"This is the seventh one."
From Changshe to Yingyin, there are two county towns, dozens of village pavilions, and more than ten townships, including an unknown number of wealthy families.
Whenever he passed by, Zhang Han would ask about him and he would collect military supplies and rations.
Once, a young official from a poor family in the village stopped a wealthy family from investing money and stood up to seek justice. He wanted to come and reason with Zhang Han. He prepared several long essays and wanted to make Zhang Han feel ashamed, so he took this opportunity to stay. A beautiful talk about fame.
Before he got to the point, he just scolded Zhang Han as a mad dog. He was immediately slapped and lost half of his teeth, and his face was so swollen that he couldn't open his mouth.
Later, Chen Qun heard with his own ears Zhang Liao's cold voice declaring that this man was a bandit and ordered him to be executed immediately. But Dian Wei didn't hesitate at all, didn't even say a word of advice, and didn't even let the official say another word. He beheaded him with a single sword in front of hundreds of his subordinates.
Zhang Han and Cao Ang just watched, saying nothing, showing no expression, calm and indifferent.
Why indifference? Because they crawled out from an assassination ambush, their hearts for the soil of Yingchuan became much colder.
Every time Chen Qun tried to persuade Zhang Han, Zhang Han would smile brightly and calmly, even a little kindly and honestly, and point out that this person is a bandit. Otherwise, why would other people fund the suppression of bandits? Why would he stop him?
Then Chen Qun had nothing to say and could only feel scared. He subconsciously felt that Zhang Hanfa going crazy was indeed very scary.
He also made it clear that this person was in cahoots with the bandits outside the city.
He forged a letter and asked someone to put it in the official's home. Then he sent troops to capture the nearby bandits, taught them how to speak, and recruited those who were willing to help as residents.
So in less than half a day, the bandit was identified, and evidence was found in the official's home. He also blocked the wealthy people in the village from funding the suppression of the bandit. He had ulterior motives. He must have conspired with bandits and water thieves outside the city to rob passers-by, so he took him The family was nailed to the pillar of shame.
After this story spread, wherever Zhang Liao's army went, officials greeted him, and took the initiative to ask the wealthy families in the countryside to donate food and money to reward soldiers and horses, and entertain Zhang Han and others.
There was an uproar, everyone was frightened, and every family was angry. The person they hated was not Zhang Han, but the person who secretly intercepted and killed him.
If you want to kill, you should take precautions. If you want to kill, then do it to avoid any further trouble! Or find out the important people in this trip before taking action!
Duke Cao's eldest son is also among them. Why not send warriors to protect him? ?
Now that it has become like this, every family will suffer its wrath, and no one will be spared! ?
As a result, Zhang Han and his party's march slowed down, the baggage and money became more and more, and the food became more and more abundant. They even asked the countryside to prepare carriages to pull them, and they could also take away dozens of horses.
Wherever he went, wealthy families and officials almost shed a layer of their skin, making them dare not speak out in anger.
When they arrived at the eighth house, the local wealthy family was finally furious. They opened the door in Guancheng to welcome Zhang Liao's cavalry and held a banquet in honor of them. In fact, they were setting up a swordsman in secret.
The generals of Xiangzheng and Guanzheng accompanied them to drink until they were drunk, and they all rushed out, intending to hack Zhang Han and others to death.
As a result, they were drunk. Zhang Han and Dian Wei had not even had enough of it, and a one-sided battle broke out between the two sides.
That night he shouted to kill Zhentian, and Zhang Han returned home with a full load the next day. This time, there was no need for excuses or shame. After the victory, they directly grabbed it. In the words of the melon eaters at the time: I saw them hunting the birds in the camp the next day, even the birds and animals that inhabited the camp.
Just because Zhang Liao got the order, he relaxed the military regulations and started looting. The troops under his command ransacked the house and looted the house at a speed that was so familiar that it made people feel distressed.
It was so familiar that everyone became more motivated after returning to their old job.
Most of the local people didn't react yet and slept for a while. The next day, the people left and the pass military camp was empty. The gate was open and waiting for the rear army to take over. It was as if there had been no troops stationed here for several years, and it was desolate and decadent.
It was like the crops in the fields were swept by hundreds of thousands of locusts.
