Chapter 67 House Appreciation
Chapter 67 House Appreciation
Sima Yue soon learned the whole story of the conflict between Shao Xun and Sima Ying.
He did not pay attention to the details, but focused on asking about Sima Ying's expression at the time. After learning that he left with a gloomy face, he laughed out loud.
"How magnificent!" He knelt on the mat and slammed the table in praise.
He is indeed a man blessed by heaven, a true divine general!
There were actually people in the shogunate who advised him to give up Shao Xun, just like giving up Sima Yi. He should find an opportunity to let him be "accidentally" caught by Shi Chao's men, befriend Meng Jiu, and buy time...
What absurdity!
Such a brave general, and he’s from the East China Sea. How stupid would I have to be to give up on him!
The princess is right, this is heavenly praise! Heavenly praise!
"Reward!" Sima became more and more excited the more he thought about it, and said in a hoarse voice.
"Your Majesty, what reward should I give you?" Mi Huang asked softly.
Yes, what is the reward? Sima Yue was also stunned.
Promotion is impossible for the time being. He is still reorganizing the imperial guards and the organization is not yet clear, so there are no vacancies.
"Have all the candidates for filial and honest officials been selected?" Sima Yue turned his head and looked at the military advisor Dai Yuan and asked.
"It will take until May to complete the process. In June or July, you can officially take up the post of Lieutenant Sima and be issued an official seal." Dai Yuan replied.
He had actually been working very hard.
This year, Donghai's selection of filial and honest officials was handled specially, and the speed could be described as extremely fast. Even so, he was still urged by Sikong, and Dai Yuan was angry in his heart. Why is Shao Xun so troublesome!
However, he soon remembered the heroic act of capturing someone alive, and felt a chill in his heart: If I were captured alive like this, it would be so embarrassing. When I was thrown to the ground, I would probably fall apart.
"Is there any unowned house in the capital?" Sima Yue asked.
"Yes, there is." Dai Yuan replied, "After Huangfu Shang, a commoner and military officer in Sima Yi's shogunate, died, his family members either died or dispersed, and the house was occupied by his relatives. When Zhang Fang entered the city, he searched for Huangfu Shang's relatives and killed them all. Now no one lives there. Huangfu Shang also has a garden outside the city, which is also uninhabited."
Huangfu Shang was the protagonist of the informing incident, which led to the capture and killing of Sima Yong's favorite general Li Han by Sima Yi. Bian Cui and Feng Sun also died, and Zhuge Mei and Qian Xiu fled to Yecheng for their lives.
Later, Huangfu Shang traveled west with an imperial edict to seek help from his brother, Huangfu Chong, the governor of Qinzhou. When he arrived in Xinping, he met his cousin and was tricked and killed.
Sima Yong had always hated Huangfu Shang and wanted Zhang Fang to kill all of his family members and relatives.
The Guanzhong troops are still besieging Tianshui. Huangfu Zhong personally went to the city to supervise the battle, killing and wounding so many that Sima Yong wanted to give up.
After hearing Dai Yuan's words, Sima Yue thought for a moment.
Although Huangfu Zhong was the governor of Qinzhou and was loyal to the court, he was isolated in Guanxi and might have difficulty in supporting himself. Thinking of this, he quickly made a decision: "Give Huangfu Shang's house and garden to Shao Sima. Also give him a batch of gold, silk, money and grain. The specific amount is up to you."
"Okay." Dai Yuan agreed.
Most of the Huangfu Shang family members are dead, and their house and garden will be abandoned sooner or later. It would be better to give them away as a reward to win people's hearts.
After admiring the mansion, Sima Yue's face turned serious again, and he looked at He Lun and scolded: "Look at how brave Shao Xun is, but you are so lazy. If I go to the battlefield, would I dare to use you?"
He Lun's forehead was covered with sweat and he kept apologizing.
Just now he led two thousand soldiers to have an exercise with the Jizhou soldiers, but they couldn't hold on for even a moment and were defeated in a huge collapse, which was a huge disgrace.
Sima Yue snorted coldly and said nothing more. He Lun is an old man, so it is better to give him some face.
