Han officials

Chapter 30 Zhu Yan Enters the Three Kingdoms of Korea [4K] [Revised Version]

Thanks to Hou Kai, Guan Xiu grasped the key points on the first day he entered Boji State.

So he did not stay in other towns, but went straight to Weili City, the capital of Boji State.

However, although Weili City is called a city, it is actually just a settlement surrounded by wooden fences. It is obvious that the city-building technology of the Mahan people is still very primitive.

Even so, there was only one city of this magnitude in Boji State. As for the remaining towns, most of them were just pavilions and villages in the Han area, very simple and crude.

The next day, Weili City.

Looking at the messy streets in front of him, Guan Xiu couldn't help but frown.

It would be fine if it was just a mess, but the people in this city had no sense of shame and just urinated and defecated anywhere.

When Guan Xiu looked around, he saw feces and dirt all over the ground, which made him feel like he had nowhere to step.

Guan Xiu, who originally wanted to take a leisurely stroll to see the scenery of Mahan, had no choice but to sit on his horse and ride slowly.

But Guan Xiu soon forgot the strange smell in his nose and looked around curiously.

I have to say that the building here is really "unique".

Although it was a thatched earthen house, its structure was completely different from that of the Han area. Here, the door was at the top and the door at the bottom, resembling a tomb, and the whole family lived together in the middle, regardless of age or gender.

As Guan Xiu walked along, he could even see young and old, men and women sleeping together.

Seeing this, Guan Xiu couldn't help but shook his head with emotion.

"Courage without courtesy leads to chaos... Alas, today I finally understand the words of the sage!"

Upon hearing this, Hou Kai immediately agreed with it. Not to mention old and young, men and women living in the same room, in the past few years in Ma Han, he had even seen the spectacle of a father and daughter bathing in the same river.

But no matter how rude it is, business still has to be done.

When he met Wen Zuo, the king of Boji, there was no trace of disgust on Guan Xiu's face.

After bowing, Guan Xiu stated his purpose.

"I heard that the king is feared by the King of Mahan. I am willing to lend a helping hand."

Wen Zuo, the king of Boji State, did not expect Guan Xiu to be so direct, and for a moment he did not know what to say.

He had received many Han merchant caravans, but this was the first time he had seen someone as straightforward as Guan Xiu.

After a moment's silence, Wen Zuo feigned anger and said, "You Han Chinese are so ignorant. I am loyal to the king, so why should I be afraid of you?"

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Left and right, kick this guy out."

However, Guan Xiu was not panicked at all when he heard this. He immediately took out a cloth bag from his sleeve and threw it on the ground.

Hearing the crisp sound, Wen Zuo's expression changed and he immediately signaled the guards to retreat.

"Han, what do you mean?"

"Nothing special. I just want to help the king achieve great things and do some business while I'm at it."

After saying that, Guan Xiu took out another bag of money and poured out all the iron coins in it.

Looking at the iron coins all over the ground, Wen Zuo, the king of Boji, finally changed his expression.

You should know that many people know that Haidong uses iron as currency, but few people dare to use iron money to settle accounts so arrogantly.

He was seen sitting cross-legged on the couch, stroking his beard and smiling, saying, "You are so courageous! Come, please take a seat."

After Guan Xiu took his seat, Wen Zuo asked with a smile, "I haven't asked for your name yet, but I'd like to know your origins. Aren't you afraid of being harassed by the Han soldiers at the border by carrying the iron across the border?"

Although Wen Zuo was just a barbarian leader, he was able to grow powerful outside the border of the Han Dynasty and make the King of Mahan helpless, so he must have some outstanding qualities.

For example, although he plundered Han territory and abducted Han people, he never attacked Han merchant caravans going out of the border.

He also had some understanding of the Han Dynasty and knew who the real noble people were.

Upon hearing this, Guan Xiu smiled and said, "My humble name is Zhu Yan. My origins are not worth mentioning. I am just a distant relative of the Imperial Eunuch Zhang. Therefore, the King need not worry too much."

