Three Kingdoms

Power can make people crazy.

Profits can also drive people crazy.

When two are added together, they are not added, but multiplied.

The Wang family's mansion in Andefang, Jinyang, was filled with gloom and misery.

Wang Huai sat with his head in his arms, his expression blurred, and his eyes were bloodshot.

There was some food on the table, but it was already cold.

Footsteps were heard on the corridor, and a servant hurriedly came to the front of the hall to report: "Her husband, the Chen family... The husband of the Chen family said he is ill..."

"I'm sick again..." Wang Huai sneered, and then he couldn't help but became furious, "Get out!" Get out of here! 』

Wang Huai's emotions were out of control, which undoubtedly aggravated the fear in the servant's heart, but he could do nothing but retreat silently.

The air was filled with confusion about life and death.

Power and interests can also make people psychedelic.

Once you hold power in your hands and talk about benefits, you think you can really do anything.

The smuggling of Wang Huai and others was not kept completely secret, and even many people from other families knew a little bit about it. After all, smuggling is not a one-time act. There are always traces when it comes and goes. Just because no one said it before, it doesn't mean that no one knows about it. It's just that they don't want to say it, or they don't dare to say it.

Originally, Wang Huai thought that Wang Ying didn't understand anything. In addition, he was young, energetic, and eager to make contributions. If there were any clues, he would jump at them like crazy. In this way, the water in Taiyuan would be completely muddied. , the physical witnesses and other evidences will be contradictory. This one points to which family, and that one points to this family. In the end, Wang Ying is trapped in a deadlock. It is like dealing with a mess. If you want to use brute force to find a quick solution, you will often get over it. It's getting worse.

Even if Wang Ying really didn't care about anything and attacked Wang Huai as soon as he came up, Wang Huai and others were not worried at first. Because in addition to Wang Huai, he also prepared two methods, soft and hard, intercession and threats. On the one hand, he sent some old, young, women and children to persuade Wang Ying and disturb his thoughts. On the other hand, he could take the opportunity to put, stuff, and throw some things into Wang Ying. In British hands...

But now, Wang Ying has arrived in Taiyuan, but has been in the post house since the first meeting. This makes it impossible for Wang Huai and others to use many methods!

You can't rush into the post house and expose yourself, right? !

As time went by, not only did things not get better, but they gradually changed in a direction that Wang Huai could not understand.

The pressure from the outside, coupled with Cui Jun's notice asking officials to declare their property, made the situation tense. Wang Huai's arrogant use of force not only failed to achieve the effect he envisioned, but further worsened the situation.

Then Cui Jun completely turned to Wang Ying and said that he would not play anymore. Handing over the list also meant complete cooperation between the two parties. This was like draining the water from a turbid pool, causing the fish in the pool to gradually I can't hide it anymore.

"Why? Why did it become like this? Wang Huai held his head and gritted his teeth, "How long has it been?" How could this stupid woman become so calm? Are you so capable? 』

Wang Huai couldn't figure it out, but whether he could figure it out or not, his road was almost blocked and he had reached the end...

In fact, Wang Huai still had a chance at the beginning.

Because smuggling has happened in all dynasties, it is also a serious crime. At least this is what is stipulated in the law, but in the actual implementation process, there are some subtle differences.

For example, the same act of smuggling goods may be a crime in Feiqian, but conversely it is a merit in other areas. Or maybe it is a crime in other places, but you will be rewarded here in Feiqian.

Plant seeds from the Western Regions can be said to be collected, purchased, or smuggled...

Therefore, for smuggling, the main criterion for punishment is not based on the crime, but based on the butt.

Wang Huai's smuggling behavior was undoubtedly stealing money from Fei Qian's purse, but the method of stealing money was slightly different. For example, if you directly trade high-quality ordnance, armor, and horses with Cao Cao, that is a sure way to die. It is considered an open robbery, and the amount is huge. But for example, Wang Huai went to Hu with some inferior iron weapons. If someone exchanges horse pelts and then resells them in Shandong, it can be like poaching, and the amount is relatively small.

