Three Kingdoms

The night is dark.

Under the swaying light and shadow, Zhang Liao could not hide the tired look on his face.

Zhang Liao took out a well water and washed his face.

Human blood is not only smelly, but also very sticky. Coupled with the shredded meat and bone residue that have been tightened due to the loss of water, it is difficult to clean off the face. It must be soaked with water, and then slowly will fall off. And don't use too much force, otherwise the bone residue will happily scratch your face and draw out more blood.

Of course, if you use hot water to wash it, it will naturally be better removed, as long as you can tolerate the thicker bloody smell caused by the higher temperature...

Zhang Liao didn't care about the smell of blood. He was just too tired. In addition to washing, he also needed cold water to stimulate his dizzy head. At night in the Western Region, the temperature is low, and the well water has a slight temperature difference, so it doesn't feel cold when you wash it, which is quite acceptable.

The blood stains looked like smudged ink under the firelight.

Zhang Liao took the clean old linen cloth handed over by the guard and wiped the water on his face. Then he used another bucket of water to wipe his loose hair casually, and then quickly tied it up again. bun.

He didn't have time to take a shower, and he was still waiting for dinner.

The breakfast was eaten near noon, and the bowl of couscous and soybean rice was completely consumed by now.

But before eating, Zhang Liao still had something to do. He turned out of the side courtyard and headed to the main hall.

Zhang An sat in the hall, waiting silently. When he saw Zhang Liao coming, he immediately stood up and saluted respectfully, "I have seen the general." 』

"The city can take action...I mean, all of them..." Zhang Liao said directly, he didn't have much energy to go around the bush anymore.

Zhang An was stunned for a moment, "Now?" 』

It's night now, and Zhang An originally thought that he wouldn't do anything on a large scale until tomorrow.

Before, we had only dealt with thirty or forty people from the Duhu Mansion, but in Xihai City there were not only the Duhu Mansion, but also other officials, merchants who were in cahoots with the horse thieves, and even spies from the Western Region countries. If you work carefully, it would be even worse. The more dangerous...

Before coming to the Western Regions, Zhang Liao had imagined the situation in the Western Regions, but he thought that the situation in the Western Regions was very bad. However, what he didn't expect was that after arriving at the Western Regions and the West Sea, he discovered that the current situation here was not just "bad". Words can describe it.

Therefore, Zhang Liao gave up his original plan and used the most brutal and potentially troublesome method to deal with people and things in Xihai.

Just like the officials who were killed before, is it possible that they were partly unjust? Or maybe there was an error in Zhang An's record? Is it even possible that Zhang An's personal emotions were mixed with private anger and revenge?

It's possible.

Moreover, people cannot be resurrected after death. Even if there is subsequent compensation or something, the damage caused is irreversible.

But Zhang Liao could no longer delay. He found that the West Sea in the Western Region was like a rotten wound. If the rotten flesh and pus-producing sores were not removed as soon as possible, it might lead to inflammation of the whole body and a high fever that would not go away. , and finally died. So even though he knew that cutting through the mess with such a sharp knife must be partly good and partly bad, and even cut some good meat, he didn't care.

As soon as Zhang Liao arrived at Xihai City, he sent the last batch of grain and grass to Lu Bu in the morning, killed the officials in the Protectorate at noon, arrived at the camp outside Xihai City in the afternoon, and lured out the horse thieves in the evening, and now...

This day has been extremely long.

But it's not over yet.

The purpose of sending out food and grass in the morning was to preserve the soldiers in the Western Regions as much as possible, and at the same time, it also brought a message to Lu Bu. How Lu Bu would react depends on the subsequent changes...

The purpose of sending out food and grass was to paralyze the officials of the Protectorate, making them think that Zhang Liao could not do without them and needed them to continue sending food and grass. It also depended on the face of the Protector-General. That was why Master Yan was so arrogant in leading people forward. Perhaps in Chief Yan's mind, he still felt that Zhang Liao had to compromise with them due to the pressure of the situation.

Otherwise, if we go to settle accounts with the officials of the Duhu Mansion in a serious manner from the beginning, it is possible that before the big one is caught, the small one will have disturbed the situation and run away!

