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

Chapter 218 Tian Yuanhao is upright and stubborn

But it is said that under Jia Xu's plan, Gan Ning relied on his influence in Bajun to first design and kill those county officials who were hostile to Zhou Qi.

Gan Ning then joined forces with Shen Mi, Lou Fa and others from the Bajun clan to falsely pass on an order from the county governor's office, announcing that Bajun would break away from Liu Zhang's rule and march eastward to welcome the chariot general Zhou Qi.

For a time, Zhou Qi captured Bajun without any bloodshed.

Xiangyang, the Chariot and Cavalry General's Mansion.

Zhou Qi took the letter from Jia Xu and after reading the contents, he couldn't help laughing and said: "Bajun is the gateway to the east of Yizhou. Wenhe must have contributed a lot to being able to capture it so easily!"

Xi Zhicai smiled and said: "Congratulations, my lord, now that Bajun has been conquered, Yizhou can be secured!"

Zhou Qi squinted his eyes and gently stroked his beard, with an unconcealable smile in his eyes. He was obviously in a good mood.

Kuai Yue said: "Since Jia Wenhe and Gan Xingba have made outstanding achievements, they must be rewarded. I also ask my lord to promise them high officials and generous salaries to reassure them."

Zhou Qi suddenly woke up after hearing this.

Although Jia Xu did not care about official position, Zhou Qi, as a monarch, should have clear rewards and punishments.

He pondered for a moment and said to himself: "Nowadays, many important positions are like a carrot or a pit. The reward is low but Jia Xu's contribution is not worth it. The reward is high but there is no official position to reward."

After thinking for a long time, Zhou Qi said: "I will make Jia Wenhe the right military advisor and the governor of Ba County. I will reward you with a thousand gold coins, a hundred pieces of silk cloth, and a hundred acres of land."

"I appointed Gan Ning as the Zhonglang General, and I was rewarded with a thousand gold coins, a hundred bolts of silk, and a hundred acres of land."

As for Dong Xi, Chen Wu, Shen Mi, Lou Fa and others, they all received heavy rewards.

After the reward was determined, Zhou Qi quickly ordered people to spread the message to Jiangzhou, and then told everyone: "Now that Bajun has been conquered, I want to raise all the troops and horses from Jingzhou and Yangzhou to defeat Yizhou. Who among the generals is willing to be the vanguard?"

"The end will be willing to go!"

As soon as Zhou Qi finished speaking, Huang Zhong jumped out impatiently, and the other generals also asked for battle.

Zhou Qi couldn't help but be very satisfied when he saw that all the generals were eager to make contributions.

"My lord, please think twice!"

At this moment, a different voice came from below. Everyone turned around and saw that the speaker was none other than Yutaka Sakata, the military advisor.

When Zhou Qi heard this, he immediately felt unhappy.

Now that the situation is just right and everyone is united, it is the time for the army to attack Yizhou, expand the territory, and achieve unparalleled achievements.

Over the years, Zhou Qi has won consecutive battles, often holding high positions, and is good at playing power. He has gradually gained the majesty of a monarch, which is somewhat inflated.

Even Xi Zhicai, Dian Wei, Xiang Hong and others who were the first to follow Zhou Qi did not dare to refute Zhou Qi's opinions at will.

He had just rolled up his sleeves and was about to fight, when someone objected in public, which made Zhou Qi feel a little unhappy.

Fortunately, Zhou Qi was quite powerful, and the person who spoke was Tian Feng, whom he valued very much. After all, he suppressed his displeasure and asked calmly: "The military advisor thinks that Liu Zhang cannot be attacked?"

Tian Feng said bluntly: "Yes."

Zhou Qi's heart sank slightly, and he frowned and asked, "Why did the military advisor say this?"

Tian Feng seemed not to feel Zhou Qi's displeasure, and continued: "Liu Yan is newly mourned, and Yizhou mourns. It is unjust for the lord to take advantage of someone's mourning and attack him."

"Although Ba County can be conquered, Liu Yan has been running Yizhou for many years and has a deep foundation and is quite popular. If Liu Zhang relies on the steep mountains and geography to resist his lord, even if he recruits 20 troops, it will be difficult to conquer."

"Raising troops without taking advantage of morality. If you send troops without achieving any merit, your morale will be damaged and the world will laugh at you."

"What's more, my lord was able to capture Jingzhou before, only through the melee between the northern princes and when he was unable to do anything else."

"Now that the princes have made a truce, if my lord takes Yizhou, will he sit idly by and ignore it?"

Seeing Zhou Qi's face getting more and more ugly, everyone couldn't help but secretly sweat for Tian Feng, and couldn't help but secretly praise Tian Feng for his iron head.

obviously.

