Chapter 313: The Production and Construction Corps

After watching Yang Jiu leave, Heifu and Zhang Han lowered their hands. They exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat complicated.

"Shaorong, what do you think is the reason behind the King's decree?" Heifu asked Zhang Han on the way back.

"It's because of land. The unowned fields in the inner commanderies are no longer sufficient."

Zhang Han came from Guanzhong, and as the Director of Works in charge of civil engineering, he had more or less come into contact with some field and household registration data in Jiujiang Commandery, so he saw the situation more clearly.

"From the eleventh year of the King's reign, when he ordered the old general Wang to attack Yuyu, Qin has not gone a single year without sending troops eastward. It has been fourteen years now. Every year there are battles, every year soldiers sever heads and seize cities, earning merit and receiving rewards. The unowned land in Guanzhong was completely distributed years ago. Even the marginal forests and marshes were largely reclaimed and used for the nobles and magnates relocated from the five states. Since the campaign to destroy Wei, the land rewarded to Guanzhong soldiers has begun to be allocated in the border commanderies. Take me, for example: I am clearly a man of Xiayang in Neishi, yet my land was allocated to Ji County in Longxi."

"It is even worse in the commanderies east of the mountains. Yingchuan, Sanchuan, Hedong, Henei, Nanyang, and other commanderies were already densely populated with little land. Now, soldiers native to those places have to have their newly acquired fields opened up as far away as Taiyuan, Yanmen, and Shanggu."

Nan Commandery was not much better off. The entire commandery had a population of one million, yet its fields barely exceeded ten million mu. Counties like Jiangling, Ying, and Yan, which held the largest populations and accounted for one-third of Nan Commandery's total, had long had no surplus fields. They could only seek solutions from more distant counties like Yiling.

Heifu silently did the math. In this era, China's population was roughly thirty million, with a nationwide cultivated land area of about three hundred million mu (Qin mu). By all logic, with five people per household and one hundred mu per household, there should be enough to go around. But one must not forget that the greater half of the land was concentrated in the hands of a minority of nobles and meritorious officials.

Moreover, Qin's military merit rank system, while devouring the six states, was also devouring Qin's own land, creating an insatiable, bottomless gap!

Although new land was opened up every year, the newly risen military-merit landlords were even more numerous; demand far outstripped supply. As a result, the Central Plains, where land was already somewhat tight, became even more strained, to the point that many counties had no land left to reward meritorious officers and soldiers.

Trust is a state's treasure, and the government's credibility is weightier than the Nine Tripods. The land promised by the government cannot be reneged upon; otherwise, the military merit ranks and the granting of fields and houses—the two foundations of a strong state—would collapse overnight.

Under these circumstances, King Zheng of Qin had three options.

The first was to intensify the development of the inner commanderies, turning all parks, forests, marshes, and hunting grounds into arable land, and having meritorious officers and soldiers reclaim wasteland in their native places.

Over the past decade or so, the King of Qin had indeed done this, repeatedly reiterating Shang Yang's orders to clear grass and reclaim wasteland, and commanding each county to continue opening up land. Unfortunately, productivity was limited in this era; reclamation was concentrated in the plains, and the vast lands of the mountain forests could not yet be utilized, so the balance between supply and demand for fields could only barely be maintained.

This situation was completely shattered by the victory in the second campaign to destroy Chu.

Not counting military officers like Heifu and his peers, who gained several or dozens of qing of land in one go, just the six hundred thousand troops who participated in the war, each receiving an average reward of one rank of merit, would require the distribution of sixty million mu of land!

Reclamation alone was no longer enough. To appease the clamoring meritorious officers and soldiers, the King of Qin could only look to other avenues.

The second method was to seize the fields of the people of the five states in the commanderies and counties of their former lands, or to massively crack down on the nobles and magnates, confiscating their land and allowing Qin soldiers to migrate and take possession of it.

It sounded like a tempting choice—the kind of tyranny conquerors most enjoy imposing on the conquered, like the Qing Dynasty's land enclosure order.

But to Heifu's surprise, the King of Qin had actually not taken this step!

Although King Zheng of Qin relocated some magnates to Guanzhong for close surveillance, he did not seize their land. Instead, he tacitly acknowledged the land ownership situation as it had been before the Qin army's entry.

