Chapter 2722 Everything Goes Together
Western Region.
The so-called Protectorate was originally a military position.
Originally, the Protectorate of the Western Regions was established in Wulei City, because the vicinity of Wulei City was originally a field station established by the Western Han Dynasty in Luntai, the Western Regions, and it was easier to obtain various grain and grass supplies. But as time went by, the farms and cities in Lun Luntai were destroyed.
In places like the Western Regions, if the land vegetation cannot be preserved, desertification and salinization will easily occur. Therefore, when Fei Qian once again explored the Western Regions, it was impossible to continue to build a city on the old site of Luntai. , the city can only be built in a new place, that is, in the West Sea.
With the development of the West Sea, more and more people have gathered here. For most people, the West Sea in the Western Regions was after Lu Bu conquered certain countries in the Western Regions and then moved the wealth of these city-states to the West Sea. After that, Xihai City became extremely prosperous.
This is a good side, but it also brings a bad side.
When Li Ru was still alive, all aspects of accounts were arranged relatively reasonably. Whether it was civilian expenditures or the payment of salaries to soldiers and officials, everything was orderly and not chaotic at all. However, Li Ru was very sorry. Yes, on the one hand, it is due to his physical condition that he can only give instructions on many things and does not have much energy to teach in detail. On the other hand, it is because of the various rules he has formulated and he does not have too much time to publicize them. and guidance, so that not many people will understand...
People are always like this. Order is difficult to establish, but chaos will last forever.
Some ideas that pursue happiness can be spread automatically and spontaneously without teaching.
After Lu Bu conquered some countries in the Western Region, a large amount of hot money poured in, which not only boosted the market, but also people's hearts. The windfall is flowing, and the Western Region is a foreign country. Everything is novel and fun. The fragrant rose wine and Hu Nu's snow-white belly all stir up the moral concepts that are already difficult to maintain, and what Li Ru has finally built with great difficulty. order system.
After Li Ru's death, those originally stipulated by him were gradually destroyed.
Lu Bu doesn't understand, and the key point is that he doesn't understand, but he still thinks he understands it quite well, because if he thinks he understands, he doesn't need to learn, so Lu Bu thinks it's not a big deal for his men to eat, drink, and take some.
At the beginning, there was really a lot of small money in Xihai City, so Lu Bu paid less and less attention to it.
After all, Lu Bu traveled across the Western Regions at that time. Whether it was to destroy the country or to cede territory to pay compensation, he was carrying tons of gold and jewelry. This gave Lu Bu the confidence to squander, just like Liu Bei opened up Sichuan and Shu for the first time in history. The warehouse door left by Liu Yan and Liu Zhang is the same, full of courage.
There was a lot of gold accumulated in the Western Regions. In the early days, you could even pick it up for free on the road. Before the opening of trade routes to the Western Regions, these Western Regions people did not have much money to spend. You can imagine the amount they accumulated year after year, over hundreds of years.
Therefore, under such circumstances, the appetites of many officials under Lu Bu were opened up.
To a certain extent, rewards are like winning a jackpot or getting rich. The surrounding officials will congratulate and celebrate by eating and drinking together, etc. Then the feeling of spending money will remain in the hearts of these officials...
So, is spending money so enjoyable?
It is simply heaven and earth!
After the first time, there will inevitably be a second time, and then countless times.
But the reward money cannot be endless, and the desire becomes deeper and deeper as the more money is spent.
So, after all the money is spent, how many people will be willing to go back and continue to live by eating hard bread and boiled salted beans? Not many. Even if you can really endure it, you may not jump into the water when the next temptation comes.
Before Wei Xu suggested selling false titles, in fact, within the Western Regions and the Han military system, a situation similar to that only by paying tribute could one be promoted, and only by paying filial piety could one be promoted, and it gradually became clear that it had even become a tacit approval of many people. one thing.
Corruption has become a common method used by officials. Theft and sale of arms and supplies is an important source for generals to exchange money. In both civil and military aspects, everything is focused on money. This semi-open sale of official positions has not only It was only within the scope of what Lu Bu understood as a "virtual title".
"Friend, do you want to be an official?" 』
This is just like the saying that Taoist friends please stay. Once you are tempted to stop, you will lose more than just your Taoism.
If you become an official, you will have money; if you become an official, you will make money.
