Chapter 165 Turning back the same way
Wuguan Road, Shangyi.

The autumn rains in Nanshan caused flooding, the Dan River surged, and the water transport was suspended for nearly half a month.

In Shangyi City, Wang Yi was reading the letter of retention written by Ma Teng to him and was in a state of hesitation.

The war in Guanzhong progressed rapidly and the Tiger Tooth Army advanced quickly.

The news was delayed, and Wang Yi only knew that the main force of the Tiger Tooth Army was gathering in Chiyang.

Now Ma Teng said in the letter that Guanzhong has been unified.

For Wang Yi, the most important thing is the attitude of Duan Wei, the governor of Beidi County.

Wang Yi was from Niyang in the north. In his early years, he studied under the Grand Commandant Liu Kuan of Huayin. Later, he served as the county magistrate of Lishi in Xihe County. When Dong Zhuo was managing Guanzhong, he appointed Wang Yi as the governor of Hedong County.

He was not only from Niyang. When he was young, the Qiang and Hu people rebelled, so he followed his fellow villagers to move to the north bank of the Jing River and around Chiyang to seek refuge.

If possible, he did not want to leave his hometown and take his clan relatives to Jingzhou to gamble on Liu Biao's conscience.

What's more, 90% of his family property and troops were divided among the Tiger Tooth Army; the Tiger Tooth Army did go out to avenge him and defeated the suspect Li Kan.

It can even be said that the trigger for the Huya Army's advance towards the Weibei generals was that Wang Yi was almost robbed and killed.

After investing so much wealth and manpower into the Tiger Tooth Army, he also gave up the seal of the General of Zhenbei.

As Ma Teng had urged him to stay in the letter, going to Jingzhou this time would mean wandering and relying on others, while only by staying in Guanzhong could he achieve something and benefit his descendants.

As a down-and-out scholar from Xizhou, how much preferential treatment could he receive when he went to Jingzhou?
After much hesitation, Wang Yi decided to consult Jia Kui.

Most of the old officials and disciples who had escorted him out of Guanzhong had already returned. Even if Jia Kui had to walk, he would not return until he had sent him to Jingzhou and settled him there.

Even if this is just due to Jia Kui's principles, he is worthy of Wang Yi's trust.

When Jia Kui arrived, it was windy and rainy again. Jia Kui, wearing a pair of wooden clogs, walked clatteringly along the corridor floor to Wang Yi's small courtyard.

Only then did Jia Kui take off his sandals and his straw raincoat and hat.

Seeing the rain falling from the eaves like a pearl curtain, Jia Kui used the rain water to wash his feet and hands before entering.

The inner hall was small. When Jia Kui came in, he saw Wang Yi fiddling with the fire pit with a wooden stick. He pushed away the ashes in the middle and piled up the charcoal in layers. The fire was burning brightly.

"Raja."

"Liang Dao, look at what Ma Shoucheng wrote. I find it hard to believe it for a moment."

Wang Yi handed over the silk book beside him and continued to fiddle with the fire pit. He placed a circle of square mud bricks around the charcoal. These mud bricks had already been burned into a reddish brown color.

After the charcoal was surrounded by mud bricks, Wang Yi placed the three-legged copper cauldron on the mud bricks. He turned around and went out to get half a jar of rain water and poured it into the copper cauldron, and then took a handful of clear tea and put it in.

While Wang Yi was brewing tea, Jia Kui read Ma Teng's letter and felt a little unbelievable: "Could Black Tiger Fang really be so good at fighting?"

Why did Wang Yi believe that Li Kan would rob and kill him?
Because with Li Kan's strength, Wang Yi felt that it would be difficult for him to escape as long as he sent troops.

As a result, Li Kan became the first Weibei garrison commander to be defeated by Black Bear.

Even the cause of death was a little ridiculous.

"My Lord, Ma Shoucheng wouldn't joke about this kind of thing."

Jia Kui folded the silk book and presented it with both hands: "If Black Tiger Fang is so good at fighting, then it is understandable that Ma Shoucheng is so earnest."

Are Wang Yi and Ma Teng friends?
In troubled times, not having any enmity between people can be considered a very rare friendship.

So what does Ma Teng want?
Isn’t it because of Wang Yi’s influence on the Hedong region?

Isn't it because of the influence of Wang Yi, the former General Zhenbei?

