Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1274: Endless Love
After hearing Yuan Xi's words, Bu Zhi almost couldn't help but spit out tears. If he didn't rush over, the State of Wu would be destroyed. Should he attack the State of Wu or save the State of Wu?

Although Yuan Xi said this in a joking manner, he was actually quite serious about it.

He doesn't think he is a good person. Sometimes when he examines himself, he even feels that there is something dark and despicable in him.

Strictly speaking, Liu Bei's territory and strength in these years were the result of Yuan Xi's deliberate creation after repeated considerations.

That is, although Hannan Kingdom would not be destroyed by Wu and Wei, its strength would not be allowed to surpass Wu, so that it could destroy Sun Quan and then swallow up Wei's large territory, making it difficult for Yuan Xi to handle his relationship with Liu Bei in the future.

In fact, if Yuan Xi had helped at all costs, Liu Bei would have a high chance of becoming a force comparable to Wei and Wu. However, Yuan Xi was obviously not the kind of person who would make selfless contributions. Fighting for the world requires careful calculation. There was no reason and no possibility for Yuan Xi to allow Liu Bei to become strong enough to pose a sufficient threat to himself in the future.

Yuan Xi could even foresee that if Liu Bei had the same strength as Wei, the alliance between the two sides would have broken down long ago. After all, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain, not to mention that there are huge differences in the goals of the two sides.

Given Liu Bei's current situation, he still needs Yuan Xi's help, which leads to the formation of a relationship between Jin and Hannan that is actually a main general and a guest general. This is undoubtedly a safer choice for the current situation in the world.

Yuan Xi knew this, and Liu Bei also understood this, but from Liu Bei's perspective, he had no other choice. Hannan Kingdom was already a mortal enemy of Wei and Wu, and there was no way it would turn against Jin Kingdom.

Moreover, this time Liu Bei sent troops to attack Wu at all costs, which was actually quite risky. Even if he could destroy Wu, he did not have the strength to swallow up Wu's territory. On the contrary, if Yuan Xi turned against him at this time, he would annex all of Hannan, which was already exhausted, in a blink of an eye.

However, Liu Bei also saw that Yuan Xi would not be so shameless, so he dared to attack the State of Wu. Both sides had their own thoughts. Yuan Xi knew Liu Bei's thoughts and would definitely participate in the war to destroy Wu and get his share of the benefits to prevent Liu Bei from becoming too powerful too quickly.

As I said, in the fight for the world, people will use any means possible, just like Sun Quan pretending to surrender and assassinating Zhang Fei. Although it is morally unacceptable, these actions are commonplace for princes and emperors. It was only because Liu Bei in later generations had a high moral bottom line that he single-handedly raised the reputation of the Three Kingdoms.

Bu Zhi handed over the conscripted food, fodder and soldiers to Yuan Xi. It had been a year since the last rebellion of the Xuzhou gentry. The Xuzhou gentry still had some ability to read the wind, so they cooperated very well with the conscription of soldiers and food. Some family members even asked to bring their private soldiers to join the war.

Yuan Xi smiled and said, "That's fine. Although the situation in Jin is already determined, taking sides at this time also shows an attitude."

"I have to return the favor. Since they are not afraid of death, let them come with me."

"By the way, the current Xuzhou Beijia is Liu Ji, right?"

Bu Zhi nodded quickly and said, "That's right. Last year he received the king's order to come to Xuzhou to help me recruit soldiers. He is the son of the late governor of Liuzhou and has a high prestige. So after he came, all the affairs went much more smoothly."

"Although he is young, he is very steady and never interacts with others. He just reviews official documents in his official residence every day. I have met so many people, but I have never seen anyone so self-aware at this age."

Yuan Xi nodded and said, "I value his character, so I let him come to Xuzhou."

"Xuzhou will be very important in the future. I came here from Haixi. Mi Tai from the Wa Nu Kingdom has already opened up a trade route with the Mi Kingdom and started mining silver and iron ore."

"In the next ten years, I will gradually try to add silver to the currency to change the current situation of barter."

"What will arise from this is overseas trade. Guangling is connected to Kuaiji, and we can trade with the countries in the South China Sea. It will be an important seaport in the future."

"Of course, we still need a big port in Kuaiji, but now the place is full of malaria, so it will take a lot of effort."

Bu Zhi said, "Earlier, the lord sent people to send Liu Cong and his mother to Yuzhang. Two months ago, they passed through Guangling. I'm afraid they have arrived now."

Yuan Xi nodded. Although he knew that this was a bit cruel to Mrs. Cai and her son, it was not easy to settle Liu Cong in the Central Plains. Besides, the medical technology in Jin State was quite advanced now, and malaria would not kill people. Although life was not as good as in Jingzhou, it would not be too bad.

Thinking of this, he said, "I will go to Kuaiji later to make a plan to open up the coastal trade route. You can come with me then."

Bu Zhi quickly agreed, and seeing Yuan Xi turning around, he couldn't help but ask, "Does the lord want to leave now?"

"It's getting late. It's dangerous to sail at night. Besides, the east wind will rise early tomorrow morning. It will take only a few hours to reach Wujun."

Yuan Xi looked at the sky and saw that the sun was already setting. He couldn't help but ponder. It would be dark in an hour or two, so he said, "Okay, I'll stay at the inn, and you can go and do your thing."

Bu Zhi couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this, and was about to back away. Seeing this, Yuan Xi asked in surprise, "What's wrong, Zishan? You're not usually the kind of person who fusses about others."

