Three Kingdoms

The news that Taishi Ci took Liu Qi out of Tongguan quickly spread to Hedong.

In Hedong, the Wenxi Pei family is now the dominant family.

Wenxi is located in the northwest of Junzhi'an City, close to Sushui. "Shui Jing" says: "Sushui comes out of the Miaojia Valley in Dongshan, Wenxi County, Hedong Province." 』That is, it originates from the northeastern part of the county, passes through Dong Chipi, flows southwest through the east of Wenxi County, then passes through Anyi, Yishi, and Jie counties, and finally flows into Zhangyangze in Puban.

Wenxi County was called Tongxiang in ancient times, and was renamed Zuoyi County in the Qin Dynasty. It is said that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once came here to conquer the Huns in the north, and suddenly heard the news of the victory in pacifying South Vietnam. He was so happy that he changed the name of the county to "Wenxi".

Because the ground subsided from the north bank of the Yellow River to Wenxi, it was originally a large lake in ancient times. Later, the lake gradually dried up, leaving only Sushui, Zhangyangze and other places, forming a fertile soil covering hundreds of miles around Wenxi. Fertile fields, prosperous household registration, and developed agriculture.

Speaking of Wenxi Pei family, we have to mention a tree, the cypress tree.

About fifty miles east of Wenxi County, there is a huge cypress tree growing in the foothills. No one knows when and what month it was planted, or how many springs, autumns, colds, and heats this cypress tree has experienced. They just know that this cypress tree is thick, huge, and quite large. It was a miracle, and then someone from the Pei family said that this cypress tree was planted by the ancestors of the Pei family in the Zhou Dynasty, so it was called "Pei Bai"...

Of course, Pei's behavior is childish. He just said that a cypress tree belongs to his family, just like the emperor of Han Dynasty said that the whole world belongs to his family.

In fact, it was roughly at the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty that the Pei family settled in Hedong. The Pei family was not originally from Hedong, but from Yunzhong. There was one person, Pei Zun, who was the prefect of Dunhuang at the time. He made great contributions to the rule of Longshu in Guangwu and moved to Anyi. , and later Pei Zun's great-grandson Pei Ye was appointed general of Liao Dynasty and governor of Bingzhou.

Therefore, the time when Pei officially launched his "Pei Bai" sign should be between the period after Pei Zun and before Pei Ye.

Historically, the Pei family only relied on Pei Zun and Pei Ye, which was not enough. It was not until Pei Mao became Shangshu Ling, equivalent to the minister of the organization department at the national level, and controlled the promotion of officials across the country, that the Pei family in Hedong greatly benefited from this. It prospered, and by the time of the Western Jin Dynasty, it had become a first-class family no less powerful than the Yingchuan Xun, Hongnong Yang and other old families.

Later, when the Five Husbands invaded China, the Pei family split into different branches due to the "Yongjia Rebellion" and scattered in five directions. Later generations became known as the Five Households. Those who fled to Liangzhou in the west were called the West Household, and those who fled to Liaodong were called the East Household. Those who did not escape were called the West Household. Those who fled south were called Nanlai Wu Pei. The most interesting ones, the Western ones, were unable to carry them anymore and returned to the east of Hedong. They settled in Ximachuan in Jie County - for the Xima family...

The ancestors of the Pei family today can generally be traced back to Pei Zun or Pei Ye. It is not just the Pei Mao branch, but why is it that only the Pei Mao branch is prosperous today? Among the Pei family, they are in charge of the clan and have official careers outside.

After all, Wenxi has multiplied from the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the present. There are many children of the Pei family in Wenxi County, not only the family members of the master, but also joint clans, dependents, and slaves with the master's surname. Why is there no development among these people? Got up?

Because of the 80/20 rule.

Even the one-nine rule.

From Pei Zun to Pei Ye, and now to Pei Mao, the main family has almost controlled all the room for advancement, from the national promotion of filial piety and integrity to the county and township officials. Although the number is less than 10% of the entire Pei family, The number of people holding official positions accounts for 90% of the entire clan of officials!

From Pei Zun to Pei Ye, then to Pei Mao, and now Pei Xi, Pei Jun and others who are serving under Fei Qian, must they be outstanding talents that surpass hundreds of people in the Pei family? Is it an IQ superman or an EQ that stands out? It is possible, but neither IQ nor EQ is the focus. The point is that they made a good pregnancy.