After killing Master Yan, he used thunderous means to frighten the officials in the Duhu Mansion, executed more than a dozen leader-level figures, and arrested the rest and imprisoned them, which also frightened General Ma Pian in the camp outside Xihai City. General Ma Pian knew that he could not be kind, but he did not have enough prestige to lead other soldiers to resist Zhang Liao, so he could only delay the attack in the name of surrender. On the one hand, he deceived Zhang Liao, and on the other hand, he tried to contact Zhang Liao, but he did not expect Zhang Liao He just followed the current and broke into the Xihai camp. On the surface, he wanted to ask General Ma Pian for questioning, but secretly, he wanted Meng Hua to come into contact with his old acquaintances in the Xihai camp, catching Ma Pian general off guard.

The result was just as Zhang Liao expected, the thieves were actually hiding among the vassal troops surrounding the camp outside Xihai City...

If we delay for a few more hours and wait until Ma Pianjiang has negotiated with others, it will not be so easy to remove the cancer in Xihai Camp. After all, General Ma Pian didn't even have a sword or axe ready at that time, and he didn't have time to contact other people to discuss strategies. But as time goes on, it will inevitably lead to longer nights and more dreams.

When Zhang Liao entered the camp, General Ma Pian sent an order to summon men. Only the horse thieves with the greatest interests and the deepest connections, who would definitely have only one way to go to the dark side, that is, Ma Xiu's group of people, would respond without saying a word. The rest Most of the vassal troops were waiting and watching, which gave Zhang Liao time to use his methods again.

Under Zhang Liao's thunderous tactics, Ma Xiu was beheaded. When Matthew's head hung outside the vassal army's camp, the originally restless vassal army calmed down almost immediately. Matthew died, and in the eyes of the vassal army, they thought the matter was over...

Only then did Zhang Liao find a way to temporarily hand over the Xihai Camp to Menghua and return to Xihai City to handle the affairs of the city. That is to expand the cleaning operations in Xihai City. It just so happened that there was already a curfew in Xihai City. Once the gates of various markets were closed and surrounded, they could clean up area after area.

"In Xihai City, all suspects, regardless of officials or civilians, will be arrested!" Zhang Liao said in a deep voice, "Start from the west of the city first!" Divide into areas and sweep them one by one..."

Zhang An slightly hesitated, "General..."

It's not that Zhang An can't do anything, but Zhang Liao's doing so is almost equivalent to standing on the opposite side of Lu Bu, and there will no longer be any room for maneuver. Although Zhang Liao's killing of Master Yan before was almost like slapping Lu Bu in the mouth, but now that he is cleaning up the whole Xihai City, it is almost like poking holes in Lu Bu's body.

After tonight, it means that either Lu Bu can only regain his authority by killing Zhang Liao, or it will be impossible for Lu Bu to continue to be the protector of the Western Regions...

"Just do it!" ” Zhang Liao was silent for a while, then waved his hand, “The land of the Western Region is not a place where the capital protects one person! 』

Zhang An thought that Zhang Liao had obtained the authorization from General Hussar, so he stood up and left without saying anything more.

The guard came in with food. The simple and rough food, but filled with heat, finally brought a little warmth to this cold night.

"Have you all eaten?" ” asked Zhang Liao.

The guard nodded, "Eat them all." 』

Zhang Liao didn't say much nonsense. He sat down and started to eat in large gulps. He swept the food clean like a whirlwind. When he finished the last mouthful of soup, he felt sleepy.

He had to take a rest, he was so tired.

Next…

Although he was very tired physically, he still couldn't relax mentally.

He had to be quick.

It has to be like this...

The Western Region cannot continue to be rotten.

Xihai City, the camp outside the city, Yumen Pass, Longyou's follow-up supplies, etc., many matters were reviewed in Zhang Liao's mind one by one, and then he sorted things out again, connecting the responsible people and things, and making sure that there were no After missing something, Zhang Liao truly relaxed.

The sleepiness that surged up like a wave slapped Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao yawned loudly, and the tense nerves and muscles in his body gradually relaxed. Even if there were still noisy sounds outside the house and the courtyard, it could not affect him. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Outside the house, there were guards on guard with swords.

In Xihai City, it was Zhang An who was arresting people in an orderly manner according to the established list.

And all this battle of light and shadow, the spread of fire and blood, seems to be just the beginning in the Western Region.

……6(???)(???)9……

Also at night, discussions in the general's mansion continued.

After the evening meal, Fei Qian, Pang Tong and Xun You continued to discuss.

You eat your own food and walk your own path, and the blood blisters on your feet are determined by the different paths you choose. You can scold the shoes on your feet as small shoes given by others, but you cannot scold the path you have chosen.

So whether you endure the pain and break the blood blister, or cover it and cause erosion, it is actually a choice.

