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Upon entering the Cui Family Manor, Fei Qian noticed that the Cui family's current situation seemed slightly better than before. Not only did there appear to be more manpower, but many of the previously dilapidated areas along the streets within the manor had also been repaired or replaced.
Cui Hou led Fei Qian and Huang Zhong to a side hall of the Cui residence and had servants quickly prepare a banquet.
This time, whether considering Fei Qian's status as a scholar-official or the strength he had demonstrated, hosting him in the main hall still seemed slightly inadequate. However, receiving him in the side hall posed no issues at all.
The Cui family's patriarch had apparently never fully recovered from the stroke he suffered after that fit of rage, making it inconvenient for him to attend. Thus, Cui Hou took charge of the hospitality, which also indicated that he had smoothly taken over the family's business during this period and now held considerable authority within the Cui clan.
Although the Cui family also had Cui Jun, who had gone to serve as the Grand Administrator of Xihe Commandery, Xihe was located in a border region frequently harassed by the Xianbei tribes from the north. As such, the Cui family's focus naturally remained on Luoyang. Moreover, Cui Jun had previously lived under an assumed name, and the day-to-day affairs of the Cui family had long been managed by Cui Hou's branch. Even though Cui Jun now held a higher official position than Cui Hou, in terms of actual influence within the family, Cui Hou was still the stronger figure—at least for now.
It was a common practice among the Huaxia people to discuss matters over meals, so Fei Qian naturally engaged in conversation with Cui Hou.
Their discussion inevitably turned to the current situation in Luoyang. The Cui Family Manor was not far from Luoyang, so any changes in the city were naturally matters of close attention for Cui Hou.
The walls of Luoyang during the Eastern Han Dynasty were more like enlarged palace walls. The Southern and Northern Palaces already occupied a vast area, and with the addition of various government offices and the mansions of high-ranking officials, the space within the city was extremely limited. Many facilities and marketplaces had gradually expanded beyond the city walls, and a large number of people—especially those of middle and lower social status—now lived outside Luoyang. As a result, the city walls had largely lost their original purpose of protecting the residents.
Thus, Yuan Wei's strategy of besieging the city to force Dong Zhuo's collapse was not incorrect. Once Luoyang was cut off from external supplies, the daily consumption of food and resources by those living within the city's massive palace-like walls would become staggering. After just a few days of siege, even if Dong Zhuo wanted to hold out, the other nobles and officials inside Luoyang would undoubtedly rise against him.
Moreover, there were already early signs of such a scenario unfolding.
Grain prices were rising continuously.
Grain was a crucial pillar of societal stability—the foundation of the state. For a large nation, sufficient grain reserves were of utmost importance.
First, as long as grain supplies were ample, the overall economy would not suffer severe fluctuations, and the population could maintain steady growth until the rate of increase surpassed that of grain production, at which point various problems would begin to emerge.
The current rise in grain prices indicated two things: first, the population in the Luoyang area had already exceeded its original capacity, and second, the presence of the Guandong coalition forces stationed at Suanzao was beginning to affect Luoyang's ability to procure grain from external sources.
Of course, many of the local magnates' strongholds around Luoyang still held considerable grain reserves. For instance, the Cui Family Manor had stored a significant amount of grain in mountain caves they had excavated.
However, these reserves had also brought trouble to the Cui family.
With a bitter smile, Cui Hou said, "Just in the past few days, we've received two 'requisition' orders—one for 200 shi and another for 300 shi. If this continues, no amount of grain will be enough to meet these 'requisitions'…"
During the Han Dynasty, military grain supplies primarily came from two sources: the fixed "various taxes" (zhufu) paid by the people and the additional "requisitions" (diao) imposed on local residents.
The "various taxes" were usually fixed and collected once a year, but the "requisitions" had no specific limits—they were imposed based on demand. However, even these could not be levied endlessly. After all, grain reserves were finite, and excessive requisitions were little different from outright confiscation.
Fei Qian realized that this might already be a clear sign of Dong Zhuo's determination to abandon Luoyang. Otherwise, if he had intended to stay long-term, he would have at least considered public resentment and avoided such short-sighted measures.
Fei Qian said, "Brother Yongyuan, you must have noticed the current situation as well… Luoyang is on the verge of a drastic change, one so severe it's hard to describe…"
Cui Hou sighed and shook his head. "It hasn't been long since Grand General He's carriage overturned, and the traces are still fresh. Yet now… Ai! When will this turmoil end?" The events of recent times had indeed unfolded like a revolving lantern. He Jin had only just triumphed over Jian Shuo before being killed himself. Emperor Liu Bian had barely ascended the throne before being deposed in favor of Liu Xie. Now, in Cui Hou's eyes, Dong Zhuo's tenure as Imperial Chancellor wouldn't last much longer—it was just a matter of who would replace him.
In truth, Cui Hou's thoughts mirrored those of most local gentry and magnates near Luoyang. After all, the Han Dynasty had established its capital in Luoyang for nearly two centuries. Even when military threats had occasionally approached, the city had always emerged unscathed. Thus, in Cui Hou's mind, this time would be no different—at most, there would be some upheaval within the palace walls, with bloodshed confined to the imperial grounds.
As for minor figures like himself, Cui Hou believed they only needed to endure this period. Whoever came to power, life would go on as usual.
"Brother Yongyuan, this time it won't be so simple… If the death of Grand General He Jin affected only this much—" Fei Qian pointed to a plate on the table, then gestured to the entire hall, "—then the current impact will be this vast."
Cui Hou's small eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean, brother?"
"In the past, have you ever seen such a concentration of troops around Luoyang? Soldiers are instruments of slaughter…" Fei Qian left the latter half of the saying unspoken, as it was clear that neither Dong Zhuo in Luoyang nor the Guandong coalition at Suanzao could be considered virtuous men, let alone "sages who resort to arms only as a last resort."
Those who had gathered these soldiers were, in truth, the ones destroying the Han Dynasty's order.
Cui Hou's cheeks twitched. "Are you saying… a military revolt?"
Fei Qian smiled bitterly. "Perhaps… even worse… The current situation is like boiling a frog in warm water—by the time it realizes the danger, it will already be too late."
"This…" Cui Hou's eyes darted back and forth, clearly struggling to accept Fei Qian's prediction.