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

Chapter 225 Anfeng County Magistrate
as predicted.

After careful investigation, Du Ji and Zhang Liao arrested a large number of agents who came from Runan and disguised themselves as caravan guards.

Du Ji found Zhang Liao and said, "Previously, my lord judged that Yuan Shu would attack Jiangxia. Now the situation may have changed. Instead, Lujiang County will be the place where Yuan Shu will attack."

"There are only five thousand soldiers and horses in the county. As the lord's fiefdom, Anfeng County is located in the north of Lujiang County. It is also a gathering place for various handicraft industries. If Yuan Shu attacks Lujiang, he will definitely capture Anfeng!"

Zhou Qi, Tian Feng and others only thought of the strategic significance of capturing Jiangxia, but did not consider that Yuan Shu was short-sighted and greedy for immediate benefits.

Over the years, Lujiang County has gradually become a powerful business empire with Anfeng County as its center.

Since Anfeng County was the place where Zhou Qi made his fortune, he had been cultivating it for many years, and various technologies and workshops were located here. It was also Zhou Qi's fiefdom, so the successive governors of Lujiang County also took great care of Anfeng County.

Today's Anfeng County is no longer the remote mountainous area with a household registration of less than [-], poverty, congestion, and rampant bandits.

Zheng Tai originally suggested that Yuan Shu attack Jiangxia County, but Yuan Shu was jealous of the prosperity of Lujiang County and coveted the various technologies in Anfeng County.

Yuan Shu believed that Zhou Qi was not weak.

His southern expedition was just to prevent the other party from taking Yizhou. It may not be easy to capture Jiangxia.

Instead of running in vain, it is better to lead the troops into the defenseless Lujiang County, seize Anfeng County, and snatch away all the workshops and skilled workers in Anfeng County.

Compared with Yangzhou, Yuzhou is connected in all directions and is a land in the Central Plains. If he can possess these technologies, he will definitely make a steady stream of money for Yuan Shu.

It was precisely because of this greed that Yuan Shu chose to attack Lujiang County instead of attacking Jiangxia County.

Seeing that Yuan Shu had made up his mind, Zheng Tai immediately said: "A strong attack is not advisable. The general should imitate Lu Bu in the past and send sophisticated and reliable people first, use the caravan as a cover, and sneak into various counties secretly."

"When the general sends his troops south, we can then cooperate with the outside to capture each county with ease."

Yuan Shu was overjoyed and immediately acted according to the plan.

But Zhang Liao's expression changed slightly when he heard Du Ji's words.

Whether Anfeng County was the place where the cavalry generals started, or it was the fiefdom of the Anfeng County Marquis, or it was the economic center of the entire Lujiang County that was almost on par with Shu County, there was no room for failure.

If Anfeng County is really captured by Yuan Shu, the political impact and economic losses will be immeasurable.

At that time, Du Ji, the governor of Lujiang County, and Zhang Liao, the captain of Lujiang County, were both likely to be held accountable for this.

Zhang Liao pondered for a long time and said: "Anfeng County will never tolerate any mistakes."

"You can lead two thousand soldiers and horses with Hao Meng to guard Shu County, and I will lead three thousand soldiers and horses to help Anfeng County. Is that okay?"

Du Ji nodded and said: "Wen Yuanruo is rushing to help Anfeng County, so he should go quickly."

"Since Yuan Shu's scouts have penetrated into Shu County, Yuzhou spies must have been established in all the northern counties. Today we are going around to capture the spies, and the news will soon reach Yuan Shu."

"If Yuan Shu decisively leads his troops south, the general may not have time to rush to Anfeng County."

Du Ji's words are not alarmist.

The distance between Yuzhou and Anfeng County is even closer than the distance between Shu County and Anfeng County. Even Ruyang, where Yuan Shu lives, is not far from Anfeng County.

If the other side really wants to lead troops south decisively, it is indeed possible to capture Anfeng County before Zhang Liao.

Zhang Liao was horrified and said: "In that case, I will lead [-] cavalrymen to Anfeng County on a starry night journey, let Hao Sima lead [-] soldiers and horses to rush to the rescue later, and I will lead [-] soldiers and horses to guard Shuxian County, okay?" "

There was no one under Zhang Liao's command, and after all calculations, only Hao Meng had experience in commanding an army.

Now is not the time to pay attention to personal grudges, so Zhang Liao proposed to let Hao Meng lead the troops to rescue Anfeng, thus almost entrusting his life and property to Hao Meng's hands.

When Hao Meng heard this, his face was also filled with astonishment.

He originally thought that Zhang Liao held a grudge against him in his heart and was always in trouble with him.

Unexpectedly, when things came to a close, Zhang Liao would actually entrust the military power to himself, as well as his wealth and life.

If Hao Meng deliberately delayed the march, Zhang Liao and even Anfeng County might be crushed by Yuan Shu's army.

