pappabearbooks Chapter 33 The Dilemma of Dividing Gold
Chapter 33 The Dilemma of Dividing Gold
"The Prefect has arrived!"
The rough chanting was like a stone thrown into calm water, instantly freezing the air in the courtyard.
The prefect and his officials froze on the spot, their kowtowing motions still in motion. Their faces were ashen, their lips trembling, unable to utter a word. The wailing and lamentations they had just made about the barbarity of the Xiongnu had abruptly ceased, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the plum blossom branches. They stole glances at the courtyard gate, their eyes filled with terror, wishing they could disappear into the ground. The demeanor they had displayed just moments before, crying to Gao Zidan about their grievances and longing for the arrival of the royal army, was now completely gone, replaced only by a deep-seated fear.
Gao Zidan's anger vanished instantly. He straightened his clothes, smoothed out the wrinkles on his cuffs, turned around, and respectfully bowed to Liu Yao, who was striding towards him. His bow was just right, neither disrespectful nor humble: "This humble servant, Gao Zidan, greets Prefect Liu."
Liu Yao, dressed in a black brocade robe with a gold-inlaid curved sword at his waist, the jewels on the scabbard gleaming coldly in the sunlight, was followed by four armored guards, each burly and fierce-looking, their footsteps heavy and muffled on the cobblestones. He had just woken from a hangover; his eyes were still bloodshot, and a stubble of green on his chin gave him a languid air, yet his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's. His gaze swept over the kneeling Han officials, his brow furrowing sharply. He asked in a gruff voice, "Brother Gao, what's going on? Why are all these people kneeling here? They all look like they've lost their parents."
The prefectural magistrate lay prostrate on the ground, his head bowed even lower. Cold sweat soaked through his blue official robe, clinging damply to his body, chilling him to the bone. He stammered for a long time, his tongue seemingly tied in knots, unable to utter a single word. How could he dare say that he had just been vehemently denouncing Liu Yao as a barbarian and begging Gao Zidan to petition the court to send troops to reclaim Xihe? If Liu Yao heard these words, not only would he lose his official hat, but he would probably lose his head as well.
Gao Zidan straightened up, a gentle smile on his face, his tone calm and unhurried, as if his earlier outburst of anger had never occurred: "Reporting to Your Excellency, I made an agreement with you yesterday, and this morning, the Prefectural Magistrate led all the officials of the prefecture to pay me a visit to discuss the allocation of 80,000 strings of cash and provisions to the Yongming troops. I was just explaining to them that this money is of great importance; it is for the brothers' rations, military equipment, and warhorse expenses. It must be delivered to the Prefectural Governor's Office in full every month, without the slightest delay. Otherwise, if the brothers' expenses are delayed, no one can bear the responsibility."
As he spoke, his gaze swept lightly over the prefectural magistrate on the ground, his tone carrying an undeniable pressure, as if reminding or warning: "Prefectural Magistrate, don't you agree?"
The prefectural magistrate shuddered, as if pricked by a needle, and immediately kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead thumping against the bluestone slabs. His voice trembled as he said, "Yes, yes, yes! Young Master Gao is absolutely right! This humble official will certainly do his utmost to deliver the money to the prefect's mansion on time every month, without daring to make the slightest mistake! Absolutely not! If even a single coin is missing, may the prefect cut off my head!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yao's gloomy expression vanished instantly, and he burst into laughter. He stepped forward and patted Gao Zidan on the shoulder with such force that Gao Zidan almost stumbled. "Brother Gao, you're so thoughtful! With you keeping an eye on these Han officials, I feel much more at ease! These people are as slippery as eels; if no one's watching them, who knows what tricks they might pull!"
He glared at the prefect again, and shouted in a gruff voice that shook the leaves in the courtyard: "Did you hear me? If you dare to shortchange me by even a penny, I'll chop off your head and send your whole family to the grasslands to herd sheep!"
"No, no! This humble official dares not!" The prefect was so frightened that he kowtowed even louder, and blood quickly seeped from his forehead, mixed with cold sweat.
The officials followed suit, kowtowing repeatedly, barely daring to breathe. Their earlier thoughts of deceiving Gao Zidan and continuing to line their own pockets had vanished completely. Before Liu Yao's curved blade, any trickery could lead to their deaths; they dared not gamble with their lives.
Liu Yao waved his hand impatiently and said, "Alright, alright, get up. All this crying and wailing is annoying. I need to talk to Brother Gao. You can all leave now; we can talk later."
