"Come, come, Brother Liu Qi. This King toasts you! Many thanks for Brother Liu Qi's hospitality. "Liu Mang raised his cup and proposed a toast to Xinye Prefecture Chief.
That's right, Liu Qi was the eldest son of Liu Biao. Because Liu Mang was a King, Liu Qi should be sitting at the lower table while Liu Mang sat at the main seat. Liu Qi did not lose his manners at all.
Liu Biao was as tall and handsome as his father. Back in the day, Liu Biao was known as one of the Eight Generals. Although it represented talent, it was also related to appearance. It was a pity that he was silent and taciturn. As the saying goes, a child who doesn't cry doesn't have milk to drink. It was no wonder that after his mother died, Liu Biao became an abandoned child. His younger brother, Liu Zong, was born from his stepmother, Madam Cai. Most of the soldiers in Jingzhou were in the hands of the Cai family. Liu Qi was silent and did not want to seek the support of the Kuai family, Pang family, or Huang family. He was no longer fated to be the King of Jingzhou.
Liu Mang did not expect that an honest child who could have been toyed to death by his stepmother would become the Xinye Governor. The position of Governor of Jiangxia that originally belonged to him had been taken by Wen Pin. Now, only Xiakou and Chibi were still under Liu Biao's control. The other places were all in the flames of war. Liu Qi was good at governing the people, but he would be at a loss if he had to fight a war. Fortunately, it was Liu Qi. Otherwise, Liu Mang would not have been able to enter Xinye City. If he wanted to enter, he would have had to fight his way in. This was because Liu Qi had told him that the Jingzhou envoy had died outside Xinye City. If it was a hot-tempered Xinye Governor, he might have directly started a war.
"You're too kind! This is what Liu Qi should do! " Liu Qi was really an honest man. He was good-looking and had a generous temperament. If he was in the modern world, he would definitely be a star. Unfortunately, this was a chaotic world. An honest man like Liu Qi had no way to survive. In the original timeline, Liu Qi was forced to the point that he had no choice but to remove the ladder from the wall.
"Come, come, come. Brother Liu Mang, let Liu Mang toast you again. This is to establish the friendship between us." Although Liu Mang was not from the same lineage as Liu Bang, he had the title of King Of Shu. Liu Mang was originally a relative of the Han dynasty, and his father, Liu Biao, was also an Imperial Uncle of the Han dynasty. According to the ranking of relatives in the Han dynasty, Liu Mang and Liu Mang could be considered brothers. Liu Mang even changed the way he addressed himself. He no longer referred to himself as' Your Highness'. Instead, he directly called himself by his name. It was a form of familiarity.
"I don't dare, I don't dare! Your Highness King Of Shu is too kind to Liu Qi! " Liu Mang was just being polite. However, Liu Qi took it seriously and quickly said that he did not dare. If this was a peaceful era, even his father, Liu Biao, would have to kowtow to Liu Mang. Moreover, Liu Mang still had the title of General of the Southern Expedition. Thinking about it carefully, Liu Qi, the Governor of Xinye, was still under Liu Mang's command.
"What's there to be afraid of? You and I are both descendants of the Great Ancestor. At this time, it's only right for us to stand out and show our friendship as fellow clansmen. We should support each other and turn the tide to revive the Han Dynasty!" Liu Mang's mouth was filled with a lot of principles. In his previous life, he had listened to a lot of leaders' speeches. Naturally, he learned this kind of thing. In fact, it was all empty talk. However, people in this era really liked to listen to it. If you talk to him about the people's suffering and how much money and grain cost per mu, he may say that you are a vulgar person who only cares about profits. However, if you talk nonsense with him about the country and the world, such as reviving the Han dynasty, letting the people live and work in peace and contentment, not picking up lost things on the road and so on, then everyone would be in high spirits. Even if Lao Cao used the Emperor to order his vassals, it was under the guise of reviving the Han dynasty. If he added some tears, then it would be even better. For example, Liu Mang was a master of this kind of thing.
Crying, making a fuss, and threatening to hang himself. Liu Bei really recruited a lot of talents. His second and third brothers were attracted to him because of Liu Bei's great ambition.
"His Highness the King Of Shu?!"
