Of course Yuan Shu was no match for Cao Cao, especially since Cao Cao only lost his territory, but his troops were still there. There is not much loss in fighting Liu Bei, the main thing is stalemate and see-sawing. Including the troops he left to defend Yuzhou and the troops who escaped from Yanzhou, he still had more than 200,000.
With Lao Cao's military prowess and superiority in army numbers, this time Lao Cao completely defeated Yuan Shu to the south of the Yangtze River and controlled almost all of Yuzhou. Only part of Peiguo County was occupied by Liu Bei and he wanted to contact Liu Bei, so he did not take action.
Yuan Shao finally let Cao Song and others go to Yuzhou, more or less to save face and reputation. Jizhou and Yanzhou are both places where the population is concentrated, and many families are there. The children of their family are all working for different princes, betting separately to ensure the family inheritance. If Yuan Shao killed Cao Cao's family, could he kill other people's families? This is obviously unpopular.
Only Dong Zhuo could do this. None of the kings and thieves would do such a thing. Of course, the king and the thief should be killed as well. After all, all the big families in Youzhou were wiped out. However, his murder was based on a clear political basis, rather than an act of revenge because some of the children outside the family had caused him any trouble...
After returning Cao Song, Yuan Shao did not wait for Cao Cao to attack him, so he asked Zhang Yang to provoke him and launch an attack. He also contacted Liu Biao and decided not to attack Yuan Shu first, but to attack Cao Cao instead. He also wrote to Yuan Shu, putting aside his prejudices and fighting against Cao Cao first. He also wrote to Liu Bei and tried to win over Liu Bei.
Tao Qian had died of illness, and Liu Bei pretended to be the pastor of Xuzhou. Tao Qian went to court before his death, and Yuan Shao also came to the court. Li Jue and others from Chang'an did not stop him, and simply agreed to Liu Bei's appointment as pastor of Xuzhou. They also sent an envoy to announce the decree and send Liu Bei's After sealing the ribbon, Liu Bei also became a true Xuzhou herder.
However, Liu Bei did not accept Yuan Shao's win over and stayed with Cao Cao. Now everyone is attacking Cao Cao, and Cao Cao himself is not weak, but Liu Bei is very weak. If he forms an alliance with Yuan Shao and others to attack Cao Cao, then if Cao Cao is defeated, both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu will definitely want to kill him. This is not the case. A multiple-choice question, anyone with a clear mind would know that they are with Cao Cao.
So Cao Cao guarded Liu Biao and Yuan Shu there, and caught Zhang Yang and beat them fiercely. Yuan Shao did not lose face and directly sent troops to attack Yuzhou. Then Cao Cao did not challenge Yanzhou and took the initiative to attack Yanzhou. He would kill Zhang Yang first.
This is because when Yuan Shao came to take control of Yanzhou, it was the wealthy families and officials of Yanzhou who took the initiative to welcome him, rather than Yuan Shao taking advantage of Cao Cao's campaign and sending troops to attack him in a sneak attack. These are two different things. The former still kept a superficial face, but the latter really started to fight with swords.
At this time, Li Jue, Guo Bang, Ma Teng from Chang'an, Han Sui and others stationed in Jincheng, and even Liu Yan from Yizhou also joined in, and a war broke out there. Messy.
At this time, the world is really in chaos. There is no stable place and wars are happening everywhere. Even Wang Yan is fighting here. He is still cleaning up the Xianbei, Xiongnu and other tribes in the grassland. They must be driven out of the grassland, whether they run to Mobei or the Western Regions, but they cannot stay. grassland.
Of course, Wang Yan has not been idle for more than a year. In addition to the military operations that must be carried out on the grasslands every winter, he is also actively expanding. The four counties of Yunzhong, Wuyuan, Taiyuan, and Xihe in Bingzhou have been included. Under control, most of the land that has been merged with the state has been accounted for. Counting the newly born people, the new population has increased by more than 700,000, approaching 4 million.
This is basically the population of Bingzhou, and they all came under his rule. There are basically not many people in the remaining large areas of land. This is because of the impact of the war, the food production in the past two years has been worse than the previous year, the population has dropped sharply, and the previous reasons of Dong Zhuo, Ding Yuan, Lu Bu and others, the population of Bingzhou is not large.
