??Wang Bao and others who originally wanted the mantis to catch the cicada became prey under the mouth of the oriole.


    Under the leadership of Wei Yan, the resistance of Wang Bao and others was like a monkey trying to claim the title of king in the mountains. Without Sun Wukong, there would be no golden cudgel, and there would be no gods descending from the sky. After being beaten, they cried for their father and fled to the capital. There is no place to escape.


    Except for a small number of people who were killed or wounded on the spot, most of the others were captured, except for a few. I don''t know if they could not bear Wei Yan''s humiliation or because they forgot that there was a cliff on one side when they wanted to escape, so they just jumped from the cliff. As soon as he jumped up and down, even Wei Yan had to say "please" when he saw it... um, wrong, he said "forget it".


    The prisoners were secretly escorted to Lantian.


    It is said to be secretive, but it is only announced to the outside world that it is to capture escaped prisoners. Because there are some defeated tribes and slaves from the Western Regions under the Qinling Mountains, the people near Lantian naturally don''t know the difference and don''t care too much.


    ?? And from a certain perspective, this is not considered deception, because most of these captured prisoners will be transferred to heavy mining fields to mine various ores for the development of the Hussar industry.


    I say most of them because they still have one chance to prove that they have some other valuable opportunities besides being miners...


    ?Fan Cong and Li Kui, accompanied by several people from Youwensi, arrived at Lantian.


    The change in mentality may happen in an instant. Before, Li Kui thought that he was a loyal person who understood the righteousness of his family and country, and would definitely be able to lay down his life for the country and the people without any doubt. But when he suddenly asked himself whether it was worth it, his belief had actually collapsed. True faith is never an indulgence, or something that can be bought with money for sesame oil.


    Once there is a comparison of values, the overall collapse will happen sooner or later.


    Li Kui still had some minor injuries on his face, but he had already shown his "strong" character. Even with minor injuries, he could not leave the line of fire. He had to accompany Fan Cong to persuade the captured prisoners to surrender, and tried to get rid of them. Obtain more effective clues and cooperate with Wei Yan to sweep the entire Zhongnan Mountains area faster, better, higher and stronger, and even the larger Qinling Mountains area.


    ?Fan Cong and Li Kui, in a sense, are new employees who have changed jobs. After the original hostile relationship changes to a subordinate relationship, it is not only necessary to be honest and not lie in words, but also to reflect it in behavior. It was fine if you lied and concealed things before, but you must be honest and trustworthy after that.


    ·When facing an "enemy", deception is a virtue, but after becoming "one of your own", if you continue to deceive, it becomes a crime. When I was a reader, it was fun to read piracy, but when I became an author, I hated piracy to the core. Pain for others and pain for yourself are two completely different concepts.


    Does it mean that for everything, you have to wait until it hurts you to realize that something is wrong and that it hurts?


    Many things are two-sided.


    Just like these years, trade between the East and the West has opened not only windows, but also doors. It’s not just small coins that fly into Guanzhong, but also flies and mosquitoes. Even if there is a screen window, small biting black insects can still get in...


    Just like Feiqian can let people take some secret mountain roads from Shandong and send some family members to Chang''an Sanfu, people in Shandong can also secretly come to Chang''an Sanfu through some channels unknown to others.


    Therefore, the tasks of Fan Cong and Li Kui are two points.


    One is people and the other is road, including the means of communication between them, the connecting points, and those who provide supplementary supplies to these people along the way...


    These people must be hidden and not easily discovered. Because most of these people don''t need to do anything extra. They only need to regularly replenish the eating utensils in the hidden mountains and forests. Only when they buy in large quantities will they attract the attention of Youwensi. Otherwise, they usually have a small portion. Purchasing, no one will pay attention at all.


    ?As long as we find a few lines like this, we can disrupt or even cut off the infiltration pipelines in Shandong.


    This kind of measure can be most effective only if it is taken during the period before the war begins.


    Of course it can be done in normal times, but it is like a spear and a shield. When the spear is sharp, the strength of the shield will naturally increase. After experiencing major setbacks, the Shandong spies have evolved into Li Kui''s glove-wearing mode. If Li Kui had been more careful at the time and didn''t take the bait, he might still be at large now. Therefore, the same goes for cutting off the lines of these desperadoes. Perhaps it cannot be as straightforward as it is now, but more people and a longer time will need to be invested.


