In troubled times, people have their own places to go.

After leaving Bazhong, the caravan that was moving forward emptied most of its cargo and lost dozens of accompanying personnel.

Two of the five scholars also parted ways with Ning Ji and the others here. The remaining "promising" Lu Wenke, "respect for the gods" Fan Heng, and the occasional "cold-faced" Chen Junsheng made an appointment to go a long distance together, and then enter Dai Mengwei's territory after passing through Bazhong, and then go east along the Han River.

Leaving Bazhong and heading north, the caravan sold all its goods in the next county town. Theoretically, this is the end of their journey, and Ning Ji and Lu Wenke and the others will either find the next caravan to partner with, or go on the road. However, in the evening of this day, the boss of the caravan found them in the inn, saying that he had taken a good job temporarily, and that he would also go to Dai Mengwei's territory next, and he would still be able to walk with them for a while.

For more than a month, the two sides became acquainted, and Lu Wenke and others gladly accepted this, and they would rather be jealous. So on the fifth day of the sixth month, the team, which had dozens of horses and more than 90 people, carried some goods and some passengers on the same road, gathered 100 people, and headed east along the winding mountain road.

Among the new passengers, there were also two scholars, and they soon became acquainted with Lu Wenke and others, and the "rotten Confucian" team returned to five people, chattering around Ning Ji every day. As for Wang Jiang and Wang Xiuniang, who were playing monkey shows, their father and daughter were still moving forward with the team at this time, and everyone was more familiar with each other, walking on the mountain road during the day and chatting over a bonfire at night, the average-looking but athletic Wang Xiuniang was also able to say a few more witty words with Lu Wenke and others.

The vicinity of Bazhong is still mountainous, and if you go north, you will eventually reach the edge of the Han River and enter Hanzhong, which is ruled by the Chinese army. It is not easy to travel east along the rugged mountain road, but after crossing Yonecang Mountain, you will enter the hinterland of the area ruled by Dai Mengwei at this time.

Recently, the situation is special, and there are several times more merchants taking this east-west mountain road than in previous years, but except for a very small number of locals, most of them are profit-seeking businessmen with their own special purposes and demands, such as Lu Wenke, Fan Heng, Chen Junsheng, these scholars who consider "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles" and therefore plan to go to the back of Dai Mengwei's territory to see, are a minority of the few.

In fact, before they crossed the Han River, crossed the Jianmen Pass, and arrived in the southwest, Lu Wenke, Fan Heng and others did not have the consciousness to wander around, and it was only after staying in the hustle and bustle of Chengdu for several months that these few scholars were ready to take a look at the whole picture of the world in a relatively harsh environment.

Of course, for these things in the middle, Ning Ji is even more unclear at the moment, his current policy is still to endure humiliation in the name of Long Aotian. It's just that in the last few days, I can vaguely feel the subtle changes in the tone of several scholars when they talk and chat.

When these scholars were in the territory of the Huaxia Army, they talked about many major events in the world, and most of them were high-spirited and arrogant, and from time to time they pointed out that there were various inappropriateness in the territory of the Huaxia Army. However, after entering Bazhong, it seems that the scene of loudly pointing out the country gradually decreased, and many times compared the scene outside with the two of the Huaxia army, and most of them reluctantly admitted that the Huaxia army was indeed powerful, although it was inevitable to add a few words of "However ......" after this, but these "However ......" were much quieter than when they were on the side of the Jianmen Pass.

It is not a time when the world of the Wu Dynasty has not been too peaceful, but such a dream-like scene was more than ten years ago. The arrival of the Jurchens destroyed the illusion of the Central Plains, even if there were several years of peace and prosperity in the south of the Yangtze River, but the short-term prosperity could not really hide the humiliation of the fall of the Central Plains and the fear of the Jurchens.

The Jurchens' fourth southward march really brought about a catastrophe in which the entire Wu Dynasty fell apart, but in the later stage of this catastrophe, the Huaxia army, which had always been on the edge, came out of nowhere, defeating the Jurchens' most powerful Western Route Army, and bringing them too much shock.

These scholars mustered up the courage to go to the southwest and saw the development and prosperity of Chengdu. This kind of prosperity is not actually what touches them the most, but what really makes them feel helpless is that there are theories and statements behind this prosperity that they cannot understand and are incompatible with the prosperity of the past. These statements make them feel vain and uneasy, and in order to counter this uneasiness, they can only make loud noises and try to argue their worth.

However, after really leaving the land in the southwest, what they need to face is a broken mountain and river after all.

