"Lord, don't you want to recruit Fengxiao? Why did you tease Bong Hyo again yesterday? You don't know, Feng Xiao was very angry yesterday. The early dynasty was over, Xun Yu found Liu Xie and asked puzzled.

“…… Wen Ruo, let me ask you, if I were polite to Guo Fengxiao, would he switch to me? Liu Xie asked rhetorically when he heard this.

"Uh...... No, although Feng Xiao is usually debauched, he is by no means a person in the twilight of the Qin Dynasty. Unless Cao Mengde fails him, he will not give up Cao Mengde. Xun Yu thought for a while before replying, and at the same time vaguely guessed why Liu Xie treated Guo Jia like that.

"That's not the end, no matter what my attitude towards Guo Fengxiao is, he won't leave until he finishes what he wants to do. It's a pity, he voted for Cao Cao, it would be good if he ruled the world at this time, but now it is a troubled time. Wen Ruo, sooner or later, we will face Cao Cao and Guo Fengxiao. ”

“…… The lord thinks that Cao Cao is the confidant of the imperial court? Xun Yu frowned and asked.

"Why should Wen Ruo deceive me? Among the princes of the world, only Cao Mengde can be called an opponent, and the rest are like Yuan Shao, Liu Biao and others, so they are not to be afraid. Oh, by the way, and Liu Bei, who is also a master who is used to inviting people's hearts. ”

Suddenly, hearing Liu Xie mention Liu Bei, Xun Yu was also stunned. Xun Yu only heard a little about Liu Bei, Kong Wenju had been appointed by the imperial court as a doctor of Taixue as a professor of Taixue after Zheng Xuantong came to Chang'an, responsible for teaching and educating people. And Kong Rong's punctuality in Beihai led the wolf into the room and was mainly overheaded by Liu Bei's anti-guest, which also spread in Chang'an.

In later generations, experts have almost become synonymous with swearing, and some people even say that experts speak the opposite. And now, experts are clear stream people like Zheng Xuan and Kong Rong, who may not have much ability, but they have the guidance of public opinion. If you offend them, don't expect a good name.

Although Liu Bei is a member of the Han family, his family has long been in the middle, and the only thing he can rely on is the reputation he has worked hard to build, but now his reputation has been in crisis, and relying on his subordinates to spread around is far less strong than the voice made by Qingliu, and it is not as easy for the people to accept as Qingliu said.

Xun Yu and Kong Rong don't have a deep relationship, but they don't have the slightest doubt about what Kong Rong said, so they don't have a good impression of Liu Bei. Now that I heard Liu Xie mention Liu Bei, I couldn't help but ask: "Lord, Cao Mengde now has a state, but Liu Bei is just a guest general, worthy of the lord's attention?" ”

“…… If you just look at it, it is estimated that it will not be long before Xuzhou will change hands, and there will be a farce for us to enjoy. Liu Xie said with a smile.

Seeing Liu Xie say this, Xun Yu stopped talking about it, and asked instead: "How is the lord going to reply to Feng Xiao?" If he really came to run for Cao Mengde, will the court agree or not? ”

"What does Wen Ruo think?"

"If it is in my opinion, it is better to agree."

"Promise? Explain why. ”

"There are two reasons, one is that Yanzhou is actually controlled by Cao Cao, no matter whether the court agrees or not, Cao Cao is essentially Yanzhou pastor. Second, the imperial court is now unable to go east, and agreed to Cao Cao's request, at least nominally there is a subordinate relationship, and some things that are inconvenient for the imperial court to do, can be handed over to Cao Cao to do. ”

“…… There's another reason why you didn't say it. Although Cao Cao succeeded in expelling Lü Bu, in order to defeat Lü Bu, a flood in Juye caused a grain failure in Yanzhou this year, and there were locusts, so that the people of Yanzhou were displaced. Liu Xie added for Xun Yu.

“…… The lord, the people of Yanzhou are also the people of the Han Dynasty. Xun Yu didn't deny it, just looked at Liu Xie and emphasized.

Liu Xie smiled, shook his head and asked Xun Yu: "Wen Ruo, don't underestimate people, I didn't say that I don't care if the people live or die." How much food can we come up with? ”

"Almost 100,000 stones." Xun Yu replied when he heard this.

"One hundred thousand stones...... If these 100,000 stones are handed over to Cao Cao, how many of them can fall into the hands of the people? ”

"This ......" Xun Yu was asked, and he almost didn't have to think about it to know that if Cao Cao got the 100,000 stone grain and grass, he would definitely keep some of it for his own use.

