Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3807 My heart is filled with sorrow; where shall I find my home?
Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

The magnificent Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

A young man clad in full helmet and armor.

In any case, Chen Qun's words reassured Cao Pi.

At least Cao Pi's legs were no longer trembling, and he was considering what Chen Qun had said.

It does have a reassuring effect, but how long that effect will last is hard to say.

Cao Pi glanced at Chen Qun, a smile spreading across his face. "Changwen, you've worked hard. Thank you for your trouble..."

Cao Pi, well, he had a dog's face.

Historically, he was known for his suspicious and jealous nature. He was harsh on members of the imperial family and wary of meritorious officials. He would prioritize them when they were useful and discard them when they were not. He had previously fallen out with Chen Qun, but now he was acting as if he wanted to entrust his life and fortune to Chen Qun...

Chen Qun cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said he dared not accept such a gesture.

Chen Qun didn't give Cao Pi any face. On one hand, Chen Qun knew that this was Cao Pi's personality. On the other hand, at this moment, Chen Qun and Cao Pi were in the same boat and could only support each other.

Without Cao Pi appearing in military attire on the Bronze Sparrow Terrace to declare his willingness to live and die with Ye City, Chen Qun would not have been able to quickly rally the remaining Cao army troops, boost morale, and stop the attack of the Flying Cavalry.

Similarly, without Chen Qun's tireless efforts at the forefront, it would have been useless for Cao Pi to just stand behind and shout slogans...

They need each other.

Did they manage to stop the advance of the Flying Cavalry?

It seems that it has been temporarily 'blocked'.

However, it was not swords, nor the heavy gate that separated the north and south, nor the advantageous position of the northern city that stopped the cavalry from fighting.

It wasn't Chen Qun's strategy, but rather the "benevolence and righteousness" of the Flying Cavalry...

Although the words "benevolence and righteousness" often seem vague, Chen Qun had to admit that what the Flying Cavalry was doing could indeed be called "benevolence and righteousness."

A word that was both familiar and unfamiliar to Chen Qun and his colleagues: "benevolence and righteousness".

This is undoubtedly a huge irony.

The Cao family, rulers of the Central Plains of Shandong, which prided itself on being the legitimate successor of the Han Dynasty and a family that passed down its classics, chose to cut their losses and survive when faced with a life-or-death crisis. They abandoned tens of thousands of their subjects as disposable burdens and bargaining chips, leaving them to famine and despair in the southern city.

Meanwhile, the Flying Cavalry, whom they scornfully called "Bingliang warriors" and "frontier savages," were now setting up large cauldrons and lighting fires on the ruins of the southern city, distributing their precious military rations to the people of Ye City whom they didn't know and who might have been hostile just days before...

Now, Chen Qun can only offer a seemingly perfect explanation for Cao Pi's inner fears and current predicament.

Although this explanation clearly has some flaws, it's the only one that can be used for now.

Cao Pi's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He murmured repeatedly, "To deplete their supplies...that's right, the southern city was a burden from the start; they brought it upon themselves!"

As if trying to convince himself, Cao Pi nodded heavily, his face regaining some color, even managing a twisted smile. "Then let them feed them! Let's see how long they can keep feeding them! When the food runs out, let's see if those lowly people will remember their kindness or turn on them!"

Cao Pi looked towards the southern city again, his eyes now less fearful and more filled with resentment and anticipation, as if he could already see the scene of the Flying Cavalry being dragged down by tens of thousands of starving people and collapsing in despair.

At the edge of Cao Pi's vision, the rising smoke stubbornly continued to curl upwards, seemingly contrasting with the desolate luxury of the northern city.

How long can this fragile psychological advantage, or rather, psychological comfort, last?
Cao Pi was unaware that he was merely clinging to this lifeline, continuing his performance of sharing the fate of the besieged city on the high Bronze Sparrow Terrace, while the chilling fear deep within his heart never truly left.

Chen Qun glanced at Cao Pi, seemingly reassured, and then also looked towards the south of the city. He didn't reveal the whole truth. This was a common practice in Shandong—keeping things from superiors but not subordinates.

It is clearly not safe to rely solely on the cavalry's "lack of food".

Chen Qun felt he knew the people of Shandong and Jizhou better than anyone else…

Therefore, he felt that no matter how strong the General Cavalry was now, and how the people in the southern part of Ye City in Ji Province seemed to be overjoyed, the "wonderful" future could not replace the "predicament" at hand.