What's the use of continuing to speak loudly?

These things, for Ning Ji, can only be seen clearly when he thinks back a few years later.

……

“…… However, the biggest problem of the Huaxia Army, in my opinion, is still that it cannot get soldiers. ”

At the moment when the caravan passed through the mountains and set up camp on the roadside in the evening to make a fire, Fan Heng and the others continued this discussion. It seems that they have realized that they have left the southwest, so they want to summarize what they have seen and heard before at a time when their memories are still deep, and the discussion of the past two days has deepened some places that they have not originally elaborated.

“…… I went to the southwest for a few months, all kinds of things were dazzling, the market was drunk with money, and all kinds of news on the newsprint were also eye-opening, but what you were most concerned about was, to put it bluntly, not the system of taking scholars in the southwest. I've been to the so-called civil servant examination once, have you ever been there? ”

The middle-aged Confucian named Fan Heng talked about this, looked at the few people around him, Chen Junsheng smiled inscrutable with a cold face, Lu Wenke shook his head, and the other two scholars were humane: "I took the second class." Someone said: "It's okay." Fan Heng also smiled.

"On the day of the exam, not long after entering the venue, two candidates tore up the papers, scolding that the papers were not comprehensible, they had studied the scriptures all their lives, and had never seen such a vulgar system of taking scholars, and then they were invited out by the examination room personnel. To be honest, although he had prepared before, he never expected that Mr. Naning would do it so thoroughly...... The examination of five subjects, the so-called language, mathematics, science, Ge, and Shen, overturned all what Confucian scholars had learned in the past, and it is no wonder that everyone then made a big fuss on the newsprint......

Fan Heng said, shaking his head and sighing. Lu Wenke said: "After all, the two subjects of language and argumentation have something to do with what my generation has learned. ”

"Brother Lu's words are also fallacious." A scribe next to him also shook his head, "My generation has been studying and studying for decades, from literacy and learning to the Four Books and Five Classics, and all the interpretations in my life are the subtle words of the sage, but the language of the southwest examination is just the foundation of literacy and learning, look at the so-called language test questions...... In the first half of the volume, "Xueer" is translated into the vernacular, which requires correct punctuation, and "Xueer" is just the beginning of "Analects", and I have to memorize it well when I was a child, and it is written on it, what is the meaning of such test questions? ”

The man spread his hands: "As for the second half of the volume, there is an incident in a certain place, and I want you to write a letter to summarize it...... Ladies and gentlemen, there is only one volume of Chinese, and what my generation has learned for more than 20 years, and the test is only the foundation of the Mongolian school hours. What Mr. Ning wanted was just someone who could write and write fluently. This paper has a hundred points, saying that we have taken advantage of it, but as long as you are literate, who can't take the exam eighty? Later, I heard someone secretly say that if the handwriting is neat and gorgeous, you can add up to five points...... Five points. ”

He spoke of those five points with indignation. Naturally, everyone nodded.

"That's where my generation takes advantage of it the most." The man hated and said, "And alongside the language, the math is also a percentage, who is the one to choose?" It's just the shopkeeper's account room! Of course, Mr. Ning is high-sounding, and there are several of the six arts of a gentleman, and we can't compare to those account rooms. The foundation of physics is the private goods of his generation, but now, it cannot be said that it is unreasonable, after all, those who have come to the southwest, Mr. Naning's "Preliminary Study of Physics" have all been read...... But what about the so-called object-mindedness! Most of the five patterns on the test paper are one and two are different from the others, why are they different? Later, it was full of controversy, Mr. Ning was full of physics and Gewu, what is the relationship between these test questions and Gewu! ”

As for the last argument that Brother Lu said before, although it can be written in general, when it comes to the southwest, don't you still have to talk about his Gewu, the southwest now has muskets, hot air balloons, rockets, and factories and workshops all over the mountains, if you don't talk about these, how can you talk about the southwest? Once you talk about it, how can you talk about its development if you don't understand its principles? So in the end, everything here is Mr. Nanin's private goods. Therefore, in these days, a few of the scholars who went to the southwest did not leave angrily. Brother Fan's so-called can't get a taxi, in one sentence. ”

At this point, everyone nodded. Chen Junsheng, who had a cold face on the side, threw a firewood branch into the fire:

"It's not surprising, there were rumors in the early years that the devil's lifelong ambition was to destroy Confucianism, but later, the southwest couldn't help but Confucian classics, and even the four books annotated by Qin Siyuan, the first right minister, attracted people's desire to go to heaven, or the southwest to sell the classics outside, and all parties in the world thought that he was retreating from the difficulty. Who knew that this time he took a taxi from the southwest, and he saw that he was trying to see the dagger, and he didn't say anything, but his hands were really ruthless. The first volume of the Chinese language only examines the hyphenation of the text, first rejecting the decades of hard reading, and then the next few volumes of scheming and calculation methods. If the black flag really wins the world, and he will be the superior in the future, I am afraid that he will really become the shopkeeper and the bookkeeper. ”

Chen Junsheng didn't say much along the way, but as long as he spoke, he was often targeted. Everyone knew that he was talented and knowledgeable, and at this time they couldn't help but ask: "Brother Chen, didn't he pass the exam?" ”

Chen Junsheng said proudly: "What I sent in my heart is not in the southwest, and after reading it, I still have to go back after all." ”

Everyone admired it greatly, and Long Aotian, who was sitting on the side, shrank his head, and at this time he also felt that this scholar was domineering, and he was a little shorter - he was strong in martial arts, and he would be the first in the world in the future, but after all, he didn't like to read, and he had no chance with scholars, so he was always a little unaware of people with profound knowledge. Of course, the one who can give him this feeling at this time is just Chen Junsheng.

"What I sent in my heart is not in the southwest, and after reading it, I still have to go back after all...... Write it down...... "He thought to himself. In the future, when you meet other people, you can also talk to yourself.

At this time, the sun had set, the starlight and night rose in the dark mountains, Wang Jiang, Wang Xiuniang, father and daughter, and two scholars came to the side to bring food, and everyone continued to talk while eating.

The same is true, in the past, everyone was still unaware of the theory of exterminating Confucianism in the southwest, but in the first half of this year, these things became clear. I have a few friends, and I also came out together because of this, and I am ready to go to Dai Gong's command, Jundao Southwest is so perverse, after all, something big will happen, and it is impossible for my generation to study and learn in the future. Although the southwest relied on the way of the shopkeeper and the account room to defeat the Jurchens for a while, but Confucianism has been inherited for thousands of years, could it really not be compared to this kind of profit-seeking path? ”

"It's irrefutable to talk about moral articles, but if you don't talk about moral articles at all, can you go a long time? I think Dai Gong is right, he is unjust, and sooner or later he will have bad things, but his bad deeds may also make the world chaotic for decades......"

"I think the essence of the southwest lies in the study of things, and the way of physics is indeed broad and profound, but what is missing lies in the moral article. Governing the world with things can make the world's materials abundant and sufficient, but Confucianism values people's hearts. Between the two, it is just a matter of discarding and abandoning. ”

"In fact, this time in the southwest, although many people were caught off guard by the five test papers of the language mathematics and science Geshen, but the most keen-minded people in the world are still among the readers of my generation. After the literati of our generation have thoroughly studied the study of things, they will inevitably use it better than the vulgar people in the southwest. Mr. Naning is known as a demon in his heart, but what he accepts is all kinds of mundane things, which will definitely be a big mistake in his life. ”

"In my opinion, whether you are quick or not is not a matter of what you read. It's just that in the past, I was a Confucian world, and most of the smart people when I was young were screened out in this way, but those who couldn't read became shopkeepers, bookkeepers, and craftsmen...... In the past, the world did not know the benefits of things, which was a great omission, but even if you want to make up for this omission, you need to be done by people with quick thinking in the crowd. Since in the past, the world's elites all learned Confucianism, and today only with the Confucian law can the elites be screened out, and then these elites are used as the basis for slowly changing them. Nowadays, these shopkeepers, account offices, craftsmen and the like, because of their qualifications, are in charge of lowly business, he will screen out the qualifications of the middle, want to innovate, how can it be successful? ”

"Brother, high theory."

"Reasonable, reasonable......"

Everyone discussed, and then talked about the fact that many Confucian students in the southwest went out to choose their future. One of the two new Confucian scholars asked, "Have you ever considered Dai Gong?" ”

Fan Heng, Lu Wenke, Chen Junsheng and others looked at each other. Fan Heng frowned: "During the journey, I and a few others discussed with each other, and we did consider it, but at this time, there were many doubts in my heart. To be honest, the situation that Dai Gong has encountered since last year to this year is not easy, and his response is admirable from afar......

When everyone talked about Dai Mengwei's situation, they all nodded to Fan Heng's statement.

At the end of the Southwest War last year, Dai Mengwei saved millions of people in the hands of Zong Han and Xiyin as a descendant, and became the helmsman of several of the largest forces in the world in a blink of an eye.

