Cui Yan stood in the mountain pavilion outside Yecheng. Looking into the distance, he seemed to see streaks of blazing black smoke and swords and guns. In just a few days, a large number of places in southern Jizhou were destroyed.
More than a dozen large households were raided in succession.
Cao's army continued to advance at a speed of capturing one fort in two days on average. Cui Yan believed that if this continued, Jizhou would become a sea of blood sooner or later.
Cao Cao's decisive attitude towards big families exceeded Cui Yan's imagination.
If you want to climb from a wealthy family in the countryside to the position of a gentry child, it is even further than from Yecheng to Xu County. You must not only have talents, but also have opportunities. If you have opportunities, you must be praised and recommended by others.
It can take one generation, or two or three generations, to climb from the countryside to the court and become a member of the gentry circle who truly has the right to speak.
Jun.
scholar.
son.
civil.
A class is like ascending to heaven.
Strictly speaking, it was not easy for Cui to climb from a local "son" to a "shi" in the court, so he knew how difficult it was to be a local "son", but when he began to hold power, in
When faced with the tough attitude of higher-level "scholars", he hesitated a little.
Cao Cao showed a tough attitude, as if he was holding a heavy war hammer. Whether it was a shield or armor, the big hammer was eighty and the small hammer was forty.
He is clever and clumsy, holding a powerful force, showing that he doesn't care whether he resists or not, and he doesn't care whether others are willing. Anyway, it is very big. If you are willing, just be patient, and if you are not willing, just sue...
This is a kind of psychological oppression, just like Cao Cao's massacre in Xuzhou. At that time, some people thought that Cao Cao did not dare to do that, but Cao Cao did it, and then Xuzhou collapsed completely, and he has not been able to recover to this day.
So, will the next Xuzhou be Jizhou?
The death and injury of more than a dozen large households is actually nothing to the whole of Jizhou. The loss of more than ten Wubao is actually nothing. The Han war is everywhere, and the various prefectures and counties have suffered military disasters.
Didn’t the local area suffer more losses than Jizhou?
It's just that most of the people who died before were ordinary people, but now Cao Cao is targeting the local big families.
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.
This process is also a process of comparing each other's psychological pressure and competing with each other.
As soon as Cao Cao started taking action, a large number of gentry descendants from Jizhou withdrew from Cao Cao's command and resigned from their posts to express their indignation and protest against Cao Cao's barbaric behavior. At the same time, a large number of common people were encouraged to "regret" their grievances.
, used to express the illegality and unethical behavior of Cao Cao.
Under such circumstances, normally, most people would succumb to the will of others.
But Cao Cao was not an ordinary person.
Cao Cao ordered the direct killing of those people who had taken money to cause trouble, and at the same time accelerated the purge of large households, even arrested some officials who resigned, and put these people in prison on various charges...
For a time, there was a bloody storm around Xu County, and people throughout Jizhou were wailing.
When life safety is not involved, people can gesticulate through a network cable, and the spittle they spit can paint a rainbow. But if it is said that cruel officials will come to the door at the next moment, families will be destroyed, and even people will be killed, there will naturally not be so many people.
He dared to spit saliva randomly.
Not everyone dares to face the storm without fear.
The key is that there is no second Zang Hong.
At this moment, Cui Yan felt the preciousness of a man with an iron head.
"Mr. Cui..." Li Pan slowly walked over and bowed his hands.
"Is everyone here?" Cui Yan asked.
Li Pan nodded.
Everywhere in Yecheng may be monitored by the Cao family. If it is in someone's own yard, there will inevitably be suspicion of gathering for rebellion, so the only choice is to find a hilltop outside the city to prevent some Cao family members.
Personnel eavesdropping can also use excuses such as spring outings, cultural gatherings, etc. to avoid some problems.
"I have met you all..."
Cui Yan bowed slightly and nodded in salute. Although Cui Yan has a higher position now, he may not be the oldest. With this etiquette, Cui Yan does not need to show arrogance.
"Cui Biejia, now... it's really chilling..." an old man on the left sighed, frowning, "...innocent people have suffered such a disaster, it's really... alas..."
Innocent or not, this point is not that important, but at least this reputation cannot be lost.
