Chapter 2798 It’s hard to comment on past merits and demerits, but it’s a hymn to present gains and losses.
Eight years of Taixing.
Under the first month.
After bidding farewell to Fei Qian, Zhang Liao and his party hurried westward and soon arrived in Lianshui.
As dusk approached, Zhang Liao camped on the edge of Lishui River.
?This time to the Western Regions, Zhang Liao did not take all his troops, but still took his more than 200 men.
?With Zhang Liao for the time being, there was another Xiliang native, Jia Xu.
Jia Xu was preparing to go to Jincheng. He happened to meet Zhang Liao and went on the same road.
The setting sun shines in the evening, reflecting the blood-red color of the water.
?Zhang Liao stood on the edge of the Lishui River, looking slightly dazed.
Jia Xu walked over slowly, his slender eyes glanced at Zhang Liao, and then he also turned his gaze to Lianshui.
Not far from Lishui is the ancient pass of Chencang.
??This was not only the battlefield where Liu Bang, King of Han Dynasty, marched, but also the battleground for many subsequent battles. The most recent war was the Xiqiang Rebellion during the period of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty.
?In the ten years before and after the Xiqiang Rebellion, there were three major turning points, two of which were related to Chencang. The last time the kingdom led a large army to besiege Chencang for more than eighty days, which led to the final collapse of the Xiqiang coalition forces.
In this small area, it seems that we can still hear the shouts of death, the sound of horse hooves, the cry for help, and the sound of swordsmanship. We can still see the smoke and dust covering the sky, the dim sunlight, and those A splash of bright red that flows freely.
"In the past, there was a place over there..." Jia Xu pointed to the direction, "In the past, during a battle, the dust flew up and flooded the surrounding areas. The soldiers and horses fought in chaos, the front and rear lost their positions, the shouts shook the sky, the weapons were raised, and the flags blocked the sun..."
"A certain person has also been here..." Zhang Liao nodded, "The Geng family, the governor of the old Liangzhou, summoned soldiers from six counties... A certain person traveled around in the past and was also in the army, serving as a small school..."
Jia Xu glanced at Zhang Liao with some surprise, "General Wen Yuan and a certain person have gone to the same place... I think at the time, the Geng family was a 19th prince... I don''t know General Wen Yuan, but he felt that what the Geng family... did at that time should be how? 』
Zhang Liao was silent, then took a breath and slowly shook his head.
Jia Xu glanced at Zhang Liao and saw that he was deep in thought, so he didn''t say anything more.
At this moment, Zhang Liao''s heart was churning. He understood why Jia Xu mentioned the Geng family. On the one hand, it was because Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou at that time, was the commander-in-chief of the six counties at the time. On the other hand, this Geng Bi had great ambitions and talents, and trusted little people...
Zhang Liao was somewhat aware of this Geng Bi situation.
Geng Bi was born into the Geng family, and if one were to select the family that was the most responsible for the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Geng family would be elected without any controversy.
?Ever since Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu set foot in Hebei, Shanggu Prefect Geng Kuang has always supported Liu Xiu. Before Geng Kuang chose Liu Xiu, his eldest son Geng Yan followed Liu Xiu in his early days, and later ranked fourth among the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai who founded the Eastern Han Dynasty. Geng Kuang had six sons. In addition to his eldest son Geng Yan, his second son Geng Shu and third son Geng Guo were all trusted by Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu for their military exploits.
Geng Kuang, the first generation of the Geng family, was granted the title of Yu Mihou. Geng Yan, the second generation, was granted the title of Haojuhou, Geng Shu was granted the title of Mupinghou, and Geng Baxi was granted the title of Yumihou. In the third generation, two more marquises were added. Geng Guo''s two sons, Geng Bing was granted the title of Marquis of Meiyang, and Geng Geng was granted the title of Marquis of Suyi. In the third generation, one of Geng Shu''s grandsons inherited the estate of his mother, Princess Longlu, and was granted the title of Marquis Longlu.
