Chapter 667: Where in the world can there be eternal prosperity?
Following the imperial edict, Jizhou suddenly fell into a tense situation. However, this was not a decisive battle between two princes, but a showdown between two major military groups.
Although Liu Bei was reluctant, military affairs are a continuation of politics. No matter how much he disliked Gongsun Zan's behavior, he had to stand with Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shu. This is politics, and sometimes you cannot do things according to your own preferences.
After obtaining investment from the Lu family, Liu Bei got what he had always lacked, a large number of grassroots officials.
This made him truly become the master of a region from a wandering warlord. If we ignore General Zhang Yan, who guards the east, he would be the master of Qingzhou.
It has to be said that Qingzhou is Liu Bei's blessed land. From the various kingdoms scattered throughout the state, it can be seen that there are many Liu clansmen here, and among these clansmen there are many accomplished people.
As he continues to gain momentum, these Liu clan members will gradually become great helpers to him.
Liu Bei's great Confucian teacher was also a famous scholar in Qingzhou. Many of his fellow disciples came to help him. He got all the help from his clan, relatives, teachers and students in Qingzhou.
However, since ancient times, perhaps because of the many disasters, the people in Qingzhou have been brave and many of them have become bandits.
It is recorded in the history books: "In terms of their old customs, people are quite strong and frivolous, and their scholars are resolute and like to travel with guests. This is probably the custom of Luo and Chu, and it is generally the same as Xu and Yan."
After the Taiping Uprising broke out, the so-called strongest bandits entrenched in Qingzhou were not actually the Qingzhou Taiping Army, but those powerful families.
It was precisely because those powerful families who had their own troops and private soldiers targeted the gentry who held the power to interpret the scriptures that the Qingzhou gentry suffered such heavy losses, with five to six out of ten killed. Even the Lu family suffered heavy losses, and their quick acceptance of Liu Bei was not unrelated to this situation.
Apart from Liu Bei's power, he definitely had no problem protecting one side, and Liu Bei was a very benevolent person, which was one of the types of lords that the ministers liked most.
Most of the bandits that Liu Bei eliminated when he pacified Qingzhou were these kinds of bandits, such as the Taishan bandits.
Moreover, his crackdown could not be said to be clean. It was simply impossible to do so. It could only be said to be a combination of suppression and appeasement. If you look closely, you can see that there are semi-independent people existing in Qingzhou.
However, this situation has made everyone quite satisfied. This kind of banditry exists in the territories of all the princes, and no one can completely wipe them out.
In the process of suppressing the rebellion in Qingzhou, Liu Bei gained a fierce general who was capable of fighting against ten thousand men, Taishi Ci of Donglai, who was able to fight against Zhang Fei without being at a disadvantage. This was the biggest surprise that Qingzhou brought him.
The only thing that made Liu Bei feel a little disappointed was that although he now had a number of civil officials under his command, he had not yet found a wise strategist who could rule the world.
Taishan County, Fenggao County.
Liu Bei was sitting in the room. There were seven people in total, five of whom were old men from the Yuancong faction who had followed Liu Bei all the way, Guan, Zhang, and Zhao, as well as Jian, Yong, and Liu Yan.
The other two are Taishi Ci and Lu Shen from the Qingzhou faction. To some extent, Taishi Ci was very lucky. He was not from a wealthy family, nor did he study Confucian classics. It would have been difficult for someone with such an identity to rise to power, but he happened to arrive at the time when Liu Bei had just taken control of Qingzhou.
When Liu Bei took control of Qingzhou, he naturally needed a group of outstanding scholars from Qingzhou to serve in the government. The brave Taishi Ci appeared in the eyes of the Qingzhou gentry at this time. Because of his military talent, he suddenly became a person that the Qingzhou gentry could rely on for military power.
As long as he proves his worth in the future, marrying a daughter of the Lu family will be his future, and then he will rise to prominence and become a figure in Liu Bei's group who is no weaker than Guan and Zhang.
As for Lu Shen, it can be seen from his surname that he is from the Lu family and is Liu Bei's brother-in-law.
