Han officials

Chapter 290 Living Off a Woman [4K]

The three Huan families of Pei State were of the same blood and connected branches.

Perhaps due to the intense competition among the gentry in the Central Plains, the Huan family of Pei State, though having separated, did not sever ties with their relatives.

In the past, whenever the Huan families of Xiang County and Zhi County encountered any trouble in their official capacity, the Huan family of Longkang would help them out.

Correspondingly, the Huan clans of Zhixian and Xiangxian would also help the Huan clan of Longkang with some things that were inconvenient for them to do.

It wouldn't be accurate to call them a pair of black gloves, but the existence of the two families did make up for the lack of martial virtue in the Longkang Huan clan.

Despite the current dominance of the aristocratic families, they may not be stronger than the powerful clans in certain aspects.

Because local powerful families had no other way out, they could only try every means to develop and expand in the countryside.

As a result, in some cases, the local powerful families actually had a greater share of human resources than the aristocratic families.

The most typical example is the Li family of Chengshi County.

Although they were a local powerful clan, they had thousands of diners.

This sounds quite like something from ancient times.

But what exactly is a diner?

They were clearly a group of idle young people who did not work and were fond of fighting.

Therefore, if the Li family of Chengshi County were to mobilize all its members, they could even raise an army of ten thousand men in an instant.

Such strength is unmatched not only by ordinary aristocratic families, but even by the local prefecture.

In times of peace, the gentry of Yingchuan might look down on them, but in times of chaos, they are no match for these powerful and influential figures.

Wei Zhe knew this better than anyone else.

So after Xi Zhicai proposed this idea, Wei Zhe decisively unleashed his ultimate weapon.

"Let's arrange a marriage!"

By candlelight, Wei Zhe spoke without changing his expression:

“Regardless of beauty or ugliness, as long as she is the legitimate daughter of the Huan family of Zhi County, she is acceptable.”

Seeing that Wei Zhe had this awareness, Xi Zhicai immediately stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction.

If Xi Zhicai were to say what he was most satisfied with about Wei Zhe, it would probably be his age.

The Hebei overlord, who had just turned thirty, was a tempting figure that would be hard for any powerful clan to resist.

Although doing this might be seen as Wei Zhe selling himself, it's better to have a gigolo than nothing at all.

Furthermore, Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, also gained the support of the powerful families in Hebei by selling himself into servitude. If Emperor Gaozu of Han hadn't had the support of the Lü family when he first rose to power, he wouldn't have been able to achieve his later imperial ambitions.

Therefore, conquering the world and living off a woman are not contradictory; it all depends on how the person in charge manages them.

Even a ruthless warlord who is good at living off women might have a better chance of unifying the world.

For example, a certain Mr. Shao, who is obsessed with married women, seems to be best at living off women.

That night, the moon was high in the sky.

Huan Wei, who had just been taken in as a personal guard by Wei Zhe, left with a difficult mission.

His task was not only to persuade the Huan family of Zhixian County, but also to find a way to bring his clansmen into the Huan family of Zhixian County.

Although the task was very challenging, Huan Wei was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he was secretly excited.

After all, the Huan family of Xiang County has been dormant for too long. Now, whether they can rise to prominence depends on this opportunity!

This was not just Huan Wei's idea, but a consensus among the upper echelons of the Huan clan in Xiang County.

For this reason, a highly respected elder even dragged his aged body to accompany Huan Wei on the journey.

The next day, early morning.

Just as Xi Zhicai was considering how to win over Long Kang Huan Shi, several "uninvited guests" came to his door to request an audience.

……

"Xun You, Zhao Yan, Du Xi, and Fan Qin pay their respects to Duke Wei!"

Inside the commander's tent, four scholars in Confucian robes with tall hats and wide sleeves were seen bowing respectfully.

Upon seeing this, Wei Zhe immediately smiled and stepped forward to help the group up.

"You are all virtuous and talented people from Yingchuan. May I ask what you have to teach me today?"

It is said that Xun Chen and others had invited like-minded people to Ye last year in an attempt to increase the influence of Yingchuan scholars in the shogunate.