And part of Wang Yan's new population this time was the Black Mountain Army in the Taihang Mountains. They were joined by Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Zhang Yang, and their life was quite difficult. Therefore, many small bandits simply killed their leaders and took refuge in the mountains with their heads.
In addition to part of the newly added population being sent to the Northeast and part to the grasslands, the rest stayed in Bingzhou, where the land was re-divided and large-scale construction was underway. The main thing is water conservancy construction, which is the most important factor in farming. Bingzhou's geographical location is not favorable enough and its grain production is small. Fortunately, there is a lot of coal here, which can help development through domestic circulation control.
To put it simply, they sell coal to the people of Youzhou and Liaodong, and then exchange the money for food. Then money is distributed through the labor of the people in Bingzhou, and the people use the money to buy food. Through continuous transactions, the control of materials is completed.
In order to facilitate transportation and the mobilization and turnover of materials, spacious roads must be built, and small roads in the countryside must be built. In order to increase the speed faster, the craftsmen finally thought of building rails and building special carriages to drive directly on the rails. But there are still various problems, such as snow in winter, difficulty walking uphill, etc. Currently there is only one experimental railway line from Jixian to Linyu.
This can be considered a horse-drawn train, but it represents advancement and creation.
Science is not an example, but a method. It is a theoretical system for discovery, summary, research, development and iteration. General Wang used this theoretical system to determine the political power and support it with policies. All kinds of research are being carried out and progress is being made.
This will promote changes in the social form, and changes in the social form will give rise to corresponding cultures. The group of trolls in Wenchang Pavilion are struggling to cope with and adapt to social changes every day, promoting the rise of ideological trends under General Wang. Making culture unprecedentedly prosperous.
As the place with the largest concentration of literati today, the Wenchang News that is constantly transmitted through caravans also has a huge impact on literati in other places.
However, the influence on the princes is relatively limited. They do not pay attention to culture. They pay attention to the tax of one out of ten for kings and thieves. There are no miscellaneous taxes and they do not force the people to work. Instead, they spend money to hire people. How do they maintain the operation of their rule? . At the same time, they are also paying attention to their respective governance, and absolutely do not allow anyone to spread the word that there are many, many good things over there.
In an era like this, their lockdown was certainly efficient. Many people have never left the county in their lives. As long as they are suppressed, it is difficult to spread the news. The wealthy family will not give Wang Yan a reputation, after all, Wang Yan is their life and death enemy. If they had no other choice and no one to take the initiative, they would have wanted to kill Wang Yan first. After all, if Wang Yan really conquers the world, they and others will definitely die.
Therefore, their action was successful. Although it had been spread a few years ago, Wang Yan had been starting his business for ten years. It was not a hot topic and people had forgotten it. Perhaps in the future, I will occasionally faint from hunger, and when my mind wanders around the world, I will think about the prosperous times I have heard about and dare not imagine...
Whether in Youzhou or Liaodong, summers are very hot, and the rivers are full of children. Several drown every year, and they don't listen no matter what. This is uncontrollable. Children are naturally playful, and ignorant people are fearless. If one person jumps into the river, a group of children will jump into it. At this time, no children were playing by themselves, they were all playing in groups. Parents have a lot of work to do, and there are a lot of children in every household, so they can't manage them at all.
Although there are police officers patrolling, they can't always keep their eyes on the river. There are always times of negligence, so some tragic incidents happen every year.
Other than that, it's no big deal. To say how beautiful the scenery is is going too far. There is really nothing exquisite about it, it is just natural. It looked okay at first. After all, there was a huge gap of two thousand years and the atmosphere was different. But if you look at it more, you should understand how miserable the people behind it are. Thinking about it again, it seems that no matter how beautiful the scenery is, it doesn't mean much.
However, Jixian County is different. There is also a scene here, which is lively and prosperous.
Since the transfer of the General's Mansion to Jixian County, the political and economic center has also been transferred. After three years of construction, the larger Wenchang Pavilion and Medicine were also completed outside Jixian City, leaving some backbone forces to continue to develop in Tuhe. Others Everyone moved to Jixian County.
Coupled with commercial and trade transactions, goods from the north and south are available here, and there is no curfew policy. Nightlife has initially begun in Jixian County. The intellectuals and officials in Wenchang Pavilion are the main consumers. They are well treated and have plenty of spare money. Naturally, Consume a lot.
