Liu Mang's emissary naturally didn't want to do anything to Sun Qian. Liu Mang knew that he couldn't push someone to the extreme. Once he did, there would be no other outcome other than a life and death struggle. Sun Qian had been captured by Liu Mang before, but it was impossible for him to betray Liu Bei because he was already loyal to Liu Bei.
"What does Mister Sun Qian think of Mi Zhu?" Liu Mang's emissary asked with a smile.
"Mi Zhu?" Sun Qian frowned when he heard the name. He didn't like this person.
Mi Zhu was a merchant. Even though he was once the richest man in Xuzhou, his status as a merchant was destined to be lowly. Sun Qian, on the other hand, was a nobleman who was recommended to Liu Bei by the great scholar Zheng Xuan. Naturally, his status was higher than Mi Zhu's. However, Sun Qian didn't look down on Mi Zhu at first.
At most, he and Mi Zhu were two people from two parallel worlds. The two didn't interact. Mi Zhu was good at business while he was good at government affairs. It was difficult for the two to interact.
However, Sun Qian developed a bad impression of Mi Zhu because Mi Zhu was close to Pang Tong.
In fact, Mi Zhu had no choice. The Mi Family was a merchant family. The one in Liu Bei's Army who hated merchants the most was Liu Bei's second brother, Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang. He was the most arrogant person in Liu Bei's Army.
Guan Yu was not someone who was good at hiding his feelings. Even a fool would be able to sense his disgust towards the Mi Family. On the other hand, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had a good relationship with Sun Qian.
Sun Qian and Pang Tong were like fire and water. When Pang Tong first joined Liu Bei's Army, he was trying to woo Mi Zhu. How would Mi Zhu choose? Instead of being hated by Guan Yu, Mi Zhu might as well accept Pang Tong's good intentions.
Sun Qian hated Pang Tong, so naturally, Mi Zhu was hated as well.
"Mi Zhu is talented!" Sun Qian obviously didn't want to talk about Mi Zhu. However, he was a scholar and he also studied Confucianism. Therefore, he couldn't talk about Mi Zhu's shortcomings behind his back. He could only say that Mi Zhu was talented! As for whether he was talented or just firewood, that was another matter.
Liu Mang's emissary laughed inwardly when he saw Sun Qian's reaction.
"Mister Gongyou, there's only you and me here. Let's get straight to the point!" Liu Mang's messenger went straight to the point. "Our lord does not like Mi Zhu. He hopes that Mister Sun Qian will help us get rid of him!"
"Get rid of this person?" Sun Qian was stunned. He didn't know how Mi Zhu had offended the King Of Shu, Liu Mang. Although Mi Zhu was once the richest man in Xu Province, that was in the past. Now, Mi Zhu had lost the halo of Xu Banzhou. While Liu Bei focused on politics and military, a businessman without capital was in an awkward position. To Liu Mang, Mi Zhu was just a nobody.
"It wasn't Mi Zhu who offended our Lord. It was his younger brother, Mi Fang, who offended our Lord!" In response to Sun Qian's doubts, Liu Mang's messenger had already prepared an explanation. Using the Battle of Yingshang as a shadow, he said that Mi Fang had almost injured his lord. That was why he took up the challenge. Now, he hoped that the Mi Family would not have peace.
"Impossible!" Sun Qianxiang refused without even thinking about it. Although merchants were lowly, they were a necessary condition for governance. If there were no merchants to trade with each other, and if there were no merchants to sell their goods to various places, then it would be impossible to govern the state well. After all, the people did not produce salt and iron, and there were also some states that lacked food and iron, so they needed these merchants. If Mi Zhu was killed, Liu Bei wouldn't be able to find anyone who could do business. Sun Qian wouldn't betray his Lord's interests.
"Impossible?" Liu Mang's emissary wasn't in a hurry. "Mister Gongyou, don't be in a hurry to reject me!" Liu Mang's emissary walked to the side and found a chair to sit on.
"Mister Gongyou should know where Pang Tong, Pang Shiyuan, went, right?" Liu Mang's emissary explained. Sun Qian naturally knew where Pang Tong went. Liu Bei lacked food and in order to weaken Pang Tong, Sun Qian wanted Pang Tong to use the Pang Family's resources to support Lord Liu Bei. Just like Mi Zhu and the others, Sun Qian took out all of his family's wealth to weaken Pang Tong.
