Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3429 Life and Death
He was born in Caizhou and buried in Caizhou Tomb after his death.

This is the life pattern of the Cai family in Jingxiang.

How many years have passed? Even Cai Mao himself didn't know. His father lived in Caizhou when he was a child, and now he is dead and buried in Caizhou. He himself is also buried in Caizhou. If he dies, he also hopes to be buried in Caizhou.

Caizhou is their warm hometown, but it has also become a prison that is difficult for them to escape.

What will happen if the Cai family leaves Caizhou?
Cai Mao didn't know.

He didn't even think about it.

Shouldn't this be the case for all the aristocratic sons of the Han Dynasty?
Once you lose your hometown, how can you still be called aristocratic family? What else can you be but refugees?
Therefore, when the Emperor of the Han Dynasty was in power, as long as he could guarantee the interests of the Cai family and Caizhou, then the Emperor of the Han Dynasty was the Emperor, and they would pay the local taxes collected on his behalf every year.

Of course, they'll leave a little behind.

Really, just a little.

When Liu Biao came, as long as Liu Biao could guarantee the interests of Cai Zhou, then it would not be a bad thing for his own sister to fill the gap, oh, to be a concubine.

Everything is for the Cai family.

When Cao Cao came, in order to maintain the interests of the Cai family, he betrayed Liu Cong. This cannot be said to be a bad thing. After all, sacrificing one person is a small matter, while preserving the interests of the entire family is a great matter.

Cai Mao found it very strange that those who ridiculed the Cai family and laughed at Cai Mao. Don't these people who ridiculed him have parents, wives, brothers and sisters, or children of the same clan? If parents, wives, brothers and sisters, and children of the same clan had to be reduced to a state of having nothing for the sake of justice and the country, then what was the choice?
Should I choose justice, or...

Without mentioning anything else, let’s simply say that the Han Dynasty is now poor and needs individuals to donate all their property to tide over the difficulties. So, will you donate?
Some people will pretend to be righteous and donate!

Then he took out his wallet...

But if you want not only the few hundred coins you carry with you, but tens of thousands of coins in the bank, or even hundreds of thousands or even millions of coins in your entire family...

How many people can take it out without hesitation?

Cai Mao couldn't do it anyway.

So he never laughs at those who are unwilling to pay.

As the saying goes, do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

If you can't do it yourself, don't laugh at others.

But then again, those who can really do such things will not laugh at others, but will even understand them, because they have actually done it and understand the pain and difficulty of doing so.

The big man is sick.

This is something that many people can see.

But what to do after you get sick is the real difference between high and low.

Cai Mao felt that he had mediocre abilities and could only protect his own family. Beyond the county level, he was powerless.

So he admired Cao Cao and Fei Qian. Cao Cao and Fei Qian were really treating the Han Dynasty.

Cao Cao used medicine.

Three-drug.

Cao Cao's medicine was naturally poisonous, attempting to remove dead flesh and regenerate new blood.

But in the process, the pain can drive people crazy.

Fei Qian was even more ruthless, he just started cutting!

Cut off the rotten lesions, even the arms.

It is even more heartbreaking.

Cai Mao found it difficult to judge the pros and cons of these two methods. Perhaps it would be better to combine the two, using medicine internally and surgery externally?

As for judging...

Sorry, Cai Mao feels that he is not qualified.

So Cai Mao didn't want to offend either side.

Now Cao Ren asked him to go to Wancheng to mediate, and Cai Mao agreed on the surface, and took quick action, but he seemed to delay at every stage. It was obviously inappropriate to delay directly, and Cao Ren would not agree to it, but if he wanted to find some ways to delay the handling of the matter by nitpicking on some details, Cai Mao was very familiar with it.

Just like the staff of the street office in the future, when they work hard, their speed is terrifying, and when they slow down, they are also very annoying. The format is wrong, the handwriting is blurred, where is the form, look at the template yourself, go to work on time, leave on time, and work a moment longer and he loses. But everything is done according to the standards, procedures, and regulations. The mistakes are all made by others. What mistakes can Cai Mao, a member of the vulnerable group, make?
So, when Cai Mao and his entourage left Xiangyang and were halfway there, they saw the defeated soldiers from Wancheng...

