[Three Kingdoms] After crossing, I opened the sick and weak main road line

——When the autumn wind rises, white clouds fly, and when the grass and trees fall yellow, the geese return to the south. 【1】

The weather is getting colder, and the autumn harvest is coming to an end. Jizhou has not seen much war this year, and the harvest in the fields is very good. After paying the tax, the remaining grain is enough to eat the next autumn harvest with peace of mind, and there is no need to worry about starvation.

The farmers are busy with their farm work, and there are more merchants coming and going in the county.

One autumn rain and one cold, the weather will turn cold soon after the busy farming season. If it is too cold, it is not easy to go out. These days after the busy autumn harvest are the best time to go out. Every village and village will send young and strong people to the nearby cities To buy things for the winter, there are even vendors in rich places who bring their goods and sell them in person.

On the flat and spacious official road, an unremarkable carriage slowly left the city. The middle-aged man sitting in the carriage looked at the people queuing up to enter the city outside, and once again sighed with emotion for the good governance of the chief here.

Most of the people queuing outside the city gate wore short brown linen clothes. These were ordinary people facing the loess and their backs to the sky. Their skin was rough and dark, but they did not have the yellow and emaciated skin caused by not being able to fill their stomachs. There is light.

He came all the way from Hedong County to Jizhou. On the way, he saw a lot of refugees with poor clothes and food. Not long after Dong thief was executed, the people in Guanzhong fled everywhere. The prefectural city is also dilapidated, even worse than ordinary county towns.

There are many wars and disasters, and the terrain of Hedong County is dangerous. It is sandwiched between the two corners of Hebei and Guanzhong. He was the first to be looted by him in Hedong County.

After taking down Hedong, you can enter Guanzhong, and retreat to defend Guandong. The imperial court is unable to send troops, and the private soldiers in the counties and counties are not enough to resist the Dong bandits. In just one year, the people in Hedong County have decreased by [-]% to [-]%.

The person sitting in the carriage was from Hedong County. He came to Zhongshan from Hedong at this time, and he was the member of the Hedong Wei family who had received Yuan Huan's invitation.

Yuan Huanxin didn't mention anything else, only mentioned the business route. He thought that the people who came would be the family members of the Wei family who took care of the family business, but he forgot how high his status was. There are multiple weights.

The people from the Hedong Wei clan were not ordinary clansmen, but the patriarch Wei Ji.

Except for the Hedong Wei family, after receiving the invitation, the other families also came with patriarchs or people of similar status.

The great Han family looked forward to the head of the Guandong family, and the Yuan family in Runan was the head of the Guandong family. The head of the Yuan family wrote to them personally, even if the letter did not say anything about government affairs, they did not dare to neglect it.

The surrounding area of ​​Sili was in constant chaos. Wei Ji met several groups of robbers along the way, and it was not better until he entered Zhongshan. He was the last one to arrive. Before he arrived, several other families had already arrived at the Yuan Mansion.

After Yuan Huan received the replies from all parties, he felt for the first time how powerful the identity left by the original owner was.

After waking up from Meiwu until now, he has experienced so many things in between, and he only felt that it is more convenient for him to do some things as an aristocratic child than ordinary people. Now that he faces the other side of this identity, he realizes that what he thought before was still too simple .

In the past, it was said that the two brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu could occupy most of the Eastern Han Dynasty because of the reputation of the Yuan family in Runan. Now put it on him. Shop sign.

Well, maybe Lu Bu should be excluded.

In any case, before he keeps people with his ability, the sign of the Yuan family in Runan is even more useful than the surname Liu of the clan. Don't say anything, even if you keep people, they will leave if they are dissatisfied. Before running away, there must be someone under his command.

The concierge came in and reported that Yuan Huan was arranging new tasks for Zhang Liao when Wei Ke of Hedong Weishi arrived.

Road construction is a big project, and only one county in Anguo has kept Zhang Liao busy for a whole summer. This kid is young, and he doesn't think there is anything wrong with leading soldiers to do these things. Great generals are also famous in history.

Meng Tian built the Great Wall, and Zhang Liao built roads, so there is no difference.