In a sense, his operation of turning his hands into clouds and covering his hands into rain is even more in line with the imagination of Confucian literati for influential figures than the bravery of the Huaxia Army. Just like when the Jin State rose and the Liao State was not destroyed, all kinds of Wu Dynasty literati joined forces and strategized in an endless stream, but the Jin people were too barbaric, and in the end these plans went bankrupt.

And Dai Mengwei's success this time undoubtedly told the people of the world that with the strategy of the sea in his chest, he seized the opportunity, made a decisive move, and used the power of Confucianism to manipulate the world to applaud the possibility, after all, there is still a possibility.

Of course, despite such encouragement, in the following year, everyone more or less knew that Dai Mengwei was not having a good time.

Previously, the western route army of the Jin Kingdom was killed from Jingxiang to Hanzhong, and from Hanzhong all the way to Jianmen Pass, almost all the cities and cities were burned and looted along the way.

After the Western Route Army evacuated in disarray, these people and supplies could not be taken away. Millions of people, ruined cities, few supplies left, plus a few large and weak Han troops...... was stuffed to Dai Mengwei in a hurry, although the Huaxia Army retreated for a while, but what was left for Dai Mengwei was still an embarrassing mess.

For most onlookers at that time, if Dai Mengwei was really a corrupt Confucian who only understood moral articles, then the Dai regime, which was pieced together by virtue of the special situation, might fall apart in the second half of last year due to various objective factors.

However, things did not turn out that way.

In the second half of last year, while the inaugural meeting of the Chinese people's power attracted the attention of the world, Dai Mengwei also completed his political arrangement in the Han River area. In the case of lack of food and clothing, on the one hand, he asked for help externally, mainly on Liu Guangshi's side, and on the other hand, internally, he selected highly respected old men and village sages, and divided the land and settlement places step by step in combination with the situation of the army, and Dai Mengwei himself set an example by practicing frugality, and also called on all the people below to share the difficult times and resume production, and even on the banks of the Han River, he himself went into the water to fish as an example.

For most of last year, the area under Dai Mengwei's jurisdiction experienced a difficult famine, and later Cao Silong's rebellion and rebellion, which split a narrow strip of land close to the Huaxia Army and became a neutral area. However, in most places under Dai Mengwei's jurisdiction, the system of distributing responsibilities from the army to middle-level officials, to village sages and elders has played its role for a certain period of time.

Although some people starved to death inside, except for the "just right" rebellion that broke out in the Cao Silong tribe, there were not many traces of turmoil in the rest of the place. Even this year, the various miscellaneous generals and soldiers under the command of the Jurchens who were still here seemed to be more convincing and loyal to Dai Mengwei.

This old man, who stood in a high position in the blink of an eye with the wrist of the sword, has not only some plans to go off the wrong side of the sword, but also has his own solid skills in terms of upright governance.

So much so that in the first half of this year, after the Confucian students who went to the southwest finally understood Mr. Ning's picture and dagger, they in turn became more enthusiastic about Dai Mengwei's praise. Many people feel that this Dai Mengwei has the posture of an "ancient sage", such as Tie Yan and Wu Qimei in Lin'an City, although they also fought against the Huaxia Army, they are really not the same.

“…… When I was in the southwest, I even heard gossip in private, saying that Mr. Naning talked about Dai Gong, and he couldn't help but have a cross comment, the Tao is 'to raise the righteousness of heaven and earth, and the law is perfect in ancient and modern times'...... Thinking about it, although the demon and Dai Gong are in a hostile position, they have a pity for their ability, and they have to feel admired......"

In the light of the bonfire, Fan Heng shook his head and said the gossip information he heard from the southwest, and everyone listened to it with relish. After saying this, he paused slightly.

"However, I can't wait to come to Dai Gong's side for roughly three reasons...... First, of course, everyone has their own place to go; Second, I can't help but worry, even if Dai Gong is outstanding in virtue and clever means, the piece he is in, after all, is still the first section of the journey after the Huaxia Army out of Sichuan, in the future, the Huaxia Army will really want to do things, whether the world can deserve it, but the first to bear the brunt, most of them are unlucky, Dai Gong and the Huaxia Army are enemies, the will is firm, for the leader of the world, there is no room for turn, and the future will inevitably be burned, after all, this position is too close......"

"As for the third concern, it is the news that has been spread on the road recently, saying that those under the command of Dai Gong are trafficking in human beings. If this rumor is implemented, it will greatly damage Dai Gong's reputation, although most of it may be that the Huaxia Army deliberately spread rumors and slander, but before it is implemented, it will inevitably make people feel worried......"