Mental excitement is only temporary, while the daily suffering is a constant reminder of reality.

How easy is it to feed, drink, and relieve 30,000 people?
Chen Qun gazed in the direction of the southern city, his heart filled with many emotions.

Chen Qun and his men were "loving the people like their own children," and the Flying Cavalry were also "loving the people like their own children."

It's just that this child is not that child...

Standing on the city wall of the north city, Chen Qun could see the wisps of smoke rising from the south city, and the ant-like figures lining up under the organization of the cavalry to receive the thin porridge that sustained their lives.

He was well-versed in classics and history; how could he not know the ancient teachings of "the benevolent love others" and "the people are the most important, the state is secondary"?

He entered public service to assist Cao Cao, originally aspiring to restore order to the nation. However, under the harsh realities of political maneuvering and military pressure, he and the regime he served both chose what seemed to be a more pragmatic and efficient path...

"sacrifice".

In order to preserve core power and maintain the system's rule and order, the interests and even lives of a portion, even a large portion, of the people are "sacrificed".

Let the common people suffer...

They never thought that the common people of the Han Dynasty had suffered for so many years. Even if they couldn't have the same towering palaces and high platforms as the Han people, they should at least have a place to live.

They never considered that the Han people had sacrificed so many years. Even if they couldn't share the specially provided wine and meat with them, they should at least not worry about their own and their families' survival every year.
Are the common people of China, whether they are self-employed farmers or tenant farmers, unworthy of living in mansions or eating meat and wine?

Shouldn't we always reflect on whether we've been lazy, whether it's our ancestors, or whether we've missed an opportunity?
It should be understood that the value created by the people as a whole far exceeds the rewards they receive!
Cao Pi and others called this the overall situation and a necessary sacrifice.

But the warriors from Bingliang below the city were doing what was described in historical records as an idealized form of "benevolent governance."

The cavalry are using their own military rations to feed the people of what was once an "enemy city".

The Flying Cavalry Army, with its strict military discipline, protected and restored the fragile order of the destroyed southern city of Ye.

They are trying to rebuild hope for life with limited resources.

This act itself is more impactful than any impassioned manifesto.

Chen Qun could dismiss this behavior as "hypocritical," "winning people's hearts," or "unsustainable," and he could deconstruct it in front of Cao Pi using the strategy of "depleting their supplies." But deep down, he understood that the moral force inherent in the posture displayed by the Flying Cavalry was gradually eroding the foundation upon which the northern city relied for its defense...

It is not just a physical wall, but also a barrier of the human heart.

Chen Qun actually understood where they had failed, but they were unwilling, afraid, and unwilling to admit it.

To prove they were "not wrong," Chen Qun had already sent people to secretly infiltrate the southern part of the city...

Chen Qun planned to stir up trouble when the Flying Cavalry failed in some matters, but what he didn't expect was that Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao were not military generals in the traditional sense of the Han Dynasty!

The most obvious difference is that both Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao possess the ability to govern the people!

During the Zhou Dynasty, when ministers and officials held high office, military and civil administration were integrated. The initial turning point in their separation occurred during the Warring States period. When Shang Yang implemented the prefecture-county system in Qin, prefectural governors governed the people, and prefectural commandants commanded the military, indicating a division of labor between civil and military officials. However, the nationwide system was truly established during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when inspectors supervised prefectures and kingdoms, beginning a system where military and civil administration were not subordinate to each other. This system was not entirely complete, especially on the borders and during special periods, where prefects could still command troops. In the early Eastern Han Dynasty, to control Bing and Liang, Shandong began to strengthen civil administration and demote military officials.

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperors Huan and Ling relinquished the power of the "inspectors" and "provincial governors" and re-emphasized the "unity of military and political power." However, apart from adding glory to ambitious individuals, it did not contribute to the survival of the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, Chen Qun naturally assumed that neither Zhao Yun nor Zhang Liao had any strategies for dealing with large populations...

What? Youzhou?

Can the population of Youzhou be compared with that of Jizhou?

Moreover, the southern part of Ye City has a population of around 30,000. If any problems are not handled properly, they will not be minor matters, and it's not something that can be resolved simply by eating some Swiss rolls...

Chen Qun never expected that the Flying Cavalry was actually quite familiar with dealing with this type of problem. Moreover, the key was not Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao, but the middle and lower-level officers such as military academies in the Flying Cavalry, as well as the soldiers at the bottom level, who had ample experience in handling similar issues!