Zhang Liao is ready to build roads in Jizhou for ten or eight years. It's just that the young man thinks simply, but Yuan Huan can't let him, a general who leads troops to fight, become a contractor. Apart from a few necessary official roads, they are now There is no need to focus on building roads.

Even cement roads or asphalt roads will be potholed if they are not maintained for a long time. Now they only have dirt roads. No matter how hard they are in repairing, they will not be able to withstand rain and snow.

They were lucky this year, they didn't encounter natural disasters, and it didn't take much effort to win Jizhou. Apart from suppressing bandits and thieves, they didn't have any major battles. They may not be so lucky next year.

The deep winter is freezing cold, and it may not even wait for the spring of next year, and the flames of war will burn to Jizhou.

Repairing the official roads from Zhongshan to several other big cities in Jizhou does not require occupying a general. Winter is not a busy season for farming, and the government pays for the people to work without delay, and it can also increase the income of the people.

Zhang Liao calmed down from his hot-blooded state. After thinking about it carefully, their surroundings are indeed not safe. Jizhou has not been affected by disasters this year. The surrounding Yuzhou, Yanzhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou and even Guanzhong are full of disasters. The refugees who fled to Jizhou need resettlement. Kou's thieves need to be wiped out, and they must also guard against sending troops from other places to grab food from them.

Jizhou is rich and rich, and in the eyes of neighbors who are too poor to eat, it is a big fat meat full of fragrance. Without enough troops, it may not be able to defend it.

But then again, why did he feel that something was wrong.

Zhang Liao pinched his chin thoughtfully, and looked suspiciously at the back of their master. He felt that there was a newcomer coming to the house, and the master had to focus on the son of the Sun family who was coming to live in the house, so he had a meeting with him in advance. Say so much.

Alas, it is human nature to like the new and dislike the old, and even a fairy like their lord is not exempt.

That is to say, the kid from the Sun family is young and unreliable, and a mature and steady general like him can stand alone in the hearts of their lord.

Zhang Liao thought about it in the blink of an eye, and quickly returned to his confidence. The people from the Hedong Wei family were already waiting in the guest room, and their lord was going to meet the guests. When Lu Fengxian was away, he had to follow up to protect the lord.

Yuan Huan walked slowly ahead, walked through a short corridor and found that Zhang Liao hadn't followed, turned around and looked over with some doubts, "Wen Yuan?"

Zhang Liao quickened his pace, showing his white teeth with a smile, "My lord, Liao will definitely not let you down in the future."

He is mature and prudent, not surprised by favor or humiliation, and the mountain collapses in front of him without changing his color, he can do it too!

Yuan Huan:? ? ?

"What's the matter?" Yuan Huan stopped, looked at the young general who suddenly became energetic, and asked softly, "The weather has turned cold recently, but you feel unwell?"

Zhang Liao shook his head like a rattle, "Liao is strong and strong, and it's easy to go into battle immediately and fight for [-] rounds."

Yuan Huan was even more puzzled when he heard his answer like this, and he was no longer tactful. He simply asked his doubts. He found that he was getting more and more confused about the thoughts of these young generals. ask clearly.

"My lord, don't worry. Liao has always been magnanimous and considerate. The kid from the Sun family won't compete with him when he comes. There is no need for my lord to worry." Zhang Liao patted his head, rarely blushing and replied.

It must be that the "intrigue" between him and Lu Fengxian a few days ago was too obvious for the lord to find out. Turn around and talk to that person, you can't be so obvious in front of the lord in the future. They are generals who lead troops to fight, and they must be mature, stable and reliable You can't be as bold and unrestrained as Mr. Feng Xiao.

Yuan Huan was dumbfounded after listening to him, and didn't know how to react. The new task he arranged for this person had nothing to do with the "intrigue" a few days ago. What kind of intrigue can people see? To put it this way, the two little dolls, Jinger and Yier, are more thoughtful than them.

Immediately go to the guest room, and I will see guests later, and after seeing the Patriarch of Hedong Wei, come and have a good talk with this kid.

Wei Ji waited in the guest room for a while, and when the protagonist appeared, he immediately stood up and saluted.

"Bo Cui came from a long way, so there is no need to be polite." Yuan Huan sized him up without any trace, and motioned him to sit down with a slight smile, then walked slowly to the main seat and sat down.

