Chapter 366: Re-discussion of Printing
Red air covering the sky has never been a good omen in all dynasties, and this is no exception even though the name Yanhan sounds like one should not be afraid of fire.
During the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, there was a red mat-like thing in the north of the sky, more than ten feet long. Then the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms broke out.
Some people say that this is called red air, some people say that it should be called sky crack. In short, as Zuo Zhuan said, sky crack does not mean that the fire virtue is strong, but "the sky cracks and the yang is insufficient, and the earth shakes and the yin is excessive."
And if the red energy penetrates the Purple Palace, it would be an even worse sign.
The Purple Palace is the Purple Palace representing the emperor’s palace, located in the center of the northern sky.
The sign of the cracked sky will bring disaster to the emperor, and the deficiency of yang and the excess of yin will bring great disaster.
This is the interpretation based on the Han Dynasty's prophecies and divinations!
Amid the rumors that were already spreading like wildfire, this change in the celestial phenomena was like adding a handful of cold water to the boiling oil.
"What are people saying in Chang'an?" Qiao Yan looked at Chen Qun who had just returned from Chang'an and asked.
The coolness of autumn has come from the north, and a layer of autumn frost has hung over the city of Luoyang.
There was a rare rain after the autumn harvest, but it was just a drizzle and then it was over.
But after the rain, the temperature has dropped a lot.
The particularly cold winter conditions that had been present in previous years did not seem to have changed at all due to the drought. Instead, it had completely turned into a normal state of severe cold. It was only October, but the cold was biting at night.
I don’t know if it was because of the sudden drop in temperature that Qiao Yan was able to say something so calmly, even though he should have said it in anger.
It was as if... as if what they were talking about had nothing to do with her.
Before Chen Qun could reply, she continued, "In fact, we can guess a little bit. This celestial phenomenon of insufficient Yang and excessive Yin, which means disaster for the Han Dynasty, these guys who have lived a peaceful life for too long would not even think of blaming the emperor of Yecheng. They would only think that I am the hen who calls the crowing, meddling in other people's affairs, and committing an act of usurpation and offending the king's will."
"Why?" Qiao Yan smiled sarcastically, "Because they have subconsciously felt that Yuan Benchu has no ability to break into Chang'an and offend the imperial palace!"
Then where does the red energy penetrating the Purple Palace come from?
These parasites who eat the emperor's food would not think that such a warning was caused by someone among them who was doing nothing but eating and doing nothing and intending to subvert the country. They only felt that both the explanation of the sky cracking and the red air that someone was seeking to establish independence were pointing to Qiao Yan who was currently living in Luoyang.
"Perhaps they also think that the earthquake in the second year of Jian'an should also be explained by the theory that the earthquake has excess yin."
Chen Qun: “…”
Qiao Yan raised his eyes: "Did I guess it right?"
Seeing Chen Qun's reaction, she didn't even need to hear the result.
However, if Chen Qun were to answer, he couldn't say that he had guessed it completely. For example, the phrase "hens crow at dawn" had never been said by those guys who had nothing better to do. But it was almost exactly what Qiao Yan meant.
These rumors about changes in celestial phenomena circulating in Chang'an City did not explicitly point to Qiao Yan, but it seemed that every sentence implied her.
Conquering two states in a single year, including Yangzhou which was also returned to the Chang'an court in a more clear manner, had brought Qiao Yan's accumulated military merits to an even more terrifying level.
Even though she had already held the most powerful position among the ministers, this was still a horrifying record.
In places like Yizhou and Xuzhou that she personally recaptured, people only knew the Grand Marshal, not the Emperor Liu Yu.
Even the submission of Jiaozhou was caused by the existence of the Grand Marshal.
If she had waited until she had defeated Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, who knows how arrogant she would have become!
They could only take advantage of this opportunity to suppress her.
Those who contributed to the spread of such rumors may not want to get rid of Qiao Yan as soon as possible like Liu Yang, Chun Yujia and others, but they definitely want to divide her power.
It was because in the face of absolute advantage, everyone felt that no one in Qiao Yan's position would be defeated in this confrontation between nine states and four states.
But this kind of cognition is simply ridiculous!
"Changwen doesn't seem like someone who is afraid to speak. Why is he so silent?" Qiao Yan asked again.
Chen Qun was certainly not a man who was afraid to speak. He was responsible for the formulation of laws and had been in charge of the interrogation and prosecution of Luoyang immigrants since he was transferred from Chang'an to Luoyang by Qiao Yan this year. In terms of eloquence, he was among the best among the people under Qiao Yan. But at this moment, facing the questions asked by Qiao Yan in a casual tone, he felt a blockage in his throat for no reason.
Even Chen Ji, who did not spend much time with Qiao Yan, had a better understanding of the practical measures implemented by Qiao Yan because of Wu Long's teaching of Tian Feng. Because of the rumors after the red energy piercing the Purple Palace, he argued with people on the streets of Chang'an with a cane.
However, some people would rather believe in the celestial phenomena and the "possibility" of great generals seizing power than to see what kind of life Qiao Yan is leading in Luoyang.
In this sudden change of celestial phenomena, so much of the dignity that could have been covered up was torn apart.
