Chapter 688 Asking for advice
As the younger generation of the Li family in Longxi, Li Jian has a good demeanor and behaves very politely: "Jian has met the king."
Feng Yong nodded, "Li Langjun, please sit down."
Li Jian gathered up the hem of his clothes before sitting upright on the chair.
"I don't like to sit on my knees. This house is full of tables and chairs like this. I don't mean to look down on Li Langjun. I hope Li Langjun doesn't take offense to it."
Seeing him sitting upright, with his hands naturally hanging down on his legs, and not looking like he was sitting on a chair for the first time, Feng Yong made a special explanation.
"Your Majesty, you are too worried. Even among the small people, there are many tables and chairs like this. Especially the small people, for the sake of convenience, will use these tables and chairs on weekdays unless necessary."
Li Jian smiled slightly, turned around without moving, and answered with a warm yet polite smile.
It must be done in a graceful manner.
However, his words made Feng Yong slightly curious, "Is Li Langjun's clan also accustomed to using tables and chairs like this?"
“Going back to Junhou, among the small people, some people have been to Hanzhong in person in the past two years and have seen tables and chairs like this. Besides, I heard that sitting on chairs is popular in Hanzhong, Shuzhong, and few people sit on their knees.”
“Many people in Longyou have followed suit, and the small human tribe is no exception. This sitting posture is both convenient and dignified, so it’s not considered rude.”
Hu beds were introduced to China in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. For example, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty "loved Hu clothes, Hu tents, Hu beds, and Hu seats."
Leading the trend of a generation.
The original Hu bed refers to Mazar.
Hood beds are the most popular among the military. The reason is simple: they are convenient and comfortable to sit on. At least they are much more comfortable than kneeling on them.
When he marched into Guanzhong and fought with Ma Chao in Weinan, Cao Cao just sat by the river with his horse and watched the scenery, refusing to move his buttocks.
If he hadn't been picked up and carried on the boat later, Ma Chao might have rewritten history.
Of course, people still sit on their knees in formal and solemn occasions.
The chair is just higher than the Mazar, and with a backrest on the back, it is more comfortable to sit on than the Mazar.
Since mazaas can become popular, chairs can become even more popular.
A nation that can actively absorb the strengths of others and use them for its own use is the attitude that a nation with strong self-confidence should have. .
The big man’s self-confidence has always been very inflated.
At this time, Li Mu walked in and bowed to Feng Yong: "I've seen the gentleman before."
Feng Yong nodded, and then said to the two people below: "This is someone's concubine. She has a bad reputation in Nanxiang. Outsiders often admire her."
Li Jian was a little surprised at first how such a rare beauty came in.
Unexpectedly, he was a person from the inner court of the emperor, so he immediately lowered his gaze, not daring to look directly at him, so as not to be rude.
Unexpectedly, after hearing the last sentence, I realized that this woman was actually Mrs. Mu from Nanxiang, whom even the Longyou family often heard about.
At that moment, he didn’t care about being rude and raised his head again.
I saw Feng Yong signaling Gongsun to join the army: "This is Gongsun joining the army."
Li Mu looked at Gongsun Zheng with a look of concentration in his eyes and said, "I seem to have seen Gongsun join the army."
Gongsun Zheng's face was startled, and he quickly replied: "I went to Nanxiang with the caravan and met Mrs. Mu. At that time, Mrs. Mu also asked me about things in Longxi."
While he said this, he was really horrified in his heart.
This Mrs. Mu is so good at handling her affairs that she can still remember him like this.
Li Mu nodded: "I remember, Gongsun Canjun went with the Liang family's caravan, right? I remember that I met with the caravan manager at that time, but I didn't expect Gongsun Canjun to be among them."
“Mother Mu has a good memory.”
Gongsun Zheng said sincerely.
Li Mu accidentally showed his hand, which shocked even the men in his own name.
There was no hint of pride on her face. Instead, she said humbly: "Because Gongsun joined the army from Longxi, so I just remember it better."
Is it because there is a Li family in Longxi?
Feng Yong was thinking in his mind, watching the two people finished speaking, and continued to introduce: "As for this person, he is the direct grandson of the Li family in Longxi, Li Langjun."
He looked at Li Jian and said, "Mu Niang is in charge of the Nanxiang workshop, and she should be the one to decide on the woolen materials. If the Li family in Longxi has any problems in this regard in the future, just ask her."