"It's almost winter, and it's at least four months before the beginning of spring, and these four months are the hardest. Yanzhou has a population of at least one million, can it support the spring with only these 100,000 stone of grain? ”

"This ...... No. What can the lord do? ”

"Hmm...... One person is short, three people are long, it is better to wait for Guo Fengxiao to come and discuss it together. After all, what is the situation in Yanzhou now, he knows better than you and me. Liu Xie said after thinking about it.

……

Xun Yu did not tell Guo Jia that Liu Xie was the one who went to the post house to find him yesterday, so when Guo Jia saw Liu Xie, he was really surprised.

"Have you eaten?" Liu Xie held a bowl of noodles and asked Guo Jiadao without seeing anything.

Guo Jia: "......"

"Do you want a bowl?" Liu Xie asked again.

"Lord, get down to business." Xun Yu on the side couldn't stand it and reminded.

"Oh." Liu Xie agreed, put down the bowl and said to Guo Jia: "Fengxiao has worked hard all the way here, are you still used to it these days?" ”

"Thank you for your concern, Guo Jia is doing well."

"Well, do you have any plans to stay for a long time?"

Guo Jia: "......"

"My lord." Xun Yu had to remind again.

"Huh...... Wen Ruo, I found that the benefit of the Son of Heaven is that others can only hold back when they are angry. Liu Xie said to Xun Yu with a smile.

"Lord, get down to business."

"Okay, okay, it's not difficult for me to be filial to you when I look at you. Fengxiao, you are a night owl who comes to the house and has nothing to do, let's say, what did Cao Mengde ask you to do in Chang'an? Liu Xie said as he picked up the bowl and continued to eat his lunch.

“…… The Holy One eats this? Guo Jia didn't answer, but asked about irrelevant things.

"What do you eat if you don't eat this? Now that the imperial court is in difficulty, it is not easy to make sure that everyone has enough food and clothing. Liu Xie replied casually, and added: "There are many people who want to eat this but can't eat it." To be a man is to be content, to be content and happy. ”

"The Holy Lord is the Son of Heaven, this food is too ordinary, right?" Guo Jia said with some disbelief.

When Liu Xie heard this, he said to Guo Jia: "Fengxiao, although I am not as old as you, don't treat me as an ignorant child, then you will suffer." Of course, I know that meat is better than vegetables, but now the people can't even eat and wear, what do you think I can swallow? If Wen and I don't treat you as outsiders, we also hope that you don't isolate yourself. ”

“…… Guo Jia was rude and asked the saint to forgive his sins. Seeing this, Guo Jia got up and saluted Liu Xie and pleaded guilty.

"It's okay, my gas is not so narrow. Tell me what Cao Cao wanted to do when you came? Liu Xie waved his hand and asked Guo Jia to sit down.

Guo Jia replied when he heard this: "My lord ordered Jia to come to Chang'an to do two things, one is the invasion of Yanzhou by Lu Bu, and I hope the imperial court can give an explanation; The second is that my lord hopes to get an official appointment from the imperial court and become the pastor of Yanzhou. ”

"Hmm...... I remember that before Lu Bu attacked Yanzhou, the imperial court had already announced that he had drawn a line with Lu Bu, as for why he attacked Yanzhou, it seems that Chen Gong and Zhang Miao under Cao Cao led the wolf into the house, what does it have to do with the imperial court? As for the second thing you said......" Liu Xie said this, looking at Xun Yu on the side.

Xun Yu understood, and said to Guo Jia in a loud voice: "Fengxiao, Ming people don't say secret words, why does Cao Cao want to be recognized by the imperial court at this time?" Since Dong Zhuo's chaotic government, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and others have all led the state pastor, when to seek the opinion of the imperial court, at this time, it really makes people suspect that they have other plans. ”

Guo Jia looked at Liu Xie when he heard this, and Liu Xie smiled when he saw this: "Don't look at me, what Wen Ruo asked is what I want to know." According to what I know about Cao Mengde, he is not a master who is willing to bow his head to others easily. ”

"......" Guo Jia was silent for a moment, and then he spoke: "Lu Bu disturbed Yanzhou, and the Yanzhou family has many betrayals, although my lord has recaptured Yanzhou, but the people's hearts are unstable. At this time, Yanzhou was troubled, the grain harvest failed, and the locust plague appeared again, and my lord wanted the family to help the disaster, but he lacked a name. ”

"Huh...... So Cao Mengde wants to save the people in the name of the imperial court? Liu Xie and Xun Yu glanced at each other, and Liu Xie asked with a smile.

"Exactly."

