Three Kingdoms

The sound of horse hooves hit the stone slabs of the main official road in Jingxiang, making different sounds of different sizes and fines.

It's not that the horses' hooves are worn or crooked, but that the stone slabs in Xiangyang have not been repaired for a long time.

The sounds made by the horse's hooves are naturally different for broken and complete stone slabs.

The reason for not repairing it is, of course, lack of money.

At the moment, Jingzhou looks like an overindulged beauty. After taking off her makeup, her dark circles under her eyes and fungus are revealed. She no longer has the supple and tender appearance of the past.

Because of the continuous blood drawing, most of Jingzhou's money and food were sent to Yuzhou.

So much so that Jingzhou seems to be a bit bleak now. Even the pedestrians walking on the road seem to have lost their souls and are walking corpses.

From the day Liu Biao fell and Liu Cong surrendered, Jingzhou completely lost its soul. It’s not just how powerful Liu Biao was, but in Liu Biao’s time, the surrounding princes wanted to take a look at Jingzhou’s face. They were afraid that if Jingzhou was really angered and a hundred thousand soldiers rushed out, they would be in trouble... …

But Liu Cong's surrender made everyone look down on the people of Jingzhou, and even the people of Jingzhou looked down on himself.

People without blood will be looked down upon wherever they go.

The people of Jingzhou lost the opportunity to compete for the world, although this opportunity itself was not much. Now the people in Jingzhou are left to clean up the snow in front of their homes, so how can they care about whether the flagstones on the official roads are good or bad?

What's more, Jingzhou's economy is on the verge of collapse due to the continuous blood draws.

There is very little to buy in the market because most of the output has been shipped away, and the price of food is very high, especially this autumn, it is simply ridiculously high.

Generally speaking, before the autumn harvest, food prices will be slightly higher, but they will not be as high as they are now. Because at this time, local large households will sell their old grains to empty their warehouses and collect some money to facilitate the collection of new grains when the new autumn harvest arrives.

Whether it is Yuzhou, Jizhou, or Jingzhou, in areas with relatively developed agriculture, the steps are similar. By using these methods to harvest every year, the landowners can increase their wealth every year without considering CPI at all. Because they control production with one hand and step into consumption with one foot, they can make money at both ends and eat from both ends.

But this year's food prices are very high, nearly double those of previous years.

It seems to be a good thing, after all, there is more money.

But in fact, the future of the people will be even worse than when food prices were low!

High food prices are not a good thing. This means that the prices of other materials are also very high. Although farmers produce grain and get more money from selling it, they are actually happy in vain, because money cannot replace all materials, and they still have to spend more money to buy them. Other things are actually equivalent to the invisible increase in consumption, and the quality of life is once again declining.

Selling food is only temporary, but spending money is lifelong...

At the same time, the reason why large households are willing to use such high grain prices to collect grain proves that large households can earn more in other aspects, so that they will not feel distressed throughout the year.

After all, it would be more painful for ordinary people to earn an extra copper than to let big households lose a lot of money.

And what’s even weirder is that after the autumn harvest, there isn’t much food on the market.

This means that the grain and grass of large households, even old grain, have been "eaten"...

Who would eat so much food and grass in one go?

Only the army is the gold-eating beast.

Although the people of Xiangyang don't know where North Jingzhou will go next, judging from the current environmental changes, they already feel that the cold autumn is like a knife on their necks.

Therefore, when the messengers hurriedly ran across the damaged stone road, Xiangyang City began to be filled with an even more uneasy atmosphere...

The local nobles and rural people in Jingzhou began to worry. They seemed to have a bad premonition, and they gradually started chattering among themselves.

Uneasy and frightened.

But Cao Jun didn't care at all.

Who cares whether a bloodless wimp is scared or panicked?

Anyway, a weakling is a weakling. The most he can do is whine and cry. What other things can he do?

Therefore, Cao Jun did not hide it at all and felt it was completely unnecessary.

When Liu Biao left behind so many soldiers and capital, the people of Jingzhou could do nothing. Now that they don't even have military power, how can they fart two more?

If you have farts, hold them back!

Cao Ren was sitting in the hall. He had been in Northern Jingzhou for a long time.

