Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3660 Warfare is a vain illusion, chilling to the bone; accumulated resentment becomes a prophecy, distinguishing loyalty from treachery.
The second intelligence came from a wandering swordsman who had lost both arms and legs and was barely dragged back by his companions. "The cavalry... their camp is sparse... mostly made of straw men, a bluff... the smoke from their cooking fires... is thin..."

"Huh?!"

Cheng Yu's brows furrowed into a knot.

The wandering swordsman didn't last long before he died.

Like the scout who brought back the first intelligence, he succumbed to his injuries.

Cheng Yu once suspected that these guys might be committing insurance fraud...

Oh, wrong, it's about scamming for compensation.

But after having doubts, he then denied them.

After all, the fall of a saint and the return of a prodigal son are the social behaviors of men that people like the most and are most willing to accept.

As for the most popular female behavior in the world...

Now that the wandering swordsman has risked his life to obtain information, he should be treated with some moral respect. It would be inappropriate to doubt him so easily...

And crucially, even suspicion must be supported by evidence!

This is a serious problem, even if it's unfounded!

But why are these two pieces of information so different?
Before Cheng Yu could even come up with a plan, the third intelligence report arrived...

The third intelligence report was like a runaway train on the road of 'absurdity,' leaving even Cheng Yu speechless for a moment.

"I...I saw...I saw the General of the Cavalry...fishing...by the river! There were only three or five guards nearby...the camp...was empty...like...like a ghost town...and...and someone said...there was a play being performed in the camp..."

The third intelligence report was brought by a prisoner...

As Cheng Yu looked at the shifty-eyed prisoner, a surge of anger welled up within him!

"absurd!"

Cheng Yu slammed his hand on the table, making the pen holder bounce.

Damn it, even if you're going to lie, at least make it sound plausible!
fishing?

Sing opera?

This is ridiculously fake!
lie!

A complete and utter lie!

A surge of anger, as if he had been tricked by a groundhog, instantly rose to Cheng Yu's head.

He immediately realized that there was a problem with the intelligence system!
Someone dared to spread false information at such a critical moment of life and death!

He was prepared to "sacrifice" himself, and these "groundhogs" were just being so perfunctory?!
"Drag them out! Investigate! Conduct a thorough investigation! Place all those who brought back intelligence under strict surveillance! Trace their origins and verify their authenticity! If anyone is found to have falsified information, whoever it is, punish them severely!"

Cheng Yu's voice was as cold as ice, he was so angry that his nose almost crooked, and his usually well-maintained long beard was all messed up.

At a time like this, people are still resorting to deception?!
At a life-or-death moment, they're still resorting to deception and lies?!
He is very angry!
He certainly had reason to be angry, but his anger was also quite problematic...

Feudal dynasties exhibited a typical double standard in the application of power.

In feudal dynasties, the behavior of high-ranking officials or rulers who fooled and deceived ordinary people was nothing more than a trivial matter. Even if it was discovered and exposed, there was rarely any investigation, apology, or punishment. However, when they discovered that the people had deceived, concealed, or fooled them, they would be extremely strict, angry, and might even extend the punishment to implicate others.

The root cause of this "asymmetry in the two-way operation of power" lies in Dong Zhongshu's theory of the "Son of Heaven".

The monarch regarded himself as the "Son of Heaven," and the bureaucrats acted as his agents, and their power was portrayed as "divinely granted" rather than "granted by the people."

Deceiving the people is seen as a "technical means" to maintain the stability of the regime, such as the "shepherding skills" praised among bureaucrats, rather than a moral issue of the bureaucrats themselves.

In later generations, ordinary people who had received a proper basic education understood that the ruler's authority was "granted by the people," not "granted by heaven." However, lingering influences of feudal dynasties meant that many still believed their power was "granted by heaven" or "granted by the monarch," even those who had received compulsory education.
Just like in the United States in later years, when platform companies use big data to deceive, defraud, and mislead the public, the US government at most protests, expresses regret, condemns, and imposes fines, but does not take any effective measures to criminally punish the main persons in charge of the platform companies.

why?
Because in the US, platform companies also have something to do with the US government's use of big data to manipulate its citizens...

Come on, let's cause trouble, let's hurt each other...

