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

Chapter 165 I had a son before Lao Liu

Where is Yuzhang going?

This is the issue that Hua Xin needs to focus on.

In the entire Yangzhou, except for the area south of the Huai River, the remaining counties and prefectures in the east of the Yangtze River are collectively referred to as "malaria land".

Although Yuzhang is adjacent to the prosperous Jingzhou, it is separated by the Nanling Mountains and the two places are inaccessible.

The seat of Yuzhang County, Nanchang County.

It is already the most populous and relatively the richest place in the county.

There is an important waterway transportation hub here.

In the past few years, Yuzhang County has undergone several changes of power.

First, Yuzhang prefect Zhou Shu died of illness, and then Zhuge Xuan was elected as the prefect.

But the court appointed Zhu Hao as prefect.

So Zhu Hao joined forces with Liu Yao to attack Zhuge Xuan.

As a result, Liu Yao's subordinate Zuo Rong rebelled again and killed Zhu Hao.

Liu Yao led his troops to attack Zuo Rong again.

In the end, Zuo Rong died, and the court appointed Hua Xin as the new governor of Yuzhang.

In short, the past few years in Yuzhang can only be described with one word: "chaos".

The entire Nanchang County, from the nobles and powerful to the common people, all stayed at home and dared not go out.

Even the common people didn't have firewood for the night before.

Now that a governor who is diligent in his work and loves his people has finally arrived, everyone is reluctant to part with him.

When they heard that Liu Yao had died of illness, the people blocked the entrance to the prefect's residence and refused to leave for a long time.

Hua Xin had to take over as the governor of Yangzhou.

But Hua Xin maintained the calmness of a politician and politely declined the people's request.

Yuzhang was too weak and was surrounded by powerful forces.

We must think seriously and decide its future ownership.

"Zi Yu, who do you think is the most powerful person in the world today?"

Wang Lang asked Hua Xin seriously.

Hua Xin was stunned for a moment, then said slowly:
"Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou, Sun Bofu of Wu, Cao Mengde of Yanzhou, and Liu Xuande of Xuzhou."

"This generation is closely related to the interests of Yuzhang."

There are only these four princes who can radiate their influence to Yuzhang.

If it’s farther away, I can’t reach it.

"Can the generals that Zi Yu employ be better than these four?"

Wang Lang continued to ask.

Hua Xin shook his head and sighed, "It's beyond compare."

"How much food does Yuzhang have? Are the weapons in good condition? How brave are the people? How is Yuzhang compared with other counties?"

Hua Xin shook his head again and answered honestly, "They are all inferior."

Having said that, Hua Xin also understood what Wang Lang meant.

In troubled times, who can protect themselves?

As the saying goes, those who know the current affairs are heroes.

Hurry up and find a powerful lord and join his side in time.

"I already understand Jingxing's intention."

Hua Xin frowned and said:

"Yu Zhongxiang came here earlier with the intention of making me surrender to Sun Ce."

"But this may not be a wise move for Yuzhang."

According to the normal timeline, in history, Hua Xin surrendered the city to Sun Ce after being persuaded by Yu Fan.

But Hua Xin in this dimension had some concerns.

There is no other reason, because in history Sun Ce had already unified the six counties of Jiangdong, leaving only Yuzhang.

And before that, Sun Ce also defeated Liu Biao, killed more than 20,000 enemies, and made a great influence in Jiangdong.

Therefore, given Sun Ce's reputation at the time, Hua Xin naturally did not dare to fight with him and took the initiative to surrender the city.

However, at this time, Sun Ce only had Wujun and Kuaiji in his hands.

Lujiang and Danyang to the north of Yuzhang were both subordinate forces of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Liu Biao.

In other words, the current situation in Jiangdong is very unclear, and no one can predict who will win.

So when faced with Yu Fan's persuasion to surrender, Hua Xin became hesitant.

So many people coveted Jiangdong, and so many princes intervened.

If Hua Xin chooses the wrong side, he might end up like the three tribes in a match made in heaven.

In addition, his personality is introverted, low-key, sensitive and suspicious.

