Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 305: Taishi Xiang

Huang Gai was still a little puzzled, "But how did those merchants find out what was going on in the county government office?"

After all, Huang Gai had experience in being transferred to multiple county offices. He believed that he was very disciplined in managing county affairs and the merchants should not be able to find out about the situation in the county office.

Taishi Ci waved his hand and called over a cook, who was about sixty years old. He walked in limping on his left leg and saluted. Although he had difficulty moving, he was in good spirits and his voice was loud and powerful.

"This is an old soldier who has followed me for many years, Lao Liao. Tell me how you got the news when we were in Wuhu."

The old soldier, known as Lao Liao, did not hide his secrets. "In order to gather information, I set up a breakfast stall at the gate of the county government office and also sold some afternoon cakes at a cheaper price.

The county magistrates in the county government may not like these coarse foods, but the grooms and errand boys under them have become familiar with us. "

Huang Gai thought that when he was in office, important matters were always known only to a few confidants, and he understood that things should be done in secrecy.

I think this trick should be useless against his county government.

Old Liao seemed to see the secret pride in Huang Gai's heart, "General, do you think that as long as the important things are kept secret from the petty officials under you, you can rest assured?"

Although Huang Gai did not answer directly, his expression said it all.

Lao Liao continued, “In fact, the petty officials would not really tell us these important things, but that doesn’t mean we don’t understand anything.

The county government naturally has its own rules and etiquette. If the usually lazy clerk suddenly becomes active on duty, what do you think is going on, General?"

"Why?"

Everyone was confused, but Lu Meng seemed to understand a little bit, "Is it because a new official will be coming to the county government or the superiors will come to inspect?"

"That's exactly what the General said."

Seeing the surprise and admiration in the eyes of others, Lu Meng smiled. He was of humble origins and used to be a minor clerk serving his brother-in-law Deng Dang. He was not unfamiliar with the life of a minor clerk.

And it was precisely because of this experience that when Sun Quan was patrolling the army, he went against everyone else's doubtful and nervous attitude and vigorously rectified military discipline. This allowed him to stand out from Sun Quan and be entrusted with important tasks by Sun Quan.

"May I ask again, General? The clerk who usually eats two cakes has been left with a lot lately. What do you think has happened?"

Lu Meng thought for a moment and said, "Maybe the superiors gave me some difficult questions, which is why I can't eat."

"That's right." Old Liao said with a smile, "Generals, you think that if everyone in the county government keeps their mouths shut, everything will be fine. But you don't know that even though people don't speak, their walking posture and the amount of food they eat are all words."

As long as experienced merchants observe the movements of these petty officials and have some understanding and observation of the current situation, the movements within the county government are no longer a secret.

After all, these changes in the situation may not mean much to powerful officials and aristocratic families. They have their own ways to deal with these changes.

But for the common people at the bottom who depend on the weather for their livelihood, even a little turmoil in the political situation can bring about a catastrophic disaster.

When they are poor, they will think of change. They also need to make a living for themselves. This ability to read people's expressions is not rare at all. After listening to Taishi Ci's words, Huang Gai suddenly realized and slapped his thigh and said, "Sure enough, you are right. I still need to ask General Taishi for advice on pacifying Shanyue. If you say so, I have indeed missed many things."

"In addition, in addition to the county government offices, the neighbors around the family also need to be checked. If there are any changes in the situation, even if the officials do not tell outsiders, they will always say a few words to the family members so that they can prepare for the changes in the situation.

Any changes in this family will inevitably be noticed by the neighbors, and over time, spies will sneak in to find out the news."

"But if that's the case, how can we prevent leaks?"

Taishi Ci said, "It is impossible to prevent all leaks. The same is true on the battlefield. It is nothing more than pretending to be real when you are fake and pretending to be real when you are real."

Leaking of secrets is nothing more than a matter of fact and person. Human hearts are hard to predict, and things can be true or false.

Of course, as an official, if one can win the hearts of the people in the county, there will naturally be no leaks of secrets. Even if the people know what is going on in the county government, they will keep their mouths shut to protect the officials.

Huang Gai thought for a moment, "Your Excellency is right. I should consult General Taishi about the Shanyue issue.

The most worrying person in Danyang right now is the Shanyue rebel Zhou Yi.

I have heard that Zhou Yi has a close relationship with General Taishi. I wonder if the general has a good plan to capture him and make him surrender, so that he will not have any ulterior motives?"

Taishi Ci paused, "To be honest, I haven't seen him for several years. Young people are fickle, so I can't predict his movements. If you have any specific information, please tell me. Maybe I can make a guess and give you advice."

Huang Gai had some clues about his whereabouts, so he took out a sheepskin hand-scroll map and spread it on the table and discussed it in detail with Taishi Ci.

Other generals also gathered around, listening to Taishi Ci's analysis of Shanyue affairs while secretly examining how to fill in the gaps in their own counties.

Only Sun Quan's eyes were always on Taishi Xiang.

From the moment Huang Gai mentioned the name "Zhou Yi", Taishi Xiang's expression seemed a little strange. He seemed to have something to say, but Taishi Ci never gave him the chance.

When Taishi Xiang felt Sun Quan's probing gaze, he immediately dodged and lowered his head slightly to avoid further observation by Sun Quan.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Sun Quan's lips.

After the defeat in Zhuang County, Zhou Yi seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. No matter how the several counties in Danyang joined forces to investigate his whereabouts, they all returned in vain. Even several experienced spies could not find any trace of him.

If the rumors are true, perhaps everyone has overlooked that Zhou Yi actually has the most dangerous but also the safest escape route.

Then some things might make sense. Why was Zhou Yi's whereabouts suddenly no longer traceable after he left Zhuang County, unless someone deliberately erased his whereabouts?

Sun Quan gave Youxun a look, and Youxun nodded barely audibly, then quietly withdrew from the battle and arranged for people to investigate the movements of Taishi Xiang and his confidants.

After Huang Gai and his generals had dinner with Taishi Ci and others, they continued to discuss the governance of Shanyue for two hours.

With the precedent of General Huang Gai, other generals also asked Taishi Ci for his opinions on some issues within their jurisdiction.