"You bribed the Registrar and several quartermasters?"
In the tent, Guan Yu frowned.
Liu Bei went to report to the commander of the forward camp. Coincidentally, that person was Meng Zhen, the Commander of the Tun Cavalry.
Now only the three brothers Zhang and Chen are in the camp.
Since Guan Yu, the new commander of the village, would be responsible for going to the supply camp with Chen Mu to collect supplies, Chen Mu told Guan Yu about this.
"The baggage provided by the imperial court is of the highest quality, including grain, grass, salt and iron. Needless to say, the weapons and armor are also made of wrought iron, which is much stronger than the pig iron knives used by our soldiers. Since it can be obtained at a small price, why
don't want?"
Chen Mu responded that the method of frying steel has been around since the Eastern Han Dynasty. The so-called wrought iron is actually something made by this method of frying steel. If it can reach 100 satin, it can be called wrought iron, which is pattern steel.
All currently well-known magical weapons, such as Liu Guanzhang's weapons and Cao Cao's Yitian Sword Qingzhi Sword, are made of patterned steel.
Although the weapons given by the Han court this time were only made of ordinary wrought iron and were far less powerful than the weapons in Liu Guanzhang's hands, they were still much stronger than the weapons made of ordinary pig iron, especially when dealing with the peasant army with poor equipment.
Very big advantage.
Most of the weapons of the peasant army are cast iron farm tools. The weapons will burst after two cuts, while the wrought iron weapons will have a gap at most. This is an advantage in weapons.
If you want to get wrought iron weapons for 500 people in normal times, the price will need to be more than 300,000 yuan, not to mention daily necessities such as food, grass, clothing, salt, etc. With Zhang Fei's millions of wealth, everyone will not be able to fight a few battles.
We have to break up where we are, and we can't afford to support so many people.
Now Chen Mu can use the support of the Eastern Han Dynasty court to replenish his own strength at a small cost, secretly expand his army, and continue to support the war with war. While salvaging military exploits and supplies with the Yellow Turban Army, he reports losses to the supply camp, and then
Receive a new batch of weapons and supplies. If you keep doing this, the number of teams will only grow and their strength will grow stronger.
According to the popular terminology of later generations, it is the so-called shearing of wool.
"Fourth brother, this matter...is not advisable."
Guan Yu's eyes slowly closed. He did not agree with Chen Mu's actions.
The pre-Qin style still existed at the end of the Han Dynasty. People at this time generally valued justice over profit. Although the upper-level officials were corrupt, even top official positions such as Sangong and Jiuqing could be purchased freely. But at the bottom, the people at the bottom valued morality and morality more.
Integrity.
"Second brother, this is a temporary measure. Our army currently only has more than 500 people. Although it has seen blood, it has never fought a tough battle. The quality of the soldiers is not elite. Moreover, the weapons and equipment are not good. Such an army has only reached this point.
If we go to a large-scale battlefield, I'm afraid it will be exhausted after a few battles. If we don't think about replenishing our troops, my career may have to be exhausted before it even begins."
Chen Mu knew that he should never try to change someone who has already formed his three views, nor should he try to convince him, especially someone as stubborn as Guan Yu, so he explained in another way: "
So I can only use this method to preserve our strength, and I also know that it is not good to do this, and I will not do it next time."
Guan Yu let out a long sigh: "Since you promised me not to do this again next time, then so be it. But I won't be responsible for going to the supply camp to get supplies. You go, Yide."
Zhang Fei wondered: "Second brother, are you lazy and unwilling to go?"
"No."
Guan Yu shook his head: "It is not a gentleman's behavior for the chief clerk and quartermaster to accept bribes. I am not willing to deal with them."
Using the word "someone", it seems that the second brother still has a grudge.
Chen Mu thought to himself.
I have been in the Eastern Han Dynasty for a long time, and I have some understanding of the local customs here.
Ordinary people generally call themselves "I" and "I". In some special contexts, they also use "despicable", "foolish", "expensive", "humble" and other self-effacing words. Among them, "someone" is used to express intense emotions, such as when encountering
When you reach the enemy, shout "This is Zhang Fei from Yan", "This is Zhao Zilong from Changshan", etc. to increase your momentum.
Chen Mu said with a smile: "Second brother, there's no need to say that about Mr. Zhao. He should be a child of a run-down family. It's hard to get an official position, and he's short of money. He also has to support his family. Life is not easy for everyone."
"
Guan Yu looked at him in surprise and couldn't help but ask: "How did you find out?"
When he went to pick up the baggage before, although Chen Mu secretly approached Mr. Zhao to bribe him, they were all together and there was no close friendship between the two of them.
How dare someone reveal such a personal secret to someone they meet for the first time?
Zhang Fei laughed and said: "Fourth brother, it's your speculative tricks again. Second brother, to tell you the truth, when I first met my fourth brother, I almost thought he was a god. Not only did he know my surname,
Who is his name, where he lives, how old he is, and even the jar of wine I drank in the morning and the sheep he ate in pot roast are all clear."
Mutton roasting is actually boiling the mutton in white water, and then eating it with sauce. Not only mutton, but also beef and pork can be used. It was a method often used by wealthy people at that time.
Chen Mu thought to himself that there were only a few meat sellers in Zhuo County. Just ask anyone and you could find out the eighteenth generation of your ancestors. Does that matter?
As for how to calculate what Zhang Fei had eaten in the morning, it was easy. When I met Zhang Fei, it was not yet noon, not lunch time. In addition, there was a smell of wine and mutton that hit my face, and my beard
It's also dipped in sauce, and any fool knows the mutton hot pot he had in the morning.
"It's indeed a guess."
