Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3810 Jing Gong Er Wei
In the southern part of Ye City, there was a courtyard that had been recently cleared out and was temporarily used as a place for the sons of the Jizhou gentry who came to join the Flying Cavalry Army.

Various mottled marks are still visible on the courtyard wall.

Such an environment clearly could not satisfy all the sons of the aristocratic families.

Cui Lin was somewhat better off, after all, his days in Youzhou had been incredibly miserable, and now that he had returned to Jizhou, his life seemed to have improved considerably. Moreover, being relatively older, he was naturally more composed and wouldn't readily voice his opinions. However, the other younger members of the aristocratic families, faced with this situation, could only sigh and look miserable.

These young gentry members, some from Qinghe, some from Boling, and others who had rushed over from the Zhongshan area, were now sitting around a stone table, their expressions varied, whispering about the news that had just spread...

The Hu chieftain Luan Di Amo was killed in public by his own men for proposing a strategy of "driving the people to attack the city".

"This strategist Pang... his actions are indeed... decisive." Cui Lin stroked his short beard, his tone full of admiration. "Killing this barbarian will not only prevent unrest among the people, but also avoid suspicion from the barbarians... Moreover, I've heard that General Huo Qubing prioritizes the people's welfare in his governance, and this aligns quite well with his approach..."

Ju Hu nodded in agreement, "Indeed. If the General of the Cavalry and his men all adopt policies that prioritize the people, then the people of the world will be fortunate indeed!"

"Heh..." As soon as Ju Hu finished speaking, a young scholar with a slightly pale face next to him let out a cold laugh.

This young man was Ju Yuan, Ju Hu's cousin.

Ju Yuan, whose status was similar to Ju Hu's, was from another branch of the family. Upon hearing Ju Hu's words, he curled his lip in disdain, displaying the inherent skepticism of a noble family's scion. "Fortunate? Whose fortunate? Who knows if this is just a show for us? That barbarian brute, killed is killed, conveniently clears us of any responsibility! Heh, who knows… this fat, dark-skinned man will turn around and find some excuse to make us 'voluntarily' donate money and grain to replenish the military supplies! All crows are black! When the Cao family arrived in Ji Province, didn't they also claim to be resting and recuperating, to pacify the region? And what happened? This Ye City is a bottomless pit! The General of the Cavalry has a large force, plus these starving people in the southern city… if they don't squeeze money from us, where will they get it from?"

Ju Yuan's voice was quite loud, and as soon as he said this, the faces of the people in the courtyard who heard it all darkened.

The aristocratic youths who have been arriving in Ji Province in recent days are not as wealthy as they used to be, although their families have some influence in Ji Province. However, due to the war and the repeated conscription by the Cao family, their family fortunes have declined significantly.

If the Flying Cavalry really asks for it, should we give it to them or not?
How much to give?
The line between "voluntary" and "voluntary" is indeed difficult to define.

Ju Hu shook his head and said, "Military Advisor Pang said in public that the 'voluntary' method is not feasible..."

"Haha! Hahaha!" Ju Yuan laughed loudly, "You actually believe that?! That fat, dark-skinned guy is just..."

"Watch your words!" Cui Lin whispered, glancing warily toward the courtyard gate.

Ju Yuan glared at Cui Lin, snorted, and said, "Now we are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping block... Alas! Let's wait and see!"

Ju Yuan flicked his sleeve and gathered with several other younger members of the aristocratic families, whispering among themselves. Words like "that's how it is" and "hypocritical" occasionally floated out from above their heads.

Cui Lin and Ju Hu exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads.

You can't see into someone's heart; who can truly know another?
A moment later, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. A clerk from the General of the Cavalry, accompanied by two soldiers, entered. He bowed to the group, his attitude neither servile nor arrogant: "Gentlemen! Military Advisor Pang requests your presence! Please proceed to the military camp outside the city for a discussion!"

coming!

Everyone's expression turned solemn!

"May I ask, sir, what business does Military Advisor Pang have with us?" Cui Lin stepped forward and asked.

The clerk waved his hand, "How could I possibly know? Gentlemen, please proceed!"

The clerk didn't say much, but simply urged them to set off.

Cui Lin's heart sank, but he forced himself to remain calm and returned the greeting, "Thank you for showing me the way."

"They're here after all!" Ju Yuan snorted, exchanging glances with her friends, seemingly conveying something.

On the way to the central command tent, the group felt even more uneasy.

