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

Chapter 199 Emperor’s Meeting: Sun Quan hoards grain and I station guns, Jiangdong is my granary (seeking pursuit)

Zhuge Qiao's eldest son Zhuge Pan was born in September last year.

He is now half a year old.

Since the beginning of the Northern Expedition last year, Zhuge Qiao has not returned to Chengdu, and naturally he has not had the opportunity to visit his eldest son.

In this regard.

Zhuge Qiao also felt quite guilty.

However, devoting himself to national affairs meant that he was destined to be unable to take care of his family. Even though he had all kinds of concerns in his heart, Zhuge Qiao could only hide them deep in his heart.

Liu Bei did not disclose the news of his personal expedition, but asked Zhuge Liang and Fa Zheng to prepare secretly in Nanzheng.

Zhuge Qiao also requested an imperial edict from Liu Bei, appointing Liangzhou Zhizhong Wang Lian as the fake governor of Liangzhou, and concurrently serving as governor during Zhuge Qiao's absence.

Zhuge Qiao had also considered this arrangement.

If Liu Bei wanted to fight in person, Zhuge Qiao would definitely have to follow Liu Bei to Chang'an.

Liangzhou needs a new governor to govern.

Wang Lian's character is loyal and unwavering.

In the past, when Liu Bei raised troops at Jiameng Pass, Wang Lian closed the city gates and refused to surrender. Liu Bei valued Wang Lian's integrity and conduct, so he did not attack by force.

In addition to being righteous and honest, Wang Lian's greatest advantage is that he knows people well and is good at tapping talents.

For example, Lu Yi, Du Qi, Liu Qian, etc. were all discovered by Wang Lian. Now these three people are serving as governors in Longyou and have outstanding political achievements.

Wang Lian also participated in Zhuge Qiao's policy of governing the Han Qiang in Longyou.

With character, loyalty, talent, and a good understanding of people, except for his lack of military skills, Wang Lian is fully qualified to serve as the governor of a state!

Letting Wang Lian serve as the fake governor of Liangzhou this time is equivalent to giving Wang Lian an assessment period.

After all, Wang Lian had never been a governor before, so saying it was one thing and doing it was another thing.

Whether it can be done well or not needs practice to assess.

Zhuge Qiao also left Huang Zhong, Jiang Wei, and Wudang Feijun to assist Wang Lian in taking charge of the military affairs of the counties, so as to prevent Wang Lian from being unable to frighten Liangzhou into disobedience due to insufficient military force.

It takes time to establish favor and prestige. Zhuge Qiao wanted to promote Wang Lian, so he naturally wanted to help Wang Lian establish his favor and prestige.

Wang Lian was also very moved by Zhuge Qiao's respect and trust.

Without Zhuge Qiao requesting an imperial edict from Liu Bei, it would be almost impossible for Wang Lian to pretend to be the governor of Liangzhou, let alone succeed Zhuge Qiao as the new governor of Liangzhou in the future.

After deploying the Liangzhou people, Zhuge Qiao returned to Nanzheng with his personal cavalry.

Liu Bei had already prepared a large ship for Jingzhou in the Han River, and during this period, Sun Guiren from Chengdu also arrived in Nanzheng.

Sun Guiren is now in his thirties. The growth of age and the hardships of the world have gradually smoothed Sun Guiren's edges and corners.

His arrogance and willfulness have been reduced by more than half, and he has become a bit more virtuous and steady.

Although Liu Bei and Sun Guiren did not have a deep relationship, they were more respectful to each other.

In addition to Liu Bei and Sun Guiren's personal guards Chen Dao and Bai Jianbing, Zhao Yun was also on the ship.

Because Zhao Yun made a lot of contributions when Zhuge Liang took Longyou, Liu Bei named him the Central Protector.

The Central Protector of the Army is an extremely important military position, "the officer who protects the Army, the president's generals, and the chief military attache".

Not only was he responsible for commanding the imperial army, but he was also responsible for selecting military attaches and supervising generals.

Therefore, those who serve as the Central Guards must not only be absolutely loyal, but also be selfless.

