After carefully instructing Jin San, Lu Heigou and Mao Er to harvest, dry and store the grain, Shao Xun accompanied Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi back to Luoyang.
The carriage moved slowly and could not make it back to Luoyang in one day, so he slept in the countryside that night.
Tang Jian's number of guests has doubled. He is almost the team leader now, and he leads people to guard the perimeter at night.
Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi also brought many troops with them, and they also stayed outside.
In the middle of the night, Pei Kang looked at the sky and remained silent for a long time.
When the five stars shrink and lose their positions, their essences descend to the earth and become human beings. Among them, Taibai descends to a strong man and lives at the foot of the forest.
He silently returned to the tent, took out the divination equipment, and made a fortune.
I didn't come to any conclusion, so I suppressed my thoughts and decided to observe according to the traditional method.
We continued our journey the next day and arrived in Luoyang in the afternoon.
Autumn harvest is also happening around Luoyang.
There will be no drought, flood, or locust plague this year. Everyone is happy and excited.
It can be said that I can breathe a sigh of relief.
As for what will happen next year, who knows? Even the emperor and his ministers don’t know what next year will be like.
After entering the city, Shao Xun went back to his residence and wrote a teaching plan.
In the evening, Xu Lang came with Pei Kang and Liu Anzhi.
Pei and Liu were behind, while Xu Lang walked quickly in front and whispered in Shao Xun's ear: "The princess personally escorted Mr. Pei to the door. Her eyes were red and swollen. Everyone said that the princess is extremely filial..."
God is so filial! Could it be that he cried when he was scolded? Fortunately, Lao Pei should be measured and would not act randomly when outsiders are present.
Shao Xun straightened his robe and welcomed the two of them in.
"I don't live here permanently, which makes Mr. Pei laugh." Shao Xun led the person into the main hall and asked the servant to make tea. However, the servant told him that there was no tea, and he felt a little embarrassed.
"It's okay, I brought tea." Pei Kang was followed by two handsome young men. After hearing this, he immediately took out the tea balls, teapot, and condiments from the box, and then went to fetch water for cooking.
Liu Anzhi stood in the front yard, admiring the various weapons on the equipment rack, but did not go inside.
"Forgive me, Mr. Pei, but I am a military household and don't always have elegant things at home." Shao Xun had two beds brought over.
Pei Kang glanced at it in surprise. This was the first time he saw this kind of seat.
I tried it after sitting down. Well, it is spacious and comfortable.
When your back is tired, you can lean on the bed behind you. There are armrests on both sides, which is also very considerate.
In short, he liked this seat a little bit, so he said: "This thing is very wonderful, my husband is a person who knows how to enjoy it."
"If Mr. Pei likes it, he will ask someone to take the Hu bed back." Shao Xun said with a smile: "I am also tired from the army, so I want to get something more comfortable. The Hu bed is one of them, and there is also a high-leg table (table)
)."
Pei Kang was noncommittal and just stared at the bed for a long time. Then he looked away, collected his thoughts, and said: "Yesterday I briefly discussed the general trend of the world with you. I have quite some time today, and I want to discuss it again. Do you know the current general trend?
?”
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, Xiongnu.
"Let me try." Pei Kang looked at Shao Xun expectantly and said.
These are the four largest powers in the north.
The King of East China Sea has won over many brothers of the same generation, and he is the strongest, although his personal strength is the weakest.
The imperial court is still influential. It can at least appoint governors, governors, and prefects. All the states and counties in the world also send money and grain to Beijing.
The King of Hejian is sitting in the pass. Although he is about to be attacked, he still has strength.
Liu Yuan, the Xiongnu, had already established a kingdom and was the first in the north to do so. No one could ignore it.
As for other small forces, they all survive in the cracks of these four major forces.
After hearing what Pei Kang said, Shao Xun wrote the words "Fanyang", "Pingchang", "Dongying" and "Ningshuo" to the right of the word "Donghai".
On the right side of "Imperial Court" I wrote the words "Emperor", "Wang Yan" and "Forbidden Army". After writing, I erased "Forbidden Army".
On the right side of "Hejian" are written the words "gentry" and "Zhang Fang".
There is nothing written on the right side of "Xiongnu" because he doesn't know what to write.
"Why don't you write it?" Pei Kang asked.
"I really don't know the inside story of the Xiongnu." Shao Xun shook his head and said.
It's not that I don't want to pry, it's just that I don't have the ability.
To collect intelligence, there must be a stronghold and a group of people, right? The collection process is also a cost, which is not small. One or two points can be set up, and dozens or hundreds of intelligence collection centers can be established. Who can afford it?
Sima Yue couldn't even afford it.
Furthermore, do you have any local connections?
Not to mention that it is very conspicuous for outsiders to go there. The efficiency of intelligence collection is definitely extremely low, and it is difficult to get much useful things. If you go out to inquire, are you sure that you will not be captured and used as a slave?
For this kind of thing, you can only cooperate with local snakes.
