After staying in Lingling for three days, Liu Qi rushed to Wuling and wandered around. The territory was still in Hunan, and the governor of Jingzhou was almost the governor of Hunan.
When the people and horses arrived at the Wuling border, Jin Xuan had already sent his officer Gong Zhi to greet them, and his attitude was correct.
Liu Qi knew that Gong Zhi was a man who understood the general situation. After seeing the ceremony, he asked: "Prefect Jin has been in charge of Wuling for several years. What is the situation now?"
Gong Zhi naturally understood, clasped his fists and said: "Although the territory of Wuling is stable, there are Dongting water thieves gathering in the east, and bandits in Wuling Mountain in the west. Governor Jin often feels uneasy. When the general first arrived in Jingnan, the tiger's body shook, and the thieves were all defeated. Everyone in Wuling remembers the kindness of the general. The general taking over Jingzhou is the hope of all people!"
Liu Qi looked up to the sky and laughed. Since Jin Xuan admitted his identity, Wu Ling was safe. After all, he was Liu Biao's eldest son, more legitimate than Liu Bei, and Jin Xuan really had no reason to rebel.
The group of people walked along the Yuanjiang River and headed straight to Linyuan, the seat of Wuwuling County. As the largest river in Wuling, Liu Qi thought about opening up this waterway along the way to connect the people in the mountains.
In a house in Yuannan City, a man walked in quickly and said anxiously to the people in the house: "Here we come, Liu Qi has arrived in Linyuan."
There are four people sitting in the room, one of them has a handsome appearance, and the other three have dark complexions. One of them is tall and has a powerful appearance. The other is a man and a woman, both with shoulder-length hair and wolf fang necklaces hanging around their necks.
The young man laughed and said: "Liu Qi is returning to Jiangling from Wuling and will board the ship from Youjiang mouth. It is really a God-given opportunity."
The tall man said in a buzzing voice: "We will do our best to fulfill Prime Minister Cao's order, but when Jingzhou officers and soldiers come to take revenge, you must ensure the safety of our people."
The man smiled and said: "Relax, warrior Samoko. If you succeed in killing Liu Qi this time, you will become famous all over the world. You will be the best among the Wuxi barbarian tribes. You must be the next barbarian king."
There was a flash of joy in the man's eyes, but his expression remained serious: "Humph, I just want to ensure the safety of my people."
"Of course!" The man nodded and said: "Now that Liu Biao is seriously ill, Liu Qi is dead, and Liu Biao will undoubtedly die. There is no owner in Jingzhou, and Prime Minister Cao will definitely send troops south. By then, Jingzhou will be captured by Prime Minister Cao, and your people will be safe and sound until the Emperor. What an honor it would be to issue an edict and make you the Barbarian King?"
"Let's not mention the matter of the Barbarian King for now!" Shamoko waved his hand, "Our clan is in urgent need of food and cloth now. Have you brought them?"
"Half of it has been brought as expected. Please check next door later!" The man said: "The other half, when Prime Minister Cao takes Jingzhou, not only will it be delivered as expected, but there will also be a reward."
Shamoko frowned slightly, and finally nodded: "That's fine, it's a deal!"
The man was overjoyed, clasped his fists and said: "I have heard for a long time that Samoko is the bravest and most courageous warrior of the Wuxi Barbarians. He is really neat and tidy in doing things. You can rest assured and rest here. After Liu Qi leaves Linyuan, just follow my instructions."
Shamoko pointed to the person on his left hand and said, "Ak, go and count the belongings."
A barbarian followed the man out, and Shamoko told the other man: "Starting from tomorrow, send the food and cloth here into the mountains in batches and distribute them to the tribesmen."
"Brother, is this too dangerous?" The female barbarian finally said: "The consequences of killing Liu Qi must be decided by the old barbarian king. Please consider carefully, and Cao Cao... only gave us half of the commission. I'm afraid..."
