Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 266: I Belong to Xuande Gong

At Chen time the next day, the cold air had not receded and the mist was hazy.Huo Jun, wearing a large cloak, came to the state capital and asked to see Liu Qi.

At this time, Liu Qi was seriously ill, his work and rest were completely disordered, his face was sallow, and he had lost all appearance of illness. The only thing he could eat was porridge and soup, and there was not much porridge and soup in the bowl. He looked like he was dying.

"Ahem~ I don't want to eat anymore, please leave..."

Liu Qi coughed a few times and squirted out the soup in his mouth, which stuck to the corner of his mouth.A maid quickly wiped the corners of Liu Qi's mouth with a kerchief, and then walked out with a bowl.

"Zhong Miao is laughing!" Liu Qi gasped and stood up and leaned on the bed with the help of several maids.

Huo Jun sat on the mat in front of the couch, watching Liu Qi get up with difficulty, with a sad look on his face, and said: "How can you be so haggard after only a few months..."

When Liu Qi heard this, he twitched the corner of his mouth, sighed, and regretted: "What happened today is all because I failed to accept Zhongmiao's good words in the past. If I had not accepted Zhongmiao's good words, I would not be on the bed today..."

Huo Jun sighed and said consolingly: "Please take good care of yourself, listen to the doctor's advice, get rid of bad habits, and rest in peace for a long time, and you will definitely recover."

How could the medical technology of the Han Dynasty compare with that of later generations?The real cause of Liu Qi's current illness can be discovered through various technologies in future generations, thereby helping doctors prescribe the right medicine.

But in the Han Dynasty, doctors treated diseases based on experience. If the disease was diagnosed incorrectly or the properties of the medicine were not accurate, the life might be lost.

Liu Qi rested his head on a soft cushion and said: "The illness is so serious that medicine and stone are difficult to cure. It is destiny, and I know it. However, I have been lying on the bed for many days, thinking repeatedly, only worrying about the heir."

"Everyone in the hall has their own opinions, which makes it difficult for me to make a decision, so I would like to hear Zhong Miao's opinion."

When Huo Jun heard this, he was not in a hurry to answer, but asked instead: "Shu Jun is so bold, I dare to ask you, if anything happens, what would be the most worrying thing in your heart?"

Liu Qi was silent for a while and then said: "Jingchu's foundation and his wife at home."

"Then do you know the general trend of the world?" Huo Jun asked.

Liu Qi showed a confused look and said thoughtfully: "Now that Cao Cao is dominating the Central Plains, if we, Jingchu, want to fight against Cao Cao, we must form an alliance with Wu and Yue. If Gu is unlucky, the alliance between Wu and Chu may be in danger, so Gu wants to conquer Yuzhang, The three counties of Luling and Poyang were handed over to Uncle Xuande in order to form a good alliance."

Over the years, Liu Qi has gradually gained some understanding of politics.He knew that the last division of territory had already created a grudge with Liu Bei.As he died of illness, his heirs were destined to be unable to half suppress and half unite Liu Bei like him.

In order to allow the heir to take over the power smoothly, he thought hard and felt that it would be better to hand over the three counties to Liu Bei, and Wu and Chu reaffirmed their alliance.

Huo Jun pondered for a while and then said: "Your Majesty, the great victory on the river last year caused Cao Cao heavy losses and he fled in panic. However, Cao Cao is in the Central Plains and has strong strength. Since his defeat, he has repeatedly thought of going south and raised troops in the Jianghuai River. His intention In fact, I, Jingchu, are watching with eager eyes. Now in the north, only Ma Chao, Han Sui and other heroes of Guan and Long are left. If Cao Cao destroys Ma and Han and advances to occupy Liang and Long, then Cao Cao will no longer have any constraints!"

"At that time, Cao Cao occupied the land of eight states and supported the divisions of the eight states. He entered Bashu from Longshang. Bashu was difficult to defeat. So Cao Cao occupied the upper reaches of the river and looked down at Wu and Chu. At that time, he ordered the partial army to attack the north of the river. , the army moved down the river, and the situation became even worse than the previous year."

Cao Cao's advantage is too great. Even if he sends a big wave, he still has a chance to dominate the world.That is to say, take Lianglong and Bashu, just like the Western Jin Dynasty destroyed Wu, and divide the troops into six routes to march from Bashu, Jiangling, and Jianghuai to Wu and Chu; or just like Qin destroyed Chu, send troops in five routes, and march from multiple routes to defeat Chu. country.

Liu Qi coughed a few times and said: "Liu Zhang is in alliance with Wu and Chu. If Liu Zhang is attacked by Cao Cao, we will send troops to rescue him, which may prevent Cao Cao from advancing into Bashu."