It is even more impossible to make an easy decision on this important issue of taking sides.

"Sun Ni was rampant in Jiangdong, but the imperial court promised him Chai Sang. I think they wanted to induce internal strife between Liu Biao and Sun Ce."

Wang Lang analyzed carefully.

"The quarrel between Sun and Liu only caused harm to Yuzhang."

"Zi Yu, you have to think clearly about who you want to help."

Hua Xin frowned, with a look of unrest between his brows.

Liu Biao and Sun Ce were closest to him.

Emotionally speaking, Hua Xin is definitely more inclined towards the former.

After all, Liu Biao was a relative of the Han royal family, listed as one of the Eight Talents of the Han Dynasty, and a good shepherd in troubled times.

There was no reason for him to join Sun Ce, the warlord leader.

Rationally speaking, Hua Xin did not have a God's perspective.

It seems that Liu Biao is far stronger than Sun Ce at the moment.

Jingzhou was said to have an area of thousands of miles, with more than 100,000 armored soldiers, thousands of warships, and countless food and fodder.

Sun Ce only has two miasma areas at his disposal, how can he fight against Liu Jingsheng?

"I want to reject Envoy Sun and join Liu Jingsheng. What do you think?"

Hua Xin seriously sought Wang Lang's opinion.

Wang Lang shook his head and said seriously:

"I think Ziyu can choose anyone, but he cannot choose between Liu Jingsheng and Sun Bofu."

"Why?"

Hua Xin was a little confused. Now the Sun and Liu families might have a war on the Yangtze River.

By then, Yuzhang will be able to serve as an important logistical supply base, which is a very worthy target for both families to win over.

Wang Lang stroked his beard and analyzed in an orderly manner:

"Liu Jingsheng is a benevolent and righteous ruler!"

"But he is not a hegemon after all. I want Xibo to stay on his own and wait and see how things change."

"All the famous people in the world fled to Jingzhou to avoid the chaos. Liu Mu recruited all the talented people in the country, but he didn't know what to do with them."

"This will surely put the country in danger and without support."

"Today, there is trouble down below, and Liu Mu is sitting between Jiang and Han, which shows that he has no ambition to rule the four directions."

What this means is that Liu Biao's foreign policy has always been to defend Jingzhou at all costs.

Will not interfere too much in affairs outside Jingzhou.

Wang Lang was worried that Hua Xin had defected to Liu Biao, and if Yuzhang was in trouble in the future, Liu Biao would not do his best to rescue it.

In fact, many people in the world could see that Liu Biao wanted to be King Wen of Zhou.

But we all know that Liu Biao misjudged the situation.

The late Han Dynasty, when many heroes emerged, was regarded as the Shang Dynasty, which was plagued by internal and external troubles.

He thought that as long as he could survive, he could conquer the world.

So much so that even when they have great strength, they do not seize the time to expand their territory.

Zhuge Ke once commented:

——"Liu Jingsheng is in Jingzhou, with a hundred thousand men under his command and mountains of wealth and grain."

"I am not as strong as Cao Cao, so I will compete with him and watch him grow stronger and swallow up all the Yuan states."

"After the northern capital was settled, Cao led 300,000 troops to attack Jingzhou. Although there were wise men at the time, they were unable to devise a plan, so Jingsheng's son was promoted."

That is to say, Liu Biao was so powerful in Jingzhou that he took advantage of Cao Cao's weakness to annex him.

Instead, he watched helplessly as Cao Cao annexed the two Yuans and encroached on the lands of Hebei and Huainan.

By the time Cao Cao had time to take over Jingzhou, no matter how many strategists there were, they were powerless.

There were also knowledgeable people in Jingzhou, and many of them had advised Liu Biao not to continue living in this way.

But Liu Biao argued that this was called "not failing to pay tribute at home and not betraying the leader abroad."

It is euphemistically called the doctrine of the mean.

However, it was precisely because of Liu Biao's doctrine of the mean that Wang Lang lacked confidence in Jingzhou at this time.

