The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 155: The emperor and his subjects get along well with each other, looking at each other from afar, and the imperial cause is unknown
However, Liu Biao planned to recruit Zhang Xiu and place him in Wancheng, Nanyang in the north to serve as a shelter to the north of Jingzhou.

General Cai Mao suddenly stood up and brought another piece of news to Liu Biao:
——Liu Xun of Lujiang is willing to surrender the entire city to Liu Biao!

When these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials in Jingzhou, including Liu Biao, were shocked.

"Liu Zitai wants to surrender to me?"

Liu Biao looked at the document sent by Liu Xun with a frown on his face, without a trace of happiness on his face.

On the contrary, Cai Mao seemed a little excited and said:
"Hasn't the Lord always wanted Lujiang?"

"Now Liu Xun is willing to surrender the city to Jingzhou. This is a gift from heaven to Jingzhou."

"If you can grant me a large county, it will provide shelter for my right wing in Jingzhou, and it will be much easier for me to intervene in the affairs of Yangzhou in the future."

The counselor Kuai Yue disagreed:

"Is there a city in the world that comes for nothing?"

"Liu Xun is unruly and has long wanted to establish himself. Now he surrenders to me in Jingzhou for no reason."

"It is difficult to predict his intentions, so we must be on guard."

Like Cai Mao, Kuai Yue was from one of the four great families in Jingzhou.

In order to play the game of checks and balances, Liu Biao, on the one hand, formed an alliance with the Cai family, and on the other hand, he reused Kuai Yue and often adopted his strategies.

In order to balance the power of the two parties.

Cai Mao raised his eyebrows and said:
"Cao Cao now controls the northern part of Lujiang and will sooner or later move his troops southward."

"Liu Xun sought help from Jingzhou in order to protect himself, so why should we be suspicious?"

Lujiang is adjacent to Jiangxia, which is the territory of the Huang family in Jingzhou and an extremely important war zone.

Not only did he control most of Jingzhou's navy, he also controlled the Yangtze River.

Therefore, Liu Xun's decision to ask Liu Biao for help was a very timely strategic decision.

The Minister Pang Ji retorted:
"But I happened to hear that Liu Xun and Cao Cao had a past relationship."

"As early as when Cao Cao captured the northern counties of Lujiang, he had secretly written to Liu Xun, urging him to surrender."

"According to the time, Liu Xun should have received Cao Cao's letter."

Pang Ji also came from one of the four great families in Jingzhou, and their family controlled a large number of intelligence systems.

Often get news from the outside world first.

"Mingsir, it is in my opinion."

"Liu Zitai just wants to play both sides between you and Cao Cao and gain some benefits."

"There is no need to obey such a treacherous villain."

Pang Ji advised Liu Biao not to accept Liu Xun.

Cai Mao argued loudly:
“If God doesn’t take it, you will suffer the consequences.”

"Now that Liu Xun has brought Lujiang to surrender, how can we not accept him?"

"I have heard that a man should not miss a good opportunity when faced with a problem, or it will be too late to regret."

Liu Biao frowned, hesitating.

Historically, he and his Jingzhou were the third largest state for many years.

This stems from Liu Biao's doctrine of the mean. He likes to sit on the mountain and watch tigers fight. He wants to gain benefits but is unwilling to get involved himself.

Liu Biao had coveted Lujiang for a long time.

As long as he controlled Lujiang, he would be able to interfere in the affairs of Yangzhou.

In addition to Yangzhou in the east, Liu Biao also intervened in the affairs of Yizhou in the west many times.

When Liu Yan died of illness, Liu Biao secretly instigated Liu Zhang's generals Shen Mi, Lou Fa and others to rebel.

As for Jiaozhou south of Jingzhou, Liu Biao directly appointed his subordinate Lai Gong as the governor of Jiaozhou, and appointed his subordinate Wu Ju as the prefect of Cangwu.

As for the north of Jingzhou, Liu Biao recruited Zhang Xiu, a foreign general, as a protective shield.

Then, when facing Yuan and Cao, who were about to fight the Battle of Guandu, he chose to please both sides and sit on the mountain to watch the fight.

This is Liu Biao's doctrine of the mean.

Liu Biao made great contributions in all four directions: east, south, west and north.

Everything Liu Biao did was to keep Jingzhou out of the war, and he never let Jingzhou be dragged into the quagmire of war.

So when facing Liu Xun who came to surrender, Liu Ming knew that he had ulterior motives, but he still didn't want to miss this opportunity.

Because the opportunity was rare, if Liu Xun remained in Lujiang as a vassal of Jingzhou, it would perfectly fit Liu Biao's doctrine of the mean.

But the problem is how Liu Biao can control Liu Xun and make him obedient and not turn to Cao Cao in the north.

