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

Chapter 159 The essence of a hero, suspicion of the same family

Zhou Qi was quite surprised that Jiangxia could be easily captured by the emperor issuing an edict.

He thought of Li Ru's talent, and decided to make friends with him, so that he could take Dong Zhuo under his command after he was defeated and died.

Don't look at Zhou Qi now has Xi Zhicai to assist him.

But with the continuous expansion of the territory, it is very likely that they will face multi-faceted battles in the future, and Xi Zhicai must have no skills at all.

not to mention.

Although Xi Zhicai is good at strategizing, he comes from a bad background and lacks sufficient understanding of the aristocratic family.

In contrast, Li Ru would be the sharpest blade in dealing with aristocratic families.

Especially after absorbing the lessons of Dong Zhuo's defeat and death, Li Ru's guard against and hatred for the wealthy families will definitely become deeper.

In Jingzhou and Yangzhou, there are many noble families.

Zhou Qi may have to rely on these aristocratic families in the early days, but when he is fully fledged and able to gain a firm foothold, he can talk about it.

A talent like Li Ru was exactly what Zhou Qi needed urgently, so he wanted to make friends with him in advance.

Zhou Qi first wrote a letter and gave it to the envoy, asking him to bring it to Li Ru. The letter made no secret of his intention to win over Li Ru.

Zhou Qi even said bluntly: "If my husband has nowhere to go one day, please come to Yangzhou to find me, and I will live up to my husband."

Even though Zhou Qi knew it was impossible to recruit Li Ru with this letter, he still did so.

He believed.

When Dong Zhuo was defeated and died, and Li Ruru was desperate, thinking of this letter, there was a great possibility that he would come to him.

It's like recruiting Xu Chu and Jia Xu.

Knowing that he couldn't do something but doing it was not because Zhou Qi couldn't recognize himself, but to pave the way for the future.

Xu Chu has become Zhou Qi's loyal subordinate.

As for Jia Xu, after going through ups and downs, sooner or later he will be in his pocket.

But it is said that after Huang Zu was forced to hand over the seal and ribbon, he could not bear the humiliation and left angrily.

Although Zhou Qi tried his best to keep him, Huang Zu still chose to leave, which made Zhou Qi feel helpless.

Huang Zu has left.

Zhou Qi immediately declared that Zhou Cheng was the captain of Jiangxia County, Zhou Tai was the captain of Zhechong, and Zhou Jin was the captain of Hengjiang, and asked the envoy to bring the letter to Dong Zhuo.

The rank of the captain of the county is more than two thousand stones. As a military officer in charge of a county, Zhou Qi naturally has no right to appoint him at will.

Only when the world is in chaos and the princes do not pay attention to the emperor at all, will they randomly confer official positions on their subordinates.

Zhou Qi is still a loyal and patriotic person. Although he can appoint himself, he still goes to Luoyang, so that he will not be criticized.

As for Lieutenant Zhechong and Lieutenant Hengjiang, they are miscellaneous captains.

Originally, before this, the official position of school lieutenant was extremely valuable, and almost every school lieutenant had a rank of two thousand stones, and held real power.

But now, the majesty of the imperial court has been completely lost. In order to win people's hearts, the princes randomly conferred official positions, and the school captain began to rot.

Zhou Tai was of the same clan as Zhou Qi, and his own martial arts and talents were extraordinary, so he received an exceptional promotion.

Needless to say, Zhou Jin is not only closely related to the Lujiang Zhou family, but also a relative of Xi Zhicai, and has followed Zhou Qi for a long time. He is proficient in water skills, loyal and reliable.

Jiangxia water network is densely covered.

The reason why Zhou Qi appointed Zhou Tai as the captain of Zhechong was to let Zhou Tai establish a navy in Jiangxia.

As for Biao Zhoujin as the lieutenant of Hengjiang, he also intends to order him to form a navy in Yangzhou.

