In winter, the snow is falling, and Yecheng is already snowy.

In the palace of King Wei, the charcoal fire jumped in the furnace, releasing a large amount of warm heat and raising the temperature in the room.

"Biqiu Xing has been lonely for many years, fighting in the south and the north, and winning in being loyal to the king and taking good words. Today, he is a stable guard, sends people to Tongqiang, and restores the subject country, which can also be called a good thing. ”

Cao Cao sat on the desk, flipped through the official documents played by Biqiu Xing, and sighed: "Shuofang Han Township has now become a place of birth, and the old Han Gong of the former Han Dynasty has been abolished, but it is a pity!" ”

Biqiu Xing may be an unknown person, but his son Biqiu Jian is well known. With Biqiu as the surname, most of them come from Wenxi County, Hedong.

When Cao Cao was in the north of the river, Biqiu Xing was ordered by Zhong Xuan to support Cao Cao with thousands of horses. Cao Cao appointed Qiu Xing as a general, and since then he has made many meritorious contributions to Cao Cao's southern and northern wars, and he has also been qualified to serve as a taishou. In order to go to the next level, Biqiu Xing moved to Sun Quan, hoping to get out of the town.

Sun Quan dared to guarantee that Biqiu Xing would be appointed as the Taishou, but he dared to sell his official beard. Instead, as a close confidant of Cao Cao, he knew that Cao Cao was pre-selected as a candidate for the Hexi Prefectures, including Biqiu Xing.

After all, for generations, walking relationships have tried to climb up, isn't it just a matter of something?

Or someone can say a few kind words to let the leader know more about you; Or use your hands and feet, such as boasting more about your political achievements and less about your opponents. With a gap, with a little guidance, the leader is easy to favor you.

If you sell your official beard, not to mention whether the money is enough, Sun Quan doesn't have that ability!

Therefore, under Sun Quan's casual words, Cao Cao appointed Qiu Xing to serve as the Taishou of stability. After taking office, with the help of Xu Huang and Cao Zhen's Yu Wei of Shuofang, he ordered the school captain Fan Ling to Qiangzhong, and the group of Qiang people living in northern Shaanxi were invited to be subject to the country and obey Wanghua.

Sun Quan sat on the side seat and said: "Shuofang has fallen into Hu Township, mostly because there are Qiang people in rebellion, and Xianbei is the outside. The Han people were displaced, or some people stayed in Shuofang and turned into Qianghu people. ”

The tone of his words changed, Sun Quan praised him, and said: "Fortunately, the king of the southern expedition to the north, the war is impressive, the army is in the Central Plains, the north is set in Jizhou, the expedition to Liaodong, the west of the river, and the Pingshuo side, so that the four Yi can be surrendered." The great governance of Kansai, the great prosperity of education, and the return of the old land to the reconstruction, are just around the corner. ”

"Huh!"

Seeing Sun Quan praising his martial arts, Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled, and said: "This is not a short-term visible achievement, it needs to be immigrated to the border, long-term education, and practice the atmosphere, so that we dare to say that the old land will be rebuilt." ”

Putting down the official document in his hand, Cao Cao asked, "Since this year, has Liu Bei made any moves?" ”

This year, the border between the two sides has been safe and sound. Only the war of words between Cao Cao and Liu Bei kept fighting. Either Wang Cang wrote an article criticizing Cao Cao, or Cao Zhi and Chen Lin wrote an article to refute Liu Bei.

"His Royal Highness Qiqi, according to the scouts, Liu Bei purged the Chinese army in Wuhan, gathered local warriors, and got 40,000 elite soldiers. Take Wuhan copper and iron, smelt armor, govern the army, and ban the local government. ”

Cui Yan stroked his beard and said: "However, not only that, Liu Bei ordered Zhuge Liang to imitate the Central Plains to pay taxes, make new taxes for the southerners, collect eight liters of land rent per mu, and produce three horses of silk and three catties of cotton, so that the households are rich and poor." He also took Huo Jun's advice and ordered the southern counties to plant wheat in order to increase grain production. ”

After a pause, Cui Yan's expression became serious and said, "Your Highness, it is not a big deal to reform taxes. Liu Bei planted wheat and practiced the method of rice and wheat rotation, which should be paid attention to, which may be the foundation of a strong country. ”

Cao Cao frowned and said, "Rice and wheat are cultivated in rotation, but it's just a matter of farmers, how can you talk about a strong country?" ”

"Your Highness doesn't know anything!"