Although Zhang Han and the others marched slowly, the news spread very quickly. Almost all the families hundreds of miles downstream of Yingshui were in a panic and were discussing how to resist Zhang Han and how to calm the matter.
Looking at his situation, if the entire Yingchuan County family cannot find out who set up the ambush, his five thousand soldiers and horses... No, adding the captured prisoners and slaves, it is now estimated to be more than six thousand.
These more than 6,000 people must go back and forth in the name of "sweeping out bandits and regulating public order".
These people discussed for a long time and asked back and forth, but could not come up with any results. They cursed each other several times, generally mocking the family that was acting in secret. I don’t know which prince did it to praise which prince, but they did such a thing without their own strength. .
Insinuations, accusations, and sarcastic remarks are all possible. Anyway, I don’t know who it is, so I’ll make the accusations comfortable first.
As a result, everyone became increasingly angry because of their resentment, and many families who had a bad relationship directly threatened to cut off contact.
But even if this is the case, the eldest son of the Cao family may not be willing to appreciate it, and will still go all the way south, and the reason is legitimate.
What should I do? I can only ask for help.
Asking for help to persuade, or making peace, there are only two ways. One is to attract other princes to intervene, so that Cao Jun does not dare to be too arrogant and cause public outrage.
The second is to inform the emperor of Chang'an and ask the emperor to send envoys to mediate and persuade peace.
Therefore, many families have set their sights on the largest clan in Yingyin, the Xun family.
Everyone knows that Xun Yu, the famous gentleman in Yingchuan, is under Cao Cao and is highly valued. This Han should give him some face. Even if he doesn't give it, Cao Ang, the eldest son of the Cao family, will always give it. Give.
Therefore, lobbyists were sent to constantly ask the Xun family to come out to persuade them, trying to see if they could welcome Cao Ang and his party, and let them temporarily station troops in Yingyin, accept the support of all the people, and eat pots of pulp.
As for the slogan "Determined to wipe out bandits"... let it rest for a few days before shouting it.
After all, they are already more thieves than thieves. After robbing so much money and food, why don't they stop to manage their finances?
…
Yingyin, the land of the Xun clan.
In a spacious bright hall, in a deep courtyard with bamboo rafts next to a pond, in front of the stage behind the wooden bridge, a middle-aged man kneeling on a futon pinched the tip of his beard, and the lines at the corners of his eyes looked like knife carvings. He lowered his eyes and looked. Letters sent.
In front of him was a member of the Zhong family who was about the same age as him. He looked about forty, but he was waiting with his hands behind his back with a sad face.
After a long time, when the man who was kneeling on his knees did not speak, he added earnestly: "Gongda, you can't just sit back and watch! If Wen Ruo is under Cao Gong's command now, he should be able to contain him."
"This...Zhang Han was ambushed and killed, but he turned his anger on our entire territory of Yingchuan. We cannot allow him to act like this."
"His behavior is just like that of a thief!! It brings the wrath of heaven and the resentment of mankind!"
"Hahaha..." The middle-aged man sitting there is Xun You, also known as Gongda.
Although he is a few years older, he is younger than the person in front of him, so he does not dare to smile too wildly and always maintains a polite manner.
After hearing this, he burst into laughter and said softly: "If Mr. Zhong says that, then Zhang Han must be different from the thieves. How could Zhang Bochang openly rob him?"
Yes, the people are still filled with indignation for him and are calling for raids on the bandits, the Zhong family member thought to himself.
"But, Mr. Zhong is so anxious to ask You to admonish him. Could it be that this interception has something to do with the Zhong family?" Xun You raised his eyelids, hiding his sharpness.
"No, no, of course it's impossible!!" The middle-aged Confucian scholar from the Zhong family immediately waved his hands and denied directly one after another. His face became excited, as if someone had stepped on his tail.
"I, the Zhong clan, have people who follow Jizhou, and some of them follow Yuan Chang to assist the emperor in Chang'an, but there are not many people in the ancestral land! I am the only one who is incompetent, so I stay in the ancestral land. I am just worried that Zhang Bochang's violent behavior will disturb the emperor. It has ruined the people’s livelihood, destroyed the elegance of the family, and destroyed the reputation and tranquility of Yingchuan for so many years! My generation..."