"Jingzhou!" Liu Mang's emissary answered his own question. "He went to Jingzhou to get food! With the Pang Family and Pang Shiyuan's ability, they can still get food in Jingzhou! It depends on how much they can get! If there isn't enough food, Mister Sun Qian won't have to worry! " If Pang Tong didn't bring back enough food, Sun Qian could mock Pang Tong and lower Pang Tong's position in Liu Bei's heart.
"If Pang Tong brings back enough food and supplies, or if Pang Tong manages to open the bridge between Jingzhou and Yuzhou, Mister Sun Qian, don't be so rude. In that case, Mister Sun Qian, it is best for you to tuck your tail between your legs. Otherwise, even if you are played to death by Pang Shiyuan, I believe that the Left General will not intervene! "Said Liu Mang's messenger with a sneer.
"Bullshit!" Sun Qian was furious. What did it mean to be played to death? Sun Qian was so angry that he even cursed.
"What? Mister Sun Qian, am I wrong? Right now, you are only the Governor of Yuzhou, but Pang Shiyuan is already the Yuzhou Secondary Magistrate! "Liu Mang's emissary continued. The Secondary Magistrate's position was the same as the Governor's. They both had a salary of a thousand shi. However, the Secondary Magistrate was equivalent to the secretary of the provincial party committee. Even if he didn't have as much power as the Governor, he was better than the Governor.
This position originally belonged to Sun Qian, but after Pang Tong came, Sun Qian gave up his position.
"Mister Sun Qian, don't forget about Ruyin!" Liu Mang's emissary continued. Ruyin was Sun Qian's sore spot. It was Pang Tong's suggestion that made Liu Bei send Sun Qian to guard Ruyin. Sun Qian originally planned to use Ruyin's provisions to survive, but who knew that the provisions would be burned by Pang Tong. Pang Tong wanted to force Sun Qian to his death. Pang Tong had wanted to kill Sun Qian before this. Once Pang Tong established a connection between Yuzhou and Liu Biao, Pang Tong's status in Liu Bei's eyes would be higher. Originally, Sun Qian had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's support. However, after seeing that Pang Tong could help their elder brother, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu slowly changed their attitudes.
Once Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were pulled over by Pang Tong, Sun Qian would be in real danger.
"What does this have to do with Mi Zhu?" Sun Qian roared at Liu Mang's emissary with bloodshot eyes.
"Once the bridge between Yuzhou and Jingzhou is established, there will be a lot of commerce. With Jingzhou's wealth, there will be a lot of merchants coming to Yuzhou. Yuzhou will need someone to manage the commerce, and that person is Mi Zhu!" Liu Mang's emissary finally revealed his purpose.
"Right now, Mi Zhu is not valued by Liu Bei. However, once Jingzhou and Yuzhou are established, Mi Zhu will definitely make use of Jingzhou to make Yuzhou rich again! Mi Zhu is Pang Tong's man. Once Mi Zhu gains power in front of Liu Bei, Mister Gongyou will have no chance of winning against Pang Tong! "
Mi Zhu was currently useless because Liu Bei had placed all his focus on the military. Just the matter of provisions was enough to give him a headache. How could he have the time to care about commerce? Once the issue of provisions was solved, Liu Bei would need Mi Zhu's ability to expand the army or govern the land.
When you expand your army, you naturally need weapons and armor, and you naturally need food and provisions. Aren't these all dependent on commerce? Nanyang and Yuzhou were not places that produced iron. Even if they did, Liu Bei did not have that many skilled craftsmen. Hence, commerce with Jingzhou was essential.
Sun Qian frowned. He hesitated. He did not know if he should do this. Although he hated Pang Tong, he was still loyal to Liu Bei. If he harmed Mi Fang, Pang Tong would lose an assistant. At the same time, Liu Bei would also lose a helper.
