The sun shines in from the outside, forming a spot of light on the wooden floor of the back hall.
Cao Cao stared at the light spot, and then watched this little insect crawl out of nowhere and crawled into the light spot. Then he seemed to feel the light, or felt Cao Cao's sight, and hesitated in the light spot.
, seemed to be retreating a little, but after a while, the little bug continued to move forward.
Cao Cao squinted his eyes and stroked his beard slightly.
It was quiet inside the room.
After a while, someone came in from outside. It was Cao Cao's wife Bian. She came in with a bowl of soup. Seeing that Cao Cao was concentrating with his eyes closed, Bian gently put the soup on the table and walked around.
When he got behind Cao Cao, he held Cao Cao's head in his arms and gently kneaded it.
Cao Cao exhaled a breath, then leaned back slightly, feeling that the pain in his shoulders and neck had dissipated under Bian's kneading. After a while, Cao Cao opened his eyes, and then held Bian's hand.
"I heard that Yuan Rang is here?" Bian asked softly, "Do you want to stay and have dinner together?"
Cao Cao shook his head slightly, let go of Bian's hand, and then picked up the soup on the table, "No, he has something to do and left..."
Cao Cao's voice was tired and hoarse, and then he coughed lightly.
Ms. Bian was slightly surprised, but she covered it up well and lowered her head without asking any questions.
Cao Cao finished the soup in three gulps and then put it down.
Mrs. Bian gently moved over, put away the finished bowl, then stood up and slowly exited the back hall. After turning around the corridor, a maid came forward and took the dinner plate from Mrs. Bian's hand.
"Today evening, remove the brisket and fish, replace it with some light dishes, and cook some rice porridge..." Bian ordered as he walked forward in the corridor.
The servants followed behind, on the outside of the corridor, nodding and bowing, saying yes repeatedly.
"Take out the embroidered Sichuan brocade in the warehouse and send it to General Xiahou's wife..." Bian continued, "Send a cart of newly harvested corn as well..."
"Yes, yes... this slave has remembered..."
Mrs. Bian nodded, "Just go."
The servants quickly went to get busy.
Mrs. Bian turned around the corridor and looked back slightly.
Something big happened to her husband, but she couldn't ask. Of course, even if he asked, Cao Cao might not tell her.
Bian raised his head slightly and looked to the other side.
The sun is struggling to set on the tiles of the wall, dyeing the tiles bright red...
Xiahou Dun also returned to his home.
The attendant at home stepped forward to help him untie his armor, but Xiahou Dun pushed him away, "No, we have to go out later! Ready the horse!"
Wearing armor like this, Xiahou Dun walked into the backyard. His wife came up to him and said, "I have seen my husband... Is your husband going out?"
Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao have a very good relationship, so the wives of the two families often communicate with each other. Generally speaking, if it is approaching meal time, the other party will stay for dinner, and the other party will not be polite. But this time, Xiahou Dun went to Cao Cao
In the palace, not only did he come back so quickly, but he also hadn’t taken off his leather armor and seemed to be going out. "Prime Minister, Prime Minister... are you okay?"
Hearing his wife's question, Xiahou Dun's eyes flashed with Cao Cao's bloodshot eyes, his expression moved, and then he smiled: "My lord is safe..."
Mrs. Xiahou smiled. When she saw her husband, she seemed to be in a low mood. She thought something had happened to Cao Cao. Since Xiahou Dun said that the Prime Minister was fine, then it was other official matters. She also helped with any troubles on official matters.
Not too busy.
Xiahou Dun sat down in the back hall.
The setting sun sets in the backyard, dyeing everything a little red.
On trees, rocks, wooden boards.
There are also people...
Mrs. Xiahou sat next to Xiahou Dun, waiting quietly. She knew that he had something to say.
Sure enough, after a while, Xiahou Dun said in a deep voice: "After I go out, you close the house, close the door tightly, let the Xiahou family's children stay at home, and fewer servants are sent out..."
Xiahou Dun raised his head and looked at the tree in the courtyard with fallen leaves, "This autumn will be eventful...be careful..."
After saying that, Xiahou Dun stood up and said, "It's almost done. The horses should be ready. When I leave, the house will be left to you."
