Chinese New Year

Chapter 558 Wenchang Palace

After leaving Chu Mansion, Zao Song headed west.

This is Qili, the area where the princes and nobles lived in the past. After more than ten years of war, it has become a ruin. Since last year, life has begun to bloom here.

First, Liu Da, the deputy governor of the Yicong Army, was given a mansion located above Xiahou Yuan’s old residence.

This house is relatively intact. Mr. Chen recruited prisoners to rebuild it, and it is now habitable.

However, Liu Da did not dare to bring his family over from Shangdang, probably because he felt that doing so was too risky.

Of course, this didn't matter. He already had a concubine in the local area, who was awarded to him by Chen Gong. She was originally a prostitute in Shi Le's mansion - not a prostitute, in fact, dancers, female musicians, etc. can all be called "house prostitutes", but in fact, they may be similar, and they may all have to accompany guests.

When passing by Liu's mansion, Zao Song stopped to take a look.

It covers an area of ​​several acres, has several entrances and exits, the walls are freshly painted, and even the gatehouse is newly built.

However, the materials should be old. They demolished the east wall to repair the west wall, selected usable stones and wood from the ruins, and renovated it - in fact, it is not easy to see after painting and plastering.

Zaosong continued to move forward.

When I was about to leave Qili, I heard the Yan accent and stopped unconsciously.

"Are you Yan people?" Zao Song asked, looking at the group of refugee men and women who were shivering in the ruins.

Zao Song looked like an official, and he was surrounded by servants and guards. The refugees looked at each other, and finally pushed an old man forward to talk to him.

"Sir, we are from the State of Yan," said the old man.

"Yan State" is the old name, and it should now be called Yan County, because the last King of Yan has been dead for more than ten years - King Yan Sima Ji (with a fief of 20,000 households) died without an heir, and King Qi Jiong adopted his son Sima Ji to inherit the title. After Sima Jiong was defeated, the country was abolished.

"Why did you go south and become refugees?" Although Zao Song had some guesses in his mind, he couldn't help but ask.

"The Xianbei are stationed in the country, looting everywhere, and collecting grain and levying taxes. We really can't survive anymore." The old man sighed.

Zaosong was speechless.

After being attacked by Murong and Yuwen, the Duan tribe retreated into Youzhou. Some of them even settled near Jicheng, which was already the core hinterland of Youzhou.

Although the forts and manors were not afraid of the Xianbei cavalry attacks, you still had to go out, didn't you? You still had to farm, didn't you? You were still vulnerable to being controlled by others.

Some people endured it and allowed themselves to be exploited by the Xianbei.

Some people couldn't help it and just left - not just ordinary people, but even manor owners and fort commanders.

The Duan Xianbei entered Youzhou, but they did not just stay in the barren border area. In fact, they had been migrating and now settled in the core hinterland such as Yanjun.

They were the losers in Liaodong and Liaoxi, but after entering Youzhou, they became extremely ferocious and even defeated the Tuoba Xianbei invited by Wang Jun. Their fighting power was very strong.

Since Wang Jun was unable to protect the people, he should not blame them for leaving him - some went south to Jizhou, and some went to Liaoxi and Liaodong to join Murong Xianbei.

"What are you doing here?" Zao Song asked again.

"We need to help Mr. Chen build a new house and earn some money to feed ourselves." The old man said, "Now many nobles have come and bought houses in Yecheng. People are worthless when they leave their hometowns. We are willing to do any hard and tiring work to make a living, so these nobles invite us to work."

"Just keep doing this?" Zao Song couldn't help but ask.

"I stopped when Mr. Chen recruited refugees to reclaim wasteland." The old man said, "A group of people left years ago. There are many people from Jizhou and few from Youzhou. I heard that they went to Henan to divide the land."

Zaosong was stunned for a long time.

It was similar to what Chu Fei said. Chen Gong had been recruiting refugees to move to Henan. He had been doing this for ten years, from Guanxi, Hebei, Bingzhou and even Henan. He wanted refugees from all walks of life, regardless of whether they were from the Hu or Jin tribes.

It's amazing that he can persist for so long, and he looks like he is capable of doing great things.

