Lord Xinling came out of the hall to greet him and expressed his condolences. Zheng Anping returned the greeting at the foot of the steps. I met all the gentlemen one by one. Everyone bowed their heads and said, "Please come to the hall!" Zheng Anping climbed up the stairs and greeted everyone again. After the ceremony, both sides entered the hall and took their seats. Lord Xinling naturally sat in the middle, and all the guests sat in the east seat one by one. Zheng Anping wanted to sit at the bottom, but Mr. Zhong Yue grabbed him and pushed him into the west seat, saying: "If you ask a question, I will answer it as soon as possible."
After a while of chatting, Lord Xinling asked about Guanyi. Zheng Anping naturally knew that both Mr. Cao Bao and Mr. Zhongyue had detailed information, so he gave a simple and concise reply. Lord Xinling asked: "What should Guan Ling intend to do this year?"
Zheng Anping and Zhang Lu talked for a whole night and had already made up their minds. When asked, he said: "Last year, Guanyi was repeatedly hit by wars, and the people were tired and short of money. Now, although the people have returned to the city, they have lost their wealth, food and clothing. Zhou. I want to buy grain in Daliang to relieve the urgent needs. In the spring, if there is a harvest in the summer, the people will be settled. Then they will plant a little mulberry and hemp, and the trees will be peaches and plums. They will gradually become popular with merchants and think that the common people will become rich."
Lord Xinling said: "I heard that there are many people outside the city in charge of the city, and there are many women and children in the city. It will be difficult for them to do farming."
Zheng Anping said: "I wish, one woman, one child and fifty acres, or thirty acres, may be enough. Although it is a little, it is better than nothing. Last year, when I was not old enough, it was a rare opportunity. Today When you receive the emperor's favor and enter the court to grant the favor, you must do your best to persuade the farmers to benefit from it."
Lord Xinling said: "Since you are interested in farming, gentlemen, who can help you?"
Zheng Anping said: "I can do my best, but why should I alarm you?"
Mr. Zhongyue said: "Guan Ling doesn't know, but there are many subtleties in farming, which cannot be understood by ordinary people. Mr. Tian knows farming well. If you ask for his help, you will get twice the result with half the effort."
Zheng Anping bowed his head and said yes. Lord Xinling said: "Please tell Mr. Tian to the police, and when the time comes, go to Guanyi to help him." Mr. Zhongyue responded.
Lord Xinling asked again: "How much money is needed to buy grain in Daliang? Where should we spend it?"
Zheng Anping said: "I intend to manage hundreds of households in the city. If you take three stones per month, you will get 300 stones. In three months, you will get a thousand stones. In Donghongli, my hometown, there are more than 100 households. They are for the Spring and Autumn Festival. There are thousands of stones of grain, but they have not yet been sold. I am eager to buy it, and the stones are thirty-five qian, and the thousand stones are combined into seven gold. When Guan Yi was first established, the public funds were empty, and there was no money. I am willing to fill it with private money, and allow the public money later. To be fulfilled is to be rewarded.”
Mr. Zhongyue said: "Guanyi's salary is only six gold, how can I pay it?"
Zheng Anping said: "All the ministers in charge of the city are willing to support it."
Lord Xinling said: "However, the mulberry, hemp, peach and plum species should also be prepared."
Zheng Anping said: "I should do my best to achieve success."
Lord Xinling said: "Guan Yi's salary has been prepared for a long time. If there is a military disturbance, he cannot fight with him. Now that Guan Yi is here, he can take it back with him."
Zheng Anping said: "Sincerely welcome!"
After pausing for a moment, Lord Xinling asked, "Guanyi is under attack. Where is Guan's order?"
Zheng Anping said: "All the people in charge entered the Great Wall, and Cao Cheng took charge of it. The remaining four people guarded the city and did not dare to destroy it. Although Guan Yi was attacked by soldiers, the houses were not damaged, and the people in charge were rarely killed. This is all due to the virtue of the emperor, and It is also the shade of King Wei."
Lord Xinling said: "How much has been lost by managing the people?"