The generals of chariots and cavalry are now eager to capture Yizhou and occupy the entire south of the Yangtze River. Moreover, Bajun has surrendered before them, so the situation is excellent.

At this time, the chariot and cavalry general is in trouble, how can he get any good fruit?
Zhou Qi suppressed the anger in his heart and said: "Just as the military advisor said, Liu Yan was newly mourned and Yizhou is dangerous and difficult to defend. Gu Ruobu took advantage of the surrender of Ba County and led his army to defeat it in one fell swoop, waiting for Liu Zhang to sit down. Isn’t it more difficult to stabilize Yizhou’s position as a pastor?”

"Yuan Shu of Yuzhou is brave and invincible, but he is nothing more than a withered skeleton in a grave. He sends his general alone to guard the border counties. Why should he be afraid?"

"Liu Bei of Xuzhou is surrounded by enemies on all sides. His power has not yet been established. He cannot lead an army to attack him alone. How can he dare to lead his troops to attack me without any reason?"

"As the saying goes: If God doesn't take what he wants, he will suffer the consequences."

"If I don't take advantage of this opportunity to capture Yizhou, how can I compete with Yuan Benchu ​​and Gongsun Bogui after they unify Hebei?"

"I have made up my mind to be alone, so don't try to persuade me again!"

Tian Feng sighed: "If my lord insists on raising troops to invade Yizhou, it will only waste money and food, and it will be difficult to achieve success!"

When Zhou Qi heard this, he couldn't help but became furious and shouted: "We have raised an army alone to attack Yizhou. The top and bottom are united and the morale is strong. Why are you deceiving the people and disrupting the morale of our army with your evil words?"

Zhou Qi is so angry, but he is not too arrogant or willful.

Just because Yizhou is now replaced by the old and new, and Bajun has surrendered again, it is a good time to capture Yizhou.

As Tian Feng's military advisor, he can raise different opinions if he has any.

However, as a monarch, Zhou Qi had already made up his mind to lead troops to attack Yizhou. At this time, Tian Feng spoke pessimistically and even bluntly concluded that this time it would be in vain, which was very devoid of emotional intelligence.

If word of what happened today spreads out, what will the soldiers who were gearing up to attack Yizhou think?
Will military morale be shaken by this?
If Zhou Qi sends troops this time, it would be fine if he wins, but if he loses, how can he have the face to face Tian Feng?
Not to mention Zhou Qi himself, no monarch would be able to tolerate such a person.

Tian Feng, however, looked directly at Zhou Qi without fear and said: "If you use the right way to defeat the unjust, you will get twice the result with half the effort. If you use the wrong way to fight the right way, you will get twice the result with half the result."

"My lord is attacking Yizhou this time, and his troops are unknown. Everyone in Yizhou must work together to stop it."

Zhou Qi said angrily: "I control the military affairs of the four states of Jing, Yang, Jiao, and Yi. Liu Zhang is not a consecrated pastor of Yizhou by the imperial court. How can he not be morally responsible for launching an army to attack?"

Tian Feng said: "Yuan Benchu ​​is not like Li Jue or Guo Si. Once the lord sends troops to attack Yizhou, the angel will arrive in an instant. Not only will Liu Zhang be conferred as the shepherd of Yizhou, but he may even take back the lord's right to hold the festival."

"In this case, what excuse does my lord have to attack Yizhou?"

When Zhou Qi heard this, he couldn't help but become even more angry, and walked away, leaving the military council in silence.

After returning home, Zhou Qi was still angry.

He felt that after working hard for so many years in troubled times, he had already become a powerful person and held a high position.

I never thought that today I would be angered by my subordinates in front of my face, and my face would be completely lost.

Although he had long known that Tian Feng had an upright character and was not an easygoing minister, he even laughed at Yuan Shao when he was reading history books for being narrow-minded, unfaithful, and intolerant of others.

But when it was really his turn, Zhou Qi felt a little angry and could hardly control his emotions.

Zhou Qi was so upset that he couldn't help but drink alone in the courtyard.

The wife, Shi, sensed the annoyance in her man's heart, and immediately made a pot of tea, made some snacks, and came to Zhou Qi's side.

"Why is General so upset?"

Seeing his wife who had been following him since he was still young, Zhou Qi couldn't help but restrain his anger, sighed a few times, and then told everything that happened in the hall today.

He even stood up for himself and complained harshly to Tian Feng.

To this day, Zhou Qi holds a high position and often thinks twice about what he says and does. Only in front of his wife will he put down his mask and become more humane.

Mr. Shi listened quietly all the time with a smile on his face, without saying a word. No matter how Zhou Qi complained, he didn't say much.

Zhou Qi finished talking about everything he had experienced today, and actually felt that the annoyance in his heart had been reduced a lot.

