Liu Bei rode Lu out of the house, and Chen Zhi went all the way to Xiangyang, and met a Confucian student halfway and chatted a few words.

In addition, there was no abnormality, and when Liu Bei arrived in Xiangyang, he found that it was really a banquet to commend his achievements in Xinye, and Liu Biao also specially asked his son Liu Qi to accompany him.

It should be to introduce the two of them, so that the relationship between Liu Bei and Liu Qi will be slightly better, and in the future, it will be better to assist Liu Qi in governing the government, which will make Cai Mao, who was also at the banquet, unhappy.

Cai's support is naturally the son Liu Cong born to Mrs. Cai, although he is not very old now, they feel that since they have an heir, of course they can compete for the person in power in the future, Liu Cong can be the lord of Jingzhou, and Cai's own eminence.

However, Liu Qi has now slowly gained the name of talent and learning, and he is quite loved by Liu Biao, although he has no family support behind him, he may not be able to get the position of Jingzhou.

Liu Bei understood the intention of this banquet, and he had a plan in his heart.

"Liu Biao knows that he can't end the troubled times and keep his family business, and he has reasons not to reconcile with Dongwu and Cao Cao."

"Yes, the only way to keep the family business is to give it to the heirs."

"Heirs, how important."

Liu Bei sighed deeply, he still has no heirs, and of course, he doesn't have any family business.

Liu Qi is the master of the Ming, benevolent and courteous, and respects himself, but the Cai family will definitely deliberately make things difficult and assassinate Liu Qi, and there will definitely be a dark cloud in Jingzhou in the future, it is not so simple.

At this moment, Liu Bei did not return to Xinye immediately, but went to the secluded mountain lake grassland near Xiangyang, and went to see Sima Hui again, this time he met Huang Chengyan, who was also a celebrity, and had a good conversation all night, and Huang Laohan sat for less than a moment, and then left.

Liu Bei wanted to see if there were any other hermits here, but unfortunately he still didn't see them.

There are many young celebrities in Jingzhou, and there are many who have become famous, and there are people who have written on strategy, and there is a person named Pang Tong who is admired by Pang Degong, but unfortunately Liu Bei has only heard of the name, but he has not seen it, and no one has introduced it.

Although Sima Hui is highly respected and has a lot of friends, he has no intention of helping Liu Bei introduce him, every time Liu Bei has this intention, he is smiling and silent. Liu Bei was not easy to persecute, so he could only give up, but Sima Hui did not refuse Liu Bei to come here to visit, and there was no taboo in the content of the two chatting, political affairs, military affairs, and local cultural affairs.

As the night was getting deeper, Liu Bei got up and clenched his fists, left the grass house, and went back to Xinye.

At this time, a person came out of the inner hall, he had been waiting for a long time, he was not too old, his beard was graceful, he was wearing a beige robe, a sword at his waist, his expression was handsome, his eyebrows were slightly sharp, his hair was tied on his head, his body was neat but he smelled of wine, and at first glance he was a person who liked to drink.

"Yuan Zhi."

Sima Hui smiled and quipped: "This Uncle Liu Huang, the person you want to come to find is you." ”

"He can't find Wolong, but Feng Xiao has no intention of returning to live here, and he is waiting for the situation to change."

"Only you, the idle cloud and wild crane, do you want to live here?"

"The students are still thinking, and they always feel that although this Uncle Liu Huang is benevolent, he is not the master of the student's destiny."

Before Liu Bei traveled to Xiangyang, Xu Shu had already taken a look, and said a few words, that is, a few homely words, and laughed about metaphysics.

It is said that Liu Bei will be in trouble when he goes to Xiangyang, but Xu Shu has seen the situation clearly, so he is making a fool of himself.

The situation in Xiangyang is not difficult to see, the Cai family, the Kuai family, and the Huang family have been fighting for power for a long time, among which the daughter of the Cai family can marry the elderly Liu Biao and have children, which will have the upper hand, and the rest of the families will of course unite together to suppress the power of the Liu family.

