My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 122 Precise temperature control, everything is under control

Zhuge Jin looked at his sister's shyness, how could he not understand?
However, his sister was unwilling to say it clearly, and he didn't want to bring it up at this time, so he decided to just muddle through for the time being.

After all, Zhuge Jin hated the idea of "coming back to get married after completing the mission". Even if it didn't happen to him but to someone around him, he still thought it was unlucky.

Zhao Yun is about to escort Aliang north to carry out a mission, and he will not be back for at least three months, so now is not the right time to make things clear.

In the following days, Zhuge Jin gradually adapted to the rhythm of being a consultant, and no longer handled the civil and military affairs of a county on his own.

Zhuge Jin also took the time to think through Zhang Fei's specific plan for attacking Tangyi and Chuxian under Yuan Shu's rule, as well as the details and precautions. He also explained to Zhang Fei what to do together with Liu Bei.

Zhuge Liang also participated in the planning, and according to his elder brother's ideas, he helped to improve some details to fill in the gaps.

After Zhang Fei understood it, he confidently prepared his own troops and warships, and estimated that he would be able to start in a few days.

On the other hand, the two delegations agreed upon by Liu Bei and Zhuge Jin had also made all preparations and were about to set off.

Zhuge Liang, Sun Qian and Zhao Yun would have set off a little earlier on the journey to Hebei, because they had to take a ship north, and the journey was much longer than to Xu Du. The ships of the Han Dynasty also sailed much slower than those of later generations, so they would not be able to meet Yuan Shao until at least a month later.

In contrast, Sun Shao and Jian Yong could leave for Xu Du later and they wouldn’t have to rush on the road. Otherwise, they would arrive too early and would have to stay in Xu Du for a long time before Yuan Shao could put indirect pressure on them.

……

All matters involving the three parties were ready, and that day was already September 12th.

Zhuge Liang was about to set off, and Zhuge Jin of course had to give his second brother some final instructions before he left, as well as some small tasks beyond Liu Bei's requirements -

Liu Bei was not a time traveler, and he didn't know what talents there were in Hebei who had not yet been discovered by Yuan Shao but could become famous officials in the future.

But Zhuge Jin knew something, so he could only tell these words to his second brother in private, asking Zhuge Liang to bring some people back when the time was right, but he would not force it.

Zhuge Jin was also very clear that Yuan Shao was highly respected throughout the country and his reputation was at its peak. It would be impossible to poach those who had already enjoyed wealth and glory under Yuan Shao.

The only people Liu Bei could recruit were those that Yuan Shao had not discovered or looked down upon, and these people were not qualified to be picky.

It is just like the fact that Liu Bei was able to recruit Hu Zhi and Jiang Ji because they were unsuccessful under Yuan Shu and were just unpopular minor officials at the grassroots level.

Unfortunately, Zhuge Jin's brain is not a computer. At this point in time, he can't remember too many talents in Hebei that are not valued. For the time being, he can only think of two people:
There was Xu Miao, who later became one of the Three Dukes of Wei State, and Chen Zhen, who surrendered to Liu Bei when Liu Bei went to Hebei before the Battle of Guandu.

Xu Miao is famous because he became a model case in the "Records of the Three Kingdoms" to prove that "Cao Cao only promoted people based on their talents and appointed poor people". The history book specifically emphasized that he was born in Ji County and had no chance to become an official under Yuan Shao until he was 25 years old. When Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, he discovered this person.

As for Chen Zhen, he is a character in the notes of the middle school Chinese textbook. There is a sentence in "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital" that goes "Shizhong, Shangshu, Changshi, Canjun, all of them are loyal and righteous ministers who died for their country." The notes say that "Shangshu" is Chen Zhen.

Zhuge Jin sometimes thought that Liu Bei would never go to Yuan Shao again in this life. It would be a pity if the loyal ministers he found during his trip to Hebei could no longer get along with him. Letting Zhuge Liang find the people he recommended in his "Departure to the Imperial Academy" could be considered a kind of compensation to history.

Apart from these two people, Zhuge Jin could not remember any other undiscovered poor scholars in Hebei.

However, Liu Bei did ask Zhuge Liang to pay attention to a few people, including Lu Yu, the son of his mentor Lu Zhi, and Qian Zhao, a friend of Liu Bei when he was young. So the temporary list of recruits is limited to these four people.

This is not a formal mission. I can only say that after completing the mission, I will have the opportunity to do it. If there is no opportunity, then forget it.

……

After explaining the matters of poaching, Zhuge Jin gave one last extra task before leaving, which was about the long-term layout of the subsequent situation in Hebei.

Because it involves too many far-fetched and long-term deductions, Zhuge Jin could not mention it to anyone else, and only Zhuge Liang's IQ could understand it.

