Chapter 121 Foody and fun-loving
After carefully instructing Jin San, Lu Heigou, and Mao Er to harvest, dry, and store grain, Shao Xun accompanied Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi back to Luoyang.
The carriage moved slowly and could not return to Luoyang within one day, so he slept in the countryside that night.
The number of guests under Tang Jian has doubled. He is almost the leader of the team now, and he leads people to guard the perimeter at night.
Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi also brought many tribes with them, and they also stayed outside.
In the middle of the night, Pei Kang looked at the sky and remained silent for a long time.
If the five stars shrink and lose their positions, their essence will fall to the earth and become a human being. Among them, Taibai was demoted to a strong man and lived at the foot of the forest.
He silently returned to the tent, took out the divination equipment, and made a fortune.
I didn’t come to any conclusion, so I suppressed my thoughts and decided to observe according to the traditional method.
Continuing on the road the next day, we arrived in Luoyang in the afternoon.
Autumn harvest is also happening around Luoyang.
There will be no drought, flood, or locust plague this year. Everyone is happy and excited.
I can breathe a sigh of relief.
As for next year, who knows? Even the emperor and his ministers don’t know what next year will be like.
After entering the city, Shao Xun went back to his residence and wrote a teaching plan.
In the evening, Xu Lang came with Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi.
Pei and Liu were behind, Xu Lang walked quickly in front and whispered in Shao Xun's ear: "The princess personally escorted Mr. Pei to the door. Her eyes were red and swollen. Everyone said that the princess is extremely filial... ”
God is so filial! Could it be that he cried because he was scolded? Fortunately, Lao Pei should be measured and not mess around when outsiders are present.
Shao Xun straightened his robe and welcomed the two of them in.
“I don’t live here permanently, which makes Mr. Pei laugh.” Shao Xun led the people into the main hall and asked the servant to make tea. However, the servant told him that there was no tea, and he felt a little embarrassed.
"It's okay, I brought tea." Pei Kang was followed by two handsome young men. After hearing this, he immediately took out the tea balls, teapot, and condiments from the box, and then went to fetch water for cooking.
Liu Anzhi stood in the front yard, admiring the various weapons on the equipment rack, but did not go inside.
"Forgive me, Mr. Pei, but I am a military household and I don't always have elegant things at home." Shao Xun had two beds brought over.
Pei Kang glanced at it in surprise. This was the first time he had seen this kind of seat.
I tried it after sitting down. Well, it is spacious and comfortable.
When your back is tired, you can rest on the back of the bed behind you. There are armrests on both sides, which is also very considerate.
In short, he liked this seat a little bit, so he said: "This thing is very wonderful, and Mr. Lang is a person who knows how to enjoy it."
"If Mr. Pei likes it, he will have the bed made of it. Take it back." Shao Xun said with a smile: "I am also tired from the army, so I want to get something more comfortable. The bed is one of them, and there is also a high-foot desk (table)."
Pei. Kang was noncommittal and just stared at the bed for a long time. Then he looked away, collected his thoughts, and said: "Yesterday I briefly discussed the general trend of the world with you. I have quite a lot of time today, and I want to discuss it again. Do you know the current general trend? ”
Shao Xun picked up the wine pot, poured some into the wine bowl, then dipped his finger in it, and wrote a few words on the table: East China Sea, Imperial Court, Hejian, Xiongnu.
"Let me try." Pei Kang looked at Shao Xun expectantly and said.
These are the four largest forces in the north.
The King of East China Sea has won over many brothers of the same generation, and he is the strongest, although his personal strength is the weakest.
The imperial court is still influential. It can at least appoint governors, governors, and prefects. All the states and counties in the world also have to send money and grain to Beijing.
The King of Hejian is sitting in the pass. Although he is about to be attacked, he still has strength.
Liu Yuan, the Xiongnu, has already established his own country and is the first in the north to do so. No one can ignore it.
As for other small forces, they all survive in the cracks of these four major forces.
Hearing Pei Kang's words, Shao Xun wrote the words "Fanyang", "Pingchang", "Dongying" and "Ningshuo" to the right of the word "Donghai".
On the right side of "Imperial Court", the three words "Emperor", "Wang Yan" and "Forbidden Army" were written. After writing, the "Forbidden Army" was erased.
The words "Shizu" and "Zhang Fang" are written on the right side of "Hejian".
There is nothing written on the right side of "Xiongnu" because he doesn't know what to write.
"Why don't you write it?" Pei Kang asked.
“I really don’t know the inside story of the Xiongnu.” Shao Xun shook his head and said.
It’s not that I don’t want to pry, it’s just that I don’t have the ability.
To collect intelligence, you must have a stronghold and raise a group of people, right? The collection process is also a cost, which is not small. One or two points can be set up. Who can afford dozens or hundreds of intelligence collection centers? Sima Yue couldn't even afford it.
Furthermore, do you have any local connections?
Not to mention that it is very eye-catching to outsiders. The efficiency of intelligence collection is definitely extremely low, and it is difficult to get many useful things. If you go out to inquire, are you sure you won't be captured and used as a slave?
