Chapter 368 Two Xians Refuse to Appoint
Upon hearing his son's letter, Liu Bei's face showed the message from his heart.
Another year passed by, and Liu Bei felt that he and his beloved son had been together less and separated more, and he missed them very much.
After taking the letter in his hand, Liu Feng opened it and read it.
The announcement of Liu Feng's great victory over Sun Ce and the suppression of the Kuaiji rebellion had spread to Shouchun, shocking all the prefectures, counties, and counties along the way.
Almost all of these counties were newly acquired within half a year, and the rule of the Liu family and his sons was inconsistent.
The two counties in Jiangbei had been squeezed by Yuan Shu for a long time, and the people were in dire straits. Naturally, they were very supportive and welcomed the Liu family's strong takeover. After that, the Liu family and his sons carried out large-scale construction projects in the two counties in Jiangbei, repairing Shaopei and building water conservancy projects. They also won a lot of victory. The people of the two counties were unanimously grateful.
Although these two counties are newly acquired territory by the Liu family and his son, their loyalty has far exceeded that of Runan, Peiguo and other places in the north. They are no less generous than Xuzhou, the core territory of the Liu family and his son, and even in some areas This is especially true in marginal areas.
On the contrary, it was Jiangdong. Although Liu Feng crossed the river forcefully, he also obtained Liu Yao's overall appointment and the military support of local powerful forces such as Zhang Ying, Fan Neng, and Yu Mi.
However, the attitude of the Jiangdong nobles and powerful people towards Liu Feng was still a bit subtle, especially when Liu Feng forced the local nobles and powerful people in Kuaiji to rebel, which caused considerable turmoil in Danyang County and Wu County.
However, these turmoils had no time to turn into rebellion. The local gentry in Kuaiji were wiped out by Liu Feng in one fell swoop. The speed and severity of the punishment were beyond the expectations of the gentry in Jiangdong.
Moreover, the powerful nobles in Danyang County are much softer than those in Kuaiji County, and the county is not unified. There are also many forces like Zhang Ying, Fan Neng, Yu Mi, Zhou Shang, etc. who are on Liu Feng's side, so this is a good news. After hearing the news, the unrest faction that was ready to move felt like it was struck by lightning, but Zhang Ying and others directly gained the upper hand and completely suppressed the opposition.
As for Wu Jun, the weakest place in Jiangdong, Liu Feng took care of it in advance and took away the leaders of the four major families of Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang. It couldn't cause any trouble, but Xu Gong was very powerful. Dissatisfied, he wanted to go north to the court to complain, but was captured alive by Lu Dai.
Liu Bei opened the letter and began to read it. In the letter, Liu Feng systematically described everything in Jiangdong, and then reported three things to Liu Bei.
The first thing is that Liu Feng plans to reduce taxes in Kuaiji, and the confiscated land will not be distributed temporarily, but will be placed under the government of General Zhengnan for lease to outsiders.
The second thing is that Liu Feng plans to build ports in Wujun and Kuaiji to conduct trade with Cochin in the south. In fact, Liu Feng had already started to do this. In addition to wanting to earn goods from Cochin's trade to subsidize the finances, he also wanted to import some special items from Cochin, such as Champa rice, which was harvested three or four times a year.
This thing is a good thing. Before the Song Dynasty, the hard upper limit of China's population was about 75 million to 80 million people.
Once it exceeded 60 million, social conflicts began to intensify. Although official corruption and dynasty corruption were the root causes, food production began to fail to keep up with the increase in population, which was also an extremely important reason.
When the total population of China exceeds 75 million, the total output of farmland in China is already less than the consumption of the total population.
Without external input of food, no matter how perfect a social system is, it is useless.
This is one of the fundamental reasons why the peak population of the prosperous Tang Dynasty was only 75 million, while the population of the weak Song Dynasty was more than 100 million.
That is Champa rice, which can be harvested three times a year in all areas of the south, and can even be harvested four times a year in a few areas and the entire Jiaozhi. It can also be used with beans, sweet potatoes and other crops for rotation, making the fields more fertile.
It is a pity that current crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes are not available, otherwise the population problem could be solved in a more profound way.
After all, the population of the Ming and Qing Dynasties exceeded several hundred million, which was entirely based on foreign high-yielding grains such as potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Even if you don't think too far, in today's era of great war, food is the lifeblood. Where there is food, there is population, and when there is population, there are taxes and soldiers. Previously, Liu Feng was worried that Xuzhou's latitude was too high and was not suitable for occupying rice.
But now that Jiangdong has been settled and Jiaozhi has been connected by land and sea, it is the best time to develop rice in Champa. Nowadays, there is a large amount of official land in Kuaiji that was confiscated and put under the name of the General's Mansion, which can be used to experiment with growing Champa rice.
The third thing is to ask Liu Bei to recommend him as the governor of Yangzhou.
