Mrs. Wu still had too many concerns in her mind, so she had to ask everyone to let her go back and think about it. Everyone just thought that she was worried about her family's reputation. In their eyes, Mrs. Wu and Cai Zhaoji were both from the Cai family, and there was a generation difference between them, which was indeed a bit unreasonable.
Seeing that Mrs. Wu's complexion was beginning to deteriorate and she was holding her chest, feeling upset and nauseous, Zhen Mi hurriedly asked Cai Zhaoji to help her go back to rest, while arranging for someone to serve her.
After the two women left, Yuan Xi said to Zhen Mi, "Madam, aren't you afraid that Madam Cai has ulterior motives?"
"Besides, you gave her such a high position. If it were a boy, being the eldest son out of wedlock would be a real problem."
Zhen Mi sighed, "But we can't just ignore the child, right?"
What she thought in her heart was that the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children should be left to nature, especially in the Yuan family.
To be honest, Yuan Shao was a bastard's son, and Yuan Xi was also a bastard's son. The fate of the next generation has not yet been decided, so who knows what will happen in the future.
She said softly, "Actually, it's because I feel guilty about my husband. I thought I knew him inside out, but I didn't expect that I would still be shaken."
After hearing this, Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Do you know everything about him?"
Zhen Mi's face instantly turned red, and she glared at Yuan Xi, "My husband is not serious!"
A ridiculous family turmoil ended temporarily.
Although everything seemed calm on the surface, many people who knew the inside story were dumbfounded.
Especially when Yuan Xi went to visit Guo Jia in person to apologize, Guo Jia was stunned and looked like he had lost all hope in life.
After all this time, it turns out that it was you who did it?
But you didn't know it was you who did it?
It was all in vain that I thought you were a hero, but I didn't expect you were just a fool!
I'm the one taking the blame, just like a turtle rubbing against the bottom of the pot, with dust all over my head!
That night, Guo Jia angrily had sex with several beauties and put this upsetting matter behind him.
However, this incident also more or less affected Yuan Xi's subsequent itinerary. His original plan to go to Yongnu and then go to Xuwushan by sea was also cancelled.
On the one hand, he didn't want the women to be tired from the long journey, but the main reason was that Xianyu Fu was now stuck in Yongnu, pinning down Tadun Chanyu in Liaoxi, so Xu Wushan was not that important for the time being.
So Yuan Xi changed his plan again and didn't even go to Yongnu. He just waited for Yan Rou to come, and then set off to Jicheng where Zhao Yun was stationed, and then returned to Beixincheng.
However, Yuan Xi thought about it later and realized that almost everyone was at a loss as to what to do in this matter.
From Zhen Mi to Guo Jia, from Zhao Ji to Hua Tuo, in fact, their words and deeds had subtle deviations from their previous ones, but they themselves were not aware of it.
This is because Mrs. Wu's suspicion about this matter has touched upon the most fundamental interests. When facing it, everyone cannot and will not be able to remain calm as they had previously imagined.
This is what it means when people are in the dark. Even if they realize it, they cannot completely get out of it.
This is the human heart. Precisely because they are human beings and not wood, their thoughts are influenced by countless unknown factors and keep changing.
This made Yuan Xi both grateful and alert. Fortunately, he had stepped on a landmine in family affairs this time, but the misunderstanding was resolved by accident and no losses were caused. But what if he encountered more serious problems in the future?
We all know that being open and honest with each other will avoid many misunderstandings, but as a lord, it's hard to be completely open with others, right?
This is easier said than done. Just like sending Qu Yi, Yuan Xi could not tell anyone for fear of harming Qu Yi, not even Zhen Mi and Guo Jia.
If one day I could abandon these worries, think calmly and ruthlessly about the gains and losses, and turn everyone around me into my chess pieces, then I would be able to become the person who accomplishes great things as Guo Jia said, right?
But, is it really possible?
Within a few days, Yan Rou arrived.
He and Xianyu Fu led dozens of riders into the city and went directly to meet Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi looked at him carefully and found that Yan Rou was also tall, with a rough face, three-dimensional eyebrows, and facial features of both Han and Xianbei people. No wonder he was accepted by both sides.
In fact, in the border areas, the Han and Hu bloodlines have long been mixed, and no one can tell where their ancestors can be traced back to. Over the long years, the customs and habits of the two sides have gradually begun to merge.
Everyone sat down, and Yuan Xi bowed to Yan Rou and said, "I have heard of your great name for a long time. Seeing you today, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved."
"General, if you have any requests, please speak up. Xiding will do his best."
Yan Rou sat up straight and said, "Thank you for your kindness, my Lord. I just want a place to stay."