"Your Excellency has been showing kindness to the people and making friends with all parties for several years, but you have not met..."
Don't be defeated by such rumors.
But the next moment, he heard Qiao Yan ask: "Don't those people you mentioned making friends with all the different parties have any selfish motives to seek advancement?"
When Liu Xie arrived in Luoyang with his adoptive father, he found that the atmosphere in Luoyang was somewhat solemn.
In March and April of this year, his adoptive father had already proposed the idea of moving to Luoyang. Fortunately, he came up with an excuse to persuade his adoptive father to change his mind, citing the various pressures that Luoyang City might face during the drought.
But by September, Luoyang had successfully weathered the drought and epidemic this year. Part of the population had been relocated to Guanzhong, and the establishment of order had been basically completed within this year, so it once again issued a call to recruit people.
At this point, he could no longer use the previous reasons to negotiate with his adoptive father.
Whether to go or not, he always gives a clear answer instead of being vague and dragging time.
Liu Xie thought about it and finally made the decision to take the risk.
More than six years.
More than six years had passed since he was kidnapped by Dong Zhuo and left Luoyang.
Six years were long enough for a child who was less than ten years old at the time to grow into the teenager he is today. Even when Liu Xie occasionally pondered over the surface of the pond, he sometimes felt that it was impossible to see any trace of his appearance in his early years.
If we add the scar on his face and the tanned skin from walking outdoors for the past six months, it would be even more difficult to associate him with the former emperor Liu Xie.
Even if there really is someone with such vision, he can completely explain it away by saying that the people are similar. After all, who would believe that a person who once sat on the throne of the emperor would not have any interest in being found and restored to the throne.
This is why he is here at this moment.
However, they did not plan to move directly, but planned to visit Luoyang first.
Hearing is not as good as seeing. You have to see Luoyang with your own eyes to know whether it is a livable place.
But it seemed that they chose a special time to come here.
Liu Xie instinctively lowered his head while walking, trying his best to make his presence less noticeable. However, his adoptive father was a sociable person. He had started chatting with a young man on the side of the road who looked quite indignant, asking about the current situation in Luoyang.
"What else could it be!" He immediately opened the conversation when he heard someone asking the question, "Luoyang has many people and merchants, because Chang'an is at the foot of the emperor, and it is connected to this place by the Qiao-Han Road and is also under the jurisdiction of Sili, so there is no shortage of merchants who buy goods from Chang'an and send them to Luoyang to sell."
The foster father asked, "How does this relate to the question I asked?"
"Of course it is related." The young man said indignantly, "Since there are many people coming from Chang'an, then whatever is said in the market in Chang'an will naturally spread to Luoyang. Our place has finally recovered from the disaster this year, and it is still largely due to the supervision of the Grand Marshal. As a result, the people in Chang'an are talking without any hesitation, saying that the Grand Marshal is trying hard to win the hearts of the people and is harmful to the country, which is why there is a change in the celestial phenomena in October."
"If they have the ability, they should take out their own property and see how many people's stomachs they can fill and how many lives they can save!"
"I think they are the ones who are really unsightly and harmful to the country. Who can't say nice things and accusatory things? I can also say that they are not suitable to live in Luoyang, otherwise there will be disasters in a year or two, because we can drown them with a spit from everyone!"
Liu Xie couldn't help laughing when he heard this.
At this moment, he also looked up and around, and saw that there were quite a few people who expressed their support for the young man after hearing his impassioned speech. He already had an estimate of the situation in Luoyang in his mind.
The Grand Marshal Qiao Yan is truly... one cannot help but admire him.
Because of his smile, the young man looked towards him.
Liu Xie originally thought that he might be afraid of being stared at for a long time by others, but strangely, when such a gaze situation really occurred, he did not show any restraint, as if he really felt that he was just the son of a woodcutter from Yizhou.
The recognition of this identity made him no longer feel awkward.
I only heard the young man ask: "Have you just arrived in Luoyang? Have you received your things?"
What?
Liu Xie replied blankly: "We are just here to take a look, we don't have to..."
"It's okay if you don't have to settle here. Just go to the reception office first."
Perhaps because of his previous verbal outburst, even though Liu Xie and his adoptive father only listened carefully to his accusations against Chang'an and did not make any response, the young man still liked them very much and took the initiative to offer to take them to the reception office.
Before they even got there, they heard the man introducing them, "When you get there, you'll get a few things. One is a map of Luoyang City, especially with clear markings of where to settle down and get land, where to see a doctor, and where to temporarily live. I heard that a few years ago, the area between the city wall and the palace wall of Luoyang was mostly where nobles lived and where the gold market was located. Now it has become a medical office, warehouse, document printing, and a place to support the elderly. Officials have moved their offices into the South Palace, and the North Palace is revered as the former residence of the emperor."
Hearing this change, Liu Xie felt complicated for a moment, and then he heard the young man continue, "In addition, there is a document proving that you are a guest. With this document, you can stay in the official residence in Luoyang for five days at a very low cost. Except for the food and clothing that you need to pay for yourself, the expenses of staying here are almost negligible. However, this is not without restrictions. You need to cooperate with the people in the official residence to further check your background to prevent spies from mixing in. If you have any special skills, someone may come to try to persuade you to stay here for a long time."