It is a certainty that Liu Yao will resign as Yangzhou Shepherd. Now Yangzhou is the territory of the Liu family and his son. Unless Liu Bei personally takes the title, or Liu Feng takes up the post of Yangzhou Shepherd, Yangzhou will not set up a State Shepherd for the time being.
Even if Liu Bei trusts Guan Yu, Chen Deng and others, it is still not suitable to elevate them to the status of state pastor in a short period of time. After all, Liu Bei himself is just a Yuzhou shepherd, so it is quite appropriate to set up a governor at this time.
Liu Feng recommended several people in his letters. The first one was naturally his second uncle Guan Yu, followed by Chen Deng, and then Xun You. After that, he recommended people to choose from Er Zhang, Er Chen, Li Zan and others. He was transferred to Yangzhou County Sheriff.
After Liu Bei read it, he sent the letter directly to Chen Deng, who also read it without hesitation.
Seeing this scene, Xun You raised his eyebrows slightly and said nothing with a smile on his lips.
After Chen Deng read it, he wanted to return it to Liu Bei, but the latter motioned to hand it over to Xun You.
Xun You didn't refuse, but after thanking Liu Bei, he opened the silk book and started reading.
After Xun You finished reading, Liu Bei asked: "What do you think of Yuanlong, Gongda, and Zisheng?"
Chen Deng spoke in support without hesitation: "The idea of conquering the south is a true insight. If the country has no food, it will perish. If the people have no food, it will die. If the army does not have food, it will be overthrown. Since we are conquering the south, we place great hope on the rice that can occupy the city." , there should be abilities beyond our reach, and Jiangdong is a newly acquired land, so it is common sense to update officials. ”
As for the first thing, Chen Deng didn't mention it at all.
Is it a big deal for the young master to get some private land for himself?
Liu Bei nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Xun You: "What do you think of Gongda?"
Xun You thought for a moment and then replied: "Of the three states of Yu, Xu and Yang, only Yangzhou is located in the rear, and only borders Jingzhou and Jiaozhou in the west. Jiaozhi is located in the south of the sky and rarely participates in the disputes in the Central Plains. Now it must be It is no exception. Moreover, the south has a sultry climate, many rivers, and overgrown vegetation. Although it is not suitable for living, it does have the potential to be a granary. ”
"As for selecting famous people from the north to serve in the south, I dare not say more about the majesty and blessings of the Lord."
After Liu Bei heard this, he smiled and joked: "Why is Gongda so cautious? Is it because one of the people recommended by Zisheng has the name Gongda?"
Chen Deng burst out laughing when he heard this.
Xun You smiled and did not defend himself.
After laughing, Liu Bei also made a decision.
Since my elder son's opinion is not opposed to his right-hand man, he will naturally accept it completely.
In particular, Liu Feng also took the initiative to propose selecting elites from the upper echelons of Xuzhou to go south, and did not treat Yangzhou as a private territory at all, which made Liu Bei very satisfied.
In fact, even if Liu Feng really regards Yangzhou as his own territory, Liu Bei will most likely let it go. At most, he will be a little unhappy, but he will not take it seriously. But what Liu Feng is doing now makes Liu Bei particularly happy.
This is not only because Liu Feng did not dominate the territory, but also from another perspective, it was also because Liu Feng showed a great pattern.
What he wants is more than just Yangzhou. If this is the case, then why should Yangzhou be special?
If Liu Bei joins the dynasty to assist the government in the future, will the entire three southeastern states be handed over to others?
Naturally, Liu Feng would not look ugly and petty.
Liu Bei looked at Chen Deng and Xun You and asked with a smile: "Yuanlong, Gongda, do you two intend to go south to Jiangdong?"
Chen Deng and Xun You both understood that Liu Bei was asking them who wanted to be the governor of Yangzhou.
Ever since they saw Liu Feng's recommendation in his silk book just now, Chen Deng and Xun You had already thought about it.
Although the governor is not as good as Shangzhou Mu, and the power gap is huge, in any case, the governor can be regarded as a prime minister. If you can serve as a county governor, you can hope to become an official in the court, and if you can serve as a governor, you have a better chance of jumping directly into the ranks of the three public officials and nine ministers.
It's just that Chen Deng and Xun You didn't have this idea.
Chen Deng had been away from Liu Bei for more than a year, and he really didn't want to leave Liu Bei again.
The position of Jiujiang County Chancellor he currently holds is only a temporary transition. What is more important is the position of military adviser in Liu Bei's Hussar Mansion and the power to participate in political affairs.
Chen Deng has already made up his mind that he does not want to take any more foreign posts within a year or two.
Xun You had slightly different ideas from Chen Deng. He didn't care about foreign appointments, but he didn't want to be the governor of Yangzhou.
