Shuhan

Chapter 421 A mouse acts as a bridesmaid for a mouse. Has the world changed?

In Jiangling City.

Wei State Post House.

The cold winter wind blows.

Hua Xin, who has long hair and wrinkles on his face, is standing on the second floor attic, looking out of the window.

Outside the Wei State Post House, there happens to be Jiangling East City.

On the brightly lit streets, bustling crowds shuttled between them, and various sounds converged into a bustling nocturne.

"My lord, the fine Sichuan brocade can be made into clothes, which will definitely please my mother-in-law at home!"

"Mr. Sir, why don't you come and try some of the new tea and the finest tea?"

"The finest porcelain is available even in the residence of His Highness the Prince. I have agreed to use it. Come and have a look. If you pass by, don't miss it."

The shops in the street have already been lit up, and they are colorful, like the stars in the night sky. The shopkeepers enthusiastically sell their products to passers-by, including exquisite silks, fragrant tea, and various utensils.

The air is filled with the aroma of various foods, the smoky smell of barbecue, the fresh aroma of fried fish, and the sweetness of desserts, attracting people to stop and taste. From time to time, someone shouted loudly, and the sound echoed in the night sky.

"Tanghulu~"

“Steamed fish cake~”

“Steamed pork with rice noodles~”

"It's so lively."

Hua Xin looked at the prosperous scene of Jiangling City and couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

"What time is it now?"

Behind Hua Xin, the deputy envoy of the envoys came forward and said: "I just looked at the clepsydra, and it is already Haishi."

The so-called clepsydra is a timing tool.

Fill the pot with water and add wooden arrows. Drill a small hole in the bottom of the pot. As time goes by, the water level will decrease. The scale line indicated by the wooden arrow corresponds to the time.

"It's Haishi!"

Hua Xin sighed in his heart.

"Will Luoyang be so lively during Haishi?"

Hua Xin asked.

The deputy envoy of Wei chuckled and said: "That's because there is a curfew in Luoyang. If there was no curfew, it would be a hundred times more lively than Jiangling."

A hundred times more lively?

I'm afraid that's not the case?

"It's only been two or three years that Jiangling has become so vibrant. This prince of Han is really our great rival in the Wei Dynasty!"

curfew curfew.

Why doesn’t Jiangling have a curfew, but Luoyang does?

Now we have to talk about why there is a curfew.

The main purpose of the curfew system is to maintain the autocratic rule of the ruler and prevent coups, uprisings, crimes and other activities at night. It is also in line with the farming lifestyle of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

When autocratic imperial power was established, its purpose was to achieve complete control over the entire society.

At night, there is often a high incidence of various criminal activities.

It is also the period when rulers are most worried.

Throughout the ages, many coups and uprisings have been launched at night.

Therefore, nighttime has become a time period that rulers pay special attention to.

The best way is to let people return to their homes honestly.

In this way, the year-round curfew order came into being.

Moreover, once there are some extraordinary times, the curfew order must be strictly enforced.

Of course, this is the main reason. Another reason is that people regard the day as yang and the night as yin, and "yang movement" and "yin stillness" are the only laws in everyone's mind. Therefore, in order to comply with this law , people rarely travel at night.

But as far as Hua Xin knew and saw, there was no curfew and Jiangling was very peaceful and there were no lawless elements.

From this, we can see the skill of the prince of Han Dynasty.

Jiangling City was managed quite well by Mr. Liu.

"Today the prince of Han Dynasty went to Longshan to hunt. Is there any information worth noting?"

"Longshan is heavily guarded. The spies from the School Affairs Office dare not go up there. The information obtained is extremely limited. Even among those limited information, there are very few valuable things."

The deputy envoy of Wei State answered honestly.

It is very difficult to gain access to secrets.

Liu Chan's Jianjunsi can be so powerful not only because he is willing to spend money, but also because he has the support of the people.

After all, his father, Liu Bei, was a descendant of the Han Dynasty who was the descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan.

After Wei usurped the Han Dynasty, those who cherish the Han Dynasty now regard the Han Dynasty of Liu Bei as orthodox.

It is precisely because of this that Jian Junsi was able to cause such a big turmoil in Wei.

Some things cannot be done solely by money, but also by other things.

Is there anything more motivating than faith?

I will give everything to you without any regrets.

Even if it means risking his life and wealth, he will not hesitate to do so.

"There is the Academy of Sciences of the Han State in Longshan. There are many things that we, the Wei Dynasty, need in it, but it is a pity that few people can enter it."

Hua Xin sighed with emotion.

After the Wei State established the merchant alliance, the effect was not as good as that of the Han State.

The reason is simple, there are not many flagship products.

It would be great if we could 'borrow' some technology from Han.