Chen Mu nodded: "Zhao Zongbu is an official and assistant of the Northern Army Zhonglang. He works with the five generals in the camp led by the Northern Army Zhonghou Supervisor. They are meritorious officers, Biejia, Bucao, Bingcao, chief secretary, and men.
The chief of the pavilion has the same official position, both with a rank of 600 stones. Logically speaking, the monthly salary is not too small, and it is enough to support a family. However, I saw that he was dressed simply, just an ordinary light blue long coat with a curved train, which was starched and turned white.
His shoes are old and worn and have not been replaced. Although he is nearly 20 years old, he does not wear a corresponding crown, but simply wears a Confucian scarf. If it were not for the official seal pouch and ink ribbon hanging around his waist, I would not be able to tell that he is a scholar.
As an official, he is more like an ordinary Confucian scholar from a poor family than a 600-ton official. This shows that his monthly salary is not used to improve his life. So I speculate that his monthly salary should be used to support his family, and there are many people in his family.
, it must be that there was a severe drought in Guanzhong in April last year, and the whole family had to come to Luoyang to work on an errand."
"Perhaps they are just thrifty?" Guan Yu asked unconvinced.
Chen Mu smiled and said: "A diligent and thrifty person probably wouldn't wear white jade. I noticed that he only had a piece of white jade hanging on his waist with a flowing white ribbon. The color should be that of old jade that has been cultivated for many years."
New jade. It means that it is a relic passed down from the ancestors and worn close to the body. Based on this, it can be inferred that the ancestors of Master Zhao's family were also wealthy, but in his generation, the family fortunes fell and he was forced to fall into poverty."
"Then how do you know that his monthly salary is used to support his family and not spent on other expenses? Maybe he saved it and planned to buy a high official?"
Guan Yu asked again.
It was normal for the imperial court to sell officials and titles, and even the official positions of the three ministers and nine ministers had clearly marked prices, not to mention other official positions. Moreover, it was not necessarily safe to buy an official position. You had to pay a sum of money every year, otherwise you would be dismissed, so many officials
You have to work hard to make money to keep your official position.
In fact, the later dismissal of Liu Bei's Anxi County Lieutenant had something to do with this. Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty did not want so many people to occupy their official positions in vain without paying a cent. He wanted to sell these official positions. In his opinion,
In his eyes, these are not official positions at all, but real money.
Chen Mu thought for a while and said: "In addition to the white jade, there is also a green silk sachet, which should be a gift from his wife. This is perhaps the most precious thing of Master Zhao, so he wears it with the white jade. The sachet and
The half of the inner garment exposed under the long dress of Master Zhao is made of Shu brocade, while the outer garment is made of linen. The sewing method of the sachet is rough, and there are even a few threads that have not been sewn properly. The outer garment and the inner garment are
But the workmanship is sophisticated and very fine. Therefore, I speculate that Mr. Zhao’s wife must be from Shu. She brought some Shu brocade when she got married, and her sewing skills are not very good. The coat and lining were made by Mr. Zhao’s mother or a tailor, but
The former is more likely, because their family is poor. Since his wife can sew and his mother is not here, even if his sewing skills are not good, he will not waste money to find a tailor outside. So I think Mr. Zhao has a wife and children at home.
My mother and father are both here, and I even have brothers and sisters who have not yet reached the age of hairpins to support.”
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the commodity economy was not very developed. For modern people, all clothing, food, housing and transportation could be solved with money. But for people at that time, they had to make enough food and clothing by themselves. They grew their own food, spun their own cloth, and sewed their own clothes. In addition to having money
For people living in poverty, it is impossible for families living in poverty to find tailors to customize clothes for themselves. The mother or wife will help sew the clothes.
Therefore, Chen Mu used two different production techniques to determine that the sachet was sewn by Mr. Zhao's wife, and the clothes were sewn by Mr. Zhao's mother, thus confirming that there was at least a wife and mother in his family.
As for how to determine whether he has children, it is simple. In this era, there are three major unfilial behaviors: not having children. Mr. Zhao looks to be in his 30s and has been married for at least seven or eight years. If he had no children, his mother would have kicked his wife away long ago.
Already.
After all, this kind of thing was not uncommon in ancient times. It was recorded in the "Book of Songs" as early as the pre-Qin era, such as "Fu Tiao", "Meng", "Gu Feng", and the famous "Peacock Flies Southeast".
factor.
After listening to Chen Mu's words, Guan Yu was half convinced. Although what the fourth brother said was reasonable and convincing, people are like this. Before seeing the true nature of things, no one would believe it just by looking at someone.
So many things can be inferred.
But in fact, Chen Mu was a detective enthusiast before he traveled through time. He also studied fortune-telling and fortune-telling, and found that these things have many similarities with Sherlock Holmes. He came to conclusions through subtle observations.
However, this kind of analysis also has a certain degree of chance, and the conclusion may not be correct, but he only needs to say some ambiguous words to get the answer he wants.
For example, when he met Zhang Fei that day, Chen Mu judged from the smell of alcohol and mutton on Zhang Fei that he might have drank and eaten mutton, but he couldn't say it in such a positive tone. What if he was slapped in the face?
Although the smell of mutton can only be found in sheep, since Zhang Fei was a butcher, it might be the smell that he picked up when he slaughtered the sheep.
So here you need to use words. What Chen Mu said at that time was that you drank wine and came into contact with mutton in the morning.
As a result, Zhang Fei was shocked and replied, "How do you know that I ate Yang Ke Zhi?" So he got the information that Zhang Fei had eaten Yang Ke Zhi in the morning, and then continued on this aspect, and successfully became acquainted with Zhang Fei.
Their lectures.
So the truth is still the same, a fortune teller may not really be able to tell fortunes, but his meticulous observation and clever language skills can ensure that he becomes unpredictable in your eyes, and will willingly hand over the banknotes in his pocket.