When Li Jian heard this, how could he not understand the meaning of Feng Junhou's words?
This is obviously a promise to yourself!
Although he had never met Mrs. Mu from Nanxiang, he heard that the reason why the clan could get wool from Nanxiang in the past was because Mrs. Mu was from the Li family in Shuzhong.
The Li family in Longxi and the Li family in central Shu came from the same origin. At this time, Feng Junhou specially called her in to meet him. Wasn't it just to bring the two families closer together?
As soon as he thought about this, he stood up quickly: "Jian has met Mrs. Mu."
Li Mu stepped aside and gave a slight blessing.
Then Miao Miao raised his eyes and looked at Feng Yong, with gratitude in his eyes.
Feng Yong nodded slightly to her: "Go down first."
After Li Mu went out, Feng Yong looked at Li Jian and said, "I have been ordered by the Prime Minister to take over the post of Qiang Colonel and be in charge of all Qiang and Hu affairs in Liangzhou."
"Now that the Cao thieves in Liangzhou have not been eliminated, the Qiang rebellion in Longxi has arisen again. I want to put an end to the chaos, but I am troubled by the fact that I don't know the situation of the Qiang and Hu in Longxi."
“I heard Boyan say, Li Langjun can help me solve my doubts, but I don’t know how to teach me?”
Li Jian replied: "The king has asked, how can Jian dare to hide his secrets? I just don't know how much the king knows about the Qiang and Hu people in Liangzhou?"
“Li Langjun just pretends that I don’t know anything and just starts from the beginning.”
Li Jian nodded in agreement, and then began to explain: "To talk about the Liangzhou Qiang people, we have to start with Emperor Yan."
"Di Yan was born in Jiangshui, so he took Jiang as his surname. Therefore, the surname Jiang is one of the major surnames in Longyou. The Qianghu in Liangzhou were originally Xiqiang, from Sanmiao, and can be regarded as a branch of the Jiang surname."
“The Western Qiang people were mainly nomadic in their early years, following the migration of water and grass, and had no fixed residence. When Emperor Gaozu established the Han Dynasty, Liangzhou first had Wusun Hu and Yuezhi Hu, and then it was occupied by the Xiongnu.”
“The mixture of various barbarians led to the formation of today’s Qiang and barbarians. It was not until Emperor Xiaowu of the former Han Dynasty that the Xiongnu were defeated, and a large number of Han people migrated to the border areas."
“Over the past hundreds of years, Han Qiang and Hu people have lived together. The Qiang and Hu people in Liangzhou have been influenced by our Han people, and most of them live in half-farming and half-grazing land.”
“However, their customs are still very different from those of our Han people. Their clans are not fixed, and their father’s name and mother’s surname are often used as tribal titles.”
“Marriage within the tribe ignores human ethics and ethics. If a father dies, his wife will be his stepmother; if a brother dies, his wife will be his wife. Therefore, there are no widowers or widows in the tribe, and the tribe reproduces very quickly."
“A large tribe can number more than 100,000 people, while a small tribe can only have more than a thousand people. The strong are respected, while the weak rely on the strong, plunder and invade each other, and dominate with violence.”
“Death in battle is considered auspicious, while death from illness is considered unlucky, so they dare to charge into battle and are used to enduring cold and hardship. Even when women are giving birth, they do not hide from the wind and snow.”
"It is precisely because the Qiang people are so fierce that over the past hundreds of years, the Han Dynasty has repeatedly suppressed rebellions. Even Duan Ji, who is called the 'god of murder' by the Qiang and Hu people, cannot stop them from rebelling."
Speaking of this, Li Jian let out a long sigh, "The last Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou lasted for more than thirty years. At that time, Cao Cao sent Xia Houyuan to kill Song Jian who occupied Pohan."
“At the same time, they also slaughtered countless Qiang and Hu people in that area. Unexpectedly, just over ten years ago, they reappeared again.”
When Feng Yong heard this, he asked: "Li Langjun means that those Qiang and Hu came from Fuhan?"
Li Jian nodded: "That's right. This time, the Qiang and Hu rebels in Longxi first came from Heguan and Panhan in the far west of Longxi."
