Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3762 Inform them of the classics, teach them to guard against profit, and entrust them with the established order.
As dusk settled, a golden hue spread across the land of Heluo.

The heavy ears of wheat swayed in the evening breeze, rustling as if telling of the joy of a bountiful harvest, but also foreshadowing the impending crisis.

Zao Zhi stood atop Luoyang city walls, gazing at this land he knew all too well. As the commander-in-chief of this harvest campaign, he knew almost every piece of land in the Heluo region, the maturity of every crop, and its yield per acre. He didn't need any maps; all the land surrounding Heluo was stored in his mind.

The wheat fields in the eastern suburbs will be fully ripe by tomorrow; the millet on the northern slope will take three more days; the bean fields on the southern slope have already passed their prime harvest time…

Zao Zhi muttered to himself, his brows slightly furrowed.

These crops are like his children; he understands every stage of their growth, knows when to harvest, and knows when to wait.

Sima Yi and Wang Chang, as the coordinators of this harvest campaign, are turning the wisdom of the jujube harvester into practical action.

Zao Zhi was the overall commander of this battle. He knew almost everything about the maturity of crops in every piece of land in the Heluo region, as well as their yield per mu. Sima Yi and Wang Chang were the coordinators of this harvesting campaign.

The locations marked by the dates indicate different levels of urgency for harvesting. However, in actual work, the harvesting cannot be carried out entirely according to the order of grain maturity. After all, distance and travel time on the road are factors that need to be considered.

Sima Yi did not wear conspicuous official robes, but rather a pair of armor for ease of movement, moving between the ridges of fields, drying grounds, and temporary grain stacks. His commands were not given by shouting, but were conveyed through several assistants around him who carried bamboo slips and were constantly recording what they were doing.

"In the East Third District, progress is 20% behind schedule. An additional team will be dispatched to prioritize harvesting the fully developed plots!"

"There's a traffic jam near the North Canal. We're dispatching a squad of soldiers to direct traffic and ensure the lanes are clear!"

"All warehouse staff, please be informed that all incoming goods registrations must be verified by three people, with clear and accurate tallying to prevent any fraudulent activity!"

Sima Yi's instructions were clear and calm, which naturally influenced his subordinates, making them calm as well. In the midst of the complex and chaotic harvesting process, they meshed together like gears in a precision machine, striving to keep the massive and chaotic harvesting operation running.

……

……

The soldiers worked tirelessly, sweating profusely, helping the elderly and infirm harvest, carry loads, and maintain order.

The clerks, their voices hoarse, repeatedly explained to the hesitant farmers: "Rest assured, sir, the grain is stored in the government granary, registered, and documented! After we defeat Cao Cao, we will compensate you according to the records; we will absolutely not owe the people anything!"

This is an order that races against time, a struggle to grasp as much hope as possible before the flames of war arrive.

However, shadows lurked beneath this bustling golden expanse, with several figures particularly active...

An old man who called himself "Old Chen" would always squat by the edge of the field, sighing and grumbling to everyone who passed by, "Sigh, all our hard work for nothing... Officials have so many mouths, they talk a good game, but when the time comes, will they even remember our meager harvest? It'll probably all end up in the soldiers' pockets..."

Another seemingly honest traveling merchant, Zhao Wulang, mingled among the resting laborers, distributing "free" gruel and whispering, "Brothers, this harvest originally belonged to us! But now that we're helping the government harvest it, who knows whose it might end up being taken..."

These people influenced some people, and those who were influenced, in turn, unconsciously influenced even more people...

Building trust is difficult.

Destroying trust is easy.

This is indeed a widespread yet frustrating phenomenon.

The cavalry had done so much, and the farmers trusted and were willing to cooperate with them most of the time. They knew that trust was precious and fragile, so why were there always people or organizations constantly eroding or even actively destroying this trust?
Simply put, the benefits of breaking trust are immediate and visible, while the costs of breaking trust are delayed and uncertain.

This is a kind of human shortsightedness, willing to gamble the future of the entire candy factory for a single piece of candy in front of you.

Especially 'public credibility'.

Some people, in particular, possess a powerful psychological ability to justify their actions, making them seem reasonable. Reasons include: "It's for the greater good," "Everyone does it this way," "As long as the result is good," and "Regardless of whether others believe it or not, I'm right."

As a result, some 'malfunctions' inevitably occurred in the harvesting machines that were supposed to be operating at the highest possible efficiency.

During transport, a truck fully loaded with new wheat 'accidentally' suffered an axle breakage, spilling the grain all over the ground, causing chaos and attracting onlookers, and delaying the following convoy for a long time.

At night, some makeshift stacks of grain would inexplicably catch fire. Although they were extinguished in time, they exacerbated the panic among the people...