He looked at Mr. Shi and asked, "Do you think Tian Feng is too self-righteous? He actually refused to give me a step in front of everyone and said such words that disturbed the morale of the army."

"If I don't care about his past achievements, I will not forgive him lightly!"

Seeing Zhou Qi's slightly childish look, Shi said with a smile: "I am just a woman, and I don't know much about military affairs."

"But the general also said that Mr. Tian has made a lot of contributions in the past, which means that he has real talent and learning." "So, even if the general is angry, sir, he still speaks out and remonstrates today. Doesn't he have his own reasons?"

"General, you might as well think about it calmly. If you still can't figure it out, you can ask for your opinion privately if you don't have Xi Zhicai, Kuai Yue, Zhang Zhao, Xu Shu, Zhou Yu and other outstanding people under your command."

"If everyone thinks that the general's idea is right, there is no need to worry about what Mr. Tian said today, and just go ahead and do it."

"If most people have concerns, the general might as well live a good life and think about whether this move is inappropriate."

His wife's words made Zhou Qi calm down.

He suddenly remembered that in history, Yuan Shao might have had his own mentality, insisting on not listening to Tian Feng's words and imprisoning him instead, which led to the defeat in the Battle of Guandu.

As the saying goes: Use copper as a guide to correct your clothes; use the past as a guide to understand the ups and downs; use people as a guide to understand gains and losses.

After Zhou Qi woke up, he was also reflecting on whether he was a little too inflated after taking Jingzhou?
Is it really too hasty to launch a massive attack on Yizhou now?
After waking up, Zhou Qi picked up his wife and spun her around in a circle, then kissed her hard on the face and said, "I am so lucky to have a good wife at home!"

Zhou Qi's actions made Shi's face turn red, and he hurriedly whispered: "It's still bright, general, please pay attention to your words and deeds!"

Zhou Qi leaned close to his wife's ear and whispered: "At night, don't you need to pay attention?"

Seeing the embarrassed Shi, Zhou Qi burst out laughing, then put his wife down, said hello and left the house.

But it is said that Xu Shu originally followed Zhou Yu in Lujiang to form the Lujiang Shangjia.

However, when Zhou Qi found out about Xu Shu's investment, he didn't want Xu Shu to be overqualified and underutilized, so he recruited him as a lieutenant in the account, hoping that Xu Shu would gain some qualifications so that he could be reused in the future.

Now Zhou Qi, even though he knew that Xu Shu had real talent and knowledge, he did not dare to promote him easily.

If you really do this, it will appear that the rewards and punishments are unclear, which will make your old subordinates dissatisfied.

The way to be a king is so complicated, and sometimes you can't help it.

He knew that although Xu Shu was not as upright as Tian Feng, he still had a chivalrous spirit. Many times he would not compromise and deliberately cater to others, but he had his own bottom line.

If you ask others, they may not tell the truth because of Zhou Qi's face.

Ever since, Zhou Qi thought of the genius Xu Shu.

He didn't want to take this opportunity to give Xu Shu a good test. If he was really useful, he might as well find ways to promote him.

But he said that Xu Shu was dealing with government affairs when he suddenly saw a general on horseback approaching him and hurriedly stood up and saluted.

He carefully looked at Zhou Qi's face, but was surprised to find that the cavalry general was not as angry as before.

"Are you still used to being a lieutenant in my account?"

Xu Shu said: "At first, many things were a bit unfamiliar. After a period of familiarity, I gradually got used to them."

Zhou Qi nodded slightly and said, "Letting Yuan Zhi serve as the Zhonglang is a bit unfair."

"But you have just arrived here and have not made any achievements yet. If you are promoted out of the ordinary, it may cause dissatisfaction among the old people, and it will not be good for Yuan Zhi."

Xu Shu smiled and said: "I am flattered to be able to serve as a lieutenant under the general's account."

Xu Shu's words came from the bottom of his heart.

Although the rank of Zhonglang is not high, he is considered a close minister of Zhou Qi. If he works diligently, he will definitely have a bright future.

For this position, many children from aristocratic families are trying hard to squeeze in.

Look at Quanrou and Gu Yong, who had previously served as Zhonglang. They were either quite famous and recommended by great sages, or they were related by marriage to the generals of chariots and cavalry.

Now, they all serve as governors of a county.

Xu Shu was born in a poor family, and now he has no good friends with Zhuge Liang and Jingxiang scholars. Without mutual praise, he has no reputation.

He is not a person who knows good and evil, and he is very grateful to be promoted to the position of Zhonglang.

Zhou Qi patted Xu Shu on the shoulder and asked him to put down what he was doing. He sat down next to him and asked bluntly: "Today in the meeting hall, the military advisor Jiu Tian Yuanhao objected to sending troops to Yizhou. What did Yuan Zhi think? ?”

