Chapter 147 New Military Farming Law

Previously, the strategists were not arguing about whether or not to defend Beixin City, but rather how many troops to send to Beixin City.

If too few troops were sent, they wouldn't be able to withstand the enemy's attack. If too many troops were sent, then provisions would become a huge problem.

Just calculating for ten thousand soldiers, including logistics and supplies, a month's worth of provisions would require at least fifty thousand shi. Factoring in transportation losses, spoilage due to weather, looting by bandits, and other losses, even one hundred thousand shi might not be enough, amounting to millions of shi per year!

Calculated this way, this is almost the annual tax revenue of one hundred thousand households. Currently, the entire territory of Ji Province, at most, only has several hundred thousand households.

Therefore, warfare is about logistics. A major battle often requires several years of preparation, followed by a considerable period of recovery.

That's why the Three Kingdoms period involved decades of back-and-forth fighting. It wasn't that they didn't want to end it sooner, but they couldn't.

And Yuan Xi's envisioned mule and horse-powered units, while sometimes having miraculous effects when used, still consumed a considerable amount of grain on a daily basis. Conscripting civilian livestock on the spot was also an option, but ultimately not a long-term solution.

The fundamental limitation on all ideas was still the issue of grain.

Now, seeing Yuan Xi actively propose to defend the city, the strategists breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, everyone began to discuss how many troops Yuan Xi should lead.

The three cities of Beixin each had a population of no more than twenty to thirty thousand. Under such circumstances, maintaining a thousand soldiers in each city was almost the limit.

But a few thousand soldiers couldn't withstand a large army, but if there were more, provisions would be a big problem again.

Even in the wealthiest Ji Province, grain didn't fall from the sky. Faced with natural disasters and man-made calamities, Yuan's army was also forced to eat mulberries to stave off hunger.

Yuan Xi said, "I have an idea."

"The world is currently severely lacking in grain. I've heard that Cao Cao is implementing military agricultural colonies in Yan Province, which is currently the most feasible solution for pacification."

"I'll lead three thousand able-bodied men to defend the three cities, and have the soldiers go out of the city to cultivate the land, just in time for spring wheat sowing. In half a year, we can harvest it. Although we can't be completely self-sufficient, meeting most of our needs shouldn't be a problem."

Tian Feng rarely spoke out in opposition: "I've also heard about the military agricultural colonies, but the land rent is nearly half the harvest, which is too high."

"You should know that the Han system is a tax of one in thirty, and even in difficult times, it's no more than one in fifteen. Rashly implementing this measure, I fear that before the battle even begins, the people's hearts will be scattered."

"Cao Cao uses penal law to restrict civilian and military agricultural colonies, and the soldiers and civilians below are treated like slaves. How can this method last long?"

Tian Feng's words were true. To prevent the people in the agricultural colonies from escaping, Cao Cao formulated strict punishments.

The people who were conscripted to participate in the agricultural colonies, if they escaped, even if they returned to surrender, would be killed without pardon. The people who were forcibly conscripted to participate in the agricultural colonies, once they started farming, their descendants would also have to continue farming, forever bound to this land.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and sighed and shook their heads, knowing that this method was tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, but if they didn't use it, they had no other good solution.

Yuan Xi was also a little helpless. Although this was the reality, in the chaotic Three Kingdoms period, Shu and Wu, forced by the situation, also used military agricultural colonies. After all, grain was the biggest problem. If they couldn't survive, then everything was out of the question.

He sorted out his thoughts and said, "We can modify it slightly."

"We should adopt a system of military agricultural colonies as the main approach, supplemented by the sale of millet for titles, as was done during the reign of Emperor Wu, with preferential treatment in the calculation of military merits."

For a moment, everyone didn't react. Ju Shou spoke up and said, "I would like to hear the details."

Yuan Xi said, "Soldiers can bring their families to the land where the agricultural colonies are located. They cannot move out of the area at will. They farm in peacetime, train in military affairs during the off-season, and go on expeditions when necessary."