Zhang Han also said, "When I was in Shouchun, the commandery governor ordered the common people everywhere to declare the land they owned to the county magistrate and the Se Fu, calling it 'self-declared fields.' Except for the lands of those nobles and magnates who resisted the great army, which were confiscated as public fields, the government did not seize a single piece of the other commoners' private land..."

Not adding fuel to the fire in the former lands of the five states, where tensions were already acute, was wise. Most commoners could sit idly by and watch their state and altars perish, and laugh as their kings and lords fell. But if you tried to touch their land, you would become their mortal enemy. Even the most docile farmer would grab his tools and fight you to the death!

Thus, the King of Qin was left with only one final option: to expand the territory, open up new commanderies, counties, and fields on the lands of the barbarians, the Rong and the Di, and use this as a reward for the officers and soldiers, turning them into the Great Qin's Production and Construction Corps...

"But the officers and soldiers do not see this as a reward; they consider it a demotion and a betrayal."

Heifu shook his head. From the King of Qin's standpoint, this choice was undoubtedly correct. It could solve an urgent crisis and also bestow benefits for a thousand generations. Just like the Duke of Zhou, who, millennia ago, sent all his relatives to remote border regions as feudal lords, later generations would only praise his foresight and vision.

But every endeavor has its sacrifices, and the three thousand soldiers of the southern expedition became the sacrificed. They had toiled through bitter campaigns, hoping only to gain a little more land at home and be looked up to by their fellow villagers. Who could have expected to be exiled to this wild, barbaric land far from their native soil?

To gain wealth and rank but not return home is like wearing embroidered robes in the dead of night. In history, when Xiang Yu and Liu Bang achieved success and fame, they still harbored thoughts of abandoning Guanzhong to return home—let alone these common soldiers stationed in Nanchang.

In their resentment and discontent, they would ponder a question: "Was it worth it, fighting so desperately to achieve merit?"

When he reached the military camp, Heifu could feel that the usual cheerfulness was gone. The soldiers were filled with disappointment, and even their salutes to him were listless.

Back in Nanchang city, as they were about to part ways, Zhang Han asked, "When Heifu was placating the soldiers, he said he would submit a memorial to the King to ask for clarity?"

Heifu smiled bitterly. "Thunderclaps and rain-dew, all are the grace of Heaven. I am but a minor Left Chief of the Masses; how would I dare do such a thing? I will merely report the soldiers' situation back to the King, letting His Majesty know how those below view this matter. That is all..."

But at the time, Heifu had no choice but to say so. He had to make the soldiers feel that he stood on their side, sharing their losses. Only thus could he suppress their discontent and anger to prevent a greater incident from erupting.

Nor did he believe that the situation he reported would make the King of Qin change his mind, because even Heifu himself thought that the King's measure was correct from an overall perspective!

"Without the bitter cultivation and management of the Qin ancestors on the western frontier, that place would likely still be the domain of the Rong and Di."

"Without the Chu ancestors' pioneering spirit of driving a cart through brambles and thickets, the Jiang-Han region would probably still be a wilderness today."

When Wu Qi carried out his reforms, he made the Chu nobility migrate to the border regions. The nobles were unwilling, and after King Dao of Chu died, they rose up en masse and killed Wu Qi. Although most were tricked by Wu Qi and perished together with him, Chu's reforms were also abandoned halfway. More nobles gleefully ran back to Jiangling to continue their comfortable lives. Thus, over a hundred years later, the Chu lands south of the Yangtze were still in this sorry state.

Which era has no sacrifices? If everyone only huddled in their hometowns, the current territory of Huaxia would still be just a small patch of the Central Plains...

As a ruler, the King of Qin did not need to consider the small sacrifices of individuals; he only needed to possess a profound vision and great boldness that transcended the era!

On this point, Heifu stood with Qin Shi Huang. The three thousand southern expedition soldiers staying here could both develop Jiangxi and consolidate border defenses. He figured that even larger-scale migration was still to come.

"Let them sulk if they must. Those with families will settle down once their wives and children migrate here. The bachelors will also marry local Chu and Yue women. By then, when Nanchang has been developed and built up fairly well, even if you tried to drive them back to Nan Commandery, they probably wouldn't bother to move!"

