My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 181 Acting vigorously and resolutely
It would be a lie to say that Xun You wasn't moved; he truly felt Liu Bei's deep affection.

Despite Liu Bei's seemingly casual tone, the pressure of appointing Xun You to a high-ranking position like the Prefect of Guangling, with a salary of two thousand piculs of grain, was immense.

There are only a few prefects with a salary of 2,000 shi in Xuzhou. Excluding Langya, there are only four, and even including those from vassal states, there are no more than nine.

Xun You was neither a veteran of the founding of the dynasty nor did he come to serve with any great achievements.

Appointing him directly as the governor of Guangling would certainly draw considerable opposition.

In fact, Liu Bei had some hesitation, but Liu Feng's firmness helped him make up his mind.

"Extraordinary people are tasked with extraordinary matters. What is the point of idle gossip? It is merely the talk of mediocre people. If you listen to it, you will only cause trouble."

Liu Feng knew perfectly well that Xun You had held various high-ranking positions, including one with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain).

Although he had never served in any place before, his qualifications as the Chancellor of Rencheng and the Prefect of Shu were genuine.

Historically, Cao Cao recruited Xun You by appointing him as the Prefect of Runan. Upon arriving in Xuchang, Xun You was appointed as a Minister, a high-ranking official who could participate in important national affairs.

Liu Bei's position was naturally inferior to Cao Cao's, who controlled the central government, but he still had to be given a sufficiently prominent position, even if it was just to show his sincerity.

Therefore, Liu Bei prepared three positions, representing the regional governor, the intelligence confidant, and the three major officials in the province other than the governor.

Originally, both Liu Bei and Liu Feng thought that Xun You would choose to be the governor of Guangling.

On the one hand, it was a local lord with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and on the other hand, it was an important town on the front line. Whether it was heading south to Jiangdong or attacking Yuan Shu, it was a place to make meritorious contributions.

Unexpectedly, Xun You chose the position of Chief Secretary.

This greatly surprised Liu Bei and Liu Feng, leaving them both very puzzled.

In fact, Xun You had his own reasons for choosing to become the Chief Clerk.

Although Liu Bei had already impressed Xun You with his ability to win people over, making him very admirable.

Liu Bei may not be able to use people; he has not yet been able to prove this to Xun You.

A strategist like Xun You could see things much more deeply than the average person.

In Xun You's view, although the position of governor of Guangling was good, the real power would not be in the governor's hands.

With over ten thousand troops gathered in Guangling City, it must have been led by one of Liu Bei's trusted confidants. Under such circumstances, what real power could a parachuted-in governor possibly have?

How much influence he could have in the past depended entirely on the attitude of the officers and soldiers in the Guangling Army towards him.

As for the military intelligence officer responsible for espionage, Xun You didn't want him either.

At this point, he still held the idea of ​​staying if things went well and leaving if they didn't, so how could he be willing to participate in Liu Bei's secret intelligence system?

Therefore, the three top officials in the state were actually a good choice. Firstly, they held prestigious positions, and secondly, they were close to Liu Bei, which allowed them to observe Liu Bei's attitude towards their strategies.

For someone like Xun You, mere formality is not enough.

Even though Xun You was humble and low-key, he still had the ambition to serve a wise ruler, achieve great deeds, sweep away the world, and restore the Han Dynasty.

If Liu Bei doesn't listen to his advice or follow his plans, then what's the point of treating him with the utmost respect?

Therefore, Xun You chose the position of Chief Clerk, which was close to Liu Bei, in order to better observe him and decide whether to place all his bets on Liu Bei.

Neither Liu Bei nor his son could have guessed Xun You's intentions. Even Liu Feng only guessed the first layer, thinking that Xun You was naturally low-key and humble and did not want to go to Guangling to compete for power, but he could not guess the second layer.

Since Xun You had made the decision, Liu Bei naturally followed suit.

After escorting the other party back to his seat, Liu Bei immediately inquired, "Gongda, I deeply agree with the six strategies you previously offered; it can be said that great minds think alike. Gongda, you may not know this, but we previously discussed with Liu Shizong, the envoy from Jingzhou, that our state wishes to purchase grain from Jingzhou, and a preliminary agreement has been reached. However, the amount is enormous, and Liu Shizong cannot act unilaterally. Therefore, he has already sent someone back to Jingzhou to seek Liu Jingsheng's approval."

Xun You was somewhat surprised, as he believed that buying grain from Jingzhou was not an easy task.

With the world in chaos, warlords everywhere know how precious food is, and purchasing large quantities is no easy task.

Xun You originally wanted to offer a plan, but unexpectedly it wasn't needed.