Even Sun Ce in the south and Liu Bei in the east.

"Everyone, there's no need to argue anymore."

Liu Biao spoke to calm everyone.

"I think Liu Xun is a man with evil ambitions and should not be trusted."

"But if he offers the land of Lujiang as a surrender, there is absolutely no reason for us to refuse."

"You are all my trusted ministers, since you are all here."

"Then come up with an idea. Is there any way that we can control Liu Xun and make him work for us?"

"If Lujiang is used as a shelter for Jingzhou, will it not cause Liu Xun to turn to others?"

Liu Biao continued to ask for more.

He did not want to miss the opportunity to control Lujiang, but he did not trust Liu Xun's character.

After Liu Biao finished speaking, everyone fell into deep thought.

Liu Biao then turned his attention to his adviser Kuai Yue.

"What good advice do you have for me?"

Liu Biao called out Kuai Yue and asked him to give him some advice.

Kuai Yue stroked his beard, took two quick steps out, bowed and said:

"Mingsir, if you want Lujiang, it's not difficult."

"Now we only want Liu Xun as a vassal, not to really occupy Lujiang."

"As long as Liu Xun cedes Xunyang as a gift, we can accept him."

"Provide him with money and food to support his rule in Lujiang."

Xunyang is an important town in Lujiang, located on the southern foot of Dabie Mountains, with a narrow passage along the Yangtze River.

The reason why it is important is that Xunyang connects Jingzhou and Yangzhou.

As long as Xunyang can be defended, it will be difficult for the soldiers of Jingzhou to enter Yangzhou.

On the contrary, if Jingzhou controlled Xunyang, the soldiers from Yangzhou would not be able to enter Jingzhou either.

If Jingzhou and Yangzhou really want to go to war, they can only take the Yangtze River route.

It was unrealistic to attack Changsha County in Jingzhou from Yuzhang County in Yangzhou because the two counties were separated by the famous Nanling Mountains.

Then the only way left is the Yangtze River waterway.

The reason why Jiangxia is the most important war zone in Jingzhou is because it controls the Yangtze River waterway.

If we can get Xunyang in Lujiang, we will be able to block the throat of Yangzhou's entry into Jingzhou and gain the upper hand and initiative.

"I heard that Liu Xun's army is stronger than those between Jiang and Huai, but food is scarce."

"He had previously sent his cousin Liu Xie to ask Yuzhang governor Hua Xin to buy grain."

"But in the end, they only got a thousand bushels of grain and fodder, and Liu Xun couldn't afford to support such a large army."

"But our Jingzhou is located in the north of Hanchuan, covering thousands of miles, with more than 100,000 soldiers and abundant food."

"It is not that Jingzhou wants Liu Xun, but that Liu Xun needs Jingzhou."

Kuai Yue analyzed, "First send someone to make Liu Xun surrender Xunyang, and then we will send troops to station there to monitor the movements of Lujiang."

“…then the general trend can be determined.”

Liu Biao was delighted when he heard this, "Yi Du's words are exactly what I want."

He immediately ordered Huang Zu, the governor of Jiangxia, to lead his troops to the border of Lujiang and demand the capture of the important town of Xunyang.

If Liu Xun is willing to give it, then accept his surrender.

If Liu Xun is unwilling to give it, then send troops to attack and take it away first.

The discussion was finalized, facing the trend of Cao and Liu's external expansion.

Liu Biao also responded immediately. He first recruited Zhang Xiu's troops in the north and settled them in Wancheng, Nanyang, to guard against Cao Cao.

He also joined forces with Liu Xun in the east, intending to occupy Xunyang to curb the troops coming from Yangzhou.

Two heavy arrows hit Cao Cao in a row.

Nanyang threatened Cao Cao's capital Yingchuan, and Lujiang was Cao Cao's main territory for expansion to the south.

……

It is said that after Cao Cao returned to Xu County after defeating Yuan Shu, a scout suddenly came with news.

It is said that Zhang Ji led his troops from Guanzhong to attack Nanyang, but was killed by a stray arrow.

His nephew Zhang Xiu led his troops, employed Jia Xu as his adviser, adopted his advice, and accepted Liu Biao's enticement.

So the two families formed an alliance and stationed troops in Wancheng.

Cao Cao was furious when he heard this. "Did Liu Jingsheng recruit this child to raise an army to attack Xu County?"

Therefore, there was already an intention to conquer.

He asked Xun Yu for advice whether it was possible to send troops to attack Zhang Xiu now.

Xun Yu replied:
"In the past, Emperor Gaozu protected Guanzhong, and Emperor Guangwu occupied Henei. They all had deep roots and a solid foundation to control the world. They were able to defeat the enemy when advancing and hold their ground when retreating."

