Mu Yunfeng's eyes lit up when he learned of His Majesty's order. After successfully defeating the combined forces of the Xiongnu and Gan states, he began to feel a headache. When facing the foreign enemies, the Xiongnu and Gan states, those with ill intentions could still reluctantly obey the army's orders and arrangements.
But after the Xiongnu and the Gan people were defeated, those with ill intentions began to show their ambitions. They not only gathered a large number of people and made trouble in front of Mu Yunfeng's temporary residence, demanding money and power, but also oppressed other innocent people in the city.
At the same time, many noble families who had originally fled these cities returned to these cities after learning that the Huns and the Gan people had been expelled, ready to continue their superior lives.
However, the policies His Majesty enacted were able to effectively resolve these problems. He ordered the sons of officials of the third rank and above in the imperial court, as well as members of the royal family, to serve as officials in these cities. These individuals came from powerful backgrounds and were not at all afraid of the local aristocratic families.
If these aristocratic families were unwilling to accept discipline, the children of officials and the royal family had plenty of ways to punish them. The court's policy was to ensure that these cities were well governed while curbing the arrogance of the aristocratic families.
In addition, most of these second-generation officials and royal family members have received basic knowledge education on local governance. They have a clear understanding of how to manage a city and know how to follow the policy pace of the court.
They also knew what they should and shouldn't do. Furthermore, their family's glory was already prominent enough, so they naturally disdained to accept bribes.
Because if they make a mistake, not only will they be punished, but their family patrons may also be implicated. If their mistakes cause their family patrons to lose their status in the court, then their family may be taken over by other families, and they will become the sinners of their own family.
Therefore, Your Majesty's appointment of the sons of officials and royal descendants to serve in these border cities not only improves the city's governance but also, to a certain extent, curbs the arrogance of those powerful families. More importantly, these officials from the imperial court, due to their special status, are often more faithful in implementing Your Majesty's policies, thus ensuring the stability and development of border cities.
After the two princes of the Royal Affairs Office and generals like Mu Yunfeng reached a consensus, they decided to have representatives of various factions in Lincheng gather in an open space. They hoped that this would demonstrate the court's determination and the importance it attached to the border city.
Due to the Xiongnu invasion, the already impoverished border city has become even more desolate. This vacant land is exactly where Chu Yuanju and Mu Yunfeng chose to build the Linxian Martyrs Cemetery. When the leaders of the Linxian aristocratic families and those small forces that resisted the Xiongnu arrived,
Mu Yunfeng said solemnly, "Your Majesty is well aware of the importance of the border, so we have established a martyrs' cemetery here to commemorate the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country. They defended this land with their lives, and we must not forget their sacrifice."
Chu Yuanju went on to say, "We gather here today not only to remember the martyrs, but also to declare to the world that no matter how great the difficulties are, we will not give up protecting this land." His words were full of determination and heroism, which made every citizen and soldier who came to watch the scene feel an invisible power.
However, many people present disagreed, especially those from the aristocratic families of Lin County. They believed that the imperial court's move was merely a superficial effort and would not truly change their control over the border cities.
They believed that as long as Mu Yunfeng and Prince Chu Yuanju left Lin County, then Lin County would still be their world. However, Chu Yuanju's next words shattered the fantasy of these aristocratic families.
Chu Yuanju said, "Your Majesty deeply appreciates our contributions to the country and our concern for those who have been invaded. Your Majesty has decided to exempt all citizens of Lin County and other border cities that have been invaded by the Xiongnu from taxation for three years. Merchants will also receive preferential treatment."
People who gain ordinary merit can choose to receive money and food, work as a constable in the county government, or return to their village to become a village chief.
Those who achieved great military merits would be sent to Chang'an City to be rewarded by the imperial court. All generals who fought at the borders and made meritorious contributions would receive a house in Chang'an City to house their families.
Those aristocratic families felt something was wrong when they heard Chu Yuanju's words. Why didn't they directly appoint these meritorious people as officials of Lin County? Instead, they went to Kaifeng City to receive the reward. There must be some deep meaning in this.
They began to suspect Chu Yuanju's true intentions: was this an attempt to weaken their influence in Lin County? After all, if these meritorious individuals were to go to Kaifeng, the power structure in Lin County would undergo a major shift, and the aristocratic families would lose their absolute control over the region. Chu Yuanju's strategy was undoubtedly a clever way to balance the forces of all parties while consolidating the court's control over the border.
However, Chu Yuanju's next words hit the mark, "Your Majesty has decided to have the descendants of learned and experienced court officials and members of the royal family govern Lin County and the border cities."
At this time, a warrior who had achieved a small amount of military merit said, "This is unfair. Why would the court send a group of people who don't know the situation in Lin County to govern Lin County? It's not like there are people here who have made great contributions. Why can't they stay in Lin County to serve as officials and govern Lin County, but instead send them to Kaifeng City? This is unfair."
Chu Yuanju smiled slightly and replied, "The court's decision was made after careful consideration. Although the officials sent here are not familiar with the specific conditions of Lin County, they have rich governance experience and knowledge and can bring new governance concepts and methods to Lin County.
Furthermore, they will be free from interference from local forces and will be able to more impartially and selflessly implement the court's policies. As for your concerns, the court has not ignored them. Therefore, for those who have made great contributions in Lin County, the court will provide appropriate rewards and honors, and will also provide them with support and assistance in other areas.
This ensured both local stability and the authority of the imperial court. Fairness isn't simply about letting one party take all the spoils, but about making the governance of the entire country more balanced and effective."
However, Chu Yuanju's words could not appease those with ulterior motives. They continued to clamor that His Majesty was persecuting meritorious officials and insulting their loyalty. They believed that the court should directly grant them official positions and power, rather than forcing them to travel to the distant city of Chang'an to receive rewards.
They believed that such an approach not only ignored their merits, but also their understanding of and contributions to Lin County. They insisted that only they, not those officials from the imperial court, could truly govern Lin County well.
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