In order to save food, many princes in the late Han Dynasty had promulgated the "Prohibition of Alcohol" like Liu Bei, but in the end they all ended in failure. This is because the Han Dynasty people are addicted to alcohol, and secondly, many sacrificial activities in the Han Dynasty are indispensable to use wine, and the biggest ceremony is the winter festival that lasts from the winter solstice to the wax sacrifice.

According to the "Legend of Rites", the wax person, the hunter, the field hunted birds and beasts to sacrifice their ancestors. On the third day after the winter solstice, in addition to beating drums to drive away the nu, it is also necessary to sacrifice to the ancestors with sheep, pigs, wine and other sacrifices. Compared with the grand winter ceremony held by the government on the winter solstice, although the scale of the wax sacrifice is not large, it is an important day to maintain the inheritance of the clan. On this day, even those who sold themselves into slavery would secretly find a way to sacrifice their ancestors. Since the second year of Cai Ji's time in the Eastern Han Dynasty, he began to preside over the He Dong and La Sacrifice as a parent official and the head of the Cai family. However, this year's situation is a bit special, considering that he is currently more than seven months pregnant, and his movement is quite inconvenient, Cai Ji entrusted the position of the chief priest of Lari to Cai Yan, and summoned Mrs. Cai into the palace to assist in the ceremony.

It is said that Mrs. Cai was refrigerated by Cai Ji for nearly two years because she planned to pass Liu Cong to Cai Ji. The reason why she was able to be enabled by Cai Ji again this time was mainly due to the blessing of her brother Cai Mao. It turned out that although the Qi Army Navy Division was famous all over the world because of the Battle of Yanjin before, in the final analysis, it was only by relying on the large number of boats and gunpowder to help that they could bully and bully the landlubbers under Yuan Shao's command. If you meet a well-trained Soochow sailor, it is difficult to say whether it will succeed or fail. However, there is a lack of naval generals in the north, and Guan Cheng and others are all pirates. I don't know anything about the orthodox water warfare arrangement. Therefore, considering that Cai Mao had commanded the Jingzhou Naval Division, Cai Ji appointed him as the captain of Changshui and was responsible for training the naval divisions of Longkou Water Village. In order to improve the combat effectiveness of the Qi army's water divisions on rivers and lakes. Cai Mao himself did not disappoint Cai Ji, and under his guidance, it took less than a year for the Qi Army Naval Division to master the "Sun Bin Art of War. "Water Array" in "Ten Arrays", and in September of the same year, he led the sailor to accept Cai Ji's review.

The water array, also known as the water chen, is a battle formation used in water warfare in ancient times. Sun Bin artificially used more infantry in the method of water warfare. Use less chariots and let the troops prepare hooks, rafts, boats, forks, speedboats, oars, boats, and other water warfare equipment. When the fleet is advancing, it must follow the front and back. Don't crowd each other when retreating. Ships can also be side-by-side, down the river, targeting enemy personnel. The reason is not difficult to understand, but it is specific to how to maneuver the ship out of the queue. How to ensure that the ships advance and retreat are not crowded with each other. That depends on the commander's experience. Cai Mao assisted Liu Biao in pacifying Jingzhou in his early years, and he had a lot of experience in water warfare on inland rivers. Seeing that the sailors of the Qi army were advancing and retreating under the command of Cai Mao, and from time to time they combined various battle formations, Cai Ji, who was happy and convinced, gave Cai Mao gold, silver, silk, and satin on the spot, and named him the Marquis of Hanting. And Mrs. Cai was also able to take advantage of the momentum of Cai Mao's rise to re-improve the relationship between her and Cai Ji.

In fact, since Cai Ji and Cao Pi officially married and became pregnant, Mrs. Cai temporarily dispelled the idea of giving her stepson to Cai Ji. Now that she finally got the opportunity to enter the palace again, how dare Mrs. Cai slack off. She not only actively cooperated with Cai Yan to hold a wax festival, but also changed her arrogant and domineering temper in the past and took the initiative to make friends with Lily of the Valley and others.

Mrs. Cai's every move in and out of the palace was all watched by Cai Ji. Of course, she didn't believe that Mrs. Cai would "change her ways" and return to the right. But he will not deliberately suppress the Cai family sisters and brothers. In the final analysis, Cai Ji belongs to the same clan as the Cai family sisters and brothers in blood, and the patriarchal system composed of political power, clan power, divine power, and husband power in a patriarchal society is the foundation of China's feudal imperial system. As long as Cai Ji does not overthrow the feudal monarchy, she will inevitably have to face the patriarchal system of a patriarchal society. In other words, without breaking the patriarchal society, any so-called overthrow of the imperial system will be a change of soup and not a change of medicine. It was not until after forced industrialization that China gradually transitioned from a patriarchal society to a civil society. Cai Ji boasted that he could not break the patriarchal society by himself, so he naturally had to comply with the patriarchal system and support the Cai clan to consolidate his rule. It's just that according to the qualifications of Cai Mao's sisters and brothers, it is already the limit for them to train the water master and hold a festival, and no matter how much they have, they will inevitably be suspected of cronyism. Therefore, Cai Ji deliberately emphasized the existence of the Cai clan on special days such as the Lap Festival.

