Three Kingdoms

Taixing six years.

September.

Second grade of junior high school.

It is suitable for worshiping, traveling, getting married, and laying a bed for burial.

Avoid digging wells, digging soil, and making stoves for planting.

It's not a particularly good day, nor is it a particularly bad day.

In the evening of this day, the sky has darkened, but in the Shangshutai of Xu County, there are still constant exchanges of officials. People from various departments come to report, people come to report, people holding large and small documents, people follow each other. , one thing leads to another. The celebration of "Worldwide Celebration" is just around the corner, and there are more and more things to do.

Personnel need to be arranged, accommodation, food and drink, even toileting all need to be coordinated. Can't we just let these people who come from various counties and counties to congratulate the emperor and congratulate the prime minister sleep on the streets?

Materials also need to be prepared, stored, transferred, and withdrawn, and accounts need to be set up. After all, these materials are going to be used for the celebration, so they can’t line their own pockets halfway?

Xun Yu was wearing dark silk clothes, and under the illumination of candles in the hall, he listened to the officials' reports and approved the writings. I don't know whether it was because of the hot weather, the heavy workload, or the increase in temperature caused by the candles, but Xun Yu had a slight sweat on his forehead, and his temples were moistened and stuck to the side of his cheeks.

When there are more things and people, there will naturally be more quarrels.

Fortunately, Xun Yu is in charge.

Xun Yu could handle everything within the power of the Shangshutai almost with his eyes closed. Whose business was his business, and whoever caused trouble was his business. Several departments or divisions were playing ball with each other. Xun Yu could straighten out the dirty things with just a few words, and then everyone would perform their duties.

There were countless people coming and going, but Xun Yu handled them all without any confusion. The officials who came here couldn't help but admire him!

After all, here at the Chancellery, no official would dare to use documents from "relevant departments" as a dagger. Once the cover-ups and lies about many things are exposed, the key things will become simpler. Either they are afraid of taking responsibility, or they find it troublesome, and after assigning specific people, it is related to their own hats, so they dare not neglect it.

Hat, ribbon, official seal, those are treasures! With these things, you can become a herdsman on behalf of the emperor!

Rounding it off, that’s 100 million, uh, Tu Emperor!

For the sake of the local emperor, well, the official hat, ribbon and official seal, you can sacrifice anything!

What’s more, this time it’s “celebration from all over the world”!

How much oil and water is there... uh, how much etiquette!

The entire surrounding area of ​​Xu County is already busy, and all matters are being carried out around this one thing. Countless officials, large and small, are rushing around, sending out instructions one after another, and bringing back messages one by one.

But there is only one, uh, two, um, there is only one Xun Yu on the Chancellor's desk, so even if Xun Yu has eight extra hands, two of which are particularly long like octopuses, he still can't take care of them. All areas. Especially this time it involved such a large-scale celebration, and even related to the ban, it became more and more chaotic.

In such chaos, one person's lazy look, or to put it nicely, leisurely look, is particularly obvious...

Guo Jia walked in unsteadily.

Guo Jia is basically not involved in specific chores, but he is a friend of Xun Yu and a popular person in front of Cao Cao, so even if he does not have a position or even a position at the Chancellor, he will not do any work even if he comes, but as long as he comes However, there were still people who would lead the way in front of Guo Jia. Officials of all sizes outside the political hall also stood up and saluted respectfully when they saw Guo Jia. Guo Jia didn't have a straight face, he was smiling as if he had drunk some wine, and he was smiling half-drunk.

Everyone knows that Guo Jia knows the way, but he will still guide Guo Jia.

What does this celebration mean?

Is this really the emperor’s intention?

Some officials may not know it, but some officials must know it in their hearts. After all, what the position of prime minister means to the great man and the emperor, as long as you think about it seriously, you can still figure it out.

However, at this moment, at least no one in this room raised a question. Even though they knew that at this point in time, there were still many things that needed to be done urgently and were important, but no one asked. Will take the initiative to bring it up.