Zhou Qi believed that if Dong Zhuo knew his interests, he would not deliberately create difficulties.

It will take some time for the new governor of Jiangxia County, Zhou Jing, to come here to take up his post. Zhou Cheng has already begun to raise the banner.

Although Zhou Cheng is slightly inferior in talent, he is from the same family as Zhou Qi in the same village. Before that, his family was poor, and even the land at home was a gift from an old miser, and he hardly collected land rent.

Zhou Yufu's move was also to take care of the younger generation in the clan.

Zhou Cheng was also quite brave. When he learned that the old stingy man had died in front of the Prime Minister's Office after pleading for his life for the people, Zhou Qi did not intend to avenge his grandfather. He was the first to stand up and angrily scold Zhou Qi for living a life of greed, and then left angrily. .

Afterwards, Zhou Cheng followed Zhou Qi all the time, working hard every day without taking credit or complaining.

His military exploits are not as outstanding as those of Dian Wei and Xu Chu, his talents are not as outstanding as those of Zhou Zhan and Zhou Jin, and his mind is not as agile as Chen Wen, but he is good at being steady and loyal.

Don't forget, don't forget.

These years, Zhou Cheng has not only practiced martial arts diligently, but also studied hard every day, studying military books and strategies hard, even if he is not a very outstanding talent, he is still worthy of use.

If you don't have enough talent, you can learn to make up for it, or you can find someone to help you.

Bad personality and insufficient loyalty are the most deadly problems.

It's like Huang Zu in the original history, who can be regarded as repeatedly defeated, but won in a steady way. Although there are defeats, he will not be defeated. Instead, there will be unexpected surprises every time.

Xiahou Dun in history is almost the same. He is known as a general who is often defeated, and he can almost be regarded as the most important general under Cao Cao.

Xiahou Dun is not as brave as Dianwei and Xu Chu, he is not as brave as Xu Huang and Zhang Liao in commanding the army, and he is not as good as Jin and Yuejin in running the army. Why is he so highly valued?

Not for anything else, just because of the close relationship between the Xiahou family and the Cao family.

It is said that Cao Cao's father was originally from the Xiahou family, and was later adopted by Cao Teng; it is said that the Cao family and the Xiahou family were married in the era, and the blood of the two clans blended, regardless of each other.

No matter what the reason is, it is enough to show that Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun are very close.

There are also some generals who have little merit, but because they are provincial party members with Cao Cao, they have followed him early and are also highly regarded by Cao Cao.

If Cao Cao can do this, Zhou Qi will naturally do the same.

The tribe and the township party are the most loyal people to Zhou Qi in this era, how can they let him down?
At this time, Jiangxia County has Zhou Jing in Wen, and Zhou Tai in Wu.

Zhou Qi doesn't ask Zhou Cheng to expand his territory and make contributions, as long as he can keep Jiang Xia's foundation.

As a springboard for Zhou Qi to attack Jingzhou, Jiang Xia can only be handed over to someone he fully trusts.

not to mention.

Zhou Qi also wanted Zhou Cheng to marry the Jiangdong gentry in the future. If he was not in a high position, the Jiangdong gentry might not be willing to marry a prostitute.

Zhou Qi cares a lot about all kinds of things here, so it's not for outsiders to explain.

But Zhou Jing, who was organizing the relocation of the first group of clan members, suddenly received a letter from Zhou Qi, ordering him to hurry to Jiangxia County to take up his post.

In addition to being surprised, Zhou Jing couldn't help being extremely happy.

In addition to Zhou Qi, the Zhou family of Pei State finally had a high-ranking official with a two-thousand-stone border.

Knowing the importance of Jiangxia County, Zhou Jing didn't dare to neglect, and went to take up the post day and night.

With Zhou Qi's strong support, Zhou Jing naturally took up the position of Jiangxia County Sheriff easily, but found that Jiangxia was in dire straits.