Moreover, although Shao Xun is brave, necessary checks and balances are indispensable. No matter how bad He Lun and Wang Bing are, they can at least balance Shao Xun and prevent him from rising too fast. Maintaining the balance of the internal power structure is a skill that superiors must master. People like Shao Xun who stand out from the crowd sometimes really make their superiors love and hate them.
After saying this, Sima Yue stood up and looked at the dark army formation in the wilderness without saying a word for a long time.
He knew that sooner or later he would have a battle with Sima Ying.
In his plan, it would be best to bring the Kingdom Army into battle together, but at this moment, he was a little hesitant.
This soldier really can't fight.
Perhaps, they could only stay in Luoyang to deal with Zhang Fang. If they attacked Yecheng in the north, Sima Yong in Chang'an would certainly send troops eastward. To support Sima Ying, the general leading the troops would most likely be Zhang Fang.
His plan was to have the main force march north to engage in a decisive battle with the Ye troops, while a detachment would block the Guanzhong troops.
It seems that the royal army can only stay behind, but - can they really deal with Zhang Fang?
Perhaps, in the end, we still have to place our hopes on Shao Xun.
Alas! Sima Yue sighed, there are too few talented people.
The pace of reorganizing the imperial guards must be accelerated.
Thinking of this, he looked at the imperial guards in the field again.
There is only one simple reason why they are obedient now: to avoid being bullied by people from Hebei and to be forced to stick together for warmth.
If I could use my fingers as easily as my own arms, I would charge at Sima Ying right now in this wilderness!
What do you mean by hunting? You can only hunt birds! Do you really think I am servile to you?
******
Sima Ying left very quickly, and along with him went the Crown Prince's carriage, clothing, and a full set of ceremonial objects.
From then on, Sima Ying could appear in Hebei with the dignity of the crown prince. He could even travel with the pomp of the emperor. He could do it.
Shao Xun rarely goes out of town, so he goes home!
He now has two residences. The area of the house in the city is not large. After piling up a lot of sundries and equipment, there is no more space. Moreover, it was burned down by Zhang Fang's men. After a rough cleanup, there are only a few rooms that can be lived in. It will be necessary to renovate it.
So, he now went to the gardens outside the city.
"It's not far from Jingu Garden. Huangfu Shang occupied the land and built it only two years ago." Pei Shiliu rode a horse and told Shao Xun, who had never been to the villa outside the city. "Two years ago, Huangfu Shang was still the confidant of Qi Wang Jiong. After Qi Wang Jiong was defeated, he attached himself to Sima Yi, a commoner, but he also fell this year." Mi Huang, who came with him, sighed twice.
To be fair, Huangfu Shang has done a good job.
Being able to preserve his family, house, and property after the defeat of Sima Jiong, the King of Qi, and being successfully recruited and reused by Sima Yi was the ultimate that could be achieved by human beings. However, he did not escape the new round of political reshuffle in Luoyang and was eliminated. The price of being eliminated was the destruction of his family. Men, women, old and young, and even relatives were all killed by Zhang Fang.
His brother, Qinzhou governor Huangfu Zhong, was still holding out, but was besieged by the Guanzhong army, and his final fate was unlikely to be any better.
"Who owns Jingu Garden now?" Shao Xun asked.
Shi Chong had only been dead for four years, and the once glorious Jingu Garden had not yet completely fallen into decline, so it was likely that some powerful people would take a fancy to it.
"It was first taken back by the imperial court, and later given to Shi Yan. He was the great-grandson of Shi Chong and was named Duke of Leling." Mi Huang said, "But Shi Yan had no interest in Jingu Garden at all. He sold the valuables, dismissed the servants, and left Luoyang to live in Leling State."
"This is a smart man." Shao Xun exclaimed.
"There are many smart people in this world, but seeing through is one thing, and being able to do it is another. Shi Yan has no nostalgia for the prosperity of Luoyang, and has even less interest in the magnificent Jingu Garden. He only wants to return to Fengguo to live a prosperous life. He has really thought it through." Mi Huang said, "Now Jingu Garden is unattended. It is overgrown with weeds and full of foxes and rats. It's a pity. Just last month, Shi Chao went to Jingu Garden. He likes living there now and goes there whenever he has time."