It's like everyone knows what the position of prime minister means to the great man and the emperor, but as long as he still has his hat, can still get his salary, and even has the possibility of being promoted to a higher position, then everything still doesn't matter.

For some officials, being an official is just to obtain their own rights and interests, so naturally everything is focused on their own rights and authority, and the rest are secondary or even unimportant.

Guo Jia walked into the political hall, smiled and greeted some of the deputy officials sitting under Xun Yu, and then said to Xun Yu: "Mr. Xun is really working hard!" The candles on the Chancellor's desk are burning day and night! Serve the country and the public! How admirable! 』

Xun Yu took a slight breath and raised his head. Then he felt his neck was a little stiff and sore. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said: "Come here, let me know. Today's government affairs are here for the time being. You can go back and rest... The things that have not been processed yet will be processed tomorrow." Next thing is... don't be late tomorrow at 9:00..."

The adjutants in the hall quickly bowed and said, "Thank you very much for your mercy!" We can't thank you enough! 』

The adjutant and assistant officer quickly put down the writing in their hands, took the cover of the cage and put it up, pasted a note, wrote down their names and some specific records, then they all stood up to say goodbye to Xun Yu, and then specially said to Xun Yu. Guo Jia bowed before exiting the political hall.

Guo Jia also gave instructions outside, asking the attendants on duty to bring up some syrup or something.

After Xun Yu finished approving the text in his hand, he subconsciously put it aside with one hand, and then went to pick up the new text with the other hand. He paused when he got it in his hand, then smiled bitterly, put the text down, and smiled slightly. He sighed and put down his pen, "Did Fengxiao come here specifically to mock me?" 』

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Rice?" Don't dare. I came to see your diligence. 』

"Speaking of which, what on earth is going on? Xun Yu said lightly.

Guo Jia sat down and casually took the syrup sent by his subordinates. "It is the Emperor's wish to rejuvenate the great Han Dynasty. It is also the proper intention to report victory to the temple and to offer rewards in suburban sacrifices. It was decreed by the Emperor... so what's the point?" as? Just do it casually, not to mention that everyone is just a mess, everyone is happy, isn't it the end of the world? 』

Xun Yu shook his head from side to side, as if he was relaxing his muscles and bones, but also as if he was denying it, "Okay, what if you do it?" 』

"You understand. ” Guo Jia lowered his head and drank some syrup.

Xun Yu said, "Understanding is understanding, and things are things." 』

Guo Jia put down the bowl, shook his head and said, "No, this is just how you see it." 』

Xun Yu frowned, "What do you mean..."

Guo Jia tilted his head and looked at the sky in the courtyard where the sky was getting dark, "I... went for a walk around the area today..."

Xun Yu suddenly had some not-so-good premonitions in his heart.

Guo Jia paused and glanced sideways at Xun Yu, "What, do you want to continue?" 』

Xun Yu took a deep breath, sat up straight, and said, "Just tell me." 』

"Celebrations are the biggest, but aren't they the only ones? ” Guo Jia said.

Xun Yu looked a little solemn and said, "What did you find?" Is it the counties below..."

"It seems that you have expected it," Guo Jia laughed twice, "That's right. I saw that you issued an order two days ago that prohibited officials from all over the country from using the name of the celebration to create clever names and collect fees... In the name of celebration safety, people are banned from traveling... We also need to take care of the autumn harvest, pay attention to Zhuang He's autumn poems, etc., right? 』

Xun Yu nodded slowly.

The celebration requires a large amount of materials, which will inevitably cause market fluctuations. This is almost inevitable. As long as there is no water in the head, Xun Yu can definitely imagine it. Of course, Xun Yu must take precautions.

In addition, during the celebration, if people's safety work is not organized, then the thefts will be small, and the suspension bridge may collapse and the crowd will stampede, so is it important to take safety precautions in advance?

Guo Jia put his hands on his hands and smiled, "Look, our Lord, how comprehensively he has considered and taken care of every aspect..."

"What on earth are you going to say?" Xun Yu looked at Guo Jia.

Guo Jia also turned to look at Xun Yu, "But your lord is your lord after all, and there is only one." 』

Xun Yu's heart couldn't help but jump, "You mean..."