There are many people under Liu Bei who are absolutely loyal, but coupled with the condition of selflessness, Zhao Yun is the only one who can serve as the Central Protector.

"Bosong, you're too late." Liu Bei stood on the bow of the ship with a relaxed tone.

After Zhuge Liang and Fazheng both agreed to Liu Bei's personal expedition, Liu Bei's idea became very clear.

Liu Bei was not impatient either.

Taking Guanzhong and taking Longyou are two different difficulties, no less than taking Hanzhong in the past.

This requires Liu Bei to make sufficient pre-war preparations.

Zhuge Qiao boarded the ship and said with a smile: "I was delayed for a while on the way, and I kept your majesty waiting."

Liu Bei laughed and invited Zhuge Qiao into the cabin.

The waterway from Nanzheng to Xiangyang was almost all under the control of Han soldiers, except for some river sections that passed through Cao Wei's Nanxiang County.

After learning that Liu Bei was coming to Xiangyang, Guan Yu personally led five large ships up the river and appeared directly in Nanxiang County.

Xiahou Shang of Nanxiang County was so frightened that he quickly recalled his troops and horses, and sent scouts along the river to find out the location of Guan Yu's warships, fearing that Guan Yu would suddenly land in Nanxiang County.

Xiahou Shang breathed a sigh of relief when he found out that Guan Yu only wandered around Nanxiang County for a while and then returned to Xiangyang.

But this also made Xiahou Shang very angry.

Without the power to control the river, Xiahou Shang could only defend passively. Guan Yu's slightly abnormal behavior could scare Xiahou Shang and make him unable to sleep or eat well.

In Xiangyang City.

Guan Yu held a banquet and exchanged heart-to-hearts with Liu Bei.

Guan Xing came to Zhuge Qiao's table and said in a very contented tone: "Bosong, I am the governor of Xiangyang now!"

"Although I'm far behind you as the governor of Liangzhou, I firmly believe that I can become the governor in the future and guard the country for your majesty."

As a talkative person like Zhang Bao, Guan Xing became panicked when he became the governor of Xiangyang but could not find anyone to show off.

Meeting Zhuge Qiao today, Guan Xing can finally open up the conversation.

Zhuge Qiao held the wine bottle and shook it slightly: "Brother An Guo, you have become a prefect, so you should be more stable at least."

"When the road is getting better, my brother Guantan's temperament becomes more and more like my father-in-law."

"Your Majesty only has three states. The governor of Yizhou will not be able to take over. The governor of Jingzhou will have to wait to take back Jiangxia County and Fancheng."

"Even if you get it back, the governor is most likely to be Tan's brother, not you."

Guan Xing patted his chest: "Bosong, don't try to hit me, I'm confident!"

"Who said I have to be the governor of Jingzhou? I can also be the governor of Yuzhou or Xuzhou."

"When His Majesty makes the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains and revives the Han Dynasty, wouldn't it be more than enough for me to be the governor with my talents?"

Zhuge Qiao took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "My father-in-law is from Hedong, so he is too small to be the governor."

"After His Majesty's Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, we will return to the old capital."

"You have to be a Sili Xiaowei no matter what. Why don't you return to your hometown after hearing the wealth and honor, and walk at night like a brocade?"

Guan Xing was stunned for a moment, then he put his hands on his hands and said with a smile: "Bosong's words make sense, then I will aim to become the Sili Colonel."

"Let my brother be the governor of Jingzhou, so that I can surpass him!"

While Zhuge Qiao and Guan Xing were chatting and laughing, Liu Bei also talked to Guan Yu about the Northern Expedition.

Guan Yu was slightly surprised and lowered his voice: "Brother, is this too risky?"

"If we want to go to the Northern Expedition, my foolish brother is willing to do it for me. How can my elder brother, with his precious body, easily set foot in the cold and dangerous places in Guanzhong?"

Liu Bei chuckled: "I have been a soldier for half my life, what kind of bitter, cold and dangerous places have I never been to?"

"If you can't conquer Guanzhong in person and return to the old capital, it will be difficult to understand."

"Yun Chang, don't worry. Now our opponents are just a few of Cao Cao's boys. I can win with my backhand."

