Chapter 204 Zhechong Mansion
The wife smiled and said, "This was sent by Her Royal Highness Princess Chenliu."
"Princess Chenliu?"
The wife said, "My dear, you have forgotten that the princess held a poetry meeting before she left Luoyang for the bath last year. She will hold it again during the Lantern Festival this year and send Sichuan brocade for everyone to make clothes."
Feng Shu remembered what his wife had said about the poetry gathering and nodded slightly.
Feng Shu's wife was also from a prominent family and was good at reading people's expressions. She saw that her husband was depressed and suddenly said:
"My dear, are you unhappy in the palace?"
In response to his wife's question, Feng Shu nodded and talked about his frustrations in the Qinghe Palace.
After hearing this, Feng Shu's wife asked, "My dear, do you want to leave Luoyang?"
"Leaving Luoyang?"
Feng Shu was stunned for a moment.
The wife said, "Yesterday, I was chatting at Princess Chenliu's mansion and heard Princess Chenliu say that General Anxi Su Ze was recruiting talented people in Liangzhou."
"General Anxi Su Ze?"
His wife said, "Yes, General Anxi also has the right to open a government office. My dear, haven't you heard the news from Guanxi? General Su was given a command by the Western Expeditionary Office to take charge of the military affairs of Hezhou and Liangzhou and to suppress the bandits in Guanzhong."
"I have heard that General Su is a brave warrior. If you go to Liangzhou, maybe you will have a chance to establish your career."
Feng Shu was somewhat tempted. As a retainer of his, he had no rank, nor was he serving the King of Qinghe, so he did not constitute a vassal relationship between a lord and a subject.
Both the Northern and Southern Dynasties liked to keep guests, and the number of retainers was the same as in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was a relationship of two-way choice.
The retainers would choose to serve their lord, but they could also leave at any time.
Therefore, there are often records in history books about the downfall of some important figure and the scattering of his followers.
Feng Shu now leaves the Qinghe Palace without any moral pressure.
After all, Prince Qinghe did not grant him an official position, and the relationship between the master and the retainer was only a temporary employment relationship.
But going to Liangzhou?
Feng Shu hesitated and said, "My wife is also aware of the family's situation. My eldest brother is in Guanzhong."
Feng Shu's elder brother, Feng Weibao, is now in Guanzhong, serving as a doctor in Xiao Baoyin's Western Expedition Office.
Big families like the Feng family often have the idea of making multiple bets. Now Feng Shu's brother is already serving under Xiao Baoyin. If Feng Shu goes to Liangzhou and joins Su Ze, wouldn't that be the same as hanging himself on a tree?
Who knew that his wife smiled and said: "My dear, you don't know that General Su is not under the command of Duke Danyang, but the successor of General Li Chong."
Feng Shu now understood what his wife meant. Su Ze and Xiao Baoyin were both under the command of King Jiangyang, but they were not from the same faction.
Li Chong is old. If Su Ze is the successor recognized by Li Chong, his future achievements may not be just a small General Anxi.
More importantly, Su Ze now has the right to "appoint local officials", which means he can appoint local officials.
If I could get an official position under him, it would be better than serving as a retainer under Prince Qinghe.
Thinking of this, Feng Shu said, "During the Lantern Festival Poetry Festival, my lady, please ask more about the situation in Liangzhou."
"I understand!"
-
Princess Chenliu returned to Luoyang, but someone wanted to leave Luoyang.
At the Duke of Danyang's mansion, Princess Nanyang's maid was directing strong men to tie up the luggage.
After Xiao Baoyin entered the Pass, he had already set up the Western Expedition Office in Huazhou. When Princess Nanyang heard that her husband had settled down, she went to the palace and asked Empress Dowager Hu to allow her to visit Xiao Baoyin.
Logically speaking, a general like Xiao Baoyin would have his wife and children left in Luoyang as hostages.
But Princess Nanyang was a princess after all, so Empress Dowager Hu thought about it and agreed to her request.
Princess Nanyang could not even wait to stay in Luoyang to celebrate the Lantern Festival, and ordered her people in the palace to pack her luggage and escort her to Guanzhong to reunite with Xiao Baoyin.
In the palace, Princess Chenliu took Princess Nanyang's hand and said, "Sister, do you really want to enter Guanzhong? Guanzhong is in turmoil. Although Duke Danyang is in Huazhou, the journey will be arduous."
Princess Nanyang smiled and said, "Your brother-in-law wrote to me, saying that the enemy army is only causing trouble in Qinzhou now, and the prefectures and counties that have entered the pass are all stable. Besides, there are guards in the palace to protect us, and there are also garrisons in Tongguan, so there will be no problem."
Princess Chenliu was actually a little jealous in her heart. She also wanted to go to Guanxi, but as an unmarried princess, there was really no reason for her to leave Luoyang so far away.