The prefectural magistrate, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, hurriedly led his subordinates, scrambling and stumbling, to leave. Just as they reached the courtyard gate, Liu Yao stopped them.
"Wait a minute!" Liu Yao scratched his head, as if suddenly remembering something, and frowned as he said, "Yesterday you sent me a huge pile of documents, all about land tax, corvée labor, and water conservancy, piled up like a small mountain. I looked at them for a long time, and I recognized all the characters, but when they were put together, I had no idea what they meant. Go and bring all those documents over here, and let Brother Gao take a look at them for me, and teach me how to deal with these messy things."
The prefectural magistrate hesitated for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! This humble official will go and get it right away! Right away!"
Not long after, the prefectural magistrate entered with two junior officials, carrying a thick stack of documents. The documents were bound with hemp rope and covered in dust, clearly having just been retrieved from the storeroom. The two junior officials carefully placed the documents on the table, panting heavily, then bowed their heads and retreated without daring to look back.
Gao Zidan casually picked up the top scroll, untied the hemp rope, unfolded it, glanced at it a few times, and frowned. He flipped through a dozen more scrolls in succession, his expression growing increasingly grim, his fingers rustling as they traced the pages.
This huge stack of documents, nearly half a person's height, contained over 70% reports from various counties detailing the harassment of civilians by Xiongnu soldiers. Some soldiers forced purchases without payment, wielding rusty curved knives to exchange for a farmer's ox; others broke into homes, harassing women and robbing them; some Xiongnu soldiers fought amongst themselves over the spoils, vandalizing county offices and injuring officials; still others even illegally seized farmland, treating Han people like slaves. Even in Lüliang city, with Liu Yao personally overseeing the situation, he couldn't stop the rampant misbehavior, let alone in the counties far from the capital, which had become a veritable paradise for the Xiongnu soldiers.
Gao Zidan gently placed the document back on the table, sighing inwardly. The habits ingrained in the bones of the grassland tribes could not be changed by a few military orders or dozens of heads. In the first three days after Liu Yao entered the city, he did publicly execute some Xiongnu soldiers who were plundering the people, but that only suppressed the open burning, killing and looting. The oppression and plundering in secret never stopped.
He couldn't control such matters. Even if he could help Liu Yao sort out the land tax accounts and handle official correspondence, he couldn't control the wildness inherent in the Xiongnu soldiers. Moreover, he never intended to help Liu Yao reform the bureaucracy. These conflicts would allow Liu Yao and these Han officials to check and balance each other, while he could simply reap the benefits.
He looked up, smiled at Liu Yao who was looking at him expectantly, gently pushed the document back, and said in a tactful tone, "Lord Liu, these are all routine matters of the prefecture, quite trivial. You can get used to them slowly. I came here today mainly to finalize the allocation of funds and grain. As for other matters, it is best for you to make your own decisions. I am not in a position to interfere too much."
He paused, changed the subject, and looked at Liu Yao, asking, "By the way, Your Excellency, you've come so early today, is there something important? If there's anything I can do to help, I will certainly do my best."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yao's smile vanished instantly, and he complained, "Brother Gao! It seems you're angry with your older brother! Why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord'? Didn't we agree that we're like brothers? Just call me Brother Liu!"
Gao Zidan simply cupped his hands in greeting: "This humble servant dares not! If Your Majesty has any orders, this humble servant will do his utmost."
Hearing Gao Zidan's words, Liu Yao didn't press the matter. He simply pulled Gao Zidan to sit on a stool, sighed heavily, scratched his head, and groaned, "Don't even mention it! I'm so annoyed! From last night until this morning, my doorstep has practically been worn down by people walking all over it!"
"Ever since you said yesterday that Lord Ji would give me 80,000 strings of cash every year, the news has spread like wildfire." Liu Yao said helplessly, counting on his fingers. "First, my uncle came to my door with several of my cousins, saying that he followed my father in conquering the world and made the greatest contributions. He's getting old and should enjoy his retirement, so he wants at least 50,000 strings of cash. Then my brother said that he led the cavalry as the vanguard in the attack on Xihe and was the first to charge onto the city wall. He worked the hardest and also wants 50,000 strings of cash. Then there are the big chieftains in the tribes, each of them making exorbitant demands. The lowest they want is 30,000 strings of cash, saying that their tribes contributed the most men and lost the most brothers, so they deserve a larger share."
