Three Kingdoms: Heir of Wolong, my father-in-law is Guan Gong

Chapter 151 Struggle for Power (Pursuit)
Nanzheng.

One general led several cavalrymen and hurried from the north. It was Wei Yan, the prefect of Hanzhong and the general of Zhenyuan.

North entrance.

Wei Yan's eldest son, Wei Chang, rode his horse and waited.

Seeing Wei Yan returning, Wei Chang quickly rode up to meet him.

Wei Yan's face was cold and resolute: "Have you found out who is vying for the Northern Expedition coach now?"

Originally, Wei Yan was supervising the construction of granaries on various post roads in Hanzhong. When he suddenly heard that Liu Bei was going to pay homage to the generals in Nanzheng and select the commander of the Northern Expedition, Wei Yan couldn't stand still.

When Liu Bei appointed Wei Yan as the governor of Hanzhong, he asked Wei Yan what he thought.

Wei Yanhao said, "If Cao Cao comes with the whole world, please reject it for me. If Cao Cao comes with a hundred thousand people, please swallow him for me."

Although Liu Bei asked Wei Yan to build a granary on the post road from Hanzhong to Chang'an last time as a suspect to paralyze Cao Cao, Wei Yan did not deal with the matter of building a granary casually, but seriously built the granary.

It also attracted a large number of Hanzhong locals to inquire about the geography, geology and climate changes to ensure that the built granary would not have any defects due to force majeure factors.

Wei Yan came from a humble background. He was just a farmer in Yiyang who made a living by farming. He was once forced to work as a hunter in the mountains because of a violent beating of his nephew who was a lawless tycoon.

Because he admired Liu Bei's reputation, he and his fellow countrymen Liu Yong, Fu Wei, Hao Pu and others took care of Liu Bei with their families.

When Liu Bei saw Wei Yan's bravery and loyalty, he seemed to see a young version of Guan Yu, and he liked him very much.

He also saw that Wei Yan's character was too extreme, so he replaced Wei Yan with a long character and a long essay, in order to encourage Wei Yan to read more, increase his knowledge, and cultivate his character with literature.

And Wei Yan did not disappoint Liu Bei's expectations. He initially led his troops to Shu with Liu Bei, and made many military exploits and was promoted to General Yamen.

After the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei promoted Wei Yan to the position of Governor of Hanzhong, and as Queen, he made Wei Yan the prefect of Hanzhong. His official position was also promoted from General Yamen to General Zhenyuan.

Not only was the whole army in an uproar, but even Zhang Fei couldn't understand why Liu Bei valued and trusted Wei Yan so much!

Wei Yan has an arrogant personality and an extremely bad temper. He is like a sharp blade that can be unsheathed at any time, cutting whoever touches him.

Hao Pu, a fellow countryman, once advised Wei Yan not to always be malicious to the people around him, but to make more friends. The more friends he has, the easier it will be.

Wei Yan retorted to Hao Pu: There is no need to make useless friendships. If we accidentally make friends with bad intentions and miss General Zuo's major events, we will die and we will never forgive him.

Later, Hao Pu was betrayed by his friend Deng Xuanzhi and fell into Lu Meng's trick and surrendered to the city. Wei Yan became even more disgusted with making friends with the people around him.

Wei Yan often said to his eldest son Wei Chang: Your Majesty treats my father and son with great kindness, so my father and son should only be loyal to your Majesty. Instead of spending money, food and energy to make friends with those people in the camp, it is better to cultivate soldiers well and build for your Majesty the king who can be the first to enter the battle. of elite people.

After Liu Bei heard about it, he admired Wei Yan's character even more.

Dare to fight and yet loyal, what lord wouldn't like such a brave general?
Wei Chang did not dare to neglect and said quickly: "The rear general, the right general and the left general are all vying for the leadership of the Northern Expedition."

"Haier also found out that after Fa Shangshu was demoted to Yuexi, the king put aside the post of Shangshu Ling, and the Military Advisor General's Office was still in charge of matters related to Shangshu Ling."

