Chapter 1152 Adding fuel to the flames
In fact, Sun Quan's lament that "the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty are not as good as the affairs of a school" is a bit too arbitrary.
Perhaps none of the ministers of the State of Wu thought of borrowing grain from the State of Shu to tide over the difficulties.
The transaction between the State of Wu and Ji Han was officially led by the school affairs office, while privately, it was led by the Jingzhou family.
In Jianye's court, both of them were a little embarrassed.
Needless to say, the school affairs office.
It is not that there are no important ministers from Jingzhou.
For example, Pan Jun, and Zhuge Jin.
But even when Pan Jun was alive, he and Zhuge Jin always led troops away and rarely returned to Jianye.
Coupled with the fact that Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, Zhuge Jin has always paid attention to avoiding suspicion.
After all, Wu's attack on Jingzhou was not a glorious thing, but there were many people in Jingzhou among the upper class of Jihan.
Even if it is an alliance between Han and Wu, it is hard to say what kind of mentality these Jingzhou faction, who have their own families and cannot return to, have towards Wu.
So Zhuge Jin sat in Jingzhou as a general and Zuoduhu, which seemed to be a good thing, but in fact, he had to be careful in many cases.
After Zhuge Liang's death, Zhuge Jin's influence in Ji Han and his exploration of Ji Han's internal information were not as convenient as the school affairs office.
And even if Zhuge Jin could find out the actual price of grain in Ji Han, he was not confident enough to find a way to buy grain from Ji Han.
In this matter, the school office, which had control over the channels for material exchange with Ji Han, was destined to have the upper hand.
Lv Yi Chunfeng came out of the palace proudly, but did not return to the school affairs office.
Instead, he turned a corner and came to a small courtyard next to the post house.
When people in the small courtyard saw Lu Yi’s appearance, they seemed to have expected it and laughed:
“Is this what Lu Zhongshu says going well?”
Hearing what the other party said, Lu Yi quickly saluted and thanked:
"Is it just for my own satisfaction? I just want to relieve His Majesty's worries. Therefore, I came here to thank Mr. Guo for his timely advice."
Ma Tian smiled and said nothing, but saw that he picked up the teapot from the small stove, poured a cup of hot tea, then pushed it in front of Lu Yi, stretched out his hand and said:
“Lü Zhong’s letter invites you.”
The movements are free and easy, the expression is free and easy, and the mist is lingering, which obscures Ma Tian's face. It is really indescribable and relaxing.
Lu Yi felt a little envious in his eyes. This kind of magnanimity was really hard for him to learn.
Seeing Lu Yi raising his glass and drinking, Ma Tian continued:
“The two countries Han and Wu were originally allies of each other and agreed to fight against thieves. Now Wu is worried about food shortage. As a great Han citizen, how can I stand by and watch?”
At this point, he took another deep look at Lu Yi and said meaningfully:
"Besides, since we arrived in Jiangdong, we have always been taken care of by Lu Zhongshu. This time, we are just reciprocating the favor."
"Having said that," Lu Yi put down the tea cup, his voice was low but filled with gratitude, "But without Sir's advice, how could we, the rough guys, have thought of this?"
In this matter, although the school office has the upper hand.
But don’t regard all civil and military people in the dynasty as fools.
They have not noticed Han's surplus grain now because they are not as well informed as the school officials.
Those who are well-informed and do not have channels through the school affairs office naturally do not dare to speak easily.
But they will definitely be able to react during the summer harvest at the latest.
So it is very important for Mr. Ma to remind you in time.
At least for the school affairs office, it is very important—it gives the school affairs office at least two or three months more time than others.
"Without sir, even if the school office can find food, I'm afraid it won't be able to buy so much food to relieve His Majesty's urgent task."
No matter how cheap the food in Han is, you still have to pay for it.
Although the school affairs office is responsible for replenishing the internal funds of His Majesty, Lu Yi's own family knows about his own affairs.
Your Majesty’s internal funds don’t have much surplus now.
In Mr. Ma’s words, this trick is called making something out of nothing.
