For a month and a half, Liu Bei's army and Yuan Xi's army fought and retreated, bypassing the cities and counties occupied by Cao Cao's army, until they reached the counties occupied by Qingzhou army after the last war.
So Yuan Xi made a favor and left the counties to be garrisoned by Liu Bei's more than 40,000 soldiers and civilians. It is equivalent to burying a chess piece in the north of Xuzhou. Then Yuan Xi took his troops to Dongmu, Donglai, to wait for Mi Zhu and others.
As soon as he left the counties and was not far away, Jia Xu reminded Yuan Xi and said: "Master, I think Liu Bei is an inhumane minister. He likes to make friends with heroes and talented people, is able to treat virtuous and corporal soldiers, and broadcasts the name of benevolence and righteousness. All his actions here reveal his ambition. No matter how small you are. Young master, you need to be careful and don’t raise a tiger to bite its master.”
Of course Yuan Xi understands what kind of person Liu Bei is. No matter which force he joins, that force will be unlucky. Liu Bei's fate is indeed tough. If he takes refuge with Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Zan will die. If he takes refuge with Tao Qian, Tao Qian will die. If he takes refuge with Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao will die. If he dies, he will seek refuge with Liu Biao, if Liu Biao dies, if he dies, he will seek refuge with Liu Zhang, Liu Zhang will die. This is really a bad thing. Fortunately, Cao Cao himself was tough enough, otherwise he would have finished the game.
But Liu Bei cherished his name of benevolence and righteousness, so he must shoulder Tao Qian's mission of resisting Cao Cao and regaining Xuzhou.
Therefore, Yuan Xi boldly left him to contain Cao Cao, hoping that during the decisive battle between Cao and Yuan's families in the Central Plains, Liu Bei could strike at Xuzhou behind him to disrupt Cao's right wing.
Yuan Xi expressed his thoughts and said: "As long as Cao Cao occupies Xuzhou, Liu Bei will be our ally in the short term. Just keep an eye out and be on guard. As long as he messes with him, there won't be any trouble."
"More than 20,000 soldiers and horses are stationed under your nose. After all, it is not a safe thing. Young Master must isolate Liu Bei from Mi Zhu, Chen Deng and others, otherwise it will give Liu Bei the wings to fly." Jia Xu then reminded.
Hearing this, Yuan Xi said calmly: "With Mi Zhu and Cao Hong helping us, we can take care of those craftsmen and talents. It's better to give Liu Bei the food from Xuzhou's official treasury, otherwise he really won't be able to support himself."
"I don't know if Zang Ba will lead his troops north, but he is a general. It would be best if he could be conquered." Yuan Xi said.
"Zang Ba is Tao Qian's old subordinate and has no friendship with the young master. It is difficult for him to suddenly defect to him. We must do it step by step. First, we must prevent him from joining Liu Bei." Jia Xu said.
"But Liu Bei has the seal of Xuzhou Mu in his hand, and he is already Tao Qian's heir. Not to mention Zang Ba, even Chen Deng, Mi Zhu and others will respect him." Yuan Xi said distressedly.
"Young Master is right, but Tao Qian is dead, and his subjects may not be Liu Bei's subjects!" Jia Xu's tone was still so unhurried, as if everything was under his control.
Yuan Xi heard that he had a plan, so he asked more questions and said with a smile, "Mr. Wenhe, how about the plan?"
"Young master, I don't want to think about it. After all, Tao Qian is from a famous family. That's why the high-ranking families in Xuzhou will attach themselves to him. But who is Liu Bei? It's just a guise of a Han clan clan. And the master is a real royal in-law. As soon as Liu Bei comes. There is no favor towards Zang Ba, and secondly, even if Mi Zhu and others have a good impression of him, those noble families may not buy his fault."
That's true, but Yuan Xi still missed the point and said bluntly, "To be honest with you sir, the only people I care about are Zang Ba and Chen Deng. How can I get them to join my account?"
