Three Kingdoms

Fei Qian's personal feeling is that in the Han Dynasty, many people did things like the Han Badao, simple, direct, clear, or a little...

Rough.

The emperor was very rough in management, the generals were very rough in fighting, the civil servants were very rough in managing civil affairs, and only the noble families with big names were calculating meticulously, counting every acre of land and every stone of food and grass.

Therefore, noble families accumulated more wealth.

If Fei Qian wants to surpass the nobles in this aspect, he must be more sophisticated than the noble families.

After all, the future development direction of the entire society is to refine the division of labor, and the further we go, the more refined it will be.

In fact, when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing defeated the Huns, it seemed good. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gained face, and the people got cattle and sheep. However, considering the difference between the historian's writing and reality, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing did not really give the Han How much blood does the empire need to replenish, because in their concept, they are only responsible for fighting the war, and other things are either left to the military commanders or other officials.

Not to mention anything else, just transporting cattle and sheep from the Xiongnu grassland to the inland is definitely not something that can be completed by clicking a mouse and issuing an order.

With the cattle and sheep traveling all the way, how will the grazing management staff arrange it? How to deal with getting sick on the road? What to do if there is no pasture? Cattle and sheep don’t eat everything, so they can’t be allowed to chew on stones, right? Moreover, concentrated transportation, even in spring, would inevitably lead to the grassland along the way being wiped out, not to mention that when Wei Qing and Huo Qubing won the battle, it was basically in autumn and winter.

So actually, when we started to go inland from the land of the Xiongnu, there were hundreds of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of cattle and sheep, but when we actually arrived in the inland, I'm afraid there were not even one out of ten.

When the noble family calculated, it was really not a good deal. The food they had worked so hard to save was then "contributed" to the great cause of conquering the Xiongnu by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Then he turned around and won the battle, and received the food in his hand. But they were some cattle and sheep that died on the way, shoddy and poorly tanned fur, some cattle bones and sheep heads...

In the beginning, everyone was sentimental.

I was kicked in the nose so many times by the Xiongnu, and I was simmering with anger in my heart. Then I was teased from left to right by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and even screamed that he wanted to give the Xiongnu some Kalou Xixi. At the beginning, I really didn’t want to. What kind of reward is just to vent bad anger.

But war always causes damage. When the damage slowly fades, you will naturally see the emptiness in your own warehouse, but there is still hope to support it. If you win, there will always be some war dividends, which can make up for it. Loss? It doesn’t matter how much you can earn, just don’t lose your capital...

Therefore, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty distributed the war dividends of "brilliant victory" to these noble families who had provided money, food and people, these people from the noble families received the gift from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty with "tears of gratitude". Whether I'm grateful or not is another matter, but Ti Ling is definitely sincere.

As a result, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty wanted to continue fighting again in the middle and later stages of the war, the noble families gave up. There were many reasons and excuses. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was not a fool. He naturally understood that they were all excuses, and then he started thinking about collecting salt and iron, investigating corruption, and appointing officials. Anyway, I am God, more tyrannical than your elders!

From then on, the more we fought, the less willing we were to fight. We were procrastinating and reluctant. By the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, we even abandoned the border...

So if Fei Qian wants to change all this, he must start from the fundamentals. The way to solve these problems is not for Fei Qian to think about it alone, nor for Fei Qian to do it alone. After all, even if Fei Qian has the thinking and thinking of later generations, There was no way to make everyone clearly understand, so Fei Qian simply left this matter to the newly established "Dahan Chamber of Commerce".

Because businessmen are more economical than noble families. Merchants who don't know how to calculate carefully will gradually die in the process of doing business. Business families that can survive for ten, decades or even more than a hundred years, let alone have seven orifices, are just like fishing nets, full of holes. .

The final result is that Fei Qian and the Dahan Chamber of Commerce will split 50-50 and set standard item prices according to the Chang'an market. Then Fei Qian can barter or settle coins in the Western Regions, thus avoiding the strain of transshipment. Although the benefits will be divided It was a bit profitable, but in fact, letting professionals do professional things, for Fei Qian himself, actually increased his income.

