I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 82 A Strategy on the Bed (Part 2)
"All mortals have desires, and all those with desires have wants!"

"To point to what the enemy desires is to win their hearts and minds!"

Lu Su simply stood up, raised his index and middle fingers, and acted with unrestrained arrogance and domineering manner!

“The Yue people in the mountains do not engage in farming, so they come down from the mountains to plunder.”

"To put it another way, they were forced to plunder our Han people out of necessity for survival!"

"Actually, there were always Yue tribes causing trouble in previous years, but in recent years the Yue tribes in Yangzhou have become more and more rampant. The reason is simply that the war has caused the land to be barren and the harvest to be poor. Not to mention the Yue tribes who come out to plunder, even the farmers can't feed themselves. So the more people go hungry, the more Yue tribes there are."

"Therefore, the key to pacifying the mountain tribes lies not in the size of the army, but in ensuring that the people within the territory can live and work in peace and have enough food!"

If Liu Miao had only scratched the surface before, he was now sitting upright and looking at the ambitious Lu Su with great seriousness.

Liu Miao was naturally aware of Lu Su's talent.

Even so, Liu Miao did not expect that Lu Su had already mentioned the key concept of "productivity".

Although Lu Su's awareness was still quite vague, or even non-existent, it was still possible to see that Lu Su was different.

Lu Su was different from traditional literati and officials, and even more different from the Confucian scholars of today who are accustomed to studying prophecies and apocryphal texts, who often talk about heaven, earth, and the interaction between heaven and man... On the contrary, Lu Su, who came from a wealthy family, was better able to understand the laws of society, and that those who understood these laws were not officials, great Confucian scholars, or even the emperor, but farmers who cultivated the land and eventually became wealthy!

Liu Miao was increasingly pleased with Lu Su and had also figured out how Lu Su would be useful in the future.

Lu Su, however, was completely oblivious to the world around him, still engrossed in his grand plan for governing the country.

"Therefore, once the stability of the counties is ensured, the number of Yue people can be prevented from increasing. After that, we can simply focus on reducing their numbers and gradually eliminate them!"

"Once the granaries are full of grain, use them to lure the enemy! Once the armory is fully forged, use it to intimidate the enemy! After gaining the upper hand in the confrontation with the mountain tribes, teach them poetry, literature, etiquette, farming, and weaving, so that they forget the skills they relied on for survival in the mountains! In this way, the mountain tribes will be no different from ordinary people!"

When dealing with the Yue tribes, the most crucial factor is never military strength, but rather the stability of one's own territory.

With a stable territory, food supplies will be plentiful, the treasury will be full, and soldiers will be able to be equipped. This will force the Yue tribes to sit down and negotiate with you, and then you can gradually change their way of life and assimilate them.

Liu Miao nodded again, meaning that Lu Su's plan to deal with the Shanyue people was approved.

Lu Su was overjoyed upon seeing this, and without even taking a sip of water, immediately began to speak of the matter of the chieftain—

"Among those powerful generals, the most influential are Zu Lang of Danyang and Bai Hu of Wu County."

"Both men come from prominent local families and own numerous estates and tenants in Jiangdong, but none of them are organized into a cohesive system. Liu Yangzhou can easily treat them as ordinary bandits!"

"Unlike the Yue tribes, these powerful leaders, though they have many lands and people under their command, have no scholars willing to help them. Their governance is also unsystematic, relying solely on individual bravery. Even though they seem most rampant now, they are nothing more than clay chickens and earthenware dogs, and cannot last long. Now, Liu Yangzhou has a skilled general like Zhou Gongjin and elite troops like the former subordinates of the Marquis of Wucheng under his command, making it the easiest to deal with them."

The most powerful and largest military commanders were, in Lu Su's eyes, insignificant figures who could be easily defeated.

If others had heard this, they would probably have laughed at Lu Su. But Liu Miao, upon hearing it, continued to nod, clearly agreeing with Lu Su's point of view once again.

Just as he was about to reveal his solution to the third problem, Lu Su suddenly changed the subject.

Lu Su raised his wine cup high with one hand, while pointing at Liu Miao with a slightly offensive gesture with the other: "Before that, I have a question for Governor Liu!"

Liu Miao naturally didn't mind: "Feel free to ask!"

But Lu Su's next words made Chen Yu, who was standing next to him, freeze. He could barely hold onto his chopsticks and stood there dumbfounded.

Because the question Lu Su asked Liu Miao was—

"May I ask, Governor Liu, do you truly only wish to be a loyal subject who guards the land in this chaotic world?"

If not to be a minister who defends the land, what else can I do?
Today, even Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu still call themselves Han officials and have not overstepped their bounds. Who would dare to have any other ideas?
As if sharing the same thoughts as Chen Yu, Liu Miao directly voiced Chen Yu's thoughts: "If you don't serve as a minister to defend the land, what else can you do? Are you going to return to the court and become one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers?"