The Wei family was originally from Dai County. Wei Hao, the ancestor of the Wei family during the Ming Dynasty, was recruited by the imperial court and took his family to Luoyang to take up the post. However, when he arrived in Hedong, Wei Hao died of an illness. Emperor Ming ordered the Wei family members to be buried on the spot. , this big family settled down in Hedong.

The Wei family in Hedong, the Sima family in Hanoi, and the Yang family in Hongnong are all famous and famous families in Sili. Later generations know the Wei family the most because of the calligraphy masters of the Wei family, which is called the "Weimen Calligraphy School". Apart from Zhong Yao, among the people who can pass on their names to future generations, there is also this Wei Boqie.

——The Zhong school flourishes in the south, and the Wei school flourishes in the north.The books of later generations are all of these two schools, which can only be called Zhong and Wei. 【2】

In this era when we were very particular about being well-matched, Wei Zhongdao, Wei Bocuo's younger brother, was able to marry the daughter of a famous scholar Cai Yong, which showed that the reputation of the Hedong Wei family was not inferior to that of the Cai family, otherwise Cai Yong would not have married his daughter.

However, Yuan Huan invited Wei's people here not because of their fame, but because of their financial resources, as well as the salt and iron from Hedong County.

——The land in the east of the river is easy, rich in salt and iron. It was originally the residence of Yao in the Tang Dynasty, and the poetic style is also in the country of Tang and Wei. 【3】

Jizhou is located to the north of the Yellow River, and Hedong County is located between Hebei and Guanzhong. The reserves of salt and iron are quite considerable. Although Wei Ke was young and famous for his talent and learning, his business methods are also extraordinary. The lifeblood of salt and iron is almost completely controlled by Wei Shi.

The method of purifying coarse salt is given to horse merchants like Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping who have never handled a large amount of salt business. It is not easy to buy salt lakes or seaside salt farms that can produce salt.

Jizhou is rich, but its area is a bit small compared to other prefectures. The only place where salt can be harvested is Bohai County. If you want to expand your business, you can't get around these wealthy families who have mastered the salt lake salt field.

In fact, the salt field closest to Jizhou is in Youzhou, but Gongsun Zan of Youzhou is not easy to get along with, and Liu Yu is a clan member of the Han Dynasty, so he is not very happy to deal with there.

When Yuan Huan was looking at Wei Ji, Wei Ji was also looking at the Yuan clan patriarch who escaped from death. He used to be an official in Luoyang and had a relationship with this famous young patriarch several times. Yuan Wei's limelight was all on Yuan Wei, and he only felt that this man was gentle and elegant, but he didn't care much about it.

Now it seems that I am afraid that I am hiding my clumsiness.

The fourth generation of the Yuan family in Runan, the family has a large number of officials in the court. Although he is the patriarch, he is inferior to Yuan Kai who was the third prince in his official position. When I met him by chance before, I can see that he is not With a competitive nature, it is normal to temporarily avoid the edge.

Every family has scriptures that are difficult to recite, even such a prominent family as the Yuan family in Runan is no exception.

Wei Ji is a smart man, he knows that he can't use his previous impressions to figure out who he is now. The Yuan family has suffered a great loss from Dong Zhuo. This man can instigate Dong Zhuo's general Lu Bu, and let Lu Wenhou stay in Jizhou with all his heart. It can be proved He is not so gentle and harmless as he looks.

It is impossible for the patriarch of the Yuan clan to be cultivated to be naive and ignorant of world affairs. If he was really ignorant of world affairs, he would not have sent Yuan Shaofa to such a poor place as Bingzhou so neatly.

Wei Ji was full of thoughts, but he didn't show it at all on his face. He said a few simple words, and then he cut to the point, "I came to Zhongshan from the east of the river, and the people in Jizhou I saw on the way lived and worked in peace and contentment. My lord has a good governance. It’s admirable, but I’m still a little puzzled when the adult’s letter mentions the sale of salt.”

"Wait a minute, Uncle." Yuan Huanzhan smiled, like the moonlight pouring from the sky, reflecting the room's brilliance, "This matter is important, just you and me are not enough, we have to wait for the others to arrive before we can discuss it."

