A few days later, Sima Yi sent people to Dunhuang County to inquire about the news and learned that Zhuge Liang was still preparing to investigate the matter.

He seemed to want to find out where this matter had spread, who was doing it, who was profiting from it, and to find out some crucial answers.

It seems that Zhuge Liang really has the idea of stabbing this matter to the Luoyang Third Division, letting Luoyang directly intervene, and attacking this force in Liangzhou to reduce the dimensionality.

If this matter is known to the three divisions of Luoyang, of course the emperor will know, and if the emperor knows, according to the emperor's temperament, the officialdom of Liangzhou will inevitably suffer a serious blow.

After that, Sima Yi also sent someone to secretly investigate the matter within the scope of Guangzhi County, and after about seven or eight days, Sima Yi also had a general understanding of the construction site situation in Guangzhi County.

Then, Sima Yi locked himself in his room for a day and a night.

I didn't eat food, I didn't drink water, Zhang's skin was worn out, and Sima Yi didn't eat or drink, so it was like this for a day and a night.

Then early the next morning, as if Sima Yi had figured out something, he rushed to the kitchen to heat up the food by himself, ate two bowls of gruel, and patted her on the back vigorously with Zhang, who rushed to hear the news.

"I'll come when I go, don't worry, wait here for me to come back."

"What are you going to do?"

Zhang was a little nervous and hugged Sima Yi.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal, it's just something that will be safe after doing it, and if you don't get it right, it's also the beginning of our family's prosperity."

"Soaring? What do you mean? What are you going to do? I don't want you to soar, I want you to live! ”

After all, the Zhang family is also from an official family, and her petite body hugged Sima Yi harder, she seemed to realize what Sima Yi was going to do, and she felt uneasy about it.

Sima Yi took a deep breath.

"If I don't fly Huang Tengda, I can't live, our whole family can't live, I fly Huang Tengda, just to live better, believe me."

After speaking, Sima Yi broke free of Zhang's embrace, led a horse out, changed into a cloth coat by himself, and went out of the back door of the government to the county seat, all the way to the direction of Yumen Pass.

He's going to visit a special person.

A person who is not in his position and does not want to seek politics himself, but who can play a major role.

Cao Ren.

Before, he and Zhuge Liang accompanied the Zhuang Ding to the Yumen Pass road construction site, where they met Cao Ren, who happened to be working, and learned that Cao Ren would come to the construction site to help when he had nothing to do, and do what he could.

Sima Yi knew that Cao Ren could always be found on the construction site, as long as he inquired a little.

Then he inquired about Cao Ren's location and went to meet him.

"Are you...... The county magistrate of Guangzhi County, Sima Zhongda? ”

Cao Ren, who was dressed in coarse cloth and short beats, had an impression of Sima Yi and the Sima family.

At that time, Cao Cao told him about the Sima family's request for him to do something, and he also knew the past of Sima Fang and Cao Cao, and knew that Sima Fang had helped Cao Cao and gave Cao Cao very important help.

"Yes, the lower official is the county magistrate Sima Yi, General Cao, the lower official is here, there is something important to discuss with General Cao."

"Consult with me?"

Cao Ren smiled: "I am the general with the troops, you are the county magistrate, what important things do you and I need to discuss?" Even if I want to discuss, I will discuss it with the people at the staff station, not with you, County Magistrate Sima, if there is anything, you should discuss it with the Dunhuang County Guard. ”

After speaking, Cao Ren waved his hand to let Sima Yi leave.

What are you kidding, the county magistrate of one of your administrative systems has something to discuss with me?

Could it be that he wants to find Meng De through me, and has other plans?

Don't, I'm begging you, it's better for you to go directly to Meng Dedu than to come to me.

I'm a soldier who leads a war and has something to do with you, do you think I will be clear about this matter in the future?

Although the official position is small, the matter is big, and if this kind of thing sets a precedent, it will be difficult to stop it.

Once you can't take it, it's not just one person who is unlucky in the end.

In today's situation, Guo Peng's binding force and requirements for officials are getting higher and higher, and there is a danger of death in political struggles, let alone other aspects.

The military system is even more dangerous, and if it is discovered, it has something to do with the administrative system......

I didn't have it before, but if I had, I don't know what would have happened.

Anyway, Cao Ren is definitely not willing to set a precedent for this matter.

He grew up with Guo Peng since he was a child, and he knew how strong and demanding this former big man and His Majesty the current Emperor were, so Cao Ren didn't dare to disobey Guo Peng's request at all.

Not to mention this kind of thing.

Once someone grabs the handle, add oil and vinegar to a guy......

If you don't want to die, I'll die!

But Sima Yi really didn't come here for this kind of thing!

"General Cao, the lower officials are here, there is really something very important to say to General Cao!"

Sima Yi lowered his voice and said straight to the point: "General Cao, do you know that in the place where General Cao can't see, what are the road builders eating?" They're eating salted water mixed with wheat rice! ”

Cao Ren was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned his head and looked at Sima Yi with a surprised face.

"What do you say? What is bibimbap? ”

"It's cooked wheat rice with a spoonful of salt water, this is the food of the road builders, they only have two meals a day to eat, but they have to do so much physical work!"

Sima Yi took a step closer to Cao Ren and shouted in a low voice.

Cao Ren was even more surprised.

"What are you talking about? His Majesty stipulates three meals a day, wheat rice and pickles, and one meal of meat every five days! This is specially ordered by His Majesty! It's Your Majesty's kindness! People on the road construction site are eating like this, right under my nose, do you think someone dares to mess around? ”

Cao Ren never felt that something could go wrong with what he saw with his own eyes.

