Three Kingdoms: I help Liu Bei grow thousands of miles

Page 127

"Could it be sea cucumbers? I don't like eating that stuff, and I don't like it even if I eat it..." Zhang Fei frowned.

"It's not sea cucumber either, you'll know when it's served." Lan Tian said.

Zhang Fei pursed his mouth and shook his head, "It's really uncomfortable..."

Boiled wine and shabu-shabu were brought to the table one after another, but what Zhang Fei missed was the seafood in Lantian.

After several rounds of toasting, Zhang Fei noticed that Gao Yuan had returned, and the maid then brought a wooden plate to each table, which contained eight strange-looking things.

Zhuge Liang picked up one and asked, "Ziyu, is this an oyster?"

Chapter 254 He is not worthy of sea cucumber

Lan Tian nodded in affirmation: "The military division is really well-informed, has it been eaten before?"

Zhuge Liang shook his head and smiled wryly: "I just read the ancient books, and today is the first time I see it."

The shell of the oyster is as hard as a stone, and the meat in the middle is decorated with minced garlic and chopped green onion. It smells fragrant. Zhang Fei asked in puzzlement, "Ziyu, how do you eat this oyster?"

Lan Tian took out the oyster meat with chopsticks, chewed it with minced garlic and green onion, and finally drank the juice in the shell.

Everyone followed suit and started to eat. Zhang Fei seemed to open the door to a new world, and quickly finished his eight.

"The oysters are indeed delicious, but the meat is too little. It's really enjoyable to pair them with boiled wine. It's a pity that the eldest brother and the second brother are not lucky..." Zhang Fei sighed.

Xu Shu was still chewing slowly, but found that Zhang Fei had finished eating, he smiled and asked Lan Tian: "Yide has a good appetite, this plate alone may not be enough, how many oysters did Ziyu bring this time?"

Lan Tian raised his head and gestured to Gao Yuan, who clasped his fists and replied, "There are still about [-] of them steaming in the pot, and the rest are already dead when the lid is opened..."

"Then let the kitchen serve them up. It is difficult to transport and keep oysters fresh..." Lan Tian felt a little regretful.

"Wei." Gao Yuan walked out of the hall in response.

After Zhuge Liang heard it, he understood that it was steamed with live oysters, no wonder it was so delicious.

Zhang Fei looked up and counted the oyster shells on everyone's table, thinking that there were quite a lot of discarded oysters, and it was a pity to throw away such delicious things.

There are five seats in the hall, namely Lantian, Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. Gao Yuan distributes the remaining oysters equally from Lantian.

Seeing that he could only get four, Zhang Fei said anxiously, "General Gao, right? Zilong and the military division don't like seafood, so don't give them extra meals later on, let me, Lao Zhang, help them. "

Gao Yuan had just added four to Lantian, and when he was about to give them to Zhao Yun, he was stopped by Zhang Fei's words. He looked at Lantian at a loss, not knowing what to do.

At this time, Zhao Yun put his hand into the plate and said, "Yide remembered wrongly, I like Ziyu's seafood..."

Zhang Fei feigned astonishment and frowned: "Are you remembering wrong? You still have some oysters left on your plate. Give me the oysters in the back first, and then Ziyu will make Fushouquan. I will give you all the sea cucumbers..."

"Not good..." Zhao Yun shook his head and refused.

Steamed oysters are indeed a fresh food. Zhang Fei's half-joking and half-serious words caused everyone in the hall to roar with laughter.

Shi Xie didn't send much. Lantian and others brought the rest to Jiangling after trying it out in Quanling. Unfortunately, many died due to poor storage.

Lan Tian was chatting and drinking with Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu, and there were other food on the table, so he ate two oysters before and after. He handed the plate of oysters to Gao Yuan and said, "Go and give Yide my share. .”

"Wei." Gao Yuan bowed and took it with both hands.

Zhang Fei smiled happily when he saw this, "Ziyu is still very interesting. Remember to send a letter when Shi Xie delivers the oysters again. I will go to Quanling to find you when the time comes..."

"Does Ziyu know where these oysters come from? It's not convenient to store and transport them in winter, and it's probably even harder to eat them in other seasons..." Zhuge Liang analyzed.

"It is produced in Zhuya Island in the south of Hepu County. Because of the small production and inconvenient transportation, it is difficult to have the opportunity to taste it outside Jiaozhou..."

While eating, Zhang Fei said, "I never thought that Jiaozhou has so many good things. Fortunately, Ziyu has been planning there, otherwise this oyster would have entered Sun Quan's stomach? This guy actually wants to rob A Dou, he is not worthy of eating sea cucumbers... "

"Yide speaks carefully." Zhuge Liang quickly reminded, but fortunately, there were no outsiders in the hall.

