Chapter 581 Persuading Surrender and the Mansion Soldiers
In the drizzle in the early morning, a carriage drove into the Governor's Mansion.
When Mrs. Hua heard the news, she was overjoyed and immediately ordered her servants to arrange a family banquet, while Xun Zu was chatting with the guests in the courtyard of the back house.
"Hua Jingheng came the day before yesterday, and today Liangbo has arrived again..." Xun Zu patted his thigh and smiled bitterly.
Hua Ji and Hua Jingheng are the brothers of his wife.
Liu Dan and Liu Liangbo came from the Liu family of Pei State. His father, Liu Hong, and Liu Zhonggu were the second uncles of his wife, Huatiao. Liu Hong's wife was also from the Pingyuan Hua family, and their relationship was extremely close.
"Taizhang, I'm here to save you." Liu Dan said with a serious face.
Xunzu was stunned.
"Chen Gong has ordered the generals to gather troops and attack Shile soon. Tai Zhang, let me ask you, can you win this time?"
"Hard to say."
"You actually think so?" Liu Dan said in surprise: "In my opinion, there is almost no suspense in this battle, Shi Le will definitely be defeated."
Xun Zu was silent.
"Taizhang, what are you worried about?" Liu Dan asked from a different angle.
"Liangbo, why do you support Shao Xun so much?" Xun Zu asked.
"It's very simple." When Liu Dan heard this question, he immediately smiled and said, "My brother has been in charge of Pei's domestic history for many years. All the orders in the nine counties are issued by my family. What do you think? "What?" "Liu Dan said: "In every time of trouble, there is a family that falls, and another family rises. The Liu family of Taizhang is actually betting on Chen Gong to win."
"Shao Xun is not a fool. Have you ever thought about why you are given so much power?" Xun Zu asked.
"It's very simple." Liu Dan said: "Shao Xun didn't defeat all the counties in Henan and Yan with his sword and gun. When he first gained power, he was in Zhenliang County. Later he was in Luojing, He fought fierce battles with the enemy in the Luoshui River Valley and Xiangcheng area. In real terms, only Luonan and Xiangcheng were the dozen counties he conquered."
"After becoming the governor of Xuchang, the entire Yuzhou may rely on marriage. , or through win-overs, it was slowly included. ”
"The land of Yanzhou was barely captured by supporting Sima Yue's widow and his son. Then he fought the Battle of Gaoping with the Xiongnu, which truly stabilized the eight counties of Yanzhou. Shao Xun himself did not capture the counties of Yanzhou one by one. He just beat away the Huns who came to snatch food from him."
"So——" At this point, Liu Dan looked at his cousin-in-law and said, "Shao Xun is just the communist leader of Henan."
Liu Dan’s words are quite insightful.
Shao Xun seized the favorable opportunity of the refugees' rebellion and the Huns' invasion, and took advantage of the insecurity of the Henan wealthy people to defeat his competitors through several beautiful battles.
Local forces saw that he could meet their needs and that his force was also quite strong, so they took refuge in him.
It’s actually that simple.
Because most of the counties were peacefully taken over, the local power structure has not changed significantly, and Shao Xun does not have the ability to control every county one by one - his student soldiers have fled to nowhere. It is impossible to continue working as an official in a familiar place without connections, money, food and troops.
So, he adopted a strategy to win over local wealthy families to prevent them from joining the enemy.
The Liu family of Pei State seized this opportunity and became the de facto master of the nine counties of Pei State.
They were satisfied, so they supported Shao Xun and were willing to persuade his relatives to surrender for him.
"Liangbo, you don't understand what I mean." Xun Zu shook his head and said, "Shao Xun can give you power, and he can also take it back."
"So what?" Liu Dan disagreed: "The world is in chaos. , It’s not easy to keep the family business, let’s talk about the future later.”
Xun Zu frowned, seeming to disagree.
Liu Dan smiled and asked: "Taizhang, I once served as an official in Chenliu. Let me ask you, how is this county?"
"There are many people and people with good clothes." Xun Zu said.
"Were there any big clans in the Pre-Han Dynasty?"
Xun Zu thought about it carefully and found that there seemed to be none. In the end he could only say: "The Li family and the Xu family can be called powerful families."< br>
"What about the Later Han Dynasty?"