Cui Yan sorted out his thoughts and said: "I plant more wheat in Kanto, plant with millet wheels, and harvest three times at the age of two, which is the reason why this Kanto agriculture is prosperous." Wu Chu grows rice, crops in spring and harvests in autumn, and harvests once a year old. Today, we will plant wheat and sow wheat, plant in autumn and harvest in spring, and harvest twice when one year old. I'm two years old and three harvests in Kanto, and I can also do it! ”

"Rice can be eaten in April to May, and millet can only be eaten at half a year old. Rice and wheat rotation farming, when the big strong Nankou bones. Jianghuai came to report that Liu Ji and Sima Zhi reclaimed barren land in Jiangbei, practiced the method of rice and wheat rotation, harvested four times at the age of two, and were self-sufficient in military rations. It is expected that after this time, most of the southern thieves will not worry about grain and grass! ”

As a native of Hebei, Cui Yan traveled to Wuchu when he was young, and learned not only about agriculture in the north, but also about the rice grown by the southerners. The emergence and promotion of rice and wheat rotation and yield increase are big killers.

"Three harvests at the age of two, four harvests at the age of two?" Cao Cao gasped.

Cao Cao, as the ruler of the north, has implemented Tuntian, needless to say, you will know how powerful it is. Don't look at the two years of bumper harvest, there is only one crop harvest missing. But when it comes to the vast agriculture of the North and the South, the disparity will be staggering.

Regardless of the disparity in crop output and the number of acres of cultivated land, when rice and wheat rotation cultivation is rolled out, the population, finance, and military rations of the south will be one-quarter more than that of the north, and the superiority of the north and the south will be reversed.

Of course, rice-wheat rotation is an agricultural method that needs time to be promoted. In addition to the size of the territory, the number of troops in the south is inferior to that of the north in terms of population, taxes, and planting area in the short term.

Cao Cao reacted, and couldn't help but secretly scold Liu Bei for being so lucky!

Zhuge Liang is good at governing the country, and he was only a farmer before, but this was picked up and unearthed by Liu Bei. Huo Jun belonged to the hexagonal warrior, who was only a small official in the market before, and emerged from Liu Qi's rule and was taken into Liu Bei's pocket.

"Ahem!"

Sun Quan reacted and said, "What can Liu Bei do if he is in the south and stays in the south? In the barbarian land of the south, there are few Han people and not many ripe fields. I have 300,000 armor in the Central Plains, and there are tens of millions of people, regardless of soldiers, people, and food, they should be more than the south. How can Cui Shangshu grow the wind of others and weaken his own strength. ”

In the year when Cao Cao was recuperating and recuperating, the Central Plains once again counted the number of population data, the sum of the military households, officials, Tuntian soldiers, and ordinary people, and the population of the north was about 10 million people.

The number of soldiers stationed in the north, Longxi, Guanzhong, Xiangfan, Jianghuai, and Yecheng was as high as 300,000, of which 100,000 were mobile troops.

Historically, Cao Wei's population was only about 4 million, but this is not the actual data of Cao Wei. Cao Wei was different from Shu Han and Eastern Wu, and he also had a large number of Tuntian soldiers and military households.

After all, if Cao Wei's civilian population was only 4.4 million, wouldn't the soldiers and horses involved in the Huainan Three Rebellions be as high as one-eighth of the country's population, which is undoubtedly impossible.

Cui Yan is upright and strong, and in the past, when he saw Sun Quan's flattery, he didn't like it, and said: "Yan is not the wind of others, but he is weak in his own strength, all because of the concern about my Central Plains!" ”

Saying that, Cui Yan bowed his hand to Cao Cao and said: "Your Royal Highness, Liu Bei can win the hearts of the people, Zhuge is good at governing the country, Huo Jun is both civil and military, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning and others will be minions." I hope that His Royal Highness will listen to the good words, raise the sages of the Central Plains, and rule China. ”

Hearing Cui Yan's words, Cao Cao suddenly felt disgusted for some reason.

Calming down slightly, Cao Cao stroked his beard and asked: "Liu Bei's climate is gradually changing, and now in the opinion of Zhu Qing, how will he treat the enemy?" ”

Cao Cao didn't know how to deal with Liu Bei who was entrenched in the south, and it seemed that he couldn't beat the enemy city, and he was unwilling not to fight him.

