Compared with Xue Ping's colorful work in the Western Regions, Han Qi is much more dull in the Northeast. To put it simply, after defeating Zhang Zhongwu and ending the large-scale war in Liaodong, Han Qi's main job was to suppress bandits.

"Although the large-scale battle ended last year, with the onset of winter, almost all military operations were forced to stop, and it was not until the end of February this year that the battle against bandits began!" Han Qi said: "A few months is enough time for a lot of things to happen. Many of Zhang Zhongwu's remnants have become active again, and it is difficult to clearly distinguish between the local large households and the common people, who are half people and half bandits, and this has caused many problems in the work of suppressing bandits. Although Fan Jian, Liu Yan and others are very familiar with the Liaodong Prefectures, in my opinion, no matter how much effort we expend, I am afraid that we can only eliminate the banditry in large quantities, and it is still a long-term thorny problem to completely end the banditry in the Liaodong Prefectures, because this is not only a problem that can be solved by the military. ”

The biggest problem in Liaodong is that it has been isolated for a long time, even in the Tang Dynasty, this piece of land only belongs to the Tang Dynasty in name, but in fact it is still a barbaric land, and even a piece of the region in the middle of the Great Dang is actually controlled by Goryeo.

After Zhang Zhongwu was driven to that place by Li Ze, he brutally suppressed and swept the local natives, the savages in the old forest, and at the same time reclaimed the place occupied by Goryeo and brought it under the rule of the Liao Palace. During Zhang Zhongwu's reign, he was able to rule Liaodong in a truly effective manner.

And this is also the reason why Li Ze tried his best to drive Zhang Zhongwu to Liaodong.

Zhang Zhongwu worked hard for several years to finally develop part of this wild land, which also laid a certain foundation for the subsequent Tang Dynasty's formal rule here.

However, as Han Qi said, it is almost impossible to accomplish this task by relying on military affairs alone to govern Liaodong and eliminate bandits. The people in this land don't know what Wang Hua is at all. I don't know anything about the country, the nation, or anything.

The area is sparsely populated, and it is not worth it at all for a large army to exterminate these elusive bandits, but if you don't exterminate them, they will be like rats, and they will jump out again to make trouble at some point.

The current Northeast Territories, where the Tang Dynasty can effectively control, are still the periphery of some cities, and a large number of people are also cultivating in the surrounding areas, while the more distant vast areas are still in the void of governance, which are separated by many local aborigines. And there are many of these local natives, who are bandit leaders at all.

"Liaodong is a good place!" Han Qi stroked his long beard and sighed: "The land is fertile, although it can only be cultivated once a year, but if a large amount of fertile land is cultivated, it can definitely become the granary of the empire." There are also abundant minerals, and the survey team of the Ministry of Industry has found many large mineral deposits after surveying in the effective area under our actual control. Li Xiang, the empire should increase investment in Liaodong. And the first priority is a large number of immigrants. ”

Li Ze nodded slightly.

"I see that in last year's population report of the Tang Empire released by the Ministry of Households, the population of the north has surged, such as Wuyi, Yizhou, Dezhou, Cangzhou, Yizhou and other places, the people have no land to divide, and the price of land in these places has risen year after year, but in our Liaodong, there is a large amount of land that no one cultivates and is wasted, why not from these places, a large number of immigrants to the three northeastern provinces?"

"It's not easy to do!" Li Ze sighed: "If the people in these places can't survive, it's okay to go to the Kanto region to break a way of life, but in fact, these places are the richest areas in our Tang Dynasty today, that is, there is not enough land, but there are still a large number of workshops, which require a lot of labor every year, like Texas, the demand for labor is like a bottomless pit, and now more large workshops are opened, even more so." They can earn money more easily in their hometown, and who one is willing to leave their hometown to go to the unknown land of Liaodong? ”

Zhang Hui continued: "If the imperial court forcibly relocates, I am afraid that it will provoke a civil uprising. This place is the heart of the Empire's rule, and it is our foundation, and naturally it cannot be tolerated. Therefore, the matter of immigration can only be voluntarily ordered and cannot be forcibly ordered. ”

"Then, as in the past, in the war against the Southern Alliance, the prisoners obtained in each war will be sent to Liaodong." Han Qi said.

"But in recent years, we have not had a large-scale battle plan for the Southern Alliance!" Li Ze shook his head and said: "You have also read the overall strategy of the Southern Alliance, so this one will not work." ”

Han Qi was silent for a moment, and then said, "If this doesn't work, if it is only slowly developed by the three provinces of Liaodong, it will take a long time." ”

"For the three provinces of Liaodong, in fact, I also have some thoughts, so I will tell you about it today and discuss the feasibility of this matter." Li Ze said calmly. "The land of the three provinces of Liaodong must be developed as soon as possible, and Liaodong and the Western Regions must grow into powerful left and right arms of the empire as soon as possible."