It's like Fei Qian also gave Lu Bu a way. If Lu Bu could put down those things that were burdened on him and see the road clearly under his feet, maybe the current situation in the Western Regions would not have happened.

Didn't Fei Qian give any advice or warning to Lu Bu?

Before Lu Bu set out for the Western Regions, Fei Qian sent Lu Bu all the way, and even gave Lu Bu the Red Rabbit Horse No. 2...

Red Rabbit and Horse are brave, but they will eventually grow old one day.

It will eventually be replaced...

No matter how good the relationship was with him and how tacitly they cooperated.

Maybe Lu Bu didn't understand, or maybe he pretended he didn't understand.

But it doesn't matter, as long as you follow the rules, there will be no problem.

Rules will also protect Lu Bu.

Those who have merit will naturally be rewarded.

It's a pity that Lu Bu felt that he had no freedom under the rules.

Later, when Li Ru was seriously ill and was about to go to the far west place mentioned by Fei Qian, Fei Qian sent Zhiyin Supervisor to the Western Regions as a replacement for Li Ru, and demonstrated the role of Zhiyin Supervisor to let him Lu Bu made appropriate arrangements.

Then how did Lu Bu behave properly? Lu Bu thinks that with Li Ru gone, he can do whatever he wants? Are you pretending to be Hutu at this time, or do you still not understand?

Later, Fei Qian asked Lu Bu and Zhao Yun to hold military competitions every year, select outstanding military academy non-commissioned officers to return to Chang'an to study, participate in martial arts training, dispatch officials to recruit, etc. Zhao Yun could do it as required. Why did Lu Bu do it three times? He said twice that the Western Region has not yet recovered. What about asking for leave and postponing? Even in order to avoid the military selection competition, you even slacked off on your daily training?

Now that the incident in the Western Regions happened, and then in turn accused Fei Qian of letting Lu Bu go, is the responsibility all on Fei Qian? It's like someone made a mistake, and instead of examining what exactly he did wrong, he scolded his parents for being too spoiled when he was young, which led to this person eventually embarking on the path of crime? Is the weakness of others the reason for my own violence?

Freedom obviously has limits.

This is true in the Western Regions, and it is the same in Jiangdong.

Maybe it was just a small thing at the beginning, but gradually it became more than just a small thing.

Fei Qian looked at Xun You, then at Pang Tong, thought for a while, and gently knocked on the table, "If the current situation in Jiangdong is a lesson, what can you two say?" 』

Xun You lowered his head and said: "It is difficult for Jiangdong's political orders to reach the countryside, and the soldiers only know their generals and commanders. Over time, there will be no communication between the superiors and the subordinates, and the civil and military forces will not be able to communicate with each other. Each of them will do his own thing, and each will practice his own method. It will be chaotic and unable to unite." If there is a foreign enemy forced under the wall, we can temporarily join forces to resist. If the foreign enemy leaves, it will be brothers fighting against each other. 』

Pang Tong said: "Zhou Gongjin has too much power, and there is no one who can replace him." On the one hand, Sun Zhong will find it difficult to make plans, and on the other hand, it will be difficult for all the generals to decide. Losing one general will lead to the defeat of the entire army, which is undesirable. The emphasis should be placed on the soldiers and the generals should be neglected. Even if the generals are lost, it will not cause chaos in the army. 』

Fei Qian listened and nodded in approval.

But after waiting for a while, neither of them talked about a fundamental issue in Jiangdong. This made Fei Qian couldn't help but touch his beard, "You two, why don't you ignore Jiangdong's cronies?" 』

"clique? Pang Tong was stunned for a moment, then raised his eyebrows and said, "My lord, do you think... there are cliques in Chang'an?" 』

Fei Qian smiled and said, "Aren't the Zhen women and others just friends?" 』

Pang Tong opened his mouth, then clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Xun You didn't say anything at the side.

This is a very troublesome problem.

Party struggle is actually about interests, and more interests mean greater party struggle. Jiangdong showed this aspect vividly, and there were even situations where Sun's own people were attacking their own people.

When Zhou Yu was around, everything could be suppressed, but if Zhou Yu disappeared, who would balance the party struggle in Jiangdong?

Sun Quan? Or Lu Su?

Or who else?

And then extend it to Chang'an?

Now that Fei Qian is in charge, there are still problems like this and that. If Fei Qian encounters any problems, who can guarantee that the rest of the people will not fall into party strife?

