My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 364: Guo Tu: How can saying that Brother Zhuge is a master of strategy be considered flattery? I am only telling the truth

Zhuge Jin said that Yuan Tan's envoy for help would be here soon. After hearing this, Guan Yu and Lu Su naturally believed it without a doubt.

The history of the past eight years has long proved that the Zhuge brothers (except Zhuge Jun) always keep their words and follow the rules.

With Zhuge Jin's ability to see the big picture from the small details, it was natural for him to think that Yuan Tan's need for Liu Bei's navy had become urgent again when he saw the rising water of the Zhang River in spring.

For the Cao and Liu families, the spring plowing season that just passed was a time for all things to revive, recuperate, and resume production.

But for Yuan Tan, at least for the small piece of land in Jizhou that was left under Yuan Tan's rule, this spring was still a pure loss of blood without any income.

Nanpi is the only isolated city left in Bohai County that is struggling to hold out. The vast land of Bohai County has become a war zone this year and cannot be managed or cultivated.

Yuan Shang on the other side was still besieging the city. Although he had occupied the vast wilderness, he himself did not know whether he could definitely control the land of Bohai by this autumn. Who would spend energy to govern a piece of land that they were not sure belonged to them? If they spent energy to govern it, it would eventually become someone else's, which would be like serving someone else.

Therefore, Bohai County was destined to become a barren land this year. If people were not even active in farming, a large-scale famine would definitely occur again by the end of the year.

But there is no way around it, because the Hebei Plain has no strategic location to defend. As long as the Hebei Plain is not dominated by one company, large areas of it are bound to be abandoned and no one will be interested in farming.

After two years of continuous tug-of-war, the people's savings in Bohai, which was once rich, had long been eaten up. At that time, the only way to avoid large-scale starvation was to relocate the people on a large scale.

And these are even things of the past, not the most urgent issues at hand.

The most urgent issue at hand is: as long as other people do a good job of farming in the spring, they can supply military rations on the spot when the summer crops are harvested.

Bohai County was unable to plant winter wheat last winter, and this year it was unable to plant spring ploughing. In the spring famine, there was no difference, and everyone had to tighten their belts. When the summer grain harvest season came, other people's military rations suddenly became abundant, while the Nanpi defenders had to continue to starve. That was when Yuan Tan completely collapsed.

Yuan Tan must solve the life and death problem before this time.

……

Forced by the issue of life and death, Yuan Tan's envoy for help arrived at an extremely timely moment and of extremely high standards.

On the third day of April, just a few days after Zhuge Jin, Guan Yu and Lu Su inspected Rizhao Port, a new round of envoys from Yuan Tan seeking help arrived in Zhuxian.

The envoys included not only Xin Pi, an old acquaintance of Liu Bei's camp who had secretly surrendered to Liu, but also Yuan Tan's number one strategist Guo Tu.

Although Guo Tu's historical evaluation is not high, many people in later generations think that he was a person who relied on flattery to Yuan Shao to get to the top, and his wisdom and talent were really unremarkable.

But back to the environment at that time, no matter how talented Guo Tu was, at least his status was really high. On the eve of the Battle of Guandu, after Ju Su was relieved of his military power as the sole supervisor of the army by Yuan Shao, he let Guo Tu supervise the troops as a "general". His status in the army was equal to Chunyu Qiong, and higher than Wen Chou and others.

When Guo Tu and his companions arrived at Zhu County, they heard that Zhuge Jin was not in the county seat but in the newly built Rizhao Port in the suburbs last year. The person who was responsible for receiving him was Zhuge Jin's third brother, Zhuge Jun, the county magistrate.

Zhuge Jun was very polite to Guo Tu. He cordially asked General Guo to stay in Zhu County for two days and that he would treat him well. He would send a fast horse to inform his elder brother to come back.

(Note: Guo Tu had military power when he was under Yuan Shao, and as mentioned above, he was on the same level as Chunyu Qiong. Therefore, outsiders could call him General Guo to emphasize his power and position, rather than calling him Sir.)
However, Guo Tu did not dare to be arrogant, and quickly said that he did not dare to trouble the princes to return, and that he should go to Rizhao to pay a visit.