Jiangxia County is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is a land of plenty. It is rich in various minerals, fisheries, and wild animal resources. It should be very wealthy and have a large population.

But today, the registered population of Jiangxia County has just reached 20, which is more than 6 fewer than in Yonghe five years ago.

Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case.

Zhou Jing looked through the documents of Jiangxia County over the years and asked officials of all sizes in the county for questioning. Even retired officials were visited and questioned by Zhou Jing.

After learning about the history of Jiangxia County, Zhou Jing couldn't help but remain silent for a long time, and a look of helplessness flashed across his face.

Compared with the Central Plains and the North, most of the southern aristocratic families have a long history and a solid foundation. They have often dominated a place for hundreds of years, and the clan power is extremely huge.

Due to the long wars in the north, there are not a few wealthy families who were destroyed halfway.

But many of the aristocratic families in the south have been here since the Western Han Dynasty, and some even have a longer history.

Due to the remoteness of the south, there are many clans, and the imperial court is out of reach.

That's why the southern gentry is not as prominent as the northern gentry in the court, but their local influence far exceeds that of the northern gentry.

For example, in Jiangxia County, there are six major families.

Among them, the Jiangxia Huang clan is the largest family, dating back as far as Chunshen Jun Huang Xie in the Warring States Period. Even in the Han Dynasty, the Jiangxia Huang clan also had Prime Minister Huang Ba, Taiwei Huang Qiong and others.

Even in later generations, places such as Huanggang, Huangpi, Huangan, Huangmei, and Huangshi in Hubei were named after this.

It can also be seen from this how prominent Jiangxia Huang's family is.

Besides, Jiangxia's second largest family belongs to the Jiangxia Fei family.

Although the Fei family was not as prominent as the Huang family, the emergence of Fei Guan and Fei Wei during the Jihan period allowed the Fei family to rise again.

In addition, the Song family, the Kang family, the Meng family, and the Yu family are all Jiangxia clans.

The six major families in Jiangxia County have developed for hundreds of years, have been entrenched for a long time, and are deeply rooted, almost occupying most of the land resources in Jiangxia County.

Without land, many people were forced to work as sharecroppers and domestic slaves.

The six major families were too prominent and colluded with successive county governors and officials from various places to wildly exploit and oppress the free farmers in Jiangxia County.

The people were unbearable to be exploited, and Jiangxia County was densely covered with mountains, rivers, and lakes, so many people simply became bandits and water bandits, and some fled directly into the mountains and forests, and their household registration was cancelled.

This is why, in Jiangxia County, which is clearly a land of plenty, many people continue to revolt because they cannot eat.

In the final analysis, he was still forced by the big families and corrupt officials.

There are also some people who took refuge in Jiangxiaman and began to intermarry, merge, and live together with Jiangxiaman's tribes, and they have long been indistinguishable from each other.

Most of these people have not registered household registration, so the total population of Jiangxia is only in their early twenties.

Don't say anything else.

Just the Jiangxia barbarians in the mountains and forests, and the Han people who lived with them, totaled [-] to [-] people.

There are at least 5 to [-] house slaves, tenants, and private soldiers hiding in the six major families, or even more.

Those bandits, water bandits, and the people who were forced to move into the mountains and forests may number in the tens of thousands.

If all the population is added up, the population of Jiangxia County will at least double.

After understanding the cause and effect of the incident, Zhou Jing couldn't help but smiled wryly: "The situation in Jiangxia is more complicated than I imagined. The six major families have occupied this place for a long time. If you want to gain a firm foothold here, you can only compromise with them."

Zhou Qi frowned when he heard this.

If there is a compromise with the six major families, although Jiangxia County belongs to Zhou Qi in name, it will actually depend on the faces of the six major families.

Moreover, the land was occupied by the six major families. If the land could not be taken back, bandits, water bandits, and the common people who fled into the mountains and forests would not be able to be appeased.

Zhou Qi looked at Zhou Jing and couldn't help but narrowed his eyes slightly.

