Chapter 3308: Working Together to Make the Cake Bigger

Chapter 3307: Work together to make the cake bigger

In the border of Qinghe County, Daping Mountain.

The mountain has a flat surface, which can accommodate soldiers, and now a barracks has been set up.

The commander of the barracks here, the temporary commander General Chen Qun, is having a headache.

The former orphan of Liyang, somehow knew that Chen Qun was here, and before he came to the barracks alone in mourning, he impeached Liyang's fake county magistrate Cao Ying for corruption and abuse of power, persecuting loyal officials, causing the local area to be empty, resulting in the disorganization of military discipline, corruption from top to bottom, and being unable to fight at all.

Chen Qun knew that Cao Ying could take up the job in Liyang because of Cao Pi.

What talents does Cao Ying have?

He is good at observing words and expressions, and he is good at changing his mind when the wind blows. The rest...

He can read some books and know some classics, but that's all. He is just a memorizer. If he says that he has any achievements in the great meaning of classics, it would really be a shame for the great Confucian scholars of the Han Dynasty.

But what can he do with his surname Cao?

So Cao Ying had no ability, but he could still be a county lieutenant, and even beheading the county magistrate would not be a big deal.

Everyone knew there was a problem, but as long as the people did not report the officials, they would not make trouble.

Everything was for the Han Dynasty, as long as the original intention was good, the flaws in the process...

Now the flaws have come to the door.

Cao Ying was unreliable after all.

In fact, Chen Qun really blamed Cao Ying wrongly. It was not that Cao Ying did not want to root out the problem, but that Cao Ying himself was in trouble at the time and had not reached an agreement with Wei Yan. When he and Wei Yan were in the same boat, he would have run away.

Now Chen Qun is having a headache.

Sometimes why the Chinese feudal dynasty strictly prohibited the people from appealing to higher authorities, blocking the streets to complain, beating drums, etc., it was not because these higher authorities did not know what was going on below, but because there was no need to deal with this matter.

In the feudal dynasties, there were certainly some cases where people went beyond their authority and won the lawsuit in front of the emperor, but has anyone ever considered how many people were sent back to their hometowns for processing, or even handed over to the officials reported by the informants?

After feeling incredible, who would consider the deep meaning of this?

Most of those who can become high officials are not stupid. Since they are not stupid, they do things that look stupid...

Chen Qun wanted to rectify the officials of Jizhou and dismiss all the unqualified and incompetent ones before, but in the end he could only think about it and sigh a little. After all, these officials were able to take office with the approval of the Prime Minister's Office or the Shangshutai. How could they be dismissed because of a little "small matter"?

Chen Qun did have some power of life and death in his hands, but the more so, the more cautious he needed to be. Otherwise, if all these Jizhou officials were dismissed according to Chen Qun's intention, would Chen Qun be responsible for the subsequent affairs of various places? What if Chen Qun was fighting in front of him, and a group of people quietly followed him to pick up peaches? Chen Qun shed blood, sweat and tears, while others smiled and said that Chen Qun was a hero, but in their hearts they mocked Chen Qun as an idiot.

But the victim had already arrived, and there were so many people watching inside and outside the military camp, and Chen Qun couldn't just let him disappear on the spot, or walk into a city and be hit by a carriage...

Therefore, if Chen Qun wanted the Han Dynasty to prosper, he really had a long way to go, and he must not slack off at all, otherwise he would be misleading the country and the people.

This was not the only thing that made Chen Qun headache. Not long after Chen Qun came out, Yecheng sent three consecutive documents behind him, bringing Cao Pi's questioning, requiring Chen Qun to completely eliminate the "bandit trouble" in Jizhou within a month.

Isn't this a fuss...

Chen Qun called the son of the Liyang County Magistrate and told him that he had received an order from Cao Pi. The important task at this stage was to eliminate bandits. As for his affairs, they could only be dealt with after the military and national events. He asked him to go back and wait for further investigation.

This investigation was very "spiritual".

Perhaps the son of the Liyang County Magistrate understood some "official terms" and knew that this kind of waiting might be a lifetime, so he threw out the king bomb directly...

