Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3131 It’s a matter of course

Everyone's happiness and sadness are not the same. It would be great if we could empathize with each other, but most of the time it's just gloating about one's misfortune, or why are you happy?

"The battle at Heluotong Pass was fierce. The Prime Minister commanded the army and rushed to attack the pass on the fifth day of the first lunar month. The pass is steep and the plateau is high and the city is strong. According to the reports from the officials in front of the battle, there are nearly ten new artillery pieces at Tongguan Pass, nearly a hundred crossbow carts, and more than a hundred stones. Every day, cannons and stones rain like rain, and crossbows and arrows cover the sky and block the sun. Although the Prime Minister came to the battle line, the soldiers were high-spirited and undaunted by the powerful enemy, killing and wounding thousands of bandits, but our army also suffered heavy losses..."

"The military advisor of the rear, Boning, wrote to request for the allocation of 300,000 bows and arrows, 3,000 pieces of armor, military pay, food, fodder, iron materials and other sundries, and also asked for 5,000 civilians from Qingzhou and Xuzhou to assist in transportation..."

In Chongde Hall, Zhong Yao's voice was steady.

Liu Xie listened quietly.

Zhong Yao seemed to face Liu Xie calmly, not feeling any embarrassment at all, and Liu Xie also did not show anger or other emotions, as if he still trusted Zhong Yao.

Today, it is Zhong Yao's turn to describe some changes in current affairs to Liu Xie, and the biggest current event at the moment is naturally the war.

As the king of a country and the lord of the world, Liu Xie certainly has the responsibility for such a big event, and he must know, understand, and master it...

But unfortunately, these matters are often not decided by him. Even if he gives some opinions, they may not have any effect. More often than not, he is like an archives. Only when entering the final reporting stage, Only then will the information be delivered to him.

"Besides..." Zhong Yao muttered slowly, there were some matters related to other states and counties, but compared with the Guanzhong War, those matters were too small, so Zhong Yao quickly ignored them. pass.

Liu Xie still didn't express any opinions, just nodded or said he understood.

After a while, Zhong Yao finished reading all the summaries of current affairs, looked up at Liu Xie, and moved his lips.

Liu Xie looked at Zhong Yao calmly and smiled.

Like a carved Buddha statue.

Zhong Yao didn't know why, he felt a little cold in his heart. He was silent for a while, then he cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please relax, the Prime Minister will conquer Guanzhong... By then the world will be at peace, the sea will be peaceful, the hearts of the Han people will be greatly boosted, and ZTE is expected. Your Majesty's The sage will also remain in the history of history, and will be praised by future generations for eternity..."

Liu Xie squinted at Zhong Yao and nodded slightly.

Is this Zhong Yao making an excuse for himself?

Liu Xieru thought.

Liu Xie is no longer a young man, or in other words, he has lost the ability to be impulsive. He was dissatisfied with Zhong Yao, but he still asked Zhong Yao to accompany him. In his heart, he hated Zhong Yao for taking money and not doing anything, but on the surface he still loved Zhong Yao.

Has he grown up?

Perhaps, but more often than not, he became what he originally disliked the most.

Just like at this moment, Liu Xie was wondering, what will these gentry and gentry in Yuzhou or Jizhou say after this recruitment? What else will you do?

"Actually, I really don't care about these false reputations..." Liu Xie said slowly, "If I can exchange false fame for the peace of the world, I would rather remain unknown in this life...Seeing that spring is coming, I wonder if Mr. Zhong Ai knows that the government is preparing for farming?" The foundation of the great Han Dynasty lies in farming and mulberry..."

Liu Xie said, even he believed it, and said with some emotion: "Why do all the people in the world have to suffer!" After working hard all year round, I only asked for a piece of food and a piece of clothing... I have not been able to make the Han people live and work in peace and contentment all these years. It is my fault that I have worked so hard..."

Zhong Yao hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty is a wise man who can follow the example of Yao and Shun. With your Majesty like this, the great man is very lucky, and all the people in the world are very lucky!" 』

Liu Xie didn't talk about the situation of the Tongguan War, nor did he ask Cao Cao how the current progress was. He just talked about the people and asked about spring plowing. Zhong Yao seemed to have forgotten that he had just reported the military report to Liu Xie, and changed the subject very naturally. He talked about Nong Sang as if he had never mentioned any war before.