"I have been living in Xiangyang for several years and know that Jingzhou is short of salt while Xuzhou produces salt. I originally intended to propose this plan to help you purchase grain, but I did not expect that you have already succeeded."

Upon hearing Xun You's words, Liu Bei smiled broadly: "It is truly our state's frost sugar and snow salt that astonished the First Emperor, making him marvel at their divine qualities, which is why things have gone so smoothly. By the way, speaking of which, Gongda, don't you notice anything different about today's meal?"

Xun You exclaimed in surprise, "Today's food is indeed exceptionally delicious, without any off-flavors. I initially thought it was the chef's skill, but after hearing what you say, could it be the result of using snow salt?"

"Exactly!"

Liu Bei laughed heartily and then said, "I have prepared a portion for you, Gongda. You can take it with you when you leave. Use it to replace the salt when cooking; it will taste delicious."

Xun You bowed his head in gratitude.

Liu Bei then inquired, "Xuzhou has not yet recommended any outstanding talents this year. I can submit a memorial recommending Yuan Tan as an outstanding talent and also recommend him as the governor of Qingzhou. The envoy from Jizhou will also be arriving in Tancheng soon. We can discuss with him and ask Jizhou to preserve Kong Wenju's position. I don't think it will be difficult."

"Regarding the selection of personnel for the handover of Yizhou and the dispatch of envoys to Guanzhong to pay tribute to the capital, does Gongda have any suitable individuals to recommend?"

Xun You replied with a smile, "We can put Yizhou aside for now. Liu Zhang is weak and incompetent, and too lenient with his subordinates. If we associate with him, we will not be able to hide it from Liu Jing. Making friends too early may be detrimental to the grain purchase."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei and Liu Feng nodded in unison.

Upon hearing this, Xun You continued, "When you go west to Chang'an, you must send someone who is eloquent and persuasive, and this person must also be a confidant of Your Excellency. Only in this way will they do their best to seek benefits for Your Excellency and achieve Your Excellency's goals."

Liu Bei and Liu Feng exchanged a glance and simultaneously thought of the same person.

Jian Yong and Jian Xianhe.

Xun You was incredibly intelligent; just by observing Liu Bei and Liu Feng's reactions, he realized that the other side already had a suitable candidate.

"It seems we'll have to ask Xianhe to make a trip. Weishuo can be the deputy envoy, and Chen Dao can lead troops to protect him."

After a moment's thought, Liu Bei made his decision.

Of the three people present, only Liu Feng knew that Chang'an was already in complete chaos.

This is no secret. Anyone who has read the Records of the Three Kingdoms or the Romance of the Three Kingdoms knows that in that year, due to the mutual hostility and attacks between Li Jue and Guo Si, Guanzhong was devastated, with its million inhabitants and the vast city of Chang'an being ravaged in just one year.

Since Li Jue plotted to kill Fan Chou and Li Meng and annexed their troops in February of this year, Guo Si has gradually become estranged from him. In particular, Guo Si's wife has been sowing discord among them, even claiming that the fermented black beans sent by Li Jue were poison.

Starting in March, Guo Si and Yang Ding officially broke off relations with Li Jue and began attacking each other.

Emperor Xian of Han tried to mediate several times, but to no avail. These bastards from Liangzhou not only used Chang'an as their battlefield, but also engaged in all sorts of burning, killing, looting, and even setting the city on fire.

It is now August, and Emperor Xian of Han has successfully persuaded Li Jue and Guo Si through Jia Xu to allow him to return east. He should have already set off.

If you're sending someone, it's best to set off as soon as possible.

Because at the end of November, Li Jue and Guo Si would change their minds and raise troops from Liangzhou to pursue Emperor Xian, inflicting two major defeats on the imperial guards.

If Jian Xianhe had arrived in Hongnong at that time, his life would have been in danger.

So Liu Feng agreed, but quickly added, "Father, now that the matter has been decided, we should act quickly rather than delay. In my opinion, it would be best to set off in the middle of the month. At the same time, we can also arrange for a batch of frosting sugar and snow salt to be sent along as gifts to the Emperor."

Liu Bei nodded in agreement, thinking Liu Feng was loyal to the emperor, and nodded approvingly at him. Then he angrily cursed, "It is hateful that the two traitors Li Jue and Guo Si have dominated Guanzhong and have always bullied the emperor. I only regret that I cannot rid the country of these traitors and the people of this scourge."

Xun You was somewhat excited. He had only offered six strategies in total, but he did not expect that Liu Bei would adopt five of them in such a short time, and even three of them were exactly the same strategies that he had thought of.

This made Xun You feel a sense of harmony between ruler and subject.

If Liu Bei could continue in this way, then Xun Yu would not hesitate to sacrifice his wisdom and strategy to serve him to the death.