……

……

Although the official in charge of jujubes in the city did not personally visit the fields, his reach extended to every corner through countless documents and reports.

His methods of detecting anomalies lean more towards comparing macroscopic data and logical reasoning.

What first caught his attention was the discrepancy between the progress of storage and the estimated yield in the field.

There was a small but persistent gap between the estimated yield figures from the fields reported by Sima Yi and the actual amount of grain transported into the city.

Zao Zhi summoned the official in charge of the granaries for questioning.

The official wiped his sweat: "Reporting to the Grand Minister of Agriculture, perhaps... perhaps the weather this year is a bit unfavorable, or perhaps the farmers haven't harvested enough..."

Zao Zhi shook his head, "No. Sima Zhongda's report was an estimated yield, which already took these factors into account. Even if there were losses, the discrepancies shouldn't be so precise. Moreover..."

He opened another scroll of bamboo slips. "Reports indicate sporadic clashes outside the city, but they haven't affected the main grain-producing areas. Where did the lost grain go? Investigate! Report back immediately!"

The official in charge left immediately.

Secondly, there are changes in public opinion...

The task of harassing and delaying Cao Cao's army outside the city was left to his adjutant and the officials of the Wen Si (a government office responsible for maintaining order within the city).

In the daily reports of rumors circulating in the city, Zao Zhi discovered that in the first few days, the rumors were mostly about fear of war and concern about Cao Cao's army. However, in the last two days, the content began to focus more specifically on questioning the policy of rushing to harvest, exaggerating the inadequacy of compensation, and even vaguely praising the "benevolence" of Cao Cao's army.

Zao Zhi pointed to several almost identical rumors and said to the officials in charge of public affairs: "Look at this one: 'The officials are seizing grain to fund the army, caring nothing for the lives of the people.' This saying is circulating in different markets and from different people, yet it is exactly the same. Public resentment is understandable, but the speed of its spread and the consistency of the statements are hardly ordinary."

Zao Zhi did not immediately order a city-wide search. Instead, he instructed the officials in charge of reporting: "Focus your investigation on these locations, and specifically investigate the source of these rumors. Do not cause a disturbance; simply record who first mentioned them and with whom they communicated."

Compared to Zao Zhi's data analysis, Sima Yi, who was on the front line, was more like a calm hunter, capturing the fox's tail through the most subtle observations.

What aroused Sima Yi's suspicion were those "accidents".

A grain cart overturned, not on a difficult, steep slope, but on a flat official road.

Sima Yi personally went to the scene to investigate and found several smooth pebbles on the ground that shouldn't have been there, seemingly placed there intentionally. He remained calm, directing his men to salvage the grain while his sharp eyes scanned the onlookers.

Some people just like to go back to the scene of a crime after it has happened...

Sima Yi noticed a laborer huddled at the back of the crowd. The expression on his face was not one of regret, exhaustion, or anxiety, but rather one of smugness and triumph. However, when Sima Yi's gaze swept over him, the expression changed to one of fear.

Sima Yi did not make a fuss on the spot, but instead had someone keep an eye on the laborer.

He returned to the makeshift shelter, spread out a rough map of the Heluo region, and marked the several "accidents" that had occurred.

Vehicle breakdown, small fire, a hotspot for rumors, and the area of ​​activity of those suspicious individuals...

Soon, several points were faintly connected, especially concentrated near several major grain transport routes leading to Luoyang...

"The net can be closed now."

Sima Yi wrote a secret letter and ordered his guards to deliver it urgently to Zao Zhi's location.

……

……

Zao Zhi's gaze swept over the names highlighted in Sima Yi's secret letter, including even one or two minor clerks in charge of warehouse documents. He remained silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing across his face.

There were some people I had anticipated, but there were others I truly hadn't expected.

Before becoming corrupt officials, most of them vowed to become useful. Even before being exposed, they still find various reasons and excuses for themselves.

The vast majority of people, especially in the Han Dynasty, make such oaths sincerely.

At least at the moment of making the vow.

However, in reality, they will face various challenges...

Corruption rarely happens overnight. It often begins with a small "exception".

A meal, a pot of wine, and a not-too-expensive gift.

The perpetrator might console themselves with, "It's just social etiquette, it's nothing," or "Everyone does it, I'd be a fool not to"...

Without further hesitation, Zao Zhi ordered the immediate arrest of these individuals who had shown their faces.

Zao Zhi's previous disagreement with the previous campaign to eliminate traitors was not due to any womanly compassion, but rather because the lack of a clear or even well-defined objective could easily lead to unnecessary harm and affect the overall situation.

Now that we have a relatively clear goal, there's no need to wait any longer.

The operation unfolded under the cover of night, as precise as a surgical scalpel.

