Chapter 558: Frequent encounters with old acquaintances
ps: I’m stupid, I clicked Save and clicked Publish by mistake, and actually sent the draft of Chapter 557. I was so depressed that I had to stay up late at night to code tomorrow’s chapters. Alas, I will resume the third update after returning to Shanghai. I will start working hard this month. Hope Book friends, please recommend, subscribe, and support with monthly tickets. As for Shen Yu, don’t worry, the plot requires it. This former Lord Wei Chief will be very powerful in the future.
The following text
On March 14, Zhao Hongrun brought Zongwei Weijiao, Chu Heng, Lu Mu, Zhou Pu and Mu Qing to Yanling County.
Because this trip to Yanling was on official business, Zhao Hongrun did not take the girls with him, but asked Yang Yanxing to take the girls to play in Shangshui County. After all, although Shangshui County is poor and backward, it is full of beautiful mountains and rivers and picturesque scenery. It's really a great place to visit.
After the girls learned that Shangshui County was Zhao Hongrun's private fiefdom, they all loved this economically backward land and expressed their desire to take a good look at it at their doorstep.
Because there was King Su's bodyguard to protect the girls, and there were Shangshui Army and Shangshui Qingya in Shangshui County, and there were also Mijiang and Mirui, so Zhao Hongrun was not worried about the safety of the girls.
That night, Zhao Hongrun and his party of six entered Xihua County.
Xihua County is a county town surrounded by Zhaoling, Yanling, Shangshui, Changping, Huaiyang and Yangxia counties. It is originally a medium-sized county with a total population of 2,000 households. However, in During the War between Chu and Wei, almost all the residents of Xihua County moved to Anling, Huaiyang and other counties, so that the county was almost reduced to an empty county with ten houses and nine empty houses.
However, although it is an empty county, the official functions of Xihua County are still complete, and the county magistrate there is not a stranger. Zhao Hongrun had met several times during the Chu-Wei War and gave Zhao Hongrun full logistical support. The man is Xu Youzhi.
Because they were acquaintances, Zhao Hongrun stopped by to visit him on his way to Yanling.
It has to be said that Xihua County is indeed very depressed today. There are almost no pedestrians on the official road. Even after entering the county seat, the county seat feels a bit empty and not popular.
With a secret sigh, Zhao Hongrun went straight to the county government office in Xihua County and asked Wei Jiao, the current Zongwei Chief, to call the door.
After the concierge informed Zhao Hongrun, not long after, the magistrate of Xihua County, Xu Youzhi, hurried out of the county office and personally welcomed Zhao Hongrun in.
"His Royal Highness King Su came to our Xihua County. I feel sorry for you, but I hope you will forgive me."
Hearing this, Zhao Hongrun waved his hand and said with a smile: "We are all old acquaintances, why should Magistrate Xu be so restrained? Come on, come on, I will stay in your county tonight, but don't think I am bothering you. "
"Where is it? Prince Su is staying in our county. This is my blessing in Xihua County."
Saying that, Xu Youzhi quickly invited Zhao Hongrun into the mansion, and ordered the chef to prepare food and wine to entertain Zhao Hongrun and his five clan guards.
During this period, Xu Youzhi looked at the outside of the government office in confusion, and asked doubtfully: "This time, Your Highness, Prince Su, is only accompanied by five Lord Zongwei?"
"It's okay." Zhao Hongrun saw the concern in Xu Youzhi's words, smiled and waved his hand.
Yes, Zhao Hongrun only brought Wei Jiao and five other sect guards with him on the surface, but there were dozens or hundreds of hidden thieves from the Blue Crow Clan following him nearby. As invisible guards, he didn't need to worry about his own safety at all. .
During the banquet, Xu Youzhi poured wine for Zhao Hongrun frequently, and the two of them inevitably talked about the battle between Chu and Wei two years ago.
Xu Youzhi seemed very interested when talking about this topic. After all, he was a civil official, but during that battle, he successively recovered Xihua and Shangshui counties, which really made him become a military general.