After Liu Bei became the governor of Qingzhou, he served as the representative of the Qingzhou gentry and was appointed as the Beijia Attendant. In the entire Liu Bei group, his status was even higher than that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei's two sworn brothers.
Looking at the seven people in front of him, he said, "Everyone, Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao have already led their troops to Jizhou, and the situation is tense. Cao Cao in Yanzhou has also raised his troops.
Taishan County was originally the location of the Yanzhou Provincial Administration, and was transferred to the Qingzhou Provincial Administration during the Later Han Dynasty. How could Cao Cao give up Taishan County when he occupied most of Yanzhou?
We have no choice but to send troops to fight Cao Cao.
Taishan County must not be lost, otherwise the door to Xuzhou will be opened to Cao Cao, which is absolutely not allowed! "
As soon as Xuzhou was mentioned, everyone's eyes and faces suddenly became serious. Yanzhou used to border Xuzhou, but as Taishan County and Yinghou State were incorporated into Qingzhou Prefecture, Yanzhou and Xuzhou were separated by Qingzhou and Yuzhou.
Even those who are not very knowledgeable about the general situation in the world know how important the land of Xuzhou is. Without controlling Xuzhou, there will be no access to the north and the south. If it were not for the Xuzhou gentry rejecting Liu Bei, Liu Bei would have gone south to Xuzhou long ago.
Lu Shen hesitated for a moment and asked, "Xuan De, how many elite troops are you going to send?"
The price Qingzhou would have to pay for a war of this magnitude would be extremely high, and the number of elite troops would determine how much force would have to be mobilized. Even a family with assets worth billions would not be able to withstand many wars.
Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, glanced at Lu Shen, and then said: "Thirty thousand elite troops. If you don't have thirty thousand elite troops, it will be difficult to defeat Cao Cao."
Thirty thousand!
Lu Shen was silent for a moment. Many times it was not that there were no more elite soldiers, but that the food and fodder could not withstand the loss of elite soldiers, and the cost of maintaining the soldiers who were off duty was too great.
Judging from the current situation in Qingzhou, it is somewhat difficult to support 30,000 elite troops, plus auxiliary troops, etc. The Qingzhou gentry and powerful families need to put in more effort.
After all, these 30,000 people will not just fight for a month, but will most likely have to confront each other for one or two years or even longer. This puts a huge pressure on logistics, and Qingzhou just can't afford to delay now, after all, they haven't been able to farm properly for a long time because of the war.
Lu Shen thought about it and realized that the investment was too big. If Liu Bei lost the war, Lu's family might lose more than a quarter of their assets. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Xuan De, what do you think of Zhang Yan?"
Zhang Yan was once a member of the Taiping Army. He followed Zhang Jue and participated in the Taiping Struggle that overthrew the Mandate of Han. Now he is a vassal of Qingzhou except Liu Bei.
When Lu Shen asked this, Liu Bei knew what he meant. He wanted to form an alliance with Zhang Yan and let Zhang Yan assist him in the battle. Liu Bei hesitated for a moment and said, "Zhang Yan is now a general of the imperial court. He has eradicated the bandits in Qingzhou. He is a hero. I respect him very much."
Upon hearing this, Lu Shen clapped his hands and said with a smile: "In that case, I will send an envoy to contact Zhang Yan. If we can form an alliance with Zhang Yan, our pressure will be reduced instantly."
Everyone began to discuss the issue of sending troops from Taishan County. After Lu Shen and Taishi Ci left, Guan, Zhang, Zhao and other ministers stayed in the room.
Liu Bei then said with some emotion: "When I first joined the King's crusade against Zhang Jue, how could I have imagined that this day would come?
Becoming a governor, commanding tens of thousands of elite soldiers, all the lofty ambitions I had when I left Youzhou seem to be coming true."
Hearing Liu Bei's sigh, everyone present seemed to recall the difficult years back then, and then heard Liu Bei say leisurely: "But can we sit back and relax now?
The reason I am now in charge of Qingzhou is because of the appreciation of Marquis Ying, Marquis Lu and Duke Qi. They treat me well because of my past reputation as a fighter and my bloodline of the Liu family.
