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Back in the later era, the reason Fei Qian had remained in his office job all along, gradually transforming from a naïve workplace newbie into a grizzled old hand impervious to all poisons, was—aside from a certain degree of laziness—tied to another, more hidden factor: the endless infighting and political scheming of the workplace. It had genuinely left Fei Qian feeling completely devoid of any affection for that environment, and so he had always kept himself firmly planted in the position of a mere spectator munching on snacks.
Today he would watch this woman claw and tear at the boss's little secretary; tomorrow he would observe that young fellow busily digging a pitfall for someone else. It was all great fun and constituted his regular daily amusement…
But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that now, in the Han Dynasty, he would be confronted with this very same problem head-on.
At present, there were only four of them. And then what?
In the future, there would be more and more people, and these people would bring with them all manner of kinship connections, master-disciple relationships, regional affiliations, intermarriage ties, and so on and so forth…
How was he supposed to handle all of this?
Or should he perhaps draw some lessons from the cautionary examples of his predecessors and study how those ambitious heroes had managed it?
Liu Bei's art of capturing men's hearts?
Cao Aman's techniques for controlling and manipulating subordinates?
Sun Quan methods of maintaining balance?
They all seemed quite impressive, but Fei Qian simply did not know which one might suit him best.
The four men entered the main hall, and in unison first bowed to Fei Qian with clasped hands in formal greeting, before taking their seats on the two sides.
Cui Hou took the first seat among the civil officials, followed by Jia Qu, and finally Wei Liu.
Huang Cheng had just been dispatched by Fei Qian to inspect the surrounding areas and the military encampment, so no one contested Ma Yue's placement, and he took the first seat on the military officers' side.
The sheer inconvenience of communications in the Han Dynasty was truly lamentable. Otherwise, how simple it would be to just hold an online video conference…
Fei Qian reined in his wildly unreliable and scattered train of thought and spoke slowly: "Today, having received the sacred grace of His Majesty, I am undeservedly and humbly placed in this position. I must naturally conduct myself with cautious diligence, exhaust my meager and dull abilities, expunge the vicious scourges, defend our homeland, and safeguard our state. I look to each of you to fully deploy your wisdom and strength, to punish the rebels and chastise the traitors, to recover our former territories, to establish immortal and meritorious deeds, and to build epoch-defining accomplishments for this age!"
First and foremost, set a clear objective.
This was the first thing that anyone in a position of management had to do.
Fei Qian naturally could not go about saying outright that he was making preparations for the impending era of chaos. Moreover, under the present circumstances, at the very least, he himself had absolutely no qualification to say such a thing, and certainly must not utter it!
This was a matter of fundamental principle.
What was he supposed to do? The moment he had just received imperial favor and rewards from the Han court, he was to turn right around and start proclaiming that the House of Han was about to descend into turmoil?
If one truly wished to court death, this was not the way to go about it!
Did he genuinely believe that all the men under his command were a pack of disloyal ministers and rebellious scoundrels, who upon hearing such words would all quiver with excitement?
Did he truly think that all his subordinates were nurturing hearts set on wrecking the state and bringing calamity to the people, and for that very purpose had voluntarily gathered from the four seas and the five lakes to join him?
What a preposterous joke!
The prestige and authority of the House of Han had to be consumed and whittled away in incessant internal warfare, gradually weakened, before anyone would dare to tentatively probe and slowly inch a step further forward. Otherwise, that fellow Yuan Shu, whose cranial water content exceeded his brain volume, served as the perfect cautionary example.
The four men in the hall rose to their feet as one, faced Fei Qian, and bowed low. In a single voice, they declared: "We reverently obey the command of the General of the Household! We shall dedicate ourselves with all our hearts and fulfill our duties, not daring the slightest negligence!"
Oh?
So perfectly in unison?
Alright, then. It seemed they had all rehearsed this beforehand!
Fei Qian was instantly struck by how uncannily similar this felt to the later era—nothing but well-worn routines and set pieces…
Well, never mind that for now.
After setting out the grand objective for the entire team, the next step was to establish the individual objectives, which in essence meant defining each person's specific duties and responsibilities.
He was not prepared for the moment to hand out a flurry of grand titles and promotions. The time for that had not yet arrived…
Fei Qian still did not know which of the three leadership models—Liu's, Cao's, or Sun's—truly suited him best. Therefore, he decided to simply proceed according to the model he was familiar with from the later era.
He began with Ma Yue.
"Zidu."
Ma Yue rose to his feet, clasped his hands, and stood at respectful attention.
"In the northern territories, if we are to secure our position, we must possess a powerful cavalry force—and moreover, it must be a fine cavalry force. Therefore, Zidu, taking advantage of the fact that our relations with the Southern Xiongnu are, for the time being, still amicable, you must seize the moment and drill and forge a proficient cavalry without delay. Your objective is this: before the autumn harvest, train and organize a cavalry force, excluding Hu auxiliary riders, numbering no fewer than three thousand men. Should you require any supplies or personnel transfers, come directly to me. If this matter is accomplished, a merit shall surely be recorded in your name."