“That was the place where Song Jian occupied and became king. They first looted the area around Didao, and later they were joined by many Qiang and Hu from other places.”
“As the momentum grew, they elected the largest tribe, Zhong Qiang Qu Shuai, as their leader, formed an alliance, and besieged Didao.”
“The main tribes participating include Shenlang Qiang, Liniu, Baima Qiang, Dapang Yizhong Qiang, Yuezhi Hu, etc.”
“Now they even raise the slogan of “pacifying the Han king at the head of the river”, which is very similar to the idea of Song Jian separatizing the western part of Longxi.”
Feng Yong frowned slightly when he heard this.
Enemies with clear slogans and goals often represent trouble.
"Your Majesty, if Didao is breached, the Longxi Qianghu will be in great danger. Please send troops as soon as possible to relieve the siege of Didao."
He pondered for a moment and then said, "In the past few months, I have led the army to patrol the east of Longyou, and I have found that the Qiang and Hu are indeed brave and unafraid of death."
“Their custom of regarding death in battle as auspiciousness is really a headache.”
The fighting power of the Qiang Rebellion in Hanyang County was indeed not very good, but that was because their weapons were too backward and they fought independently without unified command, so they were easily defeated one by one.
But they are indeed, as Li Jian said, not afraid of life or death on the battlefield.
This alone is difficult enough.
“Although Qiang and Hu are not afraid of death in battle, they are not without their weaknesses.”
Li Jian heard Feng Yong's words and was afraid that he would hesitate, so he quickly said, "Qiang and Hu are loose by nature. Although they often form alliances, they never last long."
“It is precisely because they have no patience that in many cases they will disperse without fighting when they cannot attack for a long time.”
When Feng Yong heard this, he thought deeply, "If I send troops to Didao, does Li Langjun have any suggestions?"
Li Jian was overjoyed when he heard this: "Most of the Didao Qiang and Hu come from the area of Puhan and Heguan, and their tribal roots are all there."
“If the ruler can cross the Tao River to the west, go around to the rear, and attack his tribe and family members, the Qiang and Hu rebels will definitely return to rescue them. Then the ruler will ambush him halfway and be defeated in one fell swoop.”
Huh? It is a good method to attack them and save them.
Feng Yong thought for a moment and said with some hesitation, "It's just that I'm not familiar with Longxi, let alone going to the most remote places in Longxi, such as Panhan and Heguan."
"Please don't worry, sir. The villain's family has little foundation in Longxi. If the monarch does not give up, the villain is willing to lead the way personally."
Li Jian was well prepared when he came this time, so he volunteered immediately.
“Oh? If that’s the case, then it couldn’t be better!”
Feng Yong had a smile on his face.
In the past, Feng Yong always thought that the Hu people in Liangzhou were like the Hu people in the northern desert and were not good at farming.
After getting to know each other, I found out that most of the Hu people in Liangzhou live part-farming and part-grazing.
For farming, you don’t need to be taught at all, you can just get started.
Compared to those workers in Nanzhong who don’t even know how to use oxen for plowing, this is much easier to use.
The big boss of Dahan Labor Company is thinking, should the price of labor be raised as well?
In the past two years, due to the rise of the pig industry and the continuous spread of breeding technology, what Feng Yong was most worried about finally happened.
Swine fever, chicken fever, etc. began to occur from time to time.
Especially during the Northern Expedition of the Han Dynasty this year, the price of grain and meat began to rise, and greedy farmers secretly increased the density of breeding.
So this year the largest swine fever incident in history broke out.
Even the Nanxiang breeding farm, which has strict breeding regulations, found it. Fortunately, Li Mu strictly abided by the rules he set and culled them decisively.
There are some death row inmates in the labor camp who have committed capital crimes. Fortunately, the food has been improved.
So the price of pork, which has become a common meat in the past two years, has nearly doubled this year.
The price of pork has increased, shouldn’t labor prices be mentioned?
Longyou, Liangzhou, and even Guanzhong are sparsely populated, which is when a lot of labor is needed to cultivate wasteland!
As Feng Junhou thought about it, he rubbed his thumb and index finger unconsciously.
At the same time, an indescribable smile appeared on his face: "Well, Li Langjun, where is Liangzhou? If I want to conquer Liangzhou, do you have any suggestions?"
It’s just Longxi, but my appetite is too small. Liangzhou is the vast world!
