Chapter Seven, The Three Kingdoms
To put it plainly, at this moment, Cao Cao is actually the best choice.
In terms of politics, he adopted the Nine Ranks System, which indirectly resulted in the phenomenon of "no poor scholars in the upper ranks, no wealthy families in the lower ranks," leading to a blockage in the upward mobility channels, with aristocratic families effectively controlling court affairs.
In this case, can the aristocracy still be polite with you
Provide a reasonable income of 20% to the屯田客, ensuring that they do not starve, and have them work for the gentry every year
Even after experiencing a great fire at Chibi later on, Cao Cao did not suffer any significant injuries and continued to dominate the north, being the most powerful among the three factions
As the actual founder of the Cao Wei dynasty, Cao Pi's abilities rank among the foremost of the sovereigns of this era
Fortunately, there are still approximately three years until the Battle of Changban Slope, providing ample time to contemplate this issue
This led to the complete appropriation of the civil settlements in the later period of Cao Wei by the aristocratic families, who exploited the common people to the utmost.
This is also why, after entering Sichuan, Zhuge Liang must emphasize the importance of "strict laws"
Whether in history or in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei passed through Changban Slope with great ease and without any danger
In recent years, Cao Cao has not hesitated to target the prominent families, nor has he refrained from executing the so-called great Confucians
With a ruthless approach, they directly annexed the land acquired from the military farms, transforming the military farmers into their own hidden residents. They seized both land and people, displaying an exceedingly unseemly manner.
At present, Liu Bei probably never imagined that he would eventually establish the Later Han... The dream of restoring the Han dynasty has always existed, but a fallen royal family member residing in Xinye could never have anticipated that he would one day become emperor
Do not even mention whether one can achieve success; it is uncertain whether one can even establish a foothold in Jiangdong
It can be said that the northern region thereafter will be a relatively stable environment, and aligning with Cao Cao is, in fact, the best choice at this time
Therefore, after careful consideration, Zhang Xi seems to think that aligning with Cao Wei cannot be the first choice. When it comes to situations where there is truly no other option, one can only prioritize survival and address the matter then.
If one does not have great ambitions, it is quite easy to become a local official under Cao Cao
To calm his mind a little, Zhang Xi decided to remain inactive for the time being and continue with his promising job as the "grain and supplies ledger keeper".
Excluding Eastern Wu, the last remaining choice is Liu Bei's Later Han
Zhang Xi, a scion of a humble background who is neither from the Huai Si Group nor the Jiangdong aristocracy, ventures into Jiangdong, a place already entrenched in various interest networks, which is purely seeking discomfort for oneself
Cao Pi is not lacking, truly, to speak frankly, there is no intention to criticize him
Temporarily set aside Cao Wei, and take another look at Sun Wu... Forget it, it would be better to side with Cao Wei instead
At least from the perspective of domestic affairs, it is indeed very strong
To intercede on behalf of others is also to fear that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang will expand their scope of attack, jeopardizing the interests of the people of Dongzhou. Now that Liu Bei is so resolute, Fa Zheng would not take the risk at this moment to stand up for the interests of the people of Yizhou.
This also leads to the situation where, once an issue arises, the internal factions must first split into two sides and argue, whether it is the Battle of Red Cliffs or the conflict between the two princes, both are products of this reason
According to the regulations established by Cao Cao, the people's settlement involves organizing the populace to develop unclaimed wasteland, with the government providing plowing oxen and farming tools. Landless commoners serve as laborers in the settlement, and the final harvest is divided in a ratio of five to five.
Although it is somewhat dark, in this chaotic era of continuous warfare, having a place to shelter the displaced is indeed a fortunate occurrence
If one were to support Cao Wei, the family in Yingchuan could manage it themselves, so why would there be a need for Zhang Xi to come out and divide the family?
However, compared to the common people, who uses the wuzhu coins the most? Under the policy of "zhihundred coins," who is the most severely exploited?
Cao Pi's attitude towards this was one of tacit acceptance
In two to three years, at https://m.hetushu.com, Cao Cao will completely pacify Hebei and conveniently deal with the currently tumultuous Wuhuan.