Wang Lang believed that Liu Biao could not keep Yuzhang, so joining him would be tantamount to working for Jingzhou for nothing.

"If I don't vote for Liu Jingsheng, do you want me to vote for Sun Bofu?"

Hua Xin asked again.

In fact, among the four princes around Yuzhang, Sun Ce would definitely be the worst choice.

Whether in name or strength, he is the weakest.

Of course, if we take Shi Xie from Jiaozhou in the south into consideration, there is a fifth option.

But the problem is,

Even the area east of the Yangtze River was considered a malaria-ridden area at that time.

In Jiaozhou, which is further south, the total population is less than that of Jingzhou, and it is full of mosquitoes, poisonous snakes, and anteaters.

Among these scholars who claim to be from a country of etiquette, who would be willing to settle there?

"Sun Bofu's intentions are quite vulgar, he is a vicious boy, it is difficult to compete with him."

Wang Lang frowned, recalling the time when he was beaten up by him.

"He is a man of unrivalled courage, talent and ambition."

"There is also Zhou Gongjin, a great man from Jianghuai, who served as their general."

"Planning is successful, and the rules are not detailed."

"He will eventually become the greatest thief in the world, not just a dog thief."

Upon hearing this, Hua Xin said:
"Since Liu Jingsheng and Sun Bofu are not the best choices."

"Does Jingxing want me to join Cao Cao and Liu Bei?"

exactly……

Wang Lang nodded, "Cao Mengde is one of the Three Dukes, a great man of his time."

"Liu Bei, the Left General of Han, has the strategy of a king and a tyrant."

"The imperial court is now far away in Chen, controlled by Cao and Liu."

"They sent Sun Ni to attack Chaisang and led him to attack Liu Biao. This must have been a joint decision of Cao and Liu."

"Henan will have to fight with Yuan Shao of Hebei sooner or later. Cao and Liu can put aside their past grudges, turn hostility into friendship, and join forces to fight against Yuan Shao."

“This is what people who accomplish great things do!”

As he spoke, Wang Lang couldn't help but give a thumbs up, praising Cao Cao and Liu Bei for their broad vision.

Anyone who can accomplish great things will not be burdened by emotions. This is the standard of a politician.

Wang Lang continued his words at home.

"Henan uses Li Yi as its chief strategist. He is resourceful and can make the outstanding people of Jianghuai look like children."

"I heard that when Yuan Shu of Huainan was destroyed, this man's strategies were largely used."

"Now Li Yi is joining forces with Henan to deal with Hebei."

"Hebei is strong. If we lead a small force to Henan, Cao and Liu will be happy and regard us as important."

"Besides, Cao Cao and Liu Bei both have the ambition to be overlords and spread their virtues throughout the world."

"In my opinion, these two are the only heroes in the world."

Wang Lang analyzed seriously that there were only two heroes in the world: Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Liu Biao, Sun Ce and others were not capable of accomplishing anything.

There is no future if you rely on any of them.

Besides, any discerning person can see through Li Yi’s strategic plan.

That is, to win over all forces except Hebei as much as possible.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As long as you attack Hebei, I, Henan, will definitely help you.

This is a plan that can only be made and implemented by people with a big picture and strategy.

Li Yi is definitely a strategist comparable to Su Qin and Zhang Yi.

Only by following people like this can you have a future.

"I heard that Li Yi is in charge of the military affairs of Huainan. Why don't we send someone to surrender to him?"

"With his strategic vision, he will never abandon Yuzhang."

Wang Lang had also heard of Li Yi's deeds. This man had a very strategic vision.

You must be able to realize the strategic value of Yuzhang.

Besides, isn’t it because Li Yi is too busy to handle Jiangdong affairs that he vigorously supports his agents in Jiangdong?

The people of Yuzhang supported Hua Xin, and Hua Xin could fully serve as the agent of Yangzhou's western land.

With one more vassal, Li Yi will be able to better check and balance the forces in Jiangdong, and he will certainly not reject Yuzhang's surrender.

"only……"

Hua Xin's face darkened and he was still a little hesitant.