Though he said this, after returning to his tent, Heifu had his personal guards light the oil lamps. He took up his brush and wrote a letter to be delivered to the Governor of Jiujiang Commandery. He decided that, before he left, he would do one last thing for his men...

In the first month of the twenty-sixth year of King Zheng of Qin (the tenth month), Heifu's subordinates stationed in various places, sooner or later, all received a notice of appointment. It concerned the establishment of new county seats across Jiangxi, as well as the appointment of officials for each county...

Zhao Tuo was pleasantly surprised to discover that he would become the "Jiujiang Commandant." Besides being responsible for the security of "Jiujiang County" established at Xunyang, he also concurrently oversaw the defense of the entire Pengli Marsh.

Li Xian was also thrilled to learn that his time as Acting Commandant was over. He was appointed by Jiujiang Commandery as the Assistant Magistrate of Poyang County, becoming the county's second-in-command.

Dongmen Bao and Xiao Tao also received the official seals for the Commandant of Luling County and the Commandant of Gan County, respectively.

These appointments all originated from the proposal Heifu had submitted to the Governor of Jiujiang Commandery:

"If the Governor wishes to have these men remain and garrison the local area, he should let each exhaust his strengths. When the officers are settled, the soldiers will also be settled."

Since the men from Nan Commandery were to stay here, it was necessary to honor their positions and elevate their authority. Only in this way could the military officers set aside their discontent, properly restrain their soldiers, and prevent them from foolishly deserting and fleeing back home.

After their initial surprise and delight, what followed for everyone was gratitude toward Heifu.

Dongmen Bao, Xiao Tao, and Li Xian all regretted that they could not see Heifu one last time in person. They could only bow in farewell to the north and to the west.

"We knew it! The Sima has not abandoned us!"

And in Nanchang City, Nanchang County was also formally established. Xu Shu, who had just been promoted to Chief Clerk of Nanchang, Gong Ao, the Commandant of Nanchang County, Ji Ying, the Postal and Relay Official of Nanchang County, and Jing, the Scribe Assistant, saw Heifu off in the camphor forest north of the city.

Xu Shu guaranteed that he would properly manage the promotions of local officials and, once the Nanchang County Magistrate arrived, recommend Heifu's meritorious former subordinates to him.

Ji Ying had tears and snot streaming down his face. His friendship with Heifu was the earliest, and now that Heifu was leaving him behind to go north, he could not help but feel sorrowful.

Heifu's younger brother Jing felt the same, but he also knew that he absolutely could not keep up with where his elder brother was going...

Only Gong Ao, though he had obtained the post of County Commandant, still felt some resentment in his heart about the King of Qin forcing them to stay in Nanchang. He bowed to Heifu and said, "Sima, when you go to Xianyang, I still hope you will speak a word for the soldiers. Even if they cannot return home, at least let their families and wives be relocated here soon."

Heifu looked at the place where he had fought for a year, and at the thousands of former subordinates by the banks of the Gan River who were reluctant to part with him. This send-off formation was truly too grand. It was fortunate that the newly appointed Nanchang County Magistrate had not yet arrived; otherwise, he would probably be immensely jealous.

He nodded, boarded the carriage, turned back to bow to everyone, and said loudly:

Though this body now stands in the north, Heifu's heart remains with those three thousand soldiers! In any matter concerning you men, Heifu shall treat it as his own and argue with all reason before the court!

Over a thousand hometown sons garrisoned at Nanchang bowed to Heifu and said in unison, "We respectfully see off the Marshal on his journey to the capital!"

When the court gentleman Yang Qiu departed, he gave Heifu an order that differed from the one given to the other officers and soldiers.

The King of Qin approved the administrative plan for Jiangxi, yet also ordered Heifu to relinquish his post as Prefect of Poyang and to enter Xianyang for an audience before the second month of spring!

Zhang Han analyzed that, on this trip, he would likely be retained and appointed to an official post.

This little fish from Nan Commandery, after six years of struggle, had finally, through his own efforts, leapt through the Dragon Gate in one bound…

The horse-drawn carriage slowly traveled north. What awaited Heifu was the center of this world, where the surging tides of the era ran even fiercer!

(End of chapter)