"The Wangcheng river has burst its banks, and the repair budget is five thousand gold, which has been approved."
"After the Wangcheng River burst its banks, the river flowed into Ningcheng. County magistrate Chen Yi requested a reduction of summer field taxes to support the people, and it has been approved."
"The Lingling summer tax is 22,000 gold. After excluding the 10,000 gold stagnant due to government operations, the remaining 12,000 gold has been put into the treasury and has been approved."
"The gap in naval warship construction supervision is calculated as fifty thousand gold. It has not been approved."
In Changsha County and Linxiang County Council Hall, Liu Qi was sitting on a handsome chair, reviewing reports sent from various places, and murmuring and repeating the contents above each time he reviewed them.
Since Liu Bei left, Liu Qi has taken on all the important military and political affairs of these four counties.
To be honest, I am really tired. Not to mention the distribution of tenant farmers and the distribution of grain during the spring plowing period, the relief for natural and man-made disasters is enough to make people scratch their heads.
In addition, there are a total of 40,000 land and naval forces in the four counties. The maintenance of infantry armor and weapons, the construction of naval warships and equipment, plus the salary support of these people, are like a bottomless pit sucking the resources of the four counties. financial resources.
But there was nothing that could be done about it. Military expenses were the largest expense, but they couldn't be reduced. The sudden cut off of Jiangxia's taxes and the surge of more than 20,000 naval troops required Liu Qi to spend all his energy to balance it.
Even so, this period of time was the happiest time Liu Qi had ever lived.
At least, he truly felt his responsibilities and responsibilities as the owner of the four counties, as well as the real power he held.
Over the years, he has gone from being a frightened eldest son, to a man fleeing from the wolf's den, to finally passively becoming the master of the four counties, but he has never really made the final decision on anything.
"Father, the child will not let you down." Liu Qi stretched out to relieve the fatigue of the whole day.
These military and political affairs were tiring, but he thought he handled them fairly well.
If Jingzhou remains Jingzhou and there is no war, he is even confident that he can manage the four counties as well as Jiangxia and Nanjun.
It's a pity that in the era of war, everyone will be swept into the torrent of the times. It is difficult to survive, and it is even more foolish to dream of becoming a paradise.
This is why he still did not expel Liu Bei even after he deeply felt the power in his hands as the master of the four counties.
Liu Qi is actually very self-aware. Let's talk about internal affairs. After all, he has learned a lot from his father over the years. But when it comes to fighting, he is far inferior to Liu Bei, not to mention that he has the support of Zhuge Liang, who is unpredictable and talented.
Therefore, in the past dark years, he chose to believe in Liu Bei, and the two parties could be considered complementary to each other.
It was only later, during the Battle of Anfeng, Sun Ce was released from Yang'an Mountain, and various events caused Huang Zu and Wei Yan to leave him one after another that he finally realized that the identity of the master would change if he continued.
But surrounded by powerful enemies and with the Emperor's Holy Purpose, if he forcibly drives away Liu Bei, he will not be able to stand on both the overall situation and moral grounds.
The current situation is good. Leaving Liu Bei in Baqiu can really make him use himself, and at the same time, he will not bite him back.
However, regarding the alliance with Cao Cao, he still personally went to Baqiu. After discussion, he concluded that the alliance was indeed the way to survive at the moment, so he agreed to Wenpin.
Therefore, Liu Qi's mind was relatively stable during this period. Anyway, when the war actually started, it was Cai Mao's people who were at the forefront. He could also take the opportunity to let Liu Guanzhang be the spearhead, and everything seemed to be under control. middle.
"My lord, Wei Yan wants to see you."
Liu Qi, who had just stopped writing and stood up to go out for a walk, bumped into Huo Jun who ran in. As soon as he heard the news, Liu Qi's eyes flashed and he said repeatedly: "General Wei is back? Please come quickly! No no. No, I will meet him personally!"
He didn't know why Wei Yan suddenly ran back from Jiangxia. He only knew that Wei Yan was quite loyal to him before and was capable. In the final analysis, he ran away because of Liu Bei's fault.
Probably, because Liu Bei is now driven to Baqiu, he has figured it out.
"General Wei!"
"Master."
When the two met, one had blazing eyes and the other had a sinking face, but it was obvious that both of them had held back a lot to say.
Liu Qi hurriedly pulled Wei Yan into the inner hall. Without any small talk, he asked his servants to prepare wine and meat.
