Three Kingdoms: I don’t want to fall in love in troubled times

Chapter 206 Negotiation is also business

"Are you serious?" The surprise on Zhen Yan's face was undeniable, "Zimao, please don't tease me with such things."

He and Xu Jiashu only got along for a few days in Luoyang City. Although Xu Zimao was respected by Mi Zhu at that time, in the final analysis he was just a retainer under his command, helping to decorate the appearance and keep company.

In just over a year, he first successfully embarked on an official career, and then did great things that made him famous all over the world. Even Zhen Yan, who was far away in Quliang, had heard about it, but he just sighed that Xu Zimao was indeed not a thing in the pool, and did not Nothing really touched.

Until now, the other party came to visit and wanted to promote the union of Zhen Mi's family.

If this happens, it will be difficult to find a merchant in the entire east of Hangu Pass that can compare with it, and it can be called a giant.

Not to mention, he actually claimed that Lu Zhi was with him!

Who is Lu Zigan?

Although among the three heroes of the late Han Dynasty, his official career was the most bumpy. Until he retired and returned to his hometown, he was just a minister and did not even retain a title. However, this did not affect the old man's influence in the whole world, especially in Hebei. prestige.

Needless to say, Youzhou is my hometown, and the people of Jizhou saw with their own eyes that he led the Northern Army to fight and win, driving the main force of the Yellow Turbans into Guangzong City and besieging him.

If the eunuch hadn't asked for bribes and held a grudge against him, and convicted him of fear of war, I'm afraid it would not have been Huangfu Song's turn to take the lead in pacifying the Yellow Turbans.

Even if Xu Jiashu has some reputation, these words will inevitably make people suspect that he is talking nonsense and is a fugitive who wants to defraud Zhen's investment.

Xu Jiashu was not surprised either - nonsense, when a businessman sees someone like this who keeps trying to make a big deal for himself, he would not be kicked out on the spot because of the two's previous acquaintance.

If you don't murmur in your heart, it's not called discerning, but rather short-sighted.

He replied confidently: "Gong Lu is in Wuji County at the moment, but not in the city. If Brother Zhen doesn't believe it, I can introduce him to him on my behalf."

Faced with an opponent like Yuan Shao, he naturally had to try his best to gain all the power he could to get a chance to compete. Lu Zhi's reputation and status were not inferior, but his only disadvantage was that his strength was inferior.

Uh, or 100 million points.

Because the old man's official position was never too high, he could not count on his disciples and old officials in this regard, so he could only mobilize his disciples to help him fight.

If not, he wouldn't have thought of Liu Bei immediately - Liu Xuande had soldiers and was working in Qingzhou, which was not too far away, so he was one of the few people who could help.

People in the officialdom take their time off. This is the limit that Lu Zhi, who has been idle for several years, can do.

But once Zhen joins, the situation will be much better.

As the top chaebol in Jizhou, the Zhen family has money, food, and a business network accumulated over generations. Once they fully support Lu Zhi, it will be enough to greatly improve Lu Zhi's weak situation.

It's hard to move without money. This sentence is applicable in any era. What's more, it's not difficult to satisfy Zhen's request - to be an official, right? Aren't the formal appointments of the Chang'an court more honorable than the official positions of the Guandong princes?

Such a wealthy, high-quality and low-priced ally, there is no such store after this village in Wuji County.

"Gong Lu has really arrived in Jizhou!" When Zhen Yan heard this, she widened her beautiful eyes and exclaimed in a low voice: "No wonder Yuan Benchu's lobbyists couldn't enter Yecheng, so they instead attacked the city in the south, drove away the original officials, and replaced them with One’s own people.”

Naturally, such a major event as the appointment of Zhou Mu could not be hidden from the well-informed Yuan Shao.

In fact, Lu Zhi set off to Juyong County to find Gongsun Zan to ask for someone, and his people came to Jundu Mountain with conditions.

The general idea is that Yuan Benchu ​​of Jizhou is bound to win, and Lu Gong is already old. With only a few hundred clansmen under his command, it is already the limit to occupy Jundu Mountain. He is no match at all, so it is better not to wade into this muddy water.

After he captured Jizhou, he personally asked the old man to be his military advisor to ensure that the entire Lu family would prosper and prosper.

Unfortunately, they were stopped by Xiaozhengtai Lu Yu at the foot of the mountain, who told them that their father had something to do and was no longer here.

Further north, Youzhou seemed to be shrouded in mist. The only thing Yuan Shao knew accurately was that Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu were not in the government office. They disappeared with their troops in the middle of the vast and sparsely populated Youzhou. No one could know their whereabouts. Where to go.

