Chapter 358 Heavenly Grant
The eight thousand army marched at the southern foot of Wangwu Mountain, and it was also boundless.
At this time, under the banner of the Central Military Section, Yuan Shaozheng and his staff Xin Ping learned everything about Hedong. Especially Dong Zhuo and many civil and military officials under his command.
"Zhongzhi, you went to Hedong with the group before. What do you think of Dong Zhuo?"
Originally, Xin Ping was just a friend of Yuan Shao, but after he was appointed and dismissed as a general, at Yuan Shao's request, he decided to officially join Yuan Shao's shogunate as his counselor.
One of the reasons why Yuan Shao valued Xin Ping was that Xin Ping was among the missions sent by the Guandong court to Hedong to negotiate with Dong Zhuo, so he knew some of the truth about Hedong.
When Yuan Shao asked, Xin Ping was quite scrupulous, so he only picked the good ones and said:
"Dong Hedong has a strong and proud temperament and extraordinary martial prowess. He has elite soldiers and generals who are as good as tigers and wolves."
Speaking of this, Xin Ping recalled the scene where he and the envoys were at the Hedong County Sheriff's Mansion.
At that time, my eyes were full of fishy smell, and I looked to the left and right of people with their hair in left-over ruffles. I almost thought I was in a barbaric area. So Xin Ping couldn't hold it back in the end and said:
"Dong Hedong is close to the Qiang, and half of his minions and close friends are Qiang soldiers and generals, which is different from China."
In fact, Xin Ping had already said it tactfully. He said that Dong Zhuo might not be able to think in the same way as we Chinese think, because he already looked like a barbarian.
He Xin Ping could not say more directly, because now Dong Zhuo has decided to join the Guandong court. He is victorious with Hedong, and the armor of Jinyang. Once he enters Luoyang, he will definitely be favored and favored, and his rewards will be generous. At that time, Dong Zhuo suddenly transformed into the boss of the court.
And what about his Xin Ping? Although there are some things, compared with Dong Zhuo, it is still cloud and mud. Therefore, Xin Pingwan couldn't speak ill of Dong Zhuo at this time, otherwise if it spread to Dong Zhuo's ears, he would be doomed.
But there was another reason why Xin Ping didn't speak out, and that was that he saw that Yuan Shao was in high spirits right now and was only willing to hear what he wanted to hear. Even if Xin Ping said it now, it would only make Yuan Shao unhappy.
Hearing Xin Ping's evaluation of Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao laughed and said:
"Zhongzhi, you said it well."
"I know that Dong Zhuo is rude, rude, and cruel. I know all this. But did you know that I have a noose in my hand to control this beast?"
Seeing Yuan Shao's vow, Xin Ping was curious:
"I dare to ask my lord, what method is used?"
Yuan Shao laughed and pointed at himself:
"Then my Yuan family is very kind to Dong Zhuo. When he was serving as the captain of Wuji in the Western Regions, he stayed overnight in the Cheshi Palace and killed a group of Cheshi nobles who had offended him. Originally, this man was already dead. It’s true that my uncle protected this person at that time and later recruited him. It can be said that without me, Yuan, Dong Zhuo would have been a dead dog.”
Seeing that Xin Pingruo had some enlightenment, Yuan Shao continued:
"The reason why Dong Zhuo was able to enter Guandong this time was because of my uncle's efforts. As a disciple of my Yuan family, he naturally has to be used by me. Otherwise, who in the world will tolerate such a disloyal person?"
What Yuan Shao said is indeed correct. For Dong Zhuo, although the Yuan family did not give birth to him and raise him, they changed his destiny more importantly than his parents. Without Yuan's conquest, Dong Zhuo would never be able to recover from his crimes in this life.
Yuan Shao was not worried about whether Dong Zhuo would be a disloyal person, because he accurately grasped the unspoken rule of this era, which was to trade loyalty for a future.
The investigation system has been in place for more than 300 years since its inception. The original meritocracy has become nepotism.
After all, it's a simple thing: the rewards of being Xiaolian are too great. Being selected is the starting point for a high official with at least six hundred stones. If you are not careful, you can create a family with two thousand stones, so who wouldn't want to be?
But to be honest, there are so many people who want to be one, so why should I just give it to you? You have a good family background, good looks, good knowledge, and you can be good anywhere, but so what? Zhengpi, are you of any benefit to me? No!
Therefore, when the imperial examination system evolved, it was to conscript one's own relatives and children, and these good things would definitely go to one's own family. In this way, the wealth of your family can continue. But sometimes you have no children, or your children are outside the scope of your conquest, so what should you do? If the power is not used, the power becomes invalid.
At this time, there is an alternative plan, which is to conquer local heroes. But after conquering you, the relationship between you and me will be similar to that of a king and father. This is a new kind of quasi-kinship relationship to fill the gap where one's own family cannot be conquered.
So this is why the subordinates who are conquered all call their county governor their lord, because once you are conquered, he is the master and you are the servant. Even if your lord dies, you will still have to observe mourning for three years. You know, even after my father died, he couldn't stay for three years. It can be seen that the relationship between the two is more important than that of father and son.