Liu Xie sneered in his heart.

He now understands that these guys are all the same.

This is true whether it is Fei Qian, Cao Cao, or Zhong Yao in front of him...

Liu Xie experienced three very important stages in his career as emperor.

One is during the Dong Zhuo period. At that time, he had no idea what an emperor was and what imperial power was. Of course, Dong Zhuo put him in the position because he didn't understand anything. If he really understood, he wouldn't choose him. Therefore, Dong Zhuo sleeping on the dragon bed and having court ladies was nothing to Liu Xie at that time, because he didn't think that the dragon bed and the court ladies had anything to do with him. During this period, Liu Xie was ignorant, ignorant, and at a loss.

But even the most ignorant person can detect the attitude of others towards him. Children are more sensitive to good intentions and malice, or rather superficial. Those who smile are good people, and those who are angry are bad people.

This period of ignorance lasted until Wang Yun came to power and Li Guo came to power.

The process of seizing power by force is of course bloody. This also left Liu Xie's fear of force in his heart, so much so that he still wanted to escape after Fei Qian took control of Guanzhong.

The second stage is the early stage of transfer from Guanzhong to Shandong.

This can be regarded as Liu Xie's happiest time.

At the beginning of Liu Xie's journey, it was hard, but when he had hope in his heart, the physical fatigue was bearable. In addition, most of the officials who moved to Guanzhong with Liu Xie were from Shandong, so of course everyone around Liu Xie said that our Shandong is good...

In the early days, in order to gain the title of emperor, Cao Cao also had a good attitude toward Liu Xie. He also built a palace for Liu Xie in Xu County, selected beautiful women, and provided exquisite food and clothing. The two of them were naturally very good to each other. . It was also during this period that Liu Xie slowly realized what imperial power was, and began to have frequent contact with Shandong veterans, and began to learn how to be an emperor.

From the time Liu Xie began to want to master the imperial power, he entered the third stage, competing with the prime minister, colliding, fighting, and losing...

Then I don’t know when, when Liu Xie heard the name "Cao Cao", his heart would always skip a beat. However, it was also during this period that Liu Xie began to learn how to pretend, how to hide his emotions, how to make innuendo...

For Liu Xie, Cao Cao Feiqian and others are actually not fundamentally different from Dong Zhuo. Maybe their methods are slightly different and their attitudes are quite different, but in fact they are all trying to usurp the imperial power in Liu Xie's hands.

This is a contradiction on which compromise can never be achieved.

Even if the balance is barely maintained, it will gradually begin to tilt over time.

After another failed investment in Zhong Yao, Liu Xie learned from the pain... Well, although this kind of thinking may not have much effect, at least Liu Xie discovered one thing... These guys, no matter who they are, are not standing On Liu Xie's side, that is to say, as the emperor often refers to a lonely person, he is a real "lonely person", not just a modest name.

The emperor's imperial power is unparalleled in the world, so naturally he is the enemy of the whole world.

The Zhong Yao in front of him looks honest and sincere, but is actually shrewd. There is not much difference between him and other officials. They all know how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. This time he has brought the so-called latest frontline intelligence, which may not be the other way around. He wanted Liu Xie to express his position or issue some instructions.

Liu Xie noticed Zhong Yao's temptation, so he did not make any comments on Cao Cao's military affairs. He only talked about farmers and mulberry trees and the people of the world. These are all clichés, but they are also righteousness that can never be wrong...

Unable to get the response he originally expected from Liu Xie, Zhong Yao left the palace expressionlessly.

Whether they are Jizhou people or Yuzhou people, they all know that Cao Cao is now a separatist prince and a copy of Dong Zhuo. However, Cao Cao's copy of Dong Zhuo still pays attention to some rules, or at least is willing to follow the rules. In addition, there is no one in Shandong at the moment. No one can compete with Cao Cao alone, so many people will not go against Cao Cao openly.

As long as Cao Cao doesn't go too far...

