Chapter 263 – Ascension of Sagely King Liu Mang (2)
Zhou Yu asked in his doubt “Bofu, what news that make you so happy?!” Just now Sun Ce is really angry to the point, he want to chew someone’s head, but now he isughing. The reason, must be because of that letter. Sun Ce replied “Gongjin, while we both still pondering for countermeasure for that treacherous n of Liu Mang. My little brother has provided a solution for us!!!” Sun Ce said that in a very satisfied tone just like a father did. Since Sun Jian died, Sun Ce has been real close with Sun Quan, so when Sun Quan provided solution right now, made Sun Ce really happy because he want to share burden with him.
“Oh?!” Zhou Yu is a bit surprised and start to read the message as well. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce’s personal rtionship is very good to the point that he is able to go in and out of Sun n’s house like his own, even Lady Wu had considered Zhou Yu as his son and if Sun Shangxiang was already at marriageable age, Lady Wu would certainly marry her to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu then read the letter carefully, and was very startled as the letter contained aprehensive strategy to cope against Liu Mang. Liu Mang is in need ofmoners, while his farnd amounted to ten-thousand width. A massive richness just waiting to be managed while Shouchun itself is very plentiful as well. Its annual output amounted to those Xu Province whole annual output, if not, Yuan Shu is impossible to build a pretty pceparable to that of Luoyang and Chang’an from Shouchun coffer only and it is impossible for him to regain his wealth after being expelled from Shouchun once, when he returned back to Shouchun. And if no people to cultivate it, it is a waste of good soil, therefore Liu Mang must getmoners to farm for him.
However now, all warlords are keeping theirmoners close to their chest, formoners are their most preciousmodities. They can provide taxes as well for recruitment for soldiers. Out of 60 million of Han subjects, only less than 1/3 left caused by wars. For example, Cao Cao lost 60,000 troops while Yuan Shao lost 150,000 troops in Guandu. 200,000 lives just thrown away like that and it is only soldiers, not counted the destruction of counties, casualties ofmoners. Liu Biao vs Sun Ce, Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao, Xiliang Ma Teng vs Wu’An Tribe and Liu Bei vs Liu Mang. War brings death to all people, soldiers andmoners alike, therefore, Han’snd is very empty.
Liu Bei know of the importance ofmoners, therefore when Cao Cao expelled him, he broughtmoners with him. Commoners are good for meat-shield as well for future use. Regarding 30% grain tax, it is very dreamy. However, in order to obtainmoners’ hearts, one must be willing to suffer loss first, then he can got big gain in the future. Frommoners, Liu Mang can conscript them as well ask them to farm in order to fill his military provisions, but once the quota fulfilled, he will raised that 30% tax. By then, those who already left their homnd, will be unable to turn back again and finally stayed to work for Liu Mang. Therefore, Sun Quan writes in Sun Ce’s letter, that Prince of Shu Liu Mang must not be prevented in hismoners attraction, instead we helped him to seal Liu Mang as Sagely King.
If we stopped his n, we are the one who lose!!! We are not like Yu The Great who can control water. We cannot use violence also to stop them, for they will definitely escape from our rules and we don’t have enough weapons to kill them, also those soldiers would be hesitated to kill their own fellow vigers. Instead, we help Liu Mang to be a Sagely King, said that Shouchun only will have tax of 30%, and will never raise anymore tax or add anymore tax. If Liu Mang add any taxes, he will break his propaganda and will be forever marked as unfaithful man and his prestige will plummet to the ground. Liu Mang who had offended nobles, will inevitably offendedmoners sooner orter, and will be impossible to obtain this nation. Also his father-inw Lu Bu will be aughing stock also.
If Liu Mang doesn’t adjust his tax and persisted. We didn’t care how big Shouchun is and how plentiful its farnd is, the amount is limited, while we are sending a few hundred-thousands men toward him. At that moment, he needs massive supplies of food to feed both his army and hismoners. Where he will get food so much to feed those people? Of course from Lu Bu and Liu Mang’s own supplies. Can Liu Mang’s foodst for at least 200,000 people for at least a year until next harvest? Even if he had enough, there is not enough seed to nt ten-thousand mu farnd. In the end, Liu Mang himself will die of starvation, and hismoners with him.
This is the true face of chaos times. Where nobles are greedily and ambitiously tried to im everything for themselves, to raise their family status. It is also the times wheremoners did not have any stable livelihood. And ifmoners didn’t have stable livelihood, they naturally going to rebel. Sun Ce’s idea to stop emigration from Jiangdong is total stupid move as 200,000 people are going to Lu Bu’s and Liu Mang’s domain, it is impossible to stop that kind of wave. What Sun Ce should have done, just let them go until Liu Mang suffocate himself and ran out of food and eventually... He will start to kill his own men for food. Hell, even Cao Cao who owns three provinces by himself, is not able to provide food for 100,000 people.
Also, Sun Quan also rmended to Sun Ce, for him to write to all warlords nearby, to Liu Bei of Yu Province, to Cao Cao of Yan Province, even to Liu Biao of Jing Province. He also told Sun Ce that writing this thing, will benefit them all for theirmon enemy is Lu Bu and Liu Mang pair.
If Lu Bu and Liu Mang kept this thing, there will be at least 1,000,000 peoplee flocking at them. With that, no matter how many food they have, they will deplete in just 1 month. At that time, Lu Bu will have to resort to killing them. Lu Bu and Liu Mang will be no longer trustworthy and it is at that time, we will crush them from all sides. Thought Sun Ce while smiling.
Sun Ceughed again “Hahaha, my brother is a truly pir of Jiangdong!!!” Everything that Sun Ce just mused was solved by Sun Quan. Brother Quan’s proposal is to let Lu Bu and Liu Mang suffocate by their own proposal, truly frightening. Thought Zhou Yu silently and thought again s, if only Brother Quan is Young Master Quan, a son of Brother Ce. Yu really afraid that this may create an internal political rift between them both as Sun Quan may be ambitious. Zhou Yu was silent and did not know how to remind Sun Ce. Although he and Sun Ce were very close and were sworn brothers, Sun Quan was blood rted. Compared to Sun Quan, he was just an outsider.