Qin Official

When Lu Jia was brought to the shogunate by Li Cang, Heifu was sitting in the tent eating melon...

Changsha County in mid-May is the hottest time. On a hot day, Hei Fu is only wearing a short jacket, kneeling behind the desk, shaking a cattail leaf fan in his right hand, and chewing a piece of melon in his left hand.

The melon is of course not a watermelon, but a melon that has been introduced to the Central Plains for thousands of years. It is slightly different from its close relative in the Western Regions, the cantaloupe. It has a thin skin, white flesh, small and numerous seeds, and the flesh is only slightly sweet.

When eating melons, people will throw away the seeds. As long as these seeds fall on the land, no matter whether it is dry, wet, cold or hot, they can germinate and grow wherever humans can live well, so they are very common in both the Central Plains and Jiangnan.

Lu Jia took a step forward and said, "The subordinates pay homage to the Lord, congratulate the Lord on pacifying the hatred of the three armies, and thank the Lord for his great kindness!"

After beheading Jia He, Heifu appointed Lu Jia as chief clerk, equivalent to the general's secretary, and was suddenly promoted. Although this was not what Lu Jia wanted, he could not refuse.

"No need to be polite."

Seeing the two people coming, Hei Fu was not polite to them, and made a casual comparison: "When I was in the north, I ate melons in August, and when I was in Jiaodong, I ate melons in July. It is hotter in the south, and they are ripe in May and June. It's just in time to relieve the heat, so why don't you sit down and eat."

"only."

Lu Jia promised that he had long heard that this general was from the capital of Guizhou and did not pay attention to red tape. It was true, but when he looked at the melons on the table again, he felt thoughtful.

Although he has learned a little from Huang Lao, he still prefers Confucianism. The values ​​​​formed by reading poems, books, etiquette and music for many years are deeply ingrained. When he treats people and things, he always likes to see if they are polite.

Hei Fu's current way of eating melon is obviously not in line with etiquette.

It is said in "Li": "Those who peel melons for the emperor should wear a scarf with a turban; those who serve as a monarch should wear a silk scarf; those who are tired of doing it for officials, can be used by scholars, and common people can have sex with them."

Translated into Chengren, the emperor cut the melon into eight pieces and served it covered with fine cloth; the king cut it into four pieces and served it with a coarse cloth; the doctor cut it into four pieces without cloth; the scholar cut it into two pieces with a knife.

As for the common people? Haha, you can only hold the whole piece of melon and chew it. What's worse is that you are a slave and you have no right to be a melon-eater.

The melon that Heifu was eating was relatively large at the moment. He liked to eat small pieces, so he cut ten pieces in one go. In the eyes of Confucian scholars, this was really a huge trespass!

However, these are all antiques from the Spring and Autumn Period. After the collapse of rituals and music, no one except the palace paid attention to them. Although Lu Jia was a Confucian scholar, he was not pedantic. After swallowing his words, he sat side by side with Li Cang, picked up a piece of melon and chewed it. While eating, he listened to Heifu and Li Cang talking.

Heifu said to Li Cang: "The Wushi have been trading in the Western Regions for six or seven years. They traveled through thirty-six countries and brought back a lot of good things, including horses eight feet high at the shoulders, and many fruits and vegetables that are not available in the Central Plains. , sweet and sour grapes, sweet melons that are a bit sweeter than melons despite their thick skin.”

Of course, there are more than these, there are also sesame seeds, walnuts, cucumbers and other products. It is a pity that Heifu has not returned to Xianyang for a long time and cannot see these exotic products with his own eyes. But I heard from Ziying that the farmers who had just moved their base camp to Guanzhong were overjoyed when they saw these strange seeds, and immediately started planting. After four seasons of cultivation, the first batch of vegetables has been produced, and the fruit trees have gradually grown.

I think in a few decades, the recipes of the Central Plains people will be greatly expanded...

Li Cang was still young and a bit greedy, so he couldn't help but yearn for it. Lu Jia also nodded and said yes. Seeing that he had finished eating a segment of the melon, he talked about the reason for his visit today and said with a smile:

"Speaking of eating melons, do you know that there is a time limit for the succession?"

Heifu thought for a while: "I saw it when I was reading "Zuo Zhuan" a few years ago, but I don't quite remember the content."

Lu Jia was a little surprised to hear that Heifu had also read Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals. It seemed that he was a studious general, and he had a little more confidence in his persuasion.

"Dare to speak to the princes, this matter is said hundreds of years ago, Qi Xianggong sent Lian Cheng and Guan Zhifu to guard Kuiqiu in preparation for the attack by the princes. The two generals asked Qi Xianggong when he could return? At that time Qi Xiangzheng was also eating melons, so he said: 'When the melons are ripe, they will replace them', which means that when the melons are ripe next year, people will be sent to take turns."

