Although ancient China was a small-scale peasant economy, the basic machinery manufacturing technology was still good and not too backward.

Like Yuan Shu's current Han Dynasty, there are many invented machines that use water power for irrigation and save manpower. Can you say it's backward?

It's just that no one promotes these things. This world is controlled by the family, and the people have no money, so they can't build this kind of thing with a large investment at the beginning, but a very high rate of return. The only people who can build these things are officials and gentry.

But the gentry of the family are not willing to build such a thing! If the production efficiency is improved and the people are living a good life, how can it reflect their superiority?

Therefore, unless you are lucky enough to meet some good officials or benevolent families, these things can be carried forward, otherwise not many people are willing to accept them at all.

But it is a pity that these good officials and benevolent people generally do not live long, and heterogeneity will always be excluded. With the development of the times, the upper class will always gradually corrode and solidify, just like the family of this era.

"Yuan Hao, Feng Xiao, why do you say that people's selfishness often prevails over people's kindness? Is it true that human beings are inherently evil? Yuan Shu said distressedly.

Tian Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say something but couldn't, after all, as an absolute outlier, he had no right to speak.

Guo Jiamei ate the banana and said indifferently: "If people don't do it for themselves, the heavens and the earth will be destroyed." Isn't selflessness the greatest selfishness? This kind of thing is seen by the benevolent, the wise see the wise, and the lord thinks too much. ”

Tian Feng rarely agreed with Guo Jia's seemingly casual words: "Lord, what Feng Xiao said is right. The lord of Yizhou, you should understand what the real reason is. The ancient sages debated this issue countless times, but what was the result? Is that not the status quo? ”

"Lord, you have to think about how to make reasonable use of people's selfishness, not think about it. What is the difference between selfishness and selflessness when used properly? Doesn't the current Yizhou represent the extreme selfishness and selflessness of the family? ”

Yuan Shu was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a smile: "That's what I said, it's my magic barrier." If the family is not selfish, how can they go crazy to build Yizhou? Selfishness is the driving force of man! ”

"Okay, let's not talk about it. Fengxiao, has there been any change in the situation in the world recently? ”

Yuan Shu waved his hand and turned his head to look at Guo Jia, who was taking a sip of wine and a banana with great interest.

Seeing Guo Jia like this, Tian Feng glared at him and shouted angrily: "Fengxiao, the lord is above, how can you be so frivolous!" ”

"Ahem!" Guo Jia was eating happily, and was yelled at by Tian Feng, and suddenly choked on a mouthful of wine.

Yuan Shu looked at Guo Jia secretly with fun, so that you don't have a straight shape in front of me every time, and occasionally let Yuan Hao educate you.

After a while, after drinking two sips of wine to ease up, Guo Jia glanced at Tian Feng with resentment, and then said with a straight face: "Lord, Cao Mengde is probably about to occupy Yanzhou in the near future." ”

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Yuan Shu's eyes, shouldn't Cao Mengde only do it in June next year, why is it so fast now?

But think about it, most of the Yellow Turban army that was originally near Yanzhou was abducted by Yuan Shu. Yanzhou Assassin Liu Dai is now doing a safe and stable job, Cao Cao can't wait for Liu Dai to be killed by the Yellow Turban Army as before!

In this case, Cao Cao had no way to take over Yanzhou justifiably, and the meaningless wait was just a waste of this most precious development time. Cao Cao would definitely not do such a stupid thing, and it was reasonable to start in advance.

After all, Yuan Shu now sits on the two states of Jingyang and has an army of more than 200,000. And Yuan Shao occupied Jizhou, the head of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty, and the army under his command was also no less than Yuan Shu.

These two childhood playmates have now become powerful princes, and if Cao Cao waits so slowly, he will not even have the opportunity to stand on the same level as these two brothers in the end, and he will not be able to compete at all.

It's too much worse!