Before starting this topic, Zhuge Jin first said earnestly: "Aliang, what do you think will happen to the situation in the north after Yuan Shu and Lu Bu are completely defeated in the future?"

This was just an entry-level question for basic guidance. With Zhuge Liang's intelligence, he answered without even thinking, "Of course it's the battle between Yuan and Cao. Although Yuan and Cao are in harmony now, it's only because they each have enemies they have to deal with.

I heard that Gongsun Zan has already abandoned most of Youzhou and chose to defend the Yijing Tower. Although he can still delay the war, his defeat is doomed after he took this stance. After Yuan Shao completely eliminates Gongsun Zan and then pacifies Zhang Yan in Bingzhou, he will face the problem of having nowhere to expand, and he will inevitably go south to fight Cao Cao. "

Zhuge Jin nodded with satisfaction and continued to strengthen his second brother: "So who do you think will win between Yuan and Cao? Let's assume that during the downfall of Yuan Shu and Lu Bu, Cao Cao is powerful and has the emperor in his hands, so he can get most of the benefits, while our army can only get a small part of the benefits.

Who is stronger, Cao Cao who has integrated 70% of Yuan Shu and Lu Bu's legacy, or Yuan Shao who has completely annexed Gongsun Zan and Zhang Yan? "

Zhuge Liang thought about this question for a while before answering: "In terms of apparent strength, Yuan Shao, who owns Qing, Ji, You and Bing, is naturally much stronger.

After all, Yuan Shu and Lu Bu were both unproductive and levied heavy taxes. Even if Cao Cao seized the entire Yuzhou and most of Xuzhou in the future, people's livelihood would be in decline, and they would not be able to provide much soldiers, money and food in the next three to five years.

However, in terms of strategy and tenacity, based on what we know so far, Yuan Shao seems to be far inferior to Cao Cao. However, I dare not make a conclusion at the moment. I must see Yuan Shao in person before I can make a judgment. How can I believe all the rumors in the world?"

Zhuge Jin realized that this problem was indeed a bit difficult for Zhuge Liang at the moment, and Zhuge Liang was after all still too young, had met too few people, and had obvious shortcomings in judging people.

Zhuge Jin temporarily changed the direction of his question and did not force Zhuge Liang to predict the situation in Guandu several years later.

Moreover, those who predicted the situation at Guandu in history may not have really understood it thoroughly. Some of them were just flattering and encouraging their leaders, and betting their own future on the prediction. Even Cao Cao himself did not dare to imagine victory before defeating Yuan Shao.

It’s just like Brzezinski during the Cold War who predicted every day that the USSR would perish, and it did in the end, but that was not because his prediction was accurate.

Zhuge Jin suddenly understood this truth and asked, "It is true that I asked rashly. Some things should not be judged rashly. Let's think about it from another angle: In the future, will Cao Cao win or Yuan Shao win? Which situation will be more beneficial to us?"

Zhuge Liang thought carefully about his elder brother's question. This time his analysis was smoother. He quickly discussed it in a considered tone:

"Cao Cao is tenacious but weak. If he wins, it will probably take years to completely pacify Yuan Shao's territory. From the perspective of letting the northern heroes delay for more time, Cao Cao's victory is in our favor - after all, after the fall of Yuan Shu and Lu Bu, our army will have to free up its hands to deal with Sun Ce in the future, which will take time.

If Yuan Shao wins, it should be much faster to annex Cao Cao, because Yuan Shao has already completely conquered the northern border and has no worries. At that time, he will press south with all his strength, like a mountain falling on top of the head. Moreover... I have also read in depth the "On the Righteous Emperor Gaozu Xiang Yu" written by my brother to persuade Your Majesty, and later discussed it with Zi Jing.

Once Yuan Shao destroyed Cao Cao, maybe we would have to define Cao Cao differently in the future? If we still regard him as a "traitor who holds the emperor hostage", then isn't Yuan Shao a loyal and righteous man? But if we have to fight Yuan Shao for the world in the future, doesn't it mean that the "loyal and righteous man" will sooner or later become a new "traitor who holds the emperor hostage"?
This is not a good thing for my brother's "Theory of the Righteous Emperor Xiang Yu". Either we have to say after Cao Cao's death that Cao Cao was not that bad, and turn him into a loyal and righteous man like Wang Yun and Wang Situ, and then say that Yuan Shao was like Dong Zhuo and Jue Si from the beginning... But how easy is that? In short, according to my brother's theory, I really don't want to see a person who was first identified as a loyal and righteous man in history books turn into a traitor who holds the emperor hostage, nor do I want it to become a dog-eat-dog situation where the strongest army wins. That would be detrimental to the long-term stability of the world after it is reunited, and it would make imitators eager to move. "

Zhuge Liang had always admired his elder brother's political philosophy theory. After all, this was the theory of God that he had read when he first came into contact with this topic at the age of 16. Zhuge Liang felt that the original theories of Dong Zhongshu and Gongsun Hong were simply garbage.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang spontaneously felt that he should protect his identity as a loyalist who "humbled himself to his duty and waited for the right time" and should not let this identity be ruined. If after Emperor Gao avenged Emperor Yi, someone else could come to "revenge", then the historical narrative of "avenging the former emperor to gain the country" would collapse.