Du Ji also knew that there was a conflict between the two, so he turned to look at Hao Meng and asked, "Is Hao Sima willing to take on this important task?"

Hao Meng was in a state of excitement, clasping her hands into fists and saying, "Thanks to the trust of the captain and the envoy, I will die if I don't obey!"

The military situation was decided and Zhang Liao did not dare to neglect. He led the only [-] cavalry in Shu County and marched day and night to Anfeng County.

Hao Meng did not dare to neglect and led three thousand infantrymen towards Anfeng County.

While Du Ji ordered people to strengthen the city wall and collect supplies for defending the city, he asked Xu Huang who was guarding Jiujiang and Zhou Cheng who was guarding Jiangxia for help. He also directly ordered people to rush to Bajun, informed the cavalry general of his guess, and asked Zhou Qi Xu Huang and Zhou Cheng were allowed to cross the border to rescue Lujiang County.

Anfeng County Government.

The county magistrate Chen Mu summoned the county captain and asked: "Have you noticed that the recent caravans coming from Runan in the county include many young people?"

The county captain shook his head and said, "Commercial matters are not under my jurisdiction, so I don't pay attention to them at ordinary times. Why did the county magistrate suddenly mention this matter?"

Chen Mu said with a solemn face: "I was once recruited by the lord as a member of the army, made some insignificant achievements, and then returned to Anfeng County to continue studying."

"These caravan guards don't feel like ordinary people to me. Instead, they have traces of the military."

"I'm worried that they are probably doing it carefully."

Speaking of Chen Mu, many people may not know who he is.

If Zhou Qi had just arrived in Anfeng County to take up his post and was attacked by a beggar with a stone at the door, it might have made some impression.

This person's family was killed by the county magistrate, and he became an orphan and struggled to survive in the cold winter. He almost froze to death in a pile of firewood.

If Cao'er, a little girl who was also an orphan, hadn't rescued him, he might have died long ago.

If nothing unexpected happened, the two of them would not have survived that cold winter.

Fortunately, Zhou Qi ordered the opening of granaries to store grain and provide porridge, so the two of them were able to survive.

When Zhou Qi used Zhicai's strategy and used Huang Rang, the bandit leader of the Dabie Mountains, to launch a rebellion, he slaughtered all the powerful families in Anfeng County and recovered many fields, he began to make plans to calm the people and resettle all the refugees.

Chen Mu not only received the land and property occupied by the county magistrate, but was also rescued by the government until he was 12 years old because he was too young.

Before the age of 12, Chen Mu didn't have his own name. Like other untouchables, he only had one nickname, Ergou.

Don't think that this kind of name would not appear among the ancients.

In fact, even princes, nobles and children of the royal family have a tradition of giving nicknames.

For example, Liu Che, the famous Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, was nicknamed Liu Zhi, which means pig.

Sima Xiangru, who is known as the sage, had a nickname of Quan Zi, and the name translated into later generations is roughly Quan Zi.

Tao Yuanming was nicknamed Xigou, Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty was nicknamed Jinu, and Li Bai was nicknamed Mingyuenu.The reason why children are given nicknames is because the ancients believed that nicknames are easier to support. This tradition is not only found in China, but also in many places abroad.

In the 21st century, this kind of nickname is still common.

Especially in rural areas, many villagers don't even know other people's real names, and they usually call them Big Gou Wa, Er Gou Wa, etc.

Chen Ergou is naturally no exception. He was always called a nickname when he was a child. Because his parents were killed early, he didn't have a nickname until he was 12 years old.

It was Mr. Academy who couldn't stand it anymore, so he named him Mu. However, because of his poor family background, Chen Mu still has no nickname.

Chen Mu has been smart since he was a child, otherwise he would not have been able to live alone for so long. After studying, he worked very hard. He worked hard to learn these hard-won knowledge, and with the strong support of his wife Cao'er, he was able to stand out in the academy.

He was sincerely grateful to the cavalry general, so he took the initiative to be recruited as a subordinate and made some achievements.

It is precisely because of these merits, coupled with the fact that Chen Mu is indeed excellent in studies, and Zhou Qi deliberately promotes capable people from poor families, that Chen Mu can serve as the magistrate of Anfeng County.

At the beginning, naturally many scholars with better backgrounds were unconvinced.

However, Chen Mu was born in poverty and knew very well what poor people needed. Therefore, since he became the magistrate of Anfeng County, he has not only been an honest and pragmatic official, but also done many things that are beneficial to the people.

As time passed, the people of Anfeng County naturally appreciated Chen Muzhi's kindness and gradually gained people's support.

To this day, no one dares to say that Chen Mu is not qualified enough to hold the position of Anfeng County Magistrate.

When the county captain heard this, his face couldn't help but become serious.

"If this is true, I will lead the police to capture these agents."

