It has been a few days since Liu Mang left Lady Cai's residence. During this time, Liu Mang gained a new talent. It was the Mi Family's merchant, Mi Zizhong. After Sun Qian helped Wei Yan escape from Nanyang Prefecture, Wei Yan and Mi Zizhong parted ways. Wei Yan returned to Yiyang as he still needed to command the Yiyang Soldiers.
Mi Zizhong went to Xinye and with the help of Liu Qi, the governor of Xinye, arrived at Xiangyang in Jing Province.
"You're Mi Zizhong?" Liu Mang had never seen Mi Zizhong before, but he had heard of him. Mi Zizhong was a real billionaire. With the wealth left behind by his ancestors and his expertise in business, he became the richest man in Xu Province. He had close to ten thousand servants and was recruited by the late Governor of Xu Province, Tao Qian. He wanted to use Mi Zizhong to make money for Tao Qian, but Mi Zizhong didn't like Tao Qian and went to Big-eared Liu instead. After Liu Bei took over Yi Province, he appointed Mi Zizhong as the General of Anhan. Mi Zizhong's position was higher than Zhuge Liang's and he was the most powerful official under Liu Bei.
This showed Mi Zizhong's usefulness. With Mi Zizhong, one would never be short of money.
When Mi Zizhong saw Liu Mang, he respectfully greeted Liu Mang, "Mi Zizhong greets Your Highness, the King Of Shu!" Although Mi Zizhong lowered his head, he looked at Liu Mang from the corner of his eyes. Liu Mang was too young. Liu Bei was in his forties while Liu Mang was still in his twenties. Mi Zizhong followed Tao Qian who was in his sixties, Cao Cao and the others in their forties, and Liu Biao in his fifties. It could be said that there were many young lords in the world, such as Yuan Shao's two sons and Jiangdong's Sun Ce.
However, it was rare to see someone as young as Liu Mang. Sun Ce and Yuan Tan were already in their thirties, while Yuan Shang was in his late twenties. Only Liu Mang was in his early twenties.
Mi Zizhong knew that the younger a lord was, the more potential a lord had. An old lord like Liu Biao in Jingzhou and Tao Qian in Xuzhou were old and had no desire to make progress. Such a lord would eventually change sides and might even be dragged to the grave with him. That was why Mi Zizhong abandoned Tao Qian and joined Liu Bei's Army.
Now that Mi Zizhong was following someone younger than Liu Bei, Mi Zizhong was naturally happy.
Liu Mang was definitely stronger than Liu Bei. Yangzhou had tens of thousands of elite soldiers, including the Xiliang Cavalry, City Guard, Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, Formation Breaker, and Black Flag Army. Which one of them wasn't good at fighting? There were also many generals and civil officials like Xu Shu, Liu Bei, and the old fox, Jia Xu. Back then, Zhang Xiu and Liu Bei besieged Yangzhou but failed.
Mi Zizhong observed Liu Mang. He didn't know what kind of person this new lord was.
"A country bumpkin?!" Liu Mang couldn't help but laugh when he heard Mi Zizhong's words. If this former Xu Banzhou was a country bumpkin, then what were they?
"Mister Zizhong, please get up! You are no longer a country bumpkin. You are the head of Yangzhou's General Commerce Office and also the Guangzhou Marquis. Marquis Guang, why aren't you getting up?! " Liu Mang showed enough respect to Mi Zizhong because he knew that merchants were in an awkward position. The best reward for a merchant was to show him respect. But Liu Mang didn't care. Merchants, after all. In his previous life, merchants were able to conspire for the country. Their status was very high. Without merchants, there would be no prosperous world. Liu Mang even went forward to help Mi Zizhong up.
Mi Zizhong finally relaxed when he heard Liu Mang's respect. This new lord didn't seem to have a bad temper and seemed to be a wise lord.
"Many thanks, Lord!" Mi Zizhong was an observant person. When he heard Liu Mang call him Mister Zizhong, he immediately addressed Liu Mang as Lord. This was to get closer to Liu Mang.
"You won't blame me for taking Zizhong away from Big-eared Liu, right?" Liu Mang tried to get closer to Mi Zizhong.
"Mi Zizhong won't!" Mi Zizhong shook his head. If it was before, Mi Zizhong would have blamed Liu Mang. But now, he had seen through Liu Bei's true colors. Furthermore, a merchant valued profits. What he could get from Liu Bei, he could also get from Liu Mang.