Jia Xu suggested: "Young master, you might as well entrust Zang Ba and Chen Deng with important responsibilities and let them each guard their own place, so that the power they control is equivalent to that of Liu Bei. Will they still willingly rely on Liu Bei, who has the same strength and status?"
"It is indeed a good plan. If this happens, they will not be willing to join Liu Bei, but how will they be subdued in the future?" Yuan Xi asked.
Jia Xu's tricks always accurately capture the other person's heart. The so-called attack on the heart is the most important thing, and the poisonous man is indeed a poisonous man, and his strategies are sharp and ruthless.
"As long as they don't join Liu Bei, a young master with more than one level of strength must be a good candidate to join them. But this requires some means and time." Jia Xu said.
"Fortunately, I invited my husband to Qingzhou in the first place, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sleep peacefully?" Yuan Xi said with a meaningful smile.
Jia Xu remained unsmiling and continued to remain silent. What a boring person.
Two days later, the first group of sea ships docked on the coast near Dongmu, Donglai. At this time, the only places in Qingzhou that could berth large-scale ships were Dongmou and Mouping, which are near today's Yantai.
Although it can dock sea-going ships, it cannot be compared with the ports of later generations. In Yuan Xi's opinion, those ports are just slightly larger fishing villages. At this time, the only seaports that looked somewhat similar were Quxian, which the Mi family had been operating for many years, and Kuaiji in Yangzhou.
Although it is unrealistic and unnecessary to establish a navy for naval warfare, Xuzhou was controlled by Cao Cao at this time, and there was no need for shipping to Qingzhou.
But Yuan Xi still tried his best to build a large fleet that could transport and fish. Firstly, he could go out to sea for fishing, and secondly, he could organize shipping in Yuyang, Liaodong and other places in Youzhou.
The vanguard fleet unloaded the cargo and people and chose a place to berth. The next day, the fleet carrying Mi Zhu and others finally arrived. Except for the loss of two small ships, the other ships arrived safely in Dongmu and Mouping.
The fleet size has increased compared with the last time it carried the Qingzhou Army. Mi Zhu and others recruited all the ships in Xuzhou. It contains more than two thousand craftsmen and craftsmen.
In addition, there are more than 3,000 Danyang soldiers, and the rest include a few Xuzhou nobles, as well as the money and food supplies of the Mi family and the Xuzhou official family. The Xuzhou nobles who stayed in Guangling either went south to Yangzhou to take refuge, or temporarily surrendered to Cao Cao.
Yuan Xi asked the county officials in Donglai to help settle several powerful families such as Mi Zhu, Chen Deng, and Cao Hong. In the end, most of them settled their families near Donglaihuang County. After escorting them to Huang County. Yuan Xi also hosted a banquet in Huang County to entertain them.
The family was very happy to receive such attention from Yuan Xi. As long as those in power support them, their family will regain its strength in a few years, and by then it will become a prominent and wealthy family.
When the extravagant banquet and entertainment among the nobles was almost going on, Yuan Xi suddenly said: "Prefect Li of Donglai is going to be transferred to Linzi, so the post of governor is vacant. I think Chen Yuanlong is talented and capable, and he wants to general I entrust you with the post of Governor of Donglai. I wonder what Mr. Yuanlong thinks?"
The representatives of those families who came to attend the banquet were all stunned for a moment. They never expected that Yuan Xi would entrust Chen Deng with such a position as soon as they came to Qingzhou. You must know that the prefect is the chief of a county. He has real power in the local area. If Chen Deng is appointed as the prefect of Donglai, then the families in Xuzhou will definitely receive a lot of care.
"It is truly an honor for me to be entrusted with such an important position by the young general. However, as a subordinate of Tao Shijun of Xuzhou, it would be inappropriate both emotionally and rationally for me to join him as soon as he dies." Chen Deng knew that Yuan Xi was They were recruiting him, but Tao Qian had just died, and the situation was not very clear when they first arrived in Qingzhou. Therefore, Chen Deng was unwilling to serve as an official.
The heads of several families below, including Cao Hong and Mi Zhu, were secretly anxious. They really wanted Chen Deng to agree. So several people kept gesturing to Chen Gui, who was sitting above Chen Deng.
