Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3538 Desert and Force

There is a best time for everything.

Or it can be called a natural outcome, or it can be called a logical outcome.

If it is done earlier or later, the effect will be much worse.

In the past, the Han Dynasty also had education, but it was not really "education", but cramming, or self-satisfaction, to meet the requirements of political achievements. The core goal of officials is not to really do anything, but to prepare capital for the next promotion.

There are also kind-hearted officials among the Han people.

For example, Liu Yu.

However, Liu Yu had virtue but no authority. After his death, the people in the tribe would be sad and miss him, but when the time came and they had no money or things left, they would still go to the Han area to rob.

Gongsun Zan had power but no moral integrity. He treated the Hu people like dogs, keeping those who obeyed him and killing those who disobeyed him. The Hu people were afraid of him, but after Gongsun Zan's death or in places he could not control, the Hu people would still go south to plunder.

It’s similar to the United States’ zero-dollar purchases in later generations.

What Fei Qian is doing now is to use both kindness and force when the conditions are met. He is also worried that the combination of kindness and force is not strong enough, so he deliberately adds a shackle.

Blood oath.

Or you can call it a blood alliance.

The north gate of Tongguan opened with the sound of a low horn.

Soon the sound of booming drums rang out.

The strong men in the army marched out of the doorway in a line, carrying bronze tripods filled with water from three rivers and stepping into the morning light. The armor on their bodies seemed to emit a sacred glow.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, it shone on the altar covered with five-colored soil.

Seeing the scene before them, all the people watching the ceremony, whether they were Hu people or Han people, stopped laughing and became serious.

Etiquette has always been China's strong point.

The essence of etiquette is the power to make rules.

If more and more things in the world follow the Chinese etiquette norms, then enlightenment will naturally be successful.

The right to make rules for the Chinese to educate the Hu people is essentially a struggle for the lifeline of civilization.

Just like the United States in later generations also tried to use "freedom and equality" to educate other countries, but it is obvious that the United States' own "freedom and equality" is only because of the big bear. They essentially do not have this thing at all, and it is impossible for them to successfully build a magnificent palace without any foundation.

But China does.

The light of Chinese civilization has come from ancient times and has been passed down from generation to generation.

When Fei Qian constructed a solemn ceremonial space at the north gate of Tongguan with a five-colored soil altar, a Sanchuan bronze tripod, and a blood oath ceremony, he was completing a strategic layout that was more profound than military conquest.

Fei Qian wanted to take this opportunity to bring the Hu tribe into the gravitational orbit of the rules of Chinese civilization.

If it had happened earlier, the Hu people would have brought only destruction and hatred to Shandong.

Earlier, Fei Qian was not strong enough.

This kind of power is not a momentary shock, but a continuous pressure.

Now, Fei Qian is going to deepen the imprint of these pressures and allow the Chinese civilization, which is already in a higher dimension, to play a greater and greater role.

Rules are time-bound and must resonate with the overall rhythm of civilization.

Liu Yu's failure to educate people with "virtue but no authority" exposed the fragility of pure moral appeal. The looting instinct of grassland tribes during lean times is essentially an inevitable product of the survival rhythm of nomadic civilization. Simple principles cannot change the ecological environment of grassland tribes, so there is no question of successful education.

On the other hand, Gongsun Zan's "power without virtue" military deterrence is in a dilemma of going against the rhythm of nature. It is like trying to use dams to block seasonal river diversion. Blindly raising dams will eventually form an above-ground river, and once it collapses, the damage caused is often quite shocking.

Fei Qian chose to conduct such a ceremony at this point in time. On the one hand, it has given the tribes in the grasslands and deserts a new way out and a new living environment, changed the old framework of simple "power and virtue", and achieved a higher level of educational power; on the other hand, it is also through such a ceremony that the boundaries of their behavior are framed with rules and shackles, making the cost of the Hu people's "zero-yuan purchases" greater than their benefits, which will also make these Hu people think a little before doing evil.

