Chapter 217: Chaos in Shandong While the Ashes Are Still Warm

The ashes of rebellion are still warm in Shandong—Liu Bang and Xiang Yu clearly didn’t study history. Though this Shandong is not the same as that one, Zhang Yue had read some historical romances and knew well that Shandong had always been a hotbed for rebellions and uprisings, from Liangshanpo to the White Lotus and Maitreya religions—countless rebellions of all sizes had taken place there. Take today for example: the situation in Shandong was even worse than in Henan, due to plagues, famines, and natural disasters in previous years. The construction of the Huitong River and Beijing City had also required massive labor, and last year’s snow disasters had nearly emptied the treasury.

Now, reclamation seemed like an attractive opportunity, but how much labor would be needed to turn wasteland into arable land? Although many people had been relocated to Shandong at the beginning of the Yongle era, the region was still sparsely populated. Who would give up their already cultivated land to work on wasteland? Yet, with oxen and seeds, it was quite tempting, and many large families with plenty of members began to consider it, while the wealthy households were even more eager.

After receiving the official documents from the provincial administration, Zhang Yue began organizing the settlement of displaced people for farming. This practice of using settlers to defend the borders was a policy strongly promoted by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to stabilize the country. Now, in times of peace, it wasn’t as easy to recruit people for farming in the border areas as it was during times of chaos. Moreover, government orders changed frequently, and once people started farming, they were often trapped on state-owned land, resulting in few volunteers.

Although Shandong suffered from natural disasters, from Liaohai in the north to Qingzhou in the south, tidal forces deposited fertile land daily. Since it wasn’t a border region prone to constant warfare, some people did volunteer for farming when orders came. By the time the government built the first farming settlement, provided rations and tools, and arranged oxen, it was just in time for spring plowing.

Since reclamation and farming were considered virtuous policies recommended by Du Zhen to the court, Zhang Yue couldn’t focus on anything else and devoted himself entirely to organizing these efforts. He spent his days traveling around Qingzhou Prefecture with his subordinates. He had to pacify the poor settlers, liaise with wealthy families, and handle matters such as seeds and oxen, to prevent merchants and officials from embezzling funds. In just half a month, his round chin became pointed, and he even hurriedly drew a birthday portrait for his grandmother in his spare time.

It doesn’t matter if they don’t reclaim wasteland or cultivate fields—starting with a few villages as pilots, a framework for mutual assistance gradually took shape. In Zihedian Village, four oxen borrowed by the government suddenly appeared, all strong and healthy, quite different from the old government ox that was nearly dead. Although the rules proposed by the villagers hadn’t been finalized yet, Old Yang was in charge of these matters. After several days of hard work, his thin chin became even sharper, and his face was filled with a joyful smile.

“Heh, who would have thought that young man was actually the deputy magistrate of Qingzhou Prefecture? He remained completely unflinching in the face of such a situation, speaking in a convincing manner. There were also a few troublemakers that day, but without beating or punishing them, he calmed them down with just a few words! Tsk tsk, truly dignified…”

“Dad, have you finished talking yet? You keep repeating those same words day after day. That young Mr. Zhang must be itching in his ears!”

Yang Gouer’s head ached from all the talking, so he irritably interrupted his father’s chatter. However, the government had previously been slow to act, but this time they were unusually swift. He felt a slight admiration for Zhang Yue—though only slight, as his father had made him work like an ox for days on end. Two-thirds of the family’s land had already been plowed, and he still had to supervise those who borrowed oxen, barely getting any rest.

As they spoke, someone arrived outside—it was Old Yang’s nephew, Xu Er, who had visited before. After greeting Old Yang, he said cheerfully, “Fortunately, I got some confirmation from you that day. As soon as the announcement came out, my father took a liking to the five acres of wasteland west of the village. With our large family, reclaiming land hasn’t been very useful in the past, and we still had to pay summer and autumn taxes. Now that we have seeds and oxen to borrow, it’s perfect for the younger brothers—Lao Liu, Lao Qi, and Lao Ba—to gain some experience.”

Old Yang naturally grew proud upon hearing this: “That’s why I said, as long as the government shows us a little compassion, we can still get by! I tell you, Er, you should also focus on farming and stop talking nonsense, so as not to bring trouble to your family!”

Xu Er’s face darkened at these words: “Uncle, that’s not right. One must act with integrity. If it weren’t for the Buddha Mother personally visiting my mother and curing her illness for free, she might have died! The government is the government, and the associations are the associations. I know how to distinguish between them and won’t do anything illegal!”

