My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 223 If you don't go to Jiangxia, the gap between you will get bigger and bigger
Pang Tong was not a time traveler, so he was not particularly surprised when he heard the alias Xu Shu used during his time as a fugitive.

He had just met these five people today, and he didn't think any of them was outstanding, so he treated them all equally.

Of the four friends of Zhuge Liang in history, except for Cui Jun, who is the most "high-ranking official's son", who is unlikely to come, the rest are all here -

Cui Jun is the "Cui Zhouping of Boling" mentioned in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who is portrayed as a hermit who knows his destiny. But in fact, his father is Cui Lie, who "asked the backdoor of Emperor Ling's wet nurse Cheng and bought the position of prime minister at a 50% discount."

Born into a family that bought official positions, Cui Jun was of course the son of a high-ranking official. Even if he had studied with Sima Hui temporarily, he would have been aiming to be an official in Beijing all his life. Moreover, he had not yet come to Xiangyang, so he probably would not have the opportunity to study with Sima Hui in this life.

As for Xiang Lang, Yin Mo, and Li Ren, they were only brought by Sima Hui to meet guests and see the world because they happened to be seeking advice from Sima Hui and Song Zhong on Confucian classics in the past two years.

Historically, Xiang Lang later made some achievements in officialdom, but Yin Mo was just a scholar-official who accomplished nothing in his life. Li Ren was even more exaggerated than him, he was just a scholar, never served as an official in his life, and did not make any achievements in academic research.

After exchanging greetings, Pang Tong led everyone into the village. Sima Hui and Huang Chengyan, the old friends, talked about the past first, and then many younger students came to see Huang Chengyan. After some pleasantries and getting to know each other, Huang Chengyan signaled Pang Tong to bring some not-too-expensive gifts.

In such an occasion, Sima Hui would naturally be polite first: "Why do you have to be like this, my dear brother? You and I are both hermits in the mountains, why do we follow the secular etiquette?"

Huang Chengyan simply said lightly: "How dare I bother you with vulgar things? They are just some local products of Yuzhang, produced by my son-in-law's family. They are not worth much. Just consider it as a token of his gratitude to the teacher."

When Sima Hui heard that it was a thank-you gift from Zhuge Liang after his expedition, he no longer refused.

He first opened a brocade box handed to him by Pang Tong, inside of which was a teapot wrapped in Shu brocade and several tea cups. They were all green with a slightly grayish yellow tint, but their surface was very even and smooth like jade, which was something the original yellowish objects did not have.

The so-called celadon in history was not always pure green. Most of the celadon during the Northern and Southern Dynasties had a gray or yellow tint, which did not disappear until the Tang Dynasty.

In the final analysis, it is because the furnace temperature is not high enough during firing, and the iron oxide in the glaze material is not fully reduced (ferrous oxide is blue. If all the iron oxide is reduced to ferrous oxide during the firing process, the color will be pure blue, and there will be no yellow or gray tones mixed in.)
Zhuge family has only been making celadon in Yuzhang for a year, so it is normal that the quality needs to be improved slowly. Take the products of Jingdezhen, Poyang County, six months ago, for example, the ratio of yellow and gray tones will be higher.

Jingzhou and Yangzhou are adjacent to each other, so trade is smooth and there are many wealthy households. After the end of the Huang Zu War, a small amount of Yuzhang celadon flowed in through merchants and was soon sought after by the upper class in Jingzhou.

Even Liu Biao, the Kuai brothers, and Cai Mao were using it, and it became very popular. By the way, these celebrities also learned how to appreciate the quality of porcelain, knowing that the purer the color, the more precious and elegant it is, and the more yellow it is, the more vulgar it is.

But in fact, this elegant and trendy aesthetic was deliberately spread by merchants and travelers from Yangzhou. The celebrities in Jingzhou fell for it without knowing it, because the greener things are, the scarcer they are.