He was not worried that Li Yi would reject Yuzhang's surrender.

After all, who would complain about having too many vassals?

So the answer is to take in as many dogs as possible.

"Liu Ying's focus is on Huainan, and Danyang alone is not under control."

"What about our western land of Yuzhang?"

Hua Xin expressed his concerns.

What he was really worried about was whether Xuzhou could preserve Yuzhang like Jingzhou.

Jingzhou was adjacent to Yuzhang, and it could not be kept simply because Liu Biao himself did not intervene.

He would never use the strength of Jingzhou to save Yuzhang County.

As for Xuzhou, it was too far away, with Danyang in between.

Although Yuan Yin of Danyang had already defected to Xuzhou and became a vassal of Xuzhou.

But the two places are separated by swamps, mountains, and lakes, making rescue difficult.

"So, we might as well give it a try."

"How to try?"

"Send someone to Xuzhou to test Li Yi's attitude."

"If he really takes Yuzhang seriously, he will definitely mobilize the troops in Huainan to protect Yuzhang."

Wang Lang said proudly.

Hua Xin stood with his hands behind his back, hesitant.

I always feel that these options have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is really difficult to decide on the best candidate.

Wang Lang then advised:
"Now Henan supports the royal family. To surrender to Henan is to surrender to the Han Dynasty court."

"This is the best way to follow one."

"Liu Xuande was the Left General of the Han Dynasty, and was also related to the Yuan family, which had three generations of dukes."

"This should be followed by two."

When mentioning the Yuan family, one would think of three officials in four generations, and their students and former officials are all over the world.

But the real value of this sentence lies in the second half, not the first half.

If we talk about three officials in four generations, it is not just the Yuan family.

The Hongnong Yang family also had three dukes in four generations, and Yang Xiu came from this family.

But their family's influence is obviously not as great as Yuan's.

Including the Xu family of Runan, there were also three dukes in three generations.

Xu Shao came from this family, but his influence was still far less than that of the Yuan family.

Yuan family claimed that they had students and former officials all over the world. What does that mean?

According to conservative estimates, Yuan had several thousand disciples.

Just imagine how many officials a central government can support.

From high-ranking officials in the imperial court to local county magistrates.

This was mainly due to the system of recommendation implemented during the Han Dynasty, which required someone to recommend someone to become an official.

With the status of the Yuan family in the officialdom, from the three highest officials to the county governors and county magistrates, after four generations and nearly a hundred years of operation, the Yuan family has recommended countless officials.

Dong Zhuo, who was in power, once said, "If we kill the two Yuan brothers, the world will obey us."

Now you know how influential the Yuan family was at that time.

By the way, Dong Zhuo himself was a disciple of Yuan.

Han Fu, who gave Jizhou to Yuan Shao, also said, "I am a former official of the Yuan family, and I gave it up based on my virtue."

In addition, the Hongnong Yang family, the only family in the world with three generations of dukes, is related to the Yuan family by marriage.

Therefore, the family in the late Han Dynasty was truly a huge network of relationships.

Liu Bei was a descendant of the imperial family and the Left General of the Han Dynasty. His wife was the legitimate daughter of the Yuan family.

This background alone was enough for Wang Lang to strongly recommend Hua Xin to surrender to Xuzhou.

There are many officials in their Yuzhang County, all of whom are former officials of the Yuan family.

Since the Liu family and the Yuan family have such a relationship, Yuan Shu's cousin Yuan Yin has already surrendered to Xuzhou.

Then why didn’t Yuzhang follow in their footsteps?

"Today, General Zuo reports to the court for the order and presents his services to the people."

"To stabilize Huainan for the emperor and the court."

"If you can offer the land of Yuzhang to Henan, it will be a blessing for Hua."

Finally, Hua Xin was persuaded by Wang Lang.

He decided to take over Yuzhang and surrender to Henan.

"But I don't know who can go to Xuzhou for me to meet Li Ziyu."

"...Then Lang should go there himself."

Wang Lang bowed and said, "I have long heard of Li Ziyu's reputation. He was already a strategist for Liu Ying when he was still a young man."

