Chapter 352
Chapter 352 – Peaceful Julu?
= Julu City =
Zhang Jiao watched over the military academy that Sima Fang and Te Langpu established, training a new batch of 10,000 policemen .
For years, Zhang Jiao did not make any movement or get involved in Tong"s military expansion . As two tigers could not stand on the same summit, he could not stand out, or Tong"s authority would be diminished .
Though he laid low in Julu as this city"s governor, he exchanged words with his two brothers, who held their posts as officers under Xu Huang .
Everyone learned a lot after years of struggle and changes . Zhang Bao became skilled in footmen commanding, while Zhang Liang switched his career from a military commander to a strategist, a.s.sisting Zhang Bao and his battalion .
The three Yellow Turban founders abandoned their ideal kingdom and worked under Tong in peace .
Still, many former yellow turbans and the [Illuminati] organization that Zhang Jiao founded were planning to revive their banners .
Today as well, a group of ten people visited Zhang Jiao while he was patrolling Julu Military Academy .
"Teacher Zhang, we have troops and supplies . Won"t you reestablish our army once more?"
"Yes, teacher Zhang . Getting stuck here for too long doesn"t suit you . You deserve more than just a governor . "
"Master Zhang, you"re Lord Zhang Tong"s father . You can easily demand a better position and prestige from him . He"s now the prince consort of the empress, so you should have a better n.o.ble tier . "
These bootlickers had a point . As Tong"s political influences grew, he could have shared some benefits with his family members . However, Zhang Jiao refused that notion .
"When I found the Yellow Turbans, the country people are suffering from the Court"s corruption . Now that my son is controlling the Court and people are happy under him, why should I create another rebel army?"
The group was taken aback by the rejection . Still, they did not give up .
"You misunderstood us, Great Teacher! We didn"t hope for you to rebel . We only wish for your well-being!"
"That"s correct! We hope that you can achieve what you deserve!"
Zhang Jiao shook his head .
"Julu is next to my hometown, and I"ve become this city"s governor by my free will . This is my paradise, everyone . "
"Great Teacher … you still deserve better . "
Though Zhang Jiao wanted to curse them out loud, he turned to them and smiled .
Zhang Jiao pulled a bamboo scroll that he wrote during his free times . He gave it to these people .
"Read this and think about what you"ve asked me again . "
They looked at the book in puzzled . Why did this old man give it to them?
All of them did not notice . The corner of that scroll was a hand-written, "Way of Peace . "
"That is my thought and my interpretation of our current age and the people"s troubles . If you can spread that knowledge to more people, I"m sure that your help will be more long-lasting than me getting a higher n.o.ble tier . "
In that scroll, Zhang Jiao described the modern knowledge he had learned from Tong, Te Langpu, Sima Fang, and what he had experience in this lifetime . He summarized his new ideas about how court officials should behave, and what kind of ethics and moral integrity they should have .
It was similar to Kong Ze"s Confucian codex, but the Way of Peace emphasized more about the government systems and practical usage . However, the most noticeable part of this text was the new ideas, which these people would find out soon .
"G-Great Teacher, this is not what we meant . "
Zhang Jiao could read through these people like a book . They wanted promotions, but their method was wrong . Instead of working hard and proving it with their achievements, they sought a shortcut through him .
The old father shook his head in disappointment .
"I"ll talk to Tong about it when he returns to Julu . All of you should leave . "
"Y-Yes, great teacher! Thank you for your time!"
Reluctantly, they left in disappointment .
As they were returning, one of them skimmed through Zhang Jiao"s Way of Peace .
His feet stopped as he focused on the texts . Because of his precipitate action, his friends turned around to look at him .
"What"s wrong?"
The one with the Way of Peace turned to his friends, "Read this . "
"Huh?"
They received the scroll and read it as well .
For ten minutes, they glanced at each other, baffled by the contents .
"What"s const.i.tution laws?"
"Choosing a leader by an election? What kind of government c.r.a.p is this?"
"Corporation businesses? Granting people"s right to protest or criticize the government?"
"Const.i.tutional Monarchy System? Republic and Democracy?"
Everyone looked in the eyes of others . These ideas in the scrolls were too absurd to them since they grew up in an absolute monarchy culture .
"You keep this . I don"t want it . "
"This is a joke . "
"Hey, maybe the teacher is getting senile?"
"Probably . He"s been in stagnant for years . I think he gives up the political world . "
"Then, how are we going to get the promotion?"
"Should we ask Te Langpu? The Financial Minister that started selling lands to n.o.bles and farmers despite our lord trying to take them back?"
"Uh, you"re wrong on that part . That Te Langpu is renting the lands, not selling . "
"No, he"s selling . I think he is giving harsh conditions for the buyers, and they can only transfer the land to their direct descendant, siblings, or parents . If they have no other relative, they can only resell the lands to the government?"
"…"
"Bah, let"s ask him anyway . All fat people are greedy . He should be easier to bribe our way to the top . "
.
Te Langpu got chubbier than before . His round face glittered under the sunlight while his fat belly jiggled as he walked .
Beside Te Langpu, Sima Lang followed him, working as this former president"s secretary .