Lü Yi himself just talked a few times, looking for an opportunity and a way to persuade your majesty to agree to what the big families in Jingzhou asked for, so that they could get a large amount of food.
In the east, I can relieve your majesty's worries.
In the west, you can win the hearts of the big families in Jingzhou.
If it is in the middle, the school affairs office will also be able to benefit.
Such methods, in Lu Yi's view, are unpredictable.
Thinking of this, Lu Yi felt even more that it was a pity that none of the school officials in the school office were truly knowledgeable.
The school affairs office was clearly established by His Majesty's personal order, but it was actually underestimated by the aristocratic families in Jiangdong.
If not, if you can get help from people like Mr. Ma, why worry about criticism from the ministers in the court?
It’s fine that the School Affairs Office is looked down upon by others, but those ministers are saying all day long that the School Affairs Office is harming the country, which is really hateful.
You have not missed the country, but why have I never seen you relieving His Majesty's worries?
“Sir, he was able to convince the Jingzhou family with just a few letters, which shows that he has high prestige in Jingzhou.”
Lu Yi asked tentatively, "Sir, haven't you ever thought about restoring your real name to avenge your previous shame?"
Since he was assigned to Jiangdong, Martin has never thought that his identity can be concealed.
And he didn’t expect to hide it for the rest of his life.
Hearing Lu Yi's question at this time, he, who was originally free and easy, looked startled for a moment, and then his face froze slightly.
But soon, he returned to his calm smile:
“I know what Zhongshu means. It’s just that I’ve gotten used to using this name over the years, and I don’t want to change it back for the time being.”
I don’t know if Lu Yi’s words aroused my emotions.
But I saw him pick up his cup and take a sip of tea. He seemed to have remembered something, and his face became a little gloomy.
"I think back then, the Prime Minister regarded me as his son, and I regarded the Prime Minister as my father. Later, I followed the Prime Minister to attack the thieves. I thought that I had been taught by the Prime Minister, but I did not obey orders."
At this point, a wry smile finally appeared on his face:
"I didn't expect that I almost ruined my career in defeating thieves. If it weren't for Feng Duhu, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to atone for my sin even if I die."
"After this incident, I changed my name to Tian to show my change."
He looked at Lu Yi with a solemn look on his face:
"This time, I am not helping Lu Zhongshu, but I am trying to contribute to the great cause of defeating thieves, so that my heart can be at ease."
When Lu Yi heard what Ma Tian said, he couldn't help but sit up straight.
Ma Tian looked past Lu Yi and towards the northwest, as if he was explaining or mumbling to himself:
"I just hope that one day I can see the success of the campaign against thieves, so that I can have the face to see the Prime Minister..."
Mr. Ma started to get sad when talking about the past.
As soon as Lu Yi saw Mr. Ma's expression, he knew something was wrong.
He and Mr. Ma have been dating for a long time, and knowing that the Prime Minister of Han Dynasty will always be a pain in his heart.
In the past, whenever Mr. Ma mentioned the Prime Minister, he would only feel ashamed.
Just after the news of Zhuge Liang's death reached Jiangdong, Mr. Ma was extremely sad and even cried unconscious several times.
Now when he mentions Zhuge Liang, he still sheds tears.
Lv Yi was thinking about how to comfort him, but he didn't expect that this time he not only mentioned the prime minister, but also related to the great cause that the prime minister was determined to pursue.
Thinking about the regret that I had failed the Prime Minister and could not accompany him to pursue a great cause.
This time, Mr. Ma couldn’t help but burst into tears:
"Prime Minister, I can't wait for this day. I have been deeply favored by the Prime Minister, but I can't go to the tomb in person to worship. I am ashamed of heaven and earth, and I hate you!"
Crying and crying, Ma Tian beat his chest with both hands and almost lost his temper.
Lv Yi was so frightened that he quickly helped Mr. Ma and comforted him:
"Sir, why do you need to be so sad? As you said, what you are doing now is to contribute to the great cause of defeating thieves."
“If Prime Minister Quanxia knew what he was thinking, he would surely be happy and would not blame him anymore.”
Mr. Ma cried for a while and then stopped.