?Since Guangwu ascended the throne, the Geng family has been unparalleled for a while. A total of nineteen people have been granted the title of marquis, including two generals and nine generals. In addition, there were three children, Princess Shang, and one daughter later married Liu Qing, King of Qinghe, as his concubine, and was the aunt of Emperor An of the Han Dynasty.
A family as noble as the Geng family was very rare in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
??Although Geng Shu''s granddaughter Geng Ji is the aunt''s mother-in-law of Emperor An of the Han Dynasty, she cannot become the empress dowager because of this. Emperor Han''an was the concubine of Liu Qing, King of Qinghe, and his biological mother was Zuo Xiao''e. He inherited the throne of his uncle Hanhe Emperor as a vassal. The empress of Emperor He of the Han Dynasty was Deng Sui, the granddaughter of Deng Yu. According to legal principles, after Emperor An of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, he must respect Deng Sui as the empress dowager, while Geng Ji could only stay in the position of Princess Qinghe. This is the closest distance between the Geng clan and the peak of their relatives.
Then, there is no more.
Later came the rise of the Dou family.
Because the Geng family was so arrogant for a while, there were naturally some arrogant people in the family who were hated, and they would definitely receive suppression and restrictions from all aspects. In addition, the Geng family was still involved in complex political struggles and was detained several times. Wrong treasure.
As the years go by, the Dou family advances in waves, while the Geng family declines. Gradually, the descendants of the Geng family became supporting actors in the political arena. In order to make up for this shortcoming, they had to choose to rely on the core forces. To put it bluntly, this is similar to gambling.
The first person to make a wrong bet was Geng Bing''s younger brother Geng Geng. Unlike Geng Bing who was taken advantage of, Geng Ge, who was still junior, placed his bet on Dou Xian. After following Dou Xian twice in succession and achieving military exploits in the expedition against the Northern Huns, Geng Gao was granted the title of Marquis of Suyi. After Emperor An of the Han Dynasty came to the throne, Dou Xian was liquidated, and Geng He was implicated, beaten to the bottom, and deprived of his title at the same time.
The second person who pressed the wrong treasure was Geng Shu''s grandson Geng Bao. Geng Bao is Geng Ji''s elder brother. After Emperor Han''an ascended the throne, he became a general as "Uncle Yuan". He is the second general of the Geng family after Geng Yan. Geng Bao actually knew very well that his uncle was actually very empty. In order to consolidate his position, he colluded with Li Run, Fan Feng and others, while trying his best to seek refuge with Queen Yan and her family. The most despicable thing about Geng Bao is that he killed Taiwei Yang Zhen through false accusations.
?However, Geng Bao made the wrong bet on the wrong person. In order to dominate the government for a long time, the Yan family ordered foreign dynasties to impeach Geng Bao for colluding with eunuchs, spying on palace secrets, and deposed Geng Bao on charges of gross injustice. Geng Bao, who lost his power, knew that he could not escape the liquidation, so he committed suicide.
? Geng Bi, the governor of Xiliang, was the last swan song of the Geng family.
??The governor of Liangzhou was not a good job at that time. He was faced with the turmoil in Liangzhou as soon as he took office. Between the first year of Zhongping and the fourth year of Zhongping, the governor of Liangzhou went through a revolving door and changed five people in succession.
Before Geng Bi, there were Liang Hu, Zuo Chang, Song Xiao, and Yang Yong. Some people here embezzled huge amounts of property and were recalled to face charges. Some people advocated letting the people of Liangzhou study the "Book of Filial Piety" and were recalled to face charges. Anyway, Weird things happen every year, especially in feudal dynasties, and there are countless of them. In fact, this is just because they have been aloof for too long, so that these brick masters... Bah, these governors are separated from the people.
In the fourth year of Zhongping, Geng Bi organized troops from six counties to attack Han Sui. It was also at this time that Zhang Liao acted as a small school among the troops from the six counties. Although Geng Bi may have good intentions, he was eager for success. Not only did he not listen to the dissuasion of Fu Xie, then the governor of Hanyang, who told him not to be too aggressive, he even did not listen to the suggestion of training his soldiers first.
