The county-level Hucao is in charge of household affairs, sacrifices, weddings, farming, servitude, roads, etc. It is a very important functional department.
The chief of Hucao is the governor, the deputy chief is the history, and there are more than ten subordinate officials. Although Lantian works for Hucao, he also starts as a subordinate official.
As a civil servant in the first-level functional department of the market during the Three Kingdoms era, Lan Tian was initially full of enthusiasm and prepared to do something big, but it turned out that he had completely different ideas.
Hu Cao's colleagues, including Hu Cao, all worshiped Lan Tian as a Bodhisattva and hardly arranged anything for him.
Before Lan Tian took office, outsiders had a clear picture of his background.
General Liu's brother-in-law came from a small farming family and relied on nepotism to enjoy the stability and wealth.
Although Lan Tian is new to the workplace, he has a thorough understanding of the interpersonal relationships here through chatting and bragging.
Most of these colleagues were inextricably related to the Chen family in Xiapi and the Mi family in Donghai. It was almost impossible to find a small official with a grassroots background. Lantian saw the control power of local powerful and aristocratic families.
The Chen family in Xiapi helped when trapping Che Zhou, and Mi Zhu spent all his money to help Liu Bei conquer the country. They are naturally the ones enjoying the benefits now.
Lan Tian finally understood that Liu Bei did not want to go to Jingzhou, because this matter that affected the whole body was not something he could do if he wanted to.
After understanding all this, Lantian no longer worried. He went to Dianmao to work every day and read and wrote when he was bored.
Hu Cao found that this guy was knowledgeable and knowledgeable, so he kept saying good things to Guan Yu.
Lan Tian's main focus is still cultivating new varieties. In addition to plowing the soil in the backyard, he also often develops new dishes to share with Gan Qian. This brother-sister relationship makes Mi Zhen envious.
Soon, Mi Zhu persuaded Donghai Changba to rebel against Cao, and nearby counties followed suit and joined Liu Bei.
Liu Bei became more powerful, with tens of thousands of troops, and he became more confident.
Cao Cao was shocked when he learned that Liu Bei had attacked Xuzhou. However, at this time, the main force of Cao's army had marched north to Liyang. Except for General Xiahou Dun who was guarding Xudu, he had no generals available to attack Xuzhou. Cao Cao panicked and ordered Commander Shi Liudai and General Wang Zhonglang to attack Xuzhou. Zhong led his army to attack Liu Bei.
Cao Cao was serving as Prime Minister Sikong at this time, and Liu Dai was his confidant, but he had never led an army alone in a battle, so he was very excited about the crusade against Liu Bei.
Zhonglang General Wang Zhong was a Fufeng man. When Li Jue and Guo Si rebelled against Chang'an, and there were successive years of famine, the people exchanged their children for food. Wang Zhong also had a history of cannibalism due to hunger. At this time, he was eager to try as a deputy general.
The two of them did not take Liu Bei, the left general, seriously at all. They believed that Liu Bei had gained an advantage by following Cao Cao to destroy Lu Bu, so they were full of confidence in taking back Xuzhou.
They all competed to be the vanguard and wanted to take the first credit. When they refused to give in to each other, they could only decide by drawing lots.
It's a pity that God got involved in the end, and when he threw the copper coin, it somehow got hung on a dead branch by the roadside.
Wang Zhong wanted to throw the copper coins again, but Liu Dai said: "It is God's will that we attack at the same time, why not divide the troops into two groups and outflank Xiaopei?"
So the two armies divided into two groups, thirty miles apart, and marched towards Xiaopei at the same time. There was no human habitation along the way.
Finally met a living person, but he was still blind. The man said: "General Liu sent people to tell him that Cao Jun came to massacre Xuzhou again, and there was a cannibal general in the army. Everyone can hear it. All fear fled..."
Wang Zhong was so angry that he blew his beard. He was ashamed to talk about this past incident, so he chopped down the blind man with his sword and continued on.
It was already dusk, and the soldiers were tired from the day's march, so Wang Zhong had to set up camp and bury pots to make rice.
The fleeing people filled up the wells in the village before leaving. Wang Zhong could only ask people to dig temporary wells to collect water for cooking. It was impossible to capture Xiaopei at night. He sent scouts to pass on information to Liu Dai, but the fate of the other side was also different. Not much.