This time, the son of the Liyang County Magistrate not only reported Cao Ying for corruption and abuse of power, but more importantly, he reported that Cao Ying and Wei Yan colluded!

Chen Qun's first reaction was nonsense, Cao Ying's surname was Cao!

But when he calmed down, Chen Qun suddenly felt that this Cao Ying...

The word "collusion" may not sound good, but it is actually not uncommon in Jizhou. It's just that there is usually a fig leaf hanging, and now that the son of the Liyang County Magistrate pulled it, some black and curly hair suddenly appeared, which was not very elegant.

Therefore, Chen Qun was somewhat suspicious, but such things must be proved with ironclad evidence. Moreover, if the situation was as the son of the magistrate of Liyang County said, then if he rashly entered Qinghe, he might be sold out to Wei Yan, and then Wei Yan would be waiting for him somewhere.

Moreover, Chen Qun was now stationed in Daping Mountain. He had been sent to various counties in Qinghe to contact the sons of local nobles, but there was no news for several days, which made him a little worried. He knew that Qinghe County had not been very harmonious since Lao Cao entered Jizhou, but he did not expect that the situation would be so serious...

"Should we send someone to investigate again?" Chen Qun's confidant asked.

Chen Qun thought for a while and shook his head slightly.

This is the power of the old manor landlord class economic system of the Han Dynasty, or it can be said to be harmful.

This measure of binding the people to their hometowns through the household registration system and the village street baojia system is undoubtedly the favorite of the feudal dynasty. It is simple to manage and easy to govern. It is also easy for the upper level to collect taxes according to the household registration, and it is also convenient for the lower level to embezzle.

It’s just that because of the long-term closure, outsiders are easily and obviously exposed. It’s okay for ordinary passers-by. Generally speaking, passers-by don’t care too much about the local political situation. No one wants to cause trouble, so once they are unfamiliar faces and inquire about things...

"The people of Qinghe are not stupid, they will come after all." Chen Qun said in a deep voice.

It’s better to be quiet than to move.

He is stuck here. Even if there are bandits in Qinghe County, they can’t go north to invade...

At least there is no way to go north directly, and they have to take a detour.

"Then... the prince..." The confidant asked again, "This is constantly urging... If we don’t move, I’m afraid..."

Chen Qun nodded, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Are there bandits nearby? ”

"Nearby? 'The confidant was puzzled, and then suddenly realized, 'This is possible. '

Chen Qun hummed, 'Send some troops tomorrow to kill the bandits. '

The confidant quickly agreed.

With the head of the 'bandit', there will be no problem in delaying for a few more days.

We can't let Chen Qun go deep into the enemy's territory alone when surrounded by 'bandits'. This is a taboo in military strategy and is too 'unreasonable'. Not to mention Cao Pi's urging, even if Cao Cao came, it would be tenable.

The confidant was about to go out, but suddenly thought of something, stopped and said: 'Then... this son of the Liyang County Magistrate...'

Chen Qun frowned slightly, 'Keep it for now. '

This thing is a hot potato, but now it has become a key witness, it's really not good to throw it away.

The confidant nodded, and just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by Chen Qun, 'By the way, secretly send someone to his hometown to check...'

'Check? 'The confidant asked.

Chen Qun nodded and said two words, 'Taxes. '

The confidant immediately agreed and turned to leave.

As for the officials of the Han Dynasty, especially those who sat in the position of county magistrate, how many of them did not tamper with taxes? Eating the financial meal of the Han Dynasty, disaster relief and water conservancy, etc., wouldn't it be fat and greasy if they just took a bite?

Chen Qun watched the confidant leave and couldn't help but sigh softly.

I wonder if the sons of the nobles in Guanzhong are also so tired under Fei Qian's command?

…

…

Wei Yan felt that he had more say in this point that Chen Qun was puzzled about.

Wei Yan now felt that the situation had gradually deviated from his original idea and began to roll in an inexplicable direction.

Wei Yan stared at Cao Ying in front of him, his eyes were filled with suspicion and scrutiny, which made Cao Ying a little shy.

『General...』 Cao Ying said, 『Why do you look at me like this...』

Wei Yan really wanted to ask Cao Ying, what is your mother's, oh, your father's surname?