Commodity buying and selling means trading at a price acceptable to both parties.

Political behavior is a compromise on a "price" that is acceptable to all parties.

Wang's smuggling behavior is almost transparent in front of Zhen Mi. She doesn't even need to track down any evidence or find any physical witnesses, because no matter what happens in the end, it will all come down to one word, "money." .

Cui Jun's cooperative behavior illustrates something from another perspective, "Where does the money come from?" 』

No matter who it is, as long as it is unclear about this aspect, there will naturally be problems.

If there is a problem, then it doesn't matter whether there is direct evidence of smuggling or whether they are actually involved. Without clear explanation of the ins and outs of money, no one can continue to hold the power in their hands!

This caused the officials who might have provided convenience, cover, and confusion to Wang Huai and others to start to withdraw, and did not dare to continue to mess with them. These officials were hooking up with Wang Huai and others. Of course, they were not Wang Huai's brothers who had been missing for many years, but for money. When the money was hot, these officials immediately abandoned Wang Huai without saying a word.

In the Han Dynasty, it was undoubtedly very difficult to transfer money on a large scale.

Even in later generations, it will be difficult to transfer a large amount of physical money, whether it is cash, banknotes, or real estate and antiques, in a short period of time. Therefore, for some officials, they are unwilling to see a unified national big data network in finance under any circumstances...

Zhen Mi and Wang Ying's strategy was like watching the inner and outer water outlets of the fish pond in Taiyuan at the same time. Even a fool knew that whoever jumped out of the water first would attract everyone's attention, so they could only lurk under the water obediently. But when the water surface gradually drops, no matter how muddy the bottom is, no matter how well the water is hidden, what effect will it have?

When the water falls, the stone will be revealed, no, when the water falls, the fish will be revealed.

In the camp outside the city, Cui Jun also had a separate tent on the outside.

"Your Majesty, if this Wang family makes some false accounts..." the clerk beside Cui Jun said with his hands raised, "then it won't be found out?" 』

"False accounts?" Cui Jun laughed twice and said, "Don't forget that there is a Zhen family in the post house!" What's more...hehe..."

This time Wang Ying went to Taiyuan to investigate the smuggling matter. It can be said that it was completely contrary to Cui Jun's imagination from the beginning.

If Wang Ying had just arrived in Taiyuan, he would arrest relevant personnel, collect various supplies, torture, and break into homes without saying a word. Although these were ordinary methods, Cui Jun would feel relaxed.

Cui Jun knows that all clues that can be easily obtained and seem to be very obvious are often false...

When Wang Ying loses her energy on a certain false clue, she will either have to make the false one true, which will leave loopholes and clues, or she will just die down and go back in ashes, or she will have to Relying on Cui Jun, he finally lost control of the entire incident.

So Cui Jun was waiting and watching at the beginning.

But unexpectedly, in the end, he was forced to retreat due to the situation and became a bystander...

"That's fine," Cui Jun slowly stroked his beard, "it's others' turn to be anxious..."

Indeed, as Cui Jun expected, the anxious person appeared quickly.

Among these Taiyuan surnames, the first to be unable to bear it was the Wen family.

From the very beginning, Mrs. Wen planned to be an oriole, and even planned to "assassinate" Wang Ying in an attempt to frame the blame.

Unfortunately it didn't work out.

But as the incident progressed, Wen didn't dare to have any illusions anymore...

Whether it is Shandong or Guanzhong, the gentry family itself is a very large group, and the family with the longest inheritance can even be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Over the course of hundreds of years, there have been ups and downs, with the first movers in decline and the latecomers rising above the rest. This is also a common occurrence. Just like the Wen family in Taiyuan, although they now regard Taiyuan Zuomun as the foundation of their family business, they are not harmonious or close to other families. They may be like family members, but there are also feuds, and even one family. There are people within the family who are close to each other due to their distance, and there are even people who have never interacted with each other until death.