After all.

Zhou Jing was also from a wealthy family, and the Zhou family in Peiguo was a prestige and wealthy family, and their influence in Peiguo was no less than that of the Huang family in Jiangxia.

Therefore, Zhou Jing and these local big families often share the same ideas, emphasizing the clan and neglecting the common people.

This point may be better for the clan, but it is not conducive to Zhou Qi's rule.

"The six major families in Jiangxia, the main direct lineage who owns a large amount of land, must not be retained. Otherwise, even if we want to recruit troops in Jiangxia County in the future, I am afraid we will have to get the approval of all the major families."

Thinking of this, Zhou Qi immediately said in a deep voice: "Uncle, Jiangxia is a land of fish and rice, and its strategic location is very important. If the six major families are allowed to occupy here, it will be a disaster in the future."

"I want to move the Zhou clan of Peiguo here. With the backing of my uncle, Zhou Cheng, and Zhou Tai, it must not be difficult to cut off the six major families with the help of my uncle."

"After the six major families in Jiangxia are wiped out, one-tenth of the land confiscated will belong to the Zhou family."

"By then, the Zhou family will be the only one left in Jiangxia, and they will be a prominent family in the county. Isn't it wonderful?"

Zhou Qi knew that to deal with a person like Zhou Jing who puts family interests first, reasoning alone would definitely not work.

Only by enticing them for profit, and using the properties of the major families as bait, can Zhou Jing really let go of his hands and feet, and do things that even Zhou Qi dare not do.

In fact.

It is better for Zhou Jing to fight against the six major families of Jiangxia in the name of the Peiguo Zhou family than for Zhou Qi to directly use the army to destroy them.

The Zhou family competed with the six major families. It was an internal struggle between the major families. No matter who wins or loses, others have nothing to say.

If Zhou Qi directly suppressed it with the army, the nature would be quite different, and it is very likely that the gentry in the world would resist it.

as predicted.

When Zhou Jing heard Zhou Qi's words, his eyes widened and he said, "Zi Yi keeps his word?"

Zhou Qi nodded heavily and said: "I will never break my promise!"

Zhou Jing just pondered for a while, and then said: "With the strength of the Zhou family of Peiguo alone, it is absolutely impossible to compete with the six major families. It must have the support of the army."

Zhou Qi said: "I can leave [-] elite soldiers, and let Zhou Cheng recruit [-] soldiers and horses from the Jiangxia barbarians, and let Zhou Tai recruit [-] naval troops."

"With these [-] soldiers and horses, plus Jiang Xia's original [-] county soldiers, it is easy to wipe out the six major families of Jiang Xia."

"However, my uncle can't recruit unknown teachers, and can't slaughter the offspring of the six major families excessively. The extra land captured should be used as a reward to attract the people hiding in the mountains, and can't be swallowed."

Zhou Jing said seriously: "I naturally know these."

After explaining the business, Zhou Qi was about to lead his troops back to Shouchun, but before leaving, he secretly met with Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Qi looked at Zhou Cheng and said with a serious face: "Brother, you should know the importance of Jiang Xia to Yangzhou."

"After I leave, you must pay attention to your own safety. Don't bring Jiangxia County soldiers with you when you go out. Instead, choose your confidants from among the three thousand elites Jiang Xiaman and I left behind."

"When encountering problems, focus on stability. Don't seek merit, but seek no faults."

"If you have any undecided matters, you can send someone to Shouchun to ask me."

"Zhou Youping is brave and good at fighting, he is a famous general, and he is also a loyal person. He usually keeps in touch with him, and can discuss all matters with him."

Zhou Chengdao: "Wei."

Then, Zhou Cheng asked with some doubts: "Since the Zhou family of Peiguo is planning to move their family here, and their uncle is the governor of Jiangxia, why don't you let me discuss with my uncle when something happens?"