"That's too many." Xun Zu said: "Yu, Liu, Yang, Dong, Cai, Wu, Bian..."
After a little counting, there are always more than ten or twenty, which is in sharp contrast to the two solitary ones in the former Han Dynasty.
In fact, this is caused by the different processes between Liu Bang and Liu Xiu in conquering the world.
Liu Xiu relied too much on power, so that after the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was unable to lose his power. The number of powerful clans expanded rapidly. The problem continues to this day. Instead of alleviating, it has become more serious.
"After the establishment of Cao Wei, how many of the sixteen Chenliu clans are left?" Liu Dan asked again.
"Mao, Gao, Dian, Ruan, Cai..." Xun Zu said.
After calculation, the number has decreased, and the family changes have been close to one-third. It seems that the war in the late Han Dynasty still had an impact on them.
"Where is Zhi Guochao?" Liu Dan continued to ask.
“Too many.” Xun Zu was too lazy to count.
But he knew in his heart that Chen Liu's gentry had indeed changed, mainly due to the Jin Dynasty and Wei Nahui.
He also knew that the Chenliu gentry during the Cao Wei period only declined, but did not disappear. Many of them were still local hegemons, and there were many new nobles.
These upstarts flourished during the fifty years of the dynasty and reached their peak. During the reign of the late emperor, they began to slowly decline. The reason was war.
"The world is changing, and family fortunes are unpredictable." Liu Dan said, "My family has taken a gamble anyway. Even if Shao Xun takes over power in the future, he can also become an official in the court. The local family business is still there, so why worry?"
"Shao Xun is a humble person, how could he-" Xun Zu still felt a little uncomfortable.
Liu Dan looked at this cousin-in-law and laughed: "How famous is Pingyuan Hua before Ziyu Gong (Hua Xin)?"
Xun Zu shook his head.
"In the past, when He Jin assisted the government, Ziyu Gong was called to Luoyang because of his talents and learning, and was appointed as Shangshu Lang. At this point, the Pingyuan Hua clan became a prominent clan." Liu Dan said.
Just as Xun Zu was about to say something, his wife Huatao came over and glared at his cousin Liu Dan, as if to scold him for arranging the ancestors of the Hua family. But it was hard for her to say anything. After all, the Hua family was really not very good in Gaotang at that time. It was considered a local power if it could survive. The ancestor Hua Xin was only a small official in the county. Fortunately, the academic atmosphere was good at that time, and the ancestor was able to worship famous teachers. , considered as the step to enter the body.
Liu Dan was actually right. The world is changing. Who can say it accurately?
Can the Pei family become a prominent family without the merits of their ancestors when they challenged Li Jue and Guo Si?
"Husband." Hua Tiao sighed: "As a woman, I shouldn't have said anything, but if the current situation is like this, sticking to the rules may not be a good thing. Besides, a servant just came to retaliate. , He Sui and Liu Chou came back and were holding a banquet in the manor outside the city, inviting everyone from the Pengcheng Guan clan."
"What?" Xun Zu was surprised.
Both of them were Sima Yue's staff, one was the chief secretary of the royal palace, and the other was the shogunate's left chief historian.
He Sui is just a descendant of the Donghai surname He. If he does not have the identity of a Donghai national, he may not be able to reach a high position.
But Liu Chou was born in the Liu family of Pengcheng, a local noble family with deep connections. Once he comes back, things may change.
“Who have been invited?” Xun Zu asked.
Liu Dan also looked at his cousin.
Hua Tiao said: "I've invited them all. Especially some of the powerful men in charge of the army..."
Xun Zu couldn't sit still for a while.
"Taizhang, why are you hesitating?" Liu Dan's face was full of solemnity, and he just heard him say: "In the past, Liu Chou led the Donghai soldiers to guard the palace city, and Shao Xun took them in as soon as they met. . The Donghai soldiers of the Kaocheng shogunate, the imperial concubine and the heir king, all bowed to Shao Xun when they arrived. Although Donghai is Donghai and Pengcheng is Pengcheng, it is irrelevant, but in the end they are all counties of Xuzhou. Some things are difficult to say. Ah."
Xun Zu stood stunned for a long time, still unable to say the word "surrender".