I heard that now the Han Dynasty can not only produce colored glaze objects, but can even turn the colored glaze into various objects.

Even Hua Xin was amazed when he saw it.

It's a pity that Wei State doesn't have it.

After gathering his thoughts, Hua Xin continued to ask:

"The information on Longshan can't be detected, but the information around Jiangling can always be detected, right?"

Of course, the deputy envoy of Wei knew what Hua Xin wanted to ask, and immediately said: "Recently, Jiangling City has been gathering grain and grass. Half of the merchant ships on the river are transporting grain, grass and ordnance. To the west of Jiangling City, there are camps that stretch for several miles. Look, According to the banner raised above, there were at least ten thousand people, and they were not the soldiers Liu Gongsi brought from Yizhou. They should be Xiangyang soldiers or Runan soldiers.

To the east of Jiangling, in Gong'an County, there were also soldiers gathered. Judging from their appearance, they must be barbarian troops. Whether they had the flag of the flying army, it was obvious that they were the elite of the barbarian army. The number of people is uncertain, but the tents stretch out and there are at least tens of thousands of people.

To the north of Jiangling, there are at least 20,000 soldiers brought by Liu Chan, the prince of Han Dynasty. "

The intelligence collected from the spies of the school affairs office, whether it was the use of personnel or the transfer of materials, showed that the Han Dynasty wanted to conquer Wu, and it was not just talk.

"If Han really attacks Wu, it will be a great opportunity for us, the Wei Dynasty, to regain Xuzhou and even Runan!"

The war between Han and Wu was really a scene that the Wei State wanted to see.

"Let's rest early. Tomorrow, I will meet the Prince of Han!"

The next day was sunny.

Hua Xin waited and waited, but Liu Chan sent someone to summon him to see him.

He had no choice but to look for relatives and friends in Jiangling City.

Most of the noble families in various places have some connections. Although the connections are not obvious, it is possible to form connections that cannot be established from these invisible connections.

However.

Among the powerful nobles in Jiangling City, seeing Hua Xin was like seeing the god of plague, and no one wanted to see him.

Seeing this scene, Hua Xin was surprised and sighed.

“The people of Gangneung City are mentally stable!”

When the deputy envoy of the State of Wei heard this, he immediately asked: "Why do you see it?" Hua Xin smiled bitterly and said immediately: "I heard that Zhongda joined Jianye as an envoy and cleared the way with money and silk. There is no one he can't see, even some people. The son of the King of Wu and even the four major families in Jiangdong saw it, but when I came to Jiangling, I didn’t see anyone. The country of Wu was in turmoil, and the old people’s thoughts changed. The changes in Jiangling over the years are obvious to all. My heart is with the Han Dynasty, not with me, the Wei Dynasty."

of course

There are some things that Hua Xin doesn't know.

Basically every family of these powerful noble families has children working under Liu Chan.

Everyone is tied to Liu Chan, forming a community of interests. It can be said that everyone is prosperous and everyone suffers.

Naturally, he didn’t want to see Hua Xin.

"It seems that the Crown Prince of Han is going to give us a try, so we will wait patiently for his summons."

Such a passive envoy was in sharp contrast to Sima Yi's entry into Wu as an envoy.

It seems that sending an envoy to a powerful country is not that simple!

Liu Chan really wanted to show off Hua Xin.

But it’s not just about letting Hua Xin dry.

"What did the Wei envoy do after arriving at Jiangling?"

Pang Tong immediately stepped forward and said, "Looking for old friends and famous people in Jiangling."

Ha ha.

Now I'm here to visit an old friend.

"Other than that?"

"The secret agents of the School Affairs Office in Jiangling City are looking for information everywhere. They mostly stay at the pier, ferry, and military camp outside the city."

These walking spies really know how to collect intelligence.

"It seems that the Wei State has heard something."

Liu Chan wanted to attack Wu, but it only took more than a month for Cao Pi in Luoyang to know the news and send an envoy.

It can be seen that his intelligence ability is also extraordinary.

Liu Chan deliberately let go of the spies from Jiangling's school affairs office, just to let them deliver the news.

But

The secret agent of the school affairs office in Yizhou must be found.

"I've been waiting for Hua Xin for three days, so I'll summon him today."

In three days, Liu Chan got a lot of information, and Hua Xin collected a lot of information.

It's almost time to send him away, let him go back to Luoyang, and send some information to Cao Pi to influence his decision-making.

"promise."

Jiangling Xingyuan.

After sending an envoy to invite.

Within half an hour, Hua Xin arrived at Jiangling Garden.

Liu Chan did not choose to meet Hua Xin in the main hall in front of the ministers, but in a secluded small courtyard pavilion covered with plum blossoms.