Unlike Chen Yu, Liu Miao's words were clearly not out of shock or fear, but rather carried a hint of teasing and mockery.

It was this hint of playfulness that Lu Su instantly noticed.

Instantly, Lu Su's skull was completely clear, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of ice-cold wine on a sweltering summer day!
This playful remark convinced Lu Su that Liu Miao was no ordinary ruler!
Liu Miao truly had great ambitions!
Therefore, Lu Su blurted out, "Naturally, we should act in accordance with the ways of a king and a hegemon!"

Bang!

Chen Yu finally dropped the wooden chopsticks from his hand, and jumped up, angrily rebuking Lu Su: "Lu Zijing! The Emperor is still alive! What are you saying to Zhongshan?"

Chen Yu was anxious, as if he were blaming Lu Su for leading Liu Miao astray, and he was heartbroken!
Lu Su was about to argue when Liu Miao stopped him.

Liu Miao turned to Chen Yu and asked, "What do you mean by 'acting like a king or a hegemon'? That's all nonsense from Zijing! How about we change the term and say 'emulate Emperor Guangwu's restoration of the Han Dynasty'?"

Chen Yu took a deep breath and sat down again: "That's more like it..."

wrong!

After sitting down, Chen Yu realized, "Isn't this the same thing?!"
However, Liu Miao and Lu Su gave Chen Yu no chance at all, completely immersed in their own world, making grand plans for the future.

"If my lord harbors ambitions of becoming a king or conqueror, then Jiangdong is not a place we can linger in!"

At this moment, Lu Su even changed his form of address, addressing Liu Miao as "Lord" without any hesitation.

“Jiangdong has been barren since ancient times, far less prosperous than the Central Plains and Hebei. If we rely solely on this corner of Jiangdong, we will surely be trapped here and die sooner or later!”

"Then, in Zijing's opinion, what should be done?"

"Take Jingzhou to the west, and march north to the Central Plains!"

Lu Su gestured with his hands to demonstrate the relationship between Jingzhou and Yangzhou to Liu Miao.

"Jingzhou is located upstream. If our ships attack, our army will have to go upstream and be at a disadvantage! This natural barrier of the Yangtze River will then become a hindrance to us!"

Liu Miao, however, had a different opinion: "What if the people who occupy Jingzhou become our allies?"

"Does my lord really think that Liu Jingzhou will become an ally of our army?" Although Lu Su had lived in Jiangdong for a long time, perhaps because he came from a wealthy family, he was extremely well-informed about intelligence from various places.

"Although Liu Jingzhou is of the same clan as our lord, both being members of the Han imperial family, he is more capable of maintaining the status quo than of making any significant advances! He dares not take Nanyang in the north, cannot control Jiangdong in the east, cannot pacify Zhang Xian in the south, and cannot subdue Liu Yan in the west. Such a person is most indecisive in the face of change! Our lord is a man destined to achieve great things; are you really going to hand over your power to someone else?"

Liu Miao did not continue to inquire about Jingzhou, but instead asked about matters in the north.

"Yuan Shu was defeated by Cao Cao and fled all the way. He is like a toothless tiger. He can still run rampant for a while because of his past glory, but he will soon be found to be weak inside and out. My lord, do not worry!"

"Tao Qian of Xuzhou is getting old, and I have heard that Cao Cao has already led his troops to conquer Xuzhou. With Tao Qian's abilities, there is no way he can defeat Cao Cao. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before Xuzhou falls into Cao Cao's hands."

When Cao Cao was mentioned, Lu Su finally lost the ease he had shown when talking about Liu Biao and Yuan Shu.

"Cao Cao is cunning and treacherous, earning him the title of 'treacherous hero'! Moreover, he was able to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou, recruit him into his service, and then repeatedly defeat Yuan Shu. His rise to power is unstoppable! This man will surely become a formidable enemy for our lord in the future!"

But Lu Su added, "Fortunately, two tigers cannot share one mountain. Cao Cao's power is rising. Even though he is currently following Yuan Shao, there will inevitably be a battle between the two in the future. At that time, our lord can reap the benefits!"

"As for Gongsun Zan of Youzhou, his defeat and death after the Battle of Jieqiao is only a matter of time. The remaining Gongsun Du of Liaodong, Ma Teng and Han Sui of Liangzhou, Liu Yan of Yizhou, and Shi Xie of Jiaozhou are all too far from the Central Plains to pose a threat. There is no need to worry about them!"

Chen Yu, who was standing nearby, overheard all of this.

He had just wanted to join the conversation about Liu Miao and Lu Su, but now he just wanted to find a sand dune to bury his head in and pretend he knew nothing.

Chen Yu had never heard of or seen this before, yet he spoke in such a manner!