Then he stayed in Zhuxian Town for only one night, and the next day he and Xin Pi rode over the mountains to Rizhao.

It was also because the counties were located in mountainous areas and had a large area. In one county, the distance from the county seat to the small town by the sea was nearly 100 miles, and Guo Tu walked for a full day.

When he arrived at Rizhao Town, Guo Tu was already looking a little dusty and his momentum was weakened.

After hearing the news, Zhuge Jin of course went out to greet him politely, and criticized the clerk who was in charge of the reception: "General Guo is here, why didn't you send a quick horse to announce it earlier! The same goes for my third brother, why didn't you notify me to return to the city! General Guo, please come in!"

The clerk in charge of reception did not dare to explain, but Guo Tu immediately took the initiative to help out:

"Your brother treated us with great courtesy. It was we who requested to come to Rizhao to pay a visit. The princes are the wisest men in the world. I believe they can guess the reason why my master sent us without me asking. Since we need to ask for help, it is reasonable for us to go to Jiangxia, not to mention that we are only coming to Rizhao now."

Guo Tu also put on a very humble attitude right from the start. He has always been good at observing people's expressions and is well aware that he was too powerful. This time, the lord sent him to ask for help and surrender. If he didn't put on a humble attitude, it would be easy to cause trouble. It would be better to give the other party enough face right from the start.

When Zhuge Jin first heard that it was Guo Tu who was coming, he was actually a little unhappy. This was because Guo Tu already held a high official position, and it was not easy to persuade such a person to defect because you could not give him more benefits.

It is like Gou Jian using Wu Taizai Pi as an insider. Taizai Pi was already a powerful official in Wu, and when Wu Zixu was alive, he was second only to Wu Zixu. So what else could Gou Jian give Taizai Pi besides enough gold, silver and jewelry? In the end, after destroying Wu, he could only kill Taizai Pi instead of rewarding him for his great achievements.

But Zhuge Jin didn't want Liu Bei to become like Gou Jian -

There was nothing wrong with Goujian's methods of destroying Wu and dealing with Fuchai, and there was no moral flaw. The key to Goujian's deeds leading to the collapse of morality was his treatment of Wen Zhong and Fan Li, and even his treatment of Taizai Pi. They were all likely to lead to the deterioration of the subsequent civilization and national suspicion chain, and this was the key.

Every one-shot deal is a damage to the sustainability of the repeated game model. Gou Jian was unlikely to be retaliated by Wen Zhong and Taizai Pi during his lifetime, but the world after his death had to bear the increasingly heavy shackles of history.

Zhuge Jin did not want history to become a burden in the hands of his generation, so his idea was more idealistic: if he did not intend to use force to deal with Yuan Tan and Guo Tu from the beginning, he should either accept their surrender, or, if he accepted it, he should ensure that they had a good end.

Even if the other party is a villain, you cannot abandon him. Moreover, no matter how villainous Guo Tu is, can he be more villain than Taizai Pi?

In Zhuge Jin's opinion, even Taizai Pi was someone Goujian should not have killed. He could not kill him simply for the reason that "those who are disloyal to their former master will not be loyal to me". At most, you could think that he was a villain and not use him or give him power.

But the promised things must be done, and the rich and powerful must be supported. This financial burden is not enough to cause the level of "redundant officials and soldiers, and financial difficulties" after the "giving up military power with a cup of wine" in the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, Yuan Tan can also be a benchmark. In the future, he can show Liu Qi and Liu Zhang a role model, so that they know that they can have a good ending if they obediently submit to Liu Bei.

The princes who once ruled a certain area can also have a peaceful mechanism for withdrawing from power. As long as they withdraw in time, they can ensure that their descendants will always be rich and idle without any safety risks.

Fortunately, Guo Tu put himself in a low position this time. He obviously knew his own weight and Yuan Tan's current situation.

After chatting with Zhuge Jin for a few minutes, Guo Tu had already revealed the meaning of "a hero does not brag about his past achievements", saying that times have changed and situations have changed, and that having once held a high position would not prevent him from being "content with poverty and enjoying the simple life" in the future.