No matter how small the checkpoint is, it can collect tolls. If the caravan is caught, it will be inspected. No matter how complete and complete the procedures are, and there are no problems in all aspects, it is useless and will still be detained. , no one is allowed to leave without paying, and even the soldiers at the small checkpoint with their helmets tilted and their shirts tilted will proudly declare, "There is no caravan in the world that can't find faults!" If you can't find the problem, I will take your last name! 』
For some people, buying and selling official positions is a good thing, a huge good thing!
Problems that can be solved with money are not big problems, right?
As for Lu Bu, he didn't care at all.
Some people who were wanted by Chi Na Ka found Lu Bu and described the relevant issues and the stakes. Lu Bu was also furious. What did he do next?
All officials and military academies who have been "complained" will be dismissed from their posts!
That's right, just removal.
There was no investigation into the culprits, or did Lu Bu think that the dismissal was already considered an investigation?
It really couldn't be done. These offending officials and military officers went to Lu Bu's gate and kowtowed to admit their mistakes, saying that they were wrong. They burst into tears and snot, and were miserable. Chen Ken apologized and said that he would deeply reflect on this, and even There are corresponding templates for the self-reflection letter, at the Sima level, the military marquis level, the commander level, or any team leader level. If you accidentally forget to bring it, it is not far from the palace of Lu Bu. , there is a small shop where letters are written on behalf of others...
Although the shop claims that it only writes letters on behalf of others, in fact, all the real big business is these letters of apology. The people who get there only need to say their professional titles and names, and everything can be done, and they are guaranteed to be delivered to Lu Bu.
Of course, instead of going to that small letter-writing shop, you can write a self-reflection letter yourself, but there is no guarantee that the self-reflection letter will be delivered to the customer.
The reason why we can do this is because we are all peers.
Aren't they just making money?
They are all peers!
If you steal someone's money secretly, you are a thief. If you steal someone's money in public, you are a robber. If you hide in the mountains and forests to gather people and steal the money of someone or some people around you, you are a bandit. If you do it in the desert and Gobi Those who make money are called horse thieves...
Those who wear a certain kind of clothes, wear a certain seal and ribbon, and make money have just changed their names, but they are actually the same people.
Since we are all colleagues, it is easy to talk.
Of course colleagues should take care of their colleagues.
Therefore, Lu Bu would not impose very severe penalties on these corrupt military academies. At most, he would remove all the officials and military academies that he thought were incompetent, and then transfer and appoint new officials from other places. Lu Bu probably thought that these newcomers, no matter how bad they were, would be better than the old veterans, and that these new people should work hard for their positions, make selfless contributions, and contribute to the great cause of the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions...
But these newly appointed officials and military academies look around and realize that if they make money, they will indeed be held accountable, but...
If you don’t make money, you can’t do anything!
Anyway, once you are convicted, you will only be dismissed from your post, and you will be fine if you kowtow. You will not be beheaded, and your home will not be confiscated. Even if you are locked up in a prison, you will only have a small single room, and only a small part of the money you make will be turned over. That's just the part that was complained about. The rest of the money can still be kept by yourself and your wife and children to enjoy yourself!
How do you choose this? Do you need to say it?
The old people have left, but their peers are still here.
The newcomers' eyes are even redder than those of the old people as soon as they take office.
What about those who were dismissed?
The eyeballs are also red. His own financial path was ruined by those who complained, and there was no need to investigate. Lu Bu himself said everything in detail, who complained about you and what.
Start it! The evil trend of paralyzing complaints cannot be allowed to grow! You must kill the chicken to scare the monkey and let others take a good look!
First, ruin the reputation of these people who like to complain. Don't care if it is yellow mud or yellow shit. First, pour it on these people. Then ordinary people will naturally take notice and stay away. As soon as the other ordinary people leave, haha, how can you do this? It's not just casual. If you don't do thirty-six tricks, it will be considered a bad review! When the time comes, believe it or not, there will be ordinary people watching and applauding, saying that these people who are contaminated with feces and urine deserve to be fucked!
As a result, gradually, no one went to Lu Bu to complain.
Lu Bu thought that the world was at peace and his measures worked. He influenced those officials who made mistakes and gave those people a new life. His merits are immeasurable and Ami Tofu. This must be the case, otherwise, why wouldn’t anyone come to me to complain?