    But unexpectedly, Le Yin, who looked brave and ferocious, bowed his head and surrendered with little effort after being wounded and captured, and then expressed his willingness to serve as a vanguard officer to seduce those in Zhongnan Mountain on behalf of Wei Yan. The rest of the remaining troops showed up, but Wang Bao was resolute and refused to surrender. Even though Fan Cong and Li Kui used themselves as an example and said they could take Wang Bao''s family to Chang''an, they refused to surrender.


    ?This news surprised Du Ji, but also somewhat expected. On one side, he sent people to take Le Yin and other people who were willing to surrender into custody separately, and after a short rest, they were sent to Wei Yan''s men to serve as bait. On the other side, he came to see Wang Bao in person.


    『Donglai Wang family? ” The first thing Du Ji asked when he saw Wang Bao was like greeting. If the location had been changed to another place, such as a restaurant or a road, it would be more suitable than being in jail.


    ?Wang Bao sat upright and nodded, "Exactly." 』


    "The Yanqi of the past is the Donglai of today," Du Ji said in a deep voice, "Brother Wang, why should he be like this?" 』


    Du Ji’s eyes were sharp, staring at Wang Bao’s expression.


    ?Wang Bao lowered his gaze slightly, as if he was looking at the ground or the bowl of food on the ground.


    Du Ji also glanced at the rice bowl placed in the cell. It was already covered with ants and insects.


    Obviously this bowl of rice has not been touched since it was brought in.


    Understood…


    Wang Bao is on a hunger strike.


    ?This is almost the most painful thing and goes against people’s own desires.


    ??Different from anorexia, the disease is that the body has already felt that it is normal not to eat, and will vomit after eating. However, Wang Bao''s hunger strike is to forcibly suppress his desire, and the meal is placed aside.


    Why bother? ” Du Ji’s tone was somewhat gentle. After all, he had some respect for those who dared to face their own life and death.


    ?Wang Bao raised his head, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said hoarsely: "It was hard to travel around in the past, but I have no intention of experiencing it today." 』


    ?Wang Bao understood what Du Ji meant, but he also responded with a pun.


    The two looked at each other for a while.


    There is a difference in the eyes of a person who is determined to die and a person who just wants to threaten death.


    ?Du Ji nodded slightly, then cupped his hands toward Wang Bao and saluted.


    ?Wang Bao sat still and did not evade. He just raised his hand and returned the salute.


    Du Ji turned around and walked out.


    Wang Bao lowered his eyelids.


    ?The prison head followed Du Ji, bending down and laughing along with him, "Your Majesty, this matter..."


    Although it is normal for people to die in a cell. After all, even if you hide and seek, you will die, let alone in the prison of the feudal dynasty. However, these people were captured by Wei Yan. Who I know if it has any other uses. Secondly, in prison, those who beg and cry for mercy are basically looked down upon. On the contrary, people like Wang Bao can easily gain some respect.


    Du Ji walked out of the prison, looked up at the sky, pondered for a moment, and said: "Within three days, the meal will still be delivered on time... After three days, if he still doesn''t eat, he will probably fall into a coma... Just give him a good time!" 』


    ?After receiving the order, the cell leader immediately felt much more relaxed, nodded and bowed, and said he accepted the order.


    ?Du Ji hummed, waved his hands, and quickly pressed his head to the cell head on the ground without even bending down, turned around, and returned to the county government office.


    ?Every place and every country has some people who look fragile but are actually strong. There are also some people who look loyal but are actually slutty. The distance between these characters is not so obvious, nor is it the opposition between Chu, He and Han. It is possible to be loyal to one today and kowtow to that one tomorrow. Just like at the end of the Ming Dynasty, they were weak against the Manchus and collapsed before fighting. After transforming into the Green Camp, they were ruthless and refused to retreat. They are the same person.


    ?Du Ji pondered for a moment, beckoned for his entourage, and said, "Go and invite someone from the Wen Department to come!" 』


    Some people from Wensi came soon to pay tribute to Du Ji.