"Before this, we allied with Xuzhou in the east to fight against Yuan Shu. With Huai and Si in the east, there is no need to worry about the south."

"Jingzhou is not easy to lose. I am afraid of your power, so I have allied with Zhang Xiu to serve as our front and back."

"Now that the wheat is ripe, we can order the soldiers to harvest it and eat the grain of the livestock."

"Then we can send troops to the Yu River, and defeat Zhang Xiu in one fell swoop."

Cao Cao followed his advice and first ordered the soldiers to harvest wheat, and then ordered Xiahou Dun to be the vanguard.

He led an army of 3,000 people to set up camp at the Yu River and threaten Nanyang.

Military Advisor Guo Jia advised Cao Cao:
"I have heard that Liu Biao and Liu Bei were communicating with each other and had business dealings."

"Now that we want to send troops to Nanyang, we can first send people to Xuzhou to test Liu Bei's attitude."

"Then you can mobilize your troops."

What this means is that Liu Bei is playing both sides.

On the one hand, he formed an alliance with Cao Cao and prepared to fight against Yuan Shao in the future.

On the other hand, he exchanged glances with Liu Biao and engaged in trade.

Attacking Zhang Xiu in Nanyang now is equivalent to attacking Liu Biao.

We must first find out Xuzhou's attitude. Otherwise, if we send troops and get stabbed in the back by Xuzhou, that would be no joke.

Cao Cao agreed with this and immediately sent an envoy to inform Xuzhou that he would send troops to Nanyang.

If you, Xuzhou, have no objection, then he will set off.

……

But Liu Bei led his troops back to Xia Pi.

Zhao Yun, the governor of Jiujiang, was left to guard Huainan, while Chen Deng, the governor of Guangling, led his troops back to Guangling and continued to be responsible for dredging the Han Canal.

At the same time, he wrote a letter to the court, recommending that Li Yi be made a marquis.

The book says:
"My advisor Li Yi has accumulated virtues and has never regretted his actions since he was young. Although he has encountered chaos in the world, he still has a loyal mind and worries about serving the country."

"Since I first raised the righteous army, I have traveled around and fought with Li Yi by my side. All the king's strategies and tactics came from me, and they were all effective."

"Li Yi's achievements, which enabled the envoys to accomplish their mission, are like the clouds that have been cleared away, revealing the sun and the moon."

"Your Majesty is grateful for Chen's contribution, and Li Yi also contributed to it."

"He is loyal, modest and obedient, treading on thin ice, and working hard to appease the people."

"The stability of the world is due to the achievements of Yi."

"He should be given a high rank to honor his contributions."

The memorial was sent to Chen and the imperial seal was returned to the court.

Liu Xie was overjoyed when he got the imperial seal, but when he saw Liu Bei's memorial, he began to have doubts.

He immediately summoned General Liu Chong to discuss the matter.

"General Zuo has recovered the imperial seal for me, which is a great service to the Han court. I have no reason not to reward you."

"It's just that the letter wants to recommend Li Ziyu as a marquis, and also as a military advisor and lieutenant general, commanding the troops of the two counties."

"I was hesitant and could not make a decision, so I went to discuss this matter with the general."

Liu Xie had been in Chen State for more than a year. After a year of getting along, he had already determined that Liu Chong was a loyal minister.

In addition, he held the military power of the State of Chen, so he consulted with him.

"I have met Li Ziyu before. He is loyal and obedient."

"Since the Left General has submitted a memorial, I wish to confer him the title of Marquis."

"Why not take this opportunity to bestow a golden seal and purple ribbon upon him and show him favor."

"For future planning?"

Only high-ranking officials such as the prime minister, the three dukes, and the four generals were qualified to wear the gold seal and purple ribbon.

It is used to show noble status.

Liu Xie put his hands behind his back, raised the corners of his lips slightly, and said in a self-deprecating tone:
"Did Li Ziyu scheme to bring me into Chen territory, hoping to make me the emperor of Zhou?"

Liu Chong was shocked when he heard this and hurriedly knelt on the ground to apologize.

Liu Xie stepped forward and helped Liu Chong up.

"General, there is no need to do this. I know you are a loyal subject."

"I just hate that there are too few heroes like the general in this world."

"If everyone in the world was like the general, how could I be bullied by the two villains, Kuai and Si?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Xie sighed again.

"As for General Zuo's memorial, I approve it."

"Li Yi is promoted to Marquis of Tan, Military Advisor and Lieutenant General, and is in charge of the troops of Jiujiang and Guangling counties."

"In addition, I will also give him a golden seal and purple ribbon."

His Majesty……

Liu Chong was a little stunned by Liu Xie's sudden change of mind.

Liu Xie smiled bitterly and said:
"If it weren't for Li Ziyu, how could I rest in peace in Chendi?"

