Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3763 Goodness should not be lost, evil should not be allowed to grow.

Inside Luoyang City, the drill ground had been temporarily converted into an interrogation site, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Torches lit up the surrounding area, illuminating the faces around them.

After receiving Fei Qian's urgent order, Zao Zhi immediately summoned all the city's officials to the drill ground.

The entire city's populace was informed, and a public trial was held.

Murder is never, and should never be, the only means.

While public trials certainly have their problems, they are far better than the private penal transactions in the United States.

During this process, some people heard the news and prepared to take advantage of the chaos to escape...

"Report!" A soldier rushed in. "Grand Minister of Agriculture, the elders of Zuo'an Ward attempted to flee but have been apprehended!"

Zao Zhi nodded. "Understood."

Another effect of ordering the assembly has emerged.

Beat the grass and startle the snake.

Some officials who haven't been discovered yet, but are afraid of being implicated in the arrest, either grit their teeth and hope for the best, or are nervous and preparing to flee in the chaos...

Should you trust your incompetent teammates, or choose to believe that you can solo kill them?

Most people would make a similar choice.

A tense atmosphere filled the air.

Zao Zhi sat upright in the main seat, his face ashen, his eyes sharp as knives, scanning every official in the drill ground.

Sima Yi sat quietly to the side, like a cheetah hidden in the shadows, silently observing the subtle changes in the expressions of these officials.

The soldiers and military officers around them stood with their hands on their swords, their eyes fierce, as if they might pounce on them at any moment, drag some of these people out, and tear them to pieces on the spot.

A moment later, the soldiers who had been running back and forth stopped.

The clerk stepped forward and checked the documents against the records, then reported to Zao Zhi.

Zao Zhi nodded and waved his hand, "Bring the thief here!"

In the Han Dynasty, public trials were only occasionally seen in the territory of the General of the Cavalry; they were nowhere else...

Public trials actually existed in ancient China very early on.

To some extent, when county magistrates and heads hold open trials and allow the public to observe and listen, it is a form of "public trial." Placing the trial process under public and societal scrutiny greatly increases the difficulty of "behind-the-scenes manipulation."

Therefore, in order to facilitate certain operations, public trials have become increasingly rare.

To make the disappearance of "public trials" seem more reasonable, the so-called "immunity from death" and "human rights" have naturally been proposed. These appear to be rights for equality, but how they will actually be implemented remains to be discussed. After all, ordinary people don't have access to these "rights," and those who do... are hardly equivalent to ordinary people.

The purpose of holding the public trial of Zao Zhi in the drill ground was to deter others and at the same time boost the confidence of ordinary people.

The most crucial point is that the date must be upright.

If you are upright, you don't need a loyalty test.

There's no need to force subordinates to drink at banquets, even if it risks alcohol poisoning or acute myocardial infarction...

There's no need to deliberately reveal personal matters or trivialities. Instead, when these conflict with your subordinates' "formal work," let them choose how to prioritize them...

There's no need to hide or avoid certain things, because you're afraid that lifting the lid will reveal to others that you still have a huge pile of shit on your ass...

Zao Zhi was an agricultural official. If it weren't for the need to restore production in Heluo, he wouldn't have come at all. Therefore, there was no question of him being corrupt or breaking the law. So, there was no fear that anything would implicate him. Sima Yi had previously fought in Hedong and later went to the Songshan area. He also had no connection with these minor officials in Heluo.

If you stand upright, you won't have to worry about casting a slanted shadow.

Young people often believe that killing a group of corrupt officials will curb corruption, but in reality, anyone who comes into contact with public power will be corrupted if their mind and body are not upright...

And it's extremely fast.

It all happened in a single thought...

The first one brought up was Li Ben, the magistrate.

Li Ben knelt down with a thud, and before he could be questioned, tears streamed down his face as he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Grand Minister of Agriculture, please see the truth! Your Excellency, please see the truth! I...I am innocent!" Li Ben raised his face, tears streaming down his cheeks, his voice filled with anguish. "All my actions were...all for the sake of completing the harvest as quickly as possible, for the safety of Luoyang!"

Zao Zhi looked at him coldly without saying a word.

Sima Yi spoke calmly: "Oh? How could you, for the sake of Luoyang's safety, deliberately mix cultivated and uncultivated land, greatly reducing the efficiency of the harvesting teams... You sent strong laborers to the western region, far from the threat of Cao Cao's army, while leaving the old and weak in the dangerous southern front... Is this also for the sake of a quick harvest?"

