Chapter 121 Good and fun-loving

Chapter 121 Good and fun-loving

Chapter 121 Good and fun-loving

After carefully instructing Jin San, Lu Heigou and Mao Er to speed up the grain harvesting, winnowing and storing, Shao Xun accompanied Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi back to Luoyang.

The carriage moved slowly and could not reach Luoyang within a day, so they slept in the countryside that night.

The number of guests under Tang Jian has doubled. He is now almost a team leader, and he leads people to guard the periphery at night.

Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi also brought a number of troops with them and also stayed outside.

In the middle of the night, Pei Kang looked up at the sky for a long time without saying a word.

When the five stars are out of place, their essence descends to the earth and becomes a human being. Among them, Taibai descends to become a strong man, who lives in the forest.

He quietly returned to his tent, took out the divination tools, and told a fortune.

I didn't come to any conclusion, so I suppressed my thoughts and decided to observe it using traditional methods.

We continued our journey the next day and arrived in Luoyang in the afternoon.

The autumn harvest is also in progress in the areas around Luoyang.

There was no drought, no flood, and no locust plague this year, and everyone was happy and excited.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As for next year, who knows? Even the emperor and his ministers don’t know what will happen next year.

After entering the city, Shao Xun went straight back to his residence to write a teaching plan.

In the evening, Xu Lang came with Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi.

Pei and Liu were behind, while Xu Lang walked a few steps in front and whispered in Shao Xun's ear: "The princess personally escorted Lord Pei to the door, with red and swollen eyes. Everyone said that the princess was very filial..."

God damn filial piety! Did he cry because of being scolded? Fortunately, Lao Pei should know his limits and would not do anything wrong when outsiders are present.

Shao Xun straightened his robe and welcomed the two of them in.

"I don't live here permanently, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Mr. Pei." Shao Xun led the people into the main hall and ordered the servants to make tea. The servants told him that there was no tea, and he felt embarrassed.

"It's okay. I brought some tea." Pei Kang was followed by two handsome servants. Upon hearing this, they immediately took out tea balls, tea pots, and seasonings from the box, and then went to fetch water to boil.

Liu Anzhi stood in the front yard, admiring the various weapons on the equipment rack, but did not go in.

"Please forgive me, Lord Pei. I am a military household and I don't always have elegant items at home." Shao Xun asked someone to bring two Hu beds over.

Pei Kang took a look at it in surprise. It was the first time he saw this kind of seat.

I sat down and tried it. Wow, it’s spacious and comfortable.

When your back is tired, you can lean on the back of the Hu bed, which has armrests on both sides, which is also very considerate.

Anyway, he liked this seat a little bit, and said, "This thing is wonderful, my lord is a person who knows how to enjoy it."

"If Pei Gong likes it, he can have the Hu bed taken back." Shao Xun said with a smile, "It's also because of the fatigue in the army, so I want to make something more comfortable. The Hu bed is one of them, and there is also a high-legged table."

Pei Kang did not comment, but just stared at Hu Chuang for a long time, then he retracted his gaze, sorted out his thoughts, and said: "Yesterday I discussed the general situation of the world with you briefly. Today I have some free time, so I want to discuss it again. Do you know the general situation now?"

Shao Xun picked up the wine pot, poured some into the wine bowl, then dipped his finger in it and wrote a few words on the table: East China Sea, Imperial Court, Hejian, and Xiongnu.

"Try to explain it to me." Pei Kang looked at Shao Xun expectantly and said.

These are the four largest forces in the North.

The King of the East Sea has won over many brothers of the same bloodline, who are the most powerful, although he himself is the weakest.

The imperial court still had influence, and could at least appoint provincial governors, governors-general, and prefects, and all prefectures and counties in the country had to send money and grain to the capital.

The King of Hejian was guarding Guanzhong. Although he was about to be attacked, he still had some strength.

Liu Yuan of the Xiongnu has already established a country and ruled as its own regent. He is the first person to do so in the north and no one can ignore it.

