On the north side of the Bianhe River, there is a Wansheng Town, and the Wanshengmen of the capital comes from this town. Previously, it was the garrison of the Wansheng Army, and there were a large number of military camps around it. Now that the Wansheng army has been dismantled, the barracks in Wansheng Town are empty. The Privy Council bought farmland next to it and converted it into a prison camp specially designed to transform the Khitans. Most of the middle and high-ranking generals captured in the First World War in Youzhou were imprisoned here.

On the first day of the second lunar month, Du Zhongxiao was busy with the affairs of the Privy Council, and went to Wansheng Town to arrange the affairs of the prison camp.

Cui Xiangying, the commander of the prison city battalion, came out and accompanied Du Zhongxiao into the yamen of the camp.

Seeing that Du Zhongxiao kept looking at the architectural pattern here, Cui Xiang said: "This was originally the Yamen of the command of the Wansheng Army, and we took it over and used it for the prison camp." Most of the officials of the prison camp are here. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "They all command the yamen, but they are defenseless when they use it." However, the prison camp is not a soldier, and this yamen is too strict. Some walls can be torn down to make it look wide and relaxed. ”

Cui Xiang said yes.

Du Zhongxiao smiled: "I just suggested this, how to do it, you can discuss it yourself." ”

That being said, as a privy envoy, Du Zhongxiao mentioned a word, and he would definitely work hard to do it below. However, Du Zhongxiao didn't care much about these details. His main concern was how the prison camp would operate and how to reform the prisoners.

There are more than 1,500 Khitan prisoners of war held here, most of whom are Khitan dignitaries. Almost all of the famous families of the Khitan are locked up here, and few are missed. These people have been reformed, which will be of great help to the Khitan war in the future.

After entering the official hall and taking a seat, several other officials came to greet him. The deputy commander Cheng Lian, the grain and grass officer Li Ji, and so on.

After serving tea, Du Zhongxiao said: "This prison camp, no more than other places, is closed up by high-ranking Khitan officials and dignitaries. The most important thing is not how many days they are locked up, but to understand as soon as possible what their current identity is and to be able to keep to themselves. In the future, if you release it, you will be able to be a good citizen. You people, it is naturally not easy to manage these people, and if you do a good job, the court will reward you. ”

Cui Xiang and the others hurriedly said yes.

Du Zhongxiao said: "If you want to reform a person, you can't just rely on beating and scolding to be punished." Especially the people who are locked up here, many of them are noble, they have come to stretch out their hands since they were young, and they have opened their mouths for food, and they don't know how difficult it is to grow their crops. Therefore, in the prison camp, the main thing is farming. Now there are 1,500 people locked up, and the imperial court has bought about 70,000 acres of land around. According to the arrangement of 20 acres of cultivated land per husband, the rest of the land is used for planting mulberry dates, etc., and there are also ponds and orchards. How to arrange it, you can consult the local farmers and discuss it yourself. ”

Cui Xiang arched his hand: "Taiwei, I don't know how much grain will be produced in a year, does the cardinal government have any arrangements?" ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "These people, I'm afraid there aren't many people who are really willing to cooperate with the work, and most of them still depend on your management." For the first three years, the Pivotal Government did not specify the amount of grain to be produced. There will be rewards for more, and punishments for less, how much is more, how much is less, and then we will discuss. ”

Cui Xiang was a little embarrassed: "If this is the case, the prisoners know that there is no amount, but they are afraid that they will not be able to work hard." ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "If the cardinal government does not arrange it, it does not mean that you will not arrange it. There is a lot of grain produced by an acre of farmland nearby, and there is a amount, so you can ask and make arrangements. Reward for doing well, punishment for bad work, rewards and punishments must be clear. The so-called reward is based on food as much as possible, such as wine and meat. The so-called punishment, the first is to punish eating, and the second is to do more work. Those who are truly stubborn and do not obey orders at all are to be held in solitary confinement. He doesn't have to be tortured, as long as he doesn't eat well and doesn't allow others to talk to him. People, although there are hard bones, most people will still choose to work if they choose between doing work and locking up a person. ”

Everyone nodded.

Cui Xiang asked: "Now several officials, the most confused thing is what the imperial court is doing when it sets up a prison camp. If it is only for a few years, it is a management method to produce more grain and make some money every year. If they really want to learn how to farm, it is naturally another way to manage the land. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "How much money can you earn in a year with such a prison camp?" The main thing is to let them understand how to live in the future. So in addition to farming, there can also be other things in the prison camp. For example, you can make wine, you can plant silkworm brocade, you can plant fruit trees, and so on. Anyway, these people are out here to go out to live and learn this. ”

There was silence for a moment. After a while, Cui Xiangcai asked in a low voice, "Taiwei, when they came out of the prison camp, were they just ordinary people?" If we go out to be officials, we will be strict here, but I am afraid that there will be trouble in the future. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Don't worry, you are just a people." The Khitan is a big country, and most of them are descendants of the royal family, let them be officials, how can the imperial court be so from Yulu every year? It is already a great grace not to kill them, but to allow them to be people. ”

This is what Du Zhongxiao has always insisted on, after these Khitan nobles were captured, they could only be ordinary people. Even within one or two generations, the imperial examination is not allowed. It's not that no one proposed to give them the title of official and raise them by the imperial court. Of course, there are also people who suggest killing it directly. In Du Zhongxiao's view, what do the front-line soldiers who participated in the battle think of capturing the enemy and making them officials? It's even less feasible to kill. Don't say ominous words about killing prisoners, kill them, and the remaining Khitans will not surrender, which will be a trouble in the future. After thinking about it, it is still appropriate to carry out labor reform.

After listening to Du Zhongxiao's words, the officials were relieved. What is locked up here is the Khitan emperor, privy envoys, and prime ministers, even if it is a prince, it is nothing here. Many people were born into wealthy families and have prominent family backgrounds. If after they go out, the court will reuse it, and these officials will not be able to bear it if they will find trouble in the future.

After talking about some details, Du Zhongxiao said: "There are also some Khitan officials, during the Battle of Youzhou, who took the initiative to take refuge in the imperial court. The imperial court arranged for them to do things here and get some money. They are all extraordinary, and the money they take is not comparable to you. It's not the same thing, don't think about it. ”

Cui Xiang and the others were busy and didn't dare. Yelu Xiantong and others, working in the prison camp, can get dozens of guan a month, but ordinary officials can't get this number. These officials knew that these people were originally high-ranking Khitan officials, and after surrendering, the Song Dynasty should give them a heavy reward. Dozens of dollars a month are largely due to their contributions, not that those positions can really get so much money.

There is no way, according to the official title of the Khitan, there are too many people for the Song Dynasty. It's better to let them be ordinary people, with dozens of dollars a month, and they can live comfortably in Kaifeng Mansion. In the prison camp, the people in charge were the Khitan people who were familiar with the original, and they were familiar with this kind of life. As for the future, it won't matter so much. In a few years, you can't make much money by learning, and there is really no way.

Looking at everyone, Du Zhongxiao said: "It's the first time we have built such a prison camp. Whether you can do it well or not is up to you. If you do a good job, you will know how to treat the prisoners when there is a foreign war in the future. If you don't do it well, your career will be worried. ”

Cui hurriedly handed over to a few people: "Don't worry, Taiwei, we will do our best!" After a few years, those who come out of the prison camp will inevitably know some skills and know how to live in the Great Song Dynasty. ”