Think about Cao Cao's family history, he is worried about food and grass every time, and all kinds of murder and cannibalism in the city. After fighting in the Central Plains for seven or eight years, before the Battle of Guandu, he became the overlord of the Central Plains, but he was still short of money and food.

Yuan Shao of Hebei casually pulled out an army of 700,000, and there was plenty of food and grass. And Cao Cao was able to pull out a total of 70,000 troops, so there was still an extreme shortage of food and grass. With such a big gap, Yuan Shu felt sad for Cao Cao. It's too much of a bully!

To say that Cao Cao was brutal and unkind, slaughtering people in various cities, this is indeed true. But does he have a choice? I don't have any food! If you don't slaughter cities, don't plunder, don't kill people, you can't even afford to raise soldiers.

If he develops steadily, how can he have the strength to fight with Yuan Shao? It may take three or four years of stable development to have enough food to go to war. By then, the daylilies will be cold. Calling all the way, Liu Bei and Lu Bu didn't say it, even Yuan Shu and Zhang Xiu were not fuel-efficient lamps.

and Yuan Shaobi, who sits in Jizhou, is tantamount to looking for death. Cao Cao was difficult to ride a tiger at that time, and if he didn't enter, he would die! If he did not unify the Central Plains before Yuan Shao went south, Cao Cao would be dead.

With a golden horn and a silver edge, Yanzhou is a place of four wars and is not suitable as a base. But I can't stand the fact that there is a Lord everywhere else. Cao Cao could only grit his teeth and prepare to start in this place.

The more Yuan Shu thought about it, the more he felt that it was not easy for Cao Cao to be able to dominate the north. In such a place of four wars, there was no foundation, no money and food, and the forced continuous conquest for several years basically did not recuperate.

can still hold up like this, and the more he fights, the stronger he gets, this ability and will is that Yuan Shu is a little embarrassed. Throughout the past 2,000 years, the rise of the Central Plains to unify the north seems to be this goods. However, coincidences and cattiness are also indispensable.

Think about the battle of Guandu, if Sun Ce, who wanted to sneak attack, didn't die, or Liu Biao sneaked up from behind, or Liangzhou went to Xu Duchao to fight the autumn wind. If you are a little careless, it may end up being Cao Cao gnawing hard bones, letting other princes eat the meat, and making wedding dresses for others in vain.

"Liu Dai of Yanzhou, how does Cao Cao plan to solve it?" Yuan Shu was very curious. Liu Dai is not dead, how can Cao Cao be able to enter Yanzhou.

Guo Jia sighed lightly: "On the one hand, Cao Mengde obtained Yuan Shao's support with the help of Liu Dai's threat, so that Xuzhou Tao Qian did not dare to move. On the other hand, Cao Mengde contacted Bao Xin, Liu Dai's most relied on advisor, and Chen Gong, the representative of the local family in Yanzhou, to obtain their support. ”

"And recently, a group of elite Yellow Turban troops suddenly appeared in Yanzhou. It is expected that Liu Dai will be defeated and killed soon! ”

Yuan Shu smiled and said, "This hand is very good!" Fengxiao, this trick is a little ruthless, I'm afraid it's not Xun Wenruo's handwriting! ”

Guo Jia nodded and sighed: "This is the handiwork of I'm afraid Jia's friend Xi Zhicai." I had written to him to come to my lord, but he never agreed. Thinking about it now, he had already been invited by Wen Ruo to defect to Cao Mengde. ”

Yuan Shu saw Guo Jia's slightly annoyed look, and smiled confidently: "If you lose the east, you will harvest the mulberry elm." Fengxiao, I am satisfied with you and others. Although it's a pity that Xi Zhicai doesn't want to vote for me, I believe that you are no worse than him, so there is no need to be annoyed. ”

Guo Jia looked at Yuan Shu's smile and was stunned for a moment, and then said with the same smile: "That's natural, Jia will never be weaker than anyone." ”