Before Wang Chang came to Xu County from Guanzhong, he got two temporary official positions.
One is naturally an open envoy, as a tribute envoy to the General Hussars of Guanzhong, expressing congratulations and paying tribute gifts to the Emperor Liu Xie. The other identity is a secret mission from Youwen Si.
In fact, speaking of it, these two identities are superficial, because everyone knows that as an envoy, he is also a sentinel to a certain extent.
Even though Fei Qian and Cao Cao are in opposition, on the surface they are still a family.
Both sides have built post houses specifically for entertaining envoys, which are used to house envoys like Wang Chang. And because there are such special post houses, both sides have a lot of official documents and so on, which are all sent through this post house.
transmitted to each other.
This is somewhat similar to the embassy of later generations.
Of course, neither Fei Qian nor Cao Cao was so naive as to think that the other party would tell him everything honestly, so they collected information within the default range, which of course became the basis for the cooperation between the two parties.
A potential job for an exchange within the country.
As for Wang Chang and other things that are hidden under the identity matryoshka, it’s hard to say...
The weather these days has been extremely sunny.
The sun was shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky, but this sunshine did not make everyone feel comfortable, especially those Cao soldiers who were monitoring Wang Chang and others outside the post house.
Because the weather was clear, the visual distance was very far. These Cao soldiers only needed to stand far away on the high platform of the sentry tower to see the movement of the courtyard and gate of the post house in the distance.
"Why surveillance? Why not just arrest them?" A soldier said impatiently, "Aren't they enemies? Why bother with them?"
"You don't understand this..." said an older soldier next to him, "This is called the two countries fighting without killing each other..."
"You damn Buza, who was the one who was beheaded last time?" The young man was still a little unconvinced.
"Who is that? Oh, you mean the one from Runan last time?" The older man nodded and said, "Isn't it clear that two "countries" are at war! It's "country", and the one from Runan last time
Bandit, what a shitty "country"? Hey, here it comes... people are here! Watch carefully and recognize the person!"
I saw a group of cars arriving at the gate of the post house, and then a dozen people came out of the post house and went to the gate to greet Wang Chang.
"Welcome to the envoy of the King!" A middle-aged man in the lead led everyone in bowing hands and saluting.
Wang Chang didn't put on any airs, but quickly got out of the car, "Are you Chen Guanling?"
"That's right." Chen Bin, the commander of the post house, nodded.
The files he had read in Chang'an quickly appeared in Wang Chang's mind...
Chen Bin.
Chenliu people.
The face is white with three long beards and no scars.
Because his family was poor, the young man traveled around Guanzhong with a caravan, and later entered the Shoushan Academy. After passing the examination, he got the job and was transferred to Xu County as the postmaster.
Wang Chang bowed his hands to Chen Bin in greeting, and then Chen Bin introduced Wang Chang to other staff in the post house.
The files he saw in the Youwen Department came to Wang Chang's mind one by one, and then his eyes touched a guard on the side, nodded slightly, smiled and gave way to each other, and left.
Entered the gate of the inn.
This is specially used to entertain official figures from both sides, so there are not too many idle personnel. The inside of the post house is also relatively clean and tidy, with trees, shrubs, ground walkways, etc. I don’t know if it was cleaned on a daily basis, or if it was
After a temporary cleaning, I couldn't see any debris or dirt.
Chen Bin led Wang Chang inside. When he reached the main hall, he asked Wang Chang to take a seat again.
Wang Chang invited Chen Bin to sit at the table with him, and the two of them showed humility again.
The people around him stood silently, either watching the show or comparing each other. Anyway, after Wang Chang and Chen Bin sat down together at the top, the rest of the people took their seats one after another.
Chen Bin once again introduced to Wang Chang and others the staff and related facilities in the post house, and also generally described some of the current situation in Xu County. Wang Chang also introduced the things he brought
personnel, and then talked about the follow-up work arrangements. The simple meeting between the two parties ended. Everyone left one after another and went about their own affairs, leaving only Chen Bin and Wang Chang in the hall.