However, six months have passed, and the results have been meager.

First, Chen Qun and his son decided to abandon Wei and join Cao because of the land surveying incident in Ji Province.

Guo Jia, being from a collateral branch of the Guo clan of Yangdi, didn't care much about these things, but plans can't keep up with changes.

After leaving Yuan Shao, Guo Jia indeed stayed in Yingchuan, studying behind closed doors.

However, this news was from two years ago.

In the chaos of war, roads were cut off and communication was disrupted, so Xun Chen's information was already outdated.

When Xun Chen's letter finally arrived in Yangdi County after many twists and turns, Guo Jia had already gone to Luoyang at the invitation of Shi Sunrui.

Guo Jia's idea was simple: since he had nothing better to do anyway, he might as well go to Luoyang for an inspection.

Moreover, Guo Jia never chose his lord based on reputation; otherwise, he wouldn't have looked down on Yuan Shao in the first place.

Even after Guo Jia finished his inspection of Luoyang, he planned to secretly go to Chang'an at Zhong Yao's invitation.

Yes, the young emperor was also within Guo Jia's purview.

After all, the Han Dynasty lasted for four hundred years, and its influence on people's hearts was profound.

Even according to the current mainstream social view, the Han Dynasty was the first unified dynasty in history.

Although the First Emperor unified the country, his reign lasted only fifteen years before ending after the second generation.

Fifteen years of rule pales in comparison to four hundred years of influence.

If the Han dynasty could be saved, Guo Jia wouldn't mind being a loyal minister who helped restore it.

After going through all the options, only Xun You and three others, who were far away in Jingzhou seeking refuge from the chaos, accepted Xun Chen's invitation.

However, due to the disruption of roads during the chaotic times, it was not easy for either the entire clan to migrate or for the entire family to move.

When Xun You and his entourage returned to Yuzhou with their families, Wei Zhe was no longer in Ye City.

So Xun You and the other three decided to go directly to Pei State to pay their respects to Wei Zhe, lest they miss the opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Unexpectedly, they actually caught up with it.

After everyone was seated, Xi Zhicai gave a brief introduction to the situation.

Zhao Yan, Du Xi, and Fan Qin reacted differently.

Among them, Du Xi excelled in internal affairs, Fan Qin excelled in literature, and only Zhao Yan possessed both literary and military talents.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Yan straightened his clothes and said solemnly:

“In the past, Yuan Gonglu asked Chen for grain but was refused by Chen’s Chancellor Luo Jun. Therefore, he was furious and sent assassins to kill Chen’s King Liu Chong and Chancellor Luo Jun. Later, Yuan Si pretended to be the Chancellor of Chen and forcibly seized its land. When the people of Chen heard about this, they all gnashed their teeth and were filled with indignation.”

Zhao Yan's words were not just official platitudes, but the truth.

It's important to understand that when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in eight provinces, Yu Province was a severely affected area. However, thanks to the concerted efforts of King Liu Chong of Chen and Chancellor Luo Jun, who were fair in their rewards and punishments and had thousands of powerful crossbows prepared, the Chen army was able to fight bravely. As a result, the Chen state remained unscathed in Yu Province, the epicenter of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and never suffered from banditry or war.

At that time, people from the surrounding counties admired the reputation of the State of Chen, and as many as 100,000 came to join them.

It can be said that during the reigns of Liu Chong and Luo Jun, the State of Chen was a first-rate prosperous and stable region in Yuzhou.

Given the prestige of the two men in the State of Chen, one can imagine how much resentment the people felt after Yuan Shu assassinated them.

Zhao Yan then shook his head and sighed:
"Once the law was applied to Chen, the oppressive taxes became excessive, and the tyranny increased. In the past, Chen was a fertile land with full granaries and households filled with music and song; now, the fields are overgrown and the villages are desolate, and the people look pale and sickly. This is truly a sign of extreme desolation."

"Though I am not talented, I believe that the Yuan family's foundation in the State of Chen is like a child playing on the beach, piling up sand to build a palace. Although its appearance is impressive, its foundation is weak and it depends entirely on the gathering and scattering of sand. As soon as a storm arises or the tide surges, it will surely collapse and never exist again!"

