After Ma Chao succeeded, he led his troops back to the valley.

Ma Dai asked Ma Chao: "Brother, now that we have succeeded, do you want to lead the troops back?" ”

Ma Chao shook his head and said: "Although we burned 100,000 stone of grain and grass for the Wei army, I am afraid that the Wei army will still find a way to make up grain and grass, and they can also send someone to notify Chang'an to distribute grain and grass in advance, so we can't go back in a hurry, and we are waiting for a few days to see the situation." ”

Ma Dai nodded: "Well, it's still my brother's thoughtfulness." ”

On the other side, Linjing City.

The county order has summoned the powerful and powerful, landlords, and officials in the city, and this is the richest group of people in the city.

Since the people fled back, these people basically knew about the destruction of 100,000 stone grain and grass, and knew Xiahou Rong's intention in summoning them over.

In the main hall, Xiahou Rong said to a group of squires, Haoqiang, and officials: "I think you also know, Ma Chao burned 100,000 stone grain and grass in our army, without this 100,000 stone grain and grass, the soldiers of the Longshan battalion will have no food to eat, and without food, they will not be able to stop the Shu army, and they will not be able to stop the Shu army."

Now that the national crisis is at hand, my Great Wei is light on weekdays, and I am not thin on you, and now it is time for you to serve the court. I thought that you all took out some grain and grass to help our army tide over the difficulties, and when the Shu army retreated, Your Majesty would not only return your grain and grass, but also other rewards, even the title.

Whoever takes the most will keep it in his heart, and he will pay back ten times as much. ”

"My Shen family is willing to take out five hundred stones of grain and grass."

"My Lu family is willing to take out three hundred stones of grain and grass......

"My Kong family ......"

Xia Hourong's voice fell, and a group of heroes spoke one after another and gave generously. Officials and the like, although they are not as rich and wealthy as the squires, they all have a bucket of buckets, and a stone is a stone's contribution.

There are officials on the side, taking notes.

After everyone finished speaking, Xiahou Rong took the record from the official's hand and looked at it.

The squires, heroes, and officials of Linjing County are willing to contribute more than 15,000 stones of grain and grass in total.

There is so much grain and grass, it is really a lot, although Linjing is a stable place of governance, but Anding County is located in Beisai, it is a poor county, and it is prone to locust plagues. It is okay for a county to take out so much grain and grass.

But Xiahou Rong was not satisfied, not because he disliked others for giving less, but because the grain and grass were far from enough.

There are 15,000 grains and grasses contributed by the squires of Linjing, plus 10,000 stones of the treasury, a total of 25,000 stones of grain and grass.

But the problem is that all the 20,000 stone grains and grass can't be transported to Longshan, because there is still consumption during the march.

Under normal circumstances, more than 20,000 stones of grain and grass are enough to send 3,000 people to escort them, and during the ten-day trip, not much grain and grass will be consumed.

But now Ma Chao is on the side, eyeing the Wei army's grain and grass, 3,000 people are far from enough, Cao Zhen has sent Hu Zun to lead 10,000 soldiers and horses on the road, and the foot soldiers are lightly armed, and it is estimated that they will arrive in three days.

At that time, the men and horses escorting the 25,000 stone grain and grass will be 13,000 people, and even if it is a ten-day journey, at least half of the 25,000 stone grain and grass will be eaten on the road.

Moreover, during the journey, Ma Chao may continue to harass, so that the march will be even slower, and the distance that can be completed in ten days may take twelve days, or even fifteen days and fifteen days to reach Longshan.

In this way, there will be more food and grass to eat on the road.

It may be 25,000 stone grain and grass before departure, and after it is transported to Longshan, there will only be 5,000 left.

5,000 stone of grain and grass is far from being able to support the consumption of 40,000 troops for half a month.

Xiahou Rong said to everyone: "These grains and grasses are far from enough, can you ......?"

"General, last year's locust plague, the harvest was not good, and we don't have much food left, these are already the limit."

"yes, we really don't have anything to spare."

"I gave this grain and grass, and my family was already hungry."

When Xiahou Rong asked for it again, everyone all opened their mouths to refuse. The grain and grass they were willing to give at the beginning was within their own tolerance, and if they exceeded, it touched their interests, and these people were naturally unwilling.

Although these people gave a lot of grain and grass, Xiahou Rong knew that he could pick out some more, so he said: "I'm not persecuting you, these grains and grass are really less, if you can't stop the Wei army and lose the Longshan camp, Anding will be occupied by Shu."

At that time, you will become a person who has lost the country, become a living mouth, the wealth of the family will be occupied by others, and your wife and daughter will also become the playthings of the Shu people, please think clearly. ”

For Xiahou Rong's words, all the powerful landlords sneered in their hearts.

People who have lost the country may become slaves, but it also depends on who they are facing, the Han methods are not cruel, and they treat the people equally, and they are stable and adjacent to Longyou, these people also know the situation of the people there, and they seem to be living better than before.

Xiahou Rong used this kind of rhetoric to impress these heroes, but it was a big mistake.

Some people thought to themselves, if I hadn't heard that you Xiahou Rong suggested that Cao Zhen kill more than a thousand soldiers, and I was afraid of your murderous reputation, I would have given even less grain and grass.

"I really don't have any food and grass in my house!"

"I can't get it out of my house."

"I'll give you another ten stones, this is the food I keep for the winter."

Xiahou Rong's words were mediocre, and only a few officials took out some more, but it was only a few hundred stones of grain and grass. Because the interests of the officials and the Wei State were tied together, the stability was taken by the Han Dynasty, and there was no loss to the powerful landlords. But with the change of court, these officials may not have the status they have now.

The county commander sighed and said, "General, I'll send someone to the nearby city to collect some grain and grass." ”

Xiahou Rong shook his head and said: "Ma Chao is eyeing us now, you just send someone to the nearby city to collect, Ma Chao knows about it, and he will rob it."

And the time is only three days, three days later, General Hu Zun will lead the troops over, and then I will go to Longshan with grain, if it is delayed, the grain and grass on the side of Longshan will be eaten up.

What's more, there are not many big cities near Linjing, and if you go far, even if you collect grain and grass, you won't have time to transport it back. ”

The county magistrate listened to Xiahou Rong's words, and said with a depressed face: "How can this be good? ”

Xiahou Rong waved his hand and said to the powerful landlords: "Since you don't have any extra grain and grass, forget it, I will thank you on behalf of Your Majesty, please go back!" ”

"I'll retire!" The crowd retreated.

After everyone left, Xiahou Rong said to the county order: "Close the city gate for me tonight, patrol strictly, and tell me the information of the powerful families in the city." ”

The county commander's face changed: "General, do you want to?" ”

Xiahou Rong said coldly: "Once Longshan is lost, Guanzhong is not guaranteed, the matter is urgent, and I can't take care of it so much." ”

It turned out that Xiahou Rong wanted to use force and directly robbed the grain and grass of the powerful landlords.

The county commander hurriedly persuaded him: "This matter must not be done, if the news spreads, it will be ...... to my Great Wei."

The state plunders the people's property, and this kind of thing will definitely reduce the credibility of the country, and the impact will be too bad.

Xiahou Rong said in a deep voice: "If this is not the case, it will be difficult to protect Guanzhong, what is the point of sacrificing these people?" I will put the whole city under martial law, and if I don't let one go when the time comes, I will say that it was done by the Shu soldiers, and it will not affect the imperial court. ”

The county commander persuaded him: "Most of the officials in the city come from various powerful families, if you do it to them, you can't hide it at all, please think twice." ”