Bu Zhi said awkwardly: "Your Majesty has forgotten it. If I tell you, I'm afraid I'll be considered a sycophantic minister."

Yuan Xi suddenly came to his senses and sighed, "I encountered something a while ago, and I subconsciously ignored it."

"Is the girl all right?"

Bu Zhi hurriedly said, "Shang'an, I am just a little worried. I can only let it go. I dare not disturb the king because of these trivial matters."

Yuan Xi said, "Please have someone arrange some light meals at the inn tonight. I will meet with the girl from the Bu family. There are some things I want to clarify with her."

When Bu Lianshi saw Bu Zhi coming back and heard that Yuan Xi wanted to see her, she was delighted at first, but then when Bu Zhi said that Yuan Xi wanted to tell her something, her face darkened and she said, "Your Majesty, you are probably saying this to make me give up."

"I am really sorry to have troubled you with this matter, uncle."

Bu Zhi sighed, "Don't say that, niece. Before my brother passed away, he entrusted you to me. I must find a good family for you."

"I can still save face for other families, but I know you are interested in the king, so the strength I can use is minimal."

"The king has already shown signs of being an emperor. You may not be able to live a peaceful life with him. If the king has no interest in you, don't be sad. Everything depends on fate."

Bu Lianshi quickly leaned forward to thank him, but she bit her lips tightly. At night, she washed and dressed, got on the carriage, and came to the posthouse anxiously. When Sun Li led her into the hall, she saw Yuan Xi sitting at the table. When he saw her coming, he stood up and greeted her, "It's been a year since we last met. I hope you are doing well, young lady."

Bu Lianshi bowed quickly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am fine."

"I heard that Your Majesty defeated the State of Wei, pacified Jizhou, and recaptured Yecheng. I am overjoyed. I congratulate Your Majesty on your early success."

Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Whenever I hear your voice, I feel much calmer."

"It's been so many years since we last met. Time has passed so quickly that it makes me feel sad."

He led Master Bu Lian to sit down. Seeing that he looked a little uneasy, he thought for a moment and said, "I am busy with military affairs, but I have something to say to the girl."

Bu Lianshi said quickly: "Your Majesty is ambitious for the whole world. I am just a woman, how can I have such wishful thinking? Now that I can have a few words with Your Majesty, I am already very satisfied."

Yuan Xi looked at the bright moon outside the window and suddenly sighed, "In fact, I didn't ignore her at first because of the girl herself, but for another reason."

"I..." He hesitated, "I have a wife whom I met in Xuzhou."

"She was still young at the time, and there were some conflicts between her family and me. She met me a few times, the last time in this city."

"I couldn't promise him anything at the time, so we parted ways. When we met again, it was already several years later."

"At that time, Huaicheng was in chaos. I rescued her by chance, but her father died in the chaos."

"Finally I returned to Huaicheng, and after many twists and turns, we finally got together."

Bu Lianshi whispered, "Your Majesty, are you talking about Madam Kong?"

Yuan Xi was a little surprised, "The girl even knows this."

Bu Lianshi bit her lip lightly. Yuan Xi had many wives and concubines, and Yuan Xi did not deliberately conceal it. In addition, the stories between him and his wives were quite legendary, so there were many widely circulated private gossips among the gentry.

From Zhen Mi to Lu Lingqi, from Madam Wu to Madam Hou, each one is a fascinating story told by the ladies of the aristocratic families. When Bu Lianshi and the ladies were forming a coalition, they slowly got to know Yuan Xi by listening to these stories.

She had naturally heard the story of Madam Kong, so she said softly, "Madam Kong died young. Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."

Yuan Xi sighed, "I feel so sorry for him."

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the girls. I'm sincere to every lady, but in the past ten years, I've been away on the battlefield and have only met them a few times. It's really embarrassing for them to be widowed."

Bu Lianshi said softly: "The king is determined to rule the world, and they should be too."

Yuan Xi shook his head and said, "No, I know what's going on."

"Over the years, I have only spent a total of no more than two months with her."

"You wasted your youth in this mansion, and finally spent your last life just to give birth to an heir for me."

"I may be a qualified king, but I am not a qualified husband."

"So when I came to Guangling, I remembered the scene of my acquaintance with her, and for a moment I was afraid to see the girl."

"I am just afraid that I will let her down in the future. I don't want her to repeat his mistakes."

He lowered his head deeply, but heard footsteps. Bu Lianshi left her daily routine and came to Yuan Xi. She knelt down and bowed, saying, "When I met the king, I had a feeling."

"The king is decisive in killing others and regards the lives of his enemies as worthless, but in his heart, he cares deeply about his loved ones."

"I am moved by your character, and I want to follow you without realizing it."

"I am not after your fame or power. I am simply attracted by your affection."

"I have never seen a man like the king. I do not ask for anything else but to follow the king."

Yuan Xi raised his head in surprise and looked at Master Bu Lianshi's face. He found that her eyes were full of determination and resolution, so he asked, "Even if I can't see you for several years?"

Master Bu Lian said firmly: "In life, a few years pass in the blink of an eye. Now that I have the king in my eyes, there will be no one else."

The two looked at each other for a long time, and Yuan Xi suddenly smiled, "How can Xi be so virtuous and capable that a girl would like him."

He reached out his hand and held Master Bu Lianshi's soft hand, "Please give me your guidance in the days ahead."

Bu Lianshi didn't expect Yuan Xi to respond so firmly and quickly. She was stunned at first, and then her eyes turned red. She held back the tears in her eyes and nodded vigorously.

(End of this chapter)