?In addition, the most critical point is that Geng Bi trusts his men very much, and Liangzhou governs mid-range football. This Cheng Qiu is not a good person. During his tenure, he was ruthless in making money. His greed for property caused dissatisfaction among many officials and people. So Geng Bi took the soldiers and horses from six counties hastily gathered to put down the rebellion. As soon as they reached Didao County, the soldiers mutinied. They not only killed the hated Cheng Qiu, but also killed Geng Bi. (notes in this chapter)
It was also during this rebellion that Ma Teng changed his position and changed sides.
?Zhang Liao, on the other hand, didn''t even get any military exploits. In addition, Bingzhou was invaded by barbarians, so he returned to Bingzhou...
At this point, the Eastern Han Dynasty court completely lost control of Liangzhou. It was not until the kingdom surrounded Chencang and was defeated in three attempts that Dong Zhuo emerged.
One general is incompetent, not only will the three armies be exhausted!
Zhang Liao understood what Jia Xu meant, and also knew Jia Xu’s purpose of following him all the way. He even knew that as long as he left Longyou, Jia Xu would inevitably deploy soldiers and horses in the Longyou area...
In the past, I saw a tile-roofed house with rotten beams and rotten door hinges. People living in it were exposed to wind and rain and were in great danger. Someone wanted to destroy it and burn it with fire, thinking that it would clear away the beetles and rotten things..." Jia Xu said slowly, "But after meeting my lord, I realized that it is easy to destroy a house, but difficult to build one. The rot of beams and pillars and the beetles of door hinges are not the fault of the bricks and tiles, but how can they be destroyed along with them? Wenyuan’s trip is like living in a dangerous house, so be careful..."
?Zhang Liao sighed softly, and then thanked Jia Xu, saying, "Liao will bear in mind what I have said." 』
Jia Xu stared at Zhang Liao for a moment, then nodded without saying anything more.
To be honest, Jia Xu can stand here and vaguely say a few words to Zhang Liao, which is already considered very good.
Maybe it’s because Jia Xu is also from Xiliang and doesn’t want to see the people of Xiliang falling apart and killing each other again. Maybe it’s because Jia Xu has some feelings about Zhang Liao’s behavior like a moth to the flame. In addition, Zhang Liao He also had some friendship with General Fei Qian of the Hussars, so he would go out of his way to "walk" with Zhang Liao and look for opportunities to teach him something.
Otherwise, according to Jia Xu’s usual habits…
? Along the way, from a certain perspective, Zhang Liao was like Geng Bi, putting a lot of pressure on him.
??What is at stake is Zhang Liao''s own life, and what is on the other side is the "bricks, tiles, and soil embryos" that Jia Xu just said...
The setting sun reflected on Zhang Liao''s face and body, making his whole body look like it was stained with blood.
?Zhang Liao stood on the side of the Lishui River and reached out to touch a brocade bag in his arms. Although Fei Qian asked the guards of the General''s Mansion to bring the tip bag to him before he left, it was not a so-called "cunning plan", nor did Fei Qian want to do micro-management for thousands of miles, but just provided Zhang Liao with an idea, or maybe A small chip.
As for how to use this bargaining chip, whether it can weigh the balance at the critical moment can only depend on Zhang Liao himself.
?Of course, it was not just Zhang Liao but also Lu Bu who also placed heavy bets.
Western Regions.
Xihai City.
Today''s Xihai City is like a faded gilt vessel. Not only is it no longer as bright as before, but it also looks particularly ugly after it fades.
In Guizhou Province both inside and outside the city, no matter how dull you are, you can still feel the difference. Although the city wall is still the same city wall and the streets in the city are still the same streets, the spirit in them is gone.
All the shops, big and small, in Xihai City are almost closed. Because the army needs it, all supplies are distributed to the front line. There is no goods to sell, so naturally the shops are closed.
Shops can be closed, but people cannot run out of food and drink.
Especially those who were engaged in business before, their heads were as big as a bucket and they were very distressed.
There is a medium-sized courtyard near the east gate of Xihai City.