He wiped his tears and said to Lu Yi:
“If it can really be as Lu Zhongshu said, then I will have no regrets in this life!”
As he spoke, he stood up, saluted Lu Yi and said:
Lu Yi quickly supported Ma Tian and said urgently:
"What did you say, sir? I should just thank you for this!"
Seeing that Mr. Ma had calmed down, Lu Yi sat down with him again, and then said with some embarrassment:
“Actually, when I came here this time, in addition to telling you that your Majesty has agreed to Jingzhou’s request, there is actually something else I want to ask you for.”
“Lü Zhongshu just said it, so why bother saying “Qiu”?
“It is rumored that Mr. Feng Duhu has a relationship?”
Ma Tian sighed again and said nothing to Lu Yi:
"I do have some friendship with Feng Duhu. I made a mistake at the street pavilion and should be punished according to the law. If Feng Duhu hadn't come to my aid in time, I would have been turned into dust today!"
The battle at Jieting can be regarded as the battle that made Feng Duhu famous.
What happened that year? Apart from the parties involved, probably very few people know the details.
Most people in the world only know that Mr. Ma was saved by Feng Duhu.
Mr. Ma mentioned this point more than once.
Lv Yi naturally did not doubt that he was there.
He thought about it for a moment and then said, "I know that Mr. Xinghan is on good terms with the Xinghan Association. He also knows a lot of inside information about the Xinghan Association. I'm not saying that I can't trust you."
"It's just that this matter is of great importance, and your Majesty is very concerned about it. Now after hearing about this matter, I want to write a letter to the emperor of the Han family about borrowing food."
"Who in the world doesn't know that the emperor of the Han family highly values Feng Duhu? Therefore, if Feng Duhu can help and speak kindly in front of the emperor of the Han Dynasty, I think this matter will be as stable as Mount Tai, and there will be no variables."
Hearing what Lu Yi said, Ma Tian's eyes flashed with a light that was difficult for others to detect, but the expression on his face remained unchanged as he nodded:
“I already know the meaning of the book.”
If we say that before reporting to Sun Quan, this is just a suggestion.
At most, it is a purchase and sale agreement between the school government and Shu.
So, when Sun Quan decided to write a letter to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, it was already considered a major event between the allies.
Even if the land of Shu transports grain to Wu, there are limits.
It does not mean that you will be lucky if you want to be lucky.
Otherwise, why should we set up a Yongan Yi Market?
In case the little fat man in Chang'an receives a letter from Emperor Wu, he will say "Hey" and then say when will I agree to borrow food.
That would be embarrassing.
The emperor had lost his face, and Lu Yi himself would lose his life if he had no choice but to do so.
Although the probability of this happening is not very high.
After all, Mr. Ma has a close relationship with the Xinghan Society, and in many cases, Mr. Ma can even pass on messages for the Xinghan Society.
The Xinghanhui's statement, to a large extent, means that Feng Duhu agreed, or at least was informed.
But Lu Yi cherished his life.
So he should make as many preparations as possible.
What he didn’t know was that after Ma Tian learned that Sun Quan couldn’t wait to write a letter to Chang’an, he already had a question in mind:
Perhaps the famine in Wu State this year is more serious than you imagined?
With this thought in his heart, Ma Tian responded with his mouth full of words:
"I will write to Feng Duhu and ask Feng Duhu to lend a helping hand."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Deng Weizhe, the director of the Xinghan Association in Jincheng, is the son of Deng Bomiao, who was sent to Jiangdong as an envoy to represent the Han Dynasty and made an alliance with Wu."
"Deng Weizhe is quite like his father. If he wants to deal with this matter, he will definitely take notice. I will write another letter to him and ask him to make more preparations."
This time, it was Lu Yi’s turn to be grateful:
“Thank you, thank you, sir.”
“It’s just a matter of hands.”
“I know that Mr. Yu holds Jin in his arms and has great plans to defeat thieves, regardless of ordinary things. However, after bringing so many students to Jiangdong, there are always things he cannot take care of.”
Lu Yi cupped his hands and said, "I would like to assure you that as long as it concerns you and the students of the college, the school affairs office will do its best to help."