Early morning hours.

A plum forest looms in the morning mist.

The sun shines through the sparse clouds and shines on the plum trees, reflecting the crystalline frost flowers and adding a bit of coldness in winter.

On the top of the plum tree, plum blossoms bloom proudly, with petals as silky as strands and as white as snow. Some flowers are in bud, hiding shyly among the green leaves; others are fully blooming, showing their unparalleled beauty.

Hua Xin walked along the winding paths in the plum forest and couldn't help but look at the plum blossoms a few more times.

Before Hua Xin reached the pavilion, he heard the rich and powerful voice of a young man in the pavilion.

"There are several plum trees in the corner, and Ling Han is blooming alone. I know it's not snow from afar, only the faint fragrance comes."

Hearing this, Hua Xin's eyes couldn't help but light up. He immediately stepped forward and walked quickly, and soon met the legendary Prince of Han.

This was the first time he saw Liu Chan, and at the first sight, he deeply remembered the young man in front of him.

Although the prince of Han is young, he has already shown extraordinary temperament. The figure is slender, as tall and straight as a pine and cypress, exuding an innate majesty. Her black hair was tied up and she looked energetic. There is a heroic spirit between his eyebrows, and his eyes are like bright stars, shining with the light of wisdom.

Heroic.

These four words appeared in Hua Xin's mind unconsciously.

"Foreign envoy, pay homage to His Highness the Crown Prince."

"No need to be polite, just sit down."

Liu Chan's smile was very warm.

It is said that the prince of Han Dynasty, Liu Gongsi, was not only good at conquest, but also a first-class poet.

I can write arty verses like "The east wind does not go with Zhou Lang, and the bronze bird spring locks Er Qiao deeply", and I can also write "worry about the world's worries first, and rejoice after the world's happiness" which is thought-provoking and inspiring. Admirable poems.

Hua Xin thought it was just a rumor before, but after hearing Liu Channian's poem, he already believed it.

What a natural talent!

God Haotian not only opened the door for the Han prince, but also opened the windows, and even lifted the roof.

Seeing Liu Chan, Hua Xin couldn't help but sigh, how unfair God is, giving all the best things to this young man in front of him. Maybe there really is a so-called destiny in this world?

"The envoy is here. I wonder what major matters you are mainly discussing with me?"

Talking to smart people is very meaningless.

Hua Xin immediately said: "We, the Great Wei, want to form an alliance with Han."

alliance?

Even though Liu Chan was mentally prepared, Hua Xin's words still made Liu Chan unable to hold back.

"Alliance? Are you here to make fun of me?"

Hua Xin anticipated Liu Chan's surprised expression, and explained seriously: "I have no intention of teasing His Highness the Crown Prince. We, the Wei Dynasty, want to attack Xuzhou, so we want to make an alliance with you to prevent being attacked from both sides and dragging down our troops. Just as your Highness wants to do it, don't you?" Defeating Wu? This is something that benefits both you and me, so why can’t it happen?”

Liu Chan shook his head and said, "I don't believe it."

With that said, Liu Chan brought up the warm wine on the table, took a sip, and immediately dissipated the coldness on his body.

"I, the great Wei Dynasty, can't keep up with my words, but I haven't broken my trust yet."

Liu Chan sneered and said unceremoniously: "You haven't broken your trust yet, but that doesn't mean you won't break your trust. The reason why you haven't broken your trust is just because the benefits are not big enough. If you add Runan, if you add Hefei, if you add Hefei, Add to that Jingzhou, and you won’t be tempted by Wei Guoguo?”

Liu Chan's words are quite heartbreaking.

Hua Xin was silent for a long time, and could only say: "Then what will your Highness do to trust me, the Wei Dynasty?"

"Trust is made, not spoken. It depends on the sincerity of your Wei State."

Hua Xin immediately said: "We, the State of Wei, are naturally sincere, but Your Highness must also show sincerity. This trust is not unilateral, but mutual."

Hua Xin was very tough and looked directly at Liu Chan.

Want to prostitute me for free?

That's simply not possible!

"In this case, let's start with the details. The Wei army withdraws from Runan, and the Wei State allows the Han State's Commercial Alliance to trade. In response, Gu Hui will rush to Xuzhou's aid, and also allows the Wei State's Commercial Alliance to enter the Han State. how?"

Withdrew from Runan, the merchant alliance entered Wei.

This calculation is really loud!

"It is okay to withdraw from Runan, but there is no need to open up trade."

Liu Chan sighed and said, "It seems that Wei Guo's sincerity is really not enough!"

Hua Xin hardened.

Hua Xin's fist hardened.

You Mr. Liu, don’t bully others too much!

(End of this chapter)