"You beast! You damned beast!"
Amid the furious curses of the King of Beihai, Zhang Xin led a long train of carts loaded with grain and wealth back to Linzi, a satisfied smile on his face.
Unfortunately, the King of Beihai was nothing like Liu Cheng—there were no polite evasions, no room for negotiation. His anger was real and unrestrained.
Back in Linzi, Zhang Xin immediately wrote several recruitment orders. Along with a letter from Zheng Xuan, he dispatched them to Guo Yuan, Xi Lu, and others. After reviewing the progress of Yellow Turban resettlement, he traveled to Xi'an, entrusted Sun Qian and Cui Yan to Xun You for proper placement, and then hurried on to Dongpingling to meet the King of Jinan.
At the palace, he was received by Liu Kang, the King of Jinan, a man in his early thirties who bore a striking resemblance to Emperor Liu Hong.
"This humble official pays his respects to Your Highness," Zhang Xin said with a bow.
The officials accompanying him followed suit.
Liu Kang smiled. "No need for such formality. Please, be seated."
After they had settled, Liu Kang asked, "Qingzhou has only just been pacified, and surely there is much to be done. What brings Governor Zhang here in person?"
Zhang Xin cupped his hands. "To speak plainly, I have come to ask Your Highness for assistance."
Liu Kang glanced at his advisors, then replied with mild curiosity, "I am but a prince who collects taxes. What matter in Qingzhou could require my help?"
"It concerns the surveying of land," Zhang Xin said. "Though Jinan has been pacified, there are still over one hundred thousand Yellow Turbans without land. To resettle them, we must first measure and redistribute the fields."
"Yet most of the land here lies in the hands of powerful families. I therefore ask Your Highness to grant a portion of your estate to the Prime Minister's office as an example. I will report your benevolence to the court."
Liu Kang was the son of Liu Li, Prince of Hejian, and a cousin to the emperor. After Liu Hong ascended the throne, he had enfeoffed Liu Kang as King of Jinan to ensure proper ancestral rites. Given their close relation, Zhang Xin knew he had to proceed with respect rather than force.
After a brief pause, Liu Kang summoned a eunuch. "Go and determine how much land the royal estate holds."
When the eunuch departed, Zhang Xin understood—this was agreement.
He immediately offered lavish praise. "It is truly a blessing to the realm that Your Highness embodies such virtue."
Liu Kang waved it off with a laugh. "In times of need, what is a little land? It hardly merits such words."
Zhang Xin continued to flatter him enthusiastically.
Now this is what true enlightenment looks like.
Unlike certain others… Liu Cheng at least had some generosity. But that King of Beihai? Not even a word of consent—utterly stingy.
Soon, the eunuch returned.
"Your Highness, the estate holds 1,500 hectares of fertile land."
"Transfer deeds for 1,000 hectares to the Prime Minister's office," Liu Kang ordered without hesitation.
Zhang Xin rose at once. "Many thanks, Your Highness!"
"As a member of the imperial clan, it is only right to serve the state," Liu Kang replied.
Then, smiling, he added, "Since you have come from afar, you must not rush away. I will host a banquet this evening—please honor me with your presence."
Zhang Xin readily agreed.
After receiving such generosity, how could he refuse a simple meal?
The banquet was lively, and Zhang Xin was in high spirits. Of Qingzhou's six commanderies and kingdoms, only Donglai in the far east remained unconquered. Pingyuan and Le'an had already been dealt with, while Qi and Beihai's great clans had been weakened by Yellow Turban raids. There was now sufficient land to settle the surrendered rebels.
With Jinan, there would be no need for force—example and guidance would suffice.
After leaving the palace, Zhang Xin remained in Dongpingling for several days. With Liu Kang setting the precedent and Zhang Xin overseeing matters, the great families of Jinan each contributed land to varying degrees.
Satisfied, Zhang Xin returned to Linzi.
By the end of March, news arrived from Gao Shun: Donglai had been pacified, and all remaining Yellow Turbans had surrendered.
Zhang Xin immediately summoned Xun You, Hua Xin, Cui Yan, Sun Qian, and others to deliberate. Orders were issued from the Linzi administration.
The first matter: the military.
Earlier, Zhang Xin had already organized ten thousand troops in Pingyuan. Adding Xun You's logistics forces and the state troops in Linzi, his army now exceeded fifteen thousand. Including Zuo Bao's cavalry, Taishi Ci's navy, and local forces, the total surpassed twenty thousand.
During chaos, such numbers were justified. But now that Qingzhou was pacified, maintaining so large a force was impractical.
It wasn't fear of impeachment—Emperor Liu Hong likely had little time left. The real issue was supply.
Spring planting had already passed. Nearly half the Yellow Turbans had either just received land or none at all. If they missed the planting season, the government would have to feed them until summer.
Maintaining twenty thousand troops under such conditions would be a heavy burden.
Thus, Zhang Xin ordered a reorganization. The old, weak, and unfit were dismissed, while the army was restructured into elite units.
Over 2,100 former Yellow Turban soldiers were retained under Zhang Xin's direct command, with Zuo Bao, Yang Yi, and Dian Wei assisting.
Zhang Liao was sent to Le'an with Yue Jin as his deputy, commanding two thousand elite troops.
Xu Huang and Zhu Ling led two thousand to secure Donglai.
Gao Shun and Xun You took two thousand to guard Qi, the strategic center of Qingzhou.
Xu He and Sima commanded two thousand in Jinan.
As for Beihai, Zhang Xin sent Yu Jin along with Guan Hai—both to stabilize the region and to temper Yu Jin's abilities.
Aside from Taishi Ci's navy, all local forces were disbanded if unfit, with the best absorbed into six main armies totaling twelve thousand men.
But Zhang Xin had no intention of wasting the vast manpower of the Yellow Turbans.
He designated a large area at the junction of Pingyuan, Le'an, and Jinan, relocating fifty thousand households—over two hundred thousand people—to cultivate the land there.
Nominally a civilian settlement, in reality it was a military colony:
Farm in times of peace, fight in times of war.
At any moment, fifty thousand soldiers could be raised from this base.
Zhang Xin placed Zhang Niujiao in charge, with Wang Ling assisting.
With everything arranged, Zhang Xin drafted a memorial and sent it urgently to Luoyang.
Hopefully… it wasn't too late.