"It's good that Zizhong understands!" Liu Mang said with a smile. Mi Zizhong couldn't get any respect from Liu Bei, but he could from Liu Mang. Liu Mang could give him an official position and a noble title.
"Zizhong, I'll make it short. I have an important matter for Zizhong to come to Jingzhou!" Liu Mang's original plan was to let Mi Zizhong go to Yangzhou to reunite with Mi Fang and Madam Mi. Then, he would arrange for Mi Zizhong to work for him. But now, Liu Mang had to urgently send Mi Zizhong to Jingzhou.
"Important matter?" Mi Zizhong's eyes flashed. Mi Zizhong wasn't afraid of important matters, but he was afraid of having nothing to do. Only by doing things could he show his worth and solidify his position. "Lord, please tell me!" Mi Zizhong knelt again and cupped his fist towards Liu Mang.
"This matter is of great importance. Zizhong, you must be careful. If you make a mistake, I'll kill you!" Liu Mang gave Mi Zizhong respect and status, but he couldn't afford to be careless.
"I'm afraid that Jing Province's provisions will be sent to Yangzhou in the next few days. Zizhong, you'll be in charge of negotiating with Jing Province. Let these provisions reach Yangzhou smoothly. Also, let the Jing Province merchants set up camp in Yangzhou and lure them to Yangzhou!" These were two different matters, but they were both equally important. With Madam Cai and Kuai Yue's help, they would be able to buy provisions from Jing Province. On the other hand, inviting the merchants to Yangzhou wasn't an easy matter. There were many things waiting to be done in Yangzhou. If the merchants didn't see any benefits, they wouldn't move.
"These are the conditions that Yangzhou can offer!" Liu Mang took a piece of paper from the tea table on the left. He knew that a business without capital wouldn't work, so he took out Yangzhou's sincerity.
Mi Zhu took the letter and began reading it. The rules and regulations written on it indicated that it was a government official. Study, nobility! Mi Zizhong couldn't help but raise his head to look at the Lord of Yangzhou. He couldn't help sucking in a cold breath. What a big deal!
If all the things written on the paper were to be implemented, then the nobles ruling the world would have to change. At the very least, they would have to add a merchant because Liu Mang had raised the status of merchants to a higher level.
"Milord, will everything be implemented?" Mi Zizhong asked worriedly.
"It's written in black and white. Can't you understand?" Liu Mang looked at Mi Zizhong and said.
"If that's the case, Mi Zizhong's words will definitely bring in a lot of money for Milord. Yangzhou will never lack money!" Mi Zizhong wasn't boasting. He was really confident. If everything on the paper was true, then at least half of the merchants in the world would gather in Yangzhou. With these merchants, Yangzhou would never lack money!
"I will leave everything to you, Zi Zhong!" Liu Mang nodded his head. Liu Mang was very reassured by this local tyrant from the Eastern Han Dynasty.
…
Kuai Yue walked out of the Governor's mansion with a smile. Although Cai Mao felt a little uncomfortable, he still left with Kuai Yue.
"Milord!" A coachman came to pick Kuai Yue up. This coachman wasn't from the Kuai Residence. He was one of Liu Mang's men. Liu Mang didn't send him to supervise Kuai Yue because there was no need for that. Everyone could see that he was in an alliance with Kuai Yue. After all, Kuai Yue only had one son. He was good friends with Liu Mang and had married Liu Mang's sister. It would be strange if there wasn't a relationship between the two families.
"Go back and tell His Highness that the matter of the provisions has been settled!" Feng Yue was happy because of this matter. Today, in the Governor's Mansion, the first person to open his mouth to sell provisions was not an outsider but an official of the Xiangyang Guard. This official immediately spoke about the importance of Yangzhou to Jing Province. He was so eloquent that it was simply amazing. He almost said that without Yangzhou, Jing Province would be destroyed.
It was impossible for this person to have come up with such words on his own. It was the work of the person behind him. This person was an official from the Lumen Academy. The person behind him was naturally the founder of the Lumen Academy that transcended the Jing Province, Pang Degong of the Pang Clan.
With Pang Degong's help, the matter was quickly settled.
Jingzhou Xiangyang City.
There were very few meetings in the Governor's Mansion. Other than important matters, Liu Biao wouldn't be here. Firstly, Liu Biao was old and didn't care about government affairs. Secondly, other than Jiangdong, Jingzhou didn't have many enemies. Therefore, the meeting hall was usually empty. However, today, all the civil and military officials in Jingzhou were present. This was because there was an important matter to discuss in Jingzhou.