The cavalry provided free livelihood security to the people of the southern city, so naturally a strict system needed to be established to ensure this security, and all of these systems stemmed from the household registration system...

A cavalry officer stood with his hand on his sword beside the registration point and announced in a booming voice, "By military order, effective immediately, the old Han Dynasty household registration system is reinstated! Five households form a squad, and ten households form a platoon! You must each elect a trustworthy squad leader and platoon leader and report them to the authorities for record-keeping! From today onwards, those in the same squad or platoon will supervise and vouch for each other!"

In fact, the "Wushi system" was not created by the Han Dynasty, but was already established during the Warring States period. It was also used during the Western Han Dynasty until the land was annexed and a large number of self-cultivating farmers were reduced to tenants or slaves. Naturally, this system lost its foundation and deteriorated.

"Rice rations and farmland will be distributed uniformly according to household registration and managed collectively!" The military academy officer paused, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding residents of Ye City, and emphasized, "If any spies are found among them, or any lawbreakers commit crimes, once discovered, all comrades in the unit will be held accountable! Those who know but fail to report will be punished as well! Those who report truthfully will be rewarded! The reward is hereby announced!"

He pointed to a wooden sign standing next to him, which clearly stated the amount of grain or cloth to be awarded.

This was an effective system of mutual responsibility among the people and their families in grassroots management during the feudal period.

At this moment, the southern part of Ye City is displaying its ruthless yet efficient side. Like an invisible net, it is rapidly weaving itself across the southern city as the household registration process progresses.

Although it won't be effective so quickly, at least we can start weaving a net now.

In order to offset the negative impact of the strict household registration system, the Flying Cavalry also brought new hope.

On a newly cleared open space on the southern edge of the city, pots and pans were set up.

To avoid congestion and stampedes, different time slots were allocated for distributing porridge based on the different neighborhoods.

The large iron pots, unique to the Flying Cavalry, began to emit the aroma of food as they were licked by the dry firewood.

Faced with various demands from the Flying Cavalry, even the request to clean up the area...

The people of Ye City were both happy and worried, but at least their attention was focused on the food in front of them...

With food, one can survive; only then can there be hope and a future.

The people of the southern part of Ye City saw hope, but the logistics and administrative staff of the Flying Cavalry Army faced an extremely difficult test—

How can we feed the hungry people of this city with limited food supplies?
When the news of the registration and organization of households spread, the people of Ye City, following the aroma of food, cautiously peeked out and gathered at the designated registration points.

Most of them were ragged, emaciated, and their eyes were filled with fear of their unknown fate and dread of war. But the temptation of "distributing grain and land" was too great, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, driving them to take unsteady steps toward the light.

As the firewood crackled, millet and soybean meal tumbled in the boiling water of the pot, releasing the aroma of grain that haunted the dreams of the people of the southern city.

Proper food!
A rich and mellow aroma!
No technology or grueling work involved...

The aroma, like an invisible command, attracted more and more people, and the line stretched from the porridge kitchen all the way to the south gate of the city, and it was still growing.

Currently serving as a logistics clerk in the Flying Cavalry Army, responsible for a soup kitchen in the southern part of the city, he is about forty years old, with a thin face, high cheekbones, and slightly cloudy eyes from years of checking account books. He was originally a granary official in Youzhou, but was recruited and selected into the Flying Cavalry Army system because of his knowledge of accounting, his honesty, and his strict management of the warehouse, becoming a military officer who followed Zhao Yun on his southern expeditions.

At this moment, he was sitting behind a dilapidated table that had been temporarily moved in. Account books were spread out on the table, and his fingers were moving the abacus beads quickly, making a crisp and rapid sound. There was also a little sweat on his forehead.

The clerk standing by the table whispered, "Wang Shuzuo, today...today we used forty-five shi of millet, fifteen shi of soybean meal, and...and also some bran from the granary two years ago, about ten shi, that's also included. You see, those registered here, the three wards in the south of the city under our jurisdiction...yesterday's count showed over seven thousand three hundred people...this, this is truly..."

Wang Shuzuo didn't even look up, his fingers still flying across the abacus, his lips moving silently as he rapidly calculated in his mind: 'Over seven thousand three hundred people, less than two thousand able-bodied men, the rest are all elderly, weak, women, and children... At the very least, able-bodied men need five he (a unit of dry measure) of millet per day, the elderly and weak need half that, and women and children need the middle... Soybean meal and wheat bran make up thirty percent... Add a large amount of water and wild vegetables...'