Will people who have a good pregnancy and a good future be satisfied with the status quo?

Won't.

These people will want better.

Therefore, continued attention to Fei Qian has become a very important thing for Wenxi Pei. Especially after hearing the news of Cai's pregnancy, Wenxi and Pei almost had a new climax...

It turns out that Mr. Pei thought that General Fei Qian of the Cavalry was in poor health, so he had no heirs. But now it turns out that it is not the cattle that are not good, but the fields that are not good!

Taishi Ci's dispatch of troops further stimulated everyone in the Wenxi Pei clan. Many Pei clan members rushed to Pei Mao's place, nominally to pay their respects, but in fact they all expressed their dissatisfaction with some of Pei Mao's previous policies.

If I had known...

If I had known it earlier!

When the Hussars General was still the Zhonglang General, the Pei family sent a side branch girl to Fei Qian to be a concubine, and that was it. Now that "I had known earlier", many people naturally patted their thighs and wished they had given her as a concubine. It was my daughter who went!

The ones that were sent there were naturally from poor families. To put it simply, they were orphans. They were entrusted to the family members for foster care after their parents died. They were not much different from higher-end goods. Even if they were not given to Fei Qian at that time, they would still be there. Naturally, it will be given to other people, as a marriage, or as a reward.

Therefore, such a side branch girl is naturally unlikely to bring much feedback and help. Over the years, unless Pei Mao and others come to her door, she has never contacted Wenxi Pei. So Wenxi Pei was a little embarrassed. After all, what did he want to do by always looking for the general's concubine?

Now that Taishi Ci is leading Liu Qi to the east, it is obvious that General Fei Qian is dissatisfied with what Cao Cao did in Jingzhou and wants to give Cao Cao a fight...

It was originally said that the hussar general Fei Qian has a small body and a lack of successors. Now it seems that it is not that he does not want to have children, but that he does not want to have children. Isn't there a time when he really wants to have children?

Originally, they said that the Hussar was just settling down in a corner, but if we wait and see, we end up watching the General of the Hussar take over Guanzhong, Sichuan, and then the Pei family in Hedong is still nestled in Hedong...

I originally said that it would be risky not to join in the fun, but to be patient and not to act rashly. Now, wouldn’t those who act rashly have also become positions in the Law Council? Then I really listened and didn't even get a shit.

"There must be an explanation for how Mr. Pei arranged it." 』

"Now that we see the children from poor families getting high positions one by one, we still have the breeze in our sleeves and eat in the wind and drink the dew. What should we do?" 』

"I heard that the Pei family, with a century-old foundation, can't compare to those Liangzhou libertines?" It is reported that You Fufeng sent a group of disciples to serve in various counties..."

"Each of Mr. Pei's sons and heirs will find their own place, while our generation has no one to rely on..."

The more he spoke, the angrier he became, and for a moment Pei Mao couldn't resist. Pei Mao even felt a little confused. Taishi Ci sent the army to Heluo and not to Hedong. How did he stimulate these guys?

In fact, strictly speaking, there is no big problem with Pei Mao's approach. He also cooperated with Fei Qian back then, but he didn't expect that Fei Qian would rise so quickly, which makes him unable to find a place to stay. Clicked.

At the same time, like most aristocratic families, the Pei family does not want to put all their eggs in one basket, so they stay relatively isolated, that is...

Oh, I see.

Pei Mao pondered for a while, organized his words, and then coughed twice. After everyone calmed down, he said slowly: "I already know your thoughts." I heard that Pei's family is very popular. Although the population is prosperous and the land is vast, if you don't have long-term worries, you will have immediate worries..."

Having said this, Pei Mao paused for a moment, "Everyone feels sad when they see Taishi dispatching troops and watching Hongnong's corruption. I also feel it deeply..." Pei Mao paused again, and he paused for a longer time. Seeing everyone When there was no reaction, I knew I was basically right.

It's actually not hard to guess.

The Hongnong Yang family used to be such a powerful family, but now they are trembling under the Taishi, which makes people feel a bit sad.