    Du Ji didn''t deliberately stage anything, lowered his head to read the text, pretended that he didn''t hear anything, but waved the people from Wensi to sit down, and then said: "Among the people sent by General Wei yesterday, some people wanted to go on a hunger strike." Full Qi Festival…』


    Youwen Si said oh at first and didn''t take it seriously, but seeing that Du Ji just said half a sentence without any follow-up, he realized that this half sentence was for Youwen Si! If Wen Si can do it, then there will be the second half of the sentence. If he can''t do it, there will be no bottom sentence!


    “The county magistrate’s intention…” You Wensi’s eyes moved slightly, “You mean there are Shandong eyes and ears around Lantian?” But... I’ve never seen anyone get through the news? 』


    There are guard posts on major traffic arteries.


    Du Ji nodded and said: "Sometimes, it is not necessary to send any news, just to be a witness."　　　　　『Not sending a message? Just a witness? "Yu Wenji frowned, "Just as a witness...around here..."


    The area around Lantian was the base camp and transit station that originally accepted all kinds of refugees. The complexity of the population can be seen. In the Han Dynasty, when there were no system files and no image storage, it was undoubtedly extremely cumbersome to filter out specific people. Extremely difficult things.


    Du Ji nodded again, "I know all of these..."


    Youwen Si suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He understood what Du Ji meant. If Du Ji already knew everything You Wen Si said, then what was the value of You Wen Si?


    ‘If not…’ Someone from Wensi still wanted to reverse the situation.


    Du Ji smiled and said: "Yes or no, I will report it truthfully." 』


    Youwen Si could only lower his head in the end and said, "I accept my order." 』


    It has value only when it shows value, whether it is life or death.


    Of course, the key point is that leaders must have ability, real ability, not the ability to make money. Otherwise, with just one sentence, if you don’t know or understand, you will slap yourself in the face and slap the politics behind you. above the group. For example, Du Ji is holding himself upright at the moment. Even if there are people who hear the news and others are frightened by the news, they can only be obedient in front of Du Ji.


    Wang Bao has his own persistence.


    Wang Bao''s persistence may be what he said. "The hardship of running around in the past" has made him lose hope of moving again. He just wants to leave something for the people in his hometown. With the surrender of Le Yin and others betrayal, his persistence is even more valuable, and this hope and value undoubtedly cannot be carried away by himself...


    ?Du Ji also had Du Ji’s own persistence.


    He looked at the invitation on the corner of the desk.


    The invitation specially delivered by Wei Duan''s official family was to express Wei Duan''s birthday and invite Du Ji to have a drink.


    The relationship between Du Ji and Wei Duan went from being close at the beginning to drifting apart later, and now to the polite alienation now. It was not a matter of a day or two, nor the influence of one or two things, but after seeing each other. Du Ji only made such a decision after the contradictions and conflicts between the behavior of Wei Duan, especially his son Wei Kang, and the overall environment.


    Under the influence of Fei Qian, the entire gentry system of the Han Dynasty began to change. Not only the group of people led by Pang Tong, but also people in Shandong and Guanzhong felt the change in the direction of the river of history.


    Some people are not adaptable to change, while others crave change.


    ?Du Ji''s "Yan Qi" words to Wang Bao are actually, to a certain extent, an expression of his own inner thoughts.


    During the disputes of the Warring States Period, Prince Dan of the Yan State made a last-ditch effort, and the Qi State once ascended to the throne of hegemony. However, with the passage of history, they all failed, and these kings and grandsons of the Yan State and Qi State finally He lived in Dongnae and became the origin of the Wang family in Dongnae.


    Not to mention Qi State, even the marginal country Yan State made certain contributions when fighting against the nomads in the north. However, whether it was the glory of Qi State or the heroes of Yan State, they were ultimately Can''t resist the surging trend...


    Now, Du Ji feels that the general trend lies in the west, not in the east.


    In the art of war, the four words "condescending" are not simply the manipulation of the array, but also the geographical advantage. Geographically, the Guanzhong area has innate terrain constraints on the Heluo area and the extending Shandong area. This is just like the suppressive power of the northern region over the southern region in the feudal dynasty.


    ?This kind of suppression is multi-faceted. There are two important points, one is food and grass, and the other is climate.


    The northwest is bitterly cold and the southeast is warm. This inherent unfairness has created different personality types and relatively different eating habits in the two regions. More importantly, when people from the bitter cold land arrive in the south, a land of plenty, When it comes to food, there is no need to think too much about what to eat. This was particularly obvious when the nomads invaded the south. When the vegetation in the north is withered and yellow, and even the roots are dug out and gnawed, fresh and tender weeds can still grow freely in the south. This is a natural blessing for the troops in the feudal era who focused on accumulating power.