Although the Chu army that occupied Xihua and Shangshui counties at that time had already lost their fighting spirit, so much so that when Xu Youzhi led his army to arrive, they almost surrendered, but in any case, Xu Youzhi also recovered the civil servants of the two counties.
This is a feat of martial arts that he can brag about for the rest of his life.
As a civil servant, how many chances do you have to get a military honor?
However, while chatting, the two of them talked about the current situation of Xihua County. When Zhao Hongrun told Xu Youzhi that he had come to the county all the way and could hardly see anyone inside or outside the city, Xu Youzhi sighed and said with a wry smile: "About this
,
The lower official was also helpless. The citizens of Xihua County all fled to Anling and Huaiyang during the war, and less than 10% returned to our county after the war...If this continues, our Xihua County
I'm afraid it will be banned by the court."
Zhao Hongrun was convinced. After all, with just such a small population in Xihua County, it was very likely that Xihua County would be banned by the imperial court, and the county would be divided into several parts and merged into surrounding counties such as Yanling, Shangshui, Huaiyang, and Yangxia.
As for Xu Youzhi, the county magistrate, I am afraid that he will have no choice but to lose his post as county magistrate and become a supplementary official. When the post of county magistrate in a certain place in Wei State becomes vacant, he will go to that place to take up the post.
But there is one thing that puzzles Zhao Hongrun, because logically speaking, Xu Youzhi, as one of the heroes during the Chu-Wei campaign, should no longer guard Xihua County, a depressed county, after the war. He should be called to the royal capital.
It is appropriate for Daliang to serve as a capital official.
After hearing Zhao Hongrun's inquiry, Xu Youzhi was silent for a moment, and then said: "The rewards after the war have been awarded by the Ministry of Rites, but regarding the promotion, the Ministry of Personnel originally sent someone over to say that the lower officials would be transferred to Huangchi.
But later, the matter dropped and there was no more news..."
Zhao Hongrun frowned when he heard this, and then seemed to think of something, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that it was me who harmed Magistrate Xu."
Obviously, this was probably because Hongli, the crown prince of the East Palace, vetoed Xu Youzhi's promotion after taking charge of the civil service.
After all, during the Chu-Wei campaign, although Xu Youzhi earned military honors as a civil servant and was in the limelight, he was inevitably labeled as Su Wang Hongrun, and Hongli, the crown prince of the East Palace, had always been quite afraid of Zhao Hongrun, so how could he agree to it?
Officials from King Su's line were promoted? Not to mention being transferred to Huangchi as county magistrate.
You know, with the construction of Bolangsha River Port, the popularity of the counties around the suburbs of Daliang has increased sharply. Everyone can guess that small counties such as Xiangfu, Huangchi, Zhongmou and other places will develop rapidly. Although Prince Donggong said that his virtue is greater than his talent
, but it is not unthinkable to arrange officials from his group in such a county with great potential.
But after listening to Zhao Hongrun's words, Xu Youzhi smiled heartily and said cheerfully: "Xiaguan has been studying for more than thirty years, but he has earned military honors that ordinary civil servants cannot earn in a lifetime. When Xiaguan dies someday,
Afterwards, Quanzi can even add this military merit on Xiaguan’s tombstone, tsk tsk… Xiaguan’s life is worth it.”
"Hahaha." Zhao Hongrun was amused by Xu Youzhi's open-mindedness.
Who says that civil servants don’t have the heart of a military general?
However, Zhao Hongrun kept laughing about Xu Youzhi in his heart. Generally speaking, he was very dissatisfied with the Crown Prince of the East Palace's deliberate suppression of Xu Youzhi.
Not to mention that Xu Youzhi is not actually an official of his Suwang line. Even if he is, Xu Youzhi has truly made meritorious deeds. Why shouldn't he be promoted?
Thinking of this, Zhao Hongrun blurted out: "County Magistrate Xu, if Xihua County is no longer there in the future, or if the officials are not satisfied with your arrangements, you can come and find me."
Eh?
Xu Youzhi was startled when he heard this. He looked at Zhao Hongrun with a surprised expression for a while, then thought about it for a short moment, and then he raised his hands and said seriously: "I obey my order."