He also flattered Zhuge Jin and said a lot of flattering words, completely ignoring the fact that Zhuge Jin was nearly 20 years younger than him, and praised Zhuge Jin's wisdom to the sky. At the same time, he also boasted about Liu Bei's benevolence, Zhuge Liang's wisdom and resourcefulness, and that there was no one in the world who could compare with Zhuge Jin...

Zhuge Jin didn't like to hear flattery, but Guo Tu's words did make him feel quite refreshed, so he gave Guo Tu an evaluation of "knowing when to advance and when to retreat" in his heart.

Afterwards, the conversation between the two sides became more harmonious and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.

At this point, Zhuge Jin roughly guessed that the other party had already thought about jumping ship. Knowing that Yuan Tan could not hold on any longer, he just wanted to save his life, and preferably keep his wealth. As for power, if he couldn't keep it, he would give it up.

Zhuge Jin felt a little more relaxed when communicating with such a "villain" who knew when to advance and when to retreat.

It would be best if the other party was willing to make concessions. How could a benevolent ruler like Liu Bei not give a chance to survive to those who knew when to advance and retreat?
……

“I didn’t expect that General Guo, who has been famous for many years, is such a humorous person. It’s obvious that he has experienced many ups and downs.

Then I will tell you the truth. I think I am smarter than General Guo, so don't think I am arrogant. But in terms of open-mindedness, I am not as good as General Guo. Maybe it's because I have been too lucky and didn't have many opportunities to experience ups and downs. "

After Zhuge Jin had talked with Guo Tu about his bland insights on life and polite remarks, he spoke frankly and set the tone.

This is the most honest truth, no need to play tricks. Just say "I am smarter than you, but I am not as good at making progress as you are, because I have been making progress all my life."

After hearing this, Guo Tu did not feel unwilling at all. Instead, he felt more relieved, because this showed that Zhuge Jin was not being polite to him, and of course he was not bragging, but was telling the truth.

Similarly, Guo Tu did not think that Zhuge Jin was bragging, nor did he think that he was flattering him - the Zhuge brothers were actually very smart, and this was the truth. Guo Tu was just stating a fact, and how could stating a fact be considered flattering?

After setting the tone, Zhuge Jin talked to Guo Tu about Yuan Tan's request for help. Guo Tu also said very frankly:

"Now that things have come to this, I will not hide it from you. In fact, when I was in Linzi, I had already seen that Zuo Zhi wanted to join the Cavalry General. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I actually had this thought too.

The Yuan brothers are at loggerheads, leaving the corpses unattended and attacking each other, which has already lost the support of the people. Although the eldest son claims to have inherited the will of the general, he certainly cannot go against the will of heaven. Now if we want to count on someone to stop Cao the thief from usurping the Han Dynasty, the whole world can only count on the General of Chariots and Cavalry. Who else can he count on?
Not only do we admire the benevolence and prestige of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, but many wise men who fled from Yecheng, such as Ying Zhongyuan (Ying Shao) and Cui Jigui (Cui Yan), also have the same aspirations. However, they are already in the opposition and are disappointed with the Yuan family, so they stayed in Beihai and other places to study and not care about worldly affairs. If the General of Chariots and Cavalry can directly govern Qingzhou in the future, they are also willing to contribute.

The eldest son sent me here this time so that the navy can reach Nanpi City after the Zhang River rises. So he hopes that General Taishi and Captain Zhou can once again provide strong support and transport food and grass to General Guan in Nanpi City, temporarily break the blockade of the enemy troops besieging the city, and help him hold on for a long time.

Although the eldest son has not yet made up his mind to join the general, and if Nanpi can be defended, the eldest son may be able to hold on for a while longer. But I think the princes should still persuade the general to send reinforcements, which is also a favor to the scholars and people of Qing and Ji, letting them know that the general is willing to disregard his own interests in order to jointly fight against the friendly forces of Kuang Han.

This kind of virtue of preserving the dead and carrying on the extinction is more just than the immoral behavior of the Yuan family who left the corpses unattended and attacked the enemy with their armor on. "

Zhuge Jin couldn't help laughing after hearing this: "Justice is in people's hearts, but people may not be able to see it in their lifetime. My lord is kind and will definitely save you, but not for the sake of 'justice' in return.

