Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3812 Dream of the Sky
A new day dawns in the southern part of Ye City.

Every day is a new day.

When Cao Pi opened his eyes, he felt as if he had lost a day, and that the Cao family was one day closer to its demise.

He hurriedly dressed, quickly ate his breakfast, and then hurriedly climbed the city wall.

He wasn't in such a hurry before...

At that time, Cao Pi still felt that he had time and opportunity.

But now, he can't help but feel anxious.

The key issue is that Cao Pi had absolutely no idea what the Flying Cavalry was planning to do.

When Fei Qian appeared outside Ye City, Cao Pi felt both fear and constant self-reassurance...

With Fei Qian here, his father will have more space and time to operate.

He seems to have played a crucial role?

Cao Pi consoled himself in this way, trying to lift his spirits. If his father could ultimately triumph, then all his previous foolish—or rather, well-intentioned but overly simplistic and brutal mistakes—could be quietly buried beneath the annals of history…

Everything can start anew.
Then we can look forward again.

Persevere, and persevere again.

Forget about the south city, focus on the north city.

The rulers of feudal dynasties particularly liked to encourage the people to look forward.

Feudal rulers did not deny history itself, but rather feared that history would become a tool for the people to challenge their rule. Therefore, they had to monopolize, distort, and control history.

If real history records the bloodshed and intrigue during the power grab, or reveals that the previous dynasty was not entirely corrupt, it will directly shatter the "myth of legitimacy".

For example, when writing about the Great Meng Dynasty, the author deliberately exaggerated the corruption and tyranny of the later period of the Great Meng Dynasty, while downplaying its early achievements in governance, especially the Great Meng's tributary system and the stationing of officials in the border regions, including but not limited to the snowy northern regions and Goryeo. This was used to prove that the Great Meng was incompetent and lost its border regions, and that China was picked up by the author...

Actually, Xiao Bianzi had a hard time even picking up Jin Chuan...

For rulers, the more ignorant the people are about history, the easier they are to control; the less they learn from history, the less likely they are to question imperial power or seek change.

The fear of falsifying history is not of history itself, but of history becoming the key to breaking the autocratic order.

Without historical reference, even if the people are dissatisfied, it is difficult for them to form an organized and strategic resistance. They can only fall into blind complaints and cannot truly threaten the foundation of the regime.

Then, after telling so many lies, you start to believe them yourself...

Initially, Cao Pi thought the Flying Cavalry was nothing special, because in Shandong and the Central Plains, there were many rumors that the Flying Cavalry were all warriors, poor devils from the frontier, and covered in blood and gore. So what was there to fear about such an army? Then Cao Pi himself believed it, which is why he kept thinking he had a "chance" and even now he is thinking about launching a night raid.

Although Chen Qun stopped him, Cao Pi still felt that he was right, so he got up early this morning and went straight to the city wall, hoping to find the 'evidence' he needed.

Cao Pi felt that the General of Chariots and Cavalry was now "neglecting his duties"!
They really don't consider steamed buns as staple food!
Could it be that the Flying Cavalry really treats these Cao soldiers in the north city as mere decorations?
They openly and brazenly began governing the people in the southern part of Ye City!

Moreover, Cao Pi vaguely felt that the General of the Cavalry's actions of promoting civil governance in the southern part of Ye City were a show for Cao Pi, Chen Qun, and the officials of all ranks in the northern part of the city...

As for why it was displayed like this for Cao Pi and others, Cao Pi still couldn't figure it out.

Cao Pi ascended the high platform of the city tower.

He was so engrossed in these thoughts that he didn't even notice when someone bowed to him on the way, nor did he give them a second glance...

……

……

When Zhou Zhang saw Cao Pi rushing towards him with his guards, he was almost startled and jumped up.

He suppressed his instinctive urge to flee, lowered his head, and bowed on the left side of the road.

Only after seeing the hem of Cao Pi's brocade robe and the guards' armor skirts gliding past his eyes did Zhou Zhang slowly straighten up and secretly catch his breath...

He has a map of the city's defenses on him; if it's found, he's definitely doomed.

Because the cavalry captured the south city, many officials' families crowded into the north city. Minor officials like Zhou Zhang were driven out of their original courtyards...