After expressing his admiration, Liu Bei returned to the main topic. The six strategies that Xun You had previously offered seemed to resonate with him deeply, which greatly excited Liu Bei.

Now, he also wanted to hear what specific strategies Xun You had for Yangzhou.

So Liu Bei asked, “Gongda, heading south to Yangzhou is a consensus that has long been reached within Xuzhou. For this reason, our province has adopted a defensive posture in Langya. When we went south to Guangling before, if Governor Guo had not launched an attack on Lu, and if I had not been forced to turn west due to the request for help from Chen Xiang of Lu, I would have stationed my troops in Guangling to observe the situation.”

“Now Sun Bofu is rampant in Wu County, Liu Zhengli has stationed troops in the northern part of Danyang, and Yuan Gonglu is across the river looking to reap the benefits.”

Liu Bei humbly asked, "Sir, what good strategies do you have to teach me?"

Xun You laughed and said, "Why are you deceiving me, my lord?"

Liu Bei was greatly surprised and said, "Gongda has already seen through it?"

Xun You continued, "Your Majesty's plan to drive away wolves and devour tigers is indeed very effective. However, Sun Bofu is a young tiger. One must be careful when raising tigers. If he grows too fast, he may become a threat to the tiger."

Liu Bei's expression turned serious, and he nodded: "I have already asked my aide Sun Qian to travel by sea to Kuaiji Commandery to pay a visit to the governor of Kuaiji, Wang Lang. Gongyou also has a letter from Chen Yi, the chancellor of Lu, addressed to Zhou Xin, a renowned scholar from Kuaiji. Zhou Xin was a student of Chen Fan, one of the Three Gentlemen and a former Grand Tutor. I expect that with Chen Yi's letter, Zhou Xin will surely come out of seclusion to lend Wang Lang a helping hand."

Xun You looked surprised and clapped his hands, saying, "My lord, what a brilliant plan of ambushing from all sides! If this is the case, Sun Bofu will likely find it difficult to escape our trap. However, there is one point that my lord still needs to strive for."

Liu Bei immediately pressed on, asking, "Which point?"

"It is Jiang Cheng."

Xun You said, "Jiangcheng is the only way from Liyang to Dantu, and it is also across the river from Jiangdu. If we can persuade Liu Yao to transfer Jiangcheng to our control, then crossing the river will be a piece of cake."

"Jiangcheng and Dantu are not only connected by river, but also by land."

“Sun Bofu is currently unable to look westward. If he were to turn west, Jiang Cheng would probably be the first to make a move.”

After listening to Xun You's words, Liu Feng nodded repeatedly: "What Mr. Gongda said is correct. Jiangcheng is indeed very important to our Xuzhou. Moreover, if we station an army in Jiangcheng, Sun Bofu will have to spare at least one or two thousand men to garrison Dantu. In this way, we can relieve Zhengli Gong's worries."

Jiangcheng refers to the area around Xianlin University Town in Qixia District of Nanjing in later years. However, Nanjing City had not yet been established at this time, so there was naturally no Qixia District.

However, Jiangcheng remains an important ferry crossing on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, on par with Dantu.

Now that Dantu was in Sun Ce's hands, the fate of Jiang Cheng became extremely important, and it would be best if the Xuzhou army took control of it.

If even Jiang Cheng cannot be controlled, then after the Xuzhou army goes to Jiangdong, won't they face the risk of having their rear cut off and losing contact with Xuzhou at any time?
Although Liu Bei understood this principle, he still hesitated: "If we ask for it, will it cause Liu Zhengli to misunderstand?"

Xun You smiled and shook his head, saying, "I met Liu Zhengli in the capital. He is stubborn and arrogant, and he will never bow his head to anyone easily. Mr. Zijiang and Liu Zhengli have been friends for many years. Now that you have come to Yangzhou, you will surely be regarded as Liu Zhengli's right-hand man."

"Now that even Mr. Lian Zijiang, who is weak and sickly, has been sent here to ask for help, one can imagine how desperate Liu Zhengli must be. Moreover, there is the Huai-Si-Yuan Highway next to Guangling. A mere Jiang Cheng would certainly not cause Liu Zhengli to misunderstand."

Liu Bei straightened up, cupped his hands in thanks to Xun You, and said, "Sir, your teachings have greatly inspired me, and I can act accordingly."

Xun You naturally declined repeatedly.

Xun You was very satisfied with the banquet.

They sensed Liu Bei's desire to recruit talented people, and they also witnessed his decisive and efficient actions.

