Chapter 35 2. Yuan Shao's face is the most important

Cui Yan worked as a general in Yuan Shao's residence in Jizhou. He studied under Zheng Xuanmen, a great scholar in his youth. He was proficient in "Mencius" and "Mencius".According to Yuan Shao's selfish thoughts, he sent Cui Yan as his chief representative to Xudu to negotiate with Cao Cao, Xun Yu and others. Confucian scholars. Unexpectedly, as soon as Cui Yan arrived in Xudu, in a debate on Taoism at the welcome banquet, he was overwhelmed by the articulate and witty debater Mi Heng, and the knowledgeable and talented Taizhong doctor Kong Rong. Dare to rule the roost.Later, he started a debate on current affairs with Guo Jia and Xun Yu, after which he felt ashamed of his lack of knowledge and ability, and was willing to bow down.When he left Xudu with Sima Lang and rushed to Hanoi County to deal with the handover affairs, Cui Yan no longer had the arrogance and arrogance he had when he came to Xudu ostentatiously, and he restrained himself a lot.

The so-called handover is actually the handover and reception of the personnel and property of the Yuan Mansion by both parties.In this process, it is inevitable that you will come and go and bargain. On this day, Sima Lang, Sima Yi, Liang Guang, etc. sat on the seats on the right side of the hall of the county government office. The seats on the left began to argue about the handover of people, wealth, and things in the Yuan family. "Master Sima, according to the emperor's order, the two brothers Yuan Xiong and Yuan Hun should naturally be sent back to Jizhou, and handed over to General Yuan to strictly control him." Cui Yan's expression was always so indifferent, and his words It is also a hidden front, "Then, after we are going to take care of all the properties of the Yuan brothers in Hanoi County, we will set off and return to Jizhou."

"Huh? Where do Yuan Xiong and Yuan Hun have any property?" Liang Guang was taken aback when he heard this, "They have done so many bad things in Hanoi County that violated laws and regulations and oppressed the people. Fleeing with the money? Should all their ill-gotten gains be confiscated?" How can Cui Yan pay attention to Liang Guang, a small county lieutenant?Cui Yan didn't even glance at him, let alone answer his words, he just looked at Sima Lang who was sitting across from him, his eyes turned cold: "Master Sima, the imperial decree didn't say clearly whether the two brothers Yuan Xiong and Yuan Hun committed crimes. How many violations of law and discipline and oppression of the people have been committed, and there is no explicit statement that all their property will be confiscated!"

Sima Lang didn't answer directly, but reached out and patted the thick stack of interrogation files placed beside his seat, and said calmly: "Master Cui, we haven't made a decision yet, and we will confiscate all of Yuan's family members." The legal property of the brothers. You should first review the confessions of Du Chuan, Du and his uncle and nephew - then maybe you will know how much property the Yuan brothers should take away and how much property should be left here." "The confessions of Du Chuan, Du and the two corrupt officials are not credible." Cui Yan smiled coldly, "Cui has seen a lot of such immoral people. They are in prison, as long as they If the interrogator imposes a small punishment, they can make up any kind of messy confession."

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere in the hall froze like a layer of ice. After a while, Sima Yi spoke slowly: "My lord, Cui, do you know how much property the Yuan brothers brought with them when they moved to Hanoi County four or five years ago?" Cui Yan was startled, and didn't answer, but just glanced sideways at the housekeeper Yuan Er Er of the Yuan Mansion.Yuan Er Er hesitated and said: "This... this... this old slave only remembers that the two masters brought a lot of gold and silver treasures when they moved here, and they were loaded into dozens of carts. The exact number, my lords I have to ask the two masters themselves..."

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help laughing: Yuan Xiong and Yuan Hun are both detained in the county prison, how could they be called in for questioning?But this Butler Yuan was hesitating and hawing, his eyes were evasive, maybe he was trying to cover it up! Sima Yi took out a case file, put it on the table in front of him, and said, "It seems that you, Steward Yuan, are not very clear about how much treasure your two masters brought with you back then—here is a copy of Yuan's residence." The testimonies given by neighbors and folks on the same street and in the same mile, they testify that when your two masters came to this county to settle down four or five years ago, their luggage consisted of four or five small carts and two or three boxes of clothes. I only bought five or six empty houses..."

"Master Sima, but in the past four or five years, the business of the two masters of my family has always been very prosperous. There are more and more guests coming and going from north to south, and the baht money is flowing into the hands of the two masters of my family like a river. Here..." Yuan Lao Er hastily argued, "The two of them have made a lot of money in the past few years! The neighbors in the neighborhood can see it clearly." "That's right! The two of them have indeed made a lot of money—but, with only the business of the Four Seas Building, your two masters can achieve what they are today in troubled times—more than 4,000 hectares of fertile land , more than a thousand tenants and slaves, and more than three hundred grain stores?" Sima Yi looked at Yuan Laoer and said meaningfully, "This kind of excellent money-making technique really makes Yi amazed!"

