Chapter 683 Surprise
“Feng Guanshi, no, it’s my sister-in-law’s belly that finally makes me happy.”
Although it was inappropriate to talk about his brother Xijun secretly, the matter was of great concern to everyone, so Deng Liang was not so particular.
It was impossible for Xu Xun to tell anyone anyway.
Xu Xun nodded, "Brother is really picky about women."
The main wife is pregnant with a child, and the concubine continues to work hard at the right time. It's a pity that the brother's eyes are too critical and the sister-in-law is too powerful. What can I do?
As he spoke, he took off his down jacket.
The room was really hot. After sitting for a while, I started to sweat.
Taking off his coat, he took the water glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp.
Deng Liang nodded at the side and said in agreement, "Yuan De's words are very true. Otherwise, we, the brothers of Xinghan Hui, can help us find whatever kind of woman our brother wants."
It's a pity that everyone has been following his brother for so long, and they don't even seem to understand his taste.
When talking about this topic, Xu Xun couldn't help but think of the second mother he sent to Nanxiang a few years ago.
He sighed even more in his heart. At first, he thought his brother was the good one, but he didn't expect his second mother to be put into the fields to grow vegetables.
It’s really disappointing!
Even if she can't be her brother's concubine, it's not bad to be her concubine.
Look at Mrs. Mu...
Thinking of Mrs. Mu, Xu Xun suddenly woke up from his sweet dream.
“By the way, Weizhe, Madam Mu told me something before she left.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Mrs. Mu said that my brother has established a relationship with the Prime Minister, and we can freely brew wine in Nanzhong this year.”
“That’s great!” Deng Liang couldn’t help but feel overjoyed when he heard two happy events in succession. “Sure enough, my brother has a solution!”
“But my brother also said that at least half of the brewed wine will be turned into strong liquor and all of it will be sent to Longyou.”
Deng Liang was a little surprised after hearing this request, "Why does brother need so much strong wine?"
The sugarcane wine that was initially brewed, oh, has now been officially named honey wine by my sister-in-law. Compared with the previous turbid wine, it is many times better.
The wine has a rich aroma, a soft taste, and a mellow taste that makes you unable to put down your drink.
After drinking the mead, drinking the turbid wine will feel like drinking vinegar. Who can swallow it?
Deng Liang, as the person in charge of the general transfer station in Jincheng, naturally knows that in addition to honey wine, the sugarcane wine produced in Nanzhong also has a kind of spirit.
When he drank this kind of strong liquor, it was like a fire burning all the way from his throat to his stomach. He didn't like drinking it.
Not only does he not like it, most people don't like it either.
“Perhaps my brother likes to drink strong alcohol?”
Xu Xun is also wondering about the same problem.
Deng Liang nodded, "It's possible. I once heard Zhao Erlang say that when my brother went to Nanzhong, he brewed three jars of strong liquor and took it with him to Nanzhong. I think my brother must be fond of strong liquor."
“Moreover, most of the officers and men in the army are rough men. Giving them strong drinks will probably make them more courageous.”
Hearing this, Xu Xun nodded, agreed with Deng Liang's words, and then sighed, "It's a pity that the wine cannot be sold, so it can only be kept for drinking at home."
“Otherwise, just by making wine without using grain, I don’t know how much money I would make from grain.”
"That's enough." Deng Liang shook his head and said, "The current sugar cane garden in Nanzhong alone can't produce much wine."
He is in charge of Jincheng and coordinates everything. He knows the situation in Nanzhong better than Xu Xun.
“What’s more, because of the Northern Expedition, everyone is fully supporting the front, and Nanzhong has not opened any new gardens this year.”
“Brother wants to make half of the strong wine. I’m afraid the remaining portion of the mead is enough for everyone to share. How can I sell the excess?”
“After two years, the sugar cane garden in Nanzhong will be almost fully developed. Then we will ask my brother to see if we can find a way to get the court to relax the prohibition on alcohol.”
Deng Liang talked about "asking the court to relax the ban on alcohol" in an understatement, as if it was a very simple matter.
Xu Xun actually agreed, nodded and said, "That's the only way."
The source of their confidence in saying this is naturally their elder brother.
Isn’t it proof that the Prime Minister can now agree to let them make wine?