That's right, his original courtyard in the North City was requisitioned. And it was very sudden, without any prior notice. They simply broke down the courtyard and forced him out. If Zhou Zhang hadn't subconsciously hidden the half-finished city defense map on his person, he might never have had the chance to take it away.

The map not only shows the key points for troop deployment, but also some other matters that Zhou Zhang noticed.

For example, some granaries, some underground channels, etc...

If this thing is exposed, Zhou Zhang will definitely be finished.

Only after Cao Pi's figure disappeared around the corner of the city wall did Zhou Zhang slowly straighten up, his palms already damp and cold.

He wanted to make contact with the cavalry outside, but...

It's quite difficult.

He subconsciously touched the rough burlap lining in his arms...

If he's found out, his head will probably be on the line immediately.

Zhou Zhang walked slowly along the street and returned to his current "dormitory".

There are many minor officials like him.

Zhou Zhang's gaze swept over his familiar colleagues.

Some people still maintained their old airs, such as the elderly clerk of the Household Department, who spent his days holding bamboo slips, swaying his head as if reciting the Book of Rites, as if this would allow him to disregard the cavalry outside.

But Zhou Zhang saw it clearly: the old official's fingers were trembling slightly, his eyes were darting around, and after watching for a long time, he didn't even move to change a single bamboo slip...

Such a person is definitely not worth planning against.

Further ahead, there were several young officials gathered in a corner, whispering to each other.

Zhou Zhang recognized them; most of them were from poor families. In the past, they were obsequious in front of Cao Pi, but now their eyes darted around and they whispered among themselves. When they saw Zhou Zhang, they stopped, looked at him coldly, and neither bowed nor spoke.

Such people are also impossible to work with.

What troubled Zhou Zhang even more were the officials who were like walking corpses. They huddled in the communal sleeping quarters, their eyes vacant, their clothes tattered, only moving slightly when eating, drinking, or relieving themselves, to prove they were still alive.

Others numbly carry out meaningless official duties, such as inventorying long-empty granaries, as if this would prove they are still useful.

Zhou Zhang once saw a clerk who, having lost a seal, burst into tears in public, his cries filled with utter despair…

Of course, there are also people like Chen Qun—

Zhou Zhang had seen him from afar several times, and always noticed that Chen Qun had a solemn expression.

Zhou Zhang recalled Cao Pi's hurried figure just now, and also remembered that the hem of Cao Pi's brocade robe was covered with dust as it passed by, but Cao Pi and his guards seemed not to have noticed this detail at all.

Cao Pi, Cao Pi, do you still consider this to be the Ye City of yesteryear?
Zhou Zhang took a breath.

He wanted to find an opportunity to make contact with the outside world.

Otherwise, once the Cao family completely declines, a minor official like him will likely fade into oblivion, forgotten in historical records.

…… ……

Outside the south gate of Ye City.

When the people gathered again, preparing to leave the city led by the sons of the gentry, they noticed some different figures in the procession...

Dozens of lightly armored cavalrymen, carrying bows and crossbows, with short blades and leather pouches at their waists, stood on both sides of the road, then silently dispersed and joined the crowds of people in various markets and wards.

Most of these people had dark complexions, were quick and agile, had sharp eyes, and were capable and fierce.

"Sir, what... what are you doing?!"

Some commoners mustered up the courage to ask.

A cavalry sergeant gave a simple smile and patted the leather pouch at his waist: "By order of Military Advisor Pang, we men who are always out in the mountains have come to lend a hand to the villagers, to help them find their way around and see what's edible and what's poisonous."

Upon hearing this, the people were immediately stirred, and genuine smiles and hope appeared on their faces.

With these experienced cavalrymen leading the way, it would definitely be much better than following those lazy and ignorant noblemen!

Sure enough, the situation changed dramatically during the day's collection.

The cavalrymen led the people away from the barren lands that had been repeatedly searched, and into the relatively remote river channels, depressions and valleys that might contain food.

