Cai Mao and Kuai Yue sent Wen Nuo to Cao Ying to ask Cao Cao for assistance, so that they could seize the power of Jiangling and expel Liu Qi and Liu Pan. Cao Cao convened the strategists to discuss, and the big guys all said, Duke Wei, you are busy conquering the west, and you can't move lightly, but you can order Yu Ban and Li Dian to lead his troops directly to Jiangling to reinforce Kuaiyue. Liu Fang also built yì, when he sent a resourceful person to help Yu, Li, preferably from Jingzhou, familiar with the local situation.

Cao Cao looked around at the ministers beside him, but he didn't find anyone from Jingzhou, but when he saw a Xuzhou person who had lived in Jingzhou for many years, he immediately stretched out his hand and pointed: "Kong Ming can go." ”

Zhuge Liang once followed Cao Cao's southern expedition, and also lobbied the bandits of Yi and She to return, after which Cao Cao returned to the north, he did not stay with Jia Xu to assist Xiahoudun, but also came back, and then joined the ranks of the western expedition. Shi Xun once recommended Zhuge Liang to Cao Cao, went to Jiangling, went to mourn Liu Biao, and secretly communicated with Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and other surrender factions, so now find someone to receive Jiangling, of course, Zhuge Kongming is the best choice.

Kong Ming was ordered to go south, first arrived in Xiangyang, and met with Wen Hui, the Taishou of Nanjun, and Li Dian, the guard general. According to Cao Ying's plan, Li Dian and Yu Ban, who were stationed in the Jiangnan area of Jiangxia County, were ordered to attack Jiangling on two routes - but there was no need to really fight, just wait for the change in the shape of the city. Wen Hui and Li Dian worshiped their orders and immediately prepared soldiers and grain, so Zhuge Liang had two days of leisure, so he asked for a leave of absence, rode a horse and went to visit his father-in-law Huang Shou Huang Chengyan.

After meeting, I first greeted Zhuge Liang with a few greetings, and reported my family situation - that is, to tell my father-in-law, your daughter is doing well after marrying me, although there is nothing to ...... Sooner or later, I'll get pregnant. Don't worry. And then said and said. Huang Shou suddenly asked about political affairs: "Today, Cao Cao has entered the Duke of Wei. Feudal state, power is overwhelming, and there is no usurpation? ”

Zhuge Liang couldn't help but be a little embarrassed when he heard this, and he didn't know how to answer. Of course, he couldn't deceive Huang Shou, saying that Cao Cao had no intention of usurping the throne - people openly discussed the "Zen Rite" with the Son of Heaven in the court, and this matter was heard by the streets. But it can't be bluntly said that Cao Cao will usurp, because only after this matter can the mandate of heaven be declared, and it is inconvenient to shout everywhere before usurping. As a Hanchen (he is also a Wei Chen, but after all, like most Wei Chen, he still has a false position of Hanchen), Kong Ming can't afford to lose this face.

Huang Shou saw that his son-in-law hesitated, couldn't help but smile, and immediately changed the topic: "Kong Ming is like Wei Gong?" ”

Zhuge Liang replied: "Duke Wei is the hero of the chaos, he is ambitious, he knows the time of the day, he is strategic, and he is also the one who looks up to him." Huang Shou pursed his lips: "I heard that Duke Wei is suspicious and deceitful, and willful. Violent killing, are there any? ”

Zhuge Liangxin said that you are well-informed. Cao Cao's main problems are all for you to explain, and quickly explained: "In troubled times, I have to use deception; The power is unified, and he has to be arbitrary; He was reckless and had to kill. If Emperor Gao punished Peng Yue and Di Bu in the past, how could he be suspicious and easy to kill? In order to determine the world, I have to be the ear. ”

Huang Shou laughed when he heard this: "Kong Ming also said this, how can it be called 'into the abalone, and you won't smell its smell for a long time'?" "Zhuge Liangxin said, alas, what do you mean? There is a sentence in front of this original text, "living with unkind people", what do you mean, I am now serving the Lord, and all the friends are not good? was about to refute, but Huang Shou waved his hand: "You don't have to write your mistakes, Duke Wei is a traitor, when the troubled times can determine the world, I am not sarcastic and leave it." "I'm not looking down on Cao Cao, I want you to leave your official career, or leave Anyi.

