In Guang County, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Mi Zhu were riding their horses, with three chariots and horses behind them, as well as a dozen elite soldiers to protect them.
It was already March, and the grass was growing and warblers were flying, the earth was like spring, and the sun was shining warmly along the way, making everyone feel happy.
"Haha! The sun is shining so brightly, it reminds me of Taoyuan back then, second brother! When do you think our brothers can return to Taoyuan again!" Zhang Fei was rarely in such a comfortable mood, and he opened his arms to bathe in the warm sun.
Guan Yu looked at the cultivated farmland not far away and felt the spring breeze. He had been suppressing bandits for these years and it was rare to be so peaceful and peaceful. He smiled and said: "When has the world been peaceful? We built three thatched houses under the peach garden and drank wine all day long. And singing is also one of the great joys in life!" Zhang Fei burst out laughing after hearing this.
"Two generals! This time, the champion has appointed you as the magistrate of the two counties. Xuande Gong asked us to return the gift with a generous thank you, so that the champion can declare Xuande to be the prefect of Chengyang County. You two must not Forgot about important things!" Mi Zhu reminded from the side.
Guan Yu remained silent after hearing this, while Zhang Fei said with an unhappy look on his face: "Originally, we are old acquaintances with Champion Hou. This time we went to see him with the intention of getting drunk happily. Now let's ask someone to do something with a gift. This It’s too disappointing! I, Old Zhang, can’t look at this face!” Zhang Fei crossed his arms and turned to look at Guan Yu.
Guan Yu stroked his beard and said: "Brother Zizhong! Our brothers and the champion have the same loyalty. We brothers are really ashamed to talk about this kind of asking for gifts! Brother Zizhong, since you are good at this, then it will be up to you." Brother Zhong, take full responsibility!"
Mi Zhu looked at these two people and immediately acted as shopkeepers. He was speechless and said: "Two generals are now in the court of treachery and rebelliousness. Men of great virtue like Xuande Gong have repeatedly made military exploits but cannot be reused. Now they are only in name." Acting as the governor! A few days ago, the spiritual energy in the treasury began to decrease rapidly. It must be the champion who used the governor's seal to extract spiritual energy from the earth's veins. If Xuande Gong can take charge of the governor's seal, we can have part of the spiritual energy in the treasury. With the right to use it, you can quickly make a fortune by raising soldiers and farming, instead of watching the spiritual energy drain away and cannot be used..."
Before Mi Zhu finished speaking, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had already galloped away from him...
As agreed, the three of them first went to Guangchang County to meet Xu Shu. When they arrived at the dilapidated Guangchang City under siege by bandits, they saw the sergeants and craftsmen repairing the dilapidated city. You can imagine how fierce the battle was that day.
Guan Zhang had also seen the strength and toughness of the main force of Liangshan bandits, and he couldn't help but admire Xu Shu, who he had never met before, but had already become famous all over the world with the champion.
The three of them paid their respects to Xu Shu and were told that Xu Shu was dealing with government affairs and was away from the county seat and would need a few days to return.
Since they still wanted to visit Qin Ge, the three of them decided to take the initiative to visit Xu Shu. At this time, even the brothers Guan and Zhang, who were high-minded, were ready to take the initiative to visit him in person.
Led by a sergeant, the team arrived at a wilderness in an instant.
In the wilderness, groups of people wearing coarse linen clothes are busy doing farm work. Some are logging and building houses, some are farming in the fields, some are digging stones to pave roads, and some are digging ditches and building canals. In this area Dry work is being done on the already abandoned land.
Zhang Fei grabbed the sergeant in front and said suspiciously: "We want to meet Mr. Xu, what do you mean! Why are you taking my brother to the wilderness?"
The messenger reported that Xu Shu was on business, and logically they should be taken to the towns to meet them. However, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei found that the road led by the guide was getting more and more deserted. They were not afraid of being robbed, but they could not bear to be teased.
The guide sent by Xu Shu was shocked and speechless by Zhang Fei's bear-like aura.
Guan Yu grabbed Zhang Fei and said: "Third brother! Look at these farmers, each of them is majestic, running like a tiger, and carrying a fierce aura. They are definitely an elite brigade, not ordinary farmers. Are these the champions?" force?"
When everyone was wondering, they saw two farmers walking over wearing coarse cloth and rags and carrying bamboo hats.
Although they couldn't distinguish their faces, they could tell from their aura that they were no ordinary people.
The two of them were wondering when they saw two people approaching and taking off their bamboo hats. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei recognized that one of them turned out to be Chen Deng!
It's true that Chen Deng, the son of the Chen family, the first noble family in Xuzhou, dressed like a peasant.
At this time, Chen Deng's face was a little rough from being exposed to the sun, and he was covered in coarse linen clothes. He didn't have the demeanor of a noble man. He was simply caught as a coolie.
The man next to Chen Deng had a cold eyebrow and a sword in his waist, which looked a bit nondescript.
