Three Kingdoms

During the process of Zhang Liao's arrival, although no one came to Zhang Liao to raise any questions, Zhang Liao himself had already felt an aura of distrust, which seemed to have begun to spread around him.

This is a very dangerous signal.

Soldiers are the ones who hold the sword.

Rangers also hold knives, and even butchers hold knives.

They all hold swords, but only the military is the only profession that is approved by the state and takes pride in killing people.

The knife is held in the hand, either killing or being killed.

The army is a murderous place.

In troubled times, human life is of little importance, and someone will die for the slightest reason.

The knife was originally controlled by people, but after killing many people, it may have become a habit, killing people like hemp. My mind was stuck, and I didn't even think about it. In the end, it really turned into a knife.

If Lu Bu was just a sword, there might not be too many worries, but the problem is that Lu Bu can't just be a sword. He is the Protector of the Western Regions, and he has other responsibilities...

If Zhang Liao had not stayed in Hanzhong for a period of time before and had not served in a place where Hanzhong had experienced this period of time, perhaps it would not be clear to Zhang Liao that for a region, there would be so many troublesome things in terms of people's livelihood and government affairs. . This is still in a relatively well-established area like Hanzhong, but in the Western Regions...

If it’s difficult to do, don’t do it.

In other words, I wanted to do it, but I didn’t do it well.

It's all a dereliction of duty.

And dereliction of duty is enough to become a reason.

Although Fei Qian did not show any doubts about Lu Bu, when Li Dian suddenly appeared in Hanzhong, took his place, and asked Zhang Liao to go to Guanzhong, Zhang Liao knew that there was already a big problem...

This is not just a matter for Lu Bu alone, just like being the Great Protector of the Western Regions is more than just a simple position.

Lu Bu's every move will not only affect the Western Regions, but also affect the Xiliang Army with a large number of Bingzhou soldiers, as well as other people who know Lu Bu...

For example, Zhang Liao himself.

Zhang Liao sighed deeply.

Zhang Liao would not have made a joke in front of the Hussar that it was Lu's business and how it had anything to do with Zhou, and the Bingzhou Army and the Xiliang Army were not a matter of one or two people.

When there are many people, it definitely cannot be a small matter.

If the worst happens, the impact will not only be on Lu Bu himself, but also on the 20,000 or so Hussar troops, old and new Bingzhou soldiers and Xiliang soldiers!

Zhang Liao understood that this was basically a problem caused by Lu Bu. If Lu Bu hadn't been quite prestigious among the Bingzhou Army and the Xiliang Army, and had certain meritorious deeds, if it had been anyone else, he might have been caught or even killed. .

How to better solve this problem?

Not only for Lu Bu, not just for Zhang Liao, but also for other Bingzhou and Xiliang soldiers scattered in other places...

For this reason, Zhang Liao did not even dare to bring his troops to Chang'an to show his absolute loyalty, in order to avoid the suspicion that Zhang Liao wanted to do something with his troops.

Fortunately, when Zhang Liao arrived at Chang'an Sanfu, the worst case scenario of him being arrested immediately did not occur. Instead, he seemed to be very calm. However, Zhang Liao also heard that the Western Region Protector was going to attack Chigu again, and even wanted to fight. The news of arriving in Dawan made Zhang Liao's slightly calmer mood tighten again.

Lu Bu's move can be said to be the opening of the border, but of course it can also be said to be other unclear things. Therefore, the situation of the entire Bingzhou Army and the Xiliang Army is still a bit delicate.

Although it is said that even Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, or other generals may not be said to completely represent the Bingzhou Army and the Xiliang Army, perhaps even if Lu Bu or Zhang Liao die, they may not necessarily be buried with many people. , but the meaning of death itself can already explain a lot, and it will also make many people feel uneasy, and it is inevitable that there will be various turmoils.

Nowadays, the Huqi have been consolidating various places. From Guanzhong to Hanzhong, from Longxi to Hedong, from Mobei to southern Sichuan, they are almost consolidating themselves, especially in the outer areas of these areas to expand and integrate surrounding neighbors. , this may mean that the Husband's tolerance for small actions is constantly decreasing, and its requirements for local stability and development are also continuing to increase.

So, under such circumstances, is it necessary for Lu Bu to enter Chigu for the second time and conquer Dawan?

Zhang Liao didn't know, but Zhang Liao knew that Qiusi had given the position of "Great Protector" a very high degree of tolerance.

But behind this tolerance, there must also be a corresponding higher level of trust.

The Northern Territory Chief Protector, also known as Zhao Yun, sends personnel to Chang'an to submit annual reports almost every year, and Zhao Yun's deputy is also changed once. It is said that a group of middle-level military academy non-commissioned officers return to Chang'an every year for training. These middle- and lower-level military academy non-commissioned officers, after training, are either assigned to other areas or go back again.

As for the Protector of the Western Regions, since Li Ru's death, it seems...

While he was lost in thought, Xu Chu came out and expressed his invitation.

Xu Chu is covered in armor, which should be the latest version. In addition to strengthening some of the previous weak points, it seems that some different patterns have been added to the armor. Especially when Xu Chu turned his back and led the way, there was a pattern on the back of the helmet and the back of the armor. Very obvious pattern.