As for other small forces, they all survive in the cracks between these four major forces.

After hearing Pei Kang's words, Shao Xun wrote down eight more words, "Fan Yang", "Ping Chang", "Dong Ying" and "Ning Shuo" on the right side of the word "Dong Hai".

On the right side of "imperial court" he wrote the words "Son of Heaven", "Wang Yan" and "Imperial Guards". After writing them, he erased "Imperial Guards".

The words "Shizu" and "Zhang Fang" are written on the right side of "Hejian".

There was nothing written on the right side of "Xiongnu" because he didn't know what to write.

"Why don't you write anymore?" Pei Kang asked.

"I really don't know the inside story of the Huns." Shao Xun shook his head and said.

It's not that I don't want to find out, it's just that I don't have the ability to do so.

To collect intelligence, you need a base and a group of people, right? The collection process also costs a lot. One or two bases can be set up, but who can afford to support dozens or hundreds of intelligence collection centers? Sima Yue couldn't afford it.

Also, do you have connections in the local area?

If a foreigner goes there, it will be very conspicuous, and the efficiency of intelligence gathering will be extremely low, and it will be difficult to get much useful information. If you go out to investigate, are you sure you won't be captured and made a slave?

For things like this, we can only cooperate with the local tyrants.

Wang Yan was very capable in this matter because he was a famous figure in the world, had a wide network of contacts, and his family had been running the business for several generations. He was not comparable to a nouveau riche with no background.

Pei Kang obviously knew about this, so he skipped the topic and asked, "You wrote about the many forces in the world. What can you deduce about the next step?"

Shao Xun thought for a moment and said, "If you want to know what is going on in the world, you still have to see what those in power want."

At this point, he stopped.

Pei Kang was slightly dissatisfied and said, "At this point, you still won't tell the truth? It's just you and me in the hall, and no one else can hear it."

Shao Xun nodded and said, "The King of Donghai wants to return to Luoyang and control the government. As for whether he wants to go further, we have to wait and see. I think the King of Donghai is still rational now, but if something unexpected happens, it will be hard to say."

It is impossible for a person to remain sane from beginning to end.

It was indeed difficult for Sima Yue to usurp the throne, because he was a distant relative of the royal family, and others would not accept him. He knew this. But knowing this was one thing, but what if he felt that his time was running out and wanted to indulge himself? Sometimes reason would be overwhelmed by impulse, and it was hard to say.

"Sikong has few soldiers, little money, and little food. If he wants to wipe out the enemy, he can only rely on the Fangbo. But the Fangbo will not work for him in vain. The Fangbo also has things he wants."

"King Fanyang was constrained by Liu Qiao in Yuzhou. He only had military power but no political power. If he was to be driven to send troops, he could be tempted with the post of governor of Yuzhou. This might be the reason why King Fanyang went north overnight. He wanted to take control of both military and political power."

"Pingchang Gong is stationed in Yecheng. His only wish is to quell the rebellion and secure his position as the ruler of Jizhou."

"Duke Dongying was repeatedly attacked by the Xiongnu in Bingzhou, and the situation was not good. He might want to change his position and become a comfortable governor." "Ningshuo General Wang Jun attacked Sima Ying partly out of personal hatred and partly to humiliate the emperor in Chengdu, which was a violation of the superiors. Now that the emperor has returned to the capital and Sima Ying is dead, he may be sending troops just to get the job done. Unless the prime minister promises greater benefits, he will work hard."

"There were originally three factions in the imperial court. After the fall of the imperial guards, only the Tianzi and Wang Yan factions remained."

"Some court officials respect the emperor and are loyal ministers. All they want is to pacify the chaotic situation in the world. They are not on good terms with the Minister of Works."

"The rest are Wang Yan's followers, and most of them are motivated by their own faction. They tend to support Sikong, but they don't completely listen to him."

