Winter is deep, and heavy snow is falling, covering Xu County inside and outside with a blanket of silver.
Except for those rich and wealthy, ordinary people have no appreciation for snowy weather. Even the most heartless children will feel pain due to the cold in such snowy weather. .
Once it starts to snow, it is almost the most difficult time to endure. Especially in the past few years, winter has been freezing every year. Everyone hopes that the next year will be better, but often when winter comes, hope is gone. Disillusionment once again.
Rural farmers in many places may not even have basic warm clothes. When winter comes, the whole family can only wrap themselves up in quilts and suffer. Every time they get out of bed, it is an ordeal. Some even don’t even have decent clothes. There were no quilts, so we could only use hay to keep out the cold. And we didn’t even have a brazier, so we didn’t dare to light it, for fear that the people and the grass would be ignited together...
In this way, when winter comes, it is not uncommon for people to freeze to death. As long as there is not a large area of frozen to death, basically the government will not deal with it, and naturally there is no need to talk about comfort and disaster relief. As for the weak It is not a strange thing that the elderly and children cannot survive the cold weather. They are all too thin anyway, so they will die if they die.
Of course, no matter how heavy the snow is, there will still be no hindrance to big households. Several of the best restaurants in Xu County are still doing a prosperous business. They are brightly lit every day, and the aroma of wine and meat is everywhere. You can smell it across two streets. Thick brocades are hung on the doors and windows, and the best silver charcoal is burned inside. The singing girl is tactful, and the beauty is lovely. If you are drunk, why do you want to take a mandarin duck bath? Yes, there is also hot soup available at any time, so even though it is expensive, it is always full of regulars.
Life is only once, happiness is just one word.
As for the troubles, leave them behind for now and just feel good now!
Food smells good, beauty smells good...
Fragrant!
But there are still some people who are not addicted to pleasure...
In the General's Mansion.
Cao Cao held the latest Guanzhong intelligence in his hand, and he didn't know whether he should be happy, scared, or some other emotion.
Xun Yu and Guo Jia are also there.
This period of time is approaching the end of the year, and both local finances and official positions need to be reviewed and evaluated at the end of the year. There are so many things as if they were just a hair, and they need to be counted one by one, which is tedious and complicated.
"My lord..." Xun Yu saw that Cao Cao's expression was slightly abnormal, so he couldn't help but ask, "But something happened?"
Cao Cao nodded and said, "Riding on the three assistants of Chang'an, strictly arresting corrupt officials, tracking down the heroes...killing the rebels, more than 520 people, and waiting for the capital to watch on the roadside..."
"Hmm..." Guo Jia on the side also raised his head and said, "More than five hundred people?"
Xun Yu also looked at Cao Cao.
More than five hundred people are nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands of people in Chang'an. Just like if Cao Cao didn't like the manor and sent soldiers to clear it out, it would probably be more than this number.
Cao Cao sighed and said: "There are more than five hundred people, all of whom are wealthy and powerful, and are children of country gentry..."
Xun Yu's eyes widened.
Guo Jia's mouth couldn't help but twitch, "Sure enough..."
If more than five hundred people are all wealthy squires, then it is a numerical value in a completely different sense. Ordinary people are often just a number in the thinking of the ruling class in feudal society, and they are not even willing to make detailed statistics.
, probably it will be done in one go.
What makes these feudal rulers feel heartbroken is always seeing the death of their own people. As for the life and death of ordinary people, they are not very concerned about it.
The percentage that falls on the paper.
"What's true?" Cao Cao turned to ask Guo Jiadao.
Guo Jia sighed, recounted the bet he made with Fei Qian when they first met in Yingchuan, and then said slowly: "Now... the Qiusi has really taken action..."
Cao Cao pinched his beard and was silent.
Xun Yu frowned, as if he still couldn't believe it, "Are you not afraid of what the world will say if you do this? Even if it is in the name of treason, then what, how can you prevent the world from talking about it?"
Cao Cao nodded. To be honest, Cao Cao also wanted to recruit these big noble families. Yuzhou Yingchuan Xunyu and others were better off. After all, they stood with Cao Cao, but the gang of old and young people in Jizhou...
Hum hum.
Nowadays, there are more wars, and the consumption is naturally greater, and more food, grass and corvee are needed. Isn't this normal? However, the area in Yuzhou is more or less okay. Jizhou is just screaming like ghosts, just like a dead father.
