The 8,000-strong army marched at the southern foot of Wangwu Mountain and was boundless.
At this time, under the banner of the Central Military Section, Yuan Shaozheng and his staff Xin Ping knew everything about Hedong. Especially Dong Zhuo and the many civil and military officials under his command.
"Zhongzhi, you went to Hedong with the group before, what do you think of Dong Zhuo?"
Originally, Xin Ping was just a friend of Yuan Shao, but after he was appointed and dismissed as a general, at Yuan Shao's request, he decided to officially join Yuan Shao's shogunate as his counselor.
One reason why Yuan Shao valued Xin Ping very much was that Xin Ping was among the missions sent by the Guandong court to Hedong to negotiate with Dong Zhuo, so he knew some of the truth and falsehoods in Hedong.
When Yuan Shao asked, Xin Ping was quite scrupulous, so he only picked the good ones and said:
"Dong Hedong has a strong and proud character and extraordinary martial prowess. He has elite soldiers and generals who are as good as tigers and wolves."
Speaking of this, Xin Ping recalled the scene where he and the envoys were at the Hedong County Governor's Mansion.
At that time, his eyes were full of fishy smell, and he looked to the left and right of people with loose-knotted hair. He almost thought he was in a barbaric area. So Xin Ping couldn't hold back in the end and said:
"Dong Hedong is close to the Qiang, and half of his minions and close friends are Qiang soldiers and generals, which is not the same as China."
In fact, Xin Ping said it very tactfully. He said that Dong Zhuo may not be able to be judged from the perspective of us Chinese, because he already looks like a barbarian.
To be more direct, Xin Ping could not say it, because now Dong Zhuo has decided to join the Guandong court, which is victorious with the shape of Hedong, and the armor of Jinyang. Once he enters Luoyang, he will definitely be favored and favored, and his title will be generous. At that time, Dong Zhuo will change.
He is the eldest boss in the court.
And what about Xin Ping? Although he has some merits, compared with Dong Zhuo, Xin Ping is still a cloud. Therefore, Xin Ping must not speak ill of Dong Zhuo at this time, otherwise if it spreads to Dong Zhuo's ears, he will be finished.
But there is another reason for Xin Ping not to speak out, that is, he sees that Yuan Shao is in high spirits now and is only willing to listen to what he wants to hear. Even if Xin Ping talks now, it will only make Yuan Shao unhappy.
Hearing Xin Ping's evaluation of Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao laughed and said:
"Zhongzhi, you said it well."
"I know that Dong Zhuo is rude, rude, and cruel. I know all this. But did you know that I have a noose in my hand to control this beast?"
Seeing Yuan Shao's vow, Xin Ping was curious:
"May I ask, my lord, what method is used?"
Yuan Shao laughed and pointed at himself:
"Then my Yuan family is very kind to Dong Zhuo. When he was the captain of Wuji in the Western Regions, he stayed overnight in the Cheshi Palace and killed a group of Cheshi nobles who had offended him. Originally, this man was already destined to die.
Yes, it was my uncle who protected this man at that time and re-conquered him later. It can be said that without me, Yuan Shi, Dong Zhuo would have been a dead dog long ago."
"The reason why Dong Zhuo was able to enter Guandong this time was because of my uncle's efforts. As a disciple of my Yuan family, you must naturally be used by me. Otherwise, who in the world will tolerate such a disloyal person?"
What Yuan Shao said is indeed correct. For Dong Zhuo, although the Yuan family did not give birth to him and raise him, the change in his destiny was more important than that of his parents. Without the Yuan family's conquest, Dong Zhuo's crimes would have made him worse in his life.
They can't even turn over.
Yuan Shao was not worried whether Dong Zhuo would be a disloyal person, because he accurately grasped the unspoken rule of this era, which is to trade loyalty for a future.
The investigation system has been implemented for more than 300 years from its inception. The original meritocracy has become nepotism.
After all, it is a very simple thing, that is, the reward of becoming Xiaolian is too great. If you are selected, you will be the starting point for a high official with at least six hundred dan. If you are not careful, you can create a family with two thousand dan. So who
Don't want to be?
But to be cruel, there are so many people who want to be there, so why should I give it to you? You have a good family background, good looks, good knowledge, and you are good at everything, but so what? Zhengpi, you have the slightest respect for me.
Any benefits? No!
Therefore, when the imperial examination system evolved, it was to conscript one's own relatives and children, and these good things would definitely be given to one's own family. In this way, the wealth of one's family can continue. But sometimes one has no children, or the children are not within the scope of one's conquest.
So what should we do? If we don’t use the power, the power will become invalid.
At this time, there is an alternative plan, which is to recruit local heroes. But after recruiting you, the relationship between you and me will be similar to that of a king and a father. This is a new pseudo-kinship relationship to fill the gap between the two.
Conquer the blanks of your own family.