"Husband...you, where are you going?"
Xiahou Dun did not look back, "Go and kill people."
Mrs. Xiahou's pupils dilated and she was stunned for a moment, but when she saw Xiahou Dun was about to walk out of the backyard, she quickly stepped forward and said, "Husband!"
Xiahou Dun turned around.
"I, I am waiting for your husband to come back..." Mrs. Xiahou bowed slightly and saluted, "I have learned a new soup, and I will ask your husband to taste it when the time comes..."
Xiahou Dun nodded, then took the bag handed over by the guard, clasped it on his head, and walked into the brilliance of the setting sun.
……(???)……
Under the sunset.
dead tree.
Remaining wine.
One is sitting upright and the other is lying down.
Guo Jia hummed and smacked his lips, "How can we relieve our worries? Only good wine! One bottle of good wine, everything is worry-free! Two bottles of good wine, I have the world! Three bottles of good wine, the world is forever! Good wine... Hehe, four bottles of good wine
, Wen Ruowen is endless! 』
Faced with Guo Jia's ridicule, Xun Yu held a bottle of wine in his hand as if facing a glass of poisoned wine, "...Why do you have to kill people?"
"Why?" Guo Jia laughed loudly.
For Guo Jia and Xun Yu, some of Cao Cao's military actions were actually impossible to bypass them. But the lack of bypass made Xun Yu and Guo Jia even more helpless, mainly because of Xun Yu.
Is it possible that the soldiers were sent out for the autumn outing?
The sword is out of its sheath. If there is no blood, the sword will be dull.
This year, a lot of things happened.
"If we dig more holes, this house will collapse..." Xun Yu is like a diligent farmer, trying his best to maintain this shack with air leakage from all sides, but now, it feels like all his previous efforts have failed.
It's about to turn into nothing.
Not only are those outside the house being destroyed, but those inside the house are also being demolished.
Things seemed to take a turn for the worse all of a sudden.
But it seems to be a necessity.
During this year, due to the overall turmoil in the Han Dynasty and the need to catch up with Fei Qian's armament technology, military expenditures increased. On the other hand, many years of agricultural and mulberry foundations and transportation equipment also needed to be invested in repairs. Although
Under Xun Yu's careful calculation, he dealt with the past year after year, but the current events made his patchwork and wall-padding completely useless.
The conflict between Yingchuan and Cao Cao completely broke out.
At this moment, he was thinking about an order he came over yesterday.
The order came very suddenly, and it was about banditry nearby.
It is said that a thief appeared near Yingshui...
However, because Emperor Liu Xiedu is in Xu County, the surrounding bandits and thieves have been wiped out again and again, and in the official document issued yesterday, there was an additional group of "bandits". It was said that there was a group of
The thieves who were dissatisfied with Wang Hua had seriously disturbed the stability of Yingchuan, and because the Yingchuan field soldiers needed to take care of the autumn harvest, they took an expedient measure and temporarily sent Xiahou Dun to Yingchuan to suppress and eliminate the bandits.
Things are extremely weird.
But Xun Yu realized almost immediately that this was not a bandit...
Maybe they can be regarded as another kind of "bandit", but why use soldiers?
Once the soldiers are dispatched, the situation will become serious.
After all, if they were just ordinary bandits, then why bother to use Xiahou Dun? Some nearby armies and county soldiers from the counties could be mobilized, and then be led by a middle-level military academy. How could Xiahou Dun be allowed to take action?
Xun Yu even felt that this was Cao Cao's last warning.
As for who warned...
Xun Yu felt a bitter taste in his mouth while holding the wine bottle.
How are you going to spend this day?
Xun Yu knew Yingchuan's problems and what Cao Cao wanted. He even understood what the emperor Liu Xie longed for. But in this world, how could it be possible to have everything covered? What's more, these people all wanted the same thing.
something, benefit.
In other words, the authority to obtain benefits.
Has the "banditry" nearby really reached this level?
Xun Yu asked himself.
Then he found that he couldn't answer, as if he didn't know why Fei Qian was able to reconcile those desires, those interests, and the related authorities in Guanzhong...
