Liu Xuande would never be a succubus of the Eastern Han Dynasty!

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei indeed stopped his evil hands.

"Really...Xuan De, you look like a gentleman, but I didn't expect you to be so... so lustful."

Jia Xu slowly sat up, still complaining, but when she looked at Liu Bei again, her mouth opened in surprise.

Because the villain who was playing with her weakness just a second ago was now sitting upright, his face full of righteousness. He just said:

"In order to save the people of the world, I beg for your guidance, sir."

"?"

No, is there anyone else in this world who can change so quickly? Isn't this faster than changing one's mind like turning the pages of a book!

Damn it.

Jia Xu sucked in a breath of cold air, and felt a tightness in his chest. He almost fainted from the breath.

Fortunately, Liu Bei reached out and supported her in advance, and asked worriedly: "Sir, are you feeling unwell?"

"Of course," Jia Xu said, smiling in anger, "I was just teased by a playboy."

"Oh? Who is so bold? Wenhe, please tell me. I will definitely help you get revenge."

"hehe."

Jia Xu did not continue the conversation, because she knew that if she continued to make sarcastic remarks, she would be the one who would be taken advantage of in the end, so she simply got down to business:

"The original chief official of the County Magistrate's Office was controlled by the Zheng family, and the rest of the officials were from other aristocratic families. After we killed the County Magistrate yesterday, some of the aristocratic families that had grudges against the Zheng family joined us."

"Then, based on the intelligence Xuande gathered, I have confirmed that there are several trustworthy parties, so I need to discuss the specific matters with them."

Perhaps fearing that Liu Bei would continue to manipulate him, Jia Xu spoke frantically, "I sent a servant to deliver the message this morning, so I need you to come with me to discuss the matter."

Jiujiang County: Chapter 32: Xuande, what do you want to do by taking off my shoes?

Of the seven assassins around Liu Bei, the first and second oldest went north to gather information about the Yellow Turbans and Zhang Jue, while the third and fourth oldest stayed in the Queen's bedroom to maintain security.

The last three remaining Death Assassins were also sent out on their missions yesterday.

Therefore, if Jia Xu went to negotiate with certain noble families, Liu Bei really needed to personally act as a guard.

But although I'm going to be a guard, this is actually quite important.

In fact, it is relatively easy to suppress the barbarian rebellion. You can use violent slaughter to deter them, or you can appease them and win over their hearts.

But the really difficult step is how to keep these barbarians in check.

Jia Xu said that the core problem here is not the barbarians, but the local government and aristocratic families.

As long as certain aristocratic families with evil intentions continue to support the barbarians, they will surely unleash the flames of rebellion again in the future.

At that time, the common people here will surely suffer from unexpected disasters again, until in the end they will all either become slaves of the aristocratic families or become refugees.

Therefore, the most urgent task is to figure out who are the enemies, who can be made friends, and who needs support.

Yes, it is support.

After all, the world is very big. Even if Liu Bei and Master Lu’s military power is enough to crush any aristocratic family in Yangzhou, they still cannot continue to dominate Yangzhou after they leave.

What's more, the world does not belong to Liu Bei. It would be fine if there were occasional minor conflicts, but if it really became like a purge with rivers of blood flowing, the imperial court would be the first to be unable to sit still.

If you dare to kill the noble families of Yangzhou today, they might rebel tomorrow!

Judging from Liu Bei's current strength, he does not yet have the ability to completely uncover the chessboard of the world.

In fact, even if you have it, there is no need to fall out so quickly. You haven't gotten enough benefits yet.

Therefore, if the use of force and violence is listed as the last resort, Jia Xu said that "support" measures can also be used.

The specific method is to unite those aristocratic families that are not in the same camp as the Zheng family, and some poor scholars who come from impoverished families... and integrate them all into a new group.

Based on this new group, they created a way for everyone to make money, in order to attack and suppress the old group.

Although people's hearts are easily corrupted, this emerging group will inevitably become corrupt and degenerate one day in the future, but by the time problems really arise, Liu Bei may have already gained power and naturally will not care about these small shrimps.

From this perspective, supporting a new group that is friendly to oneself will bring far more benefits than suppressing the barbarians.