So this is why the subordinates who are conquered have to call their own county governor their lord, because once you are conquered, he is the master and you are the servant. Even if your lord dies, you have to observe mourning for three years.
You know, even after my father died, he couldn't stay for three years. It can be seen that the relationship between the two is more important than that of father and son.
This is the unspoken rule of this dynasty, exchange loyalty for opportunities. You yourself have become both a minister of the Han Dynasty and a servant of the original lord. This is the dual relationship between monarch and minister.
This chain cannot be broken, because once you betray the owner or sell out, not only you, but even your family will lose the chance to be elected again. In other words, it is the suicide of political life.
This is why Yuan Shao is not worried about Dong Zhuo betraying his Yuan family, unless Dong Zhuo doesn't want to mix with him anymore.
But when Yuan Shao was feeling self-conscious, his long-time friend Xu You, who was also the counselor accompanying him this time, held a different view.
Xu You said to Yuan Shao seriously:
"Basically, if you look at Dong Zhuo like this, you would be underestimating him. From my point of view, this man is fierce and difficult to control, and he will definitely cause trouble in the future. This time we march westward, we must not be negligent, and we must resort to thunderbolt measures if necessary.
, take this person down first.”
Xu You finally pointed out:
"Since Dong Zhuo is an evil tiger, the best place for him to end up is in a cage. No one wants to harm a tiger. Tigers are harmful to people's hearts. We must take precautions before they happen."
Xu You's words were indeed mature and prudent, so Yuan Shao nodded in agreement and made plans to remove Dong Zhuo's military power after arriving in Hedong.
After thinking about it, Yuan Shao asked Xin Ping again:
"Zhongzhi, did you see any outstanding people when you went to Hedong this time?"
Xin Ping thought for a while:
"In terms of military bravery, there are indeed many warriors worthy of mention in the Hedong shogunate, such as Hua Xiong, Guo Si, Fan Chou, etc., who are all the bravest of the three armies. But these are all rough men and not worth mentioning. As for the literary talents
, the review has not been seen.”
After hearing this, Yuan Shao didn't believe it and asked:
"Hedong is also the essence of the world. Dong Zhuo is sitting here, how can there be no one or two high-ranking scholars?"
Xin Ping felt ashamed and said honestly:
"When we went there, except for the secret talks between the chief officials and Dong Hedong, we all had banquets with the generals from Hedong in the hall. However, they were all from Kansai and could not talk to me and other envoys, so I understood
Very little."
Seeing that Yuan Shao looked disappointed, Xin commented:
"Although they are all Kansai scholars, I still met an extraordinary person. It's just that this person is still a minor official in the Hedong shogunate, but I think this person is extraordinary."
Yuan Shao became curious and asked:
"Oh, who is this?"
"This person's name is Jia Xu"
"Whose person?"
"Wuwei Guzang people."
"That's really Kansai's Kansai."
"yes."
"What's so special about this person?"
When Yuan Shao asked this question, Xin Ping was a little speechless.
He recalled that day, the members of the mission and the generals from Hedong drank and drank. Everyone was intoxicated in singing, dancing and wine, especially the generals who were so lustful that it was even more unbearable.
Xin Ping also drank a little too much at that time, but he still remained basically sober.
At this time, a dark and thin clerk in his thirties or forties brought a glass of wine and called himself Jia Xu. He said that he had been living in Guanxi and had not seen the world's scenery. He always knew that the best in the world came from Yingchuan, and
Xin Ping was from Yingchuan, so he was very curious about the outstanding figures in the Central Plains.
Xin Ping was bored at that time, so someone came to chat, so he started chatting. The conversation lasted for half an hour. Later, after Xin Ping went back and sobered up, he realized to his surprise that he didn't know what had happened to him.
It turned out that the person named Jia Xu was asking the questions, and he was answering them.
Jia Xu said that he admired the figures of the Central Plains, but eight out of ten questions were about the situation of the Guandong court. For example, what is the current salary in Luoyang, what are the outstanding generals, and all the counties in Guandong.
Which heroes went to Luo? I don’t know how Xin Ping let down his guard. He Xin Ping really answered these questions.
But even though Xin Ping had drunk too much at the time, he still had a basic sense of vigilance, so he answered all these answers out of ten. When asked about the household registration, he answered that the household registration was one million. When asked about the number of soldiers and horses, he answered like sand.
If you ask the general about the number, he will answer the question of how many chariots there are.
But despite this, Xin Ping still felt that he had been tricked a lot by this person named Jia Xu. For example, when he asked about his salary, Xin Ping said it was half corn and half cloth.
This may not sound like a problem, but if you think about it deeply, you will know that Luoyang is short of food. Otherwise, why not distribute all the food? You must know that at this time, the price of food is soaring, and the officials naturally want to distribute more food.
The better.
Xin Ping was thinking wildly, and the more he thought about it, the more terrifying he became. Later, when he saw Jia Xu in Hedong, he also took a detour.
