Listening to Duke Song wooing Xie Hui, the smile on Liu Muzhi's face remained unchanged and he didn't care. The reasons why he and Xie Hui are tit-for-tat are complicated. They both hate each other and need each other.
Liu Yu was born in the Han clan. After he came to power, in addition to reusing his own brothers and relatives, he also reused people from "humble" origins such as Liu Muzhi, Xu Xianzhi, Tan Daoji brothers, Shen brothers, Suo Miao, etc. Some people with low official positions and important responsibilities Confidential official positions were mostly held by officials from humble backgrounds.
The power of the Eastern Jin Dynasty has always been controlled by Wang Xie Yuhuan and other noble families. If Liu Yu wants to establish his own political power, he must weaken the power of these noble families, eradicate the Longkang Huan family by annihilating Huan Xuan, and eliminate Liu Yi, Meng Chang, and Zhuge Changmin. Gradually concentrate power into your own hands. Then decentralizing power from the Wang Xie family through Liu Muzhi and others was Liu Yu's method.
After the power was concentrated in his hands, Liu Yu certainly did not want to see the Shi clan and the Han clan joining together to form a new clan, so the original Shi clan and the Han clan needed to restrain each other.
Liu Muzhi understood Liu Yu's intentions, so he restricted the power of the family and suppressed the promotion of the children of the family. Liu Yu also needed the help of aristocratic families to control the court. Xie Hui and other talented and learned children from aristocratic families also occupied important positions around Liu Yu. Both Liu Muzhi and Xie Hui knew that Liu Yu could control the imperial court through the struggles between scholars and common people. To achieve checks and balances, so he was not afraid to expose the overt and covert struggles in front of him, so that Liu Yu could rest assured and feel at ease.
They seem to be fighting each other, but sometimes they are more harmonious and harmonious.
After appeasing Xie Hui, Liu Yu's face became heavy and he said: "Wei State sent a secret envoy with the ship, bringing hundreds of kilograms of the elixir fire developed by the Wei people. After Yu saw the release test, he found that the elixir fire of the Wei people was in The burning is not as violent as ours, but the explosion effect is stronger than ours. Yu has planned to cooperate with the Wei people to improve the formula of elixir fire, otherwise the gunpowder made by Yang Anxuan will be too powerful and difficult to resist the enemy."
Everyone was silent. Everyone here is Han nationality. Yang Anxuan was also in power under the Han nationality. Wei is a Xianbei nationality. During the Five Husties, the Hu nationality massacred the Han nationality and forged a bloody feud.
It was okay to do business with the Hu people, but if the people knew that Duke Song had united with the Xianbei people to deal with Duke Yong, he would probably be criticized by thousands of people and despised by thousands of people.
Liu Yu explained in a seductive voice: "Yang Anxuan was too aggressive and openly resisted the imperial edict. He used the name of a bandit to keep Huaishen out of the gate of Beiyongzhou. This rebellious minister and traitor will definitely rebel in the future if he is not exterminated. The Northern Wei Dynasty and Yang Anxuan were enemies, so it was okay I'm taking advantage of this temporarily, and I will ask for justice from the Wei people after I have defeated Yang Anxuan."
The idea of seeking skin from a tiger came to Fu Liang's mind, and he sighed secretly in his heart, wondering how this would be recorded in the history books in the future. …
Fifty sea ships sent by Liu Yu docked at the dock east of Yangxin County (now Yangxin County, Shandong Province) of Wei State (the land area has expanded eastward a lot in the past two thousand years). Liu Yu and Ji Ba agreed on a secret deal. Strict confidentiality was maintained, and the entire dock was closely guarded by Wei troops for several miles.
The ship brought 360,000 stones of corn, as well as a large amount of silk, tea, porcelain and other items, as well as boxes of sealed wooden barrels containing steel knives and gun points.
Ji Ba personally came to Yangxin County to inspect the corn and weapons. He was very satisfied with the things sent by Jin. After estimating the value of the goods, he received 600 war horses, 2,000 cattle, 10,000 sheep, and a large amount of furs and medicinal materials. and the treasures were loaded on the return ship.
The entire transaction process lasted for seven days, and the convoy transporting supplies naturally attracted the attention of interested people. The secret guard Lu Zhan noticed the convoy being guarded by the Wei army on the official road, and followed it from a distance to investigate the situation.