After sighing, Zao Song asked his followers to untie the bundle, took out more than a thousand coins and several pieces of silk, asked the old man to distribute them to everyone, and then left.

******
In the square in front of Wenchang Hall, servants and soldiers were busy coming and going.

There were constant sounds of congratulations and toasts in the hall, and it was extremely lively, almost comparable to the grand court meeting in Luoyang on New Year's Day.

Perhaps, the Wenchang Hall at this time was closer to the center of power in the world than the Taiji Hall in Luoyang.

If we control Henan and Hebei, we may not be able to surpass other places in the world combined. After all, the population and wealth are mostly on the north and south of the river. Jiangnan, Guanxi, Bingzhou, Youyan, Shu, Liangzhou, etc., all pale in comparison to Henan and Hebei.

"Just wait here and don't move." The clerk who led Zao Song in gave him a warning and then left.

Zaosong looked up and saw a huge locust tree that was not burned by Jisang.

He became interested and walked around it, secretly wondering if this was the tree that Cao Pi had climbed when he was young.

A burst of music was heard again in the Wenchang Hall.

"...The Jin Dynasty was immoral, the imperial power was lost, evil people rose up, and people suffered..."

A clear voice came from the hall, and it sounded like someone was composing a poem, but it didn't seem like it.

Zao Song subconsciously took a few steps forward and saw that the low-ranking officials in the corridor outside the Wenchang Palace were also listening attentively - well, where is the rule for holding a banquet in the corridor? It's too undignified, isn't it?

But there was no time to investigate. After a pause, the voice sounded again: "...training the tiger brigade, smashing the owl's nest, mixing up the civil and military affairs, and making Hu Jin return to his heart..."

The man finished reading very quickly, which drew a round of applause.

The music started again, and the calls for drinking became more enthusiastic.

As Zao Song listened, he couldn't help but move a few steps closer, and moved sideways to another withered locust tree, looking inside from the main entrance of the hall.

After the music stopped, a red-robed warrior stood up from the top, laughing and saying, "It has been ten years since the uprising in Luoyang. Just as Yanguo said, the villains have risen up, jackals are everywhere, the stench has reached Luojing, and the evil atmosphere has filled Yecheng."

At this point, the man paused, drank the wine in the cup, and sang: "The imperial power has fallen, and the national economy is in great trouble. Guanyou, Henan, Youyan, Ji and Bing, the wounds are severe, and farming and weaving are often in vain."

He spoke slowly but with great emotion. Everyone was a little drunk and sighed when they heard his words.

"Within the palace, the emperor's orders were disobeyed; among the ministers, evil intentions were harbored." "Without considering the favors, evil plots were made; the civil and military officials fled in panic."

After singing this passage, he took the wine glass handed to him by the servant and drank it all again.

"The governors and officials secretly started fighting; the bandits and barbarians attacked the counties and towns one after another."

"The emperor was exiled, Luojing was covered in dust; when he arrived in Yecheng, the ancestral temple had no offerings."

"The old land of Bingzhou is vast and long; China is in trouble and powerless to resist the traitors."

"So the stench of evil was unleashed, not far from the capital; although the enemy's front was defeated, their crazy plots were not stopped."

The red-robed warrior sang and looked at everyone.

Everyone he looked at immediately stood up and drank the wine in the glass.

"With the whole world in mind, I command the whole army; I only need to be more vigilant and diligent, and I hope that my thoughts will be touched."

"The suburbs are exposed, and the elite troops fight bravely; the police are strict in fighting, and the magic soldiers sweep with lightning speed."

"Smash the owl's nest, and the wolves will flee; quell the evil spirit, and the world will be clear."

"Farming is not abandoned, and storage is regular; the people are at peace, and all refugees have returned."

"Alas! I worry about the emperor's lack of concern, and pity the people who are hanging in the balance. I bend my bow and hold my sword in front of the battle, and draw my spear to shoot arrows on my horse."

"So there is the old capital of Cao Wei, a famous city in Hebei; the war has just ended, and the palaces are just finished."

"In the ninth year of Yongjia, on the New Year's Day, I drink with you and enjoy the peace and happiness together."