"Today, the princes of the world are all independent and I am powerless to conquer them. How is this different from the Zhou emperor?"

"It was not Li Yi who made me the emperor of Zhou, but the situation forced me to do so."

"It's not Li Yi's fault, it's the chaos of the world."

"If it weren't for him, I don't know where I would be today."

After a slight pause, he sighed again, "General, please pass on my order and do it..."

Huh!
Liu Chong took the order and retreated.

According to Liu Bei's memorial, Li Yi was conferred the title of Marquis of Tan and concurrently the title of Military Advisor and Lieutenant General in the name of the Han court.

Supervise the troops of Jiujiang and Guangling counties.

The order was issued and sent back to Xuzhou.

For a time, Li Yi was extremely successful.

Countless dignitaries, wealthy businessmen, and celebrities in Xuzhou prepared gifts to congratulate him.

Everyone wanted to make friends with this upstart from Xuzhou.

Outside Li's mansion, there was a constant stream of people and carriages and horses.

Faced with the flattery of others, Li Yi chose to stay at home and not see guests or interact with anyone.

All matters in the mansion are left to Madam Mi Zhen to handle.

He handles official documents in his study every day.

If the food is ready, just have someone put it outside the house.

He eats when he finishes his work for the day.

Due to the heavy workload and the power delegated to him by Liu Bei, he often had to deal with tasks until midnight before he could rest and eat.

Li Yi is friendly in dealing with people and does not act like a superior.

All the servants in the mansion respected and loved him.

A servant reported this to Taohong and advised her to persuade Li Yi to take care of his body and not overwork himself.

Upon hearing this, Tao Hong said:
"Mr. has done everything according to his will."

"Although I am your personal maid, I dare not speak out to persuade you."

Everyone said, "Even if it's not easy to persuade them directly, we should at least find a way."

Tao Hong thought for a while before saying:
"On weekdays, all affairs in the mansion are decided by Madam."

"We can go and pay a visit to the lady, and she will come forward to persuade you, sir."

All the servants followed his advice and went with Taohong to see Madam Mi to tell her what had happened.

Seeing this, Madam Mi nodded and said:

"I know you are serious about this, you can put the food aside first."

"After that, I will personally offer the meal to you, sir."

Everyone was delighted and agreed.

That night, the moon was bright and the wind was clear.

Mrs. Mi came to the door of the study and knocked gently.

After a moment, there was a response from inside the house.

"…Just leave the food outside the door."

Mrs. Elk said:
"This is the soup I made myself. It won't taste good if it gets cold."

After he finished speaking, no sound came from the room, and it became extremely quiet.

After a while, footsteps were heard and the door opened.

Li Yi smiled slightly, stepped forward to take Madam Mi and said:

"So it's the Madam who's here. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"It's cold at night, don't stand in the wind, come inside and talk."

Li Yi pulled Mrs. Mi into the house.

He invited her to sit down, held her hand, and felt a little cold.

Seeing that she looked haggard, he thought to himself that he was at the center of the storm during this period.

Countless scholars wanted to come and pay homage to him.

Adhering to the principle that a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind, Li Yi turned a blind eye to it.

He only left all the important matters in the mansion to Mi Zhen to handle. Seeing that she looked tired, he had few opportunities to talk to her these days.

This was Li Yi's fault. He lacked concern for her and said:

"I want to go see Mie Biejia tomorrow, is that okay?"

Mrs. Mi was picking up a shrimp at the moment, and said as she poured soup:
"...Of course it is good."

Li Yi was surprised to see that she was absent-minded.

I went to see Mi Zhu myself, with the original intention of taking her to meet her relatives so that she wouldn't be lonely.

But after it was proposed, she didn't seem very excited.

"What's wrong?" Li Yi asked.

As he spoke, he scooped another spoonful of soup and brought it to his lips, then smiled.

"This soup is very delicious."

Mrs. Moose shook her head and smiled:

"Nothing, I just don't know why my husband suddenly thought of this matter."

Li Yi told the truth directly and said:

"It's boring to see you staying in the mansion all day."

Mrs. Moose shook her head.

"It's no problem. There have been many visitors to the mansion recently."

"Two days ago, General Liu awarded two manors in the suburbs."

"It takes some effort to take care of it."

"I have been very busy these days."

Only then did Li Yi understand why Madam Mi was so tired.

I had handed everything over to her, but I had not considered her feelings, so I patted her hand and said:
"Don't overwork yourself. Leave everything that can be done to your subordinates to them."

Madam Mi raised her eyebrows and said seriously:

"My husband is the military advisor and lieutenant general. He is in charge of all the affairs of the state personally."

"The military affairs of Guangling and Huainan also need your attention."

"As a concubine, how can I be lazy in the affairs of the mansion and cause you unnecessary worries?"