Li Ben's eyes flickered, and he hurriedly explained, "Sir, you misunderstand! Mixing the fields is... because cultivated fields require meticulous harvesting, while uncultivated fields can be handled more roughly. Mixing them up can... can balance efficiency! Sending strong laborers to the western district is because the western district has more fields and needs more labor! I am truly acting out of public interest, heaven and earth can bear witness! I have absolutely no selfish motives!"

The most common way to justify one's actions is to distort them into actions aimed at improving overall efficiency or adapting to complex situations, using seemingly reasonable business logic to mask one's true intentions.

Sima Yi's lips curled into a cold smile as he tossed down a scroll of bamboo slips: "Then how do you explain the account book found in the home of Zhao Wulang, a traveling merchant outside the city, which states that you accepted three gold coins from him in exchange for favors in allocating laborers and helping him delay the grain harvest? Is this also for the sake of balancing efficiency?"

"This, this is slander!" Li Ben was stunned for a moment, then cried out, "I...I don't know any Fifth Brother or Fourth Brother, and I haven't received any gold or silver ingots! I am completely innocent, my sleeves are..."

"Alright." Sima Yi waved his hand. "The gold ingots have already been found in your woodshed!"

Li Ben's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his back. He stammered for a moment, then suddenly banged his head on the ground, wailing, "I...I am guilty! But...but I had no choice! My elderly mother is seriously ill and urgently needs money for medical treatment! My young son is about to start school, and we haven't even raised enough for his tuition...How can my meager salary be enough? That...that scoundrel lured me with huge profits, and I...I was momentarily confused, bewitched! A moment of confusion! I wasn't greedy for pleasure, but forced by the need to support my family; I had no other choice!"

This is also a common excuse, attributing blatant bribery to family pressure and the pressure of life, attempting to use traditional moral cloaks such as "filial piety" and "compassion" to package greed, portraying oneself as a "helpless person" forced by life, to gain sympathy and reduce guilt.

Zao Zhi finally spoke, his contempt undisguised: "Forced by family circumstances? You'd betray your country and collude with the enemy, abandoning the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Luoyang? Your mother's life is a life, but what about the lives of the people outside the city whose families are destroyed because of your 'unavoidable' actions? Aren't their lives also lives?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ben immediately collapsed to the ground, trembling all over, unable to utter another word.

"Take him aside." Sima Yi waved his hand.

Next to be brought in was Sun Kuang, a minor official in charge of granaries. He appeared much calmer, even with a hint of grievance.

"I am Sun Kuang, what crime have I committed that has led to my arrest?" Sun Kuang asked, his tone seemingly quite frank.

Sima Yi tossed several scrolls of account books in front of him: "This is the amount of new grain you were responsible for recording in Warehouse B. Compare this to the grain delivered as recorded by the agricultural scholars in the fields; for five consecutive days, there has been a shortage of three to five shi (a unit of dry measure) each day. The grain has been stored, but it hasn't been recorded. Where did it go?"

Sun Kuang glanced at the account books and sighed, "So that's what it is. Your Excellency, with the recent rush to harvest, the amount of grain stored has been enormous, with carts and horses constantly moving about. My clerks and I have been recording it day and night, and it's inevitable that some oversights have occurred. Furthermore, the new grain is wet and heavy, so spillage and loss during transport are also unavoidable. This is not just my fault, but... but the fault of all the officials in the granary! If we were to punish them for this, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it would be difficult to convince the public."

To win over the masses.

It's not about persuading me, but about winning over the masses.

When acknowledging a problem, they portray it as a widespread, systemic "unwritten rule" or "industry practice," implying that they are merely going with the flow and that it would be unfair to punish them alone. They attempt to hold the entire group accountable to seek a sense of security.

It's like constantly using terms like "we," "everyone," and "representatives"...

"Oversight? Loss?" Sima Yi's voice suddenly turned stern. "Why is it that the scarce grain is all the finest new wheat? Why is it that the accounts handled by you show the largest shortages?!" He slammed his hand on the table. "Furthermore, you secretly leaked the distribution of warehouses and the timing of guard rotations to your spies. Is that also an 'oversight'? Is it something everyone does?!" Sun Kuang's composure crumbled instantly, his face changing, but he still stubbornly argued: "Sir! During my time in the granary, I have worked diligently, if not with merit! I have always been conscientious and never made any major mistakes! In these extraordinary times, with so many affairs to handle, how can you... how can you be so harsh on me for a few minor oversights? I am utterly loyal; there is absolutely no possibility of me colluding with the enemy! What distribution... it must have been left on the desk and seen by a spy... someone must have framed me!"