"You think that this old man sits at home all day long, doing nothing?" "Pei Mao swept past from left to right, and the majesty he had accumulated over a long period of time made him look somewhat calm and majestic at this moment. Others lowered their heads and did not dare to look at Pei Mao. "You all want to climb the jade steps and Linjin Hall. Have you considered whether your own weight is enough? 』

"Today, look at the situation in the world, whether it is in the east or in the west. Pei Mao said in a deep voice, "Dong, you and I are all from Hedong. We have old friends from Hebei and Yu, and new people from Yingchuan. How can we defeat them with such virtue?" Although the location in the west is convenient, but... are you more famous than Zheng Gong? Can you be brave enough to fight against Ziyi? Economics and trade, planning, farming, equipment, wherever you are superior, I will fight for my life and recommend you to be the best! 』

"Is it possible?" You might as well say it! 』

Pei Mao stretched out his hand and patted the table hard.

Everyone was silent. You looked at me, I looked at you, and everyone was speechless for a moment.

"This... this... Mr. Pei, calm down, calm down..." The next person broke the silence and said with a slightly embarrassed smile, "I guess you are not forcing me to do it today... I just feel a little emotional for a moment and express something." ...』

"Yes, yes, it's just an expression. Mr. Pei doesn't need to take it seriously... he doesn't need to take it seriously..."

"You have made Duke Pei angry with your false words. Why don't you apologize quickly?" 』

"Ah, yes, yes, I will be impulsive and say too much in the next moment. I hope Mr. Pei can be magnanimous..."

"Chichi..."

"What?"

Pei Mao closed his eyes and waved his hands.

Human thoughts are undoubtedly the most complex things. Everyone's thoughts are stored in their own heads. What they say may not always be what they think in their heads, and their true thoughts may not be spoken out.

Pei Mao, the main family member, of course occupies the vast majority of resources, and such behavior will also cause some resentment to slowly accumulate. Once there are some changes, it will be ignited and then explode. However, will Pei Mao unconditionally release the resources in his hands just because of these resentments?

Totally impossible. Pei Mao will only tighten it even more, and then absorb as many outstanding talents from the side branches as possible to keep the main body strong and suppress the various departments.

"It has been three days since I heard about the Han River, and I have traveled on it again, making the darkness bright again..." Pei Mao looked around and said, "So I heard that I am happy, Pei. Are you asking for the sun to rise again, or to follow the moon's thinning to the west mountain?" Such a chaotic situation cannot be handled carelessly. Taking a step back, do you think that by riding in Chang'an and coming to Pingyang after hearing the news, the Pei family will be able to take advantage of everything at hand and be able to take on multiple posts? Everyone! Does it mean that Sima has a son and has a new position? 』

Pei Mao didn't show any concern and said word by word, "Shu, Zuo!" Just a book to help! 』

The rest of the people who were not as well informed as Pei Mao were immediately in an uproar.

"It is said that under Qiusi, the Wang family of Taiyuan served as the third assistant, and his books were transferred frequently. Wen County Sima, one goes north to Youhan, and the other is also a book assistant. Those who come from Jingxiang also start from small officials..." Pei Mao sneered and said, "You are quite powerful. As soon as you come up, you talk about county and township magistrates, county and state positions. Don't you think that all the hussars are at the mercy of the old man? Are you good at strategy or military formation? The high one is unable to do it, the low one is unwilling, yet you still blame me for coming here, how strange it is! 』

"But, but..."

"But we all read scriptures every day, so how can we understand these things!" 』

"That's it, that's it..."

"The Han Dynasty ruled the world with benevolence and filial piety. Is it possible that the scriptures of benevolence and filial piety are useless today?" 』

"Sad, alas..."

Pei Mao has actually been thinking about this issue.

Just like if Lao Tzu is a hero, most people will think that his son must be a good man. Pei Mao once believed that since the classics are passed down to the family and the country is governed by benevolence and filial piety, then as long as his children study well, know the latitude and longitude, and then boast about it, they will be famous. When you mature, you can naturally serve as a high official...

But after Pei Mao discovered that his children's experiences in the hussar's place were completely different, he suddenly realized that if he acted according to his previous ideas, the results would be completely unequal.

Take the two people who served under the Pei family as an example. One, Pei Jun, is a side branch. His attainments in scriptures are naturally not what Pei likes. But now, Pei Jun is obviously better developed than Pei Xi. Is this the case? Does this mean that the scriptures are useless?

Apparently not.

So what exactly went wrong?

In fact, there were some answers hidden in Pei Mao's previous words, but he hadn't discovered it yet.

