Chapter 3 Encounter in the East

The hot weather made people feel extremely depressed, especially for the officials of the capital.Han officials pay the most attention to their appearance. No matter how hot the weather is, they must be well-dressed and neat, and they must walk steadily. How can they not suffer in such a dog day? Cao Cao and Chen Wen walked side by side outside the East View, and both of them sighed in unison. Day and night, I think about it, now I finally returned to the capital to be an official, but there are so many Yilangs in the court, there are less than ten people who really have something to do, most of them are just sitting on the bench, what? No errands either.

Although Cao Cao and Chen Wen were recommended by Qiao Xuan and recruited by the emperor himself, they also had no positions and were no more than candidate officials. In name, they were responsible for dealing with the Holy Word, but the emperor spent every day in the West Garden, and even his I can't see each other. As the days passed, they had no choice but to try to find something to do for themselves.It happened that the Bachelor of the Imperial Palace Dongguan was compiling the national history "Han Ji", so they copied and flipped through the dossiers.In short, it looks like you are busy all day, but in fact it is just killing time.

The sun spread loosely on the ground, there was no wind in all directions, and the leaves of the tung trees in the courtyard did not even move.It was quiet in the Dongguan lobby. At the moment, the chief writer Ma Rixun was resting in the small pavilion behind, and only a few clerks were still sorting out the files.In detail, the compilation of this "East View of the Han Dynasty" can be traced back to the private history written by Ban Gu.At that time, Emperor Xiaoming appreciated it greatly after reading it, and paid special attention to it, so he ordered it to be listed as the national history of the dynasty and kept writing down. So great Confucian scholars Chen Zong, Yin Min and others joined in one after another, and later Liu Zhen, Fu Wuji, Cui Shi, Cao Shou and other big masters inherited the older generation and continued to repair.Since Liu Hong succeeded to the throne, Ma Rike, Tang Xidian, Cai Yong, Lu Zhi, and Yang Biao have all worked hard on this book.But now Tangxi Dian is seriously ill and old, Cai Yong has escaped from office and lived in seclusion without knowing his whereabouts, Lu Zhi has been reassigned as Minister, Yang Biao always has other duties, and the huge work of compiling history is all under the pressure of Ma Rikun, the editor-in-chief. body.

Ma Gong is getting old, and his energy is not as good as before, but the emperor always sends people to inquire about the progress of the history compilation from time to time, making the old man unable to relax for a moment.In fact, the old man is like a bright mirror in his heart, everything in front of him is Zhang's crooked idea made by that eunuch Zhang, deliberately trying to exhaust his old bones to death in Dongguan.But he still couldn't let go of this work. "East View of the Han Dynasty" was the painstaking efforts of many Confucian scholars for more than a hundred years. He would rather die of exhaustion than waste the efforts of several generations.Besides, the corruption of the imperial court is already so bad, and a bad old man can't get back to heaven. What can compare to focusing on history?Whether it is for Ma Ribin or Cao Cao, being busy is a kind of happiness, because when you are busy, you don't have time to lament the pain of reality.

Cao Cao and Chen Wen stepped into the gate and quickly took off their official hats when they saw no one around. The East Temple was tall and open, and it was much cooler.The two of them felt that they had come early today, so they wiped off their sweat, found a place to sit among the cumbersome files, and casually picked up two volumes of biography that had just been transcribed. Coincidentally, what Cao Cao was looking at was the biography of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, and it happened to be the part about the Battle of Kunyang. Ban Gu's generous writing was very suitable for him.Read "In the early days, Mang sent two lords, wanting to be mighty and mighty, to vibrate Shandong, armored armor, armed with banners, and the tools of war and attack were very powerful. To drive tigers, leopards, rhinoceros and elephants, magnificent beasts, with giants and giants as a base Lieutenant, since the Qin and Han Dynasties, there has never been a teacher." Cao Cao closed the book and said to Chen Wen: "The battle of Kunyang in the past is still unbelievable. My ancestor emperor defeated nearly a million enemies with only a few thousand elites. What a god! Although the dispatch is well planned, the soldiers are brave, it is also God's will!"