An official came forward and reported to Liu Biao, who was sitting on the main seat, "My lord, the situation in Jiangxia has been urgent these days. Jiangdong Sun Ce's subordinates have repeatedly attacked. Our army has lost more than a thousand warships. Military Counselor Zhuge and General Wen Pin are both avoiding the battle!"
"The Jiangdong Army's attacks have been urgent these days!?" Liu Biao, who was sitting on the main seat, frowned. Liu Biao's biggest enemy was Sun Ce. Other people like Cao Cao or Liu Bei wouldn't let Liu Biao die even if they took Jingzhou because they were afraid of damaging his reputation. However, Sun Ce was different. Liu Biao killed Sun Ce's father. They had an irreconcilable grudge. If Sun Ce took Jingzhou, no one would say anything if he killed Liu Biao's entire family. Therefore, regarding the situation in Jiangxia, Liu Biao gave him whatever he wanted.
Sun Ce's situation in Jiangdong was urgent these days. In the end, it was Liu Mang's contribution. Because of the ransom of Jiangdong's second young master, Liu Mang asked for ten thousand gold while Sun Ce extorted twenty thousand gold from the Jiangdong nobles. Sun Ce waved his hand and rewarded half of the money to the soldiers in the frontlines. He then threw it into the shipyard for the craftsmen to continue building warships.
With money, Jiangdong's Little Conqueror naturally became willful. Therefore, these days, the Jiangdong Army won a lot of money under the encouragement of rewards. Even Zhuge Liang was stunned and lost a thousand men to avoid the battle.
"How is Xiakou?" Cai Mao continued to ask. The Jingzhou Army had lost most of Jiangxia. Sanjiangkou and Wuchang were in the enemy's hands. The Jingzhou Navy only had Xiakou and Chibi. If Xiakou was lost, then Jiangxia would have to be surrendered. Therefore, Cai Mao directly asked the key question.
"Xiakou is safe!" The official replied to Cai Pa. "Because of Military Advisor Zhuge's prompt decision, although our army lost more than a thousand soldiers, Jiangdong also suffered more than a few hundred casualties. Three warships! "
Hearing that Xiakou was safe, Cai Mao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Xiakou was defended, then Jingzhou would be safe. This had nothing to do with Cai Mao.
"General Wen Pin also sent a letter asking for another batch of provisions!" The official continued.
"Another batch of provisions!" Cai Mao was the one who was in charge of Jingzhou's provisions. It could be said that Cai Mao was heartbroken to give out provisions. Although these provisions belonged to Liu Biao, how could Cai Mao not feel heartbroken when he saw these provisions being given out?
"Didn't you just send out a batch last time? Why is it all used up now?" The provisions that Cai Mao sent out last time should be enough to last until the end of the year. However, it was not time yet and this group of people wanted provisions again.
"According to General Wen Pin's letter, the battle situation in Xiakou was so intense that the soldiers were exhausted. Many of them were so tired that they had to eat three meals a day instead of two. That's why they had to consume a lot of food and fodder!"
"Three meals a day? You!" Cai Mao wanted to refute. What did fatigue have to do with eating more? However, before Cai Mao could refute, the boss of Jingzhou, Liu Biao, said, "Approved!"
Since his boss had spoken, Cai Mao naturally did not say anything more. For Liu Biao, a stable Jingzhou was what he needed. As long as the Jiangdong Army could not cross Jiang Xia, some provisions were nothing. This year was another year of harvest for Jingzhou.
"Reporting to Milord, a dam in Jiangling has broken. The rain has been rapid these days and thousands of mu of fertile land along the river have been washed away!" Another official reported.
"Fertile land beside the dam?" Liu Biao said in a serious tone. The fertile land beside the dam was good and could bring a lot of provisions to Jingzhou. Naturally, Liu Biao would frown when such fertile land was destroyed.
When Liu Biao frowned, some of the nobles in Jiangling lowered their heads. How could they not know that the fertile land was destroyed and the dam was broken? This was because they were the ones who broke the dam. They channeled the river water into their mansions to form artificial lakes. This way, blocking the river water would be fine on normal days. However, once there was a storm, it would be a disaster. The dam would not be able to withstand too much river water and the canal was blocked. Naturally, the river water would overflow and break the dam, destroying the fertile land.