In this chaotic world, what a wise ruler like Xun You, a strategist with a low-key personality and humble demeanor, could hope for?
After the banquet, Liu Bei personally saw Xun You off at the door, then arranged to send an envoy to recruit him the next day. Finally, they parted with reluctance, and Liu Bei even prepared gift boxes of frosting sugar and snow salt on the carriage.

Xun You sighed deeply after seeing the gift box.

The brothers Liu Dai and Liu Yao were once praised as "two dragons" by Tao Qiu Hong, but compared to Liu Bei and his son, they were worlds apart.

Tao Qiuhong was no ordinary person; he was a renowned scholar whose literary talent was widely recognized in his time.

He once criticized Yuan Shu, advising him to do more good deeds and less violence.

Yuan Shu was furious, but in the end he could only respectfully thank him for his advice.

The next day, Liu Bei's envoy from the prefecture arrived at the guesthouse and formally recruited Xun You as the Chief Clerk of Xuzhou.

Xu Shao and the other two had anticipated that Xun You would be recruited by Liu Bei.

Liu Xian, in particular, had already realized on the way here that Xun You's talent and knowledge far surpassed his own.

It's a pity that Liu Biao didn't know how to use such a great talent.

Strictly speaking, Liu Biao and Xun You did know each other.

Given the relationship between Kuai Yue and Liu Biao, it's impossible that Liu Biao wouldn't know that Xun You stayed in Xiangyang for several years.

It should be noted that Xun You was a direct descendant of the Xun family. Not only did he serve under General He Jin alongside Liu Biao, but they also saw each other frequently at gatherings.

It can only be said that Liu Biao lacked the magnanimity to utilize such a talented individual.

While Liu Xian was sighing, Xu Shao was no exception.

Xu Shao and Teng Zhou had previously led Liu Yao into Qu'a alone, but within a few months they had gathered a large group of allies who all pledged allegiance to them. They even drove Wu Jing, the governor of Danyang, and Sun Ben, the commandant of Danyang, appointed by Yuan Shu, across the Yangtze River.

Judging from this point alone, he is in no way inferior to Liu Biao of Jingzhou or Liu Bei of Xuzhou.

But the further we went, the more things went wrong.

In particular, Liu Bei had at this time subtly expanded his influence to eight or nine commanderies and kingdoms. If you think about it carefully, he was a behemoth that was even more terrifying than Yuan Shu.

Fortunately, Liu Bei was known for his benevolence, respected propriety, and cared about his kinship.

Now we can only hope that what Liu Bei showed was genuine and not a pretense.

After appointing Xun You as his chief clerk, Liu Bei immediately began to get down to business.

At the meeting in Xuzhou, it was decided that Jian Yong would be the official envoy, Liu Yan the deputy envoy, and Chen Dao the commander of a separate division, leading two hundred soldiers to accompany and protect them on their journey to Guanzhong.

Liu Yan was a renowned scholar from the State of Lu whom Liu Bei had befriended when he was in Yuzhou. He was also a descendant of the Han dynasty and was eloquent, which made him a favorite of Liu Bei. So Liu Bei decided to send him on this mission as Jian Yong's deputy.

It is known that Emperor Xian of Han, who was fleeing, would have to pass through Hongnong, a place he was bound to go through, and that he had stayed there for quite some time.

Therefore, Liu Feng only instructed his father to make sure that Jian Yong acted quickly.

Although the journey is very long, one advantage is that you can travel entirely by waterway.

Starting from Tancheng, turn at Xiapi and then Pengcheng, go straight to Chenliu, and finally join the Yellow River at Henan Yin, then go straight to Hongnong.

Liu Bei attached great importance to this matter, and Jian Yong also knew the importance of it. He made preparations in just five days. Chen Dao also selected elite soldiers to escort Jian Yong and Liu Yan from the waterway to Guanzhong.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei personally visited the guesthouse, partly to inquire about Xu Shao's condition, and partly to ask Liu Yao if Jiangcheng County could be ceded as a base for the Xuzhou army to aid Jiangdong.

He promised to send two to four thousand troops to Jiangcheng, both to put pressure on Sun Ce in Dantu and to strengthen the connection between Xu and Yang.

Xu Shao was not surprised by this request. In his opinion, if the situation were reversed and Xuzhou was asking for help, and Jiangdu was not in Yangzhou's hands, Xu Shao would also strongly advise Liu Yao not to commit a large number of troops.

Therefore, before coming here, Xu Shao had already discussed with Liu Yao that Jiang Cheng could be given to Xuzhou.

However, despite making concessions, Xu Shao still wanted to secure some benefits for Yangzhou.

Unexpectedly, Xun You, standing to the side, directly pointed out the situation and brought the issue to light.