Follow your orders?
Wei Jiao, the head of Zong Wei, glanced at Xu Youzhi in surprise.
I have to say that this is the biggest difference between Wei Jiao and Shen Yu right now.
Shen Yu has been serving as the chief of the clan guard beside Zhao Hongrun for a long time. He has seen many more things than Wei Jiao. If Shen Yu were here, he would immediately understand that Xu Youzhi's words of "obey" mean that he is willing to be truly labeled as King Su. A series of labels, rather than like Wei Jiao, he was confused as to why Xu Youzhi said "I will obey my orders" at this time.
However, the two clan guards, Lu Mu and Zhou Pu, noticed something better, and their attitude towards Xu Youzhi became more and more friendly. After all, from the time Xu Youzhi said that the subordinates obey orders, they have really become one of their own.
And Zhao Hongrun is also very happy. After all, his Shangshui County lacks everything, including soldiers, generals, equipment, and money. It just lacks civil servants to handle internal affairs. Unfortunately, the scholar sector is exactly what Zhao Hongrun cannot deal with at the moment. Therefore, Zhao Hongrun would win over any talented civil servants he could, whether it was He Zhirong from Yuxian County or Xu Youzhi from Xihua County.
That night, Zhao Hongrun and Xu Youzhi both drank to their hearts content, and then they went back to their houses to rest.
In the early morning of the next day, Zhao Hongrun, respectfully sent off by Xu Youzhi, set off for Yanling again.
To his surprise, when approaching the boundary of Yanling, he unexpectedly saw Qu Cheng leading Yan Mo, Zuo Xunxi, Hua Yu, Gong Ye Sheng, Zuo Qiu Mu and other generals with two hundred soldiers in Yanling. The border with Xihua County awaits the arrival of Zhao Hongrun.
"The last general, Qu Cheng, and his generals are waiting here to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Su!"
In front of Zhao Hongrun's mount, Qu Cheng, regardless of the bright armor on his body, knelt on the ground with one knee and clasped his fists in salute, looking respectful.
It has to be said that Qu Cheng is a very good person. He is obviously a military commander, but he is as smooth as a civil servant, and he is experienced and impeccable in dealing with things.
In general, this kind of person is very dangerous, because sometimes this kind of person may appear to be submissive on the surface, but in fact, you have no way of knowing what he is thinking in his heart.
As for why Zhao Hongrun thinks this way, it is because when Qu Cheng surrendered to Wei, he was different from people like Gu Liangwei, Wuma Jiao, Wu Ji and others.
At the beginning, Gu Liangwei and Wu Majiao were thinking about their own lives and futures, and they had not been reused under Pingyu Lord Xiong Hu, so they were already depressed. Wu Ji, on the other hand, considered that he still had his mother, sister-in-law, and nephew at home. His son and niece were therefore surrendered to the Wei Dynasty.
But Qu Cheng was different. Although he was originally a subordinate of Xiang Chengjun Xiong Ren, he was still reused under Pingyu Lord Xiong Hu. Moreover, at the last moment, Qu Cheng still tried to fake surrender to make Pingyu Lord Xiong Hu. Hu escapes from trouble.
Even after listening to Zhao Hongrun's oral analysis of the pros and cons, Qu Cheng was still hesitant about whether to join the Wei State and Zhao Hongrun. Until he heard with his own ears the death of General Che Yu under the command of Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, and thought that Xiong Tuo Unable to turn the tide, he resolutely betrayed Xiong Tuo and gave Xiong Tuo a "clever plan".
Note: For details, book friends are asked to review Chapter 136. I will not go into details here.
In the end, this clever plan allowed Xiong Tuo to be completely defeated by Zhao Hongrun.
But it was precisely because of this "ingenious plan" that Zhao Hongrun became wary of Qu Cheng. After all, the ingenious plan proposed by Qu Cheng at that time was clearly two-line fishing.
Generally speaking, it was not Zhao Hongrun who he surrendered to, but Zhao Hongrun who was the victorious party at that time.