Yan Rou dared to say it, but Yuan Xi didn't dare to believe it. If the conditions were too low, who would be willing to be loyal to him?
He said, "I heard that the general is from Guangyang?"
Yan Rou replied, "That's right. The Yan family has lived in the border for hundreds of years, and the Han and Hu people have intermarried, and the family has survived to this day."
When he said this, he was still a little nervous. Although Yuan Xi had a good talk with Xianyu Fu earlier, who knew if he would use both to fight against each other?
Now Yan Rou and Xianyu Fu have few choices. Even Liu He has surrendered to Yuan Xi. If they want to gain a foothold in Youzhou, they must have someone to rely on.
Yan Rou was ready to sell at a low price, but unexpectedly Yuan Xi said, "You two have not done anything yet, and it is difficult to convince the public. I would like to temporarily make you two suffer. Brother Xianyu will be the governor of Guangyang, and Brother Yan will be the governor of Shangu. How do you think?"
Shanggu County is to the west of Yuyang County, and Guangyang is to the east of Yuyang County. The three counties are connected. Yan Rou and Xianyu Fu looked at each other, saw the joy in each other's eyes, and quickly agreed.
The prefect was already an official of two thousand stones, although it was inferior to the Wuhuan captain that Yan Rou had previously robbed, but after all, he had the legitimate endorsement of Yuan Jiaming.
However, despite this, Yan Rou felt a little disappointed, because the position of Wuhuan Commandant was more prestigious and could mobilize the Wuhuan herdsmen. Secondly, Yan Rou still hoped to confront Tadun Chanyu. After all, both sides were competing for the leader of the Wuhuan.
Yuan Xi glanced at Guo Jia, who understood and said to Yan Rou and Xian Yu Fu, "General, do you know what the relationship is between the Han people and the Wuhuan and Xianbei in Guangyang and Yuyang?"
Yan Rou hesitated for a moment and said, "To be honest, the various ethnic groups living inside the pass have long been indistinguishable from each other. What everyone suffers from is the heavy taxes, military service and labor service. Most of the border residents in Youzhou don't care much about the separation of the two ethnic groups, or even who is in charge of the Han court."
Yuan Xi thought that this was the truth. If there had not been blood feuds between generations, the border residents would not have paid much attention to ethnic differences.
Guo Jia asked again: "What about those people outside the pass?"
Yan Rou said: "They make a living as nomads outside the Great Wall. Whenever the weather turns cold and the grass doesn't grow, they come into the Great Wall to plunder, and the people inside the Great Wall suffer terribly."
"When they plunder, they don't distinguish between Han people and Xianbei Wuhuan people. So in our opinion, although they are of the same ethnic group, their hearts are not the same."
After hearing this, Yuan Xi nodded slightly and said, "I have some ideas about this."
He briefly talked about digging ditches and planting rice fields as the second line of defense after the Great Wall, and finally said: "In this way, Guangyang and Yuyang can effectively prevent harassment from foreign tribes in the north in the future. At the same time, half farming and half grazing should make life better than it is now."
Yan Rou listened and said, "Your Excellency's idea is indeed brilliant. The only problem is that it consumes a lot of manpower and material resources, and will take at least several years, or even ten years."
Xian Yufu was also worried: "Digging the canal requires conscription of laborers, and I'm afraid not everyone will support it."
Yuan Xi understood that what the two said were true. After conquering a place, he needed to appease the local people and reduce rent and taxes for several years to win over their hearts and minds. How could he just start large-scale construction right away?
You must know that conscription of forced labor is most likely to cause civil unrest, so it must be done with extreme caution.
Guo Jia said, "The young master certainly knows this, which is why he entrusted you two with important tasks."
"This is not simply conscription for forced labor, but it is paid. As for whether the people are willing or not, it depends on their choice."
As Guo Jia stated the conditions one by one, Yan Rou and Xian Yu Fu's faces became more and more surprised.
Because if these conditions can be fulfilled, many people will rush to perform labor service!
The border residents of Youzhou and Bingzhou in the late Han Dynasty actually did not have a high status.
Since Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, the border residents of Youzhou and Bingzhou were relocated to the inland, resulting in a scarce population in Youzhou and Bingzhou. Foreigners outside the Great Wall took the opportunity to enter the country and occupied large tracts of land to live on.
The disadvantage was that it led to an imbalance in the population ratio between Han and Hu people on the border, but the advantage was that the two sides began to intermarry, and the Wuhuan and Xianbei began to be influenced by Chinese culture, and gradually developed differences with their fellow ethnic groups outside the Great Wall.