"The strange thing is that Zhuge's military advisor gave all the official documents from the general's palace to his eldest son Zhuge Qiao for review. Zhuge's military advisor was studying military strategies every day. Shangshu Liu Ba, Yang Yi and others criticized this."

"Some people in Chengdu speculate that Zhuge Military Advisor may also compete for the Northern Expedition coach."

Wei Yan hummed softly: "Ma Chao was brave but ruthless. He betrayed his father and the emperor, tortured and killed the state generals, and also killed their relatives. Although he could win the hearts of the Qiang Hu, he was hated by the people of the state."

"The king has always acted with benevolence and righteousness, so he is loved by the scholars and people. When we were in Jingzhou in the past, it was because of your benevolence and righteousness that we relied on you."

"The king wants to conquer Qinchuan. Although the military front is the main force, benevolence and righteousness will be the supplement. If Ma Chao is appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, the soldiers and people of Yongliang will fight to the death in fear."

"The Northern Expedition is a major event that involves a lot of military affairs. The general is old and frail. How can he have such energy?"

"The right general is brave and good at fighting and has been with the king for a long time. In terms of prestige and military position, if the king allows the right general to compete for the leadership of the Northern Expedition, I may not be able to win."

"As for Military Advisor Zhuge, if Military Advisor Zhuge wants to be the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, I would rather be the vanguard."

Wei Chang asked suspiciously: "Although Military Advisor Zhuge understands military strategy, he has never commanded an army. If a scholar is allowed to command an army, wouldn't he regard the safety of the three armies as child's play?"

Wei Yan scolded: "Don't speak nonsense! Chang'er, you must remember that if Zhuge Military Advisor wants to be the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, it must be the king's permission."

"If I don't support Zhuge's military advisor, then I don't support the king. How can the king regard the safety of the three armies as child's play?"

"Don't be suspicious. Please cheer up the soldiers. Don't let the king see that we are too lazy to do military duties."

"Whoever dares to delay military affairs and violate military regulations will be severely punished."

"If the king regards me as the commander of the Northern Expedition, I will definitely win Guanzhong for the king; if the king does not regard me as the commander of the Northern Expedition, I cannot be underestimated by the commander of the Northern Expedition appointed by the king."

When Wei Chang saw that Wei Yan was angry, he did not dare to make any random comments.

Chengdu.

Shangshu Yang Yi found Shangshu Liu Ba and complained: "Although the military advisor has temporarily taken over the official affairs of Shangshu Ling, the military advisor actually asked Zhuge Qiao to review the official documents. What a child's play."

"Fa Xiaozhi was demoted to Yuexi because of Meng Da's incident, and basically can't return to Chengdu. With Brother Zichu's great talent, Brother Zichu should be the one to take charge of this post."

"Now we have to be restrained by Zhuge Qiao. What does this child understand? He actually rejected my official documents three times in a row!"

"I argued with him, and he actually said that I was talking eloquently, and that I judged the merits and demerits of Prefect Zhu Ti without knowing the details."

"Is that my random assessment? Deng Fang, the governor of Zhu Ti, actually distributed all the money and food in the treasury to the barbarians during his tenure. This was even admitted by Deng Fang himself after the assassination was confirmed."

"Who talks a lot? Who doesn't know the details?"

"He is just reviewing official documents on behalf of Zhuge's military advisor. He is neither a minister nor a military advisor and general. How can he be qualified to scold me?"

The more Yang Yi talked, the angrier she became.

They are all peers of Zhuge Liang, and they are also ministers, and now they are being reprimanded by a junior.

Something like this happened not once or twice.

Yang Yi had been holding back her anger for a long time.

Thinking that the official document sent by Liu Ba had also been rejected by Zhuge Qiao, and that he had also criticized Zhuge Qiao, Yang Yi came to Liu Ba to complain.

Liu Ba frowned when he saw Yang Yi complaining a lot.

Although Liu Ba was also dissatisfied with Zhuge Qiao, Liu Ba did not want to discuss it behind Yang Yi's back and said:

"Zhuge Military Advisor asked Zhuge Qiao to handle the official documents on his behalf. He got the king's permission. The king also issued a temporary approval for this purpose."