Outside the city, Sima Yi personally directed the operation.

Instead of deploying a large number of troops to cause trouble, he sent a small, elite team to attack the target directly, following the patterns he had already figured out.

The "Old Man Chen" was whispering and persuading several farmers in a makeshift shack when he was suddenly forced to the ground by armored soldiers who broke down the door. They searched under his bedding and found a simple map of the grain transport route and bamboo slips recording the patrol times of the garrison.

When traveling merchant Zhao Wulang saw that someone was coming to arrest him, he tried to hide in a haystack in the chaos, but was pulled out by soldiers lying in ambush. A secret message written in code was found in his carrying pole, which had not yet been sent...

Those who caused the sabotage were also quietly apprehended and brought to justice by the soldiers.

A few who sensed something was wrong and tried to escape were spotted by scouts who had spread out in the shadows. They were then dragged down with a lasso, like a wild boar being tied up.

Small units of soldiers, numbering one platoon and one squad, dispersed with their targets and completed the capture before dawn.

The whole process was swift and efficient. Even though it disturbed the local residents who were still working through the night to harvest, it did not cause any disturbance, and order was quickly restored.

Meanwhile, within Luoyang city, Wen Si's actions, once clearly defined, were equally swift and decisive.

Those who had been spreading rumors in restaurants and neighborhoods were dragged off their beds and pinned to the ground by the sudden appearance of the Bureau of Rumors personnel while they were still dreaming.

Meanwhile, a corrupt official who had colluded with spies outside the city was caught red-handed at home while counting the bribes he had received and packing up his valuables.

All arrests were completed in a very short time, and no one on the list escaped.

The arrest was actually neither complicated nor difficult.

For well-trained disciplined forces, arrests are a standardized and procedural process. Once the target is identified and the chain of evidence is solid, the operation to apprehend the suspect is merely a matter of time and execution.

The difficulty lies in knowing who to arrest before making the arrest.

It's like trying to kill a wild beast in thick fog; firing the gun isn't difficult, but finding the right target in the fog is...

In the battle to harvest the crops, the actions of these traitors and corrupt officials were like sparks igniting in a thick fog, exposing themselves.

……

……

Hanoi, the main camp of the Flying Cavalry.

Fei Qian stood with his hands behind his back beside the table, looking at the map on the table, and pondered for a long time.

Beside the desk was an urgent military report from Heluo, the handwriting still seemingly carrying the smell of gunpowder and blood from the banks of the Yi River.

Pang Tong sat quietly to one side, silently brewing tea. The rising steam slightly dispelled the chill of the autumn night, but could not dispel the solemn atmosphere that permeated the tent.

After a long silence, Fei Qian slowly said to Pang Tong, "Shi Yuan, Yique has fallen, and Shu Cheng has died for his country... War has broken out again in the Heluo region. What have the people done to deserve this calamity?"

When the topic turned to Zhang Lie's death, Fei Qian's voice lowered.

Although it is said that as one gets older, one sees death approaching more and more, especially on the path that Fei Qian chose, which was fraught with bloodshed at every step, Zhang Lie's death still cuts into Fei Qian's heart, causing him immense grief.

Pang Tong's gaze was fixed on the kettle over the campfire, watching the flames scorch the bronze pot. Hearing Fei Qian's words, he pulled a stick from the nearby pile of firewood and added it to the fire. "The world is like a furnace, and the people are like firewood. My lord's strategy is already an all-out effort to save the people… My lord, Cao Mengde's scorched-earth policy is malicious; he intends to destroy our foundation and sow discord among our people. Yet, observing his military tactics, although he captured Yique, he hesitates to advance, clearly showing deep suspicion and fear of falling into our ambush."

Fei Qian stared at the location of Yique on the map on the table, pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed. Cao Mengde is a cunning and treacherous hero, as suspicious as a fox. The easy acquisition of Yique will inevitably make him wary. Although he has stationed troops below the pass, he dares not easily advance into the heart of the Heluo region, and will surely send out numerous scouts to probe our strength. What he fears is not Zijing's situation in Luoyang, but rather that our army will trap him in the Heluo region. Since Cao Mengde used Man Boning as bait in Luoyang, how could he easily take the bait this time?"

Pang Tong nodded and poured Fei Qian a cup of hot tea. "My lord's insight is profound. Therefore, the most crucial matter at present lies not here, but there. We must order Zao Zijing, Sima Zhongda, and others to fortify Luoyang, clear the fields, and hold their ground while awaiting an opportunity. Most importantly, we must stabilize the morale of those within Luoyang. Recent reports indicate that undercurrents are surging within the city, with spies spreading rumors. This internal threat is far greater than the danger posed by Cao Cao's army outside the city."

