Chapter 117 Old Father

Chapter 117 Old Father

Chapter 117 Old Father

After Chen Yougen left, Shao Xun accompanied Mi Huang around the area, mainly to select nodes for storing military supplies and fodder.

This kind of node should be close to the front line to facilitate transportation, but not too close to avoid being attacked.

After much deliberation, we finally chose the ancient city of Anyang.

This city is located 10 miles east of Shan County. It is said to have existed since the Warring States Period, but was repeatedly renovated and abandoned. Now the county seat is in Shan, but this city is somewhat dilapidated. After some rough repairs, it may be used as a warehouse to store supplies.

Shao Xun also went to the east of Anyang and found a place with a perfect location for building a fortress. However, considering the strength at hand, he finally gave up and decided to talk about it later. This place was later named Xiashi Township. It is located on the road from Sanmenxia to Mianchi. There is a long section of official road built between the earthen plateaus. It is deep and narrow, as straight as a line of sky, and surrounded by mountains and rivers. There were fortresses during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, Xiao County was established, and the county seat was once located in Xiashiwu.

After collecting grain and fodder near Shan County, Shao Xun obtained another 30,000 hu, so he sent people to send them to Jinmen Village for storage.

At the end of February, the army marched westward, passed through Caoyang Ruins, and headed for Hongnong. The ruins of Caoyang was where Emperor Xian of Han stopped when he returned east.

At this time, Chen Yougen had already arrived in Wenxi. After waiting for several days, he met Pei Kang on the Cold Food Festival.

Pei Kang was very old, but he was still very angry after reading the letter.

In the past year, he received several letters from home, and he often saw the name "Shao Xun", which made him feel unhappy.

Although the social atmosphere in the dynasty was much more open than that of the early Han Dynasty, and scholars would often have their hair unkempt, drink and sing, and even bring women along to have fun when they were in the mood, Pei Kang still couldn't stand it.

The Later Han Dynasty took Confucianism as the classics and did not like women to learn too much. In this dynasty, rituals and music were in decline, and women learned a lot from a young age, including classics, history, music, dance, cooking, and even how to manage the household business. It seems that they have taken the wrong path.

In February and March, women and men played pot-shooting games together, played the zither and recited poems. He had thought it was nothing before, but now that this incident with his daughter had happened, he was in a very bad mood.

She has been married to Sima Yue for ten years and has only known Shao Xun for three years. Has she changed her heart?

He had a sullen face and was angry, but after getting over his anger, he started to worry about his daughter who was marrying far away.

In the past few years, he is the only one among the four brothers still alive, and even some of his sons and nephews have passed away.

When people get old, they become nostalgic and miss their children even more.

Pei Kang sighed, picked up the porcelain bowl on the table and started eating.

Chen Yougen sat below Pei Kang on his left, drinking his porridge in silence.

According to the custom of the Cold Food Festival, fire is prohibited for three days and barley porridge is made.

So what he drank now was oatmeal porridge.

The porridge contains almond yogurt and maltose. It is sweet and delicious.

At this time in Yunzhongwu, even if they celebrated the Cold Food Festival, they probably couldn't eat these things.

Barley may not have it.

No money to buy almonds.

Honey is even more of a luxury.

He deeply felt that the Pei family seemed to be of different kinds from them.

Concubine Pei grew up eating these things.

When he was a child, he ate grass roots, caught field mice to satisfy his hunger, and went to the river to fish, and almost drowned.

Is it really appropriate for the general to get involved with the Pei family?

Two bowls of barley porridge were quickly finished.

The servants immediately came forward and cleared the tableware.

Pei Kang ate slowly and leisurely for a long time before he wiped his mouth with a piece of silk and said, "Guest, please accompany me for a walk."

Chen Yougen was not an ordinary person. He drove the emperor's carriage and was elected by the imperial court to be granted the ninth-rank official position. He was also - was even more so, that person's confidant. Pei Kang still maintained the most basic respect for him.

As for the knights from the training team he brought with him, he didn't even look at them.

Two pretty maids came forward and supported Pei Kang.

Chen Yougen followed silently behind.

They came to a forest of pine and cypress trees.

In the distance there were large houses, of varying heights and arranged in an orderly manner. Judging from the servants coming in and out, it seemed that quite a few people lived there.

"Two hundred years..." Pei Kang pointed at the huge courtyard and said, "Since the Later Han Dynasty, the Pei family of Wenxi has slowly grown from a powerful family to the top family in the north. In the past two hundred years, the descendants have prospered, and there have been talented people in every generation, some of whom are studious, some are honest and diligent, some have strategies, and some are excellent in martial arts. What a magnificent family. The descendants have lived in the same place for three generations, and the family is happy. Relatives, no matter how far or near, rich or poor, all come from afar to eat. The poor and the orphans are raised and taught, and the powerful and the noble are supported..."

Pei Kang spoke very emotionally.

Chen Yougen felt sleepy after listening to this. But he understood the meaning. The Pei family was a large family with a very deep foundation. Not only did they have people who served as officials in the court, but their local strength was even more formidable. There were probably hundreds of people who had lived together for three generations, and there would be even more people who had separated and lived separately after three generations. If there were any talents among these people, the main family would deepen their ties with them and provide them with help.

Chen Yougen deeply suspected that the officials of Hedong County were more or less influenced by the Pei family. In fact, many officials were descendants of the Pei family, or their in-laws, students, and old friends.

These noble families! I'm afraid only a ruthless person like Zhang Fang can deal with them.

"Since you are an official, you must not be a fool who does not know the world." Pei Kang turned around and looked at the cemetery in another direction, saying: "The ancestral tombs of my Pei family are here, the family business is here, the clan members are here, and the relatives and friends are also here. We can't leave."

