Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3239 Officials scattered birds to the empty court

When the morning mist rises hazily, it settles on the low hills and low ground of the Yuncheng Basin, and it seems to be haunted by resentful spirits that spread out from the Nine Netherworld.

The low temperature in the early morning froze the war smoke and bloody smell that was still permeating not long ago. The Yuncheng Basin, which was once noisy and chaotic, has now gradually become silent.

The reason for the silence is not that the war has subsided, but because the living creatures have turned into dead souls.

War is the strongest manifestation of political conflict.

If only according to the generals, it was Fei Qian and Cao Cao, but in fact, it was a struggle between Fei Qian and the political group represented by Cao Cao.

As for the Hedong nobles in the Yuncheng Basin, it is obvious that most of them are not aware of this and still think that the war is just about conquering the city and fighting each other.

Cao Cao's troops were already approaching Anyi.

Facing the surging Cao army, whether to fight or surrender is indeed a question.

In the end, the external factors of Cao Cao were important, but what was more important were the internal factors in Anyi city.

It's like the climate of a small glacier.

Generally speaking, climate change does not coincide with the change of dynasties, but when dynasties change, climate change basically has a hand in it. This shows that in many cases, internal factors are more deadly, and external factors are just boosters. If the dynasty is united, no matter how strong the external factors are, it will still be able to withstand it.

But if the internal situation is no longer good, then maybe only a little external force is needed to break the original balance...

It's a pity that some people in Anyi City still hesitated even when Cao Cao's sword was handed to them.

This is also very consistent with the characteristics of the economic system of landlords and estates.

As long as the earth remains, the untouchables on the earth will be nothing more than grassroots.

Wild fire, in spring.

Life and death, that's all.

As long as you are alive and the other party is willing to recognize the land deed in your hand, then everything will be fine. In other words, it's just a matter of patience. So those who think they can endure it are enduring it, while those who can’t endure it are thinking of ways...

On his way to Cao Jun's camp, Pei Jun saw countless corpses on both sides of the road.

The black and red blood solidified, like the color of the Han flag falling to the ground.

The arrow stuck diagonally on the corpse was broken, and black smoke was rising from the destroyed village.

Everything in front of him was like an invisible hand, tightly grasping Pei Jun's heart.

Occasionally, I would see a small group of Cao Jun soldiers looking at Pei Jun and his entourage maliciously, as if they were looking at a herd of cattle and sheep.

Occasionally, one or two points of light appeared in the dead scenery, and I don't know where it was ignited.

He didn't know whether what he did was right or wrong.

He just couldn't let it go.

He couldn't let go of the wealth and power he once had.

Anyi City was obviously not that easy to break. The capricious spring cold wave also caused Cao Jun's attack to encounter some troubles. After continuing to advance for several days, Cao Cao temporarily stopped and did not move forward. I don't know whether it was due to the weather or other factors.

But they will eventually advance...

Pei Jun regarded this as the last "window period" given by Cao Cao, so he came.

Came secretly.

Like a little thief.

He came for his own estate, his own wealth, and his own authority.

That's right, whether they are ready to continue to endure it or they can't endure it anymore, it is the Hedong gentry and squire-level figures who are thinking about themselves. As for the ordinary people in this land, they do not take it into consideration.

In the eyes of the gentry and gentry, this world belongs to them, not to those humble commoners.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Cao did not come to greet Pei Jun, nor did he throw off his boots to show off. Instead, he sat high and said calmly, "Come here, but what advice do you have?" 』

"I... I..." Pei Jun coughed, as if he was choking on his own saliva, and seemed a little hesitant, but finally said, "I have lived in the east of the river for a long time, and I know the truth inside. If the Prime Minister doesn't... Abandon, willing to help the Prime Minister with my meager strength. 』

"Ah ha ha ha... I'm so humble!" "Cao Cao said with a smile, clapped his hands, and asked someone to bring some drinks, "Come on, let's have a drink, to congratulate Feng for abandoning the darkness and turning to the light! 』

Abandon darkness and embrace light?

Pei Jun smiled on the surface, but felt a little confused in his heart.

If possible, he wouldn't want to do such a thing.

But if he doesn't do this, he won't be able to keep his little money...

