Chapter 331 Second Book
"So which book or periodical do you plan to select for number two?" Xi Zhicai flipped through the documents Qiao Yan handed to him and found that they were all letters sent to Bingzhou by various families.
The impact of printing technology was quite limited under Qiao Yan's restrictions, which made these people feel that she was easy to talk to.
Just like the Xiping Stone Classics only contain the Lu version of the Book of Songs plus two different characters, the same is probably true for the classics of various schools.
The letters sent here are all about the hope of gaining legitimacy for themselves.
They had done this once when printing technology was first used for large-scale printing of Leping Monthly, but after they saw with their own eyes the impact of the quick edition printed this summer, they decided to establish a new relationship before publishing the second edition.
Some of the statements are more euphemistic, and they don't mean to squeeze out the other ones, but to "move this one forward."
"Who do you think is worthy of this second book? The Xun family of Yingchuan, the Ma family of Fufeng?" Qiao Yan shook his head. "I'm not in Guanzhong, so I don't have time to fight with them. I also have another reason——"
"In these messages sent out, the initiative is determined by us. Now that we have the five states in our hands, there is no need for us to be bound by them."
Xi Zhicai replied confidently: "Then what you want to print is not poetry."
Qiao Yan stood up and walked to the window, looking at the sky outside.
There was almost no rainfall during this year's drought. Even if there was, it was only thin enough to wet the surface of the land. It could not be called rainfall, but in this dry and sunny sky, one could vaguely feel that a storm was coming.
She replied, "Go find Zhaoji and Tingzhi."
Cai Zhaoji and Fu Shou were both in Luoyang at this time. To cooperate with the reconstruction work in Luoyang, they temporarily returned to Bingzhou under Qiao Yan's dispatch and stood in front of her.
Although they had guessed that it would not be an easy task for Qiao Yan to transfer them back at this time, when Qiao Yan handed them the plan and several pages of manuscripts, they still subconsciously showed a look of astonishment, "My Lord, what are you doing?"
"No matter which clerk is chosen as the No. 2, there will be people who object, unless the territory we can issue orders to has expanded again." Qiao Yan replied, "So instead of letting them have the energy to argue about whether they have the qualifications, it is better to just choose... something more interesting."
Fu Shou listened to Qiao Yan's words in a daze, staring at the words on the manuscript in her hand without blinking.
In the past, in order to persuade Qiao Yan to let her participate in the river survey west of Ziwuling Mountain, she once submitted something to Qiao Yan, which was named "Mountain and River Records" by Qiao Yan. The purpose of this book was to record the mountains, rivers and scenery in each state so that people could know what was happening in the world without leaving home.
In the past few years, during the water conservancy and canal construction from Bingzhou to Liangzhou, from Liangzhou to Guanzhong, and from Guanzhong to the entire Sili territory, Fu Shou had already continuously improved this book to a very thick level, covering most of the waterways in the three states.
What are marked in it are no longer just the anecdotes that have happened here or are rumored by the villagers, but also the diversion irrigation operations that have occurred in these areas in recent years, as well as the various battles that took place in the mountains and rivers during the suppression of bandits in Bingzhou, the pacification of Liangzhou and the march into Guanzhong.
This makes this Record of Mountains and Rivers somewhat similar to the "Notes on the Classic of Waterways" if one only looks at the situation in these three states. However, in terms of its reading threshold, it is a little lower than the "Notes on the Classic of Waterways" in Qiao Yan's impression.
However, even though Fu Shou showed Qiao Yan every change in the record book as usual, she never thought that Qiao Yan would choose this book as the second one to be printed!
"The Jiji Pian gives people the opportunity to learn to read and understand things, and to increase their common sense. The Shanhe Lu is to let people know the vastness of the mountains and rivers and the depth of the territory."
Fu Shou thought for a moment and asked, "But aren't you afraid that the enemy will know too much about our territory and the mountains, rivers and scenery, and have the possibility of breaking into our territory?"
Qiao Yan raised his hand and motioned Fu Shou to turn over.
Fu Shou turned to the first page of the review written by Qiao Yan, and saw that it contained the hydrological and mountain information of the other states.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was actually a book called "Water Classic", but it was not widely circulated. Fu Shou did not see this book until he came to Bingzhou. Li Daoyuan of later generations wrote "Water Classic" based on this book.
