Shuhan

As time goes by, the impact of the war on Guanzhong gradually fades, as if those turbulent years were just a brief moment in the long history.

The common people regained their old smiles, and there was constant laughter and laughter in the streets.

Looking far away, in the fields, the wheat planted last year is already green and waiting to bear fruit.

On both sides of the official road, there are constant carriages and horses, some of which are businessmen coming and going, some of whom are officials who come to report their duties, and more of which are ordinary people who have migrated from Yizhou and Jingzhou.

Most of them are nobles and servants of aristocratic families.

Chang'an has fallen, and the capital of Han Dynasty has naturally become Chang'an.

Those noble nobles who originally gathered in Chengdu wanted to come to Chang'an to open a palace.

There still needs to be someone in the court, otherwise, you won't even know you have suffered a loss.

There are people in the court who are easy to do things with.

The caravan has also returned to its usual busyness, with the sound of camel bells and horse hooves intertwined, which is the sound of money.

Merchants from all over the world gathered here to exchange goods and information, and the market in Guanzhong became prosperous again.

The dazzling array of silk, tea, ceramics and other commodities attracted the attention of many people coming and going.

Some people have the world, and some people have business.

Therefore, many tea shops were opened on both sides of the official road for travelers and caravans to stay.

Tea is very cheap, one yuan is a bowl, three yuan is all you can drink.

What these tea shops make is not the money for the tea, but the food in the tea shops.

mutton dog meat pork
Vegetable cakes, steamed buns, meat and vegetable soup.

of course
Ordinary people can't afford meaty foods like mutton, dog meat, and pork, so only businessmen and nobles who come and go can afford it.

Businessman Li Ming was wearing a brocade robe and was guarded by five big men with swords behind him. He walked slowly into the teahouse.

Seeing this scene, the owner of the tea shop immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Hey, please come in, guest officer!"

These rich people, just showing a little bit from the cracks of their fingernails, can feed them for a month, so the store owner is very active.

Li Ming chose a seat close to the official position and sat down slowly.

"Here are some bowls of tea. If you have anything delicious, just bring it up!"

This arrogant tone made the store owner's eyes light up.

"The shop also has its own home-brewed sake, which has a unique taste. I wonder if our customers would like to try it?"

"What kind of wine have you not drunk? Just go get some food."

There is food in the caravan, and there is no shortage of wine.

But the food mostly consists of dry food and the like, and there are relatively few fresh ingredients.

If you are just a person in the survival stage, you can certainly cope with it.

But it's obvious that Li Ming is now past the stage of survival and starting to enjoy life.

He was originally a merchant who was doing business in Nanzhong. Because of an opportunity, he fell in love with Liu Chan, who was the crown prince at that time. From then on, with the help of the merchant alliance and the endorsement of Liu Chan behind him, he could be said to have risen to the top.

Not only did his son Li Ji become an official in the court, but the family also moved towards becoming a wealthy family.

The family is extremely wealthy, and he also manages the affairs of the merchant alliance for the current emperor.

It can be said that he has the status of an imperial merchant.

Speaking of official positions, he is also an official now, an official under the title of Shaofu Qing.

There is a huge difference from those white bodies.

Li Ming cooed happily.

After a while, a whole hot sheep came up.

Li Ming looked at the whole sheep and thought: This store really regards him as the God of Wealth.

I'm afraid he's contracted for today's meat in the store.

"Cut off this sheep's head and give me a bowl of hot oil!"

The sheep head was placed on the chopping board, Li Ming poured the prepared spices and chili powder into the bowl, and then poured hot oil over it.

"Pour in the hot tea seed oil."

"Pour it~"

Immediately, Li Ming followed the sequence of three strikes, five strikes, and divided by two, and in less than half a quarter of an hour, he destroyed a big sheep head.

The store owner looked on dumbfounded. If you eat such a hot sheep head so quickly, aren't you afraid of it getting burnt?

and also
Those spices and chili powder are more valuable than gold. How can you pour out so much after eating a sheep head?

Isn't this a waste?
Sure enough, I don’t understand the world of rich people.

"Hiccup~"

After eating a sheep head, Li Ming burped happily.

“The sheep in the store are really good and fresh!”

"No, I bought it from the Huns. You don't need to add anything else. Just boil it in water and add a piece of salt and it will be very delicious!"

Xiongnu Han is the name given to those Sinicized Huns.

"From the accent of the shop owner, it seems that he is not from Guanzhong?"

"My guest has good eyesight. I am indeed not from Jing Zhaoyin, but from Xiangyang."

Jingzhou?

It's thousands of miles back and forth, and few people can travel such a long distance at this time.

"The store owner can be considered a person who has seen the world."

"Both my eldest son and the second eldest son are soldiers in the army. The eldest son broke the formation and was beheaded during the expedition to Wu last year. He died. The second eldest son inherited the position of the eldest son. Now he has been named a centurion for his merit and is guarding the capital. I was also alone, so I followed Erlang to Guanzhong."

