Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3775 Frosty Blades on Armor, People's Suffering Torn Between the Imperial Guards

In Yecheng, the sky always gets overcast earlier and earlier in autumn.

Dark gray clouds pressed down from the Taihang Mountains, hanging heavily over the city, shrouding this majestic northern city in a somber atmosphere.

The water level of the Zhanghe River is getting lower and lower, and withered reeds are piled up on the exposed riverbed. The wind blows across the river, stirring up dead leaves and dust, which patter against the majestic city walls, making a rustling sound, like countless tiny claws scratching at the nerves of the city.

This also irritated Cao Pi's nerves.

The key is that Cao Pi cannot go mad, become frantic, or hysterical, and he certainly cannot scream hysterically while simultaneously saying, "You can't call me hysterical..."

After all, this is not an era where being weak justifies being right.

In ancient China, for a long period, people were arrogant and looked down on everyone, completely ignorant of the concepts of humility, restraint, and cultural confidence.

Because truly confident people don't need to emphasize what it means to be confident.

That's right, it's the Han and Tang dynasties.

The Han emperor would lead his troops, swords and spears in hand, to the desert to hurl insults and challenge them to battle, saying, "Your Majesty just annihilated the Baiyue, and your men haven't had their fill of slaughter yet! You bastard, if you have the guts, come out and fight Your Majesty for three hundred rounds!"

The Tang emperor would slam his fist on the table and roar, "You Khans and Chanyus are all inferior to me! I am the Heavenly Khan! Who agrees? Who disagrees?!"

So when did it start to become so cautious, emphasizing humility and prudence, showing civility and politeness, and even using the excuse of "I am weak, therefore I am right" to flaunt oneself and hold others hostage?

The world has never been at peace; all of human history has developed in the intervals between wars.

This was true of the Han dynasty, and it was true of the Tang dynasty.

The Han Dynasty is now nearly four hundred years old, yet it still uses the systems, laws, standards, and structures from the early Han Dynasty...

It sounds ridiculous, but the reality is even more ridiculous.

Cao Pi and his allies' methods of defending against the Flying Cavalry were still the same old ones. Even though they thought they had taken many "new measures," at their core, there was not much change.

On the city walls of Ye, the guards wrapped themselves tightly in their thin clothes, their armor gleaming coldly in the twilight.

They had clothing and armor, which met the requirements and standards for garrison duty in the Han Dynasty.

right?
But in reality, who cares about anything other than these clothes and armor?
If you look closely, you might notice that although the soldiers guarding the city walls mostly look into the distance, when they turn their gaze towards the city, their eyes reveal a deeper emotion...

Their families and loved ones are there.

Those high-ranking officials and low-ranking bureaucrats simply don't care, but those they do care about...

Cao Pi stood atop the city tower of Beiye, his black cloak fluttering in the cold wind.

His face was stern.

Ever since he showed a "tough" attitude in front of Chen Qun, he has come here almost every day to the highest tower in the city to show what "coldness" means.

Of course, I'll occasionally demonstrate what a "smirk" looks like...

Cao Pi believed that this was the proper demeanor of a "qualified" heir.

Moreover, Cao Pi and Chen Qun worked day and night to formulate an extremely detailed "Ye City Defense Order," which took into account almost every detail of the city's defense.

This defense order, consisting of three volumes, is considered the "golden rule" for defending Ye City, and is regarded as the "absolute authority" by the officials throughout Ye City.

For example, the garrison order stipulates that a curfew will be imposed during wartime.

Needless to say, all city gates were strictly controlled by the city's garrison, and checkpoints and roadblocks were set up on the main streets within the city, with garrison soldiers on duty. Even the gates of each ward were staffed with dedicated personnel who watched over the ward's guards day and night, and could not be opened arbitrarily. They were only opened for two hours each morning and afternoon, and those entering or leaving needed to carry a pass issued by the government, which included their name, address, reason for travel, and an official seal.

There are also terms like 'tactical separation'.

Whether in the south or north of the city, a system of wards and markets was implemented, with each ward headed by a ward official and a household head for every hundred households, all required to report population changes daily. This served two purposes: firstly, to facilitate statistics, mobilize laborers to replenish war losses, and secondly, to promptly identify suspicious individuals and eliminate traitors.

As such.

Everything is for the ultimate victory.

Everything was for the purpose of resisting the Flying Cavalry.