??????55.??????

Your surname is Cao!

Wouldn't you feel heartbroken to betray your family's prince like this?

Or, is this actually a trap?

In fact, Wei Yan still couldn't fully understand Cao Ying's change at the moment.

In many cases, people only need an excuse to let themselves sleep peacefully, no matter how bad the excuse is.

Nowadays, some things in the world are huge.

For example, mountains and rivers change hands, city heads change, and even the emperor dies and dynasties change. These huge historical events will completely change everything of everyone in a region or a country, leaving mottled colors in the scroll of history, but for someone in this big event, he still has to eat, drink, play, rest and sleep...

For a specific person, the world is far away, and the family is close.

For a certain official, the emperor is far away, and the granary is close.

Everyone's values ​​and beliefs are different. When facing major historical changes, and at the moment of national crisis, the trade-offs between personal interests and national interests are naturally different.

When he was caught by Wei Yan, Cao Ying thought about dying. This is not a joke, he really thought about it, and if he was really given a chance at that time, he would definitely die in the line of duty and show the heroism of Cao's children.

This is indeed true.

I believe that most of the guys who felt itchy scalps or too cold water in history wanted to die for their country at some point. They were full of heroism when they did not encounter swords and axes. They could criticize those surrendering running dogs and show their innocence when they did not need to choose...

Cao Ying is no exception.

He really wanted to die, but at that time he was tied up hands and feet, tied to the ground like a pig dog, and put on the back of a horse.

When personal dignity is deprived, trampled on, and humiliated, how many people will raise their heads again?

Instead of smiling and saying that since it is impossible to resist, why not lie down and enjoy it?

Cao Ying, who wanted to continue to resist, died at a certain point. The one who survived was Cao Ying, who entered the state of a sage after that impulse.

After all, there are only a few people who have great courage and determination.

After that period, no matter how great the grief is, it will fade with time, no matter how great the suffering is, it cannot reduce people's physiological needs, and no matter how great the humiliation is, it cannot prevent the arrival of sleep.

Especially when Wei Yantian, like a flying fairy, broke the fragile mental balance of Cao Ying, Gao Rou and others, the fall was naturally unavoidable, and once they started to fall, Cao Ying, Gao Rou and others would quickly find their way out. All kinds of reasons and excuses.

Just like this time...

"I'm doing this for the big man!" For the true prosperity of the Cao family! ” Cao Ying said seriously, “Really! This battle can't go on any longer! There is a severe drought in Jizhou, and Yuzhou is not much better. Now there is an urgent shortage of food and grass. If the war continues, the Cao family will definitely bear the world's infamy! When the time comes...rather than doing this, it would be better to stop fighting now! Since I am a member of the Cao family, I should plan for the future of the Cao family! Thinking about the people of Hebei and Henan! Praying for the sake of all people in the world! Now, the only option is to cease fighting and stop fighting! 』

Wei Yan did not show any expression, but observed Cao Ying carefully, "So... you want peace talks?" 』

"exactly! ” Cao Ying nodded and said with a high sense of righteousness, “It is definitely not a blessing in the world to resort to military force! The general entered Shandong and saw that Shandong is now..."

Cao Ying's momentum suddenly dropped, and then he raised it reluctantly, "Even though there is a drought in Shandong, there is still a large population. Under such a situation, even if the hussar general comes, what will happen?" 』

Wei Yan sneered, "Why, do you think my lord can't conquer Shandong?" 』

"No no no, no no no!" Cao Ying waved his hands, "You are extremely talented and wise. How can this place in Shandong stop you?" It's just... General, you have also seen that the drought is serious now, and all our food and grass have been plundered and sent to the front line. If the general hadn't happened to come here, he took pity on the hardship of the people in Jizhou and moved some food and grass to relieve people's livelihood. I’m afraid Chisato Akano is inevitable! And this food and grass is just a drop in the bucket... General, think about it, if the Hussar really comes to Shandong, will the Hussar save the drought and the refugees or not? 』

"Um. ” Wei Yan frowned, and after a moment, he glanced at Cao Ying.