On the day of the ceremony, Cai Ji did not wait for the east to be white, so he changed into a special chest-length crown dress under the service of Lily of the Valley and others, and rode to the temple to worship his ancestors. Jongmyo is a sojourn established by the ancients in the sun world for the souls of the dead. According to the provisions of the "Book of Rites", "the seven temples of the Son of Heaven, the three Zhao and the three Mu, and the temple of Taizu are seven." Five temples of princes, two Zhao and two Mu, and five temples of Taizu. The three temples of the doctor, one Zhao and one Mu, and the temple of Taizu are three. Shiyi Temple, Shu people sacrifice in bed. "Cai Ji's current rank is second only to the Son of Heaven, so there can be five temples of the Ancestor Temple, the Gaozu Temple, the Great Ancestor Temple, the Ancestral Temple, and the Father Temple, of which the last four are the pro-temple, and the former temple is the first temple. It is also thanks to Cai Yan that he was born in a famous family and is knowledgeable, so that he can sort out the genealogy of the Cai family and trace the ancestor of the Cai family all the way back to Cai Zhong, the grandson of King Wen of Zhou, so that Cai Ji has a glamorous background that stands out from the crowd. You must know that the Sun family of Eastern Wu held back for a long time before finding Sun Wu as an ancestor. And the scribes under Cao Cao can't erase the stain of his family's "redundancy and ugliness" no matter how brilliant they are.

However, at this moment, before Cai Ji's Luan car started, an attendant came to report that it was Duan Emei, a member of the internal guard school, who asked to see him. It is said that since the siege of the White Wolf, the Five Elements Escape Banner has existed in name only, and Duan Emei, who was once the owner of the Fire Escape Banner, is now in charge of the internal guard of the Qi Palace. Knowing that Duan Emei rushed into the palace to see him on the big day of the Lap Festival, Cai Ji didn't dare to slack off. Seeing that she immediately sent someone to summon Duan Emei to the front and asked, "Duan Xiaoshi has entered the palace at this time, can there be something important to report?" ”

Duan Emei stepped forward with an arrow and bowed down to report, "Your Excellency, Qiantong Haoqiang Dong Yue committed chaos and colluded with bandits to invade the township, and Qiantong Ling implored the dispatch of sailors and government soldiers to work together to suppress the bandits. ”

Rebellion at the end of the Han Dynasty was commonplace, and Cai Ji had long been surprised. And Qiantong County is the starting port where Qin Shi Huang sent Xu Fu to bring thousands of boys and girls into the sea to seek Penglai, and it is not surprising that there are many islands around it and pirates. If it's just a transfer of troops to suppress bandits. There is no need for Duan Emei to enter the palace in person to report the news. So Cai Ji didn't talk much nonsense, and directly said to Duan E, "Duan Xiao has something to say." ”

Duan Emei hesitated slightly. Immediately stepped forward and reminded in a low voice, "According to the "Order for the Rectification of the Army", the Nanpi Zhechong Mansion, where the Marquis of Linzi is located, is also among the requisition. ”

Hearing that Cao Pi was about to go on the expedition, Cai Ji subconsciously put her hand on the bulging abdomen, and through the palm of her hand, she could clearly feel the movement of the fetus in the womb, which was the most direct connection between her and Cao Pi, and it was also her most real feeling in the world. If Cai Ji has no feelings for Cao Pi, it is insincere. However, with Cai Ji's current status and position, she can't tolerate her emotionality after all.

Duan Emei saw that Cai Ji was silent, thinking that the female princes in front of her were in a dilemma. So he followed up and said, "Why don't you transfer the Marquis of Linzi from Nanpi Zhechong Mansion?" Or send another government to suppress bandits? ”

Cai Ji shook his head quietly and said, "No need! Qiantong County belongs to Bohai County. It should be up to the Nanpi Zhichong Prefecture to send troops to suppress the bandits. Although the identity of the Marquis of Linzi is noble, the ordinary soldiers are also her husband and his father. If you are alone as the king of a country, you can't be alone. This matter needs no further discussion. Duan Xiao's affairs, do you still have something else to report? ”

Since Cai Ji insisted that his husband take the lead. Duan Emei naturally didn't want to talk more. In fact, she was in a hurry to enter the palace today because she had another urgent report. The rebellion in Qiantong County was just the beginning. I saw Duan Emei then take out a fold from his sleeve and present it to Cai Jidao, "Back to the king, according to the minister's investigation of the Qiantong Rebellion, there is another hidden situation. ”

Cai Ji took the fold and unfolded it, and the expression on his face changed slightly, "It's all verified?" ”

"Absolutely." Duan E replied categorically.