“Mr. Zijiang, at this time, it is Yangzhou that is seeking help from Xuzhou, not Xuzhou that is coveting Yangzhou’s Jiangcheng.”

Xu Shao nodded helplessly and said, "If that's the case, then I will certainly advise my lord. However, I still have a question."

Xun You glanced at Liu Bei and took the initiative to ask, "Please speak, Mr. Zijiang."

Xu Shao asked directly, "If Yangzhou is willing to cede Jiangcheng, can the Xuzhou army cross the river immediately? And how many troops can they cross?"

"The supply of provisions still needs to be determined, but it can be guaranteed that there will be no fewer than two thousand people in one school."

Liu Bei's answer hit right on Xu Shao and Liu Yao's bottom line.

Two thousand men are enough to hold Jiangcheng, but far from enough to advance on Dantu.

The problem is, as Liu Bei himself clearly stated, the key issue is still food.

If Liu Yao could supply grain, then Liu Bei could naturally deploy more troops.

Finally, Xu Shao agreed to Liu Bei's request in principle, saying that Liu Yao would first inform the magistrate of Jiangcheng County, and then the handover would take place after the Xuzhou army crossed the river.

At the same time, Liu Bei agreed to Xu Shao's request and promised to prepare ships for him to travel to the State of Chen.

However, the departure time was set after Liu Fengyuan's coming-of-age ceremony.

After discussing the plan to exchange salt for grain with Jingzhou, Liu Feng planned to travel to Qu County.

Several months have passed since he and Mi Zeng discussed developing the salt fields and improving the salt-making method.

The first batch of salt fields should have already been developed, and it is currently summer, with long days and short nights, abundant sunshine, and the peak season for salt production using the solar salt-making method.

Estimate the salt field's yield; this will help with the next phase of the plan. After reporting to Liu Bei, Liu Feng, along with the Zhuge brothers, Gan Ning, and Dong Xi, left Tancheng and headed straight for Qu County.

Indeed, Liu Feng specially invited the Zhuge brothers to accompany him on this trip to Qu County.

Zhuge Liang in history was quite fond of inventions.

While in Nanyang, I helped the local people improve waterwheels, farm tools, and lay irrigation systems and other water conservancy projects.

Later in Jingzhou, they also improved the vehicles. After entering Shu, they improved the repeating crossbow and made wooden oxen and flowing horses. Although they were far from as magical as those on TV, and even far inferior to the self-propelled vehicles in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, they were still relatively advanced means of transportation at the time.

It is evident that Zhuge Liang himself greatly admired craftsmanship, which was the main reason why Liu Feng brought him along.

Throughout the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang and Ma Jun were undoubtedly the twin stars of mechanical engineering.

Ma Jun's birth and death dates are unknown, but judging from his deeds, he may not even have been born yet, so there's no rush. However, the Martial Marquis sent to my side cannot be wasted.

As for Zhuge Jin, no matter what, he is a talented person. In Liu Feng's eyes, he can be considered a talent of the level of a Nine Minister. Moreover, if Zhuge Jin is skipped and only Zhuge Liang is brought, it will undoubtedly be very conspicuous. How could Liu Feng do such a stupid thing?

The Zhuge brothers hesitated at first when Liu Feng invited them.

It wasn't that the two brothers were unwilling to travel with Liu Feng, but rather that their uncle Zhuge Xuan was still injured and ill, so they should naturally be by his side to serve him medicine.

Unexpectedly, after learning about this, Zhuge Xuan encouraged the Zhuge brothers to travel with Liu Feng.

The group traveled light and quickly, arriving outside Qu County in just four or five days.

Unlike in history, Zhuge Liang was tall and strong. He not only did not ride in a four-wheeled vehicle, but he could also ride a horse. Both he and Zhuge Jin were good riders.

While it couldn't compare to the exquisite riding skills of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Shi Ziqian, it was more than adequate as a means of transportation.

This time, Liu Feng avoided any unforeseen complications and drove directly into Qu County, entering the Mi family's mansion.

Upon inquiring with the steward of the Mi family, it was learned that he was actually in charge of the Mi household at this time.

Mi Zeng himself took his younger sister from the Mi family to Duzhou Mountain Island and never returned.

Liu Feng was somewhat taken aback, not expecting that Mi Zeng would attach so much importance to the salt field industry and be so personally involved in it.

Liu Feng and his group did not stay at the Mi residence, but went directly to the port, wanting to find a ship to go to Duzhou Mountain Island.

Upon arriving at the port, Liu Feng was once again astonished. He hadn't expected that in just a few short months, the once dilapidated natural fishing port had been transformed into a decent place, with a pier built to accommodate ships.

Soon, the group found the person in charge of the Mi family here, asked for two boats, and headed towards Duzhou Mountain Island.