For example, everyone knows that the hard-earned horses from the Western Regions are excellent and everyone wants them. But if Fei Qian wants to monopolize them, he must not only send soldiers to protect them, but also have horse herders to follow them, and even need to prepare veterinarians and forage. , and at the same time, we must ensure that the officials sent there will not line their own pockets, etc...

Now that some of the best war horses have been removed from the army, the rest, which are second-rate and cannot be eaten for a while, are directly converted into various items or coins. Fei Qian does not have to worry about the subsequent matters, maintenance and transportation. It's all about the Dahan Chamber of Commerce.

For the Dahan Chamber of Commerce, the Cui family is good at selling valuables, the Zhuo family has experience in horse racing in the mountains of Sichuan, the Pei family is very familiar with the trade of fur and dried meat, and the Zhen family is good at selling and transporting various miscellaneous items. Very good at things, especially women’s things…

As for Bai Shiqiang, he often just follows behind and shouts, Me too, Me too...

Therefore, on the whole, the Dahan Chamber of Commerce headed by these people can cover most of the item trading range. For Fei Qian, from a certain perspective, the Western Regions, or foreign wars, may gradually Transformed into a source of profit, rather than a place of consumption.

Of course, it also depends on the specific implementation process.

The Han Chamber of Commerce became a channel merchant similar to that of later generations, and then distributed to large and small merchants in various places. For the Han Dynasty with a huge population base, it was a naturally huge market, even if it was restricted by social production conditions. The economic value cannot be compared with that of later generations, but the size is there, and the ability to digest and create items is naturally the most powerful in the surrounding area, and can even be said to be the most powerful in all of Asia.

The Western Region may be just the beginning.

But for Cao Cao and Sun Quan, the war between the two people gradually came to an end.

War is the ultimate expression of politics. In this war between Cao Cao and Sun Quan, both Cao Cao and Sun Quan were trying to resolve their internal conflicts and try to shift external political manifestations. Therefore, when the conflicts took new changes, they naturally lost the basis for continuing the war. .

What ended the Battle of Chibi was a fire, but what interrupted the war between Cao Cao and Sun Quan this time was rain.

autumn rain.

Cao Cao gently exhaled a white breath.

At this time, it was raining heavily. Amidst the torrential sound, big raindrops hit the bamboo hat, making the sound dense and dull.

The heavy rain is secondary, but the key is the cold.

The autumn rains are getting colder each time, and this time, it seems to be particularly cold.

Cao Cao tightened the black and red cloak tightly, then jumped off the green and white war horse, and patted the horse's neck. The animal was snoring slightly irritably, shaking its neck and head up and down, and the rain had stained the originally smooth fur. It was sticky in strands and stained with yellow mud, which naturally made it feel very uncomfortable.

Behind Cao Cao were Cao Cao's generals and staff, including Xia Houyuan, Liu Ye, etc., all wearing ponchos and bamboo hats.

This is a hilly area north of Jiangxia, three or four miles away from the military camp. And behind this inconspicuous hill with no name is a newly dug large pit.

Under the alternation of cold and heat, especially sudden weather changes, it is easy to contract wind chill.

And the thing about wind chill...

If Cao Cao hadn't imitated tigers and painted cats, and learned some disease prevention and control measures, I'm afraid there wouldn't be just dozens of corpses in the pit now, or one big pit would be able to solve the problem.

Before there was no special emphasis on health regulations, some soldiers would even discharge the filthy matter from vomiting and diarrhea directly into the water, and then let the water flow carry it downstream, and then the unsuspecting soldiers downstream would drink the raw water...

It's like the historical Red Cliff. Cao Cao lined up water villages and dry villages on the north bank. The water villages and dry villages stretched for hundreds of miles. Then the seasick ones vomited in the water, the sick ones also vomited in the water, and the corpses and urine were also poured into the water. Then they took water from the water and burned it. Only a few people prescribed it, and most people just drank it, just like the Asan Holy River. In the Han Dynasty when there were no anti-inflammatory drugs, and there was no plague, it was really like seeing a ghost.

Cao Cao looked at the corpses in the pit, his heart heavy. These were the veterans who followed him. They did not die on the battlefield, but died of illness.

