The inner courtyard of the palace, the imperial garden.
Summer has just arrived, the weather is pleasant, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, and the air is filled with a relaxing freshness.
At this time, the imperial garden was full of laughter and laughter. Liu Xie was not wearing a dragon robe, but was wearing a golden lining. He was wearing Longyun soap boots, and he was dancing back and forth among seven or eight palace ladies with his eyes covered and a smile on his face.
Oh, so it turns out that there was a game called catch-and-seek 1,800 years ago.
However, the difficulty of this game seems to be higher than that of catching and hiding. Liu Xie not only needs to catch the palace maids who are coming and going, but also needs to judge the name of the palace maid based on her body shape and body fragrance after catching the owner.
Your Majesty is your Majesty. As long as you grab it, you can immediately determine the identity of the opponent based on its size.
He was so involved that he didn't even know that Lin Mo and the old scumbag had been standing on the outside for a long time.
This simple and unpretentious life made Lin Mo even envious.
"Oh, Lin Sikong and Jia Taichang are here. Come, please give me a seat." Liu Xie didn't think there was anything wrong when he saw Lin Mo and Jia Xu. He took off his blindfold and wiped the sweat from his forehead. sat aside.
The chamberlain brought up two chairs. Lin Mo was not polite and sat down. Jia Xu followed.
"What important military and political matters do you two dear ministers have here?" Liu Xie took a sip of the pearl tea and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling very comfortable.
"Your Majesty."
Lin Mo stood up and bowed, "The imperial servant Zuo Rong has been loyal to his duties for many years. In order to resist Cao Cao when he was in Pengcheng, he even spent a lot of money to repair the canals in the city and control the waterlogging. He also made great achievements in governing the land when he pacified the Northern Kingdom. I sincerely request you. Your Majesty congratulates him as the Great Honglu."
"Da Honglu."
Hearing this, Liu Xie clicked his tongue in embarrassment, "My dear, to be honest, you are a step too late."
"Your Majesty, please let me know how to say this." Lin Mo was not impatient.
"Chen Qun entered the palace a few days ago. Dean Zhong brought him in. I am going to confer him the title of Dahonglu. You see what happened. After all, I have already promised him. You are not joking."
"Chen Qun?"
Lin Mo couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. No one could be Chen Qun. Among the Yingchuan faction, he was the only one who jumped around with great energy when Cao Cao was holding the emperor hostage. He said that Liu Xie had a good impression of him. Who would believe it? Lin Mo Youyou He asked: "Your Majesty, this Chen Qun used to be the closest to Cao Cao. It is not known that he has any merits in the country. How did he end up in the position of Da Honglu?"
"I have already discussed this with him, and he is loyal." Liu Xie slowly sipped the pearl tea and said with a smack of his mouth.
"Your Majesty, Zuo Rong can also talk, and he can also be loyal."
"How can it be the same?" Liu Xie sneered.
"Your Majesty, please tell me clearly what is the difference."
Seeing Lin Mo's reluctance, Liu Xie put down his cup, waved his hand and the maids and chamberlains around him retreated.
Then he said with a melancholy look on his face: "My dear, do you know that the Chen family is planning to spend 80 million yuan as tribute to build the imperial mausoleum for me. How can I ignore this loyalty?"
I understand, selling an official position is a way to get a title, right?
Rong, I'm so sorry. After I've beaten you, Your Majesty still wants to hit you with another stick, so just bite the bullet.
Lin Mo nodded and said: "It seems that Zuo Rong is still more loyal than Chen Qun."
"oh?"
Liu Xie's eyes lit up, he leaned forward, put his elbows on his knees and asked, "How loyal is he?"
"His loyalty is worth 100 million yuan." Lin Mo was very confident in Zuo Rong.
"One hundred million, one hundred million."
He actually hesitated, pondered for a moment and then tested the question: "If you give him another Pizhou Marquis, do you think his loyalty will increase to 150 million yuan?"
Stop pretending, I am a fool and I will show my cards.
Lin Mo found it a bit funny, thinking that Zuo Rong would agree without hesitation here, but he was just worried that everyone would take turns to gather up the sheep and it would be lost sooner or later.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I know Zuo Rong, and he will definitely be loyal to Your Majesty."
"Okay, okay!"
Liu Xie geared up and said three good words in a row, then said with a smile: "Ai Qing, there is one more thing I want to ask you."
"Your Majesty, please make it clear."
"Now that the traitor Cao has been driven away, I can sit back and relax with Ai Qing and Lieutenant Lu watching over me. This is the happiest time in my more than ten years as an emperor. I think it is worthy of universal celebration."