Liu Feng and his group set off early, and arrived on the island at noon.

From the sea, the mudflats along the coast of Duzhoushan Island have been transformed into shimmering salt pans. They appear like mirrors, reflecting a blinding white light.

To Liu Feng's surprise, Mi Zeng's residence on the island was very simple, just a bamboo hut.

Although there was some decoration inside, it was far from luxurious, but the food was quite good.

When Liu Feng and the others arrived, Mi Zeng was having a meal, with Mi Yue by his side.

Because of Liu Feng and the others' arrival, Mi Yue left the main hall.

"Master Mi is truly vigorous despite his advanced age. Asking you to come out of retirement was the best decision I ever made."

Liu Feng immediately launched into a barrage of compliments.

It's no wonder he's so sweet-talking; Mi Zeng's efficiency is just too high.

Hearing Liu Feng's praise, Mi Zeng smiled and said, "Young Master is too kind. I was also amazed by the young master's ingenious ideas, which have such amazing effects. That's why I'm even more interested now."

Mi Zeng then reported the current situation to Liu Feng.

In the past few months, Mi Zeng has opened up more than 300 mu of salt fields on Duzhoushan Island, and these salt fields have already begun to produce salt.

Due to seasonal factors, the current salt production is already quite large, with each mu (unit of land area) of salt field producing seven to eight hundred jin (unit of weight) per day, which is equivalent to five to six shi (unit of volume).

The salt fields of the entire Toshu Mountain Island produce nearly a thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) of salt per day.

Even though production will decrease significantly after summer, the number of salt pans continues to increase, so the overall output will inevitably continue to rise.

The current production is sufficient to meet the needs of Xuzhou. Liu Feng can even use this to manipulate salt prices at will and easily exploit all the other powerful salt merchants.

And this is precisely the focus for the next period of time.

In the afternoon, Mi Zeng, being quite old, naturally couldn't accompany Liu Feng and the others to the salt fields, and stayed in the bamboo house to rest.

Liu Feng then led the Zhuge brothers, Dong Xi, Gan Ning, and their entourage to Yantian.

Looking at the salt workers toiling in the salt fields and the piles of yellowish-white salt they were raking up, Liu Feng sighed, "If the country has no salt and iron resources, how can it have the financial strength to govern?"

After sighing, Liu Feng became interested and said to the Zhuge brothers, "Ziyu and Aliang, do you know why the Former Han Dynasty was usurped by Wang Mang, and why Wang Mang was destroyed by Emperor Guangwu?"

Zhuge Jin had already completed his coming-of-age ceremony and received a courtesy name, while Zhuge Liang had only just turned fifteen and had not yet received his coming-of-age ceremony, so he did not have a courtesy name.

Upon hearing Liu Feng's question, Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang exchanged a glance. In fact, the brothers had had similar casual conversations in private.

The aristocratic class at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty actually experienced an explosive development in their thinking. They were distressed that Confucianism could not save the country from its peril. Although they could blame the empress's relatives and eunuchs for the whole thing, those who were clear-headed could not deceive themselves.

Therefore, the aristocratic class at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty was very abnormal. They were both conservative and radical, both righteous and greedy, both concerned about the country and its people and indulging in a life of debauchery.

However, compared to the aristocratic families of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the aristocratic families of the Eastern Han dynasty seemed too healthy.

At the very least, it's far from the point where people take pride in using Five-Stone Powder.

Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang knew that although Liu Feng was asking questions, he was more likely trying to elicit their own conclusions, so they shook their heads, wanting to hear what Liu Feng had to say.

Unexpectedly, Liu Feng merely chuckled and pointed at the salt, saying, "Nothing else but money and grain."

"The population of the Former Han Dynasty was only over ten million at its founding, but by the time Wang Mang usurped the throne, it had reached fifty-five million."

Liu Feng looked at the salt fields, but his gaze was not focused on them. He muttered to himself, "When this dynasty was founded, there were only a little over ten million people. By the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there were over sixty million people."

Zhuge Liang, with his keen mind, had already astutely perceived Liu Feng's intentions.

Sure enough, Liu Feng continued, "The nation's wealth and grain reserves are no longer sufficient to support everyone on this land."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin finally realized that Liu Feng's words were too mercenary and calculating, but upon closer reflection, he found them to be extremely insightful.

Zhuge Liang realized this even before him, isn't that the point?
If the nation's wealth and resources are insufficient to support its people, then whoever sits on the throne will only be a ruler destined for the downfall of the nation.

At this moment, Liu Feng suddenly stopped, turned around and asked, "Ziyu, Aliang, what do you think we should do?"