Unexpectedly, Chen Wen hadn't answered yet, but he heard a burst of loud laughter from the middle door: "Hahaha...a joke! The battle of Kunyang was done by manpower, why is it God's will?" Cao Cao was taken aback for a moment, then looked around, and saw an official standing outside the middle gate.This person looks about fifty years old, and he is also dressed like a doctor Yilang. He is short, thin, withered, and has a humble appearance. portrait.Cao Cao felt displeased when he heard that this man deliberately refuted him, and saw that it was a man with a humble appearance and shorter than himself; he put down the scroll in his hand, and deliberately asked Chen Wen: "Nowadays, scholars have not known the battlefield for a long time. It's too dangerous, and the words are so weird..."

The man realized that Cao Cao's words were aimed at him on purpose, smiled and pinched his upturned mouse beard, and said, "Strange? What is it that God's will is the real weirdness! Since ancient times, the use of troops has not been restricted by the law, and there is nothing wrong with it." In practice, something is mobilizing morale. "Thousands of people with one mind can break a million mobs. In the First Battle of Kunyang, Emperor Shizu said that the interests came first, and the fight followed. There is a saying in the art of war that "the three armies can seize the spirit, and the general can seize the heart." This is nothing but common sense."

"Common sense?" Cao Cao, who read military books and annotated "Sun Tzu", dismissed his words, "I'm afraid it's easier said than done! If you don't understand war, you're just talking about the ancients." The man stopped arguing with him and shook his head with a smile, still staring at Hu Guang's portrait in a daze.This aroused Cao Cao's curiosity even more, and asked, "May I ask what this lord is thinking?" The little man stroked his beard and muttered for a while, "I don't care about everything and ask Uncle Hu, there is Mr. Hu in the middle of the world. The painting is really good. Just imagine how heroic Mr. Hu was back then!"

Cao Cao almost laughed out loud, this man is really weird, to say something out of everyone's opinion.Everyone in the world knows that Hu Guang is old and cunning, but he is good at obeying the holy will and wandering away from eunuchs and relatives. Cao Cao got up and walked to the screen wall, and also looked at the portrait.This is a picture of heroes drawn by the emperor's special order six years ago. On the left is Huang Qiong, and on the right is Hu Guang, like a pair of door gods.Back then, when the "dominant general" Liang Ji was in power, these two men were strong and soft, and supported the court when the imperial power was at its weakest.Painting them here is to commend their achievements, and secondly, it is also a warning to future generations to learn the way of firmness and softness of being an official.The one he was looking at was clearly depicting Hu Guang in his old age, dressed as a duke and holding a longevity stick in his hand. Although his beard and hair were all white, his smile was smooth and smooth, which was similar to the one on the left who was full of righteousness. Huang Qiong, who is young, old and spicy, is in stark contrast.Cao Cao often saw Hu Guang when he was a child, and he vaguely remembered this appearance-it is not a heroic appearance.

Cao Cao turned his face and smiled with the mentality of being arrogant and capable: "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Mr. Hu can be seen to be mean, but not heroic. Would you like to teach me a little bit?" "Oh?" The man looked at Cao Cao curiously at this moment, and for some reason he talked more, "You don't know, there is a reason for this. This painting is about Hu Gong in his later years. When he was young, he really He is handsome and heroic. Do you know how the old man became an official? If you are interested, let’s go in and sit down. The old man was born a few years earlier, and I will tell you."