In that year, Liu Biaoyi rode into Jingzhou, locked the iron across the river, swept vertically and horizontally, cleared up the injustices and internal troubles in the territory, and ensured the peace of many scholars.

But the surface is bright, in fact, where is it so simple, although Liu Biao has stabilized and strengthened the Jingzhou lands, but he is also tied up in Jingzhou, hundreds of thousands of troops are stationed in Jingzhou, but he needs the support of major families to go to war in the real war.

"This Uncle Liu Huang may not be able to take Jingzhou for his own use, and he may not be able to suppress the entire Jingzhou clan."

"Not necessarily," Sima Huile stretched out his hand, stroked his beard, looked at Xu Shu with a smile and said: "Yuan Zhiyou has been studying for a long time, he has learned something, he has excellent talents in the art of war and internal governance, and he also knows the Yin and Yang Xuan of Qimen, and his swordsmanship is even more superb, why is he hesitating in front of Uncle Liu Huang, when it is time to live, he will take shelter, and seek a place to live in troubled times, this may be Yuan Zhi's last chance." ”

"I don't know," Xu Shu shook his head with a wry smile, sat beside Sima Hui and whispered: "The student only thinks that the fate with the imperial uncle is probably not deep......

"Perhaps, you are a little more indifferent."

"Let's take a look at it again, if he has really had such a pious intention in the past few years, buried deep in his heart, and has enough vision, it is not impossible to try."

"Okay, students will think about it."

Xu Shu bowed deeply, drank a small glass of wine on the case, and looked at the ground with distant eyes, as if he was thinking in a daze again.

This person is Xu Shu, who has fled from Yingchuan for several years, and he didn't dare to carry the lawsuit when he killed people and ran away, and he was afraid that he would affect the old mother at home, so he entrusted his mother to his friend Guo Jia to take care of.

I heard that Guo Jia shined in Guandu, and he has been crowned above the sons of Jizhou, and Guo Tu, the head of the same clan, can only survive in the land of merging states, but Guo Jia is the king of Xudu Mansion, and he is the internal trouble on the side of the Son of Heaven.

I don't know if my mother can still have a stable life, I think Guo Jia should be taken care of as his own mother as in the past, which Xu Shu is confident in.

is this unknown thing, he understands that he and Liu Bei are just a very short fate.

Once Guo Jia learned where he was, he would send someone to write a letter to hold him accountable and order him to return to his hometown to meet his mother.

At that time, the uneasiness of unfilial piety for many years will all be turned into guilt and go back to confess.

"Alas," Xu Shu sighed, his mood becoming more and more complicated.

I don't know where my skills are, but now that I have returned to Yingchuan, whether the lawsuit has been eliminated.

I took a sip of wine and forgot about these things for the time being.

……

Xudu, the recovery of business in various places, the people are extremely jubilant, and many places have a bumper harvest, and the money and grain are sent to the prime minister's mansion after being put into the warehouse.

In the autumn leaves courtyard, Cao Cao looked at the fallen leaves in front.

There is the left general Cao Chun beside him, and the former general Cao Ren in front.

"The army wants 120,000 stone grain and grass, just ask the prime minister to allocate it, and garrison it in Yecheng." Cao Ren said in a deep voice.

"The defenders of Puyang, I asked for 200,000 stones for General Yuanrang, and rewarded the three armies to commend the tens of thousands of soldiers who died and died for glory that year."

Cao Hong also stood up and sincerely requested.

When the autumn harvest comes, almost all of them are like this, and the generals of each department ask for most of the military rations, rewards and troop relocation, everything is money and food.

They want a lot of money.

Cao Cao generally gives.

In the past, he still asked the Son of Heaven in front of the court, but now he doesn't open his mouth, and he comes directly to Cao Cao to ask for it.

The Cao clan all understood that when their own family was in power, it should be the easiest to ask for money and food.

The merit in the future must also be the most.

If there is too much money and food, the army can naturally be expanded, and other generals with foreign surnames are not in power, and the Cao generals will naturally have a dispute.