"Zhuge Qiao did not violate Chengdu's laws and regulations."

Seeing Liu Ba's ambiguous attitude, Yang Yi felt dissatisfied, but she still pretended to be angry with Zhuge Qiao and suggested:
"Brother Zichu, your Majesty can issue this temporary approval, or you can take back this temporary approval."

"Why don't you and I go together to persuade the king, and ask the king to take back his order and let brother Zichu take charge of the secretariat on his behalf?"

Liu Ba glanced at Yang Yi, feeling a little more contemptuous.

You still dare to play such a trick in front of me. You want to be the minister yourself, but let me bear the wrath of the king?

Who do you think I am, Liu Ba?

"Yang Shangshu, I don't want to get involved in the matter of admonition, and I think Zhuge Qiao's reason for rejecting me last time is also reasonable."

Liu Ba has a noble personality.

If someone is upset, Liu Ba is really upset and doesn't hide it at all.

Including Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, if Liu Ba wants to ignore anyone, no one can force him.

Now that Yang Yi was unhappy, he naturally refused to give Yang Yi face and immediately rejected Yang Yi's proposal.

Seeing that Liu Ba refused to come forward, Yang Yi could only leave angrily.

"If Liu Zichu refuses to dissuade him, then I will go and dissuade him personally."

"Fazheng has been demoted now. How can I not be the minister with my talents?"

"Hmph! I originally wanted Liu Zichu to be the minister for a few years and then replace him, but he is so ignorant of promotion!"

Yang Yi is a very conceited person.

They always considered themselves to be the most talented in the world. Zhuge Liang, Fazheng and others just took advantage of following Liu Bei earlier.

Yang Yi believed that if Zhuge Liang and Fa Zheng had planned for Liu Bei first, it would be easy to capture Yizhou based on Jingzhou!
An angry Yang Yi came to Liu Bei with official documents related to Deng Fang, the governor of Zhu Ti, asking Liu Bei to make a decision.

Liu Bei glanced at the official document and immediately understood what was going on:

"Wei Gong, you don't know much about the situation in Zhuti County. There is nothing wrong with Kong Shan's move, and it is reasonable for Bosong to reject your assessment."

"Deng Kongshan's achievements in Zhu Ti should be regarded as outstanding."

Yang Yi was dissatisfied: "Your Majesty, this Zhuti County is also the land of the Han Dynasty! The whole world is not the land of the king. If the barbarians are not convinced, then beat them until they do."

"As a prefect of a county, Deng Kongshan did not dare to use military power to intimidate the barbarians, but he used money to please the barbarians. Wouldn't it be a disgrace to the king's reputation?"

Liu Bei was unhappy.

Who is Deng Fang?

They were outstanding talents recruited by Liu Bei in Jingzhou. They followed Liu Bei to Sichuan as a Jingzhou employee and made many achievements.

Deng Fang was a man who did not value money and was courageous and brave. He served as the governor of Zhu Ti for four years. The barbarians were convinced and the powerful people in the county did not dare to cause chaos.

Unlike Ma Su's governance, the conflict between Han and barbarians became increasingly serious, and Fa Zheng had to replace Ma Su.

Just spending some money and food to allow the Han and barbarians in Zhuti County to coexist peacefully is not considered a political achievement. Could it be that Ma Su's intention to run away when he was in office in Yuexi is considered a political achievement?
"Wei Gong, let's not argue about this matter. Let's handle it according to Bo Song's opinion." Liu Bei didn't want to argue with Yang Yi over this trivial matter.

Seeing this, Yang Yi made another suggestion: "Your Majesty, with all due respect, I think that the official documents that need to be approved by the Minister should not be centralized and handled by Zhuge Military Advisor."

"Not only will it increase the burden on Zhuge's military advisor, but it will also make the authority unclear and power will easily be concentrated in the hands of Zhuge's military advisor. This is not conducive to the king's command of the ministers."

"Your Majesty, please consider and select one of me and Liu Shangshu to be promoted to Shangshu Ling." Liu Bei hesitated.