The Western Region Protector's Mansion is almost in a state of corruption that can be seen with the naked eye.
In just one or two years, the official positions in the Western Region Protectorate are already available for public sale. As long as you are willing to pay the corresponding gold, you can get the appointment. You can even use money to replace your own performance. Good or not, money has the final say. It is the most polite and standard, and it is fair and honest.
For example, it was originally just a team leader. As long as you can pay 1,000 gold coins, you will be promoted to a military prince immediately. With 2,000 gold coins, you can be promoted to a military commander. With 3,000 gold coins, you can be promoted to a school lieutenant. With 5,000 gold coins, you can be promoted to a general!
When money reaches your stomach, you can reach your stomach in one step.
Counted on the spot and conferred duties on the spot!
It can be called the Western Region's fast promotion channel. It is formulated very clearly and in detail.
However, most of these official positions have empty titles, which means that they have such a name, but how many people they actually have under them is another matter.
So when Wei Xu was selling those ordinary false titles, news of something happening in the vanguard camp also began to spread. Many people didn't think about horse thieves or what dangers there were in the Western Regions, but their first reaction was that there was something real. Missing!
If the horse thieves set up a forward camp, will they stay there for a long time?
Obviously it's impossible. When they have no money, the horse thieves are very united and only focus on making money. Once they get the money, they will definitely lose their focus. Even if they stay in the forward camp, they won't be able to stay long!
So this is a great opportunity!
Now that the horse thieves are gone, who will own the forward camp?
As for "Chen Ada" who rebelled and surrendered to the enemy, almost everyone thought that he went too far in making money in the forward camp. As a result, he caused "public outrage". Perhaps it was due to uneven distribution, or perhaps because he did not give enough money to his subordinates. , maybe because he did business with a horse thief and was hacked. Anyway, everyone basically thinks that he is an unlucky guy and incompetent.
As for horse thieves, no one cares.
After all, how could the Western Region be without horse thieves?
Isn't it like there is no salt in the meal?
So when the news came out, no one panicked, it was just like a normal thing happened...
Yes, gossip always precedes official news.
The announcement of the heavy setback for the forward barracks in the Western Regions has not been officially released by the Governor's Office. Not even a single word has been written in the memorandum, but many people already know about it.
Including the price...
"Ten thousand gold coins?" Ergouzi sipped Yahuazi and said, "General, for the sake of my hard work for so many years...this, these ten thousand gold coins are really too much. Can you... give me a discount?" 』
Wei Xu smiled and stroked his beard, "It's because of our friendship that I gave you this price!" You can do the math yourself. The team rate is 500 gold coins. Then add one thousand gold coins to the army commander. Then add two thousand gold coins to the army commander. In fact, it is enough to reach the army commander. There is no need to go to the captain. So what do you think? Is three thousand and five thousand enough? 』
Ergouzi nodded repeatedly.
Wei Xu laughed loudly, "Are you really forgetting or are you just pretending to be stupid? This forward military camp is in short supply!" The actual shortfall is tripled. This is the usual practice. For the sake of friendship, I gave you a small change! 』
Er Gouzi lowered his eyelids and muttered something in his throat. Although he couldn't hear clearly, he must have been either slandering Wei Xu for asking for money, or complaining that the friendship he had built for so many years was just a fraction of five hundred gold coins.
Er Gouzi felt a little hungry. He wanted to be an official so much. He wants others to call him by his famous name, instead of just being two-and-a-half-dozen all day long...
"Er Gouzi, let me tell you, although this forward military camp is good, it is not a safe place... You have to think about it..." Wei Xu sighed and said, "You know, if this place wasn't ...』
If it wasn't anything, Wei Xu didn't continue talking, but basically the meaning was relatively clear.
Others didn't know, and thought it was a gangster attack, or that Chen Ada's original attempt to borrow a knife to kill someone was wrong and he shot himself in the foot, or that it was even more outrageous that Chen Ada had simply been too greedy and the accounts were not correct. He couldn't, so he simply surrendered to the enemy.
But Wei Xu and others knew that this position was indeed dangerous.
So Wei Xu was very generous and sold it first... Bah, it was a fair competition.
If someone buys it, let that person explore the route first. If the horse thief is powerful and kills him, Wei Xu will report it to Lu Bu, dispatch heavy weapons, and earn a vote in vain at the same time.
