My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 185 Before the martial arts scene, of course, you still need to do some superficial work
With a stabilizing force like Zhuge Jin around, even if Liu Bei had the urge to seek profit for a moment, he would be able to calm down quickly and return to his normal strategic rhythm.

However, after fully realizing the strategic significance and rare opportunity of taking Jiangxia, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel a little worried and wanted to speed up the pace.

He couldn't help but think: wait until early April, when the busiest farming season of the year is over, before taking action against Jiangxia. This was the plan made last year.

However, more than four months have passed since the original plan was made, and many situations have changed slightly. Liu Bei followed Zhuge Jin's review and quickly raised a new question:
"Tzuyu, it's only the beginning of March now, and there's still a whole month left before the plan to attack Jiangxia that was set last year. The improvement and manufacturing of the catapults have been completed, and the mass production of steel armor over at Pu Yuan is also going smoothly. If we don't consider the busy farming season, we can actually deploy troops within ten days or half a month, right?
Even if we are worried about delaying the farming season, the worst that can happen is that we can use fewer troops. In this way, we can also recruit fewer corvée laborers and auxiliary soldiers to transport grain, and the farming season should not be delayed. I have also seen Zi Yang test the first counterweight trebuchet he built. With such a powerful weapon, are we still worried that we have too few troops to break through Xiakou?"

Zhuge Jin listened to Liu Bei quietly and couldn't help but want to laugh. Liu Bei was either distracted or overcorrecting. When he first heard that Sun Ce was frustrated, he thought about whether he could delay the attack on Huang Zu. After learning that this matter could not be delayed, he wanted to speed up and act immediately. How could he be a little greedy...

Although greed is indeed a normal human phenomenon, only a very small number of people can maintain their pace when faced with opportunities for expansion.

Zhuge Jin waved his folding fan a few times despite the cool weather, then closed the handle and said, "I would like to hear your reason, lord. Why do you have to rush within this month? If we don't send troops in early March, will Huang Zu be pacified by Liu Biao in early April?

Even if our army's spring ploughing was not significantly delayed, sending troops too early would definitely affect the spring ploughing in Jiangxia County. By the time the autumn harvest came, Jiangxia was captured, but most of the local people missed the farming season and the harvest was greatly reduced that year.

Don't we need to allocate food to help them? Otherwise, there will be refugees everywhere. My lord should have confidence and from this moment on, treat the people of Jiangxia as the people under your rule, and then formulate strategies based on this."

Liu Bei knew that what Zhuge Jin said was right, and he quickly defended himself: "I also know that what you said is reasonable. The reason why I am anxious is not because I heard a few days ago that Lu Bu was defeated by Cao Cao again, lost Pei County, and retreated to Pengcheng. Now Pengcheng has also been surrounded by Cao's army.

Just now, the teacher reminded me that it would be best if our army responded to Yuan Long's uprising in Huaiyin in the east when our army had already launched a full-scale attack on Jiangxia, so as to show that our army acted on impulse and had no secret dealings, so as not to offend Cao Cao.

I just remembered that if Cao Cao attacked Pengcheng faster than our army attacked Jiangxia, and our main force had not yet been dispatched, Cao Cao would have conquered Pengcheng first. Then what chance would Yuanlong have to start a rebellion? Wouldn't that delay everything? If Xia Pi was already bordering the counties controlled by Cao Cao when Yuanlong started the rebellion, he would have no chance to surrender to our army and not offend Cao Cao. "

Liu Bei and Zhuge Jin's original plan of "Chen Deng surrendering to Liu Bei while Lu Bu was about to be defeated" had a prerequisite.

That is, he had to pretend that "the rebellion was launched in a hurry and was discovered by Chen Gong, so he had to act in advance", and then take action when Xia Pi County had not yet bordered the area controlled by Cao Cao, so that "in order to protect himself, he had to surrender to Liu."

If Xia Pi was already bordering the area controlled by Cao Cao, and Chen Deng still surrendered to Liu but not Cao, it would only lead to the court controlled by Cao Cao turning against Liu Bei for this benefit, and all the previous drama would be in vain.

Originally, Liu Bei didn't take this time difference so seriously, but when Zhuge Jin advised him to follow the established plan just now, he emphasized the time sequence, which made Liu Bei lose his patience and afraid that he might get out of hand.

