At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 182 Tian Feng returns to his heart
Lujiang County, Shu County, in front of Lu Kang's tomb.

Zhou Qi held Lu Bu's head, bowed deeply to the tombstone, and said, "Lü Bu has been executed, Lord Lu can rest assured."

On this day, many people gathered spontaneously to worship Lu Kang.

There were also a few older people who came to see Zhou Qi on behalf of the folks from Lujiang County.

"The old man pays his respects to the chariot general."

Zhou Qi looked at the gray-haired old men in front of him, how could he dare to accept their big gifts, and hurried forward to support everyone.

He smiled bitterly and said: "You old people are already very old, how can you salute me? Wouldn't it be a disgrace to me?"

The old man at the head said sternly: "The general has adopted a wide range of refugees, implemented benevolent government, lightened corvee and reduced taxes, and opened up trade routes, so that the lives of the people of Lujiang will become better and better."

"The general's achievements are naturally worthy of the old man's worship."

Zhou Qi heard the words, but said with some shame: "This is mostly due to Duke Lu. If it is not for Duke Lu's good governance, even if the policies I promulgate are good, what is the use?"

When several old men heard this, they all looked sad. The leader sighed: "When Lu Gong was here, we didn't feel deeply. However, since Lu Bu entered Lujiang River, he captured the young and strong, robbed money and food, and the sergeants often harassed the people. , we will know how good Mr. Lu is."

"Unfortunately, Duke Lu died today. The villagers all want to know who the general will appoint to serve as the governor of Lujiang County, and whether the policies implemented in the past will be changed?"

Zhou Qi frowned slightly when he heard this.

Lujiang has been developing very well before, and Zhou Qi does not intend to change the existing policies, but the candidate for the next Lujiang County Sheriff has not yet been decided.

Zhou Qi had focused on Jiujiang before, because Lujiang was already very mature in all aspects and did not need a large army to be stationed, so Huang Shao was only asked to recruit [-] county soldiers locally.

But he didn't expect that Lu Bu would surprise Lujiang and catch Zhou Qi off guard.

Zhou Qi would naturally not make the same mistake again.

The next governor of Lujiang County, it is best to be able to write and use martial arts.

Lu Su is a good candidate, but it's a pity that he is too young and may not be able to take on such a big responsibility.

Tian Feng is not bad either.

However, he has not returned yet, and Zhou Qi is not at ease in handing over Lujiang to the other party.

After thinking about it, in the end, only one person is suitable for this position, and that is Du Ji.

Du Ji is now serving as the school lieutenant of Diannong, and is also in charge of the administration. He is also responsible for the resettlement of refugees and farming in Yangzhou, which is a heavy task.

Let Du Ji take up the post of Lujiang prefect, but he can't find a suitable candidate for the job in his hand.

For a while, even Zhou Qi was in a bit of trouble.

"I own three of the four major governors of Eastern Wu, but they have not yet grown up, so it is difficult to stand alone."

"If you wait a few more years, how can you have such troubles?"

Zhou Qi looked at the old man with a look of hope on his face and comforted him: "Elders, please rest assured that the current policies of Lujiang County will not change. As for the new county governor, I still have to think carefully about it."

Zhou Qi didn't stay in Lujiang for long, so he asked Xiang Hong to lead 5000 cavalry to stay first, and ordered him to select [-] of the soldiers who had surrendered to stay, and the rest were sent home.

On the way home, Zhou Qi took Zhou Yu with him.

In fact, after Zhou Yu became a disciple of Zhou Qi, he continued to practice military tactics with him. He would also learn strategies from Xi Zhicai, and also learn classics from Bian Rang and Chen Wen.

Not only that, Zhou Qi also asked him to practice martial arts diligently, and he must be proficient in bow and horse.

Today's Zhou Yu has a heavy learning task, which is not inferior to future high school students.

If it weren't for Zhou Yu's talent and intelligence, I'm afraid he could only end up in a miscellaneous end.

Zhou Yu is indeed a wizard and learns things very quickly, growing almost every day.

Given time, he will surely become a pillar of talent.

The reason why he returned to Lujiang ahead of time, and led You Xiaer to rebel against Hao Meng, and captured Lu Bu and Zhang Liao alive, was also the reason why Zhou Qi sent him back ahead of time.

After all, Lujiang County is the stronghold of the Zhou Clan. As the leader of the younger generation of the Lujiang Zhou Clan, Zhou Yu's influence in Lujiang is self-evident, and his use of it is comparable to tens of thousands of soldiers.

It was precisely because of Zhou Yu's early return to make arrangements that Lu Bu's subordinates rebelled so easily.

Within a few days, the news that Zhou Qi had returned victoriously and killed Lu Bu had spread throughout Yangzhou.

At this point, Zhou Qi's prestige was even greater, and some cautious families, and even some Shanyue tribes, did not dare to act arrogantly because of fear.

