At the end of the second year of Yanxi and the beginning of the third year of Yanxi, Emperor Wu wanted to send people to the southeast to go to sea.
At the same time, Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou in Wei State, also wanted to send people to the north to take a look at the fortress.
There is no other reason.
Because throughout last year, the number of Hu people driving livestock to exchange supplies was far less than in previous years.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, there is another urgent message from Xuchang, asking us to send a thousand war horses."
The staff of Youzhou Governor's Office hurriedly walked in with official documents and reported to Wang Xiong.
"Shuzi! Cao Shuang, my son, is simply an inhumane son!"
Wang Xiong had no intention of reaching out to receive the official document. Instead, his expression suddenly changed and he cursed:
"It's just the beginning of spring, it's just the beginning of spring! Does he know what the beginning of spring means to horses?"
"At this time, where can I find horses for him? Even if it's a robbery, there must be a place to rob it, right?"
Last year, almost no barbarians came to the west of Youzhou to sell horses.
I heard from the soldiers at the frontier that horse thieves were becoming more and more rampant at the border between Bingzhou and Youzhou.
Especially in Guangning City, the most important border town in the west, horse thieves gathered around it and dared to repeatedly attack caravans traveling between Guangning City and Juyongguan.
Sometimes even the officers and soldiers cannot escape.
However, these horse thieves came and went like the wind, and they had no idea where they came from.
There are rumors that these are rebel soldiers who were driven out of Bingzhou. Others say that these horse thieves are simply fake cavalry from the Han Dynasty.
But no matter where these horse thieves come from, they have caused great trouble to Guangning City.
By the time Wang Xiong came to his senses, not to mention that not many Hu people had come to Guangning to exchange livestock.
Even the caravans from Guangning to Juyongguan are almost extinct.
The horses that Youzhou exchanged from the Hu people the year before last were about 20% less.
Wang Xiong thought that Bingzhou was lost in the Battle of Guanzhong, which caused turmoil in Bingzhou and also affected the Hu people on the frontier.
Unexpectedly, what happened last year was a slap in the face.
The number of horses brought in from Youzhou was reduced by more than 40%, nearly half.
This also led to Xuchang and Luoyang repeatedly sending people to Suoma, and each time they were more urgent.
Especially Cao Shuang.
It's just the beginning of spring, and three groups of people have already been sent over.
Why don't you make Wang Xiong angry and anxious?
Back then, he excluded Tian Yu because of Cao Rui's support.
In addition to their different origins, one of the most important reasons is that the Wei State really needs to focus its main energy on the west to defend against the Han State.
As for the third reason, the Wei Dynasty needed horses.
If Tian Yu's approach was to suppress the Hu people, how could the Hu people be willing to sell the horses to Wei?
Therefore, Wang Xiong advocated nurturing the horses mainly, and even gave the Hu people some benefits. The Hu people saw the benefits and naturally transported horses to the frontier fortress continuously.
Facts have proved that Wang Xiong’s approach did work:
This not only prevents the barbarians from invading the frontier, but also allows Youzhou to exchange war horses from the barbarians through Yi Shi.
Especially in these years, the Wei Dynasty first lost Longyou, then Liangzhou, and was repeatedly defeated by the Han Dynasty.
The Wei army was in urgent need of horses all year round, so it was natural for You and the two states to continuously increase the supply of horses.
But who could have expected that in the battle of Guanzhong, the Wei Dynasty would lose Yong and merge two states at the same time.
Youzhou became the only source of war horses for the Wei Dynasty, and finally there was a huge gap in the war horse supply.
But under such circumstances, the horses that Youzhou exchanged from the Hu people were actually reduced by nearly half.
The house leaks when it rains all night long, this is probably what happened.
"Your Majesty, the Hu people in Shanggu and Daijun are probably bewitched by the Shu captives. If not, it cannot explain such anomalies."
When the staff saw Wang Xiong's pale face, they couldn't help but stepped forward to comfort him:
"Everyone says that the barbarians are unjust, and that's true. How have you ever treated them poorly over the years? I didn't expect them to repay you in this way."
When something goes wrong, there must be a monster.
Wang Xiong was not a fool. Faced with the abnormal behavior of the barbarians in the west of Youzhou, he naturally thought of this possibility.
He just rolled his eyes, a bitter smile appeared on his face, and shook his head in despair:
"Hu Yi is afraid of power and has no morals. I should have thought of it a long time ago!"
But having said that, if he could go back a few years ago, Wang Xiong believed that he would still make the same choice.
After all, who would have thought that after the Shu Kingdom obtained Longyou and Liangzhou, it would continue to send troops eastward and annex Yongzhou in less than ten years?
If it weren't for the disadvantages of resisting the bandits in the west, how could the barbarians in Youzhou not be afraid of power and be virtuous in a few years?
such a pity……
"This is not my fault!" Wang Xiong looked up to the sky and sighed, "The times are bad, God will not bless Wei Er."
The late emperor did not dare to say it.
But the princes in the court can be scolded.