Zheng Anping said: "All the people in charge returned to the city, and the city was empty. No one was attacked by soldiers. However, there was little food in the city. They were given half of it, and they only had one meal a day. There were dozens of people who died of hunger, disease, and banditry. There are ten of them, and the number of those who die without punishment. Eighty-nine out of ten will survive, and one or two will die."
Lord Xinling said: "What can the Qin army do?"
Zheng Anping said: "It's because of the Qin army's fault that the dead are like hemp, littering the fields. The condition is very miserable."
Zhang He asked: "How did the Qin people win?"
Zheng Anping said: "I can only observe it as a minister. There is no other way. The Qin people marched in a strict formation. They will advance when they hear the drums and retreat when they hear the gold. They will not retreat even if they are sharp. However, our army has few soldiers and the people If there are many troops, we will be defeated."
Zhang He said: "I ordered him to describe the battle in detail." As he said this, he opened a map and spread it in front of Xinling Jun's case. All the gentlemen naturally gathered around him.
Zheng Anping was a little nervous at first, but after looking at the map, he found that the drawing was extremely realistic, so he drew with his fingers and led with objects to surround the allied forces. The Qin army came out of the confusion road, and the allied forces went north to meet the enemy, and were attacked from behind by the Qin army. Come through one by one. When they heard that the Qin army appeared behind the coalition forces, all the gentlemen's expressions changed and they asked: "Where did Qin come from? As for the back?"
Zheng Anping said: "It's to conquer Huayang and come out again."
Zhang He said: "The truth is clear! Qin Yi Qian's way came out of my back, and our army went north."
Lord Xinling asked in confusion: "Has Qin Fu's Taoism come from the south?"
Zheng Anping said: "When the coalition forces first surrounded Huayang, some Qin people came out to the south, and they were guests from Hu Yang."
Zhang Nou was a little disbelieving: "How do you know this?"
Zheng Anping said: "After the war, during the peace talks, the princes visited the city and visited the old place. The ministers were protecting it, or they were summoned by Wei envoys to answer questions, so they knew about it."
Zhang Noi said: "What is he asking about?"
Zheng Anping said: "He first asked us when we got here, and then asked where the people were now and when they entered the city. I answered them one by one based on the truth. He asked again, did you know that the Qin army entered the city? The questioner was Hu Yang, your guest. I replied, yes. He asked again, how did you know? Ya replied, more than ten days ago, I heard about the arrival of a large army at night. I was startled to watch, so I saw it. I reported it to the guard. . He asked again, it is night, where are you hiding? The minister could not tell the truth, so he replied: The Qin people are searching very urgently, and they have no fixed place to hide, so they move according to the mood. The minister looked at Hu Yang and asked very detailed questions, and wanted to take charge of it. The Qin Dynasty must be led by him."
Zheng Anping's description shocked everyone present, including Mr. Xinling. They have never been able to understand why the Wei army, which had superior strength, collapsed at the first touch and was completely wiped out. To this day, they can't even figure out how the battle was fought. After listening to Zheng Anping's description, they were able to roughly describe the general course of the battle: one Qin army came out of the Confucian Road, and the other took advantage of the coalition forces' northward resistance to bypass the other roads to the rear of the coalition forces, attacking from both sides. Huayang City had already appeared before this. This force was led by Hu Yang and should be responsible for special tasks. The three forces divided work and cooperated to jointly create a situation of annihilating the coalition forces.
The disciples talked to each other and figured out the situation of both sides during the war. Zheng Anping did not have such a macro vision, but he added details based on what he saw. In the end, everyone felt as if the battle had been completely restored, and after a while of sighing, they fell into silence. At this time, the sun is setting in the west and the sky is getting dark.
Zheng Anping waited for a long time, no one said anything, he was anxious to give money, fearing that the village chief would say he was not keeping his promise and there would be no food, so he said: "If you have nothing else to do, I would like to take my salary and leave!"
Lord Xinling came back from the war and said: "The income obtained from the administration is very beneficial to the military. Guyi gave me a brocade collar and a brocade belt."