"Milord, now that the dam has been destroyed, we should immediately send troops to repair it. Jiangling will be exempted from taxes for a year so that the people can recuperate!" Kuai Yue was indeed Liu Biao's right-hand man. He immediately solved the problem for Liu Biao.
Liu Biao was about to agree when Kuai Yue's younger brother, Kuai Liang, stood out. "Milord, there is one thing that we missed. That is to thoroughly investigate the cause of the dam's destruction!" As he spoke, Kuai Liang glanced at the nobles in Jiangling. "We must severely punish the person who destroyed the dam! To warn others! " “
How could the dam be destroyed? Naturally, it was caused by the river water! " Before Kuai Liang could finish speaking, the nobles in Jiangling couldn't help but refute. It was obvious that they had a guilty conscience.
"Is that so? This dam was built during the reign of Emperor Huan and was repaired countless times over the years. Why was it only destroyed today? "
"That, that's because it's been a long time, a long time!"
"Enough!" Liu Biao rubbed his head. How could he not know that the nobles dug the dam to build a garden? If they really wanted to argue, none of the nobles in Jiangling would be able to escape. Therefore, Liu Biao didn't want to talk nonsense anymore.
"Jiangling's taxes can be waived and the Jiangling government will be responsible for repairing the dam. Zirou, you will be in charge of supervising! If anyone violates this, you are allowed to act first and report later. "Liu Biao called out Kuai Liang. If he didn't add Kuai Liang, it would be a disaster for the people of Jiangling who had their homes destroyed by the river water. Liu Biao didn't collect taxes, but that didn't mean that the nobles wouldn't collect taxes. When the time came, the one who didn't get money would be Liu Biao and the one who would bear the blame would be him. However, if Kuai Liang was added, it would be different. Who didn't know that Kuai Liang was famous for being impartial? If Kuai Liang took a liking to him, he would really report it to Liu Biao and might even kill him.
"Yes!" The nobles in Jiangling had bitter expressions while Kuai Liang smiled.
"Is there anything else?" Liu Biao was a little tired. If there wasn't anything else, he would return to the backyard. The side effects of riding a war horse a few days ago were still there and he felt uncomfortable all over.
Kuai Yue didn't say anything and Cai Mao didn't say anything. Liu Biao saw that everyone was fine and prepared to let his subordinates help him leave. Just as Liu Biao was about to stand up, an official knelt down.
"Milord, His Highness King of Shu of Yangzhou wants to see you again. He wants to discuss the matter of provisions with you!" When this official spoke up, the people below knew who was speaking. This official was from the Kuai Family. The moment he spoke, it meant that it was the Kuai Family's opinion.
When Liu Biao heard the words' Yangzhou's King Of Shu, Liu Mang, 'he could only sit down.
"Didn't I say that the provisions will be given out if there is. If there isn't, then give it out later. First, provide for the army in Jiang Xia!" Liu Biao looked at Kuai Yue.
Kuai Yue didn't say anything, but Kuai Liang took a step forward and said, "Milord, our army only lacks ten thousand shi of provisions in Jiang Xia! However, Yangzhou's King Of Shu needs hundreds of thousands of shi. With Jingzhou's ability, we can't mix the two together! " Kuai Liang looked at Liu Biao. What he meant was that Yangzhou needed hundreds of thousands of shi of provisions while Jiang Xia needed less than one-tenth of that. As for Jingzhou, they had more than 500,000 shi of provisions. Why not sell it? It wasn't easy to use the lack of provisions in Jiang Xia to brush off Yangzhou.
Liu Biao frowned and didn't know what to say. He still remembered what he said to Pang Tong half a month ago. Liu Biao and Yangzhou had nothing to do with each other. Liu Biao didn't want to cause trouble. If he sold provisions to Yangzhou, he would offend Liu Bei in Yuzhou.
"Mister Zi Rou, are you trying to force me to abdicate?" Since Liu Biao didn't say anything, someone else naturally spoke up for him. This official stood up and everyone could see that he was from the Pang Family. Because this person was from the Lumen Academy, the Lumen Academy was subconsciously labeled as part of the Pang Family. The person that the Pang Family didn't want to see Yangzhou getting provisions the most was the second son of the Pang Family, Pang Shiyuan.
"I don't dare!" Kuai Liang lowered his head and said.
"If you don't dare, why are you speaking to the Lord like this? The Lord said that Jingzhou doesn't have enough provisions and that we should send them if we have them. It's not that the Lord isn't benevolent, it's just that Jingzhou can't help!"