In a big family, it is not uncommon for brothers to kill each other in order to fight for family property.

Moreover, in a sense, Fei Qian is the top figure in Shanxi at the moment and the leader of all Shanxi families. For these Taiyuan nobles, Fei Qian's control of Chang'an's three assistants and making Guanzhong once again become the center of the world does have certain benefits, but these benefits cannot be fully realized, and may not satisfy their personal desires. Therefore, it is not inconceivable to do something small without telling the family boss, but if you are discovered, you have to accept the punishment and even hand over the head to make amends.

Mrs. Wen felt that her family affairs might have been discovered...

Especially after the news spread, Mrs. Wen realized that the situation was not good and became a little anxious.

Looking at it now, Wen's previous actions were indeed short-sighted and unwise.

But under a fluke mentality, who can stay awake all the time?

The reason why the Wen family fled Jinyang was naturally to get out of the situation first, but the problem is that there has been no movement in Jinyang city for a long time, and then there are rumors that the Wen family is absconding out of fear of crime, and some dead bodies have been found. , the most important thing is that Gongfang said he found clues to the weapon...

That means things are going to be very bad. How many people can sit still?

Wen Cheng is the weakest, and if he wants to avoid being sold out, he will naturally have to let the other big guys fight each other, and he will be the fisherman. But the problem is that everyone is safe and sound, and the wind direction is getting more and more wrong, so in the end Wen Cheng Thi Wencheng voted and was the first to be eliminated.

It's just that you lose half if you surrender. Well, ahem, surrendering can be reduced, so the specific punishment will be relatively lighter...

Wen Cheng surrendered and took the blame, and the city of Jinyang was suddenly shocked.

There are officials, big and small, who are involved or who have benefited from smuggling, especially those who have had some dealings with the Wen family before. They have no idea whether they have been exposed to the water. So, after finding out that Wen Shizi was not punished on the spot, but was only temporarily detained, these officials understood what they should do.

Taiyuan was not captured directly by Fei Qian, it could only be regarded as a surrender.

Therefore, there are many old systems in Taiyuan.

Among the counties in the North, Pingyang Zuojin was the first place to implement the new official system reform, followed by Sanfu in Guanzhong, then Hanzhong in Hedong, and then after the Longyou Qiang Beigong incident, Fei Qian once again promoted the reform of county officials System reform.

Such reforms are of course beneficial to the entire Han bureaucracy. It divides the authority of local officials, making responsibilities clearer and division of labor clearer. At the same time, it strengthens the centralization of power and strengthens the say of central personnel in local affairs. , the separation of military and political affairs also makes local rebellions more difficult.

Just like now, even if Cui Jun had some ideas, he could only use some tricks and did not dare to jump too high. Even when he saw that the momentum was not right, he would immediately follow the wind and steer the ship. Because Cui Jun had no military power at all, since he left Xihe and took office in Taiyuan, he basically had no military power. At first, there was a captain, who could probably be regarded as Cui Jun's subordinate, but later, after three and two adjustments, the captain became a patrol officer, only targeting local bandits, and encountered many obstacles, not much. carry out.

As for why patrol inspections cannot be carried out in Taiyuan, so that they cannot be of much help to the smuggling cases this time, what is the specific reason? Most of the management officials, including Cui Jun, are thinking Well aware.

Who is willing to give away the authority in his hands?

Cui Jun sits on the fence, going short for a while and going long for a while. Although this kind of behavior is disgusting, it has to be said that in many cases these fence-sitters make a lot of money. Even if they miss occasionally, they will not be hurt, otherwise Historically, there wouldn’t have been so many people choosing to sit on the fence.

Just as there are leaders, there are also subordinates. Cui Jun changed his direction. The lower-level officials were hesitant and hesitant. When they heard the news of Wen's surrender, they couldn't sit still and went back and forth. , in twos and threes, they also confessed some innocuous things to show their sincerity. At the same time, in order to get themselves out, they betrayed some other people without knowing their testimony. In the end, they formed a series of closed loop.

