Chapter 108: Desperate Situation
Hongnong and Huayin were the administrative seats of the Inspector of the Imperial Capital.

This is also where the Hongnong Yang family is located.

After a precious drizzle of rain, the whole world becomes fresh and moist.

Fifty-one-year-old Zhong Yao is full of energy and is quietly admiring a piece of paper early in the morning.

Concubine Sun brought the food and carefully placed it on the table nearby so as not to disturb Zhong Yao.

She turned her head and recognized that what Zhong Yao was holding was Zhang Chang's cursive script. With her knowledge, she could hardly recognize the sloppy words on it.

"Wonderful, really wonderful...really wonderful!"

Zhong Yao sighed softly, he did not expect that Zhang Chang wrote this impromptu after getting drunk last night. Looking at this calligraphy, he could almost see Zhang Chang's expression and spirit as he wrote freely while drunk.

Zhang Chang was the second son of Zhang Huan of Sanming, Liangzhou. Zhang Huan began to move from Dunhuang, Liangzhou to Huayin.

Brother Zhang Chang was also good at cursive script, but he died early, so he was called the Cursive Saint in his time.

It is like this in the cultural field. The longer you live, the higher your seniority in the world will be, the more disciples you will have, and the more time you will have to immerse yourself in improving your attainments.

If you become famous earlier than others and die early, you will become a saint.

Zhong Yao reluctantly put down the paper that made him happy. It was Zuo Bo paper, an old item from the reign of Emperor Ling.

It can no longer be created in this world today.

Covering the page with thick silk, Zhong Yao raised his hands and shook his wide sleeves, exposing his wrists, and then said, "You can go back to your hometown in a few days."

Sun was surprised: "Has the situation come to this? The court appointed Ma Teng as the General of the Northern Expedition, and the north has its own Ma Teng to resist. What does this have to do with Hongnong?"

She really didn't want to leave Zhong Yao. Zhong Yao currently had no children and had already separated from his wife Jia, who did not allow him to take a concubine.

If Sun tries harder, she might get pregnant and get pregnant.

But she is only nineteen years old now, in the prime of her life, and does not want to return to her hometown to live as a widow.

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you. I heard that Yuan Tan has sent an envoy to Nanyang to invite Liu Xuande to send troops to help."

Zhong Yao picked up the wooden bowl and ate the minced meat porridge. Sun was speechless and looked at Zhong Yao's profile with panic and concern: "What are you going to do?"

"I can't leave."

Zhong Yao swallowed the porridge and said calmly: "If I retreat like this, Cao Cao will not tolerate me, and there is no place for me in the court. Moreover, if I really retreat, I am afraid that the people of Hongnong will capture me and offer me to the north. If I stay, you will have a chance to return."

He ate his porridge quietly, tears rolling down Sun's cheeks.

Zhong Yao barely finished eating and sighed deeply.

The disastrous defeat at Bowangpo made too many people realize that Cao’s army was still Cao’s army, not the army of heaven.

Sun calmed down and took away the bowl, chopsticks and wooden tray. Zhong Yao's nephew Guo Yuan and military advisor Du Xi came in together.

Du Xi held a plate of official documents in his hand and said, "Sir, there is a report from Wuguan. The White Goose Bandits have withdrawn from Xiangyang. Their scouts are lurking in the southern suburbs of Shangxian and will attack Wuguan soon."

Zhong Yao reached out and grabbed the topmost military intelligence letter, which revealed that there were only a hundred or so soldiers guarding Wuguan Pass.

The three counties of Wuguan Road were basically governed by local government. Bandits had not been completely eliminated and the tax revenue was barely enough to support the county magistrate.

If there are more people, we won’t be able to feed them.

If we really dispatch external troops to the three counties of Wuguan, the people in these three counties will surely flee first.

He was unable to obtain supplies from the three counties of Wuguan.

Most importantly, he had no troops to mobilize and no additional supplies to transport to Wuguan.

Liu Biao rode alone to take office, and Zhong Yao also rode alone to take office.

He managed Guanzhong for only half the time that Liu Biao did. How could he drive the people of Guanzhong, who were alienated from the imperial court, to fight for the court?

Since Emperor Guangwu established Luoyang as the capital, the Liu family has abandoned Chang'an and Guanzhong.

Do you really think that the people of Guanzhong are die-hard supporters of the Liu family?

Don't forget, there are two places in the world with rich surnames; one is Liangzhou. When the Western Han Dynasty migrated people to fill the border counties, many inland people were forced to move out. In Liangzhou you can see surnames from all over the country.

Another one is Guanzhong. Under the mausoleum-town system, powerful people from all over the country were forced to migrate to Guanzhong to become self-cultivating farmers, so there are many surnames in Guanzhong.

Unlike Hebei and Guandong, the surnames in a place are basically fixed.

What kind of big scenes have the people of Guanzhong of this generation not seen?
More experience in escape.

If you issue a conscription order, I will flee to the mountains with my family.

Now Liu Bei might come, and the White Goose Thief is also coming. How can Zhong Yao take on them?