"Tomorrow, people from Dongshang Shutai will come to visit Envoy Wang. There may be some sarcastic comments... Envoy, please don't worry..." Chen Bingong said with cupped hands, "If Envoy Wang has no other instructions..."
Wang Chang was stunned for a moment, "Mockery? What do you mean?"
Chen Bin said with a smile, "Most people in Shandong are arrogant and regard Guanzhong as Xirong, so... But the etiquette is still good, but the words may be a bit... Maybe this is also Shandong's strategy, deliberately irritating and disrupting our position."
, I hope the envoy can understand clearly and not fall into such a treacherous trick."
In fact, it is not only Cao Cao who treated Fei Qian's envoy like this. In the history of the Three Kingdoms, it may be considered a tradition for envoys to ridicule each other. Zhang Wen had a debate with Qin Mi when he visited Shu, and when Zhang Feng envoy to Wu
Joking with Zhuge Jin about the title of the country, some envoys could even mock the monarch face to face, ridicule is ridicule, or deliberately provoke him to test the other party's reaction and obtain more information. This can also be regarded as the diplomacy of the three countries.
An interesting phenomenon in the history of relationships.
Wang Chang nodded to express his understanding.
Chen Bin paused for a moment, then said to Wang Chang with a smile: "Wang is engaged in business, Guanzhong... everything is fine?"
Wang Chang noticed the change in the name Chen Bin, and then he also noticed that Chen Bin seemed to be caressing the jade pendant around his waist intentionally or unintentionally. He couldn't help but said with a little surprise: "Director Chen... Could it be..."
Chen Bin saw that Wang Chang's eyes fell on the jade pendant, and his eyes were strange, so he took off the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Wang Chang. Wang Chang took it and took a look. On the inside of the jade pendant, there were eight small words engraved on it.
Gentleman, you will achieve great success." If you are an ordinary person, you will probably think that it is a blessing sentence. After all, this sentence does have the meaning of blessing.
However, only those who know the Wen Division know that, except for those officials who are in public, most of the other people who are active outside do not have the seals and ribbons of the Wen Division, but are similar to those produced by Chen Bin.
Such small items.
For example, the jade pendant that Chen Bin took out is already a very obvious "hint". Perhaps it is because Wang Chang's identity is relatively safe, or perhaps Chen Bin has received relevant instructions before, so he took out the relevant instructions.
The jade pendant with the sentence "A gentleman will achieve great success if he allows it".
There are also some more hidden artifacts, such as the sentence "The East is known for a moment", and some other sentences, which are relatively less straightforward. Basically, it is not the case for people within the Wen Department.
You will know these codes too well.
At the same time, these objects that represent status are not necessarily jade pendants, they may also be wood carvings, or embroidery on money bags, etc...
Before Wang Chang came to Xu County, he always thought that the so-called director Chen Bin in the post house was just an ordinary clerk, not someone from the Wensi, and the one who looked a little deep
The deputy director is also the commander of the guard, and the man named Chang Fang is from the Youwen Department. It turns out that Chen Bin is the real leader.
Chen Bin smiled and said: "It's just a virtual reality."
Wang Chang was stunned.
Indeed, if Chen Bin had not taken the initiative to reveal his identity, even Wang Chang would have thought that Chen Bin was just a cover and the person protecting Chang Fang. Who would have thought that Chang Fang, who often acted in secret, was actually a cover, while the real person in charge was upright.
Wandering around?
After confirming each other's identities, there seemed to be a bit more intimacy between the two.
Chen Bin gave Wang Chang a brief introduction to the current situation in Xu County.
Wang Chang nodded and suddenly asked: "Now...does the emperor have any decision? This Prime Minister Cao is as domineering as the rumors say?"
Chen Bin smiled and said, "It's not necessary to be domineering, but it is true to be authoritarian. If you are engaged in a job that can meet the emperor and ask questions, you might as well be more careful..."