Lan Tian said solemnly: "The so-called catching thieves and taking stolen goods, catching traitors and taking doubles, now that there is no proof of the assassin's death, don't mention it..."

"Oh, I listen to Ziyu." Zhang Fei picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

Although Zhang Fei was born rough and impatient, his temperament of daring to love and hate is easy to attract outsiders. He also especially likes to get close to talented scholars such as Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu.

After two days in Jiangling, Lan Tian hurried back to Quanling, taking advantage of the fact that Xichuan had not yet changed, hoarding war supplies.

According to the experience of insect plagues after severe droughts, which mostly occurred in summer and autumn, Lantian focused his energy on fattening and spring plowing, and he wanted the people to have a good harvest in the first half of the year.

Lantian was not worried about Lingling under his jurisdiction, but focused on the three counties of Wuling, Changsha, and Guiyang. In addition to punishing officials who neglected their duties and slack in farming, they asked Jiang Wan to arrange to directly report to the Yangtze River News.

In this era, the reputation is as high as the sky, and the officials with bad deeds and Xu An's positive image are judged against each other. The overstaffed officials in various counties and counties either rely on their connections to be transferred to idle yamen, or change their previous inactive administration. The whole Jingnan has become The wind is clean and the air is upright.

In May, the paddy fields in the south were lush, and the tall seedlings symbolized the prosperity of life. In Yecheng, far north of the Yellow River, hundreds of Ma Teng's family were taken to the execution ground.

Cao Cao returned to the army due to Youji's rebellion. After quelling the rebellion, he wanted to return to Chang'an Xia Houyuan. As a result, this talented general suppressed the Kansai coalition army. Cao Cao's main force could return or not.

When Ma Chao rebelled in Xiliang, Ma Teng, who was serving as a guard in the imperial court, was controlled by Cao Pi who stayed behind.

Cao Cao not only likes to kill people in his dreams, but also wants to settle accounts when he wakes up. He killed Ma Teng's family on the charge of treason, and also killed Han Sui's descendants in Xuchang.

The blood of hundreds of people stained the streets of Yecheng red, and Cao Cao's prestige was once again consolidated. Ma Teng had ruled Xiliang for many years as a warlord, and at last he was old enough to obey the destiny and serve the court. Ma Chao might be left behind because he wanted to leave a way out.

Ma Chao is unbeaten and Ma Teng will not die. Ma Chao has no worries about defeating Cao Cao. Before Ma Teng died, he didn't figure out why Ma Chao rebelled and why the eldest son was so bold.

There is a huge difference between the son and the concubine. Even though Ma Teng left Xiliang, he handed over the soldiers and horses to the eldest son Ma Chao, but Ma Chao still has no inheritance rights. horse iron.

Not every eldest son of a concubine has the luck of Yuan Shao, so when Cao Cao tried to annex the various tribes in Kansai, Ma Chao resolutely rebelled, because only in this way can he control his destiny, and it is also the shameless words he and Han Sui said root kernel.

In the face of power, there is no relationship between father and son, let alone a concubine.

After killing a man in Yecheng, Cao Cao convened his officials to discuss how to use troops in the future. When the world is not yet stable, it is impossible to let the main force stay idle in the rear.

Jia Xu frequently used tactics in Guanzhong, and Cao Cao was the first to ask him about his tactics: "A soldier will be lazy if he does not fight, and he will be lazy if he does not fight. Fang is bright and clear today, and it is time to use troops abroad. From the perspective of Wenhe, where should we attack first?" ?”

Now the only ones in the world who can be enemies with Cao Cao are Ma Chao and Han Sui in Xiliang, Liu Bei in Jingzhou, and Sun Quan in Jiangdong.

Previously, Xun You proposed a plan to seek the weak first and then the strong, from the northwest to the southeast. After Cao Cao adopted his suggestion, there was the subsequent Weishui War.

Jia Xu is a mature and considerate person, unwilling to refute in front of Xun You, he suddenly covered his stomach and replied in pain: "Uh... the prime minister is calling me?"

"Wen He is unwell?" Cao Cao looked at him with a nervous look. Does this guy have any hidden illnesses?

Chapter 255 Knowing the Shame and Being Courageous

Jia Xu covered her abdomen with her right hand, raised her left hand and reported with difficulty: "It may be because I ate my stomach just now, and now my stomach hurts unbearably and I want to cry..."

"Wen He wants to go to the bathroom, why don't you go quickly?" Cao Cao was determined. Jia Xu is much more stable than Guo Jia. He usually lives in seclusion, so he shouldn't suffer from serious diseases.

"Then I'll go back as soon as I go, and it suddenly happened for some reason..." Jia Xu covered his stomach with one hand and his buttocks with the other, and walked out quickly with his legs between his legs.