"Military merits earned during expeditions will be calculated as usual, but the soldiers need to provide their own rations."

"Military merits can be counted as rewards for honor and fame, and preferential treatment can be given in terms of land and the education and officialdom of their children."

"Soldiers must farm the land, but they do not need to pay taxes!"

No need to pay taxes?

Everyone was greatly shocked upon hearing this, and for a moment, they didn't react. However, a few of them who understood the implications had a slight gleam in their eyes.

This method seems very similar to the Han Dynasty's system of military agricultural colonies, where all soldiers are farmers, but the inner workings are completely different.

All soldiers are farmers.

This is actually more similar to the Tang Dynasty's Fubing system in later generations.

Unlike the Han Dynasty's military agricultural colonies, which placed the armed group on the production group, the Tang Dynasty's Fubing system placed the production group on the armed group.

The difference lies in the rewards for military merit.

In fact, the Fubing system is not necessarily better than the military agricultural colonies. After all, this was also an important factor leading to the turmoil in the middle and late Tang Dynasty.

However, in this chaotic world at the end of the Han Dynasty, there was no need to worry so much. After all, the system could still be changed after the world was conquered.

The shortcoming of the Fubing system lies in the later land annexation, with no land to cultivate, eventually leading to collapse. But at this time, the population at the end of the Han Dynasty was sparse, and You Province had large tracts of wasteland that could be reclaimed, which can be said to have quite mature conditions!

This method requires soldiers to bring their own rations, so there is no need to issue rations, which is indeed an effective way to solve the current problem.

And during the few months of the blank period in between, Ji Province's grain can be used to support them, greatly reducing the amount compared to transporting grain the entire time!

The strategists slowly came to their senses. While they were secretly amazed, they secretly looked around to see who had reacted incorrectly.

Which one of them came up with this strategy?

Or have some strategists already defected to Yuan Xi?

Yuan Shang was thinking about something else.

Second brother is so calculating!

Binding these soldiers to the land of You Province, in the future, these people sent out from Ji Province will become second brother's own!

And in contrast, in order to cultivate the land, Ji Province will also have to send out workers, farmers, and merchants to cooperate. Second brother, you are planning to bleed Ji Province!

He sneered secretly in his heart. It doesn't matter, You Province was given by the Yuan family, and it can be taken back at any time. Second brother, no matter how you jump, you can't escape my palm!

Yuan Tan listened, also lost in thought. In Qingzhou, he was still helpless against the Mount Tai bandits. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people had entered the mountains, and the soldiers were wasting money and food, yet they couldn't be wiped out.

If soldiers were stationed around them to cultivate the land, could they become self-sufficient and fight a protracted war of attrition, thereby exhausting the Mount Tai bandits?

Regardless of what everyone was thinking, Yuan Xi thought to himself that the Fubing system actually had many pitfalls. It wasn't something that could be simply copied. The drawbacks would only slowly become apparent over time.

For example, how to leave the military register, how to balance farming during wartime, how to integrate the merit-based promotion system of conscripted soldiers, and the issues of equal land distribution and permanent property, and so on.

It could be said that if not handled properly, the Fubing system would cause even greater trouble.

Therefore, he wasn't afraid that others would learn this system to use against him. After all, many of the pitfalls were unforeseen even by the inventor, and could only be tested by time.

He could carefully control it within a certain scale to avoid losing control, while also incorporating some of the advantages of the conscription system. Everything was for the sake of producing more grain and motivating the soldiers.

Tian Feng finally spoke, "The method is good."

"However, calculating the soldiers' merits is extremely sensitive, as this is a power usually held only by the Han court."

The others nodded. Although they all knew that Yuan Shao was effectively establishing his own independent regime, he was still nominally an official of the Han court. Such transgression would likely be criticized.

Shen Pei spoke up, "Just change the name."

Everyone understood the need for flexibility and began to discuss it enthusiastically.

After much discussion, the strategists unanimously decided to have Yuan Xi lead troops to Beixin City to test the new garrison farming system. Jizhou would supply grain until the first harvest.