When it came to the death of his eldest son, the shopkeeper's face still looked a little sad, but when he talked about his second son, his eyes shone brightly.

Li Ming has seen this look, a look full of longing and hope for life.

"So, the store owner has purchased a lot of properties in Guanzhong?"

The shopkeeper said proudly: "Your Majesty personally arranged the land. The fields of the imperial guards were allocated in Weibei. Although my son was useless, he relied on his elder brother's support and was allocated 300 acres of land. Unfortunately, now in Guanzhong There are not enough manpower, and slaves are too expensive. The only slave my family was assigned in the army cannot cultivate so many fields. I opened a shop here just to collect some money, buy a few more slaves, and purchase the family property. stand up."

Three hundred acres of land is indeed not something that two or three people can cultivate.

"You can recruit some tenant farmers to farm, which is always not difficult."

"It's hard to find tenant farmers, and if you give the land to tenant farmers, the harvest will be reduced by more than half. It's really not worth it. I'm paying people to cultivate it now. After Erlang's army rewards him, I should be able to buy a few more slaves. "Li Ming looked at the store owner's bright expression and understood in his heart that although these people are not locals in Guanzhong, they have already taken root in Guanzhong.

Moreover, whether they are fields or slaves, they are basically given by the emperor, so there is no need to say much about their loyalty.

With these people here, His Majesty's basic base is there, and no matter how barking dogs are from those aristocratic families, it will be of no use at all.

In this world, we still speak with weapons.

"When the imperial court conquers Longxi and Erlang has made great contributions, he will naturally be rewarded. Not only will his family property be purchased, but he will also be able to buy a good house in Chang'an!"

Li Ming said: "On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. What if your second son dies on the battlefield?"

The store owner was silent for a moment, but there was a smile on the old face.

"Erlang is dead, and there are also Sanlang and Silang. They are all practicing martial arts at home, so that one day they can go into battle to kill the enemy and serve His Majesty! Your Majesty is kind and righteous, and you will be rewarded if you use your life. Even if they die, they also die for the country. , die for Your Majesty, die without regrets!”

Hearing this, Li Ming immediately stood in awe and said: "The store owner is very righteous!"

The first man is dead, the second man is dead, the second man is dead, the third man is dead.

With these people here, it's no wonder that His Majesty can win every battle.

"Meeting is fate. Your family is short of slaves, and I happen to have slaves in my caravan. I will use one slave to pay for today's meat."

Hearing what Li Ming said, the store owner immediately reacted fiercely.

"This is absolutely impossible. All the things in my house come from me in a dignified way, and I take them with confidence. How can I ask for things from others for no reason?"

Li Ming laughed and said: "How can you say that it is for no reason to pay for meat? I, a big man, have people like the shopkeeper, so I can revive the Han Dynasty. I feel admired in my heart, so I do what I can. Don't let me do it." Declined."

After saying that, regardless of the store owner's refusal, Li Ming went to the local officials on the spot to deliver the slave's deed and left a file with the government.

"The green hills remain unchanged and the green waters always flow. I hope I can see my father-in-law again next time I come again!"

After saying that, Li Ming followed the caravan gradually away.

The store owner was left with an excited face and an even more fervent heart to serve the country.

The changes in Guanzhong are for the better.

With the influx of large numbers of people, the sparsely populated Guanzhong has become very lively!
The government invested a lot of manpower and material resources to dredge water conservancy, turning hundreds of thousands of hectares of land from wasteland into fertile farmland.

As the fields were distributed, people poured in from all directions, and Guanzhong was full of vitality and everything was flourishing.

On the other side, Cao Zhen, who was separated from Guanzhong by Longguan, was not so comfortable.

The night was dark, and the moonlight shone mottledly through the window lattice in Cao Zhen's mansion.

The lights in the mansion were dim, but it was difficult to dispel the heavy depression.

Cao Zhen sat alone at the table, with a pot of wine in front of him. The glass was full, but he still didn't drink it.

His face was gloomy, and there was an unspeakable anguish between his brows. The once high-spirited general now looked extremely tired.

His eyes were deep and complicated, as if they were hiding endless thoughts.

Cao Zhen slowly raised his hand, the wine glass trembled slightly, and the wine glowed coldly under the light. He took a deep breath and drank all the wine in the glass. There was a burning sensation in his throat, but it seemed that only this could alleviate the anxiety in his heart.

After the fall of Guanzhong, Liangzhou in Longxi became an enclave of the Wei State. The deterioration of the situation made him feel unprecedented pressure.

He knew very well that he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, but the situation in front of him was becoming more and more beyond his control.

This sense of powerlessness made him feel deeply frustrated and unwilling.

Cao Zhen tapped his fingers on the table unconsciously, making a dull sound.