After finally figuring out what Liu Bei was worried about, Zhuge Jin was not worried at all. He opened his folding fan again, and used the fan bone to rhythmically knock on the table twice, pointing out two points for Liu Bei to pay attention to:
"My lord, this matter is completely out of concern. Please pay attention to two time points: First, how long did Lü Bu hold on to Pei County? From November last year to early February this year, at least two and a half months, almost three months. Pengcheng is more important and solid than Pei County. Could it be that he couldn't hold on for a month and a half?
Of course, maybe you don't want to gamble, or you are worried that Lü Bu's situation will deteriorate, and his generals may become unstable and rebel in advance. But please think again, after the spring, will Cao Cao still do his best to deal with Lü Bu like he did last winter?
You have to know that last winter, he was unable to go deep into the mountains to hunt down Yuan Shu because of heavy snow in the Dabie Mountains. He had nothing to do and was eager to seize territory and expand his power, so he tried his best to attack Lu Bu.

Now it was almost March, Cao Cao did not know that Pengcheng would be his last battle, he did not know that Yuan Long had already controlled Xiapi and could surrender without a fight. So according to Cao Cao's calculations, Lu Bu would definitely die after Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu was a traitor who claimed to be an emperor. Even if Cao Cao had a weak army, he could have sent a small army to destroy Yuan Shu's remnants, but would Cao Cao be willing to do so? Would he be willing to give up the honor of personally delivering the final blow to Yuan Shu? Originally, he might have been willing, but after his lord had made great contributions in conquering the pseudo-capital Shouchun, Cao Cao absolutely refused to do so!

Because if he didn't kill Yuan Shu himself, his direct contribution in the war against Yuan Shu would not be as high as that of his lord! As the General of the Cavalry and the Minister of Works, he was in charge of the government, and he couldn't afford to lose this political account!

Therefore, he will definitely slow down the attack on Pengcheng, such as besieging it first without attacking it, or wearing down Lü Bu with low intensity. In March or April, he will personally withdraw to the Yinghuo Mountain area, strive to kill Yuan Shu within a month or two, and then return to give Lü Bu the final blow. My lord, there is no need to worry that Cao Cao will break through Pengcheng and advance to Xiapi before we attack Jiangxia!"

Liu Bei was still a little nervous at first, fearing that he would not be able to make up for the time difference and could not calculate the time account clearly.

After being directly warned by Zhuge Jin, he finally came to his senses and realized that he had overlooked an important political account and had forgotten about Yuan Shu, who was about to die!
Although Yuan Shu had been defeated and had no power, he was still alive! He was hiding deep in the Dabie Mountains!

It is very important to know who got Yuan Shu’s head.

Cao Cao in another time and space might not care about this matter, but that is because in another time and space, Shouchun was not captured at all, and Liu Xun was not dead when Yuan Shu died. Then, as soon as Yuan Shu died, Liu Xun surrendered directly, so no one could threaten Cao Cao in terms of the size of Yuan's credit.

Finally, after Yuan Shu wanted to drink the honey water but failed and died of hunger, thirst and anger, his remaining troops were captured by Xu Qiu, a local official in Runan. Xu Qiu then obtained the imperial seal left by Yuan Shu and presented it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao immediately appointed him as the Minister of Rites, the head of the Nine Ministers, in the name of the court.

Just imagine, in history, an unknown little character like Xu Qiu was directly promoted to the head of the Nine Ministers just because he picked up a minor head in the last battle against Yuan Shu (Yuan Shu was not killed by him, he just picked up the jade seal).

In this life, Liu Bei took Shouchun, how dare Cao Cao not personally take credit for "killing Yuan Shu"? If Cao Cao did not personally take care of it, his prestige as a regent might collapse! In comparison, Lü Bu's death a few months later was nothing.

Liu Bei figured out all these twists and turns, and finally felt relieved: "Look at my brain... I can't stop thinking about it. I just thought about the time constraints and how could I forget about Yuan Shu who is still alive! Indeed, Cao Cao will definitely personally fight the last battle against Yuan Shu. I have nothing to worry about. Everything will be done according to the original schedule!
However, there is still a month before the battle against Huang Zu. Is there nothing we can do? Or should we continue to expand the production of counterweight trebuchets and increase the armored equipment rate of the vanguard troops? "

Zhuge Jin nodded: "Of course, we can't relax in these two areas of preparation. Try to prepare more, so that you can be more confident and have fewer casualties. I will also personally monitor and give you some advice.

Once the war breaks out, I will be in charge of Jiangnan affairs, and I will do my best to deal with any emergencies. I will have no time to take care of Jiangbei affairs.