Liu Xie twirled his fingers and showed a happy smile, "I have decided to celebrate the Three Mornings this year. According to previous years, starting from the end of the year festival to the singing and dancing of the Three Mornings, the people not only need a curfew, but are not even allowed to do so after Youshi. Taking to the streets is really against the law.
I am planning to not only add more juggling, singing and dancing for three days this year, but also lift the curfew for three days so that the sound of firecrackers can be heard throughout Xuchang City to show that I am having fun with the people.
My dear, I know that you will send troops to Jingzhou after the autumn harvest. My dear, you have always used your troops like a god. I hope that you will have fun with me during the three mornings this year. "
Three Mornings is the Spring Festival in later generations.
In this era, people actually celebrate the Spring Festival, just like Liu Xie said, throwing bamboo into the brazier, and then making bursts of firecrackers.
However, this is limited to other places. It is not allowed in the capital area because the movement is too loud and it is easy to cover up some strange sounds.
The reason why a curfew is implemented is because after dark, when there are the most blind spots, absolute silence is needed to make up for this loophole.
Now, Liu Xie said that this year is a special year, the curfew will be lifted, and people will be allowed to set off firecrackers on the streets to celebrate, which is interesting.
"Your Majesty, it is reported that the total number of troops of Cao, Sun and Liu is no less than 100,000. We are really not sure that they can be pacified within three months. However, even if we are in Jingzhou, we will wish Your Majesty Yuan Chen long blessings."
"I still hope you can stay with me."
Liu Xie had a look of regret on his face. Who would believe this nonsense? I am here. If you are not feeling well, I am not feeling well either.
Usually, neither party wanted to be verbose after talking about the business, but it was always Lin Mo who couldn't wait to leave first, but today it was Liu Xie who couldn't sit still and directly called the waiter and asked: "What time is it?"
"Your Majesty, it's time to apply."
After the chamberlain finished speaking, Liu Xie frowned, and then patted Lin Mo's arm, "My dear, my elixir is out. This elixir absorbs the essence of heaven and earth. It should not be left for a long time. It must be taken immediately. You must first Back off.”
"Wei Chen, please leave." Lin Mo and Jia Xu both bowed and turned to leave.
After leaving the palace, Lin Mo stretched out and teased: "Oh, it's not easy for a big man like Zuo Rong to come here. With 150 million, he will probably have to cry all night long."
Jia Xu hid his face and smiled. Most of his official positions were obtained through years of meritorious service. In other words, his position was bought, so there is nothing unjustifiable.
Moreover, Lin Mo will probably spread the word about this. This is great, and the people below will not have any other ideas.
"His Majesty's mind is not simple. After being a puppet for so many years, he still has such a persevering will and state of mind. I really admire him."
Lin Mo glanced at him and said with a smile: "Yes, I guess we are doing it in time for the new year. We are very short of money. This is not as good as rushing to sell an official position. On the one hand, we can use the money to prepare for secret operations. On the other hand, we can use the money to prepare secret operations." Make it and show it to us. See how stupid I am, so you don’t have to worry about me."
Jia Xu stroked his white beard and nodded. Liu Xie's current performance indeed exceeded his expectations.
In order to regain power, he was even willing to put aside his reputation, which many people regard as more important than his life, and act like a coward, not hesitating to pass the pressure on to the people.
On the one hand, it can paralyze Lu Lin, on the other hand, it can enrich its secret power, and on the other hand, it can also cover the imperialist faction that is acting secretly.
"The matter of selling officials and conferring titles should have another purpose, so that he can later replace the candidates for the Royal Forest Army and the Nine School Captains. At that time, as long as it is revealed and said that the position was purchased from His Majesty at a high price, no one will be suspicious. ." Lin Mo added.
Jia Xu nodded in agreement, but at the same time he said suspiciously: "But I don't understand the matter of the New Year's Eve. What is the purpose of lifting the curfew?"
"If I guessed correctly, I probably wanted to take advantage of that time to transport some weapons and armor."
Lin Mo rubbed his chin while walking and analyzed: "No matter how hard he sells his official position, he can't possibly replace all three thousand imperial guards. Therefore, I guess there should be some people lurking inside the imperial city and outside the palace. When the time comes, these people can directly participate in the armed forces outside the palace."
Hearing this, a flash of realization flashed through Jia Xu's eyes, "Yes, yes, that should be the case. The arrangements are really meticulous. Your Majesty is not simple."
"Now I have another thing that I'm worried about."
Jia Xu had a smile on his face. It was rare to hear Lin Mo say that there was some instability in calculating people's hearts and controlling the overall situation. He rolled his eyes and said, "You are worried that Chen Qun's matter is His Majesty's deliberate intervention. Want to provoke a dispute between the Yingchuan faction and us?"
