Chapter 115 Asking for Strategy
Sun Wei had heard of the situation Xie Xiao described in his previous life.
The Three Wus were once a prosperous land, rich in wealth and grain. But even in this region, after the unrest, starvation spread everywhere. People sold their children and dug up dirt for food. The plight of the time was appalling, and even Sun Wei, far away, heard about it.
"That Kong Qi is truly despicable," Xie Xiao said indignantly. "He and his Three Immortals Sect incited their followers to fight against the government, using them as his shields. Furthermore, those who refused to join the sect were slaughtered, and neither the gentry nor the common people were spared. When Kong Qi fled to the island in defeat, he abducted a large number of men and women; initial estimates put the number at over 200,000. After this catastrophe, the people died or fled, and the population was drastically reduced. The prince and I traveled to Linhai County, and there wasn't even one in a hundred people left. How tragic!"
His grief and indignation were evident in his words: "Thinking about it this way, our failure to eradicate Kong Qi and the Three Immortals Sect back then truly left behind a great disaster!"
Sun Wei knew that his father had lost his life in the battle with Kong Qi, and he still wore mourning. Sima Jun must have taken Xie Xiao to Kuaiji out of this concern.
Xie Xiao had followed his father to fight against Kong Qi, so taking him to visit his hometown would give him more insights, which might be of great help.
"Now that things have come to this, we can only try our best to remedy the situation," she comforted him.
"Can it be salvaged?" Xie Xiao was somewhat discouraged.
"Why not?" Sun Wei unfolded the paper on the table, "Let me explain it to you one by one."
Xie Xiao cheered up.
"The most difficult problem facing the Crown Prince right now is people," Sun Wei said. "Without people, even the Crown Prince, no matter how powerful he is, will find it difficult to achieve anything. There are many ways to solve this problem."
Sun Wei wrote two words on the paper: mobilize troops.
"Mobilizing troops is the quickest solution," Sun Wei said. "Now that Beifu and Jiangzhou Prefecture have been repaired, Your Highness can have the Crown Prince and Ruan Hui present themselves to request troops from the court. Both prefectures are our own, so there's no risk of not being able to recruit them. October is already here, and it's not suitable for farming. The soldiers we mobilize must use the winter to build fortifications and suppress rebellions. Next spring, we can then open up military settlements. All grain harvested from these settlements will be confiscated by the government, and trade is prohibited. This way, we won't have to worry about military rations in times of war, and in times of famine, it will become food for relief. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
"The princess and the prince are on the same page!" Xie Xiao exclaimed in surprise. After a moment's thought, he added, "However, this approach has its drawbacks. If Kong Qi returns next year, Beifu and Jiangzhou will have to mobilize their entire forces to fight him. Then, won't the farming in the military settlements be abandoned?"
Sun smiled faintly: "Therefore, there is a second plan."
After she said that, she wrote down the four words "return to the Le family".
Xie Xiao's eyes lit up.
The so-called "Lezu" (lezu) were tenants who had been freed from slavery. Over the past two years, Wang Kan's court disputes with Xie Xiao's father, Marquis Changyang, have intensified. To counter the Northern Court controlled by Marquis Changyang and expand the imperial army, Wang Kan forcibly recruited "Lezu" (lezu) from the Three Wu regions. This, in turn, has sparked widespread public resentment. The sudden rise of the Three Immortals Sect is also related to this.
Sun Wei said, "Please ask the Crown Prince to discuss a way to return the Le people to the military settlements. These tenants originally worked in exchange for wages. If they could work in the military settlements in exchange for slightly higher wages, it would help to calm the people's resentment and ensure that the military settlements could be cultivated until the war breaks out."
Xie Xiao suddenly realized: "This plan is very good, but Wang Han has already recruited so many music followers. Will he spit out the meat in his mouth?"