This fat man accomplished many feats after he had joined forces with Tong . He renovated the financial laws, government"s firms, agricultural economics, and other sectors . Te Langpu also took over Julu"s Justice Department from Sima Fang, who had transferred his post to Ye City .
Under Te Langpu"s control, he made the government firms monopolize strategic resources, such as iron ores, coals, timbers, rice, and crude oil . In turn, he allowed free markets for other goods, but he imposed tariffs on specific imported products, such as clothes, linen, silks, arts, and potteries .
Still, various education products were tax-free, such as papyrus papers, scrolls, books, and other Julu"s monopolized resources that merchants came here to sell to the government .
Julu"s economic development had already reached the limit, so Te Langpu was observing the town, thinking of another way to improve the city .
"I"m thinking of converting a few farmlands into a textile factory, but our country"s food production is still subpar . What do you think I can change to expand our economy, Boda?"
The 16-year-old Sima Lang shook his head, "Julu is an agriculture city . Making it a business hub is a mistake from the start . But since Lord Zhang Tong established his force here in his early days, he didn"t have a choice but to make this city his economic Capital . If Master Te wishes to expand the economy for Lord Zhang Tong"s forces, we"ll have to transfer our business Capital to Ye instead . "
Te Langpu nodded, "Good a.n.a.lysis . Julu is too small to be a business center . I"m thinking of following your father and brothers to Ye City, and we"ll slowly transform Julu into a secondary hub instead . As for the farmlands and the food shortage, what do you think?"
"Ganling and Pingyuan are still under development, but their location is close to the Yellow River . Our next agriculture cities should be those commanderies . If I were you, I would inform Lord Zhang Tong to fund them and increase agriculture development in those areas . "
"Are you sure? Ganling and Pingyuan are also in the strategic military zone . Once we unified the north, all soldiers will come to those cities and fortify there . "
"That"s exactly why we should hurry and focus our development on those cities . By the time Lord Zhang Tong conquered the north, the central plain should only have one ruler remaining, and that warlord will be eyeing our territories as his next target . We need those two cities to stockpile foods for the next long campaign against our next rival . "
Te Langpu was impressed by Sima Lang"s intelligence . He did not expect that this tall older brother of Sima Yi would be this capable since a young age .
Sima Lang"s thought was correct . Ganling and Pingyuan were new territories that Tong acquired from Yuan Shao and Sun Jian, but they had not funded their development yet . As they lacked personals and they were busy with the war at Luoyang, no one paid attention to these cities .
At the moment, Tong occupied many important cities; Ye, Julu, Jinyang, Henei, Shangdang, Nanpi, Pingyuan, Zhongshan, and Ganling . Once they could take Ji, Beiping, and Xiangping, Tong would have unified the north .
"Should I say, I expected this much? Heck, Zhang Tong is rearing too many monsters in his forces . Too bad that he hasn"t taken Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang, or Zhou Yu here, or else, this civil war would have been a GGEZ already . "
As Te Langpu was training Sima Lang on the job, the group of ten men, who had visited Zhang Jiao, came to ask Te Langpu for help .
"S-Sir Te . Please to meet you, we"re former XYT agents, and we wish to reestablish our forces again . I hope that you could …"
"The former Xian Yellow Turbans? Didn"t our master tell you to disband them? If you create a legion with [Yellow Turbans] as its name, more thieves will impersonate you again . Haven"t you learned from the mistakes?"
"B-But our Yellow Turbans are soldiers of the people! We will fight to protect our cities and peasants . "
"Our policemen and other legions are doing that just fine . A new legion or a battalion is unnecessary . "
The faces of these men lost color . Just a few words, they realized that their dream reformation would not be recognized no matter what .
Sullen and disappointed, they bid farewell and left Te Langpu and Sima Lang .
While they were leaving, Te Langpu peered at them and narrowed his eyes . He gestured his bodyguards, calling them over .
When they got closer, Te Langpu leaned forward and whispered, "If they leave the city, I want them dead . "
The guards glanced at Te Langpu and nodded . One of them left to inform the others while the rest of the bodyguard squad remained by the fat man"s side .
Curious, Sima Lang looked at the group of men and his mentor, "Why do you want them dead? Aren"t they are our officers?"
Te Langpu sighed, "Sometimes, politics can get complicated . We have to weed out those pesky gra.s.ses, so our crops can grow . Well, they are the weeds . "
"Still, they had never harmed us . Aren"t they Lord Zhang Jiao"s subordinates? These people are known to be loyal to him . Killing them is a bit …"
"You"re still naïve, Boda . Those guys want to revive the Yellow Turbans . What do you think will happen if they succeeded?"
Sima Lang stopped to think . Judging from the previous incidents, he grimaced .
"Bandits and thieves will flock to them . "
"Exactly . If they want to form a new battalion with a different name, I will even support them for their bravery . But since they want the old name, then something is terribly wrong . I can"t help but suspect that they connect to some gangster bandits or is a part of our enemy"s spy organization . "
"…"
"A new lesson for you, Boda . Show no mercy when you deal with evildoers no matter what past they had . "