"Cliques have existed since ancient times. Human beings are not grass and trees. How can we be ruthless?" A certain person has been on good terms with Shiyuan since Lushan... He has known Gongda since the time of Zhongxing Jian... Therefore, there is nothing wrong with the superiors and the subordinates, knowing each other and becoming friends... The disadvantage is that the parties fight, and those who agree with each other attack those who are different. If you do more harm than good to the country... In terms of national affairs, you should choose them based on their talents, rather than recommend them based on your likes and dislikes. ” Fei Qian said, “Now that a certain person has moved to Guo Gongze, Feng Yuantu and his two men are appointed to refer to the law and examine the merits. This is also the case. A great man should have the heart to tolerate the world. Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei and Henan are all one. There may be differences in talents, and there may be deviations in habits, but they are all Han people. 』

Xun You and Pang Tong both looked serious and nodded in agreement.

What Fei Qian said seems somewhat vague, but it has to be said. Because Guo Tuhe Fengji was promoted to important positions, this indeed represented that people from Shandong had entered Fei Qian's political circle. Although they were not the core, it was still a new beginning.

Of course, if it counts as an honorary sinecure like Zheng Xuan, perhaps it would be more accurate to change it to relative real power?

The Xun family cannot be completely regarded as a Shandong noble family, because one of the Xun family members was expelled and the other was "sold" to Fei Qian...

According to the traditional concepts of the Han Dynasty, people who are expelled from the family cannot be considered as members of the family.

If we insist that these people are considered Shandong nobles, then it is okay.

As for the Xin family, they were on the fringes. They only served as the Protectorate of the Northern Territory and did not enter the core area.

The rest of the Shandong nobles in Sanfu, Chang'an, have a relatively low position.

As Chang'an progresses and improves in all aspects, more people are attracted to Chang'an. The new generation is constantly entering Feiqian's political group, not only people from Jingxiang, but also people from other places. Before Guo Tufengji served as the Gong Examination Department of Shenluyuan, for these people in Shandong, especially Jizhou and Yuzhou, there was not much space in Chang'an at first.

This is understandable, but it does not mean that it can continue like this for a long time.

Just like Koto.

At first, Sun Jian's precaution against Jiangdong was inevitable, but then Sun Ce and Sun Quan did not handle it very well. Sun Quan had learned some tricks, but it was a pity that by the time Sun Quan's skills were fully developed, he could no longer be strong.

Fei subconsciously realized that party strife was an inevitable problem.

Party struggle is a struggle between people.

It's both interest and emotion.

Simply put, it’s likes and dislikes.

It is to be tolerant to those you like and harsh to those you don't like.

The national political system, except for the dictatorship, basically allows everyone to participate in it. Political life that appears to be open on the surface, such as capitalism, where political power comes from speeches and rhetoric to the basic people, to persuade ordinary people to win public opinion, or rely on even worse means to incite people's emotions or It seems that there is no freedom to use emotions to achieve a certain goal, but in fact this political model is exactly the breeding ground for party disputes.

Whether in the history of ancient Greece, ancient Rome, or the European medieval republics, party struggle has always been one of the main themes of political life. Tribes, family classes, sects, merchant and military gangs, and various small groups, Intrigues, cliques, alliances, and luring wolves into the house are filled with countless conspiracies, spies, murders, armed fights, rebellions, and coups.

Those with political power confuse the people and confuse right and wrong; those with military power launch bloody civil wars and foreign wars; those with religious power accuse their opponents of heresy and send them to the stake.

There are almost no exceptions at all times and in all countries.

Cliques have been formed for a long time in Chinese history. They were dramatized in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Middle Tang Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty, and the late Ming Dynasty. They eventually led to extremely cruel party strife and even the destruction of the country.

"In the old days of the Warring States Period, there were scholars who came in to give advice and avoid slander. They suppressed rumors and blocked the door of cliques..." Fei Qian chuckled and said, "It can be seen from this that if you move, you will compete, and if you compete, you will be cliques. If you are a friend, you will make false accusations, and if you make false accusations, the truth will be false, and the truth will be exposed, and the master will listen and use confusion, which is what the traitor knows. Therefore, this is the disadvantage of party struggle. 』

Pang Tong and Xun You looked at each other. Although the expressions on their faces did not change much, the atmosphere seemed to have become a little more subtle.

Who would have thought that Fei Qian would lead the Western Regions, Jiangdong, and then connect with cronies and get involved in party struggles?

However, the connection between all these does not seem to be strong, but if you look deeply, it seems that there is some inner, even inevitable cause and effect...

"So..." Fei Qian smiled and looked at the two of them, "What can you do to deal with it?" 』