Ma Su knew that his opportunity to perform had come. He stood up from the couch, straightened his clothes, walked to the map of Nanzhong next to the Han territory map, and said in the preface: "Prime Minister, I have been studying the situation in Nanzhong recently. The land is vast, far away from the capital, the roads are steep and difficult to travel, and there are many miasma, poisonous snakes and beasts. There are also many barbarians and few Han people. Therefore, the imperial court can only control the city and the surrounding areas, but it is difficult to control other places and can only seal off the barbarians. The chiefs only ask them to restrain their tribes and pay tribute as ordered. Therefore, the difficulty in the rebellion in Nanzhong is not that the rebels are powerful, but that it is beyond the reach of the imperial court."
Ma Su analyzed the situation in Nanzhong after a long discussion, expressed his first conclusion to Zhuge Liang, and stared at Zhuge Liang with hopeful eyes, hoping to get his approval.
"What You Chang said hit the nail on the head." Zhuge Liang did not disappoint Ma Di and praised him vehemently: "Yong Kai, Gao Ding, Zhu Bao and others are just a small group of followers. As long as the country's strength is restored, the heavenly soldiers will Once arrived, this person will not be able to escape the punishment of national law."
"It's just as You Chang said, the imperial court's control over Nanzhong is too weak. Even if the rebels are defeated, if they are accidentally allowed to escape into the dense mountains and forests, I am afraid that they will not be able to eliminate all the harm and leave endless harm." Zhuge Liang also said expressed his concerns.
"What's more, I reported in detail not long ago that Yong Kai not only united with Gaoding, the king of Yuexun Yi, to incite the Yi people in Yuexun County, but also connected with Meng Huo, who had a high prestige among the barbarians in Nanzhong and was deeply loved by them. I am afraid that all the barbarians in Nanzhong will rise up, which will bring greater variables to the subsequent counterinsurgency."
Ma Su nodded: "Yes, Meng Huo's involvement has made the situation in Nanzhong more complicated and changeable. Once we act uncontrollably, the barbarians in Nanzhong will rebel against the court, and then there will never be peace in Nanzhong. We don't know what happened. Only then can we reorganize our troops and launch the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains."
During the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but froze when he heard these four words. Still, You Chang knew my heart. Many people in the court had already begun to gather troops to refuse to defend and not to make progress. Since the founding of the government, he has not revealed to the world the strategic intention of the Han and the traitors not being in harmony and the king's industry not being in harmony. On the one hand, it is naturally to paralyze Cao Wei and to be unprepared for sending troops to defeat the rebels later; on the other hand, it is to observe the situation of the court. , to discover those talents who have a heart for the Han Dynasty and have a firm ambition to restore the Han Dynasty.
You Chang was able to start preparing for the north when everyone was focusing on the south, which is enough to show that he has lofty ambitions and far-sightedness. If something unexpected happens to him, it seems that he will still have to bear the burden of the Prime Minister's Palace.
Zhuge Liang said happily: "Youchang, how do you think we can quell the rebellion in Nanzhong in the future?"
"Prime Minister, I believe that in dealing with the rebellion in Nanzhong, we should adopt a strategy of both suppression and support, and even focus on appeasing people's hearts. Only in this way can we get twice the result with half the effort."
Ma Di then threw out the second and most important conclusion of the night to Zhuge Liang.
In his opinion, the land in the south is far away from kings, and most of the barbarians are unruly people. If the barbarians are not conquered, even if the rebellion is suppressed for a while, there may be more recurrences in the future, which will affect the Prime Minister's Northern Expedition to the Central Plains. big plan.
As Zhuge Liang's younger brother in Jingzhou, Ma Di has always treated Zhuge Liang as a brother and a father, especially after the death of his brother Ma Liang. The two have a very close relationship. He is also one of the few people who knows that Zhuge Liang will definitely launch an expedition to the north in the future. Therefore, Ma Di also hoped that the chaos in Nanzhong could be completely quelled, leaving a stable rear area for the Northern Expedition, so that he would be able to make better achievements when he went on an expedition with Brother Kong Ming in the future.
"Great goodness, what you said tonight is very close to my heart." Zhuge Liang also strongly agreed with Ma Di's judgment. It can be said that it coincided with him.
Zhuge Liang encouraged Ma Di again. "I hope you can help me solve my problems and make up for my mistakes in the future."
I don't know why, but before his death, the late emperor told himself that Chang's words were exaggerated and of no use. The late emperor had always been known for knowing people and making good use of them, and he kept his instructions in mind. He was also quite cautious in using You Chang these days, but he still hoped to give You Chang more opportunities. After all, his talents were still at a low level in the court. Upstream.
Nowadays, the talents of the Han Dynasty are withering away and no longer prosperous in the past, especially those who are outstanding in military strategy are even rarer. Youchang's military attainments are enough to illustrate his potential.
Talents are not necessarily all talented people, and later training is also extremely important. After the opening of the palace, he transferred You Chang to the Prime Minister's Palace with the intention of teaching him carefully and teaching him carefully. His performance tonight was enough to praise him, and he might not be able to be placed in a more important position in the future.
Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang's conversation became even more lively, and the two of them chatted until the sky began to light up before they dispersed to rest.
On the morning of the next day, Zhuge Liang finished arranging the affairs in the mansion, explained to Shi Wanglian, the chief minister of the prime minister's mansion, and returned to his home before noon.
"Alang is back, I thought my husband forgot that he still has a family." As soon as Zhuge Liang entered the house, Mrs. Zhuge looked at him with a half-smile and joked.