At present, the Han cavalry numbered five hundred. To train an additional twenty-five hundred men within the span of half a year—while there was some pressure—the inherent conditions were, after all, not bad. At the very least, there was no great shortage of horses, especially since small tribes from the Southern Xiongnu were gradually being integrated. Thus, the hope of achieving this goal was considerable.
Ma Yue accepted the order on the spot and then returned to his seat.
"Yonghou. At present, Pingyang is practically a blank slate. All types of commercial shops are entirely nonexistent. Therefore, the responsibility for commerce and trade must still be shouldered by you to get things started. The exchange of goods with Hedong and Xihe, as well as the establishment of trade routes with Taiyuan Commandery and Shangdang Commandery, must all be set up as quickly as possible. Beyond this, you must do your utmost to procure and stockpile as much grain and fodder as possible for our reserves. This task is difficult to define with a fixed quota. Let us do it this way: before the autumn harvest, the shops related to clothing, food, daily necessities, and the like must all be opened and fully equipped within Pingyang City, and trading caravans must be established and operating with Xihe, Taiyuan, and Shangdang. Likewise, if this is accomplished, a merit shall be recorded."
This was Cui Hou's original line of work. The only difficulty would be establishing commercial routes to Taiyuan and Shangdang, though it would not prove excessively hard. Besides, this matter was entirely necessary in any case. Relying solely on Xihe and Hedong would be absolutely insufficient to absorb and process all the accumulated furs and hides from the Hu tribes that had been piling up over years without proper trade…
Thus, Cui Hou gladly accepted the command.
"Menglian," Fei Qian said, skipping over Jia Qu for the moment and addressing Wei Liu first. "Agriculture is the very foundation of the state. At present, Pingyang and Yong'an are engaged in replanting and supplementary cultivation. The tasks are numerous and complex, and the irrigation infrastructure must also be dredged and improved. I must ask Menglian to devote much thought and effort to this, deploying and arranging everything properly. If you can ensure that the cultivation of the lands in Pingyang and Yong'an proceeds in an orderly fashion, that the autumn harvest yields results, and that the average production reaches one dan per mu, then a merit shall also be recorded in your name.
During the Han Dynasty, the typical yield per mu generally ranged from two to three dan. However, given that one part of the land was being cultivated for the very first time and the other part was being replanted as a supplementary measure, expectations could not be set too high. A yield of one dan per mu was a fairly appropriate target—neither too high nor too low. As a result, Wei Liu accepted the order without the slightest hesitation.
Fei Qian then shifted his gaze to Jia Qu. He paused for a moment in contemplation before speaking. "Although things are somewhat rushed at present, I nevertheless feel that we must begin supervising and pressing forward with this matter sooner rather than later…"
"Shuliang, do you still recall what I spoke with you about atop the Pingyang city walls a few days ago?"
Jia Qu's eyes darted around for a couple of revolutions, and immediately his face lit up with joyful understanding. "Could it be… the founding of this… the Linzong Mountain Academy?"
"What?!" Cui Hou and Wei Liu exclaimed almost at the exact same moment. They looked at one another, their faces both filled with delighted astonishment.
Only Ma Yue seemed not quite as sensitively attuned to the name "Linzong" as the scholars were. Seeing the other three men's expressions of shock and joy while he himself was utterly baffled and entirely clueless, yet too embarrassed to ask, he was thrown into a state of supreme awkwardness.
Fei Qian, noticing this, signaled with a glance for Wei Liu to explain it to Ma Yue. He then continued, "The Imperial Academy in Luoyang is now beset by many misfortunes. Countless students have trekked a thousand li in pursuit of learning, and yet now they face…"
Fei Qian let out a long sigh. This line of discourse could only go so far and no further; the rest could not be spoken aloud. "… When I previously studied under the tutelage of Cai Zhonglang, I also presented the ceremonial bundle of dried meat at the Imperial Academy. Thus, I can be counted as half a disciple of the Imperial Academy… Now, I truly cannot bear to see those who seek learning left with no door through which to study. Moreover, I once discussed this matter with my teacher. If I could secure a foothold in the northern territories, I would personally establish a new academy, following the example of Master Linzong, so that throughout the realm, those who have the resolve to pursue learning might at least have a place to study and read…"
"Shuliang, I have already issued orders transferring Du Wenzheng here to take charge of matters pertaining to logistics and supplies. As for this matter of the academy, I entrust it entirely to you. You may seek out a suitable site in the mountains northwest of Pingyang City and begin construction at once…"
Jia Qu solemnly rose from his seat, stepped forward, and prostrated himself in a formal bow. He declared in a ringing voice, "My lord, this undertaking is a deed of boundless merit and virtue! I shall dedicate my heart and soul to it, and to the fulfillment of my lord's noble and benevolent intention!"