Although Zhuge Jin was talented, he was cautious and taciturn, and would never speak without careful consideration.

Zhuge Liang, being young and impetuous, saw that his elder brother had not spoken yet, so he answered first: "There are only two paths: increase revenue and reduce expenditure. Either increase the output of money and grain in the world, or make everyone save money and grain."

After listening, Liu Feng burst into laughter: "A Liang is quick-witted, talented and versatile, truly an extraordinary person."

Then, Liu Feng asked Zhuge Jin, "I wonder what instruction Ziyu has for me?"

Zhuge Jin bowed to Liu Feng and replied cautiously, "I'm thinking about a question."

Liu Feng became interested, and Dong Xi and Gan Ning, who were standing to the side, although they didn't quite understand, also listened attentively with wide eyes.

Liu Feng pressed further, "What is the problem?"

Zhuge Jin respectfully replied, "I am merely considering the matter of not recommending you."

Liu Feng was taken aback at first, then slowly nodded.

The "not raising children" that Zhuge Jin mentioned refers to abandoned infants.

Many people, after having children, not only fail to raise them, but also deliberately abandon them or even drown them, which is called "not raising children".

Throughout the Han Dynasty, it was very common for scholars not to pass the imperial examinations. This was prevalent not only in ordinary families but also in the families of officials and powerful clans.

The reasons are just completely different.

The reason why officials and wealthy families did not send their sons to the imperial examinations was due to superstition, taboos, ethics, and etiquette. For ordinary families, in addition to superstition, the biggest reason was that they could not bear the heavy tax burden.

However, Zhuge Jin was thinking about whether the lack of candidates stemmed from the fact that the country's resources were insufficient to feed its people.

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, many people from the lower classes, after giving birth to children, not only did not raise them, but also deliberately abandoned them or even drowned them, which was called "not raising children".

After listening, Liu Feng remained silent.

The most fundamental reason for the lack of candidates was, of course, the exploitation and heavy burden imposed by the ruling class.

But there is indeed the pressure of the nation's wealth not being enough to feed the entire population.

It must be said that Zhuge Ziyu truly possessed both talent and virtue, appearing clumsy on the outside but brilliance on the inside.

Liu Feng sighed, "Ziyu is just as his name suggests; he truly possesses a hidden talent."

This was a very obvious compliment. Although Zhuge Jin's answer was technically wrong, his ability to make such a connection was surprisingly brilliant, exceeding Liu Feng's expectations.

Liu Feng was very satisfied with the Zhuge brothers' answer, because their ideas were similar to his own and they could be influenced by him.

This was the result that Liu Feng was most satisfied with.

"Ah Liang, do you have any suggestions for improving these salt fields?"

In high spirits, Liu Feng led the group to continue wandering around the salt fields, while also asking Zhuge Liang for his opinion.

After all, the sun-drying salt method was a groundbreaking invention. The most authoritative historical record of its invention is the Ming Dynasty, but some sources suggest that the sun-drying salt method may have already appeared during the Song and Jin Dynasties.

However, whether it was the Ming Dynasty or the Song Dynasty, it was still more than a thousand years away from this time.

Not to mention that Liu Feng promoted the sun-drying method, which was an advancement of salt-making technology based on the Ming Dynasty.

Zhuge Liang looked at the mountains of salt piled up in the salt fields and was amazed. After hearing Liu Feng's question, he shook his head and said, "This method is very mature, with clear steps and tight links. I have nothing to add."

After the tour, Liu Feng led everyone back to Mi Zeng's bamboo house.

At this moment, Mi Zeng had just woken up from his afternoon nap, and after washing up, he came to see Liu Feng.

"Old Mi, we can start adding salt after the autumn harvest."

Liu Feng began to explain his plan, which was actually intended to ask the Zhuge brothers and Mi Zeng for help in identifying and filling in any gaps.

"Within the state, we sell it for 1,200 coins per shi."

"One thousand two hundred coins per shi?"

Mi Zeng was somewhat surprised. He knew Liu Feng's intentions and was very supportive of Liu Feng's desire to reorganize the salt industry. Throughout history, wars have always been about money, supplies, and weapons. Without money and supplies, even Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, could only end up committing suicide at the Wujiang River.

However, if the goal is to crack down on salt merchants, then it is simply a matter of relying on price wars and sales volume to force them to their deaths. At the same time, strong military force is also needed to support them.

Liu Feng met all of these conditions.

Mi Zeng was still a little confused as to why the other party had set such a high price.

Liu Feng set the price at 1,200 coins for a reason. The most important reason was that he was about to sign an agreement with Jingzhou to exchange salt for grain, and how to set the price was very important.

At this critical juncture, Liu Feng naturally could not drive down the price of salt.