This is the unspoken rule of this dynasty, trade loyalty for opportunities. You yourself have become both a minister of the Han Dynasty and a servant of the new master. This is the dual relationship between king and minister.
This chain cannot be broken. Because once you betray your master or sell out, not only you, but even your family will lose the chance to be elected again. In other words, it is the suicide of political life.
This is why Yuan Shao is not worried about Dong Zhuo betraying his Yuan family, unless Dong Zhuo doesn't want to hang out anymore.
But when Yuan Shao was feeling self-conscious, his long-time friend and counselor Xu You who was accompanying him this time held a different view.
Xu You said to Yuan Shao seriously:
"At first, if you look at Dong Zhuo like this, you would be underestimating him. From my point of view, this man is fierce and difficult to control, and will definitely cause trouble in the future. This time we march westward, we must not be negligent, and we must use thunderbolt measures if necessary. , take this person down first.”
Xu You finally pointed out:
"Since Dong Zhuo is an evil tiger, the best place for him to end up is in a cage. No one wants to hurt a tiger. Tigers are harmful to people's hearts. We must take precautions before they happen."
What Xu You said was indeed mature and prudent, so Yuan Shao nodded in agreement and made plans to remove Dong Zhuo's military power after arriving in Hedong.
After thinking about it, Yuan Shao asked Xin Ping again:
"Zhongzhi, did you see any outstanding people when you went to Hedong this time?"
Xin Ping thought for a while:
"In terms of military bravery, there are indeed many warriors worthy of mention in the Hedong shogunate, such as Hua Xiong, Guo Bang, Fan Chou, etc., who are all the bravest of the three armies. But these are all rough men and not worth mentioning. As for the literary talents, Comment not seen. ”
After hearing this, Yuan Shao didn't believe it and asked:
"Hedong is also the essence of the world. Dong Zhuo is sitting here, how can there be no one or two high-ranking scholars?"
Xin Ping felt ashamed and said honestly:
"When we went there, except for the secret talks between the chief officials and Dong Hedong, we all had banquets with the generals from Hedong in the hall. However, they were all from Kansai and could not talk to me and other envoys, so I understood Very few.”
Seeing that Yuan Shao looked disappointed, Xin commented on one person:
"Although they are all Kansai scholars, I still met someone extraordinary. It's just that this person is still a minor official in the Hedong shogunate, but I think this person is extraordinary."
Yuan Shao was curious and asked:
"Oh, who is this?"
"This person's name is Jia Xu"
"Where are you from?" "Wuwei Guzang people."
"That's really Kansai's Kansai."
"Yes."
"What's so special about this person?"
When Yuan Shao asked this question, Xin Ping was a little speechless.
He recalled that day, the members of the mission and the generals from Hedong drank and drank. Everyone was intoxicated with singing, dancing and fine wine, especially the generals who were so lustful that it was even more unbearable.
Xin Ping also drank a little too much at that time, but he still remained basically sober.
At this time, a dark and thin clerk in his thirties or forties brought a glass of wine over and called himself Jia Xu. He said that he had been living in Guanxi and had not seen the world's scenery. He always knew that the best in the world came from Yingchuan, and Xin Ping is from Yingchuan. So he was very curious about the outstanding figures in the Central Plains.
Xin Ping was bored at that time, so when someone came to chat, he started chatting. The conversation lasted for less than half an hour. Later, after Xin Ping went back and sobered up, he was shocked to realize that he didn't know what had happened to him. For half an hour, all the questions he asked were answered by Jia Xu.
Jia Xu said that he admired the characters of the Central Plains, but eight out of ten questions were about the situation of the Guandong court. For example, what is the current salary in Luoyang, what are the outstanding generals, and what heroes are in Luoyang from the counties in Guandong. I don’t know how Xin Ping let down his guard. He Xin Ping really answered these questions.
But even though Xin Ping had drunk too much at the time, he still had a basic sense of vigilance, so he gave these answers 50% of the time. When asked about the household registration, the answer was that the household registration is one million. When asked about the number of soldiers and horses, the answer is as many as sand. When asked about the number of generals, answer about the number of chariots.
Even so, Xin Ping still felt that he had been tricked a lot by this person named Jia Xu. For example, when asking about salary, Xin Ping said it was half corn and half cloth.
This may not sound like a problem, but if you think about it deeply, you will know whether Luoyang is short of food. Otherwise, why not give everyone food? You must know that at this time, food prices are soaring, and officials naturally want to distribute more food, the better.
Xin Ping was thinking wildly, and the more he thought about it, the more terrifying he became. Later, when he saw Jia Xu in Hedong, he also took a detour.
But how to tell Yuan Shao about this?
So Xin Ping replied in a general way:
"This man has great ambitions. I had a great time chatting with him. He is truly a hero in Kansai."
Yuan Shao wanted to ask more questions, but Xu You, who was riding beside him, was impatient to listen.
