[Three Kingdoms] Seven steps into wetness

In the spring and February of the 18th year of Jian'an, Liu Bei almost captured Yizhou with lightning speed and imprisoned Liu Zhang.Then Liu Xun used Liu Zhang's soldier talisman to mobilize ten thousand soldiers and horses to rob and kill Zhong Yao and Zhang Lu.

Liu Zhang is at the end of the road.

He looked back at the high seat of the main hall, and for a moment all thoughts were lost, so he hid in the room.

Liu Bei was shocked!

Before that, he brought [-] soldiers from Jingzhou to Xichuan, and more than half of them were killed or injured in more than half a year. Therefore, he and Zhuge Liang intended to follow Cao Cao's example and hold Liu Zhang hostage so that Yizhou generals could fight against Cao together.However, Liu Zhang died calmly, which was obviously beyond their expectations.What's more, all the people in Chengdu knew about such a big movement in the Communist Party of China, and they couldn't hide the news of Liu Zhang's death.

Previously, Liu Zhang was afraid that Zhong Yao and others would take the opportunity to attack Yizhou, so he ordered his eldest son Liu Xun to garrison Luocheng in the north.Liu Zhang is dead, but half of his old troops have never surrendered.Now this group of people has fled Chengdu with their own troops, and defected to Liu Xun, the eldest son of Liu Zhang who was stationed in Luocheng.

Once Liu Xun defected to Cao Cao...

Yizhou originally had nearly [-] to [-] soldiers and horses. Under their attack, they lost nearly [-] soldiers, and the southern defense garrison was [-]. Liu Bei could use only [-] soldiers and horses even if they added their own.If Liu Xun led the troops to join Cao Cao, Zhang Lu and others would add [-] troops out of thin air, overwhelming them in numbers.

Liu Bei finally listened to the advice of Fazheng and Zhuge Liang, and decided to kill Liu Xun in Luocheng while Zhang Lu and others were recuperating.

However, Guan Yu led the troops to Luocheng, but he heard that Liu Xun had abandoned Luocheng half a day ago, and led more than ten thousand soldiers and horses to defect to Zhong Yao.Guan Yu pursued closely, but met Zhong Yao who came to meet him. He was defeated and retreated to Luocheng.

The situation in Yizhou has changed in just half a month.When Cao Zhi knew about it, the people in Yecheng had already finished farming and sowing rice.

This was an era of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, men plowed the land and farmed, and women reeled silk and weaved cloth.Agriculture, handicrafts, and animal husbandry are the industries that the people depend on for their survival, and they are the most important.

Cao Zhi believes that the characteristics of agriculture in this era are that there are not many types of crops, the land is vast but the utilization rate is not high, farming tools are not developed, and there are not enough people to cultivate due to the lack of strong men due to wars.

There seems to be no solution to the problems of vast land with low utilization rate and insufficient farming people in today's troubled times.What Cao Zhi thought of was improving farming tools and finding crop varieties that had not yet been discovered.

In fact, Cao Zhi often thinks of many things that are not available today, such as monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, and various fruits.However, these things he thought of, he still couldn't remember how they were made, or when and where they were discovered.He didn't tell the Bian family in the past, until now, he ordered people to search for these conceivable things widely to see if the people have started to eat them.

This is also difficult to achieve in a short period of time. Cao Zhi drew most of the things and wrote down the traits he knew in words. He ordered more than a hundred people in the county to go to various places, especially the Jiangdong area to search for them before focusing on tools. .

During his visits, Cao Zhi discovered that women weaved silk cloth using a weaving machine with fifty warp threads and fifty creases.This kind of loom is very cumbersome. When women weave cloth, they usually have to sweat all over their bodies. It takes at least two months to weave a piece of cloth. The efficiency is sighingly low.

Cao Zhi set up a craftsman department alone, vacated a large courtyard outside Yecheng, and invited some skilled craftsmen with high salaries to transform this kind of loom.