"But a year later, Duke Xianggang of Qi forgot the agreement, so Lian Cheng and Guan Zhifu had no choice but to send back a melon and said, 'The melon is ripe, should we send someone to replace us?' But Duke Xiang of Qi broke his promise and asked them to go again. After one year of guarding, the second doctor became furious, incited the servants to resent each other, led his troops back to Linzi, and killed Duke Xiang..."

"Just because of this little thing?"

Li Cang was dumbfounded. He didn't know that in the Spring and Autumn Period, regicide was just for fun. Not only did some monarchs commit regicide on their own, but there were also those who couldn't eat Lao Turtle Soup and committed regicide.

He thought it was a bit exaggerated, but Heifu understood what Lu Jia meant.

It sounds like a melon is causing trouble, but in fact, it involves the government's credibility.

Lu Jia said earnestly: "Your Majesty, we went south in the autumn two years ago. Now the melons have ripened twice in Changsha. However, tens of thousands of garrison soldiers are still not able to return. The period has changed, and it has become There is no time to replace it.”

Heifu Moran, one year old for garrison in the frontier is considered a garrison pawn, and one year old for military service in Xianyang is a regular soldier. This is clearly stipulated in the law, and it has not been changed for a hundred years since Shang Yang.

But the imperial court was not trustworthy and broke its promises, not just once or twice.

As early as more than ten years ago, after he led his troops to capture Yuzhang, Emperor Qin Shihuang asked his visitors to declare an edict that three thousand Nanjun troops should be stationed on the spot and not allowed to return home. At that time, Gong Ao, who had a bad temper, almost drew his sword, but was suppressed by Heifu, so he reluctantly stayed. The expeditionary force was transformed into a garrison.

Although over the past ten years, as the life of Yuzhang County improved, the generals complained less, but their trust in the court was no longer as strong as in the past.

Similar things happened many times throughout the Jiangnan region, and even in Xinqin in the north of the Great Wall. Although the imperial court also moved permanent residents there, the first batch of garrison soldiers were forcibly left behind.

As the territory becomes larger and larger, the economic cost of taking turns to defend is huge. It is still more cost-effective to station permanently. The border needs talents...

But the top management has forgotten one thing. Those soldiers and civilians who come and go as soon as they are summoned are also human beings and have their own ideas. They want to settle down and relocate, but they have no intention of defending the borders of the motherland.

Once upon a time, Shang Yang moved to Mu Lixin and established the trust of the government of Qin. With the conferment of military honors for a hundred years, all the people of Qin believed that the Qin Dynasty would be rewarded for its merits and punished for its transgressions. But now, with the endless replacements, the trust of the garrison soldiers and servants in the imperial court gradually wavered, and finally exhausted.

Historically, during the Central Plains Revolution at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the powerful Southern Army was incited by Zhao Tuo and directly cut off contact with the mother country and refused to return, probably out of disappointment with the government.

But now, it is the generals on the front lines who are paying for the court's broken promises and laws.

Zhao Tuo handled things well and there was not much trouble in the army, but Jia He did not realize this. Qin's soldiers were resentful because they had not returned home for a long time. This resentment gathered on Jia He. To put it bluntly, his Death is just to support the court's breach of trust.

Lu Jia said: "Although the king has killed Jia and vented the grudges between the three armies now, if there is no change, it won't be long until next year when things are ready, the newly appointed General Xin, and even you, the Marquis of Changnan, will not be able to do anything." You will be resented by the soldiers! At that time, the subordinates are afraid that there will be a company in the army to take charge of the father's affairs!"

"Bold! Who dares to do this?" Li Cang was angry and wanted to draw his sword.

Heifu stopped him and looked at Lu Jia:

"Are you here to intercede on behalf of your fellow villagers and comrades? Do you want me to let them go home?"

Lu Jia bowed down and said, "The subordinates are also thinking about the king. In the past, Zigong asked Confucius about government affairs. Confucius said: If you have enough food and soldiers, the people will trust you."

"Zigong asked again: If we have to leave as a last resort, what should we eliminate?"

"Confucius said: Go to the army."

"Zigong asked again: If we have to do it, what two things should we get rid of?"

"Confucius said, "Go away and eat. Death has always existed since ancient times, but the people cannot stand without faith. "

"If the people have no faith, they cannot stand. If the army has no faith, how can they stand? How can they fight? I hope you will think twice!"

Citing classics and making progress step by step, he is worthy of being a famous speaker in history.

Hei Fu put his hands behind his hands and praised: "Good eloquence, but whether the soldiers return or not is an order of the imperial court. Even though I am a general, I can't change it."

