Chapter 2568 Changes in people’s hearts
??Cao Chun has taken away most of the soldiers, leaving only a small number of soldiers inside and outside Yuyang City.
In the civilian camp outside Yuyang City, civilians like ants are busy, either strengthening the camp or repairing tools. There are sounds of shouting, beating, and supervisors scolding and whipping. The sounds were mixed together in confusion.
?Outside Yuyang City, some Cao Jun cavalry were cruising back and forth more than ten miles away, checking the surrounding situation, seemingly to ensure the safety of the Yuyang area.
?Because Cao Chun has taken away almost all the army, there are actually not many Cao soldiers on patrol. And I don’t know if it was because of the fruitless march before that Cao’s troops on duty on the city wall became unorganized. They gathered in twos and threes, chatting and basking in the sun, which was supposed to be three times a day. Xiahou Shang, who was patrolling the city, could only take a meaningful trip before sunset.
?Then, I don’t know when it started, in the civilian camp outside the city, there were gradually some complaints...
『One by one, the military masters lie down and rest, letting us people work hard! 』
This winter itself is bitterly cold. Not only have we not gained anything good with the army, but we are not giving up now. We have to fight. When will we be able to finish the fight? 』
We don’t know what happened in the military formation, but these soldiers feel a little uneasy no matter what. Look at that lazy look, and it seems like he can’t hold the handle of the gun, how can he still fight? 』
That is, when we went out to the rear army camp, we were asked to hurry up and deliver food and grass, but when we got to the field, we were not allowed to enter the camp! Okay, but when those **** came, I don’t know how many died! If you die, your life will be bad. If you get a pension, that''s all. But in the end, we are conscripted to work as laborers. If you die, it is not considered a death in battle, and your family will not get a single copper coin! 』
『What you said...is true? 』
『Why are you lying to me? If you don’t believe me, ask yourself! Wang Ermazi, from Wangjia Village, isn''t he dead? Is there any pension payment? Not a penny! Dead in vain! 』
『It is said that those military masters also deducted our salt and vegetable money! We were originally supposed to be eating a four-pack of soybeans, half millet and half beans, but in the end it was all beans, which was not enough! 』
"Isn''t that right? I heard that this war is going to end badly, so there are not many opportunities to make money. Anyway, we civilians can''t let out a fart, and no one will listen if we do, so we just seize the opportunity to make the last profit. The last one, if you look ugly when you eat, it will be ugly..."
Scattered discussions, of course, will not produce any results. They will only make everyone more and more dissatisfied and their military morale will become even more slack.
In addition, Xia Houshang likes to show off. When he patrols the city every day, he appears gorgeously, with colorful branches, uh, flags flying, and a majestic look. And the people below the city look at him covered in mud. If it weren''t for the winter bugs, If it''s less, you won''t be left with a sour smell and a bunch of lice and fleas!
It felt like I was scrimping on my own money and took a mobile phone to collect some numbers among the crowd and take photos of the officials who came to inspect. As a result, I accidentally took a photo of a mechanical watch shaking out of a white shirt, a huge Hetian jade. Tens of thousands of mobile phones are shooting at me. Then he looked down and saw that his whole body, as well as the deposits in the bank and mobile phone, were not worth the ring on the little finger of the inspector.
??The inspector smiled, his face was shiny, his skin was fair, and he was pregnant with twelve armors. He spoke in a friendly manner, "Work hard, young people have to endure hardships and work hard..."
There is a huge conflict between reality and propaganda. Then what should the people believe?
Therefore, when the people below saw Xia Houshang''s behavior in front of the formation, everyone was naturally angry.
It is not unusual for officials to have some arrogant behavior, but it is clear that the people are suffering, and then Xia Houshang is still arrogant and arrogant, arrogant and arrogant, always acting as if I represent something, is it really appropriate?
The common people were unhappy, and Xiahou Shang also felt unhappy!
