Chapter 54: Guantun City

When Li Wenyuan saw that everyone in the tent had arrived, he began, “Let me explain the arrangements for resettling the refugees.”

He used a wooden pointer to indicate a plain on the northwest side of Wuwei Commandery on the map spread out before them. “This is an expanse of wasteland; it used to be a village, but the people fled during the famine, leaving it deserted. Situated between two rivers, the land is fertile enough to accommodate twenty thousand people for farming without issue. The timing is still favorable—if we replant some grains now, purchase extra supplies, and acquire ten thousand sheep, it will be sufficient to last until next year’s autumn harvest.”

Xue Renyue asked, “Do you intend for these refugees to establish a state-run farm?”

Li Wenyuan nodded. “No matter the era, only when you have food in hand can you speak with authority. But these people need only surrender twenty percent of their harvest; the rest they may freely trade. Renyue, you will organize teams to buy grain at market prices. If anyone tries to extort or seize grain by force, arrest them immediately and confiscate a hundredfold of their gains as penalty.”

Xue Renyue nodded. Li Wenyuan continued, “All farming tools will be purchased by the government and distributed to the farmers free of charge at first. Later, I’ll provide you with ten thousand oxen to be loaned to farmers in need. The first year is interest-free; the loan can be repaid over the next five years.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “For those living on the state farm, the government will cover half the expenses for any illness, and they themselves will pay the other half. I also intend to set up a public school in the settlement. After next year’s civil service examination, we’ll select the top twenty candidates to serve as teachers. The children of the settlers will be required to attend; any family that refuses will forfeit half a year’s harvest. Families in neighboring counties may also send their children, paying only basic tuition. The school will provide lunch; it may not be luxurious, but it will be enough to fill their bellies.”

“Of course, not every child is born for study. Every child must complete one year of basic education, learning daily-use characters. Afterward, they may choose their own path: martial training under military instructors, civil studies under honest and respected officials, or scholarly pursuits in Confucian learning.”

As Li Wenyuan’s thoughts unfolded, he spoke at greater length, leaving Xue Renyue somewhat bewildered, though he carefully recorded every point for later contemplation.

Most importantly, Li Wenyuan emphasized, “From now on, these refugees will be known as state settlers. They will be registered and issued a waist plaque; without it, they may not buy or sell within the settlement, nor enjoy any of the privileges provided to settlers.”

Turning to Xue Renyue, Li Wenyuan added, “The government will fund this project, but the officials have already taken more than enough. They must contribute as well—it will accumulate some merit for them. The money will be used to build houses for the settlers. Every official inspector overseeing construction must be registered. If any problems arise, severe punishment will follow.”

“In this way, the settlement will become a community of twenty thousand, and as their families gradually arrive, it may grow into a town of fifty thousand. New officials must be appointed to govern; it cannot remain under purely military administration,” Xue Renyue noted.

“Indeed. We must build city walls to defend against the Turks; these can be constructed over the winter. I will ensure the Turks do not invade from the north this winter, giving us time to complete the walls,” Li Wenyuan replied.

“And what of the town’s name and the administrative structure?” Xue Renyue asked eagerly. This was his first experience establishing an administrative system, and he could not hide his excitement.

“As for the name, let’s call it State Farm Town. It’s neither a commandery nor a county, but simply a town. There will be one town chief, ten chief clerks, and for every thousand people, a chief of a thousand; for every hundred, a chief of a hundred; and for every fifty, a chief of fifty. The town chief and chief clerks will be appointed by the government, but the chiefs of a thousand, hundred, and fifty will be elected by the settlers themselves. Except for military matters, the clerks form a secondary council to propose solutions; these are then deliberated and decided upon by the primary council, made up of the chiefs of a thousand. If the secondary council’s proposal is unsuitable, the primary council can call a joint meeting, and their proposal is submitted to the secondary council for consideration,” Li Wenyuan explained.

“Is the chief intending to return power to the people? People are easily swayed by small gains—what if someone bribes the populace with heavy gold?” Xue Renyue asked in astonishment.

Li Wenyuan’s ideas were commonplace in later generations, but in a world where emperor, heaven, and teacher held sway, they were nothing short of revolutionary. Hearing Xue Renyue’s concern, Li Wenyuan smiled. “The chiefs of a thousand, hundred, and fifty are elected yearly. Whether in elections or council meetings, the minority follows the majority. If someone can buy everyone’s support, that in itself is a skill. Besides, you must make it clear to the people: if an official breaks the law, they may call a council to impeach. Most of these people have lived as bandits—they are not easily cowed by officials. As long as they dare to speak out, the people will be stirred to supervise the officials constantly. Flowing water does not stagnate; only under the people’s supervision can we hope to eradicate corruption.”

“Once this administrative system is proven here, it can be extended throughout the Western Regions. This tactic will win the people’s support, but it may offend many officials and perhaps even draw pressure from the gentry,” Zhang Juntao remarked with a smile.

“The gentry? That’s easily handled. Here, unlike the Central Plains, the gentry’s power is weak. As long as we control the army, they can only resort to literary disputes,” Li Wenyuan replied with a laugh.

“And literary disputes do not concern us. We will impose a luxury tax in the Western Regions to support the military. For every slave a household owns, they must pay a stone of grain annually. If they refuse, the government can provide the same amount as a redemption fee. The slave may then work in state farms for five years to earn their freedom, or serve in the army for three years to gain the same, with the possibility of promotion for valor in battle.”

“With this policy, tens of thousands more may appear. How will you address the problem of landless people?” Xue Renyue asked.

“I have investigated—even poor land yields over a stone per year. With five people to a household, five acres is enough to feed them for a year. Those without land will be given a stone of grain annually, purchased by the government. It’s not much, but it will keep them from starvation. Moreover, we have the state farms, where we can employ these people for labor—transporting supplies in wartime, and building irrigation works or fighting drought in peacetime,” Li Wenyuan replied.

“But won’t these expenses be enormous? And does this mean you intend to exempt grain taxes?” Xue Renyue exclaimed.

“Yes. Only by reducing or exempting grain taxes can we prevent officials from excessive exactions. The exemption applies only to five acres or less—anything more is taxed at half a stone per acre per year. As for funding, we’ll reclaim all salt wells and mines for the government. This revenue can be traded for enough grain and silver from the Central Plains. As for resistance from the gentry, the army can clear the way. With popular support, the gentry will be unable to stir up much trouble. Only when wealth is in the hands of the people will we have the resources for a protracted war,” Li Wenyuan concluded.