Cao Cao cupped his hands and let him in courteously. Seeing this, Chen Wen hurriedly gave up his seat.As soon as the man sat down, he opened up the chatter box: "Oh! This Hu Guang is able to promote Xiaolian as an official, but he has to start with Faxiong, the minister of the previous dynasty." "Faxiong? Famous official French Wenjiang?" Chen Wen knew this person. "Yeah. Back then, he was the prefect of Nanjun. He promoted his talents at the end of the year, but it was difficult to destroy Faxiong. You must have heard that Faxiong is upright and known for his strict law enforcement. He is very demanding on his subordinates. All Faxiong himself is in a dilemma when it comes to selecting talents. Usually they are all the same cautiously in front of him, but it is not easy to really select a talented person. .Fa Xiong thought about it and couldn't make up his mind. At the critical moment, his son Fazhen came." Cao Cao nodded, he was clear about Fazhen's deeds.Fazhen is the son of Faxiong, a hermit in Xichuan, good at Huang Lao's skills, and is known as "Mr. Xuande".It is said that this person not only has outstanding knowledge but also has a great appearance, but he just doesn't want to come out to be an official. When the court recruits him, he would rather hide in the deep mountains and old forests than to see the tolerance.However, Fazhen's son, Fayan, climbed into Luoyang early and became an official. Now he is also an idler.Everyone in Luoyang knows that Fa Yan has a close relationship with Zongzheng Liu Yan, Yilang Dong Fu, Taicang Ling Zhao Wei, Liangzhou Inspector Meng Tuo and others. "Fazhen came at the right time." The little man continued, "Faxiong knew that his son's eyes were sharper than his own, so he asked Fazhen to meet these scattered officials one by one, and recommended a Xiaolian for him. Fazhen Respecting his father's order, but refusing to meet these people, he changed his servant's clothes quietly, and peeked at the words and deeds of these scattered officials from the window of the yamen for three days. After three days, Fazhen took the pick When someone from the family came to see his father, Fa Xiong saw that it was the most submissive Hu Guang in his daily life. "It turned out that Hu Guang was decisive in his affairs and had outstanding manners. He was just respectful and strict in front of the senior officials. Fa Xiong never noticed it." It's also a helpless move..." There seemed to be some regret in these words, and even a feeling of self-pity. Although Cao Cao didn't deny his words, he disagreed with his argument in his heart.I don’t agree with the comments on the Kunyang Battle, and I don’t agree with Hu Guang’s comments. In his eyes, this funny-looking dwarf is really nothing special. Ask his first and last name. At this time, a clerk ran over in a panic, and said to the dwarf, "You are Mr. Zhu, right? The hot weather kept you waiting, so don't be surprised. Mr. Ma is not feeling well today and has been snoozing for a while. , I heard that you got up quickly when you arrived! Please come inside!" He said respectfully and waited for the man to go to the back. "He took the lead!" Cao Cao looked at his back and said to Chen Wen, "This man is really funny." "What's so funny? I think you're also honored when you're old...that beard...that boss...hahaha! Think about it, you two really look alike." "Who is joking with you?" Cao Cao was also amused, there was nothing he could do about his poor looks. "But that person called him Master Zhu... Which Master Zhu..." Chen Wen lowered his head and thought for a while, "I haven't seen him before! Who is it?" "Zuo is just an idler like us." Cao Cao got up, "Let's walk around in other rooms. There are piles of books here, which are in the way." "I know who he is!" Chen Wen's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly, "Meng De, we are reckless!" "Who is he? Such a fuss." "The imperial court has just ordered the recall of Zhu Jun, the advisor to the capital!" "It's him?" "It must be him, who is worthy of Ma Gong's high welcome, who else is here in the east view?" Chen Wen was very sure. Cao Cao blushed, and felt that his back was a little hot.That Zhu Jun quelled tens of thousands of rebels in Jiaozhou with five thousand officials and miscellaneous soldiers in just one month, but he himself was blind to Mount Tai, saying that the scholar didn't know the danger of the battlefield, but he was really blind!He smiled innocently, and said shamelessly: "Cough! How do you say that... I haven't seen him before, who knows this person's appearance." He likes the art of war, and loves to be in the army. If he knew it was Zhu Jun, he would have long ago The big ceremony met and asked questions. "You can't be judged by your appearance! We two are really cute. We chatted for a long time and didn't even figure out who he is. Jiaozhou Lianglong rebelled, Nanhai prefect Kong Zhi surrendered the enemy, and Nanman supported him. There were tens of thousands of rebels. It was flattened in less than a month. Just after the imperial court ordered Zhu Jun to be granted the title of Marquis of Duting and fifty catties of gold, he is now in the hot spot. I think he is really approachable, and you didn’t say anything when you mocked him so much. You also talked to us so much... I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed..." Chen Wen patted his forehead as he said. Cao Cao kept his face and