gnovel Chapter 20 Mi Zhu and Sun Qian Return to Their Hearts
Chapter 20 Mi Zhu and Sun Qian Return to Their Hearts
Speaking of Shan Jing, that unlucky fellow, Liu Bei and he had a friendship for a period of time.
In the third year of Chuping,
Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao became enemies, so Yuan Shu sought help from Gongsun Zan.
Gongsun Zan responded to the alliance, ordering Liu Bei to garrison at Gaotang and Shan Jing to garrison at Pingyuan.
They also joined forces with Tao Qian of Xuzhou to launch a pincer attack from the east and west, putting pressure on Yuan Shao.
Unfortunately, Gongsun Zan's allied forces were defeated by Yuan Shao, and Shan Jing retreated to Youzhou in disgrace, where he remained frustrated and unsuccessful ever since.
Can anyone think of,
Two years later,
Liu Bei, who had only met him once, has now given him such a great gift.
The next day, before dawn,
Jian Yong and Shan Jing then bid farewell to Tian Kai and set off from the Qingzhou capital with their men.
They traveled south all the way to Tancheng, the capital of Xuzhou.
On this day, their group entered the territory of Langya County.
It is currently the autumn harvest season.
The fields should have been a golden expanse, with farmers wielding sickles and harvesting, their laughter echoing through the air.
But as far as the eye can see, there are only barren fields overgrown with weeds.
The villages on both sides of the road were deathly silent.
Ahead, you could even see several skeletons lying naked on both sides of the road.
Dan Jing's expression was grave.
Jian Yong sighed and explained, "Cao Cao massacred the entire city of Langya; the people either died or fled..."
Looking at this desolate land, Shan Jing gritted his teeth and said, "What have the people of Xuzhou done to deserve this calamity?! Cao Cao... he's simply inhuman!"
"Yes! Cao's army not only killed people, but also looted all the unripe grain in the fields, leaving not even a chicken or a dog for the people of Xuzhou. This is something no human being could do."
After Jian Yong finished speaking, he dismounted and, with a few soldiers, buried the dead bones by the roadside.
After doing all this,
He turned to Shan Jing, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Shan Xuzhou, from now on, the people of Xuzhou are entrusted to you."
Dan Jing quickly dismounted and returned the greeting, nodding vigorously.
"Xianhe, rest assured."
"If I, Shan, fail in my duty to Xuande and you, may I be pierced by a thousand arrows and die a horrible death!"
The autumn wind swept across the desolate fields, making a howling sound, like countless lost souls sobbing softly.
Jian Yong and Shan Jing mounted their horses.
He glanced at the ravaged land and continued south with a whip.
……
The atmosphere in Liu Bei's temporary residence today is quite different from usual.
A group of Xuzhou officials and local gentry who admired Liu Bei came to visit him in turn.
The area outside the mansion was bustling with traffic and crowds, creating a lively scene.
In the hall, Liu Bei and Lu Yong were receiving Mi Zhu and Sun Qian.
Sun Qian was a disciple of the great Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan and enjoyed a high reputation among scholars.
Sun Qian was recommended by Zheng Xuan to serve as an official in Xuzhou, and a group of scholars from small and medium-sized families stood behind him.
Mi Zhu was a wealthy merchant from Xuzhou with immense assets. He was backed by local merchants and gentry, and also represented the interests of some local officials.
As for Chen Deng and the other major families in Xuzhou, they have not taken any action for the time being.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group got straight to the point.
Mi Zhu took the lead.
He rose from his seat, bowed respectfully to Liu Bei, and presented him with a register with both hands, saying sincerely:
"We are grateful for Lord Xuande's generous assistance in saving our people and soldiers of Xuzhou from dire straits. We are willing to serve you with utmost loyalty and follow you to the death."
Mi Zhu has now formally come to surrender.
Liu Bei quickly stepped down and took the register with both hands.
Upon opening it,
The room was filled with names and places of origin, written in neat handwriting, clearly indicating that a lot of thought had been put into it.
He was naturally delighted, but on his face he only showed a gentle smile and said to Mi Zhu, "It is my honor, Liu Xuande, to have Zizhong's help."
Sun Qian then stood up, walked to Liu Bei, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"The righteous deeds of Lord Xuande have been widely praised among scholars."
Although I am not very talented or learned, I do have some connections among scholars.