Seeing his nephew dash out in a flash, Old Yang let out a sigh. He had also glimpsed that so-called Buddha Mother from afar a few times; she indeed seemed to possess an indescribable aura, but she was an extremely kind person. If it weren’t for her offering medicine for free, the Buddha Mother Temple wouldn’t have such a great reputation throughout the region. However, Xu Er had told him that the few guardians under the temple were all competitive and aggressive types. They usually revered the Buddha Mother like a bodhisattva, but now it seemed that although the higher-ups might be fine, the lower-ups had ulterior motives.

Xu Er returned to his home angrily and saw his brother letting in several people in gray clothes into a room facing north, then closing the door tightly. Having just been scolded by his uncle, he was deep in thought when he saw this scene. He asked his mother, who was busy at the stove, “Mom, are those people from the temple here to see my brother again?”

“That’s different from usual. They’re some guardians who accompany the Buddha Mother, using our house to discuss matters. Ever since the Buddha Mother cured my illness, our family has believed in her, but this is the first time higher-ups have come!” Xu Jiangshi continued to steam buns, smiling and saying, “It’s a pity the Buddha Mother isn’t here; otherwise, I would definitely pay my respects to this living bodhisattva.”

Although it was daytime, the room facing north became extremely dim once the door was closed. Xu Da and a man sat on the kang, while four others sat on stools. The first person on the left spoke in a low voice, “The government has suddenly changed its attitude—doing things like establishing farmland and reclaiming wasteland. We thought it would take a few more days, but instead, they’re acting swiftly. Now many people want to rent oxen to reclaim land. Usually, it’s hard to find someone to handle such matters in different villages.”

“The government is moving fast this time. That young deputy magistrate actually visited five or six villages in person. The villagers who went to the prefect’s office to check the notices recognized him, and now his good reputation has spread. Those guys are stubborn; that kid just went around the countryside without doing much, yet he still gained a good reputation!”

“Don’t underestimate him. During the winter snowstorms, didn’t bandits emerge in Anqiu and Zhucheng to rob villages? Now the government is cracking down hard. I heard three of them have already been caught and beheaded after interrogation, reportedly with special approval from the Ministry of Punishments. The people are cheering for it. I even heard vague rumors in Qingzhou Prefecture about a strict crackdown…”

The people in this room might seem unremarkable, but outside, they are all influential figures. Bin Hong, Zhao Wan, Dong Yansheng, and Liu Xin are all major players in the association. Although they revere the Buddha Mother as their leader, it is they who truly hold real power in various regions. At that moment, as they each began to complain, everyone’s gaze turned to the bearded man sitting at the bottom.

“Brother Yue, the Buddha Mother remains the same—only busy treating illnesses and distributing medicine in the villages, ignoring everything else. Her reputation among the people is growing, but since everyone trusts her, she needs to establish some rules! Government policies change frequently; even if a governor is good now, who knows what will happen in the future? They say there will be no taxes for five years during land reclamation, but if taxes are suddenly imposed later, it will all be in vain!”

The bearded man, Yue Changtian, seeing that everyone was looking at him, sneered and said, “Everyone relies on the Buddha Mother, but she can actually command less than a thousand people—far fewer than any of you. Our association exists to help the common people. It’s the Buddha Mother’s duty to treat illnesses and give medicine. But it’s you who, under the guise of her, are up to all sorts of secret dealings.”

“Yue Changtian, what do you mean by that?”

Seeing someone stand up angrily, Yue Changtian remembered the instructions he had received earlier and put aside his mocking attitude. He stood up, bowed, and said, “I know what you all want to say. I will report it truthfully to the Buddha Mother when I return. But let me say this first: the government is now promoting land reclamation, establishing military farms, and lending oxen. Those wealthy families with good reputations have been brought under the government’s control. The people of Qingzhou Prefecture have benefited, so they’re no longer as easy to deceive as before.”

After saying that, he chuckled, turned around, and walked straight out the door. Looking up at the gray sky, he suddenly remembered the day he met Amber, and his mood grew restless. But he quickly suppressed those feelings. She and he were already considered dead in the family genealogy, so any future problems wouldn’t affect the Qiu family. His third aunt had truly been ruthless—to prevent her daughter from dying on the journey to Hainan, she was even willing to reduce her own daughter to slavery. Was it really that good to survive?

“Is it better to live in misery than to die? Hmph! I’d rather die than live a mediocre life like this!”

Yue Changtian, or rather Qiu Changtian, let out a long sigh and strode away through the back door of the Xu family. No one had anticipated such sudden changes in the situation; if he didn’t take action now, all his careful plans over the past few years might go to waste. Since he knew Amber had found a good family and could live a decent life, he no longer had the time to worry about this cousin. Even if a great fire broke out in the future and burned down that Zhang Yue, as long as he could protect her, that would be enough.
When the Qiu family moved to Hainan, how many military officials spoke up in defense of them? Not even Zhang Fu, who had once received favors from their grandfather Qiu Fuen! If the Zhang family got involved this time, it was only deserved!