In fact, whether there is really water from the "Three Rivers" in the bronze tripod, and whether there is really soil from the "Five Directions" on the altar, these are not important issues, nor are they the focus of attention. Instead, Fei Qian used such a ceremony to imprint the order rules of the Nine Provinces established in "Yu Gong" in the hearts of the Hu people who were watching the ceremony.

When the representatives of the Hu people, both big and small leaders, drank the oath wine mixed with the blood of three animals, it was equivalent to their acceptance of the Chinese etiquette and rules of the Han Dynasty.

More importantly, this half-Hu and half-Han oath form created a two-way channel for civilized domestication. The Hu people accepted unfamiliar rules through familiar forms, and the Han people completed the secret transfer of dominance through compromise.

This struggle for the power to make rules is still clearly visible in the conflicts between civilizations in later generations.

True civilization and education do not lie in transplanting forms, but in building an ecosystem of rules that can be compatible with the rhythms of heterogeneous cultures, transform the energy of primitive beliefs, and create common survival interests.

Just as a bronze tripod is transformed from a sacrificial ritual vessel into a carrier of a covenant, rule makers always hold the ultimate key to interpretation.

This blood oath ceremony is essentially a civilization-defining war without the smoke of gunpowder.

Whoever has the right to interpret and revise the rules holds the steering wheel of civilization integration.

China has the final say on where to go.

When Fei Qian, wearing black armor and a bright red cloak, stepped onto the altar, the sounds of war drums and trumpets suddenly became like thunder, and the sound waves made the gravel and yellow dust on the plateau rustle.

Jiang Jiong suddenly discovered that those seemingly unruly Hu people had lowered their heads, crossed their hands on their chests, and bent their waists...

Just like during the White Horse Festival that year, the Hu people were facing the old chief priest.

Suddenly, the ground shook slightly.

Jiang Jiong saw a carriage pulled by eight white horses at the gate of Tongguan.

There was an iron cage in the car, and inside it was a white wolf!

Suddenly, there were gasps from the Qiang people, and several older Qiang soldiers had already fallen to their knees.

According to Qiang legend, the white wolf is the messenger of God, but now it is locked in an iron cage of the Han people.

"Kill the wolf! Sacrifice to the heavens!"

Along with the hoarse and desolate cry, the blood splashing from the white wolf's neck formed a river on the five-colored soil.

More Qiang people fell to the ground.

Jiang Jiong looked around. Perhaps it was just a psychological feeling, or perhaps the ceremony really had some effect. He suddenly felt that these Qiang people seemed to have become more docile.

Fei Qian then reiterated the three new rules.

First, it re-anchored the Qiang tribal subordination.

The Qiang people were no longer scattered individuals, but were determined to belong to a certain tribe, and were registered with military badges. Once a person violated military discipline and regulations, not only would he be punished, but his tribe would also be notified. This was somewhat similar to the Han people's collective responsibility system, but the collective responsibility punishment was mostly on the spiritual level.

Second, strengthen the ties between the Qiang people and their families.

All Qiang people who joined the Han army could not only receive the same treatment as Han soldiers, but their family members could also purchase daily necessities at preferential prices in the Han official market after registering. Of course, there was a certain limit, and as a Hu people, they could not receive the same land farming rewards as Han soldiers. If the Hu people were willing to exchange this preferential treatment for military land rewards like the Han people, it was also possible.

Third, recompile and interpret the Qiang people’s totems and gods.

The original beliefs of the Qiang people were all included in the Five Gods sect. The storytellers and Five Gods Taoist priests who came some time ago reorganized the relationship. Through the interpretation of their tribal totems, the Five Gods would also give certification to the tribal shamans or priests. In this process, while retaining the outer shell of the Qiang people's beliefs, the core of Chinese civilization was replaced, realizing the peaceful transfer of the right to interpret the gods.

Military reforms transformed tribal armed forces into professional armies that required supplies from the Han area. Economic policies adjusted the rhythm of survival to the Chinese farming cycle. The reshaping of beliefs completed the generational change of the divine discourse system.