When Yang Yi deserted Cao Cao and came to join him, Liu Bei still liked Yang Yi quite a lot. Yang Yi was very talented and had a lot of insight into both military affairs and political gains and losses.

However, as time passed, Liu Bei discovered a problem.

Yang Yi is a very arrogant person with narrow views. If he agrees with Yang Yi's point of view, Yang Yi's attitude is very good. If he does not agree with Yang Yi's point of view, Yang Yi's attitude is very bad.

I am stubborn and can't listen to opinions, as if God is the boss and I am the second child. What I say is the truth and what others say is falsehood.

However, Liu Bei usually regarded these as just disputes between colleagues and did not affect the overall situation. In addition, Yang Yi did have good talents and learning, so Yang Yi's official position became bigger and bigger.

Yang Yi is also quite proud of this.

As long as there is talent, the official can be promoted continuously.

But now, Liu Bei suddenly realized that he seemed to value Yang Yi too much, so much so that Yang Yi now dared to recommend himself as a minister.

Why is Shangshu Ling temporarily suspended?
That’s because it’s reserved for Fa Zheng!
After promoting Liu Ba and Yang Yi, how can Fazheng be transferred to another post after he has made meritorious service?

Thinking of this, Liu Bei changed the topic: "Weigong, let's ignore this for now. You and I will go to Hanzhong in a few days. There are some urgent matters that need to be dealt with first."

Originally, Liu Bei wanted to take Liu Ba to Hanzhong, but Liu Bei was worried that Yang Yi and Zhuge Qiao would not get along after leaving, so he had to change his decision and took Yang Yi with him to beat him.

However, Yang Yi sensed something unusual. Combined with the recent rumors in Chengdu and the fact that Zhuge Liang taught Zhuge Qiao official documents for review, etc., Yang Yi asked: "Does the king have to let Zhuge Military Advisor lead the Northern Expedition?"

Liu Bei narrowed his eyes slightly and asked instead, "Do you think Duke Wei is qualified for the important task of the Northern Expedition?"

Yang Yi pondered for a moment: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Although military advisors know strategies, leading troops in battle cannot rely solely on strategies."

"For the king's plan, we should select a general with experience in warfare to lead the Northern Expedition, such as a former general from Jingzhou."

The relationship between Yang Yi and Guan Yu is still good. After all, it was Guan Yu who was demoted in the first place, and he was recommended to Xichuan by Guan Yu.

If Guan Yu becomes the head coach of the Northern Expedition, Yang Yi thinks that he can still gain some credit by following Guan Yu.

As for Zhuge Qiao being Guan Yu's son-in-law? Will offending Zhuge Qiao make Guan Yu unhappy?
That's not Yang Yi's consideration!

In Yang Yi's mind, if it weren't for the fact that Zhuge Qiao was Guan Yu's son-in-law, Yang Yi would have quarreled with Zhuge Qiao when the official document was rejected for the first time, and would not have waited until it was rejected for the third time.

Liu Bei saw that Yang Yi did not think Zhuge Liang was qualified to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition. He sighed secretly and said: "Yun Chang wants to reorganize the defense in Jingzhou and cannot leave lightly."

"If you can't choose a military advisor, among the four men, Meng Qi, Yide, Han Sheng and Wen Chang, who does Wei Gong think is more suitable?"

Yang Yi said without hesitation: "Of course it's General Right!"

"Although General Zuo was able to win the hearts of the Qiang and Hu people, he was cruel and ungrateful. In pursuit of military victory, he did not care about the safety of his father and brothers, nor the safety of his wife, concubines, and children, and even massacred the family members of the state general."

"How can you convince others if you are so unkind and unjust? If you become the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, then the people of Yongliang will think that your king is cruel and ungrateful."

"Even if we defeat them today and they rebel tomorrow, how can the Northern Expedition win?"

"In the past, the people of the Three Qin Dynasties defended the passes to resist Xiang Yu, and even ate pots of wine to welcome their great ancestor, all because of Xiang Yu's cruelty and unkindness."

"To conquer Yongliang, attacking the heart is the top priority, attacking the city is the bottom priority, fighting the heart is the top priority, and fighting the army is the bottom priority."