Zhang He said: "Your Majesty's words are very true. He has good control over his subordinates, and the officials in charge of the city will not retreat even though they are faced with powerful enemies. Guan Yi is suffering from military disasters and the people are starving, so he can use his private funds to pay for it. It is praiseworthy to help others and forget their own interests."
Lord Xinling said: "That's what you said. I will give the governor ten gold to support the purchase of grain, and I will order him to encourage him."
Zheng Anping bowed down and thanked him. Finally, Zheng Anping refused Lord Xinling's dinner and rushed to the city gate before closing. He put on his brocade clothes and belt, carried a heavy salary and ten gold cakes, left the city and came to Donghongli. .
Entering the house, Zheng Anping first took out a piece of gold cake as a deposit to calm his heart, and then hurried home. Seeing Zheng Anping's outfit, the chief couldn't help but understand that this was another award for meritorious service! Natural flattery. After meeting Zhang Lu, Zheng Anping talked about the meeting with Lord Xinling and others, especially the battle history that the disciples had imagined. Zhang Lu sighed: "If you attack a large number with a small number, you can still annihilate them all, but it will be difficult for the Qin people to control them." Then he sighed. Showed him his salary and the extra money for food purchases. Zhang Lu gave Zhang Lu all the gold cakes, grabbed two handfuls of copper coins and gave them to him. He put the remaining copper coins away politely and said, "This is my salt and plum treasure."
The next day, the people from Wumen brought Wuwang back. Zheng Anping thanked Wumen for taking care of the land, and Wu's father even said that "the branch should be divided." Zhang Lu held out a handful of copper coins and claimed that they were money for pounding millet. Father Wu resolutely refused to accept them and said: "Father Zheng is so generous to Wu Wang. Under heavy troops, he will not be allowed to take risks and will not suffer any harm. This is a kindness and a virtue." , there is no reward. You should do the work of a dog or a horse."
At night, the convoy returned. Also following the car were Brother Su and Wu'er. After asking, I found out that because there was no official sign governing the city when they left the city, the three cars were considered to be business travelers and were charged a tithe of six shi of grain. So this time when he entered the city, Brother Su was afraid of another accident, so he followed him. He also followed Zheng Anping's example and took Wu'er with him. After all, he hadn't gone home for a year.
Zheng Anping informed Brother Su about his meeting with Lord Xinling, and asked him to go to see Lord Xinling to collect the money. He also told him that Lord Xinling had given him ten gold to buy food, and he could keep the salary for himself instead of using it. Come to buy food. Thousands of stones of grain only cost about seven gold, and the remaining three can be used for other purposes. Brother Su responded one by one. He said: "My family is in Liangdong. We haven't seen each other for a long time. Maybe we should go back and stay here for a few days." Zheng Anping said: "Guan Yi has obtained grain, and I want to be in peace. Brother, I will return home. I will be responsible for transporting grain. promise."
It was night, and we were still cooking porridge and dinner at Zheng Anping's house. He slept in the hall at night. Zheng Anping talked with Zhang Lutong all night, packed up the food the next day, and set off on the return journey with Wu Wang. Wu Wang only learned from his family how dangerous the situation outside the city was at that time. Although he endured hunger and cold in the city, it was better than dying unexpectedly.
There was a Guanyi Jiefu on the way, so the convoy traveled smoothly. We were able to share meals and grass with the post, and finally left the Great Wall in front of Guancheng. On the way, the city lord reported to Zheng Anping the disposal of the first batch of grain: three carts of grain, one cart for the city, and two carts for the city. The people in charge are not allowed to take food for free, but must give money to the people. If there is no cash in hand, it should be credited to the account and repaid later. Zheng Anping asked how to repay? The city lord replied that many of the people in charge were business travelers and sent money back home. This year, because of the war, no one has returned, so the people have no money; but the world is peaceful, so it is time to return. Return and pay for it, nothing difficult. Those who are extremely poor may be able to pay for it with labor. One day of labor is worth ten coins. Zheng Anping thought this was a good idea and immediately expressed his appreciation.
