lord, capable of defending the border and fighting battles!"
Then, Liu Bei pushed a cup of tea in front of Han Dang.
He laughed and said, "Lord Yi, you are now the clerk in charge of bandits in the prefecture, with over a hundred brothers under your command. You are just the right person to use them."
"Your duty is to lead them to patrol all five counties and forts of the prefecture, apprehend thieves, suppress the roaming Xianbei and Wuhuan cavalry, and maintain order within the territory."
"I grant you permission to expand your forces to two hundred men, and all necessary weapons and armor will be provided by the prefecture government."
Han Dang took the teacup, grinned broadly, and said, "Rest assured, my lord! With me, Han Dang, here, no bandit will dare to act recklessly within Liaoxi!"
"Any foolish barbarian who dares to raid me, I'll chop off their heads and use them as teapots for my lord!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall burst into laughter, and the originally serious atmosphere became more lively.
Finally, Liu Bei pushed the remaining cup of tea toward Cheng Pu and said solemnly, "De Mou, you have served as an official in the prefectures and counties for a long time, and you are familiar with the administration and have keen insight."
"Now that you are the Inspector, you have the power to supervise the entire prefecture and have a hundred men under your command. You are also allowed to expand your force to two hundred."
"Your duty is to oversee the implementation of the prefectural government's orders by the counties and forts."
"Whether it's settling down to cultivate land and pacify the people, repairing fortified villages, training local militia, or preventing epidemics and preparing for famine."
"Any official who is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, ineffective in handling affairs, withholds grain and fodder, or oppresses the people, you may investigate and report them, and deal with them directly."
He paused, then added, "In addition, you need to spread your spies throughout the counties and forts, so that we can keep track of every little thing that happens in western Liaoning."
"If there is spare capacity, we can recruit trustworthy Wuhuan people to infiltrate the grasslands and investigate the movements of the four Xianbei tribes and the various Wuhuan tribes, so as to give us advance warning."
Cheng Pu accepted the hot tea with steady movements and a firm tone, saying, "My lord, rest assured, I will do my duty diligently, monitor the entire prefecture, and ascertain the internal and external movements for you."
"We will absolutely not tolerate any corrupt officials who embezzle public funds, violate the law, or delay government orders, thereby ruining the great cause of our lord."
With four tasks assigned, responsibilities were clearly defined, and everyone was given their due.
Xu Rong was in charge of the military, Tian Yu was in charge of the civilian sector, Han Dang was in charge of public security, and Cheng Pu was in charge of supervision.
The Liaoxi team, built by Liu Bei, was now fully formed, with clear responsibilities and orderly operation.