Xun Yu picked up the wine bottle and drank it all in one gulp. He didn't know whether it was because he held it for too long that the wine had oxidized too much, or because he was in a terrible mood. Anyway, this wine was very bitter.
Bitters.
……o(TwT)o ……
Ying Yin.
In the dusk, the light and shadow sway.
"Brother Guo, I have helped you with the things you asked me to do. How can you thank me?"
Outside, they are the county magistrate and the county magistrate, superiors and subordinates, but behind closed doors, they are as close as brothers.
Half-brothers.
"Brother! How can the younger brother "explain" to the elder brother to do things? Isn't this embarrassing the younger brother?" Guo Feng chuckled, his rat beard trembling, "It's just a plea, a plea. What do you want, brother?"
I go up to the sky to catch the moon, and I go to the sea to catch turtles, and I do it without any hesitation!"
"You are Yingyin's God of Wealth. Forget it about the Nine Heavens Moon and the Deep Sea Turtle," Zhong Hong said with a smile, "But this autumn's taxes... must be paid in full..."
Guo Feng's eyes narrowed. "Brother, didn't you say you want to repay the loss and suffer the disaster?"
"Yes!" Zhonghong said, "Of course we have to report the losses caused by the disaster! And we also need to let the superiors know that we were affected by the disaster and the losses are huge!"
"What?"
"It will be difficult to wait until the surrounding counties and counties can complete the work," Zhong Hong laughed and said, "If we can still pay taxes in full after the disaster... wouldn't it make it more obvious that you and I are capable and have transcendent virtues? Look, we are so hard-working
All the hardships, for the sake of the imperial court and the country..."
Guo Feng swallowed his saliva.
Zhong Hong smiled and patted Guo Feng on the shoulder, "I heard that you have acquired a lot of new land... Tell me, these prodigal untouchables sold their good ancestral property at such a low price! How unfilial."
Ah! You don’t know how to cherish it!』
"Hehe, hehe. Yes, yes, brother is right." Guo Feng smiled along with him.
Zhong Hong nodded, as if he was still expressing this emotion, "Tell me, these unfaithful, unfaithful and unfilial untouchables, will they go back on their word and then regret it? Look, I took it from you."
After a while, he said that he was selling his money at a low price, so he didn’t want to do it anymore! Do you think it would be annoying to meet one, two, seven or eight such guys? 』
Guo Feng's beard was trembling and he lowered his head to hide the fierce look in his eyes.
"Loyalty, filial piety and etiquette are the foundation of being a human being." Zhong Hong smiled and blinked his eyes, as if to eliminate the hidden things in his eyes, "We are parents and officials, but...
Just like parents, they cannot take too much care of themselves. After all, a loving mother always helps and takes care of her children. Where can we find talents? Where can we know about the ups and downs? What's more, if Yingyin is like this, where is Yingchuan?"
"Of course, I have also received some care..." Zhong Hong continued, "It's just that for some things, you still have to bear heavy responsibilities and show your ability and responsibility... I know, this tax is a bit difficult.
, but... I will remember it. If something big happens, I can still help. After all, you and I are brothers, how can we just sit idly by and ignore it? Right?"
Guo Feng shook his face and put together a smile, "Yes, yes, brother is right..."
"Haha, that's right, as long as the taxes are enough," Zhong Hong said meaningfully, "everything else is trivial! Look, up and down Yingchuan, who can contribute to the court? Who is loyal to the country? What is it like?
Wuyang and Ye County are at the bottom in taxes every year, and they even have to allocate subsidies from the court. How shameful! If I... I would die of shame on the spot!"
"Yes, yes, brother is right..." Guo Feng responded. After pondering for a moment, "Although I have collected a little bit of land, my manpower is still insufficient... These untouchables would rather go to the wilderness to become refugees."
, they actually don’t want to be my younger brother’s tenant! They are simply ignorant...』
"Hahaha, this is a trivial matter..." Zhong Hong said with a smile, "Do I still need to say this? Don't worry, as I said before, as long as the taxes are sufficient, everything will not be a problem!"
The two looked at each other for a moment, and then laughed together again.
Outside the back hall, a servant came in a hurry and kowtowed outside the hall.