refused to change his words: "Although this man is good at using soldiers, he may not be right in everything he says. The battle of Kunyang is a matter of God's will and manpower. Anyway, I will not have hundreds of thousands of troops and be overwhelmed by others. , defeated by the enemy!" "I don't think so...don't think about it, there are hundreds of thousands of troops, and now there is not even a formal job!" Chen Wen smiled and put the file back into the pile of bamboo slips. Cao Cao also got busy with him, sorting the proofread "Han Ji" into categories according to age and characters.Chen Wen always respected Ma Rixun, so he worked very seriously for him. He checked the biography and catalog one by one, and was so busy that he didn't even look up.But Cao Cao was absent-minded, thinking about what Zhu Jun said just now, and even put down the book, and walked to the screen wall to look at the portrait of Hu Guang: Weird... Now look at the eyes on the painting... It seems that this picture Underneath the old good man's face, there was once a rebellious and ambitious... When he was thinking wildly, he only heard the sound of the crutches.The white-haired Ma Rixun personally sent Zhu Jun out. "Stay back, old man! I'll kill you too. I said I have nothing to do to come and see you, but I caused you trouble instead." Zhu Jun was also very respectful to Ma Gong. "Gongwei, why do you see others like this? We haven't seen each other for more than four years. If you don't think I'm a troublesome old man, I will come and walk around often in the future. I am willing to listen to you chatting. I never quote classics, and I don't feel restrained at all. "It can be seen that Ma Rixun is very happy today. "I am relieved to see that you are in good health." "I'm fine!" Ma Rizun tapped the ground with his crutches, "It couldn't be better, if I had Royal Wine, I could drink more than two jugs...Look at this view of the East, it's empty now! It's lively in the morning, idlers come to chat, tomorrow I will apply to the emperor, let's make a pretense, let's change this place to a wine shop!" "Hahaha..." Zhu Jun smiled, his mustache raised high, "I haven't seen you for a long time, you are still so witty." "Please make yourself happy." Ma Rixun smiled wryly for a while, "The year is changing! Now don't talk about gossip, even the emperor's face is hard to see, and you have a bunch of eunuchs to deal with errands all day long. To be honest, I also You can’t be regarded as an upright minister, and our Ma family is not from Qingliu, descendants of foreign relatives and noble families! I always think that everything can get by... But right now, some things are really difficult! I have honestly never said a word of complaint in my life. But I can see that this is facing inwards and outwards... oh...Confucius is sixty years old, but I can't get used to seeing and hearing everything?" "Old man, you have spent half your life worrying about the country, now you have to take care of your health." Zhu Jun shook his hand, as if signaling him not to lose his words. "Take care... why should I take care of myself?" Ma Ribin looked very pessimistic. "Revise your history books, anyway, I am also a scribe, so why don't I do odd jobs for you!" "Don't make fun of me, how dare I use your national meritorious general?" "It doesn't matter, idle is idle anyway." Zhu Jun didn't care. "I appreciate your words if you don't come or not. You have a lot of friends in Beijing. Let's hang out together these few days. In fact, a few young people are enough to help." Ma Rike raised his head as he said , seeing Cao Cao standing at the door looking at the portrait, hurriedly greeted him, "Meng De, come here!" Cao Cao knew that Ma Gong was very witty, so he hurriedly laughed and ran over to kneel down in salute. Ma Rixun smiled and said: "Gongwei! This kid is the son of Cao Jugao, and he has some knowledge." "No wonder, no wonder!" Seeing that he was the one who made fun of him just now, Zhu Jun smiled meaningfully. "You don't know that he was recommended by Qiao Xuan to be Yilang. This kid is also proficient and has annotated the thirteen chapters of Sun Wuzi. He is a fearsome future generation!" Little did he know that Cao Cao had just had an argument with Zhu Jun, and the more Ma Rixun praised him, the more he felt ashamed. The study of the art of war, which he was most proud of on weekdays, now became a great shame, and hurriedly smiled: "Ma Gong, you are too famous No. Xiao Ke is just learning to memorize questions..." "You got lucky today, my old man personally introduced you. This is Master Zhu Junzhu who put down the rebellion in Jiaozhou!" Cao Cao panicked and said, "I didn't know it was Master Zhu just now, so I offended you." "Where is this? Discussions about war are different! Do it well. Since you are proficient in the art of war, if there is a war in the future, you will be my deputy. How about we go out together to lead the army and kill the enemy?" "Master Meng supports you." "Haha... Ma Gong, let's see each other again!" Zhu Jun arched his hands again, pinching the seven mouse beards that were pointing up and the eight beards pointing down, and left Dongguan with a smile. "Meng De, why did he say that? What did you discuss with him?" Ma Rixun was curious.But Cao Cao didn't pay attention to the old man's question at all. He was still looking straight at Zhu Jun who was going away. What about fame?