"Then how is Cao Mengde going to save the people? Although Yanzhou is not under the rule of the imperial court now, it is also a citizen of my Han Dynasty, and as the son of the Han Dynasty, I will naturally not ignore it. ”

“…… What does the Holy Providence mean? ”

"It's okay if you want the name of the state pastor, and you can save the people if you want to, but Cao Mengde must agree to a few conditions for the court." Liu Xie looked at Guo Jia and said.

"Holy Ones, please speak clearly."

"First." Liu Xie raised a finger, "Since Cao Mengde wants to save the people, then the imperial court will allocate 100,000 stone grain to Yanzhou, but Cao Mengde must assure the imperial court that most of the 100,000 stone grain must be used to save the people, not be left by him for his own use." ”

"Second." Without waiting for Guo Jia to answer, Liu Xie raised another finger and said: "In order to supervise the use of the 100,000 stone grain, the imperial court will send someone to supervise, Cao Mengde must ensure the personal safety of the supervisor, and after the completion of the distribution of grain, the supervisor must be released and returned to the court." And before the overseer returns to the court, you Guo Fengxiao need to stay in Chang'an. ”

"Uh...... This ......" Guo Jia hesitated a little when he heard this.

"Don't hesitate Feng Xiao, what you are good at is not internal affairs, and going back will not help much." Liu Xie didn't give Guo Jia time to refuse, and then said: "Third, although 100,000 stone grain looks like a lot, it will take at least four months for Yanzhou to survive until spring, and relying on this 100,000 stone grain alone is tantamount to a drop in the bucket." The imperial court will reset the two counties of Henan and Hongnong, and Cao Mengde needs to let go of the Tiger Prison Pass and allow the people of Yanzhou to go to the two counties. ”

"Nope." Guo Jia refused without hesitation. Other conditions may be agreed, but this is the only one. What is the war fought? The bravery of the soldiers and the wisdom of the strategists are not the most important, but the people are the root of the war. No people means no soldiers, no food and grass, how can you still make a fart!

Guo Jia insisted on disagreeing, and Liu Xie didn't insist anymore when he saw this, resetting the two counties of Henan and Hongnong to accept refugees from Yanzhou, even if Cao Cao didn't open the Tiger Prison Pass, it was nothing, it was a big deal to accept refugees from other places. As long as Cao Cao agrees to the first two conditions, then don't try to prevent Yanzhou refugees from flowing into Henan and Hongnong.

Guo Jia excused himself to report the matter to Cao Cao as soon as possible and resigned Liu Xie's retention, and after Guo Jia left, Xun Yu frowned and asked Liu Xie: "My lord, the imperial court has limited finances, and it may be impossible to reset the two counties of Hongnong and Henan." ”

"Huh...... Wen Ruo doesn't have to worry, the money and grain for governing Hongnong and Henan counties may not necessarily have to be paid by the imperial court. Liu Xie said with a smile.

"Who is the lord looking for?"

"Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are in a similar situation to Cao Cao, and now their official positions are self-employed, and seeing that Cao Cao has been officially appointed by the imperial court, they are likely to be unable to sit still. Even if Yuan Shu is not moved, Yuan Shao, who is dedicated to pomp and circumstance, will definitely send someone to come, and then Wen Ruo will slaughter him. ”

“…… What if neither of them sends? ”

"That's not afraid, I can ask the Zhen family to help buy food in various places, anyway, there is still a little money left in the treasury, and it is scrap copper and rotten iron there, so it is better to take it out and do something meaningful." Oh, by the way, although the imperial court intends to help the refugees, it can't help in vain. At this time, when the farming season is not busy, young people can be selected from among the refugees to work for relief. ”

"Cash-for-work?" Xun Yu couldn't help but feel interested when he heard this, and after a little thought, he understood Liu Xie's intentions, and asked, "The lord wants to rebuild Luoyang?" ”

Unexpectedly, Liu Xie shook his head, "Where in Luoyang can be repaired in a day or two, not to mention that even if Luoyang recovers as before, I will not choose to move the capital at this time." Wen Ruo, within ten years, I will not wave my army eastward. ”

"Why?"

"Iron still needs to be hard, the court now looks good in the eyes of outsiders, but you are the court Situ, what kind of foundation the court is, I think you know better than anyone else. My thinking remains the same, first the west and then the east, and the west is not just to solve Han Sui and Ma Teng, I want to reopen the Western Regions and restore the Silk Road. As for the east, it is better to hand it over to Cao Cao and Yuan Shao and the princes to fight for first. Rather than solving them one by one, it is better to wait until there is only one left. And in my opinion, in ten years, they may not be able to become a standout. ”

“…… The lord is not worried that their tails will not fall off? ”

"A ten-year expedition may be temporarily united because of our troops, but it may not be a sincere cooperation. During the Warring States period, the six countries jointly attacked Qin, what was the result? Liu Xie smiled confidently.

