Xu Zhen's behavior made it hard for Liu Xie to step down. If Dong Cheng were still here, he would probably scold Xu Zhen in front of the palace, saying he was disobedient and disrespectful to the emperor.

Unfortunately, he is no longer here.

Yang Biao and Da Changqiu beside him did not dare to speak. The inner and outer palace guards were all Xu Zhen's old troops. Back then, he personally led these guards with superb martial arts, which made them admire them.

Therefore, no one in the hall could scold him again.

Coming out of the main hall, Xu Zhen looked around at the buildings near the court hall. The imperial city was even more magnificent and magnificent, giving it the feeling of Luoyang back then.

However, the city where it is located is far less than one-tenth. Once the whole north is stabilized, it may take a few decades to recover. From this point of view, the vision should be more long-term.

Cao Ang and Xu Zhen walked down the stairs together, both of them strolling in the courtyard with their hands behind their backs.

The rest of the Han Dynasty officials avoided him and left directly instead of walking side by side with the two of them. Firstly, their status was too high. Secondly, Xu Zhen allowed Dian Wei to attack Dong Cheng and Cao Cao.

Dong Cheng and several high-ranking officials rebelled against the party, and there were shadows. The third party could not help but accompany each other in private and tell each other off. After all, Xu Zhen, the emperor, did not take the emperor seriously.

I think back then, among the ministers with a foreign surname who were almost as famous as Xu Zhen, Uncle Liu Huang was also very famous. He kowtowed nine times and bowed nine times when he met the emperor, and he showed off his appearance.

How could Xu Zhen act so casually? Every word and word was an order that determined that the emperor would not issue a punishment.

"Why don't you want to go, brother? Zixiu guesses that the emperor doesn't have anything to say. He must be bored here."

Xu Zhen immediately laughed easily, "I don't want to go. If I had gone before, I might have gone, but now that I have a clear mind, I understand one thing. If you don't touch the water, your skin will not get wet. I have nothing to do with the officials of the Han Dynasty.

I don’t have any ideas, so why bother to confirm the facts? If I go, even if nothing happens, there will still be rumors, but I dare not disobey the emperor’s orders..."

He suddenly paused when he said this, and after thinking for a moment, the smile returned to his face, and he said to Cao Ang relaxedly: "Let's do it! I will ask people in the army who are above the generals to come to the palace every day to tell His Majesty the causes and consequences.

When the lord comes back, another group of people will be sent to him and he will be told, Zixiu, please make arrangements."

"well……"

Cao Ang stuttered slightly, and couldn't laugh or cry after thinking about it. He thought that this was to make the emperor angry to death. On the surface, he fulfilled his wish, but the point was not to listen to the military situation of the war, but to ask his brother to accompany him.

But it is indeed a good thing to take it off, so as not to come in and out too much and be suspected of gradually approaching the Han Dynasty princes and arousing my father's suspicion.

"This Young Mansion... I don't want it either," Xu Zhen touched his chin and said thoughtfully: "The Young Mansion is worth two thousand stones, and it belongs to Sikong. I will stay in Xuchang for a longer time in the future, and I don't feel comfortable.

"

"It's better to go back to Yangzhou and take Jiujiang County, part of Huainan, as our base."

The place must be well prepared. It is well connected in all directions and has many rivers. It is easy to raise troops and enrich the people. It is not too far to reach Xuzhou in the north and Jiangdong in the east.

"With my brother's ability, it's enough to be a state shepherd. Why not give him the governorship of Yangzhou as well?"

"No, unless it's really the state pastor."

Just kidding, the governor's salary will be reduced by more than 1,200 stones. Isn't this harmful?

"Dian Wei has made great contributions to the army." Xu Zhen stopped arguing with him on this topic and turned to look solemn. "In this battle, he suffered a lot of damage and lost too many horses. Moreover, all his brothers fought bravely and made great achievements.

It is a great contribution, but Zixiu needs to be properly placed at this time, otherwise he will lose the morale of the army and the people."