Cai Mao's confidant who was accompanying him was overjoyed and said, "Master, now we don't have to go to Wancheng!"

Cai Mao was silent for a moment, but shook his head, "No, that's wrong, we need to go to Wancheng more!"

I am confused.

Cai Mao did not explain much, but sent someone back to report to Cao Ren, saying that the mission must be accomplished and that Cao Ren's orders would be completed no matter what. Then he ordered the group to continue moving forward.

Only by facing death can you live.

……

……

Who doesn’t have a wife, children and elderly parents?

orphan.

But orphans may also have companions to grow up with.

When orphans grow up, they may start a new family and have wives, children and elder relatives.

Those who can abandon their wives, children and elders at any time and in any place may not necessarily be big shots, but they must be ruthless.

Chen Bin has a wife, children and elderly parents, and he is not cruel enough.

He ran away really cruelly, leaving Cao Chun behind like he was leaving a dog behind.

Some of the more ruthless ones also ran away, abandoning the reinforcements from Wuzhong County like they were throwing away a tattered burden.

Chen Bin also had the opportunity to be cruel, but he thought about it again and again, hesitated again and again, and still didn't do it...

Is this wrong or right?

Where there is life, there is hope.

However, can we be sure that what remains are "green mountains" and not "barren mountains"?
Chen Bin was not sure, so until Zhao Yun arrived, he had not really been able to abandon or leave anything behind, so he was blocked in Ji County. And the most critical problem was that Chen Bin even had difficulty completing the task.

Zhao Yun did not enter the city, so should we burn it or not?

In this situation, burning them would be in vain, but if they are not burned, what is the meaning of them in Ji County?
If there is no point in staying any longer, can you just find a way to escape?
But after escaping, how could he prove that he had not shirked his duties and had not set fire to Ji County according to Cao Chun's instructions?

There must be spies left by Cao Chun in the distance of Ji County. They dare not approach the Cavalry Army, but it is not difficult for them to see from a distance whether there is a fire in Ji County.

No matter how you think about it, it's a dead end.

Chen Bin doesn't want to die, he just wants to live.

However, due to the requirements of my superiors and the responsibilities of my family, I had to take my brothers from my hometown to fight, and naturally I had the responsibility to bring them back. Otherwise, I would not have peace even if I died.

All these things weighed down on Chen Bin, making him unable to move.

If you miss the night, it will be daytime. During the day, the order of the Cavalry Army in Ji County was gradually established. Chen Bin and others saw that the space for movement was getting smaller and smaller. They could not delay any longer. They had to either escape or die.

Chen Bin and a few others gathered together, looking worried.

"what to do?"

"We'll all be caught if we keep going like this!"

"We can't delay this any longer!"

"The Cavalry has begun to investigate each household and compile the household register..."

"I say... can't we just... stop looking at me like that? What I mean is, we can just pretend to be from Ji County..."

"You are stupid, but the Hussars are not stupid! How can you pretend? Even if you find an empty house, as long as the neighbors point it out, you can still pretend? !"

"Now we can either run away... or..."

Everyone was chattering, and at the end, they all looked at Chen Bin.

They are all from the same hometown.

Chen Bin was the leader of his friends back then, and he is still their leader now. They followed Chen Bin and went to Jizhou and Youzhou together...

Now, we are facing the choice between life and death together.

Chen Bin looked up at the sky.

The sky is clear and blue.

Just like the day he once took them out of the countryside.

At that time, he thought that he could achieve success and fame, and carve out a niche for himself in the troubled times.

"You guys go back!" Chen Bin sighed, "I'll stay and light the fire at night. This way Cao's army won't cause trouble for you in the future..."

"Boss! You will..."

"Shut up!"

Chen Bin looked at the people around him.