During the Guandu period two years ago, in order to support the Guandu battlefield, Zhong Yao squeezed out two thousand horses and transported them to the Central Plains, which greatly supplemented Cao Cao's military horse shortage.

But the problem is that military horses cannot be obtained by Zhong Yao simply by holding an imperial edict.

In order to raise this batch of military horses and to prevent the Guanzhong local tyrants from being lured away and instigated by Yuan Shao to rebel, the Xudu court gave many official positions to the Guanzhong local tyrants that year.

From generals of various titles and lieutenant generals to colonels and pass guarding lieutenants, he stabilized this group of people and raised two thousand military horses.

Starting from the fourth year of Jian'an, the people from Guanzhong who had fled returned one after another, with more than 100,000 families in Jingzhou alone.

Where did so many people go?

They were gradually eaten up by powerful people who held general and officer positions. These people returned to their hometowns without any means of production and lived in poverty.

They could only be annexed by generals and lieutenants who held the positions of judges in the imperial court and became their followers and tenants; and they also changed from powerful tyrants to noble generals and garrison commanders.

Ma Teng and Han Sui realized the situation later. By the time they arrived in Guanzhong, the powerful people in Guanzhong had already built up strong armies and horses.

It was also in the fifth year of Jian'an that the attempt was made to instigate Liu Zhang of Yizhou to attack Liu Biao from both sides and prevent Liu Biao from interfering in the battlefield in the Central Plains.

That year, Shangshu Lang Wei Ji was sent on a diplomatic mission to Yizhou, but the road to Hanzhong was blocked.

Wei Ji was from Anyi in Hedong. He saw that the powerful people in Guanzhong were annexing the common people, causing the registered population in each county to continue to decline.

A county's production resources are limited. If the county has a large registered population, the county government will be strong. Conversely, if the number of people annexed by powerful people is large, the powerful people will be strong.

In order to curb the annexation of the powerful, Wei Ji proposed to the court to strictly control the salt production in Hedong.

The situation in Guanzhong was stabilized by suppressing the powerful in the salt sales link.

Otherwise, if the population were all occupied by powerful people, a war for hegemony in Guanzhong would break out prematurely.

So people from the Central Plains like Hei Xiong, who had never been to Guanzhong, heard that Zhong Yao had brought great prosperity to Guanzhong, and more than 100,000 households who had fled to Jingzhou returned home one after another.

But what is the real reason for returning home?
It's very simple. The people of Guanzhong who took refuge in Nanyang were also afraid that Liu Biao would send troops to intervene in the Central Plains battlefield.

Once Liu Biao sent out his troops, the Guanzhong people in Nanyang would be an excellent source of soldiers. The reason for returning home was so simple and unpretentious, they were driven back by the shadow of war.

The Guanzhong and Sili Xiaowei Zhong Yao promoted by the Xudu court is currently just a figurehead!

Now Zhong Yao still has the righteousness of the court in his arms.

Even if there were registered populations in the counties under his jurisdiction, he dared not impose additional taxes or levies.

He is trying to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, otherwise these registered residents will turn to nearby powerful coaches.

Without the registered population, he will completely lose the bargaining chip to check and balance and mediate between the various coaches.

He was unable to handle the Guanzhong issue, but instead led to the growth of a great general in Guanzhong. Then what qualifications does he have to serve in the court?
The Battle of Guandu in the fifth year of Jian'an had a huge impact on Guanzhong.

Zhong Yao now does not even have the influence or manpower to reorganize Chang'an City.

Although he could appoint officials from the counties in Guanzhong, these officials, like him, could not collect additional taxes and did not dare to forcibly conscript manpower.

How can people who live a hard life on a daily basis have the capital to fight a war?

And now, the people of Hongnong are actually also waiting and watching.

If Ma Teng could not stop Yuan's army in Hedong, the people of Hongnong would most likely welcome the new governor appointed by Hebei.

Out of courtesy and respect, Zhong Yao might be escorted out of the country.

After all, the Hongnong Yang family had a deep hatred for Cao Cao.

In the early years of Jian'an, Yang Biao planned to force Cao Cao to seize power at a banquet for all officials. Cao Cao noticed that Yang Biao looked unhappy, and when he came to the steps, he refused to take the seat and turned away.

Later, taking advantage of Yuan Shu's claim to the throne, Cao Cao wanted to kill Yang Biao because of Yang Biao's marriage issue; Kong Rong went to Cao Cao to warn him on the spot that if anyone dared to kill Yang Biao, he would take the lead in resigning and returning home.

Kong Rong represents not just one of his own people, but many old ministers of the Han Dynasty.

If you dare to refuse, your Xudu court will be completely reduced to a makeshift team!

Cao Cao had no choice but to find an excuse to dismiss Yang Biao.

In the fourth year of Jian'an, with the defeat of Yuan Shu, Cao Cao and the Yang family temporarily reconciled.

That year, Yang Biao was summoned to the court to serve as Minister of Rites, and Zhong Yao suddenly discovered that there was a talented person under his rule, so he recommended Yang Biao's son, the 25-year-old Yang Xiu, as a filial and incorrupt official.

Cao Cao also recruited Yang Xiu as the chief clerk of the Sikong Palace, and the relationship between the two sides was harmonious.