"When Shi Chao lived in Jingu Garden, did he have many followers?" Shao Xun suddenly thought of something and asked in a low voice.
Mi Huang had obviously thought about this issue as well. He glanced around and whispered, "There are quite a lot of people there. He often practices martial arts and exercises there."
"Forget it." Shao Xun decisively gave up the unrealistic idea.
After all, Jingu Garden is a mountain garden with dangerous terrain. If soldiers have been trained there, there are probably crude defense facilities, which will be difficult to capture in a short time.
But it is not impossible to use this to gain benefits.
Sima Ying left behind less than 50,000 soldiers in total, of which eight or nine thousand were surrendered soldiers. They were assigned to guard the twelve city gates. How many people were assigned to each gate on average?
Honestly speaking, it would be better to gather these 50,000 people in one place, which would be equally deterrent and without the danger of being defeated one by one.
If they could find an opportunity and launch an attack when Shi Chao went to Jingu Garden, the tens of thousands of people Sima Ying left in Luoyang would be wiped out.
At that time, Shi Chao had no choice but to flee back to Yecheng in a panic and wait for his fate.
"Mr. Shao is interested in Jingu Garden?" Mi Huang asked with a smile.
"Even if Jingu Garden falls into my hands, I will only do a few things." Shao Xun said.
"Which ones?" Mi Huang asked curiously.
"First, clean up those beautiful lotus ponds and stock them with fish."
"Second, clean up the pasture and garden and raise livestock."
"Third, make use of the remaining marginal land and plant fruits, vegetables and melons."
Mi Huang laughed.
This is the kind of answer that only someone who doesn't understand romance would give.
If an "elegant person" like Wang Dao came here, he would be able to feel the gentle warm breeze, fluttering willow catkins, rippling blue waves, misty rain, quiet bamboo sea, gorgeous flowers and even elegant piano sounds and beautiful ladies, but he would not be as ruining the scenery as Shao Langjun - do they understand the elegance of the celebrities since the Wei and Jin Dynasties?
The main theme is elegance, straightforwardness and unrestrainedness, and you are talking to me about farming, raising fish, and raising cattle and sheep?
Mi Huang was really happy. The young man had not yet adapted to his status as a superior man. If he told others about it, people would laugh at him. He would have to be advised well in the future, otherwise it would be difficult for him to integrate into the circle of scholars.
Shao Xun also laughed and said self-deprecatingly: "I am a wild boar, I can't eat fine bran."
Even if we include the relatively poor branches and the poor families with lower social status, does the circle of scholars account for 1% of the total population of the country? Probably less than that.
Their lives, or the so-called Wei and Jin style, are completely different from the other 99%.
When couples say goodbye in Shihao Village, they shed more tears than in the Palace of Eternal Life.
The Wei and Jin style and slave society coexisted at the same time, with more tears and blood than romance; this was the real Western Jin Dynasty.
"Two generals, we've arrived at the garden." Pei Shiliu said, pointing to a house hidden among bamboo and trees in front of him.
Shao Xun looked around and saw more than ten people walking towards him quickly.
"Who are these people?" he asked.
"General, these are the guests, attendants, and accountants of the manor, a total of eleven people." Pei Shiliu replied.
"The old people left over from the Huangfu family?" Shao Xun was a little surprised. Weren't they all killed by Zhang Fang?
Pei Shiliu was silent for a moment, then whispered in the emperor's ear, "I was sent by the princess. Don't worry, I have nothing to do with the Pei family. There are still dozens of slaves in the mansion, all newly recruited. The princess said, 'You are the lieutenant Sima living in the mansion, so you must recruit all the guests and slaves to become the boss.'"
Shao Xun was silent at the same time.
How come Concubine Pei acts like the mistress?
Woman, you need to be sensible and let your husband know...
Shao Xun subconsciously looked back, only to see Mi Huang had ridden his horse more than ten steps away, staring at an old tree, shaking his head and admiring it.
Looking behind him, Chen Yougen and thirty knights from the training team all pulled the reins and stopped seven or eight steps away.
These guys!
(End of this chapter)