Just like my mother, she even screamed more ferociously than my own parents after they died.
They always said "not caring about the sufferings of the people", or said "tyranny is stronger than a tiger", etc., which made Cao Cao want to drag these guys in front of him one by one and slap their mouths, so that these guys understand what real suffering is and what is true.
It's a real tiger...
As for why we didn’t do it, it wasn’t because we were worried about the implication.
But Qiusi just did it like this.
Cao Cao really didn't know whether he should call Qiusi Niubi or laugh and say Qiusi will die...
Otherwise, we should follow the custom and laugh three times?
The information came into the hands of Xun Yu and Guo Jia, and after Xun Yu read it, he exchanged a look with Guo Jia, and was discovered by Cao Cao.
Huh? You two...
"My lord Mingjian, this hussar's skills..." Xun Yu cupped his hands and seemed to be quite touched, "It's really impressive..."
"Oh? How do you say this?" Cao Cao asked.
Guo Jia clicked on the sentences in the intelligence and said: "In the name of "honest soldiers and clean officials"... and on the grounds of "rebellion", the people of the big family were tracked down, and it was headed by Webster... Naturally there are restrictions.
, if it is not widened but expanded, even though there will be surprise, there will be no fear..."
Cao Cao groaned, then took the information and came back to read it again, and then moved his brows a few times.
"What if..." Cao Cao looked at Xun Yu and then at Guo Jia, "How?"
"Inappropriate." Guo Jia shook his head and said, "Now in the three auxiliary areas of Chang'an, there are the soldiers of Longyou in the west, Hussar in Wuguan in the south, Taishi in Tongguan in the east, and Yinshan and soldiers in the north. They are as solid as gold. If it were
…Isn’t this a self-inflicted death?”
Xun Yu also nodded.
Similarly, this is also the reason why the three auxiliary nobles in Guanzhong endured some pain and could not make a fuss in this situation.
When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but sigh softly. It's not that Cao Cao didn't understand, he just felt that it was a pity that he couldn't take advantage of the situation. This hussar, Fei Qian, why couldn't he be negligent?
"Big family..." Cao Cao pinched his beard and narrowed his eyes, "Big family... Qiusi's move... may be a lesson..."
"Ming Gong!" Xun Yu opened his eyes wide.
Cao Cao waved his hand and said: "Just like a hussar, limited to a certain place..."
By setting up a big business, you can basically get local money and food for a year or even many years. This business seems to be feasible...
"Mr. Minggong, this is like killing a chicken to obtain the egg!" Xun Yu said with his hands raised, "Please think again, Minggong!"
Cao Cao nodded and said: "I know it...but these eggs...have not fallen into someone's hands. So, what's the harm in killing them?" Of course, you can't kill your own chickens indiscriminately, and you must protect the eggs.
But the question is, if this chicken always goes elsewhere to lay eggs, and then eats its own food and grass, should it be kept for the Chinese New Year?
Xun Yu turned his head and looked at Guo Jia.
If Guo Jia had not been to Guanzhong Sanfu, he might have followed Xun Yu to dissuade Cao Cao, but now Guo Jia has some different ideas. After all, if the hussar did not open a way first, he might stand on the ground.
Everyone in the thorns is blocked, and there is no way out, but now...
"Maybe we can wait a moment..." Guo Jia cupped his hands and said, "Ming Gong is not in a hurry..."
Cao Cao rolled his eyes and nodded, "What Fengxiao said makes sense. We just have to wait and see how Guanzhong changes..."
The discussion in Xu County has come to an end for the time being, but the chaos in Jiaozhi has just begun.
After Shi Xie found that Liu Bei and others could not be defeated either on the frontal battlefield or with a sneak attack from the side, he raised his last trump card and slapped it on the table...
Make peace!
Shi Xie also showed considerable sincerity in order to negotiate peace. Of course, Shi Xie also made two preparations. On the one hand, if Liu Bei was willing to negotiate, he could take a breath and recover, but Liu Bei came all the way and was unable to supply supplies.
If it is unobstructed, it will obviously be Shi Xie's side that will recover more.
On the other hand, if Liu Bei does not agree to the peace negotiation, then Shi Xie will use the benefits originally intended for Liu Bei to sell them to the Southern Barbarians in the Jiaozhi area, and coordinate a violent attack on Liu Bei...
