Chapter 175 Fishing Guy Never Air Force

Wang Jing pondered for a moment and shook his head. "Not for the time being. After he has quelled the rebellion, he can rush to Liang County to provide support. He must guard the southern line for our army and suppress Yuan Shu's army."

"My lord, You believes that the southern front cannot afford to lose. Although Yuan Shu is a man without strategy, his civil and military officials cannot be underestimated. Moreover, there is Cao Cao, a fierce tiger, watching closely. Although Wei Yan is extremely brave, he is still young after all. I am afraid that he cannot take on this important task."

Liang County is an extremely important southern barrier for Luoyang. Once it is lost, Luoyang, which is so close, will be in danger and will have to face the threat of war from Yuan Shu’s army at any time.

Therefore, the person who had been in charge of Liang County before was always Xu Rong, a veteran who had experienced many battles, and what he sought was the word "stability".

Even if he really had to change generals, Xun You was more optimistic about Xu Huang, who was good at defense, or the famous Lu Bu.

However, Wang Jing's choice was beyond Xun You's expectation. He actually picked a young general like Wei Yan: "Gongda, age is not the only factor in ambition. Wasn't the former Champion Marquis only seventeen when he first went into battle? Although Wen Chang is not yet twenty, he is both wise and brave. He has the talent to be a great general, so we should give him more trust."

There is a reason why Wang Jing is optimistic about Wei Yan. Historically, Wei Yan was stationed in Hanzhong and directly used the strategy of "surrounding all the enemies by mistake". With a small number of elite soldiers, he prevented the Wei army of more than 100,000 from advancing an inch within four years.

From this we can see that in terms of strategic and tactical defensive capabilities, Wei Yan is absolutely the best even among the many shining stars of the Three Kingdoms.

Even though Wei Yan is still very young and his wisdom and tactics are still immature, Wang Jing is willing to give Wei Yan opportunities and help him continue to grow in actual combat.

"I have made up my mind. Let Wenchang guard Liang County."

Wang Jing formally issued the order with a very firm attitude. Although Xun You had doubts, it was not easy for him to object at this time. He could only secretly observe whether Wei Yan could really take on this important task.

Luoyang, Zhong family.

"Are we really going to submit to Marquis Qi? Is the glory of the Zhong family for generations really going to end here?"

Zhong Shao looked at his father Zhong Fu unwillingly, his fists clenched, obviously unable to accept the fact before him.

However, compared to his young and frivolous son, the mature and prudent Zhong Fu understood the current situation better: "Things have come to this point. We can no longer act on impulse. Who is responsible for the rebellion in our Zhong family?"

On the day that Zhong Ji was beheaded in Dongshi, Zhong Fu also went to see it.

Although I am unwilling and angry, what can I do?

In fact, Zhong Fu should not only not feel resentful for this, but should be grateful to Wang Jing, because Wang Jing could completely implicate the entire Zhong family in such a rebellion.

The crime of killing nine generations of a clan is no joke. It really means killing all the people in a large clan!
Seeing that his son still couldn't let go, Zhong Fu could only smile bitterly: "As a price, I have decided to resign from the position of Guanglu Dafu, hoping that I can exchange it for the opportunity for you to serve in the government. I hope that Qi Hou can really forgive the past."

"It's impossible for me to work under these traitors!"

Zhong Shao was a man of upright character. In his eyes, Wang Jing was the archenemy of Confucianism. The so-called new inheritance law and the land measurement were nothing more than digging up the ancestral graves of aristocratic families, which was simply treasonous.

With their interests conflicting and their positions at odds, Zhong Shao naturally disliked Wang Jing. If he could defeat him, he would have wanted to kill Wang Jing as soon as possible.

However, Zhong Fu was much calmer than his son. He knew that the Zhong family was facing a crisis of life and death, so he tried his best to persuade him: "Although Qi Hou has acted presumptuously, he is actually much better than Dong Zhuo. At least he has taken care of your majesty's face."

"But he once slaughtered the guards in front of the palace..."

Zhong Fu smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty was deceived by a villain at that time, so it is understandable that Marquis Qi was angry."

In private, many things can be said, so Zhong Fu had no reservations at all.

But the speed of the car was so bad that Zhong Shao couldn't stand it: "Such a great rebellion, are we just going to turn a blind eye to it?"