Cao Cao received Xun Yu's letter. In the letter, Xun Yu detailed the recent situation in Xu County. As the supplies obtained from Liu Biao flowed into the nearly dry Yingchuan River in Yuzhou, the situation was greatly relieved. The tense situation in Xu County, and after Cao Cao deceived the group of Wuhuan people, was equivalent to a debt reduction, so the previous crisis in Xu County was temporarily alleviated. The previous situation that was about to collapse seemed to be on the verge of breaking out. Nothing left.

Xun Yu explained that in Yanzhou, Yuzhou, although they suffered from the locust plague, they still managed to harvest some grain and grass. As the weather got colder, the locusts gradually exterminated themselves. Xun Yu was leading people around to count the losses and then plow...

Because Fei Qian in Guanzhong, after extinguishing the locust plague, required deep plowing in all areas where the locusts stopped. Although Xun Yu didn't quite understand the reason, his keen intuition told him that there was nothing wrong with following suit, so he naturally followed suit.

In addition, Xun Yu also gave Cao Cao a detailed explanation of the situation in other places, especially Jizhou. The refugees in Jizhou that were originally caused by the war have gradually stabilized. The previous trend of fleeing to Guanzhong and Hedong has been generally controlled. However, due to the previous war in Jizhou, Jizhou is still facing some shortages of food. We can only wait until next year. Relief is possible only after the autumn harvest, and from now to next autumn is the most critical time. If it cannot be handled properly, then...

Therefore, Cao Cao's attack on Jiangxia is just a pretense, and it is impossible to directly attack Jiangdong. After all, the current Cao Ao does not have the financial background of Cao Cao during the Red Cliff period in history. The economic foundation is on the verge of danger. Cao Cao was like running with an egg on his head. He could neither stop nor be careful about the egg falling.

Cao Cao was silent, as if mourning for the corpses in the pit. After a moment, he waved his hand, indicating to the soldiers on the side that they could bury them.

Cao Cao originally didn't have to come, but Cao Cao felt that he still had to come. Even if it was to make a show, it would be better than not showing up at all.

In the battle with Zhou Yu, both sides suffered heavy casualties, which also destroyed some of Cao Cao's original contempt and even shook the morale of some of the troops.

Considering the difficulty of continuing to attack Jiangdong, Cao Cao was actually already thinking of establishing farming in the Jianghuai area.

In this area, there are thousands of acres of barren fields and hundreds of silted ditches, which can save a lot of money and time for farming. These fields and ditches were ruined by Yuan Shu, and now they just need to be restored, but the most important thing is the people.

Originally, most of the people in Jianghuai had been converted into young men or fled during the war at that time. Now they are in a state of having land but no people, and it is obviously unrealistic to transfer people from other places. , so there are only two solutions.

One option is to plunder the people around Jiangxia and populate them near Hefei. The other option is to build military camps.

Cao Cao is an adult, so he naturally wants both.

Sun Quan was even more greedy. He wanted not two, but three.

Compared with Cao Cao, whose financial situation has been on the verge of collapse and jumping around the red line, Sun Quan's economic foundation in Jiangdong is not a little better.

After all, when Sun Ce was alive, he raised many swords and plundered the money and property of Jiangdong nobles. Although he died in the counterattack in the end, he left a lot of things for Sun Quan. In addition, Sun Ce Overdoing it when inheriting power can be considered a near miss, so that the overall loss is not much, so Sun Quan's ambitions are naturally greater.

Sun Quan wanted the Jiangdong nobles to return to their hearts, and he also wanted Zhou Yu and other veterans to obey. Of course, Sun Quan also wanted to seize Jingzhou's territory, at least a part of it, to glorify Sun Dadi's reputation as a classmate.

The night has gradually fallen, but the rain in the sky has not reduced even a little bit. It seems that there is a god in the sky, spreading his own sorrow everywhere, or splashing bodily fluids.

There is already a lot of water in Jiangxia City. Most of the soldiers in the city are gathered on slightly higher ground, while the area near the south of the city and facing the river is designated for the wounded soldiers. It's not because we have to take care of the wounded soldiers, but if the wounded soldiers can't survive, the corpses are easier to deal with.

Although Cao Cao and Sun Quan are still in a stalemate and assuming a tough stance, there has not yet been a large-scale decisive battle. Only occasionally when the rain has subsided, there have been one or two attacks on Jiangxia.