Lin Mo did not answer directly, pursed his lips and said in a deep voice: "The homes of important officials in the imperial court are all equipped with soldiers. If there are too many people involved, it will be very troublesome to miscalculate the strength of the troops. Before he takes action, we can't Lead the army into the city."
All the people recruited by the Red Sleeves were deployed, but it was impossible to fully monitor the Imperial Faction and the Yingchuan Faction at the same time.
This is considered an unstable factor. Of course, as long as you are willing to put some thought into it, you can still eliminate hidden dangers. It just takes time.
Jia Xu didn't respond. Lin Mo rubbed his temples as he walked and complained: "I've been thinking about too many things lately, and it's hard to take care of them. You didn't even ask to help share the burden."
"My Lord Sikong, you have already given me a lot of tasks for me. How can I share them with you?"
The old bastard was about to cry, but after taking two steps, he took the initiative to speak, "You have been thinking about the court situation recently, and you have indeed lost some of your calculations about the three princes. They are about to form an alliance now. I want to think of something, Give them some trouble."
"That's true."
Lin Mo smiled bitterly, "I can't help it. I hope that after the final battle, I can settle these things when I return to Xuchang."
"Understood, haven't you been deploying this way these days?"
The old bastard walked forward with his hands in hand, his expression a little unfocused, "But you should know that even if he takes the first step, it's still not enough to achieve the effect you want.
Now, public grievances will gradually accumulate, and the bank affairs can also earn you some prestige. The imperial examination system can put him in a disadvantageous situation, plus he kills the heroes first, which sounds like a good situation, but he will not be able to escape after all. "
Jia Xu paused, looked around and then whispered: "It's infamous for plotting to usurp the throne."
"Of course these alone are not enough. Don't worry, I have a back-up plan. It's not me who wants to do it, it's him who can't sit still."
Lin Mo turned his head and glanced at the high wall of the palace, then said: "Yes, you need to think about what you just said. In addition, Huang She is still in the city. If there is anything that the Huang family and his son need to do, Just go to him directly.”
"Huang She."
Jia Xu nodded, "That's it, there really is something for them to do."
As soon as the policy of increasing the head tax by ten yuan per person in summer was implemented, it naturally aroused a cry of lamentation from the working people, and everyone dared to be angry but dared not speak out.
The general situation is similar to what Liu Xie expected. The lives of the people in Huainan, Xuzhou and Beiguo are indeed much better than in the early years. After all, the popularity of the Quyuan plow has greatly reduced their manpower, and the saved manpower can be used to open up wasteland. You can also hunt, weave, or do some other hard work. After all, you no longer need to struggle for food and clothing.
But even so, ten yuan per person is an extra fifty yuan for a family of four or five people. You must know that they do not only have the poll tax, which is the last straw that breaks the camel's back. This is the truth.
What's more, this is only summer. God knows whether he will maintain this tax point for the poll tax in autumn and winter.
Some people even miss Cao Cao's days in Xuchang. At least they didn't increase taxes for several years. Why did you drive him away and you increased taxes?
But soon everyone felt relieved, because the Zuo Chamber of Commerce and the Zhen Family Bank all over the states and counties announced that they could make tax loans interest-free, and they only needed to register with their household registration number to lend. This was simply a miracle. Big good thing.
What’s interesting is that the people didn’t care at all about the sudden change of name of Zuo’s Bank and Zhen’s Bank to Lin’s Bank. Everyone just knew that the shopkeeper of Lin’s Bank was the current Sikong Lin Yunwen, so they thought everything was reasonable. .
After all, Lin Yunwen himself is a representative of the common people. He can best understand the sufferings of the common people. Originally, Lin Mo was well-known among the common people because of inventions such as chemical fertilizers and the Quyuan plow. After this incident, his reputation skyrocketed. He became a saint in the hearts of the people.
In addition, there have been reports in various states and counties recently about Liu Xie selling his official position and getting a title. It seems that the brand of a foolish emperor has been completely branded. The more courageous people even dare to close the door and say that the emperor's foolish behavior is incompatible with Lin Sikong's love for the people. In sharp contrast, it is a matter of judgment. If Lin Sikong became the emperor, the lives of these people would most likely be improved to a higher level.
When such remarks came to Jiang Xia, Huang Zu, a prefect with a big family behind him, showed a specious smile.
Human character is wonderful. In the past, Huang Zu, who was promoted and appreciated by Liu Biao, a descendant of the royal family, would definitely sneer at such remarks and even take suppressive actions.