Zhong Fu obviously had a deeper understanding of the cruelty of political struggles, so he reminded Zhong Shao, "The chaotic times are coming. How many people in this world are willing to abide by the rules of propriety? Although we have different positions, even as a father, I have to admit that although Marquis Qi is overbearing, he still has a bottom line. As long as we don't go against him, don't violate the laws of the country, and don't harm the people, we will be fine."

Having said that, Zhong Fu twirled his beard and fell into emotion and contemplation.

As for his father's words, Zhong Shao was unable to refute them. After all, Wang Jing had indeed saved Luoyang from danger several times and saved the country from collapse.

He was even kind and generous to the royal family. Wang Jing did not even touch Emperor Liu Xie, who had conspired with Dong Cheng to seize power. He just placed him under house arrest in the palace after killing all his followers.

Zhong Shao asked himself if he were in their place, he probably wouldn't have such magnanimity.

For a moment, both father and son were silent.

A few days later, at General Wei’s Mansion.

Because some of the four county families, such as the Zhong family, surrendered, Xun You took the opportunity to make a suggestion to Wang Jing: "My lord, the war has not yet ended. The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation and win over the people's hearts."

War is only a means, politics is the goal, and Wang Jing is well aware of this.

Therefore, after personally leading the army to severely defeat the aristocratic families and powerful clans, and after the other party surrendered, it was time to give them benefits as a sign of appeasement.

If you want to follow the kingly way, you have to use both kindness and severity, so after a beating, you have to give a sweet reward.

In addition to expanding the size of the Chamber of Commerce, some vacant official positions must be awarded to win over aristocratic families and powerful clans, and at the same time to recruit talent for themselves.

"Does Gongda have any suggestions?"

Xun You had already made up his mind, and now he offered advice to Wang Jing: "Please forgive the Zhong family's crime. The crime is only committed by Zhong Ji, and the rest should be pardoned to show your generosity and benevolence."

Wang Jing thought about it and did not agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "Did the Zhong family give in?"

Xun You nodded and said, "Zhong Fu has submitted a petition to resign, and the court has created another position of Guanglu Dafu."

Guanglu Dafu was under the jurisdiction of Guanglu Xun. This official position was established during the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of Han. Its rank was equivalent to that of a two thousand stone official. He was in charge of discussions. Among the many officials, Guanglu Dafu was the most prominent, and many high-ranking officials such as the Nine Ministers were also promoted from Guanglu Dafu. It can be seen how great a sacrifice Zhong Fu made by resigning from this position.

"In this case, I will no longer pursue the guilt of the Zong family."

The main reason why Wang Jing was willing to let Zhong Fu and Zhong Shao go was not because of Xun You's advice, but because the Zhong family in history could indeed be described as a family of loyal and brave people.

At that time, Dong Zhuo had just been killed by Wang Yun, and his generals Li Jue, Guo Si and others, instigated by Jia Xu, captured Chang'an. Most officials fled to avoid death, but Zhong Fu, a civil official, drew his sword and fought with Li Jue and others, and died in battle between the two armies.

After hearing the news that his father had died in battle, Zhong Shao resigned from his posts as the Governor of Yizhou and Liangzhou, and directly led Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liu Fan, the Left Secretary, Ma Yu, and others to attack Li Que and Guo Si to avenge his father.

Finally, Zhong Shao and Que fought at Changpingguan, where their armies were defeated and Shao and others all died.

Ma Teng abandoned his comrades and ran back to Liangzhou.

Since such loyal ministers have now surrendered, there is no need to punish them to death. We can give them a chance to serve the court.

After Wang Jing ordered not to pursue the Zhong family any further, many powerful ministers in Luoyang City who had previously colluded with Zhong Ji and Wang Fu all breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Jing also took the opportunity to propose more reforms, as well as to establish more Mohist academies and even academies to promote Taoism. On the surface, he was expanding the Hongdu School, but in fact he was using this tiger skin to promote physics and chemistry.

As for the three acids and two alkalis needed for industry, Wang Jing has ordered Taoist Shi Zimi to recruit alchemists skilled in alchemy to form a team to carry out scientific research.

The Mohist school and some Taoist schools began to side with Wang Jing, becoming a powerful force for Wang Jing to fight against the Confucian school.

Faced with these actions, the aristocratic families, powerful clans, and Confucian scholars who should have stood up to oppose fell into a strange silence, saying nothing and not daring to stop them.

Many policies were thus successfully implemented.

After huge amounts of money, manpower and resources were invested, workshops sprang up rapidly like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, and moved rapidly towards the goal of industrialization.