Guan Yu's eyes moved: "Do you want me to contain Cao Pi's troops in Jingzhou?"

Liu Bei shook his head and said in a slightly stern tone: "Yun Chang is in Jingzhou, so we just need to stand still."

"If we want to contain Cao Pi's troops, we must also contain Sun Quan."

"Last year when the Prime Minister went on the Northern Expedition, Sun Quan gathered troops at Ruxukou, but he did not dare to go further north."

"This time Bo Song and I went to Changsha to meet Sun Quan, just to ask Sun Quan to send troops to attack Hefei."

"Once Cao Pi is caught in a two-front battle, Yunchang can calmly stop in Jingzhou and find the most suitable opportunity."

"If there is a chance, we can give priority to getting rid of Jiangxia's Wenpin and capture Shangchang City!"

Get rid of Wenpin from Jiangxia County and occupy Shangchang City.

Whether Guan Yu wants to attack Nanyang or be wary of Sun Quan in Jiangdong, Guan Yu can always seize the opportunity.

Going to Changcheng to station troops is equivalent to facing Sun Quan's Xiakou across the river.

If Sun Quan dares to steal Jiangling, he must first deal with Guan Yu's garrison in Shangchang City.

This gave Guan Yu time to respond, instead of making it difficult for Guan Yu to return reinforcements in time like Lu Meng's two captures of Jingzhou.

You don't have to fight Sun Quan, but you must have a sharp sword to scare Sun Quan.

Guan Yu was well aware of the situation in Jingzhou and also knew how important the geographical location of Shangchang City, where Wenpin was located, was.

"Brother, don't worry. Brother Yu will wait for an opportunity to get it from Shangchang City."

After staying in Xiangyang City for a day, Liu Bei said goodbye to Guan Yu and headed for Changsha.

period.

Liu Bei's messenger also arrived in Jianye, expressing Liu Bei's invitation.

This sudden invitation made Sun Quan a little more surprised: "Liu Bei won Longyou last year. Instead of going to Guanzhong, he came to see me instead?"

Thinking that Liu Bei had won Longyou, Sun Quan felt envious and jealous.

last year.

Taking advantage of Cao Pi's heavy troops to guard against Liu Bei, Sun Quan wanted to take Hefei in one go.

result.

Before sending troops, Cao Ren was transferred from Wancheng to Huainan.

Zhang Liao, who was good at attacking, made Sun Quan uncomfortable, and Cao Ren, who was good at defending, came. Sun Quan was frightened. The army was stationed in Ruxukou for a long time, but he did not dare to attack Hefei.

When Sun Quan made up his mind to attack Hefei, he heard that Liu Bei had withdrawn from Longyou and returned to Hanzhong.

Worried that Cao Pi would mobilize troops to Huainan, Sun Quan once again gave up the idea of ​​attacking Hefei.

Now that Liu Bei invited him, Sun Quan felt strong resistance in his heart.

Liu Bei won Longyou, but Sun Quan didn't get any benefits. Naturally, he felt unbalanced and ashamed to see Liu Bei.

I struggled internally for a long time.

Sun Quan still decided to go to Changsha to meet Liu Bei.

After all, the two sides are now allies, and Sun Quan is the nominal King of Han and Wu.

Liu Bei, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, personally came to Changsha to invite Sun Quan. If Sun Quan refused to go, it would be unjustifiable after all.

"Summon Zhuge Ke to see you immediately!"

Zhuge Ke has always been known for his intelligence and quick wit in Jiangdong. Being able to turn Zhuge Ziyu into Zhuge Ziyu's donkey is not something ordinary young people can do.

Because Zhuge Qiao was a fierce general in the past, Zhuge Ke put aside his stature and not only married Sun Luban, who was several years older, but also became his disciple after being defeated and demoted by Lu Meng.

Lu Meng started in the army, his theory was inferior to Zhuge Ke's, but his practical experience was far superior to Zhuge Ke's.

With Lu Meng's guidance, Zhuge Ke helped Sun Quan pacify Shanyue in Danyang last year and subdued more than 30,000 mountain residents.

Sun Quan commended Zhuge Ke for his achievements, appointed Zhuge Ke as the General of Weibei, and made Zhuge Ke the capital of the country.