"Of course, Mister Gongyou. Everything I said was based on the premise that Pang Tong and Pang Shiyuan could establish a bridge between Jingzhou and Yuzhou. But now … Haha!" The reason why Liu Mang's messenger did not say anything was because his lord was also in Jingzhou. Whether it was Yangzhou or Yuzhou that was roping in Jingzhou was another matter.
Now, Sun Qian had to make a big decision. If Mi Zhu was eliminated, Liu Bei would lose a huge helper. However, this was based on the alliance between Liu Bei's Army and Jingzhou Army. If they could not form an alliance, Mi Zhu would be useless. If Mi Zhu was not eliminated, once Yuzhou and Jingzhou formed an alliance, Pang Tong's position in Yuzhou would be indestructible. Although Liu Mang's envoy's words were harsh, it was the truth. At that time, Sun Qian would not be able to fight against Pang Tong. If he wanted to live, he would have to depend on Pang Tong's decision. Sun Qian pitied Mi Zhu and let him drag out an ignoble existence. If Sun Qian did not pity Mi Zhu, Liu Bei would not say anything even if he died.
"What should I do?" Sun Qian was moved. He was comforting himself by thinking that Pang Tong and Pang Shiyuan would not form an alliance. Mi Zhu would be useless to Yuzhou. If he died, then so be it. He would not hinder Sun Qian's great cause.
"There is no need for Mister Gongyou to do too much. Just tell Mi Zhu that his siblings are still alive!" Liu Mang's messenger smiled at Sun Qian's reply. As long as Sun Qian agreed, everything would be fine.
"It's that simple?" Sun Qian frowned. He thought that he would need to slander Liu Bei and use his connections. But now, all he needed was this?
"Of course it's not that simple. However, we will do the rest." Liu Mang needed Sun Qian to pass the message because they were afraid that Mi Zhu would not believe them. Mi Zhu was a loyal person to Liu Bei. Even if Liu Bei treated him calmly, Mi Zhu would not believe Liu Mang's words for the sake of a noble title. However, if the messenger was Liu Bei's own people, Sun Qian would be different.
Although Sun Qian was being suppressed by Pang Tong, he was still Liu Bei's second-in-command. He had a high status and naturally knew a lot.
After the discussion with Sun Qian, Liu Mang's envoy had other matters to attend to.
…
"My brother and sister are not dead?!" In the Mi Family, Mi Zhu was ecstatic when he heard this news. This news was not given to him by anyone else. If it was given to him by someone else, he might have hesitated. However, this news came from Sun Qian, Liu Bei's second-in-command. Naturally, he believed it.
Most importantly, Sun Qian said that he had seen Mi Fang and Lady Mi in Ruyin. He said that Liu Mang wanted to use them as bargaining chips to trade with Liu Bei. At that time, Sun Qian had been captured by Liu Mang and thrown into a fire. He had almost been burned to death. He had narrowly escaped with his life.
Although Mi Fang and Sun Qian had a grudge, his gaze towards Sun Qian improved. After all, his brother and sister were Liu Bei's wife and brother-in-law respectively. If they were killed, it would not benefit either Liu Bei's Army or Liu Mang's Army. From a merchant's point of view, profit was the most important thing. Weren't these Marquises also merchants? It was just that merchants pursued money while they pursued territory and status.
Mi Zhu was happy for several days after hearing this news. He even ate more delicious meals these days. As long as he knew that his sister and brother were still alive, it was fine. As for how much Liu Mang's Army would pay to redeem them, that was a matter for the future. As long as Mi Zhu was still alive, the money would be transferred back.
"First Master, the Left General has sent people over. He said he has a meeting!" While Mi Zhu was still immersed in his dream of redeeming his sister and brother, the steward came to deliver the news.
"Alright, I understand. Prepare the horse! " Mi Zhu was in high spirits and quickly got on the horse. He did not take the sedan chair and went straight to the governor's residence. It could be said that Mi Zhu was the first to arrive. When he saw the others, he greeted them even though they ignored him.
After waiting for everyone to arrive, it was a long time before Liu Bei finally came out from the backyard.
As soon as he appeared, the civil and military officials were stunned. This was because Liu Bei was not wearing his general's uniform. Instead, he was wearing a hemp robe. It was not common clothing but coarse hemp robe. It was very uncomfortable to wear such clothing. Moreover, it represented a funeral.