Just as he was talking, footsteps came from outside the door, and several companions who arrived at Yuan's residence before Wei Ji came to the guest room.

Mi Zhu works under Tao Qian, and Biejia cannot leave the state easily in a state, so this time it is his younger brother Mi Fang, Mi Zifang. Coming to Zhongshan really surprised Yuan Huan.

Compared with Mi Zhu who is graceful, generous, honest and elegant, Mi Fang's younger brother is following the path of a general, so it's hard for Mi Zhu to send someone here with confidence.

And the remaining three are expected.

Wei Zi from the Chen Liu Wei family, the wealthy businessman Wei Zi who brought five thousand troops to Cao Cao, Lu Su from the Linhuai Lu family, Lu Su who went to the meeting alone, and Zhen Zhen from the Zhongshan Zhen family. Yan, a young man who has just taken over the position of the head of the Zhen family for less than five years, and now he has just reached the crown.

Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping can be said to be rich, but compared with these rich families who are engaged in business but many of them are officials in prefectures and counties, they are not enough.

After the salute, the two sat in the seats near the door knowingly. Even though the Mr. Guo in the house had already given them some advice, seeing so many people sitting in the guest room, they couldn't help shivering.

Zhang Liao sat on the lower right seat of their lord with his back straight, his expression serious and his eyes stern, and he lingered on Mi Fang and Lu Su for a while, making sure that the two combined could not beat him, so he withdrew his eyes and made peace of mind as a display .

After everyone sat down, Yuan Huan put down the teacup, and said slowly, "Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there have been constant wars and bandits in the Han Dynasty, especially in Qingzhou and Xuzhou and Guanzhong. In the beginning, there was no one to manage salt and iron, and the price of the distribution was soaring. Do you think that if the chaos continues for a long time, what will the world look like?"

The faces of the few present here changed when they heard the word "salt and iron". They were not fools, and they could naturally hear the meaning behind the words of the gentle and refined young man in the chair.

The imperial court was too busy to take care of itself and neglected the management of salt and iron. If they wanted to set up special supervision as before, they needed someone to take the lead. These people enjoyed a reputation in a state, but they were far from qualified to take the lead in formulating rules like the imperial court.

The reputation of the Yuan family in Runan is sufficient, but now the war is in turmoil, even if several families agree, there are still Jingzhou, Yizhou, Yangzhou and other places that cannot be taken care of.

What's more, they control the price of salt, and if the price of salt in other places does not drop, let alone losing money, if the low price provokes merchants from other places to rush to buy it, and then sell it at a high price, in the end not only the people will not benefit, but their own Benefits are not guaranteed.

Several people exchanged glances with each other, but no one spoke first.

Yuan Huan had already guessed their reaction, seeing that they were not angry if they didn't answer directly, he clapped his hands and called the maid waiting outside, and gave each of them a small bag of clean and white fine salt.

Su Shuang opened the bag, saw what was inside, guessed that it might be salt, but couldn't believe that there was such clean fine salt in the world, hesitantly looked at Zhang Shiping next to him, wondering what this man was thinking .

Zhang Shiping pinched a little and put it on the tip of his tongue, and found that the salt was not only beautiful, but also had a pure taste, without any bitterness, astringency, earthy smell, as if cast by a magic spell by a fairy, no matter how you look at it, you can't fault it.

The two looked at each other in dismay, thinking that they were from humble backgrounds and had never seen anything good. The aristocratic family had many rules. The two of them traveled all over the world to do business.

But seeing that the few people in front were as shocked as the two of them, they calmed down again after they put away the bags.

These people also have something they have never seen before. This kind of fine salt without any peculiar smell should only be produced by Yuan's.

It seems that compared with the Yuan family in Runan, other wealthy families are much inferior. Fortunately, although their status is a bit lower, but in the adults, everyone is treated equally.

Everyone didn't know each other after they came to Yuan's Mansion, and the two of them didn't know each other.

The author has something to say: Su and Zhang: There are two kinds of aristocratic families in the world, one is the Runan Yuan family, and the other is others.

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【1】Liu Che's "Autumn Wind"

【2】Kang Youwei's "Guangyi Boat"

[3] "Hanshu Geography"