His eyes gradually blurred, as if he was recalling the glory of the past and thinking about the future.

Is it really valuable to defend Longxi?
Or is it really possible?
As the Han Dynasty gained a foothold in Guanzhong, not only the morale of the sergeants in the army became low, but also he, the general of Shangjun, became somewhat suspicious of life.

"General, Guo Huai, Hao Zhao, Fei Yao, and Wei Ping want to see you!" The soldiers from the mansion came to inform.

So many people came to see him?
Cao Zhen was stunned for a moment, then thought clearly about the joints, and said, "Let them come in!"

Soon, the four of them walked into Cao Zhen's mansion.

Cao Zhen has been decadent for a long time, his appearance is haggard, and his former heroic spirit has been lost. I saw that his face was as pale as paper, the light in his eyes was dim, his beard was messy, his clothes were disheveled, and he looked like he was about to collapse. The house was full of alcohol, and it was obvious that he was addicted to it and could not extricate himself.

When Guo Huai saw this, he was heartbroken. He took a step forward, cupped his hands and persuaded: "General, the loss of Guanzhong is not a crime of war. It is really a crime of heaven. However, Liangzhou in Longxi is still in my hands. How can I surrender because of a temporary setback? Destroy the Great Wall? I hope the general will cheer up and regroup for future plans."

Hao Zhao also hurried forward and spoke sincerely: "General, victory or defeat is a common thing for military officers, not to mention the general trend of the world. If we divide for a long time, we will unite, and if we unite for a long time, we will divide. Although there is a small setback today, we will be able to make a comeback in the future. I hope you, General, take care of yourself. , don’t indulge in wine and sex anymore, and miss important things.”

Fei Yao followed closely behind, his voice passionate: "General, I remember how majestic you were when you were galloping on the battlefield! How can we be difficult for heroes in today's difficulties? As long as the general gives the order, we are willing to fight to the death and vow to regain the lost ground. , Revitalize the Wei flag!"

Wei Ping was not to be outdone and said loudly: "General, how can life be smooth sailing in this world? Today's predicament is the time to test us. I hope that General will cheer up and overcome the difficulties with us, and he will become famous in the future." heroic nature."

The four people spoke sincerely and from the bottom of their hearts. Although Cao Zhen had been decadent for a long time, he couldn't help but be moved when he heard these words. He slowly raised his head, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes, as if his fighting spirit was rekindled.

But after a moment, he sighed deeply.

"I am very pleased that you have such fighting spirit, but what can we do now? Do you have any clever ideas to break the situation?"

Facing Cao Zhen's question, everyone could only remain silent. After a long time, Hao Zhao stood up and said to Cao Zhen: "We can only wait for a long time to wait for the situation to change. Longguan has been managed like an iron barrel by the general. , even if the Han army comes with a hundred thousand troops, the general will be confident that he will never come back!"

Hao Zhao is good at defending the city, Cao Zhen knows it, but if you can defend the city alone, how can you reverse the situation?

"Is the news from Liangzhou still flowing smoothly?"

Hearing this, Fei Yao, the governor of Hanyang, shook his head with a gloomy expression.

"General, Lu Shui, Hu Yijian, prostitutes and concubines, Zhiyuan Duo and other rebels have led to tens of thousands of people in chaos. Hexi has been disrupted. Now the roads to the counties in Liangzhou are blocked."

Lu Shui's simple conspiracy can block all the roads in Liangzhou?
Isn't it like that?
It's the local wealthy families that are causing trouble.

"If Longxi cannot be pacified, Liangzhou's ambition is to be powerful, and I am afraid that Longxi and Liangzhou will collapse without waiting for Han to attack!"

People's hearts are the most important. Once everyone feels that there is no hope of following you, then you are really doomed.

This was because he had suppressed Liangzhou and Longxi before, and he had a relatively high prestige. The wealthy families in Longxi and Liangzhou were still afraid of him and gave him face.

If it had been someone else, Longxi Liangzhou would have rebelled!
"How to calm the powerful minds of Longxi and Liangzhou?"

This is a problem that Cao Zhen urgently needs to solve.

Hope is sometimes worthless, but sometimes it cannot be bought with ten thousand dollars.

For example, now.

"The Han Dynasty has just gone through a great war and needs a year to recuperate. After one year, Your Majesty will definitely raise troops to attack the key points. Then it will be our chance!"

If the east and west advance, it is possible to regain Guanzhong!

just
Now that they are in Longxi, can they really survive this year?
"Jian Junsi has been operating frequently in Longxi and Liangzhou. There must be many conspiracies brewing. Once the wealthy families in Longxi and Liangzhou merge with the Han Kingdom, it will be useless for us to fight again."

Cao Zhen looked around at everyone with burning eyes and said in a deep voice: "We need to do something to change the current situation. We must do something!"

Can.
What can they do now? (End of chapter)