But when the seeds were sown, there was continuous heavy rain in Yecheng, and there was too much water in the fields.However, the water level was at the same level as the ditches and it was impossible to drain the water. As a result, the ungrown rice was flooded to death. Not to mention that the people had to re-sow the seeds, and some had a headache because of insufficient seeds.

In this way, Cao Zhi ordered people to invite several craftsmen with experience in farm tools to improve the irrigation and drainage systems in the field.

Cao Zhi first thought of a waterwheel, which turns the wheels with water power to drive irrigation and drainage.But he only had a superficial impression of this, so he drew drawings that looked similar in appearance according to his memory, and handed them over to the craftsmen.

It's just that these are not achieved overnight.After Cao Zhi finished his work, he received Guo Jia's letter.

The first thing Guo Jia said in the letter was his recent situation.His body is still not considered healthy yet, and he will always make some problems after marching for a long time.Simply since Chibi, Cao Cao has always been inexplicably awed by the epidemic, and asked Hua Tuo to accompany him, and he can also take care of him.

So, don't worry.

Cao Zhi's heart warmed slightly, so he continued to read.The letter didn't mention too many things, Guo Jia only said one thing, as Zijian expected, Liu Bei attacked Chengdu, and Liu Zhang was killed in suicide.

Cao Zhi paused.

Liu Bei, Sun Quan, and Cao Cao are divided into three parts of the world, and his memory has already told him.But history is by no means static in a small area. Cao Zhi even once thought that Zhong Yao and Zhang Lu might be able to kill Liu Bei the last time, making him withdraw from the stage of history as soon as possible.

How do you know you still come to this point.

If Liu Bei dies, he can clearly be sure that he has changed history.Although Liu Bei still occupies Xichuan, has Cao Zhi changed history, or is it different from the history he knows now?And now the tripartite confrontation of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan is different from the tripartite confrontation in history?

He didn't even know if he, as Cao Zhi, was the Cao Zhi in history.

Cao Zhi frowned slightly.

This thought just flew through his mind without a trace.

Because now he has someone he wants to join hands with, something to do firmly, and a path he has to go.Once this road stops, either it has reached the end, or it cannot go any further.

He had already been forced on this path by himself, and he had no other choice.

He brushed away his bewilderment and continued to read the letter.The next thing in the letter was about their marching situation, but Guo Jia didn't go into details, only saying that the lord will lead the army back in a short time.And he, of course, wants to come back with him.

Cao Zhi stared at it for a while, then slowly raised a smile.

In fact, Cao Zhi and Guo Jia have always been both teachers and friends. Now that Guo Jia accepts his feelings, he inevitably feels a little embarrassed.Therefore, Cao Cao's expedition to Sun Quan this time actually gave them a buffer opportunity to adapt to the suddenly changed relationship.

Start with just a few words, change the subtle habits of the conversation, and then develop further, change the established way of getting along... One day, they will become more intimate in a subtle way.Although it seems a little boring, Cao Zhi can feel the tacit understanding between him and Guo Jia, and even enjoys it very much.

The same is true for Guo Jia.

And the half-year buffer time also enabled them to find a suitable method.When Cao Cao returns, he will be able to get along naturally.

Cao Zhi's smile deepened - he was looking forward to it.

In the first month of the 18th year of Jian'an, Cao Jun marched into Ruxukou, broke through Sun Quan's camp west of the Yangtze River, and captured the governor Gong Sunyang, so Sun Quan personally led [-] troops to fight against them across the river.

Although Zhou Yu has passed away now, Lu Su cannot be underestimated.Cao Cao saw that Sun Quan's army was well-organized, advanced and retreated freely, commanded properly, and impeccable, so he had the heart to retreat.It was precisely on this matter that Sun Quan wrote to Cao Cao saying: The rain is coming, and the prime minister should retreat as soon as possible.What's more, if the prime minister is not dead, I will have no peace, so why worry.

When Cao Cao saw the letter, he burst out laughing.He handed the letter to Cao Pi and Cao Zhang, and said calmly: "In terms of intelligence and strategy, you are really inferior to Sun Zhongmou!"