Xun Yu glanced at Jia Xu suspiciously, thinking that you are not Shidun, right?

There were many officials who accompanied Cao Cao to watch his execution yesterday. The generals were used to seeing life and death and didn't feel much. Among the civil servants, Mo Chengyu and Jia Xu had the best psychological quality. Jia Xu also had a good time at the banquet at night.

"Gongda, you once suggested to be weak first and then strong. Now that the main forces of the Kansai tribes have collapsed, should we put down Xiliang in one go, or attack Liu Bei or Sun Quan?" Cao Cao asked Xun You again.

As the strongest strategist in the Cao camp, Xun You often used tricks to help Cao Cao win on the battlefield, but his macroscopic view was not as comprehensive as Jia Xu's.

Because he did not participate in the Battle of the Weishui River, Xun You could only answer cautiously based on experience: "The situation in Xiliang is similar to that in Liaodong in the past. Ma Chao and Han Sui have deep roots there. Therefore, I suggest that all evil should be eradicated, completely wiped out, and no future troubles..."

"The Prime Minister beheaded Ma Teng's clan yesterday, and ordered Xu Chang to arrest and kill Han Sui's descendants. Their monstrous hatred can no longer be resolved. I also suggest sending troops to Yongliang..." Xun Yu added.

Although there are reasons to kill Ma Han, Xun Yu thinks that Cao Cao did it too early.

Cao Cao hesitated after hearing this, and then asked Cheng Yu next to him, "Does Zhong De have a good opinion?"

At that time, fighting in Xinye and Hefei, Cheng Yu frightened Sun Quan with only 3000 people, so he felt that Jiangdong was the real persimmon.

"I think Gongda is too cautious. Although the situation in Xiliang is similar to that of Liaodong in the past, the actual situation is quite different. How can Han Sui and Ma Chao have more influence than Yuan Shao? Now that General Xiahou is guarding the pass, the prime minister should be free to deal with it." Sun Liu..." Cheng Yu analyzed.

Cao Cao nodded slightly, motioning for Cheng Yu to continue talking.

Cheng Yu looked at Xun You and continued, "After the Chibi War, the prime minister built warships and trained sailors on the Huai River. Now that the warships and sailors are all ready, why don't we go out to Shouchun to flatten Jiangdong?"

The two sides had different opinions, Cao Cao couldn't make up his mind for a while, just as Jia Xu walked in from outside the house, he smiled and cupped his hands to apologize to everyone.

"Wenhe come quickly." Cao Cao waved his hand in greeting.

Jia Xu asked calmly, "Does the prime minister make a plan?"

"Gongda suggested flattening Xiliang, and Zhongde suggested attacking Jiangdong. You wouldn't let Jingzhou be attacked alone?" Cao Cao asked jokingly.

Xun You interjected again and asked, "Wen He came back from the battle against the Wei River with the lord. We are all in the rear. Everyone doesn't know the truth. It's better for you to tell us your opinion."

Jia Xu picked up his beard and said: "The prime minister beat all the tribes in the Kansai to be losers. Although Ma Chao has the courage of a man, he is impulsive and lacks wisdom. I think the sincerity in the west is nothing to worry about. As for whether to attack Liu Bei or Sun Quan, the prime minister has to decide..."

Cao Cao said in his heart that you old fox, no one in the court is more tactful than you, so he set the tone: "Miao is brave and resourceful, and all the generals in the middle will help each other. I will live up to my expectations, so I will follow Zhongde's words and fight." Send to Huainan."

Xun Yu hurriedly advised: "Sun's family has been in Jiangdong for three generations. Not only are there enough soldiers and food, but also the Yangtze River is naturally dangerous. The prime minister might as well attack Jingzhou from the south of Xiangyang, occupy the Yangtze River and go down the river. Jiangdong will be at your fingertips then."

Cheng Yu argued: "Our warships are all in Huaisi. Without the aid of warships, we can only capture Jiangling. If we want to deal with Guan Yu's Jiangxia navy, can we ask Sun Quan for an excuse?"

"Wen Ruo still prepares money and food for the army."

Cao Cao's underlying meaning is very clear: You said it well, but don't say it again.

Xun Yu blushed with embarrassment, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over, "Prime Minister, please take a look."

"Yangtze River News? Where did you get this article?" Cao Cao looked at the big paper with a frown.

Xun Yu: "General Zixiao sent it from Xiangyang, and it was marked on the paper that it was made by the Lingling County Book and Newspaper Office..."

After Cao Cao browsed quickly, he passed it to Cheng Yu and Jia Xu. He said suspiciously, "What's the point of combining old information from various places? Who is the prefect of Lingling County?"

"The name is Lantian, the name is Ziyu, and he is Liu Bei's confidant..." Xun Yu replied.