The Commercial Information Department (Secret Guard) has played an increasingly important role, and its team has grown from a few dozen people to more than a thousand people, with half the number inside and outside the country. After Yao Qin was defeated, Huang Fu, under the instruction of Yang Anxuan, regarded Wei as the main target of detectives. There were more than 400 secret guards in Wei.
These people are distributed in various cities in the Wei Kingdom, wandering around as merchants, traveling students, monks, and even refugees to gather information. There are many secret guards stationed in important towns such as Pingcheng, Yewang City, Zhongshan City, and Anyi City, or they disguise themselves as local people. The common people, or opened shops and hotels, formed a large net throughout the Wei Kingdom to find out the slightest signs of trouble.
Lu Zhan joined the secret guard four years ago. He was originally a Han from Yan (Southern). Yang Zijing joined the army after becoming the governor of Beiqingzhou. Later, Hu Fan favored him and sent him to Xiangyang to join the secret guard. When Yao Qin was annihilated, Huang Fu brought several people with him.
Lu Zhan was one of them. Afterwards, he was promoted to the rank of Commercial Affairs Secretary Dianshi (equivalent to a lieutenant colonel in the army) due to his meritorious service. He was rewarded with 200 acres of land. He chose Yiyang County.
After a special trip back to his hometown in Beihai County, Lu Zhan discussed with his parents about dividing the family and moving his wife and children to Yiyang County. He is the third eldest son in the family, with six siblings. Yang Zijing governs Beiqing Prefecture, and the taxes are heavier than Yong Prefecture. The family's life is tight.
Huang Fu learned that Lu Zhan had moved his family to Yiyang County and helped him get naturalized. He also helped buy a house for him and gave him half a year's leave so that he could reunite with his family in peace of mind.
Yang Anxuan set the rules. The salary of secret guards is twice as high as that of officials of the same rank. They are given one and a half months of vacation leave every year. If there are mission holidays, they can be accumulated and calculated. If they make military exploits, they will be rewarded with vacations.
When Lu Zhan returned to Xiangyang to cancel his leave, Huang Fu sent him to Wei State to inquire about the news, and asked him to return after half a year. Lu Zhan entered Wei territory for the second time, and he followed the caravan to Pingcheng first.
Along the way, he found many refugees. Lu Zhan knew that there had been a drought in Wei for three consecutive years. Many people in Yunzhong County and Dai County had starved to death. Some people even petitioned to move the capital.
Te came to Zhou Dan and Dr. Cui Haoli to offer wine to the Wei lord Tuoba Si to let the people go south to Qinghe, Yangping, Xiping and Shangdang to eat. With the Wei lord's consent, these people supporting the elderly and the young should be the ones who went south to eat.
Compared with the last time he entered Wei, the territory of Wei was much depressed. Lu Zhan felt that Pingcheng, the capital of Wei, was a little less lively, and the business of several familiar restaurants was not as good as before.
The secret guards carried plenty of gold ingots with them when they went on missions. One-third of the gold Yang Anxuan received from Yao Qin and Qiao Shu was given to the secret guards. Gold is small in size, easy to carry, and of high value. There are many gold markets in Wei State where it can be exchanged. Private merchants, restaurants, and shops are willing to exchange money and grain for gold.
Pingcheng was the capital of Wei, and Lu Zhan stayed in Pingcheng for a long time. He walked through the streets and alleys every day, went in and out of shops, disguised as a merchant selling goods in the south, and searched for the necessary information from a few words.
Those who want to join the secret guard must go through strict selection. Loyalty is the first priority, and cleverness is necessary. Lu Zhan must be recommended by Hu Fan before he has the opportunity to join the secret guard. The secret guard has a dedicated person who teaches how to inquire about news, pass on intelligence, and how to escape after being caught. and knowledge about suicide.
Lu Zhan had not been a member of the secret guards for a long time, but he was clever and good at dressing up various characters. He was deeply liked by Huang Fu. He always thought of him when there were important tasks. Therefore, Lu Zhan was promoted quickly among the secret guards. It's classic history.
In less than ten days, Lu Zhan found out that the Tao of Heavenly Masters was becoming more and more prosperous in Wei. Tuoba Si, the leader of Wei, often called Master Kou into the palace to preach. offer.
At the end of April, Tuoba Si, the leader of the Wei Dynasty, patrolled the north. Lu Zhan followed him to Chicheng (today's Chicheng, Hebei Province), and then visited Beiyan Longcheng. After learning about the mutual trade between Wei and Jin, Lu Zhan decided to go to the Luowo market in Wei. Take a look, and then follow the caravan back.