Since he could not see Lu Zhi's face, his goal became to create a fait accompli and join forces with Ju Yi to attack from all sides to occupy Jizhou's territory. The goal was to complete the blockade of Yecheng and continue to put pressure on Han Fu.

Of course, if a familiar old man passes by, you can't blame the pawns below for being blind and doing things that no one wants to see.

This time it was Xu Jiashu's turn to be surprised. He did not expect Yuan Shao to act so decisively. After judging that he could no longer occupy Jizhou without a fight, he quickly began to attack the city and seize the territory, trying to take action before Lu Zhi entered Ye City.

In this case, the south must have laid a dragnet, waiting for the envoys to fall into the trap.

"Zimao", Zhen Yan seemed to have thought of something, and asked with a worried face: "You haven't entered other cities under the banner of Lu Gong before, have you?"

"Brother Zhen is joking. Soldiers are so fast, so how can they take over the city?"

Speaking of which, since Ju Yi rebelled and Yuan Shao invaded Yecheng from Hanoi, Han Fu began to retreat into the city and lost control of Jizhou. The huge Jizhou was in a leaderless situation. All eyes were looking at Yecheng. I don't know. Who among the three parties will succeed in taking over in the end, so it is not difficult to accept it.

"That's good," Zhen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, "It's no lie that the Yuan family's disciples and former officials are all over the world. If Lu Gong rashly contacts the scholars, there is no guarantee that they will not inform Yuan Benchu."

Although the Eastern Han Dynasty was large, the officialdom was really a small circle. With the political legacy of the fourth and third princes of the Yuan family, Yuan Shao had a huge network of gentry relations, which made him unbeatable in terms of intelligence, even if he seemed innocent on the surface. Bai Bai might be able to get in touch with Mr. Yuan through a few of his disciples and tip him off.

Hearing this, Xu Jiashu couldn't help but sigh: "I came to Brother Zhen at the right time."

Yuan Shao has a network of connections, but the Zhen family may not have one.

With the branch offices and strongholds all over Jizhou, although official news cannot be obtained, any disturbance among the people can be seen at a glance. Although the level is much lower, and the scope of influence is limited to Jizhou, this is already a ready source of intelligence that can be found at the moment, and its value is inestimable.

Speaking of business names, Xu Jiashu suddenly thought of a good idea.

"I heard that Zhen's business is spread throughout Hebei," he asked tentatively, "I wonder how many caravans he has under his command?"

"I have to ask my mother to know the exact number, but if we gather them together, there will be thousands of people." Zhen Yan smiled bitterly, "But the south is in chaos, and no one dares to run there anymore, and the business has also been affected. It’s greatly affected. My mother has nothing to do, so she just collects some jewelry and property.”

"I do have a business here. I wonder if Ling Cigan is not interested?"

Zhen Yan raised his water glass and took a sip with a blank expression - why didn't he realize that this was a big man with great ideas last time?

"Zimao just said it doesn't matter."

Xu Jiashu looked at him and asked a question, "If my people use the name of a caravan to cover up, will they be stopped by Yuan Shao's people?" "There is a shortage of food everywhere now. If it is a caravan transporting food, it should be fine." , Zhen Yan knew what he was paying attention to as soon as she heard it, but she still told the truth, "You have to say hello to them in advance, otherwise you will be robbed."

Food is the most precious resource in the entire Han Dynasty.

It may not be so obvious in the second year of Chuping, but the later it goes, the more it will become apparent. After spring, the competition for the Central Plains officially begins. By then, the scene where food is more valuable than life in Qingzhou is by no means an exception, but will happen everywhere. Performed everywhere.

"But I have something to say first." Zhen took a breath and said harsh words that did not match his appearance. "Ms. Zhen will not come forward to contact Yuan Benchu ​​and help Mr. Lu enter Yecheng."

In this three-party competition, Han Fu is undoubtedly the most vulnerable. Unless a miracle happens, it is basically impossible for the Han Festival to continue to enjoy this most prosperous place in the world.

For the remaining two parties, Yuan Shao had sent people to contact the Zhen family to temporarily borrow some military rations.

Mother Zhang complied without hesitation, and gave her twice the amount Yuan Shao requested. In fact, she had obtained a gold medal for her immunity from death. However, such a secret involving the lives of the whole family could not be told to an outsider like Xu Jiashu.

In other words, although there is no such statement yet, the Zhen family has already submitted a certificate of surrender to the Yuan family. After Yuan Benchu ​​successfully usurps Jizhou, the two parties can start the next step of cooperation in an open and honest manner.

Before that, the Zhen family did not intend to publicly support either Lu Zhi or Yuan Shaozhong. It was just a matter of convenience, but it was not possible to defect to the whole family.

The wealthy businessmen of the Han Dynasty have a very clear understanding of their status as fat sheep - even on ordinary days, unless there is a high-ranking scholar in the family, once the officials in charge get the handle, simply spending money to eliminate disasters is already The result of people showing great kindness and being punished lightly.