"As long as Xuande speaks openly, Qian will do everything in his power to help you achieve your great cause."
Sun Qian was a true scholar.
To gain his approval
This shows that he, a "mat weaver and shoe seller," has finally come into the view of those scholars.
He helped Sun Qian up again, his smile unchanged.
"I am deeply grateful for your profound friendship."
From this day forward, let us join hands and work together to find a way for all people to survive!
"Greetings, my lord!" Mi Zhu and Sun Qian bowed again.
"Please rise, both of you!" Liu Bei said with great joy as he helped the two men up.
After standing up, Mi Zhu immediately cupped his hands and said, "My lord, I have another request."
Liu Bei laughed and said, "Speak freely."
"The Zhu family still has some meager assets, which they are willing to donate entirely to support the lord's military needs."
Mi Zhu paused for a moment, then continued:
"In addition, Zhu has a younger sister who is sixteen years old, with a dignified appearance and a virtuous nature."
I wish to marry my lord as a token of my affection.
What is your opinion, my lord?
Liu Bei's smile froze, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Taking money is fine, but taking money from girls too... isn't that a bit too shady?
He subconsciously turned to look at Lu Yong, who was sitting below him, his eyes filled with a pleading look.
Mi Zhu and Sun Qian both witnessed this scene and understood what was happening.
The series of dazzling maneuvers by which Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao and ceded Xuzhou are said to have been orchestrated by this young scholar.
Liu Bei's trust in him had clearly reached an unparalleled level.
If I want to work under Boss Liu in the future, I have to maintain a good relationship with this strategist.
Lu Yong naturally knew,
Mi Zhu's actions were a demonstration of his loyalty.
He wanted to completely bind the Mi family to Liu Bei so that he could achieve a leap in his family's social class.
Liu Bei had already given up Xuzhou, but Mi Zhu was still willing to stake his family's fate on him.
That vision and courage alone are truly admirable.
Moreover, Mi Zhu was a man of great loyalty and integrity, and Liu Bei truly made a great deal by taking him and his sister in as wives.
Lu Yong pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Mr. Mi has entrusted his entire family to you, my lord. How can you bear to let him down?"
Liu Bei opened his mouth, wanting to refuse,
Lu Yong nodded slightly.
He finally sighed and replied, "In that case, I will accept your kind offer without hesitation."
Mi Zhu was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply, saying, "Mi Zhu thanks my lord!"
The four sat down again.
After becoming "family," the atmosphere in the hall became much more relaxed and lively than before.
Mi Zhu picked up the teacup, took a sip, put it down, and then said with a different expression:
"Since our lord is determined not to take over Xuzhou, he must already have a plan in mind."
"My lord, could you please inform Zhu and Gongyou of your plans? We can make preparations as soon as possible."
Now that we're family, I can naturally share my plans with them.
Liu Bei turned to look at Lu Yong and said, "Huai'an, you came up with the plan. Now you can explain our next steps to Zizhong and Gongyou."
Lu Yong stood up.
He first bowed to Mi Zhu and Sun Qian, then slowly began to speak:
"Xuzhou is a place of constant warfare, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and it is difficult to hold out for long."
After discussing with my lord, we decided to head south to Jiangdong and establish a new base there.
Mi Zhu was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Liu Bei's destination to be Jiangdong.
"Most of Jiangdong is uncivilized land, teeming with poisonous insects and snakes, and perpetually shrouded in miasma. How can one develop and thrive in such a place?"
Sun Qian didn't speak, but his gaze was fixed on Lu Yong's face, quietly waiting for him to explain.
Lu Yong calmly explained, "Jiangdong is a vast region with a small population, but it is extremely rich in resources."
Those undeveloped areas are simply places that no one is currently cultivating.
The lord's reputation for benevolence in Xuzhou has deeply resonated with the people, and many are willing to follow him away from this troublesome place.
With population replenishment and the support of reasonable incentive policies,
What difficulty is there in clearing land and expanding territory?
Mi Zhu seemed to be deep in thought, and his brows gradually relaxed.
A glint of light flashed in Sun Qian's eyes, and he finally spoke, "What the strategist said makes some sense."
But... Yuan Shu is entrenched in Huainan, how could he possibly let us easily march south?
Lu Yong glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "So, we need to give him a big gift first!"
"What wonderful gift?"
"Guangling Prefecture".
Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu and Sun Qian both gasped in shock.