"Now that you are not yet thirty years old, you are already in charge of the military and political affairs of Huainan and control the troops of the two counties."

"Such a genius must be able to realize the strategic value of Yuzhang."

This was also an opportunity for Wang Lang to find another way to escape.

After he was defeated by Sun Ce, Sun Ce wanted Wang Lang to work for him, but Wang Lang refused.

So Sun Ce did not allow Wang Lang to leave Jiangdong.

He was not placed under house arrest, but was not allowed to cross the river.

Wang Lang came to Hua Xin, originally wanting to ask him for help.

He hoped that he, as the county governor, could help him escape from the Yangtze River.

After all, Hua Xin is the top leader of the county, so it should not be a problem for him to find a way to send one person out.

Moreover, he and Wang Lang were old friends and they had a very good relationship.

With Wang Lang's assurance, Hua Xin felt a lot more relieved.

"...This is the best. When Jing Xing arrives in Xuzhou, he must carefully investigate Li Yi's character."

"Don't let Yuzhang entrust the wrong person, otherwise Hua will be guilty of a great sin."

Hua Xin reminded him again and again, and Wang Lang made repeated promises.

Afterwards, Hua Xin secretly arranged a boat to send Wang Lang into the Yangtze River.

He replied to Yu Fan, saying that he needed to consider Sun Ce's request first.

This is his strategy for procrastination.

At the same time, Hua Xin also seized Sun Ce's weakness.

Sun Ce was not as powerful as he was in history at this time, but he had to win over Hua Xin in advance.

Because he is going to send troops to Jingzhou next.

Yuzhang, especially its seat Nanchang County, can serve as an important logistical supply base.

Sun Ce did not dare to act rashly now, for fear of forcing Hua Xin into a corner and causing him to defect to Liu Biao.

This was definitely not a good thing for Sun Wu, which was about to go to war with Jingzhou.

So when Hua Xin used the tactic of delaying, Yu Fan couldn't force him.

I could only write a letter and send it back to Wu to explain the matter.

Upon seeing this, Sun Ce simply replied, asking Yu Fan to stabilize Hua Xin first.

He arrived shortly afterwards.

Not stated.

……

Another winter is here.

The first snow this year came a little later than usual.

But it is much colder than in past years.

As it was the New Year, Li Yi, who was always a busy man, had a rare opportunity to postpone his work.

Instead, he went home to reunite with his family and have a good time drinking.

During the New Year, I spend time with my family eating, drinking, and having fun, which is also considered fulfilling my responsibilities as a parent.

Another reason is that Yuan Ying is pregnant.

Although she came later, she was indeed faster than Mrs. Moose.

Considering that this is his first child, Li Yi attaches great importance to it.

Take good care of Mrs. Yuan.

Apart from Li Yi, the happiest person was Liu Bei.

When he learned that his military advisor had a successor, he was even more excited than if he himself had a successor.

He immediately ordered Li Yi to go home to take care of the children, and the affairs of the mansion could be temporarily put aside and handed over to Pang Tong, Xun You and others to handle.

There's no other way. Since the military advisor has something to do, let others do the work.

Of course, some military and national affairs that are difficult for subordinates to decide still have to be sent to Li’s house.

The decision was left to Li Yi himself.

However, this is much easier than before.

These days, Li Yi accompanied his family to enjoy the snow outside the city.

Then he went on horseback with his good friends Cao Bao, Taishi Ci and others to hunt in the snowy plains.

Whenever they hunted the best game, they would send it to Li Yi.

Tiger tendons and bones are both excellent supplements and extremely precious.

Li Yi thanked everyone, then ordered the cook to roast it in the snow and invited everyone to eat together.

The two sisters Mi Zhen and Yuan Ying had a good relationship. They sat together beside each other and instruct the servants to grill the meat.

Just then, Li Yi came over. Seeing her husband, Yuan Ying happily stepped forward and saluted him.

"…Madam, you are pregnant, so please sit still and relax."

"No need for all this red tape."

