At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 144 Farewell

The Legalist family was in decline, and the person with the highest official position who came to mourn Fazhen was only the magistrate of Mei County.

The county magistrate of Mei County came to express his condolences, but he just put on a show. He didn't stay here too much, so he left on the grounds of being busy with business.

Therefore, when the grandson of Fazhen learned that the left general Zhou Qi had come to express his condolences, even though he was still in grief, he did not dare to neglect him in the slightest, and hurried out to greet him.

"Fa Zheng pays homage to General Zuo!"

That's right, this boy who is only twelve or thirteen years old is the famous Fa Zheng Fa Xiao Zhi under Liu Bei's command in history.

Of course, the Fazheng at this time has not reached its peak, so there is no sign.

Speaking of Fazheng, the controversy is relatively large. Needless to say, his talent and resourcefulness were highly valued by Liu Bei when he was alive, and he can be regarded as a kind of existence like a mastermind.

The Battle of Hanzhong was almost the only time Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao on the frontal battlefield, and he couldn't be planning behind it.

However, Fazheng died early, Ji Han can be said to have lost a great talent.

The reason why it is said that this person is quite controversial is because of his character, he is the kind of person who must repay kindness and revenge.

To what extent has Fazheng become stingy?It's almost a vengeance.

However, Zhou Qi has done a lot of research on Ji Han's history. Looking at various historical materials, he vaguely feels that things are not that simple.

Whether it is Fazheng's seemingly vindictive actions, or his untimely death for no reason, there are many doubts.

Let’s first talk about the fact that righteousness must be punished. It should be related to factional disputes.

At the beginning, the Dongzhou faction headed by Wu Yi and Fazheng was very popular because of their contribution to welcoming Liu Bei, or perhaps because of Liu Bei's deliberate support. They even suppressed the Jingzhou faction headed by Zhuge Liang for a time.

The Jingzhou faction has followed Liu Bei for a longer period of time and has the most officials holding important positions under Liu Bei.

However, the Dongzhou faction can be regarded as half a local force in Yizhou. In addition, Liu Bei married Wu Yi's sister and favored Fazheng very much, so the two sides were able to maintain a balance.

The two major factions have been fighting openly and secretly since the formulation of the "Shu Ke".

Zhuge Liang believed that Yizhou's laws and disciplines were lax, the government was not virtuous, and the threat of punishment was not suppressed for a long time, so heavy codes should be used.

Although Zhuge Liang's move hits the spotlight, if it is really carried out like this, it will inevitably touch the interests of many Dongzhou faction officials.

Why?

Since Liu Yan entered Yizhou, in order to fight against the local forces in Yizhou, Gein used the Dongzhou Renshi on a large scale and formed the Dongzhou Army.

As an outsider, the Dongzhou faction wanted to establish a foothold in Yizhou, so it naturally raised its butcher knife against the local forces in Yizhou. As a result, it destroyed many Yizhou clans and occupied countless Yizhou fields.

Therefore, since Liu Yan entered Yizhou, Yizhou was in turmoil, and Dongzhou people also took advantage of it and did many evil things.

Gan Ning, a famous general of Soochow in later generations, was a native of Yizhou and participated in the rebellion. He was eventually defeated and defected to Liu Biao.

If Zhuge Liang strictly rectifies Yizhou, then these Dongzhou people will bear the brunt and their interests will be damaged.

It was in such a general environment that Fazheng, relying on Liu Beizhi's favor and fortune, would arbitrarily kill and injure several people.

Yizhou Reform is about to implement "Shu Ke".

But Fazheng knew that the law violated the law and deliberately violated "Shu Ke". If even Fazheng couldn't deal with it, how could "Shu Ke" be implemented?

Just like Shang Yang's reform, he first dealt with the prince Qian and the prince Yingsi, so that the majesty of the law could be established, so that no one in the Qin State dared to violate the new law.

Zhuge Liang knew that he could not deal with Fa Zheng, and the formulated "Shu Ke" was of course useless and difficult to implement.

Fa Zheng's move not only achieved a temporary victory in the political struggle, but also deliberately tarnished his reputation, so he won the respect of Liu Bei.

For the talented and generous monarch.

A notorious but capable courtier like Fazheng is far more popular than someone with impeccable morals like Zhuge Liang.

Therefore, the true rectification of the law in history may not necessarily be the kind of people who must retaliate for their anger, but may also be the need for political struggle.

As for Fazheng's death, it is even more confusing.

The history books only record that the other party was 45 years old. Whether he died of illness or not, there is no historical record, just a passing sentence.

But it's interesting.

There was something strange about the year Fazheng died. It happened to be the year after the victory in the Battle of Hanzhong, and it was also the same year that Guan Yu died in the battle and Meng Da surrendered to Wei.

These things alone do not seem to matter.

