Three Kingdoms

Jizhou, Yecheng.

Queshan.

Here are half-built palace complexes, some have been completed, but others are just built on a shelf, with piles of bluestone and wood, looking a little lonely.

The original laborers here were transferred by Yuan Shao to assist in transporting grain when he attacked Cao Cao, and many of them did not come back...

The sun was about to set, and little firelights lit up in the half-built palace.

This palace is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the scenery is naturally not that bad. However, at the moment, the people who are still in the palace have no intention of seeing any scenery.

Under Queshan is a newly built military camp, stationed in those soldiers who followed Yuan Shao and retreated from the front line. Those soldiers who have followed Yuan Shao for a longer time and are more reliable in terms of loyalty. In the barracks, there was also a bit of a dull atmosphere. I don't know whether it was because I was worried about disturbing the nobles or for some other reason. There was no hustle and bustle like in the past.

The intelligence coming from all aspects made Yuan Shao and his advisers relieved.

Cao Cao did not seem to have any plans to invade Jizhou.

Fei Qian was also busy with some matters in the Western Regions and stayed in Guanzhong without sending troops.

This is truly a blessing among misfortunes.

After Yuan Shao's defeat, Guo Tufengji and others met again and again to deduce the battle situation, and stepped up the deployment and adjustment of soldiers. They were worried that surrounding hostile forces would take this opportunity to attack Jizhou. However, now The situation seems to be safe?

Although I can't understand why these guys around me didn't come to take advantage of the situation, after all, this situation is a good thing...

However, after confirming that the surrounding area was relatively safe, Yuan Shao relaxed and couldn't hold on anymore. He collapsed and didn't get out of bed for three days.

How can people not get sick if they eat whole grains?

Yuan Shao is also a human being, so there is nothing strange about getting sick. However, the problem is that Yuan Shao's illness was not at the right time. Perhaps it is said that whenever someone like Yuan Shao gets sick, it is never the right time.

For a long time, from Jizhou to Youzhou, from Youzhou to Qingzhou, or the imperial court in the south and Cao Cao in Yanzhou, they have actually lived in the shadow of Yuan Shao. However, now they seem to be preparing to break away from Yuan Shao's shadow. First it was the imperial court, then Cao Cao, and now, who will it be?

Tian Feng's death made Guo Tu, Feng Ji and others feel a little sad that a rabbit had died, or that something had harmed its own kind, but there was a stronger emotion that suppressed this emotion. This was a kind of emotion that spread from the heart. Uneasiness is also a fear of being unable to control the future.

As a counselor who is proud of his intelligence, this feeling is very bad, just like eating your favorite corn rice only to find that there is, um, half a worm in the rice...

Guo Tu and Feng Ji, as well as the reviewers and other matters, were usually in a state of opposition. They would occasionally make sarcastic comments and even be willing to add insult to injury. However, they still had a general idea of ​​Tian Feng's previous strategy, even though they were in a state of opposition. He doesn't admit it with his mouth, but he acknowledges it in his heart. At most, he just feels that he is not inferior.

However, Yuan Shao did not follow Tian Feng's previous strategy. After changing it midway, he accused Tian Feng of this and that, and then poisoned Tian Feng to death on the way, calling it a violent death.

Although Yuan Shao's advisers didn't say anything, what they were thinking in their hearts was probably quite exciting. And all these thoughts would not have arisen in the minds of Guo Tu, Fengji, Shenpei, or anyone else...

Cao Cao fought with less than 30,000 people, but actually defeated Yuan Shao's nearly 100,000 people!

Who could have imagined this? !

Although it is not yet possible to say that the entire army has been wiped out, it is almost the same. A large number of young and strong people in Jizhou were tricked and killed by Cao Cao. Even though Cao Cao seemed cruel, it was a heavy blow to the people's livelihood in Jizhou. The winner has the right to dispose of the spoils, while the loser has the luxury of even protesting and complaining.

If the battle is defeated, someone must take responsibility.

Is it because their counselors are not trying their best?

Or are the soldiers not fighting bravely?

Or some other reason?

Naturally, it is impossible to say that it is Yuan Shao's fault, so it is the responsibility of the dead Tian Feng. Anyway, the dead people will not open their mouths to argue, so even Shen Pei, who was more friendly with Tian Feng, remained silent. Not sent.

