Chapter 136: Lujiang Strategy, the Capable Liu Fu When Liu Bei saw Qin Zhen mentioned Mei Cheng, he became hesitant. Because his impression of Mei Cheng was extremely bad. After all, even now, Mei Cheng's respectful at first and arrogant later is still vivid in our minds. At that time, he tried to persuade him with the righteousness of the court. Mei Qian was ashamed and speechless, but Mei Cheng showed no shame at all. From this we can see that Mei Cheng was born to be rebellious and had no respect for his father or his king. After he was caught by him, he changed his attitude and fell to the ground begging for mercy. It can be seen that this person is afraid of death and has no sense of shame. Such a person who has no father, no king and no sense of shame will hurt oneself if kept by one's side, and will surely rebel if sent to a foreign post. How can he be a traitor? If Mei Ben was originally under Liu Xun's command, he could naturally be bribed, but if he was sent by them, he could not be trusted. Therefore, Liu Bei looked at Qin Zhen with doubts for a moment and said: "Military advisor, you must know that this person is disloyal and unrighteous, and can hardly be trusted. How can you use him as an insider?" Facing Liu Bei's question, Qin Zhen smiled and said: "Mei Cheng is like this, so he can't be trusted. But if he is used in the opposite way, there is a way to deal with it!"

"The key is to mobilize Liu Xun's troops through Mei Cheng." "So my intention is to let Mei Cheng become Liu Xun's internal supporter." "It is precisely because our army cannot trust this person that Liu Xun can trust him." "I know that Liu Xun has always been fond of money. As long as we plan carefully and set up a clever trap, I'm sure we can catch Liu Xun off guard!" He naturally knew what Liu Bei was worried about, and in fact Liu Bei had a good opinion of Mei Cheng. Because in the original process, Mei was not a quiet character. This fellow first pretended to submit to Cao Cao with Chen Lan, and then rebelled with the six counties of Di. Facing Jin's troops, he used a forged book to trick Yu Jin into returning to the army, and then fled to Mount Qian. It was only then that Zhang Liao, together with Zhang He, Niu Gai and others, put down the rebellion. There are indeed not many records, which probably shows that this guy was very ambitious. If the direct approach doesn't work, they need to use reverse thinking. They know what kind of person Mei Cheng is, and of course Liu Xun knows it too. In this case, it is naturally more appropriate to communicate with Liu Xun in the name of Mei Cheng than ordinary people. After his explanation, Liu Bei thought for a while and finally realized what was going on. He couldn't help but smile and said: "If that's the case, maybe we can give it a try!" What he was worried about was that Mei Cheng could not be trusted, but Qin Zhen's plan did not require trust at all, so it was naturally feasible. Only Lu Su heard this and laughed: "The military advisor's words make sense, but since we know that Liu Xun likes money and goods, why not lure him with them, and then plan to build a navy and take Lujiang?" Seeing this, Qin Zhen looked at Lu Su and said: "I wonder if Zi Jing has any good ideas?" He did remember that Sun Ce used this trick when he fought Liu Xun, but the trick Sun Ce used was indeed not very glorious. He first formed an alliance with Liu Xun, and then used money to trick Liu Xun into attacking Yuzhang, and then took the opportunity to stab him in the back. Now they are in a state of hostility with Liu Xun, so it is impossible for them to lure the tiger away from the mountain in the name of alliance. Therefore, Mei Cheng is needed to go fishing, but fishing can only be done once, and one can only choose between the navy and Liu Xun's main force. But seeing that Lu Su seemed to have a complete plan, he naturally gave Lu Su a chance to show his skills.

