The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 95 Liu Bang had Xiao He, and Liu Bei had Zhuge Liang; they were truly fortunate (1st update)
Zhuge Liang was a cultured man; he wouldn't do something as unskilled as robbery.

With frequent wars and scarce resources, how long can one sustain such a plundering strategy?

Only through harmonious coexistence can sustainable development be achieved.

Draining the pond to catch all the fish will only leave everyone with nothing to eat.

Zhuge Liang had a deep understanding of human nature.

If Hua Yan had been asked to provide grain from the beginning, he would have been very resistant; now that he has signed a delivery order, his resistance has been greatly reduced.

Zhuge Liang once again played two roles, demanding exorbitant prices on one hand and negotiating on the other, reducing the sky-high price of 230,000 shi of grain to 50,000 shi of grain and gold and silver equivalent to that price. In the end, he even clearly stated his plan to rob the grain.

What Hua Yan could think of, Zhuge Liang could think of as well.

What Hua Yan hadn't thought of, Zhuge Liang had.

Faced with such a formidable and flawless opponent, Hua Yan's last shred of pride and wishful thinking were completely crushed. Helplessly, he picked up his pen and signed the document, almost saying, "You really have a good eye for people!"
"Hua Gongcao's generosity in donating grain is truly a blessing for the Han Dynasty!"

Zhuge Liang shook the handover order and bowed to Hua Yan, offering some consolation to Hua Yan, who had lost a large amount of money, grain, and gold.

Given the situation, Hua Yan couldn't muster any anger anymore.

Circumstances dictate that if you can't win, you can only join. After all, joining can be seen as a long-term investment. If you can survive until Liu Bei takes control of the world, you might even get a return on your investment.

Hua Yan returned the greeting to Zhuge Liang, then bowed to Liu Bei before preparing to leave.

Just as he took a step, Zhang Fei's questioning voice rang in his ears: "Brother, what if he goes back to Pingyuan City and changes his mind? In my opinion, we should tie up Hua Yan's family as hostages first!"

Hua Yan felt his body stiffen in an instant.

Repent?

How could I possibly go back on my word!

Please, please stop scaring me!
“Since ancient times, all men have died, but a man without integrity cannot stand. I trust Hua Gongcao!” Liu Bei’s tone became solemn, and Hua Yan couldn’t help but “fill his eyes with tears”, his heart repeatedly shouting: General Zuo is benevolent!

After Hua Yan left, cheerful laughter filled the tent.

Zhao Yun, who was new to the area, was surprised and impressed by the way money and supplies were raised. He couldn't help but exclaim in his heart: "The strategist is truly a genius!"

Cavalry Commandant Xin Zhe felt this even more strongly than Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun was a military general, and his daily duties mainly involved fighting and conquering. Xin Zhe, on the other hand, was originally Yuan Shao's clerk. If he hadn't followed Liu Bei, he would have been recommended by Xin Ping to be Yuan Shao's granary official.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Because of his expertise, Xin Zhe was even more aware of the difficulties in procuring money, food, and supplies.

Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang easily raised the money and provisions needed for tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians to march north.

Most importantly: Hua Yan was clearly outmaneuvered by Zhuge Liang, but in the end he still had to thank Liu Bei for his benevolence.

The others, such as Pang Tong and Xu Shu, all smiled knowingly.

Everyone had long been familiar with Zhuge Liang's methods, so they were no longer surprised and only laughed and joked.

Zhang Fei went straight up to Zhuge Liang, "snatched" Zhuge Liang's feather fan, and diligently fanned him, saying, "As long as the strategist is here, all we need to do is go into battle and kill the enemy."

Subconsciously, Zhang Fei thought of Liu Bei's predicament of lacking food after losing Xuzhou.

If Zhuge Liang had been there, why would we have worried about not being able to take back Xuzhou!
Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard, his slightly narrowed phoenix eyes unable to conceal his excitement, and his respect for Zhuge Liang deepened.