When Cao Pi and Cao Zhang heard about it, their expressions froze.Cao Zhang was particularly dissatisfied, but Cao Pi already bowed his head and said respectfully: "Yes, my son will definitely have a good life and learn from my master."

Cao Cao glanced at him and nodded slightly: "If you can grow up a little bit, you can rest assured as a father." After finishing speaking, he stopped caring about the two sons and asked the counselors: "What Sun Quan said is true. Ah, if the fight continues, our army has no chance of winning. But if we retreat and return to the north, I am afraid that he will turn around and steal the people here!"

When everyone heard it, they all frowned and thought deeply.

Although they have 15 soldiers and horses, the training of the navy is still not enough, and the fight will only consume soldiers and horses.Just give up, what Cao Cao said is more likely to happen.After all, this place is too close to Jianye in the center of Jiangdong. Once they return to the north, Sun Quan can regain this place with all his troops.

Cao Cao said: "Do you have any opinions?"

Everyone discussed in low voices, and from time to time some counselors suggested some solutions, but Cao Cao denied them all.

Cao Pi bowed and said, "My son thought that father could make these people move north."

Since Sun Quan would recover these lost lands, wouldn't it be less meaningful to order the people to move north into Cao Cao's territory and leave it to Sun Quan to recover these lost lands.

Cao Cao heard it and said: "What do you think of Zihuan's suggestion?"

Some people agree, some people don't speak.

Guo Jia first expressed his objection: "I think it's impossible."

Cao Pi frowned imperceptibly.

But there was no displeasure on his face, and he even stared sideways at this indispensable counselor in Cao Ying, with an expression in his eyes that seemed to be asking for advice.

Seeing this, Cao Cao was satisfied, and then he said to Guo Jia, "Oh? Why?"

Guo Jia remonstrated: "The people's most important concept is to live and work in peace and contentment. Unless there is a war in their hometown, they are forced to move away. Most people who move far away, after they die in old age, also hope that their ashes will be brought back to their hometown to rest in peace. Now, the flames of war here have never spread, the Yangtze River has never flooded, and there have been no natural or man-made disasters. If the lord issues a decree to order them to leave, I am afraid that these people will be forced to leave the Lujiang River and go to the south instead. At that time, the lord's defense in the north will be empty, so it can be said that it is not worrying."

Although the land of Lujiang belonged to Sun Quan, these places were rich and prosperous, and the war was not too late, and most of the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.Therefore, these common people can be said to separate them and serve as Cao Cao's barrier in the north.

Cao Cao's frown deepened.

He stared at Guo Jia, and slowly said: "According to what you said, isn't it because there is no countermeasure at all?"

Guo Jia thought for a moment, then closed his eyes and smiled: "When the Lord attacked Jingzhou in the past, hundreds of thousands of people followed Liu Bei and moved south. I believe that if the Lord can do the work of Yao and Shun, the people of the world will return to their hearts, and the Lord does not have to worry about anyone disturbing the people. .”

When Cao Cao heard it, he was very happy.

Seeing this, everyone also said that the reform should be advanced to this point.After the crowd dispersed, Cao Pi bowed his head respectfully to ask Guo Jia for advice, but no one knew the treacherous thoughts in his eyes.

Soon, Cao Cao reported to the emperor to merge the fourteen prefectures into Kyushu following the ancient system.In this reform, the division of Sili School and Lieutenant Department and the four prefectures of Liang, You, Bing, and Jiao were abolished; the division of Sili was divided into three prefectures of Yong, Hebei, and Henan; Liangzhou was merged into Yongzhou; He also abolished Jiaozhou and divided the leadership into Jingzhou and Yizhou.

At the same time, he once again ordered Kyushu to reform in accordance with the laws promulgated by him, but Sun Quan and Liu Bei did not recognize Cao Cao's centralization of power, and did not implement reforms in Jiangdong and Xichuan, and only the north where Cao Cao was located, the reform was further strengthened.

In the fourth month of summer, Cao Cao returned to Ye.

On the day he returned, the waterwheel that Cao Zhi ordered everyone to study made great progress.