Wang Yan is very powerful in this kind of matter, because he is a famous person in the world, has a wide network of contacts, and his family has been running the business for several generations. He is not comparable to an upstart with no background.
Pei Kang obviously knew about this, so he ignored it and asked instead: "You wrote about the many forces in the world, how can you deduce what happens next?"
Shao Xun thought for a while and said: "If you want to know the world's affairs, you still have to look at what these people in power want."
At this point, he stopped.
Pei Kang was slightly dissatisfied and said: "Now that things have happened, are you still unwilling to tell the truth? It's just you and me in the hall, and it won't reach other people's ears."
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 that the King of Donghai is still rational now, but if something happens, it will be hard to say.
Already."
It is impossible for people to remain rational from beginning to end.
It is indeed difficult for Sima Yue to usurp the throne as emperor because he is a member of the clan and others are dissatisfied. He also knows this. But he knows that once he feels that his time is running out, what if he wants to have fun? Sometimes rationality
It's hard to say that you will be overwhelmed by impulse.
"Sikong has few soldiers, money, and food. If he wants to defeat the enemy, he can only rely on the Fang Bo. But Fang Bo will not work for him in vain. Fang Bo also has something he wants."
"King Fan Yang was constrained by Liu Qiao in Yuzhou. He only had military power but no political power. If he were to be driven to send troops, he might be lured by the post of governor of Yuzhou. This may be the reason why King Fan Yang went north at night. He wanted to combine military and political power.
"
"Pingchang Gong is in charge of Yecheng. His only thought is to put down the rebellion and secure his position as the leader of Jizhou."
"Dong Yinggong is in Bingzhou and has been attacked by the Xiongnu repeatedly. The situation is not good. He may want to change his position and become a comfortable governor."
"Ningshuo General Wang Jun attacked Sima Ying, partly out of personal enmity, partly out of Chengdu to humiliate the emperor. The following is the crime. Now that the emperor is still in the capital and Sima Ying is dead, he may send troops just to deal with errands, unless Sikong promises greater benefits.
, will work hard."
"There were originally three factions in the imperial court. After the Forbidden Army was destroyed, only the Emperor and Wang Yan's factions were left."
"Some court officials respect the emperor and are loyal ministers. They only want to calm down the chaotic situation in the world, and they are not in harmony with Sikong."
"The rest are members of Wang Yan's party, mostly for personal gain. They tend to be inclined toward Sikong, but they don't completely listen to him."
"The new imperial army is not yet established. The generals are either attached to Sikong or are private members of the Wang family. There are very few people who are loyal to the emperor."
"The King of Hejian just wants to protect himself. He may contact other uncles to fight against Sikong. This time he increases his troops to Tongguan, so he has the intention of waiting and seeing. Once Sikong suffers a few defeats, the Western troops will surge eastward again.
.If Sikong wins consecutive battles, he will guard the door."
"The honor and disgrace of the scholars of Xizhou are all tied to the king of Hejian, but they have deep conflicts with people like Zhang Fang who come from a humble background. I heard that Bi Yuan from the Yong Mansion joined the army and was a member of the royal family of Hejian. He was insulted by Zhang Fang.
This shows that if the King of Hejian cannot resolve the conflicts between scholars and common people, it will be in danger."
"As for Liu Yuan, he has the greatest ambition and wants to revolutionize the world."
He talked about it eloquently and basically made the demands of each force clear.
Every family has its own sutras that are difficult to recite. Every family has external conflicts and internal worries.
Sima Yue himself was weak and had to rely on the strength of his allies.
Sima Yong was a man of merit and promoted Li Han (from a humble family) and Zhang Fang (from a poor family) to serve as governors and command the army. Once these two men succeeded, they got carried away and greatly aggravated the internal conflicts in the Yong Mansion, especially
Zhang Fang has brought countless notoriety to Sima Yong. It is not surprising that he will be killed one day.
In the battle of Yue Mansion and Yong Mansion, the competition is internal stability. In comparison, Sima Yong's side is more difficult. The conflict between the nobles and Zhang Fang has reached an acute level. This will just barely prevent them from falling out. - Ruo Zhang
Fang robbed the emperor to Chang'an, and he was afraid that he would fall out completely.
"That's right." Pei Kang laughed and said, "It's not easy to see the leopard through the lens."
What Shao Xun analyzed relied on public information, starting from the demands of all parties, peeling off the cocoons, and progressing step by step, which was very high-level.
"Mr. Pei is so complimentary." Shao Xun said modestly.
"I still have some old acquaintances in Beijing, and I can negotiate to borrow some property. I will leave this matter to my son Daoqi. If there is any shortage, you can discuss it with him and help you build Yunzhongwu." Pei Kang
Said again.
"I'm very grateful." Upon hearing this, Shao Xun immediately stood up and saluted.
Fairly well-behaved, not particularly enthusiastic or rude.
Marrying Pei's daughter was not mentioned at all, and the investment was extremely limited.