If Wang Yi stays in Guanzhong, even if he is kept in seclusion, he can continue to increase the pressure of the Huya Army on Hedong and the legitimacy of the "Zhenbei Shogunate".

Zhennan and Zhenbei correspond to each other. Liu Biao can govern the four southern states, and it is not too much for Zhenbei to govern the two states of Yong and Liang, right?
Wang Yi stirred the copper cauldron with a wooden spoon, sitting cross-legged, looking down at the cauldron: "I also know why he is so enthusiastic. In the eyes of the world, Black Tiger Fang's expedition to Weibei was also caused by me. If I return now, I will be treated well."

"However, Black Tiger Fang is so good at fighting and he is also young. I am afraid he will make the same mistake as Sun Ce."

If Guanzhong falls into chaos again, the Xudu court will never leave any chance of survival for these people.

Wang Yi raised his eyebrows and looked at Jia Kui: "I have already had the intention to return. Now it seems that the time has come for Liang Dao to use his military power. When the rain stops, Liang Dao will go north to Lantian to investigate the changes in Guanzhong. If you persuade me to return to Guanzhong, I will have a place to stand in the future."

"I will never forget the kindness of the king and nobles in cultivating me."

Jia Kui restrained his expression and proposed: "Ma Shoucheng and Hei Huya have a father-in-law and son-in-law covenant. Is there any noblewoman of the right age among the royal family?"

"Good things cannot be enjoyed to the fullest. I have no intention of competing with Ma Shoucheng for anything."

Wang Yi smiled and said, "If Guanzhong is well governed from now on, and I can preserve my clan, I will have done my best to live up to my ancestors. If I ask for more, I will not be willing to bear the disaster."

Hedong has been peaceful for more than ten years, and the Wang family has flourished. Now is the time for the new generation to grow up. How could there be a shortage of good girls to marry?

Wang Yi rejected Jia Kui's proposal. Not only Black Bear, Wang Yi was not even prepared to marry the military officers of the Tiger Tooth Army.

It’s not that I look down on them, but I don’t want to take extra risks.

With the current manpower of the Wang family, as long as they can find a place with stable order to farm and study and pass on the family tradition, there will be no shortage of opportunities to succeed.

The manpower losses in various parts of Guanzhong are very heavy. As long as the new generation of the Wang family can grow up healthily and have many children, then the next generation, with their population advantage alone, they will be able to become the most powerful family in the county.

While Wang Yi and Jia Kui were conducting detailed consultations, the news of the unification of Guanzhong continued to spread to Nanyang and Nanxiang on foot, but at a slow pace.

In Shangluo County, Sima Zhi bathed and fasted for a day.

After eliminating all the filth from the body, he entered the quiet room where the spirit of his deceased father was enshrined to chant hymns and pray.

If the Tiger Tooth Army unified Guanzhong, Sima Zhi would also rise to the top. But it also meant danger. If the Tiger Tooth Army collapsed, there would be countless people who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to kill him.

In the city hall, Wang Can, who was thin, had already put on a sheepskin coat.

He was flipping through Black Bear's handwriting and he really didn't expect Black Bear to be so good at fighting.

He knew that Black Bear was a strong fighter, but he didn't expect the Ten Tribes of Guanzhong to be so weak.

Ma Teng, in particular, handed over his military power and surrendered before the war even started.

Perhaps those people back then were old, tired of war, and began to fear war.

More than twenty scholars whom he respected sat in the living room. In order to keep warm in winter, the living room had limited space, so the twenty or so people sat in two circles, front and back.

They gathered around Wang Can and the fire pit in the middle, on which a pot of tea was boiling.

Not only Wang Can, but all the scholars looked at each other in confusion.

Some of them were so upset and obsessed with the change in Sima Zhi's fate.

Wang Can put down his handwritten letter and said to the crowd: "Guanzhong will be pacified, and Lord Hei will lead the troops to gather in Chang'an. We can't wait quietly."

Although Black Bear had said in the letter that he would have the Inspector of the Imperial Capital, Zhong Yao, come to greet him in person...but was it really a good idea to put him on the spot like this?

If the battle in Guanzhong turned into a disaster and Zhong Yao or other heavyweights came to pick him up, he would also have to consider the safety of his own scholars.

But now, what is there to consider?
Brother Liu Wang sat beside him. Liu Wang said, "Sir, you are right. We will do our best to repair and prepare Chang'an."