When he was poor, he could express with emotion, what is money? The happiest time for him is when he has no money! If a big man is in need, he can donate all his wealth to the country for free!

But when he really has money, the money will become a part of his flesh and blood. If he wants to cut it off, it will be as painful as digging into the bones...

After a round of drinks, some relaxation, and sitting down again, Cao Cao asked Pei Jun about the Hedong strategy.

Pei Jun bowed and said: "Emperor Gaozu established the country, and the prosperous era began. The people were happy and the country was peaceful. The monarch and his ministers were virtuous, benevolent and loving, and generously granted grace, moistening things silently. All nations came to congratulate, the four seas were peaceful, the weather was good, and the harvest was good. So he ordered the officials to reduce taxes and treat the people leniently. Farmers cultivate their fields, merchants trade their goods, and workers weave silk. Resting and recuperating can be called the highest virtue, like the light of the sun and the moon, shining for thousands of years, like the water of rivers and streams, nourishing all things. Future generations all admire Emperor Gaozu, and will always remember his kindness in their hearts. If so, if the prime minister can follow Emperor Gaozu's actions and decide on a recuperation policy, Hedong will be pacified, and Guanzhong can also be settled..." Cao Cao listened, seemingly very seriously, but he didn't seem to take it to heart at all. Rest and recuperate? It does make sense, but in reality, it is not the ordinary people who are recuperating, and the key is how to "recuperate"...

At the beginning of the founding of the Han Dynasty, one thing is certain, there is indeed a policy of "recuperating", but many people have not carefully studied what exactly is this "people" who are recuperating?

In most feudal dynasties, the "goodwill" of the ruling class did not extend directly to the most grassroots people.

Although this goodwill was not much in the first place.

Strictly speaking, when the Han Dynasty was in Liu Bang's hands, it did not really "recuperate", and it was still constantly fighting.

Liu Bang was in power for twelve years, but he fought for more than eleven years, and did not fight for the last four months, and then he died. During the eleven years, there were frequent wars both inside and outside the country. The first stage was the rebellion of Xiang Yu's old subordinates. Han Xin, the King of Han, surrendered to the Huns and colluded with the Huns to invade the south many times. The generals of Han Xin, the pseudo-King of Han, supported Zhao Li as the King of Zhao and colluded with the Huns to make trouble. The second stage was the rebellion of Chen Xi, the general who controlled Dai and Zhao, which triggered the rebellion of Peng Yue, the King of Liang, Ying Bu, the King of Huainan, and Lu Guan, the King of Yan, and colluded with Han Xin, the pseudo-King of Han, and the Huns.

Of course, these rebellions also represented Liu Bang's reduction and suppression of local old nobles and military meritorious lords in order to maintain the centralized imperial rule.

So when the second generation came up and "recuperated", who was "recuperating", and in which direction were the compromises and adjustments contained in the political system?

Therefore, when Pei Jun said "recuperate", Lao Cao naturally would not understand it as Pei Jun speaking for the ordinary people of Hedong.

However, Cao Cao did not comment on Pei Jun's words. After a noncommittal smile, he asked, "Fengxian, have you gained anything about the way of the cavalry's land administration? Please teach me." Pei Jun did not think that just a piece of nonsense would make Cao Cao really let go of the Hedong gentry. What was more important was to show an attitude, Pei Jun's own attitude. Cao Cao's attitude. As for the rest, some things don't need to be said too clearly. After all, Pei Jun didn't want to be the second Xu You. After Cao Cao asked the question, Pei Jun was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "The system of the cavalry is similar to that of the former Qin, but not the Qin law. It originated from the Han law, but it is not the Han rule..." Cao Cao nodded, "I would like to hear the details." Pei Jun slowly said, "Prime Minister, the system in the early Han Dynasty followed the Qin..." There is basically no objection to this point. Liu Bang was not a scholar in the traditional sense, nor was he a learned Confucian scholar. Therefore, for the national system, Liu Bang could only rely on instinct, listen to the advice of some Confucian scholars, and then select. So in general, the early Han Dynasty "followed but did not change" the Qin system, and implemented it very strictly.