Li Yi was silent for a long time before he said:

"It's good that you have this intention, but you should also make sure to rest."

Mrs. Moose smiled and said:

"My husband handles official documents until late at night every day. He really deserves a good rest."

At this point, Mrs. Mi's true intentions were revealed.

Li Yi also understood her intention of coming here, and immediately stood up, put his hands behind his back and said:

"I know what the lady means."

"It's just that it's lonely at the top. Since I'm in a high position, I should always work hard and make progress."

“Don’t let your guard down.”

This was also a habit developed in the previous life. Although he gained a lot as a senior executive, there were countless eyes staring at him.

Countless people are hoping to bring him down from the altar.

Therefore, the higher Li Yi went, the more cautious he became, treading on thin ice.

I'm afraid of capsizing in a ditch one day.

Mrs. Mi also stood up, gently leaned her head on his shoulder, and said softly:
"I know my husband is worried about state affairs, but he should also take care of his rest."

"Don't tire yourself out."

"Food should always be enjoyed on time, not when it is cold."

"Even so, it would be good to ask the cook to heat it up." Li Yi nodded, "Since Madam said so, I will do as you say."

Li Yi has never been a stubborn person. He knows that the key to success is to learn to humble himself.

If people do not bow their heads to examine their mistakes, they will go further and further down the wrong path.

This is true for major family and national affairs, as well as for the trivial matters of life.

Afterwards, Li Yi accompanied Mrs. Mi for dinner and ate the soup she had cooked herself.

During this time, Li Yi asked again how Yuan Ying was doing.

After being married to Li Yi, this girl was placed in the mansion.

Mrs. Mi is magnanimous and can naturally accommodate her.

Besides, Yuan Ying was the legitimate daughter of the Yuan family, and three officials from four generations were officials. With this background, Madam Mi had no choice but to obey.
In addition, she had never had a child and felt guilty about it, so she gladly accepted Yuan Ying's joining.

"The past cannot be retrieved. Yingmei has lost her father and lacks a sense of security."

"When my husband is free, he should go and see her."

Mrs. Mi gave some advice.

Li Yi thought to himself that before this, he had also suggested to Liu Bang that he should give Yuan Shu a grand funeral to win over the hearts of the people.

As Yuan Ying is the legitimate daughter of the Yuan family, I really shouldn't neglect her.

Let's go and take a look, and then he said:
"Well, I'll just follow what Madam says."

Li Yi left the study and came to Yuan Ying's room.

Seeing that the light was still on in the house, he took the initiative to step forward.

When the servant saw Li Yi, he was about to report it, but was stopped by Li Yi.

He quietly entered the room and saw Yuan Ying busy with something under the lamp.

Then he asked in a gentle voice:
"Why don't you go and rest?"

Yuan Ying was shocked when she heard the sound, and stood up hurriedly, hiding the thing in her hand behind her back.

Turning around, he saw Li Yi and said with a chuckle:

"You, you didn't take a break either..."

Li Yi smiled slightly:
"I was passing by here on business, and saw you sitting alone in a trance."

After a slight pause, he said softly, "It's cold at night, I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."

Yuan Ying calmed herself down and put the things in her hands aside.

"I'll be back soon. Thank you for your concern, sir."

Although Yuan Ying was taken into the mansion, she was not officially married into the family, and they had no sexual intercourse.

The main reason is that she is too young compared to her elder sister Yuan Ying.

We'll have to wait at least another two years.

Li Yi tilted his head and asked:
"Is this a sword tassel?"

Yuan Ying nodded slightly.

Li Yi stared at it for a moment, then raised his eyebrows, "This sword tassel..."

Then he took off his sword, removed the tassel that was usually tied to the sword, and put it aside.

The two sword tassels look almost identical.

Yuan Ying took the initiative to explain:

"When you rescued me, I saw your sword tassel."

"So I wrote down the pattern and made one myself."

Li Yi looked into her eyes and said nothing.

Yuan Ying was originally quite calm, but when Li Yi stared at her like that, her face became red and she stammered:
"…I just did it while practicing needlework. Don't take it personally."

Li Yi nodded without comment and didn't ask any more questions.

He thought to himself that this woman had such a good memory, so he said:
"Have you ever learned to paint?"

Yuan Ying nodded, "I learned it when I was young."

"……good."

Li Yi put his hands behind his back, turned around and took out a piece of paper.

He laid it flat on the table and said to Yuan Ying:

"I tell the story, and you draw it."

Yuan Ying was a little stunned and asked blankly:
"What do you want me to draw?"

"Just paint as I tell you."

Yuan Ying had no choice but to bite the bullet and start painting as Li Yi said.

……

The next day.