Zhou Qi stared at Zhou Cheng, and said solemnly: "What you say today, come out of my mouth and into your ears. Don't let a third person know. Maybe brother will agree to me?"

Zhou Cheng also felt the seriousness of the matter, and said: "I swear on my life, no third person will know!"

Zhou Qi pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked: "Brother, what do you think is the relationship between the Zhou family in Peiguo and my Zhou family in Zhouji Township?"

Zhou Chengdao: "Before Ziyi made his fortune, the two sides almost never communicated, and I never knew the direct descendants of the Zhou family. The other party even disdained to admit that we are of the same clan."

"Since Ziyi came to prominence, the Zhou family of Peiguo has been able to support the Zhou family of Zhouji Township, and the relationship between the two parties has gradually become closer."

Zhou Qi asked again: "Then brother, how much blood relationship do you think there is between the Zhou family in Peiguo and the Zhou family in Zhouji Township?"

Hearing this, Zhou Cheng immediately smiled wryly and said: "In terms of blood relationship, apart from having the same ancestors, the two may not be comparable to people with different surnames from our neighbors."

"Although we don't have the same surname, at least we have been intermarried for generations, and our blood relationship is closer than that of the Zhou family in Peiguo."

Zhou Qi asked back: "The elder brother thinks, is the Zhou family of Peiguo trustworthy?"

Hearing these words suddenly, Zhou Cheng was stunned on the spot, looking at Zhou Qi in shock.

"Ziyi doesn't trust the Peiguo Zhou family?"

Zhou Qi said in a deep voice: "The way is different, so don't conspire with each other."

"My ambition is in the world, but the Peiguo Zhou family only considers the interests of the family. If the six major families are eradicated and dominate Jiangxia, the future may even be even more terrifying than the six major families."

"We were originally just a remote collateral lineage, and my lineage is even thinner."

"If I were alive, with my prestige and skill, the Zhou family of Peiguo would not dare to disagree."

"If one day I'm gone, if the sons can't suppress the Zhou family in Peiguo, what do you think will happen?"

Hearing this, Zhou Cheng's expression kept changing, and finally he felt cold sweat dripping down his back.

Seeing that Zhou Cheng didn't speak, Zhou Qi immediately whispered: "It's not impossible to replace him!"

"Boom!"

These words sounded in Zhou Cheng's ears like a thunderbolt from the blue, and his face became a little pale.

Zhou Qi patted Zhou Cheng's shoulder heavily, and said, "The Zhou clan of Zhouji Township, the only person I can trust is my elder brother. The blood relationship between us is not comparable to that of the Zhou clan of Peiguo."

"I left my brother in Jiangxia because I hope he can help me supervise them in the name of the Zhou clan of Pei State."

"Brother, you must pay attention. The military power of Jiangxia County can only be in the hands of you and Zhou Tai. The Zhou clan of Peiguo can interfere in government affairs, but must not interfere in military affairs. Remember?"

Zhou Cheng took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry Ziyi, I know what to do."

Zhou Qi patted Zhou Cheng's shoulder again, and said, "Today's words should be buried in my heart forever, and no one else should know."

"For the Zhou family in Peiguo, don't change your attitude, just hold on to the military power."

"only!"

Zhou Cheng focused his head heavily.

The reason why Zhou Qi has this idea is not because of being mean and unkind.

Just imagine.

Even if people with the same surname in a village are relatives for three or four generations, the blood relationship is already a bit weak.

They may even hit the dog's brain directly for a little matter.

Not to mention.

The Zhou family of Peiguo has spread branches and leaves, and has been passed down for hundreds of years. The clansman is spread all over the place, and there is actually no relationship between the side branch and the direct line.

If Zhou Qi was a direct descendant, he would naturally not worry about these issues, and the Zhou family of Peiguo could truly be trusted.

only.

Zhou Qi is a collateral lineage that is as far away as possible, and his family is in decline and his population is thin. This will create a situation where the leader is weak and the ministers are strong.

