Lord Yuan

Chapter 126: The imp is difficult to deal with, Xianbei’s characteristics

Yuan Shaode and Wen Chou were overjoyed.

Yan Liang was also sincerely happy for his sworn brother.

Wen Chou was just an ordinary commoner. He had no high-ranking officials in his ancestors, and now he had no parents to take care of him. He seemed carefree and at ease in being alone. If his mother had not passed away, he would probably still be staying beside this thatched hut where he would never see the future of his career. Year and month.

He washed away the dirt on his body by the pond and looked at the reflection of the blue waves in the pond, feeling many emotions.

One day I, Wen Chou, will become famous all over the world and achieve great achievements.

There weren't many things he needed to pack, which was a three-pronged iron spear, and the rest was just his personal clothes, which were pitiful.

Wen Chou took advantage of the situation and sat on Yan Liang's horse. No matter how much Yuan Shao shouted, he wanted to let him control his horse.

Yan Liang smiled and said, "You don't need to invite me too much, Mr. Yuan. Shu Yu has never practiced equestrian, so I'm afraid it will be self-defeating. It's better to let Yan take care of him."

In this case, Yuan Shao no longer continued to persuade, and the three of them moved in tandem.

Returning to the motorcade, Xu You, who had just woken up, took a quick look and saw a big man sitting behind the fierce and unusual Yan Liang. He was confused. Cao Ren beside him explained aloud: "I guess that's what Yan Liang said. He is sworn to his brother Wen Chou. I originally thought that Yan Liang was a man who was unjust and unjust, but I never thought that he would actually recruit Wen Chou. Judging from his posture, he really has some strength."

"How about comparing Wen Chou and Yan Liang?" Xu You asked.

Cao Ren said without thinking: "According to what Yan Liang said, force is even worse."

Xu Youxunchen looked in shock as he looked at the two men, who were obviously imposing and powerful. They were riding the same horse and were so close that they were like twin brothers.

When Yuan Shao returned, he told Xu You and Xun Chen what had happened before, and then called his followers and took out a lot of money.

Following Wen Chou, Yan Liang went to Tangyang County to repair his mother's tomb.

After doing this, Wen Chou was free from worries.

The convoy moved on.

After more than ten days of journey, we have crossed the border of Jizhou and arrived in Youzhou.

Youzhou has a vast territory and sparsely populated areas. Compared with the more populous states and counties like Yuzhou, in addition to the strong customs of the people in the frontier fortress, it also has extremely rich pasture resources that can surpass other states and counties.

Among the four major horse breeding areas of the Han Dynasty was Youzhou, which was later Gongsun Zan's. His subordinate Baima Yiyi killed Xianbei so much that when he heard the name of Baima, he wanted to flee and did not dare to fight. This had a great influence on Gongsun Zan. What helped was the horse breeding land in Youzhou, which could continuously provide him with horses.

For soldiers, having horses and not having horses are completely different concepts. War horses charge extremely fast and are impressive. When a sergeant has a horse galloping towards him and waves his weapon in his hand, the sense of oppression that rushes in can be felt. It leaves ordinary people dumbfounded in place, not knowing how to resist, not to mention that the war horse itself is blessed with power.

In the Central Plains, only those officers with official titles had the opportunity to ride war horses, and ordinary soldiers rarely had the opportunity to come into contact with horses.

In the border area, basically two or three out of ten people have very superb equestrian skills. For them, this is the capital that can establish themselves. If they can't learn these, there is no need to continue to stay here. After all, Wu The Huan cavalry will not wait foolishly for you to catch up with you on one leg.

Yuan didn’t know where Yan Liang got the horses from, and looking at his extremely skillful mounting movements, it was obvious that Yan Liang had been learning equestrian skills since he was a child. Perhaps Yan’s father, in order to best cultivate Yan Liang’s strengths, The horses he bought from horse dealers were unknown, and Wen Chou had no chance of doing so because his family was poor.

"When you arrive in Liaodong, Shu Yu must not forget to practice equestrian skills when practicing martial arts, and confront those Wuhuan aliens. Without the blessing of this horse, it is really impossible to run with two legs than four legs." Yuan Shao warned. .

Wen Chou sat in the car and nodded in response. At the same time, he was full of expectations for the distant Liaodong.

The motorcade was mighty and mighty, driving through the borders of Youzhou.