"Hey, why are you still calling me His Highness the King Of Shu? My surname is Liu and my name is Mang. My courtesy name is Hanyang. If Brother Hanyang doesn't mind, then just call me Hanyang!" Liu Mang's eyes were completely blind when it came to the current situation in Jingzhou. Therefore, this Liu Qi was the first person that Liu Mang tried to win over.
"Hanyang, Brother Hanyang!" Liu Qi didn't dare to be arrogant. His mouth stuttered a little. He couldn't help but feel a trace of excitement when he called a King brother. Liu Qi was in his thirties this year. According to age, he was Liu Mang's brother.
Liu Mang didn't correct him. If he called Liu Qi brother again, then Liu Qi might really be in fear and trepidation. It was better for them to call each other by their own names.
"Brother Moran, this is the third toast that Liu Mang wants to give you, because this may be the last toast that we have after we part ways. The next time we meet may be forever separated!" Liu Mang's face was full of sadness. He didn't know how to cry, but he could still make a sad face.
Liu Qi was shocked when he heard this. "Brother Hanyang, what do you mean? Is Brother Hanyang worried about the dangers of this trip to Xiangyang?!" Liu Qi subconsciously thought that Liu Mang was worried about the trip to Jingzhou. "Brother Hanyang, don't worry. My father is the Governor of Jingzhou. He is a kind and generous gentleman. Brother Hanyang, you will definitely be warmly received by my father. You will be as generous as an elder and feel at home as a guest! "Liu Qi defended his father, Liu Biao.
"Haha, Brother Moran, Liu Mang is not worried about himself, but about you!" Although Xiangyang was dangerous, Liu Mang wasn't worried about his own safety. Unless Liu Biao really wanted to fall out with the Lvbu's Army, Liu Mang's life wouldn't be in danger. Moreover, a living Liu Mang was more useful than a dead Liu Mang. Unless Liu Biao was stupid, he wouldn't kill Liu Mang.
"Worried about me?!" Liu Qi was really stunned this time. You, Liu Mang, have entered Jingzhou alone. It can be said that you are a fish on the chopping block. You don't care about yourself but you are worried about my life?
"Sigh, sigh, sigh! Brother Moran, you have the style of your father and the disposition of a gentleman. Unfortunately, the heavens are jealous of your talent. Such a gentleman died in the hands of evil people. Such a gentleman will not have a good ending. Sigh, sigh, sigh! "It was time to test Liu Mang's acting skills. Liu Mang suddenly pounded the ground to express his grief and indignation.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Liu Mang's actions really scared Liu Qi. He couldn't help but ask, "Brother Hanyang, I don't have any worries!"
Hearing Liu Qi's question, Liu Mang began to laugh in his heart. The fish had taken the bait. He now had an ally in Jingzhou. "Brother Moran. I can't say anything about this! "Liu Mang looked at Liu Qi and shook his head regretfully.
"Why can't I say anything?" The more Liu Mang didn't say anything, the more anxious and worried Liu Qi was.
"This matter is related to Brother Moran's relatives!" Liu Mang revealed a little bit. This was because he knew that this kind of thing couldn't be said directly. If you directly told others that you were going to die, the people who harmed you would be your relatives. It would be good if they didn't beat you to death.
Sure enough, after Liu Mang said that, Liu Qi's brows furrowed. No matter what, Liu Qi's family matters were still Liu Qi's family matters. No matter what, Liu Mang was just an outsider.
Liu Qi subconsciously wanted to get angry. No matter who it was, he would be very unhappy if they talked about his family. However, Liu Mang's words didn't seem to be fake. Family? Liu Qi began to think of his own family. Who were his family members? His father Liu Biao, his brother Liu Zong, and his stepmother Cai.
Liu Mang looked at Liu Qi and blinked a few times before continuing, "Sigh, being born in a feudal family, brothers have no feelings for each other! "The Yuan Clan was originally such an outstanding person. They were the Three Dukes for four generations and had four provinces under their control. However, these two sons are unfilial. Yuan Shao is seriously ill, but these two sons want the position of Great General. That's why they're fighting each other and killing each other!"