“…… Now that the lord has made up his mind, who can be the candidate for the county guards of Hongnong and Henan? ”

"What does Wen Ruo think of Zhang Ji and Yang Fu?" Liu Xie asked when he heard this.

Zhang Jizi Derong, Feng Yi Gaoling; Yang Fu Ziyi Mountain, Tianshui Ji County. Both of them were recommended by the local government this summer to be filial piety, and after they arrived in Chang'an, they were arranged by Liu Xie to work under Xun Yu, and Xun Yu was clear about the abilities of these two.

"Hmm...... The two of them are indeed up to the task. I originally thought that the main guild would recommend Buqi, but I didn't expect the main guild to choose these two. ”

"Zishan, I am going to let him go to Yanzhou on behalf of the imperial court, but when he returns, I will appoint him separately."

"What does the lord want to do?" Xun Yu asked curiously when he heard this.

"Wen Ruo, what do you think of the Black Mountain thief?"

“…… Lord, Yuan Shao has been eyeing the annexation of the state, and he is preparing to recover the annexation at this time, is it a bit rushed? Xun Yu frowned and asked.

"Wen Ruo misunderstood, I didn't plan to merge the state, I planned to want the Black Mountain Thief. Although Bingzhou still nominally belongs to our Han Dynasty now, the Huns' erosion of Bingzhou over the years has been very serious, so leave it to Yuan Shao to play. We only need people, not land. ”

"Back then, the imperial court had sealed the Montenegrin thief Zhang Yan as a difficult general, and when the princes united to fight against Dong, Zhang Yan also led the Montenegrin thief to participate in it. It's just that this black mountain thief is a thief after all, and it is still possible to nominally submit to the imperial court, but it is not so easy to get him to hand over his people. ”

"Hmm...... What Wen Ruo said also makes sense. However, the Black Mountain thieves were also Han people before they became thieves, and I believe that if the imperial court is willing to accept them again, many of them will be willing to obey the arrangements of the imperial court from now on, and the white wave thieves are not the best example. ”

“…… How is the lord going to settle those black mountain thieves? It is said that the Black Mountain thieves are known to the outside world as a million people, even if there is water in this number, but there are probably still three or four hundred thousand people. ”

"If you don't have to worry about this Wen Ruo, there is no land to divide in your hands, the northwest is vast and sparsely populated, and the number of Han people is not much, the imperial court wants to strengthen its control over the northwest, the best way is to increase the number of Han people, but it is difficult to leave the homeland, and it is not easy to let those people who have settled down in Guanzhong move their families again. But the Black Mountain thieves are different, they have their own fields, and they are protected by the Han army, so they will not be too picky about where they are arranged. ”

"Lord, at present, Liangzhou in the northwest is still occupied by Han Sui and Ma Teng, are you thinking too long-term?"

"I didn't say that I was going to recruit the Black Mountain thieves soon. What is the attitude of Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Thief towards the imperial court, you and I are still unclear, first send someone to contact him to find out his tone, and then we will decide how to recruit the Black Mountain Thief. And before that, we need to solve the problem in Yanzhou first. Liu Xie said with a smile.

……

meanwhile

Guo Jia, who had returned to the post house, had already handed over the written letter to his entourage, and told him uneasily: "Cao Peng, this letter is very urgent, you must send it to the lord as quickly as possible, and you must not delay." ”

"Don't worry, Cao Peng understands." Cao Peng agreed, put the letter close to him, turned around and walked out. Guo Jia sent Cao Peng to the door, "Be careful all the way, go early and return early." ”

"Take care of the military advisor, Cao Peng will go." Cao Peng immediately hugged Guo Jia's fist and urged the horse to leave.

Seeing Cao Peng leave with several people, Guo Jia returned to the post house, and his mind began to recall today's meeting with the Son of Heaven. Strictly speaking, the meeting with the Son of Heaven was not pleasant for Guo Jia. But the more this is the case, the more Guo Jia dare not underestimate the Son of Heaven. originally thought that the Son of Heaven was a young man who didn't know the sufferings of the people, but now it seems that he was wrong, and the lord was probably wrong. Recalling the process of meeting with the Son of Heaven, Guo Jia was surprised to find that the initiative of the conversation between the two sides had always been controlled by the Son of Heaven.