Guan Xiu laughed impudently and said, "Even if they had a hundred guts, they wouldn't dare to rummage through my goods."

As soon as these words came out, all the doubts in Wen Zuo's heart disappeared.

Yes, that’s the taste!
Compared with the unscrupulous Guan Xiu, the Han Chinese warlords he had worked with in the past were no match for him.

With such confidence, it's no wonder that this person acts so uninhibitedly.

Thinking of this, Wen Zuo couldn't help laughing, and immediately asked someone to bring wine and food to entertain Guan Xiu.

When they were drunk and excited, the two of them started talking about business.

As mentioned before, the land of Mahan also had a farming custom, where people knew how to grow grains, raise silkworms and weave cloth. It is said that this technology was passed down during the reign of Gojoseon.

To avoid Wen Zuo's suspicion, Guan Xiu added cattle and horses to his purchase list in addition to grain. It was only after Hou Kai explained that he learned that Mahan didn't have a tradition of using cattle for plowing, so cattle and horses were treated no differently from other livestock. It was even customary to bury cattle and horses with the dead.

Of course, all of this is settled with iron money.

When Wen Zuo heard Guan Xiu say this nonchalantly, he was overjoyed and naturally became more enthusiastic towards Guan Xiu, even making an oath of alliance with him in front of ghosts and gods.

After all, if Guan Xiu continued to provide him with iron coins, it wouldn't take long for him to have enough swords to arm his men.

If King Ma Han forces me again, hehe...

Thinking of this, a sinister smile appeared on Wen Zuo's face.

After eating and drinking, just as Guan Xiu was about to leave, a sudden idea came to him.

He then pretended to be drunk and looked at Wen Zuo and said, "I think the maids around the king are pretty. I wonder if this girl is for sale?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Wen Zuo's face suddenly showed annoyance.

However, before he could get angry, Guan Xiu directly made an offer: "How about a woman and a horse? If the color is good, a woman and a cow can also be exchanged."

Hearing him say this, Wen Zuo immediately ignored the offense and asked in surprise: "Isn't Mr. Zhang a eunuch? How could he also like a Han woman?"

Guan Xiu laughed loudly upon hearing this and said, "Who says eunuchs can't like women?"

"Mr. Zhang favors Miss Han because she's obedient. As younger generations, we should naturally show more filial piety!"

At this point, Guan Xiu waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, my lord. As long as the color is good, I will take as many as you have."

Wen Zuo was really moved this time when he heard this.

However, after a brief pause, he still asked hesitantly, "I wonder if you would like a Han woman..."

However, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Guan Xiu with a look of disgust.

"Why would I ask you for a Han woman? The palace loves the charm of Yi women!"

Seeing this, Wen Zuo finally nodded slowly, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Finally, the two of them successfully reached an agreement.

The two sides traded once every six months at the mouth of the Haihe River in the center of Boji State.

As long as Wen Zuo prepares the goods, Zhang's ship will come to take over. The money will be paid and the goods will be delivered at the same time. There will be no credit.

This also allowed Wen Zuo to cut off his last bit of worry.

……

Let’s not talk about what Wen Zuo was thinking after Guan Xiu left.

After leaving Wen Zuo's so-called "palace", Guan Xiu and his party went straight out of the city.

There was no way, Guan Xiu really couldn't stand the smell in the city.

Even going in and out, he felt like he was pickled in a cesspool.

On the way back, just as Guan Xiu was lost in thought, Hou Kai suddenly spoke up, "Master Dong, I'm afraid this Lord Boji is truly rebellious."

"Oh? Why do you see it?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Kai immediately replied, "I have heard from a noble here that the chief deity of Mahan is called 'Tianjun' and only the King of Mahan is entitled to offer sacrifices to him. As for other towns, they can only offer sacrifices to the god 'Sutu'."

At this point, he scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "But when he and the East Master swore an oath just now, he was worshipping the Heavenly Sovereign, so I have some suspicions."