At the same time, the spread of science is also advancing rapidly, and the gathered power of thought is also bringing Wang Jing closer and closer to the throne of the Lord of Mechanics and the Emperor of Gravity.

Luoyang, where the war had just ended, was entering a state of subtle change. The princes in the Central Plains were still feeling fortunate that Wang Jing was held back by the civil strife, but they did not know that Wang Jing's reforms had been very effective.

After he sheds his python skin, it will be time for him to soar into the sky like a dragon.

…………

Xun You left General Wei's Mansion, opened the curtain of the carriage, looked at the heavy snow on both sides of the road and the civilians who were clearing the snow.

"It snowed so heavily this year, but no one froze to death on the streets of Luoyang. It seems that the lord's governance has begun to pay off. Such a magnificent scene is no less than that of the prosperous times."

Xun You's originally heavy mood was now much lighter. The carriage drove out of the city and passed through Luoyang City. He was very interested in the bustling streets and the large number of workshops with recruitment notices.

In traditional Confucian education, businessmen are targets that must be severely suppressed.

Today in Luoyang, under Wang Jing's administration, normal business activities are no longer discriminated against or suppressed, especially workshops engaged in production, which have received strong support from the court. Relying on pillar industries with technological advantages such as silk weaving, papermaking, printing and machinery manufacturing, a number of industrial chains have been formed.

The entire upstream and downstream of the industrial chain can feed a large population, provide sufficient jobs, and successfully solve the problem of refugees that has plagued the government and the public.

Therefore, even if the fighting outside is in full swing, Wang Jing's basic base is still as solid as a rock, because the livelihoods of millions of refugees now depend on the industries created by Wang Jing.

So what if the aristocratic families control the mouthpiece of public opinion?
For refugees, a real job is the most important thing. They will support whoever can feed them.

It is precisely because of such a powerful ballast that the Northern Army's giant ship can cut through the waves in the storm and sail forward steadily without fear of any strong winds and waves.

"I hope that Master Xuanming's fertilizer research can be completed as soon as possible. Once the fertilizer workshop is built, it will produce fertilizer continuously, which will surely greatly increase grain production. In this way, the lord's foundation will be truly unshakable."

Xun You stroked his beard, secretly looking forward to the moment when peace would return to the world and prosperity would return.

However, at this moment, a sword energy came from nowhere, like an arrow shot from a bow, and hit the carriage that Xun You was riding in.

The sound of clanging resounded through the sky, and the thick hemlock boards were pierced by the sharp sword energy. Then the gathered sword energy suddenly exploded inside the carriage, cutting the entire carriage into pieces.

The assassin took a closer look and frowned, "Why is there no one here?"

The driver, sensing the danger, rolled on the ground, immediately picked up the sword at his waist, and at the same time pulled out the communication fireworks in his arms and fired them into the sky.

Whoosh~Bang~
The gunpowder exploded in the sky, and the brilliant red flames were clearly visible for miles.

It was obvious that the coachman driving Xun You was a well-trained secret guard, and the fireworks in his arms were the first generation of black gunpowder products recently developed by Shi Zimiao. They were more powerful than the gunpowder technology of the Spring and Autumn Period recorded in "Fan Zi Ji Ran", but they still could not cause much effective casualties. They were just right for sending messages.

Although the assassin didn't know about fireworks, he could tell that this must be a means of communication, so he shouted loudly, "Do it!"

"Heaven punishes the national thief!"

Then a group of assassins in various costumes rushed out from both sides of the street, holding swords and well-trained. They were definitely not comparable to ordinary bandits.

The leader of the assassins leaped forward, and while in mid-air he cut his palm with the famous sword in his hand, letting the blood smear on the blade.

The sword edge that absorbed the blood vibrated slightly, and then the blood light became brighter, shining in all directions, and illuminating Xun You, who had deployed the Yin Army, from the shadows.

"Moon-carving sword technique, sacrifice the sword with blood?"

Xun You recognized the swordsmanship used by the man and immediately asked in a cold voice, "Are you Wang Zheng or Han Long?"

"Haha, what do you think?"

The assassin did not answer but asked a question instead, approached with a sword in hand, intending to take Xun You's head.

"Protect Minister Xun!"

The five accompanying secret guards immediately felt they were facing a formidable enemy and wanted to step forward to stop them, but they were restrained by the assassins around them and were unable to rescue them.

"Xun You! You aided and abetted the tyrant and slaughtered innocent people. You deserve this sword!"