It seems that Kong Rongbai offended Cao Cao back then?

how come?
Zhong Yao was not sure whether the Yang family wanted to retaliate or not; but he was sure that the Yang family currently lacked the opportunity and strength to retaliate.

If the Yuan family or Liu Bei, or even the White Goose Thief attacks.

The Yang family doesn't mind killing him.

He was Yang Xiu's sponsor, and Yang Xiu was his disciple...but did the Yang family need Zhong Yao to support Yang Xiu?

The future head of the Hongnong Yang family and the future leader of the Xizhou scholars should not be restricted by the sponsor.

Only after the death of Zhong Yao, the Inspector of the Imperial Guards, could the Yang family play a role in stabilizing Western Province for the court.

Taking into account various factors, Zhong Yao's situation was very critical.

This is also the reason why Cao Cao appointed Ma Teng as the General of the Northern Expedition so early. It is better for Guanzhong to fall into Ma Teng's hands than into the hands of the Yuan family or Liu Bei.

At this moment, Zhong Yao's big heart began to beat to resist all kinds of pressure.

Before this, even if Cao Cao knew that the White Goose Bandits were going to take the Wuguan Road to cooperate with Yuan Tan, he would not take it seriously.

However, the Battle of Bowangpo and the Battle of Xiangyang that just took place have proved that the White Goose Bandits have the ability to unite their troops and fight in the field.

This shows that the White Goose Bandits are definitely not a group of refugees or disaster victims, but a mature team of military officials.

Therefore, at present, Zhong Yao has no so-called contingency plan at all when facing the White Goose Thief and Liu Bei, whose strength has skyrocketed.

There is only a big heart beating.

Zhong Yao couldn't panic, and there was no need to panic, so he asked his nephew Guo Yuan: "When will the Hebei troops invade?"

"By October at the latest, Yuan Tan must gather the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan tribes. The various Hu people must gather in the mountains to spend the winter at the end of September. If Yuan Tan sends troops before then, he will worry about the Hu people causing chaos and harassing him from behind."

If they want to rob, let’s go to Hedong together. Yuan’s army’s battle plan is very simple.

Since the surrender of the Baibo bandits, Hedong has remained peaceful in recent years and can be described as a small pure land in troubled times.

With so many jars and pots at home, the people of Hedong no longer had the awareness of being loyal to the court and dying for it.

Therefore, we cannot expect Hedong County to take the initiative to resist Yuan’s army.

Wang Yi, the governor of Hedong County, has been serving as the General Zhenbei for many years, but he has never expanded his territory by even a single county.

From this we can see what kind of mentality Wang Yi has. He is equivalent to a small General Zhennan Liu Biao.

Under such circumstances, Ma Teng was unable to stop Yuan's army, Wang Yi abandoned the county and fled, so it was normal for Hedong County to surrender to Yuan's army.

This was not Wang Yi's personal choice, but the choice of the people of Hedong.

Should we ask Ma Teng to send troops to guard Wuguan Road?

This thought kept turning around in Zhong Yao's mind, so he asked Du Xi, "How many soldiers and horses does the White Goose Bandit have?"

"If we take over Shangluo and Luo counties, by the time they leave the Lantian Valley, there will be about 5,000 to 6,000 people, and the elite troops who can fight will be no more than 2,000."

After Du Xi finished speaking, he carefully asked, "Do you want to send someone to visit the General of the Western Expedition?"

Han Sui, who was given the title of General of the Western Expedition and General of the Imperial Guard, was promoted one after Ma Teng.

If the situation worsens, the Xudu court will further promote them, such as Governor of Liangzhou and Governor of Yongzhou.

Zhong Yao shook his head and said, "No, if Han Sui sends troops to Weinan, Ma Teng will be uneasy. So, when I send you a letter, you and Zhang Ji, the commander of Xinfeng, go together to persuade Ma Teng to send 3,000 troops to defend Bailuyuan."

Guo Yuan suggested: "Uncle, why don't you send a letter to Liangzhou to invite heroes and leaders of various tribes to lead the volunteer army to serve the king?"

Du Xi turned his head to look at Guo Yuan, very suspicious. Wasn't he afraid of forcing the officials and people of Guanzhong to rebel on the spot?

Do you really think that if the Han and Hu warlords from Liangzhou once again form an alliance to attack Guanzhong, they will simply be dismissed with official positions?
Guo Yuan immediately said: "If you just talk like this, the generals in Guanzhong will be uneasy and will ask for orders to fight against the invaders from Wuguan Road."

The generals in Guanzhong did not have the courage to fight against the Han and Hu coalition forces in Liangzhou, but they still had the guts to resist the White Goose Bandits.

Zhong Yao nodded slowly, not wanting Guo Yuan to continue, "We still need to ask for the volunteers from Liang Province. Whether they occupy Guanzhong or are annexed by Ma Teng and Han Sui, they will definitely cause great damage to Guanzhong and make it harmless to Guandong. Even if they are taken over by the Yuan family in the future, it will be a waste of time."

There were only three people from Yingchuan in the study, and it was quiet for a while.

(End of this chapter)