Although no concrete results can be seen in the short term, as time goes by and one thing after another is implemented, when the young Hu people recite the "Book of Rites: Monthly Ordinances" in the Imperial College to calculate the greening of grass, and when the shamans have to include the sacrificial text "The Emperor therefore presents the Juyi to the Former Emperor" in their rituals, the grasslands and deserts have been quietly eroded by the Han rules, and are gradually transforming into the new frontier of Chinese civilization!

…

…

The chaos in northern Jingzhou was clearly seen by the children of the gentry in Xiangyang city.

Although Liu Biao was a man who was greedy for fame and indifferent to government affairs, and only talked a little but did a little, Jingzhou was still a well-known vassal during Liu Biao's time. Yuan Shu would rather provoke Xuzhou than attack Jingzhou, which is a clear example. However, this may also be related to Sun Jian's failure in attacking Jingzhou at that time...

But the current situation in Jingzhou is simply too tragic.

During the last battle of Jingzhou, the area around Xiangyang was relatively stable, which was somewhat like watching the fire from the other side of the river.

And it didn't last long, so it calmed down relatively.

Jiangling is in trouble, but it is just Jiangling. There is still singing and drinking in Xiangyang city.

But this time, the smoke of war, the smell of blood, and the chaos and pain truly permeated the city of Xiangyang.

In the west, Li Dian's army captured Shangyong and then conquered Yunguan.

In the north, Liao Hua's army occupied Danshui and was preparing to attack Shunyang.

To the south, the Sichuan-Shu navy was approaching Jiangling, and almost all of the Jingzhou navy was in the north of Jingzhou, leaving the south completely blank...

The hussars rolled in, crushing the enemy troops along the way. The Cao army troops along the way were either quickly defeated or lost the front line before they could even reach it.

The situation in Jingzhou was once again in a critical situation at this moment.

This war was obviously not what the people of Jingzhou wanted, but they could not refuse.

Everything happened too fast.

This is also true for Cai Mao.

Cai Mao rolled his eyes and looked at the Cao army flag above his head. After a long time, he lowered his eyes again with an expressionless face.

Was it right or wrong for Jingzhou to bet on Cao Cao back then?

This matter is really not that easy to explain.

If he were given another chance, what would he choose?

Cai Mao thought about it for a long time and felt that he was not wrong at that time. After all, Fei Qian's momentum was not that strong at that time, and Cao Cao's side, not only held the emperor hostage, but also defeated the two Yuans. He had the righteousness, the troops, and the territory, so unless there was something wrong with his brain, most people would choose Cao Cao.

But now it seems that those who chose Cao Cao have a problem with their brains...

Cai Mao knocked on his helmet, making a slight hollow sound.

So what now?

Cao Ren sent himself to Fangling to take over the defense of Fangling. Cai Mao didn't want to come, but he couldn't refuse, so he had to take his soldiers to Fangling.

The Di general of Fangling was very enthusiastic. When he saw Cai Mao, he invited him into the city and even said that he would vacate his own house and yard for Cai Mao to live in.

Cai Mao was also a seasoned man. After seeing the situation in Fangling City and the camp left by Cao Zhen, he understood what was going on almost instantly. He also refused to enter the city and only stayed in the camp on the hillside on the flank of Fangling.

However, this matter also made Cai Mao feel uneasy.

The reason why Cao Zhen stationed his barracks outside the city was definitely not because of the beautiful scenery or the gorgeous mountains and rivers!

Then we can see Cao Zhen's, or the Cao family's, attitude towards Fang Ling.

At this point, is Cai Mao really a "heavy burden", or does Cao Ren have other intentions?

Cai Mao thought about it and didn't dare to contact the scouts of the Cavalry Army.

Although he also wanted to wave a white flag or something to show that he was a good citizen...

But with so many Cao army soldiers around, who knows which one is the spy left by Cao Ren and Cao Zhen?

As the days passed, Cai Mao felt relieved but also worried when he saw that Li Dianjun did not really seem to have the intention of attacking Fangling.

But soon, Cai Mao received a message...