Xia Houshang also read some military books back then and knew some military theories. He was just used to living a comfortable life and could no longer live a miserable life. Being able to visit the former enemy in person this time, Xiahou Shang felt that it was already very difficult for him. It was such a cold day, so hard to climb the stairs, such a friendly patrol of the city, such an in-depth investigation, so...
What''s more, he is facing a life and death test!
Maybe he might die on the battlefield!
After working so hard, what are these untouchables thinking about?
The cognitive error between the upper and lower levels is getting bigger and bigger, and the sense of separation at all levels in Youzhou is getting stronger and stronger. As a result, people''s hearts are finished like this.
?And if people''s hearts are no longer together, nothing will happen.
??The various changes in the morale of the military and the people both above and below the city, of course fell into the eyes of some people and were then passed on...
?In a remote courtyard outside Jixian County, Zu Wu was pondering over a wooden plan on the table.
I don’t know when this wooden plan was made. Anyway, it must have been a certain period of time. It has been rubbed with patina and looks smooth and shiny under a certain light.
??Zu Wu clicked on the wooden diagram and kept scratching it with his fingers. He thought about it for a long time, but in the end he sighed, "There are not enough people..."
He Cheng, who was sitting on the other side of the table, looked up at Zu Wu and pondered for a moment, "Do we really want to fight?" 』
Zu Wu raised his eyes from the wooden diagram, looked at He Cheng, and then smiled, "Brother He, you are kind-hearted... Let me give you an example. If you see a beggar on the roadside, Will you value him, respect him, and pay attention to him? 』
"Won''t. ” He Cheng replied.
“So... what if this beggar is holding not a wooden bowl for begging, but... a crossbow, and the crossbow is also strung and loaded with crossbow bolts, and it is pointed at you? Zu Wu still said with a smile, "Will you still ignore it and show no respect?" 』
"This..." He Cheng swallowed his saliva and said, "You mean..."
『In the eyes of Mrs. Cao, I am just a beggar on the side of this road! Zu Wu patted the wooden map gently, "Begging for food here!" If you rebuke him lightly, he may be beheaded if he is serious! How can I have any respect at all? ! The Sima family in Hanoi is a lesson for you and me! If we can''t let them know that we still have crossbows in our hands, then we can only run away like Sima! 』
…" He Cheng was silent for a long time, and finally sighed, "Are you taking too many risks? 』
How can you succeed if you don’t take risks? Zu Wu said, "Did the Sima family take risks?" You are peaceful enough, why don''t you have to be bullied to the point of being bullied, not only pooping and urinating, but also being hunted down? Either way, you''ll die, so you might as well give it a try! What''s going on? The Sima family is gone, why are we still here? 』
"Sima..." He Cheng frowned deeply, "That''s fine, I''ll just do as you say...but you still need to plan carefully." 』
This is natural! Zu Wu pointed at the wooden map, "Our people should hide here, go out from here, and then go here. In fact, the road should be clear. If we rush in and then turn here, we can use the forest to cover the traces and then go here." Go back... Anyway, what do you think that Xiahou on the top of the city can do? I guess he would lock the city gate immediately as soon as he saw any disturbance! It would be better if he was in the camp! If we can behead him, Cao''s army will definitely be demoralized. When the time comes, we will take the head to the Hussars, haha..."
…((^^*))…
Yuyang.
?Cao Shang was on duty in the camp outside the city, responsible for taking care of these civilians who had been transferred.
At the civilian camp outside the city, there are many things to do.
The camp of the civilians is naturally not very neat, and there are not many supplies, including tents, which are all shared and do not necessarily belong to a certain queue. There are people sleeping in the tent at all times, and then when the time comes, they are called out, and then the next batch of civilians go in to sleep...
●In order to keep warm, the air inside the tent is not very circulated, so it’s hard to describe the smell. Cao Shang suspected that if he was full and suddenly got into a tent like that, he would probably vomit on the spot.
The most smelly place in the civilian camp is the food shed. The food shed was built by cutting down trees. It was first covered with a layer of oilcloth and then piled with thick thatch, so that not a drop of rain could penetrate. Four large stoves were dug in the rice shed and fires were lit. The hot smoke was filled with the aroma of beans and rice.