As he spoke, he suddenly sighed: "The former Lingshi (Shi Xun) and Zhao Weiqing (Zhao Qi) came together, and I talked about Mencius with Qiqing, and Weiqing said: 'Mencius Yuntianxia must be set in one and then Ke'an, since Zhou has lost its grip and cannot be revived, it is said in Wei and Qi. How similar it is to this world. Han is afraid that it will not be able to be revitalized in the end, and the Wei family will replace it, and it will be fateful? ”

Looking at Zhuge Liang, he slowly admonished: "Mencius Yun: 'The people are precious, the society is secondary, and the monarch is light. However, the word "Jun" also ......includes Cao Cao, and compared with the people and the community, Cao Cao also has to go back - "Lingshi is a benevolent gentleman, and his Zuo Wei Gong is a living people, and the community is also not attached to a surname." Kong Ming should also act in this way, so as to live up to the expectations of his master and me. ”

Zhuge Liang hurriedly bowed his hand and was sincerely taught.

Huang Shou continued: "What the inspector has done, he wants to take advantage of this troubled world to sweep away the evil government since Huan Ling. The surname of the family, hooking friends to support the party, sitting and watching empty talk, not caring for the people, must be suppressed, and the world is safe. Looking at its first imperial examination in Anyi, and occasionally using the nine grades to be upright, it can be known that it is also ......"

Ah, Zhuge Liangxin said that the old man is really sensitive, hiding in the deep mountains, he can still see the true intention of my teacher to create the imperial examination system, amazing! I heard Huang Shou continue: "Former Guangyuan, Gongwei, and Zhou Ping all went to take the exam, and they all won the middle school and became county officials. ”

What he was referring to was Shi Tao, Shi Guangyuan, Meng Jian, Meng Gongwei, Cui Jun, and Cui Zhouping, all of whom were good friends of Zhuge Liang when he lived in seclusion in Longzhong. This guy is also the same as Zhuge Liang, he is not a native of Nanyang, but a housewarming household registration, and he is not like Zhuge Liang who has fallen in love with a good teacher, so he has never been able to become a leader. Until the news of the opening of the imperial examination reached Nanyang, the three of them were happy to see the hunt, so they went to take the exam together - Zhuge Liang was still following Cao Cao to the south at that time, so he didn't know about it.

As for the person who judged the paper, you told him Shi Guangyuan, Meng Gongwei, and Cui Zhouping, of course he knew that the name on the question exam paper was blurred, and when he officially gave the evaluation, he uncovered the name of the person who copied the Chinese style, and just saw Yingchuan Shi Tao, Runan Meng Jian and Boling Cui Jun, where can he still think of who?

According to Zhuge Liang's opinion, the three of them are all talented in the world, and Ruoshi can be the assassin and the county guard, but in this exam, although the results of the three are good, they are only in the upper middle and upper grades, and they can't climb to the top. The reason is that they are not from Nanyang, and there is no Zhongzheng rating of Nanyang County, among them, only Shi Tao's ancestral hometown is Yingchuan, which is considered the territory of Wei State, and he can go back to his hometown to mix up a grade first, but he just wants to compete fairly with two good friends on the same starting line, so he insists on not going. Therefore, all three of them recommended themselves for the assassination, and they didn't get any extra points.

But the middle and upper are not bad, but they can be appointed as county officials. And it won't fall into the county. Let's talk about this imperial examination. There are many Chinese-style ones. However, about 20% of them hurriedly wrote to resign after learning of the official position they had been conferred. Most of them are children of families, because their grades are not good enough, they are entrusted with county positions, and they feel that they can't afford to lose that person, so they simply - I'll go and repeat my studies for two more years. Because in the past, in the county, except for the order and the cheng, the rest of the posts were all self-established by the Mo chiefs, and there was no formal establishment. And his status is low, so only Wu Zhen and other poor families are willing to do it, and the family name is simply despised. Nowadays, although many new civil servants have been established in the counties of the five counties of Wei, they still refuse to condescend to the nobles and become country officials.

As for the officials of Qin, there are more county officials, and the famous ministers Xiao He and Xiahou Ying in the early Han Dynasty are also in Zengshi County, and the guys who put Emperor Gao on their lips all day long should be forgotten.