"I don't know what Li Xiang is going to do?" Han Qi immediately became interested, and the Li Xiang in front of him always had a surprising strategy.

"The existing garrison in Liaodong, including Xue Chong's Zuo Jin Wuwei, totals more than 50,000 people." Li Zedao: "My idea is to hit these 50,000 people. ”

"On them?" Several people in the room were a little surprised.

"In the next few years, the empire will devote itself to the construction of people's livelihood in the country, and there will be basically no war, and the only possible military action is in Tibet. And the more than 50,000 regular troops of Zuojin Wuwei were vacant in Liaodong, which was really a waste. Li Zedao.

Gongsun Changming's face changed slightly: "Li Xiang, do you want to disband Zuo Jin Wuwei?" I'm afraid that this is inappropriate, and I am afraid that it will cause dissatisfaction from Zuo Jinwuwei, from the generals to the soldiers. ”

"Not to disband, but to change their role!" Li Ze said with a smile: "They are in Liaodong, the task of fighting, there is no longer a book, Han Gong, suppress bandits, do you need an army of 50,000 soldiers?" ”

"Naturally, this is not needed." Han Qi said: "In fact, now our bandits in Liaodong are mainly cavalry every time they are dispatched, no more than a thousand people, and sometimes, even only a few hundred. ”

Li Ze stood up and paced back and forth in the room for a few steps, and said, "Therefore, I am going to change Zuojin Wuwei into the Northeast Construction Corps, and their main task will also change from fighting to reclaiming land in the northeast, and at the same time taking care of some military tasks such as suppressing bandits. ”

"Northeast Construction Corps?" Everyone in the room was speechless for a moment.

"Yes, the Northeast Construction Corps!" Li Zedao: "Of course, in order to ensure the stability of the construction corps, these soldiers still have the military status of our regular army in the Tang Dynasty, and their salaries will be paid correctly, and their promotions will not be affected in any way." However, their main task is to reclaim the famine, to cultivate the land, and to put it simply, they will become some farmers who receive military salaries. ”

Han Qi, Zhang Hui, Gongsun Changming and Xue Ping, none of them reacted.

Looking at the appearance of several people, Li Ze explained: "In fact, the state takes money to let them open up wasteland for the country, and the harvest is naturally owned by the state, and their assessment is no longer based on military merit, but on the harvest of grain." ”

"For example, if there are 3,000 people in a battalion, then how much land should these 3,000 people own, and then distribute this land to the posts below, and at the end of the year, whoever gains more will be rewarded. There are 50,000 people in Zuojin Wuwei, and all of them are sturdy men, and I think this will alleviate the problem of labor shortage in the three provinces of Liaodong. ”

Han Qi took a deep breath: "Li Xiang, our soldiers have a length of service. As soon as the deadline expires, some of them will retire, and in this way, Zuo Jin Wuwei is afraid that it will be difficult to recruit soldiers in the future. ”

Li Ze smiled slightly: "I don't think so. First of all, after Zuo Jin Wuwei was transferred to the Construction Corps, he no longer had a number of years of service, as long as he could still farm, he could become a member of it, even if he worked until he was sixty years old? And the generous salary of our army, I think, is an extremely attractive condition. ”

"Can you keep doing it?" Everyone was in a trance.

"Farming, not war." Li Ze said with a smile: "With a full military salary, but you don't have to risk your life to fight, such a day, I think it is still very attractive for the vast majority of ordinary soldiers." ”

"If that's the case, it's really feasible." Gongsun Changming nodded.

"These tens of thousands of people, if they have to work there all the time, then they still have to marry and have children." Li Zedao: "Even if it is calculated according to a family of three, within a few years, the three provinces of Liaodong can have hundreds of thousands of more people, and two-thirds of them are young and strong. ”

"These people are distributed in the three provinces of Liaodong, and when they farm, they become farmers, and if there is a military operation, they can be regrouped in the shortest possible time." Li Zedao: "Even if you have been farming for a long time and can't fight a regular war, you should still hold a handle to deal with the little thief." ”

"And their jurisdiction?" Han Qi raised a crucial question.

Li Ze looked at him and said: "Since it is a production and construction corps, it is still an army establishment, so they still belong to the direct command of the army." The former leadership of Zuo Jin Wuwei was directly transferred to the management of the Construction Corps, and the three provinces of Liaodong implemented a dual-track management system. ”