An Iron Token Changes Their Fate
The Northern Border is thousands of miles away from Chang'an City, and the remoteness and distance from the emperor fostered countless interpersonal relationships.
The emperor's eyes were only on whether the Northern Border Military Region could hold off the Xiong State's army and whether it could win the battle, and whether the border cities and facilities were intact. As for the ordinary soldiers who were used up one after another, few people cared.
As long as these people can cooperate with military operations, as long as they can still recruit people, and as long as they don't rebel, no one will pay special attention to these ordinary groups.
The new emperor suddenly understood why so many ordinary soldiers followed the princes in their rebellion. One factor was that they were compelled to participate because of their power, and the corresponding treatment was also an important factor in the soldiers' willingness to rebel.
"Trouble arose from within!"
If the new emperor had to describe it in one word, he felt it was the harm caused by internal strife arising from within the palace walls.
If everything were fair, not so many people would make other choices, and it would be difficult for the feudal lords to effectively mobilize others to rebel.
He heard a dark story, but the new emperor heard no suitable solution.
Li Guang himself was very likely involved, and Zhang Xuezhou's implication was that most people in the Northern Border Military Region were likely involved, and no amount of investigation would help.
The fact that the arrangements made by the court official Li Jiao could be rendered ineffective indicates that this was not a matter of a single person acting maliciously, but rather involved a process of feigned compliance while secretly defying authority, affecting countless people at all levels.
Of course, the new emperor must say that the situation in the Northern Border is still under control, since this is, after all, the imperial army, and the region it belongs to has few powerful vassal kings.
In particular, the State of Liang, which is adjacent to the Northern Border Military Region, has been repeatedly weakened. On the surface, the State of Liang's fiefdoms have not been touched, and even the five sons of the Liang King have been granted titles of kings. However, the originally unified State of Liang has been divided into five kingdoms, and its power has been greatly reduced.
Lacking a powerful force and having offended many people in the past, the divided State of Liang became increasingly targeted.
In a short period of time, Liu Bushi, the Prince of Jiyin, and Liu Ding, the Prince of Shanyang, died. Liu Pengli, the Prince of Jidong, killed hundreds of innocent people in a counterattack. Liu Mai, the Prince of Lianggong, and Liu Ming, the Prince of Jichuan, both killed the Grand Tutor and the Grand Tutor of the Royal Court during the investigation, which led to their impeachment by the court.
Two kings died, two were demoted and exiled, one was seriously injured, and all five of the Liang king's sons were in grave danger.
The new emperor couldn't help but sigh at the thought that the five kings had gone to the ancestral land in early spring to observe his forgery of the Crimson Sky Sword.
The most unstable element in the Northern Border Military Region was eliminated. This clandestine corruption angered the new emperor, but he was not yet about to lose his temper.
The real risk at present does not originate from the Northern Border Military Region, nor from the Northwest Military Region under Cheng Bushi's control, but is more likely to come from the Southwest Military Region, which involves areas such as Jiangdu, Huainan, and Bashu.
As long as the Southwest Military Region also has this kind of unspoken rule, this risk will continue to brew.
As long as a feudal lord cheers on them, the soldiers of the Southwest Military Region are likely to defect in a short period of time.
The new emperor arrived in high spirits, but left with a heavy heart, not even finishing the bowl of commoner's food he had asked for.
"This rich guy actually came to a place like ours to beg for food. They're used to eating good food, how could they possibly eat our kind of food? Ah, this meat and rice are so delicious!"
Zhang Baojia took the half-bowl of food that the new emperor had left uneaten and ate it.
Zhang Xuezhou tossed the broken silver in his hand, then looked at the iron plaque in his hand.
Compared to the corruption in the Northern Border Military Region, which may even involve major issues in other military regions, the hundred or so people in Zhang Household Village are nothing.
Zhang Xuezhou was fortunate that the new emperor's way of solving problems was simple and brutal; he directly used his power to pave the way and resolved the most difficult part.
As long as a 'certificate' of identity is created at the Jingzhao Yin Prefecture, the people of Zhang Household Village can not only enter and leave Chang'an City, but also apply to travel to other areas normally with the certificate, instead of being unable to even enter the city and having to sneak around by back roads.
If a minor official in the Jingzhao Prefecture is skilled in interpersonal relationships, he could even register the people of Zhang Household Village as residents of Chang'an, thus qualifying them to buy houses even without holding official positions.
This is the power of the new emperor handing over this iron plaque; it even erased Zhang Xuezhou's more than a year of Struggle before he was eligible to buy a house.
Xu Ji was right; only the Emperor of Chang'an City could change the fate of the people of Zhang Household Village.
In just one day, his fate was changed, a speed that made Zhang Xuezhou feel somewhat uneasy.
"Cousin, what's the use of this?"
Zhang Xuezhou didn't care about the silver; he kept staring at the iron plaque in his hand, which prompted Rong Tianding to peek over.
"You could use the iron token to gain official status at the Prefect's residence in the capital," Zhang Xuezhou said. "You might even directly acquire the status of a resident of Chang'an!"
"Having an identity isn't a big deal... but having the identity of a Chang'an resident?"
Rong Tianding initially felt okay, but when his mind came back to him, he almost wanted to throw away his integrity on the spot.
He has been going back and forth in Chang'an City for several years, but still does not qualify to buy a house.
Zhang Xuezhou also Struggle for a long time, and only by constantly recommending himself did he become an official and gain the qualification to buy a house.
This iron plaque can now change the fate of hundreds of people.
For some, it's just a simple act, but for 99% of people, it's a door they'll never open in their lifetime.
"He is... I feel like I've seen him somewhere before!"
The new emperor's attire changed repeatedly, but he always wore rich and Rong Tianding pondered for a long time, and some young faces kept appearing in his mind, piecing together a fixed face.
"You don't need to guess his identity, nor do you need to know it," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Knowing some things can be restrictive; you might not be able to speak without reservation and avoid offending him."
"He can issue you a plaque, so his power and influence must be several levels above yours," Rong Tianding said, relieved. "These high-ranking officials are very difficult to deal with, but luckily you can handle them, cousin!"
"What high-ranking official?" Zhang Baojia leaned over and asked.
"The officials in Chang'an City are truly different from the lords sitting in the county government office in Hibiscus City!"
Zhang Zhong muttered to himself, feeling that the officials here were completely different from those he had ever seen. They even managed to run into these refugees and even ate with them.
These wealthy officials couldn't stomach the fatty pork and millet, but for Zhang Zhong and his companions, it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted.
Aside from the hunger, Rong Li's skill in making pork stew was also top-notch. She even added spices, making it far tastier than the food the people of Zhang Household Village used to eat, and even better than the bitter, medicinal food they ate in Huainan.
When Zhang Zhong turned his head, he saw men, women, and children squatting on the ground, holding new bowls and eating heartily.
Although they hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, the crowd maintained order and did not loot or overeat. Instead, they took their food in a very orderly manner.
Having experienced various hardships, these people have little ambition left and are almost entirely living in a village-wide huddle for survival.
Zhang Zhong believes that if the people of Zhang Household Village are given a suitable opportunity, their village will not perish, but will be reborn.