Three Kingdoms: Heir of Wolong, my father-in-law is Guan Gong

Chapter 198 Discussing personal expedition: Using Jiangdong’s food to fight the Northern Expedition (Pursuit)
The original plan was that Zhuge Liang would send troops to Wuzhangyuan after the beginning of spring to buy time for Zhuge Qiao in Liangzhou.

But never thought about it.

Zhuge Qiao, with Ma Jun, Li Zhuan and Pu Yuan as the core, gathered Liangzhou craftsmen in Ji County and successively improved production means such as silk weaving machines, keel waterwheels, ploughs, plows and coots.

On the one hand, he recruited young men to work in the fields, and on the other hand, he recruited clever girls to weave silk.

A single family of men farming and women weaving was directly transformed into a collective large-scale production of men farming and women weaving.

The crushing of technology has improved productivity.

The Qiang, Hu, Guiyi and Zhang Ji were destroyed, reducing the rebellion.

Envoys from the Western Regions came to start the Silk Road.

The five counties of Jincheng, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang decided to communicate with each other, allowing Liangzhou to maintain peace.

Before Zhuge Liang sent out troops, Zhuge Qiao had completed his strategic purpose of encroaching on Liangzhou!

"The civil and military officials in Chengdu each perform their respective duties, and their duty is to stay in Chengdu to assist Adou in governing the country."

Fa Zheng understood Liu Bei best. When he heard Liu Bei's words from Cao Cao, "The old man is in a state of despair, his ambitions are thousands of miles; the martyrs are ambitious in their old age." Fazheng knew that he could not persuade Liu Bei.

When Liu Bei saw that both Zhuge Liang and Fazheng disagreed, he couldn't help but sigh: "I am over sixty this year, and I don't know how many more years I can live."

a long time.

Immediately.

"If your Majesty were to attack in person, Cao Pi would definitely come in fear. Your Majesty's troops in Hanzhong are not enough to fight Cao Pi in a decisive battle."

Since the original plan was to march westward to Wuzhangyuan instead of eastward to Wugong Mountain, the preparations were naturally focused on heading westward to Wuzhangyuan.

"Whether this is a personal expedition, I think the Prime Minister and Xiaozhi can decide for me."

Zhuge Qiao used a few months to accomplish what was expected to take a year or even two years to complete.

"While I am still here, conquer Guanzhong first. Even if I am gone in the future, Adou can help me conquer the Central Plains in the north and destroy Sun Wu in the east."

We have made a decision, Your Majesty, will you listen?
Looking at Liu Bei with a stubborn look on his face, Zhuge Liang could only turn his gaze to Fazheng and signaled to Fazheng to persuade him again.

"I am deeply touched now."

"If Bosong also agrees to your Majesty's personal expedition, neither the Prime Minister nor I will object anymore."

No wonder Liu Bei was so excited that he wanted to conquer it himself!
Zhuge Liang took a deep breath and admonished: "Your Majesty, although Liangzhou has been pacified, we are not ready for the Northern Expedition yet."

Fazheng also didn't expect that the trio of Ma Jun, Li Zhuan and Pu Yuan would provide Zhuge Qiao with such a huge advantage in Liangzhou!

But now.

"I thought it would take at least a year to get the Han and Qiang people in Longyou to attach themselves to it."

Zhuge Qiao conquered Liangzhou, but Zhuge Liang was still making preparations in Hanzhong.

Fa Zheng suggested: "Your Majesty, why not call Bosong back to Nanzheng for discussion? We still need to know more carefully about all the matters in Liangzhou."

Zhuge Qiao was like cheating in Liangzhou, and the peace was too smooth.

Fazheng also advised: "Your Majesty, you are a noble person, how can you go into the dangerous and cold places in the pass?"

Such an accident was unexpected by Fazheng.

Fazheng sighed: "Prime Minister, Bosong conquered Liangzhou too quickly, and we were surprised."

This is a whale to swallow!
Plans can't keep up with changes.

Zhuge Liang was also worried: "I didn't expect that Bo Song would cause such a big battle in Liangzhou."