"General Zuo doesn't understand this principle of using troops!"

"The only one who can understand this is General Right!"

"Although the right general is a warrior, he has always respected the scholars. If he leads the Northern Expedition and has the king's reputation for benevolence and righteousness, how can the Yongliang soldiers and people not welcome him with a pot of rice and wine?"

"What's more, the general on the left came to surrender because he was in a state of poverty, and may not be loyal to the king. If he gains power, he will support his troops and respect himself; and the general on the right is loyal to the king. Even if the king gives the right general all the troops, the right general will not have the king. No second-guessing at all.”

Liu Bei nodded secretly. Yang Yi's analysis of Ma Chao and Zhang Fei was quite objective.

Not to mention whether Ma Chao is loyal or not, Ma Chao's character and military style do not conform to Liu Bei's view of benevolence and righteousness.

As the saying goes: Good deeds never go out, but bad deeds travel thousands of miles.

Liu Bei was benevolent and righteous all his life, but he took away Liu Zhang's inheritance because of urgent matters. Even though Liu Bei had treated Liu Zhang kindly, he was not immune to criticism.

If Ma Chao is used again in the Northern Expedition to carry out brutal killings, Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence and righteousness will be criticized again, and there will even be remarks about "Liu Bei the hypocrite".

"Wei Gong's words make sense." Liu Bei nodded and asked, "If I don't use Yide, will Han Sheng and Wen Chang be qualified for the Northern Expedition?"

Yang Yi said without hesitation: "The general is old and frail, and the Northern Expedition is busy with affairs. In addition, the road out of Sichuan is difficult and dangerous. I think it is not suitable for the general to go on an expedition. If there is an accident and the general is killed before he faces the enemy, wouldn't it be a loss of spirit?"

"As for General Zhenyuan, the king's appointment of General Zhenyuan as the prefect of Hanzhong has caused an uproar among the three armies, and the right general has been depressed for many days."

"If General Zhenyuan is made the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, the right general will be the first to refuse, and the left general and the rear general will also feel that the king's appointment is unfair."

Yang Yi suddenly paused.

Because Yang Yi suddenly thought that Guan Yu could not be transferred, Ma Chao could not be used, Huang Zhong was not suitable, Wei Yan lacked prestige and qualifications, and Liu Bei had the idea of ​​​​not using Zhang Fei, then who else could he use as the Northern Expedition general besides Zhuge Liang?

While Yang Yi was thinking carefully, Liu Bei said: "Weigong, let's prepare first. We will discuss who will be used for the Northern Expedition when we get to Nanzheng."

After a pause, Liu Bei added: "When it comes to reviewing official documents, just follow Bosong's wishes and don't use these useless arguments. I don't want the civil and military men under my command to quarrel over trivial matters."

Yang Yi was beaten and knew that Liu Bei was now fully supporting Zhuge Qiao, so he said no more.

At the same time, Yang Yi also had a new idea: participate in the Northern Expedition and achieve meritorious deeds!

"If even Zhuge's military advisor can lead the Northern Expedition, doesn't it mean that I will have the opportunity to lead the Northern Expedition in the future?"

"Your Majesty's partial trust in Zhuge Qiao must be because Zhuge Qiao has achieved military success in Jingzhou, so he wants to focus on training him."

"If I also made contributions in the Northern Expedition, how could it be Zhuge Qiao's turn to step on my head?"

Thinking of this, Yang Yi didn't say anything more and stepped back.

After Yang Yi left, Liu Bei sent people to summon Zhuge Qiao.

After more than ten days of reviewing official documents, Zhuge Qiao gradually became familiar with reviewing official documents. He no longer had to stay in the office without sleeping and forgetting food as he did at the beginning.

Not long after.

Zhuge Qiao came at full speed, and when he saw Liu Bei he saluted: "Your Majesty!"

Seeing that Zhuge Qiao was calm, Liu Bei couldn't help but ask: "Bosong, are there any difficulties in reviewing the recent official documents?"