Ju Hu even whispered to Cui Lin in secret, "Brother Cui, it seems we're bound to lose money... I just hope... at least a little sympathy for us... Zhen Shi went back a couple of days ago saying she was going to gather provisions... Did she get wind of this beforehand?"

Cui Lin paused for a moment, then fell silent.

He was prepared to be "persuaded to donate" or "voluntarily" made donations, and even began to calculate in his mind how much disposable income his family could still contribute, and which farmland and shops might be used to offset the amount.

……

……

The cavalry camp outside the city.

Inside the central command tent, Pang Tong, still dressed in a grey scholar's robe, sat in the main seat, with Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao on either side. Upon seeing Cui Lin and the others enter, Pang Tong merely nodded slightly, gesturing for them to sit down.

"Gentlemen, you have worked hard these past few days assisting in the census of the southern city and comforting the displaced people." Pang Tong got straight to the point, his tone calm. "I wonder what the situation of the people in the southern city was like after you visited the markets and neighborhoods?"

I'm coming!
Cui Lin and the others exchanged glances, realizing that this was Pang Tong's opening line. Once they explained the dire situation of the people in the southern city, they could naturally guide them to donate!
However, since Pang Tong had asked, they couldn't remain silent.

So Cui Linju took the lead and reported in turn what they saw: broken walls and emaciated people.

In their conversation, these people inevitably expressed some veiled criticism of Cao Jun's previous tyranny, lamented the hardships faced by the people, and indicated their inability to help.

Pang Tong listened quietly, offering no comment. Only after they finished speaking did he slowly ask, "You must have heard about the Hu general… Luandi Amo’s plan to drive the people away?"

Now, let's get to the main point!
Cui Lin's heart tightened. He exchanged a glance with Ju Hu, nodded, and remained silent.

Seeing that Cui Lin and Ju Hu remained silent, Ju Yuan took a deep breath, striving to make his tone sincere yet measured, and cupped his hands, saying, "Reporting to the strategist, we... have heard some things. Your insightful observations and decisive actions are truly admirable. However..."

Ju Yuan paused, a perfectly measured look of difficulty on his face. "But now, Ye City is in dire need of reconstruction, and the soldiers and civilians are starving. While our family is willing to serve, alas… alas, the Cao family's previous excessive taxation has left our family truly… truly penniless. I fear we are unable to shoulder this heavy responsibility and will fail the strategist's high expectations…"

Ju Yuan's words were tactful, but the meaning was very clear.

The tent fell silent for a moment.

Zhao Yun remained calm, while Zhang Liao's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Pang Tong looked at Cui Lin and the others, a half-smile suddenly appearing on his face. He tapped the table lightly, the sound not loud, but it made Cui Lin and the others' hearts skip a beat.

"You've misunderstood," Pang Tong said slowly. "I invited you all here not to demand money or provisions."

You don't want money?

That would be fatal?!
The group was taken aback and looked at Pang Tong with unease.

"What does the strategist mean...?" Cui Lin asked cautiously.

Pang Tong's gaze swept over the gentry youths of Ji Province. "I have only one thing for you to do… to inform the people of the southern city of the Hu leader's treacherous plot to 'drive the people to attack the city,' and the fate of his execution… Let the people know who drove them to such a desperate situation, and who prevented even more cruel things from happening… That's all."

Silence fell once again inside the tent.

Were Pang Tong's requirements too high?

Obviously not.

What's wrong with the cavalry doing something and then letting the people know about it?
Cui Lin, Ju Hu, Ju Yuan, and the others were completely stunned.

It's that simple?
Just go...

To pass on a message?

Are we not asking them to "voluntarily" donate money and supplies?

"Strategist...is that all?!" Ju Yuan couldn't help but blurt out, her voice filled with disbelief.

Pang Tong nodded, his tone certain, "That's all. What, do you all find this difficult? Or... are you unwilling?" This kind of thing can't be called "voluntary" at all. Because the so-called "voluntary" actions that are hated by the people are harming the interests of the majority to satisfy the selfish desires of a few, like the superficial charity of the United States.

Most ordinary people have a simple emotional affinity for the act of donating money and goods to help the poor.

At this moment, Pang Tong didn't ask for money or supplies. He just wanted Cui Lin and others to deliver a message in the southern city. What difficulty was there in that?
"No, no, it's not difficult at all!" Cui Lin quickly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "This is easy! We will certainly convey the message truthfully, letting the elders of Nancheng know of the General's benevolence and righteousness!"

The young men of the gentry also echoed the sentiment.