Regardless of the country or the clan, this is a big taboo.

Zhou Qi wants to develop rapidly now, and urgently needs the power of the Zhou family of Peiguo, but why isn't the Zhou family of Peiguo using Zhou Qi to complete the transformation of the family, from a county tyrant to a county noble family?
If the Zhou family of Pei State can dominate Jiangxia, and many of the descendants of the family will serve as officials in Jiangxia, then in a short time, the entire Jiangxia County will be ruled by the Zhou family of Pei State.

It's okay to say that they are loyal.

Once someone in the direct line has other thoughts, if Zhou Qi cannot take precautions, he will definitely make a big mistake in the future.

Zhou Qi has been a human being for two lifetimes, and he is wary of many people.

Except for getting along with Zhou Zhan more in Anfeng County, he is very unfamiliar with the rest of the Zhou clan in Peiguo.

Even if both parties are surnamed Zhou, Zhou Qi will not really trust them without a relationship basis.

So in Zhou Qi's opinion.

The Zhou family of Peiguo can take advantage of it, but they have to beware of it.

Compared with the Zhou family of Pei State, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Xi Zhicai, Chen Wen and others who followed Zhou Qi to conquer the world may be more trustworthy.

After bidding farewell to Zhou Jing, Zhou Cheng, and Zhou Tai, Zhou Qi led his troops back to Shouchun immediately.

He believed that with Zhou Cheng's calmness, he would be able to do what he had secretly promised.

He also believed that because of Zhou Jing's character, he dared to depose the emperor.

In order for the Zhou family of Peiguo to monopolize Jiangxia County, it shouldn't take long to press the button, and there will be a bloody storm in Jiangxia County.

of course.

Zhou Qi wanted Jiangxia with clear politics, a large population, people living and working in peace and contentment, and no oppression by aristocratic families.

Now the six major families in Jiangxia have been thriving for hundreds of years, and they have long been like the Zhou family in Pei State. Their clansmen are spread all over the country, with tens of thousands of people in total.

However, most of the land resources are controlled by a very small number of direct descendants of the big clans, and there is not much land available to collateral descendants.

Some offshoots of big families may even be like Zhou Cheng back then. They don't even have an acre of land in their families, so it is very difficult to live on.

Although they can be considered as collateral members of the major families, in fact, they no longer have any relationship with the major families.

Naturally, these people cannot be liquidated, but will become the population under Zhou Qi's rule.

Before leaving.

Zhou Qi suddenly said to Zhou Cheng: "Brother, my sister-in-law died early, and I have no children under my knees, so I have no way to inherit the incense."

"After a while, I will tell you about a dignified, beautiful, well-educated woman from a direct line of aristocratic family to be your wife. You should not delay then."

Hearing this, Zhou Cheng couldn't help but blushed slightly, and said, "Since she is a daughter of a direct descendant of an aristocratic family, why would she marry me?"

Zhou Qi laughed and said, "It's time for brother to change his mentality."

"Now you are the captain of Jiangxia County with a rank of two thousand stones. You have a heavy army. You are also my brother from the Zhou Qi clan. Who dares to look down on you?"

"Those aristocratic families may seem arrogant, but they are also extremely snobbish."

"If we can marry our prostitute daughter to my elder brother, it will be equivalent to marrying me, a Yangzhou shepherd, and I'm afraid they won't be able to ask for it."

"It's not enough to marry a wife, concubines can also marry more than a dozen from those powerful families, and have more children, so as to spread the branches and leaves for the Zhou family."

"Not only you, but I also want to find a dozen or so concubines. If it's not enough, it's okay to find twenty or so."

"Only in this way can we change the current situation of our family being thin."

　I was originally planning to update today, but my son got sick yesterday, which completely disrupted my rhythm. Today there is a new map, which is a little laggy and makes me extremely irritable while writing.

　　After thinking about it, let's focus on quality. I try to carefully craft every chapter of this book.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)