"Back to the king, if you want to pacify Liangzhou, there are two people you need to pay attention to."
"who?"
“One is Hao Zhao, the Pingqiang general, and the other is Xu Miao, the governor of Liangzhou.”
Of course Feng Yong knew Hao Zhao.
This man's ability to defend the city was first-rate, and he was the first person in history to use rockets.
In history, the old demon Zhuge was burned to a pulp, but now, the old demon Zhuge is not burned, but the old man Wei is burned into a rage.
As for field combat capabilities, Feng Yong cannot draw a conclusion for the time being.
After all, even if Sima Yi led it, he would only be defeated in front of the Tiger Infantry Army arranged by Zhuge Lao Yao in eight formations.
“Does Li Langjun know Xu Miao?”
Feng Yong asked.
Li Jian nodded: "I have heard a little bit. If you want to conquer Liangzhou, the best time is next year. The longer it is delayed, the more effort it will take."
“Why?”
Feng Yong became serious when he heard this.
“Let’s not hide it from the king. Xu Miao is the governor of Liangzhou who just took office at the beginning of this year. As soon as he came to Liangzhou, he dug canals and recruited refugees to open up wasteland and cultivate land.”
"The salt ponds were renovated in Wuwei and Jiuquan. This year there was a severe drought in Liangzhou and there was a food shortage. Xu Miao used the salt produced in Wuwei and Jiuquan, and in exchange for a lot of food, he used it to calm people's hearts."
“Coupled with his fair approach, he has convinced many Qiang and Hu tribes in just one year. If given time, Xu Miao may be able to win over the people of Liangzhou.”
“Fortunately, this year the Han Dynasty regained control of Longyou, Liangzhou was shaken, and there were three shocks in one day. There was also a severe drought, and people’s hearts were floating. If the Han Dynasty could take advantage of this opportunity to march westward, it would be half the effort and twice the result.”
Feng Yongjie praised: "This is such a sincere and kind word!"
Recalling that the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou troubled the entire Eastern Han Dynasty, and then thinking about the current Ji Han Dynasty, Feng Yong said with emotion, "If Liangzhou is not pacified, it will be difficult to go east to Guanzhong with peace of mind."
“And Pingliang Prefecture needs to appease the Qiang and Hu. Pingliang Prefecture is easy, but fixing Liang Prefecture is difficult!”
Even after Xia Houyuan pacified Song Jian, there was no major Qiang rebellion, but the rebellion in the middle of Liangzhou never stopped.
At the beginning of last year, I heard that there was another rebellion in Xiping County, which was later put down by Hao Zhao.
After the Han-Wei War in Longyou this year, the Qiang-Hu rebellion broke out again in Longxi.
Everyone understands the need to appease people after quelling chaos, but is it so easy to do it?
If the Qiang and Hu were really so easy to appease, how could they drive the Eastern Han Dynasty court almost crazy and almost give up the entire Liangzhou?
Hence, if you want to completely pacify Liangzhou, you need a long-term, stable, and effective policy.
At the same time, every person in charge of Liangzhou must not only have outstanding abilities, but also continue to implement this policy without wavering.
This was a difficult thing in ancient times.
In an era when information transmission is extremely slow, the central government has no way to monitor local areas at all times. It can only rely on local officials to govern themselves, which has considerable autonomy.
Otherwise, how could a mere county magistrate be called Bailihou?
What's more, the highest official of a state, the governor or the state shepherd?
The most important thing is that ancient scholars all had ambitions—whether they were ambitions to benefit the people or selfish ambitions.
You think your policies are good, but I think my methods are better.
Xiao Gui left a good reputation with Cao Sui. It was because good policies could be continued in the hands of his successors that he was praised.
Even the prime minister in the central court is like this, let alone local officials?
So if you want to maintain a good local policy, you have to rely on the integrity of local officials.
Since a certain country bumpkin entered history and caused trouble, there has been an additional method: interest groups and the bundling of interests.
If Nanzhong is an attempt, then Yuexun is perfection.
As for Longyou and Liangzhou, they have reached the stage of mature operation.
The powerful men who possess the greed of capital and hold great power are simply running amok and no one can control them.
Whoever dares to stand in front of them must be prepared to have his head blown off by the iron fist of the autocratic feudal empire.
(End of this chapter)