He was looking forward to the sound of war drums but it had not sounded for a long time. His soldiers had already been prepared and were hungry and thirsty.

In the hall, the flags were rolled up and displayed on both sides, and the sword was in his hand, wiping it carefully.

The sword flashed.

Cao Ren's eyes seemed to flicker with the light of the sword, sharp and cold.

Cao Zhen came in a hurry after hearing the news. What he saw was this situation. His eyebrows jumped and he said, "General, this is..."

Cao Ren laid his sword horizontally, and then took the table eucalyptus and sent him the message delivered by the messenger, "There is a change in Hanzhong. Li Mancheng has summoned the Hu people in a large scale, fearing that there will be disputes." 』

"So, Hanzhong has a chance?" "Cao Zhen lowered his head to read the letter, frowned and thought for a moment, and then whispered, "But... this Yongshen family... I'm afraid it's an exaggeration..."

"Hanzhong is a quagmire..." Cao Ren nodded, "But... if we can really capture Hanzhong, we will immediately separate the north and the south, and the Hussars will be in chaos!" 』

Hanzhong is the hub between the north and the south. If the hub is occupied, of course the connection will be lost. Although the strategy is beautiful, the actual tactics will be very cruel, because the Hanzhong area is too small to maneuver, and it is attacked from both the north and the south. Once you fall into it, as Cao Ren said, it will be a big quagmire. If you are not careful, you will be in trouble. Top disaster.

The temptation is great, but it is not easy to eat it.

Cao Zhen felt that it was better to be more cautious.

Cao Zhen frowned and said, "That's true." General, it's better to be cautious about this matter. The land of Hanzhong is long and narrow and the mountain roads are difficult to navigate. It is easy to enter, but difficult to escape. 』

Cao Ren stroked his sword gently, and did not say anything more about the previous question, but suddenly jumped to the second question, "The envoy from Jiangdong wants to borrow Jiangling." 』

Cao Zhen was stunned for a moment, "When did it happen?" 』

"While you were patrolling various places," Cao Ren raised his sword and carefully looked at the lines on the sword through the light, as if there were answers to the questions in it, "The following troops in Jiangdong are commanded by Zhu and Lu. A total of 30,000 people have already set off and will arrive in Jingnan soon. Pretending that they have nowhere to stay, they will temporarily borrow a place in Jiangling in Jingnan and return it after the war..."

When Cao Ren said this, he burst out laughing, as if he had told a very funny joke.

Cao Zhen laughed and said, "What a good calculation!" 』

Cao Ren also smiled, "What do you think?" 』

Cao Zhen cupped his hands and said, "I obey the general's orders." 』

Cao Ren waved his hand and said, "It's just you and me discussing this matter. There's no need to be so formal." I'm just asking for your advice. Is it possible that you don't even want to say this? 』

Cao Zhen smiled and said: "In this case, my nephew is Meng Lang... This Jiangling is like a piece of chicken ribs... My nephew has heard that the new city is recruiting more soldiers..."

"Xincheng..." Cao Ren put the sword away and put it aside, "Xincheng did a good job. 』

Cao Zhen nodded and said, "It is a new city after all." 』

Cao Ren was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "That's true." Go and prepare your troops. If we don't move, Jiangdong will be worried and won't dare to move forward. 』

Cao Zhen accepted the order, "But...you still need to be careful of deceit...Jiang Dong is certainly cunning, but this Li Mancheng...is also a villain, so you must be careful..."

Cao Ren nodded and said, "I know." 』

As the order was issued, the Cao army in northern Jingzhou and the vassal Jingzhou soldiers began to assemble, conduct emergency training, distribute and inventory various military supplies. At the same time, the Kuai family in the Jiangling area in southern Jingzhou rushed to Xiangyang, with a look of sorrow on their faces. He entered the General's Mansion, and then came out even more sad. It is said that he cried bitterly on the spot, and his tears spilled down the street...

……ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3……

Wancheng.

Wancheng is a sieve, and Xiangyang is also a sieve, both eyes.

