Han officials

Chapter 178: Chaos in Youzhou [15]

In the ninth month of the autumn of the first year of Chuping, Chiyou's flag appeared in Jiao and Kang.

That year, Liaodong had a good harvest, with grain costing thirty coins per stone. The people lived in peace and prosperity, and many wise men gathered there.

Everyone in the country says: This is the land of kingly rule!
In the afternoon, on the west bank of Daliang River.

Outside Xiangping City, vast millet fields tumbled with golden waves, their stalks bent beneath the weight of heavy ears. Wei Zhe, dressed in a short linen jacket and a leather belt, stepped barefoot into the soft earth to harvest. His left hand clutched a handful of millet stalks, his right hand flashing with a cold gleam of sickle. His movements were as swift as if he were slashing an enemy flag on the battlefield.

Following closely behind were generals Taishi Ci, Zhao Yun and others, while Guo Yuan, Shi Yi and others were working in the fields next door.

For a moment, the fields were filled with the sound of "crackling" one after another.

After a long time, when he had finished cleaning up the fields in front of him, Wei Zhe finally straightened up with some difficulty. Immediately, beads of sweat were seen on his forehead rolling down his short beard, and he was obviously very tired.

"Ming Gong, have a drink of water!"

Xi Zhicai, who had been resting on the side, came over with a bag and a water bottle.

It's not that he was lazy, but his physical condition was too poor. Not long after he got out of the field, Wei Zhe ordered someone to take him aside to rest. Xi Zhicai didn't try to be brave either.

In comparison, Jiaoshan and Huaxiong can do much more.

At first, the movements were a bit awkward, but he soon mastered the rhythm and plowed his way through like a mowed man. For example, Jiao Shan casually lifted a three-stone sheaf of millet and tossed it aside. This startled a few pecking birds, which fluttered across the millet field and landed on the official road. Perhaps it was professional habit, but the grain stacks had been piled up like battlements.

It can be said that most of Wei Zhe's land was taken care of by them, for fear of tiring their master.

In fact, Wei Zhe was indeed very tired.

After all, although the Xuanyu Wei family has a shallow foundation, it is not to the point where he, a young man, has to go to the fields himself.

So, in his two lifetimes, Wei Zhe has really never done much farm work.

However, even though it was hard work, he still went to the fields to participate in the harvest himself.

Because it has been like this since ancient times, political showmanship is a ritual.

Even though everyone from officials to common people knew that Wei Zhe would not actually farm the land himself, they still had to do it.

To put it more vaguely, this represents Chinese etiquette.

But to put it bluntly, it represents the attitude of those in power.

This is true for any political show, and this is exactly the message Wei Zhe wants to convey.

At the same time, after finishing the water bottle Xi Zhicai handed him, Wei Zhe looked at the officials, both big and small, toiling in the fields. Seeing these officials, who usually wore tall hats and wide belts, now with their elbows wrapped in coarse linen and their collars clinging to millet stalks, completely losing their usual arrogance, he couldn't help but sigh, "Today I understand the hardships of farming!"

Guo Yuan, Shi Yi, Sun Shao and others who had just finished tidying up the fields nodded repeatedly with sweat on their foreheads when they heard this.

You have to know that even when they were county officials, they had never experienced the hardships of farming.

It’s true, only after experiencing it myself did I realize how sincere the words of the sages are.

But just when they thought that today's ceremony was about to end, Wei Zhe ordered people to bring several carts of stone tablets.

Guo Yuan and the others took a closer look and saw sixteen words written on it:
Your salary and benefits are the blood and sweat of the people;
The people below are easy to abuse, but God is hard to bully.

After watching this, everyone looked at each other in surprise, and then they understood the purpose of Wei Zhe's visit today.

Seeing this, Wei Zhe smiled and said, "Come on, don't be polite. Each of you can take one stone tablet back."

Even though the effect may not be that great, erecting this stone tablet outside the county temple and official residence is a warning after all.

Because this stone tablet is for the officials to see, as well as for the people in the city. The bond between them is difficult to describe in a few words.

However, since Wei Zhe had spoken, these county officials naturally did not dare to disobey.

Only Xi Zhicai was a little unhappy: "Why is there no share for me?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe laughed out loud: "Why, you also want to be a local official?"

"Forget it." Xi Zhicai immediately gave in when he thought about having to deal with mundane affairs all day.