However, while the aristocratic youths outwardly agreed, some inevitably wondered what the fat man was really up to.
Is it merely to win people's hearts?
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you all." Pang Tong didn't say much more. Having given his instructions, he waved his hand, signaling that they could leave.

Cui Lin, Ju Hu, and the others, filled with surprise and doubt but also some relief, bowed and withdrew from the central command tent.

It wasn't until they stepped out of the gate and were blown by the autumn wind that they seemed to come back to their senses.

"What... what exactly is Pang Shiyuan's intention?" Ju Hu murmured. "Is it really just to have us say a few words?"

Cui Lin gazed at the dilapidated southern city in the distance, his eyes flickering with thought. "Perhaps... this is the true brilliance. Not by force, not by plunder, but by winning... the hearts of the people..." He vaguely sensed that Pang Tong's seemingly simple actions might conceal a deeper scheme, and that they, the sons of the Jizhou gentry, had unknowingly become pawns in this grand game.

"Popular sentiment..." Ju Hu repeated, seemingly understanding something, yet also even more confused.

……

……

The autumn twilight came early, casting a gray hue over the southern part of Ye City.

Torches were lit early on the open ground of the military camp, which was temporarily used as a meeting hall, illuminating the surroundings.

The flickering firelight illuminated Pang Tong's dark, plump face, revealing no emotion.

The firelight also illuminated the two rows of aristocratic youths from Jizhou standing below, their expressions varied and filled with unease.

A subtle tension filled the air.

It's probably like the anxiety a kid feels when they have to hand in their homework after a holiday.

After a day of "visiting and spreading propaganda," the young people's attitudes had become divided. Some who did their homework honestly, although still harboring some concerns, at least followed Pang Tong's instructions and, when reassuring the people and collecting household registrations, objectively mentioned the measures taken by the Flying Cavalry to prevent the people from attacking the city and the common predicament they were currently facing.

However, some people just do it perfunctorily...

For example, Ju Yuan would only show his face in front of the people and say a few meaningless words about "the benevolence and righteousness of the generals," just like drawing a circle on a piece of homework and filling in a few numbers that he himself did not know were correct. He would then hurriedly hide back in his relatively clean temporary residence, avoiding the filth in the market and the suffering of the people. When he spoke to the people, he would openly show his disgust.

Even worse, a few people, such as Guo Yu from Julu and Zhang Tao from Qinghe, completely disregarded Pang Tong's instructions or paid lip service to them.

They moved among the starving people, never mentioning the good deeds of the cavalry, but instead emphasizing their own and their family's "kindness"...

They more or less portrayed the cavalry's actions in distributing porridge and maintaining order as having been achieved through their "vigorous mediation" and "pleading"...

Although they wouldn't say it explicitly, their words implied that without the intervention of these "local worthies," the cavalry would have already plundered the people like wolves and tigers...

They reveled in the grateful glances of some uninformed people, while secretly plotting how to gain more prestige and future political capital for themselves in this upheaval.

Pang Tong's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, finally lingering briefly on Guo Yu and Zhang Tao. Pang Tong's gaze seemed calm, yet it inexplicably sent a chill down the spines of the group.

"You've all worked hard today..." Pang Tong began, his tone neither sad nor happy, neither too loud nor too soft, "Your actions and words... the people have ears, the soldiers have eyes..."

Pang Tong suddenly called out by name, "Guo and Zhang, you two said to the people in the West Three Wards today that if it weren't for the old ties between your clan elders and General Fei, his army would have already been looting grain. Isn't that right?"

Guo Yu's expression changed slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Strategist, you are wise. The clan elders did indeed visit Qinglong Temple a few years ago... I'm not lying... Even if there are some, well, some discrepancies, it was all out of good intentions... I only made a slight... slightly exaggerated statement to appease the people, because I was worried that the populace would become unruly. In my haste, I made some, well, some exaggerations..."

"An exaggeration?" Pang Tong's lips curled into a sneer. "That Zhang son, you claimed in the North Market that your Zhang family donated half of your stored grain in order for General Huo to agree not to drive the people to attack the city. How do you explain that? Did you donate it? And where is the money and grain? As far as I know, your Zhang family's granaries were donated to Cao Cao's army last year... oh, they were looted by Cao Cao's army... So where does this claim of donating grain come from?"

Zhang Tao was speechless for a moment, his face turned bright red, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

Ju Yuan, convinced he hadn't uttered any lies, stubbornly retorted, "Military Advisor Pang! Why be so harsh? We've been running around the streets, comforting the people; we've done our duty, even if not meritorious! If you want our families to donate money and grain, just say so! Why find this pretext to humiliate us? Could it be that your statement yesterday about not allowing 'voluntary' donations was just a joke? Are you making us do these things today to find fault and force us to 'voluntarily' donate?!"