"Your Excellency is in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's will. The people of Chen will surely welcome your army with food and drink. At that time, you will restore order and defeat the traitors of Chen as easily as crushing dry leaves!"

"Once Chen has fallen, Your Excellency should send troops westward from Xiang County, while Chen should send troops eastward from Ku County. If the two armies meet at Feiting, their supply lines can be cut off, severing the connection between the Cao army of Pei and Liang."

"With his escape route cut off, how can Cao Mengde possibly survive?" Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe immediately clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent!"

Although Zhao Yan's plan involved a large-scale operation, it was still a viable idea.

It can at least be used as a backup plan for now, just in case.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe immediately nodded and said with emotion:

"Bo Ran's words resonate deeply with me. May I ask how many troops you require?"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yan shook his head, his eyes shining brightly as he said:

"No soldiers are needed, just your banner and ten official documents."

The reason Zhao Yan said this was not because he was arrogant, but because it was indeed inconvenient for the Wei army to cross Pei State to reach Chen State. Too many people would not be able to pass, and too few people would be useless, so it was better not to do it at all.

Compared to military force, Wei Zhe's reputation and prestige accumulated over the years were more useful.

With Wei Zhe's endorsement, his words would carry weight in the State of Chen.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe readily agreed without hesitation.

He immediately appointed Zhao Yan as the Chancellor of Chen, gave him a banner and ten blank official documents, and allowed him to appoint officials of Chen without reporting to the emperor.

Furthermore, given that Yuan Shu was fond of assassinations, Wei Zhe assigned three hundred soldiers to guard him.

After the arrangements were made, Zhao Yan immediately felt a sense of kinship.

With such courage and determination, what else could he be but a wise ruler?
In his excitement, Zhao Yan immediately made a pledge, vowing to take down the State of Chen for Wei Zhe.

Without taking a break, he entrusted his wife and children to Wei Zhe and immediately set off for the State of Chen.

This made Wei Zhe feel moved, and he couldn't help but admire Zhao Yan even more.

Although Fan Qin and Du Xi's insights were not as good as Zhao Yan's, Wei Zhe still appointed them as his staff.

Xun You, whom Wei Zhe had the highest expectations for, remained silent. This behavior made many Wei soldiers and officers in the hall secretly despise him, thinking that he was just a name without substance and was only lucky to be born into the Xun family of Yingchuan.

However, Wei Zhe knew that Xun You was no ordinary person, and that in terms of intelligence, he was probably even superior to Xun Yu.

That evening, Wei Zhe summoned Xun You to his study alone once again.

……

As night fell, the candlelight flickered.

Wei Zhe and Xun You were sitting opposite each other.

This guy still maintained his taciturn and inarticulate demeanor.

Seeing this, Wei Zhe said helplessly, "Why are you so late, Gongda?"

Upon hearing this, Xun You said softly, "Please forgive me, my lord, but there is a question I haven't figured out yet."

"Oh? What's the problem?" Wei Zhe asked with curiosity.

Xun You slowly spoke, "I don't know whether the way of the tyrant or the way of the king should prevail in this world!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe immediately understood the implied meaning in his words.

Xun You's words were clearly a roundabout way of asking about his ambitions, and they were even more blatant than when he asked Xi Zhicai.

If Wei Zhe chooses the kingly way, then there's no need to say more.

But if he were to act tyrannically, he would undoubtedly become another Duke Huan of Qi who respected the Zhou emperor.

In this case, Xun You would probably have to consider whether or not to entrust his entire life and fortune to him.

After all, after Huo Guang's property was confiscated, none of his confidants fared well.

That's the trouble with smart people; while others are still thinking about the present, they're already thinking about decades into the future.

But Wei Zhe of today is no longer the Marquis of Yicong Army he once was.

Xun You wanted to inquire about his ambitions, so naturally he also wanted to test him.

Then Wei Zhe thought for a moment and asked in return with a smile.

What is the way of the king?