After all, compared with Fei Qian, Cao Cao is still willing to maintain the original form of Shandong, especially for the upper economic class and the ruling class. Although Cao Cao also promotes children from poor families, he does not completely switch to the other side. Cao Cao's behavior is natural It was regarded as a threat rather than a rebellion by the original vested interest groups of the Han Dynasty.

It was Fei Qian who rebelled!

Therefore, Shandong people particularly hate Fei Qian, and they will yell at Fei Qian if they catch the slightest problem. Is it because Shandong people don’t know that these problems actually don’t matter, or that these Shandong people don’t know that what they are criticizing is unreasonable?

More often than not, Shandong people just need an emotional outlet.

Therefore, to a certain extent, Shandong people supported Cao Cao in his campaign to defeat Feiqian...

Of course, if one day Fei Qian announces the cancellation of the new land policy and returns to the old system, these Shandong gentry and squires will immediately change the direction of the situation, throw away all the words that insulted Fei Qian, and immediately start to advocate Fei Qian. How wise and great, how compassionate, how wise and kind...

These Shandong people are all mouths, and they never take responsibility for what they say, let alone apologize for what they say and admit their mistakes.

To put it bluntly, whether you support Cao Cao or not is all due to interests.

The problem now is that Shandong people have begun to feel a little bit at a loss, whether they are Jizhou people or Yuzhou people.

One invitation, two invitations, and another invitation. Now it is the third wave. Who knows how many more times Cao Cao will ask for transfers?

The country is about to go to war. Is it a patriotic act to support a hundred big bucks without saying a word?

Can't you say it doesn't count?

But if you need support that will break your bank...

this……

I'm afraid many people will think about it.

The current situation is that at the beginning, Cao Cao said that he wanted to fight Feiqian for the sake of the Han Dynasty. Please donate!

It's just someone patting their chest and saying, "It should be beaten!"

I'll donate a hundred big bucks first!

Regardless of whether it was a trust or not, a hundred big bucks was not a big figure for these Shandong nobles, so everyone laughed and talked about fighting, forming what the Shandong people called "working together", and everyone donated A few hundred, let Cao Cao use it to fight Feiqian.

After a few days, Cao Cao said that the money had been spent, so he threw away the account book and asked you to donate again.

"This..." Some people are unhappy.

For the so-called "not to be held back" and for the honor of the Shandong people, most people gritted their teeth and pledged another wave of donations.

And now, it’s the third wave.

Classmate Lao Cao said on the stage that this is the last time. I promise that after finishing Feiqian, I will be able to achieve full success!

Shandong classmates are in the audience (ˉ▽￣~)~~

Zhong Yao left the palace gate and returned home in a rickety vehicle. Not long after I entered the house, I heard the concierge announcing that Yuan Kan had arrived, saying that he had come to ask for help with calligraphy.

Zhong Yao hesitated for a moment, then asked someone to invite Yuan Kan in.

Yuan Kan is the son of Yuan Huan.

There are not many people left in the Yuan family in the court, and there are unlikely to be many, but if they don't ask for positions and just want fame, Cao Cao is very tolerant.

Yuan Kan is such a person who seeks fame rather than practicality. He travels among the mountains and rivers, looking at the beauty of the mountains and rivers. On weekdays, what he wants is just calligraphy and painting, and he is a proper celebrity.

Zhong Yao's calligraphy is also quite good, so Yuan Kan came to ask for help in the name of calligraphy. Is there any problem?

And from the outside, Yuan Kan hopes that Cao Cao can defeat Fei Qian. In this way, Yuan is at least no longer a "former enemy", but the predecessor of his predecessor, so the threat and defense will both decrease, right?

Although Zhong Yao is now quite famous for his calligraphy, he lacks the respect of opposition figures like Yuan Kan. After all, now that he has entered the court, who doesn't want to move up the ladder?

Even if you only serve one term, will the retirement benefits be different? Is there anything more cost-effective than using the country's money to contribute to my retirement life? To achieve such a goal, Zhong Yao must unite a wider "mass".

For Yuan Kan, he must also have a window to understand the upper-level information.

After the two of them sat down and chatted for a while, Yuan Kan handed over a volume of calligraphy in his hand by asking Zhong Yao to teach him calligraphy.

Zhong Yao opened it and immediately narrowed his eyes.