Taking Zhuge Ke to see Liu Bei, Sun Quan also had the intention of showing off.

When he learned that Liu Bei had invited Sun Quan to Changsha for a while, Zhuge Ke quickly guessed the reason: "Liu Bei's move must be for the Northern Expedition to Guanzhong."

"Cao Wei now has deployed heavy troops in Guanzhong, Luoyang and Nanyang, but in Huainan he only has 50,000 infantry and cavalry."

"Liu Bei must have wanted his father-in-law to send troops to Hefei to contain Cao Wei's troops."

Sun Quan frowned: "If I attract Cao Wei's heavy troops, wouldn't Hefei be unbeatable again? I can't let Liu Bei take all the benefits." Zhuge Ke concluded: "What my father-in-law can think of, I think Liu Bei can think of it too. ”

"So I thought that when Liu Bei came to Changsha this time, he must have prepared benefits for his father-in-law."

"When we get to Changsha, my father-in-law will act according to his own circumstances. If Liu Bei doesn't get any benefits, my father-in-law will not bring up the idea of ​​fighting in Hefei."

Sun Quan thought carefully for a moment, agreed with Zhuge Ke's judgment, and said with a smile: "Liu Bei has Zhuge Qiao, and I have Yuan Xun, so I can match him."

"Let's go to Changsha with me and see what benefits Liu Bei can give me!"

Immediately.

Sun Quan took Zhuge Ke and Zhou Tai with him and took a large ship to Changsha.

a few days later.

Liu Bei and Sun Quan met in Linxiang City, Changsha.

Seeing that Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Ke were both present, Liu Bei and Sun Quan understood each other tacitly.

"Brother Yuan Xun, you are fine."

"It's a pity that I couldn't attend your wedding to King Wu's daughter."

Zhuge Qiao greeted him warmly.

Zhuge Ke also smiled and said: "When I heard that Bosong Guizi was born, it is a pity that I, the cousin, could not go to visit."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

Sun Guiren came to talk to Sun Quan about the past.

After a while.

Sun Guiren temporarily left, leaving only Liu Bei, Sun Quan and the Zhuge brothers. Zhao Yun and Zhou Tai also invariably distanced themselves, but were on guard from a distance.

Prevent people who are short-sighted from coming to assassinate you.

Changsha is the co-administration area of ​​Liu Bei and Sun Quan, and neither side sends troops. This also leads to many Cao Wei spies and assassins in Changsha disappearing and appearing.

Changsha is also an important source of information for Cao Wei.

"Bosson, tell me your intention."

"I guess you and your majesty are not here just to reminisce with King Wu."

Zhuge Ke was the first to speak.

Zhuge Qiao smiled and said: "Brother Yuan Xun speaks quickly, so I won't hide him."

"Your Majesty intends to personally conquer Guanzhong, but the army is short of food, so he came to ask the King of Wu for 200,000 shi of food and rice."

Even though they were prepared, Sun Quan and Zhuge Ke were still shocked.

Two hundred thousand stones, grains and rice, how dare you speak!

Sun Quan was shocked inside, but remained calm on the outside.

After being the lord of Jiangdong for so many years, Sun Quan's Qi-nurturing skills, which are indistinguishable from emotion to anger, are still at a certain level.

Zhuge Ke thought quickly and quickly calmed down his surprise and asked: "Two hundred thousand stones, grain and rice, is not a small amount."

"Your Majesty is a benevolent and sage king, so he will not treat the King of Wu badly. I wonder how your Majesty will reward the King of Wu?"

As soon as Zhuge Ke put on this high hat, Liu Bei couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

First, he called Liu Bei the sage of benevolence and virtue, and then used the word "praise for reward".

If Liu Bei really didn't give him any benefits, then he would be sorry for the words "Sage of Benevolence and Virtue".

Bo Song's eldest brother is also a smart man.

Liu Bei also remained calm and just gently brushed his beautiful beard.

Zhuge Ke's question was answered by Zhuge Qiao.