"No one in the civil and military circles in the dynasty could compare with Ge Thief and Feng Thief. When they suddenly heard of the arrival of the Shu people, they all became frightened and several states surrendered."
"With the current situation in Youzhou, we know that the Shu captives are obstructing it, so what can we do?"
In Wang Xiong's view, if the western part of the country was not lost, why would Youzhou end up like this?
Besides, over the years, he has been running Youzhou with all his heart, and how many horses have he sent to the imperial court?
After the Battle of Xiaoguan, Youzhou had already sent a group of soldiers and horses to Guanzhong.
After the Battle of Guanzhong began, it was sent again.
For Youzhou, which is already sparsely populated, this is already the best effort.
But the court didn't seem to understand him, and instead urged him more urgently.
Wang Xiong only felt that he had really been raped by a dog.
"But the envoy, the general is in a hurry to send the horse, and he may not be considerate of the envoy. If the envoy does not send the horse over again, he will send someone to question him next time."
Wang Xiong was still a little worried, but when he heard what his staff said, he immediately became angry:
"How can I be afraid of my son? If he really dares to hold him to account, I will also dare to resign and return to the fields."
The worst thing is, go home and become a rich man.
Whoever likes to be the governor of Youzhou will do it!
It was originally thought that after the Shu captives took over Yongzhou and Hedong, they would either go southeast, out of Wuguan towards Jingzhou, or eastward, out of Han Valley towards Luoyang.
The worst option is to go out of Taihang and head towards Hanoi or Hebei.
I never thought that the first one of the Shu captives to plot would be Youzhou.
When he forced Qin to destroy the six kingdoms, he never thought of bypassing the Yan Mountains and Taihang Mountains and plotting against the Yan State first.
How dare he, King Feng Gui?
It's not normal to marry his mother!
how?
The methods used by Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Gao Zu of Han to unify the world are not enough to satisfy you, right?
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words and don't say angry words!"
The staff heard Wang Xiong's angry words and quickly reminded him, "I heard that the general has been acting more and more wantonly recently."
"The former general of the Eastern Expedition, Man Boning (aka Man Chong), was at odds with Wang Yanyun (aka Wang Ling). The general valued Wang Yanyun so much that he did not hesitate to transfer Man Boning back to the court and let Wang Yanyun succeed Man Boning as the governor of Yangzhou."
"Former General Commander Shi Sun Deda (also known as Sun Li) was sent to Jizhou on purpose because he gave too much advice to the general. Later, he demoted Sun Deda to a commoner on the pretext of the party's mistakes."
"Moreover, Lu Yu, Fu Gu and other famous figures have all been dismissed from office recently because they were not in line with the general's wishes."
"If this really offends the general, there might be some trouble."
Wang Xiong sneered:
"I didn't say anything angry. If the general really wants to change the governor of Youzhou, then let him do it. I won't be attached to this position."
Seeing that the governor looked like he had broken a jar, the staff looked around and lowered their voices:
"Why did the envoy say this? The envoy has been in Youzhou for a long time and is a good herdsman. He is a great general. If he wants to change the envoy, he must consider whether there is no one more suitable than the envoy?"
"Not to mention that in the current Wei Dynasty, the general does not have the final say. After all, Taifu Sima is also an experienced minister assisting the government."
When Wang Xiong heard this, he turned his head sharply and stared at the staff.
Just when the staff of Youzhou Governor's Office were mentioning Sima Yi to Wang Xiong.
Sima Yi, who was far away in Luoyang, was meditating on the news about Youzhou.
After a long time, he finally sighed:
"Feng Mingwen's move is really vicious. It's just draining the firepower."
"If Youzhou cannot transport enough horses to the Central Plains, it will only take a few years. I am afraid that we, the Wei Dynasty, will have no more cavalry to use!"
Master Sima, who was standing by, asked hesitantly:
"Sir, is it possible that Wang Yuanbo (i.e. Wang Xiong) did not want to send horses to Luoyang, so he made this excuse?"
Sima Yi shook his head:
"Unlikely. It is said that Xuchang did not receive many horses last year. It is ridiculous that Cao Shuang actually sent people to Youzhou to ask for horses as soon as spring began."
Having said this, Sima Yi showed a somewhat disdainful smile:
"Cao Shuang is a son-in-law, but he is just a playboy. He relied on his clan status to suddenly gain power. How does he know how to govern a country?"
The beginning of spring is when horses are at their weakest.
Horses that have been eating hay all winter can finally eat fresh grass. If they are not careful, they will suffer from diarrhea and illness.
Not to mention the barbarians outside the Great Wall of Youzhou, even the horses raised by the locals in Youzhou must be handled with care.
Cao Shuang is urging people to send horses at this time. What else can he do but force others to do something difficult?
However, there was no trace of happiness on Master Sima’s face:
"Sir, if this is the case, I'm afraid Youzhou won't even send us horses. What should we do?"
Even though Sima Yi was very resourceful, he also found the current situation difficult.
"Everyone knows that Feng Mingwen has led troops into battle since his debut and has never been defeated. He is a famous general in the world."