    And there were no cotton-padded clothes in ancient times.


    Even if you have cotton clothes, how many princes can provide complete equipment? People who are accustomed to the warm climate in the south will lose more than half of their combat effectiveness when they arrive in the north, let alone fight. When the north reaches the south, the worst they can do is fight shirtless.


    The reason why I say it is the majority is because history always likes to play tricks occasionally.


    ?No one can place their hopes on "occasionally", just like placing their dreams of getting rich on lottery tickets. Except for the director of the lottery center, I am afraid that everyone thinks this person is a fool.


    ?Does Du Ji think he can pin his hopes on "occasionally"?


    He hopes to obtain it through hard work, so that such a foundation will be more stable and solid.


    ?So how loyal is Du Ji to Fei Qian?


    Neither is it.


    Du Ji is still a person who is loyal to himself and his family. If Fei Qian wanted to let Du Ji die for no reason or make a worthless sacrifice, Du Ji would immediately resist. Without any hesitation.


    But when the general direction is consistent, especially when Du Ji feels that Fei Qian''s side is the direction of the world, Du Ji will do everything he does and do his best for Fei Qian''s political group. Of course, if Cao Cao is able to conquer Guanzhong one day and control the three auxiliaries, Du Ji will not die for the destruction of Feiqian''s forces, but will happily devote himself to his new job. , at best, when mentioning the old master, his attitude is still respectful and respectful, that''s all.


    To put it simply, Du Ji is a pragmatist through and through. Everything starts from the most fundamental issues. Therefore, Du Ji becomes more and more disgusted with Wei Duan''s attempt to find a pie for him. Of course, what''s more important is that When Du Ji learned about the virtues of Wei Kang, the next generation successor of Webster, his evaluation of Webster was repeatedly lowered.


    ??The friendship of the current Webster was cultivated in the past, and the friendship of the next generation...


    Haha, what kind of heir is foreshadows what kind of ending there will be.


    ?Du Ji did not want to be dragged down by Webster.


    Originally, Du Ji tried to hide in Lantian and avoid Webster as much as possible, not wanting to have too much interaction with Webster. However, he still couldn''t avoid it. Webster''s post was delivered to the door, almost forcing Du Ji to do so. Ji has to make a choice.


    『It’s about time too…』


    ?Du Ji sighed slightly.


    ??When something happened to Wei Kang, Wei Duan sent people to find Du Ji, but Du Ji prevaricated him and sent him back.


    This is normal.


    Chaos broke out in the city, the fire dragon burned the warehouse, the generals were at odds, and the young master was at a loss. It seemed that everything was a major flaw and a hidden danger to Chang''an. Under such a situation, it seems that an opportunity is coming...


    So it is of course reasonable for Webster to prepare some additional arrangements for future plans.


    And I think Webster won''t do anything special. If he calls it a birthday drink, it must be just a drink, and it will definitely not cause any trouble. But sometimes, eating and drinking is just an attitude.


    It''s just that Du Ji didn''t think it was necessary to give him this attitude.


    ??If Wei Kang, the next generation successor of Webster, has some skills, maybe Du Ji will be prepared to leave some good karma, but now it is certain that Wei Kang''s level is average...


    Du Ji smiled, raised his hand and called his confidant butler, and gave him the invitation on the desk. "When I write a reply, I say that I have a lot of work in Lantian and can''t get away. I will prepare a small gift to express my gratitude." Sorry...just choose the four colors for the gift as normal...』


    The steward was slightly startled and said, "Sir, can I write a reply?" 』


    Du Ji took a breath and said, "That''s right, you write it." From now on, it’s okay if Webster doesn’t send posts. If he does, you’ll write them… But if… I’m afraid there won’t be any chance to write… That’s it, go ahead…”


    ?The housekeeper didn’t know what was going on, but he could also understand that Du Ji wanted to completely draw a clear line between him and Webster.


    After all, Du Ji''s personal reply and the butler''s reply are two completely different concepts.


    Different ways do not lead to mutual conflict.


    It’s finally time to part ways...


    It is not only Du and Wei, but also West and East.