Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 58: Military Farming and Granting Land (Part )
Su Chao also looked at Su Ze. He was also very curious about Su Ze.

Although the Wugong Su family is not a top-notch family, it is also a relatively famous family in the capital area.

However, the Su family's martial arts skills are weak, and in this generation, the only ones who can support the family are Su Chao and his brother Su Liang.

His elder brother Su Liang became famous at a young age. When he was just an adult, he traveled to Luoyang. The literary master Chang Jing praised Su Liang and said that he was "the only person in Qin who could rival Shandong in terms of talent and learning. Is this the man?"

But even Su Liang, who became famous at a young age, could not get a good official position because of his low family background, and could only wait for selection in the Ministry of Personnel.

Later, when the Nanliang Emperor was building the Fushan Weir, Xiao Baoyin, the Duke of Danyang, led his troops to war. Su Liang went to Xiao Baoyin's mansion to recommend himself, and was promoted to a military officer by Xiao Baoyin. Later, he was appointed as the chief secretary and became Xiao Baoyin's trusted aide.

Su Chao had a similar trajectory to his brother Su Liang. He also became famous at a young age. He was about to reach the legal age of 21 for coming of age in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In order to prevent him from repeating his own mistakes, his brother Su Liang brought him to Luoyang in advance and took him to the residences of important officials to save face. He hoped that his younger brother could enter the officialdom with a clean official position and get a good starting point.

However, this younger brother seemed to have no interest in socializing. His biggest hobby was reading. He was unable to understand his brother's good intentions and was unwilling to go out after walking around a few times.

Su Liang had always loved his younger brother and did not have the heart to force him to continue socializing, so he could only keep him in the mansion to study.

Later, Su Liang heard Xiao Baoyin talking about Li Daoyuan, and heard that the court appointed Li Daoyuan as the Left Prime Minister of Luoyang Prefecture. He remembered that his younger brother highly respected Li Daoyuan's literary level, so he asked Xiao Baoyin to help recommend his younger brother Su Cho.

Assisting Li Daoyuan in handling cases was not a formal assignment and did not constitute the relationship of sponsor and follower. If his younger brother could perform outstandingly and get Li Daoyuan's recommendation, he might get a chance to enter the officialdom.

As expected, when he heard that he was going to help Li Daoyuan, Su Chao did not refuse this time.

Li Daoyuan did not speak, and Su Chao rushed to ask:

"Captain Su is thinking that the six towns in the northern border are going to be in turmoil?"

Su Ze also felt that he had spoken out of turn. For a mere Yulin soldier to predict that there would be chaos in the North was not in keeping with his current identity.

He quickly said, "That's not what I meant. I just think that the Wei Kingdom shouldn't help the Rouran King return north."

Su Cho asked further: "In recent years, several important officials in the court have written to the emperor to talk about the Six Garrisons. The letter from General Li Wohu was the most intense. He said that if the military system of the Six Garrisons was not changed, the Six Garrisons would rebel. However, the envoys sent by the court to the Six Garrisons all said that the Six Garrisons were safe."

"Why does Captain Su think that the Six Towns will be in chaos?"

Li Daoyuan also glanced at Su Chao. Are all young people nowadays so powerful? Or is he really old?

Su Ze, the young Yu Lin, can talk about everything from murder cases to the affairs of the six towns and the Rouran, while Su Chao also knows everything about the problems of the six towns.

On the contrary, Li Daoyuan had never been to the north and did not have much understanding of the Six Garrisons issue. His memory of the Six Garrisons still remained in the period of Emperor Xiaowen's reform. At that time, although the Six Garrisons did not obey the Hanization, they were also loyal to the court.

Although the northern border was also unstable at that time, the Wei Dynasty took the initiative to attack, and some young men from Luoyang even voluntarily gave up their official positions in Luoyang and chose to go to the six border towns to gain military merit.