According to Duan Emei's excerpt, the rebellion in Qiantong County was ostensibly caused by the local powerful Dong Yue colluding with pirates to invade the township, but in fact it involved a smuggling network hidden throughout Jizhou, and the people involved were Jizhou officials. There are also Jizhou Haoqiang. Dong Yue only robbed the smuggler's boat before he was detained and charged with making trouble. In turn, the government called for sailors and government soldiers to attack. However, if the facts of the case stop there, it is just a smuggling case of collusion between officials and businessmen. It was not until the name of Zhen Yao, the richest man in Zhongshan, appeared on the excerpt that the nature of the whole case changed qualitatively.

It is said that although salt, iron, wine, and tea are monopolized by the government in Qi State, Zhen Yao, as the initial investor of Longkou Port, already enjoys various franchises in Qi State. Therefore, it is absolutely unconvincing to say that the richest man in Zhongshan participated in smuggling for money. However, when thinking of Zhen Yao's sister who was a concubine in the Wei Palace, some things are not difficult to understand. Obviously, while the officials and the arrogant are seeking wealth, their handles are also in the hands of the initiators of the smuggling network, and when the time is ripe, the other party will definitely take this opportunity to shake Jizhou and even the entire Qi court. may even take advantage of the situation to bite Tai Shici.

"When the spring rains, the thunder begins to send to the east, and the stingers are terrifying, and the grass and trees are vertical and horizontal." Cai Jiwu, who was moved, gasped deeply and said, "Doctor Yihua estimates that the due date of the orphan may be stinging. ”

Duan Emei also thought at first that the smuggling case in Jizhou was just a little tricky for Zhen Yao. At this moment, after listening to what Cai Ji said, she also saw her suspicions, and couldn't help but be shocked, "The king's intention ......"

Cai Ji raised his hand to interrupt Duan Emei's words, and immediately ordered in a deep voice, "This case and the Qiantong Rebellion are all handed over to Guo Shangshu to deal with, and you continue to follow the vine to touch the melon, and check the snow for Lone, but there are still snakes and rats dormant!" ”

Cao Pi, who was far away in Nanpi, didn't know that with Cai Ji's order, he was about to face the first big battle since the decentralization of the Zhichong Mansion. At present, he is using the pseudonym "Cao Xu" to train recruits in Nanpi Zhechong Province. According to the "Model Order" issued by the Ministry of War, the first three months after enlisting in the army were mainly for queue training, that is, "five people are in the army, two troops are in line, and five lines are in columns" to form a phalanx, so that "the flag is left and left, the right is right, the drum advances, the gold is heard, the drum is not allowed to retreat, and the gold is not allowed to cross without permission." ”

Influenced by the later Ming and Qing Zhanghui novels and various storytelling and opera arts, many people mention the ancient Chinese army, and what they think of is either all kinds of tricks, or the two armies are fighting against the generals alone. In fact, since ancient times, China has attached great importance to the training of the army, emphasizing military discipline and cooperation. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, the soldier saint Sun Wu had trained more than 100 palace maids to line up to prove his strength to King Wu, and beheaded the two concubines of King Wu to correct military discipline, thus leaving an allusion to killing the concubine and worshipping the general. Qi Jiguang, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty, also emphasized that "training must be the first thing in battle" and opposed learning "flower guns" and "vain support of empty frames in order to look good in front of people".

Cao Pi's training in Zhichong Mansion was no easier than Sun Wu's training of palace maids. It must be known that most of the soldiers in Zhichong Prefecture are from peasant backgrounds, some of them are illiterate, some cannot count, and some are even stupid and can't even tell the difference between left and right. Although the Qi army has a clear rule that it is not allowed to beat and scold soldiers at will, once it is on the battlefield, the military order becomes "the drum must be done, the gold must be stopped, the order must be carried out, the ban must be stopped, and those who violate the order must be beheaded". So whether it was for his own future or for the sake of the lives of his recruits, Cao Pi had to train the team with twelve points of spirit. Fortunately, he had already established a certain prestige among the recruits by teaching Ge Heiniu and others a lesson, and then wrote several letters to his family for the team members. With the combination of grace and power, the training was finally put on the right track. Now, after three months of hard work, Cao Pi's team was finally able to form a phalanx after the beginning of spring, and did the most basic drumming and stopping.

After completing the routine queue training on this day, Cao Pi stayed in the school field as usual to instruct the recruits on some commonly used fist and foot kung fu. When demonstrating how to counter the capture, out of the corner of his eye, he happened to catch a glimpse of Liu Tong, the team leader, and a gray-clothed man with a roe head and rat eyes hurrying through the school yard and walking straight to the gate. It is said that Cao Pi is a person who must repay in his bones. Since Liu Tong tried to give him a beating that day, he has secretly competed with this top boss. So at this moment, whether it was vigilance or prejudice, Cao Pi, who faintly felt that something was wrong, couldn't help but subconsciously stop the demonstration, and then stared at Liu Tong's back intently.

Seeing this, Li Harizi on the side hurriedly stepped forward like a dog to explain Cao Pi's confusion and said, "The man in gray is Chen San from Dongshi, and when he comes to find Liu Teamzheng at this hour, he must go to Dongshi to eat and drink." (To be continued......)