Yuan Shao? Internal strife? Liu Qi couldn't help but think of that scene. Although Liu Biao only had two sons, one less than Yuan Shao, Liu Biao had a follower, Liu Pan. Just like Yuan Xi in the Yuan family, both of them were capable people, but they didn't have the right to inherit.
"Brothers are not equal and do not have an heir. Naturally, internal strife!" What Liu Qi received was the benefits of a gentleman, which was also the Confucian and Zhou Rites. Above the Zhou Rites was the establishment of the eldest son. Although the other sons might be better than the eldest, it prevented internal strife.
"However, you can't blame Yuan Tan." Liu Qi was the eldest son, and so was Yuan Tan. Liu Mang wanted to put Liu Qi in the role of Yuan Tan. "As soon as Yuan Benchu fell ill, his youngest son, Yuan Shang, wanted to be the great general. He colluded with his mother and didn't report it! They planned to lure Yuan Tan into their camp and kill him. They turned a deaf ear to their brotherly love. "
When Liu Mang said "kill", he saw Liu Mang's body tremble.
"However, Yuan Tan isn't easy to deal with. Fortunately, he has his own team and Qingzhou as his foundation. He immediately escaped to Qingzhou and established himself there to compete with his younger brother for the position of the great general!" After Liu Mang finished speaking, Liu Qi still hadn't reacted. He was really scared. What Liu Mang said about Yuan Tan and himself were so different. Yuan Tan was the eldest son, and Liu Qi was also the eldest son. However, they both fell out of favor because of their younger brother. Both of them had mothers who died early, and their stepmothers were not kind people. Yuan Shao was seriously ill, and Yuan Tan couldn't see his father. Similarly, Liu Qi hadn't seen his father for a long time. If something happened to Liu Biao, Liu Qi would be blinded.
Yuan Tan was able to escape because he had tens of thousands of troops and Qingzhou. Therefore, Yuan Tan wasn't afraid at all. What did Liu Qi have? He was just the governor of Xinye! Moreover, as a governor, he didn't have many soldiers and horses. All in all, there were no more than five thousand soldiers and horses. The rest of the ten thousand soldiers and horses were under the command of Xiangyang. His younger brother's uncle, Cai Mao, was the military advisor of Jingzhou. He was in charge of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses in Jingzhou. The Cai family was one of the major noble families in Jingzhou. How could Liu Qi compete with his younger brother, Liu Zong? In the end, he would probably die on the spot.
Thinking of this, Liu Qi woke up in fright. The back of his shirt was wet. If you touched it, you would find that it was all cold sweat. Liu Qi was really scared. If things went according to Yuan's script, Liu Qi would have no choice but to die. Once his father was seriously ill, Liu Zong would use his father's name to summon him back. Liu Qi would have to go because if he didn't go back, it would mean that he was not filial to his father and would be reviled by the world. But once he went back, he would really die.
"Your Highness, King Of Shu, save me!" Thinking of this, Liu Qi was so scared that he didn't have time to drink anymore. He directly knelt in front of Liu Mang.
"Save you? How? Brother Moran, if I can save you, I will definitely do it! "Liu Mang laughed in his heart, but on the surface, he looked very troubled.
"Your Highness, King Of Shu, must have a way. There must be a way!" Liu Qi was really panicking. Since Liu Mang said that he was going to die, then there must be a way to save him. Otherwise, he wouldn't say it because Liu Mang's death had nothing to do with him.
"Sigh, Brother Moran, I didn't want to get involved in the matter of Jingzhou because we lack provisions in Yangzhou. This time, I went to Xiangyang to ask for Lord Liu's help. Brother Moran, you know how powerful the Cai Family is in Jingzhou. If I help Brother Moran, I will …" Liu Mang said.
Liu Qi looked at Liu Mang and knew that he couldn't take out any benefits, so it was impossible for Liu Mang to help him. "Your Highness, King Of Shu, although Liu Qi doesn't have the right to use the provisions in Xinye, I will try my best to get ten thousand shi of provisions for Your Highness's Yangzhou!"
Ten thousand shi of grain and provisions, this should be Liu Qi's limit. Liu Qi was too honest and didn't know how to bargain. If it was someone else, they would've definitely said five thousand shi of grain and then slowly increased the price. That way, it would show how much I was willing to sacrifice and get the other party to help me as much as possible. No one would directly hand over their trump card like Liu Qi.