They skillfully guided the people away from the treacherous swamps and the rocky cliffs where sand and rocks had collapsed, leading them into areas that were previously less frequented. They identified various edible plant roots, fungi, and wild fruits, and while gathering them, they taught the people how to set simple traps to catch small animals and how to cast nets to catch fish in calm waters...

They patiently answered the people's questions, and even personally demonstrated again and again how to dig, how to collect, and how to process the catch...

During their daytime breaks, while roasting freshly caught fish or dug-up tubers around the campfire, these cavalrymen would chat with the common people, their words simple yet touching.

"The General of the Cavalry? He suffered just like us before! Unlike those guys in high-ranking mansions who spend their days indulging in poetry and romance."

"Yes, it's only through hardship that we understand what the common people want!"

"There are land allotted, that's right! There are land allotted in Guanzhong, Hedong, and Longyou... Don't know Longyou? It's further west, a month's journey away..."

"The General told us that the world belongs to all people! We serve as soldiers and are paid to uphold the rule that everyone can have enough to eat and live a good life!"

These words, accompanied by the tangible harvest of food, were sown like seeds in the hearts of the people. Looking at the warm, filling food in their hands, and recalling the embarrassment of yesterday when they followed some aristocratic youths and gained nothing, as well as the years when they were exploited and bullied by powerful aristocratic families, the scales in their hearts naturally began to tip.

Feudal rulers were not ignorant of this issue, nor were they unaware of the needs of the people. For example, in disaster relief, distributing supplies to every household was the most efficient way to utilize them. Only when food and supplies reached individuals would they be properly planned and used by the people, preventing enormous waste. The people would subconsciously practice thrift and conservation, maximizing the effectiveness of every grain of rice.

However, the vast majority of officials in feudal dynasties would not do this.

Too much trouble, too much effort.

The key issue is that you don't make any money doing this...

Just like now, the soldiers of the Flying Cavalry came to personally teach and guide them on how to gather food and how to identify danger. It was a tiring and unprofitable job, so they naturally gained the trust of the people in the southern part of Ye City.

Making money while simultaneously managing to support eighteen beautiful housekeepers must be incredibly difficult and exhausting.

Without comparison, there is no harm.

After the cavalrymen joined the ranks, the people of the southern city of Ye still maintained some politeness towards the diligent gentry sons like Cui Lin and Ju Hu. However, they made no attempt to hide their contempt and alienation towards those gentry sons who were perfunctory or even resentful.

As night fell again, most of the people who had gone out to gather resources returned with some or more of their harvest.

While we weren't exactly well-fed and watered, at least the initial despair was gone.

Everyone received a share, and smoke rose from chimneys once again throughout the market.

To conserve timber, those within the same household unit would form groups and cook together from a single pot. The people sat together, sharing their hard-earned food, discussing their day's events and gains, and also pondering the words of the cavalry soldiers. For the first time, they truly felt that the cavalry brought more than just military force to maintain order, or a few bowls of emergency porridge; it represented a completely different way of life.

And a glimmer of new hope, a spark of new light, beneath the old and numb sky.

This kind of practical help, which teaches people how to fish, is distinctly different from the condescending "gifts" bestowed upon the sons of the aristocratic families in the past.

Ordinary people are human beings too; they also have human emotions and feelings.

The merits and demerits of the old and new systems are no longer merely pronouncements on proclamations or comments from certain individuals, but become concrete and clear in the daily hardships and rewards of searching for food, deeply imprinted in the hearts of every participant.

The southern part of Ye City seemed to have become a giant furnace, and Pang Tong's seemingly simple "Food Search List" was the catalyst thrown into the furnace, subtly changing the form and relationship of all the elements inside.

The constantly updated black characters on the list, clearly marking the harvest quantities of each workshop and the surnames of the team leaders, are no longer just a public display of information. They are like a cold mirror, reflecting the ability and efficiency of the team leaders, and also subtly pointing to a path to the future.

The young men from the aristocratic families of Jizhou, who in the past mostly boasted about their poetry, literature, and family background, now care most about the changes in their rankings on this list.

These aristocratic sons finally realized, painfully yet clearly, that the new rules displayed by this dark-skinned, stout strategist under the command of the General of the Cavalry were completely different from the old Han Dynasty model, representing a radical and earth-shattering change.

