Chapter 164: Rule of Guanzhong
As Ma Wan jumped down from the top of Chiyang City in public, both the defenders inside the city and the soldiers from all parties outside the city felt relieved from the bottom of their hearts.

The city gate slowly opened, and the defenders left the city in an orderly manner, discarding their weapons and taking off their armor.

The Qingzhou soldiers entered the city and took over the city. The prisoners outside the city gathered at the trench digging site and sat cross-legged on the ground waiting.

Soon the last of the fog dissipated, and the sunlight shone on everyone without distinction.

In the morning, the Qingzhou soldiers sealed up the warehouses in the city and cleared up all hidden dangers before Black Bear led Zhong Yao, Duan Wei and others into the city.

Ma Wan’s residence, the meeting hall.

Black Bear sat on the Hu bed that Ma Wan used every day, then stood up and said to his guard, "It's too short, take mine."

"Right in the car."

The personal guard responded and left quickly, while the others sat down in an orderly manner, also on low beds.

The black bear was observing the background wall, which was made of wood carving and was a majestic horse.

Wood carving techniques are vivid and lifelike, which is different from bronze casting and stone carving. Wood carving materials are easy to process, and craftsmen can boldly express their ideas.

With stone carving and casting, the cost of failure is too high.

Looking at the wood carving background wall, Black Bear said to Guo Tai who was following him: "In the future, I want to have a background wall like this, with a big bear roaring over the mountains."

Guo Tai smiled and said, "I thought the commander wanted to carve a goose."

"I can see the goose anytime, but it's better for the bear to stay on the wall."

While they were chatting, the personal guards brought up Black Bear's Huchuang, which was a square armchair.

After everything was arranged, Black Bear sat down comfortably, took off his helmet and handed it to a personal soldier, looking at all the happy people in the hall. Even Zhong Yao was suppressing a certain joy at this moment.

The current situation is so good that even the Xudu court doesn't dare to speak loudly to Zhong Yuanchang!

Everyone's eyes fell on Black Bear, watching him take off his mask.

Hanging the mask on the thin leather belt around his waist, Black Bear said, "When I sent troops to Guanzhong, I heard about the names of the ten tribes in Guanzhong. Now, half of them have been destroyed, leaving only you and my new wife."

Although he was called a father-in-law, he only met Ma Teng's daughter once and then hurriedly led his troops to Linjin.

Li Kan, Liang Xing, Hou Xuan, Zhang Heng and Ma Wan were defeated, Yan Xing's entire army was wiped out and became prisoners, and Zhong Yao also lost his entire army.

No one present dared to respond casually.

Black Bear's eyes fell on Cheng Yin and Cheng Yi, who were relatively the weakest. "I'll give you two a chance. If you don't obey me, you can select your own officers and soldiers and send out a thousand men each to fight to the death with me."

Cheng Yin immediately stood up and knelt on one knee: "I am willing to serve General Zhenbei."

Cheng Yi was not slow either, kneeling beside Cheng Yin and saying, "The people of Guanzhong have suffered greatly from the war, and now that the general is able to unify the three prefectures, it is also our good fortune."

"So do you two want to command troops or govern the people?"

Cheng Yin and Cheng Yi looked at each other and said almost in unison: "We are willing to obey the general's orders!"

"I am not an unkind person. You two will each leave 300 households behind and move to Chang'an with your property. I will divide up the land and houses."

Black Bear was observing the changes in the expressions of the two men as he spoke: "Cheng Yin, you are from Hedong, so you will lead Shangjun. After handing over your troops and moving to Chang'an, you will move into Gaonu (Yan'an)."

"The last general takes orders."

Unable to see Cheng Yin's mood change, Black Bear looked at Cheng Yi again: "You are from Liangzhou, so you will lead Anding County and also hand over troops. After moving to Chang'an, you will lead 300 troops to settle in Lin Jing."

"The last general takes orders."

Cheng Yi bowed his head, and he and Cheng Yin continued to wait for Black Bear's instructions: "If you want to leave, I won't stop you, but the wealth you have plundered over the years comes from Guanzhong, so I'm sorry I can't allow it. One of you is close to Hedong, and the other is in Anding, so it's convenient for both of you to return home."

"I don't expect you to be able to wipe out all the barbarians and bandits in the county after you arrive. If you can defend it, then defend it. If you can't defend it, then protect your soldiers and horses and retreat. I will lead you to fight back."

"I will negotiate with the court and make it agree to your job changes."

"As for the rest, I won't go into details. I just hope you can do your best to be the county governor."

"I thank the general for his teachings."

Cheng Yin and Cheng Yi bowed again, then stood up and returned to sit on the Huchuang.

Black Bear's eyes fell on Kong Gui's face. "When I besieged Chiyang, I promised you that if you could conquer Guanzhong, I would give you the title of Right Auxiliary Commandant. I have kept my promise. From now on, you will be my assistant in the Zhenbei Shogunate, and you will also be the Right Auxiliary Commandant."