As expected, when Liu Bei appeared, he immediately started wailing. He looked up to the sky and howled. Tears streamed down his face.
"Who's dead?!" Seeing Liu Bei's actions, the officials cried out. Although they did not know who had died, they could not laugh when their lord was grieving.
Mi Zhu also knelt down. He didn't know who had died. The only people who could make the lord act this way were the lord's important officials and relatives. Pang Tong, Sun Qian, Jian Yong, and the others were the lord's closest relatives. Only the second general, Guan Yu, and the third general, Zhang Fei could be considered close.
But who was it that had died? Sun Qian and Jian Yong were both present. Second General Guan Yu was still in Yuzhou and could not have died so suddenly. That left only Pang Tong and Zhang Fei, who had been sent to Jingzhou.
Was Pang Tong dead? That should not be the case. It was clearly a memorial to the general after his death. Could it be Zhang Fei? Zhang Fei's bravery was unrivaled by ten thousand men!
While Mi Zhu was deep in thought, a messenger walked out from behind Liu Bei to issue an order.
He held a scroll in his hand and read it aloud. The scroll described the Mi Family's titles. Mi Zhu was made a village marquis, his younger brother Mi Fang was made a marquis, and his younger sister was made a madam of loyalty.
Mi Zhu should have been happy. Three titles in one family was a great honor. It could be said that the Mi Family would be able to break away from their lowly status as a merchant clan and become a true landowning household.
But soon, Mi Zhu's expression changed. "Impossible! Impossible!" Mi Zhu did not dare to believe it. Normally, a woman would only receive a title if she was dead. Madam of loyalty? Even if his younger brother was made a title, it should be lower than his, not higher. But now, he was only a village marquis while Mi Fang was a marquis.
The messenger's next words were like a nightmare to Mi Zhu. His younger brother and sister were both dead! They died on Yingshang? Mi Fang died in battle. His younger sister was unyielding and was made a madam of loyalty.
"Impossible! Impossible!" Mi Zhu stumbled to his feet and shook his head violently. He wished that this was all fake, but the scene in front of him told him that it was all real.
My Lord Liu Bei is the Left General and the Imperial Uncle of the Great Han Dynasty. He would not make such a joke.
"Zizhong, restrain your grief!" Tears flowed out of Liu Bei's eyes like the water of the Yangtze River. His tears were as big as beans, making people feel sad.
That's right! Mi Fang and Madam Mi were cried to 'death' by Liu Bei! After Yang Jie escaped, Jian Yong did not manage to find him for several days. Jian Yong had already sent his men of sacrifice to Yangzhou. Liu Bei was also afraid that a long delay would lead to more trouble. He directly let Mi Fang and Madam Mi 'die' first. Only by making them cry to 'death' would Yangzhou not be able to use them to threaten Yuzhou.
"All of this is fake?!" Mi Zhu had just found out that his younger brother and sister were still alive. He was still thinking about how to pay the ransom for their return. Now that he heard the news of their deaths, how could he react to it?
"They're still alive! They're still alive!" Mi Zhu suddenly remembered that Sun Qian was the one who told him this news.
Mi Zhu looked at Sun Qian, but Sun Qian deliberately lowered his head. It was unknown what he was thinking.
"Zizhong, restrain your grief!" Jian Yong also stepped forward and said to Mi Zhu.
"Zizhong, don't worry. As long as Shiyuan returns from Jingzhou, my army will have provisions. I promise you that I will immediately send troops to Yangzhou to seek justice for Mi Fang and Zhen 'er!" Liu Bei's words were sonorous and forceful. If it was an ordinary person, they would have already kowtowed in gratitude. However, Mi Zhu had received news that his younger brother and sister were still alive.
"Seek justice! Seek justice!" The generals were also indignant. Their master's wife had died at the hands of the enemy. When the master was humiliated, the subject was killed. Naturally, they would view it as the enemy.
Mi Zhu was in a daze. He didn't know how he left. He took three letters of appointment from Liu Bei, all of which were nobility titles. However, the ones who died were his younger brother and sister.
Seeing Mi Zhu leave the meeting hall, Liu Bei and Jian Yong looked at each other. Their eyes were full of smiles, without a trace of sorrow.