Fazheng kicked the ball directly to Zhuge Qiao who was far away in Ji County. Whoever ignited His Majesty's fighting spirit would come to advise His Majesty.

Seeing Liu Bei starting to stir up emotions, Zhuge Liang felt that his scalp was going to explode, so he forced himself to persuade again: "If your Majesty is going to fight in person, the civil and military officials from Chengdu will also come to Nanzheng to advise him."

"Didn't you say that it was Bosson who came up with the idea of ​​protracted war? Why is it not protracted at all?"

Liu Bei ordered the envoy to return to Ji County quickly and summoned Zhuge Qiao to Nanzheng.

"Cao Cao once said in the past: An old man has an ambition to reach a thousand miles; a martyr has a great ambition in his old age."

Liu Bei suddenly wanted to go on a personal expedition, so the main preparation was to march eastward to Wugong Mountain.

After learning about everything in Liangzhou in detail, Zhuge Liang and Fazheng were both amazed:
Do you call this cannibalizing Liangzhou?

"I am old, and so are Yunchang and Yide."

Out of the palace.

"Don't rush to take Guanzhong. Although Bosong swallowed up Liangzhou, almost all the soldiers and horses of the puppet Wei were deployed in Guanzhong, Luoyang, and Nanyang."

"I hope your Majesty will be careful and put national affairs first!"

If Liangzhou is not pacified, Liu Bei will ask Zhuge Liang to march westward to Wuzhangyuan to buy time for Zhuge Qiao to pacify Liangzhou.

Even a wise man like Fa Zheng only regards the craftsman's craftsmanship as a miraculous skill.

Liu Bei lowered his head and pondered for a moment: "Xiao Zhizhi makes sense, and I also want to hear Bo Song's thoughts."

Liu Bei snorted coldly: "I want to conquer it myself, why do I need to ask the Chengdu civil and military officials for their opinions?"

Liu Bei is old!

"It will take half a year to expel Zhang Ji and pacify Jincheng, Wuwei and other counties."

"In less than half a year, Bo Song made the Han and Qiang people in Longyou cling to their hearts and minds, and even killed Zhang Ji in Yuzhong."

"I just defeated Zhang Ji, and happened to meet an envoy from a small country in the Western Regions in Yuzhong City, who pre-sold a large amount of jacquard silk brocade."

"The wealthy families in Longyou even took the initiative to provide money and food, hoping to get a share of the pie; Jincheng, Wuwei and other counties also decided on the matter."

"Bosong has taken all of this time, time, and people."

"The plan can't keep up with the changes!"

"Even if Bo Song comes to Nanzheng, I'm afraid he won't be able to persuade His Majesty!"

Fazheng also had a worried look on his face: "The second best thing is that I can't persuade His Majesty. What I'm more worried about is the reaction of Chengdu's civil and military forces."

"His Majesty originally came to Nanzheng to sit in charge, but now he wants to conquer it himself. I don't know how many civil and military associations have written to object."

"If Yizhou recruits too much money and food in a short period of time, it will also alienate the wealthy families."

Zhuge Liang sighed: "When Bosong comes to Nanzheng, we can make long-term plans."

Zhuge Qiao came quickly.

As if he had expected it, after Zhuge Qiao entrusted the military and political affairs of Liangzhou to Jiang Wei and Wang Lian, he took Huo Yi and fifty cavalry to Nanzheng.

As soon as he arrived in Nanzheng, Liu Bei hurriedly summoned Zhuge Qiao, and Zhuge Liang and Fazheng also came hand in hand.

"Bosong, you have done good things in Liangzhou, but we know that haste makes waste, and small gains make big things impossible."

As soon as Zhuge Qiao arrived, Zhuge Liang quoted the words from "The Analects of Confucius. Zilu" and scolded Zhuge Qiao lightly, and gave Zhuge Qiao a series of looks.

The intention is obvious. Zhuge Liang hopes that Zhuge Qiao can complain and cry about his poverty in front of Liu Bei, so that Liu Bei will give up the idea of ​​​​conquering the army himself.

Liu Bei coughed twice and said: "Prime Minister, Bo Song has been crowned and is the governor of Liangzhou in the Han Dynasty. He should have his own opinions."