"I obey your orders."

Kong Gui stepped out and knelt, but he was in too much of a hurry and Black Bear did not have the silver seal ready.

Black Bear continued, "The Right Assistant Commandant is stationed in Meiwu. This winter, I only hope you can do two things. The first is to review the registered population of each county and select county soldiers; the second is to investigate the bandit bases and report to the shogunate. I will dispatch elite troops to destroy them. As for the bandits, if you can persuade them to surrender, I will also allow them to reform."

In terms of guilt, who among those present here is cleaner than the bandits?

Kong Gui thanked him again, then stood up and returned to his original seat.

Black Bear then went to see Yang Qiu and smiled: "How I treat my father-in-law, I will treat Lord Yang the same way. Lord Yang will select 500 households and move them to Wangchuan to build a manor, so that they can live next to my father-in-law."

Yang Qiu thought that his career was over. He felt empty inside and forced a smile, and was about to stand up to express his gratitude.

Black Bear waved his hands and said, "Some things should be said publicly. After a hundred years, I hope that the troops left by Lord Yang can be divided equally among his sons. Troops and real estate are included in this. Lord Yang can distribute the rest of the family property as he likes. When the Wangchuan Manor is built, I will invite Lord Yang to come out and help me govern Guanzhong."

He had already promised in a previous letter that they would govern Guanzhong together, and Black Bear would not deny it, so he reminded him, "This is our alliance. Due to the current chaos in Guanzhong, we have to cut the Gordian knot quickly. I hope you can forgive me."

"Don't dare."

Yang Qiu stood up and saluted, looking hesitant, and said, "As for governing the people, I have a virtuous man whom I would like to recommend to the general. If this man helps, he is far better than ten Yang Qius."

"Who is this?"

"This man is from Fufeng Wugong, and is a descendant of Pingling Hou Su Jian. His name is Ze, and his courtesy name is Wenshi." Yang Qiu looked at Duan Wei as he spoke, and continued, "Su Ze was a talented young man. When Dong Zhuo and Li Jue ruled Guanzhong, he was selected as an outstanding talent and filial and honest official. The government repeatedly recruited him but he refused. Later, the Three Prefectures were in chaos, so he fled to Beidi and Anding. He returned to Guanzhong the year before last, but he hated the quarrels between us, so he lived in seclusion in Taibai Mountain."

Duan Wei turned sideways and bowed to Black Bear: "General, I have also seen this man, he has the talent to plan for the country. If we can get his support, Guanzhong will surely be governed well. But this man has always admired Ji An, and he is always strong. If you want to make full use of his talents, you need to be more tolerant."

Black Bear nodded and turned to look at Zhong Yao: "Lord Yuan Chang, I am the governor of the Northern Army, and I want to make Su Ze the Eastern Army Officer. Is that possible?"

In an instant, all eyes in the hall fell on Zhong Yao's face.

Zhong Yao said calmly: "If the princes recommend the general, then the general will certainly be able to do it."

"Well, but the court has not responded yet, and I can't make things difficult for Su Ze. Let's do this. After the imperial envoy arrives and recognizes me as the Zhenbei Shogunate and Yongzhou Governor, I will recruit Su Ze and ask him to be the Zhenbei Attendant and Yongzhou Governor."

"Yes, I will urge you to do it as soon as possible to avoid delaying the general's affairs."

Zhong Yao made a promise immediately. If the imperial court was slow to give legal status, then don't blame Black Bear and Yuan Shang for joining forces to attack Xiahou Dun in Luoyang.

Anyone can occupy Luoyang except Yuan Shang.

This is Cao Cao's little bird. If you grab a handful of it, it will make him uncomfortable for a long time.

Black Bear could also understand what Yang Qiu and Duan Wei meant. Su Ze should be a very powerful person, but the conditions for him to leave the mountain were also very overbearing.

Therefore, there is no need to rush to ask for help. Wait until you get authorization from the court and the order in Guanzhong is restored and stabilized before going to Su Ze. He will be easier to talk to by then, and Su Ze's influence will not be so great that it is difficult to check and balance.

For example, if we ask Su Ze for help now, it would be equivalent to asking Su Ze to help us stabilize Guanzhong, which would be a huge achievement.

Then Black Bear said to Yang Qiu: "Mr. Yang is Mr. Yang, and Mr. Su is Mr. Su. When the Wangchuan Manor is built, I will go to Mr. Yang to ask him to come out of retirement to help me; when the imperial envoy arrives, I will immediately send the chief secretary to invite Mr. Su."

"Yes, as you wish, General."

Yang Qiu bowed and sat down again.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Black Bear agreed to divide the land for him, but also made it clear that he should divide the troops and real estate equally between his sons in the future.

Then, except for the eldest son, the remaining legitimate sons and the largest number of illegitimate sons will definitely support Black Bear; the mothers of these children will also support this resolution.