After the song was finished, the red-robed warrior burst into laughter.

All the officers and officials stood up and praised: "Your Excellency's great virtue brings honor to the people."

The red-robed warrior was even happier, and took another glass of wine, saying, "Drink it up."

"Drink this cup to the full." The officers and soldiers picked up their glasses and drank them all.

The music started again, and a dancer came in and started dancing gracefully.

As the wine got to their heads, the red-robed warrior and his followers made a few comments, each emitting "obscene" laughter.

After some laughter and noise, someone came in to report. The red-robed warrior nodded, apologized, and left through the side door.

Zao Song was still thinking about what had just happened.

Well, the goose bumps all over my body have not yet disappeared, my face is a little red, and my chest is pounding.

After a long time, he sighed: How can Wang Youzhou compare with Mr. Chen?

Mr. Chen can list all his achievements one by one, but what does Wang Youzhou have?
Rely on the barbarians to build up power? Burn and plunder Yecheng? Or build large-scale projects and select beauties?
People are more likely to die than others!

"Master Zao, please follow me." The clerk came over and said softly.

"Oh, okay!" Zao Song nodded and followed silently.

The two of them walked one after the other and soon arrived in front of a newly renovated side hall.

The clerk negotiated with the guards, went inside to report, and then led Zao Song in.

There were only a few people in the hall. In addition to the red-robed warrior, there were two young girls in their twenties, one on the left and one on the right, massaging his legs.

There was also a mature woman in her early twenties, kneeling in front, silently making tea.

"Greetings, Mr. Chen." Zao Song bowed.

"Please sit down." Shao Xun was a little drunk. He pointed to the Huchuang not far away and said.

Zaosong thanked him and sat down properly.

"Why did Wang Pengzu send you here?" Shao Xun asked.

"In the past, Hebei was in chaos, and my master sent troops many times to quell the chaos. The people of Jizhou admired him and praised him, and many people wanted to keep him." Zao Song said, "Under such kindness, he was appointed as the governor of Jizhou, and the court also agreed. Now you have defeated Shi Le, defeated Liu Yao, and recovered Jizhou, which is a rare outstanding achievement in recent times. Therefore, my master is willing to recommend Chen Gong as the governor of Yuzhou and the commander-in-chief, supervising the military affairs of the four states of Yu, Yan, Xu and Qing."

Shao Xun felt that he was very drunk, and his temples were throbbing. After listening to Zao Song's chatter, he became even more unhappy and couldn't help asking, "Wang Pengzu said so. Does he want to take Jizhou away?"

Zao Song just bowed his hands without saying anything, obviously agreeing.

"He has a mouthful of rotten teeth, but a big appetite!" Shao Xun snorted coldly.

After Zaosong agreed, he became even more unhappy.

Wang Jun, ah Wang Jun, this is the second time I've saved you, you should have some sense, okay?

He suddenly felt a little regretful. What's the point of saving such an arrogant person? It's disgusting.

If I had known this would happen, I would have let Shi Le hug Wang Jun’s wife to humiliate him.

After Shi Le captured Youzhou, he met Wang Jun while hugging his wife and cursed him loudly, feeling very refreshed. Wang Jun's wife, Cui, was the great-granddaughter of Cui Yan, a famous official of Cao Wei, and Wang Jun's fourth wife. She was "not old and still had a pretty face."

However, Shi Le failed to save Cui. On the way back to Xiangguo, he was ambushed by Wang Jun's former subordinates and Cui disappeared. After just a few days of playing, he lost his beloved wife. Shi Le was so angry that he beheaded Wang Jun.

Shao Xun became more and more angry as he thought about it. He had originally hoped to join forces with Wang Jun to attack the Xiongnu and take over Jizhou. But now it seemed that Wang Jun was a clueless person. It was damn unreliable to cooperate with him!

Just as he was about to scold him under the influence of alcohol, Yin, who was massaging his legs, pinched him secretly.

Shao Xun swallowed the words when they came to his lips.

After a long silence, he said, "Please take a letter back for me."

(There should be another chapter tonight, please vote for me.)
(End of this chapter)