The people of Pangshan shook the letter and said, "Xiangyang is preparing troops, but the intention is unknown. What does the general think?" 』

Wancheng is watching every move of Xiangyang, and of course Xiangyang is also watching every move of Wancheng.

Huang Zhong sat aside and said with narrowed eyes: "The soldiers of Wancheng may be able to defend the city, but they are not enough to fight at a distance." 』

Pang Shanmin glanced at Huang Zhong and nodded.

Although Pang Shanmin and Huang Zhong have been clearing away rats and flies in Wancheng for a period of time, overtly and covertly, Wancheng is open for business after all, and there must be certain rules and order. The evidence is not conclusive. It’s just hard to move. Moreover, in Wancheng, some "contraband" of big men are traded, so it is still quite difficult to determine whether it is a real rat or a fake rat.

A lot of people were arrested, but both Pang Shanmin and Huang Zhong believed that those who were caught were just little guys, and the big hidden dangers were the ones lurking inside.

It might even be someone from the Pang family.

After all, after the death of Duke Pang De, it was almost equivalent to Pang Shanmin and Pang Tong dividing the property of Duke Pang De. Although Pang Shanmin was the son of Duke Pang De and Pang Tong was his follower, no matter from the perspective of intimacy or blood relationship, there is no doubt that these two people are the same. The closest successor to Duke Pang De is also the logical successor, but the problem is that people's hearts are not just "reasonable".

If Pang Degong was just an old man living in seclusion in Lushan in history, then there wouldn't be any quarrels among the Pang family. There is really nothing to fight over the dozens of acres of mountain fields and a few tile-roofed houses on the mountainside. These may be quite a lot of wealth in ordinary people's homes, but in the eyes of the nobles' children, they are probably just small targets, and they will not be embarrassed to fight for them.

But now Pang Degong has grown invisibly because of his talent. Apart from anything else, even just Wancheng is the dream of almost all the noble families in Jingxiang, such as the Kuai family who has always been obsessed with Jiangling. Because of Jiangling, Kuai came and went, worked hard and almost went crazy.

Therefore, people from all over the Pang family hope to get a piece of the pie.

Pang Tong of Chang'an is easy to say. He just lets these people take the exam with a smile. At most, he arranges some accommodation for these people. He waved his hand to indicate that the yard is the Pang family's charity house. They don't charge them room fees, but they can eat and drink. It's up to them to make their own arrangements, just give them some food to share during the New Year and holidays. As for whether they can pass the exam, it all depends on their own abilities. With Pang Tong's arrangement, everyone in the Pang family could not say anything. After all, Chang'an was under the control of Qiansi, and there were strict laws. Pang Tong did not engage in malpractice for personal gain, and no one could find fault with him.

But Wancheng is different.

Strictly speaking, Wancheng is not a Hussar territory, and naturally it does not have to enforce the strict laws of the Hussar side. It is a loose Han model. There is no need to take an exam to select talents. Whoever is said to be who can do it will be fine. , so more of Pang's people were in Wancheng, staring eagerly at Pang Shanmin.

It was at this time that Pang Shanmin finally understood why Pang Degong was unwilling to let him serve as an official. It was not that he was not capable and did not meet the standards for an official position, but that not all people above and below the Pang family were like Pang Shanmin or Pang Shanmin. Pang Tong is so wise.

Wancheng is cooking in a raging fire. It looks beautiful, but is actually full of dangers.

But Pang Shanmin understands this dangerous situation. Others in the Pang family do not understand, and even if they do understand, they pretend not to understand. For these people, they only want the immediate benefits, and the future problems are left to them. Pangshan people.

This is considered normal in the traditional concepts of the Han Dynasty. The leading main family gets most of the benefits, and then the branches attach around it, acting as a barrier for the main family. When one person achieves enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. As for Wancheng's future, they don't care, they just want to ascend to heaven.

It's not that Pang Shanmin didn't give these people positions, but after giving them, these people will use them as a tacit position to make money, and then collect money wantonly. Once money is collected, of course it will be convenient for others.

The key is that Pang Shanmin still has to give.

Because this is the practice that has been established in the Han Dynasty for three to four hundred years.

It is so heavy that it weighs on everyone. Those who do not have great determination, perseverance and wisdom cannot even move a little finger to resist.

