My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 367 Cultivating Liu and Joining Forces
Cui Yan immediately asked, "Cao Mengde and the Grand Marshal are childhood friends and like-minded comrades in their youth. Just a few years ago, the two fought side by side by the river, and their feelings for each other were deep. Although they are not brothers, they have the same brotherly affection. I wonder why Mr. Zuozhi would choose Cao Mengde over Liu Bei?"

Xin Pi sneered inwardly, but his face remained cheerful: "There are three reasons."

Cui Yan's expression changed slightly. He thought he had found a weakness in Xin Pi, but he did not expect that the other party was prepared. It seems that he had miscalculated this time.

The reason why Cui Yan believed that Xin Pi had made preparations in advance lies in three key factors.

It's already quite remarkable that they could offer one or two reasons. Xin Pi has already prepared three reasons. Even Cui Yan himself wouldn't believe that the other party was completely unprepared.

However, even though Cui Yan clearly felt something was wrong, he could only bite the bullet and say, "I would like to hear the details."

With a slightly smug expression, Xin Pi raised a finger: "Firstly, there is the relationship between Cao Cao and Liu Bei. The principle of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones should be something Ji Gui is surely aware of."

Cui Yan's face darkened, but he had no choice but to nod and say, "Mr. George is absolutely right."

Xin Pi did not press his advantage, but continued, "Secondly, Cao is close and Liu is distant."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was taken aback.

Soon, Xun Chen, Ju Shou, and Tian Feng were the first to realize this, and after a while, Guo Tu and Xu You also came to their senses.

Cui Yan felt a little panicked. He still didn't understand, but when he saw Ju Shou give him a look, he immediately felt something was wrong.

Cui Yan glanced at Yuan Shao out of the corner of his eye and saw that Yuan Shao, sitting in the main seat, was deep in thought.

Before Cui Yan could ask a question, Xin Pi continued, "It is precisely because the General and the Grand Marshal have a very close relationship that it is the best strategy to win over Lord Xuande first. Now that Lord Xuande is stronger than the General, if Lord Xuande is captured by the Lord, the General will have no choice but to welcome the Lord to Luoyang if he does not want to be captured."

After hearing Xinpi's explanation, everyone suddenly understood.

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's relationship was actually quite strained, but on the surface, they remained childhood friends, sharing a bond of camaraderie and common goals. In contrast, although Liu Bei was valued by Yuan Shao and the two had become acquainted while studying in Luoyang, their relationship was far less intimate than that between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

Xin Pi's idea was to have Yuan Shao win over Liu Bei first, while using Cao Cao to subdue Liu Bei. Once Liu Bei surrendered, with Yuan Shao and Liu Bei united, what else could Cao Cao do but surrender?

The same phrase, "Cao is near, Liu is far," can be interpreted in two ways: the first reason refers to geographical location, while the second reason refers to the closeness of their relationship.

Cui Yan sighed inwardly, knowing that he would not achieve his goal.

His earlier inquiry was motivated by a desire to sow discord, hoping to make Yuan Shao suspect that Xin Pi was allied with Liu Bei.

But now it seems that this is no longer feasible.

Just as Cui Yan had expected, Yuan Shao asked with a smile, "I wonder what the third reason is? Please enlighten me, Zuo Zhi."

Xin Pi rose and bowed, repeatedly saying he dared not accept such a gesture. He then explained, “The third reason lies with the Emperor. The Emperor and the court are currently in Luoyang, under the control of Cao Cao. I’m sure Lord Xuande wouldn’t be satisfied with that. Therefore, it is only right to deal with Liu Bei first and Cao Cao later.”

After listening, Yuan Shao found it very reasonable and thought it was very insightful. He repeatedly praised, "Your talent in assisting in governance is truly comparable to that of Marquis Liu!"

Xinpi naturally declined repeatedly, saying he was unworthy of the honor.

Immediately afterwards, Xin Pi spoke up, saying, "My lord, simply trying to win over Lord Xuande is not the best strategy."

Yuan Shao immediately pressed, "Then how should we deal with this?"

Xin Pi laughed and said, "My lord, have you forgotten that I had a far-sighted plan before?"

Yuan Shao spread his right palm and lightly patted his forehead, saying, "Oh dear, I forgot about what Zuo Zhi said."

Xin Pi continued truthfully, "The best course of action is to contact Liu Jingsheng. Lord Jingsheng has long since made a vow with our lord. Our lord can send an envoy to him to solidify the alliance. With Lord Jingsheng in the south, he can effectively restrain the Grand General and Lord Xuande."

"With George by my side, Shao has nothing to worry about."

Yuan Shao clapped his hands in delight. According to Xin Pi, Liu Biao had rushed to form an alliance with him after snatching Xiangyang from Yuan Shu's clutches. Although the two were far apart, they had interacted quite a bit.