But if they can be connected together, and combined with various clues for deliberation, there will be a big problem.

Fa Zheng was able to follow Liu Bei and fight Cao Cao in Hanzhong for several years until the end of the war, which shows that there should be no major physical problems.

After Guan Yu died in battle and Meng Da surrendered to Wei, Fazheng suddenly died inexplicably, which is really strange.

Meng Da is a fellow of Fazheng and a close friend. Needless to say, he has a close relationship, and he is also a strong supporter of the Dongzhou faction.

At that time, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and other generals who held military power under Liu Bei's command almost all respected Zhuge Liang very much.

In contrast, the Dongzhou faction has almost no military power.

After the victory in the Battle of Hanzhong.

As a member of the Dongzhou faction, Meng Da got the right to lead the army. Perhaps the Dongzhou faction wanted to use this to intervene in the military power.

At that time, the counties in the eastern part of Hanzhong County were still in the hands of Cao Cao. Liu Bei ordered Meng Da to attack Fangling and Shangyong from Zigui to the north, hoping to open up the road from Yizhou to Jingzhou.

There are many conspiracy theorists in later generations, saying that Guan Yu fought alone in Jingzhou for several years, but Liu Bei did not send troops to support him. It may be that Liu Bei was afraid of Guan Yu, so he did not send troops.

This is pure nonsense.

When Guan Yu fought in Jingzhou, the Battle of Hanzhong was also very fierce, and Fangling and Shangyong were also occupied by Cao Cao, cutting off the route between Yizhou and northern Jingzhou.

Just after the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei sent Meng Da to lead troops to attack Fangling and Shangyong, apparently preparing a large army to support Guan Yu.

Meng Da lived up to expectations and quickly captured Fangling.

But at this time, Meng Da may have been a little frenzied because of factional disputes, and he even sent troops to kill Kuai Qi, the prefect of Fangling at that time.

Who is Kuai Qi?

He was a member of the Kuai clan, a prominent family in Jingzhou, and he was Zhuge Liang's brother-in-law.

No matter what kind of identity he is, Kuai Qi cannot be killed, but the other party was indeed killed by Meng Da.

In this way, wouldn't the Jingzhou faction and the Dongzhou faction completely tear their skins apart?
as predicted.

Perhaps because of the pressure from the Jingzhou faction, Meng Da, who had made great achievements in capturing Fangling, was dismissed by Liu Bei as being unable to shoulder the great responsibility, so he sent his adopted son Liu Feng to lead his troops to attack Shangyong.

Therefore, Meng Da probably held a grudge about this matter.

Therefore, they deliberately sow discord between Guan Yu and Liu Feng, preventing Liu Feng from sending troops to support Guan Yu.

Otherwise, if you gather Shangyong soldiers and horses, you may be able to make up for Guan Yu's lack of troops, and you will have captured Xiangyang and Fancheng long ago, and there will be no major defeat later.

Perhaps Meng Da just didn't want Guan Yu to make great contributions, but he didn't expect that the war would turn sharply.

After Guan Yu was defeated and killed, Meng Da was worried about being questioned, so he directly led people to defect and entered Cao Wei.

Ji Han and the Dongzhou faction, which were originally in the ascendant, also suffered heavy losses due to Meng Da's various tricks.

Then Fazheng, who was Meng Da's fellow countryman and good friend, died.

With Liu Bei's personality, he might not be able to anger Fazheng and kill him.

It is very likely that Fazheng's self-knowledge is unknown, so that Ji Han lost Jingzhou and Guan Yu, the generals, and died of grief and anger.

It can only be said that it is a pity that Fazheng is a great talent.

Zhou Qi didn't remember where Fazheng's hometown was at first, and it was only after he heard the news of Fazheng's death that he thought of Fazheng, a great man, so he came here to visit.

He looked at Fazheng who was still immature in front of him, with a deeply tired expression on his face, and hurried forward to support him.

"I have heard the name of Lingzu before. I was busy with military affairs before, so I didn't take the liberty to come to visit."

"Today, I suddenly heard that Ling Zu passed away. I feel deeply sorry. I regret that I could not come to see Mr. earlier, so I came here uninvited and took the liberty to come here to express my condolences. Please don't blame me."

Fazheng forced a smile on his face, and said, "General Zuo can take time out of his busy schedule to come here to mourn our ancestors. I am already very grateful. How dare you blame me?"

"General, please come in!"

Fazheng stretched out his hand to lure Zhou Qi into the house.

Zhou Qi followed Fazheng to the mourning hall, and began to mourn the deceased according to local etiquette. After the condolences were over, he did not leave, but stayed and chatted with Fazheng for a while.

He was surprised to find out.

Although Fazheng is only twelve or thirteen years old, he is quick-witted and extremely intelligent. He is also very proficient in various schools of thought and military books and strategies.