Everything was for...

It seems perfect.

The officials in the northern part of Ye City carried the meticulously copied "Ye City Defense Order," rolling it up heavily as if they were holding a "Demon-Suppressing Tower" or a "Demon-Subduing Staff." Their faces were flushed as they ran around the city, ensuring that the "Ye City Defense Order" was implemented in practice.

Cao Pi was quite pleased with this, and sometimes he would personally inspect the implementation of various defense measures.

For example, today.

After descending the city wall, Cao Pi did not return to the Prime Minister's residence, but instead went to the barbican that was being reinforced.

Hundreds of laborers are digging a trench under the orders of officials, and sharp wooden stakes are being buried at the bottom of the trench.

The laborers were dressed in rags, their faces were sallow from hunger, and the tools in their hands were old and worn out.

Cao Pi suddenly squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and rubbed it between his fingertips.

"The soil is too loose," he frowned, his voice still stern. "Order! The inner walls of the trench must be reinforced with rammed earth, and it must be compacted! Otherwise, it will collapse in a heavy rain! This needs to be redone!"

The accompanying clerk hurriedly agreed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He glared at the minor official in charge of the area, his eyes filled with hatred as if he wanted to devour him alive.

As for those ragged laborers...

what?
We must prioritize the overall situation. What is the key issue now?
Defend against the Flying Cavalry!

Guided by the principle of prioritizing the defense of the Flying Cavalry, the defenders of Ye City naturally have the "right" to conscript civilians to assist in the defense when "necessary"...

So what's wrong with being dressed in rags?

It's already an immense kindness that they weren't left to fend for themselves outside the city!

right?
Cao Pi kept his eyes fixed on the road and walked straight ahead until he arrived at the armory.

Cao Pi's inspections were very strict.

The arsenal captain had already received the news and led his men to kneel and welcome them at the gate.

The storehouse was brightly lit, with halberds and ring-pommel swords neatly arranged on the weapon racks, and powerful bows and crossbows hanging on the walls.

Cao Pi had ten strong bows randomly selected and personally tested drawing the bowstrings.

He then ordered someone to bring over a basket of arrows, and inspected each arrow for the sharpness of its arrowhead and the straightness of its shaft.

"The third bowstring is understrength, and the seventh bow has a minor crack in its shank," Cao Pi said coldly, throwing the two faulty bows to the ground. "And these arrows! Look for yourselves! In every quiver, there are bound to be some arrows with misaligned fletchings! In wartime, this would be murdering your own comrades!"

The armory captain knelt down abruptly, his armor striking the flagstones with a dull thud. "This humble general has failed in his duty!"

"This isn't dereliction of duty, it's malfeasance." Cao Pi's voice was icy. "You have twelve hours to rectify this. If any problems are found tomorrow, you will be dealt with according to military law!"

The most serious problem is in the grain warehouses.

The granary was located on a high ground north of the city and consisted of more than ten huge granaries, heavily guarded by soldiers.

Cao Pi not only inspected the grain storage, but also ordered people to go deep into the bottom layer of the granary and take out grain samples from each layer for comparison. When they found that the millet at the bottom layer showed signs of mold, all the officials in the granary turned pale and knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"Immediately organize manpower to turn the grain over and dry it. Store the moldy grain separately; it can be used as livestock feed."

Cao Pi's handling of the situation was surprisingly pragmatic: "From now on, three teams will be dispatched daily: one to patrol the granaries, one to monitor grain prices, and one to secretly investigate the black market. Anyone found hoarding or speculating will be executed without mercy."

Cao Pi summoned the granary officials, his gaze sharp as a knife. "I know your usual tricks! Passing off good grain as inferior, exaggerating losses, and reselling military rations! I'm making this clear today: wartime is different. Anyone who dares to touch military rations will have their entire family executed!"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness!"

Cao Pi's inspection team was grand and imposing, with flag bearers leading the way and armored soldiers guarding the rear. Wherever they went, officials were trembling with fear, and the common people avoided them.

They walked through the freshly swept streets, where the shops on both sides had their doors and windows tightly shut. Only a few shops that were allowed to operate under special permission had their doors open, with the shopkeepers and their assistants standing at the doorways with smiles on their faces, like puppets in a shop window wearing smiling masks.

Are any people buying them?

Cao Pi asked.

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, don't worry."

The puppet answered.