Cao Cao knew it.

The main thing is that the food and grass they ask for every time they come is very reasonable, and they will not exceed too much to be blamed and scolded.

There are indeed a lot, which can reward the three armies, boost the morale of the army, and make the place where they are stationed and the army expand to eat.

If you want to expand the army, you need to have enough food, or money, in short, "fortune money", these things make the people who join the army have a head, and what they want is to occupy resources.

It doesn't matter if there is a real shortage of food in the army, let's talk about it first.

Cao Cao laughed happily, took a few steps with his back hand, glanced at Cao Ren, and then at Cao Hong.

He sighed in a deep voice: "Bowen has just obtained Zhang Yan's 160,000 soldiers and horses, and the selection is reduced to 90,000. ”

"You are starting to ask for the autumn harvest now, don't you dare to let him have something?"

"No," Cao Ren replied coldly, clenching his fists and bowing.

"Of course not, what did you say, Prime Minister?"

Cao Hong and Cao Ren glanced at each other, one was cold, and the other shook his head impatiently, trying to deny it.

This kind of thing can't be admitted, but now the generals are tacitly thinking so, Xu Zhen is really terrifying, there were not so many soldiers and horses before, and it was terrifying enough to make a contribution.

And now the Black Mountain Army, which has 90,000 Zhang Yan, is still a strong man who has been selected to remove the old and weak soldiers, these soldiers already have rich combat experience when they were bandits, and they are extremely cunning on the battlefield.

and the Qingzhou soldiers of the year.

What came to be the Qingzhou soldiers? Most of them are tiger and leopard riders, these people have given them armaments, and they really forget about life and death in the future, and they are only loyal to the old master!

These 90,000 soldiers and horses must not become elite! Once Xu Zhen becomes Xu Zhen, there will be no restrictions, what to use to cut Xu Zhen's military power, he is Jizhou Mu again, and he is really turned upside down.

"Prime Minister, we naturally understand that Bowen has just obtained 90,000 soldiers and horses, but shouldn't the soldiers under our command be rewarded and compensated?"

Cao Ren's words, quiet and steady, without emotion, and dare not have the intention of coercion, he has followed Cao Cao for many years, knows how to speak, and if he is a little unwilling, he will be scolded immediately.

But if it is reasonable, it is clear that he grabbed money and food and did not give it to Xu Zhen, and he will not be blamed.

Because the lord is the lord, it's not bad to pretend to be stupid occasionally to see how to break the game, and he also wants to see that someone can defeat Xu Zhen and suppress him.

None of the ministers of the Cao family could suppress Xu Zhen, and Cao Cao, who was the lord, had to come forward in everything, which was a hidden danger.

Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Xuan, Cao Zhen, and Cao Ang are six parts, and now there are a total of 460,000 soldiers and horses.

Cao Cao directly commanded 300,000 elite soldiers, and Cao Chun was the commander of the tiger and leopard cavalry.

These soldiers and horses are scattered and garrisoned in various places, a total of eight large military camps, and the number is still increasing, and the annual cost is huge, relying on the people to support.

Coupled with the general with a foreign surname, it can really be called a million army to the outside world.

Of course, if you want to forcibly gather a million troops, unless all the more than 20 counties are not defended by soldiers and horses.

This is an impossible situation.

Cao Cao understood how rich and powerful he was now, and he also knew what these clan ministers were worried about.

But he still laughed softly: "If you want to be polite and courteous, the food can be put on the book and book platform, and presented to the Son of Heaven for reading, and it will be allocated." ”

"It's okay, let's go."

Cao Cao raised his chin and said in a deep voice: "The invincible army is arrogant, the war has not stopped, and the second Yuan is still there, although it is not a climate, it is still a great enemy." ”

"As for Bowen, I haven't received his request for money and food reward, so don't worry."

Except for Eryuan as an enemy.

There is also a reason why it is necessary to train the troops, because the surge in troops in this year comes from the annexation of Yuan Shao's old troops and the recruitment of new local strong men, and these people still need a lot of training before the military strength can be solid, and the elite people will be selected and promoted to generals step by step.