Since the late Emperor Bin Tianhou, in order to stabilize the court situation and calm people's hearts, Zhuge Liang has always appeared serious and steady in front of outsiders. Only when he returned home could he have a chance to relax, so he and his wife often joked with each other as they did when they were young. .
Zhuge Liang also knew that his wife understood righteousness and was a rare virtuous wife in the world. She would never blame him for focusing on state affairs and neglecting family affairs. This was just the interest between husband and wife.
"Madam is joking, how could I not remember you and the children?" However, Zhuge Liang hurried forward and held his wife's hand to apologize.
"Sir." At this time, the two young men and women beside Mrs. Zhuge greeted Zhuge Liang in unison.
"Yeah. Qiaoer, Guoer, you brothers and sisters, how are you doing at home these days?"
It turns out that these two people are Zhuge Liang's children.
The older man is Zhuge Liang's son Zhuge Qiao, named Bosong. He was originally the second son of Zhuge Liang's elder brother Zhuge Jin, who was an official in Jiangdong. Since Zhuge Liang and his wife only gave birth to one daughter after many years of marriage, he adopted Zhuge Qiao into his lap. To inherit the bloodline.
This young woman named Guo'er is Zhuge Guo, Zhuge Liang's daughter, who is three years younger than Zhuge Qiao. She was also the woman who made a surprised sound in the car when she saw Yang Qing tell the truth the day before yesterday in Chenjiacun.
The lady in the car was none other than Zhuge Liang's wife, Huang, whose nickname was Yueying. Her mother and daughter happened to be returning to the city after finishing their chores at their manor the day before yesterday. Unexpectedly, they encountered a murder in the village. On the way back to the city, Zhuge Guo wanted to recommend Yang Qing to Zhuge Liang, but Huang Yueying told him not to discuss it until later.
Seeing their father asking about it, the brother and sister said they were good friends and went to the dining hall to eat with Zhuge Liang in their arms. Today, Huang Yueying personally cooked a table of food and was about to have a reunion dinner with her husband and children to enjoy family happiness.
Although most people in this era eat two meals a day, wealthy people don't have to do this deliberately. Zhuge Liang was an incorruptible official and did not manage property. His family also lived a simple life and did not indulge in extravagance. But after all, he was the prime minister of a country, with a salary of ten thousand stones. In addition, the two generations of emperors Liu Bei and Liu Chan received many rewards and favors, so But there is no need to worry about eating and drinking.
Four low tables faced each other. As the maid set the food, the family sat down to eat and chat without following the ancient etiquette of eating without talking and sleeping without talking.
"Xi Jun, how is the cleaning up of the manor outside the city?" Zhuge Liang asked while putting meat on Huang Yueying.
"Don't worry, Lang. The manor has been tidied up, and the farmland has been repaired. We can plant mulberry trees just before winter comes. It won't delay you, Prime Minister, to lead the people."
"You can rest assured that Mr. Xi has come forward." Zhuge Liang praised his wife without leaving any trace, and then asked: "Have I made any progress with my organs and equipment?"
"There is no progress in other aspects, but Liannu has been made according to your thoughts, A Lang, and I have tried every means to improve it. Now we are one step closer to the goal."
"Very good, very good." Zhuge Liang praised a few words and gave Huang Yueying a piece of fish: "Thank you for your hard work. Liang is grateful."
Huang Yueying snorted and took a piece of fish over: "It's good that Alang knows."
Next, Zhuge Qiao and his sister couldn't help but snicker when they saw their parents showing affection in public. Huang Yueying rolled her eyes at Zhuge Liang when she saw that the children were teasing her, but her husband seemed to not notice and started to eat by himself.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Huang Yueying talked about what she had seen and heard in Chenjia Village these days. Zhuge Liang listened very carefully and asked in detail about the lives of the people in the village and the officials' law enforcement. Mrs. Zhuge answered them one by one. She knew that her husband now held heavy responsibilities and had great power. Others would probably not tell the following things in such a true and detailed manner, and he was too busy with his affairs to repeat the fight with the villagers when he was in Longzhong. Knowledge can serve as another channel of information for him to make decisions.
Speaking of the murder case that occurred in Chenjiacun, Huang Yueying told the story of the young man Yang Qing she met in solving the case, and Zhuge Guo also made supplements. Huang Yueying is not recommending Yang Qing to Zhuge Liang now. She just tells Yang Qing's performance first to leave an impression. As for his talents, her husband will judge for himself.
After hearing Yang Qing's exquisite reasoning process, Zhuge Liang had not yet expressed anything, but Zhuge Qiao couldn't help but praise it.
"Wonderful. Mother, Guo'er, it's a pity that I didn't go outside the city with you, otherwise I could have witnessed the process of solving the case."
"Sir, this Yang Langjun is really observant and extremely smart!"
Zhuge Liang smiled slightly: "Yes, this boy does have some intelligence and is quite talented in the prison field, but I don't know if he has other abilities."
Zhuge Liang couldn't help but admire Yang Qing's quick wit. The way of criminal law was an important means for him to govern and bring peace to the people. When he first entered Shu, in order to rectify the law and discipline, he also co-authored "Shu Ke" with Xiaozhi and others to correct the laxity of law and discipline during the Liu Zhang period. , Most powerful people are the disadvantages of lawlessness. It's just that what the country needs most now is people with great talents in military and political strategy. Yang Qing needs to be carefully observed as Xijun said.
"I'd like to thank you, Mr. Xi, for your troubles and pay more attention to this boy."
"You and I are one husband and wife, so there is no need to say more."
The two of them looked at each other, their thoughts unspoken.