Yuan Ying touched her belly and smiled:

"The child is still invisible."

As he said that, he went to grill the meat and saw if it was cooked. He wanted to serve it to Li Yi to try.

Seeing this, Mi Zhen quickly stood up, made room for Li Yi, and smiled:
"...Husband, please take a seat."

Li Yi glanced at her and saw that her face was weathered and her eyes were slightly dark, so he asked:

"But you looked at the account book all night again?"

Since Mi Zhen came from a merchant family, he was in charge of the government's accounts on a daily basis.

After all, Li Yi is already busy enough dealing with military and political affairs, and it would be great to have a virtuous wife to help share the domestic affairs.

Li Yi gently hugged her shoulders and said sternly:

"If you continue to work so hard, I will have Taohong collect all the account books in the mansion and hide them."

"It's just a few farms, why bother?"

Since Liu Bei rewarded Li Yi with several farms, Li Yi had been neglecting to take care of them.

Mi Zhen had suffered from an occupational disease and thought it was not a big deal to leave several farms abandoned, so he took the initiative to take over and help manage them.

"It's a pity to leave it idle, even though it's just a few manors."

"But if you manage it seriously, maybe it will be useful in the future and help your husband."

Mi Zhen buried her head gently in Li Yi's chest.

"I want to go to the garden in person these days. Do you want to come with me?"

Li Yi scratched her nose helplessly, "Forget it, just pick a time."

As they were talking, Yuan Ying came over with a plate of barbecue and said with a smile:

"~Ah, it seems Ying'er came at the wrong time."

Li Yi held Mi Zhen in his right hand, waved his left hand at her, and said:

"No, you came just in time."

"Come and sit."

Yuan Ying smiled sweetly, put down the baking tray, and sat down as she was told.

But her hand was still clasped in Li Yi's palm, and a thin layer of red gradually appeared on the side of her neck.

Being with Li Yi in a charming way.

"My dear, I have already finished the drawing you asked me to draw earlier."

Yuan Ying snuggled in Li Yi's arms and spoke like a little bird.

"Oh? Have you given it to the craftsman?"

"Of course~" Yuan Ying raised her head, her eyes full of smiles, "After the craftsman looked at it, it was finished in half a day."

"Oh? So fast?"

Li Yi was delighted and said, "Hurry up and ask someone to bring it up for me to see."

Soon, the servant brought up a pot.

Everyone gathered around to check it out.

"What is this?"

"...I don't know. Marquis Tan has always been unique in his ways. How can a commoner like me know?"

No one knew what new and strange thing Li Yi had invented.

Judging from the appearance, could it be some kind of armor or fighting gear, that can be used to shoot hidden arrows on the back?

"You don't have to guess, this thing is called a pot, and it's used for cooking."

Li Yi did not keep the secret and explained to everyone the use of the iron pot.

At that time, there was no concept of stir-frying, and cooking was done using pots and steamers.

Because Xuzhou had an official iron factory, and the iron ore in Lu and Pei was abundant.

Li Yi ordered the craftsmen to make a black pot with copper and iron.

The reason why it is launched now is because military demand is greater than civilian demand.

With the development of Xuzhou's iron smelting technology and the formalization of iron ore mining.

The successful operation of Xuzhou's railway business enabled a large amount of high-quality iron ore to be mined.

Only then did Li Yi plan to promote the iron ore for civilian use.

Like the previous creation of armor and weapons, including curved plows and other farm tools, these are all rigid needs.

How much iron is used to produce civilian appliances, and how much is used to produce military weapons.

These are strictly regulated by government standards.

At the same time, Li Yi urged Liu Bei to remove tax barriers.

That is, all tariffs on important materials such as steel, grain, and salt between the counties and states of Xuzhou will be abolished.

As for water transportation with Huainan, no taxes may be levied on these materials.

The benefit of doing this is that it will deal a heavy blow to the unscrupulous groups who used to profit from tariffs.

At the same time, it strengthened the ties between the various counties and states in Xuzhou, making them more closely connected.

Since taxes in the important waterway transportation area of Huainan were abolished, trade with merchants from other states was greatly promoted.