Hearing Cao Cao's words, Cao Ren's face did not change, but Cao Hong blushed uncomfortably, and his legs and feet began to move unconsciously, and he couldn't stand still.

was broken by the Tao, and I was uneasy in my heart, and I didn't dare to stay here to listen to Cao Cao anymore, as if I felt that if I said one more word, I would break my heart and let out a lot of nonsense, and I would be caught and scolded.

"Let's go."

Cao Cao turned his head and glanced at the two of them, as if he was smiling rather than smiling, as if he was watching the excitement.

After the two generals of the Cao clan left, Guo Jia came to his side and whispered, "Bowen has no two hearts. ”

"Of course I do."

Cao Cao responded quietly, "The general trend is in hand, see if they can become a climate." ”

"It doesn't hurt to see."

When Guo Jia heard this, of course he was silent, since the lord knew it, he didn't say anything more.

……

Cheongha-gun.

After the expansion of the army, Jizhou failed to collect money and grain, and took care of the people, but not the soldiers in the army.

If the 90,000 Montenegrin army is not rewarded as soon as possible, or if they benefit their families, the mutiny will not be possible, but it will be difficult to accept their hearts in the future.

Xu Zhen and Zhuge Liang harvested a crop of leeks in the field, the two of them collected the hoe, rolled down their trouser legs, and walked all the way to the pavilion outside, Zhuge Liang wiped his sweat and asked, "Master, why don't you ask the Son of Heaven for money and food?" ”

Xu Zhen smiled and said, "Think about it carefully and ask again." ”

Zhuge Liang really thought about it, and after two breaths, he suddenly paused, and then said: "Yes, the 90,000 Black Mountain thieves are attached, this matter is enough to shock the government and the opposition, and the clan generals will definitely not be able to sit still." ”

"They will ask for money and food to occupy their own soldiers and horses first, and after this year's autumn harvest, although there is little fighting, we will also reward and compensate for last year's war, and everyone is waiting."

"With the prosperity of the expansion of the army, the people's taxes and the harvest of money in various places, but it is just a reward for the army, and it is a political achievement to really not let Xu Du bother, and even if you want it now, you will not have anything, and the response is only a sentence, find a way by yourself, or tens of thousands of stone grain to quench your thirst."

"So what to do?"

Xu Zhen squatted on the stone on the side of the tea stall, one hand hanging on his knee and stretched out, as if he was holding something between his fingers, and his expression was tangled and slightly sad.

Zhuge Liang's eyes turned, and he immediately said: "Tiangong Academy, designed incense, wooden cars, wooden tables and other things, as well as cool brocade mats, strange goods can live." ”

Xu Zhen's face finally returned to normal, got up and patted Zhuge Liang's shoulder, "That's right, that's what I'm waiting for." ”

"Eh, there's one thing I don't understand, if you're willing to take bribes, our lives may not be so difficult."

"Get out."

Eight and a half years.

It is not even a decade, and there will be surprises if you persist for ten years.

Xu Zhen counted silently, insisting on being upright and not disobeying.

Isn't it just poor, I was so poor back then, and now I can eat enough and I'm afraid of this.

"What are those clan generals doing in Xu Du? Why should you be jealous of Master. ”

"It's not jealousy, it's fear."

Xu Zhen smiled indifferently, "It's right to be afraid, people's seven emotions and six desires are here, and they are the real world." ”

"Tsk, it's boring, it's boring," Zhuge Liang touched the little beard that came out of his chin, looking bored, "It's still poor and good back then, and I didn't have to fight for interests, but now I have won a large piece of territory, but I have to be on guard." ”

"Interesting, interesting."

Zhuge Liang got up with a smile and left, it is estimated that he will not cut it in the afternoon, he has to go to take care of this matter with Chen Deng, the officials are not vassals in the hall, and they personally take care of the business affairs in the Tiangong courtyard, and there is only Jizhou like this.

(End of chapter)