But this kind treatment has its limits. I am not the only Liu clan member in this world. There are countless of them in Qingzhou alone. It’s just that they don’t have the same experience as me.
If we fail in this war against Cao Cao, the Lu family will definitely increase their strength and give us another chance.
If we keep losing, who will continue to support us? If we fail, will the Qingzhou nobles be disappointed in us?
Who can say for sure?
Although the Lu family was powerful, there was never any unity among the gentry.
Yuan Shao's family background was high enough, and the nobles did not hesitate to betray him, not to mention that I was only Lu's son-in-law.
You all followed me from humble beginnings, and it’s been hard for you to get to your current positions.
We must win the next war. Only by continuing to win will we receive more support.
I want to retrace the path of Emperor Guangwu, but I cannot afford any failure."
Liu Bei's words were truly from the bottom of his heart. Guan Yu understood Liu Bei's heart best. He knew that Liu Bei was too anxious about the future, so he said in a serious tone: "Brother, we have come all the way from humble beginnings. We dared to risk our lives to face the invincible Zhang Jue.
Marquis Ying, Duke Qi and Marquis Lu all appreciate you. Isn't it because you are a hero of the time?
Although Cao Cao acted like a hero, he is still far inferior to you. He forcibly relocated the people in the west of Henan County and used cruel means when he pacified Yanzhou, which is enough to show his true nature.
You have always been famous for your benevolence. You can distinguish between good and evil even when facing a group of bandits. You will never forgive those who harm the people. You understand loyalty and righteousness, and you will give away your clothes and food. Therefore, the bandits in Qingzhou admire your reputation and benevolence.
Ziyi came all the way from Donglai County to join the army just because he heard about your benevolence. Isn't this the truth that those who are in the right will have many supporters, while those who are in the wrong will have few?
Now you are a benevolent person, and the soldiers in the army love you. Cao Cao controlled Yanzhou by relying on severe punishments and his cruel reputation. When our army arrives, won’t Cao’s army be defeated?
I am willing to serve as your vanguard and defeat Cao's vanguard!"
Hearing Guan Yu's words, Liu Bei could not help but pat his arm. Guan Yu was not only his brother, but also his favorite general. Especially after Liu Bei discovered that Guan Yu had a particularly strong learning ability, he focused on training Guan Yu in the direction of a corps commander. After the Qingzhou battle, Guan Yu had become a general who could stand on his own.
"Second brother, you have a calm personality, so you should lead the army. Let third brother be the vanguard, he is the most suitable one."
Zhang Fei heard Liu Bei's words and laughed. He didn't know whether Liu Bei was praising him or insulting him, but it didn't matter. He smiled and clasped his fists and said, "Brother, what Second Brother said just now is what I think too!"
As soon as Zhang Fei said this, everyone in the room burst into laughter. Liu Bei's worries were swept away. Jian Yong said directly: "My lord, don't worry. It is so rare to find such a brave general in the world.
You have the Second General, the Third General, and General Zhao under your command. Now you have a powerful general like Ziyi who can defeat thousands of enemies. Why should you worry about not being able to accomplish your great cause? "
Liu Bei laughed heartily and said, "I am worrying too much. Drink this wine, and we will march eastwards to restore the Han Dynasty. This battle will begin!"
Everyone raised their glasses and said, "Restore the Han Dynasty!"
But after Lü Shen and Taishi Ci walked out of the room, Taishi Ci looked back and sighed slightly. Lü Shen smiled and said, "Ziyi, do you feel that you are not as close to Xuande as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei?"
Taishi Ci was touched by what he said and said, "The Second and Third Generals are my sworn brothers, and General Zhao is a meritorious official. Naturally, I am inferior to them. This is human nature. My lord has already trusted me and valued me, and I am extremely grateful."
Lu Shen didn't care about Taishi Ci's slightly untrue words. When people live in this world, they will definitely be bound by their identities.
In any era, regional and master circles will never disappear.
Taishi Ci was from Donglai, Qingzhou, and was highly valued by Liu Bei because of the Lu family. So he was naturally a member of the Lu family. If he wanted to get rid of this identity, the price he was willing to pay would be too high, even devastating.