In the philosophy of feudal rule, the common people were defined as the "objects" to be governed, considered ignorant and foolish. As Han Fei said, "The people's wisdom is unusable, just like the mind of an infant." Therefore, concealing information from the people was also seen as a "necessary evil," aimed at preventing social unrest caused by "ignoring the people." He further lamented, "In ancient times, the common people were ignorant and foolish, so they could be gained through empty reputations. Now, the people are cunning and clever, wanting to act on their own and refusing to listen to their superiors."

This kind of reverse moral blackmail is also clearly evident in Cheng Yu at this moment.

Cheng Yu's deception and manipulation of the common people was considered a "well-intentioned concealment" for the sake of the "big picture," while the common people's act of concealment was defined by him as "disloyalty and injustice."

An investigation into these "disloyal and unjust" individuals was quickly launched.

This kind of internal patrol efficiency is far superior to external reconnaissance...

Clearly, the scout who brought back the first intelligence report of "a massive army pressing in" succumbed to his wounds, and the trail went cold.

The wandering swordsman who brought back the "potential decoy" also died. There might be something suspicious about it, but there's no way to investigate.

Only the death row inmate who brought back the absurd information about "fishing and performing" broke down under the pressure of Cheng Yu's personal interrogation and the intimidation of the torture instruments, and tremblingly pointed to an old soldier in his team.

The condemned prisoner, unable to withstand the torture, groaned and spoke haltingly. "It was...it was Li Laosi...he...he kept saying on the way...that the general burned everyone's roots...that he wanted...he wanted to show the general something good...that...that fishing thing...he...he made it up so I...made me say that..."

Arrest Li Laosi immediately!

Cheng Yu immediately gave the order.

The person was quickly apprehended.

Cheng Yu's gaze was fixed on the veteran, Li Laosi, who was being brought up, as if he wanted to penetrate Li Laosi's body and even his soul.

veteran.

It is indeed old.

He was about fifty years old, with gray hair and beard, his face etched with the marks of hardship and toil, and his old military uniform, though patched, was still fairly clean.

He stood there, his back slightly hunched, his eyes cloudy, revealing neither the cunning of a spies nor the aloofness of aristocrats, but only the numbness unique to lower-ranking soldiers, hardened by life...

There is also a hidden, unyielding spirit.

"Li Laosi!"

Cheng Yu's voice was deep, scrutinizing, and authoritative: "Do you know your crime?! Falsely disseminating military intelligence and misleading the troops—what is the punishment?!"

Li Laosi raised his head, his cloudy eyes looking at Cheng Yu. There was no fear, only a strange smile that revealed a few broken, yellowish-black teeth and dark red gums. With a slightly drooling tone, he said, "Death sentence... what else? Beheading? Hanging? Dismemberment? Even a thousand cuts are fine. General, you decide."

Those in positions of power often use death to intimidate those in positions of power.

The power to control the life and death of others is the greatest and most primal source of human greed.

If you don't give me the money, I'll kill you!
Robbing someone of a single penny is called theft, but what if you robbed a single penny from over a billion people?
That's called following the procedure!

When the people are no longer afraid of death, those in power begin to feel somewhat helpless.

Just like Cheng Yu right now.

The veteran's attitude thoroughly enraged Cheng Yu.

"Why did you fabricate this?! Who instructed you? Were you a spy from the Imperial Guard? Or were you bribed by someone in the city?!" he demanded sharply, almost certain there was a mastermind behind it all. "Tell the truth immediately, or you'll suffer the consequences!"

If you're not afraid of death, I'll make you wish you were dead!

How dare a veteran act so recklessly?

Therefore, it must have been instigated by someone else!
There must be an "outsider spy"!
Within his jurisdiction, everyone was clearly a "good citizen," so how could such a person have been born?
It shouldn't be...

Is it an accumulation of resentment?
That shouldn't be the case...

Why do these ordinary people harbor such great resentment?

The knowing smile on Li Laosi's face gradually vanished, replaced by a deep contempt and sorrow. He looked at Cheng Yu, his voice low but clear, piercing the oppressive atmosphere of the military tent, "Ordered? Nobody ordered me. I just want to see what kind of expression you'll have when you get this intelligence, General!"

"What?!" Cheng Yu's eyes widened.

What is the reason for this?
expression?