As long as the Xinghan Association shows enough sincerity and as long as the Han Dynasty has enough food, it is still somewhat certain.
However, although the sugar cane plantation in Nanzhong has been planned for a long time.
But in the past few years, he first supported his brother Ping Yuexun, then opened a horse farm, and then went on the Northern Expedition.
If it weren't for the newly cultivated fields in Hanzhong that had steadily produced grain, everyone might not have been able to produce so much grain.
The sugarcane plantations in Nanzhong have also been affected by this, and the pace of reclamation has been much slower.
It’s just that brown sugar is inherently profitable. The output is small and the price is expensive, so no one is in a hurry.
As for selling wine, Xu Xun just thought about it, but he didn’t really say that he must break this taboo. The income on hand now is much more than before.
As long as the brother does not fall, it will not be a simple matter to wait for the day when the mead production is sufficient and want to sell it?
But he thought of something else.
“The harvested sugar cane also belongs to those aristocratic families. We use bagasse to make wine. If they know about it, they want a share of the pie. What should we do?”
Deng Liang smiled confidently, "Yuan De is wrong. We don't have the ability to make wine from bagasse. We obviously make wine from sugar cane. This must be remembered, remember."
When Xu Xun heard what Deng Liang said, he first looked at Deng Liang in surprise. When he saw the incomprehensible smile on his face, he suddenly woke up.
I saw a look of surprise on his face, and he nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I forgot."
He thought for a moment and then added, "The brown sugar share we gave them was no less than a cent. It was enough for us to use our own sugar cane to make wine, but not their sugar cane."
After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled, it was like love...oh, no, **** love.
Jincheng sat around, chatting and laughing.
The city of Linjing was destroyed, and the oars were flooded with blood.
The county seat of Anding County is Linjing City, and the city gates are wide open.
The Wei army suddenly came to the city. The rebels who had occupied the city could not hold on for even a day before the big surname Hu in the city quietly sent people to open the city gate.
The Wei army rushed in and began to massacre the city.
Xiahouba led his troops and walked on the streets of the city. He watched every household tightly close their city gates, and then they were directly smashed open by the Wei army and rushed in.
First I heard calls for help, and then screams.
He frowned slightly and tried not to look at what was going on inside as he passed by the door.
This is the first time that the Wei Dynasty quelled the rebellion in Anding County after the defeat of Longyou.
Slaughter the city as a warning to others, this is a rule set by the general.
Even if Xiahou Ba, who was leading an army for the first time, was not used to this practice, he was not qualified to say anything.
At this moment, a voice suddenly called from behind, "General Xiahou!"
Xiahou Ba turned around and saw Hu Zunzheng trotting over in a hurry, with an anxious look on his face.
"General Xiahou, the army has been slaughtering the city for half a day. Why not go find the general and ask the sergeants to stop here?"
Xiahouba nodded, "I also have the same intention."
Cao Zhen heard the two people's request, but refused, "To massacre the city in one day is a military order and cannot be changed without reason."
Then he looked at Hu Zun and said, "General Hu, I know that the Hu family is based in Linjing and that they were successful in opening the city gate. Therefore, I have ordered the army not to harm the Hu family members. You can rest assured."
But the people in Linjing who are related to the Hu family are not just those with the surname Hu.
Hu Zun opened his mouth and finally sighed.
Obviously, the general did this on purpose.
There was great chaos in Anding County, and Linjing City was occupied by the rebel army. Hu Zun did not believe that there were no traces of some powerful families among them.
The Hu family in Linjing can also be regarded as a popular surname in Anding County. Hu Zun, who was born in the Hu family in Linjing, naturally knows the urine properties of the local wealthy families.
An Dingzai learned that the Shu people were invading Longyou and there were rebellions in many places. He said that they all responded to the Shu people sincerely. Hu Zun was sure that this was impossible.
The so-called turmoil is just a trick played by local wealthy families who want to prepare their bets.
Obviously, Linjing, as the county seat of Anding County, has many wealthy families.
The general wanted to kill one person as a warning. Not only was he taking the opportunity to purge the wealthy Linjing clan, he also wanted to deter the rebels in Anding County and the people behind them.
Xia Houba, on the other hand, is not as sensitive as Hu Zun, so he can say something, "General, Linjing is also the governor of Anding County. If you kill too much, I'm afraid it will be difficult to govern in the future."