Although in Zhou Qi's view, Fazheng is still at the stage of talking on paper, but given time, it will surely achieve extraordinary results.

"It's amazing how knowledgeable you are."

Fazheng said with some sadness: "Since my father unfortunately died of illness while in office, my ancestors no longer indulged in academic studies. Instead, they taught me carefully and taught me everything they have learned in their lives."

Zhou Qi sighed: "Ling Zu is very knowledgeable, he is a great Confucianist in the world, I wish I could not meet him."

At the end, Zhou Qi patted Fazheng on the shoulder, and said: "Heaven will send you a great mission, so people must first suffer from their will, exhaust their muscles and bones, starve their skin, empty their bodies, and disturb their actions, so they are tempted. Patience can help you achieve what you cannot."

"My experience is quite similar to yours. It is also a family that has fallen into poverty. I lost my father in my early years and was raised by my grandfather, who taught me carefully."

"However, my grandfather crashed and died in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion because of the people's petition. Since then, I am the only one left in the family."

"That year, I was only 17 years old."

"Time flies, so many years have passed, and I have made some insignificant achievements, which are enough to comfort the dead."

"My background and situation back then were not even comparable to what you are today."

"I hope that after this incident, you don't want to be decadent, but you should work hard, study hard, and shine on your family."

Speaking of this, Zhou Qi paused for a moment, and then continued: "During my stay in Mei County, no matter what kind of things you encounter, you can come to the barracks to find me."

After speaking, Zhou Qi took off the jade pendant he carried with him and said, "Even if I leave Xi County in the future, if you encounter difficulties, you can still go and seek help with this token."

"If you want to become an official or have nowhere to go after you grow up, you can come to me and I will help you."

Fazheng took the jade pendant handed over by Zhou Qi, but felt a little dazed.

He didn't know why General Zuo, who had never had any contact with his family, was so kind to him.

"May I venture to ask why the general treats me so favorably?"

Zhou Qi stared into Fazheng's eyes and said, "Because I think your future achievements will be limitless, and I really respect Ling Zu very much."

"You have to believe in yourself, and you have to believe in my vision."

After finishing speaking, Zhou Qi asked people to leave a lot of gifts and a lot of money, and then he left, leaving only Fa Zheng messing up in the wind.

He watched Zhou Qi's receding back, tightened his fists, and carefully put away the jade pendant.

Until Zhou Qi left, he did not expressly propose to recruit Fazheng.

Because he knows that Fazheng is still too young, if he follows him too early, it may hinder the normal growth of the other party.

With Fazheng's character, if he wants to join a certain monarch in the future, as long as Zhou Qi can occupy a place, with today's friendship, the other party will most likely take the initiative to vote for him.

Now, Zhou Qi only needs to make kindness and righteousness to Fa Zheng.

The news that Zuo General Zhou Qi went to mourn Fazhen spread quickly in Mei County.

The Legalists, which had been a little deserted, became full of people again, and many noble families in the county, wealthy businessmen, and wealthy gentry came to express their condolences with heavy gifts.

Fazheng looked at the bustling courtyard, but he knew very well that these people came because they were looking for General Zuo's face.

As the saying goes: It's easy to icing on the cake, but it's hard to send charcoal in the snow.

Zhou Qi's visit to the Fajia family, which has declined, is tantamount to providing help in times of need. The gifts and money sent by the other party can also solve the Fajia family's livelihood problems in the next few years.

Fazheng will always remember this kindness in his heart.

After Zhou Qi returned to the barracks, it suddenly occurred to him that he should take advantage of the opportunity of being high and powerful to recruit some talents in advance.

Even if you can't keep them by your side after hunting for thieves is over, you can still show kindness first.

When the princes come together in the future, as long as they can occupy a place, these people will take the initiative to seek refuge after weighing the pros and cons.

"Who can be recruited?"

Zhou Qi stayed in the tent and began to think hard.

First of all, Zhou Qi excluded those scholars and celebrities.

Regardless of his high position and power now, he may not be regarded by those scholars and celebrities who think highly of themselves. It is better to enlist those famous historical generals who came from humble backgrounds.

Secondly, the other party cannot be too far away from Sili, and it cannot have a little reputation.

Otherwise, he has no reason to conscript others casually.

Even if they were confiscated, they would not be able to give official positions to those who were not well-known and came from a poor family, so how could they be kind?
"Now my counselors have ambitions, and the rest of the counselors from noble families don't have to think about it for the time being."

"In terms of fierce generals, there are Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and Xiang Hong. There is no shortage of generals who can charge into battle, but there is a lack of generals who are good at training troops and can lead an army alone."

Thinking of this, Zhou Qi's eyes lit up.

