Chapter 10 3. Huxiang dock

Above the Sima Mansion's living room, there was a row of feasts and feasts, and it was extremely lively. Sima Chang, the county magistrate of Wen County and Sima Lang's brother's cousin, sat side by side with Zhang Wang on the upper seat, and Sima Lang's brother sat on their left side.Sitting opposite them were Tang Bo, Xiaojing Village Chief Sima Rong, and other old relatives of the Sima family. After drinking for three rounds, Sima Lang raised his glass, respected Sima Chang, Sima Rong, Zhang Wang and others, and said in a loud voice: "Elders, my nephew invites you to my mansion today. One is to share with you all." One is to express the feelings of parting and longing; the other is to discuss important matters with everyone under the order of my father, and I sincerely ask all the elders for guidance and assistance."

Sima Chang was drunk, and suddenly heard that Sima Lang brought out his cousin Sima Fang to talk about the matter, he knew in his heart that it was a big deal, so he took his toast, and looked at each other in surprise with Sima Rong, Zhang Wang and others. Then he coughed dryly, and took the lead to ask Sima Lang: "What business do you need to discuss with Nephew Boda? You go first." Sima Lang put down his wine glass, his expression narrowed, he meditated for a moment, and said slowly to Sima Chang: "My lord uncle, you are the magistrate of Wen County, are there any complicated and unreasonable matters under your rule recently?"

"Oh? Are you asking about any complicated and difficult things under Uncle Wei's rule? Oh! I encounter a lot of such things every day! Nephew Boda! I have a headache recently! Do you have any questions? As everyone knows, Xu Rong, a fierce general under Grand Master Dong, and General Cao Cao from the Kanto side had a fierce battle in Bianshui, Xingyang recently. Asked, was immediately aroused full of bitterness, couldn't help frowning, and confided in public, "In the city of Wen County under Uncle's rule, the chickens are flying around all day long, and the people are in dire straits. What are you going to say? Things, this is one of the best."

"Then, how did Uncle solve this disaster for the people of Wen County?" Sima Yi couldn't help but feel his heart tighten when he heard this, and asked in a hurry. "Ah! Uncle Wei's county government has only a mere three hundred servants, so what can we do with these tens of thousands of refugees?" Sima Chang blushed, and said sadly, "Uncle Wei can do his best to keep this place. It would be nice if the county government doesn’t get robbed by them..." Sima Yi has always been generous and heroic. Seeing that Sima Chang, as the county magistrate, should have done his duty to protect the village and the people, but he looked so cowardly and incompetent when the refugees scattered and attacked, he couldn't help but secretly leave. Cursing his lips, his blood surged up for a moment, his expression was agitated, and he wanted to speak with dignity and eloquence.Sima Lang saw that his expression was not right, hastily stretched out his hand from under the table and pinched his thigh quietly, and stopped him with a wink.When Sima Yi was stunned, he turned his head to look at his elder brother, only to see that Sima Lang had rushed ahead of him and cupped his hands to his uncle Sima Chang, saying: "Your uncle can do his best to deal with such a dangerous situation without letting the government hall be dusted. It's very difficult—my nephew admires it!"

Sima Chang didn't know whether Sima Lang's words were really praising him, or teasing him without any trace, so he was quite embarrassed, so he could only laugh a few times, and replied shyly: "Where...where...Uncle Yu didn't To protect the environment and the people, we have to do our best to protect the yamen and guard the hall..." Zhang Chunhua, who was sitting at the bottom of Zhang Wang's head, had just put down the bowl and chopsticks. Hearing what he said, he found it very funny. He couldn't help but lean on the side of the table, pressed his lower abdomen, and made a "puchi", almost spitting out rice!

This time, although Sima Chang still forced himself to sit upright on the upper seat, his face turned red like a pig's liver. Zhang Wang turned his head, stared at Zhang Chunhua fiercely, and hurriedly cupped his hands and said to everyone: "The little girl is not feeling well, please forgive me for being rude—" Then he opened his mouth to cover up for Sima Chang and said: "These refugees are scattered. It's fierce and rude, Zhang is the magistrate of Suyi County, so why isn't he the same as Master Sima Chang, he has nothing to do with them? Sigh... If you caress them, you won't follow them, and if you restrain them, you will be powerless. Brother Sima Chang is still They responded well and did not let them damage the prestige of the yamen——the gate of Zhang's Suyi county yamen was smashed by those refugees at night, and it is still unclear where the gangsters did the murder! "

Hearing that Zhang Wang excused himself, Sima Chang's face gradually returned to normal, and he hurriedly toasted Zhang Wang with a glass of wine gratefully, saying "it's not appropriate". Sima Yi almost laughed out loud just now, but fortunately he tried hard to hold back his lips, so he didn't lose his composure at the banquet.While restraining himself, he raised his face and glanced at Zhang Chunhua, feeling that what she had done just now was innocent and innocent, and he couldn't help secretly admiring it.He himself has always been used to being disciplined by his father in the Luoyang mansion, and he has always followed the motto of "see no evil, listen no evil, speak no evil, and do no action". Disapproval.Seeing Zhang Chunhua dare to show his true nature so much, he unconsciously felt a little close to him—but that was all, no matter how strong it was.