Chen Mu, however, waved his hand and said, "This is a serious matter and we must not act rashly."

He pondered for a moment, and then said: "There are only about a hundred officers in the county, and they have not received strict military training. On the other hand, those who have sneaked into the city are most likely elites in the army, and their number is unknown."

"It's not beautiful to rush to alert someone."

The county captain asked: "How should we deal with this?"

Chen Mu paced back and forth in the room, then suddenly gritted his teeth and said: "I plan to recruit volunteers secretly, and then kill them all in one fell swoop!"

The county magistrate was shocked when he heard this and said hurriedly: "If recruiting volunteers privately without the consent of the county governor is tantamount to rebellion, how can the county magistrate dare to do such a thing?"

The reason why the Han Dynasty was in such chaos is inseparable from the fact that after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the imperial court allowed officials from various places to recruit rebels on their own to wipe out the remnants of the Yellow Turbans.

With the qualifications to recruit rebels, you can become a warlord of one of the separatist parties.

Zhou Qi pays great attention to this kind of thing, so unless it is time for war, even the governors of various counties are not qualified to recruit rebels privately.

As the magistrate of Anfeng County, Chen Mu does not have such qualifications.

Chen Mu said in a deep voice: "My lord is marching west now, and Lujiang County is empty of troops. Since Yuan Shu has sent scouts to sneak into Anfeng County, he must use troops against Anfeng County."

"The Sheriff's Mansion is too far away from Anfeng County. If we go to ask for help now, I'm afraid it will be too late."

"As for the so-called "obedience to authority in urgent matters," I explained it to the county guard in person, and at the same time secretly recruited the rebels. In this way, I can not only capture the craftsmen in the city, but also be able to resist Yuan Shu and his troops if they come."

When the county captain heard this, he still hesitated and said: "Even so, this action is against the rules after all!"

When Chen Mu heard this, he was furious, drew his sword in his hand, and shouted sternly: "If the county guard and the lord investigate afterward, and someone is responsible for it, you will not say anything anymore!"

When the county captain saw this, he couldn't help but feel horrified.

He knew that even though the county magistrate had been a civil servant with outstanding political achievements over the years, he dared to attack Zhou Qi, the Anfeng County Magistrate, at such a young age, but the ferocity in his bones would not disappear.

The county captain knew that if he still insisted on opposing, even if he was not killed by the county magistrate, his personal freedom would probably be restricted.

And just as Chen Mu said, follow the authority when urgent matters arise.

Even if something happens in the future, Chen Mu, the county magistrate, will take the responsibility, so the county magistrate does not have to worry about his own future.

He said hurriedly: "Don't get angry, the county magistrate. I will just do as I am told."

When Chen Mu heard this, his anger subsided slightly and he sheathed his sword.

The county captain continued to ask: "Where should we recruit the rebels?"

Chen Mu did not hesitate and said directly: "Naturally, it must be in the villages outside the city, otherwise it will definitely scare the snake."

"And when my lord is still in Anfeng County, the young people in each village will conduct simple military training during their leisure time."

“This tradition has never stopped since I became county commissioner.”

"Although they may not be as good as the regular army, they are much better than ordinary people."

The county captain immediately took the order and left.

With the county magistrate's order and the knowledge that someone was actually targeting Anfeng County, the people enthusiastically joined the rebel army.

It didn't take long for the county captain to recruit more than a thousand rebel troops.

The county captain was worried about the long night and many dreams, so he did not dare to neglect. After recruiting enough people, he quickly rushed towards the county at night.

In order to cooperate with the rebels entering the city, Chen Mu deliberately enforced the curfew. Although this aroused the suspicion of those who worked in detail, they did not dare to act rashly without understanding the whole story.

In this way, more than a thousand rebel troops led by the county lieutenant were able to elude these careful eyes and ears and enter the city at night.

After the rebels entered the city, Chen Mu did not directly order the arrest of Xizuo. Instead, he allowed the rebels to have a good rest, but he himself did not sleep all night.

But it was said that Yuan Jun, who had sneaked into the city, was in fear that night. Almost all of them were armed with weapons and did not dare to sleep.

Until dawn, nothing happened.

Seeing that the curfew had been lifted and bustling crowds began to fill the streets, they quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The leader, Xizuo, said with a tired face: "It seems that we are too sensitive. Let's rest and lurk for the time being, waiting for subsequent orders."

Everyone who had stayed up all night took the order and ran to sleep.

Just as they were snoring like thunder, Chen Mu had already put on armor and led the rebels to fight directly in and capture all Xizuo.

When they woke up from their sleep, they thought at first that there were not many policemen in the city and thought of resisting.

however.

When more than a thousand rebels came and killed dozens of soldiers on the spot, the rest of the soldiers immediately felt fear and all knelt down to surrender.

(End of this chapter)