However, this book only records the passage of water but not its retention. The book also describes all 137 rivers in just over 8,000 words, which shows how much information is missing.
And the book that appeared in front of Fu Shou at this moment actually followed the outline of Fu Shou's records of the conditions of the three states in recording the mountains, rivers and scenery of other states. It just simplified some of the expressions and needed to be reorganized.
"I have had people travel to various places over the past few years to compile these missing information. During this inspection, you should blur out the information on the borders where all forces meet, and write the rest as you wish."
What's the harm in making the waterways and mountains of Liangzhou, Bingzhou and Sili public? Everyone gets the same treatment anyway. Even in such publications, the efforts spent by the first three states on hydrological management are clearly displayed to the public, which is a contrast!
They may not understand the folk stories recorded in the accompanying captions, but they will definitely understand the distinction between the old and new waterways by the thick and thin lines.
They may not have known how the Marquis of Leping developed from a small territory of Leping to what it is today, but now they can certainly see astonishing figures from this expansion route.
They may not have known how big the world was before, but now they can see a signal -
If a person does not have the determination to recover the world and restore its unity, there is no need to do such a thankless task!
This is indeed a book most suitable for publication at this time!
It is not only because this is a book that does not offend anyone, but also because what is recorded in it, in addition to the existing reality, also includes the traces of their step-by-step journey!
"I will entrust the re-editing, proofreading and printing of this book to you two. You must complete it before... the first day of the first lunar month. If you need manpower, you can arrange it yourself. During this period, you must not delay the monthly publication of Leping Academy and the construction of rivers, canals and deep wells around Luoyang. Is there any problem?"
The first sentence about the monthly report requirement was addressed to Zhao Ji, and the second sentence about the river channel was addressed to Fu Shou.
In addition to completing the tasks which were not easy in themselves, printing this information-dense book, or atlas, was a daunting task.
But when I think about the publication of this book, which is second only to the literacy book, and that they will be able to write their names on the author and proofreader's names, and that it will be distributed in various places like the previous urgent works, and perhaps it will be treated more preciously than the Leping Monthly, and will be passed down from then on, this important task is no longer a heavy task, but clearly a motivation!
The two men replied in unison: "Don't worry, my lord. There will be no problem."
"Well then," Qiao Yan looked at the two talented girls, and thought of Yao Chang and Lu Lingju who were beginning to make great achievements in the military. His eyes were more smiling, "I will take on all the obstacles in publishing this book for you. I just want you to give me a book that can shut up everyone."
After watching them leave to prepare, Xi Zhicai interrupted and said, "Your Excellency wanted to leave me a suspense earlier, and I actually thought that you were going to make a hardcover edition of the essence of the Leping Monthly Report. I was thinking that if this was really the arrangement, the information contained in it would be so much and so mixed that it probably wouldn't make Cao Mengde regret not being able to make a deal earlier."
Qiao Yan asked: "So what now?"
Xi Zhicai smiled but did not give a clear answer.
But perhaps his answer is already hidden in this smile.
The literacy books in Jijiupian are at most the popularization of some common sense. However, if you pack two copies and take the Shanhelu with you, it would be a complete show of force!
The appearance and mass printing of this book was like an announcement to her enemies that she had already far surpassed anyone's imagination in the development and utilization of her own resources, and now it was openly laid out in front of everyone.
If they cannot fight back, they will sooner or later face an outflow of people.
What is even more interesting is probably the Battle of Gaoping City recorded in the Liangzhou section of the first edition of the Three States Records by Xi Zhicai.
The fact that she beheaded 8,000 Zhong Qiang soldiers in Gaoping reminded people of one thing again:
She can give her enemies some leeway, but she can also kill them all!
This is no longer a geography book, but clearly a declaration of war!
Xi Zhicai was probably not the only one who realized this signal. After Qiao Yan sent the printing plan and the contents of the first half of the book to Chang'an, the parties who had originally written to Qiao Yan to get close to him only sent simple greetings in the next letter sent to Bingzhou.
Regardless of what the third printed book is, when the Grand Marshal shows such a sharp intention, it is probably better for them not to bring bad luck to her.
Anyway, in such a sharp situation, the ones who will suffer will definitely not be those of them who still have cooperative relations with them.
If they had followed their thinking two years ago, they might have felt that the alcohol restriction caused by the drought was a reduction in their power, but now it seems more like a life-saving talisman.