"If you plan to settle in Luoyang, we will also give you a small amount of rice to tide you over until you find a way to make a living. Then it will be there."
Liu Xie looked in the direction the young man was pointing and saw cotton coats piled up like a small mountain.
"Anyone passing through Luoyang can buy a cotton-padded jacket at a low price with their household registration that proves their origin, regardless of whether they are from Sili or not, or whether they intend to live here permanently or not."
Liu Xie was surprised and asked, "But if this is the case, aren't you afraid that people from Yanzhou, Yuzhou and other places will come to buy it?"
That would be aiding the enemy.
"You are underestimating the Grand Marshal's magnanimity," the young man patted Liu Xie on the shoulder and replied, "The Grand Marshal said that sooner or later there will not be two courts in this world, and we are all compatriots, so why should we have such concerns. This year, there was a drought followed by a major epidemic, and there was also a locust plague. If we can save thousands more people in the winter, it will also make Luoyang City look more lively, which is better than seeing nine out of ten houses empty."
"Besides, this is not something that the Grand Marshal cannot afford. In September, cotton spinning wheels were delivered to Luoyang one after another, and a cotton clothing factory was also built in the northern suburbs. I heard that Bingzhou and Liangzhou have gradually expanded cotton planting this year. I think it is not groundless, but a definite fact."
"You see, it's not hard to understand why we hate those rumors in Chang'an." He muttered, "In my opinion, the Grand Marshal shouldn't just publish a book on mountains and rivers at the beginning of the year and print it widely. He should write a complete book about the changes and achievements he has brought about and distribute it out. If those old guys who make malicious accusations have any objections, they can refute them point by point in this book!"
Liu Xie was silent for a moment before he replied, "Brother, that's a good point."
He now has a better understanding of what Luoyang City looks like.
But it must be said that the young man was right in thinking that Qiao Yan should print the book at this time.
The four books published in the middle of the year have been basically completed, and the two printing factories in Chang'an and Luoyang controlled by Qiao Yan have been vacant.
Now is the winter season when farming is quiet, so it is the time to devote our energy to this matter.
Thinking of the news that Chen Qun brought back about Chen Ji helping to refute a quarrel, Guo Jia suggested to Qiao Yan that they should focus on practical matters first, as the only book that tends to be literary is the "Book of Songs". Perhaps it is time to turn to the family poems and academic classics waiting in the queue.
The best way to combat rumors is to suppress them with other remarks.
When she finally began to express her intention to make friends with various families, in order to keep up with the others, there would always be someone who would take the right side of the situation, or even give her a suitable token of allegiance in order to stand up in front of her.
But to Guo Jia's surprise, what he received was not Qiao Yan's approval, but she shook her head, obviously not agreeing with this decision.
"You are wrong, Fengxiao. The more times have come, the more we cannot compromise with the noble families." Qiao Yan spoke in a gentle tone, but his words revealed a firm determination that could not be questioned. "We hold the most advantageous bargaining chip for the noble families, but this is also the way we send out external signals."
“Even if we can use this publication to attract a group of allies and have them turn their swords against these troublemakers, if we rely on this method to break free from the shackles of the valley, sooner or later we will be pushed back down by these ruthless guys.”
"We have come this far step by step. Is this what we wanted to see?"
Of course not!
If in the past, when she was competing with Yuan Shao, or when she wanted the Chang'an court to compete with the Yecheng court for legitimacy, she would have made deals with these families through the completion of the new Chang'an Road and the implementation of the alcohol restriction order, and used their well-developed interpersonal networks and tongues to push the message she needed to convey, then at this moment, in the face of the intensified internal conflicts, she could never win over such allies.
In other words, she couldn't allow these people to become her arms and help her move forward.
Then she will be constrained by human relationships for the rest of her life!
Since she had already put herself in the position of a target according to the prophecy, why not let the cold winter come faster and more swiftly.
It is better to let a huge rock fall on the already turbid and disturbed water waves than to let it just calm down temporarily.
If it were the latter, it would mean nothing to her!
Guo Jia looked at Qiao Yan's face and realized more clearly than ever before that the wise leader he was going to follow had a heart much stronger and a clear mind than anyone else. Even in the face of such storms, she always maintained a steady pace.
Yes, they are already the counter-current of this era, so why should they still follow those upper-class rules?
Anyway, in the face of the Luoyang epidemic a few months ago, these people did not follow Qiao Yan’s rules!
Guo Jia suddenly smiled, "It seems that you have made a decision."
Qiao Yan pulled out a book from his side and threw it at Guo Jia. “Look at this.”
When Guo Jia took the book, he saw the words "Chang Yan" written on it.
The author's name sounded familiar to Guo Jia. He seemed to have heard Qiao Yan and Xi Zhicai mention it before. "Zhong Changtong?"
Qiao Yan replied confidently: "That's right, let's choose Chang Yan."
This was her first response.
Aren’t you going to talk about celestial phenomena?
Then she will talk about this: man will conquer nature! ：,n,
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