Ju Yuan's words were tinged with emotion, but they also expressed the sentiments of many present, who felt that Pang Tong was ultimately going to reveal his true intentions.

Pang Tong was not angry. He merely glanced at Ju Yuan and did not lash out on the spot. He simply said that it was getting late and that they should rest in the camp for the time being, and that they would deal with the matter tomorrow.

The night was dark and heavy, weighing on the hearts of these aristocratic youths from Ji Province.

Confined to temporary tents and unable to leave, the thoughts of the Jizhou gentry were as flickering and uncertain as the campfire outside the tents.

Ju Yuan, young and hot-blooded, paced irritably for a few moments before finally kicking over a stool at his feet. He gasped, "I knew it! That fat, dark-skinned guy didn't really want us to deliver a message. He clearly set a trap for us!"

Ju Yuan flicked his sleeves a couple of times, then tugged at his collar, his cheek twitching. "It's just a few wrong words! What's the big deal?! Even the Emperor doesn't punish people for their words, so what does that fat guy want?! It seems he's going to hold a grudge. Just wait and see! Who knows what charges he'll level tomorrow!"

Sitting in the corner, Cui Lin slowly shook his head, his gaze falling on the silhouettes of the patrolling soldiers outside the tent. "Calm down... Military Advisor Pang isn't that kind of person... If the Flying Cavalry truly wanted to harm us, they could have done so in the central command tent during the day. Why go through the trouble of keeping us here? Military Advisor Pang's actions likely have ulterior motives."

"Is there some other meaning?" Ju Yuan sneered, then walked directly to the tent, lifted a corner of the curtain, and pointed to the still brightly lit central command tent in the distance. "Could it be that he wants us to reflect on our actions here? I think he just wants to wear us down until we beg for mercy, then obediently hand over our supplies! Come on, look, this might be a way of keeping us "voluntarily" begging to come up here!"

Guo Yu, standing to the side, was pale, his hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, his eyes filled with panic.

"Brother Cui, do you think... something might really happen tomorrow?" Guo Yu's voice held a hint of panic. "Our family is already weak; if we're really framed for something, I'm afraid..."

A muffled sob came from the corner of the tent. Everyone turned to look and saw Zhang Tao, whom Pang Tong had questioned during the day. His face was ashen, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He sat on the ground, his eyes glazed, sobbing softly, "It's all...it's all over..."

Ju Hu stepped forward, helped Zhang Tao to the campfire, and patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down. Although Military Advisor Pang questioned you today, he didn't punish you... and even if you were guilty, it wouldn't warrant the death penalty..."

"Ah ha! Death is easy, the worst is punishment!" Ju Yuan seemed determined to contradict Ju Hu at all times. "Then...it'll be worse than death!"

"Say less!" Ju Hu couldn't help but scold Ju Yuan.

Inside the tent, everyone was filled with unease.

Some people want to 'voluntarily' donate money and food, but they don't know how much is appropriate. They feel bad about donating too much, and they worry that donating too little will not only be ineffective but may also cause resentment from others...

Over time, people's hearts were divided, and gradually they lost the desire to talk and chat.

Ju Yuan remained standing, arms crossed, his eyes filled with resentment. "Tens of thousands of people in the southern part of Ye City need provisions every day! I refuse to believe that Fatty Blackie can hold out indefinitely! He'll definitely have to beg us! Let's see who can outlast us!"

The campfire inside the tent gradually died down, and the night grew darker.

Cui Lin gazed at the tent ceiling, his mind filled with countless thoughts. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night, and the fate of these scions of the Jizhou gentry might very well rest on Pang Tong's whim.

Juhu's eyes were full of unease.

Guo Yu looked up at the tent flap from time to time, afraid that someone would rush in and arrest him again.

Zhang Tao kept his head down, sniffling from time to time.

The other aristocratic sons, scattered in twos and threes, seemed to still be whispering among themselves...

Only Ju Yuan remained standing by the tent, gazing at the lights of the central command tent in the distance, his eyes filled with stubbornness and resentment. In the quiet night, everyone's thoughts were quietly fermenting.

They were all shrouded in a thick night, unable to see the present clearly, unaware of the future, and even less able to understand why Pang Tong was doing this, or what his true purpose was...

Why is Pang Tong, the commander of the Flying Cavalry, not rushing to attack the northern city, but instead getting bogged down in these trivial matters?