Yuan Xi seized the opportunity and said, "My talent is shallow. I hope to be allocated some officials and artisans who are proficient in agriculture, commerce, and industry to assist with the garrison farming."

This was his goal!

To use garrison farming as an excuse to poach as many people as possible!

Once these people arrived in Youzhou and possessed land, official positions, and the qualification for their children to become officials, would they still want to return to Jizhou?

Finally, Yuan Shao made a decision and nodded in agreement.

Although Yuan Shang was extremely unhappy, he still forced himself to congratulate Yuan Xi. After all, the biggest enemy at the moment was Gongsun Zan, and he wouldn't be foolish enough to create obstacles at such a crucial time.

Yuan Xi left Yuan Shao's official residence, thinking that he had made the right decision in coming today.

If Zhao Yun hadn't reminded him, he would have been enjoying himself too much in Ye City, even forgetting that his power base was in Youzhou.

Using the excuse of attacking Gongsun Zan, he had obtained several thousand soldiers and nearly a thousand officials and artisans. Adding the hundreds of artisan apprentices initially promised by Yuan Tan, he could finally cultivate the land properly in Youzhou!

Yuan Xi returned to his residence and saw Cao Xian busily packing things. He said, "Do you really not need to reconsider?"

"You should know that life in Beixin City is very difficult, far inferior to Ye City and Juan City. You will often go hungry, and it's possible that you won't be able to bathe for several months."

Cao Xian smiled and said, "The more you say that, the more I want to see it."

Yuan Xi shook his head, thinking that the little girl didn't know the immensity of the heavens and the earth. He just hoped she wouldn't cry when the time came.

Yuan Xi thought of the first few months he had spent in Beixin City, eating coarse grains that caused constipation. He squatted on the ground for a long time, his face flushed red, unable to defecate even when he wanted to cry. He felt a surge of wicked thoughts.

What would it be like if this kind of thing happened to a pampered little girl like Cao Xian?

Yuan Xi banished the lewd thoughts from his mind. He was in a good mood now, having tricked so many working officials and artisans into going over. He had finally taken the first step.

Such as free schools and public land, such as salt and iron technology improvement, such as weapons forging, such as grain improvement.

The more he thought about it, the happier he became. He picked up a pot of wine and went to find Guo Jia. As soon as he knocked on the door a few times, he heard Dong Shi's exclamation and Guo Jia's cursing from inside.

After a while, Guo Jia came out wearing linen clothes, his chest open. Judging from his expression, he couldn't wait to fight Yuan Xi to the death.

Guo Jia hated Yuan Xi to death for disturbing him at such a crucial moment. A few more times like this, and he was afraid he would be ruined!

He snatched the wine pot from Yuan Xi's hand and slammed the door shut, leaving Yuan Xi in a mess in the wind.

Yuan Xi turned around and left dejectedly. He had originally wanted to share his joy with you, but who knew you always liked to do it during the day?

It's good to be weak, you can live two more years.

Guo Jia's anger did not affect Yuan Xi's joy. The next day, he received Yuan Shao's warrant and began to mobilize personnel and soldiers.

Most of the three thousand young men were unmarried, which was not a problem for him at all. As long as they arrived in Youzhou, just by distributing land and exempting the whole household from grain tax, families with daughters in Youzhou would flock to the three cities of Beixin City, Fanyang, and Rongcheng.

Moreover, this household not only included the husband and wife, but also both sets of parents.

In this way, the three cities would attract a large influx of labor, invisibly weakening Gongsun Zan's power in Youzhou.

The ensuing trouble was that the number of soldiers was insufficient and could be conscripted locally, but there were still too few available generals.

Currently, the great generals under his command were only Zhao Yun, Qu Yi, and Taishi Ci. That was just enough for one general per city, and then he couldn't find any reliable generals.

For now, he could only slowly encroach on Youzhou and look for talents locally.

As the day of departure approached, Yuan Xi decided to make a trip to the Zhen residence before leaving.