"The new imperial guards are not yet established. Some of the generals are attached to the prime minister, while others are private servants of the Wang family. There are very few who are loyal to the emperor."

"The Prince of Hejian is only thinking about protecting himself now. He may contact other prefects to fight against Sikong together. The reinforcement of troops to Tongguan this time is a wait-and-see move. Once Sikong suffers a few defeats, the Western troops will surge eastward again. If Sikong wins battle after battle, he will guard the gates carefully."

"The honor and disgrace of the scholars in Xizhou all depend on the Prince of Hejian, but they have deep conflicts with people like Zhang Fang who come from humble backgrounds. I heard that there is a military officer in Yongfu named Bi Yuan, who is from a prominent family in Hejian, and he was insulted by Zhang Fang. This is a good example. If the Prince of Hejian cannot resolve the conflicts between the scholars and the common people, then it will be dangerous."

"As for Liu Yuan, he has the greatest ambition and wants to overthrow the world."

He spoke at great length and basically made clear the demands of each force.

Every family has its own problems. Every family has external conflicts and internal worries.

Sima Yue himself is weak and has to rely on the strength of his allies.

Sima Yong promoted people based on their talents, and promoted Li Han (from a poor family) and Zhang Fang (from an unaffiliated family) to be commanders-in-chief and to lead the army. However, when these two people succeeded, they became complacent and greatly aggravated the internal conflicts in the Yong government. Zhang Fang, in particular, brought Sima Yong countless bad reputations, so it was not surprising that he was killed one day.

The battle between Yuefu and Yongfu was a test of internal stability. In comparison, Sima Yong's situation was more difficult. The conflict between the nobles and Zhang Fang had already reached a sharp level. They were just barely avoiding a fallout at this time. If Zhang Fang kidnapped the emperor to Chang'an, they would probably fall out completely.

"That's right." Pei Kang laughed and said, "It's not easy to see the whole picture through a tube."

Shao Xun's analysis relies on public information. He starts with the demands of all parties, unravels the facts, and proceeds step by step. His analysis is very professional.

"Mr. Pei, you are too kind." Shao Xun said modestly.

"I have some old acquaintances in the capital, and I can borrow some money and property from them. Let my son Daoqi take care of this matter. If there is any shortage, you can discuss it with him and he will help you build Yunzhongwu." Pei Kang said again.

"I am very grateful." Upon hearing this, Shao Xun immediately stood up and saluted.

It was quite standard, not particularly enthusiastic, but not rude either.

There was no mention of marrying a daughter of the Pei family, and the investment was extremely limited.

Yunzhong Dock has been built more than halfway, and their investment is limited to completing the dock.

In fact, Shao Xun was a little puzzled. It was already this late, but he was still holding on to his purse?
The Pei family can invest in anyone, but it is impossible for them to invest in Sima Yue, Sima Yong and other princes.

Ever since Pei Xiu, Pei Wei, and the father and son Pei Kai and Pei Zan suffered heavy losses for interfering in the royal civil strife, the Pei family had learned their lesson and withdrew.

Now the only one left by Sima Yue is Pei Dun.

So, how do you plan to use all that money and grain? In troubled times, if you can't quickly turn it into strength or influence, are you just waiting to pay tribute to others? What Liu Yuan asked for was dozens or hundreds of times what you gave me.

"In addition, if the Pei family goes south to Hongnong to build a fort, we must watch out for each other and help each other." Pei Kang said again.

"Of course there is nothing wrong with this." Shao Xun said.

Pei Kang calmed down and said, "Today I carefully questioned Hua Nu. She dared not hide anything and told me everything. Fortunately, you two were quite restrained. Putting aside the extraordinary times in Jinyong City, you went to see Hua Nu twice after she moved back to Sikong Mansion. Although it is understandable, you can't go there more than once. From now on, you just need to focus on military affairs and stop having wild thoughts."

Shao Xun was silent.

With his current status, it is not impossible for him to marry the daughter of a noble family of lower rank.