??A man was wearing a Hu robe, sitting slumped under the patio of the courtyard, his eyes dull. On the table next to him, there was a bowl of milk skin. It had obviously not been touched for a long time, and it had long since lost any heat.
??The surrounding servants did not dare to walk into the courtyard at all, and even when they did something, they were cautious, lest they make any noise that would dissatisfy the person in the courtyard, and then become the target of venting their anger.
He was originally a big businessman in Xihai City, Fatty Qi, but now he is sitting here slumped, like an overcooked dough, with an aura of decadence exuding from all the pores in his body.
A servant led a semen-eyed man to the front of the courtyard, but he did not dare to go forward. Semuman seemed not to notice Fatty An''s dejected look and walked straight inside, "Fatty An, the merchants outside are going crazy, why are you still here?" 』
Fatty An raised his head slightly and snorted, "What are you doing here, Lao De?" Are you here to see my joke? 』
??The old man with **** stepped forward and picked up the milk skin on the table, took a sip, and spit it out with a pop, "It''s so **** sour!" Okay, you''re not the only one who''s in trouble right now, so don''t sit still and get up and discuss some solutions! If we don’t want to come up with any more ideas, we’ll all be folded here! 』
Fatty An then raised his head and roared in a low voice with a sad face: "I have thought of all the ways I can think of, and I have also found the connections... I gave you enough money, but the goods are all gone!" It’s all **** gone! Those **** guys took it away and just gave me a bunch of IOUs! What I want is the goods, not the **** IOU! 』
Lao De sneered, "It''s like you are the only one who has received the IOU... Guess how many goods were robbed of me by those **** guys?" Do you want me to cry with you? 』
Fatty An glanced sideways at Lao De, the fat on his face shook a few times, and snorted, "If crying helps." 』
Yes, if sitting here is useful. ” Lao De put the sour milk skin that night on the table, then turned to face the yard and shouted, “Damn it, didn’t you see your master entertaining guests? If you don’t have anything to eat, bring some water! Do you still want me to kick your butts one by one? ! 』
The servant stretched his head outside the yard to look at Fatty An.
?Fatty An waved his hand in confusion.
Immediately, many servants came out from every corner of the yard, including table cleaners, bowl setters, and water pourers, like butterflies wearing flowers, and then they retreated after a fuss.
“You have to eat when you should, you still have to drink when you need to drink...” Lao De pointedly said, “Without food and drink, you, me, and everyone else will go crazy...”
Fatty An was originally paralyzed, but after hearing this, he slowly sat up, then stared at Lao De, and then asked after a while: "What do you mean?" 』
Lao De picked up the bowl and drank some water, "I don''t mean anything... Do you remember that we donated a Han official some time ago?" 』
Fatty An curled his lips and said, "That''s just spending money to buy stability!" 』
No, no, no! My friend, it would be a pity if you really think so! " Lao De opened his arms and gestured in the air, "This is a very special identity, very special... Can you understand? 』
“Stop talking nonsense, just tell me, what do you want to do? Fatty An gritted his teeth and said, "I only want my money and goods!" Damn, my heart hurts when I think about my money and goods! 』
Lao De nodded, "I am also heartbroken, my friend. However, you can regard those money and goods as an early investment... and now, it is time for us to start harvesting these special identities! 』
Harvest? "As soon as he heard about the harvest, the fat man became energetic and his little eyes smacked with luster. "What harvest? Please tell me in detail. 』
Lao De said to him, "Hey, I''ve been running outside all day and I''m hungry. As a result, the only cold water I can drink here is that even the milk is sour..."
"Hi! If you tell me what you have gained, I... I will treat you to barbecue! Roast leg of lamb! Fatty An said, "And wine!" Rose wine! But first you have to make it clear! 』
‘No, my friend, you have to eat first before you have the strength to speak. ” Lao De said with a smile.
