Fan Yuan said bitterly: "Brother Kangmai, do you think I am willing to continue to hide it?" After all, I am the left servant of the Great Xia Kingdom, the left servant who is responsible for the supply of food and grass for the 400,000 army of the Great Xia Kingdom, but now, I really have no choice. A month ago, the Shandong Hao clan cut off the supply of grain, grass and equipment to my Great Xia Kingdom, my Great Xia Kingdom has a full 400,000 army, except for a famous family like the Shandong Hao Clan can have the strength to supply 400,000 troops, who in the world still has this strength? I really had nothing to do, so I could only watch as the grain and grass of the 400,000 army of my Great Xia Kingdom were gradually exhausted. The grain, grass and equipment of the 400,000-strong army, without the support of such a large political force as the wealthy clan in Shandong, how can I raise so much grain, grass and equipment by myself? A few days ago, I informed the king of Handong about the consumption of food, grass and equipment of the army, and as soon as he opened his mouth, the king of Handong said impatiently: "Don't bother me with these birds in the future." Except for the military, other things should be handled according to the rules. You should be able to take care of the little things like raising food, grass and equipment. 'Brother Kangmai, what do you say he Liu Heimin said? The supply of food, grass, and equipment for an army of 400,000 people, is this a trivial matter? ”

Dong Kangmai also said with great indignation: "King Handong is proficient in military affairs, but he doesn't understand politics, let alone people's livelihood." The two armies faced each other, fighting for the courage and resourcefulness of the main general, and fighting for the courage of the soldiers, but also fighting for food, grass and equipment. Without food and grass, without equipment, how can this battle be fought? Datang attaches importance to politics and people's livelihood in order to gradually unify the whole country. How can Li Shimin, the king of Qin, repeatedly win more with less, and defeat the strong with the weak, what he relies on is nothing more than two steps, first destroying grain and grass, and then breaking the army. Without food and grass, what is the use of having more troops? This time, the prince Jiancheng led an army of 20,000 and dared to threaten to pacify Hebei within a month and defeat the entire 400,000 army led by the king of Handong. Five days later, the crown prince will definitely become famous all over the world, 20,000 to 400,000, what a brilliant record. But King Handong doesn't understand, he doesn't understand at all. The Great Xia Kingdom, the 400,000 troops of the Great Xia Kingdom were already on the verge of collapse, but he didn't realize it at all. ”

Fan Yuan was silent and sighed loudly.

Dong Kangmai asked: "Zuo Xiang, the army is about to run out of food and collapse, and the Great Xia Kingdom is about to collapse." Such a crisis, I don't know what kind of solution does Prime Minister Zuo have? ”

Fan Yuan didn't answer, but asked rhetorically, "Does Brother Kangmai have a good idea?" ”

Dong Kangmai spread out his hands and said helplessly: "What can I do?" Is this to supply the food, grass, and equipment of a full army of 400,000? Who can have that ability? I thought about it, five days later, didn't the king of Handong go to attack the eastern capital Luoyang? I will say goodbye to him before I go on the expedition. I returned to my hometown in Shandong, cultivated the fields and farmed, and spent the rest of my life. ”

Fan Yuan asked, "Back to my hometown in Shandong?" Farming? Spend the rest of your life? Isn't this back to square one, are you willing? At that time, we were unwilling to engage in farming, so we started the incident, and now we are back to the original point? ”

Dong Kangmai sighed and said, "What if you are unwilling? Knowing that the king of Handong's attack on the eastern capital of Luoyang is a dead end, can I still follow him and go one way to the end? Wouldn't that be a waste of death? Go back to your hometown in Shandong, plough the fields and farm, at least live for a few more years? Ants still steal life, let alone people? ”

Fan Yuan fell into deep thought. After thinking for a long time, he made a decision and said to Dong Kangmai: "Five days later, I will bid farewell to the king of Handong with you, and only when I leave can I live." ”

Recalling the ups and downs of the years, the two of them sighed (xixu) and felt a lot of emotion.