Huo Jun shook his head and said: "Although we, Wu and Chu, have a combined army of more than [-] people, the river is thousands of miles up and down, and there are many passes and entrances. We, Wu and Chu, also need to divide our troops to guard. We can only support the people of Bashu in the tens of thousands."

"And Liu Zhang is secretly weak. If he is afraid of Cao Cao's power and abandons his territory to surrender to Cao Cao, my army and horses will be buried in Bashu if I enter Shu. By then, Wu and Chu will be in danger of losing their lives."

"So, what does Zhong Miao mean?" Liu Qi pondered for a moment and asked.

"I originally wanted to wait until Duke Xuande forced Cao Cao back, and then the two families would join forces to capture Bashu in the west, and then seize Hanzhong in the north, and occupy the natural dangers of the Qinling Mountains to resist Cao Cao. At that time, the two families controlled the three states of Yi, Jing, and Yang, and controlled the entire Dajiang River. , we will be able to stop Cao Cao in the north of the Yangtze River and the confrontation between the north and the south." Huo Jun said.

As he spoke, Huo Jun said sadly: "It's a pity that God is not blessing us, making it difficult for our big plan to come true. Isn't it God's will?"

After saying that, the two of them pondered for a long time.

After thinking about it again and again, Liu Qi's eyes flickered and asked: "What does Zhong Miao think when Pu'er succeeds to the throne?"

"What do you think of the eldest son?" Huo Jun adjusted his appearance and asked again.

Liu Qi shook his head and sighed: "My son Pu is eighteen years old. He is longer than a woman's hand. He is weak in temperament, has little prestige, and is impatient. He is not a good choice. If he ascends to the throne now, let alone whether he can win Bashu, just I am afraid that the foundation of Jingchu will also be uneasy."

Liu Qi was worried that Liu Pu would not be able to secure his position, not because he was unfounded, but because even he could barely rule Jingchu.If he is gone, how can Liu Pu control his important civil and military ministers, and how can he appease the Jingchu clan?

Huo Jun stood up and cupped his hands and said: "What you are thinking about is also what Jun is worried about. Today's world is a time of great struggle. If you don't advance, you will retreat. If you advance, you will prosper. If you retreat, you will perish."

"The next few years will be related to the survival of Jingchu. If the eldest son comes to power and Jingchu is tired of internal affairs and unable to do external affairs, Bashu will sooner or later fall into the hands of Cao Cao. In this way, in a few years, Cao Cao will surely come back and absorb The past has taught us lessons, and Jingchu is at the point of survival again.”

"At the time of survival?" Liu Qi looked at Huo Jun, silent, feeling desolate in his heart. He finally defeated Cao Cao and preserved his foundation in troubled times.If according to what Zhong Miao said, not long after his death, Cao Cao would sweep back and descend east from Bashu. How could Jingchu be saved by then?How can it be so difficult to preserve our foundation in troubled times?

It can only be said that the situation faced by Liu Qi is not good. Since the chaos in the late Han Dynasty, all heroes have risen together. Today, only Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Liu Zhang and other princes are left.In the next step, there will be involution, annexation and fighting with each other. However, this stage of brutal fighting puts higher demands on the monarch's ability than what was possible at the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty.

"What about Guoan?" Liu Qi asked.

Huo Jun was silent at first, and then asked: "Apart from Wu Ling, do you have any other candidates for envoy?"

Liu Qi said: "It is difficult for a child who is alone and only six years old to take on this responsibility."

After saying that, Liu Qi was silent for a while, and then said: "In addition to these three people, all the officials in the state government have said that they should surrender to Cao Cao in order to protect their heirs and also gain wealth; they also said that they can entrust Uncle Xuande to take charge. Jingchu, do the work of uniting Wu and Chu."

"What do you think everyone said?" Huo Jun asked.

"I will never surrender my land to Cao Cao!" Liu Qi said decisively.

Hearing this, Huo Jun made a calculation in his mind and asked: "May I ask, who do you think is stronger or weaker in Wuling or Yangzhou?"

Liu Qi pondered for a long time and said: "Uncensored in the face of danger, decisive in the face of trouble, and extremely wise and courageous, these are the strengths of Uncle Xuande. How can Guo'an be as good as him?"

After a pause, Liu Qi continued: "Although my uncle has a heroic appearance, he is not as close as Guoan. Guoan is an orphan's disciple, so he will be kind to his son and heir."

Huo Jun did not comment on this and said bluntly: "Cao Cao was the lord in the Central Plains, and Xuande Gong was also a tycoon in the world. The reason why Wu Yue and Jingchu were harmonious was due to Xuande Gong's admiration for the late emperor and the kindness of his envoy. What did he do with Wuling? And Wuling How can Mr. Xuande be content to live below him when he is in the upper position? You should have the heart to look westward."

"At that time, Cao Cao was in the north and Duke Xuande was in the east. Jun was able to stop Cao Cao from public security, but I wonder if Wuling could resist Duke Xuande?"