"Master Gongyou! Master Gongyou!" Mi Zhu left Liu Bei's residence. He still couldn't believe that his younger brother and sister were dead. When he saw Sun Qian's figure, he immediately chased after him. He wanted to know if his younger brother and sister were still alive.
However, Sun Qian was clearly avoiding Mi Zhu. When he saw Mi Zhu's cries, he didn't stop and instead sped up.
"Master Gongyou!" Sun Qian wanted to leave, but how could Mi Zhu allow him to do so? Mi Zhu didn't care about anything else as he rushed forward and grabbed Sun Qian.
Sun Qian couldn't leave even if he wanted to. He could only brace himself and walk forward. "May I know why Zi Zhong is blocking my way?"
"Master Gongyou, Mi Zhu only wants to know if my younger brother and sister are still alive!" Mi Zhu stared at Sun Qian.
"Dead, dead. They died at Yingshang! They died in battle. Milord had Xu Du confer the title of Marquis Du Ting and Madam Zhongzhen! " Sun Qian's eyes flashed.
"They died in battle at Yingshang?" Mi Zhu clearly didn't believe him. "Master Gongyou, you didn't say that before. You told me you saw my younger brother and sister in Ruyin!" Mi Zhu caught Sun Qian's faulty wording.
When Liu Mang's army attacked Yuzhou, they first captured Yingshang which was heavily defended. On the other hand, Sun Qian's empty city was able to hold on for a longer time.
"Dead, they're dead! I was wrong, I was wrong! "Sun Qian's eyes flickered, not daring to meet Mi Zhu's gaze.
Mi Zhu was a merchant, a top one at that. How could he not see the change in a person's expression? Sun Qian was lying. Normally, merchants would have this kind of flickering gaze when they gave a false price.
"You're lying!" Mi Zhu didn't care if he offended Sun Qian or not.
"Why would I lie? They died at Yingshang. I was wrong!"
"You weren't wrong. My younger brother and sister are definitely alive in Ruyin!" Mi Zhu grabbed Sun Qian. Perhaps his younger brother and sister were really dead, but they definitely didn't die in battle at Yingshang.
"You're so annoying. My words are useless. If Milord says they're dead, then they're dead!" Sun Qian was infuriated by Mi Zhu's claw. His clothes were about to be torn apart. He roared furiously.
"If Milord says they're dead, then they're dead!" Sun Qian struggled to free himself from Mi Zhu's grasp. Mi Zhu was stunned by Sun Qian's words. He didn't mind Sun Qian's actions and left, leaving Mi Zhu alone.
Mi Zhu returned to the mansion in a muddle-headed state. Although Old Guan was curious to see his master, he didn't dare to ask.
Mi Zhu locked himself in his study. After a long time, Mi Zhu finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
However, his voice had become hoarse. "Old Guan, go to the woodshed and bring that person here!"
"Yes, Milord!" When Old Guan heard his master's voice, he nodded and left. The person in the woodshed was none other than one of the emissaries sent by Liu Mang.
After leaving Sun Qian's residence, he came to Mi Zhu's residence. This emissary from Liu Mang had revealed his identity the moment he arrived. Mi Zhu had almost sent him to Liu Bei's residence. Fortunately, the emissary had a hairpin in China that Mi Zhu recognized. It was a gift he had given to his younger sister for her wedding leave. When he sent her off, he had told her that once she married into Liu Bei's residence, she would no longer be a member of the Mi Family, but a member of the Liu Family. She would have to rely on herself for everything.
It was because of this hairpin that Mi Zhu didn't send the emissary to Liu Bei's residence. The emissary had said that he had something important to discuss with Mi Zhu and that he would tell him in a few days.
Being a cautious merchant, Mi Zhu kept the emissary. It didn't matter whether he sent him now or later.
Now was the time to bring the emissary over.
"His Highness the King Of Shu's emissary pays his respects to Lord Mi Zhu!" Liu Mang's emissary didn't stand on ceremony and directly greeted Mi Zhu. Mi Zhu was a merchant, so he couldn't address him as' Mister '.