"Do you know what lowly officials do? ” Guo Jia said with a smile, “They are not like you. They don’t have the same ability as you, nor the same diligence as you. These officials, do you think... they will face so many things? How to do it? 』

"..." Xun Yu was silent for a long time, and then said, "I sent people there... and I specially recorded the situation, with signatures and signatures..."

Guo Jia nodded and said, "Haha, yes, you sent people there, and those people who went there didn't lie to you... they told the truth, and reported the truth..."

Xun Yu frowned, and the lines between his eyebrows looked darker and darker under the light and shadow, "Then... you say." 』

"OK! ” Guo Jia said slowly, “Do you know what “borrowing” means? 』

Xun Yu's eyes narrowed, "..."

"The people over there have already received the news before your people arrive..." Guo Jia slowly gathered the cups, wooden plates, pen holders, etc. on the table together and stacked them in one place, " Then it was like this... I opened the warehouse door and took a look, wow, the materials are so rich, piled as high as a mountain, the people's lives must be very secure, the market supply must be sufficient, and there must be hope for stable prices... right? 』

"Did your people lie to you?" No, that's all he saw. There are abundant warehouses, and the shelves of the shops in the market are also full. There are smiling faces everywhere. Everyone you ask feels safe and happy. Everyone has enough to eat and clothes to wear. All prices are stable and everything is normal. Right? 』

"Then your men came back with good news and reported it to you, the emperor, and the surrounding counties. Everything is going well. The people live and work in peace and contentment, the market is in order, the officials are diligent and talented, everything is so beautiful, right? wrong? 』

"These officials all have merit!" Even after being mobilized and consuming a lot of materials, the warehouses are still plentiful, the markets are full, and the people are healthy. What a great contribution, what a strong ability, promotion is just around the corner, right? 』

"But you...of course you can probably guess that since those things were borrowed, they naturally have to be returned...as soon as your men left, they returned them..."

"The warehouses were locked immediately, the market was closed again, and the market was immediately cancelled. What is the real situation? Can your men see it?" In order to hold the celebration, materials and manpower have been transferred to Xu County, so how much can be left nearby? The real situation is that there is a shortage of supplies around the county, prices are rising, manpower is in short supply, and people are in turmoil! 』

"Then they were afraid that some damn people would say something that they shouldn't say during the celebration, so they blocked the roads and blocked the countryside. But no one could get out without their approval. I can’t even get in..."

"Those who can come out are all their own people. Food is given to them and drinks are invited. As for the people, who cares?" 』

"After I knew this, I wanted to go into the village to have a look, but I couldn't get in. When I arrived at the entrance of the village, I was kicked out and refused to enter! Then I knew that the situation was actually worse than I originally thought. 』

"Of course I just pretended to be a scholar... Anyway, I don't look like a high official, do I?" 』

"I was just thinking, although these little officials outside have to guard the intersection in the wind and sun, it is hard, it is hard, but they have food, drink, money and salary, and they still get a lot of money. Those who are imprisoned in the village, if they have food at home, that's fine, but if they don't...haha, there are also those who are sick and dead, they are all in the village, and they can't get out of the village. If they die, they are left at home. 』

"The whole world is celebrating, the whole world is rejoicing. How can one get sick or die at such a time worthy of celebration?" Isn't this a discredit to the emperor and the prime minister? 』

"Hehe, haha, haha..."

Guo Jia smiled and spoke, with half of his face in the light and half of his face in the darkness.

Xun Yu was silent for a long time, "Does the lord know?" 』

Guo Jia cast his gaze sideways, as if some blades were shining in his eyes, "What do you think?" 』

Xun Yu fell silent again.

There was silence in the political hall, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the treetops in the courtyard could be clearly heard.

The candle swayed, as if trying hard to drive away the darkness, but the boundless darkness still came from all directions, filling every place that the light of the candle could not take care of, hiding behind the pillars, hiding on the beams, hiding in the cracks , hidden under the silk gauze.

