Pan Jun was embarrassed after hearing this. Lantian had become determined by the weight. He secretly worried about Jingzhou. With this powerful man around, it would be impossible to maintain peace with Sun Quan.
"I admire General Lan for his arrogance and humble position. However, the family assets that Jingzhou has saved over the years will be severely damaged by wars with Jiangdong and Cao Cao this time. The final victory will be severely damaged. If the war continues, this hard-won situation will..." Pan Jun was about to speak but stopped.
Pan Jun served as the governor of Jingzhou and also served as the prefect of Jiangling. He knew the money and grain warehouses in the state well. Jingzhou's money and grain tax revenue mainly came from Changsha. For this northern expedition to Xiangfan, Guan Yu also recruited troops in Changsha. Only Lingling, Lantian and others The two counties of Guiyang had surpluses, but they also provided full support in this battle.
Counties in Jiaozhou are undergoing drastic reforms, such as city construction, school building, shipbuilding, army maintenance, ordnance, water conservancy, etc. Each of them requires enough money and food to support. Even if Lantian's governance level is very high, it can only ensure that Jiaozhou is self-sufficient. Pan Jun is worried about war. If this continues for a long time, the finances of Jingzhou counties will be unable to make ends meet.
Lan Tian saw Pan Jun's worries and comforted him with a smile: "Chengming wants to expand his horizons. This time we take Xiangyang and Jiangxia. The entire Han River Basin will be integrated with Jingzhou. From now on, those favorable lands on the Jianghan Plain will be We can no longer abandon farming. With so many more people and land, are you still afraid that Jingzhou will not be able to make ends meet?"
"Uh... I didn't think of it for a moment..." Pan Jun looked embarrassed.
When Liu Bei saw this, he smiled and came to the rescue: "Gu Ye has not fully adapted yet. Today's Nanjun is complete. When the war in Yunchang ends, we have to go to Xiangyang to pay homage to Liu Jingsheng. Ziyu's judgment of the overall situation is truly unparalleled. ."
"Your Majesty is so complimentary..." Lan Tian nodded humbly.
Liu Bei waved to everyone and said, "Let's not talk about that for now. Ziyu's return must be celebrated. My uncle has arrived and asked people to arrange a banquet. I want to take care of Ziyu."
"Wei." Chen Dao clasped his fists and walked out of the hall.
Liu Bei returned to Jingzhou this time with a light chariot and simple followers. He did not have any civil servants or generals from Yizhou. Only Chen Dao and more than a thousand white soldiers accompanied him.
Because there were many officials invited, the banquet was not long. Liu Bei had to deal with officials at all levels toasting, expressing loyalty, reporting work, etc. at the banquet. There were not many opportunities to talk to Lantian during the banquet.
Early the next morning, Liu Bei and Lan Tian boarded the ship and rushed to Jiangxia. They had a chance to be alone on the ship.
The warm morning sun reflected the golden light on the water. Liu Bei and Lan Tian stood by the deck guardrail, watching the ship below them riding the wind and waves.
"Remember it was New Year's Eve a few days ago, and my brother-in-law must have celebrated the New Year on the boat, right? Why not come here after spending the New Year with Adou in Chengdu? Since Yunchang, Yuan Zhi and I are here in Jingzhou, there shouldn't be any big problems." Lan Tian asked curiously.
Liu Bei's face was full of joy: "Adou has grown up slowly, and the two brothers Boyang and Zhongling are far away, so he let Huo Jun's son Huo Yi play with him. Now Adou's behavior and homework are quite decent. Fortunately for you This uncle's advice when he was young will benefit him throughout his life.
Now that Bei has ascended to the throne of Hanzhong, he no longer has any family members in the pure sense. The people in the domain are all my subjects, so it doesn’t matter where he celebrates the New Year. Doesn’t Ziyu also not celebrate the New Year with his family? "
"Monarchs and ministers are different." Lan Tian responded with a smile.
