Shu Chen

Chapter 193 Plan
232 AD.

Han Jianxing ten years, Wei Taihe six years.

At the end of March in spring, the snow melted from the high mountains and the drizzle of spring rain moistened the earth, making the fields and hills full of greenery.When a gust of spring breeze passes by, the water drops are rippling, and the colorful sunshine is swaying.

On both sides of the big river in Jincheng County, in the fields where the rice paddies flowed, many tenants and Qianghu captives had raised their whips and whistled, trying hard to drive the cattle and horses to plow in the spring.

Guo Huai, who was walking slowly, took the county staff to inspect the spring plowing situation.

The garrison suddenly increased and many pastures outside Yuzhong County were occupied by the Han army. The amount of cultivation and harvest in each county will determine the outcome of future wars.As the superintendent controlling the war in Liangzhou, he could not tolerate any negligence.

However, he was promoted to General Zhenxi by Luoyang Temple.

Unsurprisingly, Xia Houru was conscripted back to the imperial court because of his defeat in the war, and took up the post of Qinggui.

If there is no accident, he will never hold military power again in this life.

This also means that the Xiahou family, the father of the Wei State, has no more generals since then.

It is not Xia Houba who is now in charge of the army in Anding County, nor Xia Houxuan, the son of Xia Houshang, the former general who conquered the South, who has the opportunity to continue the glory of the lintel.

Because of Xia Houba's battle in the field of Yangcheng, the emperor Cao Rui felt that he was not like his father.

And Xia Houxuan was hated by Cao Rui.

In the early days, the noble families in the Kanto region of the Wei State promoted the idea of ​​"abandoning Liangzhou". Cao Rui deposed Xia Houxuan, Zhuge Dan and others in order to curb this desire.But after Xia Houxuan made great contributions in the end, he was also the nephew of Da Sima Caozhen.

Whether it was to appease Cao Zhen or not to chill the hearts of Wei's other meritorious officials, Cao Rui found other reasons to restore Xia Houxuan and return to his original post.

But Xia Houxuan died.

He is the third generation of Xiahou's family. He was born rich and prosperous, and grew up surrounded by the flattery of others.

Also caught a lot of bad habits.

For example, after being a general, he didn't want to study the art of war so that he could lead an army for the country in the future, but he was so keen on the aristocratic and fame-seeking ways of a wealthy family.

On weekdays, I try to regard myself as a celebrity and select people by their family status.

Cao Rui's queen, Mao, is from Hanoi, and her family background is not high.

After Xuanguan Xiahou returned to his post, he once entered the palace and sat with the queen's younger brother Mao Zeng. During the banquet, he despised Mao Zeng's vulgar background and was displeased with his appearance.

After the emperor Cao Rui heard about it, he hated him deeply, so he moved him to the left as a prison supervisor with a salary of six hundred shi.

This means that in the end of Cao Rui's reign, it is impossible for Xia Houxuan to be reused.

The only one who can restore the glory of the Xiahou family is Xiahou Xian, the grandson of the former general Xiahou Dun, who is now in Yangzhou.

Because he led more than a hundred tigers and leopards to guard the Diannong school lieutenant, and served Zhonghu Zhi as the head of Yangzhou painting land, he was diligent in his work, and he was able to deal with the conflicts of various wealthy families with his identity. commend.

As a result, he got the gift of the emperor Cao Rui.

He was changed to General Jianwu, awarded five thousand soldiers, and was under the command of General Zhengdong Manchong.

General Jianwu was Xiahou Dun's former official position.

Cao Rui's intention for this move is obvious, hoping that under Man Chong's advice, Xiahou Xianneng will one day become a talent, and continue his name as the head of the family.

Naturally, these matters have nothing to do with Guo Huai who is far away in Liangzhou.

He remembered that when Xia Houru received the edict, even though he was well prepared, his face was still full of melancholy and depression.

It seemed to be bent over by the years all of a sudden.

However, when the two handed over the tiger talisman, Xia Houru still encouraged him, claiming that whether Liangzhou can keep it all depends on him.She also left him a bit of support - before leaving, she also gave him a concubine of Wang Mi's confidant who died in battle.

At that time, Guo Huai was inexplicably surprised and refused repeatedly.

Coming from a well-known family in the state, he is no stranger to this kind of thing, but he personally resents it.

And now it is the time when the handsome and powerful soldiers are using their lives, how can he still have such thoughts?
But Xia Houru didn't withdraw his kindness, he just waved his hand, dropped the words "After seeing that concubine, Boji will know what I mean", and galloped away.

Guo Huai was even more surprised.

After going to see the concubine, I realized what Xia Houru was referring to.

Because Wang Mi's concubine is actually a Qiang!
After realizing something, Guo Huai also began to make arrangements secretly.

As for the garrison strength in Liangzhou, Cao Zhenbiao in Guanzhong invited Wei Pingfu to be a general, and led 5000 people to detour to Wuwei County to serve as his backup.

This is the last army of Wei State to support Liangzhou.