Although they are still the same people, some of them still have the same faces as they did when they were children, but some of them have changed their appearance.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Chen Bin waved his hands, "Who made me your boss?"

Chen Bin smiled.

The smile is bitter.

He thought someone would step forward and complete the task for him, but he didn't expect that almost everyone agreed.

Ha, being a boss myself is indeed a failure.

Right?

Chen Bin looked at the sky.

The others left gradually, silently and quietly, without any trace of the high spirits they had when they walked out of the village in groups back then.

When they came out, they wanted to swing their arms sideways, fearing that others would not recognize them as heroes. Now, they all shrink their heads and tuck their arms together, fearing that they would make any noise...

After a while, Chen Bin came back to his senses and suddenly found that there was someone beside him. Tears welled up in his eyes, "You, Wang Erlang...you, you you..."

"Hehe, this, Captain, that..." Wang Erlang stammered, "You still owe me money for the last time we had a drink together... that... ah, you didn't pay me back..."

Chen Bin: "......"

……

……

Jizhou.

Somewhere in a manor.

Thick black smoke rose from inside the village.

The metallurgical workshop in the manor has been running almost non-stop these days.

The manager of the manor personally supervised the operation and kept an eye on the metallurgical workshop in the manor day and night.

And it wasn't just one person who was staring, but two managers were staring at each other. They were not only staring at each other, but also at the workers under them.

Because these days, what is being refined in the metallurgical workshop is not iron, but gold, silver and copper.

This is all money!

Although it is said that in troubled times, gold and silver are like dirt, and food and grass are king, the question is how long can food and grass be stored? Five to ten years at most, and they also have to prevent insects and rats from eating them, and rotting and mold.

But gold, silver and copper are different.

If you hide this thing and keep it well, it won’t lose a cent in five or ten years!
If Youzhou is lost, Jizhou will naturally be in danger!
When faced with danger, some people face it bravely, while others face it with fear.

"These gold and silver are all from the Qingyin Shop..." a younger manager muttered in a low voice, "They are all other people's deposits... Sir, if you do this, what if someone comes to withdraw the money?"

The older manager was obviously more calm, "What are you afraid of? Those who come to withdraw money always have to prove that the money is theirs, right? We have been in Jizhou for so long, isn't it to protect the depositors' money from being lost?"

"What do you mean?" The young manager was a little confused. "I brought the ticket number, but I can't withdraw the money. Isn't that a loss of reputation? How can we say that we protect the money of the depositors?"

"Who said that there is no money to be paid?" The old steward glared at the young man and said, "If my husband hears you saying that, he will definitely scold you!"

"Yes, yes, I said something wrong, I said something wrong..." The young steward pretended to slap himself on the face with his hand, "I am so rude... Please teach me, old steward..."

The old steward chuckled and said nothing.

The young steward rolled his eyes and took out a small wine gourd from his sleeve. "Aha, I happened to get some good wine. It's a pity that I don't know whether this wine is good or not. I would like to ask the old steward to help me taste it..."

The old steward took it with a smile, "Oh, you're welcome... This wine... is good wine..."

After taking a sip, the old steward didn't keep the secret for long. It wasn't that he was trying to manipulate the person, but as a steward, he knew very well that all knowledge and information were a reflection of ability and interests, so even some simple matters would not be told for free.

Confucius, the old man, taught everyone without distinction, and yet he accepted a piece of bacon...

"It's like this... People of your status wouldn't line up to withdraw money from the silver shop..." The old steward chuckled, "Send someone to let them know, and we'll deliver the money. How could you not be able to withdraw money?"

"Oh! So, I can't withdraw money..." The young manager suddenly realized, "Actually, it is..."

The old steward laughed, "It's unspeakable, unspeakable..."

Of course, the poor would not have any savings. They had to spend what they earned on the same day and could not take a penny home. However, in Jizhou, in addition to the poor, there were also some people engaged in various industries, including some handicrafts and service industries.

These people have some spare money, but they have nowhere to hide it.

Perhaps you could dig a brick or a hole in the corner of the house as a place to hide your money, but it is inconvenient and easy to lose.

