usatvline Chapter 63 This field, I can't hoard it.
Chapter 63 This field, I can't hoard it.
Ma Dai.
Ma Chao's cousin.
When your elder brother was alive, I still held you in some fear. Now that you've lost your patron, you've been reduced to a grain transport officer.
Upon learning that the general was Ma Dai, Wei Yan said in a cold tone, "So it's General Ma Dai. You must be tired from your journey. How much grain did you transport from Chengdu this time?"
"Reporting to General Wei, there are over two thousand oxcarts carrying a total of over six thousand shi of grain."
"Six thousand shi?"
Wei Yan smiled dismissively.
"This isn't even enough for my army's expenses for two months. I heard that Chengdu has had a bumper harvest this year."
"Before I set off, the people of Chengdu were indeed busy in the fields."
"If that's the case, when will the next grain shipment be?"
Ma Dai hesitated slightly, then continued with a smile, "This humble general was only ordered to escort the grain; I know nothing else."
Seeing that he was unmoved by reason, Wei Yan lost interest and casually dismissed him, saying, "General, you've worked hard escorting the grain. Get some rest and return to Chengdu to report. By the way, please ask the Prime Minister when the next batch of grain will arrive."
"Since I have come to Hanzhong this time, I will not return to Chengdu."
"oh?"
"This is an official document from the Prime Minister's office, ordering me to remain in Hanzhong to assist the General."
Wei Yan hesitated slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction appearing on his face, and did not take the official document.
He immediately suspected that Ma Dai was an inside agent planted by the Prime Minister's office to monitor him.
Upon seeing this, the deputy general smiled and took the official document, presenting it to Wei Yan.
Although Wei Yan accepted the official document, he did not open it. Instead, he coldly said, "Since it is the Prime Minister's order, you shall remain in Hanzhong."
After saying this, Wei Yan left Ma Dai standing to the side and walked away without looking back.
Ma Dai watched his departing figure with an expression that seemed to have been expected, and showed no anger.
Only after Wei Yan had completely disappeared from sight did Ma Dai order his soldiers to move the grain and fodder.
Back in the main tent, Wei Yan angrily slammed his fist on the table, making a loud noise.
He didn't understand why Zhuge Liang would send someone to monitor him.
Does he believe he is wielding considerable power by commanding troops in Hanzhong?
Or do you still think that these 20,000 troops are just drawing money from the imperial court?
Or perhaps the imperial court doesn't trust him?
These questions flashed through Wei Yan's mind repeatedly.
"General, what is the purpose of the imperial court sending envoys to Hanzhong?" asked the adjutant beside him.
Wei Yan shook his head.
"When Ma Chao surrendered to the late emperor, I was just a minor general. Ma Dai, because of Ma Chao, held a higher position in the court than I did."
"When Ma Chao died, he entrusted Ma Dai to the late emperor, but before he could bestow any honors upon him, the late emperor went to war with Eastern Wu. Therefore, Ma Dai is still only a lieutenant general."
The lieutenant immediately said, "He has no power or influence in Chengdu; it seems he's been sidelined."
Although Ma Chao was a nobleman from Xiliang, his entire clan had been exterminated by Cao Cao, leaving only Ma Dai alive.
When Ma Chao secretly defected from Zhang Lu to Liu Bei, he only brought Ma Dai, Pang Rou, and a few dozen cavalrymen, essentially making him a commander without troops.
Even though Ma Dai inherited Ma Chao's title, he didn't have many soldiers under his command.
"Regardless of whether he was sent to monitor me or was really sidelined, give the order that Ma Dai must not be allowed to access core intelligence."
"I'd like to see how he manages to stay in Hanzhong."
In the blink of an eye, Ma Dai had been in Hanzhong for seven days.
Aside from reporting to the general's mansion on the first day, he never saw Wei Yan again.
During this period, Ma Dai visited Wei's residence multiple times to request an audience, but the consistent reply he received was that General Wei was training troops and asked him to come another day.
Before they arrived, they had heard that Wei Yan was difficult to get along with, so everyone kept their distance from him.
Ma Dai was not discouraged by this, and he knew that Wei Yan was deliberately avoiding him.
Instead of distancing himself, he took the initiative to get closer to her.
The invitations to visit had been coming in for over ten days without stopping, and Wei Yan was getting a little impatient.