He smiled and said:
"At first, how could Dong Zhuo, a man who was the governor of Hedong, convince the commander-in-chief of the county? Without the support of the Hedong family, Dong Zhuo's men were just traffickers and lackeys who killed pigs. What's there to talk about? Why don't you just ask Zhongzhi is another famous figure, right?”
Xin Ping was curious:
"Who?"
Xu You solemnly replied:
"That's Zhang Chong, the soaring general."
At this time, both Xin Ping and Yuan Shao fell silent.
Except for Xu You, who had never met Zhang Chong, Xin Ping and Yuan Shao had all dealt with Zhang Chong. For example, Xin Ping was conquered by You Zhonglang General Zhu Jun in April last year, and together they went south to Yingyin to encircle and annihilate the remaining troops of Ma Yuanyi and Bo Cai. It was also there that he and Zhu Jun saw the Taishan Army.
At that time, Taishan's army surged toward Huangfu Song's army on the west bank of Yingshui River. A total of 20,000 troops were defeated without holding on for an hour. Even Huangfu Song, the famous general who was rampant in Kansai, was seriously injured. If Cao Cao hadn't recruited famous doctors to treat him later, our current Sangong Taiwei would have become a withered skeleton.
At that time, Xin Ping and Zhu Jun were on the east bank, watching the defeat of the friendly forces across the Ying River, and saw the Taishan army chasing them north. Even if it wasn't because of Yingshui, how could he, Zhu Jun and others escape death?
Later, Xin Ping heard that Sun Jian, the most powerful general under Zhu Jun, had been defeated by the Taishan Army in Hebei. Alas, another old friend has made a mistake.
But could it be that Xin Ping was the one present? Our world model Yuan Benchu is also very confused about Zhang Chong.
After Zhang Chong stirred up the world, with Yuan's intelligence ability, Yuan Shao had already found out about Zhang Chong. But the more he knew about this person's background, the more Yuan Shao became afraid.
I thought that such talents in literature and martial arts were rare in the world. Not only did they come from aristocratic families, but they were at least passed down by their ancestors for several generations of local tycoons. But what? This person turned out to be a complete Guizhou leader, and he was even sentenced to death because he offended the clan elders in his hometown.
Who would have thought that such an ant-like person could disturb the world like this. It can be said that the situation in the world is like this, and this person has six points of merit.
Why did the Yuan family participate in the rebellion of the Henan aristocratic families? You must know that the Yuan family is a public family, and its foundation is not in the opposition but in the court. What does the disaster of party members have to do with them? The Yuan family has been able to survive for generations.
Then why did their Yuan family participate? He also became one of the leaders. Isn't it because the Northern and Southern armies, the core of the Han Dynasty's authority, suffered heavy losses?
Without the Northern and Southern Army, how could the imperial court suppress the powerful people in Henan? In the past, no matter how fiercely the court purged them, they did not dare to resist. At most, they would leave their hometown and wander. Why? It's because Luoyang is so close, and the troops are stationed in all directions, and they can reach the door in just a few days.
If you listen to this, no matter how unwilling you are, you can only bow your head and live a good life.
But what now? This Guan Fuzi Zhang Chong actually defeated the pillars of the Han Dynasty by relying on a group of mud-legged Shanliao. The battles of Yingyin and Xingyang shocked the world and wiped out all the military equipment in the capital.
So at that time, the Yuan family knew that the Han Dynasty's ship, at least Liu Hong's ship, could not stay. Because the aristocratic families in Yuzhou could no longer hold back their anger, Yuan was either their boss or their enemy.
How could Yuan Shao, as a participant and planner, not know all this?
Thinking that the source of all this is Zhang Chong, how could Yuan Shao not be curious and frightened at the same time? Don't say that this has something to do with the Taiping Road. Taipingdao was built by powerful people in Henan, and even the uprising was planned by them. What is the strength of Taipingdao? It can be said that there is no strength.
The powerful people borrowed the organizational form of the Western Buddhist Order to build the Taiping Tao, making it a giant religion all over the world. However, they did not provide any military talents, so the Taiping Tao did not even know the flags, flags, military drums, etc. This kind of rebellion If you encounter the regular army of the imperial court, you will die.
Until Zhang Chong's variable appeared, he didn't know where he got the inheritance, and he actually built the ragtag group of Shanliao into an invincible army.
Thinking of this, Yuan Shao couldn't help but sigh:
"Is this man really a gifted talent like our great ancestor?"
By the end of the Han Dynasty, the imperial examination system was actually bankrupt and could no longer provide real talents. Instead, it strengthened a number of academic circles. This is also the reason why the later nine-level Zhongzheng system has so many drawbacks, but it can still be implemented for more than 200 years. Because in the former case, the merit is attributed to the leader, while in the case of Jiupin Zhongzheng, officials are appointed according to the family rank, and the merit is attributed to the family. Although it is very bad, it is much better than cultivating a person like Yuan who will bring disaster to the country. This is the system. No matter how good the system is, it will become the worst system over time. No matter how bad the new system is, it is also to solve the shortcomings left by the former.
(End of chapter)