What does my expression have to do with intelligence?
Before Cheng Yu could even grasp the true meaning of the 'expression,' Li Laosi stared intently at him, his eyes suddenly erupting with long-suppressed resentment. 'We soldiers are worthless! Like grass, like mud! If the general orders us to die, we have to die! That's nothing! Serving as a soldier and getting paid is our duty!'

"But General..." Li Laosi's voice suddenly rose, a roar filled with resentment and endless sarcasm, "You shouldn't...you shouldn't have treated us like fools! Even more so...you shouldn't have treated us like animals!"

Cheng Yu's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding rising within him. He instinctively wanted to stop Li Laosi from continuing, but for some reason, he hesitated, a beat too late…

……

[The following content was blocked despite three revisions due to non-compliance with certain regulations. It has been deleted as a last resort. This is a short piece written to commemorate it.]

"The righteous spirit of heaven and earth is embodied in bamboo and silk; the upright path has been preserved throughout history and is expressed in folk songs."

Alas, the ice forms on the spiritual platform, and the heavy fog locks the vital passage.

The phoenix longs to sing, but fears the dense nets; the steed yearns to gallop, but dreads the long, winding plank road.

The historian, pen in hand, trembles before the annals of history; the old man, filled with sorrow, gazes upon the palace and his soul is consumed!

Those ancient tombs are vast and boundless; how could they not be stained with blood and tears?
The ancient bronze vessels stand tall and imposing, yet how can they not be filled with the stench of war?

New bones on the mountain peaks still weep under the cold moon at midnight; magnificent chapters in the palace sing of the abundance of the four seas!
Sima Qian, though subjected to torture, remained steadfast in his resolve; Dong Hu, though his pen pierced the heart, did not diminish his fame.

Now, the pen is broken and the bamboo slips are burned, the words turn into smoke and dissipate; the throat is sealed and the tongue is silenced, the sound drifts away with the yellow leaves!

If one tries to trace the clear stream upstream, one will find the pillar crumbling; if one tries to uncover the truth, one will only encounter a high wall of copper!
The treasures of the imperial treasury were all consumed by the raging flames of fire; the gossip of the common people became poisonous remnants!
Those who sing praises and glorify the emperor enjoy the wealth and honors of the rich; those who write truthfully and honestly are left destitute and without food!

Alas!

The tongue in the mouth is like holding a stone in its mouth; the words in the heart are like carrying a mountain on one's back.

Though Heaven is wise, it is separated by heavy curtains; though the people's suffering is deep, it is obliterated by the balance of power.

Thus, observing the clouds obscuring the sun, one knows that even the sun has its darkest times; observing the blockages in rivers and lakes, one fears that floods will breach the dikes.

The Jin people were silent, not because they were unaware of the cold and heat; the cicadas were silent, surely they felt the desolation.

Alas!

Only the monkeys clung to withered branches, wailing incoherently.

……

Li Laosi wept bitterly, his whole body trembling, tears streaming down his face.

Cheng Yu remained silent for a long time, then grinned and said, "It's all been so long... Why bring up old things? Forget about these unpleasant things and look forward! Think more about the future..."

"Past events? Forgotten? Future?" Li Laosi's trembling stopped, and his gaze gradually shifted from pain to hatred. "Why?"

"What?" Li Laosi was missing teeth, so Cheng Yu couldn't hear the saliva sounds very clearly. "What did you say?"

"I said! On what grounds?!" Old Li roared, veins throbbing on his forehead and neck, "On what grounds?!"

"Based on..." Cheng Yu almost instinctively wanted to refute, but he suddenly remembered that when he asked himself these questions before, these three words seemed to have jumped out of his head as well, so he was stunned and fell silent.

Why?
It's because the common people are illiterate!

If you can't read, you won't know how to record hatred, how to summarize experience, how to start a prairie fire, or how to pass on the torch!

"Yanzhou... fine, forget it, forget it!" Li Laosi said through gritted teeth, "Back then we were in trouble... fine, we were in trouble! But what about now? What about now?! Why are we still doing this now?!"

"Wh...what?" For a moment, Cheng Yu seemed to lose the ability to speak and think. He only felt his heart pounding violently, making him feel uncomfortable all over.

He still has some sense of shame.

He's not like some people...

This is the management habit of the Han Dynasty, and also of other feudal dynasties: as long as the lambs don't resist, they will continue to be killed next time!