Perhaps because they were savoring the information conveyed in this new book, they did not react to several instructions.
For example, Fa Zheng went to Yizhou in October and served as a clerk under Wu Yi, the governor of Yizhou.
On the one hand, he will be responsible for coordinating and allocating the expenses of Yao Chang and others in dealing with the Southern Barbarians, and at the same time providing her with strategic support. On the other hand, the position of Book Secretary is actually the position of Qin Yu when Qiao Yan was the governor of Bingzhou. Given the status of Yizhou as the granary of the land of abundance, this position means monitoring and controlling Wu Yi.
Of course, since Wu Yi has no intention of falling out with her for the time being, Fa Zheng's main role is still the former.
Another option is that, with the permission of the emperor and the Grand Marshal, Yuan Yao will go to Nanyang to take over the position of Nanyang governor.
In theory, with the existence of the Governor of Jingzhou, the position of the Nanyang Prefect could be recommended by the other party, but it is also reasonable for the court to arrange it. After all, Nanyang is only one step away from Sili, just across the Wugu Pass. In order to ensure the stability of the pass, some defensive measures should be taken.
However, what surprised people who paid attention to this matter was that Liu Biao and Yuan Yao had no friendship at all, but the handover of the post of Nanyang prefect was a scene of great joy to both the host and the guest.
But probably only they themselves know what each person is thinking.
Anyway, Yuan Yao is quite cheerful.
With the letter of exemption from death given by Qiao Yan in his hand, he was temporarily away from some idiots in Chang'an City. Also, the academic atmosphere in Nanyang still had the style passed down from Yingchuan, which was very different from the scene of numerous clan bandits in southern Jingzhou. He hardly needed to spend much energy, and it was simply a perfect place for him.
Liu Biao... was also quite relieved.
If those tough guys were sent to his territory, it would be no different from having a knife hanging over his head.
Looking at Yuan Yao's innocent look, he felt for a moment that although the Grand Marshal had scolded Yuan Shu, he was still quite generous when treating his orphan.
He even had a rare chance to get some good sleep.
The last imperial decree was issued to Yangzhou.
The fact that Huang Zu, the former prefect of Yuzhang County, was attacked by Sun Ce for his poor governance had been clearly stated in the memorial Sun Ce had submitted earlier. However, Zhu Zhi, the prefect of Yuzhang County who had just been recommended by Sun Ce, died at the hands of the Shanyue, which meant that some new official positions needed to be reassigned here.
Even though Qiao Yan arranged for the sisters Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting to stir up trouble in Yangzhou in order to unite the various forces in Yangzhou that were dissatisfied with Sun Ce, they had never expected that such a bizarre incident of an imperial official being killed would occur.
However, Zhu Zhi's death was undoubtedly the last straw that completely drove Sun Ce's rationality in dealing with the Shanyue!
This is still a good thing for Qiao Yan.
So she mentioned in the memorial she wrote to Liu Yu that the standoff in Xuzhou might still require support from Yangzhou. In this case, the stability of the situation in the counties within Yangzhou is very important.
Instead of using people from Yangzhou's aristocratic families, it would be better to further strengthen Sun Ce's own people.
For example, Sun Ce's uncle Wu Jing was appointed as the prefect of Yuzhang County.
If Sun Ce had recommended this position himself, he would never have said it out loud. But when Qiao Yan said it, there was no need to worry about "nominating someone from within the family to avoid relatives".
Wu Jing had served under Sun Jian shortly after his sister married Sun Jian, and had also assisted him in fighting. There was not much difference between him and Zhu Zhi, who died at the hands of Huang She, in terms of either his resume or the abilities he had demonstrated so far.
This succession can be said to be a natural progression.
But the real destabilizing factor in Yangzhou has never been in Yuzhang County, which is adjacent to Liu Biao, but in Danyang County and Wu County!
What does a show of goodwill in the position of Yuzhang County Governor mean?
What consequences this edict would cause after arriving in Yangzhou was not too important to Qiao Yan.
She had turned around to read the letter sent from Youzhou.
But after reading the beginning, she gave up the idea of just reading a message to report safety.
Xun You wrote in the letter that something "interesting" happened in the military camp over there a while ago.
At one point, Lu Bu did something outrageous in the military camp. He asked the soldiers to sew tiger teeth patterns on their clothes to express his great satisfaction with the commission given by the court and his intention to keep the good wishes in mind.