For this kind of thing, you can only cooperate with local snakes.
Wang Yan is very powerful in this kind of matter, because he is a famous person in the world, has a wide network of contacts, and his family has been running the business for several generations. He is not comparable to an upstart with no background.
Pei Kang obviously knew about this, so he ignored it and asked instead: "You wrote about the many forces in the world, what might happen next?"
Shao Xun thought for a while and said: "If you want to know what's happening in the world, you still have to look at what these people in power want."
At this point, he stopped.
Pei Kang was slightly dissatisfied and said: "Now that things have happened, are you still unwilling to tell the truth? It's just you and me in the hall, and it won't reach other people's ears."
Shao Xun points He nodded and said: "The King of East China Sea wants to return to Luoyang and control the government. As for whether he wants to go further, we have to wait and see. I think the King of East China Sea is still rational now, but if something happens, it will be difficult to say."
It is impossible to remain rational from beginning to end.
It is indeed difficult for Sima Yue to usurp the throne as emperor because he is a member of the clan and others are dissatisfied. He also knows this. But Zhigui knows that once he feels that his time is running out, what if he wants to have fun? Sometimes reason is overwhelmed by impulse, which is hard to say.
"Sikong has few soldiers, money, and food. If he wants to defeat the enemy, he can only rely on the Fang Bo. But Fang Bo will not work for him in vain. Fang Bo also has what he wants."
"King Fan Yang was constrained by Liu Qiao in Yuzhou. He only had military power but no political power. If he wanted to force him to send troops, he might be lured by the post of governor of Yuzhou. This may be the reason why King Fan Yang went north at night. He thought The military and political power are all in one body. "
"Pingchang Gong is in charge of Yecheng, and his only thought is to put down the rebellion and secure his position as the leader of Jizhou."
"Dong Yinggong is here. Bingzhou was repeatedly attacked by the Huns, and the situation was not good. He may have wanted to change his position and become a comfortable governor. "Ningshuo General Wang Jun attacked Sima Ying, partly out of personal hatred and partly out of humiliation of the emperor. The following is the crime." . Now that the emperor is still in the capital and Sima Ying is dead, he may send troops just to deal with errands, and he will not work hard unless Sikong promises greater benefits."
“There were originally three factions in the imperial court. After the Forbidden Army was destroyed, only the Emperor and Wang Yan factions were left.”
“Some court officials respect the Emperor and are loyal ministers. Thoughts They are just trying to calm down the chaotic situation in the world, and they are at odds with Sikong."
"The rest are Wang Yan's followers, and they are mostly inclined to Sikong, but they don't completely listen to him."< br>
“The new imperial army is not yet established. The generals are either attached to Sikong or are private members of the Wang family, and there are very few people who are loyal to the emperor.”
“The King of Hejian only wants to protect himself now. He may contact other Fangbo to fight against Sikong. He will wait and see if Sikong loses a few battles and the Western troops will advance eastwards. The portal."
"The honor and disgrace of Xizhou scholars are all tied to the king of Hejian, but they have deep conflicts with people like Zhang Fang who come from a humble background. I heard that Bi Yuan from the Yong Mansion joined the army. The Guan clan was insulted by Zhang Fang, which shows that if the King of Hejian cannot resolve the conflict between the scholars and the common people, it will be in danger."
"As for Liu Yuan, he has the greatest ambition. Change the world.”
He spoke eloquently and basically made the demands of each force clear.
Every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite. Every family has external conflicts and internal worries.
Sima Yue himself was weak and had to rely on the strength of his allies.
Sima Yong promoted Li Han (from a poor family) and Zhang Fang (from a poor family) to the posts of governors and commanded the army. Once these two people succeeded, they got carried away and greatly aggravated the internal conflicts in the Yong Mansion. Zhang Fang, in particular, brought countless notoriety to Sima Yong. It is not surprising that he would be killed one day.
The battle between Yue Mansion and Yong Mansion was about internal stability. Comparatively speaking, it was more difficult for Sima Yong. The conflict between the nobles and Zhang Fang had reached an acute level. They just barely managed to avoid falling out with each other - if Zhang Fang kidnapped the emperor to Chang'an, they would probably fall out completely.
"That's right." Pei Kang laughed and said, "It's not easy to see the leopard through the tube."
Shao Xun's analysis relied on public information. Starting with Fang Qingqiu, he peeled off the cocoon and made progress step by step. He is very good at it.
"Pei Gong is so complimentary." Shao Xun said modestly.
"I still have some old acquaintances in Beijing, and I can negotiate to borrow some property. I will leave this matter to my son Daoqi. If there is any shortage, you can just discuss it with him and help you get Yunzhongwu Build it." Pei Kang said again.
"I am very grateful." Upon hearing this, Shao Xun immediately stood up and saluted.
Quite satisfactory, no special enthusiasm or rudeness.
Marrying Pei's daughter was not mentioned at all, and the investment was extremely limited.
More than half of the Yunzhong dock has been built, and their investment is limited to completing the dock.
In fact, Shao Xun is a little strange. How long has it been, and he is still holding on to his money bag?