"We must ensure a stable food supply so that the people can rest assured."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, rest assured."

The crown prince was very satisfied.

In his view, Ye City's defenses were impregnable, and government orders were carried out without hindrance.

He couldn't see the traces left by the homeless beggars who had just been driven away, couldn't smell the stench emanating from the garbage hastily covered up in the corner, and couldn't hear the suppressed complaints behind the tightly closed doors and windows.

The people of Ye City are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain "proper" food...

However, Cao Pi was unaware of this.

Because he lived in the north of the city.

Although many shops in the northern part of the city have closed, quite a few are still operating "normally".

Moreover, for aristocratic scions like Chen Qun, ensuring the normal operation of the northern city was a basic and correct choice. The disparity in resource distribution between the southern and northern parts of Ye City was almost inevitable in the Han Dynasty at that time.

The northern city boasts what is arguably the most sophisticated "property management" system in the Han Dynasty, including neighborhood guards and household guards. Therefore, in the event of any emergency, it can immediately establish an effective way to stockpile supplies and create a grid-based distribution system.

There will also be dedicated shops that respond to the call of aristocratic families and quickly ensure the supply of these large and powerful households.

In some cases, even local officials would step forward without hesitation to assist in the distribution of supplies to these large and wealthy families.

But what about the southern part of the city...?

The southern part of the city has an extremely high population density, and public facilities are operating beyond capacity. Even basic sanitation facilities cannot be guaranteed, let alone an effective distribution network for supplies.

Moreover, the economy of Beicheng is strong, and this economic strength directly affects the diversity of resources available.

Among the officials and gentry in the northern city, the demand for food was not only to be full, but also to eat well. This purchasing power, in turn, strengthened the supply chain, thus forming a targeted supply logistics system.

In contrast, the ordinary people, the vagrants and beggars in the south of the city only ask to avoid starving to death. How much money can they earn by purchasing and transporting goods for these poor people?
In most cases, slogans don't put food on the table; interests are what guide our actions.

Sending gifts to high-ranking officials in the northern city, even just a few toilet paper sticks, might help you become known and imply that this young man is quite capable, lending a helping hand in your "crisis." Then, when a vacancy arises, wouldn't that be a natural progression?
But even if you work yourself to the bone for the ordinary people in the south of the city, you might still get a scolding and a punishment when you get back...

The difference between the south and north walls of Ye City was just like that.

Did Cao Pi ever visit Nancheng?
I guess you could say I've been there.

However, Cao Pi spent most of his time in the northern part of the city, residing in the Prime Minister's residence.

Even when Cao Pi was on inspection tours, he spent most of his time wandering around the northern part of the city, occasionally taking a stroll through the southern part. Because the southern part was dirty and chaotic, and the smell was unbearable, even if someone cleaned it in advance, Cao Pi couldn't stay there. A quick visit was already the limit.

Therefore, everything in the northern part of Ye City is "in good order." Is there a problem?

……

……

After the armory captain knelt to see off the cold-faced crown prince, his inner fear quickly transformed into a violent pressure on his subordinates.

The order he received was clear and deadly!
Within twelve hours, all bows and arrows must be inspected, and defective items must be repaired or replaced!

"Summon all blacksmiths and bowsmiths in the city! Take my token! Move out immediately! Immediately! At once! Anyone who delays will be punished according to military law!" The armory captain's roar echoed in the courtyard, his face trembling with excitement.

Orders are like a mountain, unstoppable.

In an instant, the soldiers, as fierce as wolves and tigers, rushed into the streets and alleys of Ye City, and any shop with a sign that read "smith" or "craftsman" was brutally smashed open.

Whether they were skilled at plowing or specialized in jewelry making, they were all arrested...

Oh, they were "gathered" without even a chance to plead. Their tools were confiscated, and they were pushed and shoved away.

Within an hour, hundreds of artisans throughout the city, regardless of their expertise in weaponry, were forcibly conscripted into workshops next to the armory.

The workshop was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

The armory captain brandished his whip, berating the exhausted craftsmen.

"Hurry! Sharpen the arrowheads! Straighten the shafts! Anyone who's slow will get a whipping!"

Manufacturing weapons is no child's play.

Everyone knows it.

Let the artisans who make jewelry repair the weapons...

Okay, it's wartime, I can understand.

but……

An experienced old blacksmith, Zhao, picked up an arrowhead with trembling hands. He glanced at it and shook his head. "Sir," he said, "this iron blank itself has impurities. The quenching wasn't done properly; polishing won't fix it..."