And Shi Tao, Meng Jian and the other three, although their backgrounds are not very high (of course, not to the point of Wu quality, or similar to the difference between the Shi clan). But he also expected to assassinate the history and the county guard, and really wanted to assign them to the county. It's definitely going to be a retreat too. Fortunately, they do have ink in their stomachs, and their grades are good, and they all have Shijun, which is a great joy for everyone.

Now that Huang Shou mentioned this matter, Zhuge Liang was naturally happy for his friends, and at the same time, he was also very relieved that the old man had finally exposed those sharp topics. That night he stayed in Longzhong, and did not return to Xiangyang until the afternoon of the next day, and then followed Li Dian south to Jiangling.

When the news reached Jiangling City, Liu Qi and Liu Pan were all shocked, and Liu Pan hurriedly ordered Wen Ping to lead the army to the enemy, and he himself personally commanded the main force to go north to stop Li Dian. However, Wen Ping refused to go on the expedition due to illness, and Liu Pan did not doubt that he had him, so he asked Wang Wei to replace him, and Fu Wen Zhongye took full responsibility for staying in Jiangling.

Liu Pan and Wang Wei are gone, leaving one Liu Qi with insufficient prestige and no remaining soldiers, coupled with his weak health, he will get sick twice in three days, so there is nothing to worry about. However, at this time, Ma Liang rushed back from Wuxian and asked to see Liu Qi. Liu Qi said that I have worked hard for you, Ji Chang, I want to work hard for your drive, and then go to the west to sue General Sùguan, I agreed to all the conditions he proposed, and I just asked for help as soon as possible.

At the same time, he also wrote an order and handed it to Ma Liang, asking him to take over the Huang Zhongsuo who was in charge of Zigui, and quickly open the passage, so that the Yizhou army could reach the city of Jiangling along the way.

On the one hand, it is because of the fear that the Cao army will attack, and Jiangling may be difficult to defend for a long time, and on the other hand, it is just to take this opportunity to use the Yizhou army to seize Liu Pan's military power. When Liu Bei was still in Jingzhou, he had a good relationship with Liu Qi, and Liu Dagongzi was inclined to lower his posture a little, so that he could accept the union of Jing and Yi, but Liu Pan obstructed it, which made Ma Liang run and break his leg, but he couldn't talk about it well. If Liu Pan is fortunate to lead the troops out of the city today, Liu Qi can be arbitrary.

Ma Jichang smiled bitterly: "Since the lord has an order, why should he be good and work hard?" "Don't worry, I'll go home and take a shower, pack my luggage, and then set off and rush to Zigui. Liu Qi's attendants had already reported the matter to Kuai Yue, and Kuai Yidu said that there were nearly 10,000 soldiers in Yizhou, plus Huang Zhong's department, if we could rush to Jiangling soon, I am afraid that our plan would come to naught...... No, someone has to be found to stop Maleonn from going west!

Over there, Ma Liang had just finished washing and bathing, and his family came to hand over his bags, and he was about to leave, when suddenly a report came from the door: "Fu Jun asks to see." "This Fu Jun, with a single name and a Xun character, the word Gongyi, a native of Niyang in the north, once established a dynasty as Shang Shulang, and then took refuge in the south to attach himself to Liu Biao. Fu Xun is "Magnificent Boda, Knowledgeable and Learned", has a very good reputation, and has a very good relationship with Ma Liang.

Hearing that Fu Xun was coming, Ma Liang hurriedly went out to greet him, and heard Fu Xun say: "When I heard that Ji Chang was returning, I invited Qing to feast and drink, so as to relieve my thirst after saying goodbye." "I'm here for you to drink. Ma Liang spread his hands and said with a wry smile: "Liang is not blessed to receive the banquet of the public, suitable for the Lord's order, and should go west." ”

Fu Xun said that there is no reason to set off again as soon as he comes back? Could it be that Liu Qi has no one else under him? How can you look at you honestly and use it to death like this...... After finishing speaking, he frowned slightly: "Do you want to summon the Yizhou army to come?" "Liu Qi has finally made up his mind to join forces with Yizhou to fight Cao, right?

Ma Liang hurriedly waved his hand: "The public is keen, but don't announce this to the outside." "You can guess it yourself, don't go around shouting. Fu Xun smiled coldly: "In this way, I am afraid that we will all be gone!" (To be continued......) R1292