Chen Gui, who has gray hair and beard, is nearly 60 years old. He has been living at home for many years. It was also his decision to move the Chen family to Qingzhou. Although he was tired from the journey, Chen Gui still looked healthy. Chen Gui has been an official for many years and has been polished extremely slippery. Nowadays, he mainly considers family interests.
"Well, Major General!" Chen Gui stood up and said with cupped hands: "It is a great honor for my family that you value Quanzi so much. But there are more suitable candidates than Xiaoer. For example, the two young masters Tao Shijun."
Tao Shang and Tao Ying, who were both at the table, quickly stood up. The pottery merchant declined: "My father has asked me to let my two brothers buy the family business with peace of mind. They are not allowed to serve as officials."
"This... Tao Shijun said so, but..." Chen Gui said intermittently.
"Mr. Chen, I also think of the two Mr. Tao, but Mr. Tao made it clear that they would not be allowed to serve in official positions, so I cannot force him. Mr. Ling is indeed the best candidate, please do not refuse!" Yuan Xi said sincerely.
"My son is in a very difficult situation. Major General, you might as well allow me to think about it." Chen Gui looked very hesitant.
Yuan Xi saw everyone's expressions and knew that several families, including Chen Gui, would put pressure on Chen Deng. Chen Gui's consideration was just to show off and ask Yuan Xi to invite him a few more times.
He agreed, and at most he would come to the house a few more times. If it didn't work out, he could do it himself, Chen Menliyu, since all his face was given away.
After the banquet, Yuan Xi kept Cao Hong and Mi Zhu behind.
"Mr. Cao Hong, I have an errand I want to ask you to do in the next few days." Yuan Xi said with a smile.
"Ah, the young general is useful and can give you orders wherever you go." Cao Hong said happily. He was entrusted with errands as soon as he arrived in Qingzhou, which shows that Yuan Xi places great importance on him.
"I wonder if Mr. Zang Ba has any friendship?" Yuan Xi asked.
"Zang Ba was originally a desperado. With the favor of Tao Shijun, he took up a military position in Xuzhou, and was later ordered to guard the East China Sea. I have a few connections with him." Cao Hong carefully organized his words and said.
"Zang Ba has already gone north to meet Qingxu. I want Mr. Cao to send a document to appoint Zang Ba as the Pingchang Order and lead his troops to station in Pingchang." Yuan Xi said his original intention.
"Ah? Young Master, is it okay to hand over Pingchang to Zang Ba?" Cao Hong asked in surprise.
"Sir, just do it. It's best to find out Zang Ba's intentions." Yuan Xi said calmly.
"Don't worry, young master, I know what to do." Cao Hong understood that Yuan Xi was asking him to recruit Zang Ba on his behalf.
After Cao Hong retreated, Yuan Xi asked Mi Zhu, "I wonder what your plans are in the future, sir. Are you willing to serve as my staff?"
Mi Zhu thought for a while and said: "In this war disaster, most of the family property in Xuzhou was destroyed by the war, and the properties in other prefectures and counties were also unable to be contacted due to the turmoil. I want to settle the family property in Qingzhou within two years, and then Then share the government affairs with the young master."
Yuan Xi agreed. Fortunately, Mi Zhu had settled part of his family business in Qingzhou before. If Mi Zhu started working as an official immediately, given his position as Xuzhou Mubiejia, I really don't know what kind of position would be arranged for him.
"I wonder if your husband has any contacts with the Zhen family in Hebei?" Yuan Xi asked. After all, the Zhen family and the Mi family are both big businessmen.
"My Mi family and Zhen family are both famous for their strong business, but on weekdays they mainly operate in Hebei. My Mi family mainly operates in Xu, Yan, Henan and Yangzhou, so we don't have much contact with each other." Mi Zhu replied .
At the same time, Mi Zhu secretly noticed that the Zhen family was also Yuan Xi's in-laws, and that the Miss Zhen family and Princess Wannian were both Yuan Xi's wives. As the saying goes, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. At this time, business operations are relatively monotonous, and many of the industries of Mi and Zhen are the same.