"Alas! The Master said, harsh government is as fierce as a tiger! It is like this now!"
"Jizhou...is there no Zang Ziyuan in Jizhou?"
"..." Cui Yan was silent and watched everyone talking.
After a while, everyone calmed down a little and their voices lowered.
Those present here basically belong to the ranks of "scholars". They are either holding some official positions now, or their parents and ancestors have produced some capable people. Although to some extent, they have broken away from the ranks of big families in the countryside.
, but their relationship with these large households is still very close, both in terms of personal connections and economics.
Large rural families want to obtain political asylum, and these people obtain various offerings in the process. This is the most basic transaction. As for some favors and marriages established in this process, they are for profit.
Embellishment and concealment.
Cui Yan didn't answer immediately, but the meaning was very obvious.
Just to discuss the matter, everyone is not a fool. If you want to play moral kidnapping, shut up as soon as possible.
"The general has his own reasons." Cui Yan said with a hint of meaning.
Li Pan couldn't help but sigh. He understood what Cui Yan meant. Zang Hong rebelled against Yuan Shao before because Yuan Shao betrayed him and lost his integrity. But even so, when Zang Hong rebelled against Yuan Shao, he still only had one land and a small number of soldiers.
Followed by, most of the noble families and wealthy households only gave verbal support, so now these people are noisy about "Zang Ziyuan" secondly, and most of them are just verbal.
On the other hand, Cui Yan said "reason", which is the key word. Now the general is assassinating, and then tracking down the murderer and accomplices. Although there is obvious suspicion of retaliation, after all, he has a good reputation. And now people from Jizhou are gathered together.
Of course, there must be "reason" in doing so, otherwise even if you rebel immediately, you may not get any response.
Some people are angry, some are helpless, but they are somewhat aware of the subtleties involved.
"Now that the New Year has passed, spring plowing is just around the corner," Cui Yan said the second sentence, "The foundation of the world is to cultivate mulberry trees. The general has his own sense of proportion."
The Jizhou area did not originally belong to Cao Cao. Although most people changed their flags after Yuan Shao's fall, it was just a different flag. In many cases, the original people were still in charge, which would certainly cause Cao Cao's anger.
Dissatisfied, especially with the last Qinghe incident, although Cao Cao made concessions, it also laid the foundation for future troubles.
Now that the future troubles have broken out, Cao Cao feels relieved, but the spring plowing is about to begin soon. Unless Cao Cao has water in his head, it is impossible for him to give up Jizhou just to breathe a sigh of relief. This area accounts for almost half of Cao Cao's income.
Area.
Under such circumstances, Cao Cao will most likely choose to stop.
Besides, if the persecution is excessive and Jizhou really rebels, Cao Cao himself will not feel comfortable.
To a certain extent, Li Pan thinks so too.
Although Cao Jun has now captured more than a dozen Wubao in southern Jizhou, which looks scary, but if you think about it carefully, it is not necessarily so scary. Although Cao Jun has killed a lot of people now, they are just ordinary big households.
, such as "giving way", Cao Cao has not made a move yet. Of course if the trouble continues, no one can guarantee that Cao Cao will not take action.
As long as the Jizhou gentry will not be in chaos and withstand the pressure exerted by Cao Cao, then once the spring plowing approaches, Cao Cao will naturally be forced to make peace with the Jizhou gentry. Then the disadvantage can be turned into an advantage by then, and from other aspects
On the one hand, this time is a crisis, but it is also an opportunity.
Since Yuan Shao's death, the gentry in Jizhou have been in disarray.
Even if Cui Yan serves as the driver, his influence is still limited. Even if some prompts and arrangements are made in advance, there are still many local big players who are not willing to follow Cui Yan's suggestions, so that they naturally act first and last.
, chaos. But at the same time, Cui Yan also showed his wisdom and strength in this chaos. It is precisely because of this that Li Pan and others gathered here to discuss.
Cui Yan looked around and said: "According to someone's knowledge, in the Sanfu area of Chang'an, there were dozens of Lianshao family members, all of whom were slaughtered... In the Lantian area, there were also more than ten disciples, all of whom were imprisoned... involved.