"Book of the Later Han. Biographies of the Southern Xiongnu" - "The people of You and Bing border areas were gradually moved to the east of Changshan Pass and Juyong Pass, and the Xiongnu then moved back to the interior of the Great Wall."
During the reign of Emperor An of Han Dynasty, the Protectorate of the Western Regions was abandoned. "Book of Han. Chronicle of Emperor Xiao'an" records that "In June of the first year of Yongchu, the Protectorate was abolished by imperial decree" and replaced by the Office of the Chief Secretary. The military strength was weakened, and in later years, the Office of the Chief Secretary was also abandoned, and the emperor completely withdrew from the Western Regions.
Unlike the Western Han Dynasty, which took the initiative to attack, strive to expand territory and create buffer zones on the border, the Eastern Han Dynasty adopted a defensive contraction strategy and ceded the border to foreign races.
Since Liu Xiu set the precedent, subsequent emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty reversed the tough style of the Western Han Dynasty and turned a blind eye to the expansion of the power of the Xiongnu and Xianbei. Later, the Wei and Jin dynasties also continued this practice of migrating the population, which led to the accumulation of hidden dangers and eventually the formation of the pattern of the Five Barbarians Invading China.
Yuan Xi's idea was very simple. Since he knew about these hidden worries in advance, he would not sit idly by or treat them passively. Instead, he would take the initiative to deal with these stubborn problems.
By utilizing the resources of Youzhou, local farming was carried out to establish a protective zone that was half military and half civilian. No matter whether they were Han or Hu, as long as they joined the army and performed labor service, they could obtain formal household registration and get a piece of land.
More importantly, descendants can get the opportunity to enter charity schools. As long as they achieve something in any subject in the school, they can enter the government and take exams to obtain official positions.
When Yan Rouxian Yu Fu heard this idea, he was shocked. This idea was really too bold!
This represented the possibility for the rigid classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans to cross the class barrier. Military merit, labor service and selection into charity schools gave the people at the bottom of society hope for a turnaround!
Yuan Xi was not surprised to see the shocked looks on the two people's faces, because few people would refuse to integrate into the more superior Chinese culture and living environment. The previous resistance was simply because the court did not treat these border residents as human beings.
As long as they are given hope of moving forward, these so-called foreigners who may become enemies will actively participate and integrate into the Chinese national system.
As the saying goes, the best strategy is to attack the enemy's strategy. In order to stabilize Youzhou and develop it into a powerful province in the future, extraordinary measures must be taken.
In the long run, this method is better than the so-called method of using the Hu to control the Hu, because the Han Dynasty adopted the method of the Southern Xiongnu to contain the Northern Xiongnu. Although it produced results in a short period of time, it allowed the Southern Xiongnu to become an independent faction and gradually become stronger, which was basically only treating the symptoms and not the root cause.
Yuan Xi's approach was to unify the household registration system so that the people living together as Han and Hu people would gradually eliminate the differences between Han, Xianbei, and Wuhuan, and integrate all of them into the Chinese cultural system!
In this way, when foreign tribes entered the pass, they were faced with the united border people of Youzhou. If they wanted to settle down well inside the pass, they could only honestly integrate into this cultural circle.
Of course, for those foreigners who don't want to integrate and only want to plunder, we can only use war and blood to force them to get out of here, or they can just die.
The core of this method is the selection of charity schools, the prototype of the imperial examination system. Unlike only testing classics, history, and literature, Yuan Xi wants all craftsmen to be put to use!
This was the prototype that he and Guo Jia had come up with after discussing it for many nights. At that time, Guo Jia sighed to Yuan Xi: "I knew that you had a profound plan, but I didn't know that your plan was so big."
"If it works, you will be remembered in history."
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "So how can we leave out the sir for this kind of thing?"
Guo Jia laughed loudly, because he understood that if Yuan Xi wanted to realize his plan, he had to conquer the world!
He had indeed been right about the man he followed. The man he followed was as ambitious as anyone else. While other princes were focusing on territory and army, Yuan Xi was already thinking about changing the Zhou rituals to the Han system!
However, this kind of thing is also extremely risky. If it succeeds, it will be remembered forever, but if it fails, there will be no recovery.
But for someone like Guo Jia who is unruly and doesn't even care about his own life, it is just what he wants.
These chapters are probably the ones I wrote most carefully, and also the ones that took the most effort. For this reason, I used narrative tricks, and everyone's dialogues actually sound very unnatural and insincere.
I'd rather write easier, less brain-intensive plots if possible.
But these are the chapters that highlight the main theme, exploring the bottom line and choices of doing things as a living person, so I still wrote it anyway.
If you feel that you don't understand or are not satisfied with it, it means that I have not told the story well. I would like to apologize to all the book lovers here.