"Tell me, why did Liu Mang send you here?" Mi Zhu was in a bad mood. If what his Lord said was true, then Liu Mang was the one who killed his younger brother and sister. Since this emissary was sent by his enemy, how could Mi Zhu treat him nicely?
"My Lord doesn't have any other intentions. He just sent us to deliver a letter to Lord Mi Zhu!"
"A letter from home?" Mi Zhu's heart skipped a beat when he heard the word. However, Mi Zhu calmed down and treated it calmly.
"Where is the letter? Show it to me!"
"I don't have it with me!"
"Hm?" Mi Zhu frowned.
"Wait a moment!" Liu Mang's emissary smiled faintly and turned to leave. Old Guan wanted to send someone to stop him, but Mi Zhu stopped him. Soon, the emissary returned with a letter in his hand.
"Where did you hide it?" The emissary had been searched when he was brought to the woodshed.
"Lord Mi Zhu, there's no need to be so calculative!" The emissary said with a pale face.
"The smell of blood?" Although Mi Zhu was a merchant, he had seen many battles. He could naturally smell the blood on the letter. Looking at the emissary's pale face and the red patch on his back, it was obvious that the emissary had sewn the letter under his skin. What a ruthless man!
Mi Zhu opened the letter and saw that the handwriting was indeed his younger brother's. Mi Fang's handwriting was taught by Mi Zhu himself.
However, Mi Zhu did not lower his guard because handwriting could be faked.
After reading the letter, Mi Zhu confirmed that it was indeed his younger brother's handwriting. Aside from his concern for him, the letter also warned Mi Zhu not to surrender. If this wasn't his younger brother's letter, why would Liu Mang write such a letter to him?
"You can't get any benefits, so you killed my younger brother and sister!" Mi Zhu roared.
"Killed? Lord Mi Zhu, why would you say that? Although my Lord is enemies with the Left General, he doesn't have the habit of killing captives! A few days ago, my Lord sent an emissary to send General Mi Fang and Lady Mi back! "
"Send them back? My younger brother and sister aren't dead? " Mi Zhu was stunned for a moment. If Sun Qian hadn't spoken, he wouldn't have believed the words of an enemy's messenger. But after hearing Sun Qian's words, Mi Zhu started to believe a little.
Sun Qian said that he saw his younger brother and sister in Ruyin, but his Lord Liu Bei said that his younger brother and sister died in Yingshang. There was a conflict between the two. Moreover, when Mi Zhu questioned Sun Qian, Sun Qian hesitated. How could Mi Zhu not be suspicious?
Now that Liu Mang's emissary said that his younger brother and sister weren't dead, Mi Zhu immediately believed him.
"Yes, send them back. Although General Mi Fang was my Lord's enemy, he still serves his own master. My Lord wouldn't kill General Mi Fang for no reason. General Mi Fang is the Left General's brother-in-law and your younger brother. There's no benefit in killing him. It's better to send him back to the Left General and get sixty thousand rations as ransom!"
Sixty thousand rations? Mi Zhu was stunned. This number wasn't small.
"Yes, sixty thousand rations! My Lord didn't want to do so, but you should know that the Left General schemed against him. Yangzhou has a population of a million, so he had no choice but to do so! "
Mi Zhu finally understood why his younger brother and sister had to die! Sixty thousand rations! Although it wasn't too much to take out, it wasn't a small number for the current Nanyang. In other words, Liu Bei couldn't take out sixty thousand rations. If it was another Champion, it would be fine, but this was his younger brother and sister. For his Lord, Liu Bei, Mi Zhu had sacrificed his entire family's fortune. In total, it was worth a million rations. Sixty thousand rations was just a drop in the ocean! However, Liu Bei really couldn't take out that much.
"My Lord, my Lord!" Mi Zhu smiled bitterly. If Liu Bei had spoken to him directly, Mi Zhu wouldn't have blamed him. He wasn't an unreasonable person. With his loyalty to Liu Bei, he wouldn't have taken things too hard. In the original timeline, Madam Mi had died for Liu Bei and Mi Fang had betrayed Liu Bei. However, Mi Zhu had remained loyal to Liu Bei.
Even so, Mi Zhu's expression still turned cold.
"Men, capture this person and send him to the Lord's residence!"
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