Taishi Ci was naturally very clear about this. As Lu Shen walked, he said, "In this battle with Cao Cao, Ziyi, you must bravely move forward. As long as you can make contributions, I will definitely recommend you. You will be the second legion commander after the second general, and before the third general. Xuande will understand.
When you really become the second commander of a large army under Xuande, I will find a marriage for you within my family or the Lu family of Jimo. Then you will be Xuande's brother-in-law. Do you think he will trust and use you more?
And you don't have to worry that Xuande will not be close to you. Now there are only the Yuancong faction and the Qingzhou faction. Do you think Xuande does not treat you as well as generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei? What if Xuande becomes powerful and occupies Xuzhou?
What if he occupies Yanzhou?
Faced with the newly joined Xuzhou and Yanzhou gentry, would Xuande not be close to you?
Now prepare well for the battle, don't think too much, you must win, only by winning can you have everything in the future, do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Taishi Ci immediately clasped his fists and said solemnly: "I understand. I will not let Cao's army set foot in Qingzhou!"
…
The Kingdom of England.
While Qingzhou and Yanzhou were at war, Yingzhou was peaceful and tranquil. Although the various princes fought each other with great intensity, the nature of the war was still a struggle for the right to speak among the princes within the Han Dynasty. Both the Yingchuan people represented by Xun Yu and the Yanzhou gentry represented by Chen Gong opposed implicating Yingzhou.
In particular, the Yinghou State only gave Liu Bei a letter and did not actually support Liu Bei. In this war, Yinghou remained neutral, so there was no need for Cao Cao to attack the Yinghou State and give himself a chance to be criticized.
As a result, the Yinghou Kingdom, which was supposed to be a small boat in the ocean, turned into a towering isolated island. Despite the wars and chaos in the outside world, the Yinghou Kingdom remained unmoved.
After Luo Qi got up and washed, he learned that his elder brother-in-law Mi Zhu had come to Yinghou State.
The marriage between Luo Qi and Mi Zhen was originally planned, but the sudden war interrupted the marriage.
Although Xuzhou did not participate in the war, it was equally uneasy.
Mi Zhu traveled all the way from Xuzhou to Yinghou State precisely because of the uneasy mood that permeated Xuzhou.
Mi Zhu waited anxiously for Luo Qi. After a while, Luo Qi appeared in the main hall. Mi Zhu immediately came up to him and said, "Zi Qi."
Luo Qi sat opposite Mi Zhu and asked, "Brother, is there anything important that brought you here?"
Mi Zhu sighed and said, "Zi Qi, now Qingzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou are gradually having their masters. The masters of these three places are eyeing Xuzhou covetously. What should we do?"
Luo Qi knew what Mi Zhu was worried about. Liu Bei in Qingzhou already had the Yuancong faction and Qingzhou gentry under his command. If he took control of Xuzhou, what status would the Xuzhou gentry have?
Xuzhou is a place with outstanding people and beautiful scenery, and people are unwilling to be inferior to others.
Therefore, although the Xuzhou gentry thought that Liu Bei was a good candidate, they secretly rejected him. However, there were quite a few scholars in Xuzhou who were impressed by Liu Bei's reputation and were prepared to go and join him.
The same logic applies to Cao Cao and Yuan Shu. These princes who are more promising already have their own teams. Even if they are more admired, more people still hope to invest in original shares.
Luo Qi hesitated for a moment and then said, "Brother, in my opinion, among all the heroes in the world, Liu Bei is the most suitable one to rule Xuzhou.
Liu Bei was a relative of the Han royal family. In Xuzhou there were the Lanling Xiao family and the Huaiyin Han family. These two families could compete with the Linzi Lu family and the Jimo Lu family in terms of reputation.
The power of the Qingzhou gentry is far weaker than that of the Xuzhou gentry. Liu Bei occupied Qingzhou, but until now he has not even had a strategist.
Xuzhou is different. I have traveled to Xuzhou. In the Zhuge family of Langya County of Xuzhou, there was a young man named Zhuge Jin who was very talented. He had no problem being Liu Bei's adviser, but I don't know if he still exists in Langya County.