The assassin's hands seemed empty, but as he swung them, Xun You felt his scalp tingling, as if someone was holding a sword to his neck.

"Invisible, famous striker with light?"

Xun You was well-read and had an extraordinary eye, so he naturally recognized that the sword held by the newcomer was the famous Han Guang Sword, one of the three famous swords of the ancient Shang Emperor.

This sword cannot be seen, and one cannot know where it touches when wielding it. It is boundless and can pass through objects without the objects noticing. It is a first-class assassination weapon.

Using this sword to perform the "Moon-carving Sword Technique" is even more effective and can kill people without them being seen.

For a moment, sword energy flew and cold light flashed, interweaving into a net that completely enveloped Xun You. Facing the famous sword Han Guang, which was so fast and sharp, he could be said to have escaped death.

However, Xun You showed no fear and remained calm. He stretched out his hand and the Hao Cao sword shot out from the wreckage of the carriage and fell into his hand.

Zheng~
When the famous sword was unsheathed, its sharp and fierce aura immediately shot out in all directions, breaking the sword energy net of the Han Guang Sword.

Xun You looked calm, holding the sword horizontally, and stood proudly: "After Li Wei's death, the secret guards have been looking for you and Han Long. My lord and I both believed that you must stay in Luoyang, so I used myself as bait to fish you out from under the water. You two really kept me waiting for a long time."

Wang Zheng, holding the sword of light, raised his hand and sent out another invisible sword energy, shouting: "How can I leave if the mission is not completed?"

The two famous swords clashed fiercely, and the sound of clanging was endless.

Wang Zheng is a top-notch assassin of the time. His Moon-cutting Sword Technique is extremely dangerous in a small space and every move can take people's lives.

Although Xun You's aptitude in martial arts was mediocre, his spiritual cultivation was far superior to his peers. Moreover, the Hao Cao Sword was one of the key points of the White Ape Sword Formation, where the evil spirits of the soldiers gathered and the sword energy protected its master. Therefore, he was still not at a disadvantage when facing the combination of Wang Zheng's Mingfeng Hanguang and Wanyue swordsmanship.

clang~ clang~ clang~
Xun You brandished his Hao Cao and blocked Wang Zheng's three sword killing moves in succession. Just when he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly felt a chill on his back and a strong wind blew from behind him.

Step!

Turn around!

Slash with the sword!

Dang~
Xun You narrowly escaped death and just managed to block this fatal blow.

"Han Long?"

"I am Han Long, a humble citizen. I am honored to meet Minister Xun."

Han Long's steps were silent and his swordsmanship was superb. If Xun You had not been prepared, he would have been killed by Han Long's sword.

With a turn of his wrist, the sword light flowed like a deep blue sky, clear and bright, yet concealing murderous intent.

When Xun You was parrying, he was secretly frightened, thinking that Han Long's swordsmanship was better than Wang Zheng's. Even if the sword in his hand was not a peerless sword, it was still much more dangerous than Wang Zheng's.

"Brother Han, if you and I work together, as long as we kill this man, we will definitely be able to cut off Wang Jing's arm!"

Han Long was already a difficult person to deal with, and now he has joined forces with Wang Zheng. The two of them used the Hidden Moon Heavenly Luo Sword Formation to try to cut off Xun You's chance of survival.

For a moment, Xun You was caught in a dilemma and was on the verge of defeat.

Suddenly, a golden figure appeared from nowhere and landed in front of Xun You, blocking the incoming deadly sword light.

Keng~
The sword blade was tightly grasped by the golden palm, and it actually made a sound of metal and stone.

"Golden Armored Divine General!"

Wang Zheng and Han Long both had expressions of horror on their faces, and it was clear that they knew nothing about the golden-armored god general in front of them that was made from Furo's corpse.

But they knew very well how powerful the twelve golden men of the Xian Qin Dynasty were, so they dared not fight them and turned around to leave.

Xun You smiled calmly: "I used myself as bait, and finally caught the big fish, how could I let you guys get away?"

"Get it for me!"

At Xun You's command, the golden-armored general's fists suddenly punched out. The surging fist force was like a heavy artillery, knocking down Han Long and Wang Zheng who were trying to escape from the scene by performing light skills.

As assassins, the two were typical high-attack but low-health people. How could they withstand the punch of the golden-armored general? They were seriously injured and dying in just one blow. Soon, they and other accomplices were captured by the secret guards led by Shi A who arrived.

(End of this chapter)