In order to prevent his wife from saying anything more, Li Yi had lunch first and then went to the study to deal with government affairs.

No one came to disturb me for a while. When I looked up from the desk, the evening clouds outside the window were gilded.

I was distracted for a moment, and the buzzing sound in my head became louder.

I unconsciously reached out and pressed my swollen and aching temple to endure the sudden dizziness.

When I opened my eyes again, I realized that time had flown by so quickly and I didn't know what day it was.

So he picked up his brush again, ready to continue dealing with government affairs.

Suddenly, it was reported that Envoy Liu was visiting.

Li Yi came to greet him. After the two sides exchanged greetings, Li Yi invited Liu Bei into his study for a chat.

Liu Bei looked Li Yi up and down and asked:

"The other day, your majesty bestowed upon the military advisor a golden seal and purple ribbon. Why don't you see you wearing them?"

Li Yi explained:
"I have heard that a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind, and a pile that stands out on the bank will be washed away by the water."

"The golden seal and purple ribbon can only be worn by high-ranking officials such as the Three Dukes and the Four Generals."

"Yi is only a military advisor and lieutenant general, a lowly official with little merit."

"Why can I share the same golden seal and purple ribbon with my lord?"

As the Left General of the Han Dynasty, Lao Liu was qualified to wear a gold seal and purple ribbon, but Li Yi was not qualified to wear it in his current position.

I don't know why the emperor gave him this reward.

Although Lao Liu may not care about this, if he wears it on his body, he will see it when going out.

It is inevitable that it will feel a little inappropriate, so just leave it at home.

When Liu Bei heard this, he just laughed and said:

"In the past, Guan Zhong served as prime minister of Qi. He was first a Zhongfu, then a Zhongfu, and then Duke Huan became the hegemon."

"Zi Yu is very virtuous now. I can use him, but his fame and honor are not mine!"

"This golden seal and purple ribbon were bestowed by the emperor. Since Ziyu has this honor, you may wear it."

After saying this, he said to Tao Hong who was standing beside him:

"Take it. Bring the golden seal and purple ribbon and let your master wear it."

Taohong was also delighted when she heard this, and left with a nod.

Li Yi didn't care much about this. He took out the blueprint that Yuan Ying had drawn overnight and handed it to Liu Bei.

"I originally wanted to wait until the craftsman finished making this item before showing it to the lord."

"Since the lord is here, it would be okay to give it a try first."

Oh? This is...

Liu Bei took the drawings, two in total.

The first picture is of a saddle.

“This is Takahashi’s saddle.”

Li Yi introduced Liu Bei to the side.

There were saddles in this era, but most of them were soft saddles.

Although there are pictures of horse riding and archery in the tomb paintings unearthed in Xi'an, it is speculated that Gaoqiao saddles existed in the Western Han Dynasty.

But after verification, it was found that it was a soft saddle, not a Takahashi saddle.

The Gaoqiao saddle only appeared during the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

The emergence of the Takahashi saddle was a landmark event for cavalry.

It is more important than the stirrup, as it can prevent the cavalry from falling off the horse's back while charging or attacking.

The stirrup only provides a lateral support point, but no longitudinal support.

Stirrups are important, as they help knights use their leg strength and provide lateral support.

However, without a saddle, the cavalry still cannot effectively kill the enemy in close combat.

With the high-bridge saddle providing longitudinal support, good stirrups are needed to maximize its effectiveness.

So Li Yi gave the second drawing to Liu Bei to look at.

"These are double stirrups."

There is often a misunderstanding on the Internet that there were no stirrups in the Three Kingdoms period.

But stirrups already existed as early as the Western Han Dynasty.

Still an archaeological discovery, a rider using stirrups was found in a painted brick from the Western Han Dynasty.

However, until the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, there was still a single stirrup, and double stirrups had not appeared.

A single stirrup is hung on one side of the saddle and is mainly used for mounting a horse. It is not of much help in cavalry combat.

But if you think about it carefully, you will find that double stirrups are not difficult to come up with compared to single stirrups.

Why did it take hundreds of years for the ancients to invent the double stirrup after they invented the single stirrup?

This has to be connected with the drawing of the Takahashi saddle that Li Yi saw earlier.

That’s right, the Takahashi saddle appeared during the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

According to archaeological evidence, double stirrups first appeared during the Western Jin Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Its appearance was to cooperate with the Takahashi saddle to facilitate cavalry combat.

Without this, there is no saddle that can provide longitudinal balance.

Even with double stirrups, they could only help the knight get on the horse, and it was still easy for the knight to fall off the horse during battle.

Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are standard close combat armored cavalry.

The Takahashi saddle was invented to suit the needs of armored cavalry.

The appearance of double stirrups further enhanced the combat capability of armored cavalry.