The feudal lords of the world are all under his command; what a magnificent spirit that is!
Especially considering that Yuan Shu was powerful, Tao Qian was influential, and Liu Biao commanded 100,000 armored soldiers, they treated them all as nothing!
At the same time, the chaotic situation of the world became clear through Lu Su's words. Lu Su was even able to predict some future events and find opportunities for Liu Miao!
At this point, Chen Yu no longer dared to doubt the value of Liu Miao's evaluation of Lu Su as "a talent fit to assist a king".

If even such a person is not considered a worthy advisor to a king, then what kind of person can be called a worthy advisor to a king?
When Chen Yu thought of Zhou Yu's brilliant military strategy and Lu Su's commanding presence, he felt increasingly incompetent, so he picked up his wine jug and hid in a corner to drink alone.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have come!"

Liu Miao became increasingly interested in Lu Su's words.

"Zijing said that a battle between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao was inevitable?"

"certainly!"

"Then Zijing, why don't you guess who will win between the two of them?"

Who can win?
Lu Su was surprised that Liu Miao would ask him such an advanced question!
However, this question is easy to answer; it's simply a matter of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao each guessing one!

Lu Su almost blurted out, "Yuan Shao should win!"

"what!"

Liu Miao chuckled and then returned to the three questions from before.

"Now that I have answered Zijing's question, shouldn't Zijing honestly tell me the plan I just devised?"

"nature!"

Lu Su not only told Liu Miao his plan, but also explained why he had asked Liu Miao these questions.

“If my lord only wishes to be a minister who defends the territory, the disposal of these four prefects is actually quite easy. Just send troops to attack them all. There is nothing else to consider.”

"But if our lord wishes to act like a king or tyrant, he must not easily resort to military force!"

Lu Su sat down again to wrap up his interview.

"These prefects are all high-ranking officials of the imperial court, symbolizing the face of the court. In particular, Wang Lang and Hua Xin are renowned scholars and Confucianists, and should not be offended lightly."

"My lord's future ambitions should not be limited to Jiangdong or Yangzhou, but to the entire world! If you do something to ruin your reputation now, it will only make your great cause more difficult!"

Whether one is greedy or lustful, lazy or slovenly, these are personal matters. They may make one a laughingstock, but they do not touch the root of the problem.

However, if one were to arbitrarily kill high-ranking officials of the court or bully renowned Confucian scholars, one would be despised by scholars throughout the land, which is absolutely unacceptable in today's world!
Therefore, Lu Su's approach to Liu Miao was—

“Zhou Xin, the prefect of Danyang, has been operating in Danyang for a long time and his power and position are deeply rooted. Moreover, he is a student of Grand Tutor Chen Fan, so he is not easy to deal with.”

"However, because of the conflict between the two Yuan brothers, and now that Yuan Shu has arrived in Huainan, our lord can use Yuan Shu's power to scare away Zhou Xin and shift the pretext of attacking Zhou Xin to the conflict between the Yuan brothers, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao. In this way, we can take Danyang."

"Xu Gong, the Prefect of Wu Commandery, was a renowned scholar, yet he was the easiest to deal with. This was because the Prefect of Wu Commandery appointed by the court at the time was Sheng Xian from Kuaiji. After Sheng Xian resigned due to illness, Xu Gong, who was then the Commandant of Wu Commandery, took control of Wu Commandery and persecuted Sheng Xian several times, earning him the contempt of the world!"

"As long as our lord declares his support for Shengxian, he will have the moral high ground and the people of Wu County will be convinced!"

Zhou Xin and Xu Gong each have their weaknesses, and their flaws can be exploited, allowing Liu Miao to gain the upper hand!

However, Lu Su was also somewhat troubled by Wang Lang and Hua Xin.

"They were both masters of classical studies; one studied under Grand Commandant Yang Ci, and the other under Grand Commandant Chen Qiu..."

In the corner, Chen Yu, who was drinking alone in silence, suddenly twitched his ears a few times!

"They all have a wide circle of friends and enjoy high prestige among the gentry. Furthermore, they have made virtually no mistakes while serving in their local posts, and have instead benefited the people. Therefore, they are deeply loved by the people. In my humble opinion, it is best not to interfere with them."

"The true essence of Jiangdong lies in Danyang and Wujun. Kuaiji and Yuzhang are mostly mountainous and not wealthy. There is no need for my lord to seek them out."

"In any case, Wang Lang and Hua Xin are both men of noble character. As long as the decrees issued by our lord truly consider the people's well-being and alleviate the suffering of the people of Jiangdong, neither of them will refuse. In the long run, even if our lord does not take the initiative to mention it or send troops to conquer them, they will still come to rely on our lord!"

Thus, Lu Su's strategy on the couch was complete!
The three most difficult problems in taking over Jiangdong, and their corresponding solutions, completely solved the urgent problems for Liu Miao's team!
Even though Liu Miao was prepared, he couldn't help himself and went online to hold Lu Su's hand.

"Having Zijing is like Emperor Gaozu having Zhang Liang!"

"If Zijing does not mind, I am willing to treat him as a registrar!"

(End of this chapter)