Suddenly, Fan Yuan's housekeeper came to report: "My lord, there are two scribes from outside the door, they say that they are from the wealthy family of Shandong, and they hope to meet your lordship." ”

Fan Yuanhu said suspiciously: "Two scribes? Shandong Hao? What are they visiting me for? ”

Fan Yuan's housekeeper handed Fan Yuan two famous thorns and said, "My lord, this is the famous thorn of the two of them, they said that the adult has seen the famous thorn, and he will definitely meet them." ”

Fan Yuan slowly opened the name thorn, and when he saw the name on the name thorn, Fan Yuan couldn't help but stand up and muttered to himself: "Shandong Hao? One article and one martial arts? ”

Hearing what Fan Yuan said, Dong Kangmai also stood up and said: "The leader of the young generation of the wealthy family in Shandong - both civil and military. ”

Fan Yuan replied: "It is the dual talents of civil and military - Cui Gan, the minister of literature, and Lu Chengqing, the minister of martial arts. ”

In the former Sui period, the former Sui Situ and Yue Gong Yang were famous all over the world for being good at understanding people and commanding troops. Cui Gan and Lu Chengqing, who were ten years old, were taken to Chang'an by the head of the Cui family of Qinghe and the head of the Lu family of Fanyang, a wealthy family in Shandong, and asked Yang Su, the prince of Yue, to identify his talents.

Yue Gong Yang has white hair, wears civilian clothes, and sits majestically and magnanimously at the stone table in the courtyard, on which there is a pot of tea and a teacup, simple and tidy.

Cui Gan and Lu Chengqing walked in side by side. Cui Gan's gait is natural and dashing; Lu Chengqing walked steadily and breathed evenly.

Looking from afar, Yang Su couldn't help but nod secretly.

When they arrived in front of Yang Su, the two stood still, neither humble nor arrogant, and behaved well.

Yang Su opened the brief comments of the two and asked Cui Gan: "Are you Cui Gan, proficient in literature and history, resourceful and careful?" ”

Cui Gan bowed and saluted: "Boy Cui Gan pays a visit to Yue Gong." ”

According to the usual practice, Yang Su would ask Cui Gan questions to test Cui Gan's ambition, courage, and talent. Yang Su remembered that in the early dynasty, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty asked Yu Shiji, the "literary minister" of the Great Sui, the inner historian, and the head of the household, but Yu Shiji couldn't answer it, and his face was full of shame. He raised this question and asked, "What is the household registration system?" What is my household registration in Dasui? Is there a military and a civilian? ”

After asking the question, Yang Su couldn't help but regret that Yu Shiji's important ministers and the great Confucian of the world couldn't answer, how could a child answer?

After thinking about it for a while, Cui Gan actually talked eloquently, not only truthfully stating the household registration situation of the Sui Dynasty at that time, but also listing and analyzing the household registration situation of the previous dynasties. It is hoped that the imperial court will lightly pay tribute, reward the population, reward farming, and promote the growth of household registration.

Yang Su couldn't help but stand up and said with emotion: "Yu Shiji is not as good as a child. It's time for the Great Sui Wenxiang to abdicate and make way for Xian. ”

After that, Yang Su commented: "Cui Gan is elegant, erudite and talented, and is rated as superior." ”

Yang Su looked at Lu Chengqing and asked a few questions, and Lu Chengqing answered decently. Yang Su couldn't help but shake his head secretly, and commented: "Lu Chengqing is mediocre, decent, unbrilliant, and rated as middle and lower." ”

Lu Chengqing's face was calm, without any excuse or dissatisfaction, so he got up with Cui Gan to say goodbye.

Yang Su's eyes couldn't help but light up, and he commented: "Lu Chengqing has a broad mind and extraordinary strength, and he is rated as superior. ”

Lu Chengqing had neither a happy look nor a ashamed expression, his expression was as calm and ordinary as ever.

Yang Su was deeply appreciative, and changed his evaluation: "Lu Chengqing is not shocked, has a good attitude, and is rated as superior." ”

As soon as the words fell, Yang Su's teacup suddenly fell from the stone table and fell into pieces.

After hearing the movement, the guards of the Yue Gong Mansion rushed into the courtyard with halberds and surrounded Cui Gan and Lu Chengqing.

Cui Gan was calm on the surface, but he didn't dare to speak or move.

Lu Chengqing walked to the stone table with a calm face, put away the pieces of the teacup, and then bowed to Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, again with Cui Gan, and said goodbye and left.

Yang Su saw Lu Chengqing, who was calm and calm in the forest of swords, guns and swords, and said with emotion: "Extraordinary courage, superior talent, and candidate for martial arts." Shangzhu State and the Ministry of War, Shangshu Han Baohu can also abdicate and make way for Xian. ”