Since when did the young men of Luoyang regard serving in the Six Garrisons as exile?
Since when did the Wei Dynasty start to have more defeats than victories in its battles against the Rouran, and now it dares not take the initiative to attack, and is often robbed by the Rouran?
Facing Su Chao's relentless pressure, Su Ze knew that if he didn't give a reasonable explanation, he would appear suspicious.

Su Ze could only say: "Mr. Su, how many ministers in the court now started their careers in the Six Garrisons? And how many children of the Six Garrisons can serve as officials in Luoyang?"

Su Chao frowned, and Su Ze said again:

"When Emperor Xiaowen reformed the system, he used the border areas as military prefectures. All military prefectures followed the policy of Emperor Wu of Cao Wei and established military settlements. When the soldiers were fighting, they would defend their country. When they were not at work, they would farm the land. Our Yulin Huben Army was also granted land in Luoyang at the beginning."

Su Chao nodded. As a descendant of the Imperial Guards, Su Ze naturally knew more about the military system than himself, a descendant of an aristocratic family. Su Ze added, "Once you become a military household, your whole generation will be military households. There are garrison commanders and military lords in the army."

"What is a military lord? There are slaves and masters. Since there is a military lord, there are military slaves."

"Since the previous emperor's reform, most military prefectures in the country have been changed. Military settlements have been changed to granting land, and military households have been made equal to civilian households. Now only the six towns in the northern border are still military prefectures."

Su Ze finally said: "The generals of the six towns cannot be promoted to the court, and can only be powerful people in the six towns. The people living on the borders of the six towns have to settle in the army from the beginning, and they cannot leave the army until they die."

"How can we win the war with six towns like this?"

Su Chao looked at Su Ze and suddenly said:
"I think Captain Su is not talking about the Six Garrisons, but the Imperial Guards."

Su Ze looked at Su Cho and saw that he was dressed like a Confucian scholar. Unlike the mixed-race Liu Gui, Su Cho was also different from the cold and austere northern literati like Li Daoyuan. Instead, he looked like a weak scholar from the south.

But such a young man who has not yet entered the official career has such a keen insight into problems. He is worthy of being the future Shangshu Ling of the Western Wei Dynasty who assisted Yuwen Tai in completing the reform and drafting the "Six Edicts".

There are indeed so-called "geniuses" in this world who can see the big picture from the details and see the laws of future development of events from small things. This is Su Chao's talent.

This kind of talent, just like Gao Huan's powerful "male succubus" talent, once it grows up, it will definitely leave a name in history books.

Li Daoyuan coughed, stopping the two from talking. He put down the bamboo slips in his hand and said:

"In that case, let's start with the Siyi Pavilion case."

Li Daoyuan said to the two men, "Starting tomorrow, each of you will lead a team of people and carry the token of this government to investigate the murder case in Siyi Pavilion."

"This government wants to rectify Luoyang Prefecture. First we need to clarify rewards and punishments. You two are able to make suggestions, so you should be rewarded. Call everyone in."

Li Daoyuan's staff who had just been looking through the bamboo slips, as well as the imperial guards responsible for protecting Li Daoyuan, were called into the Mingtang.

Li Daoyuan said in front of the crowd: "These two submitted their proposals to this government, and they should be rewarded. Su Chao, what do you want?"

Su Chuo said without hesitation: "Chuo wants to see the "Water Classic Notes" written by Ling Yin."

I have heard that the second son of the Su family likes to read books. I was so happy that he asked for books. He said immediately, "I will send someone to your room right away. However, three volumes are still in Mr. Cui's house. You can come with me to get them in a few days."

"Thank you, Ling Yin!"

Li Daoyuan looked at Su Ze again, and Su Ze also said:

"In seven days, I will participate in the selection of the Qinghe Palace. I hope Ling Yin will allow me to participate."

Li Daoyuan immediately said, "Of course. I will also participate in the selection of the Qinghe Palace. Do you need me to recommend you to the Qinghe Palace?"

Su Ze immediately said, "No need for you, I just want to participate in the selection of the front line by myself."

"In that case, after investigating the case every day, Su Ze can practice archery in the shooting range in Henan Prefecture."

(End of this chapter)