The reason why the system is obviously the same, but the former Qin Dynasty is brutal and the Han Dynasty is about giving birth, in addition to the politically correct smear, is that during the period of Liu Ying and Lu Zhi, the number and scale of "external labor", that is, the requirement for registered households to serve outside the county or even the county, was much better than that of the Qin Dynasty. In addition, "large-scale construction", that is, large-scale construction, was indeed much less than that of the Qin Dynasty.

There is no way, the people at the bottom are so easy to fool. As long as they are a little better, they are already grateful, which makes the rulers above them feel good and happy.

In fact, the Han Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty both did not treat the grassroots people as human beings.

It's just that the early Han Dynasty was not as troublesome as the late Qin Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty could be truly called "light taxes and low levies" until a series of tax reforms after Liu Heng ascended the throne. Of course, compared to the three or four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, Liu Heng can indeed be regarded as the "early Han Dynasty". However, the biggest beneficiaries of this "light taxes and low levies" were not ordinary people, but the landlords and manors with the characteristics of the Han Dynasty.

"The cavalry system prioritizes military merit." Pei Jun said slowly, "My meaning is that military merit is not important. Military affairs are the most important tool of the country and the honor of the scholars. The emperors of the past matched the heaven with virtue, but did not forget the affairs of weapons and armor, so they were able to stabilize the country and shock the world. Military merit is not just about beheading generals and seizing flags, but also about making plans before taking action, and showing both wisdom and courage, so..." Pei Jun glanced at Cao Cao, bowed his head and said, "So the military merit of the cavalry is very important, which is used to recruit scholars and the masses. The powerful are taken for their strength, and the wise are taken for their wisdom. Similar to this, there are also the imperial examination system, and the study of workers and farmers, all of which are the same. '

Cao Cao nodded, 'If so, selecting talents is indeed the key to governing the country. '

Everyone knows that talents are a very important part of governing the country.

Everyone understands the principle, but the approach and results are somewhat different.

At least between Cao Cao and Fei Qian, just as Pei Jun just said, they are two completely different parties.

On the surface, it seems to be a battle between Guanzhong and Shandong, a war between Fei Qian and Cao Cao, but in fact it is a collision of different political ideas.

After understanding all this, you can understand that the so-called Han Dynasty and Qin Dynasty are a typical process of "shifting from a military economy to a manor economy", and in this process, the people at the bottom will always fill the cornerstone.

The Qin Dynasty was a typical expansionary military state, and everything was in the service of war.

This is because of the national temperament that grew up under the specific historical conditions of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was a country that focused on farming and war, and had the world in mind. If it were not for the Qin Dynasty's relatively low productivity era, the Qin Dynasty's territory would not only be the Central Plains. At this point, it may even expand to East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and other regions.

The Qin Dynasty was basically built on war. The ultimate goal of all economic activities was to fight. When fighting, some people would receive military honors. The country would then distribute the land acquired through external plunder to them, which injected liquidity into the entire Qin Dynasty society. sex.

Therefore, the entire economy of the Qin Dynasty was based on external plunder. The money and slaves plundered from the outside were the pillars of the country's economy. Once the expansion slowed down and there were not enough slaves, the entire economic system collapsed.

What Pei Jun means is that Fei Qian's political system is somewhat similar to that of the Qin Dynasty.

This was indeed a very important weight that Pei Jun finally invested in Cao Cao.

He cannot obtain military honors like others.

He only knows how to read, but if he wants to go into battle to kill the enemy, he really doesn't have the courage, and if he wants to make suggestions, he doesn't have the intelligence. But here in Fei Qian, if you can't get enough military merit, no matter how much wealth you have, it will be exhausted after three generations, and you won't even be able to keep it for three generations.

In fact, the structure of the central leading army and the central protecting army under Cao Cao is actually the same military merit system. It's just that Cao Cao didn't do it as thoroughly as Fei Qian, and Cao Cao's military merit system had too many of his own.

It's just that now, the military class under Fei Qian is broader than that under Cao Cao, which makes Fei Qian's current hidden dangers more and his future hidden dangers less than Cao Cao's.

In the entire political system where military merit is the mainstay, every war victory will give birth to a large number of interest classes, the so-called military merit landlords. These military meritorious landowners will have a strong impact on the manorial landowners formed during the three to four hundred years of the Han Dynasty. In the face of such an impact, it can be said that the moat originally built by Shandong based on scriptures and prophecies was basically useless.