More than ten days have passed, and when everyone has regained their energy, it has been a month since they first set off from Runan. At this time, they are close to Ji County, the administrative seat of Youzhou, but on the contrary, it is far away from the administrative seat of Liaodong. Changli County is still more than ten days away.

"Let's do some repairs in Ji County first. Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Xu You, Xun Chen and I will go to the Governor's Mansion." Yuan Shao stretched his waist. He has been traveling non-stop for the past few days, even for a soldier who has experienced hundreds of battles. I have to shout a few words to get tired.

Xu You seemed to be forgiven, so he quickly jumped out of the car and squatted on the roadside while vomiting. The road was bumpy.

Yan Liang, Wen Chou, but his expression remained unchanged, but Yuan Shaoling got off his horse and stood guard by his side.

A few people walked along the official road and arrived at the foot of the Jixian city wall.

As the seat of Youzhou, Ji County is naturally not as desolate as other Youzhou counties. There are people everywhere, and the bustling noise can be heard.

"What are we doing here at the Governor's Mansion now?" Xu You asked. His eyes kept glancing at the suspension bridge under the city wall. Li Shu people rushing into the city were shuttled on it from time to time, and their hands were more or less busy working. utensils.

Because Youzhou is suitable for growing rice and has frequent exchanges with the border, the trade in commodities such as silk is also quite prosperous.

At the same time, because of its natural horse breeding land, it is often regarded as an excellent place to raise horses. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. Whoever controls Youzhou means that there will be far and constant logistical support. The land of Youzhou can supply three-thirds of the world's consumption. If Youzhou hadn't been invaded by Wuhuan and Xianbei, its population would probably be far greater than it is now.

In this era, land is of little use. The only things that can be called strategic materials are people, people who can work and drive.

Just like the Xianbei Wuhuan invasion, in fact, most of the property they plundered can only be regarded as superficial and cannot damage the real foundation. Only the population is the most important, and those alien targets are also very important. It is clear that with one successful attack, dozens or even hundreds of people will be plundered, causing people to panic.

As time passed, the places bordering foreign races began to become inaccessible.

After all, no one will always be like Li Ying. Gongsun Zan is like a god when facing foreigners, making him know how to dare not violate the situation.

Once there is no barrier, those Wuhuan and Xianbei cavalry will march straight in, killing and plundering wantonly as if entering an uninhabited land.

This was also the purpose of the Liaodong vassal state when it was first established.

The highest official of the Liaodong vassal state, the captain of the vassal state, was in charge of relocating ethnic minorities, such as Wuhuan, Xianbei, Goguryeo, etc., and moved as many of their people as possible to make them Han people, and established vassal states within a set range. The nation can retain its old customs, but politically it is under the protection of the captain of the country.

The civil and military affairs of the subject country are all handled by one person. In times of war, the captain of the subject country can recruit troops from surrounding counties and counties to defend the border fortresses.

His rank is worth two thousand dan, his salary is the same as that of the prefect, and his powers are roughly the same.

There are long history, chief bookkeeper, and other officials under his rule.

Regarding these behaviors, the governor of Youzhou basically took a laissez-faire attitude, neither rejecting nor actively absorbing them. It all depended on the vassal states and governors of various places to suppress rebellions or recruit surrenders.

If there are really unmanageable consequences, the governor of Youzhou will write to the court and send General Du Liao to govern.

Li Ying once served as a general of the Liao Dynasty, specializing in dealing with foreign tribes. In wartime, he could drive directly outside the fortress, and in peacetime, he sent many envoys to the foreign tribes to pay tribute.

Now, Yuan Shao can serve as the chief official under the command of the vassal captain, which actually gives Yuan Shao many opportunities to contact foreign races in disguise.

This opportunity that outsiders may think is unavoidable, to Yuan Shao is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But now, the first thing is to meet the Yuan family’s old official, Zhu Gui, the governor of Youzhou, in advance, and ask him to open the back door for him, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble when meeting the captain of the vassal country. Besides, With the convenience of the local governor, I think those local powerful people will give him a little favor, so the work will be easy to carry out.

"Meet this governor and ask him about his experience in getting along with foreigners." Yuan Shao said with a smile.

As for whether Zhu Gui really had experience, he didn't care. He only needed to come to the Governor's Mansion, be summoned by Zhu Gui, and then spread it to the entire Youzhou counties.