Guo Feng recognized him as one of his followers, so he apologized, walked out of the hall, and listened.
Zhong Hong tilted his head slightly, watching the expression on Guo Feng's face change, and his heart began to swirl slightly.
Guo Feng waved his hand and asked his entourage to leave, and then entered the back hall, looking embarrassed, "Brother, there is something urgent at home... uh, a small matter, I need to deal with it..."
"Little thing?" Zhonghong put down his chopsticks.
Guo Feng nodded, "It's a small matter."
Zhong Hong nodded and tried to get up, "Okay! Brother, I'll give it to you."
Guo Feng hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, "How dare you go to the trouble of sending me off to my brother? Brother, sit still, sit still! When the younger brother's affairs are finished, come back and stay drunk with me!"
"Okay, okay! If you don't get drunk, you won't come back!"
……?|·?·|?*~……
Night falls.
Everything became dark.
Guo Feng got off his horse and walked into the courtyard, saying viciously: "Where are the people?"
The attendant on the side was bent down, like a piece of human skin that had been folded in half, "Go back to the master, it's inside, take it."
Guo Feng walked into the yard and saw a person tied up in the yard. He took a deep breath and said, "You are not treated badly by someone, why do you still report on someone? You are also a member of the Guo family, why don't you know how to protect your own family?"
Clan?』
The people on the ground squirmed, turned their heads, and looked at Guo Feng.
Guo Feng lowered his head and leaned forward slightly, "You are too presumptuous! Tell me, do you... know you were wrong about what happened today? Who else did you tell? If so, I will make the decision and spare your life!"
The man on the ground looked at Guo Feng quietly for a while. After a while, he said, "I'm right. I...have thought about it very clearly."
There was sudden silence in the scene.
It was as if light and shadow had all condensed at this moment.
"It's the father's fault if the son doesn't teach you. As a parent and an elder of the Guo tribe, I feel very sad to see you like this..." Guo Feng slowly opened his mouth to break the silence, "I have been friends with your father for many years.
...If your father were still alive, he would definitely not condone you to do such a wrong thing... Do you know that this dispute in the court is about life and death! This is not a matter for you alone, this is a matter for the whole family! You have two things
Big mistake, firstly, not distinguishing between friend and foe, secondly, benevolence of women! If you commit any of these two, you will never be redeemed...Tell me, who did you give those things to?"
"I..." The man on the ground paused for a moment, "Maybe I am wrong, but you are also wrong..."
"The son doesn't talk about his father's fault because it's a taboo for the venerable. You shouldn't talk about my fault." Guo Feng responded.
"You are not my father."
"But I am your uncle! I am also the parent official of Yingyin County!" Guo Feng stared fiercely, "Do you think I am willing to do these things? I have no choice but to do it!"
"Haha, haha," the man on the ground sneered, "Yes, I have no choice but to collect money, I have no choice but to bend the law, I have no choice but to torture the people, and surround Yingyin..."
"Shut up! Shut up!"
Guo Feng roared, and immediately a servant rushed over and slapped the man's mouth.
Amidst the loud voices in the dark night, Guo Feng put his hands behind his back and said plausibly, "There is still a way to do things! People who don't know how to cater to the officialdom can't even get a foothold. How can they still do something practical for the people? As a human being, you have to do something practical.
Know how to clearly see the reality of this world, and you, a junior, are not allowed to do whatever you want... Just like now, even if you are eloquent on weekdays, how can you still say it now? How can you say it?"
"Woo..."
Guo Feng slowly bent down and stared at the man, "I originally wanted to give you a chance...you know? If you really make a fuss, you become famous, but a group of people, a large group of people, we are all
Go die! Go die, you know what? You bastard! Bury him!』
Several servants rushed up and dragged the man into the woods in the backyard.
Some voices came over.
Guo Feng clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky, "Brother, I'm sorry. Your child is not sensible, he is not sensible, it is your child who is unfilial first... Don't blame me, I am also doing it for the good of the whole family...
』
There was a little commotion that lasted for a while, and then calmed down again.
……(:)～……
The sun rose again.
It's like the darkness last night didn't exist at all.
Xiahou Dun sat on the horse, his scales shining in the sun.