"Well, Zi Xiu must handle this matter impartially. I ordered Shangshu to immediately issue a merit report and distribute money and food to the people. As for Zhongwu Marquis... let's transfer it to the county marquis... Then I have thousands of good horses under my command. He will be sent to the army of Marquis Zhongwu, and he will be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins and three thousand pieces of silk and brocade."

"Can be deployed in the army."

Xu Zhen patted him on the shoulder, looked at Cao Ang's elegant and slightly majestic face, and found that the boy had also slowly grown a beard.

"Brother, don't you ask for something for yourself?" Cao Ang put his hands behind his back and stepped forward. He must have been stationed in Xudu for so long, and his dealings with other Han Dynasty officials were naturally not as elegant as he was with Xu Zhen in Jiujiang at first. Be more dignified.

"If you want something, Zixiu will definitely fight for it for your brother. Even his father will definitely agree."

Cao Ang smiled confidently.

Xu Zhen thought for a while and puffed his cheeks slightly. Thinking of the lifespan bonus of the Han soul, he remained silent for a while. This characteristic is tied to the big man. It is estimated that it will not only be as simple as lifespan in the future.

Perhaps in the future there will be the possibility of non-human beings becoming gods, and it will also have to do with the luck of the great man. If the great man loses all his energy, he will be damaged, and it will take decades of hard work to rebuild it.

Maybe we won't have such a good opportunity again.

"Nothing to ask for," Xu Zhen seemed to have made up his mind. He shook his head, breathed a sigh of relief and stopped worrying. He showed a gentle smile to Cao Ang, "I don't ask for big errands, but I ask for orders for the people. Every day, I will ask for help." If you apply late, you will receive your salary on time, regardless of changes in weather."

"It doesn't matter whether I hold power or not. I don't seek this. It's good to be indifferent to fame and fortune. What I seek is relaxation and a clear conscience."

Cao Ang was sincere when he heard this, but he had mixed feelings for a while. Without a noble background, it would indeed be difficult for him to take power in the future just by becoming famous and achieving his own achievements. The best way out for his brother is to be a court official, a censor, or wait until he resumes his role as a censor in the future. Shi Zhongcheng is also a prime minister.

As for the Sangong and Jiuqing, they can definitely take on one of the posts, and the so-called disciples and old officials all over the world will take at least thirty years of prosperity to develop, and that will be a matter of the future.

My brother just wants peace of mind.

Cao Ang could already feel this.

"As for now, brother, don't you want to go further?"

Xu Zhen patted Cao Ang on the shoulder and said seriously: "Now is far from the time to talk about this."

"Jizhou hasn't been captured yet, we just defeated Guandu."

Two heavy slaps made Cao Ang feel a little stunned for a moment, then he smiled bitterly, cupped his hands and said apologetically: "Brother is right, Zixiu is too impatient, but this is also to repay brother's kindness, you have sacrificed so much. , I really don’t know how to repay.”

"I didn't ask you to repay me."

Xu Zhen's face became serious, and he also showed some majesty with his hands behind his back, which made Cao Ang even more timid and his breathing became lighter. Only at this moment did he realize that he had always been dominant in the previous interactions, but Xu Zhen never treated him get angry.

Once he speaks louder and tougher, he can't suppress him at all.

Xu Zhen just shouted in a deep voice and stopped Cao Ang's continued words. He soon breathed a sigh of relief and said softly: "Now, I just want to manage the government well every day and earn some hard work. I already have enough fame and fortune. Even if I am competing for fame, I am competing for the civil and military service under my command, and to find a way for Kong Ming. The future belongs to you young people, and it is time for me to enjoy a slow-paced life step by step."

Cao Ang: "..."

You are only twenty-eight...

Although it does sound a bit old-fashioned when I say this now, and I look very old.

…

Thirty-five days later.

Cao Cao personally led an army to capture Liyang and killed all the soldiers and horses in Liyang to a rout. Both sides suffered casualties.

At the hottest time of summer, Cao Cao raised his troops and left Liyang again, entered Wei County and captured the city.