Therefore, in Ji County, there are people everywhere, including short-handed men, shirtless little boys, well-dressed literati, officials in blue shirts, and businessmen in all kinds of brocade clothes, men, women, old and young, rich and poor. Yes, anyone can see it.
On this day, Wang Yan was fishing by the river boredly. It is very difficult to catch fish in the river now. A lot of them were wiped out in the nets two years ago, and children can't just jump into the water. They also catch fish, and they don't let go of anything they can eat anyway. Materials are still not abundant now, and people still don't have enough to eat.
However, due to large-scale ice production and large-scale fish netting, sea fish can also be eaten in summer, but it is not as cheap as in winter. Does it increase transportation costs? In addition, there are fish ponds here in Jixian County, but the output is relatively limited and cannot supply a huge market. Because it is fresh, the price is higher.
There are many problems to be solved, but it does not happen overnight. It must be developed slowly...
"General." The guard came closer carefully, fearing to disturb the general's fish.
"What's the matter?"
"Cao Cao sent envoys to Jixian with the caravan. This is a letter written by Cao Cao himself."
Wang Yan raised his eyebrows. Just as he was about to take the letter, he felt the movement from the fishing rod. He lifted the fishing rod with a snap, and a fish weighing about two or three kilograms came out of the water with splashes of water, swinging wildly.
The guard on the side came over and picked up the hook in a sensible way, and threw it into the wooden barrel that already contained a lot of fish.
The general took the letter and opened it to read.
In fact, it's nothing important. It just praises Wang Yan's achievements in attacking the grassland, his ambition to feed the people, and his spirit of setting sail to explore the unknown and return to China in search of good seeds. Then he analyzed the current situation in the world, and then scolded Yuan Shao for being shameless, first kidnapping his biological father, and then seizing Yanzhou from him. Finally, the purpose was stated. He hoped that General Wang could go south and attack Jizhou. In this way, the two sides would attack from a pinch, which would be beneficial to both sides. One side occupied Jizhou, and the other side regained Yanzhou.
In addition, two young women in their twenties were sent over...
I heard that he had large-scale marriages with wealthy families and had more than 20 wives, all of whom were married after the age of eighteen. I thought he was a lustful fellow, so I came to suit his liking.
Whether he should say it or not, Wang Yan felt quite complicated. Thinking back to those days, he once thought that he might have to fight with Lao Cao. Lao Wang has a bit of Lao Cao's spirit.
Now he not only had a fight with Lao Cao, but Lao Cao also sent him two beauties.
Regarding this point, Wang Yan wanted to say that Lao Cao really wronged him. He is a serious gentleman, how could he be with Lao Cao?
After thinking carefully for a moment, Wang Yan put the letter away and said, "Let's set off to Gaoyang tomorrow."
"Yes, General."
"Where is the beauty Cao Cao gave me?"
"I'm temporarily staying at Guanyi. General, do you want to send him to the mansion?"
Wang Yan shook his head: "No need, let's get these two girls married to their husbands."
It’s not like he’s short of women. These two women don’t have any reputations. If it’s Xiao Qiao, he’ll accept them without saying a word. They’re mainly celebrities. He just wants to feel the feelings, and there’s no other meaning. Now he randomly sent two women here. They may be beautiful and charming, but among his more than 20 wives, each one is prettier than the other. They are really as good as these two. Besides, where he puts his energy, he is really well-informed, and he is no longer the young man he used to be.
After making arrangements, Wang Yan didn't see any messengers. After spending the night, he took a hundred personal guards and set out for Gaoyang early the next morning. That was the first line of battle with Yuan Shao. Taishi Ci was transferred to take charge. Huang Zhong was transferred back to guard Xushui.
Tai Shici is also in his thirties this year. He has been with Wang Yan for more than eight years and is a serious veteran. He is capable of fighting, has brains, and is young, otherwise Wang Yan would not have let Taishi Ci take the lead a few years ago and lead the team alone to seize Yanmen Pass.
But this kid is relatively free. Sima has already taken care of everything, so there's no point in staying around. After changing the defense, he led a hundred-man team to find someone to challenge him. He was beaten by the enemy general and fled in embarrassment. He never came out to challenge him again. It was only at that time that Wang Yan knew that the defender on the opposite side was Zhang He.
After four days of traveling, on the fifth day, Wang Yan took Tai Shici to call for the formation.