"Is Mrs. Liu willing?" Shi Xie sat in the middle, looking at the map, his brows furrowed.
The land of Jiaozhi is mostly mountainous, but there are also flat lands. The most ideal ones are the two larger alluvial plains. One is the Pearl River Delta plain, which includes the place where Guangzhou later was located. It is currently under the jurisdiction of Nanhai County, and Hanoi, the later capital of Vietnam.
The Red River Delta plain where it is located belongs to Jiaozhi County, so Shixie actually controls two centers, but now Shixie said that he can give up one of them, that is, the Pearl River Delta plain to Liu Bei.
Shi Ma slowly shook his head. As an envoy to Liu Bei's army to deliver peace talks, Shi Ma was not mistreated, but he could get some clues about how Liu Bei and others dealt with the matter.
Liu Bei was obviously unwilling to negotiate peace.
One is that although the Pearl River Delta plain area ceded by Shi Xie and others can be considered a land of abundant water and grass, it is in the east and west of the Jiaozhi area controlled by Shi Xie and others. If Liu Bei accepts it, then even if
The next time I want to go to Shixie, I have to cross the mountains of Cangwu and Hepu counties, which is naturally not that convenient.
On the other hand, although the Pearl River Delta plain is good, it is also the support point of the South Vietnam strategy that Sun has always wanted to obtain. When Liu Bei gets there, he will inevitably come into contact with Sun Quan's forces. When the time comes, Shi Xie will have to be used.
If he takes action, Sun Quan can kill Liu Bei on his behalf...
Of course, these ideals seem difficult to achieve today.
After all, Liu Bei is not a fool, and what others say is what he says. For Liu Bei, there is no problem in accepting the peace treaty with a smile, and then continuing to attack with his army, there is also no psychological barrier.
"Fourth brother, when you go to the Liu family's army, what do you think of it?" Shi Xie asked.
Shi Xie mainly wanted to know whether Liu Bei had the strength to conquer Jiaozhi.
Shi Xie somewhat avoided Shi Xie's gaze, but after all he couldn't avoid it. He could only raise his hands and said: "My lord, although the people of the Liu family do not know the scriptures, their soldiers are very brave, and their generals...are very powerful..."
To put it simply, Liu Bei is a group of bandits, very vicious...
Shi Xie couldn't help feeling suffocated, then he forced a smile and said, "If the Liu family refuses peace talks and sends an army to attack, how long can Yongji Pass... be held?"
Shi Ma pondered for a long time, and then said: "The Yongji place is sandwiched between two mountains. If the Liu family wants to attack, they will only have one chance... After all, the mountain road is steep and transportation is inconvenient. The art of war is cloudy. If you go all out, then..."
Shi Xie interrupted Shi Ma's book bag and said, "Regardless of the art of war, I just want to ask, if the Liu family comes to attack, can it be stopped? And how long can it be defended?"
Shi Ma coughed, and then said: "Yongji Pass...how many days can we hold it, it is difficult to say clearly...If we look at the amount of food and grass hoarded alone, our five thousand soldiers can eat in Guanzhong."
A year without worries..."
Shi Xie's face couldn't help but become a little ugly.
Anyone who lives up to this point is not a fool. Shima refused to say anything, just said that it was okay to just eat. So the subtext actually means that compared with the soldiers at Yongji Pass and the soldiers of Liu Bei and others, that is……
"How can the hero of Yongji Pass not be defeated?" Shi Xie still couldn't believe it, "If it can be blocked for half a year, there will be a turn for the better..."
Since Liu Bei came south, Shi Xie began to hoard a large amount of food and grass. However, because he did not expect that Liu Bei's offensive would be so strong, he sent people out to collect food and grass, and contacted people from various southern barbarian tribes who did not come back in time. In addition, Although the Jiaozhi land is extensive, many areas are mountainous and not easy to walk, so Shi Xie couldn't say for a while that he could immediately gather all his soldiers to fight against Liu Bei.
"If you want to use Yongji Pass as your base..." Shi Fu sighed, flexed his fingers and said, "When you are in need, you might as well... strengthen the walls and clear the fields... demolish all the surrounding houses, obtain wood, iron tools, firewood... cultivate more arrows as soon as possible, Wooden wood, rolling stones, kerosene, horses, deer villages, hanging spleens, tired thorns, spikes, wooden stakes and other objects..."