It's very wide, and now the Hussars are sending people to investigate Hedong. The people they arrest are because the shackles are not enough..."
"What?!"
"How could this be?"
"Nani?"
"..."
Everyone was immediately stunned, and then there was an uproar.
Li Pan asked in disbelief: "So..."
Cui Yan was silent for a long time before saying, "This is not a matter of one person... nor is it a matter of Jizhou alone... Everyone, please be careful..."
Li Pan's hands were trembling slightly, "Mr. Cui, could it be that this big guy...but..."
Cui Yan shook his head and said, "It's unknown, it's unnecessary."
Although people can rely on conspiracy to gain certain benefits, but if it is elevated to the level of the entire country, it will be difficult to use conspiracy. After all, the strength of each other lies where they are. Even if you can use conspiracy to seize a temporary advantage.
You have the upper hand, but you can't always have the upper hand. The final battle still depends on the comparison of strength.
And now, even Cui Yan, who has the power to reach the sky, can bind the scattered people in Jizhou together, and may be able to compete with Cao Cao, but the problem is that now it is not only Cao Cao who is doing this, but also Hsiao Qi.
If we are doing it, it almost means that the entire Han Dynasty will undergo some institutional changes, and the previous models and structures are undergoing new changes...
Blind confrontation may be one way to go, but is there a new way to go?
Which path is more in line with your own interests, and whichever path you choose will have a better future.
This is what Cui Yan wanted to tell everyone when he gathered everyone together...
Now, it is no longer a matter of just one place in Jizhou!
……(╥╯^╰╥)……
"a book……"
A farmer stood dazedly outside the bookstore, with an expression of fear.
Book.
This word that had never appeared in his life made him feel at a loss. He didn't even know where to put his hands and feet. He knew when Zhuang He needed to weed and water, and he didn't even have to go to the fields.
As long as you stand and glance at the field, you can know whether the Zhuanghe in a certain field is growing well or not, but for the brand-new concept of "book"...
Is it delicious...
No, what's the use?
By the way, books are for reading, but what’s the use of reading them like this?
The farmer touched the small money bag in his arms.
The money bag is small, but the farmer feels it is very heavy and precious.
This is the extra hard work he and his wife have put in all winter. A load of firewood costs ten dollars. Sometimes, unlucky enough, if we encounter some difficult situations, we can't even sell it for ten dollars. Sometimes we have to sell it for seven or eight dollars.
The money was sold. Then the farmer couldn't go to the mountains to cut firewood every day, so after more than twenty days, he didn't even have a hundred dollars.
Spring is about to begin, and the fields are about to get busy. The farmer is carrying the money to buy books.
If you don't want to buy books, then you can buy a piece of linen, or a little ewe, or...
What a bastard, why do you want a book?
The farmer stood next to the bookstore for a long time, hesitating, not knowing what he should do. It wasn't until the sky turned westward and the number of people in the bookstore gradually decreased. When the clerk came out to tidy up the banners outside, he saw the man who had been hiding.
The farmer on the side.
Of course, the clerk in the bookstore is also wearing a long robe.
The farmer shrank back in fear. In his mind, anyone wearing a robe was a big shot.
"What's the matter?" the waiter asked, then paused, "I mean, what's the matter with you here?"
"No...no..." the farmer denied subconsciously.
The waiter nodded, and did not chase the farmer away because he was dressed or standing close. Instead, he thought that the farmer was waiting for someone, or was tired from walking, so he did not continue to say anything, but raised the top of his head.
I took down the banners and prepared to end the business for the day.
The farmer took two steps out hesitantly, then moved back hesitantly, "This, this noble man..."
"I'm not a nobleman, I'm just a shop assistant..." The shop assistant held a cloth banner in his hand, "Just tell me if you have anything to do. Are you looking for some odd jobs? This is a bookstore, there is nothing."
It’s hard work, but I heard that the shopkeeper Wang of the grocery store in front of the street seems to be looking for some part-time workers recently..."
"A part-time worker in a grocery store?" The farmer was overjoyed and was about to move forward when he suddenly realized and said with an awkward smile, "This noble man, uh, little brother... I am, I am... Hi! I wanted to
Buy books..."