"Look at me, after letting Adou supervise the country, I have never interfered with Adou's political orders."

"This young man needs to be energetic, and it's normal to be a little impatient occasionally."

"Thinking back to those days, I personally whipped and supervised the postal service. My thoughts were clear and my spirit was so high."

Zhuge Liang was speechless.

Liu Bei had seen through his intentions and was reminding Zhuge Qiao to be honest and clear-minded.

"Bosong, I heard that the Longyou Qiang people fear you like a god. If you give an order, thousands of Qiang people will have to eat pots and rice to greet you." Liu Bei stroked his beard with his right hand, his face filled with admiration.

Zhuge Qiao raised his hands and said solemnly: "Your Majesty is wrong."

"It's not that the Longyou Qiang people fear me like a god, but that the Longyou Qiang people fear the Han Dynasty's Liangzhou governor like a god."

"Thousands of Qiang people will eat pots of milk to welcome me, not because of my orders, but because of the might of the great Han Dynasty and the kindness of His Majesty, which make them worship and admire from the bottom of their hearts."

Liu Bei laughed: "Bosong, you are alienated from me!"

"I'm not Cao Cao, so how can I be afraid of you because of your reputation?"

Zhuge Qiao said with a smile: "Your Majesty has a noble and elegant attitude, and I respect him very much. I am only afraid that the swordsman and penman will accuse me of being rude and disrespectful."

"Okay, don't be too formal." Liu Bei asked about the business: "I asked Bosong to come to Nanzheng this time because I want to hear Bosong's thoughts."

Liu Bei paused, his eyes gleaming slightly, and he looked directly at Zhuge Qiao: "I want to personally conquer Guanzhong, revive the Han Dynasty, and return the old capital."

"Of course, both the Prime Minister and Xiaozhi advised me not to conquer it myself."

"Bosong thinks, should I do the conquest myself or should I not do it myself?"

Zhuge Qiao said without hesitation, "Your Majesty wants to conquer it himself, why does he need the consent of others?"

"As long as His Majesty gives the order, I am willing to lead the Wudang Feijun as the vanguard, take the lead in the battle for Your Majesty, kill the generals and seize the flag."

"Even if I die, I won't hesitate!"

Zhuge Qiao's voice was loud and his tone was decisive and resolute.

Not only Zhuge Liang and Fazheng were stunned by this oath-like support, but even Liu Bei was a little surprised.

"Bosong, don't you advise me?" Liu Bei took a breath.

When asking Zhuge Qiao, Liu Bei had already considered Zhuge Qiao's possible methods of persuasion, and was fully prepared to persuade Zhuge Qiao to support the personal expedition.

As a result, Zhuge Qiao directly and strongly supported him without even thinking about it for thousands of reasons!
Zhuge Qiao had a sly look in his eyes and pretended to be surprised: "Your Majesty's personal expedition is to revive the Han Dynasty, not to patrol Guanzhong."

"Why should I persuade?"

Liu Bei stared at Zhuge Qiao closely: "If I go on a personal expedition, I may cause instability in the court. Recruiting too much money and food may also chill the aristocratic families. It may also frighten Cao Pi and send his army into Guanzhong."

Zhuge Qiao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much."

"His Majesty is the emperor of the Han Dynasty and the highest decision-maker of the Han Dynasty. What the decision-maker considers is not whether it can be done, but whether it should be done."

"We are the ministers of the Han Dynasty and the specific administrators of the Han Dynasty. What the administrator considers is not whether it should be done, but whether it can be done."

"As a minister, my responsibility is to discover, analyze, solve, implement, and summarize."

"True knowledge comes from practice, rather than refuting His Majesty's decision-making when encountering difficulties."

Liu Bei's eyes became more excited, and he smiled and said, "Bosong's words make sense!"

"Prime Minister, please be filial and upright. I have made a decision: to fight in person."

"The Prime Minister and Xiaozhi will discover, analyze, solve, implement, and summarize any obstacles or risks that will be encountered during the personal expedition."

Liu Bei learned and applied it now.