"In the past, when riders fought on horseback, they would grab the horse's mane and clamp their legs against its abdomen to prevent themselves from falling off the horse."

"If we can use this Gaoqiao saddle with double stirrups, it will greatly enhance the combat capabilities of our cavalry."

Li Yi introduced these two things to Liu Bei in an easy-to-understand way, which improved the combat effectiveness of the cavalry.

"Now, as Xuzhou and Liaodong are trading with each other, we are purchasing war horses."

"The formation of cavalry is on the agenda, and the saddles and stirrups should also be taken out."

Why didn't Li Yi take out the Takahashi saddle and double stirrups earlier?
Because technology is something that cannot be monopolized.

Especially military and civilian items such as saddles, stirrups, and curved plows.

Once it is used for a period of time, it will 100% spread to other places.

Take the curved plow for example. Li Yi had only used it for more than a year when he heard that people in other counties had already started using it.

When Li Yi heard the news, he was not surprised at all, because this was a very normal phenomenon.

For an emerging technology with a relatively low entry barrier, its spread is inevitable.

Li Yi was also very open-minded about this.

The world will eventually unite after a long period of division, and will eventually divide after a long period of unity. Sooner or later, it will be unified.

Since they are all Han people, what's wrong with them taking it and improving people's livelihood?
However, as an important official of Liu Ying, Li Yi must also take corresponding measures at this moment.

That is not to bring out all these technologies at once.

If all of them are taken out at once, it can indeed lead to a period of technological supremacy.

But if the degree of crushing is such that it is impossible to unify immediately.

Then going to other places to learn is an inevitable trend.

In the era of cold weapons, it was impossible to achieve a quick and smooth advance.

This is determined by productivity.

In this case, we can only take them out one by one and create a time difference.

First use the technology tree to crush the opponent, maximize the advantages of this technology as much as possible, and then introduce new technology.

"...Great! The military advisor is truly a genius in the world!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed when he saw this and immediately put the blueprint in his arms.

"After that, I ordered the craftsmen to make it and distribute it to the cavalry formations overnight."

Li Yi advised:
"Although this thing is good, it is also very expensive. It should only be used to arm elite cavalry."

After a slight pause, he added, "For well-armed cavalry, unless it is needed in battle, never let this thing out."

Although the spread of technology is inevitable, human intervention can prolong it as much as possible.

Don't make a fuss and end up making things difficult for others.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll take care of it."

Although the drawings are available, this thing is new after all.

It takes time for a skilled craftsman to build it from scratch.

While they were chatting, Taohong had already brought the gold seal and purple ribbon.

Liu Bei immediately asked Li Yi to wear it.

Li Yi had no choice but to follow him and put the purple ribbon around his waist.

He then placed the golden seal on the table and said:

"What do you think, my lord?"

Liu Bei walked around Li Yi, looking at him again and again.

He immediately clapped his hands and exclaimed:
"Hey!"

"Sir, you are so elegant and graceful, just like the rising sun in Fusang."

"Beautiful, beautiful!"

Lao Liu’s private hobby is wearing beautiful clothes.

Li Yi had a slender figure to begin with, and he looked even more noble in the crane cloak and purple ribbon.

Li Yi thought to himself that Lao Liu himself was also worthy of a purple ribbon.

Could it be that he was using himself as a model for self-reference?
Sure enough, after looking at Li Yi, Liu Bei actually tied a purple belt around himself, as if he was determined to make it look perfect.

Li Yi was somewhat helpless and had to temporarily become a coat model with Lao Liu.

Suddenly, a servant came to report that Cao's envoy wanted to see him.

"Cao Cao's messenger?"

Liu Bei was getting dressed and frowned when he heard this.

He turned his gaze to Li Yi again, and Li Yi said:

"Let's go and have a look."

Liu Bei followed his advice and went to the posthouse with Li Yi to meet Cao's envoy.

Envoy Cao went straight to the point and stated his purpose.

This shows that Cao Cao had stationed his troops at the Yu River and was planning to send troops to Nanyang to attack Zhang Xiu.

Liu Bei nodded and asked Cao if there was anything else.

Envoy Cao replied no.

Liu Bei then ordered his men to invite Cao's envoy down and entertain him with good wine and meat.

Then he turned back and asked Li Yi:
"Cao Cao sent someone here specifically to tell me that he will use his troops in Wancheng. Why?"

Liu Bei thought to himself that Cao Cao would not respect him so much as to specifically inform him before fighting a war.

Li Yi said:

"Cao Cao must have known that we were in contact with Liu Biao and was worried that we would interfere in Nanyang's affairs."

"If their army goes out to fight, we can send you to attack Yanzhou."

"Cao Cao would be attacked from all sides and would have to withdraw his troops, repeating the same mistake he made when he attacked Xuzhou."