"Alright, since Brother Moran is so magnanimous, then it would be my fault if I continue to refuse!" In this chaotic world, Liu Mang rarely saw such an honest person. The fewer such people there were, the more valuable they were. It was rare for Liu Mang to really want to help Liu Qi.
"Brother Moran, have you heard of Shen Sheng and Chong 'er of Jin?" Liu Mang asked.
Shen Sheng and Chong 'er?! Liu Qi was the typical representative of Confucian disciples, how could he not have heard of these two people. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Duke Xian's concubine, Li Ji, plotted to kill Crown Prince Shen Sheng in order to let her son, Xi Qi, succeed the throne. Shen Sheng was forced to commit suicide. Shen Sheng's younger brother, Chong 'er, left in exile to avoid the disaster. During his exile, Chong 'er suffered a lot of humiliation. It turned out that most of the officials who had followed him out had gone their separate ways. There were only a few loyal people left who had followed him all this time. One of them was called Jie Zitui. Once, Chong 'er fainted due to hunger. In order to save Chong 'er, Jie Zitui cut off a piece of meat from his leg, roasted it, and gave it to Chong' er. Nineteen years later, Chong 'er returned to the country and became the ruler. He was the famous Duke Wen of Jin.
Liu Qi did not want to be Shen Sheng, because the end result was naturally the death of a friend. However, was it so easy to be Chong 'er?
Liu Mang did not know who sent Liu Qi to Xinye. Although Liu Qi seemed to be far away from Jingzhou, it was actually very dangerous.
"Although Chong 'er escaped, he alone is not enough to restore the country!" Liu Mang continued. Duke Wen of Jin, if he was alone, not to mention restoring the country, even living might be an extravagant hope. Duke Wen of Jin even treated himself as the Duke of Peace and Happiness for a long time. At that time, he had forgotten about his family's hatred. As for Chong 'er's restoration of the country, it was also related to someone's help. This person was Duke Mu of Qin. In order to become the overlord in the future, Duke Mu of Qin curried favor with the powerful Jin Nation at that time and proposed marriage to Duke Xian of Jin. Duke Xian of Jin married his eldest daughter to him. Later on, Duke Xian of Jin was old and muddle-headed. The most favored concubine, Li Ji, lied that Shen Sheng wanted to poison Duke Xian of Jin and used him to get rid of Shen Sheng. Therefore, the other two sons, Yiwu and Chong 'er, fled to other countries to survive. Later on, the Jin minister, Rick, killed Li Ji's two sons and wanted to bring Chong 'er back. Duke Mu of Qin also wanted to do the same, but the minister thought that Chong' er was better than Yiwu and could not make the Jin Nation strong. Thus, Duke Mu of Qin turned to Yiwu and made him the monarch. However, not long after, Yiwu was afraid of power and killed Rick and other old ministers. He also sent people to kill Chong 'er. Furthermore, he repaid kindness with enmity and did not help the Qin Nation, causing Yiwu to fall out with the Qin Nation. He forgot the kindness of the Qin Nation and sent troops to attack the Qin Nation. In the end, he suffered a crushing defeat. He had no choice but to cede territory and beg for mercy. He also asked his son, Gongzi, to go to the Qin Nation as a hostage. Only then did the relationship between the two nations be repaired.
In order to contact Gongzi, Duke Mu of Qin married his daughter, Huaiying, to him. This was a matter of marriage in the society at that time. Logically speaking, the relationship should be very stable. However, when Gongzi heard that his father was sick, he was afraid that the position of monarch would be passed to someone else, so he left his wife and secretly ran back to the Jin Nation. In the second year, after Yiwu died, Gongzi became the monarch of the Jin Nation and did not have any contact with the Qin Nation. Duke Mu of Qin did not expect Gongzi to be another ungrateful Yiwu. Of course, he was very angry and immediately decided to help Chong 'er become the monarch of the Jin Nation. With the help of Duke Mu of Qin, Chong' er took down the capital of the Jin Nation and sent people to kill Zhao. Duke Huai of the Jin Nation died in less than a year. Duke Mu of Qin married his daughter, Huaiying, to him.