Zhuge Qiao shook his head: "It's enough to be on the right track."

Liu Bei laughed: "As long as Bo Song can handle it, after reviewing the official documents for so many days, what do Bo Song have in mind?"

Liu Bei specifically issued an approval document and agreed to let Zhuge Qiao review the official documents of the Military Advisor General's Office. It was not just because Zhuge Liang was preparing to prepare for the Northern Expedition to pay homage to the general.

The minister also has Liu Ba and Yang Yi, and you can choose one to handle it temporarily. If that doesn't work, Liu Bei can do it himself.

The reason why Liu Bei let Zhuge Qiao be responsible for reviewing was actually the same as Guan Yu's idea of ​​letting Zhuge Qiao be the chief clerk.

By reviewing official documents, Zhuge Qiao could quickly understand the military and political situation in Yizhou, including but not limited to the evaluation, appointment and removal of officials in each county, the economy and people's livelihood, the relationship between Han Rong and Han Yi, etc.

Zhuge Qiao's words were concise and to the point: "Poor!"

The word "poor" is Zhuge Qiao's biggest feeling during these ten days of reviewing official documents.

Although Liu Bei won Yizhou, he was too poor!
Huang Quan strongly opposed the Northern Expedition because he knew the shortcomings of Yizhou.

As a native of Langzhong, Huang Quan was once the chief secretary of Liu Zhang and now governs Yizhou. He knows the situation in Yizhou very well.

Liu Bei was a little embarrassed: "Yizhou is a land of abundance. All industries are prosperous, there is a lot of money and food, Shu brocade is sold all over the country, and salt and iron can be sold all over the country. How can you be poor?"

Yizhou is not called the Land of Abundance for nothing. It is prosperous in all kinds of industries, including the production of salt, iron, boats, bamboo and woodware, cars, lacquerware, gold and silverware, cinnabar, cloth, silk weaving, leather, lacquer, fur, etc., among which copper is smelted. , iron smelting, salt making, silk weaving, and lacquerware were the most developed.

Liu Bei also adopted Liu Ba's suggestion and issued five-baht coins to pacify all the merchants. He ordered the officials to run the official market and made the treasury very full.

Although the Battle of Hanzhong consumed a lot of money, all the labor was sustainable. It didn't mean it would be gone after it was used. This money could also keep making money.

How can you be poor?

Zhuge Qiao was about to speak but stopped.

Liu Bei ordered the left and right to retreat: "Bosong, is there anything else we can't say between you and me?"

Zhuge Qiao sighed: "Your Majesty, suppose there are three hundred weaver households in Chengdu, and all these three hundred households are weaving brocade. Suppose only the king in Chengdu can afford brocade, but the king is busy with military affairs all day long and has no time to buy Shu brocade."

"So, are these three hundred households in Chengdu poor or rich?"

Liu Bei hesitated.

If we are poor, every household of the three hundred households has brocade. If we are rich, no one can buy the brocade at home and it cannot be exchanged for grain, rice, fish or meat.

Seeing Liu Bei's hesitation, Zhuge Qiao said again: "Your Majesty, the officers and soldiers in your army have all earned a lot of rewards for fighting in wars; but they cannot use these rewards to buy what they want because of years of fighting."

"Hundreds of folk workers work hard to produce brocade, cloth, lacquerware and other goods every year, but no one comes to buy them."

"If things go on like this, those who have money want to buy but have no time to buy, and those who have goods want to sell but cannot. It seems that everyone has money, but the goods and money cannot be circulated, which means a year is wasted."

"Isn't that the same as being poor?"

"For the sake of the king, we should focus on promoting buying and selling within Yizhou, so that those with money can spend money and those with goods can sell goods."

"In this way, Yizhou will not become exhausted!"

After listening to Zhuge Qiao's words, Liu Bei also understood: "Bosong, after all your talk, you are still telling me not to do the Northern Expedition. You are worried that the military advisor will not be able to be the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, so you will not be able to delay the time, and you are afraid that I will conduct the Northern Expedition myself. ?"

　Friendly reminder: non-romantic Wei Yan

　　
　
(End of this chapter)