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Bei looked at Lu Su, and saw Lu Su stroking his beard and smiling: "Because I know the military advisor's method, most of the time it is to trick Liu Xun into sending out his navy with false information and then plot against his navy." "But the military advisor doesn't know that Liu Xun loves money like his life!" "As long as the money is enough to move this man, he will most likely lead his army to attack." "In my opinion, we can use Chaohu and Jundao as bait, saying that our army wants to build a navy, store treasures in Jundao to buy ships to guard against Sun Ce." "If Liu Xun receives the news, he will most likely attack by land and sea, using his fleet to attack Chaohu Lake and his troops to attack Jundao." "In this way, our army can set up ambushes along the way to defeat their main force, seize Wanxian County by surprise attack with light equipment, and block the Chaohu waterway with iron chains, so that we can defeat their land and sea forces in one fell swoop." "If we get their warships, we can take the opportunity to move up the river and occupy Pengze to cut off their route back." "If we act this way, we can ensure that our army can get their ships, and we can also ensure that our army can capture their city and occupy Lujiang!" "I wonder what the military advisor thinks of this plan?" Having said this, Lu Su said nothing more. Qin Zhen nodded and smiled: "Zi Jing, this plan is certainly feasible. I originally wanted to cheat, but this plan is half true and half false. It will most likely mobilize Liu Xun to come!" As he said this, he couldn't help but secretly think that history books said that Lu Su was good at coming up with strange ideas, but there were no relevant examples. Now it seems that Lu Su is also a first-class strategist. It was just that he was delayed under Bi Yan'er's command and was forcibly transformed from an offensive strategist into a defensive commander. At this point, he smiled and said to Liu Bei: "Zijing's strategy is excellent. If we take Lujiang, it will be counted as Zijing's great achievement!" Seeing that the two had outlined a strategy for taking Lujiang in just a few words, Liu Bei smiled with satisfaction and said: "As the military advisor said, I think Zijing's plan will be a great achievement if we can capture Lujiang." When Lu Su saw the two of them like this, he couldn't help but feel emotional. Not only was Liu Bei good at judging people, but Qin Zhen was also a generous and magnanimous person. Such a move, shifting his own merits to the second line, but emphasizing his merits, shows his determination to promote him. With these two rulers and ministers like this, who could not serve them till death? At that moment, he naturally bowed again to express his gratitude and praised him repeatedly. The two of them then planned based on this basic strategy and finally came up with a complete plan. First use Mei Cheng to gain Liu Xun's trust, then use bait to mobilize Liu Xun's troops, and finally seize the entire Lujiang region. Qin Zhen was responsible for controlling the overall situation, while Lu Su was preparing to keep Liu Xun's navy in Chaohu Lake. The only problem was where the money and supplies to lure Liu Xun here came from. However, Qin Zhen said that there was no rush and he would take care of it.

Liu Bei also knew Qin Zhen's abilities, so he no longer worried about him. After all, it has to be planned slowly. With Qin Zhen in control, his main energy should still be focused on managing people's livelihood. Everyone talked like this for a long time before Liu Ye finally arrived. After knowing that the two of them had secretly planned a big plan behind his back, Liu Ye laughed again: "Zi Jing is indeed a capable man. He has only been here for one day and has already accomplished something great!" After listening to the two men's plan for Lujiang, he thought it was feasible. In fact, he was also preparing to help Old Liu plan for Liu Xun, but he did not expect Qin Zhen and Lu Su to bring it up first. These plans were similar, and since they had already been decided, he naturally had no objection. When Liu Ye heard Qin Zhen say that he would go to Xudu as an envoy, he thought that this military advisor really didn't take him seriously. He had only been back for a few days, and he wanted him to go on another long journey? Although he felt a little resentful in his heart, he still gladly accepted the order. After all, going to Xudu is not just a diplomatic mission, there are many benefits to meeting the emperor. Who knows, if Liu Xie is in a good mood, he might give his father a minor official position, which would certainly bring honor to the family. However, while thinking, Liu Ye asked Liu Bei another question: What purpose did Liu Bei want to achieve by going on this trip? In other words, what position did Liu Bei want to exchange for the imperial seal? Because Liu Bei was recommended by Cao Cao as the governor of Yuzhou at the end of last year, but now Liu Bei's territory spans both Yangzhou and Yuzhou. It was reasonable for Liu Bei to occupy places like Pei State and Runan. However, Jiujiang and Lujiang counties were not under Liu Bei's jurisdiction. Under such circumstances, if Liu Bei wanted to stay in Huainan and seize Jiangdong with justification, the best way would be to become the governor of Yangzhou. In that case, Liu Bei would have had the support of a righteous cause when he went south to Jiangdong. But this would lead to another problem. If Liu Bei became the governor of Yangzhou, then Peiguo, Runan and other places would be outside his jurisdiction. Therefore, the best way to have the best of both worlds is to let someone under Liu Bei serve as the governor of Yuzhou, while Liu Bei himself serves as the governor of Yangzhou. And who will serve as the governor of Yuzhou is also a problem! The position of governor is not something that can be achieved simply by showing off one's credentials; qualifications and reputation are both essential! Almost no one under Liu Bei's command was qualified to be a provincial governor, not even Qin Zhen, Guan Yu and Mi Zhu. Qin Zhen did not hold a high-ranking official position before, while Guan Yu and Mi Zhu were even less famous. Apart from these two, Zhang Fan and Zheng Hun are qualified. But strictly speaking, these two people are not Liu Bei's men. Therefore, before Liu Ye went on the mission, he had to first determine Liu Bei's intentions. But Liu Bei was also troubled by this and didn't know who was the most suitable person. But at this time, Qin Zhen smiled at Liu Bei and said: "Since there is no one available, our army can recruit. I will recommend someone who may be of use!" When Liu Bei heard this, he hurriedly asked who it was. Qin Zhen smiled and said to Liu Bei: "He is a relative of the Lord, named Liu Fu, styled Yuanying, from Xiang County, Pei State. He is now in Huainan to avoid disaster, so we should invite him to work for us!"