Cao Ying shivered, and cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck subconsciously, "General, is this murderous intention?" 』

Wei Yan rolled his eyes, and the cold aura immediately dissipated, "No, how could it be?" 』

"General, I'll tell you the truth, even if the hussars come and kill us all, they won't be able to get enough food..." Cao Ying said with a sad look on his face, "Who could have imagined such a severe drought? Isn't it possible that the current drought is beyond our control? ! Nowadays, we have to eat less food and grass every day, and every day we use less food and grass. With the little food and grass we have freed up, there are millions of people in Jizhou, and it is not enough for one person to share a bowl of gruel... So this war really cannot be fought. Yes, it must stop. Yes, it must stop! 』

Wei Yan laughed twice and said very rudely: "You have no food and grass to eat, what does it have to do with me?" ! According to what you said, then I should seek for the master! 』

Cao Ying retorted, "General, this is wrong!" A strike would be beneficial to both parties! 』

"Huh, tell me. Wei Yan shook his feet, obviously not believing in the "win-win" that Cao Ying said.

"General... In the past, the Zhou Dynasty was weak, and only Qi, Chu, Qin, and Jin were strong. At the beginning of the Jin Dynasty, Duke Xian died and the country was in chaos. Duke Mu of Qin moved far away and refused to form an alliance with China. When King Cheng of Chu first took over the land of Jingman, the Yi and Di took it upon themselves and could not come. Only Qi is China's ally, and Duke Huan can declare his virtue, so the princes will meet..." Cao Ying said slowly, "General, you should know this? 』

"speak English. ” Although Wei Yan probably understood what Cao Ying meant and straightened his feet, he still wanted Cao Ying to speak more clearly, “I am a rough man and I can’t understand those refined words!” 』

Cao Ying laughed and did not laugh at Wei Yan. Instead, he used Qi Huangong as an example to explain to Wei Yan...

In fact, what Cao Ying said was very simple.

At that time, Duke Huan of Qi was able to unify the alliance among the chaotic countries and become one of the overlords of the Spring and Autumn Period. He did not rely on absolute military superiority, but also focused on political means. The Beixing Alliance was obviously the best embodiment of this political means. The various countries in the alliance are definitely not living in harmony. On the contrary, there are still many contradictions and hatreds left over from history. But why was Duke Huan of Qi able to successfully form an alliance under such conditions, and then let the countries work together to become a martial arts world? The alliance leader relies on the four-character secret of "making the cake bigger".

The same is true for Jizhou and Yuzhou now. Originally there were conflicts and competitions between each other, and there was no harmony at all. But under the pressure of the external force of Qiusi, the originally loose and messy situation will come together...

Therefore, if the Hussar is unwilling to truce or march into Shandong, it is very likely that a severe drought will make it difficult for a large number of people to survive. By then, the second or third generation of Chen and Wu will roar, and the six countries will turn against Qin. It will happen again if you can't say it. How many soldiers and horses will the Hussars have at that time, and they can suppress them everywhere? At that time, just like the former Qin Dynasty, all the counties in the world belong to the Hussar. When there is a Hussar army, everyone is a good citizen. Once the army leaves...

After Wei Yan heard this, he frowned and thought for a long time.

Although Wei Yan also knew that not all of Cao Ying's words were true, it had to be said that Cao Ying's rhetoric also pointed out a more serious problem, which made Wei Yan feel the need to report Fei Qian... …

Wei Yan rolled his eyes, then changed his smile, "I don't understand any of this!" Let me ask you where are the benefits you said you would give me? 』

Cao Ying looked at Wei Yan, and seemed to be a little hesitant, but in the end he gritted his teeth and took out a piece of cloth from his arms.

'What is this? ' Wei Yan asked.

Cao Ying stretched out his hand helplessly and handed the cloth to Wei Yan, 'This is... Alas, this is the defense of Yecheng...'

Before he finished speaking, Cao Ying felt that his hand was suddenly empty.

Wei Yan snatched it away and couldn't wait to unfold it. The joy on his face was only revealed by a third, and then it turned into anger. With a "bang", he slapped the cloth on the table, pointed at the cloth with only half of the pattern painted on it, and said angrily: 'What's going on? Are you kidding me? ! '