Xu Chu led Zhang Liao to the hall and shouted his names. Soon Fei Qian's voice came out, "Please." 』

Zhang Liao bowed and walked into the festival hall, bowed his head and saluted, "I will see my lord at the end!" 』

Fei Qian smiled slightly, asked Zhang Liao to excuse himself, and then motioned for Zhang Liao to sit aside.

Seeing the slightly reserved look in Zhang Liao's eyes, Fei Qian understood clearly.

Zhang Liao is not like Lu Bu, he is smarter than Lu Bu.

Since you are smarter, there is no need to say stupid things.

After Fei Qian inquired and exchanged some basic words, he asked directly: "Wenyuan, do you think Feng Xian was able to bring peace to the Western Regions?" 』

Zhang Liao's heart suddenly jumped.

If Lu Bu is indeed a top-notch expert on the battlefield, almost no one can deny this. But in terms of civil affairs, if Lu Bu is said to be third-rate, it is really flattering him.

Because someone like Lu Bu has neither experienced the career of a local official nor undertaken any specific work in the central administrative department... It is no exaggeration to say that this guy with a full force value may have a political value in the way of maneuvering. If you fail, it may even be much lower than the average general.

What Fei Qian asked was not victory, nor the conquest of Chigu or Dayuan, but Jingping.

War can gain something, but destroy much more.

Zhang Liao didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Fei Qian pondered for a moment, and then did not force Zhang Liao to answer. Instead, he stood up and said, "Wen Yuan, come with me." 』

Xu Chu ordered his guards and left the Husband's office. The group headed straight for the labor camp.

In the early days, those who worked in the labor camps were basically Xianbei and Qiang people, and now some of those people have survived the labor stage, escaped from the status of slaves, and are moving towards the direction of Han residents.

These early laborers who had escaped from slavery basically lived near the labor camps. On the one hand, these guys who have escaped from the labor camp are very familiar with the work in the labor camp, so they have become helpers hired by the labor camp in turn, and can share some work for the Han people. On the other hand, they are also a demonstration template for the new labor camp. , so that the new slaves will not feel that there is no hope at all, so that unnecessary problems will arise.

Except for a small number of war criminals or criminals with heinous crimes, who are sent to more dangerous jobs such as mining and quarrying, normal labor is actually harder and less dangerous, and they also have to eat and drink every day. Dedicated personnel will be responsible to ensure that these labor forces will not be harmed as much as possible.

When they were about to arrive near the labor camp, soldiers had already notified the officials of the labor camp. The labor camp steward hurriedly came to greet Fei Qian.

Zhang Liao didn't understand what Fei Qian meant, so he could only guess secretly.

Fei Qian didn't say anything more to the labor camp steward, but directly asked the labor camp steward to lead him to the labor camp's kitchen.

"No gift. ” Fei Qian waved to the busy cooks and cooks in the kitchen, “They are all busy with their own business. 』

The kitchen in the labor camp is a semi-permanent earthen house. The food should be stored in the house, and the stove is built under the shed outside the earthen house. There is a row of more than a dozen large cauldrons, simmering something with hot air. steaming.

On the other side of the cauldron, there is a fire pit similar to baking buns. The cook is pasting some black and gray pancakes inside, and then taking out the baked pancakes, repeating the cycle.

Fei Qian asked Xu Chu to get a baked black cake, then broke off a small half, and handed the rest to Zhang Liao.

Zhang Liao took the black pancake and looked at Fei Qian, wondering what it meant.

"Try it. 』

Fei Qian said to Zhang Liao, and then Fei Qian broke off a smaller piece of the black pancake in his hand and threw it into his mouth.

Black cake is made from aged wheat, millet, etc., and contains coarse things such as wheat bran. Not only does it taste very little wheat flavor, but also the coarse wheat bran, although it can be stimulated after baking. It smelled like some food, but it still couldn't cover up the bad taste, like biting into rough sawdust.

In order to give the "saw chips" a slight flavor, coarse salt is usually added when kneading the dough to make cakes, and some fish meal is also added. Fish meal is made from sun-dried small river fish. The powder is grinded from head to tail. It has a fishy smell, which also gives the black cake some extra flavor.

But it will still belong to the ranks of dark cuisine...

The soup in the cauldron is basically an ordinary wild vegetable soup. There will be a lot of wild vegetables growing in spring, and there are also special laborers responsible for picking them in the Qinling Mountains.

"This thing is really unpalatable..." Fei Qian didn't express any intention of trying the wild vegetable soup. He just swallowed the small piece of black cake in his mouth and pointed at the busy factories in the distance. The laborer said, "Not everyone can eat black cakes like this in ordinary people's homes... These labors are strenuous and they work longer than ordinary farmers every day. If you can't eat black cakes like this, It's unbearable... Of course, we can also save these expenses, but... Wenyuan, what do you think will happen after this? 』

Zhang Liao just took a bite of the black cake. It was obvious that the piece he took was larger than what Fei Qian had broken off, and it was not served with soup. Naturally, he had difficulty swallowing. When Fei Qian asked, he wanted to speak again, but there was something in his mouth. There was powder, so he coughed twice, which made Fei Qian laugh and signal Xu Chu to give Zhang Liao a water bag.