"My lord is determined to take action?" Xun Yu said slowly, his voice seemed to be hoarse, as if the previous fatigue and fatigue were now emerging from inside his body, "But what about the money?" Without these people, where would the money and taxes come from? Without these officials, how can we govern the people? Once the situation worsens, the Yellow Turban Rebellion may happen again! 』

Since Cao Cao knew about it but didn't express anything, then either Cao Cao was pretending to be deaf or dumb, or he was waiting for follow-up measures. Xun Yu's understanding of Cao Cao naturally favored the second possibility.

"If you don't take action, you will let these people continue to act unscrupulously?" ” Guo Jia chuckled, with disdain on his face, “They also know that if they do this, they may be exposed and may be caught, but at the same time, they also know that it is impossible to catch them all? Right? Grab two, three, four, ten, more or less, twenty, is that enough? Fifty? five hundred? What a huge death! The head can be as high as the city gate! But will they be afraid of this? Haha, as long as they don't arrest them all, will these people be alert? No, as long as something slips through the net, they will wonder how that one slipped through the net? If there is any relationship behind it, then everyone should look for the relationship behind it. If they have any merit to avoid death, then everyone should immediately perform that merit and label themselves... In these matters, they are smarter than us, do you believe it? 』

"It's like this celebration," Guo Jia looked forward, as if to see through the dark night, "The sky is huge and the earth is big, the celebration is the biggest, right?" As long as the celebration is completed, the hat on the head, the ribbon on the body, and the official seal in the leather bag will not be lost! right? 』

"The whole world is celebrating. For the man, for the emperor, for the people, the slogans are shouted loudly... These people are used to sitting in government offices, eating and drinking on weekdays, but suddenly there are such complicated things, how can they get used to it, how can they be busy? come over? ” Guo Jia said with a smile, but there was no smile in his voice, “Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean they can do it, so they can only look at the present first! Take care of this celebration! 』

"In order to hold this celebration, people died, which is called waiting to die. Waiting until the celebration is over before dying." When people are sick, it is called a chronic illness. They wait until the celebration to see a doctor. If any people sneak out without food or drink, they will be arrested directly. This is called disrupting the order of the celebration. Will there be public dissatisfaction? There will certainly be, but these are the emperor's responsibilities, aren't they? What does it have to do with them? It is the emperor who wants this celebration, it is the emperor who wants the whole world to celebrate, it is all for the emperor. Is it wrong to do it for the emperor? 』

"I ask you, is it wrong?" 』

Guo Jia turned around and looked at Xun Yu, "You gave the order, right?" These people are not allowed to take this opportunity to hoard and sell at high prices, right? In other words, they don't sell at high prices. Anyway, there is nothing in the market stores, so if you want to buy it at a fair price, you can't buy it. They have come up with a new method called voluntary procurement. They do not sell in the market and let private individuals do it. If something goes wrong, that person is responsible..."

"You also issued an order, saying that no traffic jams should be set up to ensure crops and autumn harvests, right?" They also changed the word. They did not close the roads and villages. They called it "waiting for closure". Look, did they disobey orders? 』

"It will be ripe in autumn soon." Zhuang He is in the field, but the people in the village can't get out! Catch them when they get out! They were afraid, what if these people who said they were going out to collect grain were actually running around? What if the people in that village tell the truth and cause trouble? Do you still want the hats on their heads, the ribbons on their bodies, and the official seals on their waists? right? 』

"You think I'm talking about those low-level officials? No, they are just following orders. More importantly, you know who they are... These people sit in the hall all day long and rarely set foot in the private sector. They don't know the situation of the people, and they don't have the ability to handle coordination at the same time like you. There are so many things to do... So for these people, they can only be busy with the celebration first..."

"Anyway, the celebration is only for these few days. If you get through it, it's over. It's just these few days, right?" The autumn harvest is still something in the future. If the celebrations in front of us are not good, we will have nothing to do! As for individual people, if they don't make it through, they're going to die! Who can you blame? 』

"What's more, some of them have put a lot of thought into this..."

"You said that, right?" 』