Speaking of Liu Fu, he was also one of the famous ministers of Cao Wei. In the original process, after Cao Cao conquered Huainan, because the situation there was corrupt and difficult to govern, he sent Yan Xiang as the governor of Yangzhou. This Yan Xiang is not the same Yan Xiang, but a famous scholar in Henan. Unfortunately, after Yan Xiang arrived, he was killed by Li Shu, the prefect of Lujiang appointed by Sun Ce, before he could accomplish anything. At that time, Cao was fighting with Yuan Shao, so he had no choice but to appoint Liu Fu as the governor of Yangzhou again. Liu Fu was also a capable man. As soon as he received the order, he came to Hefei alone and established a new capital in Yangzhou. Using this place as a base, he pacified the tribes of Mei Qian, Lei Xu and others. During his several years in office, he showed great kindness and education, took in refugees, and restored the vitality of Yangzhou. They also built high ramparts for protection, accumulated wood and stones, wove large amounts of straw mats with grass and palm leaves, and stored thousands of bushels of fish paste as preparations for combat defense. This created a happy home for Sun Quan. It can be said that if it were not for Liu Fu’s governance, Hefei might not have become a nightmare for Eastern Wu. In the original process, Liu Fu also did one thing, which was to persuade Qin Yi and Qi Ji to join Lao Cao. All these things show that this man is loyal to the Han Dynasty and has the talent for governance. And the most crucial point is that Liu Fu and Liu Bei are both descendants of the Western Han royal family. Since Old Liu was able to convince Liu Ye to join, he can naturally convince Liu Fu! As long as they can convince Liu Fu, they will not only have an extra talent for governance, but also solve the problem of having no puppet. There is just one thing: according to the Han Dynasty's system of avoiding registration, county magistrates and county magistrates cannot be locals. But Liu Fu was from Yuzhou, so he could not be appointed as the governor of Yuzhou, and he was recommended to be the governor of Yangzhou instead. So Qin Zhen suggested to Liu Bei: "Liu Fu is currently living in East City. Why don't we go and invite Liu Yuanying over to see if he can be of any use?" "If you can use him, I will use some excuse to recommend him as the governor of Yangzhou, and you can continue to serve as the governor of Yuzhou." "If you cannot use him, then let Xu Yu recommend General Guan as the governor of Yuzhou and you as the governor of Yangzhou for your merit in obtaining the imperial seal." "This way we can ensure that the two states are under the control of our army!" "As for the rewards from the imperial court, that will be decided by the emperor. Our army does not need to worry about it!" After hearing what Qin Zhen said, Liu Bei was delighted, and Liu Ye nodded and said: "Military advisor, what you said is true. I have also heard of Liu Yuanying. He is a famous scholar in Pei State. I know he is in Dongcheng. Let's go and invite him now!" He immediately volunteered to go to Dongcheng to help Liu Bei invite Liu Fu back. Liu Bei readily agreed, and then ordered Lu Su to prepare to go south to replace Chen Dao. At this point, a meeting on the next strategy and the use of the imperial seal officially ended. However, after the meeting, Qin Zhen took Lao Liu aside and talked about his family affairs. When Liu Bei heard that his wife would help Guan Ping find a wife, he frowned and said: "This is truly a woman's opinion. How can we do such a disrespectful thing?" Seeing this, Qin Zhen naturally couldn't let Lao Liu light a fire in the backyard, so he hurriedly said: "It's not Madam's fault, it's probably because Mrs. Hu is unwise. But she is a farmer's wife who has not learned etiquette. How can you blame her?"

"I am worried that General Guan will know about this and it will harm the harmony between husband and wife, so I want to let the lord know and let the lady persuade him." When Liu Bei heard this, he knew that it was not Mi's fault, but that his second brother's wife was too ignorant. He could only shake his head and laugh: "Well, let's just follow the military advisor's advice. Since it's a woman's matter, I don't blame her!" "It's my fault, after all. I knew Ping'er was old enough, but I still hadn't arranged a marriage yet. I'll find a good family to arrange a marriage for her, and then we can talk about this matter!" But as he said this, Old Liu became concerned about Qin Zhen's family situation. When he heard that Qin Zhen's daughter was almost six years old and there was no sign of the second child, he smiled and said: "I see that Zixuan is also in his prime, why not find a few more wives and concubines to have children." "If your wife doesn't agree, I will personally speak for you!" He naturally hoped that Qin Zhen would quickly give birth to a son or something so that they could become in-laws. When Qin Zhen heard this, he thought to himself that it was fine for his wife to bring it up, but if Old Liu got involved, it would be a pure arranged marriage. It’s just a son. Can’t my wife give birth to one? He immediately denied it and left in embarrassment. If he wants to find it, he has to find it by himself. What's the point of asking Liu Bei to help him find it? When Liu Bei saw this, he smiled without saying a word and walked slowly into the mansion. (End of this chapter)