The flavor is there, but it’s not delicious. Beans and wild vegetables.
There is no oil, no meat, and very little salt.
???Only officers like Cao Shang could eat bacon jerky. In addition to bacon jerky, Cao Shang can also have a little sauce and a small jar of syrup.
?This is enough to make those people drool with greed. They take a look at Cao Shang''s meal, then take a bite, look at it again, and take another bite, as if Cao Shang is beautiful enough to eat.
?At first, Cao Shang felt very strange and uncomfortable, but now he is gradually getting used to it. He originally wanted to distribute some food, but he was stopped almost as soon as he was about to take action.
Dividing meals among the soldiers, even if the corps commander does this, there is no problem. After all, they are all eating in the same pot and using the same horse spoon...
But it is not suitable to go higher up. Even soldiers cannot be divided, let alone ordinary civilians?
It''s very simple, how does Cao Shang divide it, and who should he give it to? If it is divided today, will it be divided tomorrow? If the soldiers who got food today expressed gratitude, but if they didn''t get food tomorrow, would they feel resentment in their hearts?
This is one aspect, and the other aspect is that Cao Shang divided the food, did the rest of the military academy non-commissioned officers share it? Does not distinguishing between them mean that Cao Shang alone is glorious, while the other military academy sergeants are selfish? If all the non-commissioned officers share the food with Cao Shang, then what is the meaning of the rank rewards obtained by those military academy non-commissioned officers who fought hard and fought hard?
Since the food and other things are all the same, then everyone can hang out together. Why should people work hard or even work hard?
So Cao Shang also learned not to separate.
? Sometimes, Cao Shang feels that he is different from his original self, but he can''t tell exactly what is different.
Just when Cao Shang got off duty and returned to his tent, thinking about this problem, someone suddenly called him outside the tent, indicating that Xiahou Shang wanted to summon him.
??Cao Shang was stunned for a moment, but he quickly put on his robe and armor. When he picked up the sword, he hesitated, then put the sword on the knife stand again and walked out of the tent.
Xiahou Shang''s guard looked at Cao Shang''s hands, nodded, and motioned for Cao Shang to follow.
Xiahou Shang''s guards were walking in front, showing no intention of talking to Cao Shang.
??Cao Shang could only shut his mouth and follow silently.
When he arrived at the government office in the city, Cao Shang was stopped and searched to make sure he was not carrying weapons before he was let go.
After entering the government office, Xiahou Shang''s guards led Cao Shang to the backyard without saying anything.
Go through the house until you reach the back garden. There is a pavilion in the back garden. Normally, there must be a pond next to the pavilion. There must be some rockery or something in the pond to be considered elegant and charming. It is a pity that Yuyang has been dilapidated for a long time, including the government office. The interior has been smashed and burned many times, so it is very difficult for the pavilion to be preserved. As for the pond, it has dried up long ago and has not been repaired. The rockery is also leaning aside.
The crooked rockery is half clean and half stained with black mud.
??Cao Shang was wondering, did someone think that there would be some secret room hiding gold and silver under the pond rockery, so they deliberately opened it? So why didn’t you demolish the kiosk? As a result, he didn''t realize until he arrived at the pavilion that the stone slabs in the pavilion had probably been pried open. Although they were put back together again, they were still a bit awkward and weird.
?Can it be harmonious if it is pieced together?
?However, as long as there is Xia Houshang, he can always make the place look rich and noble.
Xiahou Shang was sitting in the pavilion.
Inside the water pavilion, it was paved with leather, and a curtain was specially placed around it. A brazier was lit on the edge, and some agarwood seemed to be burned...