Wang Chang nodded, "Well, thank you for reminding me, I will pay special attention to it."
"The people of Shandong, especially the people of Yingchuan, are very different in their words and deeds from those in Guanzhong. Since the king is here, on the one hand, he represents the lord, and there must be no cowardice in his actions. On the other hand,
On the one hand, we should not be too radical and make the situation worse... Wang Zheng must have understood the appropriateness in this, so I won't say more... In Yingchuan, everyone is not united. If Wang Zhi has something to do,
, you might as well start in this direction...』
Wang Chang nodded, indicating that he was taught.
Chen Bin talked about some more matters, and then said that he would give Wang Chang a welcome banquet in the evening, and asked Wang Chang to rest first, and then left.
In the next few days, Wang Chang, with the help of Chen Bin, has been conducting a general inspection of the entire Yingchuan situation, the current political situation, economic development, the military system, the operation of the people's economy and other aspects. These inspections
They were all attending the banquets of various Yingchuan nobles or celebrities, talking with these people, and exploring each other's thoughts.
At the same time, Wang Chang was also received by Xun Yu. Xun Yu said that Cao Cao would be arriving in Xu County in the near future and the celebration would be held as scheduled. He also asked Wang Chang if he had any needs and if he needed any additional subsidies.
After Wang Chang's observation, he had a deeper understanding of Xu County or Yingchuan. Wang Chang would record these understandings in detail every night...
Wang Chang felt that in Yingchuan, or Yuzhou, or even in the wider Shandong area, the vigor and enterprising spirit of the early Han Dynasty had been basically exhausted, and basically all the people in Shandong expressed their expectations.
Peace, hoping that the chaos in the Han Dynasty would subside soon, but they don't seem to have the courage to sacrifice everything to fight for this kind of peace.
This situation made Wang Chang feel that the people in Shandong were very contradictory.
The people of Shandong seem to be very proud, which may be called arrogance. They always express the glory of their ancestors, the inheritance of the family, the accumulation of history, etc. At the same time, they regard themselves as the orthodox Han Dynasty, and there are more remote areas in Guanzhong.
, always upholding a condescending attitude, but behind this attitude, there is a trace of fear...
Many sons of the gentry, and even some ordinary people in Yingchuan, believed that the military actions against Xu County were treasonous and unthinkable. Of course, their thinking also had roots, whether it was Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, or
Neither Fei Qian nor Fei Qian really attacked Xu County. Even though there was a crisis, they were "repulsed" in the end.
For these victories, they either attributed it to themselves, or thought it was the emperor's role, but they did not think it was the contribution of the soldiers and soldiers...
This is very strange, but it seems to be reasonable.
This psychological sense of security and self-absorption has weakened their sensitivity to changes in the outside world, making them mostly satisfied with the current situation and believing that this confrontation will continue. Some even think that it will be more effective in the future.
Beneficial to Shandong.
This mentality may also be an important reason why they are unwilling to accept Cao Cao, or are unwilling to completely surrender to Cao Cao. After all, they are more proud of "literary skills" rather than "martial arts" which they have abandoned.
…
On this day, Wang Chang wore casual clothes and only took a few guards with him. He walked out of the post house and headed towards the market in Xu County. Today he was wearing an ordinary Gebu robe, the color of which was almost the same as that of the guards around him.
Similar, it is also the type of robe that ordinary people in Xu County often wear.
As soon as he went out, Wang Chang noticed two men dressed as farmers under the corner opposite the post house, following him from a distance. He knew that these two men were sent by the Cao family to monitor him, and he was not surprised at all.
He continued to walk slowly along the street with a normal expression.
The tracking and monitoring of diplomatic envoys is almost a tacit behavior on both sides.
In the past few days, when Wang Chang was attending banquets in Xu County, he would often feel some eyes following him, no matter where he went or who he talked to.