The batch of celadon that was sent to Sima Hui was carefully selected by the Zhuge brothers. They chose the latest batch of celadon with the most mature craftsmanship and the most complete glaze restoration. This thing also depends on luck, because the degree of restoration of each piece in the same batch of celadon will vary.

"Too much, too much, Kong Ming is too polite, why is this necessary?" Sima Hui shook his head after seeing this. He was a person who really worked in the fields himself, and was not so particular about the use of tools. Seeing that he used better tools than Liu Biao, he felt it was inappropriate.

Pang Tong did not allow him to refuse, and ordered the farmhands to bring freshly boiled water to rinse the teapot and teacups, and then brewed Lushan Cloud Tea and asked Sima Hui to taste it.

Sima Hui took a sip and was quite curious about how the people of Yuzhang had managed to remove the astringent taste without destroying the shape of the tea leaves themselves.

Really fragrant.

When people in the Han Dynasty drank tea, they had to season it with onions, ginger, garlic, and even peppercorns and cloves in order to remove the astringency of the unfired tea leaves. They even had to grind the tea leaves into powder.

Sima Hui did not want to damage his image of being indifferent to fame and fortune, so he quickly suppressed his desire to appreciate these elegant things and took the initiative to change the subject.

When asked about Pang Tong's achievements in Yangzhou over the past two years, I would like to say a few words to him, "Don't be too eager for quick success and instant benefits in order to establish a career."

Pang Tong was very proud and showed off directly: "It's just because I'm young. After two and a half years, I'm still only the magistrate of Yuzhang County. But you know the temper of Zhuge Fujun (Zhuge Xuan). He is as elegant and indifferent as you are. He doesn't care about worldly affairs. Most of the civil and political affairs of Yuzhang fall on my shoulders.

Alas, there are still too few talented people under the General of Chariots and Cavalry. I don't know how long it will take before there are enough talented people from the counties to help take care of these tedious tasks. I still prefer to only assist in military affairs and not worry about other things." Sima Hui smiled when he heard this, and did not expose him, but just said: "Is that so? I have also heard that the General of Chariots and Cavalry is well-known for his benevolence and righteousness, and many talented people have joined him. How can he still be short of talents? How has Gong Wei been doing in the past two years? What position do you hold now?"

Meng Jian bowed and replied, "I was the magistrate of Pengze County the year before last, and moved to Nanchang County last year. During the campaign against Huang Zu this year, I made some small contributions and was appointed as a mentor and friend, and I still hold my original position. I also know that I am young and inexperienced, and I still need to hone my skills. It is difficult for me to manage the affairs of a county, and I am not as talented as Shi Yuan."

After the people behind Sima Hui heard about Pang Tong and Meng Jian's official resumes, some of them who were interested in becoming officials were already tempted.

Some people who didn't know how to be an official and only wanted to study thought Jiangxia would be a good place to go. Only Xiang Lang had just been recruited by Liu Biao to be a county magistrate in Linju. Although he didn't respond, he always felt a little embarrassed.

People in this era still have to have some dignity, if you have already received a job offer, it is fine to just refuse it. But if you are hesitant and wait and see, and then you change jobs when someone else offers you a higher price than the first one, it will not be good for your reputation.

Pang Tong waited for Meng Jian to finish speaking, and then immediately added: "Although the General of Chariots and Cavalry is known for his benevolence and righteousness, and many wise men have joined him, the growth of the prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction is still not as fast as it is now, so he is short of people.

Three years ago, we only had one county left, and we relied on courtesy and unity. Now we have seven counties, covering Xuzhou, Yangzhou, and Jingzhou. How can we not be in need? My fellow apprentices who are interested in serving the country, why don't you seize the opportunity now? Although Liu Jingzhou also respects the wise and respects learning, he can't use people after all. Otherwise, why would Kong Ming and I go to Yangzhou and surrender to the wise lord? "

After hearing this, everyone looked at Sima Hui.