Hearing this, Guan Xiu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Yes, you are quite clever."

However, what Guan Xiu wanted was that Wen Zuo had rebellious intentions.

There were actually two reasons why he finally proposed buying women from the Three Hans. One was that he had heard Wei Zhe lament that Daifang County had more men than women, which was not conducive to development.

You have to know that after becoming refugees, women are often more vulnerable to bullying than the elderly. Not many of them can survive. They are either robbed or become bones in the ditch.

Therefore, after seeing that the girl here was acceptable, he thought of buying her back to relieve the county lady's worries.

As for the second reason, it was to deliberately stimulate Wen Zuo's expansion within the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

After all, he had said that he only wanted Korean women and not Han women. So if Wen Zuo wanted to get more iron coins, he could only plunder the people of other Mahan tribes.

The greater Wen Zuo's motivation for internal expansion, the more chaotic the situation in Mahan will become.

And in this way, most of Wen Zuo's war fruits will flow into Wei Zhe's pocket and become the cornerstone of Daifang County's development.

Tsk tsk~ Although this plan is a bit insidious, I have to say it is indeed useful.

Even once Wen Zuo tastes the sweetness, he probably won't have the patience to farm peacefully.

After all, you can only make a few dollars from farming, so you might as well rob.

As long as he has enough swords, he will have women, cattle, horses and food.

His tribe no longer has to work hard on the farm, and other tribes will become his granaries.

By then, everyone in Boji State will be brave and warlike!

……

The facts were just as Guan Xiu had estimated.

After they left, Wen Zuo plundered a village in the neighboring Muzhi Kingdom.

By the way, the Muzhi Kingdom is also called the Yuezhi Kingdom, which is the direct tribe of King Gaichen of Mahan.

In the past, Yuezhi State had always bullied Boji State, and the two sides had long been in conflict.

After trying his hand at Boji Elementary School, Guan Xiu did not choose to go to the capital of Ma Han.

He even slept in the open air, passed through the Yuezhi Kingdom without entering it, and had no contact with them at all.

"Master, I've heard that Yuezhi is the most powerful tribe in Mahan." After leaving Yuezhi territory, Hou Kai finally couldn't help but ask, "There's an endless supply of food, cattle, and horses here, making it a great place for trade. Why don't you just stop by and enter?"

"It's precisely because he belongs to the most powerful tribe in Mahan that he can't go." Guan Xiu laughed heartily upon hearing this and said, "Haven't you heard that big shops bully their customers?"

After saying that, he ignored Hou Kai who looked confused and turned around to continue studying his map.

After leaving the Yuezhi border, he actually has three choices.

One is to go right along the coast, which will lead to Sangwai.

The second option is to turn left and go inland, which will lead to the ancient Li Kingdom.

As for the third route, if you go straight, you can pass by Nulan Country and Wanlu Country.

Well, these three paths each have their own advantages.

But after some consideration, Guan Xiu finally decided to travel along the coast.

The reason is simple: most of the fifty-four states of Mahan are located on the coast.

Of course, the term "54 states" actually refers to just 54 cities, each tribe living within its own walls, with little interaction between them. It could be said that these were small states with few people, with neighbors just a stone's throw away, the sounds of chickens and dogs audible, yet the people lived to old age and died without ever interacting with one another.

This is not good. Very bad.

Although Guan Xiu despised Ma Han's backwardness, he did not look down on them in his heart.

In fact, the more he learned, the more he valued this group of people.

After all, although they are backward, these barbarians can reproduce!
Not to mention others, just take the country of Boji that we just left, which had nearly 10,000 households and nearly 50,000 people in the tribe.

If not for this, King Mahan would not be so wary of Wen Zuo.

The Yuezhi Kingdom, a tribe directly under the King of Mahan, had a population of over 100,000 and was the most powerful tribe in Mahan, otherwise he could not have become the king.

If the 78 kingdoms of the Three Kingdoms of Korea were added together, it is said that there would be as many as 200,000 households.