No matter what the war is, it is impossible to dispatch troops.

Because it is impossible for Cao Zhen to let Guanzhong's troops be empty and be taken advantage of by the big man.

Moreover, Liangzhou can no longer collect much food, fodder and taxes, nor can it support too many cavalry.

However, Guo Huai didn't have much worry about this.

If it is only for defense, Jincheng County has a good location, and it is not so easy for the Han army to attack.If General Wei Ping can shock Haoyou in the Hexi Corridor and not let him be distracted.

Yes, people in Liangzhou are more scattered than ever.

Even Liao Zuo, who was loyal to the Wei State and had no intention of separatist rule, has retired from old age.

It was Pang Yu and Yang Feng.

When Xia Houru ordered the abandonment of Xiping County, he also took the opportunity to slaughter the Shaodang and other five species of Qiang in the Huangshui River Valley, and returned with countless luggage and people.

This made Pang Hao and Yang Feng lose their loyalty to Wei.

The faith they both held was righteousness.

Needless to say, Pang Hao has the ability to hold his sword and is trusted by the leaders of the Qianghu tribe.

But when those Qianghu leaders trusted him, Wei Guo turned his sword against him, making him an unbelievers.

The same is true for Yang Feng.

In the early years when there was great disturbance on the right side of the river, the Qiang tribe in the Huangshui River Valley once lent him more than a thousand horses to fight. Re-employment.

Therefore, after the two returned to Jincheng County, they hung their seals and left hand in hand.

Guo Huai couldn't even utter the words to persuade him to stay.

After all, he was the one who secretly ordered General Hao Zhao to fight unannouncedly against the Qiang tribe.

Even Yang Fu, the governor of Liangzhou, couldn't keep him.

"The envoy used to drive Ma Chao, why?"

When the two passed through Wuwei and returned to their hometown of Jiuquan County, Yang Fu who got the news came to persuade them to stay, and Pang Fei asked him this question.

Yang Fu was left speechless.After a long sigh, they didn't say anything else, they just drove their horses together for more than ten miles, as a farewell.

They have great prestige, hang up their seals and abandon their officials, which has a very bad influence on Wei Guo.

At the very least, the right-right centrifugal in the Hexi Corridor has intensified.

Not to mention the other Qianghu tribes, they would no longer trust Wei's two-week garrison, let alone send troops to resist the Han army's attack.

But Guo Huai did not regret his previous decision.

The several Qiang tribes he asked General Hao Zhao to attack were originally half-hearted, and they would definitely become accomplices of the Han army in the future!

To attack and kill them first is to reduce future threats.

By the way, demonstrate to other Qiang tribes-although the Wei army was defeated by the Han army, it is easy to destroy their tribes!
Let them think about the consequences before they want to help the Han army attack in the future.

Moreover, after Yang Feng left, Huang Zhongyi, who had more than four thousand people, did not disperse.

When those Qiang people were recruited as righteous followers, Xia Houru placed their families in Jincheng County.

Even with the bondage of family members, they dare not leave.

This can be considered a kind of luck.

After Guo Huai took over the power to supervise the war in Liangzhou, he ordered General Hao Zhao to guard Sangyuan Gorge in Yuzhong County, General Jia Xu to continue to guard Siwang Gorge, Pang Hui led his headquarters to station in Lingju County, and led the army to station in Zhiyang County.

Because Wang Mi's Qiang concubine was born in Zhiyang.

Coincidentally, his secret work was also found out. Li Yan, the Hussar General of the Han Dynasty, was uneasy because of his lack of military exploits. He was commanding soldiers and eyeing Jincheng County.

Tianshui County, Ji County Luomen Gathering.

With the ownership of Xiping County becoming a big Han, the land of Longyou has become a treasure land in the eyes of the powerful people in Shu.

Without policy temptation from the imperial court, they spontaneously divided into small clans to purchase land and settle down.

The Silk Road cannot bypass Longyou.

Although the Haoyou of the four counties in Hexi now, because of the relationship between Ma Dai and Shaodang Qiang King Mangzhong, no longer buy tea and Shu brocade from Bashu; It is also foreseeable that the Hexi Corridor will be recaptured in the future.

It's just a few years of waiting, and they can afford it.

Moreover, it just happened to use these few years to come here in separate households to lay a solid foundation for future trade.

Inevitably, as the Huangshui River Valley, the only way to pass on the western line of the Silk Road, the candidate for its prefect has also attracted everyone's attention.

After the war ended, when the prime minister asked the courtiers to select the prefect of Xiping, the major factions that had formed a community of interests based on various factors such as the Northern Expedition in the early years began to clearly select their candidates for the future Silk Road trade.

Needless to say, the Jingxiang Department directly elected Liao Hua, who was stationed in Xiping.

As a man from the wealthy family in Miannan, Jingzhou, he met the conditions for serving as a prefect regardless of his qualifications or ability.Moreover, he had served as the prefect of Yinping before, and he was very experienced in appeasing the Qianghu tribe, so he was an impeccable candidate.