Xu You glanced at Yuan Shao who looked serious, then checked again and again and asked: "This is the governor, and besides, it's not Runan. I may not be able to enjoy it at first."

Xun Chen was thoughtful. He often couldn't guess Yuan Shao's behavior. This rarely happened to other people. It was because Yuan Shao acted so strangely that he didn't behave like ordinary people at all.Yuan Shao originally had the same attitude towards Xu You's suspicion. It wasn't until his father Yuan Feng took out the letter that represented the Yuan family's will that he understood what it meant to be called the Zhong surname in the world, the top name among famous families. The flow exists.

"Perhaps the governor will be willing to meet me, an unknown minister of the country, when he is free." Yuan Shao joked, pretending to be relaxed.

Yan Liang Wen Chou stood behind him without saying a word. He understood his responsibilities very clearly and fulfilled his duties to protect Yuan Shao's safety. As for his weapons, Yuan Shao had placed them in the convoy early in the morning.

This is to meet the governor, not to assassinate the governor, and to go to the governor's house with weapons. If one thing is not handled well, it will be difficult to handle again if it causes trouble.

The Governor's Mansion is grand and majestic, completely different from other mansions. As the image of Youzhou, the Governor himself is a breeze, and the court is not willing to let the Governor's Mansion become dilapidated. This represents the will of the Han Dynasty and does not allow anyone to desecrate it.

The soldiers at the door were also very arrogant, not so restrained at all. They stood upright and looked back and forth at everything in front of them.

Yuan Shao stepped forward and expressed his intention.

When the soldiers saw this young man, he was well-dressed, but the local style did not fit well with the local style. He knew in his heart that he was from another county. Unconsciously, he became a little arrogant, and said without raising his head: "The governor He has a lot of things to do every day and is busy with affairs, so ordinary people should not disturb him."

When he opened the appointment document, his face instantly became flattering, and he lost all of his previous arrogance. He bent over and lowered his head and whispered softly: "The chief minister is naturally qualified to meet the governor. When the junior official goes to report, Please wait, wait." After saying that, he ran all the way and ran straight to the mansion to find someone who could inform the governor.

"That man looks down on others and looks down on others. He does this all the time." Xu You sneered. He looked down on these flatterers from the bottom of his heart.

Yuan Shao smiled. People in the world have various attitudes, and no one can interfere with other people's attitudes. All he can do is try his best to prevent others from looking down on him, that's all.

Not long after, the little official ran all the way, with a standard smile on his face, bent down and pointed with one hand: "If the governor invites you, please go with the chief historian."

Yuan Shao walked in first, and several people were about to follow him, but they saw the expression of the young official changed very quickly: "Everyone, please stop. The governor only invites the chief governor, so please obey the governor's order."

Seeing this situation, Yuan Shao smiled slightly: "In that case, if you are a friend from far away, you can wait outside for a while."

"It's all up to Yuan Jun to decide." Yan Liangwen shouted loudly.

Xu Youxunchen had a strange look on his face, but he didn't say any more.

Yuan Shao was led in.

The man was walking in front with his waist hunched over, and suddenly stopped: "Chang Shi came to meet the governor, did he bring any gifts?"

Yuan Shao replied: "That's natural, thank you for reminding me."

"Does that mean you have to be a lower-ranking official? This is an unwritten rule of the governor's office. It's not something that the lower-ranking official can ask for." The clerk had a flattering smile on his face, but his words completely took away his words.

In his opinion, since he had just arrived in this long history, he was unfamiliar with the place and he was so young, so he didn't understand the rules. It would be better to explain it to him himself so that he could take the initiative and avoid getting into trouble.

"Is there such a statement?" Yuan Shao narrowed his eyes slightly and his tone gradually became lower.

The clerk didn't seem to hear it, or maybe he turned a deaf ear to it. He was still shaking his head and thinking about himself, without paying any attention to Yuan Shao.

It's just an official with a hundred and six hundred dan, and he is still a state minister, and he is even less popular with the governor. I am beating him so hard to remind him, so I pay for the reminder, a win-win situation.

"That's natural. No matter whether you are a high official or a small official, as long as you are not a governor, you must abide by the rules here."

The junior official was confident. It was obvious that either there was someone behind him, or the officials were determined not to have too much entanglement with him in order to seek personal gain.