"Manager Wang, although I'm not very educated, don't try to deceive me!" Kuai Liang used Liu Mang's words. This Administrator Wang was the Military Governor of Jingzhou. Coincidentally, he was in charge of Jingzhou's grain and fodder harvest. It could be said that he was the one who understood the grain and fodder harvest of Jingzhou the best.
Kuai Liang wasn't well-educated? The corners of everyone's mouths twitched. Kuai Liang was almost comparable to a great scholar. He was a famous scholar in Jingzhou and could be considered to be very knowledgeable. If he didn't read enough books, then what would the others do? They were all illiterate.
"Manager Wang, let me ask you. How much did Jingzhou's provisions harvest last year?" Kuai Liang was prepared. Even if he didn't know the exact amount of provisions, he had Cai Mao and his brother Kuai Yue.
"Although it was a good harvest, it was only enough for one province!" This Manager Wang also knew how to talk. He didn't give a specific number. Instead, he gave a summary that it was only enough for one province and couldn't be sold.
"570,000 shi!" Kuai Liang took out a specific number. "570,000 shi. The Jiangxia Army used 140,000 shi of provisions. The various provinces used 120,000 shi of provisions. They gave out 110,000 shi of provisions and the remaining 200,000 shi!" Other than the provisions needed by the army, there was also the provisions needed by the officials. For example, Cai Mao was an official with a salary of 2,000 shi. There were countless officials in Jingzhou and naturally, the expenses were high.
"200,000 shi a year. Even if we used up some provisions in the past ten years, we should have more than 500,000 shi of provisions! Manager Wang, is there such a shortage of provisions? Or is it because you embezzled the provisions from the granary and caused Jingzhou to have no provisions to sell to our allies? "
"You, you!" Manager Wang couldn't say that he embezzled the provisions.
"Kuai Zirou, who doesn't know that you have a personal relationship with the King Of Shu, Liu Mang? Your Kuai Family is also related to the King Of Shu, Liu Mang. Why are you helping the King Of Shu? Do you want Milord to give up the entire Jingzhou?" The moment Manager Wang said this, the Jingzhou civil and military officials started discussing.
Originally, using in-laws was a private matter. Even if everyone knew about it, they couldn't directly say it out loud. This Manager Wang had already broken the rules. What was the thing that superiors were most afraid of? Their subordinates forming alliances with others.
"Men and women love each other. This is human nature. What's so strange about it? As for asking Milord to give up Jingzhou? Haha! Manager Wang, you should be the one asking for it! Pang Shiyuan from the Pang Family has given you so much that you have to stop the King Of Shu from buying provisions! Although Yangzhou is close, it is separated by the Yangtze River. On the other hand, Nanyang County is above our Jingzhou. If we follow the river, we can reach there in half a day. Liu Bei of Yuzhou is an ambitious person. He annexed our ally Zhang Xiu. Once he gets his hands on the provisions, our Jingzhou will be the next one. Pang Tong, Pang Shiyuan, is trying to sow discord in Jingzhou. This is the way to go in a chaotic world! " Kuai Liang didn't name anyone, but he was reminding Liu Biao. The person who spread the news of Liu Biao catching the adulterers was naturally Pang Tong and Pang Shiyuan.
"Selling the provisions in Yangzhou can intimidate Xiao Xiao and also help the Yangzhou Alliance to guard against Cao Cao's southward invasion!" Kuai Liang's Cao Cao from Xu Du was the thing that made Jingzhou's civil and military officials think about. Xu Du Cao Cao was the thing that made Jingzhou's nobles worry about. Some wanted to hug Xu Du's thigh, but some wanted to resist Cao Cao. This was because Jingzhou was in the hands of Cao Cao. Could it be that the nobles under Cao Cao didn't want to get a share of Jingzhou? If they wanted to get a share, they would have to snatch the information from their mouths. After all, Nanyang's Deng Family was still there.
