Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3522 The King's Order Not to Go to the Countryside

Cui Yan lay in the coffin and was carried out of Xu County by a funeral procession.

In order to avoid inspection, the coffin even had a interlayer. The person lying on the top was the real dead person, and Cui Yan was hiding underneath.

The captain at the city gate actually pried open the coffin lid, then drove them away with a gloomy look on his face.

Previously, the four gates of Xu County were under martial law, but they were only closed for one day and then opened to a limited extent.

Such a city with a large population, frequent exchanges, and frequent flow of goods will only be closed for a long time unless in special circumstances of war. Otherwise, the negative impact of closing the city is too great.

What's more, Xun Yu and others are still trying to show that Xu County is still under their effective control, so they cannot lock the four gates. Otherwise, even if nothing happens in the short term, something will happen after a long time.

It is precisely because of this that the Zhen and Cui families have room to maneuver.

After reaching the outskirts of Xu County, about 20 to 30 miles away, Cui Yan finally crawled out from under the coffin and was carried to the side of the road. The funeral procession continued to move toward the center.

Lying in a coffin, leaning against a dead person through a thin board, was definitely not a pleasant feeling. Moreover, lying in a small space, not even being able to turn over and move around, was also a very painful process for Cui Yan, who was not young at all.

Cui Yan even felt like he had died once...

With the help of others, Cui Yan moved his joints stiffly like a zombie for a quarter of an hour before he was able to truly regain control of his limbs. He let out a long breath and collapsed under the tree, exhausted.

Two days ago, Xu County's defense was undoubtedly the most stringent. Now, because most of Xu County's attention is on those people in front of the palace, although there are still restrictions on entering and exiting the city gate, it has obviously been relaxed a lot...

The atmosphere inside the Prime Minister's Mansion was certainly tense to death, but the farther away from the Mansion one got, the less nervousness and sense of responsibility became. It almost disappeared outside the city. Even if passers-by saw a living person crawling out of the coffin in the funeral procession, no one would care about it. Instead, they would avoid it from a distance or simply turn their heads and pretend they saw nothing.

The Han Dynasty, or the Former Qin Dynasty, were not so cold and indifferent before...

During the Former Qin Dynasty, it was the duty of every citizen to stand up for justice and capture bandits.

The Qin Dynasty had clear legal provisions for courageous acts, requiring people to lend a helping hand when others were in danger. The Qin bamboo slips recorded: "If a thief kills or injures someone, and no one around him comes to his aid, he shall be fined two armors of armor within a hundred steps."

In the early Han Dynasty, there were still some remnants of the Former Qin Dynasty, but the people of Guanzhong, who were accustomed to the laws of the Former Qin Dynasty, were beaten to a pulp in Shandong. The Shandong gentry in power used the so-called Spring and Autumn Judgment Method, or the Classic Judgment Method, to arbitrarily play with and interpret the law, resulting in typical literary inquisition cases, which also made the political system of the Han Dynasty after its establishment inherently incomplete.

Up to the present day, there are clear differences between Guanzhong and Shandong.

There was chaos in Xu County, and the person in power, Cao Cao, was insulted, rebuked and talked about, but most of the people turned a blind eye and were indifferent.

If it were in Guanzhong, would anyone dare to curse the Hussars on the streets of Chang'an?

The ills of the old Han system are already deeply rooted.

In order to consolidate its rule in the early Han Dynasty, many princes with the same surname were enfeoffed, thus forming a parallel system of counties and kingdoms.

Although this situation was reduced in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the princes still possessed strong political, military and economic power in their fiefdoms. They were independent in their fiefdoms and had their own bureaucracy and army, posing a serious threat to the central government.

Moreover, among the princes, those with great ambitions caused disastrous consequences like the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion. So are the princes with less ambitions any better? Not necessarily. Those who only know how to eat, drink, play, make manure and sow machines also encourage the prime ministers and officials in their countries to take advantage of them, leading to a situation where the princes are blamed and the fame and fortune are gained by the wise ministers.