But how to tell this to Yuan Shao?
So Xin Ping gave a general reply:
"This man has extraordinary ambitions. I had a great time chatting with him. He is truly a talented person in Kansai."
Yuan Shao wanted to ask more questions, but Xu You, who was riding beside him, was tired of listening.
He smiled and said:
"At first, how could Dong Zhuo, a man who was the governor of Hedong, convince the commander-in-chief of the county? Without the support of the Hedong family, Dong Zhuo's men were just traffickers and lackeys who killed pigs. What's there to talk about? Why don't you just ask Zhongzhi is another famous figure, right?"
Xin Ping was curious:
"who?"
Xu You solemnly replied:
"That's Zhang Chong, the soaring general."
At this time, both Xin Ping and Yuan Shao fell silent.
Except for Xu You, none of these people have ever met Zhang Chong. Xin Ping and Yuan Shao both had dealings with Zhang Chong. For example, in April last year, Xin Ping was conquered by Zhu Jun, the general of You Zhonglang, and together they went south to Yingyin to encircle and annihilate him. Ma Yuanyi and the remaining troops of Bocai were there. He and Zhu Jun saw the Taishan Army.
At that time, Taishan's army surged like a tide towards Huangfu Song's army on the west bank of Yingshui River. The entire 20,000-strong army was defeated without holding on for an hour. Even Huangfu Song, the famous general who was rampant in Kansai, was seriously injured, not the ones behind him. Cao Cao called in famous doctors for treatment, but our current Sangong Taiwei has long since become a withered skeleton.
At that time, Xin Ping and Zhu Jun were on the east bank, watching the defeat of their friendly forces across the Ying River. They saw the Taishan Army chasing them north. Even if it was not blocked by the Ying River, how could he, Zhu Jun and others escape death?
Later, Xin Ping heard that Sun Jian, the most powerful general under Zhu Jun, had been killed by the Taishan Army in Hebei. Alas, another old friend made trouble.
But is there any sympathy for Xin Ping present? Our world model Yuan Benchu also has mixed feelings towards Zhang Chong.
After Zhang Chong stirred up the world, Yuan Shao had already found out about Zhang Chong clearly with Yuan's intelligence capabilities. But the more he knew about this person's background, the more Yuan Shao became afraid.
I thought that this kind of literary talent and martial arts were among the best in the world. Not only did they come from aristocratic families, but they were at least passed down by generations of local tycoons. But what? This person turned out to be a complete Guizhou leader, and because of offending The clan elders who had left their hometown were even drafted into the army.
Who would have thought that such an ant-like person could disturb the world like this? It can be said that the situation in the world is like this, and this person has six points of merit.
Why did the Yuan family participate in the rebellion of the famous families in Henan? You must know that the Yuan family is a public family, and its foundation is not in the opposition but in the government. What does the disaster of the party have to do with them? The Yuan family has still been able to live in peace for generations. San Gong.
So why did the Yuan family participate? And they became one of the leaders. Isn't it because the core of the Han Dynasty's authority, the Northern and Southern Army, suffered heavy losses?
Without the Northern and Southern armies, how could the imperial court suppress the powerful people in Henan? In the past, no matter how fiercely the imperial court purged them, they would not dare to resist. At most, they would leave their hometown and wander. Why? Because Luoyang is too close, and they can’t settle in Tun. Riding out in four directions, you can reach the door in just a few days.
If you listen to this, no matter how unwilling you are, you can only bow your head and behave like a human being.
But now? This Guanfuzi Zhang Chong actually defeated the pillars of the Han Dynasty by relying on a group of mud-legged Shanliao. The battles of Yingyin and Xingyang shocked the world and wiped out all the armaments in the capital.
So at that time, the Yuan family knew that the ship of the Han Dynasty, at least the ship of Liu Hong, could not stay. Because the anger of the Yuzhou aristocratic families could no longer be suppressed, the Yuan family could either be their boss or their enemy.
How could Yuan Shao, as a participant and planner, not know all this?
Thinking that the source of all this is Zhang Chong, how could Yuan Shao not be curious and frightened at the same time? Don't say that this has something to do with the Taiping Road. The Taiping Road was built by the powerful people in Henan, and even the uprising
What strength does Taipingdao have in their plan? It can be said that it has no strength.
The powerful people borrowed the organizational form of the Western Buddhist Order to build the Taiping Tao, turning it into a giant religion all over the world. However, they did not provide any military talents, so the Taiping Tao did not even know the banners, flags, military drums, etc. This kind of rebellion
If you encounter the regular army of the imperial court, you will die.
Until something unexpected happened like Zhang Chong, who got the inheritance from nowhere and turned the ragtag group of Shanliao into an invincible army.
Thinking of this, Yuan Shao couldn't help but sigh:
"Is this man really a gifted talent like our great ancestor?"