"Yu Zhou's Envoy Liu can't be Xu Du's Cao Cao? As long as Yu Zhou's Envoy Liu has enough provisions, Envoy Liu will definitely send an army to resist Xu Du's Cao Cao! " Wang Zhangzhu spoke again. His words immediately exposed his intelligence. Kuai Liang glanced at Wang Zhangzhu. Previously, Kuai Liang said that no matter how strong Yangzhou was, as long as the Yangtze River was a natural barrier, then Yangzhou was nothing to worry about. However, Liu Bei was different. Nanyang County was now in Liu Bei's hands. As long as Liu Bei followed the river, he would be able to reach Xiangyang. Once Liu Bei strengthened his army, then Liu Bei's threat would be even greater. If Liu Bei obediently resisted Cao Cao, then it would be fine. But if Liu Bei had ambitions, then who would be able to stop him? Liu Bei's reputation of swallowing his allies was very good. Liu Mang even made Liu Bei's reputation better. He even split the story of how Liu Bei swallowed his allies into hundreds of times and spread it everywhere. Even in Yuzhou, if it wasn't for Liu Bei stopping it quickly, then there would be a group of people questioning Liu Bei.
"Milord, I think that we should sell our provisions to Yangzhou!" When Kuai Liang spoke, there were officials who supported him.
Selling provisions to Yangzhou wasn't free, it was even several times the price. If Liu Biao wasn't willing to sell provisions to the granary, then they would be happy to sell them. However, it was different for Liu Bei in Yuzhou. He was a poor man who didn't want to pay for provisions. Where else could they find such a good deal? Therefore, these officials immediately began to speak.
"Milord, I also think that we should sell our provisions to His Highness the King Of Shu!" Another official stood up and spoke. This person was supported by the Cai Family and could be considered to be part of Cai Mao's faction.
Seeing this person stand up, it meant that Cai Mao was also united. The group of fence-sitters all stood up and told Liu Biao that they should sell their provisions to Yangzhou. In fact, Cai Mao was wrongly accused. Cai Mao didn't want to sell his provisions to Yangzhou, but what could he do? Since his sister was begging him, he could only help.
The only ones who were firm were the people of the Lumen Academy. Liu Biao still didn't want to sell his provisions. It was better to avoid trouble. The disciples of the Lumen Academy were also restless. They were ready to fight to the death with the officials of the Cai Family and the Kuai Family.
At this time, a person stood up and completely broke the balance.
"Milord, I also think that we should sell our provisions to His Highness the King Of Shu!" A white-faced scholar stood up and walked to Liu Biao and knelt in front of him.
"Huh?" Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the newcomer. Even the people from the Lumen Academy were in disbelief. The newcomer was none other than the first successor of the Pang Clan, the first young master of the Pang Clan, Pang Shanmin.
"Eldest Son, what are you doing?" Wang Kang and Wang Zong were stunned. What was going on? The people of the Lumen Academy were united and were about to fight to the death with the Cai Family and the Kuai Family. Why did the eldest son suddenly "betray" them?
Pang Shanmin knelt in front of Liu Biao and said to Liu Biao, "Milord, I've written an order to the people of the Pang Family. I think that you should sell your provisions to His Highness the King Of Shu!"
"Pang Shanmin?" Liu Biao narrowed his eyes. Pang Shanmin's words made him reconsider. Pang Shanmin's father was Pang Degong. If they were to talk about kinship, Pang Shanmin's relationship was higher than Pang Tong's.
Since Pang Shanmin stood out, it meant that this was Pang Degong's idea.
If Jingzhou does not sell provisions to Yangzhou, then Yangzhou will be forced into war and Yangzhou will be destroyed. After that, there will be no one in the Central Plains that can stop Jiangdong. Sun Ce can occupy Yangzhou and with the Central Plains as his foundation, it will be difficult for Jingzhou to resist him. Furthermore, Liu Bei and Sun Ce of Yuzhou are allies. Once the two of them work together to divide Jingzhou, Jingzhou will have no place to stop them and Jingzhou will be handed over to Sun Ce of Jiangdong. Sun Ce of Jiangdong can occupy Yangzhou and with the Central Plains as his foundation, it will be difficult for Jingzhou to resist him. Furthermore, Liu Bei of Yuzhou and Sun Ce of Jiangdong are allies. Once the two of them work together to divide up Jingzhou, Jingzhou will have no place to stop them and Jingzhou will be handed over to Sun Ce of Jiangdong. Sun Ce of Jiangdong can occupy Yangzhou and with the Central Plains as his foundation, Jingzhou will not be able to resist. If we sell our provisions to Yangzhou, then the King Of Shu, Liu Mang, and Wen Hou, Lü Bu will be able to overcome this crisis. Yangzhou will be grateful to Milord and Yangzhou will be able to pick itself up again. The stronger Yangzhou is, the less pressure Jingzhou will have on Jiangxia! A strong Yangzhou will not only be able to help Milord suppress Sun Ce, but it will also be able to act as a barrier for our army in the north and stop Cao Cao from going south! "
In the past, the northern barrier of Jingzhou was Zhang Xiu of Nanyang. However, Zhang Xiu almost got intimate with Lao Cao. On the other hand, Yangzhou's Liu Mang would not be like this. This was because Lü Bu and Cao Cao were really a pair of enemies. Cao Cao was almost killed by Lü Bu several times, and Lü Bu was also almost played to death by Cao Cao. If the two of them could talk about anything, they would have already talked about it and would not have waited until now.
