“Gao Shun—I just want to live!”
Lü Bu shouted angrily, “I only want to stay alive together with my wife and children. What have I done wrong?”
“If my family hadn’t fallen into enemy hands, how would I have ended up like this?”
“You have neither wife nor children!”
“How could you possibly understand my desperation?”
“It’s easy enough to say, ‘I’d rather die.’ But after I’m dead, who will look after my family?”
“You don’t understand at all!”
He had never imagined that even at a time like this, Gao Shun would still be so stubborn.
Lü Bu wasn’t ready to die.
His family still needed him.
Having grown up on the frontier, he had witnessed countless tragedies—warriors dying in battle while their wives and children struggled to survive.
He refused to let his own family suffer the same fate.
Nor did he wish to return to Bing Province.
In his eyes, only the heartland of the Central Plains offered a chance at a stable life, free from the misery that plagued the borderlands.
Even though he had been born in Bing Province and enjoyed considerable prestige there, when he fled Chang’an he had never once considered returning to raise an army.
…
After Lü Bu finished speaking, not only did Gao Shun fall silent—even Zhang Jing and the assembled civil and military officials looked at Lü Bu in a new light.
“It was I who failed you, my lord.”
Looking at Lü Bu’s bloodshot eyes, Gao Shun’s own filled with guilt.
He took a deep breath before bowing to Zhang Jing.
“I, Gao Shun, am willing to serve you, General.”
At this moment, Gao Shun was much like Xun Yu had once been.
He had never intended to surrender.
He had even been prepared to die.
But it was through his own negligence that Lord Lü Bu’s family had fallen into enemy hands.
If he chose death now then his lord’s entire family would perish with him.
He could never bring himself to do such a thing.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Zhang Jing.
Before Zhang Jing could speak—
Thump!
Overjoyed, Lü Bu immediately dropped to his knees.
“Lü Bu greets my lord!”
“Good.”
The corner of Zhang Jing’s mouth twitched before a faint smile appeared.
“Pan Zhang, untie them.”
“At once!”
Pan Zhang bowed respectfully and carried out the order.
“Your Lordship is wise!”
The officials all saluted in unison.
Though they still harbored doubts about Lü Bu, none dared question Zhang Jing’s decision.
Besides, with Lü Bu serving under Gao Shun, he would have little influence over them for quite some time.
“Thank you, General.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
After being untied, Gao Shun and Lü Bu both bowed respectfully.
“You may rise.”
Looking at the two men, Zhang Jing declared, “From this day forward, the Taiping Army shall establish a new company, to be known as the Camp Crushers (Xianzhen Company).”
“Gao Shun shall serve as its commander.”
“The soldiers will be selected from the Qihuo Army.”
“As for Lü Bu, he shall serve as a Company Captain within the Camp Crushers.”
Even Zhang Jing felt this arrangement was rather excessive.
Fortunately, it was only temporary.
Once Gao Shun had fully proven his loyalty, the unit could be expanded.
“We obey!”
Gao Shun and Lü Bu saluted in unison.
“Bring them seats.”
Zhang Jing nodded before giving another order.
“Now bring Zhang Liao, Wei Yue, and the others.”
After Gao Shun and Lü Bu had taken their seats—
“My lord!”
Taishi Ci stepped forward and saluted.
“In this campaign we captured over two thousand warhorses.”
“Zhang Liao is an exceptional warrior, highly skilled in mounted archery.”
“If we expand the cavalry, I hope to recruit him into the Iron Cavalry.”
Taishi Ci had coveted Zhang Liao’s talents for quite some time.
He believed that if Zhang Liao joined the cavalry, its combat strength would rise to another level.
As for the Taiping Army’s current cavalry…
They could only be described as men who had learned how to ride horses.
Compared to true elite cavalry, they were nowhere close.
“If Zhang Liao is willing to join you, I have no objection.”
Zhang Jing readily accepted the proposal.
He had never intended to place these surrendered generals in positions of high authority anyway.
Serving as junior officers posed no issue.
“This subordinate thanks you, my lord.”
Taishi Ci saluted happily.
…………..
A short while later…
Zhang Liao, Wei Yue, and the others entered the hall.
Upon seeing Gao Shun and Lü Bu seated at the end of the ranks, realization flashed across their faces.
There were no complications.
Zhang Liao and the rest all pledged themselves to the Taiping Army.