Fu Gan, who joined the army, thought for a little and said: "Your Highness, there are two ways to govern the world, which are divided into literature and martial arts; If the virtue is mutually beneficial, His Royal Highness can rule the world. ”

"The world is in chaos, the top and bottom are out of order, His Royal Highness uses force to conquer, and seven out of ten are even. The only one who has not accepted the king's order today is Liu Beier! ”

"Liu Bei seized Bashu and Wu Chu. Wu Chu has the danger of the Yangtze River, and Bashu has the obstruction of the mountains, which is difficult to conquer and moralize. Foolishly thought that it was possible to lay down according to the armor of the soldiers, rest the army and raise the soldiers, and reward the meritorious deeds, so that the hearts of the people inside and outside the country would be consolidated. ”

"If Your Highness wants to march south, raise 100,000 people, drive straight into the Yangtze River. But if the thief takes advantage of the geographical advantage and sticks to it, the soldiers and horses will not be able to do their best, and there will be nowhere to do the strange changes! ”

Fu Gan's meaning is not difficult to understand, Cao Cao raised troops to march south, no matter how he fought. If the enemy cowers and does not fight, Cao Cao will have no results. It is better to recuperate, reward meritorious deeds, and stabilize the hearts of the insiders.

"Wen He can have high insights?" Cao Cao asked.

Jia Xu raised his eyes lightly and arched his hand and said: "Your Highness, although Liu Bei has seized the barbarian land, he relies on the mountains and rivers. Liu Bei is eloquent, Huo Jun is strategic, Zhuge Liang is good at governing the country, and the southern thieves are guarding the danger and boating the rivers and lakes, all of which are in a hurry and difficult to plan! ”

"Your Highness is good at knowing the art of war, Sun and Wu are learning, and know the changes in the art of war. Where the way to use troops, first look for fighters and then fight, look at the enemy in Hanzhong, Jiangling, Hefei, the ministers steal the generals, no inferior, Yu, Su right. His Royal Highness wants to raise troops to recruit him, Liu Bei and Huo Jun are in the center, and there is no opportunity to take advantage of it. ”

Jia Xu's words are much better than Fu Gan's, and through the comparison of the geography of mountains and rivers with Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and Huo Jun, he tactfully told Cao Cao that the situation of the division between the north and the south has been decided. In the absence of fighter planes, it is not possible to send troops to the south, otherwise it will be difficult to win.

If you send generals to the south, you want to fight Hanzhong, which is firmly guarded by Lu Xun, Jiangling, where Guan Yu is located, and Jianghuai, which is supervised by Lu Su, there are no competent generals under Cao Cao's account. If Cao Cao personally marches, Liu Bei will inevitably raise a large army to meet the battle, and it will be difficult to win when the time comes. Therefore, it is better to govern the interior first, and then move troops.

Cao Cao sighed with a long breath, over the years, he was defeated in Chrysostom!

If he had fought steadily at that time, took Jianghan, appeased Jingnan, and subdued Bashu, I am afraid that he would have already dominated the world at this time. How could he watch Liu Bei divide the south and raise a big daddy by himself.

"That's it!"

Cao Cao thought for a long time and said: "In recent years, there have been frequent wars, and the army and civilians should rest and recuperate. Now let Xiangfan and Shouchun strengthen the city, accumulate grain and grass, and smelt armor soldiers in preparation for the attack of southern thieves. ”

"There are few people in the south, there is a lot of land and water, although the rice and wheat rotation cultivation is a strong thing, but it is not easy to compare with the Central Plains, and the princes do not have to worry about it."

"No!" The people answered.

didn't wait for Zhongqing to retreat, but saw Xun Ji stumbling into the hall.

Before he had time to take off the rain and snow, Xun Ji knelt on the ground with a plop and cried bitterly: "King, my father has just died of illness in the house. ”

"Gongda!"

Cao Cao's face changed greatly, and he said sadly: "How can Gongda abandon his loneliness!" ”

Looking at Xun Ji, Cao Cao shed tears and cried and said: "Your father is gentle and frugal, resourceful, and famous. When I die of illness, I should cut off an arm! ”

"Your Highness!" Xun Ji wiped his tears and wept bitterly.

"Father, sons, many of them have been taught by Xun Junshi, and I beg to pay tribute to him and send him a funeral." Cao Pi burst into tears and said.

Cao Cao supported his head with his hands, suddenly felt his head wind attack again, endured the headache, and said: "Xun Gongda, the teacher of the people, Zihuan should pay respect." ”

"No!" Cao Pi responded.

With Cao Cao's wave, everyone withdrew from the hall. In the silent lobby, only Cao Cao's voice lamenting Xun Yu sounded.

"Gongda died of illness, what a sad cry!"

(End of chapter)