Unfortunately, due to Xun You's obstruction, the sewing kits that had been distributed were taken back.
However, perhaps because they were collected a little late, some newly recruited soldiers, in order to strictly abide by the general's orders, had already sewed the tiger-tooth patterns on.
Although some may be embroidered like triangles and some like carrots, these strange things are still quite eye-catching in the military camp.
But perhaps what is more striking is the speed with which these soldiers adapt to training.
I don't know if they were really influenced by the tiger-tooth symbol, but they performed very well in dealing with the various tasks given by their superiors in the barracks, and even their physical fitness seemed to be better than that of ordinary soldiers.
Not all, but on average.
This made Lu Bu very happy. He even went to Xun You and felt that they didn't need to save money on needlework.
"There is no such mysterious thing in this world."
When Qiao Yan saw this, he muttered softly.
Xun You thought the same at that time.
It is not difficult to achieve such an effect. It just requires someone to intentionally observe the most physically fit people in each team when the needle and thread are just distributed, and then embroider the pattern on their clothes first.
However, since there are many people who take the initiative and have a positive attitude towards training, it is impossible to judge who is behind the manipulation.
In Xun You's opinion, there are probably quite a few spies among this batch of new recruits from Zhuo County.
However, Lu Bu didn't know the connection between them.
What he had to do at this time was, first, to make these new recruits obey the arrangements of his boss, and second, to intercept Yuan Shao's generals in the south while guarding the You-Ji border.
The latter was not reflected before the formal confrontation, but he had some experience in the former after he was stationed in Suiyuan City, Baidaochuan for a time. That is, he showed an attitude of sharing weal and woe with these soldiers and then demonstrated his own military strength.
But what Lu Bu did not expect was that this flex of muscle, which was just an imitation of Qiao Yan's behavior of killing Shi Yinyu at Juyongguan, actually seemed to have triggered a wave of personal worship in the camp within just a day or two.
Even within just a few days, this trend had spread out from the military camp with sporadic voices, directly reaching the northern part of Zhuo County.
The people of Zhuo County were originally unaware of the various attacks on Gongsun Zan by Zhang Liao, Qu Yan and others. They just thought that the rumored "General Tiger Teeth" was no different from the "General". He also had military merits that led to Gongsun Zan's death. It was said that even a former Xianbei Chanyu was killed by him. So when he was in charge of Zhuo County, wasn't he like a patron saint of this place!
This needs to be well publicized.
The martial spirit of the northern border is also the norm in Zhuo County. When Liu Bei was a teenager, he was able to gather a group of heroes here to follow him. It is almost the same when it comes to Lu Bu, who has so many rumors about him here.
Even Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, two wealthy merchants from Zhongshan who had invested money in Liu Bei's recruitment of more talented men, made a trip to Zhuo County to pay a visit to Lu Bu.
Such a reputation would definitely not make Lu Bu sit still.
He was a man who loved show and he felt that the fighting power he displayed was worthy of the title.
Xin Pi, who pushed this situation forward, deliberately avoided Xun You, Tian Feng and others, and watched Lu Bu's actions. He felt that the goal he wanted to achieve was inevitable.
Now that the target has been selected and the area of public opinion has spread beyond the military camp, he will try to find a way to withdraw as soon as possible after a few days to prevent himself from being unable to leave after his identity is exposed.
However, what Xin Pi and Xun You, who wrote the letter to Qiao Yan, did not expect was that in this popular reputation of General Tiger Fang, Sima Yi made a suggestion to Lu Bu -
The other party may want to take advantage of the fact that Zhang Liao is younger than Lu Bu but has a higher position than Lu Bu to raise Lu Bu's value and create conflicts between the two.
In this case, instead of asking Lu Bu to restrain himself and let the other party retreat, it is better to just go along with the other party's wishes.
But... instead of letting Zhang Liao dispatch Lu Bu back to Yuyang County, he let Lu Bu take advantage of the situation to attack Yuan Shao's camp across the river!
This offensive plan was definitely not the rhythm that Qiao Yan had preset for the Jizhou front.
However, after receiving Sima Yi's suggestion written by Xun You, Qiao Yan immediately approved it and sent someone to report it to Youzhou overnight.
Order Lu Bu to take advantage of this east wind to cross the Juma River quickly, kill and wound the enemy camp, and then return immediately!
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