"Husband!" Hua Tiao looked at him worriedly.
"Taizhang, don't hesitate!" Liu Dan advised: "Shao Xun only has so many soldiers and officials. He can't govern all the counties. Doesn't the world have to rely on us to support him? How powerful and great was Cao Mengde in the past. After he succeeds, 70% of the people around him are from the old Han tribe, so there is still a chance."
After hearing this, Xun Zu sighed and said, "Forget it, send someone to contact Xi Daohui. ."
Liu Dan breathed a sigh of relief.
He clearly took credit for persuading Pengcheng to surrender. You may have to share it with others, but merit is merit.
When I have some free time later, I have to write a letter to Mr. Chen.
******
Shao Xun just finished inspecting the old site of Jingfu Palace in Xuchang when he received a letter from Xuzhou Kuaima.
"Xun Taizhang is old, go home and rest." After reading, he handed the letter to Zuo Changshi Pei Kang and said.
Pei Kang is also old, and has just experienced a serious illness, and his energy and energy are far less than before. After taking the letter and reading it, he sighed: "One thought led to this."
Shao Xun looked up at the soldiers marching not far away.
There are 3,600 soldiers from Gaoping Prefecture, 1,200 soldiers from Dongping Prefecture, 1,200 soldiers from Puyang Prefecture, and 2,400 soldiers from Luonan Xiangcheng Prefecture, totaling 8,400 warriors. .
If you include the troops each carries, there are nearly 17,000 people.
"Is this soldier strong?" Shao Xun asked.
Pei Kang squinted his eyes.
These soldiers actually look very messy.
The reason for the confusion is that the equipment and armor are different. They don't look like a regular army, but more like rogue bandits. One of the typical characteristics of rogue bandits is that their uniforms are of different colors, and their instruments are all kinds of messy.
But they are definitely not bandits. Pei Kang still has some discernment.
The Gaoping Mansion soldiers are Chen Gong’s old subordinates. Most of them are officers and soldiers of the Yamen Army and have experienced many battles.
Dongping and Puyang Prefecture soldiers were mainly soldiers from the former Xuchang Dynasty. They had defeated the Xiongnu, but their combat effectiveness was much lower than that of Gaoping Prefecture soldiers.
The most powerful ones are the soldiers of Luonan Mansion. No matter what weapons they use, everyone carries a heavy sword and a crossbow.
This is a real veteran, the kind who has been fighting for ten years, and his combat power is quite tyrannical.
“This soldier——” Before Pei Kang could finish his words, dozens of horses were rushing towards him.
These people dismounted thirty steps away, then walked forward, prostrated themselves on the ground, and shouted in unison: "Meet Duke Ming."
Shao Xun stepped forward and said: " Everyone get up."
"Yes." Everyone got up.
The governor of Buqu stood in the front, and the generals of Buqu, Changshi of Buqu, and Sima of other departments stood in the back.
The entire seven military officers of Longxiang Mansion (also known as the Seventh Governor) are here.
"Xu Meng." Shao Xun pointed at a tall and thick man wearing a Diao Chan crown and shouted.
"The general is here!" Xu Meng, the governor of Longxiang Mansion in Yingqiao, responded loudly, looking a little excited.
Back then, it was Mr. Chen who personally handed the official seal to him, turning him from a down-and-out bandit into a serious official.
"Are you a soldier of Xiangcheng Prefecture?" Shao Xun asked.
"The last general's home is in Yingqiaofang, Xiangcheng County, Xiangcheng County."
"Oh, between Xiangcheng and Yingchuan." Shao Xun smiled and said, "I do it on weekdays. What?”
“Help the family during the busy time and practice some farm work in his free time.”
“How are you doing?”
“Have enough to eat. , and there is mutton to eat."
Shao Xun laughed and said, "Is there anyone who bullied me?"
"No," Xu Meng replied, "Even if he was, he was beaten away. "
"Oh? Really?" Shao Xun said in surprise.
Of course, General Long Xiang and the shogunate would not report trivial matters such as fights in the countryside to him.
"Last year there was not enough water in Yingyin, so it was difficult to irrigate the fields. Some people from Yingyin came to grab water, and the men brought armored soldiers and ran away." Xu Meng said proudly.