The family has been in unrest since then, and he feels that his son and the black bear must have reached some agreement.

Now that things have come to this, there is no point in delving further.

At this time, Black Bear went to see Duan Wei and said, "The north is the gateway to Guanzhong, and we cannot do without the old general. The old general has helped me, and I will not make any adjustments. If the Qiang and Hu rebel, the old general will send an envoy to inform me, and I will lead the troops to help fight, without any hesitation."

Duan Wei was quite surprised. He stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "That's fine, but I'm nearly sixty years old. General, you should make plans early."

"I think the old general is still very vigorous. It is too early to talk about taking off the armor now."

Black Bear smiled widely and made a further promise: "There is also a place for the Duan family in the Wangchuan River Valley. If the old general is interested, you can send your sons and nephews to choose a place in Wangchuan to build a manor. During this period, I will provide all the food, fodder, tools, etc."

"That's fine, I will serve the general for another three years."

Duan Wei was also a little hesitant, and said with emotion: "With the general here, an old man like me can enjoy my old age in peace, and I don't have to accumulate troops to protect my clan."

"The world is not settled yet, I will not deprive you of your right to guard, old general, just be at ease. When you are free, you may go to Wangchuan to see my father-in-law, maybe there will be some unexpected surprises."

"An unexpected surprise?"

Duan Wei looked over and saw Black Bear nod, so he nodded as well: "Okay, after we dismiss the Qiang volunteers, I will go see Ma Shoucheng."

The negotiations between the two parties were considered to be over, and it was finally Zhong Yao's turn.

The others also listened attentively. After all, Zhong Yao represented the court of Xudu, and as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, he also represented the emperor.

Then Black Bear asked, "Lord Yuan Chang, I want to bring order to Guanzhong. What is the first thing to do?"

"The general has already demonstrated his authority within the pass, and the officials and people dare not disobey him."

Zhong Yao blinked his eyes and said, "I think that with the general's prestige, the bandits near and far dare not offend. Therefore, we are worried about the small bandits. We should issue a notice to the bandits in the counties of Guanzhong, saying that if they surrender within a certain period of time, their old crimes will be forgiven. If they do not, we will suppress them within a certain period of time and not even a chicken or a dog will be spared."

"Let's follow Lord Yuan Chang. Let's agree that the deadline is before the first day of February in the eighth year of Jian'an. Before that, bandits who come to the county will be exempted from punishment and given land to farm. To prevent bandits, officials and civilians from knowing about it and killing them without authorization, from the day the proclamation arrives, all counties, regardless of officials, civilians, bandits or criminals, will be severely punished."

Black Bear picked up the teacup and looked at it. "Now Guanzhong is turbid, so it is not advisable to make a big move. Let's wait until the clear water rises and the turbid water sinks before discussing it. This winter, I hope that all places can spend the winter peacefully, eliminate and pacify bandits at home, and resist the various Hu peoples abroad. The rest of the matter will be discussed in detail after the spring plowing next year."

Zhong Yao also nodded. At this time, the army was gathered and many matters involving civil affairs could not be discussed.

The discussion can only continue after the army is disbanded.

As for the incorporation of the army, Black Bear doesn't need to consider Zhong Yao's attitude.

Zhong Yao's last troops were confiscated by Black Bear alone, so how could he decide the fate of other troops?

But one thing is very clear, there will be two types of household registration in Guanzhong in the future, one is the household registration of the militia occupying irrigated farmland, and the other is the registered population of the counties.

Now it depends on how Black Bear deals with the registration of these tribes.

These tribes will only support those who recognize their control over the fertile land.

Seeing that there were no other objections, Black Bear said, "Chang'an is the heart of Guanzhong. I want to mobilize all the troops to station in Chang'an, collect the remains, clean up the ruins, and organize the documents so as to establish an official school. In about a month, the troops will be dismissed. In the winter, all young men aged 16 or 15, regardless of whether they are officials or civilians, Han or Hu, can come to Chang'an to study. During this period, food and drink will be provided by my Zhengbei Shogunate."

Black Bear went to see Duan Wei again and said, "There are many Qiang and Hu people in the north, so the old general's troops don't need to get involved. If the old general wants to lend a hand, he can order his men to come, but he must not neglect the border defense."

"The general's official school does not distinguish between Han and Hu people, so the Qiang people in the north should make their modest contribution."

Duan Wei was full of emotion, and he sighed deeply as he spoke: "The general has opened a government school. This is a great favor from the general, and it is also a chance for us to redeem our sins."

Yang Ding also spoke up: "That's right. We had no choice in the past. Now I will contribute my humble efforts. I am willing to donate 90% of my family property."

In an instant, Cheng Yin and Cheng Yi, one from Hedong and the other from Liangzhou, looked at each other and also bowed: "General, we do the same."

(End of this chapter)