Therefore, Qingyinpu is a compromise choice.

It would be difficult for these people to withdraw money during the turbulent times...

Moreover, due to the lack of means and resources to deal with turbulent times, it is easy to fall directly from the middle class into extreme poverty.

"So, whenever there is a great turmoil, the wealthy families will indeed suffer some losses," the old steward looked at the lush tree in the distance, "but just like that tree, no one knows how deep the roots of that tree are hidden..."

Isn’t this how they got through that chaos?

How much money can you make by depositing and lending money in an orderly manner?
Every major chaos is a great opportunity for them to make a fortune!

Peace in the world?

Live in harmony?

Pooh!
If the world is truly peaceful and everyone lives in harmony, then how can they make money and get rich?
……

……

The sky is clear and cloudless.

There was not a single cloud in sight as far as the eye could see. Only the sky was so blue that it made one's eyes turn green and one's heart feel uneasy.

The harvest was bad this year.

In Qingzhou, everyone in a small village had a gloomy look on their faces.

There was a late spring cold snap, and the first batch of seedlings died in the fields. After the cold weather finally passed, the seedlings that were replanted encountered drought...

It is naturally a good thing that it does not rain during harvest time, but the rice seedlings have no pulp and are as dry as the farmer's belly.

The farmer tightened his belt and gurgled in his throat, trying to squeeze out some saliva to moisten his dry throat.

But there was still no saliva, only the smell of blood...

My throat felt like it was being cut by a knife, and my stomach felt like it was burning with pain.

I was so hungry that I felt dizzy and light-headed.

What’s more important is that when he looked at the seedlings in his own fields, there was only deep despair in his eyes.

Disaster is imminent!

Last year's harvest was not good, and the family didn't have much surplus food to begin with, and now the harvest is not good again...

I owe money for young crops and I can’t pay it back this year.

Oh my God, why is it so hard to survive? This is killing people!

Night has fallen and today is about to end. I have at least made it through a day, but what about tomorrow?
How long will it take?
Several dealers gathered together.

"Wang Lao Er is dead."

"Huh? When?"

"Last night... I was just a body of bones, and my flesh weighed less than two ounces..."

"What's the matter? You really did it?"

"Wang Lao Er wanted to... He was sick and couldn't bear it. His wife didn't eat it, but his children did."

"Children... I would say that we shouldn't have children. People like us can hardly support ourselves, so how can we raise children?"

"What a sin..."

There was a moment of silence.

This is the solid, flesh-and-blood continuation.

During the day, the sky is so blue that it makes people feel uneasy.

It was a dark night, so dark that it was scary.

"I remember……"

Someone said slowly.

"Master Zhang said, Heaven has no eyes..."

"Are you crazy? How dare you say that again?!"

"Then what do you say we should do? Look at the seedlings and the harvest. Can we make it through this year?! When the year comes to an end, what will we pay for the seedlings? Can't you send your girl to pay off the debt?! And you still have to wonder if they will look down on us!"

"There's no way out..."

"There is still a way to survive, who wants to take this path?"

Everyone was silent again.

After a while, the acid and burning sensation in the stomach finally surged to the chest and spread to the eyes.

"If we really do this... we won't be able to stay here, and the surrounding counties won't be able to stay either..."

"Then go to Youzhou! Go to Liaodong! There are no Han officials there!"

"The journey to Liaodong is long and the mountains are high..."

"Who said we should go by land? Let's go by boat!"

"Whose boat?"

"Whose ship could it be?"

"Can it be done?"

"It's better than waiting to die, right?"

"Let's do it... let's do it?"

"When? Tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow?"

"Today... Have you forgotten what happened to Zhang Tianshi back then? If you want to do it, do it tonight! If you succeed, you live, if you fail, you die!"

Hunger breeds madness, and madness breeds restlessness.

Blood filled the air.

In that year, there were some records in the Qingzhou Prefecture Chronicles, but there were only a few words.

"Great wilderness."

"People are eating each other."