"Zhong Quan is kind-hearted." Cao Zhen was very kind to Xiahou Ba.
Although Xiahou Ba was leading an army for the first time in this battle, he showed no fear in the face of swords and guns, and he was brave. It seemed that the Xiahou family was about to produce another general.
Xiahou Ba was heard to suggest, "General, why should the people in the city be blamed? Instead of killing people like this, why not let the army single out those who supported the rebels in the city and give them severe punishments."
“In this way, we can not only achieve the purpose of solemn Wei laws, but also deter those with evil intentions.”
Cao Zhen has followed Cao Cao for decades, and Cao Cao has a great influence on him. He does not think there is anything wrong with massacring the rebels.
Especially in the second year of Huangchu, Zhiyuanduo, Lu Shui, Fengshang and other Hus formed a coalition to cause trouble in Hexi. Cao Zhen, then general in charge of Zhenxi, led the generals to attack the coalition of Hus and won a great victory.
At that time, more than 50,000 people were beheaded.
At the same time, he obtained 100,000 livestock, 1.11 million sheep, and 80,000 cattle.
Where did these livestock come from? Where did the tribes who lost these livestock go? The answer is self-evident.
However, Hu Zun, the representative of the Hu family in Linjing, spoke up. In addition, it had been half a day since the massacre of the city. Now that he heard Xiahou Ba made this proposal, Cao Zhen thought about it.
Then he nodded and said, "Forget it, General Hu. You are from the Hu family in Linjing. I guess you must have a way to catch the lawless people in the city. How about I leave this matter to you?"
Hu Zun was overjoyed and said quickly, "The last general has taken the order!"
After this incident, it seems that it is a foregone conclusion that the Hu family will dominate Linjing!
After Hu Zun left, Cao Zhen said to Xiahou, "Although we have resettled Linjing, Xiaoguan in the northwest and Yuezhi City in the northeast are both in the hands of the Shu captives."
"Especially in this month's branch city, Yang Tiao, a native of Anding County, threatened the nearby officials to guard it and responded to the Shu captives. It is really abominable. If he is not punished, it will not be enough to deter Xiaoxiao."
"Now that the cold winter is coming, I have already sent people to find out. Most of the Shu people stationed at Xiaoguan are from Shu and are not willing to accept the severe cold in the north."
"And half of the soldiers we brought this time are from Bingyou Prefecture, and half are from Guanzhong."
“Compared to the Shu captives, we have been well prepared for our operations in winter, and our sergeants and soldiers are much stronger than them.”
"This time we should take advantage of the fact that the Shu captives on the Xiaoguan side don't know that Linjing City has been pacified, and quickly send surprise troops to Yuezhi City."
"The mob of Yue Zhi were caught off guard and will definitely have no intention of defending the city. By then, Yue Zhi can defeat them with one drum."
“I want to send you as the vanguard, lead three thousand elite cavalry, and immediately go to Yuezhi City. I will lead the army to follow. How about it?”
When Xiahou Ba heard that he was asked to lead the army first, he was overjoyed at first, and then said with some worry, "The general has the duty of guarding Guanzhong, and now he personally leads the army to pacify Linjing, which is already a departure from Chang'an."
"Fortunately, Linjing can go down the Jingshui River and reach Chang'an directly. But Yuezhi City is far away from the Jingshui River. What if there is a police officer in the pass?"
Cao Zhen waved his hand, "It doesn't matter, General Xian Yufu of the auxiliary country leads tens of thousands of people to guard the rear. In addition, Chencang and Qianxian have heavy troops."
"More importantly, the Shu captives definitely didn't expect that we would send troops in winter. When the news reaches Hanzhong, Anping has long been settled, so what is there to fear?"
“Furthermore, all the soldiers of Shu captives came from Shu, and they only got the land of Longyou. They suddenly couldn’t get used to the severe cold. Even if they wanted to send troops, they could only do nothing.”
Cao Zhen has been planning this for a long time, how could he not take this into consideration?
When Xiahou Ba heard this, he quickly clasped his fists and said, "General, it's obvious that the general is worrying too much."
On the second day, Xiahou Ba led three thousand fine cavalry, braved the cold wind, and swept towards Yuezhi City.
(End of this chapter)