Pan Jun, one of the representatives of the scholars in southern Jing, also expressed his opinion: "I have also heard that Hei Gong's order is to suppress bandits and educate people. We are not familiar with the geography and humanities of Guanzhong. Now that we have entered the pass, we can only help the official education."

Wang Can saw that no one objected, so he said, "Since you all share the same aspirations, let's pack up today and head for Chang'an tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone bowed and then left.

No one is alone, and there are fellow villagers who need to be notified.

When the brothers Liu Wang and Liu Yi put on their bamboo hats and walked out of the building, they saw the people on the street blocking the entrance to the alley.

As we got closer, we saw more than a hundred people kneeling near the city gate on Beimen Street, including men, women, young and old, as well as several pregnant women and breastfeeding women holding babies.

Zong Yu, who was waiting at the alley entrance to watch the excitement, greeted Liu Wang: "Sir, these are the bandits from Zhongling Mountain. We heard about Hei Gong's order, so we came to surrender."

Liu Yi stood on tiptoe to look inside and saw that the bandits were wearing patched hemp cloth and animal skins. Both men and women were pale and thin. He could not help but sigh: "They are just mountain people who took the opportunity to go down the mountain."

If we go down the mountain now, the government will allocate land to us.

The government will not watch them starve to death before next summer harvest.

Compared to the cruel winter, going down the mountain and seeking refuge with the government now may be a better choice.

Pan Jun squeezed through the crowd and returned to the small courtyard where the scholars of Jingnan gathered. After informing everyone, he returned to his house to rub his frozen hands.

He covered his legs, shoulders and back with a thin quilt, sat cross-legged in front of a tattered table, took out two wooden tablets, ground ink and wrote a letter to his cousin Jiang Wan.

The letter briefly described the changes in Guanzhong, and then said that he was about to follow Wang Can to dig up Cai Gong's posthumous letters, and also described the current difficult living environment.

Finally, he hoped that his dear cousin could send him some money and silk, and emphasized the coldness of September and the necessity of copying books on silk.

As for the transportation of money and silk, Pan Jun didn't think there was any problem.

Jiang Wan would definitely be able to find a way to go through the official shipping channels. Now it’s just that the autumn rain has caused the Dan River and Han River to surge, so the canal transport has been temporarily suspended.

By mid-September, the Danshui water transport will be briefly restored and will last until the end of October at the latest.

Both Sima Zhi and Xuan Liang, who was in charge of the Dan Shui canal transportation, were restoring and building the post station and postal system.

Even if the Danshui canal transportation stopped in winter, Pan Jun believed that there would be land mail delivery.

With the current unification of Guanzhong, the Tiger Tooth Army has obtained too many horses.

If horses are raised in a centralized location, the cost of transporting horse feed will be very high.

Therefore, Pan Jun instinctively concluded that the Huya Army would disperse the breeding of horses, and cutting down on horses to replenish and restore the post stations was almost a form of resource reuse.

Yes, the Huya Army must eliminate the bandits. This is what Pan Jun subconsciously believes is the key to restoring the post stations and postal systems under the rule of the Huya Army.

Outside of cities and villages, if we want to cut off the movement of bandits, we must build post stations and a postal system.

Eliminating bandits along the way and maintaining public order are the most basic functions of the post station system.

After Pan Jun finished writing and reading the full text, he was worried that his cousin was not trying his best, so he immediately started another column at the end and wrote three "urgent" words.

Each urgency is three times greater than the previous one.

Whether you can keep warm this winter depends on my cousin.

As for asking parents for money and cloth...how can a man rely on his parents for everything when he is away from home?
He just needed to report his safety from time to time. After copying Mr. Cai’s suicide note and returning to his hometown, he would be the most handsome son in his family and relatives, and this matter could be emphasized in the family tree!
Now my cousin has an opportunity to make a contribution, he must cherish it.

After Pan Jun confirmed that the letter was correct, he put the two wooden slips together face to face, tied them tightly with a hemp rope, and wrote the sender and recipient on the wooden slips.

He really wanted to go out now and give this letter to the Shangluo County Government and ask them to mail it, but he always felt that the thin quilt covering him was too heavy, making it difficult for him to get up.

After a short pause, around noon, the coldness in the house was suppressed and Pan Jun finally broke free from the quilt.

Then, with a serious look on his face, he walked out of the door and headed towards the northern city area where the county government was located.

(End of this chapter)