At the same time, the feudal system also led to the situation where the governors and governors of the states controlled the local areas and used the land of one state to compete with the central government. The immaturity of this political system was due to Liu Bang's low cultural level and the defects in the selection and assessment mechanism of officials under the succession of the Former Qin Dynasty, which led to serious corruption in the officialdom and affected the administrative efficiency and credibility of the government.

The recommendation of the radish pit led to the problems of bureaucratic grouping, family-based, class solidification, etc. In order to solve these problems, the Han Dynasty tried to balance it with relatives by marriage, and then eunuchs...

In this political environment, struggle is the common theme and balance is only a brief interruption.

Just like in the fight in Xu County this time, Cui Yan was not possessed by Agent 008, who could appear and disappear at will to the extent of an invisibility cloak, but he could still escape from Cao's control and escape the capture net.

On the one hand, there was no surveillance technology in the Han Dynasty. On the other hand, at this stage, unless one is pro-Cao, there is a high probability that one will become selectively blind and deaf.

This is the problem brought about by the Han system, and this problem is prevalent in all aspects, from top to bottom.

Cui Yan's escape from Xu County is a clear proof of the flaws of the old Han system.

If Shandong could really pay attention to the people and be close to their hearts, it would naturally be able to use a small number of officials to manage a larger area, rather than a large number of officials, soldiers, and school officials, who would still only be able to control the interior of the city at most. As soon as they left the city, their control would immediately weaken significantly.

The king ordered not to go to the countryside!

Cui Yan, under the protection of several people, slowly walked north along the road. He did not go to the village he often visited before, but to another more remote village. At the intersection of the village, a man saw the pedestrians approaching and was ready to scold and drive them away at first, but when he saw Cui Yan, he was startled and hurried forward to greet him.

"Please bring some food..."

Cui Yan first lay down for most of the day, then walked for half a day, and had hardly eaten a single grain of rice, and was extremely thirsty.

The man quickly called on other people in the village to get water and food. After Cui Yan had eaten and drunk some and felt more comfortable, he asked Cui Yan why he came there.

Cui Yan was silent for a moment, then asked: "How many people in the village are married with children?"

The man in charge replied, "There are six."

Cui Yan nodded, "Call them all..."

The man in charge was a little hesitant.

Cui Yan glanced at the man in charge and said, "I have nurtured a scholar for a thousand days, and now is the time to use him! If this is accomplished, it will be a great achievement!"

Cui Yan did not say what would happen if it failed, and there was no need to say it.

This village looks like an abandoned village with new people living in it, and even the fields have not been reclaimed or repaired. But in fact, the people living in it do not rely on farming for a living!

In Shandong, there are many abandoned villages due to wars, and most of them are no longer inhabited. After all, whether it is burned houses or corpses of people killed, it is a high initial investment to re-inhabit, which ordinary refugees cannot afford.

Therefore, most of the people in this originally abandoned village are now illegal residents.

The man in charge is the leader of this village, and he is the hidden force of the Cui family in various parts of Shandong, especially in some key areas.

It didn't take long before those people came and stood in front of Cui Yan.

Cui Yan looked at them one by one, and then slowly said: "This trip is a life-threatening one, is there anyone who is unwilling?"

These people were silent.

Cui Yan nodded and said, "Regardless of success or failure, I will take care of your wives and children."

In troubled times, it was not uncommon to exchange one's life for the lives of one's wife and children. These people understood this when they arrived in the village and began to eat the food provided by Cui and use Cui's money. They could refuse, but the price of refusal was that not only would they lose their lives, but also their wives and children, and they would have to repay the money and food Cui gave them.

Cui Yan looked at these people and smiled, "Don't be nervous. I'm not asking you to attack Xu County... I'm just killing some old and weak people... You are all young and strong, so you don't even dare to attack the old and weak?"

"Old and weak?" someone asked.

Cui Yan nodded, "In Xu County, in front of the imperial palace, there are many old and weak people... When you enter the city... you will do this..."

A few people looked at each other and felt a little more relaxed.

After all, although they still have to risk their lives, they only have to deal with the old and the weak, so the danger is less.