He originally thought that if he ignored Ma Dai for a few days, the other party would definitely back down.
Little did they know that Ma Dai would be so stubborn.
"General, General Ma Dai requests an audience."
On this day, while Wei Yan was handling military affairs, Ma Dai sent another visiting card.
"I won't see him!" Wei Yan said without hesitation.
The guards did not leave, as if they had something to say.
Wei Yan was somewhat annoyed and slammed his hand heavily on the table.
"Are you deaf? Do I have to repeat myself?"
The guard stammered, "Reporting to the general, General Ma Dai said he has important matters to discuss with him..."
"I've already said, I won't see you!"
"But……"
Seeing that his personal guards refused to obey, Wei Yan flew into a rage and shouted, "Arrogant!"
The guards trembled with fear and hurriedly said, "General Ma Dai said there is an imperial edict..."
Upon hearing the words "imperial edict," Wei Yan suddenly stopped his anger and muttered to himself.
Since there is an imperial edict, why is it only being told now? Is there something strange about it?
Wei Yan pondered for a moment, his doubts deepening, and then shouted, "Go and bring the man in."
Before long, the guards led Ma Dai into the main tent.
Wei Yan, who was looking down at the defense map of Hanzhong, didn't even look up and simply reached out his hand, asking, "Where's the imperial edict?"
This is a test.
If Ma Dai cannot produce the imperial edict, he will surely order his men to arrest him on charges of falsely conveying the imperial edict.
Ma Dai smiled and said, "This humble general delivered the imperial edict long ago. Does the general not know this?"
This sudden reversal annoyed Wei Yan, who abruptly looked up, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"When did this general receive His Majesty's decree...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yan seemed to have thought of something, and immediately strode to the desk and frantically searched for something.
A moment later, Wei Yan picked up a small booklet, which was the official document that Ma Dai had given him when he arrived in Hanzhong with the grain.
He looked at Ma Dai with a hint of resentment in his eyes.
"General Ma Dai, are you deliberately trying to harm me?"
Ma Dai laughed and said, "If the general had opened the official document back then, none of this would have happened today."
"you......"
Wei Yan pointed his finger sharply at Ma Dai, issuing a warning to him.
Even if there is no imperial edict inside, the fact that the imperial documents have not been opened for more than ten days is still a serious crime of contempt for the imperial court.
Wei Yan had no time to be angry; he hurriedly opened the official document.
If there's any urgent military information inside, that would be a serious crime.
After a moment, Wei Yan breathed a sigh of relief; there was nothing of importance inside.
But then he frowned.
"Land reclamation...performance evaluation, what are these things?"
Ma Dai found a stool nearby and sat down, saying, "His Majesty has decreed that the general should establish a military farm in Hanzhong to be self-sufficient."
Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yan impatiently asked, "This general knows about military farms, but what's the performance evaluation system for them?"
Although Wei Yan was the governor of Hanzhong, he was always a military general. Because he was stationed on the frontier and controlled military power, he did not pay much attention to the new policies issued by the court.
"Performance evaluation is a new national policy introduced by His Majesty, requiring every official to formulate a performance evaluation plan for the entire year at the beginning of the year, which will be verified at the end of the year. If all targets are met, the official can continue to serve; if not, the official will be held accountable."
"Of course the general knows this, and he presented it to the Prime Minister's office long ago."
Ma Dai said, "But His Majesty has issued another decree. The general's achievements are not only in guarding Hanzhong, but also in land reclamation."
Wei Yan was stunned.
If it weren't for Ma Dai's presence, he would have been furious.
"I am a general who fights on the front lines, not one who cultivates land," Wei Yan said, flung open the tent flap, and pointed outside. "This desolate place has plenty of wasteland, but no people. What am I supposed to cultivate?"
Ma Dai said, "There's no one in Hanzhong, but doesn't the general have 20,000 soldiers under his command?"
Wei Yan smiled.
"Ma Dai, do you know why these people joined the army?"
"have no idea!"
"Then let me tell you, the soldiers under my command are all soldiers who only want to collect their pay and don't want to farm. If you send them to fight Cao Wei, they will definitely fight to the death for me."
"But if you ask them to farm now, they'll just pull up the seedlings like weeds."
"This field is not suitable for me to cultivate."