"General Wei, after a few months of separation, I missed you very much in Changsha. All the previous grievances were only due to my slowness. Later, Huang Taishou scolded me and woke me up. After I came back, I also learned from the experience, so I decided to let Liu Bei and the others go to Baqiu. , only serve as my guard, and no longer influence the military and political affairs.
As for the grievances you suffered previously, believe me, I will definitely make it up to you twice as much. "Just after sitting down, Liu Qi could no longer control himself from expressing his emotions.
Before it was determined whether Wei Yan came back just to visit friends or to return to his subordinates, all he could do was to make the other party believe in his sincerity.
"Master." Liu Qi actually felt uncomfortable when he heard the word "Master." Didn't he always want to call himself "Master"?
Wei Yan sighed and said in a deep voice: "In the past, the young master treated me with great courtesy. What I said just now made me firmly believe that I came back this time."
"oh?"
Liu Qi let out a slight sigh and frowned: "How can General Wei say this?"
The servants quickly brought the wine and meat. Wei Yan did not speak in a hurry. After everyone left, he poured a glass of wine and paid tribute to Liu Qi, "Sir, you are in danger but you don't know it. The general is worried that if he doesn’t come back, he may only be separated from yin and yang in the future.”
"this"
Liu Qi was originally holding a wine glass, but after hearing what Wei Yan said, he immediately put down his wine glass in fright, with a look of uneasiness on his face, "What do you mean by General Wei's words? Please make it clear!"
"Did Young Master agree to an alliance with Cao Cao?"
After hesitating for a while, Liu Qi thought that he couldn't hide this matter from him, so he nodded and admitted, but did not forget to add: "I have also discussed this matter with Uncle Liu Huang, and he also feels that this is the only way to survive."
"Liu Bei, you are trying to kill the young master! Even if my lord knows this, he will not be able to rest in peace!" Wei Yan also put down his wine glass angrily, clenched his fist and beat it on the table.
"General Wei" Liu Qi was instinctively wary. Zhuge Liang also said that day that an alliance between the three families was now the only way to escape Lu Lin's poison.
In other words, Lu Lin's people probably wouldn't be happy to see them form an alliance, but Wei Yan came here to talk about this matter. He felt that the other party was probably ordered to be a lobbyist. It was a pity that it was a pity that he had lost his friendship with him.
"Sir, what you did is just to help Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Ce. Cao, Sun and Liu formed an alliance."
Wei Yan sneered, "The world only knows that they are Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Ce. Who would know that Liu from Cao, Sun and Liu is your son?"
Liu Qi glanced at Wei Yan, chuckled and shook his head, unmoved.
He knew that when it came to fame, he could not compare to Liu Bei, at least for now, but this was a battle for survival and a fight for fame and fortune. Does it make sense?
It seems that I am still not good at speaking, but fortunately Mrs. Jia taught me.
The opening remarks were prepared by Wei Yan himself. He originally wanted to convince Liu Qi himself, but it seemed that the general was really not eloquent enough.
He took a deep breath and asked in a deep voice: "Young Master is in a life-and-death crisis and you still don't know it. Well, the general will make it clear that this battle is a war between the North and the South, with nothing more than two outcomes. First, Lieutenant Lu and Lin Sikong won, and took advantage of the situation to take over Jing, Yi, and Jiaozhou; second, the coalition forces won, and Lieutenant Lu and Lin Sikong returned to the Central Plains to recuperate after their defeat.
I dare to ask you, which side do you think has a greater chance of winning? "
Liu Qi examined Wei Yan, who had a serious face, with vigilance in his eyes, and analyzed: "To be fair, of course Lu Lin has a better chance of winning, but the coalition is not without a chance of winning."
"Okay, then let's discuss these two results with the young master."
Wei Yan took a sip of wine and took a deep breath: "First, Lieutenant Lu and Lin Sikong won. Young Master, first there was the Anfeng Rebellion, and then there was Lian Cao's resistance. They will definitely not let you go, right?"
Liu Qi looked at Wei Yan calmly. This was a natural thing and there was nothing to say.
"Then, the second possibility is that the coalition won. Young Master, have you ever thought about who is the biggest beneficiary? It is Cao Cao. There is no doubt that because his infantry is at the other end of the Yangtze River and can attack from Xiangyang, no matter what Whether it is chasing and capturing, or regaining territory, it is Cao Cao's gain.
