Chapter 777: Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations
Luo Xi's spirits lifted at the words. "Oh, that's right! With Mr. Li and Brother Zheng supporting me, I effectively command over two thousand troops, and they're all formidable flintlock soldiers. Hahahaha, even if Lu Xiangheng is fierce, he might not be as formidable as I am!"
He was the type to bask in any ray of encouragement.
After his laugh, he hastened out to greet them.
His current post as Shangzhou Garrison Commander placed him under the authority of the Yunyang Governor. Lu Xiangheng would now be his direct superior, so he had to show proper deference.
Li Daoxuan, keenly interested in Lu Xiangheng, brought Zheng Gouzi along. They positioned themselves on either side of Luo Xi, feigning to be his subordinates, and stepped out to join the welcoming party.
The group reached the entrance of the county town. Naturally, Shangnan County's walls had been demolished by the rebels, so what remained of the city gate was merely a symbolic opening.
Outside, an army had already formed ranks.
This was Lu Xiangheng's Tianxiong Army, their armor gleaming and uniforms crisp, formations immaculate, and spirits vibrant. This was clearly a formidable force. At its head stood a robust man, seemingly in his early thirties. Despite his battle armor, he carried an undeniable air of profound scholarship.
Luo Xi promptly stepped forward, offering a profound bow. "Your subordinate, Luo Xi, greets Supreme Commander Lu."
Then, Lu Xiangheng's gaze swept over the Gao Family Village Militia, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
Two thousand men, all uniformly equipped, each wielding a long flintlock rifle. Just those two thousand rifles, along with their ammunition, must have cost a fortune.
Lu Xiangheng mused inwardly, "This Commander Luo Xi is indeed a wealthy man, richer even than my own clan. I can maintain three thousand Tianxiong Army soldiers, but I could never afford two thousand flintlock troops."
He had previously heard that this military officer, Luo Xi, had decisively crushed the rebels Xue Hongqi, Yizuo Cheng, Yizi Wang, and Wang Chenggong in northern Shaanxi. He then repelled Saodi Wang and Mantian Xing at Wuguan Pass, and finally defeated Yi Dou Gu and Wa Guanzi in Shangnan County.
These battle achievements seemed somewhat unbelievable; after all, officials, both civil and military, in the Great Ming were notorious for embellishing and inflating their accomplishments.
But now, having witnessed his two thousand flintlock soldiers firsthand, Lu Xiangheng was convinced.
Lu Xiangheng cupped his hands in a formal greeting. "This official has heard that General Luo successively crushed the rebels at Wuguan Pass and Shangnan County, driving them from Shangnan County and earning great merit. Seeing you today, General, you are indeed a man of talent."
Luo Xi demurred, "Not at all, not at all. These are merely insignificant achievements. Compared to Supreme Commander Lu's triumphs in suppressing bandits in Hebei, my meager accomplishments pale in comparison."
Lu Xiangheng replied, "In any case, with General Luo stationed here in Shangzhou, this official feels much more at ease. It seems I won't have to trouble myself over Shangzhou's affairs from now on."
Luo Xi chuckled, "Hehe... rest assured, leave it to your humble subordinate."
Lu Xiangheng continued, "This official's visit to Shangzhou is not merely to survey the situation here; I also have some specific proposals I wish to discuss with the local officials of Shangzhou. However... the local officials of Shangnan County, it seems... alas..."
Luo Xi clarified, "The County Magistrate, Assistant Magistrate, and Registrar... all perished in service to the nation. This county town is currently under the command of your humble subordinate, and I can only hand it over once a new magistrate arrives."
"Very well, you shall temporarily exercise civil authority through military means then," Lu Xiangheng said. "This official has drafted the Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations, which are to be implemented throughout all counties and prefectures. For now, I shall place these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations under your charge."
He produced a large sheet of paper, on which was written:
Ten Proposals: Encourage population growth, establish primary military forces, develop reconnaissance and defense strategies, plan fortifications, organize local self-defense, accelerate communications, accumulate provisions, strategize mutual assistance, empower village militias, and regulate armaments.