However, at this time, Cao Pi tacitly acknowledged a certain matter, which was rather outrageous
This matter was actually jointly decided by Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, while Fa Zheng... Fa Zheng expressed, "I am from Dongzhou; your interests as a family from Yizhou are compromised, what does it have to do with me, a person from Dongzhou?"
Cao Cao's attitude towards the aristocratic families was one of both cooperation and suppression
The only trouble is—how to get through the battle of Changbanpo
If it were just this, it would not be too bad; at worst, the common people could just tend to their few acres of land and live a peaceful life, which would not be too difficult.
In his early years, Sun Ce was very ambitious, wanting to establish a territory belonging to the Sun family, leading the Huai-Su Group to create chaos in Eastern Wu... only to be dealt with by the prominent families of Jiangdong.
It is a prestigious family
Zhang Xi did not believe that he could escape safely like Liu Bei did during the extreme chaos at Changban Slope.
The屯田 system is divided into two types: military屯田 and civilian屯田
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms were established, namely Wei, Han, and Wu
Of course, Cao Pi's actions are not beyond Zhang Xi's understanding
But that is Liu Bei, not Zhang Xi
However, under the tacit approval of Cao Pi, Mintun was infiltrated by the aristocratic families, turning it into a sieve
Cao Cao possesses various advantages, yet there is one notable drawback—Cao Cao can still be regarded as a hero of a chaotic era, whereas his son Cao Pi cannot
During the period of Cao Pi, the prominent families began to frequently intervene in the affairs of the land reclamation. Initially, they gradually placed their own personnel in control of the land reclamation offices, and then they secretly raised the profit-sharing ratio, changing it from a fifty-fifty split to a forty-sixty split.
As a member of a humble background, in a place where powerful families abound and hold real authority, one can hardly see any opportunity to rise. The best outcome might be to find a powerful family to attach oneself to, which would barely be more comfortable than living as a commoner. The worst outcome... is likely to be completely devoured by those families, leaving not even a shred behind.
It is not a minor compromise, but a comprehensive compromise in all aspects, in order to secure the support of the northern aristocracy for his ascension to the throne
Moreover, in terms of future achievements, it can be said that the state of Ji Han is the only one among the powers of the Three Kingdoms that treats the common people relatively well and maintains a repressive attitude towards the aristocratic families
The military and political authority did not originate from the sovereign; in fact, many times, Sun Quan had to consider the perspectives of the two major factions. Rather than being a nation, it would be more accurate to describe it as a political and military alliance
However, this makes the region of Eastern Wu quite peculiar
In this regard, Liu Bei's approach is very much in line with the tastes of later generations, and Zhang Xi is no exception
That is the "Tuntian System" left behind by Cao Cao, which has been interfered with by the aristocratic families
As Fa Zheng served as Liu Bei's strategist, he approached Zhuge Liang at this time to plead on behalf of the people, stating that the laws in Shu were too harsh and that the local populace could not endure it. In reality, it was not the common people of Shu who could not bear it, but the aristocratic families. Under strict laws, if they were to exploit the common people excessively, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang would certainly not hesitate to execute a few members of the aristocracy as a warning to others.
Cao Pi at least had a sound mind, and the military garrisons were still being operated according to the regulations established during Cao Cao's time, being executed faithfully. This provided a solid logistical support for the military operations of the Cao Wei.
Since it is known that the late Han period was divided into three factions, and that these three factions would continue to be in a stalemate for another fifty to sixty years, Zhang Xi can only choose his future among these three factions
Moreover, for Zhang Xi's identity and background, aligning with Cao Cao also brings significant benefits
Many people cite Liu Bei's issuance of the "Zhi Bai Qian" after entering Sichuan as a point of contention, claiming that Liu Bei was exploiting the common people. To some extent, there is truth to this statement
In order to cope with inflation, the circulation of the five-cash coin has been abolished, reverting to a barter system. Although Zhang Xi does not have a deep understanding of economics, he can sense the inadequacy of this approach, as it essentially relinquishes the pricing power of goods to the aristocratic families.
Zhang Xi discovered that if he chose to support Cao Wei, he might fare better in the early days while Cao Cao was still alive. However, once a few years passed and Cao Cao passed away, with Cao Pi ascending to the throne... Well, from both a moral standpoint and his own background, it seems that Zhang Xi would have a difficult time.