An undercurrent is brewing beneath the seemingly ordinary surface.

Guo Tu, who had just come down from Queshan, stared silently at the Queshui winding away from Queshan without saying a word for a long time.

"Brother Gongze..." In the distance, someone turned around through the woods and greeted.

Guo Tu looked back and cupped his hands, "Brother Yuan Tu..."

The two of them stood together, turning their heads to look at the water that was not flowing very much. Both of them vaguely felt that there was something wrong with the other, but neither of them spoke.

The sky gradually darkened, but the water still gurgled emotionlessly.

After a while, Feng Ji finally spoke, his voice a little dull, like an invisible piece of silk covering his mouth: "...the recent news... is quite unbelievable..." Feng Ji said very straightforwardly. , not even using any allusions or obscure scriptures at all, just like a normal chat, and seemed to express to Guo Tu that it was better to be open and honest about the current situation.

Guo Tu said "Huh" and did not answer.

"A certain friend..." Feng Ji didn't know if he had made a "friend" out of thin air. Anyway, the two of them knew it well. "Before, he was very brave. He always got good results when hunting without getting hurt. He was proud of the mountains and forests, and was avoided by tigers and wolves. Of……"

Guo Tu said "hmm" to show that he was listening.

"...One day, a lynx stole from his house, and my friend attacked him in anger..." Feng Ji continued, glancing sideways at Guo Tu, "...unexpectedly, he was injured by the lynx... When others learned about it, they said It is fiercer than a tiger, more powerful than a lynx, and more likely to smile..."

Guo Tu said "ha", and then said: "Everyone in the world is like this... I don't know what happened to Yuan Tu's friends? You can hunt tigers?"

Feng Ji shook his head and said, "I don't know..."

Guo Tu was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh, pointed to the bird in front of him and said: "The Master said on the river, the dead are like this..."

Fengji also fell silent and sighed.

The two stood in silence for a while. Guo Tu bowed his hands and said goodbye to Feng Ji. After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and said as if he suddenly remembered: "Brother Wen Zhengnan is feeling unwell? I don't know what the current situation is." how?"

"Oh?" Feng Ji rolled his eyes and nodded. "Is this happening? I should go visit Yi Er..."

Guo Tu nodded, then made eye contact with Feng Ji, then separated, held his hands together again, and left.

Feng Ji stood, watching the remaining sunset slowly disappear into the horizon. He turned around and ordered: "Come here! Go back to the city!"

…………p(′⌒｀?q)…………

Shen Pei was not at home, but still at the Yecheng government office.

Although it was already the time for breast-feeding, the trial matchmaker still didn't take a break.

These days, the vigilance in Yecheng is three points higher than before. Although Yuan Shao has returned and Cao Cao has not continued the attack, the tense situation in Jizhou has not changed much. The elite soldiers stationed in various counties and counties in Jizhou were also constantly gathering, and then reorganized under Queshan.

It is said that it is to prepare for war, to resist the possibility of Cao Cao's next offensive. The so-called ordinary soldiers naturally don't know what it is for. They just know that the orders from above are falling like raindrops, gather the soldiers, recruit supplies, and reorganize the defense system. , everyone was so busy that they were on their backs, and then complained endlessly...

But those who knew what the problem was, kept their mouths shut and said nothing.

Jizhou is at a time of great turmoil.

On the streets of Yecheng, from time to time, soldiers with small flags on their backs would rush out on horseback, carrying out orders one by one, and then return with pieces of information, gathering at Shenpai.

On the side of the government office, several Yecheng officials were gathering information. From time to time, they walked out of the side hall and reported matters to the examiner in the main hall. The examiner seemed to be thinner than before, but his eyes were sharper. Even a little fierce.

"Your Majesty, I have sent troops to Ye today, and a lot of food and wages have been consumed... The warehouses in the city are only showing little daylight, and the crops in the attached fields are not ripe. If they are not mobilized, they may not be used..."

"I would like to report to you, your Majesty, that we have recently ordered equipment to be replenished in the camp. There is a shortage of armor, swords, spears, bows and arrows. There are only 100,000 arrows in the city, and they are in urgent need of replenishment..."