Come, come, sit, sit. Xia Houshang smiled and greeted Cao Shang with a friendly look on his face, "In recent days, I have been busy with military affairs and wasted my energy. I have been thinking about how to win this battle and bring honor to the prime minister." , for the great Han Dynasty! Of course, this is also for the sons and daughters who follow a certain person to have a good background! Now that I''ve been so busy, I haven''t been able to sit down and chat with you, haha, wouldn''t you be surprised? 』
Xia Houshang’s tone was cordial and his attitude was kind, but it made Cao Shang’s hair stand on end. He smiled unnaturally and echoed, “I’m so grateful for the general’s sincere treatment.” How dare you complain about the general and violate the etiquette of a monarch and his ministers? 』
"Really..." Xiahou Shang chuckled, stood up, and patted Cao Shang''s shoulder in a pretentious manner, "Okay!" I didn’t expect you to be very reasonable. That’s good, very good! You must know that this world belongs to the Han Dynasty, but it also belongs to the Lord. Serving the Lord and being loyal to the family are the same responsibilities of you and me! At this point, although you and I have slightly different positions, our intentions should be the same. This is good, very good! Don’t worry, as long as you are loyal and conscientious, the benefits will be yours! As long as you serve in the army for one day, you will be rich and prosperous for the rest of your life! 』
While laughing and talking, Xiahou Shang actually took Cao Shang''s arm and stroked it, which made Cao Shang''s body hair stand on end. Fortunately, Xiahou Shang didn''t touch it for long, otherwise Cao Shang wouldn''t know if he could bear it.
Fortunately, Xiahou Shang got down to business quickly. He turned around and sat down in the pavilion, and then motioned for Cao Shang to sit down as well. Xiahou Shang looked at Cao Shang with a smile, and talked about the previous incident in which the rear camp was attacked, and then asked, "Zi Yuan thought that the soldiers and horses he met in the camp that time...who did they belong to?" 』
??Cao Shang was startled for a moment, "General... I didn''t see this clearly..."
It’s not that he didn’t see it clearly, it’s that Cao Shang didn’t know what Xiahou Shang meant.
Xiahou Shang coughed, as if to express something, and then said: "Before, ah haha, I thought it was a qiao cavalry, but then, ah haha, after thinking about it with General Zihe, ah haha, I found that it was actually not the same." Exactly the same, at least a little mixed, a small number of them are hussars, and most of them are ordinary horsemen..."
??Cao Shang took a breath and said, "What the general said is true." I think so too. 』
Xia Houshang chuckled, and then slapped his thigh. Well, it was indeed his own, "So, haha, these people have nothing to be afraid of!" That’s right! Not scary at all! So, haha, General Zihe and I made a plan... Ziyuan, I ask you now, are you willing to capture these bandits, put an end to the chaos in one fell swoop, and contribute to the Lord and the great Han? ! 』
Xia Houshang looked determined, with an almost divine expression on his face.
For the lord, for the big man?
Cao Shang''s eyebrows twitched twice, and he didn''t know what to say for a moment.
??If Xiahou Shang''s decisive attitude was not toward others, but toward himself, it might be more convincing. Cao Shang could even think that no matter what the plan was, it would probably cost him his life, not Xiahou Shang''s. Therefore, if he wins, everything will be easy. If he loses, Xiahou Shang''s status will definitely be fine, but Cao Shang cannot afford Cao Chun''s thunderous wrath!
?But what can Cao Shang do?
?Looking at Cao Shang''s hesitation, Xia Houshang''s expression slowly darkened. He has always been used to being arrogant, and he could still maintain a modest attitude in front of Cao Cao or other generals. However, when he was a little cold in front of Cao Shang, he suddenly felt uncomfortable in his heart, and he snorted coldly. The tone was full of coldness, "Why, are you scared to death?" Don’t dare anymore? 』
Cao Shang lowered his head, just like he had lowered his head before. After all, as long as you lower your head once, you can do it countless times. "Dare to die for the general..."
Xia Houshang raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Okay, very energetic!" He is indeed a great man! 』
Cao Shang, who had obtained the "ingenious idea", left.
Xiahou Shang was sitting in the pavilion, drinking wine slowly.
?After a while, Xia Houshang put down his wine glass and sneered, "You don''t even want to change your name... Haha, how much do you look down on me?" Um? 』
(End of this chapter)