"The stronger Yangzhou is, the more stable Jingzhou is! With the existence of the Yangtze River, our army can guarantee our safety. We can even join forces with Yangzhou's Liu Mang and destroy Jiangdong's Sun Ce! " If they formed an alliance with Yangzhou, then it was possible to destroy Jiangdong's Sun Ce. The Jingzhou Navy would contain Jiangdong's Navy while Yangzhou's army would be the true king of the land.
Pang Shanmin spoke with fervor and assurance. This analysis simply described Yangzhou as Jingzhou's best ally. If they did not form an alliance with Yangzhou, then it would be Jingzhou's greatest loss. This also made Liu Biao restless.
The most important point was the person behind Pang Shanmin. Pang Shanmin's father, Pang Degong, was the ruler of Jingzhou. It could be said that Jingzhou belonged to Liu Biao in terms of military power, but it belonged to Pang Degong in terms of military power.
Therefore, Liu Biao did not dare to offend Pang Degong. Pang Shanmin's words did not seem like something that Pang Shanmin would say. This was because Pang Shanmin had always given people the impression that he was a modest gentleman. This kind of conspiracy was not something that he would do. Pang Shanmin's ability was to write books. He would definitely be a very good teacher if he went to teach. However, if you want him to scheme against others, then forget it. He had been under Liu Biao's command for many years, but he never said a word.
Therefore, these words must have been said by Pang Degong. Since Pang Degong supported Liu Mang, then there was no need to compete.
"My Lord, Brother Shanmin's words have enlightened me. I now feel that I was simply a frog in a well. This Yuzhou Liu Bei has wild ambitions. Yangzhou's King Of Shu is my Lord's best ally!" This Manager Wang was lying through his teeth without blushing at all. He had directly sold out Pang Tong. Now that the Eldest Young Master had spoken, how could the Second Young Master still have a say? This meant that Pang Degong, Pang Shi, was teaching the Eldest Young Master how to speak like this. If he did not support Pang Shanmin, then who would he support?
Pang Degong, who was still near Jingshan, was also implicated. These words were not taught to Pang Shanmin by Pang Degong. These words were compiled by Pang Shanmin after he recorded some of Kuai Liang's words. Although Pang Degong had promised Liu Mang that the Lumen Academy would not make things difficult for him, it had not reached the point where the Lumen Academy would help Liu Mang.
The reason why Pang Shanmin suddenly changed his target was because Liu Mang had inadvertently obtained another clue when he was investigating the Luokou Du incident. That person had died in Luokou Du. That person was Pang Shanmin's best friend, Tang Yun! It was this person's death that had almost caused a war between Jingzhou and Yangzhou. It was also this person who had caused Pang Shanmin to point at Liu Mang's nose and curse him. He had even moved Tang Yun's corpse to Liu Biao's mansion. Therefore, Liu Mang still remembered this person. Originally, with Liu Mang's strength, it was impossible for him to investigate this matter.
However, with the help of the local tyrants of Jingzhou, it was different. The Lao Family's intelligence organization, the Cai Family's Chu Army, and Madam Cai's brothel were three forces. These three forces, along with the old fox Jia Xu's intelligence department, could be said that Liu Mang could investigate all the cases in Jingzhou for several years. Tang Yun's death was naturally not a problem. Tang Yun didn't die in Xinye but in Luokou Du. Pang Tong had also found out who the murderer was. Although Pang Tong had silenced him, Pang Tong had failed. There was one person who didn't die. To be precise, he was taken in by the brothel. This murderer naturally couldn't escape death in the end, but he still revealed the truth. The price was that Liu Mang had sent people to bring this person's family back to Yangzhou.
After knowing that the person who killed his best friend was his younger brother, how could Pang Shanmin be in a good mood? To Pang Shanmin, Tang Yun could be considered as a confidant. It was hard to find a confidant in one's life. If one could find a confidant, one could die without regrets. However, Pang Tong killed Tang Yun for his own personal gain and even framed Liu Mang.