In this kind of gambling game that determines the ownership of a state, one will not place a bet easily, but will wait for everything to settle before going to the winner.

Although the icing on the cake is not as good as providing help in times of need, for the Zhen family with a declining population, this is the best strategy.

Mrs. Zhen is not afraid of spending more money, but she is afraid of being in the wrong team.

"I understand, Brother Zhen is responsible for the survival of the whole clan, so of course he must be more cautious in his actions." Xu Jiashu never liked to embarrass others. Hearing this, he nodded and said: "Then you might as well follow me to see Mr. Lu, or you can have both sides. "

Not everyone has the loyalty to swear allegiance to the imperial court - in other words, most people don't have it, nor do they need to, in such troubled times.

Being able to take good care of yourself and your family is enough for you to look up to and be worthy of.

Hearing this, Zhen Yan glanced at Xu Jiashu gratefully.

After all, he was weak by nature, and it took a lot of courage to refuse Xu Jiashu's request. It was a relief that Xu Jiashu could not use Lu Zhi's power to embarrass him.

"Okay," Zhen Yan stood up, "I will go with Zi Mao to visit Mr. Lu."

Although it is a visit, it is actually no different from dealing with Yuan Shao. Although Mr. Lu Zhi is relatively weak, it depends on who he is compared with.

In front of Zhen, he is undoubtedly a big shot who must be dealt with carefully. It is definitely not appropriate to refuse with empty teeth, and some blood must be shed to avoid offending.

Even in Zhen Yan's opinion, Lu Zhi's unwillingness to order anything made him uneasy.

The two walked to the stables, and unexpectedly Zhen Mi was already waiting there.

Although the little Loli tried her best to keep her breathing steady and wanted to pretend that she appeared in the stable by "accident", her face was flushed and her body was trembling slightly because she never exercised and sprinted here all at once.

"Brother," Zhen Mi revealed her secret as soon as she opened her mouth and lied breathlessly, "What a coincidence."

Why are you still sighing as you talk about this?

Zhen Yan frowned slightly, a little angry at her sister's nonsense, and asked, "Did you hear everything?"

Well, even when he was angry, he still had red lips and white teeth, and a soft tone. If he were placed in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, he should be a handsome man comparable to Wei Jie.

"What did you hear?" Zhen Mi, the little lolita, frowned, complaining that her elder brother had wronged her, "I just suddenly wanted to go out on horseback to relax."

Zhen Yan almost laughed in anger - when will my little sister know how to ride a horse?

After all, she was a simple girl studying in her boudoir. Zhen Mi really couldn't lie. She hugged Zhen Yan with a blushing face and said coquettishly, "Oh, I'm also worried about the safety of my family."

When my eldest brother came of age, he went to work as a subordinate in the general's palace through connections. After He Jin's death, he went to work in the state. He knew little about the family business, so he didn't understand his worries. And his sister and mother at home also I have a short-sighted mind and only know how to buy low and sell high. I still think that when the world is at peace, I can sell my goods at a high price.

This feeling of being drunk alone while everyone is drunk is not a good feeling, so Zhen Mi lost her temper once in a while because of her mother's purchase of property.

There are wars going on everywhere, and many people are going to die!

"You're not allowed to go. Going to see someone like Mr. Lu, what's it like to bring a little girl?" Zhen Yan's fair and handsome face was still stern. She grabbed her little sister's flawless face and threatened: "Wait for me. I’ll settle the account with you for eavesdropping on the conversation when I get back!”

Zhen Mi was shocked - acting coquettishly was useless!

With her face that is capable of killing primates, she has never suffered such a disastrous defeat even against her mother and sisters!

"Cough cough."

Xu Jiashu intervened between the two and tried to intercede for Zhen Mi, "My sister also thinks about the family, which is understandable."

I won’t admit that I’m so cute!

"." Seeing Xu Jiashu say this, Zhen Yan let go of her hand and said angrily: "If Zi Mao hadn't interceded, I would have dealt with you properly."

After all, the secrets belong to others.

"Take me there!" Zhen Mi just regained her freedom and said reluctantly, "Negotiation is also business. Brother, you are an official outside and are not familiar with your family's business. It would be nice if you let me listen on the side. There is a foundation."

Zhen Yan, who originally wanted to refuse, heard this, but thought about it seriously - Lu Zhi couldn't enter the city, and he definitely couldn't bring his mother to discuss this matter.

In this case, pretending to take my sister out to play might actually work.

He turned to look at Xu Jiashu.

　It’s another day to meet the deadline, I didn’t mean to break the chapter (waving the white flag)

　　

　

(End of this chapter)