Early the next morning, Shao Xun and his men packed up their equipment and belongings, preparing to leave through the Kaiyang Gate and return to their base.
Unexpectedly, they ran into Pei Kuo and Pei Xia at the gate.
Shao Xun didn’t actually know them, but they knew him...
"Commander Shao, Pei Kuo of the Central Barracks pays his respects," Pei Kuo said as he stepped down from his carriage and bowed slightly.
Pei Xia followed suit with a bow of his own.
Shao Xun returned the gesture.
He was already a battalion commander and held the position of Commandant Sima in the Donghai Kingdom, wielding the "Imperial Sword" given by Sima Yue to assist in selecting and training troops.
However, this arrangement hadn’t been officially finalized yet, so Pei Kuo and Pei Xia were unaware of it.
"On the ninth day of the tenth month last year, Commander Shao personally slew Meng Chao on the battlefield, driving back the bandits. Even from the city walls, your bravery and ferocity were palpable," Pei Kuo said with a smile.
Pei Kuo was a man of average height, appearing to be in his early thirties.
His face had sharp features, exuding a sense of rugged handsomeness, with a neatly trimmed beard that wasn’t too long or thick, giving him a masculine charm.
This nobleman didn’t quite fit the conventional standards of beauty.
The other man, Pei Xia, had a much more delicate and refined appearance.
He was thin and frail, but carried himself with an air of casual elegance.
The two brothers had completely different styles, proving that environment truly shapes a person’s demeanor.
"General Pei, you flatter me," Shao Xun replied cautiously, unsure of the Pei brothers' intentions.
He decided to keep his words to a minimum, adhering to the principle that speaking too much could lead to mistakes.
Pei Kuo sensed Shao Xun’s wariness but didn’t mind.
He smiled and said, "We’re heading to the palace to meet with the Minister of Works. Commander Shao, you’re a smart man..."
With that, he winked and turned to leave.
Pei Xia followed suit.
Before leaving, Pei Xia glanced in the direction his cousin had been looking and noticed the dozens of soldiers standing in formation behind Shao Xun.
Some had their hands on their sword hilts, others leaned on their spears, and a few gripped their bows.
All their eyes were fixed on the two brothers, their bodies tense, as if a single command from Shao Xun would send them charging forward, swords and spears at the ready, to cut them down on the spot.
Truly ruthless!
But despite his internal complaints, Pei Xia wasn’t foolish.
He understood that if someone wanted to achieve great things, they needed loyal followers.
The soldiers behind Shao Xun had the air of being his "own men."
This realization surprised him.
While it made sense for powerful princes like the King of Chengdu or the King of Hejian to have their own loyal factions, how could a mere battalion commander like Shao Xun have such devoted followers? It was intriguing.
After the two left, Shao Xun didn’t waste any time and immediately led his men away.
"Once we’re back, stay vigilant. Don’t think the fighting is over. Right now, if we let our guard down, that’s when we’re most vulnerable," Shao Xun said, glancing at his men.
Yang Bao had been injured, and the Emperor had shown mercy by sending a palace physician to treat him.
Shao Xun had left Li Zhong and two others behind to care for him, so the men walking with him now were his true "own men."
"Commander, are you saying they might be faking their surrender?" Chen Yougen asked, surprised.
"After killing so many people, they’d still fake surrender?" Shao Xun chuckled.
Chen Yougen’s imagination was truly vast.
"Then what’s the reason? Are Sima Ying and Sima Yong planning to slaughter all the surrendered troops from Luoyang?" Chen Yougen asked angrily.
"They won’t slaughter all the surrendered troops. They don’t have the power to do that," Shao Xun explained, calming himself.
"I’m worried someone might try to settle scores later. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. When you owe too many debts, a few more enemies won’t make a difference."
"Is it because of Meng Chao’s death?" Huang Biao asked, frowning.
"Something like that," Shao Xun replied.
"Then shouldn’t we hurry back and prepare?" Chen Yougen asked anxiously, raising his voice.
"Prepare for what?"
