In the Heavens

When the north wind blows, the flag flutters.

The Sky-Changing Monkey who has occupied Hanchuan City has finally received the long-awaited "array disk" return. As a loyal person, he pulled out all the captives of the three great families and cut them down without saying a word.

Of course, even if you can't receive anything, people still have to kill. Hate is something like this, once it gets attached to it, it can only be eradicated.

Looking at the disk arrays in the box, and after confirming that they were all genuine, Sky-Changing Monkey showed a joyful smile. It's a pity that this kind of good business that can expand the territory and get a good reward is not often seen.

"Master Hou, something is wrong. Just now, I came to report that an army is coming to Hanchuan. There are as many as 30,000 to 40,000 people, and it is less than 80 miles away from here."

The mouse-eyed man of the dog-headed military division reported with a look of panic.

Relying on his understanding of his boss, when encountering this kind of opportunity to pretend to be aggressive, it is better to behave as incompetent as possible, and he must not steal the boss's limelight.

"snort!"

After a cold drink, Sky-Changing Monkey scolded angrily: "Trash! Such a trivial matter is worth your fuss.

The soldiers and horses in Liangzhou were all held back by the big move made by the head teacher, and the surrounding counties were mostly occupied by rebels from all walks of life. Those who can send troops to rescue Hanchuan are the three brothers of the Li family who are entrenched in the south.

But they were still late. If I had been afraid of them before breaking through Hanchuan, everything would be different now.

Order to go down, order all battalions to strengthen their guard, and don't give the enemy a chance to take advantage of it. I want to fight the three brothers of the Li family in Hanchuan City! "

There is no doubt that being able to defend the land of the five counties from outside influence is also achieved by fighting.

As an old neighbor, Zhan Tianhou didn't suffer less from Li Mu's three brothers, and was beaten several times to the point of crying. If it wasn't for Li Mu's lack of hard work, Sky-Changing Monkey would have become a dead monkey a few years ago.

learn from mistakes.

It's not easy to mess with, so naturally I won't mess with it. The biggest reason for daring to send troops to Hanchuan this time is that the three brothers Li Mu left their posts, and the defensive hole in the southwest of Hanchuan was opened.

Experience is not deceiving, the officials of Dazhou really don't like to meddle in their own business. The three brothers Li Mu who left office really ignored him invading Hanchuan.

He only made a move now, most likely because he had received an order from above and had to come over to put on a show.

This kind of battle, Changtian Monkey has fought many times. Just let the opponent know that they are not easy to mess with, and they will withdraw in a short time.

The officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty are all bullying and fearful goods. Few of them are willing to go all out if they have to.

The monkey who thinks he knows the officialdom of the Great Zhou very well, does not hesitate to adopt the usual routine.

...

Looking at the majestic Hanchuan City, Li Mu did not launch a strong attack immediately, but instead attracted a group of surviving descendants of the aristocratic family.

"You have been operating in Hanchuan for so long, don't tell me that you haven't planted spies in Wenxiangjiao. I want to recover Hanchuan City, and now it's your turn to contribute."

You can tell by the tone of voice, it's just unquestionable. If you do it well, you may not be rewarded, but if you mess it up, you will definitely be unlucky.

But people have to bow their heads under the eaves. Now they don't accept the votes, and after the recovery of Hanchuan City, they will have nothing to do.

If they can't take back the family business and have no resources to support them, they will disappear into the long river of history like countless small and medium families.

Most of the current leaders in the rebel army are the children of wealthy families who are unwilling to be reduced to poverty.

To sum it up in one sentence, that is: If you don’t share the cake with me, I will rebel.

It's just this step, no one is willing to take it unless it is absolutely necessary.

After all, although Da Zhou looked cool. But the rebellion and the rebellion lasted for more than 9,000 years, and none of them really died. Who knows how long this behemoth can last?

...

The battle for recovery has just begun, and the issue of the appointment of officials in Hanchuan County has already been put on the agenda in advance.

In the State Shepherd's Mansion, Zhao Tianyun was helpless. In the past five years, the situation in Liangzhou has collapsed at a speed far beyond anyone's imagination.

The previous state shepherd lost his post because of this, and his successor is not much better. According to the current situation, it is estimated that it will not be long before it is his turn to be questioned by the court.

The source of everything is - "mysterious array disk". As long as this thing appears near the city wall, it will affect the operation of the formation, making it hard to guard against.

The armies of various places have long been corrupted, and there is no city defense array to rely on, so it is a problem not to lose the city or land.

"Hanchuan fell, and now almost all of the southwest of Liangzhou has fallen into the hands of the rebels. Do you have any good plans for the aftermath?"

Good strategy, the current situation in Liangzhou can no longer be resolved with just one or two good strategies.

In order to reverse the deteriorating situation, one must either rectify the administration of officials, suppress powerful families, and restore the combat effectiveness of armies in various places;

It's a pity that these two roads are not easy to go.

Rectifying the administration of officials and suppressing the aristocratic and powerful families simply cannot be carried out.

Let go of the restrictions on the aristocratic family, that is to drink poison to quench thirst. The situation can indeed be stabilized in the short term, but the finances are about to collapse completely.

