Chapter Ten: The Arrival of Officials and the Reform of the System

Since Fang Han assumed the position of Protector-General, the provincial capital has gradually begun to recover its vitality. Although the city holds only a few hundred residents, they have begun following soldiers into the mountains to hunt and forage, and a market has now started to take shape. Everything is moving in a positive direction; the only thing that leaves Fang Han uneasy is that the bandits and other separatist factions have not come to harass them, which feels somewhat abnormal.

One morning, just as Fang Han finished washing and was preparing to begin the modification of production tools, he heard Liu San’s report.

"Master, the officials from various regions have arrived. Many commoners from along the way have followed them here as well."

"Oh? Bring me to them quickly."

Hearing that the officials had arrived, Fang Han was eager to inspect them, as these men were a crucial link in restoring production in the Southern Frontier. Especially at this stage, with his own influence still limited, he had to rely on these officials to implement policies locally.

Inside the government office, a dozen officials stood looking at one another, some uneasy, some excited, and others looking utterly despondent. No one knew what the new Protector-General was like—whether he intended to develop the Southern Frontier or use it as a stepping stone to defect to the Southern Barbarians.

"I heard the new Protector-General is the Imperial Son-in-Law and the elder brother of Grand General Fang Li. The Grand General is a man of great literary and military talent; surely his brother cannot be inferior," one official remarked.

Another official nodded, saying, "I heard the same. It is said that the Little Princess of the Great Zhou herself came to govern the Southern Frontier. This clearly shows the Imperial Court’s importance."

"With the world just pacified, the Court is already thinking of the Southern Frontier. It is truly our good fortune."

"Indeed, indeed," two officials echoed with a sense of relief. They were all from noble families with connections in the capital. They had waited in the Southern Frontier for years specifically for the day they could accumulate political achievements. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.

A third official let out a cold snort. "Hmph. Ignorant."

Someone asked with displeasure, "Brother Zihuan, what is your insightful opinion?"

Su Zihuan replied, "Rumor has it that the Little Princess suffers from a Raksasa illness and is considered an ill omen. She is not well-regarded in the Court. You only know of General Fang Li, but have you ever heard of his brother's reputation?"

The group fell into deep thought. Su Zihuan was right; if not for his appointment as Protector-General, they would truly never have heard of Fang Han.

"What does Brother Zihuan mean?"

"In my view, it is most likely that General Fang Li performed meritorious service in pacifying the realm, and the Emperor, favoring him, betrothed the Little Princess to him. This Fang Han, being boastful and unwilling to be outshone by his younger brother, volunteered to govern the Southern Frontier."

After Su Zihuan finished speaking, the group fell into contemplation. If this were true, the Southern Frontier might likely remain undeveloped for a long time. In just a few sentences, they had mentally constructed the purpose of Fang Han’s arrival: it was a ploy by the Imperial Court to stabilize the Southern Frontier. After all, with Fang Han backed by the Grand General, the local bandits and other forces would not dare to move against him, and even the King of the Southern Barbarians would have to weigh whether he could withstand Fang Li before attempting to annex the region.

"Is Brother Zihuan saying we might never see the day we accumulate political achievements?"

Su Zihuan pondered for a moment and said, "Not necessarily. With Fang Han here, perhaps the turmoil will diminish. We can take this opportunity to develop. When the Court sends someone else to take over the Southern Frontier in the future, we will have our achievements."

Upon hearing this, the group’s initial anticipation faded significantly. However, something was better than nothing. Even if Fang Han lacked ability, as long as he could reduce the chaos in the Southern Frontier, they would still be able to catch their breath. When a truly capable Protector-General eventually arrived, they would see their records and they would still be able to gain promotions.

Just then, Fang Han arrived at the government office with Liu San. Seeing only about a dozen officials, his brow furrowed.

"Master, these are the officials of the Southern Frontier. This is Su Zihuan, Magistrate of Qinglin County in Nanshan Prefecture. He is the son of Minister Su."

Fang Han glanced at Su Zihuan and then looked at the others. There were sixty-three counties across the three prefectures of the Southern Frontier, yet only a dozen people had come, and the highest rank among them was a County Magistrate.

Liu San explained the reason to Fang Han: ever since the turmoil in the Southern Frontier had become frequent and the previous Protector-General had colluded with the Southern Barbarians, many officials had either defected to the barbarians, raised their own private armies, or turned to banditry. Only these few remained, waiting for word from the Court. They had held on because they had connections in the capital; as long as they persisted until the Court arrived, they could rise quickly in rank.

"Tell me the situation in your respective jurisdictions," Fang Han said, sitting upright at the head of the table. The officials began to report one by one. Liu San took notes to the side. After a long while, the reporting concluded. Fortunately, the government offices in these officials' jurisdictions were still standing and could be put to immediate use.

Su Zihuan, in particular, backed by a Minister, was a man no one dared to offend despite being a son of a concubine; thus, his county office still retained some military forces. The rest could, at best, only ensure their own safety.

Fang Han closed his eyes and pondered, calculating how to make them most effective. He finally decided to centralize power.

"Su Zihuan," Fang Han said in a deep voice.

Su Zihuan stepped forward. "Lord Su."

"I appoint you as Governor of Nanshan Prefecture, to oversee all affairs of the prefecture. All officials under your jurisdiction are promoted by three ranks."

"Chen Xingshi."

Another official stepped out. "Lord Su."

"I appoint you as Governor of Qingchuan Prefecture, to oversee all affairs of the prefecture. All officials under your jurisdiction are promoted by three ranks."

"Li Zehong, I appoint you as Governor of Lianghe Prefecture, to oversee all affairs of the prefecture. All officials under your jurisdiction are promoted by three ranks."

Li Zehong was overjoyed and shouted, "Thank you, Lord Fang!"

"Furthermore, every five counties within the three prefectures shall form a province, with an Inspector appointed to each. This position ranks above a County Magistrate but below a Prefectural Governor. You shall fill these roles."

When the officials heard they were all being promoted, they bowed and thanked him. Only Su Zihuan frowned. The system of having over a dozen counties under a single prefecture was an ancestral regulation of the Great Zhou and could not be altered at will. He did not know the intention behind this new Protector-General changing the ancestral regulations upon his first day.

"Lord Fang, this move seems to violate ancestral regulations. I wonder if it was authorized by the Court, and if there are any official documents or imperial decrees?"

As Su Zihuan spoke, the other officials were shocked. Changing ancestral regulations was no trivial matter; one could be impeached for the slightest negligence. They all began to urge Fang Han to reconsider, with some officials even claiming they did not want a promotion and only wished to remain simple County Magistrates.

Fang Han glanced at that official and said coldly, "If you do not want a promotion, that is fine. I, the Protector-General, specifically permit you to lay down your armor and return to farming."

Hearing this, the official dared not say another word.

The system of counties under prefectures had been established by the founding Emperor of the Great Zhou. With the passage of time, many aspects of this system had become unsuitable. The uneven distribution of power between Magistrates, Governors, and the Protector-General often led to major warlordism. Such a situation had already occurred during Lin Qingxue’s reign. Fang Han had originally intended to memorialize the throne to establish a provincial system, but he had been exiled to the Southern Frontier before he could do so.

Now, bearing the title of Protector-General of the Southern Frontier, he was in the best position to initiate reform.

"The Southern Frontier has suffered greatly from war. His Majesty has appointed me as Protector-General of the Southern Frontier and specifically granted me the authority to use any means to restore its prosperity. For you to resist so strongly—could it be that you have colluded with the Southern Barbarians?" Fang Han sternly questioned them all.