Pei Jun's meaning is very clear. Cao Cao does not need to completely defeat Fei Qian, he only needs to interrupt Fei Qian's trend of continuous victory...

Cao Cao was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "Do you know what's going on in Shanshan Kingdom?" 』

Pei Jun was stunned for a moment, nodded and said, "I know." However, the land of the Western Region is by no means a good place. Gold and silver are things that can only be obtained at one time. How can they be obtained year after year? Therefore, the battle cannot last long..."

Pei Jun is not optimistic about Fei Qian because of this.

Pei Jun felt that Fei Qian had no way out now and was forced to go to war in the Western Region. Although he conquered Shanshan Kingdom, it was like drinking poison and could not last long. Once the war stops, the military landlords have a strong need to launch a war. If you don't let them fight, they will rebel against you. Fei Qian will either suppress the princes like Liu Bang did in the early Han Dynasty, or he will be killed in the rebellion.

Pei Jun feels that Lu Fengxian is the best proof...

Even though it was officially claimed that Fei Qian did not kill Lu Bu, Pei Jun did not believe it.

Once the frequency of wars decreases, quite a few landowners with military merit will directly face the situation that their land may not be inherited. They will not be happy. Even if Fei Qian changes the law again and says that future land inheritance does not require military merit, the same will happen. no. Not to mention how many of the military landlords had previously caused their children to die on the battlefield in order to inherit the title. Even for the rest of the ordinary people, if there is no new land, the original land will be so little. The land has been divided by the former military meritorious landowners, so isn't there no hope? Will I never be able to have a piece of land of my own in the future?

These factors determined that Feiqian could not stop the war, but must continue to fight, plunder new lands, and enfeoff new landowners.

Then there were attacks on the desert in the north, Jiaozhi in the south, and expeditions to the Western Regions in the west.

There's no other way, we all know those bad lands are boring, but we can't do it without fighting...

I have to say that Pei Jun's logical chain still makes sense.

But Cao Cao just nodded slightly and did not show any joy for it.

Cao Cao knew that the manor landlords of the Shandong political group did have a different system from Fei Qian's, and they did not have as strong a desire to attack as Fei Qian's men. It can even be said that it is the complete opposite. There is no idea of ​​​​conquering foreign countries at all. They even want to directly cut Xiliang and other frontiers to cut Yong'an.

So if Cao Cao follows what Pei Jun said and adopts the so-called "rest and recuperate" strategy, that is, to pull the power of these manor landlords, compromise with the good landlords, eliminate the ruthless landlords, and then fill in his own people after the elimination, and work hard to strengthen Drying weak branches seems to be a good strategy, but in fact Cao Cao knew that he no longer had time.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the manor landlord class in Shandong had evolved towards powerful separatism, and the process was irreversible.

This kind of manor economy with powerful people as its core has been formed in Shandong. The Wubao manors of each powerful family are independent small kingdoms. The internal economy can circulate on its own. Each powerful family has its own soldiers. As long as Cao Cao relaxes, The local area will gradually form a situation of actual separatism between big and small powerful forces. At the end of the rest and recuperation policy, all the princes and counties will establish themselves as kings, and Cao Cao can only stay in his one-third of an acre...

Just like the King of Zhou back then.

Cao Cao looked at Pei Jun, his eyes slightly cold.

If before Fei Qian's gunpowder appeared, Cao Cao still had some hope and patience to wait, but after discovering that Fei Qian's gunpowder was used more and more, the craftsmen's skills were getting better and better, and the economy was getting stronger and stronger. At that moment, Cao Cao understood that he had reached a dead end.

If you wait any longer, it will be a dead end.

Although the gentry, squires, and powerful landlords in Shandong may not die, Cao Cao will definitely not end well...

Cao Cao smiled on his face and seemed to be nodding slightly, but in fact his evaluation of Pei Jun had dropped again and again, "What Feng Xian said is good...not bad...haha, but do you have any other good advice?" 』

"..." Pei Jun was silent for a few moments, then gritted his teeth and said, "I... I am not talented, I can help the prime minister to get Anyi by chance!" 』