Someone from the Cai family came hurriedly from Jingzhou and brought Cai Mao the bad news: Cai He was arrested and imprisoned!

Theoretically speaking, this is not a big problem.

The crime of losing the army should indeed be punished.

But in the Han Dynasty, especially in Shandong, everyone knew the crime, or rather, the law was for the lower class, not the upper class. Cai He did fail, he failed to defend the pass, and he lost many soldiers. These were all facts, and Cai He would not quibble. He humbly accepted it and apologized sincerely.

Isn't there anyone who has good intentions but does something bad?

After all, the intention is good!

I've already apologized, but there's no point in still nagging...

In most cases, that's the end of it. If the public resentment is too great, then they will be dismissed, transferred, and retired, and then resume their duties after the storm has passed...

This is customary.

Just like Niu Jin, who was defeated all the way back, isn’t he still holding his position in Shunyang, and there is no word on how he will be punished, right?

"Master! Come up with an idea!" The Cai clan member gnashed his teeth and said, "You are forcing us to death! How can you be so unreasonable? The victory and defeat of the military cannot be said to be accurate! Didn't Cao Ren and Cao Zixiao also lose..."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Cai Mao suddenly stretched out his hand to stop the Cai clan members from muttering.

"Victory or defeat in military affairs?" asked the Cai clan member.

"A little further forward..." Cai Mao frowned.

"Uh... it's unreasonable... uh, you're pushing me to death..."

Cai Mao clapped his hands, "That's it!"

Cai Mao frowned and walked around the big tent twice, "Why do you say that?"

"Why?" the Cai clan member asked in confusion.

"Why do you want to force our Cai family to death?" Cai Mao asked.

"This..." The Cai clan member's eyes widened, "Master, are you...are you okay?"

At this point, are you still looking for the reason? Do you still want to ask why Cao Ren did not punish Niu Jin, but Cai He? Isn't it obvious? Do you need to say more? !

Cai Mao walked around for a few times and did not answer the questions of his clansmen. Instead, he asked: "Where is Cao Zixiao? Who is the leader of Xiangyang City?"

The Cai clan member told him what he knew.

At present, Cao Ren is not in Xiangyang City. Some say he is in the north of Jingzhou, while others say he is in the south.

The commander in Xiangyang City is Cao Kai...

Cai Mao nodded and listened, seemingly thinking about something.

"The head of the family?" The Cai clan members were a little anxious.

Cai He was imprisoned, and Cai Mao was in Fangling. The Cai family was like a naked man standing in Xiangyang without armor and robes. It was possible that the pervert could come up and touch them at any time...

How dangerous!

Cai Mao stopped, turned around, looked at the Cai clan members and asked, "What do your family members think?"

"At home..." The Cai clan member hesitated.

"It's okay, tell me." Cai Mao encouraged.

"Some people in the family mean... this..." The Cai clan member lowered his voice, "The Cao family is already in trouble, and they are doing evil things in the southern part of Jingbei... Now they are bullying and forcing us, the Cai family... How can we tolerate this..."

The Cai clan member's voice became lower and lower, but his expression became more and more ferocious, "Why not..."

Because Fei Qian had stayed in Xiangyang, Jingzhou for a period of time before, the relationship between Cai and Fei Qian was not completely broken just because they belonged to different camps.

On the contrary, Cai also purchased goods from Fei Qian and sold them in Jingzhou, making quite a lot of profits.

Anyway, there are many merchants and nobles in Shandong who purchase goods from Guanzhong, so there was nothing wrong with Cai's doing this before...

However, there seem to be some problems now.

"What should we do?" The Cai clan members looked at Cai Mao expectantly.

This matter definitely cannot be let go like this!

Cai Mao nodded, "But we can't just give up like this... Come on! Prepare the horses!"

The Cai clan members were somewhat excited and somewhat nervous. "Master! We, we will...will..."

Cai Mao smiled, and there seemed to be something hidden in his smile, "I will apologize to General Cao with my head held high!"

"What?!" The Cai clan members were stunned.