The latter is at most a title bestowed by the imperial court, but the former... at some point in the future, a simple call can easily get a positive response.

From this perspective, discussing this matter with the noble families that can be won over is even more important than suppressing and dealing with the barbarians.

Liu Bei was determined to accomplish something big, so he naturally would not refuse this proposal.

But before that, I need to inform the teacher.

Although this guy didn't take care of anything in the two days since he took office, he pushed most of the things to Liu Bei and Jia Xu, one for military and one for civil handling.

However, the key role played by Master Lu in this process was 'wholehearted trust', to the extent that he could act in the name of the prefect, and also... the confidence to back him up.

No matter how the situation develops in the end, even if Liu Bei is surrounded by enemies in Yangzhou, Master Lu can easily solve all the problems by himself.

This is the benefit of the connections and reputation accumulated over the years.

Even if someone really wants to kill you, you will still be a little afraid and dare not offend them.

Therefore, Liu Bei's real intention in informing the Master was actually: I'm going out for a walk. If I get into trouble outside, remember to come and rescue me quickly.

Master Lu nodded and said, "You will go with my order. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy... If you cannot defeat them, come and call me."

-

A moment later, Liu Bei and Jia Xu boarded the carriage one after another.

Jia Xu had completely recovered to normal at this time.

In the quiet carriage, sunlight shone through the window onto her.

His smile is gentle and intellectual, and his auspicious eyes are half-closed, revealing a deep insight, as if he can see through the troubles of the world, yet maintain a calm and tranquility.

Her long hair was gently tied up with a simple hairpin, and a few strands of hair hung playfully by her ears, adding a touch of casual elegance.

She wore a simple and elegant long dress with an embroidered belt tied around her waist, which was simple yet elegant.

She held a few bamboo slips in her hands and browsed and reviewed them quickly.

Even while riding in the carriage, Jia Xu still did not forget to work.

Her smiling face is like the warm sunshine in spring, giving people a sense of security and comfort.

Liu Bei looked at him, blinked, then reached out and lifted Jia Xu's long legs and placed them on his thighs.

"You look a little tired, let me give you a massage."

"?"

Before Jia Xu could react, he found Liu Bei reaching out his hand and pressing it on his leg without any explanation.

"You..." Jia Xu's face flushed slightly as he whispered, "Gongsun Zan is right. Xuande really is... shameless!"

"Senior Sisters Wenhe and Gongsun both misunderstood me."

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei replied righteously: "You originally had no chores and were at ease, but you are being asked to be trapped in complicated trivial matters. I cannot share your sorrow, so I will ease your hardship."

"Besides, Bei was indeed just massaging."

Jia Xu felt it for a while and found that the pain in his legs had really eased a lot, but he still said in disbelief: "Are you serious?"

"It's real." Liu Bei replied.

The more Chixiao fragments there are in his body, the more precise his control over his own strength will be. Therefore, let alone relieving pain through massage, even if it is not a proper one, Liu Bei can easily make Jia Xu ascend to heaven comfortably.

Jia Xu did not suspect anything and calmly continued to handle his official business.

It’s true, this way, even going to work isn’t so boring and painful anymore. Instead, I enjoy it a bit... I’m addicted to this feeling.

But before Jia Xu had time to savor it, her eyes suddenly widened and she almost kicked Liu Bei in the face: "No, it's just a massage, what are you trying to do by taking off my boots?"

"This is also part of the massage."

Liu Bei reached out and caught the jade foot in mid-air, then massaged it skillfully while calmly replying, "You walk around a lot, so a foot massage is very necessary."

"Why do you need a big-headed ghost like you?"

So, the mature and intellectual elder sister blushed again.

Jiujiang County: Chapter 33: Jade Feet and Lower Mouth

Although Jia Xu resisted verbally, she did not really resist fiercely.

She looked at Liu Bei fiercely as he took off her shoes, then held her feet in his hands and rubbed them gently.

The socks are made of cotton, with a soft and delicate texture.

Liu Bei was thinking about taking off his socks as well, but he was afraid that Jia Xu would get angry and jump out the window to escape.

So, he took the initiative to bring up the topic and said, "Actually, at first I thought you were someone who liked to hide your shortcomings."