The grassroots fell down when the wind came, and the die-hard Wang Huai was of course the last to get the news.

Although Zhen Mi doesn't know what torture is, she knows how to sell her products at a high price. For example, secret bidding is actually similar to the prisoner's mentality. No one knows what price anyone will pay...

In order to find out where the situation had reached, Wang Huai had no choice but to go to the military camp in person. Along the way, although his face tried his best to remain normal, his eyes were full of fear and suspicion.

The military camp was not far from Jinyang City, and Wang Huaixing was already vaguely in sight not long after.

On the road, Wang Huai occasionally saw some familiar officials, but before Wang Huai could say hello, he saw those officials as if avoiding snakes and scorpions, which immediately made Wang Huai feel that the matter might have worsened to the extreme, and he was filled with dangers. Feeling, his expression couldn't be maintained, and the corners of his eyes kept beating.

"I've met eldest sister!" ’ After finally entering the camp and seeing Wang Ying, Wang Huai quickly put on his habitual smile and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Bold!" ” Zhen Mi, who was sitting next to Wang Ying, scolded unceremoniously, “This is a military camp! The leader is Marquis Yuyang! How can we have a private relationship? Do you want to despise the prince? 』

Zhen Mi has a beautiful face, but when she raises her eyebrows, her face becomes pale and a little murderous. Earlier, when she was the third assistant in Chang'an, Zhen Mi often dealt with guys similar to Wang Huai, and she knew very well how to deal with these tough guys.

When Wang Huai heard Zhen Mi's scolding, his face was startled, a little angry, but he soon collapsed and hurriedly waved his hands and said: "How dare I, how dare... I just made a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue, how dare you despise the Marquis of Yuyang..." …』

Zhen Mi said in a deep voice, "You don't even have the courage!" Now the Marquis of Yuyang is supervising the smuggling of eucalyptus in Taiyuan, and he has the power to arrest, interrogate, and kill lawless people! I will forgive you for being disrespectful this time, but if there is a next time, even if Marquis Yuyang doesn't ask, I will never forgive you lightly! 』

Wang Huai naturally apologized again and said he did not dare.

Zhen Mi bowed her hand to Wang Ying and said, "Yuyang Marquis Taiyuan is inspecting and attending to matters. You are from the same clan, but you can't be bullied by being an old friend!" If you have any conspiracy in your heart and think that the Marquis of Yuyang knows the local situation, so you deceive and deceive him, you are asking for your own death! Without further ado, since we have already entered the camp to pay our respects, if you have anything to say, please report it quickly! 』

Wang Ying sat at the top, silent, because her surname was also Wang.

The big man still has the moral concept that it is not illegal to hide from each other, so now she is not suitable to be a villain, she can only be Zhen Mi.

The Taiyuan gentry group did not belong to the core group of Shanxi gentry from the beginning. Even at the time of Wang Yun, it seemed like a short-lived glory. After all, before Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, the leader of Shanxi's gentry was the Yang family, and the Yang family concentrated their operations in the Heluo area. Areas like Taiyuan were relatively remote.

These gentry and squires in Taiyuan have basically lost their power. Most of them survive based on some legacy of their ancestors. Most of them are not qualified to participate in the competition for the general situation of the government, but they have more time and energy to manage in the countryside.

Ordinary people would never be their opponents, so they had always done whatever they wanted and felt good about themselves. It is precisely because of this that these people, relatively speaking, do not have enough acumen for politics like the gentry children of Guanzhong Sanfu. They are relatively lagging, dull, and self-satisfied. Many of them are single-minded. He stayed in Taiyuan and lived his own life.

Now, it's time to correct these crooked branches.

Wang Huai hesitated a little, his throat moved a bit, and when he was about to say something, he suddenly heard a noise outside the camp, and then an old voice came: "Marquis Yuyang, Marquis Yuyang is on top!" I'm sorry, I'm sorry! 』