He didn't think anything like that would happen either.

But Sima Yi clearly told him that something was wrong.

"But His Majesty's kindness is regarded by some as an opportunity to be greedy for ink! General Cao, you are only here, you can only see one construction site, but in places you can't see, there are such ink-greedy bastards everywhere! I don't know how many people are feeding on bibimbap! ”

Sima Yi licked his lips and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty's regulations are to let the army participate in the construction of each section of the road construction site, not only to be responsible for public security, but also to let the Huotou army cook for the people on the construction site, but there are not so many people in the army at all, and it cannot be fully rolled out."

General Cao could only send people to garrison the key road sections, and sent troops and fire head troops to join the project in the key road sections, but only 176 of the 572 section road construction sites in the four counties of Hexi were dispatched troops.

The rest is managed by the state and county governments themselves! Herein lies the problem! Breaking away from the constraints of the army, these people can easily do something with the materials, and the road builders are basically illiterate, and it is impossible to know the standards of the imperial court for them, which gives people the opportunity to exploit loopholes! ”

Cao Ren frowned and looked at Sima Yi.

"Go on."

"The lower officials don't know whether the construction sites managed by the state and county governments are all greedy for ink, and they don't know if there are no greedy people on the construction sites where the army participates.

However, as far as the lower officials could see, on the construction sites in Dunhuang County and Guangzhi County without the participation of the army, the road builders only had two meals a day, one gruel and one salt water mixed with wheat rice.

In some places, the officials are so bastards that they don't even give enough salt water! So much so that the road builders asked the county officials to help them intercede with the management officials, and give a little more salt water for bibimbap! ”

Sima Yi took a deep breath; "General, does Your Majesty know about this matter? The general does not have enough manpower to participate in all the road construction sites, does Your Majesty know? Does Your Majesty know that more than half of the road construction sites have to be managed by the state and county governments themselves? ”

Listening to what Sima Yi said, Cao Ren pursed his lips and was speechless for a while.

After Cao Ren straightened out his train of thought and realized that what Sima Yi said was very serious, he replied to Sima Yi.

"Your Majesty knows that there are only 50,000 troops in Liangzhou, and many places have to be garrisoned, and daily training cannot be interrupted, and there is still a war going on north of Jiuquan, and there are not enough people to participate in road construction, Your Majesty knows about this matter, and I also told Your Majesty that the solution is the current way."

"Then does Your Majesty know about these things that are greedy for ink?"

Sima Yi asked again: "Or can the general guarantee that there is no corruption of ink at all on the road construction site of the 176th section in which the army participates?" In all the construction sites, how many people are greedy for ink, and how many people are law-abiding? ”

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

Cao Ren looked at Sima Yi with a solemn face: "What do you want to say when you come here and tell General Ben about this matter?" What exactly do you mean? Sima Zhongda! ”

A strong force rushed towards him, and Sima Yi felt trembling in his heart because of this.

He knew that the general in front of him was the first general of the Wei Empire who commanded thousands of troops and horses, defeated countless enemies, and killed the enemy without counting.

The only insurmountable No. 2 person in the Wei Army who is recognized by everyone.

Even if Guo Peng has this kind of restrictions on the army, and there are many rotation rules and rules, Cao Ren's prestige still cannot be eliminated so easily.

Just as Guo Peng has not led the army to fight for a long time, but he is still in the Wei army.

He immediately lowered his head, not daring to face Cao Ren directly.

"Zhuge Liang, the general should know, Dunhuang County Magistrate, Zhuge Liang."

"Well, I know, you saw me when you came with him to transport the people."

Cao Ren nodded.

"Yes, it is him, his brother Zhuge Jin, who is serving as the right attendant of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the court, and this position was promoted by Zhang Zhao, the new secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs."

Sima Yi clenched his fists and shouted in a low voice: "This matter was discovered by Zhuge Liang, he has already started an investigation, and has found a lot of corruption and perversion of the law on the construction site, and is ready to report this matter to the three divisions of the imperial court for knowing." ”

Cao Ren was stunned for a moment, and his heart was quite shocked.

"What you said is true?"

"Really."

"Why did you tell General Ben?"

"Because the lower officials feel that the matter is big, once this matter is big, from the place to Luoyang, I am afraid that there will not be few people involved, the imperial court has just experienced a big change at the beginning of the year, and now there will be another change, the impact is really too great."

"That's it?"

Cao Ren looked at Sima Yi: "There is no other reason? ”

"Yes."

Sima Yi nodded: "Cao Shoufu has a great favor to my Sima clan, which means that the Cao clan has a great favor to my Sima clan, once this matter is known by the imperial court, once the review begins, the Cao clan is very likely to be implicated, this is an opportunity for the Sima clan to repay the favor to the Cao clan!" ”

Cao Ren took a deep breath, spit out slowly, and stared at Sima Yi for a long time, and Sima Yi was covered in hair.

After a long time, Cao Ren nodded slightly.

After a little thought, he made a decision.

"I don't know about this matter, but I will send someone to verify whether this matter is true or not, but my identity is special, and I can only investigate in the army, and I can't participate in the affairs of the state and county governments, only you can participate.

Chen Envoy Jun and Mao Envoy Jun, they both provided great assistance when our army marched into Liangzhou and the Western Regions, and the heart of serving the country and the people is undoubted. ”

Cao Ren looked at Sima Yi like this, and Sima Yi quickly understood what he should do next.