Shi Xie frowned and said, "A strong wall clears the field?"
If you really do this, it will be equivalent to giving up all the area east of Yongji Pass to Liu Bei. Even if Liu Bei is defeated in the future, Shi Xie will have to return to the east of Yongji Pass if he wants to. A very difficult thing.
"Of course..." Shi Fu said, "Move all the people and demolish all the houses. If you can't get them, burn them with fire... until everything outside Yongji Pass and within a hundred miles is reduced to ruins!" If we can hold Yongji Pass and defeat Liu's army, it won't be too late to rebuild... If... What's more, if the Liu army comes to attack, outside of Yongji Pass, we are also supporting the enemy, so it is better to leave as early as possible... …』
"But is it too early to implement the strategy of strengthening the wall and clearing the wilderness now?" Shi Xie said with a frown.
This is the truth, but if his side did this, wouldn't Liu Bei not even have to consider peace talks? Seeing that Shi Xie was ready to strengthen the wall and clear the country, then the peace talks must be fake. Wouldn't Liu Bei be immediately dismissed? Waiting for someone to lure you here?
"Peace talks..." Shi Xie looked at Shi Xie, raised his hands and said, "The people of the Liu family are like tigers and wolves, how can there be any room for negotiation? Now they have no choice but to move their troops south, hoping to sneak attack on us... Lord, please don't Hesitate, if I fight to the death, or there is still a glimmer of hope..."
The room fell into silence.
Shi Xie sat behind the desk, lowering his head and thinking.
After a while, Shi Xie raised his head and said, "If the walls are fortified and the fields are cleared, where will the people go?"
"Repair the city and dig trenches..." Shi Fu said, "Now the weather is cold and the land is hard. Without enough manpower, it may be difficult to repair the fortifications..."
Shi Xie nodded, and then said: "But if there are too many people... Guanzhong will inevitably consume food and grass..."
Shi Ma said: "It doesn't matter. Leave him here for the time being to repair the fortifications. When Liu Jun attacks, you can abandon him in front of the pass! If Liu Jun kills him, he will share the same hatred with the enemy. If Liu Jun keeps him, his food will be consumed... …Isn’t it said that Liu Xuande was very benevolent and treated the people leniently?”
Shi Ma smiled and then said, "Liu Xuande will probably gather them...but the weather is cold and freezing, and it is inconvenient for us to transport food and grass. The same goes for Liu Xuande! How much food is left in Liu's army? How much can it support?"
Shi Ma said, "If my lord wants to refuse, this is the only way... Firstly, it can secure Yongji Pass, secondly, it can burden Liu Xuande, and thirdly, it can ease our difficulties. It's all right in one fell swoop...
』
Shi Xie said: "If...it triggers public outrage..."
Shi Fu replied: "You can contact the nearby big families in advance and get their help, and then you will have no worries. What's the harm if there is no one to control the resentment of the people?"
Shi Xie thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to agree with Shi Miao's plan, and began to set up a place near Yongji Pass. He sent people to notify the large households and tribal villages near Yongji County, asking them to evacuate quietly immediately, in order to protect his actions.
Covering everything up, it was said that Shi Xie was considering being blind and could not bear them to face the military disaster...
Then at the same time, he said that anyone who is willing to demolish their houses and clear the walls will receive double rewards. In the future, after Liu Bei and others are defeated, Shixie will not only help them rebuild their homes with money, but also give them a certain amount of land as compensation. Of course.
Yes, anyone who disobeys the order will be guilty of collaborating with the enemy and will be severely punished.
Shi Xie originally thought that this method might be a bit unsatisfactory. If it aroused public anger, it would be easy to cause trouble, but Shi Xie's words made him forget about this worry.
Shi Ma said, if Yongji Pass is lost, what will the lord get? Will these people come to protect the lord? Can the lord still drive Liu Bei away with the support of the people?
People are like cattle and sheep. They may be angry for a while, but they don't have much memory. So even if you insult them, scold them, drive them away, or cut them down, as long as they are fed and clothed later, they will forget their past grudges.
, not only that, but will also follow behind to pray for alms from the Lord and pray for more food...
Public outrage? What does public outrage mean?
When will people remember what happened before?
Why compromise on other things and ultimately choose to eat something that tastes really good?