"Lan Ziyu? I seem to have heard this name somewhere, but I can't remember it..." Cao Cao shook his head.

After reading the newspaper, Cheng Yu added: "If Wen wants to say that Liu Bei led troops into Sichuan, Jingzhou is empty now? It says that the counties in Jingnan had a bumper harvest last year, as long as they have food, they can recruit soldiers..."

"Last year, there was a severe drought in the south, and production everywhere was decreasing. How can there be a good harvest in Jingnan? Besides, there is not much population there, so how much can there be?"

Although Xun Yu is in charge of Cao Cao's logistics, he is mainly the chief dispatcher and does not have a good grasp of the actual situation in various places.

"The art of war is false and true..." Cheng Yu continued to remind.

Cao Cao was suspicious by nature. After listening to the analysis of the two, he reached out his hand to stop the topic, "This must be the conspiracy of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei's military adviser, to use these false and true information to confuse Gu. Otherwise, how could such an important thing be obtained by Zixiao?"

"According to the scout who delivered the letter, this Yangtze River News is published every two months, and as many as five or six hundred copies will be produced for each issue. The detailed work ahead was purchased with a lot of money..." Xun Yu continued.

Cao Cao took the newspaper from Jia Xu again, and saw the date written in small characters on the upper right corner: Jian'an 17th Issue No. [-].

He raised his head and closed his eyes to think for a moment, then laughed loudly and said, "Hahaha, can such a small plan be hidden from Gu? I think that Lan Ziyu wants to imitate Xu Zijiang, and an unknown person dares to do the Yuedan review?"

Xu Shao’s cousin, Xu Jing, likes to comment on township figures. He changes the topic every month. People in Runan call it “Yuedan Commentary”. The critics are well-known all over the world, and even the appointment of officials is affected by Yuedan's comments.

Everyone in the world flocked to Yuedan's comments. When Cao Cao was not successful, he was instructed by Sikong Qiaoxuan, and he went to Pingyu to ask Xu Shao for a comment.

But because Xu Shao didn't like Cao Cao, he asked the doorman to tell him that he was not at home, and refused to meet him with this reason.

At that time, Cao Cao also "visited the thatched cottage three times" like Liu Bei. The first two times, Xu Shao made an excuse not to see him.

The last time Cao Cao broke into the door directly, Xu Shao, who was blocked upright, had no choice but to leave a comment: a son who governs the world is a capable minister, and a traitor in troubled times.

With Xu Shao's words, Cao Cao became famous, and was elected as Xiaolian when he was just 20 years old.

Cao Cao held the Yangtze River Newspaper in his hand and flashed memories. Decades have passed in a blink of an eye. If it weren't for the humiliation of Chibi, the world might have been pacified by now.

The so-called courage after knowing shame, Cao Cao's eyes became sharp, and then he said coldly: "I have decided my loneliness, so I will use Zhong De's words to attack Sun Quan first and then Liu Bei."

Chapter 256

Cao Cao was going to the southeast to conquer Sun Quan, and the war cost a lot of materials to be raised. Xun Yu, the head of logistics, was busy all day.

During Xun Yu's busy period, counselor Dong Zhao persuaded Cao Cao to restore the ancient system of five nobles, and suggested that Cao Cao be named Wei Guogong.

At this time, Cao Cao, as the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, enjoyed the treatment of "praising without being famous, entering the court without going, and walking on the sword in the palace", and he was already an extremely human minister and could not enter again.

Dong Zhao's suggestion opened a new door for Cao Cao. After the duke, there will be kings and even emperors.

People have made outstanding achievements in their old age, who doesn't enjoy being admired by thousands of people?Who is not moved in the face of rights?Who doesn't want to leave blessings for their children and grandchildren?

Cao Cao was delighted to hear this, but Xun Yu panicked.

Xun Yu has supported Cao Cao since the beginning of his army. He and Cao Cao were both courtiers of the Han Dynasty, but he was neither loyal to the court nor to Cao Cao. He was more like a partner of Cao Cao.

The Xun family in Yingchuan is the leader of the gentry in the world. As the spokesperson of his family, Xun Yu has been safeguarding the interests of the family all his life.

These gentry who control the right to speak, they just want to maintain the power structure dominated by the gentry, and it doesn't matter who the power belongs to the emperor or the powerful officials.

Now Cao Cao is an extremely human minister, and a delicate balance has been formed between the Cao clan, the Xun family and the Han family. Once Cao Cao becomes the Duke of the Duke, this balance will be broken.

The Xun family did not want Cao Cao to break the balance, so Xun Yu persuaded Cao Cao alone before he set off on the expedition: "Mr. Cao originally promoted righteous soldiers to rejuvenate the country, uphold loyalty and sincerity, and keep the reality of retreat. A gentleman loves others with virtue, and this should not be the case..."