When he spoke, Xun You looked at him quietly, as if he was listening and being taught. Sometimes he naturally showed expressions of "surprise" and "movement" in line with his words. Finally, he said calmly: "I'm just talking casually." Let me ask, why are you so excited?"
"Am I excited?" Zhong Gao felt weak and his eyes suddenly dodge.
In fact, he just didn't want to invest, because Zhang Han wanted too much, not only money and food, but also the luggage stored in his home, including gold, silver, copper and iron. He couldn't wait to empty out the hidden treasure. If he couldn't move it, he would ask for people. , saying that the slaves should be moved and left with the army. Once they leave, they will definitely not return them.
But if you don't want to go back, being so excited and excused makes you look more and more like the person behind the scenes?
"Gongda, what do you think about this matter? Now all the tribes in the territory are relying on you."
Xun You puts his hands in front of his legs, folding them, palms facing upward, and circling his thumbs one after another habitually. If he does this when he is kneeling, it usually means that he is very relaxed and even enjoys watching the excitement.
Er Qing narrowed her eyes and smiled kindly: "My nephew is not talented, he is also old, and he is not familiar with Zhang Bochang."
"Shu Yu, I am in Juancheng, not at home. But I insist on justice in everything. Uncle Zhang is often ambushed and killed, which almost kills people. There are families in the country who want his life, but he only wants money, so he is already very kind. ”
This makes sense. The Xiliang princes and border generals have now massacred the entire Yingchuan family.
Zhong Gao nodded secretly, but felt something was wrong. I always feel that this little old man’s back hurts when he stands and talks, but there is no evidence.
Xun You continued: "If he wants justice, wouldn't it be better for Mr. Zhong to give it to him? Find the person who planned to intercept, kill and ambush him and hand him over."
You put it simply, you, Mr. Xun, don't have to suffer. It turns out that the matter has nothing to do with you. Investigating this matter will probably involve a lot of trouble, and it will disturb peace. This resentment is all on my head, Mr. Zhong. Who would do such a thing.
"Well, once this happens, all the ethnic groups in the territory will be in a state of restlessness, and naturally they will be hard to find. When the eldest son of the Cao family and Zhang Bochang arrive in Yingyin, they also ask Gongda to help him and say that we are willing to give him an explanation, okay? "
Xun You raised his eyes and looked at him. He roughly understood what he meant. He asked a family member to come out, confess his crime, and get stabbed.
Then his family's descendants and other families will raise him together, so that he can study in various families, and then recommend him to an official position in the future, so that he can prosper again.
This is the case for peripheral vassal clans. If they agree, they will get along, but if they don't, the situation will force them to do so. If they gather money to apologize to Zhang Han, they should be able to feed the appetites of tigers and wolves first.
After that, look for opportunities to compete!
Xun You lowered his eyelids and said with a smile: "I will entertain you myself, but I will do my best to persuade you."
"Hey, okay, thank you Gongda!!"
Zhong Gao went back happily. After receiving Xun You's words, he could finally explain to the envoys from various ethnic groups who came to ask for help.
Otherwise, if you have to find out who is ambushing someone, you will really make yourself uneasy.
Three days later, Zhang Liao's troops marched to Yingyin, where they were greeted by the local magistrate and officials. The people celebrated in peace and harmony.
Xun You later invited Zhang Han, Cao Ang and others to live in the clan.
To show the friendship of the landlord, after all, Xun Yu had already written a letter.
Zhang Han went happily, accepted the hospitality, and drank and talked happily.
After drinking, we started to chat quite freely, from the local customs to the major wars we had experienced. The conversation was endless and the host and guest were happy.
Xun You felt that Zhang Han was actually very easy to get along with, and he was very clear in his heart. In his words, he respected and admired his uncle Xun Yu, and he was very friendly.
He's actually a nice young man.
"Nephew! Drink!"
It's just a bit rude... Xun Youxin said, although he didn't know if he was drunk or not, but because of his uncle's appreciation, he actually called him a "nephew", how decent it was!
Xun You is at least sixteen years older than Zhang Han!
Can I still have some facial expressions? ?