Let's put it this way. Ziyi and Gongjin will definitely send troops to help Master Yuan. But we really can't spare more manpower from other departments. You don't know the situation on the Xuzhou front line yet, but I will send someone to take you to observe in the next few days, and you will know it then.

Yunchang fought Xiahou Yuan for several months last winter. Although he won, he suffered heavy casualties. After all, our army is far inferior to Cao Cao. Now we need to leave heavy troops on the front line of Donghai County to prevent Cao Cao's counterattack. Otherwise, Donghai County is located in Lanling, west of Yishui, and there is no place to defend.

"General Guo, when you return, you must explain these principles to Master Yuan and the civil and military officials of Qingzhou, and let them know that our Lord has done his best."

Guo Tu bowed his head and said: "Of course, the general of the chariot and cavalry sent out a large number of troops out of kindness and humanity. How dare our army complain about the small number?"

Zhuge Jin: "Now that we've come to this, you can still speak openly to Master Yuan about one thing after you return, and that is, tell him not to worry that forcing Yuan Shang to retreat will cause him to pay too much to the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Because the rising Zhangshui River was conducive to our army entering the Zhangshui River from Bohai Sea and rushing to Nanpi with the navy, it also meant that it was conducive to Cao Cao's rebellion with Yuan Shang, a surprise attack on Jizhou, and a water attack on Yecheng. As long as Cao Cao attacked Yuan Shang in the summer, Yuan Shang would lift the siege of Nanpi.

My master is kind and does not want to take advantage of others' misfortune. He does not want to take advantage of the time difference when Nanpi is about to be relieved and Master Yuan does not know that Nanpi will be relieved, and threaten Master Yuan to ask for a high price. Even if he can gain benefits temporarily, Master Yuan will definitely regret it in the future when he realizes it, thinking that he was deceived by his uncle Liu. Wouldn't that hurt the relationship between the two families?
Cao Cao treated people with deception. He signed an alliance with Yuan Shang and pretended to accept Yuan Shang's surrender, but tore it up just one year later.

My lord treats people with sincerity. Even if he has not signed an alliance with Master Yuan, he will not take advantage of others. In my lord's eyes, he has always treated Master Yuan as sincerely as his own nephew, and will never betray his own people.

These words are just empty talk now. You will understand when Cao Cao breaks the alliance, attacks Yecheng by water, and Yuan Shang's army retreats from Nanpi. Therefore, we only sent Ziyi and Gongjin. On the one hand, we have tried our best and cannot send more troops. On the other hand, we also estimated that sending only this many troops would be enough to break the siege. "

When Zhuge Jin said this, it was like a bank loan manager saying to a customer:

I lend you so much because I only have that much money to lend you, and it is impossible to lend you more with your credit and collateral. I also don't want to take advantage of your misfortune and introduce you to other high-interest loans that do not require collateral.

On the other hand, I have evaluated your business situation, know some industry insider information, and calculated your current business difficulties. You only need to borrow that much money to tide you over. I don't lend you more because I hope you can spend less unnecessary interest.

As for the "Cao's Bank" next door, it not only cheated its customers by lowering prices and raising interest rates, but also deceived people into guaranteeing high-interest loans, and finally deliberately made things difficult for customers so that they could not pay back the money and then enforced the repayment.

Whether you, Yuan Tan, want to live a life of life or death for the rest of your life is up to you.

Sometimes telling the truth may make people care more about immediate interests, but in the long run, it is beneficial to play the long game and catch the big fish.

Because customers will know that you keep your word.

If Liu Bei dared to promise a surrenderer a lifetime of wealth and honor and that his descendants would be granted titles of nobility, he would really fulfill his promise, rather than just fooling people into surrendering.

Zhuge Jin also saw that Yuan Tan's subordinates had become disunited, and so many counselors and civil officials had sided with Liu Bei, or had become disheartened and resigned from the party, so he dared to use such an upright method of telling the truth to deal with the situation.

(End of this chapter)