Zhuge Jin's younger brother was named Zhuge Liang.
Although Zhuge Liang is still young, he is already quite extraordinary. As long as he grows up normally in the future, he will definitely be a man of great talent.
The Zhuge family was only a second-rate aristocratic family, but they had two talented people. How many other talented people there were who have never been seen? Who can say for sure?
Although the Qingzhou nobles were under Liu Bei's command at first, except for the generals of Yuan Cong, how can we say for sure who will be higher and who will be lower in the future?"
Mi Zhu was somewhat relieved after hearing this and said, "To be honest, brother-in-law, I have met Liu Bei once before, and I felt at that time that he was a hero. If he could take over Xuzhou, it would indeed be a good thing. Shall we go to welcome him to Xuzhou now?"
Luo Qi shook his head and said, "Of course not. Liu Bei and Cao Cao are about to start a war. If you welcome Liu Bei into Xuzhou now, will other families in Xuzhou agree?"
Mi Zhu was stunned, thought for a while and shook his head. He would definitely not agree. If he brought Liu Bei into Xuzhou now, he would not get any benefits. He would first have to provide food and soldiers to help him fight Cao Cao. Who would be willing to do this?
Luo Qi felt somewhat helpless. His elder brother-in-law was indeed a good businessman. He would have no problem becoming an official like the Minister of Commerce, but his analysis of these strange forces was really poor.
"Brother, come closer."
Mi Zhu came over, and Luo Qi told Mi Zhu what he had just thought of. After hearing this, a smile gradually appeared on Mi Zhu's face.
When Luo Qi finished speaking, he laughed out loud and said, "Brother-in-law, you are the most resourceful one. If you become the ruler of Xuzhou, then Xuzhou will be safe. When do you plan to marry Zhen'er?"
Luo Qi smiled and said, "Zhen'er should have entered Zhaocheng. Zhaocheng is not very far from Yinghou State. After this war is over, the world should calm down a little in a short time. Then I can marry Zhen'er."
Mi Zhu stood up and said with a smile: "Then I am waiting to drink the wedding wine of you and Zhen'er, so I won't bother you any more. I will leave Yinghou State and return to Xuzhou to appease public opinion."
Luo Qi also stood up and said, "It's important, Qi won't keep my brother."
The two of them walked out together, and Luo Qi sent Mi Zhu away. Looking at Mi Zhu's leaving figure, Luo Qi was silent for a long time, then turned around and returned to the middle school.
As soon as he entered the mansion, he saw his mother Luo Qian looking at him. Luo Qi walked over to greet him. Luo Qian asked, "Zi Zhong came to ask you about the situation in Xuzhou? Did you recommend Liu Bei to him?"
Luo Qi knew that his mother was always wise, so it was not surprising that she guessed it. Luo Qian then said, "Do you feel that it is difficult to restore the Han Dynasty?
The Mandate of the Han Dynasty was won by your great uncle!
Your great uncle is a god sent down from heaven. Throughout the 1,300-year history of the Luo family, there are very few people like him. He is even better than the two Lords Wen and Xuan.
If you could rebuild the Mandate of Han that he fought for with such difficulty, then you would be a person like Duke Wen and Duke Xuan and King Luo Wen.
You are not a person without talent, but what you are good at is the way of making compromises and the art of preparing for your own future, that's all.
The wise man Jia Xu in Zhaocheng is the most outstanding person in the art of expediency. Not only is he good at expediency, he is also the best in military strategy, power strategy, intelligence and everything related to strategy.
However, although you are not someone who can govern the country and serve as prime minister, you can still serve as deputy prime minister by taking the family's books on government affairs and following the instructions. This is what our first ancestor Yinghou did.
I know you want to be like King Luo Wen, but King Wen is something you can only encounter by chance. I know you want to be like Duke Wen and Duke Xuan, but Duke Wen and Duke Xuan are the sons of destiny sent by God and the ones who changed their fate against all odds. How can it be so easy to achieve that?
Don’t be too hard on yourself!”
Hearing his mother's evaluation of him, Luo Qi smiled bitterly. He knew himself very well. He was good at fighting people, that is, he was good at power struggles and could kill people within the rules.