As the east wind swept across the Liang River, bringing a cool breeze, Guo Yuan, Hua Xin, and the others took the opportunity to report the recent situation to Wei Zhe: "The newly reclaimed farmland in Lelang has increased by 20% compared to last year, and in Liaodong and Xuanchu by 30%. The charity granaries in various military and civilian settlements have been harvested..."

Before he could finish his words, a post horse suddenly arrived with a cloud of dust. Then, a scout came swiftly across the fields and approached Wei Zhe with a report: "General, the Cavalry Commandant Gongsun Zan has entered Jizhou and attacked Hejian State, capturing five counties in a row. Jizhou is in great alarm!"

After saying this, the man presented the military report. Wei Zhe opened it and found that it also contained a notice from Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou.

Seeing this, Wei Zhe immediately became interested, so he put the military newspaper aside and started reading Han Fu's notice first.

After all, he had already anticipated Gongsun Zan's plan to destroy Guo by pretending to attack him.

In contrast, Wei Zhe was more curious about what Jizhou Mu Han Fu was thinking now.
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I've heard the Spring and Autumn Annals say that the princes defended their territories and secured their borders. Now, there's General Gongsun Bogui of Youzhou, relying on the sharpness of his white horse, forgetting the friendship of his comrades, crossing the Yishui River to peek south, unleashing his iron cavalry to trample the wheat. He slaughtered Gaoyang and plundered Hejian, leaving bones strewn across the fields wherever he passed. This isn't an army to suppress rebellion, but rather a tyrannical jackal!

Recalling the time when Dong Zhuo was causing chaos, Fu led the charge and sent a million grains to aid the Guandong region. Bo Gui, receiving imperial authority, should have supported the Han dynasty. Why, instead of listening to slander, did he treat Jizhou as a prey? The grain and fodder of Yecheng is the blood and sweat of the people of Hebei; the banners and banners of Changshan were personally bestowed by the emperor. You have burned our ancestral temples and murdered our people. How can you face the ancestors of the Gongsun clan in your graves?

I now accuse you of three crimes: first, breaking the alliance, the ink of the You-Ji integration is still fresh; second, abusing the people, the infant child in Anping was slaughtered in his cradle; third, usurping power, privately appointing officials to Jizhou without regard to the law. Such rebellion is infuriating to both gods and men!

Now I have issued a proclamation to all directions, asking all counties to prepare their troops and horses to jointly attack the enemy army.

Jizhou has 100,000 soldiers and five years' supply of grain. If Commander Gongsun still retains his loyalty to the Han Dynasty, you should surrender quickly and politely. Otherwise, I will hang your white horse as a sacrificial flag on the banks of the Yishui River!

Loyal and righteous people from all directions, when they see this manifesto, they should know that Gongsun's cruelty is even worse than Dong Zhuo's, and all the people should unite to attack him!
After reading it, Wei Zhe couldn't help but shook his head.

"Ah~ As expected, Hangeuljie still has fantasies!"

Wei Zhe originally had some expectations for Jizhou Mu Han Fu, but now it seems that he overestimated him.

Despite Han Fu's eloquent words in the manifesto, Wei Zhe only saw four words throughout the whole article:

The color is sharp and the heart is full!

If Han Fu was really determined to fight to the death, he should not be in Yecheng at this moment, but at the front line.

Xi Zhicai shared the same opinion after reading it.

When the news reached Hua Xin, he couldn't help but frown and said, "I've heard a lot recently about Gongsun Zan recruiting troops in Youbeiping. It seems that this is the preparation."

Shi Yi nodded upon hearing this. "I heard that Gongsun Zan embezzled much of Yuyang County's salt and iron resources, and even plundered them. It seems this official has harbored evil intentions for a long time!"

At this point, Shi Yi looked at Wei Zhe worriedly and said, "Lord, such an ambitious person must not be allowed to go unchecked, otherwise Youzhou will be in turmoil in the future."

However, Wei Zhe just shook his head slightly when he heard this: "No problem!"

After saying that, Wei Zhe took his group to clean up the aftermath and returned to Xiangping City.

However, before he could return home, Wei Zhe was stopped outside the county government office...
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Sorry, something unexpected happened yesterday.

[I'll try to update as much as possible tonight to atone for my past sins! ]

(End of this chapter)