Come out of the post house and walk eastward. After passing three street intersections, you will arrive at the East Market of Xu County. This is the market between the rich area and the civilian area of Xu County. To the north is the rich area.
District, high-ranking officials and nobles all live in the north area, while to the south of the market is the civilian area, where some craftsmen and ordinary people live. Therefore, there is also a polarization phenomenon in this market. On the one hand,
There are expensive luxuries, exquisite utensils, expensive food, etc. On the other hand, there are also cheap items, rough and simple food.
Wang Chang walked leisurely along the market. The closer he got to the market, the more pedestrians and vendors came and went. The pursuer behind him also followed at a short distance, not even covering his whereabouts.
Under the premise that both parties understand each other's existence, the purpose of the stalker is no longer to secretly track the target, but to stick closely to the target unmistakably and prevent the target from conducting any intelligence transactions or secret activities. In other words, this type of stalker does not
They will care whether they are discovered or not. The focus of their work is to follow the target closely and put pressure on them at all times. If they can influence the target's actions while also discovering some hidden clues or lurking personnel, it will naturally be an additional gain.
.
"It's very clumsy." Wang Chang commented secretly, feeling that these stalkers really had no technical skills at all, but he still carefully observed to see if anyone was deceiving him and creating some false or real tracking methods.
Deliberately using this clumsy tracking method to make him relax his vigilance.
Wang Chang walked in and out of streets, alleys, and storefronts, wandering around, and then determined that there were indeed other traps. Not far behind the two clumsy stalkers, there were several people who looked like nobles.
He looks like a disciple, but he is actually following Wang Chang. Sometimes when their eyes meet, he will turn his head subconsciously, pretending to look at the goods in the surrounding shops.
Wang Chang chuckled and continued to stroll around the market slowly. From time to time, he walked into the shop and seemed to be very interested in purchasing various items. He asked the guards to carry large and small bags...
"Something's wrong, something's wrong..." Behind Wang Chang, among the real stalkers hiding behind the two "farmers", an older man seemed to sense something strange, "Did you two notice anything?"
?Why do I feel like something is wrong?』
"What's wrong?" The young man asked, "It seems like they just come to the market to buy things, and there doesn't seem to be any problem?"
The older man touched his beard and said, "Well...but I feel like something is wrong...wait a minute, how many people were there when they came out? Was it five or six?"
"Uh... five, right?" The young man hesitated.
Because Wang Chang and the guards are wearing similar robes, they are all ordinary Gebu robes. At the same time, many people in Xu County, Yingchuan, are wearing the same color. If you don’t look at the front, just based on the back and the clothes, you may not be able to tell.
What are the obvious differences between Wang Chang's people and Yingchuan people?
At the same time, it was the two unabashed "farmers" who were staring openly and openly in front of the post house. Then the second batch of followers followed the farmers further behind Wang Chang and others.
position, so they were not very impressed with how many people Wang Chang left the post house with.
"Go and ask, how many people came out?" The old stalker was a little flustered. He instinctively felt that he might have missed someone, "Ask clearly!"
Hearing this, the young man hurried forward for a while, not caring that he was exposed. He caught up with the two "farmers" and asked a few questions in a low voice. Then he came back with a somewhat unhappy expression and reported: "
One said it was five people, the other said it was six people... Damn it, they can't even remember the number of people..."
"It's broken... it must be six people! It must be!" The old man stamped his feet angrily, "One is missing! One is missing! They must have left at the intersection where there were many people just now! It must be!"
"Then we..." The young man was a little at a loss, "Then what should we do? Should we follow or look back?"
The old man was silent for a long time, "No, maybe my eyesight is dazzled... We will just keep up... In fact, it may be five people, only five people..."
"Ah?" The young man was a little stunned.
The elder looked sideways and said, "I couldn't count the number of people. It's the responsibility of the people in front of me... It's our responsibility for not following anyone... Since the people in front of us told us there were five people, we followed five people... Is there any problem?"
』
The young man was silent for a moment, "No, no problem..."