Whether the surname is Cheng, Zeng, Bai, or any other feudal official, once they sit in a position that holds the power of life and death over others, the process doesn't matter, only the result matters!
"Now! To catch a big fish, you've set fire to Hanoi! You've burned down the fields our ancestors cultivated for generations! You've burned down the food our wives and children are waiting for! You've sent us as a suicide squad, to die! You've used fortunes, official positions, and the 'generous compensation' we can only get in return for our deaths to lure us foolish fish!"

Li Laosi's sarcasm reached its peak, his laughter shrill and piercing: "Hahaha! General! You've taught us well! You taught us to use 'rat meat' as rations, and we learned to use 'rat eyes' to read military intelligence! You taught us to do anything for a goal, and we learned that! We are rats, we are rats! Hahahaha… You taste this! You savor it! Hahahaha!"

Old Groundhog Li Laosi laughed maniacally.

"Drag him out! Drag him out! Execute him! Immediately! Execute him!"

Cheng Yu's face went from ashen to deathly pale, then flushed crimson, veins throbbing in his temples. He had never felt such uncontrollable rage before...

And a kind of disheveled state, as if the outer shell had been completely stripped away!

It revealed its naked little thing!

Every word the veteran uttered was like a red-hot branding iron, searing into the cold, hardened shell he desperately maintained in the name of the greater good, then penetrating his fragile flesh and blood, emitting a burnt, foul smell.

Li Laosi was roughly dragged out by his fierce guards. He struggled, and as he reached the tent entrance, he screamed with his last breath, "You, surnamed Cheng! Listen up! Guess which part of the intelligence they brought back is true? Which part… we 'rats' added 'spice' for you! Hahahaha… you deserve it… you deserve it!"

The shrill, desperate laughter and curses gradually faded into the distance, but the suffocating echoes still reverberated within the tent.

Cheng Yu stood frozen in place, his chest heaving violently.

He glanced at the other newly delivered intelligence reports on the table.

A report has revealed that the main force of the cavalry is secretly maneuvering to the flanks;

One report stated that there appeared to be an epidemic within the cavalry camp, and morale was low;

Another account was vague, saying that some unusual activity was seen in the cavalry camp, but it could not be confirmed...

Cold sweat rolled down his forehead, silently soaking through Cheng Yu's inner shirt.

Cheng Yu waved his hand weakly, signaling the other soldiers to escort him out, and then slowly sat down at the table.

His fingers trembled as he reached for the bamboo slips inscribed with various intelligence reports, but the next moment it was as if he had been burned by an invisible flame. He abruptly withdrew his hand, hesitant to touch them again.

Li Laosi's maniacal laughter and questioning before his death echoed in his mind like a curse!
"You've reduced us to the status of rats! We'll see things with rat-like eyes!"

"Guess which ones are true?"

"You deserve it! You deserve it!"

"..."

Cheng Yu suddenly looked up at the other soldiers outside the tent.

Those faces that had followed him for years now appeared shrouded in a suspicious shadow in his eyes.

They also ate rat meat!
In Wen County, many soldiers had also eaten rat meat!
So……

Do they also harbor the same resentment in their hearts?

Their loyalty...

Could it also turn into false information directed at oneself in a moment of despair?

Could it even become a weapon used to stab oneself in the back?!

Cheng Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

At this moment, he seemed desperately hoping that someone could "understand" him, "support" him, and find "reasons" and "excuses" for him, so that he could continue living and thinking with a clear conscience...

such as……

How to kill the next wave of sheep.

How can I switch to a different, more covert mode?
Cheng Yu suddenly understood why so many officials would band together for mutual support and protect each other...

Only a fellow cannibal would not despise the ugliness hidden beneath the official robes of another.

Cheng Yu swallowed hard, trying to shift his attention from the curses echoing in his ears to the intelligence report on the table below.

but……

"Whom should we believe?"

Cheng Yu muttered to himself, his voice dry and hoarse, filled with unprecedented confusion and helplessness.

The intelligence reports placed on his desk seemed as light as a feather, yet also as heavy as a thousand pounds…

It's impossible to tell if it's real or fake.

Just like the slogans he shouted in front of the people and soldiers, those words that represented the Han Dynasty, the Prime Minister, and loyalty...