"Bo Chang."
Zhang Han, who was second from the lower left, immediately raised his hand, looked at Cao Ang, who was first, and then looked at Xun You and said, "I know what you want to ask."
"The interception and killing on the river almost cost me and Zixiu our lives. Do you want me to settle the matter?"
Xun You's face froze, knowing that there was no need to speak slowly or beat around the bush.
He simply told Zhong Gao's previous decision to compensate Zhang Han, a family and a great gift that would benefit the entire army, and see if he could accept it.
Zhang Han pondered for a moment, then reached out and tapped on the document for a long time. The rhythmic tapping sound attracted everyone's attention.
Er Qing, he raised his head to look at Xun You and said with a smile: "Nephew, tell me, is the truth more important, or is it more important for me to knock on the mountain and shock the tiger?"
"Knock on the mountain to shock the tiger," Xun You thought for a while. He didn't know Zhang Han, but judging from his actions, he was trying to frighten the families so that they would not dare to plot easily again.
As a result, Zhang Han shook his head.
Xun You was stunned and asked tentatively: "Is this the truth!?"
Bochang actually still has this principle of respecting "rules"? Should everything be based on the truth and be black and white?
As a result, Zhang Han shook his head again.
Xun You was confused now. He looked at Zhang Han blankly and shouted in his heart that it didn't make sense. Why did you ask me to choose these two! ? Drank too much?
Zhang Han grinned: "There is no truth that is important. Even if the truth is given, it is just to shirk it to the bandits, or to force a small tribe to admit it and then run away."
"It's not like I haven't experienced this before. Didn't the dignified governor of Yizhou also use this method to assassinate the old man? Who is to blame in the end? The thief general Zhang Kai, no matter what the truth is, he has to bear the consequences."
Without the truth, we can continue to force all ethnic groups to contribute money, which is really cruel.
Xun You remained silent. Knowing Zhang Han's intentions, he no longer dwelled on the matter.
His acting style is really like that of Mr. Cao, who seizes good opportunities, acts resolutely, shows no mercy, and is ruthless and domineering.
He is worthy of being a highly respected young man, which is why at such an age, he is ranked with other great advisers.
Forget it, the Xun family has no worries anyway. The eldest son, the chief secretary, and the two taciturn generals have never been malicious towards the Xun family. It is enough to show that they regard the Yingyin Xun family as one of their own.
So he naturally changed the topic and started talking about his daily hobbies. He couldn't help but look strange when he heard Zhang Han said that he was interested in "literature and history".
Even if I knew it was literary policy and history reading, I couldn't help but feel dumbfounded.
"What book does Bo Chang like to read the most?"
"I like reading Spring and Autumn at night," Zhang Han said with a decisive smile.
This sentence directly aroused questions from Dian Wei and Cao Ang.
When did you read the book at night? ?
Zhang Han's expression did not change, he still smiled and boasted, "There is a story recorded in it that I still remember freshly."
"Bo Chang, please tell me," Xun You smiled confidently, feeling that if we discussed this, we could talk about it for several days, and he was good at everything from original history, unofficial history, and style reviews to his experience.
He also wanted to hear the records and allusions that Zhang Han liked.
"In the eleventh year of Duke Zhuang, in the sixth month of summer, in the land of Song Dynasty, a certain village was attacked by thieves, and every house was robbed. Some local nobles took strict precautions, so only one of the hundreds of households within ten miles was spared; therefore, everyone said On the grounds that his house was in good condition, he reported it to the government and identified the house as a thief. After hearing this, the owner of the house stole the money and food from the house and gave it to everyone in one night, so everything calmed down and everyone was in peace."
Is there anything special about this story? Cao Ang and Chen Qun thought at the same time.
Moreover, the three Confucian scholars here are frantically recalling which allusion is this? !
I have no impression at all. The records of the characters, time and place are extremely vague and cannot be included in the book. This kid Zhang Han must have made it up on the spot.
But in just half a breath, the three of them had an idea one after another.
Xun You was the first to raise his head and look at Zhang Han with resentful eyes, speechless.
Tsk, he's actually hitting me.
Uncle Zhang is not a man's son, he doesn't even want to let us Xun family go! ?
(End of chapter)