Anyway, I have to do the expedition myself. If there are any problems, you can find and solve them!
Zhuge Liang and Fazheng looked at Zhuge Qiao with a bit of resentment.

Zhuge Qiao said a lot of empty words to suit Liu Bei's wishes; but the heavy responsibility of solving the problem fell on Zhuge Liang and Fazheng. "Prime Minister, I used to envy you for having a son who is both wise and brave, but now I don't envy you anymore." Fazheng teased.

Zhuge Liang said with a straight face: "Bosong, you can't just talk without doing anything. Tell me your specific thoughts."

Seeing Zhuge Liang's eyes becoming serious, Zhuge Qiao smiled.

If we don’t take concrete measures, we won’t be able to get out of this door today.

"Prime Minister, is there any news from Jiangdong?" Zhuge Qiao asked without answering.

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and said: "Last year, Sun Quan wanted to take advantage of my northern expedition to Longyou to attack Hefei, but he gave up the idea because Cao Pi sent Cao Ren to take charge."

Zhuge Qiao couldn't help but laugh and said: "Sun Quan is really timid. Cao Pi would not dare to fight if he sent Cao Ren."

"I thought that Sun Quan is now the King of Wu of the Han Dynasty. His Majesty wants to personally conquer Guanzhong. How can Sun Quan not lead troops to help?"

"Nowadays, almost all of Cao Pi's heavy troops are in Guanzhong, Luoyang and Nanyang, and very few troops are deployed in Huainan."

"If your Majesty personally conquers Guanzhong, Cao Pi will be frightened and have no intention of Huainan. This is Sun Quan's last chance to take Huainan."

"If he doesn't take it, he will never have another chance in the future."

"Let your majesty take Mr. Sun to Changsha, invite Sun Quan to a family banquet, and take the opportunity to persuade Sun Quan to march to Huainan."

"I am also confident that Sun Quan will spend 200,000 stones, grains and rice to finance His Majesty's Northern Expedition to Guanzhong."

Zhuge Liang was startled: "Two hundred thousand stones, grains and rice? How is this possible! Bo Song, don't talk nonsense!"

Liu Bei and Fazheng were also shocked.

Two hundred thousand stones of grain and rice are enough to feed 100,000 people for three months!
Although Sun Quan is an ally, he is not stupid.

If you spend 200,000 shi to support Liu Bei, doesn't that mean you are truly becoming the "King of Wu of Han Dynasty"?
Liu Bei was also solemn: "Bosong, if there is not enough money and food in Yizhou, you can go to Jingzhou and transport money and food to Nanzheng."

Although Fazheng didn't speak, he looked at Zhuge Qiao with more curiosity.

Is there any way to make Sun Quan willing to spend 200,000 shi of food?

Is it just because Zhuge Jin is in Soochow?

Zhuge Qiao smiled in belief, took out the drawing from his pocket and handed it to Zhuge Liang: "Ma Jun has recently studied a new type of plow, which is particularly suitable for the terrain of Jiangdong."

"This plow is different from the common straight-shaft plow. I call it a curved-shaft plow."

"Compared with the straight shaft plow, the curved shaft plow is easier to plow deeply, and it is light, flexible and easy to maneuver. It is suitable for the small area of ​​paddy fields in the Jiangnan area."

"There are many barbaric lands east of the Yangtze River, and it is difficult to cultivate them."

"But with this Quyuan plow, Sun Quan can not only cultivate another 100,000 acres of fertile land, but also use it as a trade to gain the support of Jiangdong's wealthy families."

"Such a huge political and economic benefit is only 200,000 stone, grain and rice. I actually feel that I have lost money."

"Considering that Sun Quan is a master who doesn't let go of eagles when he sees rabbits, if he doesn't give enough benefits, Sun Quan will be easily seduced by Cao Pi and take Jingzhou."

"Sun Quan repeatedly failed to take Hefei. In addition to his poor leadership, it was also because the wealthy families in Jiangdong believed that attacking Huainan would not benefit him."

"But if Jiangdong can produce Quyuan plows in large quantities, the manpower and animal power of Jiangdong's wealthy families will inevitably be redundant."