Fortunately, by then the busiest farming season will have passed and the spring rice seedlings will have been grown. I believe my second brother will be a little more free. My lord, you can let Kong Ming coordinate the affairs of Jiangbei.

In addition, if you have time during this month, you can actually make up for it - at the end of December last year, Cao Cao formally issued an order to you, asking you to choose an opportunity to attack Huang Zu. Then you only said you had received the order, but did not say when to send troops, nor did you say which strategy you would implement.

Now that the army is about to be deployed, we can submit another petition to the court in Xudu, recommending that Liu Qi, the eldest son of Liu Jingzhou, be appointed as the governor of Jiangxia. The court is under the control of Cao Cao, and in order to alienate the relationship between us and Liu Biao, it may not agree to this petition.

But it doesn't matter. As long as we make the request, the deterioration of relations with Liu Biao in the future war to destroy Huang Zu can be minimized. On the other hand, if the court agrees to this request and really allows Liu Qi to be the governor of Jiangxia, we don't have to worry.

If Liu Qi really dares to take up his post in Xiakou, as long as the military power and garrison of Xiakou are in the hands of our army, why should we be afraid that we cannot undermine Liu Qi, a scholar? If Liu Biao dares to let Liu Qi come, he will be sending his eldest son to us as a hostage, a sheep walking into the tiger's mouth. We just need to treat him with courtesy but not give him real power.

What is more likely is that even if Liu Biao is willing to let Liu Qi take up the post, he will not take up the post in the counties of Jiangxia that we have conquered. It is very likely that he will choose a county belonging to Jiangxia County in the north of the Yangtze River and let Liu Qi take up the post at that time. "

Zhuge Jin's supplementary plan once again made Liu Bei's eyes light up. He almost wondered what was wrong with Zhuge Jin's brain.

How come a new strategy or a new implementation plan for an old plan can come up casually while chatting, so smoothly, so silky, thinking of a strategy is as easy as drinking water for others.

Moreover, this matter is obviously a no-cost business, and there is no loss in submitting a petition? Whether Cao Cao agrees or not, Liu Biao agrees or not, it will not affect the result, and it is also a gesture.

Liu Bei was so happy that he couldn't help rubbing his hands, and repeatedly said, "Sir, you really have a brilliant plan. This matter is profitable and there is no loss. I will ask Gongyou to write a petition tomorrow and send someone to Xudu! If we go fast, it will arrive in less than half a month. In another half a month, we will get the court's reply, just in time to take action against Huang Zu.

As for other military equipment, Sir, please fill in the gaps and use whatever is needed without asking for permission."

After talking about this matter openly, the final preparations for the literary and martial arts scenes before taking action against Huang Zu have been completely finalized, and the rest is just physical work.

Zhuge Jin and Liu Bei went over the specific action plan one last time. It was already very late, so Liu Bei invited him to have a midnight snack and chat about more details. Zhuge Jin then said goodbye and returned home.

……

When Zhuge Jin returned to his residence, it was already the beginning of the evening, which was almost nine o'clock in the evening.

In ancient times, it was very rare to work overtime so late.

Zhuge Jin's wife Zhen Mi, who had been married for only twenty days, and her maid Bu Lianshi did not dare to go to bed early, so they prepared midnight snacks and hot water and waited for Zhuge Jin to come back.

However, the big and small bridges had already been sent away by Zhen Mi. They were only qualified to appear when Zhuge Jin took the initiative to call them to do something. It was not their turn to take the initiative to care about their master.

As soon as Zhuge Jin walked into the gate of the mansion, the maid ran in to inform him. When Zhuge Jin reached the Chuihua Gate, Zhen Mi and Bu Lianshi had already arrived at the courtyard to greet him.

Zhuge Jin then noticed that the backyard was brightly lit. It seemed that everyone was waiting for him and did not dare to rest. Zhuge Jin then began to show some sympathy for the woman:

"Today's military affairs are busy, and the lord has many concerns that need to be addressed one by one. You don't have to wait for me in the future."

Zhen Mi took the lead and stepped forward, like a willow in the wind, bowing her knees and saying, "I am a humble and homeless woman, but I am lucky to be able to serve my husband. My husband is responsible for the country and is busy with military affairs, so I will follow him."

Zhen Mi and Zhuge Jin had no emotional foundation before marriage. Ninety-nine percent of marriages in this era also had no emotional foundation. This was the norm. Zhen Mi didn't even have the chance to know what Zhuge Jin looked like before marriage, but since they were married, family affection could be cultivated slowly. For more than 20 days, she had been cautious and felt very lucky in her heart, and didn't feel tired at all.