As for Feiqian?

Fei Qian used thousands of years of wisdom to fight, which does not deserve much praise. Because what he used was a bloody path that China had trodden with countless blood and lives for thousands of years. Without the unremitting efforts and struggles of these bloody people in China, there would naturally not be anything that Fei Qian could achieve in later generations.

Although what Fei Qian has done is amazing and admirable in the whole Han Dynasty, it does not mean that he is really a person with great determination, perseverance and wisdom. At most, it can only be regarded as half, and this half still belongs to Fei Qian. The potential strength of action demonstrated by the powerful man, not just the wisdom he borrowed.

After all, Fei Qian is really doing it, and in later generations, there will be a large number of people who also understand the thousands of years of knowledge accumulation, but still choose to kneel down. For these people, kneeling is comfortable but standing upright is tiring.

Pang Shanmin is also unable to solve the problem of some people just being willing to kneel down.

So the mice in Wancheng couldn't stop catching them no matter what.

Huang Zhong can only ensure that his direct personal guards are protected, and some personnel sent from Chang'an are fine. As for the other people in Wancheng, whether they are infantry or minor officials...

It is used to defend the city, because everyone is watching from close range, so it is not a big problem. If it is an expedition, Wancheng will definitely be in chaos after a long time!

"So it's either Hanzhong, Wuguan, or..." Pang Shanmin said in a deep voice, "Actually, it's for Wancheng?" 』

Huang Zhong was silent and stroking his beard.

Although it is said that the announcement posted in Xiangyang indicates that Cao's army is preparing for a sneak attack by Jiangdong's army, everyone knows that the announcement from the Xiangyang government is just that. It is obviously wrong to say that all announcements are false. , but if you say all of them are true, it would really be an insult to your IQ.

As a general, Huang Zhong may not be very clear about the overall grand strategy, but he is very clear about local tactics in the region.

Wancheng is like a knife left by Qiusi outside the pass.

Under the knife's edge is Jingxiang, and above the knife's edge is Yuzhou.

No matter whose neck it is placed on, such a knife will definitely not be tolerated for a long time. Therefore, once Cao Jun really wants to take action, Wancheng will definitely be the first to bear the brunt!

This is why Pang Shanmin and Pang Tong have always quietly sent their main relatives to Chang'an.

Of course, Huang Zhong also sent all his family papers to Chang'an. After all, only Chang'an has a hundred medical clinics that can completely cure Huang Zhong's children's chronic diseases.

Therefore, Pang Shanmin and Huang Zhong's buttocks can only be tilted towards Chang'an. There is no room for the second option.

But others are different...

Pang Shanmin sighed quietly, "Pang Youwen, a member of a certain tribe, got a gorgeous jade medal in his waist some time ago, and also bought a three-level courtyard, and purchased a lot of new slaves..."

Huang Zhong glanced at Pang Shanmin and did not speak immediately, as if he was waiting for Pang Shanmin's final decision.

"When he was little, he liked to be close to me. Pang Shanmin raised his head and seemed to be lost in memories, "At that time, I took him and several other children to climb mountains and climb trees together, and then picked wild fruits in the mountains to eat... Those wild fruits were sour. , it’s not delicious at all, and it will stain your mouth and face, and your hands and body will be stained... But at that time, I was really happy..."

"I told him before that we had a good discussion about the current danger of the Pang family..." Pang Shanmin still said slowly, "He said that he understands, he knows, he understands, and he will definitely do it well...he said He also swore, raised his hands, and swore to God... I still remember the serious expression on his face when he swore, very serious, not a joke... Now it seems that the oaths he said were just a joke..."

"Han Sheng, you are older than me. Are you stupid for saying that I took the oath he swore seriously?" Pang Shanmin asked Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong didn't say whether he was stupid or not, he just said, "From ancient times to the present, those who make a promise with a lot of money are few." 』

Pang Shanmin nodded, and then the expression on his face gradually hardened, "That's right." That being the case, that's it. Before the soldiers and horses are in chaos in Wan, clean up the city first! How long Wancheng can last depends on how many rats it will win this time! 』