Say it first. 』
Eat first. 』
The two people stared at each other for a while, and Fatty An said helplessly: "I''ll let people prepare it, you tell me!" 』
Lao De laughed, and after Fatty An ordered his men to prepare food, he said softly: "The Han guard wants to fight, so he wants food, grass, supplies, and a lot of things, but there are also some things... that are not needed for the war. of…"
『Nonsense! I know this! ” Fatty An waved his hands, obviously dissatisfied with the information Lao De said, “If the **** Han people weren’t going to war, how could my goods be confiscated by the Han people? ! Oh, my heart aches when I think of my lovely goods..."
"Now the Han people are out of stock again, but all the goods in the large and small chambers of commerce and shops in this city have been confiscated," Lao De shrugged, "So, now is the time to find those cute little guys of yours... Han people They wanted food and grass, but they didn''t know where to find it, so they were going crazy for a while! At this time, whoever can bring food and grass to the Han people will get the greatest benefits! As for the Han people''s utensils, cloth, and tea, as long as they have nothing to do with the war and are not used in the war, they will be the cheapest... I say this, do you understand? 』
Fatty An''s little eyes glowed greedily, "I understand, find food and trade with these Han people!" Things you won’t need in a war! But... during this war, food and grass are in short supply everywhere. Where can we get cheap goods? 』
Lao De smiled and said, "That''s why I came to you... Aren''t those good friends of yours just in use?" 』
Fatty An was stunned for a moment, then waved his hands and his expression changed slightly, "What did you say?" I don''t understand. 』
『Fat man, don’t worry, you don’t have to act stupid. What are our identities now? If we can find food and grass, believe it or not, we can walk sideways in Xihai City? ” Lao De waved his arms, “You can also find an identity for those good friends... This is war, **** war! Did you know? I just love this **** war! Otherwise, how could we have the opportunity to plunder in the name of justice? As long as they can get food and grass, these stupid Han people will support us! They don''t care whether the food and grass are bought or obtained in other ways... How about it? Go contact your good friends and let us praise this **** war together! 』
Haha, okay, praise the war! This **** war!
"The owl was troubled by many rebels, so he said to Xun: "Liangzhou has few academics, so it often leads to rebellion. Now I want to write more "The Classic of Filial Piety" so that every family can learn from it, and the common people may know the righteousness." - "Later Han Dynasty" Book: Biography of Gai Xun
"When we get to Di Dao, if someone rebels, we will kill Cheng Qiu first, and then we will harm him. Then the thieves will besiege Hanyang" - "Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Fu Xie Biography"
“In April of summer, Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou, attacked Han Sui, the thief of Jincheng. His troops were defeated, and Sui invaded Hanyang. Fu Xie, the prefect of Hanyang, was killed in the battle. The Fufeng people Ma Teng and the Hanyang people rebelled against each other, and Kou Sanfu" - "Book of the Later Han·Lingdi Ji"
"Prefect Li Xiangru rebelled against Sui Lian, and together they killed Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou" - "Book of the Later Han·Biography of Dong Zhuo"
"In the four years of Zhongping, the Six County soldiers were contemplated with the Golden City Pirates, Han Sui, etc. Xie Zhizhi lost the crowd and was bound to be defeated. He admonished: "The king''s rule will be weakened, and the number of people will be unknown. Confucius said: "If you don''t teach people to fight, you will abandon them. "Now those who are not accustomed to leading the army, the greater the resistance of Long, the more dangerous they will be. When the thieves hear that the army is coming, they will all be united. There are many brave soldiers on the frontier, but it is difficult for them to take the lead, and the newly united people are not in harmony with each other. , If there is an internal change, there will be no regrets. If you don''t stop the army and cultivate virtue, you will be rewarded and punished. If the thief is lenient, he will be said to be cowardly, and the group of evil will fight for power, and then he will lead the people who have taught him to punish him. The thief who has left you can just sit back and wait. If it is not a blessing, it will be a disaster. If you steal it, you will not take it. When we arrived at Didao, if there were any rebels, we would kill Cheng Qiu first, and then we would kill Ji. The thieves then entered Hanyang and surrounded them. 』—"Book of the Later Han·Volume 58·Biographies of Yu Fu Gai and Zang"
(End of this chapter)