He is really proud.
Yingyin is the home base of the Xun family. Even the local powerful in the county are inseparable from the Xun family.
Who could compete with the Xun family in the past for water? But the government soldiers gathered together and drove them away. This was definitely sensational news in Xiangcheng and Yingyin counties.
An organized and combat-effective armed force appeared in the local area. They have rich fighting experience, well-equipped equipment, and tacit cooperation. Many of them have war horses. Some dealers are no match for them.
“How magnificent!” Shao Xun praised.
“This is all the result of Ming Gong.” Xu Meng said.
This sentence is sincere.
Recently, the shogunate considered that soldiers in the army were generally married and had children, and the land surveying was quite effective, so they allocated some land to them and set the upper limit to 200 acres as a permanent system.
In other words, one household currently owns 200 acres of land and is allowed to own up to three households.
In the eyes of the soldiers, Mr. Chen continued to provide them with benefits. They were like reborn parents, and gratitude was inevitable.
Shao Xun came to another person. After thinking for a long time, he asked: "What is your name?"
"Sima Shixian, the other department of Xialou Longxiang Mansion." This person shouted loudly said.
These are the soldiers from Fan County, Gaoping County (formerly a county under the Rencheng State).
"Old Yamen Army?" Shao Xun asked.
“Exactly.”
“Have you ever stayed in Liang County?”
“I settled in Gaoping from Liang County.”
“I brought it with me He's an old man." Shao Xun patted him on the shoulder happily and said, "You didn't expect this day, did you?"
"Ming Gong." Shi Xian glanced at Shao Xun excitedly and said, "This last general's life belongs to Ming Gong. When my son grows up, he will also fight for Ming Gong."
" Okay, okay." Shao Xun smiled happily.
"How are you in the country?" he asked.
"I don't have to worry about eating and drinking. I think about how to fight for Ming Gong all day long." Shi Xian replied.
Shao Xun nodded.
He remembered that two months ago, there was unrest in Gaoping Fan County.
The He family, a small noble family with poor family background, refused to accept food and grass. They also accused the prefect Yu Zhigong of avenging his personal revenge and causing his family to pay more money and food. They were angry and started a rebellion.
At the critical moment, the Taishou Mansion recruited 5,000 men, and assembled 4,800 soldiers (including troops) from the two governors and eight defenses to besiege He's manor and conquer it in seven days.
He didn't want to care about whether Yu Zhi had any quarrel with the He family. He only said that Gaoping's soldiers did play a role in calming the sea.
According to the report from General Longxiang's Mansion, the five thousand men recruited by Yu Zhi were mostly Zhuangke tribesmen of powerful scholars from Gaoping counties. They were originally feeling sad about the death of a rabbit and a fox, so they were procrastinating and reluctant to send troops. But after the Longxiang shogunate issued an order to assemble the troops, everyone gave in and finally sent out troops to besiege the He family manor and destroy the family.
In this matter, if the government soldiers are absent, the whole county may be in turmoil.
Shi Xian, as one of the four commanders of the Longxiang Mansion in Xialou, Fan County, should have participated in this battle.
He said he would fight for Shao Xun, and he did so.
Everyone underestimates the role of Fubing.
There are 21 counties in the two prefectures of Henan and Yan. Currently, only Puyang, Dongping, and Gaoping have large-scale deployment of government soldiers, accounting for three-quarters of the total number of government soldiers. The rest are scattered in scattered areas. Luonan counties, Xiangcheng County and the western part of Yingchuan County.
The biggest difficulty encountered in placing Fu soldiers is the insufficient number of troops.
This can only happen slowly.
After Shao Xun made a tour and talked with more than ten people, he ordered them to disperse and go back to lead the troops on their way.
He returned to the place where he and Pei Kang were standing just now.
Pei Laoden looked at him with a complicated expression.
Shao Xun seemed unaware.
Most of Pei's family backgrounds were in Hedong County, and they had friendships with the local gentry in Henan, but their interest ties were not close. As a member of a wealthy family, Pei Kang may have some opinions, but that's it. After all, the sword has not struck the Pei family yet.
With this 17,000-strong army going up to Luo, who could possibly hurt him in the slightest?
(End of this chapter)