In this way, although Zhuge Liang did not like Cao Cao, he felt that it would be better to let Cao Cao die at the hands of Liu Bei in the future before resolving the contradiction in this historical narrative.

Zhuge Jin was satisfied with this attitude, so he said:

"In this case, when you go north this time, you should hold on to one point of view: you must never do anything that directly strengthens Yuan Shao's strength. We should not allow Yuan Shao to gain additional advantages in the future battle between Yuan and Cao.

However, if you do something that will not increase Yuan Shao's direct strength, but can increase the long-term resilience of Yuan Shao's camp, so that he can't increase his chances of winning, but if he loses, it can allow Yuan's army to hold Cao Cao back for a while longer. Then you can do such things, it's a win-win situation. "

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang frowned and felt that the answer was a bit confusing.

Is there such a thing in the world? After doing it, it can accurately improve the long-term resilience of Yuan Shao's camp, but it will not improve the explosive power and peak strength of Yuan Shao's camp?
How is this possible?
Zhuge Liang thought about it again and again, but still couldn't think of a specific example. He couldn't help but sigh: "My mind is dull, I really can't think of what to do, please teach me!"

Zhuge Jin then patiently persuaded: "I have not thought of an absolutely feasible approach, I can only throw out some ideas to stimulate discussion. For example, I heard that Yuan Shao is a man who cherishes his reputation and can never stand setbacks, and his life has indeed been smooth sailing.

If Yuan Shao were defeated by Cao Cao in the future, given his arrogance, his body would probably not be able to hold on - of course, this is just one possibility, and it may not really come to that.

In Yuan Shao's camp, I have now observed a hidden danger that is extremely detrimental to the long-term resistance against Cao, that is, Yuan Shao dotes on his youngest son. Since ancient times, deposing the eldest son and enthroning the youngest son is the way to chaos. Yuan Shao not only did not favor his eldest son Yuan Tan, he even made him live in Qingzhou.

If Youzhou and Bingzhou are completely pacified in the future, with this kind of temper, I'm afraid that each state will have to send a nephew out? This way of causing chaos is definitely worse than simply deposing the eldest and enthroning the youngest! Therefore, this is a problem that will not be a problem when Yuan Shao is alive, but once he is ill, it will lead to disintegration at any time.

If my dear brother goes north this time, he can help Yuan Tan in this regard and help him improve his prestige, then he can achieve the effect of 'not increasing the peak strength of Yuan Shao's camp, but increasing the resilience of Yuan Shao's camp', so that if Yuan Shao's camp is really defeated in the future, it can hold on for a few more years, and will not quickly collapse under Cao Cao's attack and cause brothers to fight each other.

Moreover, when Yuan Tan first entered the government, it was Lord Xuande who recommended him as a talented person. A talented person is a provincial governor or governor, and only one can be recommended each year, which is extraordinary. Lord Xuande was in charge of Xuzhou for two years, and he only recommended two talented people, Yuan Tan and Yuan Huan. This is an extraordinary favor from the recommender.

So my brother, you are going north by sea, and you have to go to Qingzhou first. Yuan Tan will certainly treat you with great courtesy to repay Lord Xuande's kindness and help you introduce him. We have to choose someone to be friendly with among Yuan Shao's sons, and we can only choose Yuan Tan, because Yuan Shang will definitely resist us and hate Lord Xuande for recommending his eldest brother. Some things cannot be bet on both sides.

My dear brother, just remember not to do anything that would harm Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, so as not to cause trouble. We just need to follow the right path and use fair and square methods to help strengthen Yuan Tan. Yuan Tan has great influence in Yuan Shao's camp, and he will definitely repay us in the future.

Doesn’t Yuan Shao love famous people? Then he can follow the example of Liu Hou seeking the Four Elders of Shangshan for Emperor Hui, and help Yuan Tan recruit some famous people that Yuan Shao couldn’t recruit. Doesn’t Yuan Shao love beauty? Then he can teach Yuan Tan some tricks. Even if the appearance cannot be changed, the temperament and elegance can be improved. "

When Zhuge Liang heard this, he finally understood.