The Dongzhou scholars who have almost integrated into the Jingxiang family, because Li Yan became the commander in chief who attacked Liangzhou, also began to recover.

They chose Du Qi from Nanyang.

Like Lu Yi and Liu Qian, the prefects of Hanzhong today, they are the old officials of the former Prime Minister Shi Wanglianzhengpi, and their official reputations are good.

The first person elected by the Yizhou Department was Yao Ni from Xiangfu.

But because it happened that Yao Niqian was appointed to join the army as the Prime Minister's mansion, he turned to recommend the current Wenshan prefect, He Zhi from Shu County.The reason is also that He Zhi is generous and generous, and has experience in appeasing the Qiang and Hu tribes.

Only the Yuan Cong Department has no candidates.

They, who were wholeheartedly looking forward to the recovery of the Central Plains, had no intention of having such conflicts of interest.

In other words, because their nephews gradually took charge of the army in their later generations, there was no need for them to get involved in such things.

Zheng Pu wasn't in the mood to pay attention to such things either.

His identity is more sensitive.

As a scholar from Yizhou, he and Yuan Cong are related by marriage, and the younger sister in the family is about to marry Xiang Cun from Jingxiang this year, no matter which side he is on, it will be thankless.

It's nothing to do with yourself, so why bother to make a fuss?
Besides, the prime minister has not yet decided on this matter, who knows if there is something involved in it?
With the mood of watching a good show, after Zheng Pu led the army back to Ji County, after arranging all the troops and horses properly, except for occasional trips to Ji County to learn about the military situation, he stayed in the courtyard of Luomen Julu's house all the time.

At the age of twenty-seven, he is about to welcome an heir - concubine Du Shi has been pregnant for nearly two months!
This made him overjoyed.

He has been a concubine for three years and has been married for nearly two years. Before that, he still faintly suspected that he might have some hidden disease!

When the happy event came, he didn't have the heart to pay attention to that kind of fight for power and profit.

It's just that some things can't be avoided if you want to.

The older brother Zheng Yan, who is serving as the Chengdu Commander, even raised his mouth when he wrote a letter to inform the younger sister Zheng Yan about the marriage.

Claiming that the nobles in central Shu entrusted him with asking Zheng Pu to join him in supporting and electing He Zhi to take office.

Because the person who was entrusted by the Yizhou wealthy family to intercede was the nephew of the late mentor Qin Mi, he couldn't save face, so he let Zheng Pu use his discretion.

This made Zheng Pu hesitate.

He also remembered Qin Mi's support and the friendship between the two families.

In particular, with his current official position and the goodwill towards him from the Prime Minister and Emperor Liu Chan, if he is willing to support him, it will greatly increase He Zhi's hope of taking office.

It's just that it's not in harmony with his philosophy.

Since he embarked on an official career, he has deliberately avoided the responsibility of governing.

For example, he was concurrently in charge of the position of the Prime Minister's Mansion and joined the army, but he never took the initiative to act as an agent for the Prime Minister's Mansion's affairs even if he was free; Position without seeking political power.

Naturally, he did it to avoid suspicion.

Now that the military power is in charge of conquest, it is better not to touch some powers.

So as not to fall into the pretext of being greedy for power.

For example, Wei Yan, who had also been in charge of the Prime Minister's Sima since the beginning of the Northern Expedition, knew to deliberately avoid such things.Even when he was leading the prefect of Hanyang, he was only concerned with military affairs and left all matters of governance to Chang Shi (the prime minister of Bianjun is Chang Shi).

No matter how bad Zheng Pu is, he doesn't even know this common sense of official career!

It's just that it's not easy to refuse the Qin family's request.

Alas, the way of the world is unavoidable after all.

Zheng Pu, who was fishing by the creek with a fishing rod in his hand, couldn't help feeling restless.

The Northern Expedition had only just begun to improve, and the selfishness of all parties began to show signs of selfishness. What a short-sightedness!

Perhaps, the prime minister has been hesitant to decide on the candidate for the prefect of Xiping, just to take this opportunity to see which courtiers are self-interested and which are fair for the country?

Zheng Pu vaguely guessed.

As for why this is so, he recently learned that Zhao Guang, who led the cavalry stationed in Hanyang County, returned to Hanzhong County alone.

After the beginning of spring this year, General Wei Zhao Yun fell ill.

And it didn't get better, but became heavier day by day.

Alas, he is old after all.

Zhuge Liang, the prime minister who was also stationed in Hanzhong County, specially sent a letter to call Zhao Guang back to Hanzhong County.

Just in case, and leave regrets.
Zheng Pu lived here, guessing that the prime minister was because Zhao Yun's illness was getting worse, and he felt that after the older generation of court officials slowly withered, it would be difficult for the younger generation to have the enterprising spirit of the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains.

Therefore, he took advantage of the situation to guide his interests, and took advantage of the entanglement of the interests of the prefect of Xiping County to see the behavior of many courtiers.

After all, the prime minister himself is over fifty.

Some things always have to be planned in advance.

(End of this chapter)