In the original timeline, the alliance between the two sides even lasted until after the Battle of Guandu. After Yuan Shao died of illness, his three sons fought for control of Hebei. Liu Biao even wrote a letter to persuade them to join forces against Cao Cao.

Therefore, Yuan Shao also had a good impression of Liu Biao and trusted him quite a bit.

Now that Xin Pi had brought it up, Yuan Shao immediately felt that this idea was very appealing, and he was also confident that he could control Liu Biao and make him keep an eye on Cao Cao and Liu Bei for him.

As he listened to Yuan Shao's praise of Xin Pi, Ju Shou sat below with a slight frown, unable to discern Xin Pi's true stance.

Previously, he was suspected of colluding with Liu Bei, but today's behavior seemed selfless.

This caused Cui Jigui to suffer a great loss. Although Yuan Shao only praised Xin Pi and did not blame Cui Yan, Ju Shou felt that the other party must have held a grudge against Cui Yan in his heart.

In Yuan Shao's eyes, Cui Yan's intentions toward Xin Pi were too obvious.

Yuan Shao didn't actually dislike his subordinates fighting amongst themselves; what he feared most was a harmonious atmosphere among them, which would render him, the outsider leader, powerless.

However, on the surface, Yuan Shao liked to portray himself as selfless and fair in rewarding and punishing, so Cui Yan's influence was bound to decline significantly in the coming period.

After praising Xin Pi, Yuan Shao returned to the main topic: "Gentlemen, who do you think is the most suitable envoy to be sent to Jingzhou?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hearts of the Henan scholars below were warmed.

Xun Chen, Guo Tu, and the Xin Pi brothers were all from Yingchuan, and Feng Ji was from Nanyang. Since they crossed the river to the north to join Yuan Shao, they had not returned to their hometowns for many years.

This time, on the way south to Jingzhou, all the areas along the route had been pacified by Cao Cao and Liu Bei. The Yellow Turban rebels in Yuzhou had been completely wiped out by Liu Bei last year, making the journey much safer.

The scholars of Hebei, on the contrary, did not want to travel far. Although the Central Plains were at peace, Nanyang was still in chaos, with Liu Biao and the Xiliang army mainly fighting each other within Nanyang County.

After a year or two of fighting, Liu Biao had only managed to recover a small portion of the territory. However, Nanyang Commandery was, after all, the most important commandery in the land, with over thirty counties and towns. Even this small portion already included more than ten counties and towns.

Xin Pi originally intended to recommend his younger brother for the mission. In his view, the task was not difficult, and given that Yuan Shao was the leader of the alliance while Liu Biao was a subordinate, the envoy would certainly be treated with courtesy. Moreover, the mission itself was not difficult to accomplish, and returning would be a great achievement—why not take the plunge?

The only downside might be that there are too many people vying for it.

Sinpi, who was initially worried, soon became suspicious and uncertain.

Just moments ago, he had clearly seen his colleagues from Henan eager to volunteer, but when Yuan Shao inquired, not a single one offered their services. His younger brother, Xin Ping, however, kept giving him meaningful glances, clearly asking if he should volunteer. Xin Pi's heart sank; he couldn't pinpoint what he had overlooked. He quietly shook his head at his brother and then began to observe the others.

Yuan Shao, sitting in the main seat, was also somewhat surprised and doubtful. He and Xin Pi had both overlooked a very important point for a moment.

That is, the struggle among the scholars under Yuan Shao was extremely fierce. Not only did they fight between Henan and Hebei, but they also fought within Henan itself. Even relatives like Guo Tu and Xin Pi and Xin Ping, who were allies in general, would still compete with each other.

However, since they are related by marriage, they wouldn't secretly sabotage or do anything underhanded.

Therefore, although the Henan faction members were all very interested, they were also worried that if they really went on a mission to the south, Jingzhou was far away and it would take at least several months. By the time they returned, they might not have their original positions anymore.

On the contrary, the brothers Xin Pi and Xin Ping were close brothers and didn't have to worry about losing their positions, so they hadn't thought of this aspect for the time being.

Seeing that the others remained silent for a while, Xinpi, though still confused, had made up his mind not to wait any longer.

“My lord, my brother Pi is known for his eloquence and loyalty to you. He will surely be willing to go to Jingzhou to persuade Governor Liu.”

Xin Ping, who was already itching to speak, quickly rose from his seat and knelt before Yuan Shao, saying, "I am unworthy, but I am willing to do my utmost for my lord."

Yuan Shao hesitated for a moment, but Ju Shou, a bigwig in the Hebei faction, suddenly spoke up and even spoke well of Xin Ping.

"My lord, this plan was devised by Zuo Zhi, and it is very appropriate to appoint Zhong Zhi as his envoy."

Yuan Shao was puzzled, not understanding why Ju Shou would suddenly speak up for the Xin brothers, Xin Pi and Xin Ping, even though what Ju Shou said made a lot of sense.

After careful consideration, Yuan Shao realized there were no other problems, so he immediately agreed, saying, "Very well, in that case, let Zhongzhi be the envoy to visit Jingzhou."