Xu Shu secretly took a look at Zhou Qi's face, but couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

After seeing Xu Shu's little move, Zhou Qi waved his hand and said, "Yuan Zhi just speaks the truest thoughts in his heart without considering external factors."

When Xu Shu heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief, and then said tentatively: "Liu Yan has recently died, Liu Zhang has just succeeded to the throne, and the foundation is unstable. It is indeed the best time to capture Yizhou."

"My lord wants to send troops to Yizhou at this time. From this point of view, there is no problem."

Zhou Qi felt relieved.

He was not unreasonable and could not listen to what others said. He did see a fighting opportunity when he wanted to send troops to Yizhou.

Zhou Qi did not want to spend several years wasting time. He wanted to cut through the trouble quickly and pacify the south of the Yangtze River, so as to plot the Central Plains.

"But..."

Unexpectedly, Xu Shu changed the topic and continued: "As the military advisor said during the wine ceremony, it is indeed against morality to attack someone while they are mourning."

"If we can capture Yizhou, we will naturally become the king and defeat the bandits, and we will be blameless."

"Once the offensive is thwarted and the army returns defeated, it will be a great loss of energy and will be ridiculed."

Zhou Qi frowned and said, "As far as I know, there were already many conflicts between Liu Yan's people in Dongzhou and Yizhou."

"Liu Yan may still be able to stabilize the situation in Yizhou, but once he dies, the two will inevitably fight."

"The fact that Gan Ning and others came to serve is the best proof."

"If he shrinks back now because he is worried about returning without success, won't it be even more difficult for Liu Zhang to think about his plans when he stabilizes the situation in Yizhou in the future?"

Xu Shu did not directly refute Zhou Qi's words, but asked: "My Lord, since the imperial court did not canonize Liu Zhang as the shepherd of Yizhou, why can he sit in this position?"

Zhou Qi did not hesitate and said directly: "Of course it is the Yizhou faction headed by Zhao Wei. They are greedy for Liu Zhang's generous temperament and think it is easier to control, so they welcome him as Yizhou shepherd."

Xu Shu then said: "My lord thought that Yizhou would be easy to capture, and what he relied on was the conflict between the Yizhou people and the Dongzhou people."

"The Dongzhou people are loyal to Liu Zhang, but this time it is the Yizhou people headed by Zhao Wei who decided to welcome Liu Zhang as the shepherd of Yizhou."

"That can also explain that at least in terms of considering Liu Zhang as the lord of Yizhou, both the Yizhou people and the Dongzhou people have reached an agreement for the time being."

"My lord now wants to take advantage of the contradiction between the two. It may not be easy to capture Yizhou easily."

When Zhou Qi heard this, he frowned and thought hard for a long time before he figured out the key.

He only thought that there were many traitors in Yizhou in history, but he forgot about Yizhou now. It was precisely because of Liu Zhang's dark and generous character that he gained the support of many people.

It was not until the future that Liu Zhang was unable to control the situation in Yizhou, causing Zhang Lu to occupy Hanzhong and become independent. The oppression of the Yizhou people by the Dongzhou people became more and more intense. The Yizhou people led by Zhao Wei rebelled, but were defeated again. Suppressed by Dongzhou people.

From then on, many Yizhou people naturally resented Liu Zhang.

As for the Dongzhou faction, they finally realized that Liu Zhang was not a clear leader and were worried about their future, so the capitulation faction and the leading party emerged.

Today, the situation in Yizhou has not yet become so chaotic.

Looking at Xu Shu who was hesitant to speak, Zhou Qi said: "Yuan Zhi, continue speaking, I'm listening."

Xu Shu breathed a long sigh of relief and said: "The outcome of the battle in Yizhou is secondary. Even if my lord cannot attack Yizhou if he sends troops, at most they will return without success and there will be no big defeat."

"But my lord, have you ever thought about it? Jingzhou seems to be prosperous on the surface, but in fact, there are undercurrents and people's hearts are undecided."

"If my lord recruits soldiers, horses, money, food, and corvees on a large scale at this time, chaos may break out in Jingzhou, which has not been attached to it for long."

"And the person who can decide the situation in Yizhou is not the Lord or Liu Zhang, but Yuan Shao."

"If I were a counselor under Yuan Shao's account and learned that my lord was leading troops to attack Yizhou, I would be jealous and persuade Emperor Yuan Shao to send orders to the princes and order Yuan Shu, Liu Bei, Cao Cao and others to lead troops to attack Yizhou to prevent my lord from seizing Yizhou. .”

"Even if there was no edict from the emperor, with Yuan Shu's temperament, how could he just confirm that his lord occupied Yizhou and ignore it?"

(End of this chapter)