Xu Chu took off the water bag from his waist and handed it to Zhang Liao. He took the remaining black cakes from Fei Qian and Zhang Liao, threw them back into the hands of the labor camp steward, and then asked the steward to go away.

If Fei Qian had been allowed to eat these rough foods in the early years to win over the morale of the army and the people, Fei Qian would have been able to eat it, but now there is no need for it, and he really can't eat it anymore.

It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

Zhang Liao drank the water and finally swallowed the food in his mouth. "At the beginning, you may be able to survive the labor, but later on you will gradually weaken and die..."

Fei Qian nodded, "That's right. Even if we ignore the issue of grievances, once too many people die during labor service, morale and military morale will inevitably be shaken. At that time, there will either be riots or a large number of deaths, and then we will be forced to invest more. There will be more soldiers in the army, or new laborers will be captured...and if they are still not fed, the new laborers will not be able to withstand the heavy work for long..."

Fei Qian turned to Zhang Liao and asked, "If the cycle continues as we just said, what will it mean in the end?" 』

Zhang Liao nodded, "Rebellion, endless rebellion." 』

"Not only that, the rebellion will also cause all the things that were built before to be destroyed again. Fei Qian nodded and said, "This is just labor...the most basic labor, which carries the heaviest workload...if it goes further up, such as the ordinary people in the markets and shops in Chang'an Lingyi, What would happen if they were allowed to continue eating black cakes and wild vegetable soup for the rest of their lives? 』

"This..." Zhang Liao was stunned. He seemed to realize something, and somewhat understood why Fei Qian brought him here.

"Zoom in a little further, to Guanzhong Sanfu, or even the whole world," Fei Qian raised his hand and drew a larger circle in the air, "If the people of the world find that they eat poorly every day, they will be If they are so poor, even their children will have to eat poor food or worse food for the rest of their lives. They will have to work continuously without any savings or property. They can only work until they can no longer work. Death is upon us... Wen Yuan, do you think this kind of life is still far away from another Yellow Turban Rebellion? Was the Yellow Turban Rebellion the fault of the emperor, the ministers, the local governor, the rural nobles, or the common people? 』

Zhang Liao was speechless.

Fei Qian glanced at Zhang Liao.

Even though Fei Qian came from later generations, he only knew the concept of "people's needs" at first. Only now, as the leader of the Shanxi political group, did he understand the true meaning of it more deeply. connotation.

Of course, this thing is easier said than done whether it is in the Han Dynasty or later generations.

Similar words, such as "The king is the boat, the common man is the water." "Water can carry a boat, and water can overturn it." However, if one really only considers the unilateral control and rule of the people, then he must have fallen into a metaphysical trap.

The labor camps can be regarded as the lowest level of the population at present, but even the people in the labor camps have their own needs, not to mention the current common people in other classes.

Do laborers know what they are trying to build? Or where did the bricks and stones produced in the workshops of the labor camps go? Obviously these labors are not clear, just like the common people among the Han people are not clear about the meaning of their labor, future direction, etc., but this does not prevent them from needing the most basic survival needs, food, clothing, and clothing, as well as a A stable and orderly living environment.

The same is true for the Western Regions.

If the people in the Western Regions find that Lu Bu cannot bring them a stable life and continuous development, they will inevitably have some complaints. These complaints are piled up like firewood under the Protectorate of the Western Regions, waiting for a little bit of help. The fire will burn brightly. But Lu Bu didn't even think about how to calm down his resentment and clean up the firewood, but brazenly started a war.

"Do you understand now? Fei Qian said to Zhang Liao, "Chang'an and the Western Regions are just like the two sides of the Wei River, and Longyou in Hexi Province is a bridge over the Wei River. Today, the bridge is still there, but the foundation stone on the other side of the Wei River has begun to collapse... Wen Yuan , among the generals, you know Fengxian best. In your opinion, can Fengxian still be able to repair the cornerstone of this bridge? 』

Zhang Liao pondered for a moment, then raised his hands and said, "My lord, please allow me to go to the Western Regions..."

Fei Qian frowned slightly, "Why?" 』

Zhang Liao lowered his head and said: "I have been separated from Fengxian for a long time, and I don't know the changes in the Western Region... If I say it lightly here, wouldn't I be living up to my lord's intention to come here..." In the labor camp, the majority are barbarians. In the Western Regions, there are also mostly Hu people, and they are all ruled by Han people. If they cannot feed and clothe them, there will be chaos and the destruction of the place. Then it will be like the old thing of the Western Qiang. After years of going back and forth, the national power will be exhausted and there will be no solution... I sincerely request your lord's permission to go to the Western Regions to make a powerful statement, and to support you before you get lost..."

Fei Qian was silent for a long time, and finally nodded slowly, "Good." 』

Zhang Liao didn't say what would happen if he couldn't be saved, and Fei Qian didn't ask either.

Because both of them know that some mistakes can be rectified, but some mistakes are difficult to fix.