If that person had some skills and was not killed by the horse thieves, then it would be equivalent to wiping out Wei Xu's previous affairs, which was actually not a loss.
The only problem is that if it is given to outsiders, it will not be very convenient if they have to mess with it in the future.
Therefore, Wei Xu is also quite conflicted. On the one hand, he wants to sell money, but on the other hand, he also wants to use his own people. However, no matter which option it is, it is impossible to hand it over in vain. After all, the forward camp is like a chrysanthemum that has been finally cleaned. , how can you let others play with you casually?
Ergouzi frowned.
Wei Xu raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Young man, that's not bad. I think you have accumulated some wealth in the past few years?" 』
Ergouzi's heart skipped a beat and he quickly denied, "No, no, no, no, no, how is it possible? General, don't make fun of me..."
Wei Xu said haha, if it's about killing the enemy in battle, then Lu Bu is the best, but when it comes to business, hehe...
If you really have no money, at most you will just look at it and drool, but you won't be entangled. Wei Xu judged that Ergouzi must have 10,000 gold coins, but not too many, because if there were more, he would not hesitate.
Wei Xu reminded: "Er Gouzi, if you really want to be an official, you have to hurry up." 』
The forward battalion is a fat man, with money, food, soldiers' pay, weapons and horses, armor and equipment, what is not a big piece of fat?
Even if you just pass by without cutting a piece of your hands, your hands will be stained with a lot of fat...
Wei Xu's guess was correct, Ergouzi had indeed saved ten thousand. Should he go all out and strive for a higher level, or should he be content with being a rich man and still be Wei Xu's lackey? This is the profound question of whether to see the ninja or the mole.
"General, I need to think about it..." Ergouzi swallowed.
Wei Xu nodded, "Then you have to move faster... This matter cannot be delayed..."
Whether it is recruiting people in private or making a list and announcing it, it cannot be said to be delayed too long, otherwise the forward camp will be idle for too long, even if there are no ideas originally, some other ideas will come up, so Wei Xu must Decide on the candidates as soon as possible, and then formulate the next strategy. Well, at least Wei Xu thinks it is a "strategy".
In the evening, Ergouzi made up his mind and found Wei Xu again.
When they met Wei Xu, Wei Xu had just eaten, drank some wine, and was washing up. Wei Xu was sitting on a bench with a basin of hot water at his feet. The maid beside him was covering Wei Xu's face with a hot towel and rubbing it gently.
"Er Gouzi, have you thought about it?" 』
Wei Xu pulled off his face towel, then waved the maids and others to leave.
"General, sit down, sit down, I'll come, I'll come..."
Er Gouzi hurriedly stepped forward with a smile, took over the maid's duties, helped Wei Xu take out his feet from the footbath, held them in his arms and wiped them carefully, and carried the foot washing water to the hall with a smile on his face. He got off and handed it over to the attendants waiting in the hall, before sneaking back to Wei Xu.
"It seems that you have made up your mind..." Wei Xu sighed, "Actually, if you can cause trouble, I'm quite reluctant to let you go..."
"General..." Ergouzi knelt down in front of Wei Xu and kowtowed, "General, little one... little one..."
"Oh, that's enough!" ” Wei Xu stepped forward and helped Er Gouzi up, “For the sake of so many years, I’ll make the decision and give you another severe discount, one thousand off!” Only nine thousand five hundred gold coins! As for the soldiers and weapons that will be allocated to you, everyone is your own family, so there is no need to say anything! 』
"..." Ergouzi was in a daze. If this ten thousand is reduced by one thousand, shouldn't it be nine thousand? Then I thought about it and realized that Wei Xu was talking about subtracting one thousand, not another thousand, so it was fifteen hundred minus one thousand...
"how? Not satisfied? ” Wei Xu looked over sideways.
Ergouzi quickly fell to the ground again, "If the young one can get support from the general and make one or two progress, it will be three lives, three lives and ten miles... uh, never forget it!" If the general gives you orders in the future, I will definitely never refuse! 』
"good! Good job! ” Wei Xu helped him again, then patted Er Gouzi on the shoulder, laughing loudly, “As long as you are loyal, wealth is indispensable! By the way, when will your money be delivered? Once you pay the money, you are a family! 』