As he said this, he lowered his voice slightly, and gestured in the direction of the rest of the camp:

"The original itinerary of this caravan was to stop at the north of Bazhong. When they arrived at the place, the leader of Nalu came and said that there was a new deal, so he went all the way east. I inquired privately, and it was said that I came here to transport a group of people to Jianmen Pass...... Dai Gong is short of food and clothing, I am afraid it will be difficult to have a big relief this year, many people are about to starve to death, so they have to sell themselves and their families together, they signed a death contract of 20 or 30 years, almost no pay, the caravan prepared some food, and people could be taken away. People are transported to Jianmen Pass like animals, as long as they don't die, they can make a lot of money in the middle of contacting the southwest black merchants outside Jianmen Pass. ”

In the night, the firelight whimpered, and the faces of the people at the fire were bright and dark, and they remembered the scene of this road through the rugged mountain road, and the road did pass by two caravans suspected of being "peddlers", but most of these people were sold "voluntarily", so they were not restricted in their freedom, and it was difficult to determine, but at this time, they imagined that they were really seven or eight points credible.

“…… On Dai Gong's side, food is really scarce, and if they have done their best, some people will sell themselves to the southwest, which seems to be ...... It's not a great evil......"

Lu Wenke thought for a while and said hesitantly.

Fan Heng shook his head, and his voice was lowered: "If it is only voluntarily sold, then there is nothing to say, but if there are all the troops and village sages under the command of Dai Gong involved, what about it?" While easily selling the people who could not support themselves, he colluded with the black merchants in the southwest, and the local village sages and the army made the lion's share...... If that's the case, what do you think? ”

His deep voice was mixed with the sound of the wind, everyone around the fire leaned forward to listen, even Ning Ji was listening with his ears pricked up while picking up the empty rice bowl, only Chen Junsheng next to him picked up a branch and poked the bonfire in front of him, and sparks rose in the sound of "crackling", and he smiled coldly.

"If that's the case, it can only show that Gong Commissar Dai is really shrewd and powerful...... Think about it carefully, in such a current situation, his subordinates are short of money and food, and they can't support so many people, so they sell the people who can't support the bottom to the southwest to do things. Because of the suppression of the army, the elders, and the village sages, although there was famine in various places, it was not chaotic, and because the middle and upper strata gained benefits, the rabble left by the original Jurchens was really united in this period of a year, and they were convinced to recognize Dai Gong as the master, and according to the southwest, they were united by Dai Gong......"

The branch in his hand pulled the flames: "In this troubled world, if there are not such means, how can they really be on the same stage with the northern Jin people and the southwest black flag, and break each other's wrists." If it weren't for Dai Gong's ability, how could he get that Mr. Ning's convincing 'perfect man in ancient and modern times'? I said as early as Bazhong, where do so many people come from? At that time, there was also speculation, but if it was true, I was more upright to Dai Gong, and I must know that when he took over the territory from the hands of the Jin people, his hands were still a rabble, and in a year's time, the interests of all parties were taken care of, and he was well organized from top to bottom, I felt admired, presumably Mr. Ning in the southwest also saw these things, and really regarded him as an opponent. ”

"Of course you can say that." Fan Heng sighed, "But those who were sold ......"

"In troubled times, they are still alive after all, how can they complain?" Chen Junsheng said, "And they lived in the future, and they were also sold to the southwest." Think about it, they signed a deed of sale for twenty or thirty years, worked hard for those black businessmen, and had no pay, ten or eight years, the resentment erupted, I am afraid it was also vented on the head of the Huaxia army, Dai Gong showed his benevolence and righteousness when the time came, maybe he could still take the other party's army. According to me, the southwest said that it was to respect the contract, and in the end it left such a big loophole, that Mr. Ning is not a last resort after all, sooner or later, he will suffer a big loss in these things......"

Everyone was in a complicated mood, and when they heard this, they each nodded, and Ning Ji next to him held the empty bowl and licked it, and at this time his face tightened, and he couldn't help but nod. According to this "cold-faced", the old thing surnamed Dai is too bad, and like everyone in the General Staff, he is a scheming dog who is good at digging pits......

And I overheard such a big secret today, and I don't know if I should write back to warn my father. Running away from home by himself is a big deal, but the news from Dai Lao Dog's side is obviously also a big deal, and it was difficult to make a decision for a while, and he licked his job in a tangled way......