The scroll is very simple, with only eight characters, "There is no beginning but no end."

Zhong Yao said with a smile: "It turns out that this word, drawn with a sharp pen, can be said to be obtained!" 』

Yuan Kan looked solemn, cupped his hands and said, "Please give me some advice from Mr. Zhong." 』

"It's easy to say, easy to say, I don't dare to give you advice, just encourage each other with my friends..." Zhong Yao still said with a smile, "The way of calligraphy is mainly about the muscles and bones... The bones and muscles are ready for this word, and given time, it will be done." Become everyone..."

"Given time?" ” Yuan Kan repeated something in a low voice, and then said, “It’s a pity that Kan is busy running around all day and rarely has time to practice...”

Zhong Yao nodded, "Calligraphy is a hard work, and only with perseverance can success be achieved." 』

Yuan Kan's eyes flashed.

Zhong Yao twirled his beard slightly.

Zhong Yao admired Yuan Kan very much, so he showed goodwill and asked some calligraphy books to be given to Yuan Kan. He even gave some pen and ink inkstones and other items to his servants to carry them to Yuan Kan's residence in Xu County. in temporary residence.

Naturally, many people saw this behavior.

On the surface, there is no problem at all. The senior calligrapher encourages the underachievers, and Zhong Yao loves talents beyond words. But in fact, according to later generations, Yuan Kan is a political broker.

Such political brokers not only appeared in the Han Dynasty, but also appeared in subsequent feudal dynasties. Many of them were relatives of former officials or branches of a large family. They used their personal connections and relationships to communicate in series. In this way, the political parties can exchange opinions without having to meet directly. If something goes wrong, the political broker will be blamed. Of course, the people behind it are good at everything.

Yuan Kan's father, Yuan Huan, was originally a bit of a political broker. Now, Yuan Kan has inherited his father's business. He has managed his connections all over the two states of Hebei and Henan. He is at ease with various interests and entanglements, and he is more or less a leader. Number one.

After Yuan Kan returned to his residence, in front of Zhong Yao's servants, he generously showed the original books, pens and ink he had received from Zhong Yao to other people living in the post house, and praised Zhong Yao repeatedly. Yao's attainments in calligraphy mean that he has to work harder...

After everyone in the post house dispersed one by one, Yuan Kan closed the door and went to the backyard of the house. He sat quietly, frowning and said nothing. After waiting for a while, he heard the sound coming from the wall in the backyard. The clicking sound.

Yuan Kan stood up, walked over, and coughed when he reached the wall.

"how? 』A low voice of questioning came from the other side of the wall.

Yuan Kan thought for a while and said, "I tried it with the sentence "There is no beginning, but there is no end." Zhong...ahem, his words stop at Qiu Chi, and it is not yet available..."

"Qiu Chi..." The person on the other side of the wall sighed, "Isn't this enough?" 』

"Hmm... He also said that we need to encourage each other..." Yuan Kan said, "That's probably what he means." Nowadays, there is an undercurrent surging in the DPRK, and success or failure depends entirely on luck. 』

As for who or what Qiu Chi is talking about, it depends on the opinion of different people.

Yuan Kan said this. The people behind the wall fell silent for a while, and there was no response for a long time. Yuan Kan even thought that the people behind the wall had left. He couldn't help coughing again, and then he heard the last question from the person behind the wall. , "What else did you say?" 』

"With perseverance and hard work, success will come naturally..." Yuan Kan repeated Zhong Yao's words.

"..." The person on the other side of the wall fell silent again, but this time the silence was short. "I understand... there is another thing, I might as well let you know... Cao Zihe was defeated by Youbei, Ding Sitting alone in the smoke and asking for help..."

Ding Chong once served as the captain of the Sili school, and his post was the censor Zhongcheng. The Shangshu order collectively called him "three independent sittings".

"What? ! Yuan Kan was very surprised and couldn't help asking, "Is this true?" 』

But there was no sound behind the wall, and it seemed to have left.

This news was obviously so exciting that it made Yuan Kan restless in the backyard. After thinking about it for a long time, Yuan Kan hurriedly put on his outer robe, then went out again, called a carriage and left the post house.

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