“Lü Zhongshu is thoughtful.”
“Mutual help, just helping each other.”
After receiving Mr. Ma's reply that he would ask someone to pick up the letter tomorrow, Lu Yi left with satisfaction.
After returning to the school office, he immediately sent someone to give him a generous gift.
The matter of buying grain requires Mr. Ma to get in touch, so Lu Yi is not afraid of anyone making irresponsible remarks about it.
ˆSomething like having a close relationship.
On the second day, Lu Yi did not send anyone over, but went there again in person, and sure enough he got the letter from Mr. Ma.
“How generous the people of Han are!”
Lv Yi sighed greatly.
There is Feng Duhu in front, who lends horses, armor, and weapons to Da Wu.
Later there was Mr. Ma, who tried to find ways to buy and borrow grain for Da Wu.
While sighing, even people like Lu Yi also felt a little sad:
Da Wu has received a lot of help from the Han State in recent years. He only hopes to succeed in defeating the thieves as soon as possible, so that he can live up to the help of the Han State.
By the time Mr. Ma’s letter was delivered to Chang’an, it was already early summer.
Coming with the letter was Deng Liang, who also received a letter from Jiangdong.
“How is your journey, Wei Zhe?”
“Thanks to my brother’s concern, it’s not bad.”
Although Deng Liang's lord was honored as a right-guard general, Deng Liang never served as an official and only wanted to stay in Jincheng.
the reason is simple.
His mother is old and has many inconveniences, so he needs to take care of her personally to feel relieved.
Just like this time when the emperor moved the capital, most of the relatives of the ministers and ministers also moved to Chang'an one after another.
But Deng Liang's mother was not in good health and was not suitable for traveling far away, so she stayed in Jincheng.
Deng Liang rarely came over this time, so he naturally wanted to discuss the food shortage in Wu.
"You have been working hard in Jincheng these years and have done well. Your contribution is not only remembered by me, but also by Your Majesty."
“One day you want to become an official, whether you want to stay in the court or take up a post, there will always be a place for you.”
Looking at Deng Liang, who had begun to grow a beard, Feng Duhu felt somewhat emotional:
“So many years have passed in a flash, and sometimes it still feels like yesterday.”
Deng Liang smiled slightly:
"How dare I take credit for such small contributions? Besides, these are actually the efforts of the brothers in the guild. I am just representing the guild."
Feng Duhu waved his hand:
"A meritorious service is a meritorious service. Brothers, there is no need to be humble. Apart from you, I really can't find anyone who can make me feel at ease and stay with me with peace of mind."
"We have been planning for so many years, and finally we have such a good opportunity. How are Jincheng's preparations going?"
Deng Liang, who is usually indifferent, finally had a rare mood swing when talking about this matter:
“Brother, don’t worry. In the past few years, the big families in Shu have cooperated. In addition, the price of food has increased this year, so they are too late to be happy.”
Over the years, the Shu family, which has become extremely smooth, has actually long wanted to accept its fate.
However, the Han Prime Minister kept suppressing it and was unwilling to fully open his mouth.
Until he captured Guanzhong and Bingzhou, the Han Dynasty expanded rapidly and needed to recruit a large number of talents.
Coupled with the death of the prime minister and the emperor moving the capital, this was considered a complete turnaround, and the imperial court began to use a large number of Shu children.
For example, Qiao Zhou, being appointed as the crown prince's family minister is an attitude.
This can probably be regarded as an emperor's mental trick.
The Prime Minister suppresses it in front, and the Emperor raises it in his rear.
As a result, the aristocratic families in Shu are very supportive of the Han emperor.
After so many years, everyone has finally come to the end of their hardships. When they learn that the imperial court plans to sell a large amount of grain to the state of Wu, why not enthusiastically support it?
In fact, in the past few years, Xinghanhui has collected a batch of grain at a high price every year and resold it to the east.
But there is a quota.
This year is different. I heard that the quota has actually been relaxed, and you can collect as much as you want. Such a great thing, can't you make a good fortune?
(End of this chapter)