Liu Bei seemed to be enlightened.

No wonder, Cao Cao had been ambushed in Yanzhou once before.

At that time he was on an expedition to the east, and now he is fighting in the southwest, and he is afraid that Xuzhou will stab him in the back.

"What does the military advisor think?"

Liu Bei asked.

Li Yi put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth for a few steps.

"Liu Biao accepted Zhang Xiu in Nanyang and used him as a shelter for Jingzhou."

"Since Yingchuan was already threatened, it was reasonable for Cao Cao to use troops against Nanyang."

"This matter does not depend on my Xuzhou's attitude, but on your attitude, my lord."

I?
Liu Bei raised his eyebrows and asked the military advisor what he meant.

"Liu Biao and I have trade relations, so we are still allies on the surface."

"And Cao Cao has also made an alliance with us, agreeing to jointly resist Yuan Shao's southward advance in the future."

"Now Cao Cao is using his troops against Liu Biao. My Lord, do you think Cao Cao is more important to Xuzhou, or is Liu Biao more important to Xuzhou?"

Li Yi patiently asked Liu Bei questions.

Liu Bei pondered for a while, then turned to look at Li Yi and said with a smile:
"Sir, you already have the answer in your mind, so why ask me?"

Li Yi said, "I would like to hear what the lord is thinking."

Liu Bei put his hands behind his back and said solemnly:

"Cao Cao and I are both in Henan, guarding the Yellow River."

"According to the military advisor's previous analysis, Yuan Shao will use military force in the south within two years."

"With the strength of Xuzhou, it is impossible to resist the Hebei army alone."

"And Cao Mengde is unwilling to be inferior to Yuan Shao, and will definitely stand on the same front with us."

“This can be used to attract reinforcements.”

After a slight pause, he turned the topic to Liu Biao.

"Although Liu Jingsheng controls Jingzhou, he has 100,000 soldiers and thousands of warships."

"But he has always been unwilling to send troops to attack foreign countries. Now he has recruited Zhang Xiu to Nanyang, which is proof of this."

"If Yuan Shao were to lead his troops south in the future, I'm sure Liu Jingsheng would sit on the mountain and watch the fight, and would definitely not stand together with Xuzhou and our enemies."

"So it's Cao Sikong or Liu Jingzhou. I think the answer is self-evident."

Liu Bei then analyzed:
"I think that in this matter, the best attitude of Xuzhou is to not interfere."

"Just let the two families solve it on their own."

In Liu Bei's view, Cao Cao was an important ally in the future fight against Yuan Shao.

They had just joined forces to defeat Yuan Shu, proving the possibility of cooperation between the two families.

In the future, when facing the even more powerful Yuan Shao, both Cao Cao and Liu Bei cannot do without the strength of the other side.

As for Liu Biao, Liu Bei traded with Jingzhou.

There was no major conflict in the first place, and there was no need to offend him over this matter.

Therefore, Liu Bei thought that the best way to deal with the situation was to stay out of it.

"I wonder what the military advisor thinks?"

Liu Bei asked Li Yi for his opinion again.

Li Yi did not answer immediately, but pondered for a long time.

There has been no response to this.

Liu Bei felt a little strange because the military advisor was always decisive in his actions.

Why are you hesitating about something that seems to be the easiest to solve?
"Could it be that the military advisor has a different opinion?"

Liu Bei asked tentatively.

Li Yi shook his head. "No, I think there is nothing wrong with the interests that the Lord just analyzed."

This……

Liu Bei was even more surprised and continued to ask:
"Since the military advisor has no objection to this."

"Then call that Cao envoy over and tell him our attitude towards Xuzhou."

"What do you think, military advisor?"

Liu Bei believed that

Cao Cao sent an envoy to Xuzhou, and the attitude he wanted most was that Xuzhou would not interfere in the matter.

And Liu Bei did intend to do so.

"Do not!!"

Li Yi interrupted Liu Bei's decision and finally said:

"Yi thinks we shouldn't just sit back and wait on this matter."

"What does the military advisor mean by this?"

Liu Bei was stunned and had a bad feeling in his heart.

"Cao Cao's troops entered the Yu River and attacked Zhang Xiu."

“We should support him.”

hiss……

Liu Bei took a deep breath and was extremely surprised by Li Yi's decision.

"Military Advisor wants me to send troops from Xuzhou to intervene in the Nanyang war?"

Liu Bei knew Li Yi well and could understand many of his arrangements.

But this was the only arrangement that Liu Bei could not understand.

Nanyang is far away in Jingzhou. It would cost a lot of money and food for him to send troops from Xuzhou there.

How much benefit can you get from it?

As a great strategist, how could Li Yi come up with such a suggestion that would do more harm than good?
……

(End of this chapter)