In his excitement, Guan Yu silently reviewed and pondered Zhuge Liang's entire scheme, attempting to apply his own interpretation to gain a deeper understanding. As one of the most insightful warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men, Guan Yu's thirst for knowledge far surpassed that of others.

Seeing his civil and military officials enjoying themselves, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

With enough money and grain, tens of thousands of people could be brought to Zhuojun instead of being "abandoned" in Pingyuan to be exploited by the Yuan family.

Liu Bei held the Yuan family's arbitrary recruitment of soldiers and conscription of laborers in utter contempt.

If it weren't for his current weakness, Liu Bei would have intervened long ago.

On the other hand,

For Liu Bei, who had not returned to Zhuojun for a long time, the tens of thousands of people who had followed him since Xuzhou were crucial to his foothold in Youzhou.

Although Liu Bei was from the Liu clan of Zhuojun, not many members of the Liu clan in Zhuojun would support him.

Even if they support it, everyone has their own considerations.

But the tens of thousands of civilians who followed were different.

Although Liu Bei did not intend to regard the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians as his private households, in reality, the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians were no different from Liu Bei's private households.

Even if Yuan Xi, the governor of Youzhou, wanted to recruit soldiers or levy taxes from tens of thousands of people, Liu Bei had to give his approval first!
It's as if Liu Bei became a new powerful and influential family in Zhuojun as soon as he entered the county!
With proper management, they can be self-sufficient in terms of money, food, and other necessities.

In these times of great chaos, the people are the most precious resource.

Only with the support of the people can there be a future!
The people were the foundation of Liu Bei's character and conduct; only by treating them well could he compete with other heroes and eventually conquer the world.

Zhuge Liang then suggested that Liu Bei send another letter to Yuan Tan separately, in which he should blame the conflict with Hua Yan on Yuan Shang's divisive tactics, plead for Hua Yan's life, thank Hua Yan for the supplies he had given him, and hope that Yuan Tan would treat Hua Yan leniently.

Now that we have received the money, food, and supplies, we must do our best to maintain good relationships with people.

People like Tian Feng and Ju Shou, who are straightforward and blunt, are not suited for high positions.

Not to mention the current chaos and collapse of rites and music, even in times of peace when rites and music were in order, it was impossible to be perfectly clear and discerning.

When you're going to take drastic measures, you must be ruthless and decisive. But after taking drastic measures, you must give the other party a sweet treat. This is Zhuge Liang's way of handling things.

Liu Bei understood Zhuge Liang's intention, so he sent someone to deliver a letter to Yuan Tan in Pingyuan City as Zhuge Liang had instructed.

At this time, Yuan Tan was unaware that Hua Yan had led troops to attack Liu Bei without authorization and had been captured by Liu Bei. He was indulging in the sweet whispers of the beautiful concubines that Hua Yan had given him.

Hua Yan was very good at understanding Yuan Tan's thoughts. He sent Yuan Tan several beautiful concubines with the same names as Yuan Shang's wives and concubines, and Yuan Tan became infatuated with them.

The "beauty trap" has been successful since ancient times, because it uses not only beautiful women, but also directly targets people's deepest desires.

It has to be said, Yuan Tan really knows how to play the game.

Yuan Tan was obsessed with his beautiful concubine, so the letter was not delivered directly to him, but was intercepted by Kong Shun, who was on duty.

However, when Kong Shun saw the contents of the letter, he almost collapsed to the ground.

Because the contents of the letter shocked Kong Shun so much, and because Hua Yan had instructed Kong Shun not to let Liu Bei's men enter before leaving, Kong Shun waited at the gate of the mansion until the early hours of the next day before Hua Yan returned.

"Hua Gongcao!"

Kong Shun stared in disbelief at Hua Yan, whose eyes were bloodshot and who looked disheveled and dejected.

How could you look so haggard after just one day?
What exactly did Hua Gongcao encounter?
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(End of this chapter)