"To raise a rebellion!" Chen Yougen’s revolutionary spirit was strong, and he shouted it right there in the street.
"The Luoyang central army still has nearly thirty thousand men, and there are at least another thirty thousand miscellaneous troops. How are we supposed to rebel?" Shao Xun countered.
Chen Yougen was momentarily speechless, his tone softening as he muttered, "Then we could flee and join the wandering rebel armies."
"Tell me, in the history of the Great Jin, has any wandering rebel army ever managed to establish a foothold?" Shao Xun asked seriously.
Chen Yougen opened his mouth but couldn’t come up with a response.
He wanted to argue but didn’t know the actual situation of the rebel armies across the country.
"Let me tell you, only in Shu has one managed to barely hold on, but even they aren’t truly a wandering rebel army," Shao Xun said.
"Zhang Chang in Jing Province had a massive following, but where is he now? Once the imperial army starts hunting them down, they’re doomed. No, the imperial forces and the rebels have been trading victories, but what really kills the rebels are the private armies of the noble families. When the court gives the order, the nobles lead their private troops to fight for the empire, earning merit while also training their own forces and improving their combat strength."
"If the noble families control the provinces, wouldn’t that be worse for the court?" Chen Yougen protested.
"True. But that’s a problem for the future. Right now, the court just wants to crush the rebels. As for who holds power locally, the court can’t control that much. After all, those noble families still pay lip service to the court and even pay some taxes. Their children even come to Luoyang to serve as officials," Shao Xun explained.
"If this doesn’t work and that doesn’t work, what are we supposed to do?" Chen Yougen asked, growing frustrated.
He wasn’t angry at Shao Xun but at the state of the world, wishing he could smash it all with a single punch.
"We’ll figure it out later," Shao Xun said, patting Chen Yougen’s shoulder.
He then looked at the lifeless buildings lining the streets and sighed.
"I wanted to show you around Luoyang before we left, but with things as they are now, there’s not even a ghost on the streets. It’s not worth it. We’ll come back another time."
"Luoyang is truly finished," Chen Yougen said, also surveying the scene.
"It wasn’t like this the last time I came to sell goods."
"Aren’t you a bandit? What goods were you selling?" Huang Biao asked, puzzled.
Chen Yougen was at a loss for words.
Huang Biao, despite his unimpressive stature, was a cunning and ruthless man.
Chen Yougen didn’t feel like arguing with him.
"This is the worst year Luoyang has seen in a decade, but it might also be the best year for the next ten years," Shao Xun suddenly said, leaving Chen Yougen and Huang Biao stunned.
"Commander, can Luoyang get even worse?" Chen Yougen couldn’t help but ask.
Instead of answering directly, Shao Xun asked, "What kind of life do you want to live?"
Chen Yougen grinned.
"I want to eat my fill, preferably with wine and meat. Oh, and I’d like to get married. If I could have a couple of concubines, that’d be even better."
"If you had to fight on the battlefield to live that kind of life, would you be willing?" Shao Xun asked.
"Commander, you’re joking," Chen Yougen said.
"I’m already fighting, but it’s just to get by. Too many people fight and still can’t live that kind of life. If I could, I’d be thinking about how to kill people even while taking a crap."
"Huang Biao, how much wealth do you think it would take to live that kind of life?" Shao Xun asked.
"If we’re talking about the countryside, you’d need at least a hundred acres of land," Huang Biao guessed, though he wasn’t entirely sure.
Shao Xun nodded.
"You’re all my own men, so I won’t hide anything from you. I have too many enemies, and even if I manage to govern a region in the future, it probably won’t be a good one. If I end up in a province that’s been reduced to ruins, I’ll give you land. Not just you, but all the soldiers who follow me. Each of you will get a hundred acres. How does that sound?"
"Commander, would this land belong to the court, or could we pass it down to our descendants?" Chen Yougen asked.
"Don’t worry, I won’t make you do military farming. You’re my brothers-in-arms, after all," Shao Xun said with a smile.