Although I did something bad today, I did something good yesterday!

My father, my ancestors, and my... well, they all made great contributions!

It emphasizes that merit should be rewarded, and that rewarding should continue indefinitely...

They constantly emphasize their own or their ancestors' past qualifications, contributions, and hard work, believing that these can serve as "capital" to offset their current mistakes. They consider it their due to enjoy some "privileges" or escape punishment, as if they are "taking back what they deserve." They view discipline and the law as bargaining bargains.

"Diligent and conscientious? Never made a major mistake?" Zao Zhi sneered, picking up another file. "You received a demerit for exploiting the grain transport laborers; in the ninth year of the Taixing era, you falsely reported a rat infestation in the warehouse, embezzling old grain, and later, when the case was exposed, you covered it up to deceive the investigation..."

Zao Zhi recited Sun Kuang's less-than-honorable past, 'Is this what you call "diligence and hard work"? Is this how you've accumulated your toil? Now that the nation is in peril, you've gone even further, colluding with foreign enemies!! What face do you have left to argue here!'

Sun Kuang was speechless and collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

The last one brought up was Zhao Yan, the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue. He did not kneel, but bowed slightly, his face bearing an expression that was a mixture of humiliation and resentment.

"Zhao Yan, you were originally from a peasant family, and now you are an official in the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for supervising granaries and verifying population numbers. Yet you have colluded with spies, falsifying the number of laborers to embezzle grain and wages, and even leaking the distribution of farmland and household registration information around Luoyang to the enemy. What else do you have to say?"

Zao Zhi's voice was filled with deep sorrow.

The corruption of officials is more regrettable than sabotage by spies.

Zhao Yan raised his head, not looking at Zao Zhi, but gazing at the palace ceiling. He sighed deeply, his tone filled with self-mockery and a peculiar sense of grievance: "This humble official... has nothing to say. But this humble official only wants to ask one question: why is it so difficult to do good deeds?"

He began his performance, his tone mournful: "Wanting to get things done, I'm constantly hampered! Everyone has their own tasks, and every task is important. If I want things done well and quickly, would anyone be willing to do it without some incentive? They also have countless other matters to attend to; why should they prioritize yours? If I followed all the procedures and regulations, when would it ever be done? My salary is meager; even if I gave it all, it wouldn't be enough for these people! I did accept some money, but it was all used for getting things done! I absolutely did not use it for any personal expenses! I hope the Grand Minister of Agriculture will investigate!"

"Harsh living conditions," huh...?

I understand everything I understand.

Perhaps it could be renamed something like "family of origin" or "equality and freedom"...

"So, you colluded with the traitor Cao and betrayed Luoyang?" Sima Yi said coldly.

Zhao Yan seemed stung, and became agitated: "Betrayal? What do you mean by betrayal? Guanzhong and Shandong were originally one family! We are all part of the Han Dynasty, all part of the world! The General of Chariots and Cavalry is also a subject of the Han Dynasty. Shouldn't he obey the orders of the Han Emperor and the Han Dynasty court?! Is there anything wrong with that? The Han Dynasty is currently suffering from many disasters. Shouldn't we quell the conflicts, allow the people to recuperate, and restore their livelihoods? Why must we wage war again, causing further suffering? All my actions have been for the peace and tranquility of the world; I have never had the slightest selfish motive! Is that also wrong?"

Zhao Yan disguised his betrayal as a "high-level" choice of "pursuing ideals" out of helplessness after being disappointed with reality, attempting to give it a tragic color.

Zao Zhi listened quietly as he finished speaking, the last trace of regret in her eyes disappearing, leaving only utter coldness and disgust.

Zao Zhi knew Zhao Yan; back in Chang'an, he had served as Zhao Yan's agricultural scholar for a period of time.

He stood up, walked to Zhao Yan, and spoke in a low but firm voice: "You keep claiming to be above the world, yet you say you have no selfish desires... but you don't know that it is precisely people like you, with your petty ambitions, who have created this filth! What is the General of the Cavalry doing in the Heluo region—developing water conservancy, encouraging agriculture, reducing taxes, and clarifying laws? It is precisely to cleanse the world of this filth and restore peace! And you, for your own selfish gain, want to extinguish this nascent dawn!"