Cheqi General's Mansion.

Zhou Qi summoned Xi Zhicai and asked, "Have the family members of Mr. Lu and Huang Shao settled down?"

Xi Zhicai nodded and said, "All of them were rewarded with mansions, servants, fields, and money in Shouchun according to Duke Ming's request."

Zhou Qi nodded and said, "Don't worry about Duke Lu's family. With Lu's reputation in Yangzhou, even if we don't take extra care, we can live well."

"Huang Shao's wife and children have to be taken extra care of. If his wife wants to remarry, she must not make things difficult for her. However, his son cannot change his surname. He must stay in the Chariot and Cavalry General's Mansion and I will raise him personally."

"If she doesn't want to remarry, then Huang Shao's son will be raised by her herself, and money and food will be given every month, so they must not be lacking."

Xi Zhicai bowed: "My lord is benevolent and righteous!"

Zhou Qi waved his hand and said, "There is no need to say such polite words between you and me."

"Besides this matter, I want to ask Zhicai to come here this time. I also want to ask if there is a suitable candidate for the Lujiang County Sheriff in your mind."

Zhou Qi had been struggling with this issue for a long time on the way back, but still couldn't make up his mind.

In fact, the major families in Yangzhou do not lack talents. Even if they choose one from the Lujiang Zhou family, they can manage Lujiang County well.

However, the power of the major families in Yangzhou was already very high. Lu Kang's death freed up the position of county governor, and Zhou Qi was naturally unwilling to give it to the major families.

Xi Zhicai was so smart, even if Zhou Qi didn't say it explicitly, he had already understood the thoughts of his master.

Xi Zhicai pondered for a while, then smiled and said: "To tell you the truth, I do have a candidate, and I want to recommend him as the governor of Lujiang County."

Zhou Qi couldn't help but become interested and asked: "Who is it?"

Xi Zhicai said: "Tian Feng Yuan Hao!"

Zhou Qi was stunned when he heard this.

Naturally, Tian Feng had thought about it a long time ago, but the other party didn't return his heart, and Zhou Qi was suspicious by nature, so he didn't dare to entrust him with important tasks rashly.

In fact, apart from this point, Tian Feng is indeed a very good candidate.

Needless to say, Tian Feng's talent is more than enough for the post of Lujiang County Governor, and he may even be a little inferior.

Although he belongs to the type of counselor and is not good at leading troops, he has an excellent vision. If Tian Feng is paired with a general to command the army, Lujiang County must be as solid as gold.

The most important thing is that Tian Feng is an outsider, not a local scholar in Yangzhou, and promoting him will not make the Yangzhou family bigger.

Zhou Qi hesitated a little, and said: "I don't think he has returned to his heart, and if he hastily entrusted him with a heavy responsibility, he might refuse."

Xi Zhicai said with a smile: "If Mr. Ming doesn't try, how do you know if he will agree?"

Seeing that Zhou Qi still had some doubts, Xi Zhicai said seriously: "Tian Yuanhao is under Yuan Shao's command, but it's just that he belongs to Han Fu. Later Yuan Shao won Jizhou, Tian Yuanhao didn't stay under Yuan Shao's command for long."

"He worked hard for Yuan Benchu ​​and traveled thousands of miles south to persuade Duke Ming to form an alliance with him, but Yuan Shao stayed in Yangzhou instead."

"It is precisely because of being abandoned that Tian Yuanhao has a knot in his heart."

"During this period, he served as an official in my house and worked diligently every day. And as time went by, Tian Yuanhao gradually let go of that knot in his heart."

"Especially when he saw that Yangzhou was thriving, and Duke Ming rushed thousands of miles to kill Lv Bu with the strategy of defeating the weak, he would know who is the hero."

"Although Tian Yuanhao didn't say it clearly, I can feel the change in his mentality."

"Duke Ming appointed him as the governor of Lujiang County, not only to give him a chance, but also to give the general himself a chance."

"With Tian Yuanhao's character, if he accepts this position calmly, he will definitely do his best to protect Lujiang County for Duke Ming, and Duke Ming can also get the loyalty of a great talent, so why not do it?"

"If he refuses without hesitation, it's not too late for Duke Ming to choose another candidate!"

Xi Zhicai's words made Zhou Qi enlightened.

He pondered for a moment, and then said: "Zhicai, please come with me to meet Yuan Hao."

However, Xi Zhicai shook his head and said, "If I follow you, Tian Yuanhao will definitely guess that it was me who recommended him."

"If Ming Gong goes alone, it will show more sincerity."

Zhou Qi suddenly realized, and simply handed over the government affairs to Xi Zhicai, but he himself brought generous gifts, instead of going to see Tian Feng, he went directly to his home.

Although the mansion of Tian Feng's family is not very big, it is also kept clean.