That’s right, Cui Yan wanted to thoroughly muddy the waters in Xu County!

Cui Yan said in a deep voice, "If we fail and get arrested..."

"I understand! If I am arrested, I will commit suicide and will never reveal a single word!"

Cui Yan shook his head, "No, you are wrong. If you are arrested...you can say it was done by Cao..."

"Cao?" Those people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Cui Yan nodded, "If those people don't believe it, I will torture you and then you can say it was Zhen..."

"Zhen family?!" "That's right. If you still don't believe me, I'll tell you that Zhen family has a hidden cellar in the city..."

"But... we don't know where the Zhen family's cellar is..."

Cui Yan smiled and said, "I know."

……

……

Since Cao Cao became the prime minister, he rarely wore armor, but now he put it on again.

Although it is a little awkward and ill-fitting, especially on the belly.

Having broad shoulders and a big waist is indeed the standard feature of a military general, but it also means that the armor on the belly is quite tight.

The guards around Cao Cao wore even thicker armor than Cao Cao. This thick and cold armor was the real military weapon of the Han Dynasty. Compared with the soldiers without armor, it was like having several more lives, and the health bar was ridiculously long.

Of course, this thick armor can only make one immune to physical damage.

Even the thickest armor cannot withstand magical damage.

Just like Cao Cao, he is not completely immune to these conspiracies.

The situation is now confusing, but Cao Cao is content with it.

In later generations, people often attribute Cao Cao's attributes to the "chaotic" side, which is somewhat reasonable.

Because ever since Cao Cao started his army, he has been trying to survive and win in the chaos!

Survive in the cracks between the eighteen princes, and win among the two Yuan men!

He was on the verge of despair several times, but he found a way out in the cracks...

This is not the special effect of the inevitable retreat brought by the claw Huang Feidian in the game, but Cao Cao's innate ability, and the talent that allows him to stand out among the princes!

The more chaotic the situation was, the calmer Cao Cao became.

At present, in the north of Jizhou, there is Zhao Yun, whose army dominates the northern desert. In the Juyong area beside Taihang Mountain, there is Wei Yan, who disturbs Jizhou and makes it restless. In the Hangu Pass of Heluo, there is the main force of the cavalry ready to fight. There are also the Sichuan-Shu navy in Wuguan, Shangyong, and even in Zigui...

For a while, the Shandong and Central Plains areas were facing enemy troops everywhere, and beacons were lit everywhere.

If it were an ordinary person, he would have collapsed in the face of such huge pressure, lost confidence, and completely given up, falling into a final revelry, living a life of drunkenness and dreaming for one more day. But Cao Cao was different. His fighting spirit did not decrease at all, but became even more tenacious!

Every step he takes now is like walking on a tightrope without a safety rope over a bottomless abyss. One wrong step and he would fall into the abyss with no chance of recovery. However, he seems to be enjoying walking step by step, moving little by little, trying to find a glimmer of hope that leads to success on the tightrope!

That is, defeat the Hussars!

It seems like a "luxury" but when Cao Cao was fighting against Yuan Shao before, most of the Shandong gentry also thought that Cao Cao was courting his own death!

Cao Cao was a military strategist who was strong in both tactics and strategy. He had noticed Fei Qian's biggest weakness very early on...

Fei Qian's family is too small and its foundation is too weak.

The new system in Guanzhong was implemented in too short a time!

Now all the situations of the Hussars are maintained under the aura of the Hussars' ever-victorious status!

Just take one chance!

General Fei Qian will be like Yuan Shao in the past, and his huge foundation will collapse in an instant!

Cao Cao believes this, so he is still working hard to persevere.

He was like a character hiding in the bushes, waiting for the opponent to rush in without a ward...

"Emergency news from Heluo!"

A soldier outside the tent shouted.

"pass! 』

Cao Cao said in a deep voice.

The soldiers came in quickly and delivered the military report that Man Chong had sent from Luoyang.

Cao Cao took it, looked at it for a few seconds, and then frowned.

"My lord, is there any unusual movement among the cavalry?" Liu Fu asked from the side.