When Guan Xiu thought about the more than one million Dongyi people in the land of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, he couldn't help but feel a headache for Wei Zhe.

After all, the entire Lelang County has only about 300,000 people.

In other words, the Three Kingdoms of Korea were extremely backward in terms of both craftsmanship and agricultural levels. Otherwise, the Dongyi people would have flattened Lelang County long ago.

The more he learned, the more Guan Xiu admired Emperor Wu of the Former Han Dynasty.

If he had not established the Four Han Counties early on, the power of the Dongyi would probably be even more rampant now.

When a barbarian with a population of over one million and the custom of farming and warfare appeared in Liaodong, Guan Xiu simply couldn't imagine what would happen in the future.

Guan Xiu even vaguely felt that the Dongyi people in the Three Han lands were more dangerous than the Xianbei people.

……

"...What I've seen and heard on this trip is truly worrying. The Dongyi here are just as brave and valiant as the Xianbei, but they lack only sharp swords and strong armor!"

"If the Three Han states gain the advantage of war, I fear Lelang will cease to exist!"

"According to your plan, destroying the Three Han is not difficult! But pacifying the Three Han is not easy!"

"Don't be so bold as to offer suggestions. Please implement [Wen Zhong's Seven Strategies], reduce the number of people and households, and cut off the root of the problem."

"Wait until half of the population of the Three Kingdoms of Han has been wiped out before we can educate them, and then change their customs and castes."

"In this way, a hundred years from now, there will no longer be the Three Kingdoms of Korea!"

"I know full well that this policy is detrimental to the harmony of nature, but I implore you, on behalf of the Chinese people, to carry it out."

"God and Earth, if this plan goes through, all the misfortunes will be my fault!"

"I hope you will give it some serious thought. Guan Xiu respectfully presents this memorial to your attention."

The next day, in the temple of Daifang County.

When Wei Zhe saw Guan Xiu's letter, he couldn't help but gasp.

Even after Xi Zhicai finished reading it, he couldn't help but sigh:
"This man is truly a vicious person!"

Thinking of his contempt for Guan Xiu when they first met, Xi Zhicai suddenly looked ashamed.

However, Wei Zhe shook his head and sighed:

"This man is truly a national hero!"

It is recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian: The Family of King Gou Jian of Yue" that Wen Zhong once offered Gou Jian "Seven Strategies for Attacking Wu", but Gou Jian only used three of them to destroy the Wu.

Therefore, when Gou Jian sentenced Wen Zhong to death, he said, "You taught me seven strategies to attack Wu. I used three of them and defeated Wu. The fourth strategy is in your hands. Please try it for me according to the previous king's instructions."

Regardless of what Wen Zhong felt before his death, the key point is that his "Seven Strategies to Attack Wu" were indeed vicious.

Especially the third strategy:

Borrow their grain and return it to them to make steamed rice.

What does it mean? It means man-made droughts and famines.

Once the processed grain flows into the Three Kingdoms of Korea in large quantities and is planted by the Dongyi people, the consequences can be imagined. There will definitely be no harvest next year.

Being able to come up with such a plan, Wen Zhong can indeed be called the most vicious scholar in the Warring States Period.

However, the Wu-Yue War was an internal struggle within China, so it is not an exaggeration to call Wen Zhong a poisonous scholar.

But now Guan Xiu is targeting the barbarians outside the Great Wall and creating a living space for the Chinese people.

In this way, he will be a genuine "national hero"!

This is what is meant by "One's hero is my enemy; another's enemy is my hero."

After hearing what Wei Zhe said, Xi Zhicai thought about it and agreed with him.

So now there is only one question left: should I follow Guan Xiu’s advice?

After all, Guan Xiu is now outside the Great Wall, so he naturally has no way to deal with the food, so he can only take Fang County to complete it.

If we really want to follow Guan Xiu's suggestions, then some changes will have to be made.

All of a sudden, all the pressure fell on Wei Zhe...

(End of this chapter)