"Enough talk! What? Rework? No time! All we need to do now is polish! The orders from above are just polishing! If you don't polish quickly enough, you're slacking off!"

The soldier's whip lashed against the nearby pillar, making a frightening sound.

"Military orders are absolute! Move quickly! The fletching must not be crooked! The arrowheads must not be rusty! The shafts must not be bent!"

Did you all hear that?!

"You weren't brought here to offer your opinions!"

"Hurry up! It must all be finished tonight!"

As a result, the craftsmen could only do superficial work.

When the arrowheads become dull, they are rubbed on a whetstone to produce a slight gleam to pass inspection; when the shafts are slightly bent, they are forcibly straightened by heating them with fire, unaware that the internal fibrous structure has already been damaged.

They worked through the night to produce batches of seemingly presentable but ultimately useless "qualified" arrows.

The armory captain looked at the repaired crossbows and the mountain of arrows, and nodded in satisfaction.

In his view, these are the manifestations of his abilities and the enhancement of his value.

……

……

Even more absurd was the fact that the squad was sent out of the city to carry out the 'poisoning' order...

In order to leave no usable supplies for the invading cavalry, Cao Pi ordered all villages outside the city to be burned down and wells to be poisoned.

The squad assigned to carry out the "poisoning" mission was led by the military commander.

The soldiers carried several large barrels of pungent-smelling powder, looking at each other with fear on their faces.

Most of them were soldiers conscripted locally, whose hometowns were in these villages that were about to be destroyed.

"Boss... what... what will we drink after the war is over?"

A young soldier asked timidly, his hands gripping the wooden bucket tightly, looking at the "poison powder," his face turning pale.

The military commander was also feeling quite uneasy.

He was a local and knew what these wells meant to the people.

What will our own family drink then?
Why don't we just go to Zhangshui to fetch and transport water?

You should know, Cao Cao...

Oh, not only Cao Cao, but also when Yuan Shao was still alive, in order to ensure the water supply for the officials and nobles in the northern city, he had already built the Xuanwu Pool on the Zhang River. It was exclusively for the use of water by the officials in the northern city, while ordinary people were prohibited from taking water from the upper reaches of the Zhang River. If they wanted to draw water, they could only go to the lower reaches.

And whether they can fetch enough water from this round trip is another matter entirely, just the distance alone...

Poisoning is easy, but recovery will be difficult in the future...

"Shut up! Follow orders!"

The military commander rebuked him, but his pace slowed down.

When they arrived at the first well, the soldiers hesitated and refused to go forward.

This well is located in the center of a small village. The stone railing around the wellhead is worn smooth as a mirror, indicating its frequent daily use.

There was also a wooden bucket next to the well, with some water stains at the bottom.

Junhou gritted his teeth, grabbed a handful of powder, and walked to the well. He peered into the dark well water, as if he could see countless people in the future suffering from poisoning and wailing.

His hands trembled.

Finally, as if completing a ritual, he sprinkled that small pinch of powder on the edge of the well, letting the wind disperse most of it.

"Alright, this well is done. Next one!"

The military commander spoke loudly, as if trying to convince himself.

The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and followed suit.

At each well, they would symbolically sprinkle a little powder on the edge of the well, or some would simply grab a handful of yellow soil and throw it down, just to get by.

Their mission log clearly stated, "Poisoning operations have been completed on 21 wells in the northern suburbs," but in reality, almost none of the wells were effectively contaminated.

……

……

When all these reports, submitted layer by layer, including "the armory has been reorganized," "market prices are stable," "the scorched earth policy has been thoroughly implemented," and "the water supply has been cut off," finally reached Cao Pi's desk, a sense of relief welled up within him.

He believed that his policies were being implemented smoothly and without any problems.

Ye City has been transformed into an impregnable fortress!
Until one dawn, when the first rays of sunlight shone on the walls of Ye City, the sentry on duty suddenly cried out in alarm!

A thin black line appeared on the distant horizon.

The thin line grew thicker and thicker, gradually transforming into a moving forest, with countless flags fluttering in the morning breeze.

The tricolor flag shone brightly in the morning light!
Cavalry!

The chaotic sound of gongs echoed throughout the city of Ye!
The report in Cao Pi's hand fell to the floor...

They're here!