The army camped in the wild, all on guard against robbery, but the night was uneventful.
At dawn, Wang Zhong received a letter from Liu Dai asking for reinforcements, saying that Liu Bei would lead his army to rob the camp, and asked him to send troops to attack him. He would win the first victory today.
Wang Zhong was overjoyed when he saw the letter. He left his infantry to guard the baggage and led his cavalry to quickly assist Liu Dai.
The cavalry met a group of men and horses halfway through the journey. The two armies were about to fight, and then they realized that Liu Dai's cavalry was on the opposite side. Only when both sides took out their arrow books did they realize that they had fallen into the trap, so they joined forces and headed for Liu Dai's camp.
When the two groups of cavalry arrived, the camp and baggage had been destroyed. Not long after, the remnant soldiers from Wang Zhong's camp also came to report. Liu Bei's army suddenly came to rob the camp, the food, grass and baggage were burned, and the officers and soldiers guarding the camp were scattered.
How can we still fight if we lose our food, grass and baggage? Liu Dai and Wang Zhong had no choice but to lead their troops back to Xudu. On the way, they encountered Liu Bei's ambush and were almost captured.
Liu Bei then laughed and said: "It's like you and other rats, even if hundreds of people come here, it's all like this; Cao Cao and thieves come without knowing it."
Where Liu Dai and Wang Zhong dared to respond, they could only whip their whips and run away, leaving only a hundred men and horses with them.
After Liu Bei's victory, he felt proud of himself and asked Guan Yu to report the battle to Lantian. He also said that the battle between Yuan and Cao was about to begin, and he was preparing to march west to Yuzhou to respond to Yuan Shao.
After hearing this, Lan Tian advised Guan Yu: "Cao Cao is a cunning and scheming man. He will definitely use suspicious soldiers to contain Yuan Shao first, and then fight the decisive battle after the threat from the rear is eliminated. Brother-in-law must not let down his vigilance."
"Ziyu's words are very kind. I will compile a letter and send it to my elder brother." Guan Yu said.
After receiving the letter from Guan Yu, Liu Bei said to Mi Zhu: "Lan Ziyu is too cautious. Not to mention the threats from Xuzhou, there is still Zhang Xiu in the south of Xudu causing chaos. After Yuan Benchu fights with him, we will have several armies together." If we attack Xudu, we will be able to save the emperor from danger."
Mi Zhu nodded and said: "Lan Ziyu is also kind-hearted. My lord still needs to recruit troops and actively prepare for war."
"I'll spare you the trouble. Are you familiar with Zang Xuan? Can you tell him to surrender again?" Liu Bei asked.
Mi Zhu shook his head and said: "Although this man was a cavalry captain during the reign of Tao Fujun, he has always been alone because he has a heavy army. It is not easy to surrender this man..."
When the two were talking about Zang Ba, this man had already invaded Qingzhou on Cao Cao's orders to prevent Yuan Shao's army from attacking from the east.
In September, Cao Cao left the general to ban and stationed troops on the south bank of the Yellow River to monitor the north. He also divided his troops to guard Guandu in the north of Xudu, and then returned to Xudu to prepare to face Yuan Shao.
At this time, Liu Dai and Wang Zhong were defeated and had returned to Xudu. They knelt in the Prime Minister's Mansion and waited for Cao Cao's punishment.
Cao Cao was in Liyang at the time and did not think carefully about the deployment of troops and generals. He thought it was his fault in employing personnel, so he only cut off the titles and official positions of two people to express their guilt and meritorious service.
Cao Cao was furious when he heard Liu Bei's wild words and was eager to personally lead his army to conquer Xuzhou.
All the generals advised: "The one who is fighting for the world with my lord now is Yuan Shao. Now that the troops from Hebei are pressing down on the border, my lord is marching eastward against Liu Bei. What if Yuan Shao takes advantage of the situation and attacks?"
Due to the dissuasion of the generals, Cao Cao had no choice but to give up.
In the first month of the fifth year of Jian'an, the Yidai Edict happened, and Cao Cao executed Dong Cheng, Wang Zifu, Zhong Ji, etc., all of the Yi tribe.
Liu Bei, who was complicit in the Yidai Zhao, surfaced, and the Eastern Expedition to Xuzhou was once again put on the agenda.