The reviewer listened and then made arrangements one by one. Those who raised materials went to collect materials and those who urged production urged production. They were busy but not chaotic. However, the reviewer's brows were frowned tightly, like a quilt. After kneading the paper hard, it is possible to return it to its original smoothness.

These money, food and soldiers are not the most troublesome thing for Shenpei, because Shenpei knows that all problems that can be solved with money are not problems, and those that money cannot do are the root of the problem.

The current chaos in Jizhou is Shenpei's biggest problem right now...

Tian Feng is dead.

Jizhou was suddenly leaderless.

In other words, right now, many people want to be the "salt man" in Jizhou. Even if there is something like overthrowing Yuan Shao to avenge the Jizhou nobles, it will only happen after becoming the leader...

Shen Pei has been fooling around in Jizhou official circles for a long time. What can't you understand? It would be false to say that he does not have such ambitions, but is this position really so easy to get? But when it comes to chaos, we are most afraid of internal instability. Once there is a change, it will be unimaginable. I believe everyone understands this truth, but those who understand it may not be able to actually do it.

It's like eating pufferfish, eating wild animals, don't you understand the truth? If we really meet each other, I'm afraid there will be a lot of "really fragrant" words. What needs to be done to make this most dangerous time pass as quickly as possible? What does Yuan Shao mean? There should be an explanation for how the three sons decide...

The attendant in the hall stretched his head inward, looked at the judge's expression, and then retracted.

"What's the matter?!" Shen Pei asked impatiently. He had been busy all day, and now he didn't even have time to eat preserved meat. He didn't get angry for no reason, so he was quite restrained.

"Report to the judge..." The servant quickly knelt down and reported, "Madam, please ask the judge to go back..."

"What's the matter?" Shen Pei was stunned for a moment, thinking that something big had happened at home, so he couldn't help but ask again.

"This... madam didn't say..." The family's most trusted servant lowered his head.

The judge pondered for a while, then put down his pen, stood up, and said: "You will do your best! Don't slack off!"

The clerks inside and outside the hall hurriedly said yes, and then they bent over and sent them to the government affairs hall for review. Then when they turned around, they felt that their whole body was three points lighter. A smile couldn't help but appear on their faces. They shook their sleeves and coughed. With a loud voice, he shouted to the servants serving him: "Do you have any water? Bring some up!"

The rest of the clerks also dropped their pens, shook their sore necks, turned their arms, and talked and laughed in low voices.

Of course, if the sky falls, there will be tall people holding it up!

Now that the tall man is gone, why are you still so desperate?

Not to mention what happened to these little officials, after Shen Pei got on the carriage, the family henchman whispered to Shen Pei: "Feng Congcao is here..."

Good luck?

Shen Pei fell into deep thought.

Feng Ji was originally at odds with Shen Pei, or in other words, the Nanyang faction and the Jizhou faction had never been in the same pot. However, during this battle with Cao Cao, everything took a slight turn.

The Nanyang faction received a serious blow because of Xu You's escape. Although Yuan Shao had nothing specific to say about Feng Ji, and he did not implicate Feng Ji because of Xu You, some of the soldiers originally commanded by Feng Ji were transferred away. Of course, on the surface, it was still in compliance with the procedures.

Ever since, Feng Ji extended an olive branch to Shen Pei at a critical moment.

Shen Pei's son originally followed Yuan Shao south, hoping to get a gold medal in this battle. Of course, the more important thing is that only in this way can Yuan Shao hand over Yecheng to Shen Pei with confidence...

Unexpectedly, the gold was not plated, but the man fell into Cao Cao's hands. So someone told Yuan Shao that if he married this boy, his son would be in Cao Cao's hands, and he would still be loyal to you, Mr. Yuan. What? But at this time, Feng Ji stood up to defend Shen Pei and said a few good words. On the one hand, he dispelled Yuan Shao's concerns, and on the other hand, it also greatly eased the tense relationship between Yuan Shao and Shen Pei.

Yuan Shao didn't mention this matter again, and Feng Ji pretended that it didn't happen. However, Shen Pei knew that everything has a price. If you don't have to pay now, it doesn't mean it will always be free...

Night has enveloped the earth. Under the light of the torch, the carriage pressed on the stone slabs, and the judge's eyes were as deep as the night.

Sure enough, Fengji found himself.

So this time, what will be put on the table to measure its value?