More than half of the Yunzhong dock has been built, and their investment is limited to completing the dock.
In fact, Shao Xun is a little strange. How long has it been, and he is still holding on to his money bag?
The Pei family can invest in anyone, but it is impossible to invest in Sima Yue, Sima Yong and other clan kings.
Ever since the father and son Pei Xiu, Pei Yu, Pei Kai, and Pei Zan suffered heavy blows for their involvement in the royal family's internal strife, the Pei family had long since learned their lesson and withdrawn.
Now the only one left with Sima Yue is Pei Dun.
So, how do you plan to use all the money and food you have? In troubled times, if you cannot quickly turn it into strength or influence, are you waiting to offer it 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, they must watch and help each other." Pei Kang said again.
"It's natural." Shao Xun said.
Pei Kang worked up his emotions and replied: "Today I asked Hua Nu carefully. She didn't dare to hide anything and told everything in full. Fortunately, you and I are still restrained. We don't care about the emergency in Jinyong City. Hua Nu moved back.
After Sikong Mansion, you went to see her twice. Although it is reasonable, it cannot be more. From now on, you can just be busy with military affairs and don't think about it."
Shao Xun was silent.
With his current status, it may not be impossible for him to marry the legitimate daughter of a lower-ranking gentry.
It is not impossible for a concubine or a widowed legitimate daughter of a middle-class family to give it a try.
But what's the point?
A woman has no labels, no identity, no emotions. She looks the same when the lights are turned off, and is boring. Then she might as well marry a fat girl from the Mi Huang family.
Talking about relationships these days is too luxurious and almost impossible, so only status can make him feel happy.
Don't talk about rationality. It's dangerous. Am I rational when I kill someone?
Am I being sane when I play with human heads?
I already have too many sane things. I don’t harm the people, I give more property to my close associates, I educate students with all my heart, I train sergeants diligently, I keep making friends with useful people, I think about new alternative systems, and I still have to deprive me of my little happiness when it comes to women.
, working like an emotionless robot, is forcing me to rebel.
However, what Pei Kang said is not unreasonable, so he has to pretend for the time being.
He could bear it for the time being, but Concubine Pei, who was worried that she had been lonely for many years, couldn't bear it.
Once rumors spread like Princess Langya's affair with a minor official, Concubine Pei may not necessarily end up like Xiahou Guangji.
So, he nodded and said: "Mr. Pei, please relax, I respect and love the princess so much that I will never have any blasphemous intentions."
"It's not too late to rein in the situation." Pei Kang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I can see some clues from the letters home. It's also for your own good that I came to stop you. The King of East China Sea has a lot of troops -"
Before he finished speaking, Yu Liang, who was offering wine in the east pavilion of the shogunate, suddenly came to visit.
"Lang Jun, Sikong has been defeated..." Yu Liang said anxiously.
"Where were you defeated?" Shao Xun asked, sitting firmly on the bed with his face unchanged.
Is it surprising that Sima Yue suffered defeat?
"Sikong led tens of thousands of royal troops and 20,000 Xuzhou soldiers to the west of Xiao County. Liu Qiao sent troops to Lingbi (belonging to Xiao County). The two armies fought, and Sikong was defeated. He rushed back to Xuzhou, gathered the remaining soldiers, and stopped more than a thousand soldiers.
People." Yu Liang said.
Out of Xuzhou, not far to the west is Xiao County in Peiguo, Yuzhou. In other words, Sikong lost all his capital as soon as he went out and then retreated.
"Then what?" Shao Xun asked.
"Cao Junsi asked us to prepare for the expedition to Yuzhou. Sikong is extremely anxious now. He sent out messages to various places to attack Liu Qiao together."
"I understand." Shao Xun nodded.
The troops that Sikong finally accumulated were all wasted in one battle. He is really talented and fun-loving.
Now he is so anxious that he is shaking people around, and even Luoyang's soldiers are interested in him.
I just don’t know what Sima Zhu is thinking now. Will he regret giving Xuzhou out?
"Mr. Lang, please don't take it lightly." Pei Kang was shocked beyond measure by the news of defeat at first. Only then did he react and said with a frown.
Why can't anyone beat the King of East China Sea?
It was easy to say that he was defeated by Sima Ying before, but now he can 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 control the government smoothly.
"Don't worry." Shao Xun smiled and said: "I know what the Forbidden Army is, and I won't waste the battle. Besides, it's hard to say whether the King of Hejian will have any ideas after Sikong suffered such a big loss. Can he?
If we can't go south smoothly, we can't go east, and we're still in a state of limbo."
Yu Liang understood.
If Sima Yong sends troops to advance eastward, Luoyang will definitely not be able to send troops to support Sikong.
But - will this make Sikong unhappy?
They had not seen Sikong for a long time and heard that scholars continued to defect to Xuzhou. The Xuzhou shogunate was growing day by day and had exceeded the size of the Luoyang shogunate before the Battle of Dangyin.
This thing, alas!
Chapter completed!