Yuan Shao left Zhang He behind and sent all the luggage, property, civil and military ministers, and noble officials to Qinghe County within a month.

With the strength of the Qinghe noble clan and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses guarding the border, Yuan Xi, the second son, was asked to recruit troops in Youzhou, win over the prefects who had defeated Youzhou Baima with their troops before, and then lead the troops south to defend the Jizhou line.

.

The situation was somewhat stabilized.

With his withdrawal, Wei County was defeated after defending it for fifteen days. Zhang He abandoned the city and left. Cao Cao's troops joined Zhao Yun and Xu Chu who were in Yangping County, connecting the two counties.

At this point, half of Jizhou fell, and the war finally calmed down, giving Yuan Shao and Cao Cao a chance to breathe.

After all, autumn is only a month or two away.

Cao Cao also needed to transfer grain and grass from various places to defend the land and stabilize the people after the grain and grass harvest. At the same time, he would slightly distribute the land in the captured territory, prepare to cultivate the land on the spot to support the people, exempt taxes according to the actual situation, and prepare for war next year.

At this time, the role of Xun Yu, Xu Zhen and others became apparent.

The three counties of Xu Zhen have hundreds of thousands of fields, which is comparable to the entire Yuzhou.

Coupled with the addition of Yuzhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou and the edge of the old land of Luoyang, it should not be a problem to produce millions of stones of grain and grass for storage, and there will naturally be enough that can be allocated to military resources.

Xudu.

With the addition of a thousand households, Xu Zhen's family gradually had more money to store food. Of course, he did not need to spend money to buy things.

Nowadays, even the clothes are more gorgeous, with fine brocade, carved and whitewashed crafts, with flower and bird patterns on the body, which is attached to the black robe, and a dark blue jade belt is tied around the waist, with a pearl and jade in the middle, which is not considered expensive.

.

He went to the government office to take charge and served as director together with Xun Yu.

Xu Zhen did not ask for the post of Shaofu, but performed the duties of Sikong on his behalf. This was mentioned by name in Cao Cao's letter. After the war was completely settled, he would return to the prime minister's residence and hand over the government.

During this period, every time Xu Zhen gave an order or read a memorial, he would write down all the details with a brush with mosquito hair. Now his calligraphy has improved greatly and he has been praised by Xun Yu countless times.

"Compared with last year, 1.08 million shi of grain were put into the warehouse, and a notice was issued to the people claiming 1.5 million shi to inspire people's hearts. People from all over the country were enthusiastic about storing grain in their homes, and encouraged the middle-aged people to use materials from various places to build houses and improve people's living conditions.

environment."

"So far this year, the harvest is expected to be about twice as good as the previous year. Four counties have been added to the main cultivated land. The population has increased by 300,000. The number of wounded soldiers returning home has increased. After resettlement, they can be used as manpower. In addition, it has been used for many years.

Aqueducts, bamboo and wood spiral irrigation strategies, and improved implements such as curved shaft plows are most popular this year."

"Six hundred thousand military funds should be raised and sent to various places, and the rest should be stored in warehouses and used for policies that benefit the people."

"Your Majesty, this is the general situation."

"As for who will be sent to escort the grain and grass, how the route is planned, and how much grain is actually delivered from various places, we will discuss it later."

Xu Zhen nodded. He was actually used to Xun Yu's strict approach to business affairs. He was always serious about his words and managed each other's affairs as officials. He would never go beyond the politeness in addressing each other.

But in private, he would still call him Bowen, but it no longer had the same instructive tone as before, and he would discuss things on a level basis.

He felt that Xu Zhen was also thinking about politics when he was marching and fighting in these years, so his knowledge and knowledge were all growing, and now he was no less important than those of them who were in charge of internal affairs all day long.

"Does anyone have any recommendations for the army? The matter of transporting grain is of great importance and cannot be delayed."

"Cao Zhen is in Xudu. He can lead his troops and horses there, arrange the transportation of grain, and deliver the grain and grass to the two counties of Jizhou and the frontline soldiers on time."
To be continued...