Secondly, even at a price of 1,200 coins per shi, it was still far cheaper than the prices offered by other salt merchants and wealthy families. If they did not adjust their prices accordingly, they would inevitably lose the market.

Based on the information provided by Mi Lao, Liu Feng knew very well how much salt these powerful salt merchants cost.

Their cost for each stone of salt is around 250 coins.

But Liu Feng knew that these salt merchants and powerful figures would never obediently follow suit and lower prices, because that would be tantamount to cutting their flesh.

There are two most likely scenarios.

One of these was consuming large quantities of cheap salt.

If you sell it cheaply, I'll buy it in bulk, and once I've finished buying it all, I'll continue selling it at my monopoly price.

The second scenario involves using underhanded tactics, employing hired thugs or salt smugglers to forcefully resolve the conflict.

Liu Feng was naturally confident that his opponent's two moves were completely useless against him. On the contrary, Liu Feng had many underhanded tricks up his sleeve.

"Old Mi, let's sell it for 1,200 coins per shi first. If they come to buy salt, we'll sell them as much as they want, supplying them freely."

Liu Feng suddenly turned around and said to Gan Ning, "Brother Xingba, there is still time to trouble you with this matter."

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning immediately became interested: "Young Master, please give your orders, and I will obey without question."

Liu Feng's task for Gan Ning was very simple: to provide military support.

At the same time, Liu Feng also planned to transfer Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang back from Guangling.

These salt merchants and powerful figures had tasted too much of the benefits of salt; they were all incredibly wealthy and reluctant to part with their money.

Since that's the case, Liu Feng decided to send them down together.

Liu Feng's overall plan was to first test the waters by selling his goods at a price of 1,200 coins per shi (a unit of dry measure). If the other party bought them, he would dump his goods and squeeze them dry.

If the other party doesn't buy, or buys a certain quantity but runs out of cash, they stop.

Then Liu Feng will begin the second wave of operations, directly issuing an order from the state government to ban salt production, applying maximum pressure.

If the salt merchants were to revolt at this time, that would be perfect, as it would provide Xu Sheng and Gan Ning with military merits.

If they start lowering prices, Liu Feng will lower them even more drastically, while simultaneously gathering their scattered salt workers together.

In any case, Liu Feng's side still needs to expand the scale of the salt fields, and the shortage of salt workers is enormous.

Because there was no official monopoly, the salt merchants in Xuzhou were quite powerful. From Langya to Guangling, wherever there was tidal flats along the coast, there were local salt merchants.

However, the most powerful among them were the salt merchants from the East China Sea. Their numbers and strength were second to none, unmatched in Xuzhou.

Therefore, it is best to focus all efforts on attacking the salt merchants and powerful families of Donghai Kingdom in the early stages. Once the salt merchants of Donghai Kingdom are captured, the salt merchants of Langya and Guangling will most likely surrender without a fight.

When Liu Feng presented his plan to reorganize the salt industry, most of the people present were excited, except for Zhuge Jin.

"Young Master, isn't this matter too dangerous? If it causes turmoil in the East China Sea, the losses may outweigh the gains."

Liu Feng knew that Zhuge Jin's actions were out of goodwill, but the other party was unaware of, or rather, underestimated, the importance of the salt industry.

Historically, not only after the Three Kingdoms period began, but even in the chaotic times before the Three Kingdoms, every warlord who established a stable base invariably began to monopolize the salt industry.

From Yuan Shao to Cao Cao, then to the Sun family, and even Liu Zhang in Shu, all of them regarded the salt industry as an important tax revenue tool, thereby monopolizing it.

In the process of monopolizing the market, bloodshed and violence were inevitable.

But not a single warlord ceased his actions out of fear of unrest.

Is Liu Feng, a transmigrator, really inferior to Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan?
Not to mention the exorbitant profits from monopolizing the salt industry; the sooner you gain control, the better.

Moreover, once Liu Feng monopolizes the salt industry, he will not only greatly increase Xuzhou's revenue, but more frighteningly, he can also use the salt industry to exploit other states.

To put it simply, Jingzhou lacks salt but has huge grain reserves, making it a perfect customer for Xuzhou.

As long as Liu Feng can safely and securely harvest this batch of grain from Jingzhou, Xuzhou's strength will immediately rise two levels.

Therefore, dealing with the salt magnates and monopolizing the salt industry was Liu Feng's top priority, and there was absolutely no room for compromise on it.

Even if it incites a rebellion, Liu Feng will never back down.

It just so happens that the area around Xuzhou is in chaos right now, but Xuzhou itself is very stable. It would be perfect to crack down on the rebels within the prefecture.

(End of this chapter)