Yuan Shao made a decision, and everyone bowed down in unison: "We will obey the Grand Marshal's order."

********
Liu Bei has been having a very pleasant time lately, and everything is going smoothly.

However, since the beginning of spring this year, there has been a prolonged drought with no rain.

Although spring rain is as precious as oil, not a single drop of rain is hardly a good thing.

It seems Zisheng was right; this year is likely to be a year of severe drought in Jiangbei.

Fortunately, water conservancy projects have been rebuilt in various places, and many waterwheels have been installed. Even if it doesn't rain at all, we should be able to guarantee 50% to 60% of the harvest.

This is also thanks to the abundance of rivers in Jiangbei. To the north is the Huai River, to the south is the Yangtze River, and in between is the Shaopi. There are also four or five tributaries such as the Feishui and Shishui within the territory. In fact, there is really no shortage of water.

In the original timeline, Yuan Shu caused a complete crop failure. While natural disasters certainly played a role, in reality, human error was far more significant.

After all, even if there was water back then, if the entire water conservancy system collapsed, the water couldn't be diverted.

Now, the heads of all the counties in Jianghuai have been replaced, and they are all carefully selected elites who will become famous ministers and generals in the Three Kingdoms period. With Liu Bei personally in charge, the Shaopi water conservancy system was completely renovated in just one winter.

Moreover, with the assistance of Chen Deng, Xun You, and others, Liu Bei also built many branch systems centered on the Shaopi system, making great use of the abundant water volume of the Huai River and the Yangtze River.

According to Chen Deng's estimate, once the severe drought ends, the grain output of dozens of counties and towns in the entire Jiangbei system is likely to double.

This is still a minimum estimate. After all, the yield of dry land is only one shi per mu, while the yield of good irrigated land is at least two shi and at most three shi, and the yield of good paddy fields can even be as high as four to six shi.

Chen Deng was also beaming with joy, even though he had volunteered to guard Langya for Liu Bei.

But for more than a year, he felt like every day was an eternity. Although he didn't regret it, if he had another chance, he would never have gone to Langya on his own initiative.

The biggest reason Chen Deng had this idea was because of Liu Feng.

Chen Deng never imagined that Liu Feng could accomplish so many great things in just over a year.

This was truly astonishing, and Chen Yuanlong, who prided himself on his talent as a prime minister and his ability to judge people and make decisions, had actually missed so many important events.

If Liu Bei hadn't always kept him in mind, he would have immediately recalled him at the first opportunity.

Under normal circumstances, Chen Deng would have to stay in Langya for another year or two.

Given the current rate of expansion of Liu Bei's group, even veteran Chen Deng might not be able to make the cut by then.

Fortunately, both Liu Bei and Liu Feng took Chen Deng to heart. In the first half of last year, Liu Feng even emboldened him by sending an elite cavalry unit to serve under him, helping him to wipe out the salt magnates of Langya in one fell swoop.

At present, Langya is not exactly a place of perfect harmony and prosperity, but it is politically efficient, the people live in peace and contentment, and the treasury is gradually becoming full. These are the reasons why Chen Deng speaks with confidence, after all, even a veteran must speak with his achievements.

Chen Deng was extremely excited to be summoned by Liu Bei. After handing over the county affairs as quickly as possible, he immediately rode south with great enthusiasm.

Sure enough, upon arriving in Shouchun and meeting Liu Bei, he was immediately entrusted with an important task. He not only took office as the Prefect of Jiujiang Commandery, but was also specially ordered to participate in the repair and construction of the entire Jiangbei water conservancy system.

Liu Bei made no attempt to hide his fondness for and high regard for him.

"My lord, do not worry!"

When Chen Deng saw Liu Bei sigh, he knew that Liu Bei must be worried about the drought.

So Chen Deng took the initiative to comfort Liu Bei, saying, "We have done our best and all that can be done. Moreover, thanks to the kindness of our young lord, we have prepared no less than a million bushels of grain. Even if there is a complete crop failure, we will not starve to death. This is all thanks to the kindness of our lord and the young lord!"

Xun You nodded in agreement, "Yuanlong is quite right. It is fine for our lord to be concerned, but there is no need to worry. Now our lord bears the safety of millions of people in the southeast of the Han Dynasty on his shoulders, and he should also take care of his own health."

Hearing Chen Deng and Xun You's words of comfort, Liu Bei was very pleased and nodded repeatedly: "I am truly grateful for the love and respect you two gentlemen have shown me. I only hope that Heaven will protect the people and bless our Han Dynasty, and that it will send down sweet rain soon."

Just as the three were chatting and laughing, a rider suddenly galloped in from afar.

When the knight reached Liu Bei, he tumbled off his horse and took out a silk scroll from his bosom, presenting it to Liu Bei.

"My lord, Liu Zhengnan has sent a letter."

(End of this chapter)