In the struggle against the aristocracy, the common people of Qian are not to be relied upon. Therefore, Cao Cao "valued talent above all else" and employed a large number of scholars from humble backgrounds
Moreover, both the Huai-Si Group and the Jiangdong Group are quite exclusive, particularly the Jiangdong Group, which has been very resistant to outsiders entering Jiangdong from the late Han Dynasty all the way to the Eastern Jin Dynasty
Subsequent events are beyond discussion; the Cao Wei dynasty was completely controlled by the aristocratic families. Even Sima Yi's "Incident at Gaopingling" was a result of mutual benefit exchanges among these families.
At this time, it can be said that Liu Bei was at his lowest point. Zhang Xi has now become the "chief supply officer" under Liu Bei. In a certain sense, if Liu Bei were to ascend to the throne in the future and Zhang Xi were still around, he would certainly be regarded as a "meritorious minister of the Yuan family".
Certainly, under the "Zhi Bai Qian" policy, the common people will also be significantly affected, as the aristocracy will transfer the losses incurred from Liu Bei onto the populace
After Sun Quan ascended to power, he altered Sun Ce's strategy, successfully leveraging the conflicts between the Jiangdong gentry and the Huai-Su group to establish and expand the Sun family's influence in Jiangdong. From this perspective, Sun Shiwann was indeed quite formidable in his youth
For Zhang Xi, a child of a humble family, aligning himself with Cao Cao also presented a significant opportunity for advancement
However, if the aristocracy were to commit such acts during Cao Cao's time, they might have had to use the head of a grain officer as a scapegoat... Yet Cao Pi turned a blind eye to it.
After all, in this day and age, only the prominent families can engage in large-scale commodity circulation. Once bartering begins, these families can arbitrarily set prices for goods, thereby exploiting the common people. The common folk have no means to resist; the inherent fragility of the smallholder economy cannot withstand the united onslaught of the prominent families. In the end, the common people can only sell their surplus goods to these families, accepting their exploitation.
Cao Pi is not foolish; he likely intends to win the support of the aristocratic families by offering them some benefits, so that they will back his claim to the throne. Once his foundation is solidified, he can then turn around and deal with these families.
The unfortunate aristocracy of Shu, under Liu Bei's move "Direct Hundred Coins," instantly lost a substantial amount of wealth to Liu Bei
Moreover, these屯田客 could also serve as a source of soldiers for Cao Wei when necessary ... In this era, this could be considered a form of "benevolent governance"
Why did the Zhang family in Yingchuan allow Zhang Xi to come out and establish a separate household? Was it not simply to reduce survival risks
Certainly, this Han refers to the Later Han established by Liu Bei, rather than the traditional Han dynasty, and it only encompasses a single province
However, afterwards, Sun Quan essentially oscillated between the Jiangdong aristocracy and the Huai-Su group, at times leveraging the Jiangdong group to suppress the Huai-Su group, and at other times using the Huai-Su group to suppress the Jiangdong group... He skillfully played the game of "checks and balances".
Therefore, if one wishes to join Liu Bei, it is necessary to begin preparations in advance, strategizing on how to safely navigate Changban Slope
The region of Eastern Wu, rather than being solely under the control of the Sun family, is more accurately described as a product of the struggles and compromises among the Jiangdong aristocracy, the Sun family, and the Huai-Su coalition.
However, he did not expect that not only he himself, but even his son Cao Rui, who had quite the demeanor of a martial emperor, was also short-lived, and he did not have the time to wait for the foundation to be solidified
To a certain extent, the region of Jihan enjoyed a significantly better quality of life for its citizens compared to the other two areas, until Deng Ai breached Chengdu and Liu Shan surrendered.
However, Cao Pi made a significant mistake in one matter—he compromised with the aristocratic families in order to usurp the Han and declare himself emperor
Liu Bei could only escape with the reluctant company of Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang, barely managing to flee under the protection of a dozen guards, while his wife and children were lost amidst the chaos of battle. Zhang Xi did not believe that he would coincidentally encounter Zhao Yun to rescue him at this moment