Deng Ai sat on the chair and thought for a moment, then he bowed and thanked him, "Mr. Chen, your opinion is great. I missed it."
Chen Jiao's enthusiasm for talking to Deng Ai seemed to have faded a little, but his friendly expression remained unchanged: "What about the second thing Shi Zai mentioned just now?"
Deng Ai's expression also turned serious. "The second thing is to raise food. The general appointed me to inspect the counties for food and grass."
Chen Jiao also sighed: "Guanzhong and Hedong have been suffering from drought for so long this year. Does the General's Mansion have an exact estimate of the reduction in production?"
Deng Ai was the one who took the lead in this matter. He blurted out without thinking: "Reporting to Lord Chen, before I came to Qishan City, I had been traveling in Guanzhong and Hedong for more than a month. This year, the production in Guanzhong and Hedong should be reduced by 70%. The areas in Guanxi that can requisition grain, including Longyou and Hanzhong, will see a total reduction of nearly 50%."
After hearing the 50% figure, Chen Jiao was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm afraid the second half of the year will be difficult. From the fifth year of Huangchu to the third year of Taihe, Guanzhong and Hedong have been almost always blessed with good weather and harvests, without any major disasters."
"This year's production has suddenly dropped, and there are so many more mouths to feed. Alas, national affairs are difficult."
Deng Ai nodded and said, "Since the second year, the number of Qiang people who have settled in the fields has increased too much. This is also inevitable."
"According to the General's Office, starting from August, the food and fodder for Zhang Zhengxi's troops in Wudu will be transferred from Qinzhou. Yongzhou will only supply Hanzhong and Wuxing via the Chencang Road."
As he was talking, Deng Ai took out a letter from his bosom, stood up and walked slowly forward, and handed it to Chen Jiao with both hands: "Mr. Chen, this is a handwritten order issued by the general himself. I hope you can take a look at it."
Chen Jiao pinched the warrant with two fingers, glanced at the cover, and put it on the table without opening it: "I know about this matter, please don't worry, General."
Deng Ai was about to thank him, but Chen Jiao said:
"Although I have agreed to this matter, Shi Zai, do you know that Qinzhou is also in a difficult situation? Originally, we were supplying military rations to Qishan and Dazhong, and now there is an additional Wudu, and we have to lay off officials who are engaged in farming."
"If there is trouble in raising grain, who can bear the consequences?"
Deng Ai bit his lip, cupped his hands and said, "General, you know that Qinzhou is in trouble, but Yongzhou and Guanzhong are even more difficult."
"If something goes wrong, the general is in charge of the military grain affairs in Guanxi, and I am the imperial censor appointed by Your Majesty to supervise the grain in Guanxi. The general and I will take responsibility!"
The collection of grain was not uncommon in the Wei Dynasty's decades of history.
When Cao Cao first arrived in Xuchang, he "negotiated" for a lot of food and grass from the defeated Yellow Turbans in Yuzhou. What's more, there was a man named Cheng Yu, who was once a governor of a state, but failed to become a high-ranking official because of his "food collection" tactics.
How could the officials of the Wei Dynasty not know how to collect grain?
Although Chen Jiao was waiting for Deng Ai to say this, he stood up in surprise, held Deng Ai's arm, and said with a stern face and pretended to be angry:
"I am just worried about the people in Qinzhou. Why does Shi Zai have to say so? I will obey the general's orders. How can I lose the law because of fear of rebellion?"
Deng Ai was stunned. When he looked up and met Chen Jiao's sincere eyes, he quickly apologized and said, "I spoke out of turn. I hope Mr. Chen will not blame me."
Chen Jiao nodded: "Whether it's you, me or the general, we are all doing this for the public affairs of the Wei Dynasty. Don't be so formal in the future."
"How many days can Shi Zai stay in Qishan City this time?"
Deng Ai thought for a moment and said, "I will leave tomorrow. I will go west from Qishan City to Dazhong and inspect Lu Huqiang."
Chen Jiao responded: "In that case, Shizai should come to Qishan City again on his way back. I have some things here, you can take them back to the general on the way."
Deng Ai was slightly surprised: "What does Lord Chen want to take? If it is not too heavy, I can take it away tomorrow."
Chen Jiao smiled and said, "It's still a bit heavy. We'll talk about it when the soldiers return."
"Shi Zai, do you have anything to do tonight? Come to my house for a feast. I will also invite the five Imperial College students I mentioned earlier. They are all from famous families, so Shi Zai should get to know them better."