The two armies were only five miles apart, and there were scouts everywhere. Taishi Ci didn't pay attention to them, because Wang Yan had already given instructions to let these soldiers take a good look at what they were doing here. Otherwise, Tai Shi Ci would have taken action long ago. After all, the scout rangers here are the most powerful in combat. In groups of three or two, they dare to go hundreds of miles deep to spy on the enemy.
Therefore, as soon as Wang Yan took action, the other side gathered urgently and stood ready, so Zhang He was relatively stable.
When they arrived at the military camp opposite, thousands of troops had already marched a mile forward and were waiting.
Wang Yan did not come here to fight. He was not wearing armor today and was still dressed in the same outfit. Taishi Ci put on his armor and followed Wang Yan as a bodyguard. The two of them slowly rode forward together.
Taishi Ci shouted: "General Tianwu has arrived in person, and Zhang He came forward to speak."
After he finished speaking, he saw that there was some chaos on the other side, and Zhang He was not allowed to come out. This is what we should be vigilant about. After all, Wang Yan can really fight, and Taishi Ci and Zhang He can't do it, and they can easily be captured alive.
After a while, Zhang He and his two lieutenants approached.
"Zhang He has met the general." He was very sensible. He rode on his horse and bowed his hands to Wang Yan in a decent manner, and then asked, "I wonder what the general is looking for?"
Wang Yan nodded with a smile and answered the question: "I wonder what Jun Yi thinks of me?"
Zhang He was not surprised that Wang Yan knew his handwriting. Although he didn't know why Wang Yan asked this, he was just trying to show off his skills.
He said: "The general has the ambition to control the world and has the ability to govern the world. I reject this. I have seen the true nature of the general's rule and I deeply admire him."
"In your opinion, can I conquer the world?"
Zhang He was silent...
He didn't dare to say this, although he also felt that Wang Yan could really conquer the world as long as he worked steadily, but he couldn't say it, otherwise he would be marked as Yuan Shao, and what would he do in the future?
Wang Yan didn't pay attention, and continued: "In your opinion, can Yuan Shao conquer the world? You came from a poor family, so you should be on the same path as me. There are many powerful people under Yuan Shao's command, how can they value you? Even if you make great contributions in the future, You have become a powerful person by yourself. But how can you be compatible with today's powerful people? If you are not from that generation, that generation will definitely exclude you. You will not be able to take on big responsibilities or be reused. If this is not the case, why should you defend me?
You were born in a poor family, and all your subordinates are Guizhou refugees and refugees. Why should you sacrifice your life for Yuan Shao? My way is to the people, and they are all for the benefit of people of similar origins like us. My army protects the home and country, defends the land and brings peace to the people, and is an upright division. Everyone says that I am a traitor and a barbarian, but they are killing us indiscriminately, so why do we claim to be civilized and polite? The Han Dynasty lost Qilu, and the virtuous people lived there. The great virtue is with me, and the general trend is with me. Jun Yi must understand the situation, abandon the darkness and turn to the light, and join me to conquer the world together. "
Zhang He became even more silent. What could he say? Yuan Shao is not a big-hearted person. If anyone reveals this, he will be almost useless.
He took a deep breath and asked, "Why is the general here?"
Wang Yan didn't pay attention and threw the brocade bag he had already held in his hand to him: "This is a letter from Cao Cao. He wants to form an alliance with me and attack Yuan Shao together. Please give this letter to Yuan Shao and pass on my oral message. If you want Tell me to stop the army and send 500,000 people back 200 miles. If you don't obey, I will raise an army to attack them. I will wait here. If there is no reply within half a month, I will take the army to Jizhou."
Zhang He was stunned for a moment. This was taking advantage of someone else's situation. He raised his hand and said, "Don't worry, General. I will definitely bring you here. I'll take my leave now."
"What I said is true, Junyi should think about it. In life, the most important thing is self-knowledge. A mantis' arm is like a chariot, so he is not a hero."
"Farewell." Zhang He cupped his hands, turned around and ran away. He couldn't listen anymore...
Tai Shici asked: "General, if he doesn't surrender, what should I do if our swordsmen meet?"
"You don't have to hold back, your own safety is the most important thing." Wang Yan glanced at him.
Taishi Ci understood the general's eyes, which meant 'don't talk nonsense'. He smiled and then asked: "If Yuan Shao doesn't obey, will he really attack Jizhou?"
“Play it by ear.”
After that, Wang Yan turned his horse's head and rode back in the snow...
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