What determined their future was no longer profound interpretations of scriptures or ornate prose, nor the land and reputation left by their ancestors, but the actual amount of food they could obtain to fill their stomachs, and the 'merit points' meticulously recorded by the clerks of the Flying Cavalry Army following their names.

For every basket of edible roots and stems handed in, and for every basket of fish and shrimp counted, the corresponding merit value would increase by one point. This accumulation of tangible numbers seemed to carry more weight than any empty poems or songs.

Emphasizing practical matters over empty words is no longer just a slogan; it has been transformed into daily comparisons of the harvest, into the rise and fall of rankings, and into the distinctly different gazes people give to different team leaders.

The "General of the Cavalry" has no need for their praise, and he doesn't even deserve to see them.

The burly strategist also didn't want their poems or essays; he simply used this list to define the rules.

Cui Lin, Ju Hu, and others took things seriously from the beginning, so they naturally made the list.

Some people from families with stronger financial resources and the ability to mobilize additional resources have gradually risen to the top of the list.

These aristocratic sons who topped the list not only won the approval of some of the common people, but also gained the approval of the clerks at the Flying Cavalry Academy. When they went to the quartermaster department to verify their achievements, they saw with their own eyes the ever-increasing numbers written by the clerks, which inevitably made them feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. They also dared not relax their efforts and tried their best to maintain their leading advantage.

However, not everyone can compete fairly based on their own efforts or resources.

The allure of profit and the pressure of ranking, like a corrosive agent, began to erode the already fragile "harmony" among these aristocratic youths, which was based solely on hometown ties or so-called family and kinship alliances.

Now, this superficial "harmony" is rapidly collapsing, like snowflakes falling under a raging fire.

Some scions from prominent families, who were used to being arrogant, such as Zhang Tao from a prominent family in Qinghe and his friends, felt increasingly resentful when they saw their families fall behind in the rankings and be surpassed by some scions from humble backgrounds in their eyes through more careful observation or hard work.

These people from poor families are just lucky, what does that amount to?
It was just a coincidence! What could these people have done if they hadn't run into a dead rat?
The children from poor families humbly attributed their success to good luck, while these arrogant children genuinely believed it was "good luck"...

"That reed marshland on the Zhangxi River beach was clearly discovered first by our Zhang family servants! Su Ming, what's the reason for you taking it over with your men?" Zhang Tao, along with a few henchmen, blocked the procession of villagers led by Su Ming, a poor man, who were returning with their catch of fish and wild duck eggs.

Su Ming's face flushed red as he argued, "Brother Zhang! That's incorrect! This land was marked as unclaimed by the army. We built a fish dam here yesterday, which is why we have this gain today! How can it be considered forcible occupation?"

"What do you mean 'you built it'?!" Zhang Tao said arrogantly. "If I hadn't been unable to move around the other day, this place would have been ours long ago! When I was in the car, I even left a stone on the riverbank as a marker! How did it become yours today?!"

"Stone...stone?" Su Ming was almost in despair. Could this thing even be considered a marker?!
Zhang Tao gestured for his lackeys to step forward, "Those who know what's good for them will hand over half of what they've gained today, and in return, they'll have a share of this riverbank! Otherwise... hmph!"

The people behind Su Ming remained silent. They were used to being exploited and silenced, and even with new hope, the principle of "hanging streetlights" was not so simple or easy to understand.

The people behind Zhang Tao remained silent. Even though they knew that Zhang Tao was acting tyrannically and robbing others who also belonged to the people, they felt that it was acceptable as long as Zhang Tao could share a portion of the spoils with them.

In Zhang Tao's line, a young man swallowed hard. He knew it was an unjust act, but thinking of his family waiting for food, and seeing that no one else around him had moved, he swallowed his words.

Su Ming turned around and looked at the people behind him, seemingly hoping that they would stand up and resist when they were being exploited and oppressed. However, Su Ming forgot that when he was not the one being exploited, what he disliked most were the people who stood up and caused trouble...

An old man in Su Ming's group lowered his head. He had benefited from Su Ming before, but now he dared not look Su Ming in the eye.

So, what should we do?
A very real problem was placed before Su Ming.