At this time, Sima Lang straightened his face, straightened up on the seat, and said in a frank and eloquent way: "My nephew is very clear about the difficulties that uncle and uncle Zhang are facing now. My father is also very familiar with it when he is far away in the capital. My nephew hurried back to my hometown in Wen County, just to tell my relatives, old friends, and elders through my nephew's mouth that my Hanoi County is bordered by the capital Luoyang on the west, Chenggao and Hulao Pass on the east, and close to Luoyang on the south. Dahe, Chenggao Pass, and Hulao Pass are exactly where the rebels from the Guandong Routes are pointing at. They are really the hubs of military disputes, and it is difficult to be safe. If we are calm and do not know the police, I am afraid that we will inevitably suffer disaster in the future. Here , my nephew implores everyone to plan ahead and act according to the opportunity, so as to be able to prevent problems before they happen!"

"What elder brother Jiangong (Sima Fang's name is Jiangong) and nephew Boda said is very true!" After hearing this, Sima Chang and Zhang Wang couldn't help but look at each other. It's easy to say the horoscope, but what should be done when it is implemented? I have racked my brains, but I am at a loss - I can't turn all the people in the county into refugees and move eastward and westward. ?” Sima Lang stood up slowly from his seat, walked slowly to the center of the hall and stood still, and after bowing to the guests from all directions, he straightened his waist and cupped his hands and said solemnly: "In my father's opinion, this is a place to protect the environment and the people, and to prepare for a rainy day." The best strategy is to unite all relatives, old friends, elders, and folks to form a defense dock, so that we can protect ourselves!"

As soon as he said these words, the audience fell silent, so quiet that even a drop of water could be heard falling on the ground! After a while, I saw Sima Chang coughing, with a solemn expression on his face, and slowly said: "The plan of Huxiangwu has many merits, but, Uncle Yu, I would like to ask Nephew Boda, what are you going to do about Huxiangwu?" How will it be formed? How many relatives, old friends, folks, and elders will join here? Also, can they really resist those stragglers who are like wolves and tigers?" After Sima Lang heard this, he didn't answer immediately, but glanced at Sima Yi, motioned, and said: "As for how to set up the Huxiangwu, before we parted in the capital, my father explained very clearly to our brothers Yi. Brother has the best memory, let him repeat my father's opinion!"