Zhang Liao became a company commander under Tai Shi Ci, while the others were assigned to the Qihuo Army.
After everything had been arranged—
“Zhicai.”
Zhang Jing looked toward Xi Zhicai.
“Pass down the order.”
“In two days, the army will return to Wuyan.”
With June fast approaching, it was almost time for the early grain harvest in Yan Province.
Naturally, Zhang Jing had to return to oversee the process.
After all, in this era…
Grain was more valuable than gold.
………….
Early June — Wuyan, Yan Province
Zhang Jing led his army back to Wuyan.
The news of the Taiping Army’s crushing defeat of Lü Bu quickly spread across the realm.
Upon hearing it, the various warlords were all deeply shaken.
That night, in the central military drill grounds of Wuyan City…
Zhang Jing once again held one of his public lectures.
Today’s topic was how to enrich and sustain the common people.
Smiling at the assembled crowd, he asked, “Do any of you know…”
“How ordinary commoners like us can create wealth?”
“How can we become prosperous?”
The audience froze for a moment before breaking into quiet discussion.
“Become rich?”
“Is that something common folk can even do?”
“Impossible. We’re just peasants.”
“If we can avoid starving, that’s already a blessing.”
“Please enlighten us, my lord!”
“We beg you to explain!”
Unable to reach any conclusion themselves, everyone looked toward Zhang Jing expectantly.
After all…
This concerned the livelihood of ordinary people.
Nothing could be more relevant to them.
Zhang Jing smiled.
“In truth, it isn’t difficult for common people to build wealth.”
He continued, “An ancient text says:
‘There is a great principle to creating wealth: let there be many who produce, few who consume; let production be diligent and expenditure restrained, and wealth will always be sufficient.'”
“The meaning is quite simple.”
“Let me give you an example.”
“Suppose your family owns fifty mu of fertile farmland.”
“There are five people in your household.”
“Only two are able to work.”
“After spring planting and autumn harvest, you produce one hundred shi of grain.”
“After paying thirty percent in land tax, you still have seventy shi.”
“Set aside another ten shi as seed grain for next year’s planting.”
“That leaves sixty shi.”
“If five people divide sixty shi evenly, each person gets twelve shi of grain per year.”
“Do you think that’s enough?”
The crowd erupted.
“Enough?”
“That’s more than enough!”
“We couldn’t possibly eat all of it!”
“Twelve shi per person?”
“That’s the kind of life we never even dared dream about!”
…
“Exactly.”
Zhang Jing nodded.
“So if your family has enough grain—and even some left over…”
“You can store it.”
“Or trade it for money and other goods.”
“If nothing unexpected happens, after only a few years, wouldn’t your family have both savings and grain reserves?”
He then added, “Of course…”
“If your family has only one worker, yet still has five mouths to feed, then those fifty mu can’t all be cultivated.”
“In that case, prosperity becomes impossible.”
“So the principle is very simple.”
“Produce more. Consume less.”
“That’s how a household becomes prosperous.”
“Do you all understand?”
Naturally, Zhang Jing had no intention of bringing up ideas like “letting some get rich first.”
He suspected saying something like that in this era might very well get him beaten to death.
“Thank you for your instruction, my lord!”
“I understand now!”
“So that’s how it works!”
“It actually isn’t difficult!”
“The difficult part was never getting fifty mu of land in the first place!”
Someone immediately replied, “Even if you got the land, what good would it do?”
“The land tax might only be one-thirtieth, but after the head tax, poll taxes, miscellaneous levies, and endless exploitation, even owning a hundred mu wouldn’t save you.”
“Exactly!”
“Lower land taxes alone don’t mean anything.”
“The other taxes would crush you anyway.”
Hearing their discussion, Zhang Jing became serious.
“My friends…”
“In truth, hard work can absolutely make people prosperous.”
“But if you’ve poured out your sweat and labor and you still remain trapped in poverty, then it means someone is feeding off your labor.”
“When that happens, pay attention.”
“If any of you, while living under the rule of the Taiping Prefecture, discover such abuses, report them to the government offices immediately.”
“I, Zhang Jing, give you my word.”
“Those who prey upon the people will have their entire clan exterminated.”
The crowd’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Long live our lord!”
“Long live the Taiping Prefecture!”
Their thunderous cheers echoed across the night sky.
— The end of the Chapter–
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