But now, Lin Mo first gave away Lu Meng and three other people, and then gave away the Sun family, which greatly healed his psychological trauma. For him, it seems that it is not that important who is the emperor. To repay Lin Mo's great kindness This is what he must do in this life.
There was nothing else he could do, but Lin Mo was going to Jingzhou, and the 20,000 to 30,000 navy veterans he had on hand were the protagonists, and all they could do was to clear this last obstacle for him.
Therefore, during this period of time, Huang Zu trained his navy with all his might, operating in the areas of Baqiu, Chibi and Xiakou. When he met Liu Qi's navy, he would beat him up without a second thought, focusing on being ruthless.
Lu Xun and Zhu Huan arrived first. They only brought 3,000 naval troops with them. The follow-up troops were still being prepared, mainly due to issues of food, grass and ordnance.
Huang Zu just exchanged simple greetings and then took the two of them on the road to actual combat.
"The shoals in this area are concentrated in Jiuzhuandu and Shenyu Bay."
On the deck of the building boat, Huang Zu pointed to two points in the distance and analyzed, "Twenty miles upstream is the bank of the Chibi River. It is much more open there, but there are more undercurrents than this. During this period, I will first familiarize you with the surrounding area. We will go to Baqiu in a few days."
"Baqiu, I heard that Liu Bei is stationed there." Zhu Huan said in a dull voice.
"Liu Bei?"
Huang Zu sneered, "On this river, as long as there is a ship, it will be my prey. I don't care what his last name is or how long his ears are on the river."
"Prefect Huang is so heroic." Lu Xun smiled and held up his hands.
Of course they knew about Liu Bei rescuing Sun Ce at the foot of Yang'an Mountain, but they didn't expect that Huang Zu would be so angry at Liu Bei.
In terms of official positions, both Lu Xun and Zhu Huan were governors. In terms of military rank, Lu Xun was even a Zhonglang General like Huang Zu, so Wei Yan, who had been following behind him, felt a little depressed.
From the current point of view, he has not made much achievements after transferring here, and he is still a school captain. Although the general trend is that he made the right choice, the future is still a bit gloomy.
He also heard that Zhang Liao would come over with Gan Ning, Xu Sheng and others in a while. Not only would that group be the core members of Lu Lin, Huang Zu would have to weigh everything he said, and he, Wei Yan, would be even more important. No more status.
My only hope is that this water battle will be more serious.
Very few generals born in Jingzhou were not good at water warfare, but people like Wei Yan and Huang Zhong were better at land warfare.
But there is no other way. This battle is destined to be a water battle. You must sacrifice your strengths and weaknesses to fight for your own future. This is the last chance.
When we turned back to Xiling, it was getting late, and we met Huang She who was coming back from Xuchang.
Huang She first relayed Lin Mo's original words. This was the most important thing. Huang Zu, Lu Xun and Zhu Huan all felt as if they had heard the imperial edict. After all, the three of them were already pointed out in the content.
However, this also made Wei Yan feel even more embarrassed. Sikong probably didn't even remember that there was a person like me.
When he was lonely and about to go into the city to wash away his fatigue, Huang She stopped him and said, "Uncle Wei, Mrs. Jia has a letter for me to give to you."
"Jia Taichang?" Wei Yan was obviously confused and couldn't react.
"Uncle Wei doesn't know about Jia Taichang, the leader of the Nine Qings, right?" Huang She was also a little confused.
"Of course I know, Jia Taichang is also a genius with unpredictable tricks, but I have never seen it. How could he do it?" Wei Yan said this, but he was still very happy in his heart. He instinctively felt that he should have got an opportunity to make a contribution.
"Look, this silk cloth and fire paint haven't been removed. I don't dare to look through it without permission."
Huang She shrugged and said with a smile, "So, Uncle Wei, let's see for ourselves."
Huang Zu also patted his shoulder, "Since it's sealed with fire paint, you can see for yourself."
After saying that, he led a group of people and strode into the city.
Wei Yan was a little nervous.
Of course, Jia Xu is not as good as Lin Mo, but he is also a very important person among Lu Lin's core figures. With his current situation and status, a letter from Jia Xu is enough to make him short of breath.
After unpacking the paint, the content came into view. He frowned at first, and then exhaled heavily, with a flash of light in his eyes, "Wonderful, now is indeed the most suitable time to go to Linxiang, and it is indeed better for me to go than Huang It’s appropriate for me to go, brother.”
Wei Yan slowly closed the silk cloth, carefully put it into his arms, and murmured: "Mrs. Jia often pulls me, Wei Yan, and I will never forget it in my life!"
(End of chapter)