Zhuge Qiao said with a smile: "Brother Yuan Xun is overly concerned. Your Majesty has always been the most loyal and loyal. Since I have conquered King Wu's 200,000 stone, grain and rice, I will naturally receive a reward."

"Recently, your Majesty got something by chance. This thing is most suitable for paddy field reclamation and deep cultivation in Jiangdong."

"If this thing can be promoted, not only can it reclaim 100,000 acres of wasteland for King Wu, but the wealthy families in Jiangdong will also rush to fight for this land in Huainan for King Wu."

The more Sun Quan heard, the more surprised he became.

First, they asked for 200,000 stones of grain and rice, and then they even uttered such big words as "100,000 acres of wasteland to be reclaimed" and "rich families fighting for Huainan".

Could this Zhuge Qiao be deceiving me?
Sun Quan subconsciously became more wary.

Even Lu Meng, who was good at deceiving others, was deceived by Zhuge Qiao, and Sun Quan did not dare to take it lightly.

Zhuge Ke was also a little more vigilant: "Bosong, what you hear is false and what you see is belief. What can be so magical?"

Zhuge Qiao said slowly: "Today's plowing method, if it is deep plowing, usually two oxen carry the pole and plow, one person holds the plow, one sows, and the other covers the soil and harrows the ground."

“If it’s shallow plowing, it only requires the power of an ox.”

"And this wonderful thing of mine only requires the power of an ox, whether it is deep plowing or shallow plowing."

"Brother Yuan Xun knows better than me how much impact saving an ox will have on plowing."

In troubled times, there are more refugees than cattle, and the land is vast and sparsely populated.

Saving the power of an ox means that with the same ox power, as long as refugees are recruited to reclaim wasteland, twice as much wasteland can be reclaimed.

Most of the cattle in Jiangdong are in the hands of wealthy families. If the same cattle can be used to reclaim more wasteland, no one will be willing to give up this benefit.

Grain rice.

It is real hard currency in troubled times.

Zhuge Ke took a breath: "How can I believe that what you said is true?"

Zhuge Qiao smiled and said, "Did Your Majesty and I come all the way from Nanzheng just to talk to King Wu and Brother Yuan Xun about a non-existent creation?"

"The King of Wu and Brother Yuan Xun must also be wondering why they only took Longyou last year, and His Majesty is eager to conquer it personally this year?"

"I won't hide it from you two. I have found a talented person in Longyou named Ma Jun, and I recommend Ma Jun as a talented person."

"Your Majesty originally wanted to commend Ma Jun for his achievements, but he gave up due to the opposition of some corrupt scholars. Therefore, your Majesty worshiped Ma Jun as General Anmin."

"With the help of Ma Jun's improvement of farm tools, I won the hearts and minds of Longyou people in just a few months."

"In troubled times, there is only one way to keep people's hearts attached in a short period of time: to provide for people's food and clothing!"

"I have also stayed in Jiangdong before, and I know very well what is going on in Jiangdong."

"The rich and powerful families have occupied a large number of fields, and the poor people can only take refuge in the mountains and become mountain people."

"If the king of Wu can use this thing to reclaim wasteland, a large number of mountain people will take the initiative to rely on it; and the wealthy and aristocratic families are greedy, and they will definitely not be willing to waste manpower and animal power."

"That's when."

"There are wealthy families who covet the fields in Huainan, and they may be able to take the initiative to fight for King Wu."

Sun Quan was moved.

Although he is the lord of Jiangdong, Sun Quan is greatly restricted by the powerful families of Jiangdong.

Everyone is living a good life in Jiangdong. Who can follow you, Sun Quan, to fight in Hefei?

The key is still unbeatable!

If you want to get the support of aristocratic families to attack Hefei, you must have enough interests to drive it.

In order for the mountain people to rely on him, Sun Quan also had to provide the mountain people with enough fields to cultivate. However, this land was not owned by wealthy families, so Sun Quan could only allocate manpower and animal power to cultivate it.

Zhuge Ke discussed with Sun Quan in a low voice for a few words, and then said: "Bosong, I know you are very articulate."

"You only talk here, but you don't even want to show me the drawings. How can you expect King Wu and me to trust you?"