It turns out that you can also choose to help the eldest son consolidate his position, so as to further befriend Yuan Shao, without having to worry about strengthening Yuan Shao's peak strength, but only strengthening Yuan Shao's durability. Big brother is really far-sighted!

However, he did not expect this, nor was it due to his lack of wisdom. Firstly, Zhuge Liang did not know about the infighting among the Yuan family's sons. Secondly, Zhuge Liang himself was a filial and brotherly person. He respected his eldest brother too much and did not think about the despicable and dirty thoughts of brothers killing each other.

Zhuge Jin was very satisfied to see that his younger brother had come to his senses.

In history, Zhuge Liang was asked by his cousin Liu Qi to climb up the roof and pull out the ladder. Zhuge Liang taught him how to protect himself. Zhuge Liang taught him that "Shen Sheng will die inside, and Chong Er will be safe outside." This classic scene must have been lost in the long river of history and is unlikely to appear again.

However, Cao Cao also commented that "Yuan Benchu and Liu Jingsheng's sons are both pigs and dogs." From a pig dog that abolished the eldest son and enthroned the youngest son to a pig dog that abolished the eldest son and enthroned the youngest son to be a veterinarian, it can be regarded as recycling Zhuge Liang's own famous joke. Isn't it wonderful? I believe Zhuge Liang can definitely do it well.

As for how to help people become handsome and graceful, Zhuge Liang might not know much about these things, mainly because he is too naturally talented and does not need any acquired modification to make him look handsome - but Zhuge Jin can help him make up for this shortcoming.

Zhuge Jin had people prepare in advance a bunch of clothing, gadgets, and various elegant items from later generations that might be helpful for the mission, and taught Zhuge Liang how to use them in a rush. Then when he arrived in Qingzhou, he could give a copy to Yuan Tan and teach Yuan Tan how to practice them intensively, and lead a new trend of elegant demeanor.

"Ah Liang, this suit is a custom-made ink-and-wash crane cloak made by my foolish brother at the hands of a skilled female craftsman. Try it on first. If it suits Master Yuan, you can give him one as a gift.

If that's not suitable, there are crane feather fans, peacock feather fans, and white silk folding fans, which can be painted with ink and wash, and some freehand landscape paintings.

There is also this kind of jewelry that can be worn in the hair of female relatives. It is called Buyao. If the posture is not dignified enough, the filigree red jade phoenix pendant on the hairpin will shake violently and make a golden and jade sound.

Besides, this kind of jewelry can be worn by men. It is much more elegant than the seals and ribbons of today, and it does not violate the etiquette of the court..."

As Zhuge Jin spoke, he asked his sister Zhuge Zhi to bring a large box. Inside was a bunch of luxury items that people of this era had never seen before, but were not too advanced either. It would be easy to use them to corrupt Yuan Tan and Yuan Shao.

There were several pieces of clothing inside, which were made by Zhuge Zhi herself, but they were all early test pieces, made only for her younger brother, not for Yuan Tan. The clothing given to Yuan Tan must have been made by a female craftsman from outside.

After seeing it, Zhuge Liang hurriedly thanked the elder sister for helping him make clothes and fans.

Of course, Zhuge Jin did not forget to personally give Zhuge Liang a piece of clothing in the end, which was an iron ring chain mail. Compared with the ink-and-wash crane cloak made by Zhuge Zhi, this soft armor really formed a sharp contrast.

With the samples sent by these brothers and sisters, Zhuge Liang became more confident in winning over Yuan Tan for help.

For Yuan Shao, who is obsessed with looks, being handsome is productivity. In this case, let him be as handsome as he wants! Give him what he likes!
……

The next morning, Zhuge Liang and his party set off with Zhao Yun.

Liu Bei and Zhuge Jin personally went to the outside of Guangling City to see him off. Liu Bei even rode a horse all the way to Sheyang before returning, and told Kong Ming to be cautious in everything.

There will be dozens of guards accompanying them. After arriving in Huaiyin, they will change to the Mi family's latest improved sea ship, enter the sea from Haixi County, and then go north along the coast. This improved version of the largest sea ship is still a little too big to travel in the Hangou Canal, so they can only board the ship in Huaiyin.

A few days after sending Zhuge Liang away, Zhang Fei also launched military operations against Chu County and other places.

A few days later, Sun Shao and Jian Yong's troops also headed north to Huaiyin, Lingxian, Xiaxiang, and then went to Xu Du through Lu Bu's jurisdiction.

It was September 15th soon. Zhang Fei's troops had already advanced upstream from Guangling along the Yangtze River to Tangyi and were ready to take action.

(End of this chapter)