Sima Hui had never met Liu Bei in person, nor had he made friends with him in this life. He had only heard of his reputation. After thinking about it, he asked Pang Tong a question:
"I have long heard that Lord Xuande has heroic ambitions, and that he wants to support the Han Dynasty, eliminate the thieves and put an end to the rebellion. Although this is a kind heart, order and chaos have been cyclical since ancient times. When Emperor Gaozu killed the snake and punished Qin, the country went from chaos to order. When Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, the country went from order to chaos again. It has been two hundred years. When Emperor Guangwu revived the Han Dynasty, it went from chaos to order. It has been two hundred years since then, and it has gone from order to chaos again. I am afraid that it will not be settled suddenly.

Although Yuan Shu usurped the throne and was soon exterminated, his influence was far less than that of Wang Mang, and he was probably not as bad as Ying Zheng and Wang Mang of the same era. Ying Zheng and Wang Mang stole the world and both lasted for 15 years before they perished. Ying Zheng unified the country for 12 years before wars broke out everywhere, and he died in three years of fighting. Wang Mang unified the country for nine years before wars broke out everywhere, and he died in six years of fighting.

Yuan Shu failed to unify the country temporarily like Ying Zheng and Wang Mang, and his rule lasted only three years. I'm afraid this chaotic era is far from over, and the resentment of the people in the world has not been fully vented on a tyrant. How can the Han Dynasty be revived? "

Sima Hui's theory is still a bit superstitious, but it must be said that it is the insight of many sharp-minded celebrities in the late Han Dynasty who liked to summarize the laws of history and the cycle of virtue and fortune. He currently felt that Liu Bei was incapable of ending the chaos, so he said it directly.

In later novels, because these words were considered rather obscure, they were simplified to "Those who follow Heaven's will prosper, while those who go against Heaven's will suffer." The saying that Sima Hui and Cui Jun both felt that Kong Ming "had the right master, but not the right time" also evolved from this.

Although people of this era did not know about the Malthusian trap, they also simply saw the superficial phenomenon of "the rich have fields stretching across the country, while the poor have no place to stand" after the population explosion. People who are proficient in mathematics, such as Sima Hui, have realized that the lack of farmland in the world is related to the excessive population and the resulting conflicts among the people.

In particular, Sima Hui was also proficient in Taoism and Legalism, and Zhuge Liang also learned Taoism and Legalism from him.

Sima Hui certainly knew that it had been written in "Han Feizi" long ago: "Nowadays, a man has five sons, which is not considered too many. A son has five sons, and the eldest grandfather has twenty-five grandchildren before he dies. Therefore, the population is large but the wealth is scarce, the work is hard but the support is meager, and therefore the people quarrel."

If we cannot resolve the fundamental contradictions of large population but scarce wealth, and lack of labor but low wages, the chaotic times will never end.

Yuan Shu's reshuffle was far from enough.

After listening to Sima Hui's theory, Pang Tong could understand it. After all, he had debated with Sima Hui for a year or two. However, he was unable to refute Sima Hui at that time.

Pang Tong was originally good at making extraordinary military plans, mediating and sowing discord, but not good at daily government affairs and grand strategies. However, after two years of learning and improvement, Pang Tong has learned a lot from the Zhuge brothers, and has also mastered many of Zhuge Jin and Lu Su's theories on governing the country.

A stone from another mountain can be used to polish jade. After appropriating the views of Ziyu and Zijing, Pang Tong thought that it would not be a problem to refute Sima Hui.

Pang Tong sorted out his thoughts and said solemnly: "What you said does make sense. The world is indeed not in chaos enough, and the chaotic world cannot be suddenly settled. But the Han Dynasty may not be unable to be revived. It can only be said that 'Emperor Yi and Ruzi Ying cannot be revived.'

Although Yuan Shu is dead, a new traitor is just emerging, and this person can play the role of Xiang Yu and the Red Eyebrows, and will cause far more damage than Yuan Shu. The General of Chariots and Cavalry has the style of Emperor Gaozu, is good at treating his subordinates with respect, and has a heart of benevolence and righteousness. He can win over the people who have suffered in the world, so how can he not revive the Han Dynasty? "

(End of this chapter)