"If Junxi enters Bashu and Cao Cao takes advantage of the situation to invade, I wonder how Wuling will resist Cao Cao?"

Seeing that Liu Qi was silent, Huo Jun asked again: "Let's not care about the survival of Jingchu, just the difference between relatives and distance. If the king passes away, I don't know whether the descendants of Wuling will sacrifice the king first, or Wuling first."

"If I have an heir, I can enjoy the food and sacrifices in the temple." Liu Qi said: "After my death, I will be left in the dirt, and I have nothing to ask for. I only hope that my heir can survive in troubled times."

"The envoy neither seeks fame after death, nor favors and incense, but only cares about preserving his heirs. In this way, Jun believes that the envoy should first think about preserving Jingchu, instead of thinking about the distance between people, and Jingchu is safe, so that the gentleman If the successor is safe and Jingchu is in danger, then the noble successor will be in danger."

Huo Jun said: "Xuan De Gong's talent is far superior to that of Wuling. He resisted Cao Cao in the past, which shows his ability. If he can rely on his foundation, he will be able to protect Jingchu. Moreover, Xuande Gong is famous for his benevolence and trustworthiness. He will surely succeed in the future." Those who can be treated kindly can make a noble heir."

Liu Qi glanced at Huo Jun a few times and asked, "Is Zhong Miao your uncle?"

Huo Jun's expression calmed down and he said: "I am a minister of the envoy. If the eldest son of the envoy succeeds to the throne, Jun will do his best to assist the heir. However, if Wu Ling succeeds, I think it is not as good as entrusting him to Duke Xuande."

"Wu Ling is strong in bravery, but he has few strategies and no magnanimity. When he left Jiangzuo in the past, he was defeated by the Sun family, which shows what kind of strategy he has in mind. If Wu Ling succeeds to the throne, he may be able to secure Jingchu, but why should he reject Cao Cao? ? How can we be together with Xuande? How can we preserve the heirs of a gentleman?"

"Furthermore, Duke Xuande, a powerful figure in the world, has always had the ambition to revitalize the Han Dynasty. When he went to Jiangzuo in the past, the emperor also knew his ability. If he is entrusted by Jingchu, Duke Xuande will definitely be able to unite the people of Wu and Chu, and he will benefit from it. The state will form a force with Cao Cao to separate the north and the south. Waiting for the weather to change, it is not a bad idea to make the noble heirs worship the land and enclose the territory!"

"Jun is arrogant and rebellious, but Jun thinks that the one who can pacify Jingchu must be Xuan Degong. If Jingchu is pacified, he will bring peace to the gentlemen. Jun paused. If your arrogance makes you dissatisfied, I hope you will forgive me!" After saying that, Huo Jun directly bowed to him. .

Through the extensive foreshadowing, Huo Jun has already told Liu Qi that if Liu Pu is allowed to take power, Jingchu will inevitably be destroyed.However, he also explained that if Liu Pu is not allowed to ascend to the throne and close relatives are abandoned, it will actually make no difference who succeeds Jingchu, Liu Pan or Liu Bei.

Liu Qi rubbed his swollen head and gasped.

He originally wanted to ask Huo Jun, Liu Pu or Liu Pan, who could do it, but Huo Jun told him so much about the general situation of the world, and suggested that Liu Bei should be in charge of Jingzhou.

Liu Qi also quite agreed with what Huo Jun said.There is really no difference between Liu Pan and Liu Bei except for their closeness and distance.

Regardless of whether he is his son or Guan Yu's son-in-law, if Liu Bei takes charge of Jingchu on his behalf, the treatment of his heirs may not be bad.However, Liu Qi was still a little depressed because his own things had to be controlled by outsiders.

Seeing Liu Qi closing his eyes and thinking deeply, Huo Jun cupped his hands and said, "Why don't you ask Duke Xuande to come to Hanshou in the name of asking about the alliance between Wu and Chu? If you think Duke Xuande can entrust important matters, you can inform Jingchu; if this is not possible, , it can also reiterate the goodness of Wu Chu."

After hesitating for a long time, Liu Qi nodded and said weakly: "From Zhongmiao's words, I can send an order to invite my uncle to Hanshou."

"promise!"

Huo Jun sighed secretly and won a weak inheritance right for Liu Bei. This was what he could do for Liu Bei for the time being.The next step is to wait for Liu Bei to enter Hanshou to see if Liu Bei can be recognized by Liu Qi.

Once Liu Bei gets Liu Qi's approval, many things will naturally fall into place.At the same time, he obtained due benefits from Liu Bei for Liu Qi's descendants. For example, when Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor, Liu Qi's descendants were granted the title of princes and kings, and he also fulfilled Liu Qi's kindness to them.

(End of this chapter)