Pang Shanmin was angry, angry, and also sorrowful. Tang Yun had watched Pang Tong grow up. Pang Shanmin was truly afraid of his younger brother's cold-bloodedness. He was also bitterly disappointed. Therefore, he directly said these words today, causing the entire situation to suddenly change. It made the Jing Province's civil and military officials, who had never been unified in their opinions, to finally have a unified opinion.
"This was arranged by you?" Although Cai Mao didn't speak, he used his eyes to signal Kuai Yue.
"I arranged it? How is that possible? " Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and shook his head. Although Kuai Yue was very capable and many people in Jing Province gave him face, this didn't include the Pang father and son. Even Kuai Yue had to respectfully call Pang Degong 'Teacher Pang' when he met him in Jing Province. How could such a person give face to Kuai Yue? His son, Pang Shanmin, was a rash person. It would be better if he was a rash person like Kuai Liang, but Pang Shanmin was a hermit who didn't care about worldly affairs. How could you arrange for such a person? Fame and fortune are nothing to him. How are you going to make him listen to you ~?!
"It's not?" Cai Mao frowned. If this wasn't the case, then this King of Shu's ability was truly great. You said that you persuaded Kuai Yue because you were good friends with Kuai Yue's son, Kuai Ran. You even married your sister to him. Cai Mao was here because of his sister's request. How did Pang Degong get Pang Shanmin to speak for him?
"We request Milord to form an alliance with Yangzhou and protect Jingzhou's hundred years of foundation!" Kuai Yue was indeed a shrewd person. He could see that Liu Biao was moved. To be more precise, Liu Biao had compromised. Therefore, Kuai Yue struck while the iron was hot. He knelt down and said to Liu Biao. Seeing Kuai Yue kneel down, the officials behind him also knelt down. When Cai Mao saw Kuai Yue's actions, he could only kneel down helplessly. After all, the Cai Family and the Kuai Family were allies. "We request Milord to form an alliance with Yangzhou and protect Jingzhou's hundred years of foundation!"
The officials from the Cai Family and the Kuai Family knelt down together. Even the people from the Lumen Academy didn't insist. Since the Eldest Young Master had stepped forward, it meant that this was the Old Master's opinion.
"We request Milord to form an alliance with Yangzhou and protect Jingzhou's hundred years of foundation!"
"A hundred years of foundation!" Liu Biao's eyes lit up. Although he was old, he couldn't help but think for his descendants. If he died, who would become the Lord of Jingzhou? Liu Qi? Liu Zong? No matter who it was, as long as Jingzhou still existed, they would be able to enjoy a lifetime of wealth.
If the eldest son, Liu Qi, succeeded, then Cai Mao and Kuai Yue would hide. If the second son, Liu Zong, succeeded, then the Cai Family and the Kuai Family would be Liu Zong's best helpers. However, this was on the premise that Jingzhou still existed. If Jingzhou was invaded, then there would be nothing left. Tao Qian's two sons had already met their end. Gongsun Zan and his entire family were burned to death. As for Yuan Shu, he only had a daughter left.
Therefore, Liu Biao also had to think for a hundred years. Jiangdong's Sun Ce would definitely kill Liu Biao's family. Cao Cao was also not a good person. This Yuzhou's Liu Bei was even more ambitious. Now, it seemed that Yangzhou's Liu Mang was the safest.
Yangzhou's Liu Mang was strong, but he couldn't cross the Yangtze River. Moreover, he had Cao Cao, who was even stronger. He couldn't do anything to Yangzhou. He just had to restrict Yangzhou. Yangzhou could also restrict Cao Cao. As Pang Shanmin said, they could even eliminate Jiangdong's Sun Ce. This was also a plan.
"So it is! Wang Kang, listen to this order! "Liu Biao stood up.
"This subject is here!" Wang Kang cupped his fist and said.
"Wang Kang, I order you to count the amount of grain in Jingzhou's granary. Hand it over to Cai Mao! "
"Yes!"
"Cai Mao, listen to this order!"
"This subject is here!" Cai Mao also cupped his fist and stepped forward.
"Cai Mao, you will be in charge of discussing with Yangzhou about the grain. Report the quantity of the grain and rush it into the treasury as military supplies! "
"Yes!" Cai Mao nodded and left.
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