"The land can be passed down to your descendants. Your household taxes will be reduced, and you’ll be exempt from corvée labor."
"That good?" Chen Yougen was shocked.
For the common people of the Great Jin, the most terrifying thing wasn’t taxes but corvée labor, which could truly ruin a family.
If they could be exempt from corvée labor, even if only for themselves, they’d be overjoyed.
"You’ll be exempt from corvée labor, but you’ll still have military service," Shao Xun said.
"Essentially, you’ll be military households, but each family will have a hundred or two hundred acres of land to pass down. If you can’t manage it all, you can hire a few tenant families to help with the farming. But with these benefits come responsibilities. If there’s a war, you’ll need to provide your own equipment and join the campaign."
While Chen Yougen was still processing this, Huang Biao was already deep in thought.
If the commander said "a hundred or two hundred acres," let’s assume it’s one hundred and fifty acres.
Hiring three tenant families to help farm, each managing fifty acres, would be manageable, especially with livestock and proper tools.
The main family would only need to help during the busiest farming seasons, or not at all, and the harvest would be enough to support a comfortable life for the entire family.
With some weapons and plenty of free time, they could train their martial skills.
During the off-season, they could gather for drills, learn to recognize signals, and practice military tactics.
Over time, they’d become a formidable force.
Oh, and with such a household, owning a couple of horses wouldn’t be out of the question, making them even more powerful.
But—
"Commander, wouldn’t this make a lot of people angry?" Huang Biao asked.
Shao Xun nodded, then smiled.
"In this world, if you want to achieve something, you’re bound to make enemies. But don’t go spreading this around. I’m still just a battalion commander, and who knows when I’ll be able to reach that point."
"Commander, if that kind of life is possible, I’m with you," Chen Yougen said solemnly.
"Damn, I’ve been dreaming of land for so long."
Shao Xun patted his shoulder and said, "If you follow me, that day will come. No matter how hard it is, we’ll make it happen."
In truth, what Shao Xun was proposing had the flavor of a political platform.
He disliked the aristocratic politics of the Western Jin and wanted to break the system, but he needed a replacement plan.
Simply tearing things down without building something new was the way of a wandering rebel leader, not Shao Xun’s style.
He hadn’t fully thought out his political platform yet, but one principle was clear: it had to align with the level of productivity and the values of the times.
Moving too fast would only lead to disaster, and he understood that.
The reason he prioritized giving land to soldiers was purely because this was a time of chaos.
Without a competent military force, everything else was meaningless.
Moreover, he wasn’t entirely sure how far he could go.
There were too many variables, and the power of the noble families was immense.
Perhaps only in certain parts of the north, ravaged by war, would he have a chance to realize his ambitions.
That was one of the main reasons he hadn’t gone south.
By sharing these thoughts with Huang Biao and Chen Yougen, he was trying to win their loyalty.
He felt a sense of urgency.
At this critical moment, they needed to stick together and avoid internal strife.
If everyone rallied around him, even if it was just a thousand men, or even a few hundred, they would be a force to be reckoned with.
My men will cut down whoever I tell them to.
Without my approval, no one else’s orders matter.
A general’s command? What does a general matter?
An imperial decree? Sorry, I don’t follow those.
If he could achieve that, the small group he had painstakingly built would become a formidable force, one with a certain level of sophistication that could compete with other factions and become a significant player in this chaotic era.
"Let’s go home," Shao Xun said, seeing that the two were still deep in thought.
He strode forward without concern.
Back at Piyong, he would need to talk to Mi Huang.
They had to figure out how to deal with Wang Bing and come up with a plan.
It was a shame he hadn’t been able to consult with Lady Pei.
If he had, she could have subtly influenced the Minister of Works, making things easier.
Golden sunlight bathed the ground as Shao Xun walked with his sword at his side and bow in hand, exuding confidence.
Huang Biao, Chen Yougen, and the others followed closely behind, their steps in sync.
The young soldiers held their spears at an angle, marching in perfect formation, their movements precise and disciplined.
This unit, this group, was starting to take shape.
(End of Chapter)