"Ah, ha?" The bookstore clerk's eyes widened, "What?"
"No...it's nothing..." The farmer shrank his neck and stepped back.
"Wait a minute..." The boy stopped the farmer, "What book do you want to buy? Do you want to buy a calendar?" A calendar is something similar to an almanac, but it is simplified into a piece of paper, and most of them are paintings.
It is convenient for people who are illiterate to know some solar terms and so on.
The farmer also knew what calendar paintings were, so he shook his head and said more clearly, "It's not a painting, it's a book, the kind of book with words on it... I don't want it, it's my second son who wants it..."
"Ah? This book is not fun...and...can you understand it?" The clerk smiled and said, "It's better to buy some food cloth or something...it's more practical..."
The farmer responded a few times, then hesitated and did not move.
"That's it..." The waiter noticed the farmer's hesitation, "Just wait a moment..."
The clerk carefully rolled up the collected cloth banners and placed them under the counter. Then he took some written papers from the corner of the bookstore, walked over and handed them to the farmer, "In this way, I think
Well, just buy these pictures first. If your kid can really recognize them, it won’t be too late to buy books... Mainly because it’s cheap. I made mistakes when copying them by hand, so I just charge paper money.
...』
Generally speaking, children from poor families who make a living by copying books must write well, otherwise they would not be able to make money. However, people are still human. Sometimes when they are distracted and careless, they will miss words and make typos. It is normal.
Those that are wrong will be picked out and sold individually.
Most of the time, these will be bought by other people, and they are basically used as copybooks to copy. Anyway, the copying only focuses on the structure and strokes of the font, and no one pays special attention to the content of the writing, and whether it is coherent or not.
The boy gave the farmer this kind of paper. In his opinion, he had to forcefully explain to the farmer why a book was so expensive, which books were good, which books were not good, which books were suitable, or which books were not suitable.
It is suitable. It is not of great significance to argue whether the farmer's child can read or not. It is better to just leave it like this. Even if the farmer buys it back and finds that it is useless, he will not be too distressed and the loss will not be big.
"Oh, you are such a good person, a good person..." The farmer also understood what the guy meant, and thanked him repeatedly, "Then buy this, just this...how much does it cost?"
"One piece costs five cents, five cents, I'll give you a discount, it'll be twenty cents..."
The farmer suddenly felt a lot more relaxed. Twenty dollars was the cost of two trips of firewood. He could still calculate this. If he had known about this earlier, wouldn't he have been able to buy it home a long time ago?
Then if you have some money left, can you buy some other things that you need at home?
The farmer suddenly felt that everything was wonderful.
The farmer paid the money, and then carefully pinched the paper. He felt a little dazed for a moment. He didn't know whether he should be gentler or harder. The lighter one was afraid of being blown away by the wind, and the harder one was afraid of breaking it...
In the end, it was the bookstore clerk who solved the problem for him. He rolled up the paper, tied it up with a thin straw rope, and helped the farmer hang it on his chest. He also told him not to get wet, not to get damp, etc., and then
After seeing the farmer out of the bookstore, he smiled and shook his head, then turned around and started to set up the door to close the shop.
The farmer carefully protected the scroll on his chest with one hand as he hurried home. Although he had no idea what was written on these pieces of paper, and he didn't know whether these papers could be of any use.
, but at least he fulfilled his son's wish.
"Oh? Village East Da Zhuang, are you back from the market?"
"Ang." The farmer responded.
"Hey, what is this?"
The farmer raised his head proudly, "This is a book! Do you see it? It's a writing book! My boy doesn't know what's going on, so he wants to read..."
"Tsk, tsk, this is amazing, doesn't it cost a lot of money?"
"Not much, uh, fifty, fifty dollars!"
"Tsk, tsk, this is worth a lot of money... I'm not telling you, your child... really understands it?"
"Is there still a day off? Two days ago, my boy was learning calligraphy from the Agricultural Master!"
"Oh! That's really true. A big shot is going to be born in your family!"
"Haha, no matter where, just fool around, fool around, as long as you can make a living!" The farmer waved his hand, "I'll go back first..."
"Amazing, amazing..."
"Tsk tsk..."
Amid the voices of everyone talking, the farmer strode forward.