“Rewarding the good and punishing the evil, and having the feudal lords attend court, is called being a king.” Xun You had also prepared for this: “The way of the king is to first eliminate the harm to people and ensure they have enough food and clothing, and then teach them propriety and righteousness so that they know what is good and bad and what to do. The world will be at peace and happy. This is the art of the king.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe remained noncommittal and asked again, "What is meant by tyranny?"

Xun Yu calmly continued his explanation:
“Raising troops and making oaths, using faith and righteousness to correct the world, is called hegemony.”

"The greatest hegemons are those who respect the ruler and belittle the ministers, who unify power and control, and who govern from a single source. They are sure to reward and punish, make laws clear, govern all officials properly, and ensure that their authority is enforced. This is the art of a hegemon."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe's eyes flickered with an inexplicable glint as he said:
“Strictness can bring peace, but leniency can also bring peace. The world changes, so why be bound by the past?”

"The way of the sage king lies in combining benevolent rule with hegemonic rule, and integrating them into one."

“It is acceptable to follow the style of the three sages of the past, but things change with the times, and the old policy of the well-field system should be abandoned.”

"The imperial road is treacherous and difficult to traverse."

"I merely possess a courageous and diligent spirit, and act with utmost caution!"

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Xun You's eyes, and his previous unremarkable demeanor vanished.

In fact, whichever answer Wei Zhe gave was exactly what he expected.

But this clear-headedness was something Xun You hadn't expected.

After a moment's thought, Xun You straightened his clothes and solemnly bowed before Wei Zhe:

"Xun You of Yingchuan pays his respects to his lord!"

At this moment, Xun You decided to entrust his entire life and fortune to this person.

After accepting the gift with a solemn expression, Wei Zhe exclaimed with delight:

"Gongda, please rise. You may speak freely tonight!"

At this moment, Wei Zhe was absolutely certain that if he were to become emperor one day, Xun You would definitely help him remove any obstacles.

A smart person with clear understanding and a clear sense of self is so reassuring.

After formally pledging allegiance, and considering Wei Zhe's clear-headed state of mind just now, Xun You couldn't help but say:

"If one fails to become king, the disadvantages are still enough to make one a hegemon; if one fails to become a hegemon, what then?"

This time, Xun You was just curious.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe immediately smiled nonchalantly: "It's just a matter of acting within one's means and considering one's moral character!"

Wei Zhe believed he had done his utmost. If even this couldn't make him the supreme ruler of the world, then it could only be said that it was fate. In any case, the "transmigrator" had already lost to the "chosen one" once, so what difference would it make if he did it again?

Do your best and leave the rest to fate; that's all there is to it.

That night, Wei Zhe talked with Xun You until late into the night, and finally they simply slept side by side.

The next morning.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the civil and military officials, Wei Zhe publicly announced the appointment of Xun You as the Chief of Staff, to serve by his side and fill any gaps in his duties.

Xi Zhicai merely raised an eyebrow at this, then smiled and congratulated Xun You.

Doesn't he realize that Xun You doesn't understand Wei Zhe?
Judging from Wei Zhe's performance, Xun You must be a talent for governing the country!
Xun You understood everyone's doubts, so he immediately accepted the task of turning the Huan family of Longkang against their will.

After all, with Longkang and Xiangxian not accepting the offer, Wei Zhe's plan was never quite right.

Meanwhile, news from Haixi finally reached Xiang County in Pei State.

"Cao's army withdrew overnight, and the siege of Haixi was lifted."

The messenger, his eyes bloodshot, reported:

"The three counties of Huaiyin were caught off guard and allowed him to escape back to Quyang. Therefore, Sun Ce, the Commandant of the Vanguard, led his troops to harass him along the way. During this time, the Protector General also led the troops stationed in Qingzhou to catch up."

"Since leaving Quyang, General Zhong led his troops in more than ten battles, large and small, against Cao Cao's army, killing thousands, but ultimately failed to stop Cao Cao from retreating."

Whether it's to stop the retreat or not to pursue a desperate enemy, Cao Cao's army's retreat this time can be described as a desperate act of gritted teeth.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe felt a sudden sense of urgency...

(End of this chapter)