The abacus beads finally came to a stop. Wang Shuzuo raised his head, his brows furrowed deeply, and his voice was hoarse: "Li Shuli, according to this calculation, two meals a day, and each person's share at each meal, will barely be enough to keep them alive..."

Li, the subordinate official, said with a bitter face, "Wang Shuzuo, you know that the army's food reserves are not inexhaustible! With food for men and horses, and now tens of thousands more mouths to feed... Squeezing out this much is already an achievement..."

Li's subordinate lowered his voice, "If all else fails, let them attack the north city... I heard there's a considerable amount of grain stored there, dozens of granaries... For now... for now, we can only endure it..."

Shuzu frowned and said, "What are you saying! Send them to attack the North City?! Shouldn't you lead the charge first?!"

Li, the subordinate official, shrank back. "I was just saying... and besides, the people of Shandong..."

"What people of Shandong? We are all citizens of the Han Dynasty!" Wang Shuzuo said in a deep voice. "If I hear you utter another word like this, I will report directly to the General and let you know what the solemn military law and the mighty national law are!"

"I...I...I'm just seeing these...they've been diverting military supplies..." Li's subordinate waved his hand, "Alright, I won't say anymore! But these supplies..."

Wang Shuzuo remained silent for a moment, then looked past the table at the long line of people gazing longingly at the porridge pot.

He saw a gaunt old man at the front of the line, leaning on a wooden cane, his body trembling slightly, as if a gust of wind could blow him over...

Seeing the infant in the woman's arms, too weak to even cry from hunger, its little mouth just open...

Seeing the teenager greedily inhaling the aroma of rice in the air and constantly swallowing his saliva...

Wang Shuzuo sighed and said in a deep voice, "I understand, I will report to the general immediately... Today, we will proceed with the required amount... However, when cooking the porridge, the heat must be sufficient, and it must be stirred thoroughly to ensure that each pot of porridge has the same consistency. No favoritism is allowed!"

Li, the subordinate official, nodded and said, "That's natural."

Wang Shuzuo turned to the cavalry captain in charge of maintaining order and security at the porridge kitchen and said, "Captain Zhang, the order at the porridge kitchen is crucial to the people's hearts and minds! Please be sure to restrain your men. Treat the people with gentleness and patience in your explanations! If any local ruffians or deserters are mixed in and incite trouble, they should be severely punished! However, the punishments must be clear and fair, and innocent people should not be affected... Also, if any elderly or weak people are unable to queue, their relatives may be allowed to collect the porridge on their behalf, but this must be verified... The matter is complicated, so please bear with us..."

Team Leader Zhang clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and replied in a deep voice, "Wang Shuzuo, rest assured, I know what's important! I've already increased patrols; I'll ensure order is maintained here!"

Their surnames were Wang, Zhao, and Zhang. They were under the banner of the Flying Cavalry. They were originally ordinary people, and they did not forget their original lives as commoners. They did not enter the city and put on long gowns, and then began to look down on the earthy smell of the common people. They did not yearn for the cabbages in the city, nor did they think that the cabbages grown in the fields were inferior...

In Shandong, poor young men, once they donned long gowns and became officials, would transform themselves into accomplices to evil, ruthlessly harming the common people. No matter how absurd the orders from above, they would carry them out without hesitation, working tirelessly for a hundred days straight to ensure that not a single lamb was born...

So what exactly makes such a difference?
Perhaps some people already know, but they pretend not to, and forbid others from knowing, or even if they do know, they are not allowed to speak of it...

In addition to setting up soup kitchens on a large scale, the Flying Cavalry also tried to implement some more benevolent measures.

With the advice and efforts of Zhen Xiang and others, several temporary clinics were set up in the southern part of the city, staffed by military doctors and recruited local physicians, mainly to treat people who were dying from cold, hunger, injury and illness.

Medicinal herbs are also in short supply, but at least they offer a glimmer of hope.

At the same time, the cavalry issued an order allowing people to resume small-scale market trade in safe areas away from the inner city walls, exchanging necessities such as old clothes, pottery, or gathered wild vegetables and firewood.

This small economic activity was like injecting a sliver of vitality into a dying body, allowing Nancheng to begin to show some signs of life.

However, Wang Shuzuo and his colleagues knew that all these measures were based on a fragile food supply.

Food, food!
Extra chapter! Extra chapter tonight!