"Is the Han Dynasty truly unified east and west? The Shandong troops have been burning, killing, looting, slaughtering civilians, and destroying homes. How are they any different from jackals and wolves? You dare utter the same words, showing you have no sense of right and wrong, only selfishness! What you seek is not ambition, but wealth and glory! Yet you insist on embellishing your image, deceiving yourself—truly laughable and pathetic!"

Zao Zhi's words, like a sharp scalpel, peeled away layer by layer the elaborate self-deception system that Zhao Yan and all similar officials had constructed. They used seemingly reasonable excuses such as "for the public good," "for private gain," "the law does not punish the masses," "merits and hard work," and "victims of the system" to weave a gorgeous cloak, covering up their inner greed and despicableness, so that even when they broke the law, they could maintain a distorted psychological balance and feel that they were still "good people," or at least "helpless people."

However, faced with irrefutable evidence and cold logic, this facade proved utterly inadequate.

All their defenses ultimately point to the same core issue—

Personal greed and shameless betrayal of responsibility and morality.

Zhao Yan was deathly pale, his lips trembling, unable to utter another word. His carefully constructed psychological defenses had completely collapsed under Zao Zhi's sharp rebuke, revealing the pale and ugly soul within.

The armored soldiers stepped forward, dragged these former "officials" out, and executed them in public.

Their declarations of "innocence" and their defenses of "innocence" were ultimately washed away by the blood as their heads rolled. The hypocrisy and nauseating atmosphere that followed were swept away by the bloodshed.

……

……

Inside Yique Pass, the atmosphere in Cao Cao's central command tent was somber, a far cry from the triumphant spirit he displayed a few days earlier when he breached the pass.

Battle reports were submitted one after another, each with different contents, yet somehow similar...

"Report! A detachment of the Lieutenant General's troops encountered the General of the Flying Cavalry near Yiyangwu. After a fierce battle, they failed to burn down the granary and suffered dozens of casualties. The Flying Cavalry rescued most of the civilians..."

"Report! General Xiahou's detachment sent to the south bank of the Luo River has lost contact, and is suspected to have been ambushed by the Huang family's troops of the Flying Cavalry..."

"Report! News from our spies in Luoyang... a massive search is underway throughout the city; they're likely doomed..."

Report! The grain requisition team was attacked by elite cavalry and suffered heavy losses...

Report...

Each and every one of them was bad news.

Cao Cao listened expressionlessly.

His original plan was to rely on the momentum of the victory at Yique Pass, and to use the scattered elite squads to spread rapidly like a plague, turning the Heluo region into scorched earth to the greatest extent possible before Fei Qian's main force returned to reinforce.

However, Zao Zhi's response far exceeded his expectations.

Cao Cao once thought that the Grand Minister of Agriculture was only good at domestic affairs, but he actually had such courage and skill.
Internally, he eliminated internal troubles and stabilized morale with precise and ruthless methods; externally, the harassment teams he sent out inadvertently became the biggest obstacle to his plans.

"Under the command of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, how can there be so many capable men..."

Cao Cao muttered something under his breath, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Du Ji, Huang Zhong, and other generals were not only personally brave but also extremely familiar with the terrain, maximizing the effectiveness of their small units. If a Cao army squad was of equal strength, it was often no match for them; and if a large force was assembled to encircle and annihilate them, the enemy would immediately break up into smaller units and disappear into the mountains, leaving the enemy empty-handed and wasting valuable time.

Fighter?

Although Cao Cao had a fierce general like Dian Wei under his command, the enemy never gave him a chance for a direct confrontation.

Fighting soldiers?

The resilience of the junior officers and soldiers of the Flying Cavalry, as well as their morale in defending their homeland, clearly gave them an advantage in this small-scale melee.

what else?
An inside agent or a spy?

With their inside agents being eliminated one after another, Cao Cao's army was left without eyes and ears, making it difficult to grasp the situation inside Luoyang City and the movements of the Flying Cavalry.

The sabotage efforts are progressing extremely slowly, but the costs are mounting.

The harvested grain continued to be transported into Luoyang. With each passing day, Luoyang's defenses became stronger, increasing the likelihood of Fei Qian's return with his army.

Cao Cao took a deep breath of his hele noodles. "Zao Zijing?! Isn't he known for his agriculture? How come he's so formidable?"

Cao Cao had a headache.

Given this situation, what should we do?