Guo Jia died, Dong Zhao passed away, and now Liu Fu, who was not a big shot before, has become a close minister who often stays by Cao Cao's side.

Cao Cao nodded slightly, "There is movement at Hangu Pass."

Liu Fu whispered: "My Lord, is the Hussar Army preparing to attack Heluo?"

Cao Cao was silent for a moment, "Yuan Ying, what do you think?"

You are a counselor, and you always ask for my opinion on everything?

Liu Fu had always been a second-rate strategist before, an adjutant of an adjutant, and his main job was to find and fill in the gaps for the big-time military advisors. So he was usually accustomed to asking the military advisors, or the military advisors' main strategies, and then adding some details based on these strategies. Now that he has become a major strategist, he has not adapted to the situation for a while.

Liu Fu also realized this problem, so he thought hard and put forward his own opinion, "I think... the unusual movements of the Heluo Cavalry should be a test!"

"Tell me in detail." Cao Cao nodded.

Liu Fu pondered and said, "The ice on the river has not yet melted, and the north is still very cold... Guanzhong is vast and sparsely populated. If we want to support the troops of Wuguan and Hangu, we must consume a lot of manpower and material resources to transport food and grass... And now that spring plowing is busy, if we withdraw manpower, wouldn't it be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs? Therefore, I think that the cavalry's current move should be a reconnaissance feint to spy on our army's strength in Heluo... The cavalry will have to go out in large numbers in March at the earliest, when the ice and snow on the river melt and it will be convenient to transport food..."

After hearing this, Cao Cao nodded slightly, but did not express his approval.

Because Liu Fu's analysis makes sense, but it is not complete. This is also a shortcoming of most middle and lower-level counselors. It is not that Liu Fu is incompetent, but that people like Liu Fu are not used to considering issues from a higher level.

Liu Fuguang analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the cavalry side, but in fact, war is a contest between two sides. It is inevitable to be biased if only one side is considered.

The actions of the cavalry were not simply intended to test He Luo...

Cao Cao had heard that the Cavalry had a secret method of sending messages by carrier pigeons, but he had never figured out how it worked. However, this did not stop Cao Cao from taking this into consideration. In other words, there must have been a Cavalry spy who sent the news of the turmoil in Xu County to Guanzhong!

And this time was different from usual times. Cao Cao did not order the news to be strictly blocked.

On the one hand, Xu County has too many people, so even if they wanted to seal it off, they couldn't. On the other hand...

It’s the military newspaper in front of you.

The Cavalry is about to set out!

If Cao Cao replaced himself with a cavalry officer, would he wait until I had dealt with the chaos in Xu County before advancing?

Obviously impossible!

So Cao Cao smiled and said, "Yuan Ying is right... But Yuan Ying was a little careless..."

"Please give me some advice, my lord." Liu Fu asked, bowing.

Cao Cao raised his head slightly and pointed in the direction of Henei, "Although the ice on the river has melted and it is difficult to cross... But if we take the mountain path, we don't have to cross the river! I think the cavalry's feint to Heluo is true! The dispatch of troops to Henei is also true!"

"Hanoi? But Hanoi is mostly mountainous roads..." Liu Fu said halfway before realizing that the Hussar Army was indeed heavily cavalry-oriented, but the Hussar Army's mountain soldiers were also not weak!

"My Lord! In this case... wouldn't we be...?"

Liu Fu wanted to say that they were attacked from both sides, but halfway through he realized that now it was not just being attacked from both sides, but being attacked from all sides!

Cao Cao was still smiling, as if he didn't feel the pressure from the current situation at all. "Now it all depends on Xu County. When..."

While Cao Cao was speaking, he heard soldiers rushing towards him from outside the tent, "Prime Minister! Urgent report from Xu County!"

Cao Cao's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he soon burst into laughter, "Great! You really made me wait for a long time!"

After receiving the urgent report from the soldiers, Cao Cao looked up and down, then stood up proudly and said, "Send the order! Break camp, march to Xu County, and put down the rebellion!"