"I'm not afraid of that," Sun Wei said. "The Three Wus have been in turmoil due to the forced conscription of the Le clan, and these clans have long been a hot potato. Wang Han is constantly being rebuked in the court, and now we're giving him a way out, he'll surely be happy to see it succeed. However, Wang Han is no fool. If this is to succeed, we can't force it, we need to be clever. I hope the Crown Prince will consult with Grand Tutor Zhou."
"Yes, I'll remember that." Xie Xiao said, "Anything else?"
"This is the last resort." Sun Wei said, writing "Refugees return home."
"For those refugees who fled during the war, without homes or land, returning home is the best destination for them. Please, Your Highness, have the Kuaiji Prefecture issue a decree to reclaim wasteland, reduce taxes, and publicize this to attract refugees back to their hometowns to cultivate the land."
After she finished speaking, she handed the paper in her hand to Xie Xiao: "Do you remember what I just said?"
"Yes!" Xie Xiao said, "I'm lucky I made this trip. I benefited a lot from listening to the princess' words."
Sun Wei smiled, but he felt a little guilty.
These strategies were not her own, but were indeed the strategic plans of Sima Jun in his previous life.
He would figure it out sooner or later, but Sun Wei told him first so that he could take action earlier.
Sima Jun's strategy for the Three Wus was quite successful, and it was also an achievement for which he was praised.
Unfortunately, heroes are made by the times.
Back then, he had started things too late, and before they could become a major force, troubled times had already arrived. Now that he was one step ahead, the timing, location, and people were all more favorable than in his previous life. He only hoped Sima Jun could seize the opportunity.
"When are you planning to go back?" Sun Wei asked.
"I will return to the capital this afternoon and tell the Crown Prince about the princess's plan."
"Returning to the capital?" Sun Wei couldn't help but ask, "Is the prince back to Jiankang?"
Xie Xiao was stunned. "So the princess didn't know? The prince left the capital secretly. Just a few days after leaving last month, the Queen Mother summoned him to the palace for dinner. Fortunately, the prince stepped in and made things right for him. Later, the prince felt that he couldn't leave the capital for too long, so he would return to the capital every once in a while to appear before the Queen Mother, and then rush back to Kuaiji overnight."
Sun Wei really didn't know.
She worriedly asked, "How can the prince bear all this running around?"
"I agree," Xie Xiao sighed. "But the Crown Prince said that the current plight of the Three Wus is due to the court's failure to fulfill its responsibilities. The Kongqi Rebellion was also caused by the neglect of people's livelihood back then. Now that he knows about it, he can't stay out of it. Princess, you don't know that the Crown Prince seems to have neglected even sleep in Kuaiji. Whenever he feels sleepy, he reclines on the couch for a short nap. I haven't even finished my tea before I wake up again."
After hearing this, Sun Wei felt mixed emotions.
Sima Jun has always had a heavy burden on his shoulders.
She knew this was his fate, but she also felt sorry for him having such a fate.
She hoped Sima Jun would feel more relaxed.
After all, he did not bring the Northern Palace under the imperial court in his previous life, and could only rely on the meager strength of Jiangzhou to struggle on.
It’s different now. Beifu has 100,000 people, Jiangzhou has 50,000 people, and if Kuaiji is added, he will not be unable to handle it alone.
Hopefully, their previous efforts will pay off.
"Go with A'ru to dinner first," Sun Wei said. "I'm writing a letter now. Please give it to the prince for me."
Xie Xiao agreed, stood up and left.
Sun Wei sat at her desk, pen in hand, pondering for a long moment before writing: "Autumn has already arrived in Xunyang. I wonder how much autumn has arrived in Kuaiji? When the nights are cold, remember to dress warmly. Kuaiji's affairs are volatile; getting anxious and disorganized will only serve to thwart any difficulties. The future is long. I beg you to take care of yourself."
After she finished writing, she sealed the envelope and stamped it.
After Xie Xiao finished his meal, he came to say goodbye. Sun Wei handed him the letter.
"I wonder when I will see the princess again." Xie Xiao said
Sun Wei smiled and said, "As long as you and I take care of ourselves, we will meet again."
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