Zhuge Jin patted his wife's shoulder with his right hand, then put his arm around her slender waist to comfort her. He then pulled Bu Lianshi with his left hand and went back to the house together.

During the past twenty days or so, Zhuge Jin had rarely been close to Bu Lianshi. After all, it was their wedding day, and the passion between him and his wife had not yet worn off, and he did not want to embarrass the two women.

But today there is news that Bu Zhi has been promoted for his meritorious service, and he has a lot to say to Bu Lianshi to make her happy, so naturally he will make an exception.

Zhuge Jin just naturally took one in his arms and dragged the other into the inner room, sat down beside the table, put his arm around Zhen Mi and sat on his lap, and let Bu Lianshi sit next to him, sharing the joy:

"Master, your cousin may have been impatient recently. Today, he finally sent back news that he had contacted the wise men of the Gu and Lu families in Wu County for the Lord, and also convinced the governor of Kuaiji, Wang Lang, and the commander He Qi, and made them submit to the Lord, and led them to repel Sun Ce.

This involves seeking talents, being a governor, and achieving military merit, a three-pronged approach. The lord has promised that after this war, he will give him the post of a county governor. In the future, you will be the county governor's cousin. Don't you feel wronged if you still do these rough work of serving others every day?

There are more and more maids in the mansion now, and you should learn from your sister Zhen how to manage people, so you don’t have to do things yourself. "

Upon hearing this, Bu Lianshi was delighted that her cousin had made great contributions and had been promoted. She naturally showed a proud and playful look, but then she became a little nervous: "Sir, is it because I haven't been serving you well recently?"

Zhuge Jin was about to explain, but Zhen Mi was quick to react and took the lead in helping to smooth things over: "Sister Bu, why worry? Your husband is just worried that you will be tired. You have served your husband for two years longer than I have, how can it be bad? I still have something to learn from you."

Bu Lianshi shook her head quickly and pulled Zhuge Jin's sleeve: "I'm not tired, and I can't learn how to manage people, so I'd better do it myself. By the way, has the young master had supper? You must be hungry after being busy with military affairs until so late."

Zhuge Jin subconsciously touched his stomach. Liu Bei kept people working overtime, so he must have included midnight snacks. However, his wife and maid were so enthusiastic, so he had to eat a little more.

"Looks like I have to go to bed late today. I need to take a walk in the yard after dinner to digest the food, otherwise I will gain weight." Zhuge Jin thought sadly, and accompanied Zhen Mi and Bu Lianshi. He ate a bite or two of each, and then told them not to waste it. The leftovers should be given to other maids and servants.

After Bu Lianshi took the things out, she came back to inform Zhuge Jin. Zhen Mi was already making the bed and preparing to go to sleep.

Bu Lianshi took the opportunity when Zhen Mi walked away to ask carefully, "Sir, then...will you arrange for Madam's brother to take on some tasks and make meritorious contributions?"

Before Bu Lianshi could finish her words, Zhuge Jin already knew what she was worried about: she was just his personal maid, too young to be taken as a concubine, while her cousin had already risen to a prominent position. Zhen Mi was his legal wife, but although Zhen Mi's second brother had also come to Jiangdong, he had no ability and did not hold a high position.

The wife's family is not as good as the concubine's family, which makes Bu Lianshi, who subconsciously regards herself as a concubine, feel a little uneasy.

Zhuge Jin couldn't help but sigh: It seems that Bu Lianshi is really not good at jealousy, so cautious. But these problems are not what she should consider.

Zhuge Jin touched her hair and said solemnly: "Master Lian, I will not allow you to worry about these issues in the future. Brother Zishan has achieved his fame today because of his hard work.

It's not because he has a classmate named Zhuge Jin, and it's not because his cousin is by my side. You don't understand what's going on outside, so don't underestimate your cousin. "

Zhuge Jin's speech was quite long. Zhen Mi, who was in the inner room, also noticed the movement outside. She walked over quietly and listened to the last half of the sentence openly. Then she smiled and touched Bu Lianshi's hair to comfort her:

"Sister, you are worried about your family, not mine. I appreciate your kindness, but there is no need to do this. Your husband is the one in power, and it is a good thing for your wife's family to be more responsible.

I know my second brother's abilities very well, but he is no match for Mr. Bu. If I really let him take on a big responsibility, it would harm him instead."

Bu Lianshi was confused and said with a shameful smile: "So... my cousin is really that powerful."

(End of this chapter)