Qin Shihuang has issued a death order, and no officers and soldiers of the three armies will be allowed to return to the country if they are not satisfied with Baiyue. Of course, Heifu guessed that even if Baiyue was defeated, these hundreds of thousands of people would most likely never be able to return to their hometown. Most of them were Chu soldiers and civilians that Qin Shihuang wanted to eliminate, and they were the "poison" of this country. Naturally, It will be transported outside, and the harm will spread to more people...

The court, the soldiers and the people each have their own reasons, and the one who is caught in the middle and has difficulty being a good person is the general.

Heifu lowered his head to look at the remaining melon rinds on the table, and said with a smile:

"This melon is really not delicious."

…

"Lu Sheng is back!"

"How is it? What did Marquis Changnan say?"

Half an hour later, Lu Jia returned to the camp, and the Huainan soldiers, who accounted for the largest number of people in the army, gathered around and asked questions.

They all knew that it was Lu Jia's visit to the general, his words about Jia He's harsh treatment of the Chu soldiers and the concealment of battle losses that led to that happy beheading.

Now, Lu Jia has become the representative of Chu soldiers and civilians, and has been tirelessly petitioning Heifu on their behalf, expressing the soldiers' homesickness.

Lu Jia was surrounded and could only ask Li Cang and the officials who came with him to restrain order and announce to them the general's words.

"The Marquis of Changnan said that he knew that soldiers suffered from homesickness, and he also missed home, but as a general, he did not refuse after being ordered to do so. He said he would return after the enemy was defeated, which is the courtesy of a general."

"Now the Hundreds of Vietnam are not at peace, and the war is still going on, so the general cannot release you directly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers suddenly started shouting:

"To put it bluntly, you still won't let me go!"

"He is no different from Na Jia He!"

There were constant complaints, and Lu Jia had no choice but to ask them to be silent before raising the volume.

"No nonsense! The Marquis of Changnan loves his soldiers as much as his sons. Due to the strict orders of the court, he cannot let his soldiers return home. But he said that he will not let his soldiers cross the three passes and fight with the Yue people. After winter, new soldiers will come to rotate you and others. , let those who have served for two years leave here and go to the camps in Hengshan and Nanjun to rest and farm. Once the south is conquered, you can go home nearby!"

"Is there anyone here to take the rotation?"

"My home is right next to Hengshan County!"

"Finally we can get away from this hellish place!"

This was an unexpected joy. The previous disappointment turned into joy. The resentment of the soldiers and homesickness were the root cause, but the hot summer and hard work in the south were also the reasons why they couldn't wait to leave immediately.

Although I am not allowed to return home at the moment, at least I have the general's promise to go to Nanjun or Hengshan. It is one step closer to my hometown and the climate is comfortable. It is much better than suffering from illness here and going deep into dangerous obstacles to fight to the death with the Vietnamese. .

The soldiers were overjoyed and cheered. Finally, after many failures, they were looking forward to a glimmer of hope.

The Marquis of Changnan suddenly became a good general respected by everyone. His reputation was rising without limit, and there was no room for bad words about him in the military camp. Although Heifu was very secretive, he did not say that he "cannot send troops to return home." reasons, but afterwards some people complained for Heifu.

"Don't be dissatisfied. If you think about it carefully, even if the Marquis of Changnan disbands the army right now and lets them return home with letters in hand, they will not be recognized by the government, and they will not be able to see their wives, children, and parents when they return home. He will be arrested and punished as a prisoner! Because the imperial court in Xianyang has issued a document saying that he will not be allowed to return until the southern expedition is decided!"

It is said that this was said by Lu Jia.

The so-called letter is a document that certifies that everyone has completed their service and been released legally. This document is made in two copies. One is sent to the place of residence, and the other is for the guards to keep. Don't lose it.

You claim to have returned from service? That doesn't count, it must be certified.

But what if the local government receives the imperial order and refuses to recognize it? Even if the general showed mercy, it would be useless.

It makes sense when you think about it. These words spread from one person to another, so the Chu soldiers and civilians were only grateful to Hei Fu, but their resentment began to turn towards the dishonest court and government...

When playing Total War, you still know how to pull back the demoralized troops. Heifu's judgment is that these demoralized soldiers and civilians are no longer available. Some experienced generals are left behind, and the rest are replaced by Wuchang battalion training new army!

And everyone was too happy too early. Before winter, these tens of thousands of people still have a lot of work to do: farming to collect grain, logging and building roads, and even digging nearby iron ore to forge weapons. Even if they return to Nanjun and Hengshan, they still have to farm. Farm until their labor is drained dry!

Hei Fu’s heart is dark!

Lu Jia didn't escape either. He was assigned a job by Hei Fu and he couldn't refuse!

"Lu Sheng, aren't you very eloquent? I'll give you ten days to persuade the rebels at Yangshan Pass for me. After ten days, if the door is closed, the army will capture the city and massacre them!"