That is, it successfully attracted a large amount of foreign investment.

Under Li Yi's strict control, ordinary people would hardly ever lack iron farm tools.

At the same time, civilian kitchen knives can also be sold openly in iron shops.

Xuzhou's successful control of iron ore was a major leap forward in the development of the steel production industry in the entire Han Empire.

On the surface, Li Yi invented a pot, but in fact, this pot was the foundation for the rapid development of Xuzhou's steel industry.

"Since you are all here, let's try the food cooked in this pot and see how it tastes."

Li Yi immediately called the cooks, ordered them to light the fire and add oil, and started preparing to cook.

The stir-fried dishes are also very simple.
——Scrambled eggs with leeks.

A classic home-cooked meal that can be eaten with three bowls of white rice.

Soon, the dish was cooked and served in a large bowl.

Li Yi ordered everyone to take chopsticks and eat.

In this era, eating is a kind of enjoyment.

Eating delicious food is even more beautiful.

When the dishes were being cooked just now, everyone's appetite was whetted just by smelling the aroma.

So everyone is impatient.

"...Good! Good!"

"…Good! Very good!"

To be honest, a plate of scrambled eggs with leeks can’t be that delicious.

But the problem is that these people have never eaten stir-fried food.

Stir-fried dishes and dishes stewed in a pot have completely different tastes. How can people not think stir-fried dishes are delicious when they eat them for the first time?
"I didn't expect that Marquis Tan had such skills. Even if Duke Taihe were still alive, he might not be able to do this!"

While enjoying the food, everyone also praised Li Yi's cooking skills and flattered him.

"Since you like it, eat more."

"I'll ask the cook to do it."

Li Yi immediately ordered the cook to continue frying until everyone was satisfied.

At this moment, Tao Hong came over quickly, bowed and said:
"Sir, a foreign guest has arrived."

Li Yi heard this, his face slightly unhappy, and said in a deep voice:
"It's a rare opportunity for me to enjoy the snow and barbecue with you all. Who dares to spoil my enjoyment?"

Taohong was a little frightened when she saw Li Yi getting angry, so she leaned forward and said:

"That man claimed to be your old friend Xu You."

Xu You?

Li Yi raised his eyebrows, and then his anger turned into joy, and said:
"Since Xu Ziyuan has arrived, I will go to greet him personally!"

As soon as the words fell, they passed directly over Taohong.

Tao Hong heard this and asked Mi Zhen who was standing beside her:
"Madam, who is this Xu You?"

"Why does Mr. Ling take it so seriously?"

You know, Li Yi has to receive many foreign guests on weekdays.

As time went by, the responsibility was gradually passed to Pang Tong.

Just say that there are people who Pang Tong cannot control, and then Li Yi will come forward to meet them.

"Maybe it's my husband's benefactor..."

Mi Zhen replied indifferently.

After a while, Li Yi saw Xu You outside the city and walked towards him with a loud laugh.

"...Ziyuan, Ziyuan! I hope you are well!"

Xu You took off his hat to cover his snow, bowed to Li Yi and said:

"Tan Hou! My old friend Xu You is here to show his courtesy!"

Li Yi quickly took Xu You's bamboo hat and said sternly:

"~Hey, don't talk like that."

"You and I are old friends, please don't be so distant."

Xu You was overjoyed when he heard this, even though he was an important official in Hebei.

But Li Yi’s current status is also not low.

The military advisor and lieutenant general were in charge of the troops of the two counties, and the county marquis was given a gold seal and purple ribbon.

"...Okay, okay, since Youxu's eldest son Yu is a little older, I will just call you my foolish brother."

"This time I came all the way from Hebei to Xuzhou to see Ziyu, just to reminisce about the old times."

"For this reason, I brought you a gift."

Xu You grinned and ordered someone to bring the gifts.

"Here are fifty catties of gold and silver, ten pieces of brocade, and a bright pearl."

"It's just a token of my respect for you."

……

(Brothers, please give the protagonist's child a name)
(End of this chapter)