Eight Regulations: Grant tax deferrals to sustain livelihoods, diligently repair and build homes for stable residency, utilize natural resources to alleviate poverty, punish malicious accusations to eradicate public harm, prohibit oppressive conscription to secure people's well-being, promote widespread land reclamation to boost civilian prosperity, aid traveling merchants to facilitate commerce, and strictly regulate postal services to ease public burdens.
Luo Xi took the paper and scanned it. "Ah!" he exclaimed internally, realizing he only recognized half of the characters; the other half remained inscrutable. A flush of embarrassment spread across his face.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He turned and handed the paper to Li Daoxuan. "Mr. Li, you are a man of letters. What, pray tell, is written on this?"
In truth, Li Daoxuan found it quite challenging as well. "Blast it all," he muttered inwardly, "these are all traditional characters, and there's not a single punctuation mark!" His head began to ache as he struggled to parse the sentences, finally deciphering their meaning with considerable effort.
Li Daoxuan looked up, a faint smile on his lips. "Supreme Commander Lu, these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations of yours coincide perfectly with my own thinking."
Lu Xiangheng's attention shifted to Li Daoxuan. "And this gentleman is..."
Li Daoxuan replied, "I hail from Xi'an. My surname is Li, and I am but a simple country gentleman."
A look of profound surprise crossed Lu Xiangheng's face. "A simple country gentleman?"
Luo Xi quickly interjected, "His 'ordinary' is merely a humble understatement. Mr. Li is a man of considerable influence; this very militia under my command was funded by him. He currently serves as our military advisor."
Only then did Lu Xiangheng fully grasp the situation. Luo Xi's seemingly formidable two thousand soldiers were, in fact, entirely funded by this Mr. Li. He was quite an extraordinary individual, it seemed.
He cupped his hands towards Li Daoxuan. "Mr. Li, do you have any additions or modifications for my Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "None at all! In fact, we were just planning to proceed with these very measures. It's simply that General Luo is a military officer, and these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations primarily concern civil matters. General Luo might find his actions perceived as overstepping, his words carrying less weight, and he might even fear dismissal by the imperial court if he reached too far. Now that Supreme Commander Lu has placed these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations in General Luo's hands, it provides him with the legitimate mandate to carry out these tasks, and we can proceed with full authority."
Lu Xiangheng was no fool. With a moment's thought, he understood. Luo Xi couldn't even read half the characters, so it was impossible for him to implement these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations. Therefore, all these matters would eventually fall to this Mr. Li.
This man, from now on, would be the one truly capable of assisting him with administrative affairs in Shangzhou.
Lu Xiangheng stated, "This official's visit to Yunyang this time is primarily for bandit suppression. As for administrative affairs, I may be spread too thin to attend to them. I shall entrust these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations to Mr. Li for now. Should you encounter any difficulties, simply inform this official, and I shall assist you to the best of my ability."
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Excellent!"
Lu Xiangheng continued, "Then, this official shall take his leave. I just received news that a contingent of rebels has returned to Yunyang from Sichuan and is now stationed at Huanglongtan. This official must immediately proceed to Huanglongtan to suppress them."
Li Daoxuan offered, "I wish the General a swift victory."
He had no need to worry about Lu Xiangheng suffering defeat. The man was an absolute powerhouse, invincible against rebels, though he eventually fell to the Manchus.
They watched as Lu Xiangheng swiftly led the Tianxiong Army towards the southwest...
Li Daoxuan flicked the paper detailing the Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations in his hand, then sighed with a rueful smile. He thought, "If these Ten Proposals and Eight Regulations could be implemented throughout the entire realm, would the Great Ming ever have fallen? What a tragic waste that Lu Xiangheng, at the young age of thirty-nine, was killed by the Qing army. If this man had become Grand Secretary, how could the Great Ming have perished?"
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