Yuan Laoer's cheeks immediately swelled into a maroon purple, and he muttered, unable to answer. Cui Yan was originally from the Confucian family, and he has always been frugal, and he is most disgusted with the filthy behavior of others.After hearing Sima Yi's words, he also understood what he meant, and he felt contempt for the Yuan brothers in his heart - but since they are relatives of General Yuan, it is impossible for Cui Yan to treat Sima Lang brothers in front of him. Seeing something on his face, he could only cough dryly, looked around and didn't say much. Sima Yi took out two pieces of paper from the pile of case files, held them in his hands and smiled slightly at Cui Yan, saying, "However, in Yiyi's opinion, these two things can tell me how the two masters of the Yuan family did it." Follow the example of Mr. Tao Zhu, who has the right way to make money and the skills to collect money! Master Cui—these are written by the two masters Yuan, signed and painted, and they will never be fabricated by someone to frame them."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hands and placed the two pieces of paper in front of Cui Yan. Cui Yan originally had a sense of pride in his power, but when he thought that Sima Yi was also from a Confucian family, he was not like a reckless man like Liang Guang.Looking at it, his face couldn't help turning blue and turning red, it was really ugly.After reading, he put the two pieces of paper on the side of the table, but did not return them to Sima Yi. After a long time, he sighed: "That's it! That's it! Then, how much belongings are you going to let the Yuan brothers take away from Hanoi County? You decide stop!"

The deputy envoy Yuan Tong and the Yuan Xiong brothers who were sitting on the seat on his left were relatives of the same clan. Seeing Cui Yan at this moment, he softened his tone. He was very puzzled in his heart. How could he just show weakness?He stretched his face, and hurriedly asked: "In Yuan's opinion, all the property of Yuan Xiong and Yuan Hun should be taken away, even their more than 4,000 hectares of land should be taken away together!" "How do you take away the four thousand hectares of land?" Sima Yi chuckled, "You can't just roll them up like straw mats and just carry them away on your shoulders?"

Yuan Tong blushed, but his words were still so firm: "This property can be compensated to them by your county government at a discounted price, or sold to other rich and powerful households in the county..." When Sima Yi heard this, his face became solemn, and he immediately cupped his hands to Cui Yan and said, "There is an old saying: 'Under the whole world, there is no king." Lord Cui Yan, since this Master Yuan said so, please return to Yecheng immediately. General Yuan please submit a memorial to the court of Xudu——please request your majesty to allocate silver taels from the treasury to compensate the Yuan brothers! I will wait for a second opinion and then it will be done." Cui Yan was so choked by him that he had nothing to answer. With a wave of his left hand, he stopped Yuan Tong's argument, and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Sima, don't need to say too much. My seat is still the same question: Are you going to let Yuan Shi How much belongings did you bring with you to leave Hanoi? You decide for yourself!" Sima Yi didn't answer at this time, and glanced sideways at his elder brother Sima Lang who was sitting on his right.Sima Lang understood, and said slowly: "Brothers Yuan Xiong and Yuan Hun, we can release them from prison today, and Master Cui will bring them back to Jizhou, and ask General Yuan to strictly control them; Clothes and utensils can be taken away by themselves, but all their houses, farms, land, grain stores, etc. in Hanoi County will be confiscated by the county government and used to house those displaced tenants.” "Very good." Hearing this, Cui Yan seemed to agree without thinking much, and at the same time, he pointed to the thick stack of files on the mat beside Sima Lang, which was almost unbearable. He said in a strong tone of opposition, "However, I want to take all of your files away—you can't keep a single piece of these things here." Sima Lang smiled lightly and said, "That's natural. You can take all these things away! We really don't want to keep any of them here." After retreating, Yuan Tong couldn't help but grabbed Cui Yan's sleeve, and said a little indignantly, "Master Cui, how could you let them go so easily? These guys are really cheap!" Cui Yan didn't say much, he stuffed the two pieces of paper into Yuan Tong's hands, and said coldly: "Yuan Jun, if you continue to fight with them, do you want to roast General Yuan on the charcoal fire? Just take a look, this one is the spoils deed written by the Yuan brothers and Du Chuan's uncle and nephew, all of them signed and stamped their fingerprints; Guarantee that General Yuan will give him the post of prefect and 5,000 mu of land after he captures Hanoi County..." "This... this... they forged it!" Yuan Tong looked at it and shook his head, "You shouldn't be fooled by them..." "Forged?" Cui Yan was annoyed and funny, and pointed to the bright red stamp under the commitment letter, "That's right, there is no General Yuan's handwriting on it. But the seal of 'Jizhou Muzhi' is Can someone else forge it? Forget it, let’s fight for these two things that can’t be put on the table. The most important thing is to protect the face of our General Yuan!”