"Haha! Mr. Chen, you won't have violated the military law and been captured by the champion to do hard labor! The military law of the champion is really well-deserved. This suave Mr. Chen has turned into a country rat!" Zhang Fei saw Chen Deng, who used to be aloof and indifferent when seeing Liu Bei, was actually working in the fields and was in such a mess. His feet were covered with mud and water, and his hands had blisters. He suddenly started stroking his palms and laughing.
Chen Deng rubbed his back, without any warmth and anger, and with a look of exhaustion on his muddy face, he sighed: "It's really hard to be a farmer. I already have back pain after only a few days. Thinking about how I was so extravagant in the past." It’s a waste, it’s all the hard work of the people, I feel ashamed when I think about it now!”
"Mr. Chen, if you have this intention, I feel that all the farm work you have done these days is not in vain. However, I think your body is too weak. Eating raw fish for a long time has caused the accumulation of parasites and poisons in your body. These days, you have only a simple diet and increased workload. Coupled with Dr. Xu's medicinal diet, I think your energy will be much better! I think it's just a good time to keep fit. If you leave this village, you won't be able to shop anywhere else!" The people on the side clapped their hands and laughed when they heard this.
Seeing Guan and Zhang Mi dumbfounded, Chen Deng waved his hands and smiled bitterly: "Because this place is close to the Liangshan bandit activity area, and it is too dangerous, the number of people immigrating here is very small, and there are nearly hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land that cannot be effectively cultivated. Now, We had a temporary truce with the Liangshan bandits, and the Champion Marquis implemented the farmland policy. The troops stationed in the passes and cities were responsible for the reclamation, and the troops were self-sufficient in food and grass! The Marquis himself took the lead in taking over ten acres of responsible land, and the Danyang soldiers and I each had our own fields. We have received one acre of responsible land. One acre of land can provide food rations for three soldiers a year. Not only can we be self-sufficient, but we can also allow our brothers to make extra money and reduce the burden on the court. Why not do it, but I have never done it before. Earth, my waist is almost broken now, it’s really not easy for these people! Oh! By the way, look at my mind, I’m so busy and confused, this is the world-famous Xu Shu! Mr. Xu Yuanzhi!"
Chen Deng's temperament now is very different from before. In the past, he was a bit self-respecting and dignified, always holding his own in every move, and always had a sense of distance when communicating with others. Now he is much more cordial.
When Guan and Zhang Mi heard that the person in front of them was the world-famous Xu Shu, Qin Ge's confidant, they quickly dismounted from their horses and paid their respects.
"My lord has told me many times that General Guan and General Zhang are the most capable generals in the world. Today, when I see them, they are really extraordinary. They are here to visit. There are no elegant guests here, only coarse tea and potatoes. I hope you don't dislike them!" General Xu Shu! The three of them went to the shade of a crooked neck tree.
Several sergeants brought coarse tea, coarse grain cakes and a basket of baked potatoes.
Chen Deng was already a little hungry. He greeted a few people, held a baked potato, peeled off the skin and started to eat. After working all morning, this guy was really hungry, and he was extremely picky about anorexia. He was cured.
Mi Zhu looked at Chen Deng in a daze as he wolfed down the food. This was the same master who wandered around high-end restaurants in Xuzhou all day long. He was the most famous food critic in Xuzhou and could only be served by the top chefs in Xuzhou. He just wolfed down baked potatoes without caring about his image. This guy is really hungry here.
Chen Deng also noticed something strange about Mi Zhu, and felt that he had lost his aristocratic style. He touched two handfuls of black ash stuck to his mouth, and said with an embarrassed smile: "There is still a lot of life in the one acre of land I contracted, and now there is no grass. I haven’t even cleaned it yet. In order not to delay the farming season, I have to go to work after eating for a while!”
Mi Zhu saw that Chen Deng's hands were covered with blisters and said unbearably: "Yuanlong, this is not a job for the nobles. Why do you have to humiliate yourself like this? Just send a few military warriors to kill it." ?"
"The sage said: 'A gentleman leads by example.' I didn't have a deep understanding of this saying before. However, when the champion practiced this sentence, I realized the hardship and significance of a gentleman's moral cultivation. I have already taken the oath with the soldiers in public. How can I let him I, Chen Deng, will be the villain who breaks his promise and gets fat!" Chen Deng said and started eating roasted potatoes. Soon he had three potatoes, patted his belly, picked up his hoe and stood up.
After apologizing to Xu Shu, Guan Zhang and others, he took two more potatoes from the basket and stuffed them into his arms, then went to work in the fields with his sickle.
"This Chen Yuanlong is really strong and unstoppable! I have underestimated him before. With this kind of fierceness and tenacity, nothing is impossible in the world!" Xu Shu also ate potatoes and looked at Chen Deng working in the fields. I couldn't help but sigh.
