Although Lu Su had not yet reached his peak, he was an expert whose literary Qi had reached the stage of qualitative change. Moreover, this person was honest, considerate, and quite capable. In the future, he would be a good helper when dealing with political affairs.
After a brief rest, they didn't waste any more time. They followed Gan Ning's instructions and began to cross the river.
The Yangtze River of this world was a rare natural barrier. The river spanned tens of thousands of li, and the sky above it was constantly filled with terrifying lightning, practically forbidding anyone from flying. Moreover, the water had a terrifying corrosive power and all sorts of strange creatures. If one wanted to cross the river, one had to rely on a warship made of special materials. Otherwise, one would not be able to cross the river alive.
Although Cheng Hao had comprehended the eighth level of the Laws of Thunder and Lightning and could fly unimpeded, he didn't expose himself. Instead, he rode Gan Ning's battleship with the others and silently made his way to Jianye under the cover of the night.
"My Lord, on this trip to Jianye, there is no need for us to go directly to Yangzhou Provincial Governor Liu Yao. We can go directly to Moling County, recruit soldiers, and expand outward step by step!"
As the group sat cross-legged in the cabin, Zhuge Liang began to analyze the direction of their future development.
"Moling County?" Cheng Hao nodded. This place was a county under Jianye County. Although it was only a county now, it would become the famous ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, Nanjing!
"Although Moling is a county, it has a population of more than ten thousand. More importantly, the city is backed by Mount Zhijin and faces the Yangtze River to the south. It is a place of crouching tigers and coiling dragons, with an extraordinary grandeur and the faint aura of an emperor. If my Lord builds high walls here and lays down formations to attract the people, in a few years, the scale of this city will be no less than that of Luoyang and Chang 'an. "
Cheng Hao nodded and motioned for Zhuge Liang to continue.
"If Liu Yao had the foresight, it would have been for the best if he had handed over control of Yangzhou to Your Excellency. But even if he was unwilling, he wouldn't have the courage to make trouble for you. We only need to develop step by step and recruit elite soldiers. In a few years, Yangzhou will be in our hands without shedding a drop of blood!"
"As for future development, I have nine words for my Lord. If my Lord can use them well, you will be able to regain the throne and unite the world."
"Oh? Let's hear it, Kongming! "Cheng Hao's interest was piqued and he urged.
"Build high walls, accumulate grain …"
"The last three words, are you going to proclaim yourself king slowly?" Cheng Hao smiled. Wasn't this a good idea that Liu Bowen had presented to Zhu Yuanzhang in the future?
"It's not a slow proclamation!" Zhuge Liang shook his head, "If it were other dukes, they would naturally have to delay the proclamation. After all, in the Great Han Dynasty, those who are not of the Liu Imperial Family are not allowed to proclaim themselves as Kings. Proclaiming themselves as Kings means rebellion and will bear the pressure of the entire world. Naturally, the gains do not make up for the losses!"
"But my lord, you used to be the Emperor. Although you've been stripped of your title as King Hongnong, most people still recognize you as the Emperor. Others take time to call themselves King, but my lord, you have to call yourself Emperor early!"
"My lord, ascending the throne as Emperor is a matter of right and proper. With Jiangdong as your base, not only will the people not reject you, but you will also be able to attract a steady stream of talents and generals from all over the world. You will be able to unify the south as soon as possible."
"Moreover, my lord has a righteous cause and is the legitimate Emperor. After proclaiming yourself Emperor, as long as the central plains have not been unified, ordinary dukes will not rashly carry the infamy of rebellion and invade. You will be killing many birds with one stone!"
"Build high walls, accumulate grain, and proclaim yourself Emperor early!" Cheng Hao carefully thought over the nine words, and his heart suddenly became much clearer.
He had originally planned to follow Zhu Yuanzhang's example after occupying Yangzhou and make a fortune in silence. But now, it seemed that Zhuge Liang's strategy of proclaiming himself Emperor early was more in line with his current status.
"Kongming, you really are a living Zhang Liang!" Cheng Hao praised in admiration. He raised his hand and a feather fan suddenly appeared in his hand.
The feather fan did not look very conspicuous. If it were not for the seven stars emitting faint starlight on the white feather fan, it would not be much different from the fans sold on the street.
"This item is called the Seven Stars Fan. It is one of the few treasures that I brought with me before leaving Luoyang. Today, I bestow it to Kongming. I hope you will continue to work hard and help me unify the world as soon as possible and return a pure land to the people!"
"Your subject, Zhuge Liang, thanks my lord!" This was the first time in a long time that Cheng Hao had bestowed a reward. Even the indifferent Kongming could not help but feel a little excited at this time.
The fan was called the Seven Stars Fan. It was a treasure obtained from Zhuge Liang's brocade pouch. It was Zhuge Liang's exclusive item and was useless to others.
After receiving the Seven Stars Fan, Zhuge Liang's body suddenly stiffened. Then, a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. This was the first time he had lost his composure in front of an outsider.
"My lord, with this Seven Stars Fan, I even feel like I can compete with the sages of the world. This fan seems to exist for me!"
Cheng Hao smiled and did not answer. This Seven Stars Fan was Zhuge Liang's exclusive item. It had no other effect except for one attribute, which was to increase one's overall strength by 30%!
An increase of 30% might not seem like much, but if Kongming entered the sage realm in the future, his strength would instantly reach the peak of the beginner sage realm. Even if he encountered fierce generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he could even fight them!
.....
The battleship traveled on the river for an entire night. During this entire night, everyone was very excited as they planned for the grand undertaking of unifying the world in the future. Only when dawn broke did the ship reach the shore. They were already less than a hundred miles away from Moling County.
"My lord, you can order people to gather the people along the way into Moling first. You are not in a hurry to go there personally. If there is nothing else, it is best to go to Lujiang County with Liang!"
"Lujiang County?" Cheng Hao was puzzled. He did not have much of an impression of this place.
"Lujiang County is the county closest to Jianye. It is also the territory of the Lu Family, one of the four major families of Jiangdong. The current Governor of Lujiang is Lu Kang. If my lord can visit him personally, perhaps you can take over the entire Lujiang County without shedding a drop of blood!"
Cheng Hao had some impression of Lu Kang. He seemed to be the grandfather of the future pillar of Wu Kingdom, Lu Xun. As for the rest, he could not remember clearly. After all, there were too few deeds.
"This Lu Kang is a scholar. He is different from those warlords who only think about how to serve the imperial court and the common people. Therefore, he has never cultivated his own army. If my lord's trip goes smoothly, Lujiang County will be included in our territory in the future!"
Zhuge Liang held the feather fan in his hand and gently fanned it. A confident look appeared on his face as if he was very confident about this trip.
"As expected of the Crouching Dragon Zhuge Liang. His efficiency is high. With him around, it will save me a lot of trouble!"
Cheng Hao felt that it was indeed worth it to invite Zhuge Liang out. With him around, all kinds of things could be handled in an orderly manner. There was no need for him, the lord, to worry about anything.
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