"At this time, the fertile fields in Huainan are the fat that makes the wealthy families in Jiangdong jealous."

"Sun Quan doesn't need to waste words. The wealthy families in Jiangdong will support Sun Quan in taking Huainan."

"By taking Huainan, Sun Quan and the powerful families in Jiangdong will surely expand."

"Cao Cao has conquered Longwang Shu, and Sun Quan has conquered Huainan. How can he not miss the rich land of Xuzhou?"

"The more Sun Quan's enthusiasm for the Northern Expedition becomes stronger, the more troops Cao Pi will deploy on the Eastern Front. How can Cao Pi, whose troops are evenly divided, resist His Majesty's personal army on the Western Front?"

"To put it all in perspective, although the two hundred thousand stones, grains and rice suffered some losses, His Majesty made a lot of benefits."

Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and Fazheng all looked solemn and took a closer look at the drawings.

It's just that this drawing looks quite complicated, and it's hard to understand it for a while.

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Qiao took out the model of the Qu Yuan Li from his arms and presented it to Liu Bei and the others.

After comparing the model and drawings, Liu Bei and the others understood the mystery.

Both Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang had plowed the fields themselves, so the advancement of the Quyuan plow could naturally be seen.

"Although two hundred thousand stones, grain and rice are a bit of a loss, in order to revive the Han Dynasty, I can accept this loss." Liu Bei's eyes became excited again.

Fa Zheng expressed his worries: "Bosong, if Quyuanli is given to Sun Quan, Jiangdong will become more and more prosperous."

"In the past, Guan Zhong used Qi Wan and Lu Zhen to make the Lu Kingdom surrender, and he also used Hengshan's plot to make the Hengshan Kingdom surrender. They were both trying to weaken the enemy's national strength."

"Bosong did the opposite instead of trying to weaken the country. Wouldn't this be creating a more powerful enemy for His Majesty?"

"I thought this was not in line with the laws of war!"

As the planner, Zhuge Qiao naturally knew that selling Quyuanli to Sun Quan would make Jiangdong rich.

however.

Zhuge Qiao had a different view: "Among the Dharma servants, are these Jiangdong scholars and people subjects of the Han Dynasty?"

Fazheng said without hesitation: "Of course he is a subject of the Han Dynasty."

Zhuge Qiao looked slightly stern: "Since they are all subjects of the Han Dynasty, they are not citizens of the enemy country."

"It's not an enemy country, so why do you want to use the strategy of weakening the country?"

"Qi Wan, Lu Jin and Hengshan's conspiracy has weakened the national power of other countries, but it is the people who suffer!"

"Your Majesty is determined to revitalize the Han Dynasty, so he should not only focus on solving Cao Pi and Sun Quan, but also be committed to rescuing the Han people who are naked and hungry."

"Although Sun Quan is in charge of Jiangdong, Sun Quan is also nominally the King of Wu of the Han Dynasty."

"If Jiangdong becomes rich because of Quyuanli, it will also be a blessing for the people of the Han Dynasty."

"How can we wait for the military to fight for our own selfish interests and ignore the lives of thousands of people?"

"If so, what's the difference between His Majesty and Cao Cao?"

"More!"

"The damask weaving machine will definitely be implemented in Yizhou in the future, and the output of Sichuan brocade will also increase significantly."

"If Jiangdong's grain output is too low, wouldn't the Sichuan brocade have to be sold at a reduced price?"

"If Shu Brocade cannot maintain its value, the Zhibaician issued by His Majesty will depreciate in value. Once the Zhibaician monetary system collapses, it will be a disaster for Yizhou and Jingzhou!"

"If you can limit the output of Shu brocade, not only will your Majesty not be able to get a lot of food, but it will also seriously damage the interests of Yizhou's wealthy families."

"Allies must be protected by interests."

"If allies are not allowed to taste the sweetness and gain huge profits, the alliance relationship will be as fragile as paper."

"I have seen that Sun Quan has become stronger on the surface, but have you ever seen that Your Majesty will become stronger?"