At this time, the relationship between Duke Mu of Qin and the Jin Nation was very subtle. He was the brother-in-law of Yiwu and Chong 'er, the old father-in-law of Yiwu's son Gongzi, and his brother-in-law Chong' er's new Mount Tai. In the end, Duke Mu of Qin's brother-in-law and son-in-law, Chong 'er, became one of the famous "Five Hegemons of Spring and Autumn", Duke Wen of Jin. Not long after Chong 'er's death, Duke Mu of Qin took the opportunity to defeat the Jin Nation, which had become the overlord of the Central Plains, and also became one of the "Five Hegemons of Spring and Autumn".
After his death, he did not care about what happened after his death. Duke Mu of Qin's attack on the Jin Nation was no longer important. What Liu Qi wanted to know was that Duke Mu of Qin helped Chong 'er. Without Duke Mu of Qin's help, Chong 'er could not become Duke Wen of the Jin Nation.
"Help?!" Although Liu Qi was simple and honest, he was not a fool. If he was looking for help, wouldn't it be better to have someone nearby?! It was convenient and could help him quickly. Liu Bei was the closest person.
"Haha, Liu Qi, you want to find someone like Liu Bei, but I don't know if this big-eared Liu Bei is willing to help you!" Liu Mang sneered when he saw what Liu Qi was thinking. Everyone had this characteristic, which was desire. It was not only one or two people, but most people had this characteristic. For example, why did Liu Mang come to Jingzhou? It was for food, but at the same time, Liu Mang also wanted Liu Qi to take Xinye under his command. Liu Bei's army was in Nanyang, which was much closer than Liu Mang. However, the current Liu Mang was not the same as before. In the past, Liu Bei might have hit it off with Liu Qi because using Liu Qi's name, Liu Bei could obtain Jingzhou. But now, Liu Bei had Yuzhou and Nanyang. What he needed now was not Jingzhou, but the support of Jingzhou's army. If he cooperated with Liu Qi, he would definitely offend another party, which was Liu Qi's opponent. His brother, Liu Zong, did not care about Liu Zong, who was only a few years old. However, the people behind Liu Zong were different, which was the Cai Family! The Zhang family! These two families could be considered as the leaders of the entire Jingzhou Army. There was also the Lao family. The Lao family did not show any interest in Liu Qi. On the contrary, they might even be on the same side as the Cai Family.
Offending so many families for Liu Bei? Did they think that Liu Bei was stupid? Therefore, even if Liu Qi wanted to ally with Liu Bei, Liu Bei did not want him.
"Phew!" Liu Qi finally understood that the King Of Shu in front of him was his last hope. The only people who could save him were Liu Bei and Liu Mang. Cao Cao was also willing to help, but Liu Qi did not want to be on the same side as Cao Cao. There was also Jiangdong's Sun Ce. Sun Ce had an irreconcilable feud with Jingzhou for the death of his father. How could he help Liu Qi? He even wanted to kill Liu Qi. Now that Liu Bei had cut off his path of foreign aid for the Cai Family, if Liu Mang's Army let him go, then Liu Qi could only sit and wait for his death.
"Your Highness, King Of Shu, Liu Qi is willing to serve you!" Liu Qi suddenly knelt down.
"Brother Mo Ran, please get up, please get up!" Liu Mang quickly helped Liu Qi up. Liu Qi was the key to Jingzhou's conquest. Liu Mang was also very interested in people like Liu Qi.
It was not that Liu Mang had not seen Xinye City before. The people here were living a peaceful life. In the fields and countryside, the people's faces were not like the ones Liu Mang saw in Yangzhou. Instead, it was a kind of smile, a kind of hopeful smile. Only when there was a path to survival and hope could they truly smile. If it was Yangzhou, who could still smile?
Therefore, Liu Qi could be regarded as an expert in governance and administration. If he was not born in a feudal family, then he would have left his name in history.
"Brother Mo Ran is like a brother to me. You and I don't need to be so polite. Brother Mo Ran, I, Liu Mang, promise that if the situation changes, I will guarantee Brother Mo Ran's position as the Governor of Jingzhou!"
Liu Mang's last sentence finally calmed Liu Qi's heart.
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