Princess Nanyang continued chatting:
"Sister, have you heard? Juli gave birth to a boy."
Princess Chenliu's expression changed slightly, but she concealed the change in expression very well.
As a well-informed person in Luoyang, how could Princess Chenliu not know about this?
But she got angry when she thought about this. Yuan Juli was Princess Shouyang who was married to the grassland. Princess Chenliu knew very well whose child was in her belly.
Princess Nanyang naturally didn't know these secrets, she still said:
"It will be good if a boy is born. Juli's position in Rouran will be secure. I heard that the Queen Mother is very happy and is preparing to send an envoy to Rouran to comfort the mother and child."
Princess Chenliu could only echo the voice, but she quickly adjusted her mood. The child's status had already been determined: he was the posthumous son of the Rouran King and the current Khan of Rouran.
Besides, Princess Shouyang was far away in the grassland, so there was no need for her to be jealous.
After adjusting her mood, Princess Chenliu said, "Then I can only wish you a safe journey."
Princess Chenliu boarded the carriage back to her palace, feeling annoyed again. She didn't know which woman that bastard was entangled with now! -
Princess Chenliu guessed the scene correctly, but guessed the wrong person.
Now Su Ze was pulling Su Liang to the table, and the scene was very lively.
Just like the messenger sent by the court last time to confer the title of General Anxi on Su Ze, Su Liang also first passed through Gaoping Town from the north of Guanzhong, and after arriving in Jincheng, he met his younger brother Su Chao.
When he heard that Su Ze had led the coalition forces of Hezhou and Liangzhou to Longxi County, Su Liang rushed to Baohan without stopping. After arriving in Baohan, he found out that Su Ze had already arrived in Didao City.
There was no other choice, Su Liang could only continue to carry Xiao Baoyin's token and military order and rush to Didao again.
Xiao Baoyin's order was announced in Didao. In his capacity as the Grand Chancellor of the Western Expedition, he ordered Su Ze to command the military forces of Hezhou and Liangzhou, and to control the troops of Longxi County. He also ordered Su Ze to send troops from Longxi County to attack Qinzhou after the beginning of spring.
Su Ze was naturally overjoyed when he received the order from Su Liang.
Now the official appointment of the Northern Wei Dynasty is still very valuable. Take the local tyrants in Longxi County for example. After hearing that Su Ze has the power to control the troops of Longxi County, their enthusiasm has increased a lot.
Several families who were reluctant to send troops and food immediately sent their best sons to Didao City and brought a large amount of food.
For many local tyrants, things like money, food, and soldiers are important, but not as important as the future.
The logic is very simple. If a family can produce an official at the county level, the family will naturally have land, food, and people, and will immediately become a county-level powerful force.
If a family can produce an official at the level of a provincial governor, the family will immediately own a large amount of land and population and become a prominent family in the state.
For example, as soon as his great-grandfather became the governor of Jizhou, tens of thousands of people followed Zhang Shijun's family to Jizhou to reclaim land.
Among them were naturally some of the Zhang family’s own children, but more were farmhands who had surrendered to the Zhang family.
Now that Zhang Shijun has been appointed as the governor of Jizhou again, his family's farmland in Jizhou has increased a lot, and the number of farmhands who have joined his family has doubled.
These powerful people knew very well that if there were no officials in their family for several generations, the family’s wealth would become fat meat in the eyes of others, and the family would soon decline.
On the other hand, even if the clan members suffered casualties on the battlefield and lost money and food, as long as one of them could be appointed as an official, it would all be worth it.
Su Ze felt a little sour in his heart. After he arrived in Longxi County, he not only repelled the rebels of Mozhe Dike, but also led people to wipe out bandits and quell the rebellion. However, although these families in Longxi County also sent troops and food, they were not very active.
Now that Su Liang has been appointed, these Longxi County families have taken the initiative to send their children here.
But on second thought, this also shows that the laws of the Wei Dynasty are still there.
That’s right. The influence of the orthodox imperial court was still very great. For example, the Eastern Jin Dynasty had become so weak that the Former Liang and Former Yan wanted to become kings and they both had to ask for the Eastern Jin Dynasty’s enthronement.
I am currently the beneficiary of the entire system, so why should I be jealous of these things?
With the coming of troubled times, why should I, a "loyal minister" like myself whose "loyalty cannot be expressed in words", worry about not being able to obtain the justice of the court?
Next is Su Liang.
Su Ze had no intention of letting Su Liang go as this piece of fat meat was delivered to his door. Instead, he affectionately pulled Su Liang to the table to attend today's welcoming banquet.
Su Liang was disillusioned with Xiao Baoyin and had other plans in mind, so he took the opportunity to attend Su Ze's banquet and see Su Ze's abilities with his own eyes.