He murmured to himself: "Speaking of military training, everyone knows that they are trapped in the camp. The famous general Gao Shun in the late Han Dynasty commanded 700 people. The generals are neat and orderly, and he must defeat every battle. Therefore, he has the reputation of "trapped in the camp."

"Gao Shun seems to be from Bingzhou. I guess he is not an unknown person. I happen to have five thousand soldiers from Bingzhou County under my command. I just want to inquire about them."

"Speaking of generals who are both wise and brave and can lead an army alone, they must be Guan Yu, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang."

"Guan Yu is a late bloomer. He is from the Hedong family. He is not far from my place, and he comes from a poor family. If he can show kindness, it would be a good choice."

"Unfortunately, he has voted for Liu Bei now."

"As for Zhang Liao, although he is only 19 years old, he is already well-known in Bingzhou. He has already been called by Ding Yuan, the governor of Bingzhou, to serve him. He sent him to Hebei to recruit soldiers under the command of General He Jin, but he has not yet returned."

"Even if we return, with Ding Yuan's respect for Zhang Liao, it may be difficult to poach him."

"On the contrary, Xu Huang, whose family is in Hedong County, is only a small official in the county now, but he has a reputation for bravery. On the contrary, he is the best candidate for me to enlist."

"If Gao Shun and Xu Huang can be recruited, then I have all the counselors, fierce generals, generals who lead the army, and generals who train the army under my command, and I still need an internal affairs talent."

"Most of the internal affairs talents are from the gentry, so it is not easy to recruit."

"However, I'm lucky. Jingzhao happens to have a man who has a poor family, but is quite filial and good at government affairs. If he can be recruited, he can at least help me manage a county."

"If it grows up, it will be more than enough to govern a state."

Concerned about this, Zhou Qi immediately went to Hedong and sent a conscription document, recruiting Xu Huang, who was known for his bravery, to serve in the army.

Afterwards, he also issued a conscription document to Jingzhao, recruiting Du Ji to be in charge of allocating military supplies.

"Now only Gao Shun is left, I hope to find out his whereabouts."

Zhou Qi personally went to the place where the soldiers of Bingzhou County were trained, and it was Dian Wei who was in charge of training the five thousand soldiers of Bingzhou County.

The reason why Dianwei was appointed to command Bingzhou soldiers was because Bingzhou was located in a frontier area, where the people were tough and the soldiers were warlike and advocating bravery.

Although Dian Wei didn't have the talent to command the army, he was capable of execution. He trained the soldiers according to the plan formulated by Zhou Qi, and he was able to restrain the Bingzhou army, which was impressive.

Seeing Zhou Qi approaching, Dian Wei hurriedly stepped forward to salute, and said, "The general often helps train soldiers at Xiang Bode's side, why do you have time to come to me today?"

Zhou Qi smiled and said, "I'm here to see how Dianjun's soldiers are training."

When Dian Wei heard this, he patted his chest and assured him: "Don't worry, general, in terms of bravery and skill in fighting, the Bingzhou Army should be the first among the [-] troops."

"In terms of strict military discipline, the Bingzhou Army under my command is also number one."

Zhou Qi's eyes moved slightly, and he said with a smile: "I remember that when I was in Meiyang, the military discipline of these Bingzhou troops was the worst. How could they become strict in a short period of time?"

Dian Wei has a few catties and a few taels, Zhou Qi knows very well, and doesn't believe that the other party can do this.

A mysterious smile appeared on Dian Wei's face, and he said in a low voice: "A few days ago, I discovered a military training genius, although he is only a village chief, he can hold back 200 people in a battle formation, and no one in the army is dissatisfied. "

"I don't know how to train troops myself, so I asked him to help me train. As expected, the military appearance and discipline were quickly changed."

Zhou Qi smiled and asked: "Tell me, who is that person's name?"

Dian Wei said: "That man is called Gao Shun, he is very brave, he can support ten strokes undefeated under my command, and he is also very good at training."

Zhou Qi was overjoyed when he heard the words, and thought to himself: "It's really hard to find a place when you step through the iron shoes. It doesn't take much effort to get here."

　The wording of the first two thousand characters is a bit long-winded, brothers, don't blame it.I actually planned to write about the post-Three Kingdoms period at the beginning. I had written the outline and the beginning, and checked a lot of information, so I found many interesting things that were not clearly recorded.

　　I didn't make up the part of Fazheng, but mixed all kinds of messy historical materials together, and then made reasonable speculations. Due to the space, I didn't write it in detail.

　　This book could not be written at that time, so I added a few more words on a whim.

　　As for recruiting talents, I was also reminded by my brothers that it is time to become rich, and there is no need to work hard to make friends with talents.

　　The so-called one person counts the short, two counts the long.

　　Brothers, if you have any good ideas and suggestions, you can share them in the book review area. I like copying book reviews the most.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)