"I thought they were all the same." After Liu Bei said this, his face became serious. "I have deduced it with Kong Ming and Shi Yuan in Chengdu. If Ziyu hadn't planned the strategy this time, both the second brother and Jingzhou would be in danger. Even if troops were sent from Yizhou, there would be no time to rescue them. It's really dangerous when you think about it, so I'm going to reward you well. You didn't agree with that last time, so I'll make up for it this time."
"Brother-in-law, you really don't need to give me a title. Too many titles will increase the burden on the country. I can still set an example without being granted a title. My salary is enough..." Lantian refused when Liu Bei mentioned the old story again.
The main reason why the feudal dynasty went from being established to prospering and then declining was that the elite class grew from small to large, from small to large. Through intermarriage with aristocratic families and officials, they continued to erode the resources produced by the country and compete with the people for profit, eventually leading to the people being homeless. There was no grain in the fields and warehouses, so the common people could only rebel with hoes for plowing the fields.
Lan Tian had no good way to change the objective laws and could only slow down the process of the laws through his own meager efforts. He did this not because he was noble, but mainly because the knowledge he mastered was passed on to his descendants, which was enough for them to live well.
Liu Bei smiled and said: "You really have to accept this Marquis, otherwise how can I reward the other meritorious soldiers? The others are not as noble as you. Have you forgotten that Zilong was criticized for admonishing? Most people under this sky are They are common people, and they would like to have a wife and shadow son for me, Liu Bei. If Ziyu cuts off their thoughts, how can the Han Dynasty help him?"
Lan Tian was startled when he heard this. When it came to trying to figure out how to control people's hearts, Liu Bei was indeed much more sophisticated. This was very similar to the great ancestor Liu Bang. Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men. Now that Liu Bei's territory has become larger, he has the confidence to seal a few more. Come out.
"Okay, I'll listen to my brother-in-law." Lan Tian then thought about it. Instead of worrying that the cake was not enough, he might as well make the cake bigger first. If the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty were not enough, he could look further ahead.
Liu Bei patted Lan Tian on the shoulder and said, "This is the right thing. Pang Lingming has been the Marquis of Duting for a long time. He is now under your control. Having a title also shows his status. The people below him are more ambitious. In fact, just giving you the title of Marquis I don’t think it’s enough.”
"Is that enough?" Lan Tian looked suspicious.
"By the way, Zhong Ling performed outstandingly in defending Jiangling. In addition, he also killed Han Dang, the general of Jiangdong. He has the style of Huo Yao who was a prostitute in the past. How about letting him be a lieutenant general? You have given birth to a pair of good sons. ." Liu Bei suggested.
Lan Tian seriously refused: "Zhong Ling is not yet thirteen years old. He is really too young. It is not a good thing for a young man to become famous. The knife is easily broken if it is sharpened too quickly. Although Huo Yao is commendable, in the end..."
"Hiss... A good son is like a father... I did think too little. It's just that if Zhong Ling doesn't reward his meritorious service, he is afraid of provoking criticism from others..." Liu Bei frowned.
"I have discussed this matter with Yunchang. The contribution Zhong Ling has made this time can be used to offset the position of Sima of the army. He will be tempered for a few more years before he is released on the battlefield." Lan Tian replied, twirling his beard.
Liu Bei nodded slightly: "You two in-laws have already discussed it. As an uncle, I naturally won't give much advice, but I have to take care of Boyang's child. After all, he is Wan'er's future husband."
"Boyang has always been stable, I feel confident about this child." Lan Tian nodded in agreement.
Liu Bei patted the railing gently: "I remember that Boyang is fifteen years old this year. I will marry them after the ceremony."
Lantian cupped his hands and replied: "It all depends on the king."
Liu Bei pressed Lan Tian's hand and patted it gently, "You and I are as close as brothers. In a few years, we will be sons and daughters. Don't be reserved when there is no one around. It's better to call me brother-in-law."
"Okay, brother-in-law." Lan Tian immediately got off the slope.
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