At that time, Lin Sikong's vitality was seriously injured, and Cao Cao had two options. The first was to pursue the victory, but he had no cavalry and it was difficult to enter the Central Plains. If he wanted to expand his victory, he had to choose the second way, which was to annex the prince and Sun Ce. , integrating the three states of Yi, Jing, and Jiao into one! "
Finally, Liu Qi's expression began to twist slightly.
Especially when he heard the last sentence, 'annex the young master and Sun Ce', Liu Qi even subconsciously leaned back a little.
Yes, he has always been thinking about self-protection, but he has never thought about it in the long term.
Wei Yan's words were definitely not alarmist, but a well-founded prediction. Even after knowing that he was here to convince himself, Liu Qi didn't think there was any problem with such a judgment.
Of course, he still has a way to go. When the time comes, he will invite Zhuge Liang and Liu Guanzhang back. In the end, there is a high probability that he will be slowly swallowed up by them in this internal struggle.
Liu Qi, who became more and more uneasy as he thought about it, could not help but tremble a little. He looked at Wei Yan tremblingly. He wanted to ask him what he thought, but he never thought that the other party would continue: "What will Cao Cao do once he annexes the four counties?" Young Master, you only need to think about the Cai family's status in this battle to predict the outcome."
Liu Qi looked straight at Wei Yan and stood up slowly. Cao Cao's biggest reliance against Lu Lin was Cai Mao's navy. Once he captured the four counties, he would definitely kill him and would not even have a chance to surrender. .
If he was panicked just now, then Liu Qi was trembling now, because according to Wei Yan's reasoning, no matter what he did, he would be dead.
No wonder. No wonder he would say that I am trapped in a dead end without knowing it. It is really so, it is really so!
Eyes can't deceive. Wei Yan has already read the merits that can be earned from this trip from Liu Qi's eyes, and strikes while the iron is hot: "Master, now you have only one way to survive."
"Say it quickly!" Liu Qi asked breathlessly.
"A few days ago, Cai Mao gave a memorial to the imperial court, scolding Taiwei Lu and Lin Sikong as officials who were causing trouble to the country. It can be imagined that he was determined to become an enemy of the imperial court. If the young master wants to protect himself, it is very simple. Just go against Cai Mao." After Wei Yan said this, he showed a meaningful smile.
"Are you going to join Lu Lin?"
After Liu Qi finished speaking, he swallowed again and shook his head: "No, no, no, Lu Lin must have grudged me for the previous battle in Anfeng. Plus, I helped save Sun Ce, how could they tolerate me!"
At this moment, Wei Yan was no longer in a hurry to brainwash Liu Qi.
He stood up and walked forward, poured a glass of wine for Liu Qi, and asked attentively: "Do you know Jia Taichang?"
"Taichang Jia?"
After thinking for a while, Liu Qi nodded and said: "Jia Xu, I heard that this person has helped a lot over the years. He is Lu Lin's confidant and has a transcendent status."
"Of course."
Wei Yan had a proud look on his face, "Jia Taichang rewarded the junior generals. He once said that if the young master can abandon the dark side and turn to the light, he is willing to use Taichang's name as a guarantee. Not only will Taiwei Lu and Lin Sikong not embarrass the young master, but after they capture Jingzhou, they will also You are allowed to be the governor of Jingzhou."
Hearing this, Liu Qi's pupils suddenly gathered. If Jia Xu really said this, he would be at ease. With his position as the head of the Nine Qings, it shouldn't be difficult to protect himself.
The previous scruples were only because of the imperial edict that demoted him to the position of magistrate of Xinye County. Liu Qi felt that Lu Lin must hate him to the core.
Now that Jia Xu has taken the initiative to extend an olive branch, this worry will naturally disappear.
Liu Qi paced back and forth in the hall. If he stayed here, as Wei Yan said, no matter who won, he would be reduced to the dust of history in the end. It was already a dead end. The only way to survive was to defect to Lu Lin.
Moreover, there is another advantage to joining them. They will uproot the Cai family without even having to ask. At that time, sitting in Jingzhou will no longer pose any threat.
Liu Qi finally stood still. He looked at Wei Yan and muttered: "Then what does Mrs. Jia want me to do."