"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Chen." Deng Ai felt that Chen Jiao was very kind and amiable today, so he bowed and thanked him, saying, "Please allow me to take my leave and go back to the inn to rest for a while. I will come back to bother you later today."
"No problem, no problem." Chen Jiao stood up and said with a smile, "Sir, please go slowly."
……
Chen Jiao, the governor of Qinzhou, hosted the banquet, and Deng Ai, a general, was the guest. There were also five students from the Imperial Academy. Everyone talked and talked at the banquet, which felt a bit like Luoyang. The next morning, Deng Ai set out to continue westward. It was already July 11th.
Xiangping City, inside the prefect’s mansion.
Cao Rui leaned on the chair in the middle of the hall and calmly listened to his ministers reporting Gongsun's crimes.
Yes, that's the charge.
According to the emperor himself, although Gongsun Yuan was a separatist and rebellious person and his entire clan should be executed, the evil deeds done by his father Gongsun Kang and grandfather Gongsun Du over the years should also be dug out and carefully counted to be preserved as evidence in history books.
Listening to Lu Yu's smooth report, Cao Rui interrupted: "Gongsun Du was appointed as the governor of Liaodong by Dong Zhuo, and he killed many scholars who were unwilling to serve him."
"When Wang Xiong comes, let him investigate the whereabouts of the descendants of these scholars, and then give them some money and gifts in the name of the court to appease them. You all say that the Wei Dynasty is a holy dynasty, and a holy dynasty should also behave like a holy dynasty. Didn't I also provide relief to the descendants of Li Min, the former governor of Henei? The principle is the same."
Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's benevolence is comparable to that of Yao and Shun."
Cao Rui chuckled and said, "There are tens of thousands of miles between me and Yao and Shun. I just want to calm people's hearts."
Lu Yu said at this time: "Your Majesty, Du Shu has sent people to search for the palaces that Gongsun family built usurped the throne in recent days, and has counted all the things that violated the rules. The list is a bit long, would your majesty like to take a look at it yourself?"
Cao Rui shook his fingers a few times and said, "I won't read it, to avoid being upset. Let Du Shu destroy it all."
While everyone in the hall was discussing state affairs, the Minister of the Central Secretariat Liu Fang walked in quickly from outside. His face was expressionless and his steps were hurried.
"Where's the news?" Cao Rui asked casually.
Liu Fang took a deep breath, bowed deeply, and handed over a letter with both hands: "There is a national mourning, Your Majesty, I hope you will mourn! The Empress Dowager passed away on June 11th. Your Majesty, take care of yourself!"
Cao Rui looked at the letter handed to him by Liu Fang and was stunned for a moment, and did not reach out to take it.
The hall fell silent instantly. As soon as Liu Fang finished speaking, the ministers knelt down and bowed, expressing their condolences.
Cao Rui's mood at this moment was extremely complicated, his sadness was even greater than his grief, and an indescribable feeling of coldness and numbness surged through his body.
An era has passed.
The past can never be retrieved.
The three generations of kings of the Wei Dynasty, the previous emperor Cao Pi passed away not long ago, but his articles, writings, old ministers and anecdotes are still preserved.
By the time Empress Dowager Bian passed away, the traces left over from Cao Cao's era became fewer and fewer, and even the old ministers of Jian'an died one after another every year.
How can one not be sad?
Liu Fang presented the letter with his hands, but seeing that the emperor was stunned for a long time and did not take it, he had no choice but to kneel down with his hands raised in a rather strange posture.
Cao Rui blinked a few times, then came to his senses and sighed again: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager. This is a national funeral. Xiangping will mourn for ten days and offer sacrifices to her."
"Sikong!"
Sima Yi raised his head and said, "I am here!"
Cao Rui said in a low voice: "You are one of the Three Dukes. Please return to Luoyang as my envoy to preside over the funeral. You must make the funeral grand, just like you presided over the funeral of Emperor Wu in Luoyang in the 25th year of Jian'an."
"Do you know?"
Sima Yi bowed and replied, "I obey your order. When does Your Majesty want me to set out?"
Cao Rui took a breath and said, "Let's go now. Sikong, go back as soon as possible and don't delay. There are many things to do in Liaodong. I will wait until Wang Chang and Wang Xiong arrive in Xiangping before I lead the army back." (End of this chapter)