Shamoko smiled and said: "Don't worry, sister, we haven't taken action yet. They can send half of the food, which is enough to show their sincerity. As for the Jingzhou army's revenge, I have just asked. When Cao Jun goes south, who will be there without Liu Qi?" Can we stop it? As long as our various tribes in Wuxi get through this difficulty, we can hide in the mountains and forests without contact with the officers and soldiers. As long as we hide within the territory of Wuxi, there is nothing they can do."
That woman was Shazali, Shamoko's sister. Her slender eyebrows frowned slightly: "Is Liu Qi really that easy to kill?"
Shamoko smiled and said: "With me on the boat, sister, don't worry. He is just a dandy. The generals around him are no match for me. You just stay in the water to take care of him. If Liu Qi goes into the water, just leave it to you."
Shazali raised her chin slightly: "As long as you are in the water, no one is my opponent. If Liu Qi dares to enter the water, he will be dead."
…
Liu Qi met with Jin Xuan and other officials in Wuling to discuss dredging the Yuanjiang River water transport, which could not only be used for water transportation, but also connect the Changsha trade route. When the South Vietnamese caravans were restored, Wuling would also be of great benefit.
Everyone strongly agreed with Liu Qi's plan, especially Liu Qi's emphasis on business, which made everyone happy.
Almost all the people here are local officials, and every family has some industry run by the tribe. Because of the existence of Dongting water thieves, business is bleak.
As a representative of the noble clan, Liu Biao valued literature over military affairs, and was even more disdainful of profit-seeking businessmen. All the big families in the county were ashamed of doing business to make profits, and they all operated in secret.
Liu Qi's move undoubtedly won great popularity. It was not only supported by the nobles, but also praised by businessmen.
Sure enough, after Gong Zhi published the article and prepared to raise funds, countless people responded immediately.
The dredging of water transport to connect Dongting, and the protection of officers and soldiers, is undoubtedly a good thing for those merchants who are often robbed by strong men, and they naturally fully support it.
Jin Xuan personally sent Liu Qi to the mouth of Youjiang River, ensuring that all efforts would be made to dredge the Yuanjiang waterway and integrate it with the Dongting Water Village. Even if there was a war in Wuling, the navy would be able to rescue him in time.
The fleet set out on the other side of the river to Jiangling. After two hours of water travel, the trip ended successfully, and there was a lot of joy and laughter on the boat.
When Liu Biao governed Jingzhou at its peak, merchants traveling from south to north traveled to and from the north and south of the Yangtze River every day, especially merchants from Jiaozhi and South Vietnam. They came one after another, which made the business legend of Zhao Fan's brother a reality.
Zhao Xiang shipped silk, ceramics, and tea from the Central Plains overseas. This was not only to make money, but also to export Chinese civilization.
Merchants from Nanyue, Shendu and other places have already tasted the benefits, but this was interrupted by the unfortunate death of Zhao Xiang. Now that Liu Qi has intervened in an official capacity, caravans will surely spring up and continue to enter the Central Plains.
"General, there is a fishing boat ahead. Do you want to save it?" While they were chatting, the soldier driving the boat came to report.
When Liu Qilai came to the bow of the ship, he saw a fishing boat in front of him, bumping and turning in the wind and waves. One side of the boat had cracked and was leaking.
Liu Qi said: "Even ordinary people have no reason to ignore death. What's more, we, the officials, must set an example, otherwise wouldn't it chill the common people?"
Gan Ning nodded and said: "What the general said is absolutely true. The dangers on the water are worse than on land. This fishing boat is about to sink, and it is in the middle of the river. If no rescue is done, the people on the boat will surely die."
Liu Qi sent an order and immediately ordered the soldiers to sail close to the small boat. As they got closer, they saw that the four people on the boat all had dark faces and were dressed very differently from the people in the Central Plains.
Gan Ning frowned and said, "These are Wuxi barbarians. I have seen them in Ba County before. They often travel to Dajiang."
Liu Qi looked at several people and saw that the tall man in front of him was the most eye-catching and had a ferocious appearance. When he saw the weapons on his body, he couldn't help but feel moved.