Fei Qian took the teacup but didn't drink. His gaze was deep. "The people's hearts are like water; they can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it. Cao Cao's army is tyrannical, destroying fields and slaughtering people. While this may be an opportunity for our army to win over the people, the petty villains and corrupt officials within the city, if not eradicated, could easily cause a thousand-mile dike to collapse. Shi Yuan, do you have a good plan?"

In the Heluo region, besides Zhang Lie's matter, Zao Zhi also reported some unusual things that had never happened before.

While it may be 'legitimate' for them to raise the butcher's knife in the Heluo region and around Luoyang this time, it is not without suspicion that they are vying for power.

After all, once power is delegated, it is very difficult to take it back.

Arresting people, sentencing them, beheading them—these things can't all be done by one person alone, can they?
Should we recruit more people? Should we expand our team?
So to say that he never harbored any rebellious intentions would be an exaggeration, but whether he ever wanted to use this opportunity to expand his own power is harder to say...

Pang Tong pondered for a moment, then smiled. "Right now, both inside and outside Luoyang, people's minds are inevitably unsettled. It would be better to demonstrate our impartiality. While Lord Du's execution of the dissenting officials was gratifying, it may not be enough to completely win over the people, nor can it serve as a deterrent. Perhaps..."

"Why not follow the example of Guanzhong and have Zijing (Zhang Zijing) hold a public trial in the market of Luoyang for the captured spies and corrupt officials! Clearly state their crimes, publicly display the evidence, so that all the people can witness, hear, and judge! In this way, the fairness of punishment and reward will be clearly revealed; the distinction between loyalty and treachery will be deeply ingrained in people's hearts. This will not only dispel rumors and unite the people, but also demonstrate the integrity of our General of the Cavalry's actions, a stark contrast to the cunning and tyranny of the Cao family!"

Upon hearing this, Fei Qian's eyes flickered slightly. "Is Shi Yuan's plan perhaps intended to kill two birds with one stone?"

Pang Tong chuckled and said, "I can't hide anything from my lord! Firstly, this strategy is not merely a way to punish traitors. Publicly trying them in the marketplace will let the people know why they are punished and why they are rewarded, thus ensuring the law's implementation is as smooth as a flowing river. When everyone knows the law, and both power and virtue are applied, the people's hearts will naturally be with us. Secondly, Luoyang city is too complex to capture them all. It's better to instill fear in those who are hiding, so they will pass on the information..."

Fei Qian clapped his hands, "Now Cao Mengde knows the 'true situation' of Luoyang!"

Fei Qian rose and paced back and forth, turning twice. "Then let's follow Shi Yuan's plan. Instruct Zi Jing that all spies who collude with the enemy and corrupt officials who harm the people should not be executed on the spot. Instead, gather evidence of their crimes, list their misdeeds, and hold a public trial in the bustling marketplace of Luoyang, with both soldiers and civilians present! Make them confess their crimes, let the people know their evil deeds, and then punish them according to the law! In this way, everyone in Luoyang will know the determination of our General's Office to stand with the people in their hatred of the enemy and jointly resist foreign aggression!"

"My lord is wise!" Pang Tong bowed. "In this way, the hidden dangers within the city can be temporarily eliminated, and the morale of the soldiers and civilians can be solidified. Even if Cao Cao's army besieges the city, Luoyang will remain as solid as a rock. When their army is exhausted and weary, that will be the time for our main force to advance..."

Fei Qian nodded, but still sighed softly, "However, the people and soldiers of Heluo will likely have to endure much hardship and suffering..."

At this point, he looked towards the Heluo region, his tone becoming somber again, tinged with a barely perceptible sorrow, "Order all sides to do their utmost to rescue the refugees and properly resettle the families of the wounded and killed soldiers. After this battle, the Heluo region will likely need several years to recover its strength... Alas..."

Pang Tong solemnly replied, "This is truly a matter of no choice! I only hope that after this battle, the world can find temporary peace, and that my lord's new policies can be widely implemented throughout the land, allowing the people to finally recuperate and thrive, so that today's tragedy will not be in vain."

After a moment, perhaps to lighten the mood, Pang Tong added, "And when will that 'distinguished guest' from Ji Province arrive?"

"Distinguished guest?" Fei Qian was taken aback, then immediately understood what Pang Tong meant, and burst into laughter, "Distinguished guest! Haha, the original meaning of 'distinguished' is to scoop up the earth... Now, using this name is quite fitting! Guest, sojourner, ultimately cannot stay long! If you still harbor wishful thinking... haha..."

Fei Qian looked outside the tent and thought, "Like autumn leaves falling, they will eventually decay!"

Outside the tent, the autumn wind grew stronger, swirling up countless yellow leaves that resembled golden banners fluttering in the night, foreshadowing an even fiercer storm to come.