"The soldiers are all in this kind of field, so who will conquer the Liangshan bandits! Isn't the champion general a conqueror? Is there any need to humiliate himself like this?" Zhang Fei's eyes showed confusion. Although he was born a butcher, he was from the Yan Kingdom Descendants of royal nobles attach great importance to status.
Therefore, Zhang Fei adheres to the principle of "valuing gentlemen over villains" when making friends with others. He believes that people are born with a hierarchy. What he seeks for meritorious service on the battlefield is to be granted the title of marquis or prime minister, and he believes in respecting the strong.
Qin Ge, who was a champion and the governor of Qingzhou, actually did the work of a lowly farmer. This was simply self-destruction and made him a little unreasonable.
Xu Shu shook his bamboo hat and fanned the wind and said with a smile: "We are doing our best to suppress the bandits! Who said that soldiers must be used to suppress bandits? Why should the people follow the bandits in rebellion? It is precisely because there is no food. Anyone who has not reached the dead end will raise Go ahead and rebel! Although the town we are responsible for now has only more than 30,000 people, one-third of them were bandits and bandits in the past. As long as we grow more food for one person, we can turn a bandit into a bandit. Good people, this is much more cost-effective than carrying a knife and fighting for your life!"
"Wonderful! Wonderful! This is a strategy to conquer the enemy without fighting! It is also the most benevolent heart of the champion. He did not regard the heads of these common people as meritorious deeds to advance to the upper class. Instead, he set an example and would rather humiliate himself to do such a lowly thing. , and guide the desperate people who have turned into bandits to return to the rule of peace. If there are more heroes and good officials like the champions in the world, we, the Han people, will be blessed! The world will be peaceful!" Guan Yu's eyes lit up. Although he He was born at the bottom, but his outlook on life is very different from Zhang Fei's.
Guan Yu's way of conducting himself in the world is "valuing the villain over the gentleman". He cares about the suffering of the people and has the great desire to restore peace and prosperity to the people of the world. Therefore, he can empathize with Qin Ge's actions. This is also the reason why Guan Yu was canonized as a god in later generations.
Zhang Fei was a little confused. He couldn't understand what Guan Yu said, while Mi Zhu fell into silence. Only he knew what he was thinking.
Xu Shu discussed with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others how to garrison troops for precautions in the future.
Xu Shu finally said: "The banditry of Liangshan is hard to change. Now it's just because they scrape the land of Qingzhou too hard. They treat us as fat pigs and wait until we are fattened before slaughtering them. The Liangshan bandits will definitely invade in large numbers during the autumn harvest. We Although the main focus is farming, they are secretly building mountain fortresses and sharpening soldiers' armor. While the soldiers are stationed in the fields, they train the people in the use of bows, crossbows and swords and guns in their free time, secretly preparing for war and accumulating strength, so that the people can guard dangerous places and resist the enemy. The power of the enemy!”
Guan Yu clenched his fist and said: "The bandits are so hateful, I am determined to wipe them out. Guan promised to Sir today that during the autumn harvest, I will fully assist you in preventing bandits!"
As soon as he heard that there was going to be a war, Zhang Fei was very happy and followed Guan Yu in eagerness to respond.
They discussed some of the current war situation with Xu Shu. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei admired Xu Shu's terrifying strategic methods. The three discussed the offensive and defensive strategies of neighboring counties and towns, and finalized many agreements on mutual assistance and defense.
Guan and Zhang Mi rode off to bid farewell to Xu Shu and go to meet the champion Hou Qinge.
Xu Shu gently shook his bamboo hat, fanned the wind, looked at the three people going away and murmured with a smile: "Although these three people are outstanding people in the world, how can they understand the lord's eternal ambition! My lord used his body of gold to participate in the aftermath of the disaster. In addition to showing his determination to all walks of life in Qingzhou, he also demonstrated to the people the concept of equality between soldiers and people. If a hero like him can get along with the people equally, then other officials will have no reason to claim privileges, and the people will also have surveillance With the consciousness of noble officials, they can quietly influence the civil affairs of Qingzhou, thereby realizing a lasting legacy!"
Although Xu Shu was good at military strategy, he was also a man of great wisdom. Now Guan Zhong and Kinderman had taken advantage of the migration and marching of refugees to implement administration and formulate various political frameworks. Qin Ge personally participated in farming and construction, which was a sign of respect for all classes. Promoting his concept of equality to everyone directly set off a political storm among all strata in Qingzhou.
If it had been the case in the past, the nobles would have regarded him as a heretic and a heretic, and they would have attacked him in groups! But now Qin Ge has the great righteousness of restoring the people's livelihood in Qingzhou. This move is a righteous act for the country and the people, and has the great righteousness of Confucianism and the right time, right place and right people!
Even a highly intelligent man like Chen Deng understood Qin Ge's strategic foresight and responded at the expense of humiliating himself. This move can be said to be subtle and silent, paving the ideological path for the future implementation of the New Deal and having the final word.
Qin Ge has gone from being a tyrant to being a brave general in the Snow Wolf Valley, and now he has become a hero.