He slapped his thigh suddenly, his face contorted in a grimace. "I've calculated it all, and the 80,000 strings of cash haven't even materialized yet, and it's already not enough to go around! If I give in to them, I won't get a single penny; I'll even have to pay out of my own pocket! But if I don't, they all give me attitude, saying I've forgotten my brothers and the tribe now that I'm the governor. Brother Gao, what should I do?"
Gao Zidan did not answer immediately. Instead, she picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of the warm tea, and fell into deep thought.
Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the wintersweet, casting dappled shadows on the ground that swayed gently in the breeze. The courtyard was quiet, save for the occasional shouts of Hun soldiers in the distance and the crackling of charcoal burning in the corner of the main room.
After a long while, Gao Zidan put down her teacup, looked at Liu Yao with utmost seriousness, and asked, word by word, "Shanyu, if I may be so bold as to ask, what is it that you truly desire in this life? Is it merely to guard this Xihe Commandery, to be a peaceful and stable governor, to share the 80,000 strings of cash with the people of the tribe, and to live a life of idleness and waiting for death; or is it to achieve great things and have your name remembered by future generations?"
Liu Yao paused for a moment, then abruptly straightened his back, a blazing light flashing in his eyes, like a fire igniting. He clenched his fists, his knuckles white, and declared resolutely, "A true man is born into this world not to live a mediocre life! Of course, I must achieve immortal feats! I want to be like Emperor Yuanwu, sweeping across the land, unifying the world, establishing unparalleled merit, and letting the world know the name of Liu Yao!"
His voice was powerful and resonant, carrying the unique boldness and domineering spirit of a man from the grasslands, echoing in the courtyard. At this moment, he was no longer the prefect who was worried about distributing money, but had returned to the invincible Xiongnu Chanyu who roamed the grasslands.
Gao Zidan nodded, a look of approval on his face. He reached for the thick stack of petitions on the table, handed them to Liu Yao, and said, word by word, "Since the Chanyu wants to achieve the same feats as Emperor Yuanwu, he must understand one principle: conquering the world relies on swords and horses, governing the world relies on rules and regulations."
"Emperor Yuanwu was able to end two hundred years of chaos and lay the foundation for the Song Dynasty. He relied not only on his vast army, but also on the set of laws and regulations he established. He was fair in rewarding and punishing, and his orders were strictly enforced. Those who made contributions were rewarded, and those who made mistakes were punished. He treated everyone equally, regardless of their relationship to him. Therefore, heroes from all over the world were willing to follow him, and the people of the world were willing to submit to him."
He pointed to the crumpled petitions and continued, "Your men now only know how to plunder, not the rules; they only know how to divide profits, not their obligations. The 80,000 strings of cash haven't even arrived yet, and they're already fighting tooth and nail. If you really give them the money, they'll only become more greedy. Today they'll ask for 30,000, tomorrow for 50,000. Not only will you not be able to control them, but you'll also be led by the nose. At that time, the tribe will be demoralized and fight amongst themselves. Forget about achieving anything great, you probably won't even be able to hold onto Xihe County."
"And these petitions," Gao Zidan's fingers traced the pages accusing the Xiongnu soldiers of atrocities, "If you only want to be the leader of a grassland tribe, then you can ignore these things and let your brothers plunder. But if you want to be the ruler of the world, you must restrain your people and treat them well. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world; this is an unchanging truth. If you lose the hearts of the people, and the entire county hates you to the bone, even if you have three thousand elite cavalry, you cannot defend this land."
Looking at the thick stack of documents in front of him, and then at Gao Zidan's serious and determined expression, Liu Yao's restlessness gradually faded. He remained silent for a long time, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of the curved sword at his waist, his eyes flashing with struggle and hesitation, which ultimately turned into determination.
He nodded heavily, took a deep breath, looked at Gao Zidan, and said in an extremely solemn tone, "Brother Gao, you're right! I understand! To achieve great things, one cannot just focus on petty gains; one must establish rules and enforce laws! From today onwards, I will do as you say, first establishing rules, then organizing the tribe. One day, I will unify the world like Emperor Yuanwu!"
However, after making his grand pronouncements, Liu Yao surprisingly softened his tone slightly: "But Brother Gao, I understand what you mean by setting rules. There are rules for dividing cattle and sheep on the grasslands. But in the Central Plains, how to do these things is something I need Brother Gao to help me decide."