It is not impossible for a concubine's daughter or a widowed daughter of a middle-class family to give it a try.

But what does that mean?
A woman has no labels, no identity, and no emotions. She looks the same when the lights are turned off, and is boring. It would be better to marry the fat girl from Mi Huang's family.

Talking about feelings is too luxurious and almost impossible these days, so only status can make him happy.

Don’t talk about rationality or danger. Am I rational when I kill people?
Am I rational when I play with human heads?

There are already too many rational aspects in me. I don't harm the people, I reward my cronies with money and property, I educate students wholeheartedly, I train soldiers diligently, I constantly make friends with useful people, and I think about new alternative systems. Yet you want to deprive me of the little happiness I have in terms of women and make me work like an emotionless robot. This is forcing me to rebel.

However, what Pei Kang said made sense, and he had to pretend for the time being.

He could hold it back for the time being, but he was worried that Concubine Pei, who had been lonely for many years, would not be able to hold it back either.

Once the rumor of Princess Langya having an affair with a minor official spreads, Concubine Pei may not end up like Xiahou Guangji.

So he nodded and said, "Pei Gong, please relax. I respect and love the princess very much and would never have any intention of disrespecting her."

"It's not too late to stop before it's too late." Pei Kang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I can see some clues from the letter home, and I came here to stop it for your own good. The King of the East Sea has a large army -"

Before he could finish his words, Yu Liang, the chief priest of the East Pavilion of the shogunate, suddenly came to visit.

"My lord, Sikong has been defeated..." Yu Liang said anxiously.

"Where did you lose?" Shao Xun asked, sitting firmly on the couch, his expression unchanged.

Is it surprising that Sima Yue suffered a defeat?
"Sikong led tens of thousands of Wang Guojun and 20,000 hereditary soldiers from Xuzhou and stationed in Xiaoxian County in the west. Liu Qiao sent troops to Lingbi (belonging to Xiaoxian County). The two armies fought, and Sikong was defeated. He fled back to Xuzhou and gathered the remaining soldiers, only having more than a thousand people." Yu Liang said.

Leaving Xuzhou, not far to the west is Xiao County of Pei State in Yuzhou. In other words, Sikong lost all his capital as soon as he left the house and retreated back.

"Then what?" Shao Xun asked.

"Cao's army has asked us to prepare for the expedition to Yuzhou. The prime minister is extremely anxious now, and has sent out letters to all places, ordering them to attack Liu Qiao together."

"I understand." Shao Xun nodded.

Sikong had worked so hard to accumulate military strength, but he just wasted it in one battle. He is such a novice and a playful person.

Now he is so anxious that he is looking for people everywhere, even the soldiers in Luoyang are his target.

I just don’t know what Sima Mao is thinking now. Will he regret giving up Xuzhou?

"My dear, please don't take it lightly." Pei Kang was extremely shocked by the news of defeat at first, but he finally reacted and said with a frown.

Why can’t the King of the East Sea defeat anyone?
It was not difficult to say that he was defeated by Sima Ying before, but now he could even defeat Liu Qiao, the governor of Yuzhou. I don’t know what to say. If this continues, even if he returns to Luoyang, his prestige will be greatly damaged and he will not be able to smoothly control the government.

"Don't worry." Shao Xun smiled and said, "I know what kind of people the imperial guards are. They won't fight recklessly. Besides, it's hard to say whether the Prince of Hejian will have any ideas after Sikong suffered such a big loss. Whether we can successfully move south and east is still uncertain."

Yu Liang understood.

If Sima Yong sent troops eastward, Luoyang would definitely not be able to withdraw troops to support Sikong.

But - will this make Sikong unhappy?
They had not seen Sikong for a long time. They heard that more and more scholars were going to Xuzhou. The Xuzhou shogunate was growing stronger and stronger, and it had already surpassed the size of the Luoyang shogunate before the Battle of Dangyin.

This matter, alas!
(End of this chapter)