Sima Yi had already understood it, and got up and left the table to go out. He came to stand beside Sima Lang, bowed to all relatives and friends, and then cupped his hands and said: "My father's opinion is that my Sima family will exempt the tenants hired by our hometown in Wen County for this year. For all the grain rent, each household will provide a young and strong man to join the team of Huxiangwu——this way, after calculation, there are more than 5,000 tenant households of our Sima family in Wen County, and each household has a young man. Zhuang Wuding, we can gather more than 5,000 Wuding." "Exempt the tenants from all the grain rent for this year?" Sima Rong, the cousin who is the head of the filial piety village, couldn't help being surprised when he heard this, "Brother Jian Gong is really generous! Hundreds of tenants pay rent and pay food to support a large family! I, Sima Rong, can't be as bold as him! Brother Jiangong is a high-ranking official in the capital, and he eats the imperial grain and state tax. We can't compare with your family. " "My lord uncle, that large group of rogues and stragglers are coming in swarms, gradually approaching their hometown." Sima Yi's expression turned serious, he looked at Sima Rong who was sitting opposite him, and said solemnly, "Do you think this Under the circumstances, can this year sit comfortably and wait for those tenants to come to pay the grain and pay the rent as in previous years? Bandits and soldiers swarmed in, robbed money and grain, and did all kinds of evil-do you think you can stay out of it? They're thugs who don't care about indiscriminate robbery!" After speaking, he bowed to everyone again, and said in a very earnest tone: "'How can there be any eggs under the overturned nest?'—I'm afraid the elders understand this truth better than the younger nephew? The Yellow Turban Rebellion in the past few years has already caused some elders to suffer; the current melee between Grand Master Dong and the Kanto princes in the Central Plains is probably worse than the Yellow Turban Rebellion." "This..." After hearing this, Sima Rong couldn't help feeling a little speechless.But when he thought that he had to lose so much grain rent out of thin air to set up some kind of rural defense dock, he felt as if a big piece of meat had been cut off, and he was a little unhappy in the end.He endured it for a while, and then squeezed out a few words: "Uh...uh... this... Nephew Zhongda, Nephew Boda! These tenants will be exempted from the grain rent for a whole year at once. ...This will save too much... At most, let them pay less food rent at the end of the year..." Sima Yi didn't expect that this uncle, as the elder of the village, would be so stingy and covetous, a feeling of contempt and contempt suddenly appeared in his heart, and a bit of disdain appeared on his face, and he wanted to reprimand him on the spot Fan. Unexpectedly, his elder brother Sima Lang spoke before him again, his tone was unusually humble: "My lord uncle... When I was in Kyoto, my father also expected to ask all relatives and friends to donate the whole year's grain rent this year to form a guardianship." Xiangwu, there are indeed some difficulties... He asked his nephew to tell his relatives and friends: After everyone exempted the tenants from the annual grain rent, he is willing to use his 800,000 copper baht salary to subsidize everyone's grain rent income for the half year .” Sima Rong, Sima Chang, Zhang Wang and other relatives and friends of the Sima family were all shocked when they heard this: Sima Fang's family was so generous to donate to the establishment of the Huxiangwu, regardless of gains and losses. Private, commendable!Now that Sima Fang's family has set an example, Sima Rong, Sima Chang and other Sima clan elders naturally have nothing to say. "Brother Jian and all the virtuous nephews are fighting to protect the hometown, we really feel the same! This township dock should naturally be established, and we will support it vigorously. Uncle will return to the county government office tomorrow. Afterwards, this matter will be decided as a proclamation.” Sima Chang had no choice but to stand up and express his position, but when he was speaking, he suddenly seemed to think of something, and said hesitantly, “It’s just that these people are recruited temporarily. How can the Wuding in the city resist those rogue bandits without weapons or skills?" "My lord uncle, you can allocate half of the hundreds of yamen servants in your yamen to our houxiangwu in Xiaojing, and let them train and teach these wuding the skills of armed combat, how about it?" Sima Lang asked. Looking up at Sima Chang, he replied slowly, "That's what my father meant." "Ah... Uncle Yu's county government servants, how can they have the ability to train and teach others?" Sima Chang waved his hands repeatedly after hearing this, "I'm afraid that Uncle Yu will send them here, and it will only be in vain." You have wasted your food and time." "My uncle is too worried." Sima Lang said with a sneer, "Send them here, and then expressly grant my nephew the right to command - even if they are really a bunch of rotten wood and waste, my nephew will definitely be able to train them Warriors!" "This... this..." Sima Chang looked at Sima Lang again and again, with some distrust in his eyes. "Uncle, don't doubt, you don't know. My elder brother once served as a soldier in the Jingzhao Mansion by my father's side. He is good at marching and deploying troops, fighting and commanding." Sima Yi said from the side, "Your mansion The soldiers will definitely be trained by my elder brother, and then follow the order of the elder brother to train those Wudings... As for the weapons that the Wudings need, we can spend a lot of money to buy them; Can it be captured from stragglers and bandits?" "Nephew Zhongda, it's not that Uncle Yu can't trust your elder brother." Sima Chang frowned, but still shook his head slightly, "The servants in my government office are all veterans and ruffians, and you are literati and scholars, how can you control them?" Yo?" "It turns out that this is what my uncle is worried about." Sima Lang couldn't help smiling a little after hearing this, "For the servants in your government office and Wu Ding in the filial piety, my nephew can invite an expert to assist in strict training and supervision. , and naturally it can be calmed down." "An expert? Where can we find such an expert in Hanoi County?" Sima Chang asked in surprise. Sima Lang smiled faintly, turned around and called out to the door: "Uncle Niu, please come up!" In the astonished eyes of all the guests in the hall, a red-faced old man wearing a green cape and a Ge gown strided straight in stridingly. It was Niu De, the housekeeper of the old house of Sima Mansion. Under Sima Lang's signal, he walked up to the wine table where the Sima Lang brothers were sitting just now, with a dignified expression, he raised his palm like a knife, and slashed down towards the corner of the table! With a crisp cracking sound, the corner of the wine table made of rosewood was chopped off by his palm like cutting tofu, and the cut marks were as neat as a sharp axe! When Sima Chang, Sima Rong, Zhang Wang and others saw it, they immediately looked at each other in shock.After a long while, they murmured: "It turns out that Uncle Niu is such a master who hides his secrets...The Huxiangwu will be very easy to support with your skills."