The Pei family can invest in anyone, but it is impossible to invest in Sima Yue, Sima Yong and other clan kings.
Ever since Pei Xiu, Pei Yu, Pei Kai, and Pei Zan suffered heavy blows for their involvement in the internal strife of the royal family, the Pei family has long learned their lesson and withdrawn.
The only one left with Sima Yue now is Pei Dun.
So, you have so much money and food, how do you plan to use it? In troubled times, if you can't quickly turn it into strength or influence, why wait to make offerings to others? What Liu Yuan asked for was dozens or hundreds of times what you gave me.
"On the other hand, if the Pei family goes south to Hongnong to build a fort, they must watch and help each other." Pei Kang said again.
“This matter is inevitable.” Shao Xun said.
Pei Kang worked up his emotions and replied: "Today I asked Hua Nu carefully, and she didn't dare to hide anything and told everything in full. Fortunately, you two are quite restrained. Jin Yong City is in a critical situation and No matter, after Hua Nu moved back to Sikong Mansion, you went to see her twice. Although it is reasonable, you can't do it more. From now on, you can just be busy with military affairs and don't think about it. "
Shao. Xun was silent.
With his current status, it might not be impossible for him to marry the legitimate daughter of a lower-ranking gentry.
It is not impossible for a concubine or a widowed legitimate daughter of a middle-class family to give it a try.
But what’s the point?
A woman has no label, no identity, and no emotions. She looks the same when the lights are turned off, and is boring. Then she might as well marry a fat girl from the Mi Huang family.
Talk about relationships these days is too luxurious and almost impossible, so only status can make him feel happy.
Don’t talk about rationality and danger. Am I rational when I kill people?
Am I being rational when playing with human heads?
I already have too many sane things, I don’t harm the people, I give more property to my cronies, I educate students with all my heart, I train sergeants diligently, I keep making friends with useful people, I think about new alternative systems, and I still need to do more when it comes to women. Depriving me of my little happiness and working like an emotionless robot is forcing me to rebel.
However, what Pei Kang said is not unreasonable, so he has to pretend for the time being.
He could bear it for the time being, but Concubine Pei, who was worried about being lonely for many years, couldn't.
Once rumors spread like Princess Langya's affair with a minor official, Concubine Pei may not necessarily end up like Xiahou Guangji.
So, he nodded and said: "Pei Gong, please relax, I respect the princess very much, and I will never mean any blasphemy." "It's late." Pei Kang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I can see some clues from the family letter. It's for your own good to come to stop it. The King of Donghai has a lot of troops-"
Before he finished speaking, the shogunate east. Yu Liang, the pavilion's wine concubine, suddenly came to visit.
"Lang Jun, Sikong has been defeated..." Yu Liang said anxiously.
"Where were you defeated?" Shao Xun asked, sitting firmly on the bed, his expression unchanged.
Is it surprising that Sima Yue suffered a defeat?
"Sikong led tens of thousands of royal troops and 20,000 Xuzhou soldiers to the west of Xiao County. Liu Qiao sent troops to Lingbi (belonging to Xiao County). The two armies fought, and Sikong was defeated and rushed back to Xuzhou. Gather the remaining soldiers and stop more than a thousand people," Yu Liang said.
Out of Xuzhou, not far to the west is Xiao County in Peiguo, Yuzhou. In other words, Sikong lost all his capital as soon as he went out and then retreated.
"What then?" Shao Xun asked.
"Cao Junsi asked us to prepare for the expedition to Yuzhou. Sikong is extremely anxious now. He sent messages to everyone to attack Liu Qiao together."
"I understand." Shao Xun nodded.
The troops that Sikong finally accumulated were all wasted in one battle. He is really talented and fun-loving.
Now he is so anxious that he is shaking people everywhere, even Luoyang's soldiers are interested.
I just don’t know what Sima Zhu is thinking now. Will he regret letting Xuzhou out?
"Mr. Lang, please don't take it lightly." Pei Kang was shocked beyond measure by the defeat at first, but then he realized it and said with a frown.
Why can’t anyone defeat the King of East China Sea?
It was easy to say that I lost to Sima Ying before, but now I can even defeat Liu Qiao, the governor of Yuzhou. I don’t know what to say. If this continues, even if he returns to Luoyang, his prestige will be greatly damaged and he will not be able to control the government smoothly.
"Don't worry." Shao Xun smiled and said: "I know what the Forbidden Army is, and I won't waste the battle. Furthermore, Sikong suffered such a big loss, will the King of Hejian have any ideas? It's hard to say. Whether we can go south and east smoothly is still a matter of uncertainty."
Yu Liang understood.
If Sima Yong sends troops to advance eastward, Luoyang will definitely not be able to send troops and horses to support Sikong.
But - will this make Sikong unhappy?
They had not seen Sikong for a long time. They heard that scholars continued to defect to Xuzhou. The Xuzhou shogunate was growing day by day and had exceeded the size of the Luoyang shogunate before the Battle of Dangyin.
This matter, alas!
(End of this chapter)