Although Su Liang had already had a secret conversation with his brother Su Chao about Su Ze when he was in Jincheng, Su Liang still wanted to see it with his own eyes.
After the banquet began, Su Liang finally confirmed his brother Su Chao's judgment that Su Ze was indeed a "heroic leader" worthy of following.
In Longxi County, the sources of various forces are extremely diverse, including aristocratic families like the Longxi Li family, as well as brave but illiterate Han fortress owners.
There are Qiang leaders who have been completely assimilated into the Han culture but are called chiefs, and there are also wild villages that are called Han villages but no one can speak Chinese.
These people have different ideas, different demands, and different styles of doing things, but Su Ze sits firmly on the throne and holds all forces in Longxi County in his hands.
No matter how small the force was, even if Su Liang had never heard of many families, Su Ze could call out the names of the guests and ask them about their family situations with concern.
This kind of interpersonal relationship is something that Xiao Baoyin, the arrogant former royal family of the Southern Dynasty, is unwilling to do.
But by doing this, Su Ze not only showed his closeness, but also showed that he understood the other party's situation very well.
Sure enough, some family heads became panicked when they heard Su Ze knew their situation in detail, and began to wonder if the food they brought this time was a little less?
This small action is not a sophisticated method, but Su Ze is willing to do it, which proves that he really treats Longxi County as his own territory.
Su Liang couldn't help but compare himself with Xiao Baoyin. After Xiao Baoyin entered Guanzhong, he was surrounded by scholars from Guanxi. After arriving in Huazhou, he only approached the officials of Huazhou, and then forcibly requisitioned food and private soldiers from the powerful with the order of the government.
However, Xiao Baoyin treated these good family men from Guanzhong as cannon fodder. Not to mention training them, he even required them to provide their own weapons, horses, armor and food. Arrogance was written all over the military order for conscription.
However, these are just minor tricks, and Su Liang is still observing.
Sure enough, when the banquet was about to reach its climax, Su Ze stood up with his wine glass and said to everyone:
"The rebels are plundering and the people of Longxi County are suffering. Su Ze is also very sad. This cup of wine is for the people who were killed by the rebels."
Everyone lowered their heads, raised their glasses and drank along with Su Ze.
Su Ze continued, "Guanzhong is not at peace. The army I brought can only defend three cities. Bandits are everywhere in the countryside. If this affects the spring ploughing this year, people will starve to death in winter."
Everyone pricked up their ears.
Su Ze's suppression of bandits had some effect, but there were simply too many rebels roaming around in Longxi County.
Moreover, the terrain of Longxi County was complex, and many bandits hid in deep trenches, making it impossible for the army to pursue them.
So after Su Ze wiped out a group of rebels and returned to Didao, and escorted them back to Hezhou to fill Xihai County, he stopped the unified bandit suppression operation and handed over the bandit suppression work to the local soldiers.
Without Su Ze's regular army, the local militia began to be at a disadvantage facing these bandits who survived the survival of the fittest. Now several remote villages have been looted by the bandits.
Su Ze said: "General Xiao asked me to control the troops in Longxi, so I came up with a plan."
Everyone raised their heads and looked at Su Ze, only to hear Su Ze say:
"In addition, the soldiers of Longxi County are all concentrated in Didao, which makes it inconvenient to suppress the bandits, so this general plans to set up Zhechoufu in various places in Longxi County."
Su Liang heard Su Ze's suggestion and compromised?
Cao Wei once established the post of Zhechou General as a miscellaneous general, but the Northern Wei Dynasty had abolished this military position. So what exactly was this Zhechou Mansion?
Su Ze said: "We will set up Zhechongfu in various places, and the children of each village and tribe will be trained in Zhechongfu. When we encounter bandits around, we can lead troops from Zhechongfu to destroy them. This is much faster than sending troops from Didao, Xiangwu and Shouyang every time."
The powerful people in Longxi County below did not express their opinions. The establishment of Zhechoufu would not do them any harm, as they were already sending troops and food anyway.
But Su Ze didn't offer any benefits, so their enthusiasm was not strong.
Su Ze smiled and said:
"The quota of Zhechongfu is 300 people, with one Zhechong Brigade Commander, a military officer, responsible for daily training and suppressing bandits and maintaining public order. Another Sima, attached to the Bingcao of the County Magistrate's Office, is the head of the County Magistrate's Office and is responsible for the logistics of Zhechongfu and the equipment of the arsenal."
"Fifty people form a team, and then there is a team leader. Ten people form a fire, and there is a fire chief."
"If the Qinzhou rebels invade Longxi County again after the spring, we will mobilize all the soldiers in Zhechongfu and merge the officers into our army as before, and grant them official positions in the General's Mansion for their military merits."
When Su Ze made this suggestion, everyone's eyes lit up!
Happy Children's Day!
(End of this chapter)