In the Han Dynasty, when the power of family education was obviously greater than social education, a good father's children would naturally be more likely to receive a good inheritance. This is also the origin of the so-called "general family has no dogs".

But in reality, rote memorization is undoubtedly the simplest inheritance, and knowing how to apply it flexibly is the key. Otherwise, there would be no allusions to the Zhao family's talk on paper.

Hongnong Yang, if he is knowledgeable about classics, he can be regarded as the best in Shanxi. If he is smart, he is also among the best among his peers. But why is he alone in charge of the land of Sili and still in embarrassment as the order of Luoyang? , difficult to develop?

Pei Mao gave an example and said that if he was willing to start from the grassroots level like the Wang family of Taiyuan and Sima of Wen County, Pei Mao would naturally be obliged to recommend it to General Hussar. If he wanted to get a high-level position as soon as he came up, then Whatever he is good at, Pei Mao is not shy about finding ways to do it, but if he only knows how to read a few lines of scripture and wants to get good treatment...

When everyone saw that this was indeed the case, they couldn't blame Pei Mao for not recommending him. They felt somewhat dismayed at the end and dispersed after saying some extravagant remarks.

Even though Pei Mao was angry in his heart, he still had a smile on his face. He asked the junior Pei Ji to send him off. He stood outside the hall and waited for everyone to leave before returning to the hall to sit down and meditate. stand up.

Not long after, Pei Ji came back and reported: "Father, everyone has been sent away..."

Pei Mao nodded, pointed to the side, "Sit." 』

There was silence in the hall. A slight breeze blew by, lifting the gauze curtains and rustling them.

"This matter..." Pei Mao turned around and asked Pei Ji, "What do Ji'er think?" 』

"It is really abominable for greedy and ignorant people to coerce the public and coerce my father. Pei Ji said.

Pei Mao nodded, then shook his head and said, "You're not bad at what you say... But if you have to change places for your father, I'm afraid this is the only way..."

"Why?" Pei Ji said in surprise.

"Let alone the Wang family of Taiyuan and the Sima of Wen County..." Pei Mao sighed, "Just talking about the Yang family of Hongnong, now even the Luoyang order... alas..."

Pei Mao sighed. If Pei Mao knew the term "involution" in later generations, he probably wouldn't sigh like this. In fact, involution means that supply exceeds demand. For example, banks in later generations originally recruited technical secondary school students, and then they became college students. Later, undergraduates were not able to do it. They needed graduate students to start, and then what did they recruit graduate students for? Counting bills on the counter. Could it be that the bank boss thinks that the banknotes counted by graduate students are more fragrant and accurate than those of technical secondary school students?

Not really. It was the bank bosses who discovered that they could recruit more senior people at lower prices, so why not do this?

"Involution" is a necessity of social development and a change in the relationship between supply and demand. It is not based on the will of a certain person or a certain group of people.

Just like the current situation of the Han Dynasty, whether on Fei Qian's side or Cao Cao's side, people who know some scriptures are no longer a scarce commodity. Now there is a greater need for talents who are good at strategy or proficient in military affairs.

"...I think about it, in the past there was a king of Zhao who rode and shot in barbarian clothes...Now the Han Dynasty is in turmoil..." Pei Mao looked at Pei Ji and said, "If my father finds you some barbarians...learn more The art of riding and shooting, the art of military service, are Ji'er willing to do so? 』

"Barbarians?" Pei Ji was stunned for a moment, "Uh... I'm willing to obey my father's arrangements..."

Pei Mao nodded and sighed again, "Soldiers are also murderers, alas...But the Pei family, from top to bottom, mostly practiced literary skills and rarely used martial arts, so...if Ji'er is successful in learning martial arts, even if he doesn't fight on the battlefield, You can also protect your hometown... But the art of riding, shooting, and military requires physical training and a lot of hard work... As a father, as a father..."

"The child is willing to share his father's worries!" 』

"Hey... that's fine!" Tomorrow, as a father, I will go look for an expert in riding and shooting! 』

When the storm of Qinglong Temple's lectures arose, when all bachelors of agriculture and engineering took over the grassroots positions, and when the Sima of the Wang family in Taiyuan and Wen County had to lower their heads to look at lower-level positions, the Shanxi gentry The "involution" between the disciples also gradually exerted its power.

Even Shanxi's old-style gentry like the Hedong Wenxi Pei clan had to consider their own changes and evolution in new directions...