On the issue of poaching the corners of Da Zhou, the rich and powerful families in the world are all the same. The difference is only that everyone just wants to dig by themselves, and they don't want to see others dig along with them.

We are all smart people, and we know that we can't please anyone if we empty out the big week.

If the dynasty revolutionizes the tripod, if they don't revolutionize the lives of these aristocratic families, whose life can they revolutionize?

"Lord Zhou Mu, it's better to go up to the imperial court to express the views of the lower officials, and express that Li Mu, Li Liang, and Li Song will act as Hanchuan County Governor, County Chancellor, and County Lieutenant, and be responsible for the recovery of Hanchuan."

After hearing Bie Jia's words, Zhao Tianyun frowned. There is no doubt that such an official appointment is definitely not in accordance with the rules.

Before he could open his mouth to veto, the supervisory censor at the side objected: "This matter is absolutely impossible, the Taizu law ordered relatives not to be officials in the same government, let alone such important positions as county guard, county magistrate, and county lieutenant.

The three brothers of the Li family are indeed not bad in ability, and there is no problem with their loyalty to the court. But handing over the military and political power to one family, we still can't take risks. "

According to the official words of Dazhou: Good ability = good background, high loyalty = paying taxes under the rule on time and in full.

Satisfying these two requirements is an excellent bureaucrat. People no longer dare to expect more, because they can't do it themselves.

If the requirements for officials are really raised, it will not benefit everyone. After all, it is still nobles who occupy the mainstream now, and they cannot do things that are stricter than others and more lenient than themselves.

Zhizhong on the side explained: "My lord, please follow expediency!

Hanchuan County is in the hands of the rebels, and the state capital can't spare any troops now, so it's not appropriate to send anyone to serve there.

Anyway, it's all temporary. After Hanchuan is recovered, they will be transferred away. "

Nothing else matters, the key is that Hanchuan fell into the hands of the rebels.

The Great Zhou Empire was really too big, and when the imperial court sent people over, the day lilies would all be rotten.

In this context, the state government temporarily appointed officials to temporarily act as county guards, county magistrates, and county lieutenants to handle government affairs and exercise court powers.

Obviously, this is drudgery. If you can recover the lost ground in a short time, that's all.

It would be embarrassing if the lost ground could not be regained for several years. Among other things, with such an extra sum on your personal resume, you don't have to think about promotion or anything.

However, this kind of drudgery is not something that ordinary people can do. There are rules for Da Zhou's personnel appointments, usually they are either promoted or promoted by one level, and it is impossible to exceed several levels.

The officials below are not qualified, and it is impossible for important officials such as state shepherd and censor to serve concurrently, so it can only be unlucky for all subordinate officials.

In the past five years, Biejia, Zhizhong, Jijiu, Book Cao, Gong Cao, Yi Cao, Bing Cao...these subordinates have all changed four rounds.

Most of the unlucky ones still have the name of acting as a county magistrate or a county magistrate on their heads. If you want to become a regular, then look forward to the smooth progress of the counter-insurgency!

Otherwise, in order to maintain the dignity of the court, they can only live in these empty jobs for the rest of their lives.

Originally, it was impossible to get rid of it, but now there are warriors who take the initiative to take over the mess, these subordinates will naturally work hard to facilitate it.

As for what the three Li Mu brothers wanted to do, they no longer cared so much. Anyway, they not only got rid of the trouble, but also sold a favor, no matter how you look at it, it's blood money.

...

Under Hanchuan City, after the symbolic siege battle was over, Li Mu decisively ordered to withdraw his troops, causing a lot of local aristocratic families to cry for their fathers and mothers.

"Thirteenth brother, now is such a good opportunity, wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?"

Li Song asked puzzledly.

Obviously opened the city gate, but did not take advantage of the trend to attack. In military terms, this is a complete failure.

"What's the rush? Let's divide up the troops and take back the various places. Let the rebels in Hanchuan City become a lone army, and then slowly grind with them.

Don't forget, the sixth brother is the county captain of Xicheng. The main force of Sky-Changing Monkey is trapped here, isn't it the best opportunity to take back Xicheng County? "

As soon as Li Mu finished speaking, Li Liang at the side understood what was going on.

Although the trick of "taking the bandit's self-respect" is old-fashioned, it has to be admitted that it is indeed very effective.

Whether the imperial court can let their brothers live in Hanchuan is still unknown. However, the Xicheng County lieutenant led troops to recover Xicheng County, and the actual post of county guard was granted by the imperial court.

Not only the promise of the state government, but also the political need. If there is no heavy reward for the capable ministers who regained the lost land, how can the Great Zhou Empire rely on to pacify the world?

Xicheng County is not as rich as the Hanchuan Basin, which is also a county. The aristocratic families in the county were harmed by the rebels again, and they couldn't resist the Li family's taking over.

Raising grass and beating rabbits, in this era of staking land, it is right to plant one more flag.

In the end, it still depends on the choice of the imperial court, whether to throw them together or let them spread out for expansion.

As long as there is no satisfactory answer, the rebels will remain active. Maybe one day, Liangzhou Mansion will fall into the hands of the rebels.

Similar operations happened frequently in Dazhou. Li Mu was cryptic, at least he didn't submit a memorial to the emperor himself.