Regardless of Xun You's resume, he served as two county governors, but in fact he failed to take office successfully. Therefore, Xun You actually wanted to be a local county governor rather than a governor.
After Chen Deng hesitated for a moment, he simply said frankly and honestly: "Deng has been away from Ming Gong for a long time. Now he has just come back. It's not time to catch up with Ming Gong. I really don't want to be away from Ming Gong again."
Liu Bei was very satisfied with Chen Deng's truth, especially since Chen Deng had a deep affection for him and wanted to stay by his side. He would only feel happy about this relationship, not unhappy.
After all, Yangzhou had already been subdued by Liu Feng at this time, and there was a high probability that Xiao Gui and Cao would follow him in the past. It was not a difficult task. Chen Deng's refusal was not picky at all.
Moreover, in Liu Bei's heart, Chen Deng and Mi Zhu still have a special status.
The two of them are different from brothers with different surnames like Guan and Zhang. They are noble people in Liu Bei's heart.
It was precisely with the support of Chen Deng and Mi Zhu that Liu Bei was able to leap over the dragon gate and transform from a guest general with no territory to the lord of Xuzhou.
When Liu Bei was appointed pastor of Xuzhou, Chen Deng and Mi Zhu also gave their full support. This affection naturally established their special status.
When Xun You saw Chen Deng being so forthright, he changed his mind and said frankly: "Ming Gong, the governor of Yangzhou is not what you want, you really want to be the governor."
When Liu Bei heard this, joy flashed in his eyes.
In his opinion, Xun You's words obviously spoke from his heart. Isn't this a sign of being close to him?
Therefore, Xun You's "picking and choosing" not only did not make Liu Bei angry, but he was secretly happy and readily agreed: "I see, what does Gongda think of Runan?"
Runan used to be the second county in the world, but now it has probably become the de facto number one county in the world. There really is no need to say anything more.
Liu Bei was able to hand over Runan to Xun You. This appreciation and regard would move anyone to tears.
In fact, Xun You was really grateful. After seeing Chen Deng being so open and honest, he keenly felt that he should be more honest, so he expressed his thoughts.
But he didn't expect Liu Bei to think so highly of him and immediately handed Runan into his hands.
In Xun You's original idea, Liu Bei was more likely to choose a county in the newly acquired Yangzhou for him to serve as the county governor, such as Kuaiji County or Wu County.
But Liu Bei chose Runan County.
"Gongda, although you and I have only known each other for more than a year, I already know your talents. If you and Yuanlong, the talents of the king's assistants, are not forced to do anything, how can I be willing to leave you alone?"
Liu Bei took Xun You's hand and explained in a gentle voice: "This time Gongda is placed in Runan, not far from Tancheng and Shouchun. If you have any questions, you can also write to Gongda for advice and answers. Please express your understanding.”
Xun You sighed secretly in his heart, he is my true lord.
If these words were said to another person, Xun You would feel that the other party was extremely hypocritical, but when they came from Liu Bei's mouth, they were full of sincerity, giving people a feeling that his words and deeds are true.
Especially Xun You himself. He was originally smart and intelligent. He had a keen eye for detecting adultery when he was young and his senses were extremely keen.
It was precisely because of his keen intuition that he looked at Liu Bei in a different light and was very moved because he could feel Liu Bei's sincerity and enthusiasm.
Xun You immediately bowed down and said gratefully: "You have been greatly favored by Duke Ming, and now you are entrusted by the great commandery. I will repay you with my life and do my best to be loyal! If Duke Ming calls me, you will rush there even though it is thousands of miles away." To.”
"Why is this so!"
Liu Bei pulled Xun You up with a smile on his face, and even knelt down personally to pat the dirt off Xun You's knees: "It is really a blessing for Bei to have Gongda and Yuan Long complement each other. God wants to help Bei succeed and revive him." Great Han, stabilize the world.”
Chen Deng and Xun You both bowed and said a few words of humility.
After helping the two men up again, Liu Bei returned to the topic: "Since you two can't go to Yangzhou, what should we do with the post of governor of Yangzhou? In addition, Zisheng wants to invite the sages from Xuzhou to go south to serve. For the time being, Wujun and Kuaiji The two counties are short of people, and the current governor of Wu County, Sheng Xian, is weak and difficult to manage, so he cannot rely on Wu County to support him. "
Sheng Xian's reputation in Wu County is indeed not low, and he also made considerable contributions to Liu Feng.
It's just that Sheng Xian himself has a weak temperament and is easily coerced by local forces.
Xu Gong had rubbed him against him before and almost lost his life. It was simply a fool's errand to expect him to secure Wu Commandery for him.
Therefore, it is not a big problem to use Sheng Xian's name to conquer Wu County, but it is a joke to expect Sheng Xian to govern Wu County. Therefore, the official position of Sheng Xian, the prefect of Wu County, is only a transitional item and must be replaced.
(End of chapter)