But he was very bad at governing the country. But it cannot be said that he was bad, after all, he had the blessing of his ancestors, and his talent of more than 80 points as a county magistrate was no problem.
At least the Kingdom of Yinghou under his management was thriving.
But compared with Ju Su under Yuan Shao, Xun Yu under Cao Cao, or Xiao He in the early Han Dynasty, who were all all-rounders in governing the country, he was far inferior.
But just as my mother said, in Zhaocheng, there have always been people studying how to deal with various problems. These are valuable experiences. Ninety-nine percent of the problems in the world have happened before, so we just need to apply the template.
The biggest advantage of Luo's son is that there are countless templates to use.
Luo Qi sighed slightly, "My son is not worried about his own future, but he is sad about the decline of Yinghou State and even the Five Surnames and Seven Families. When Emperor Guangwu came to Guandong, he was a great man. The Five Surnames and Seven Families joined forces with the Marquis Jinling and raised their arms to call for action, and the heroes of Guandong responded. At that time, who of the Five Surnames and Seven Families and the Marquis Jinling considered failure?
If Emperor Guangwu was not capable, they would replace him with a relative of the Liu clan. Even if they failed once, they would try again a few more times. At that time, each family had not considered the issue of loss at all, because the family foundation was so strong that they could afford to fail even ten or twenty times, let alone one time.
And now, only a hundred years later, the Five Surnames and Seven Families have all begun to consider the survival of the family in case of failure, and began to consider whether to invest so many resources.
Could it be that the feelings of various families towards the Han Dynasty have changed?
Maybe this is one of the factors.
But the most important thing is that our strength has been weakened and we dare not bear the consequences of failure.
If we put all our strength into Liu Bei and he fails, the consequence will be something we cannot afford.
If even our Five Surnames and Seven Families are destroyed, will there really be anyone in this world who will restore the Han Dynasty?"
Luo Qian looked at Luo Qi, whose face was full of worry, and sighed slightly. Her husband Luo Chuan had also said the same thing to her.
Luo Qian raised her hand to touch her son's head, but Luo Qi lowered his head. Luo Qian comforted him softly, "No matter how brilliant the sun is, it will set. No matter how beautiful a woman is, she will turn into bones. How can there be eternal prosperity in this world?
Where in this world is there anything eternal and indestructible?
Even the descendants of the Luo family will be destroyed in the human world. The ancestor said that he was standing at the end of death, but what exactly is the end of death like?
Who knows?
All you have to do is try your best, just like your father. When he wrote to Emperor Ling, he was prepared to die. As for whether he could succeed or not, he didn't care much.
Just like your uncle, he also wanted to restore the Han Dynasty, and ultimately defend his loyalty with his life. As for whether he could succeed in the end, he didn't know.
As long as you do what you have to do, it is enough. Liu Bei appeared in Yinghou State. This may be God's destiny. If you don't fully support him, he will fail in the end.
Finally, until the end of your life, if you never meet a descendant of Liu who is better than Liu Bei, you will definitely regret it!
If the State of Yinghou was destroyed because it assisted Liu Bei but failed to revive the Han Dynasty, it would not be your fault, but would prove that the Han Dynasty was really no longer capable of being revived.
Don't worry about a few chips. You wise men like to calculate the gains and losses. Little do you know that sometimes you need the courage to bet everything to win! "
Luo Qian is really good at comforting people. Listening to his mother's gentle words, Luo Qi felt as if something had suddenly clicked in his mind, and a long-lost hearty smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you, mother!"
Luo Qian shook her head and said, "What a silly boy!"
————
Mi Zhu, courtesy name Zizhong, was a native of Donghai County. He was the brother of Yinghou Luoqi's wife. He had lived in Xuzhou for generations. His family had made a fortune through business and he liked to make friends with heroes. When the emperor was stationed in Qingzhou, Zhu often told the scholars in the prefectures and counties, "Mr. Xuande is a hero in the world. If we can have Mr. Xuande as our leader, the world will be at peace." - "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Biographies of Mi Jian, Sun Er and Liu"
(End of this chapter)
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