Although it is unlikely that the Mi family will reach out to Hebei in the short term, there is still a possibility that the interests of the two families may conflict in Qingzhou. Moreover, the Mi family experienced two wars in Xuzhou, and the family business was severely damaged. It no longer has the glory of the past. Now there is an urgent need to expand aggressively in Yuan Xi's Qingzhou and regain strength before making plans.
Yuan Xi nodded. Said: "To be honest, sir, some of the profitable real estate industries in Qingzhou, such as the sale and transportation of salt, brewing and selling wine, have been left to the Zhen family."
Mi Zhu lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "I understand what the young master means, but please allow my Mi family to compete in a fair manner. The young master only needs to be impartial."
"I will definitely be impartial." Yuan Xi smiled. He was afraid that the Mi family would make unreasonable demands, but he still wanted to give the Mi family some sweetness, so he said: "Beihai has experienced many years of chaos by the Yellow Turbans, and now there are still many unclaimed lands. Sir, you can choose some farmland in Xiami County. It’s my dowry for Miss Zhen.”
Mi Zhu's heart moved. The unclaimed land in a county was neither too much nor too little, but Yuan Xi's move was just a gesture. So he did not refuse and agreed to the matter.
"I know that in addition to the official craftsmen in Xuzhou, there are also many skilled craftsmen among the tenants of the Mi family. I wonder if it is possible to build sea-going ships?" Yuan Xi asked again.
"All the sea-going ships belonging to the Mi family are built by themselves, as long as they use enough materials. It is not difficult to build." Mi Zhu replied, "Young master, you want to build a sea-going ship? But now you can't go to Xuzhou, but the goods are trafficked between Qing and Yang. It’s still okay.”
Yuan Xi's eyes lit up. If he could connect the sea transportation between Qingzhou and Yangzhou, the profits would still be huge. So he told Mi Zhu about the idea of building a fleet to transport ships between Qingzhou, Youzhou and Yangzhou.
Mi Zhu smiled knowingly and said, "Even if you don't tell me, I will organize a fleet to go to Yangzhou, otherwise it will be difficult to restore the family business."
"I will strongly support this move, sir. I just want to ask you to pay attention to the situation in Yangzhou. If necessary in the future, I will requisition the Mi family's fleet." Yuan Xi said.
Mi Zhu knew that he was working as a spy for Yuan Xi in Yangzhou, but along with the business dealings, it was not a problem to inquire about some information and arrange some details, so he readily agreed.
Finally, Yuan Xi showed a faint smile and said, "Mi Fang now leads Tao Shijun's Danyang soldiers..."
Mi Zhu secretly thought that Yuan Xi would not give away so many benefits for nothing, so he replied: "I will first let Mi Fang turn those three thousand Danyang soldiers into my own family soldiers, and then let Mi Fang lead them to merge into the Qingzhou army."
Yuan Xi showed a satisfied smile and said, "That's fine, let the second brother serve in the army. But most of the family members of those Danyang soldiers are in Danyang, Yangzhou. When they go to sea, they might as well take them to Qingzhou and recruit a group of soldiers from Danyang. "
"I'll keep an eye on it."
Yuan Xi then thought about it and felt that Mi Fang was just a mediocre person. It would be useless to hand over such an elite soldier to him. Suddenly he thought of Mi Wei who was one of the soldiers of the Mi family.
"Brother, the Miwei soldier in your family is quite brave and has made many meritorious deeds. Why not let him be the second brother's deputy general." Yuan Xi suggested.
"It's rare that the young master thinks highly of him. When I go back, I'll let him and his second brother go." Mi Zhu agreed.
Yuan Xi breathed a sigh of relief. The Mi family's move to Qingzhou was almost done. The purpose of sending troops to Xuzhou was basically achieved. Thinking of Gao Yue, Diao Xiuer, Cai Yan and others waiting in Linzi, Yuan Xi felt warm in his heart. Every time he went on an expedition, he was away for a long time, which really made them worried.