It's more like maintaining a habit than attacking.

The blood-soaked land above and below the city's walls began to bleed with blood again under the water of the rain, like a pot of boiled red rice porridge.

The head-on confrontation between Zhou Yu and Cao Cao, which was fought to the point where both sides were exhausted, still remains in the hearts of the soldiers on both sides, and when they think about it even a little, they feel terrified.

Facing Zhou Yu, Sun Quan could only swallow his dissatisfaction and let Zhou Yu fix it. However, his heart was still full of dissatisfaction with Zhou Yu, just like an adolescent child facing his elders. It's all good, he said, "I know, I understand." But when he turned around, he curled his lips and cursed secretly.

Naturally, Sun Quan didn't want to fight Cao Cao to the last man, so Sun Quan had to think of some ways...

Unfortunately, this method was guessed right by Zhou Yu.

"May I ask my lord, where did Zhou Youping go?" ” Zhou Yu blocked Sun Quan who was trying to make an excuse to escape, and stared at Sun Quan and asked.

Sun Quan said, "Ah ha, I sent him back to Jiangdong... I still have something to do..." After saying this, he turned around and went down to the city gate tower.

Zhou Yu took a step sideways and stood in front of Sun Quan. He raised his hands and said in a deep voice, "My lord, you want to surprise Cao's camp and cut off his food route?" 』

Sun Quan's movements suddenly froze, as if he were rusty. After a few breaths, he recovered again. He forced out a smile and said, "Why did Gong Jin say this?" 』

Zhou Yu did not explain to Sun Quan how he made the judgment, but said: "The thief Cao has been in the army for most of his life, and he is full of tricks. He likes to ambush, lure the enemy into fighting, and win in chaos. How can he not prevent others from attacking him?" Nowadays, there are many camps outside the city, and we don't know the reality of them, so we are afraid that they are plots. 』

Sun Quan's eyes wandered, and then he said: "Gong Jin is too worried. A certain soldier in the city has not moved. How could he have fallen into the trap?" 』

Zhou Yu smiled bitterly and said, "My lord!" Since the soldiers in the city have not been moved, are they going to mobilize the soldiers from Jiangdong again? In this case, my lord, have you ever thought that Jiangdong must be empty! If something goes wrong, what will happen to the Sun family's foundation? 』

For Zhou Yu, it might be better if Sun Quan mobilized the existing troops in the city. If he had to be clever and let Zhou Tai sneak back to Jiangdong to mobilize troops, then even if he really mobilized soldiers, it would be equivalent to taking time out. The Sun family originally deployed its defense forces in Jiangdong, but if the empty Jiangdong is incited...

The northerners rode horses and the southerners rowed boats, so Sun Quan's idea of ​​using boats to surround Cao Cao's rear was not a strange or amazing strategy. On the contrary, in Zhou Yu's view, this strategy was unlikely to work. Falling into an ambush by Cao Cao.

Sun Quan glared at Zhou Yu, and then said after a while: "We have it at home... Wait, the governor's words, it seems that someone is bound to lose?" In the past, the Hussars could surprise Yuan Cao, why couldn't someone? 』

Yes, young people are always high-spirited. What can others do that I can't do?

Give me a reason first!

Zhou Yu sighed slightly and said: "My lord, if a surprise attack is to be carried out, the right time, place, and people should be favorable. It has been raining for many days now. Although it can cover its whereabouts, the utensils are damp and there is no need to set fire to them, so they cannot seize the enemy first to disrupt their army." . Secondly, Cao's army's stronghold stretched out, and they had already occupied a favorable position, with sentries posted everywhere. How could they advance without being surprised? Thirdly, there are many good generals under Qiusi's command. Although Youping is also brave, there is only one..."

Sun Quan was speechless. After turning around twice, he turned to Zhou Yu and asked: "In this case, does the governor have any good ideas?" 』

Zhou Yu was silent.

"Retreating again?" ” Sun Quan couldn’t help but said. Sun Quan just didn't want to retreat, so he came up with a strategy to surprise Cao's army.

Zhou Yu nodded.

Sun Quan jumped up and said, "No!" no way! Now that we have gained a foothold in Jingzhou, how can we abandon it so easily? ! Since the governor doesn't want to help someone, don't stop him! 』