When we walked to Nanpi, Bohai County (today's north of Nanpi County, Cangzhou, Hebei), we discovered an endless stream of motorcades. A lot of corn was unloaded from the carriage, and porridge began to be given to the victims outside Nanpi City.
Lu Zhan was very surprised. It was now a time of drought, and people were starving to death along the way. Where did the Wei people get the food? Could it be that they bought it from the market.
After walking behind the convoy for a while, Lu Zhan discovered that the ruts were deep and the vehicle was loaded with heavy objects. However, Wei Jun was under strict guard and could not get close. Lu Zhan did not intend to continue to follow, but to trace the origin of the convoy.
The long convoy couldn't hide anyone. Lu Zhan easily found Yangxin City and learned from the people in the city that Yangxin City was heavily guarded more than ten days ago. The army blocked the east dock and they didn't know what they were doing.
Nowadays, the dock is empty of boats and people. The weather has been fine these days. Lu Zhan found a large number of hoof prints and horse excrement on the ground of the dock. It was obvious that the horses were exchanged for corn.
It seems that the exchange place is here. It was brought by sea ships. But where did these corn and goods come from? Goguryeo, the Japanese state, or the caravans from the south, or even the imperial court? What are those heavy cargoes? Iron ingots, swords and guns?
Lu Zhan was keenly aware of the anomalies in the transaction of this batch of goods. The Wei army dispatched troops to impose martial law. There must be something ulterior.
After asking around the fishermen, I learned that there were many large boats, three or four feet high, with masts as dense as a forest. ..net
Lu Zhan had a rough guess in his mind. According to the descriptions of the fishermen, they should be sea-going ships such as Zhouhui and Zhouhui. Such ships could only be made in the Sanwu area.
With so many sea ships, it is impossible even for several families to come together. Thinking that some time ago, the Wei envoys signed a covenant with the imperial court and opened up the market. These sea ships are most likely to be the ships of the imperial court. Yangxin City is probably secretly of discussion.
To be on the safe side, Lu Zhan did not rush back, but went into Yangxin City to inquire about the news. At this time, many merchants came to Yangxin City to inquire about the news. The long convoy left Yangxin City, unloading grain for disaster relief along the way. At present, one stone of grain in Wei State was sold for 500 yuan. If you could find someone to buy grain, way, you can make a fortune.
Ordinary people didn't know the news, but the officials in Yangxin City knew something. Those who could visit the county magistrate were naturally the aristocrats. The ordinary merchants invited the county officials to the restaurant for dinner, hoping to get some news.
After staying in Yangxin City for five days, all kinds of gossips were flying everywhere, true and false, false and true. Lu Zhan decided not to waste time and returned to Xiangyang to deliver the letter first. Since there was a transaction in Yangxin City, I believe that Mr. There will be a second time. Just report it to Commander Huang and ask him to send someone to guard it. It would be safer for him to get his first success earlier. …
In July, the imperial edict was issued allowing Xiangyang to conduct a trial examination to obtain scholars.
The edict stated that officials from the Imperial Ancestral Hall and the Ministry of Personnel were sent to preside over the matter. They also brought the examination questions, selected the best officials for the admitted scholars, etc. Yang Anxuan scoffed. When our family has only one-third of an acre of land, we can still handle it. You decide.
The exam was originally scheduled for August, but Yang Anxuan felt that there was not enough time, so it was postponed to early October. Posts in various places were ordered to receive the students who came to take the exams graciously and to prevent the students from being cold or hungry.
The examination will be held at the Xiangyang Academy, where there are hundreds of schools. Students will be on holiday during the exam. It is estimated that many students in the Academy will also take the exam.
Yonggong Mansion is famous all over the world, and students are welcome to come to Xiangyang to take the exam. Tens of thousands of posters were printed on the carved boards and widely posted at the city gates, outside the post houses and in the markets. They were even allowed to be taken by caravans to the north and south of the Yangtze River, the Western Qin and the Northern Wei and other places. Anyone who came would be treated equally.
The truth is that the land does not distinguish between north and south, people do not distinguish between Hu and Han, there are no restrictions on race, and there is no distinction between countries. Only talents can be promoted.
A storm blew out of Xiangyang and spread quickly to all directions.
