Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Chapter 15: Better than worse

Hui Hui's residence in Huazhou City was located in the east of the city, which was the unkind place where Gao Zhongmi once said that the slaves were ruthless and unruly.

Holland wanted to go to Daxingtai Mansion to help Li Tai apply for naturalization, but he didn't go with him, so he went to the Governor's Mansion in the south of the city and entrusted a fellow official to lead the way.

Li Tai originally thought there was no need to go to such trouble. The street layout in Huazhou City was not complicated, and Shuo Hui was not an unknown person. He could just ask around on his own. But when he actually came to the east of the city, he realized that Heland's arrangement had a profound meaning.

The east part of the city is mostly the residence of military commanders and nobles. The streets are planned like the garrison method, which is more strict than other areas in the city. The sentry towers and archery towers set up along the street are not just decorations, but there are real soldiers on duty, creating a chilling atmosphere.

There were many pedestrians on the street, including neatly dressed wealthy slaves and rogues in rags. Most of them carried swords with them, wandering aimlessly and looking around. And the soldiers patrolling the streets and stationed at the sentry tower did not control and expel these wanderers.

When Li Tai walked into the street, he attracted the attention of many people on the street. Some rogues followed him all the way, and the following team soon grew to dozens of people.

"You are blind! This gentleman is a distinguished guest who went to congratulate the generals at their residences. How dare you disturb him!"

When the group of people turned into the winding alley, the followers from behind suddenly approached. Some of them already had knives in their hands. The officer leading the way, an official from the Governor's Mansion, stamped his feet and turned around, pointing at the scoundrels and shouting angrily.

When the scoundrels heard this, their expressions suddenly changed, and then they quickly dispersed. Some who rushed too close laughed and said: "How dare you disturb the noble man! I just happened to be on the way..." After saying this, they also They all fled.

"How dare these scoundrels rob and commit crimes in the city in broad daylight? Aren't they afraid of criminal sanctions?"

Li Tai looked at the backs of the scoundrels who quickly dispersed and said with some confusion: "There are many luxurious mansions here. Even if the government doesn't ask, how can the families in the city tolerate them wandering around?"

"Although these scoundrels are shameless and vicious, they also have shrewd eyes. They would not dare to intrude or harm real wealthy and powerful officials. Even if the government imposes sanctions, they are nothing more than whips and sticks and imprisonment. Once they encounter war, they will be pardoned and serve as dead soldiers guarding the city. If you have merit, you will be rewarded, and in the long run you will not be afraid of punishment.”

After hearing the explanation from the governor's official, Li Tai understood how these scoundrels existed.

Huazhou City was on the front line of the confrontation between the two Wei dynasties. It had been besieged and attacked more than once. There were not many civilians in the city, and the harm caused by these scoundrels was limited. They could also act as cannon fodder at critical moments to make up for the lack of troops in the city.

"Since Lang Jun is not a familiar face in the city, it is best to bring a few barbarians with you when walking down the street. Those who are looking at this team will know that Lang Jun is not a common person, so naturally they will not dare to harass."

The official glanced at Li Tai's troops and then suggested.

Li Tai nodded after hearing this. Although the conflict between Hu and Han in the Western Wei Dynasty was not as sharp as that in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, it was split from the Xianbei regime in the Northern Wei Dynasty after all, and the leaders Yu Wentai and others were also Hu people. Being able to use barbarians as slaves is naturally considered superior in the eyes of ordinary people.

The Han people had to use Xianbei people to show their dignity in the Xianbei regime. This kind of value seems a bit confusing, but it also shows that in ancient times, class was a social structure with a stronger influence than race.

Gaoyang of the Northern Qi Dynasty used the people of Liufang to form Baibao Xianbei as his elite guard army. In addition to the strong combat effectiveness of the Xianbei army, he probably also had the intention of strengthening the Xianbei people's obedience to him through this class concept: the strongest Xianbei warriors were How dare the rest of my minions and other miscellaneous people disobey?

After skipping this section, everyone walked forward in the curve for a while, and the street became congested. Numerous chariots and horse retinues blocked the already not very wide street until it was almost impassable.

"In front of the Zhumen are the residences of several generals. Looking at this battle, the servants should not be allowed to enter the residence. Sir, please have your name on me. Please allow me to go forward and find his servants to welcome you."

After Li Tai saw this scene, he also handed his name card to the official, and he and his entourage dismounted and stood aside to wait.

Not long after, the officials with oily and sweaty faces returned, followed by two servants of Shuo Hui's house, one of whom was a soldier of Shuo Hui on the way back.

"There are many congratulatory guests in the residence today. My lord only entertains guests in the central hall, not to neglect Li Lang."

The soldier knew that his lord valued Li Tai's courtesy, and his attitude was very kind after seeing him again. He ordered another servant to lead Li Tai's entourage and mount to another place, and he led Li Tai back to the house.

The scale of Shuohui's mansion is the same as that of Gao Zhongmi's house. The front hall is the reception room, and the bookcases are spread out in front of the corridor for guests to fill in their names and congratulate them. This is probably similar to the way later generations record the amount of gifts for weddings and weddings for reference in future relationships, but it does not count as asking for property in court.

After the people in front finished writing, it was Li Tai's turn. He took a look at the writing format of others, and then he also picked up a pen to write down his own gift. As I was writing, I was inexplicably reminded of the story of Liu Bang, the great ancestor of the Han Dynasty, who went to eat at a banquet empty-handed when he was young. I thought to myself that if I wrote thirty taels of gold as thirty kilograms, would I get a more grand reception?

But he still didn't do that after all. What if Hui Hui thought it was nice of him to brag and insist on him becoming his son-in-law?