"…Is that why you called me a fox?"

Although Jia Xu was shy, his mind was still working quickly. He immediately asked in confusion: "But Xuande, what is the basis for your preconceived notion?"

When she was in Luoyang, her behavior was not very low-key, but at least it was decent. How did Xuande know that she liked to hide her shortcomings?

Liu Bei smiled and replied, "I don't know why, but from the first moment I saw you, I've always felt like you were a fox with a fond smile... well, the kind of fox who's cunning and low-key, hiding in the shadows and plotting to murder others."

"???"

Jia Xu kicked him angrily, rolled his eyes and said, "So this is how you think of me. I followed you all the way here..."

Jia Xu was originally just complaining. After all, she was an extremely rational person. As long as she understood the cause and effect, she would not be too concerned about the process.

At the beginning, she could indeed always sense Liu Bei's slight wariness towards her, and she was struggling with it, but she didn't expect it was just intuition.

This made Jia Xu a little unhappy.

But I wouldn't say I was that angry, I just felt a little lost.

She could have returned to the Jia family in Wuwei and lived a carefree life. There was no need for her to risk her life by wading through muddy waters in Shouchun County. She simply wanted to stay by Liu Bei's side and witness his deeds, so she followed him...

The rapid travel during this period was just physical exercise for Liu Bei and Master Lu, but it was exhausting for Jia Xu.

As a result, he was thrown into handling the government affairs of Shouchun County without even taking a break... That would have been fine, but he actually had to listen to what Xuande said about being "cunning and low-key" and "planning in the dark".

Ha ha.

How could Jia Xu not be angry?

But it was just a kick, and there was no intention to go any further.

She has always been very clear about her own position. At home, she can be the eldest daughter who lives up to the family's expectations, and outside, she can be a convincing friend. And to Liu Bei, she can naturally play the role of a "serious and responsible" subordinate.

There was no other way. Liu Bei had a face that was unparalleled in the world, and an expression that was very similar to that of his great-grandfather. In addition, he possessed an 'extraordinary' ability...

If anyone else could possess even one of these excellent conditions, he would probably change from being the "big man who protects everyone" to being the "big man who protects me".

Haven’t you seen Jian Siyuan, who dared to rebel by relying on his cousin’s favor in the palace?

But Liu Bei had no such ulterior motives, nor would he indulge in enjoyment, otherwise he would not have followed Lu Zhi to Yangzhou to quell the rebellion.

If he had followed Cao Cao or Gongsun Zan directly in Luoyang, he would have been able to easily gain the favor of the elders from the aristocratic families with his appearance and abilities, and he would have been able to rise rapidly in the officialdom in the future.

It can even be said that even if he goes back to his hometown, he can still become a local tyrant by relying on force.

Why did he choose to come to Yangzhou with Lu Zhi to suffer...

Jia Xu was unaware of the complex relationship between Lu Zhi and Liu Bei. She believed that this was a manifestation of "teacher-student friendship" and "kindness of heart", indicating that Liu Bei was a loyal and filial person with friendship in his heart.

The Han Dynasty was founded on loyalty and filial piety, and it promoted filial piety and integrity and respected the elderly. Many official families would first consider whether a person respected his parents before promoting him.

Of course, the original intention was that only filial sons would be loyal to their lord, but now... I can only say that a filial person may betray you, but he cannot betray his parents.

Jia Xu grew up in such an atmosphere, and the values he formed since childhood naturally made him feel favorable towards loyal and filial people.

Especially since Liu Bei is so handsome.

I'm just a little...lustful, always like to touch other people's feet...

Liu Bei looked at Jia Xu, who looked disappointed, and said with a smile, "It's indeed my fault for having preconceived notions. However, I have personally witnessed all your hard work and contributions over this period of time. Therefore, I am willing to place my complete trust in you, and... I can fulfill one of your wishes."

In fact, as long as he could gain Liu Bei's trust, it was completely enough. Jia Xu didn't care much about what he wished for or not.

But seeing Liu Bei's statement, she thought for a moment and asked, "Only one?"

“…You can raise any daily requests, and we’ll do our best to meet them.”