"But in my opinion, this person is more cunning and calculating than leading an army."
Sima Yi sighed, "If Sun Deda (ie Sun Li) is still the governor of Jizhou, I may not be able to make some plans."
"It's a pity that Sun Deda was demoted to a commoner by Cao Shuang after all. At this time, Huan Fan, the governor of Jizhou, was a fellow countryman of Cao Shuang."
"Luoyang and Youzhou are separated by such a Jizhou, but it makes me powerless."
"Cao Shuang has great interests, but he does not understand the overall situation. If Youzhou is really plotted by Feng Mingwen as I expected, when there are no war horses in the Central Plains, I am afraid that we will be captured by Feng Mingwen."
Seeing your lord's pessimism, Master Sima's heart sank:
"Sir, doesn't that mean that the longer the confrontation between Shu and Wei is delayed, the more detrimental it will be to Wei?"
Sima Yi smiled bitterly:
"This is obvious, so why ask?"
He clearly knew the other party's plan, but he could only watch helplessly, with no good countermeasures at all.
This is simply a slow death.
Sima Yi and his son both felt a deep sense of powerlessness at the same time.
"Sir, since we have guessed Feng Mingwen's plan, should we tell Wang Yuanbo?"
"Wang Yuanbo is not a mediocre person. Even if he didn't know it at first, by this time, I think he has already reacted."
Sima Yi said, then shook his head:
"But even so, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to crack Feng Mingwen's plan by relying on Youzhou alone."
It should be said that this is no longer a calculation, but a temple calculation, and the competition is the national strength of both sides.
The Han State had the technology to weave wool into wool, and simply harvesting wool was enough to win over the hearts of the barbarians.
Even if Wei wanted to learn, he didn't have enough time.
And it may not be possible to learn it.
Not to mention that the national power of Han Dynasty has surpassed that of Wei Dynasty.
This is not an excuse for Sima Yi to fear the enemy, but a fact.
Because judging from the secrets of the Han Dynasty brought over by Yang Yi, the significance of just one armored cavalry is enough to frighten people.
Others may only see those frightening armors and weapons, elite soldiers and horses.
But who is Sima Yi?
He sees further than others.
He knew deeply that behind these things, they represented the strong national power accumulated from countless money and grain.
Thinking of this, Sima Yi, who has passed the age of hearing, actually felt a little depressed:
"Why was Qin able to destroy the six kingdoms? It was a strong country, with elite soldiers, and had the most advantageous geographical location in the world. On the other hand, even if the six kingdoms of Guandong united, it was difficult for them to unite as one, and they were eventually destroyed one by one by Qin."
"Today's Han State is a bit stronger than Qin State. After all, Qin State did not have Liangzhou at that time."
"And what about us?" Sima Yi pointed to himself and then to the edge of the guide, "How is it different from the Six Kingdoms of Guandong back then?"
Master Sima was silent for a while and then asked in a low voice:
"Sir, what should we do? Are we just going to watch like this?"
"Of course not." Sima Yi looked a little unclear, "Now many families in the Central Plains are willing to support us. If we just watch like this, what will they think?"
The Shu family was dismembered, the Hedong family was massacred, and the Liangzhou wealthy family was exterminated...
These things frightened many aristocratic families in Henan, Hanoi and even Hebei.
But similarly, Sima Yishi, as the representative, has no way out.
"The Shu captives have the capital to drag them down, but we can't afford to drag them down." Sima Yi's face turned pale, "While Wei's elite cavalry is still capable of fighting, we must find a fighting opportunity as soon as possible to avoid the shame in Guanzhong."
Probably because he was talked about too much, Feng Duhu, who was in the residence of General Hussar on the right side of Chang'an City, sneezed several times:
"A sneeze, a sneeze, a sneeze!"
Maybe the sound was so loud that it scared the baby in his arms to tears.
"Don't cry, don't cry!"
Feng Duhu coaxed her carefully, shaking her gently, and couldn't help but stretched out her finger, lightly poked her pink little face, and grinned.
This is the son of General Zhendong.
But Feng Duhu is the child's real father.
"Are you hungry?"
As the nominal adult of the child, General Guan took an experienced look and said casually.
"Oh, it's possible." Feng Duhu raised his head and looked around, "Where is your wife?"
"I was here just now. In the blink of an eye, I don't know where I went."
General Zhendong was a little helpless and said, "Let the wet nurse feed you."
Feng Duhu gritted his teeth:
"No, how many months has it been? How many times has she fed her? Isn't she the child she was born with? Have someone call her back."
The leader of the Flower Patriarch was called back, and he took some time to unbutton his clothes and breastfeed the child.
Feng Duhu looked at her angrily:
"What's wrong with having a son? How many people are thinking about having a son! You're lucky, you don't care even if your son is hungry and crying."
The flower patriarch curled his lips:
"What good is it if a son can't be the leader of the clan? I just want to have a daughter."
When Feng Duhu heard this and saw her like this, he was so angry that he almost wanted to beat her up.