"This..." Chen Yougen was a little anxious, but he was tongue-tied and didn't know what to say. In the end, he just blurted out: "If the Xiongnu go south, all these will be destroyed, leaving nothing behind."

Pei Kang smiled.

He shook off the maid, put his hands behind his back, walked a few steps in the field, and then pointed to the indigo wall vaguely visible across a small river, and said, "That's the fortress, but my Pei family has more than one fortress. Each fortress is centered on the children of the clan, the troops are the backbone, and the farmhands or refugees absorbed are the soldiers. Governing the people is like governing the army, and the upper and lower levels are united. If the Xiongnu sent a large army, regardless of casualties, they could indeed break through my Pei family's fortress, but why would that be necessary? Cooperation is beneficial to both sides, and fighting is detrimental to both sides. Liu Yuanhai is a smart man, he is not that stupid. He will even give the Pei family more benefits, so that the Pei family can get more power that they cannot get in the Jin Dynasty. So, what do you think? Should I leave?"

"If I were the Huns, I would definitely break through the fort and take all the power and authority into my own hands." Chen Yougen was unconvinced and said stubbornly.

"Do Yu Gun and Yu Shubao of Yingchuan know about it?" Pei Kang asked.

"I know." Chen Yougen had heard Shao Xun mention this before. It was the "recluse" who established Yushanwu when Zhao Wanglun usurped the throne.

"It's good to know, so I don't have to waste my breath." Pei Kang said, "Yu Shubao did a lot of things in Yushanwu. He built steep and dangerous places, blocked paths, repaired walls, planted barriers, evaluated merits, calculated lengths, balanced labor and rest, communicated what was available, repaired equipment, assigned people according to their abilities, and put things in the right place. He made the town promote its leaders and the villages promote their virtuous people, and he led by example."

In short, after Yu Gun built Yushanwu, he first improved the grassroots organization and divided the households in the fort into grassroots units.

They swore with them: "Do not rely on danger, do not rely on rebellion, do not bully neighbors, do not pull down houses, do not cut down trees planted by others, do not plan immoral things, do not commit unrighteous acts, work together as one, and sympathize with each other in times of danger" - these are the articles of the covenant, which establish a crude legal system based on customary practices.

In addition, an assessment system and a statistical system have also been established.

Manage strictly, set an example, work together, implement a rationing system, eliminate waste, and share what you have.

On the military side, they stockpiled large amounts of supplies and city-defending equipment, sent people to set up fences, confronted the enemy head-on, and at the same time monitored jungle trails that might be missed to avoid surprise attacks.

Finally, put the right people in the right positions, there will be no waste in their positions, and everyone's strength will be utilized.

As a result, Yushanwu became extremely disciplined and well-organized, so much so that Zhang Hong's troops did not dare to invade.

"Yu Shubao was born in the Yu family of Yingchuan. He has never been an official. He is just a hermit. There are many people like him in my Pei family." After saying this, Pei Kang looked at Chen Yougen and said, "I know your master has some people under him. The young man I taught two or three years ago is roughly literate and knows some simple arithmetic. He can manage the fort roughly. But being able to manage and managing well are two different things. A capable fort master can make the whole fort have a good harvest of millet and wheat, and the cattle and sheep are wild, and the whole fort is united, and it does not delay training. An incompetent fort master can only barely maintain it, or even have more expenses than income. Do you think the difference is big? Your master needs the Pei family, but Liu Yuan doesn't need it?"

Chen Yougen was speechless.

No matter how stubborn he was, he had to admit the fact that the aristocratic families did have many talented people. Not only their own people, but also many small noble families, small tyrants, small merchants, and local officials influenced by them.

General Shao only has three docks now, so he can still spare some energy to take care of them. In the future, when his territory becomes larger, it will be impossible for him to take care of everything, and it will depend on the abilities of his subordinates.

Thinking of this, Chen Yougen also became annoyed.

If he had been in the past, he would have walked away in anger. But he was entrusted with the important task of being a general, so he could not act on impulse. He could only snort coldly to vent his dissatisfaction.

Pei Kang didn't take it seriously. He just laughed and said, "I'm old now. Sometimes I don't know what I'm thinking."

Chen Yougen looked at him blankly. What did this mean?

"Hua Nu is my eldest daughter. She was very attached to me when she was young, but she became disobedient when she grew up." Pei Kang looked at the ground in a daze, and after a long time he said, "You can go back."

Chen Yougen opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"After some time, I will ask Liu Anzhi to take 500 pieces of Shu brocade to Yiyang in the south, and tell your general not to run around." Pei Kang had already returned home, but his voice could still be heard from afar.

He originally wanted to say a few more words, but then thought better of it.

His daughter was ignorant and shameless, but as a father he had to think about her. The scandal between her and Shao Xun could not be known to more people.

If he has time, he will go to Luoyang.

On the one hand, he met with old friends, and on the other hand, he warned his daughter not to be so passionate about adultery that she would not pay attention to anything and let outsiders see the clues.

It’s really not a worry.

Chen Yougen smiled.

The old man finally thought of the three burrows of a cunning rabbit. What's wrong with Hongnong? If we send more people out, we can have a better chance of winning. What if Liu Yuan loses his mind and insists on competing with the Pei family to the end?

But who is Liu Anzhi?

An unknown person wants to come to Yiyang to give orders and needs the general to welcome him?

He was too lazy to care about it and left to reunite with his men.

This mission should not fail, which made him feel very good. He even hummed a folk song: "If a man wants to be strong, he doesn't need many companions. Kites fly across the sky, and flocks of sparrows fly in pairs. Hehe, what a noble family, aren't you scared by the general? When I raise a hundred thousand troops one day, I will scare you to death. If I can't scare you to death, I will kill Wang Yan in front of you and see if you are afraid."

(End of this chapter)