After filling out the gift list, Li Tai was led to the front hall to sit down and wait for the host to receive him. When the Hui soldiers who introduced him saw him sitting down, he left and went to greet other guests.

There were more than a dozen guests in the front hall, including both foreigners and Han Chinese. Some of them knew each other and were chatting in low voices. When they saw Li Tai walking in, they all looked at him curiously.

Li Tai naturally didn't know anyone, so he just sat on his seat and looked at the decorations in the hall.

Probably because the Western Wei Dynasty was still struggling to start a business, the furnishings in the hall of several Hui families were not luxurious. The beams and columns were only painted with a thin layer of paint. There were no more furnishings besides the banquet table, and the curtains were divided into several areas.

The southwestern corner of the hall seems to be an entertainment area, with some playthings such as cattails and throwing pots on display, but there are only three or five young people playing there, all of them barbarians. They are probably the descendants of the warriors in Beizhen. They are family friends and know each other informally.

Li Tai looked at it for a moment and then looked away, turning to listen to the conversation of other guests. Most of these guests were officials, and the contents they discussed were also related to the personnel affairs of the Western Wei Dynasty.

For example, Zhao Gui, who Li Tai had already offended before he met him, was dismissed from his official position when he accompanied Daxingtai Yuwentai to the court a few months ago to plead guilty for the defeat of Mangshan, but he still supervised the headquarters to fortify Bashang.

This kind of punishment is obviously to lift the board high and drop it gently, which will not even damage a hair. Maybe one day he will be reinstated.

In addition to these important ministers, there is also some other information. For example, five defenses are set up in Yuanzhou, three defenses are set up in western Henan, etc., and each county and township is guarded by its own troops.

Since the Northern Wei Dynasty, there have been many place names such as garrison, city, town, etc., and these are all military units without exception. The corresponding garrison, city citizens, town residents, etc. are all armed forces with Xianbei soldiers as the main body, not ordinary civilians.

In the Tang Dynasty, when historical materials were sorted out, the names were changed to city people, town people, etc. to avoid taboos. In later generations, people and people were used interchangeably. However, except for a few military and political centers such as Luoyang, most urban residents are military personnel, which is significantly different from those in the countryside.

Defense is a new military term that appeared in the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties. Its scale is roughly between that of a garrison and a town. Its administrative structure is subordinate to a state, or simply a military state.

Li Tai heard the guests talking about the recent increase in defenses in many places in the Western Wei Dynasty, and he vaguely guessed that this increase in defenses should be related to the future military system.

History books say that after Yuwentai was defeated in Mangshan, he began to recruit Guanlong and powerful men into the army, but the specific method and steps are unclear.

Although the imperial army system originated from the civil army system in the Northern Wei Dynasty, the formation process did not happen overnight. In the early Sui Dynasty, the military mansion was called Huqi Palace, in the late Sui Dynasty, it was called Yingyang Palace, and in the Tang Dynasty, it was named Zhechong Palace.

So, are the defenses that are frequently added in the Western Wei Dynasty a military unit in the transitional period before the military system has taken shape?

Li Tai's previous main business was ancient life but not ancient military history, so he only had a brief understanding of the formation of the military system.

But according to common sense, even if Yuwentai wants to recruit Guan Long Haoyou on a large scale, he must organize and place these Haoyou soldiers. The additional defense should be an option for deploying troops. After the organizational strength reaches a certain scale, these defenses will be split into military mansions of different sizes to complete the structural construction of the military mansion system.

Thinking of this, Li Tai felt hot again.

He had been thinking about how to survive and develop in Guanzhong under the rule of the Western Wei Dynasty. Jin Yan had not been valued and utilized by Yu Wentai before, so he was naturally a little disappointed, but he soon felt relieved.

After all, the Western Wei Dynasty was not a unified and complete regime. Even if he was rewarded by Yuwentai and entered the office, his future would actually be limited. The hegemonic power of the Western Wei Dynasty was not very powerful. Coupled with the harsh external environment, it had almost no restrictions on the development of local armed forces.

Under such circumstances, working hard to develop towards the center is to sacrifice the fundamentals and pursue the inferior.

In troubled times, soldiers and horses are king. The Li family in Longxi had a high political status in the Northern Wei Dynasty. However, when Erzhu Rong led his army into Luoyang, many members of the Li family in Longxi were killed like pigs and dogs. This frightened his father, Li Xiao, who lived in seclusion in his hometown. Dare to be an official.

Even if Li Tai did well in the official circles of the Western Wei Dynasty, another Li Chong would still be unable to protect himself once he encounters a major political turmoil.

In this case, it is better to give up the efforts to reach the top, sink to the countryside, and become a governor and defense leader, and also have a place in the future military system.

Although he is a newbie who has no local foundation in Guanzhong, there are still five or six years until the Fubing system is fully formed, which can be considered as enough preparation time. At least by hanging out in the countryside, you can avoid the big pits in the political arena of the Western Wei Dynasty where undercurrents surged and people were easily wiped out.

He was still thinking about his development route when he suddenly saw the guests around him getting up and walking out, and someone shouted: "Dugu Kaifu is here!"

Dugu opens his mansion...Dugu Xin?

When Li Tai heard this name, he quickly stood up and followed everyone outside the hall, wanting to see what the most awesome father-in-law was like.

As an important military system in the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties, and even in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the relevant historical materials, especially the records of its early formation process, are very vague. This should also be related to the lack of literary records in the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties. Therefore, the relevant course of events is mainly fabricated based on limited historical data to ensure the harmony of the plot, which does not represent the historical facts. . .

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