"I'm new here, so I don't quite understand the rules here. I just asked the governor how to express my gratitude. I'll give you double the amount." Yuan Shao looked leisurely and calm, and he didn't have any concerns about this unwritten rule. represented.

The little official's face, which had been clear just a moment ago, suddenly fell down. It was filled with dark clouds, making it extremely ugly.

This was the first time he met such an ignorant official. Compared with the usual smiling officials, he had already prepared gifts long ago.

"If so, Chang Shi should go find the governor himself. I have something to do, so I'll take my leave for now." The junior official made a move to leave, but his steps didn't move at all. He was playing hard to get, waiting for Yuan Shao to say something to pull him away. Back.

"You think this is good. You are taking me to see the governor. My companions outside the palace have gifts on them." Yuan Shao grabbed his arm and raised a teasing arc on his lips.

The clerk thought for a while and realized that this person was new here anyway, so maybe he really didn't understand the rules here.

"That's fine. I hope Chang Shi will not deceive the subordinates." When the junior official learned that there was a gift, his face changed again.

Soon, Yuan Shao came to the governor's door.

The clerk smiled and pointed forward, then turned and walked towards the door of the mansion. He was going to ask for his gift. This was a rule that outsiders also had to abide by.

"The governor of Liaodong is asking to see the governor." Yuan Shao bowed and stood outside the door, shouting quietly.

Although the official felt a little strange that the governor did not convey the news, he still shouted to himself.

"Please come in." A voice that obviously didn't sound very old sounded from inside.

Enter the gate of this mansion.

Sitting in front of him was an elderly man who looked to be about 50 years old. He was looking at the map of Youzhou on the ground with great interest. When Yuan Shao came in, he only raised his head slightly to signal and did not continue to speak.

Yuan Shao also turned his attention. Many counties and counties were marked. Some, such as Liaoxi County, were surrounded by a bright red symbol. He did not understand the meaning. For example, Yuyang, Shangguang and other population households Ding Fanduo's county offices were lightly marked, and the remaining marks were almost invisible symbols.

The governor concentrated on investigating.

A full quarter of an hour passed before the governor stopped his investigation and raised his head to look at Yuan Shao.

"The newly appointed Changshi of Liaodong?"

Yuan Shao nodded and replied: "Exactly."

"Why have we been delayed for so long on the road? You need to know that the long history of Liaodong has always been in close contact with Xianbei. Now that you have not taken office, Captain Gongsha is beyond your control. If something happens, it will lead to disaster." The governor's face was unhappy. , the tone was also unceremonious.

He was the governor of a state personally appointed by the imperial court. He held a high and powerful position, and everything under his jurisdiction was tied to him. Therefore, whenever the imperial court issued an order, it would send envoys to notify him in advance. He had already known about the new Liaodong governor for a long time. Chang Shi takes office.

The former Chang Shiyin went outside the fortress while negotiating with Xianbei and did not return for several days. When Xianbei invaded again, he learned that he had been imprisoned for several days and was not given food or water. Even under such circumstances, he still vowed not to bow his head. He was willing to reveal the slightest information about Liaodong, and was eventually killed by the brutal Xianbei people.

As the governor, Zhu Gui was naturally extremely indignant about this. He ordered the captain of the Liaodong vassal state to go to the surrounding counties to recruit troops, intending to take the initiative to attack outside the Great Wall and kill this group of Xianbei people who had revolted.

After everything was ready, the troops, horses, food and wages were all ready, and they were about to attack, the group of Xianbei people sent envoys again to pay tribute. Even the body of the former Chang Shi was sent back. Peace between the Han Dynasty and Xianbei.

Duwei Gong Shamu was like trying the envoy to be treated as a long history. The long history under his command was treated like this. No bloody man would want to just let it go. The people were indignant and there were many troublemakers. , even the people gathered under the Duwei Mansion were mostly powerful forces at that time, and they had an attitude of not giving up until the Xianbei man was killed.

However, the Han Dynasty often has an open opinion towards these foreigners who are willing to join. Even if you don't see it, even the countries they govern are all based on their old system. The Han Dynasty has never intervened in it. Except for the politics of Xianbei itself, it has no deterrent power. To be controlled by the local captain.

After all, foreigners feed unfamiliar wolves. No matter how much you pity him, he will eventually tear off a piece of meat from the big man, then laugh and ridicule the big man, and walk away.

(End of this chapter)