Zhuge Qiao was not fooled: "Brother Yuan Xun, you have a photographic memory since you were a child. If I show you this drawing, you will be able to draw it later."

"It is difficult to develop such a rare item, but it is very easy to imitate it."

"You can defraud me of 200,000 stone grains and rice with just one look. Do you think I will show it to you?"

Zhuge Ke also refused to give in: "Bosong, you are not sincere."

"In that case, I think there is no need to talk about this matter today."

"Kodong doesn't necessarily have to use this rare thing like yours."

Zhuge Qiao spread his hands: "Brother Yuan Xun, after all, you and I are from the same sect. Where do we trust each other?"

Zhuge Ke said without hesitation: "Public is public, private is private. Now you and I are our own masters, so naturally we must seek benefits for the master. How can we talk about private affairs?"

Zhuge Qiao took out a piece of parchment from his arms and handed it to Zhuge Ke: "I can't give you the drawings of the rare objects, but I have the improved drawings of the keel waterwheel."

"With Brother Yuan Xun's ability, I must be able to see the subtlety of this drawing."

Zhuge Ke glanced quickly: "Why is it only half?"

Zhuge Qiao smiled slyly: "Brother Yuan Xun, you didn't even give me a grain of rice, but I showed you half of the drawings. I'm losing blood."

Zhuge Ke gritted his teeth.

Zhuge Qiao was afraid that he would memorize the drawings.

But what Zhuge Ke had to admit was that although there were only half of the drawings, this improved keel waterwheel showed Ma Jun's level.

That means.

Zhuge Qiao said that whether it is "deep plowing or shallow plowing, it only requires the power of an ox", it is a real thing.

"I have to discuss with the king." Zhuge Ke and Sun Quan got up and went elsewhere.

Liu Bei did not interfere with the quarrel between Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Ke throughout the whole process. When he saw Zhuge Ke and Sun Quan walking away, he asked in a low voice:

"Bosong, do you think Sun Quan will agree?"

The corner of Zhuge Qiao's mouth raised slightly: "Zhuge Yuanxun is quite cunning. I expect that he will bargain with me later and let me add the drawing of this keel waterwheel."

Liu Bei frowned: "Then this is too much of a loss."

Zhuge Qiao smiled and said, "It's actually not a loss at all."

"Before I entered Xichuan, there were plows in Jiangdong that reduced the power of oxen. Although it was not as good as the curved shaft plow, it could still save the consumption of oxen and manpower for plowing."

"For Sun Quan, the Quyuan plow did not necessarily have to be exchanged for grain and rice. He could also send his craftsmen to steal it back to Jiangdong, and then gather skilled craftsmen to imitate it."

"Similarly, for the wealthy families in Jiangdong, there is no difference between Quyuanli now and a few years from now."

"With Zhuge Ke's intelligence, he can definitely guess it."

"I deliberately attribute the credit for the pacification of Longyou to farm tools, and associate the Quyuan plow with the mountain people in Jiangdong and the fields in Huainan. I am taking advantage of Sun Quan's obsession with Hefei and his worries about the mountain people."

"No matter how smart Zhuge Ke is, he can only follow Sun Quan's original intention to facilitate this deal!"

"I don't take the drawings of the curved shaft plow and keel waterwheel too seriously; if Zhuge Ke continues to bargain, I will take out the half-finished Zhuge Liannu drawings of 'one crossbow and five arrows'."

"In the game of people's hearts, Zhuge Ke is still blunt!"

Liu Bei couldn't help shaking his head and laughing: "When he was in Jiangdong, Zhuge Ke was wise and Bo Song was dull, but now you say that Zhuge Ke is dull."

Zhuge Qiao put his hands behind his back and smiled.

The Quyuan plow appeared in the late Tang Dynasty and was widely promoted in the Song Dynasty. Is the Quyuan plow bad?

Essentially, concepts do not change overnight.

Qu Yuuli is just an introduction. What Zhuge Qiao really wants to trick is Sun Quan's obsession with Hefei.

Behind Qu Yuuli's deal, what really made Sun Quan reluctant to give up was Liu Bei's personal expedition!

　Quyuan Lihe

　　
　
(End of this chapter)