"Guan Zhong's strategy of weakening the country is a relative concept. It does not emphasize making the enemy country weaker than before."

"No matter how rich Jiangdong becomes, Jingzhou and Yizhou will grow several times faster and become richer than Jiangdong."

"This is the law of business: the strong will always be strong, the weak will always be weak; the rich will get richer, and the poor will get poorer!"

Science and technology are primary productive forces.

The difference between strong and weak countries is that strong countries have mastered technology, while weak countries have only mastered the lowest-end means of production.

The unequal economic benefits make it difficult for agricultural countries to surpass technological countries.

To Zhuge Qiao, no matter how much fertile land was cultivated in Jiangdong and how much grain was grown, it was nothing more than the Jiangdong granary of the Han Dynasty.

As long as the Han Dynasty's technology is at the forefront and develops faster than Jiangdong, Sun Quan will never catch up with Liu Bei!
Zhuge Qiao was not worried about Sun Quan imitating Guan Zhong's strategy against Lu and Hengshan to counter Liu Bei.

Liu Bei's big men are not comparable to small countries like Lu and Hengshan.

The essence of Liu Bei's purpose of exchanging grain for the expedition was that he did not want to use the grain reserves in Yizhou and Jingzhou.

As long as the grain reserves are not moved, Sun Quan will have nothing to do with Liu Bei.

If Sun Quan really followed suit, it would be no different from Dong Shi's imitation.

Zhuge Qiao's concept of "the strong, the weak, the rich and the poor" made Zhuge Liang and Fazheng deep in thought.

Both of them are wise men of the world, and they can often draw inferences just by hearing the core.

Liu Bei raised a new question: "If Sun Quan agrees to pay 200,000 stones of grain and rice, how can he transport it to Nanzheng in a short time?"

Nanzheng cannot be transported by taking the Han River.

To transport a large amount of grain from Jiangdong to Nanzheng, we had to first go to Xichuan by land and water.

Zhuge Qiao smiled and said: "This is easy. In Changsha today, there are many wealthy businessmen from Yizhou."

"The two hundred thousand shi of grain given by Sun Quan can be delivered to the wealthy merchants in Yizhou."

"His Majesty directly asked Yizhou's wealthy merchants to deliver the old grain they had hoarded in Yizhou to His Majesty."

"In this way, Your Majesty saved the time and expense of transporting grain and rice, and the wealthy merchants in Yizhou also cleared their grain stocks in Yizhou, and also made contributions to His Majesty's Northern Expedition."

"Your Majesty can also issue an edict to show his righteous deeds."

“It’s a win-win!”

Liu Bei suddenly realized and asked in surprise: "Bosong allowed wealthy merchants from Yizhou and Jiangdong to trade freely in Changsha. Could it be that he also expected today?"

Zhuge Qiao shook his head: "I didn't think so far-reaching at the time. I just wanted to let Yizhou's wealthy businessmen go to Jiangdong to buy grain and rice as much as possible to increase Yizhou's grain reserves."

"At that time, I didn't expect that I would meet a genius like Ma Jun in Liangzhou!"

"Opportunities always come to those who are prepared. This may be destiny."

Liu Bei laughed loudly: "Be prepared. If it weren't for Bo Song's hard work in Jingzhou, we wouldn't have the opportunities we have today!"

"Prime Minister, Xiaozhi, do you still have any objections?"

Zhuge Liang and Fazheng looked at each other.

Zhuge Qiao has taken care of all the food, so how can he still have any objections?

Zhuge Liang said: "Your Majesty is going to Changsha, so you can ask Bo Song to go with you."

Zhuge Qiao came up with the idea, so Zhuge Liang naturally couldn't leave Zhuge Qiao idle.

Zhuge Qiao smiled and said: "If the Prime Minister doesn't tell me, I will go to Changsha. It just so happens that I haven't seen my father-in-law for a long time."

"Let's take this opportunity to visit relatives in Xiangyang City."

Liu Bei said: "Bo Song's eldest son has been born. When you return, let's go to Chengdu to see him."

"I feel quite guilty that you were unable to return to Chengdu to visit your relatives at the end of last year."

(End of this chapter)