It was not that Zhou Qi was stingy and did not reward Tian Feng with a large house.

It's just that Tian Feng refused all rewards from Zhou Qi on the grounds that he had no merit and no reward, leaving only this small courtyard.

Tian Feng wouldn't even want this small courtyard if he didn't still need a place to live.

"Dong dong dong."

Dian Wei knocked on the wooden door, and after a while, he saw a young woman who came to open the door.

When he saw the tall and fierce-looking Dian Wei, he couldn't help but take two steps back in fright.

Seeing this, Zhou Qi hurried forward and said, "I am Zhou Qi, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and I am here to pay a visit to the old lady."

The woman heard the name of General Che Qi, looked at Dian Wei and the armored soldiers behind him, and hurried forward to salute.

Zhou Qi asked his soldiers to guard outside the door, but he took Dian Wei into the house.

Not long after, a vigorous old woman came out of the house and greeted Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi said hurriedly: "The old lady is an elder, how can she salute to a junior like me? Wouldn't this be a disgrace to me?"

The old woman said seriously: "The general is the king, my son is the general's subject, and the old man is the people under the general's rule. Naturally, he should salute when he sees the chief."

Zhou Qi heard the words and said: "The big man is filial to the world, even if the elders see the governor of the state or county, they can't be polite. My wife is not young, so naturally I can't be my wife's gift."

The two were polite for a while, and the old woman suddenly asked: "I wonder what the reason for the general's arrival is?"

Zhou Qi said with a smile: "Since my wife came to Yangzhou, I have been busy with official duties, and I didn't take time to come to visit. I am really ashamed."

"I have free time today, so I came here to see the old lady."

In this way, Zhou Qi chatted with the old lady.

At the beginning, the old lady still couldn't let go.But she soon felt that the cavalry general in front of her had no airs at all.

With Zhou Qi's intentional flattery, the old lady quickly let go of her guard, and the two chatted happily.

Zhou Qi was also very surprised to find that although the old woman in front of him was a woman, she was quite knowledgeable and had extraordinary conversation. She must have come from a wealthy family.

Not long after, Tian Feng, who was dealing with official business, hurriedly took leave and returned to the mansion after being notified by his family.

He looked at the piles of gifts in the house, and then at the cavalry general who was having a lively chat with his mother, and couldn't help but frown.

Tian Feng walked into the house, first saluted his mother, and then asked Zhou Qi: "General Cheqi came to the humble house, why?"

When the old woman saw this, she had no intention of interrupting. Instead, she found an excuse and left first.

She knew her son's talent and didn't want to interfere with his judgment.

After watching the old lady leave, Zhou Qi didn't answer Tian Feng's question directly, but instead asked: "Did you get used to working under Zhicai during this period?"

Tian Feng nodded and said, "Get used to it!"

Zhou Qi pondered for a moment and said, "Sir, the mansion at home is too small, and the old lady must not be used to living here. I plan to change the mansion for you."

Tian Feng directly refused: "You don't get paid for nothing, this house is enough for us to live in, the general doesn't need to worry about it."

Zhou Qi asked: "Sir, don't you want to know where the house is?"

Tian Feng shook his head, obviously not very interested.

Zhou Qi was not annoyed, and then sighed: "Duke Lu was harmed by Lu Bu. Although Lu Bu has been appointed as the head now, the position of governor of Lujiang County has been vacant. The people in the county hope that the new governor will be like Duke Lu. Compassionate and capable."

"After much thought, the only person in Yangzhou who can take on this important task and have free time is Mr."

"I hope that sir can consider the hundreds of thousands of people in Lujiang and take up the post of Lujiang County Governor!"

Having said that, Zhou Qi gave Tian Feng a deep bow.

Tian Feng was stunned on the spot, and then said with some disbelief: "General, do you trust me so much?"

A county magistrate is a position that many people dream of. If the world is not in chaos, some small families will not be able to hold this high position even if they are poor all their lives.

A feudal history like this, with a rank higher than two thousand stones, might even help an ordinary family to complete the transition, and allow a local wealthy family to start transforming into a noble family.

What's more, the importance of Lujiang County is self-evident.

Tian Feng, who had previously served as Yuan Shao's subordinate, had not really taken refuge with Zhou Qi, but was able to be entrusted with such an important task, and his heart was deeply touched.

But Zhou Qi said seriously: "I know how good you are as a person."

"I've said before that it's not a joke to want to find a new mansion in Lujiang for Mr. and Madam."

"Sir, when you go, you can take your family with you."

When Tian Feng heard this, his defenses were completely broken.

He thought of Yuan Shao's abandonment of him, and of Zhou Qi's respect and trust.

He thought again of the prosperity of Yangzhou and of Zhou Qi's courage. After all, he sighed deeply, then bowed to the ground and said, "I am trusted by the general, and I am willing to do my best!"

(End of this chapter)