Hearing this, the stone hanging in Wei Yan's heart finally fell to the ground, "If the young master has already made a decision, then the initiative is in the hands of the young master. There are too many things that can be done, such as Liu Bei."
Wei Yan's eyes turned cold and he made a gesture of raising a knife and lowering it.
Liu Qi was startled, and then sighed. It was only a matter of time. After all, if he wanted to change his vote, he really had to show his vote.
But when it comes to using Liu Guanzhang's head, Liu Qi actually doesn't really want to do this in his heart. Humans are not grass and trees. After getting along with each other for several years, they have always been like uncle and nephew, but suddenly he kills him. It doesn't make sense.
not to mention.
Liu Qi couldn't bear to do any of the previous things he did after consulting with himself.
"Young Master, the matter has come to this. It is not the Young Master who can control the situation. Either the Young Master will die and save Liu Guanzhang, or the three of them will be used to express his determination. Please make your own decision."
Wei Yan is not in a hurry now. This kind of question is no longer a multiple-choice question, but a true or false question. He doesn't believe that for the sake of saying this, Liu Qi can still accompany Liu Bei to seek death.
"But. But now Liu Bei is the governor of Changsha by His Majesty's decree after all, and I only hold the position of magistrate of Xinye County. If I kill him, then..." Liu Qi asked uneasily.
"Don't worry, young master. Jia Taichang said that as soon as Liu Guanzhang's head falls to the ground, the emperor's secret edict will be revealed to the world immediately, accusing Liu Bei of secretly communicating with Cao Cao, and ordering the young master to kill him. The young master does not need to worry about this."
In this way, Jia Xu had clearly planned everything long ago and left me no choice at all.
"Can you let Huang Taishou lead his troops to attack Baqiu? I will hold my troops there. Baqiu only has two or three thousand men. Huang Taishou will lead a large army to attack. They will have no way to survive." Liu Qi was still making his final struggle.
"Young master, this is not about buying meat in the market and being able to bargain with the other party. Who is Jia Taichang? He is an important minister who countless people in the world have no way to curry favor with. Now that he has spoken, what kind of attitude will the master have? Won't Mrs. Jia feel that the young master is not sincere enough?"
Wei Yan was neither impatient nor impatient, and said in a persuasive manner: "What's more, Huang Taishou is still suspicious of the relationship between the young master and Liu Bei. He will be worried that the young master may suddenly take action when the time comes?"
That's right.
Liu Qi sighed heavily. It seemed that I really had no choice. Finally, he said helplessly: "If this is the case, then I can only do it myself. But, General Wei, you also know that Liu Although Guan and Zhang had few soldiers and horses, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were both brave and courageous.
The only people in Changsha who can fight are General Huang and General Wei. When the time comes to take action, General Wei will not be here. General Huang used to have a deep relationship with Liu Bei, so I am worried that he may not be willing to agree. "
Wei Yan rubbed his chin, this was really a problem.
Of course Wei Yan understands the principle of hitting a snake with a stick and killing it. The extent of his achievements depends on how much merit Liu Qi can make this time. Either he doesn't take action, or if he takes action, he still has to take Liu Guanzhang's head so as not to make Jia Taichang feel uncomfortable. Trust no one.
"Sir, if this is not the case, there is still some time before the Autumn Harvest War anyway. You should first test the reactions of all parties, but be careful not to act too hastily.
The last general will also send a fast horse to report the news to Jia Taichang, and Lin Sikong will make the decision himself. What do you think? "
Liu Qi nodded indifferently. If Lin Mo was willing to personally send generals with ten thousand enemies, such as Zhao Yun, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, etc., not only would things be done much more smoothly, but he would not need to be stained with the blood of Liu Guan and Zhang.
After all, Liu Qi is still too honest.
"Then, I'll wait here for the good news from General Wei." Liu Qi had a complicated mood. He felt lucky to escape, but also felt guilty of owing Liu Bei. It's really difficult to be a human being.
Wei Yan held up his hand and said, "Don't worry, young master. After this incident, you will definitely be able to secure your position as governor of Jingzhou. I think my late lord will also smile happily for you."
After that, he turned around and left.
Things went smoothly beyond his imagination. If not for the fact that Jia Xu could be regarded as too often, every word he said could touch Liu Qi's heart. Fortunately, he had also gained this military merit.
Coupled with Liu Guanzhang's head, it's not too much to replace him with a lieutenant general, right?
(End of chapter)
