Chapter 211: Seeing Liu Biao Again, the Genius Is Undoubted When Qin Zhen arrived at the government office, he saw Kuai Liang already waiting outside. Since he was an envoy, he was not allowed to enter the government office without being summoned. But last night Liu Biao agreed to a meeting with Qin Zhen today, and sent someone to inform him early in the morning that Liu Biao summoned him, so when he arrived, Liu Biao and others were already waiting in the mansion. Seeing Kuai Liang coming to greet him, he smiled and said: "I met Mr. Kuai yesterday and wanted to ask for his advice first, but unfortunately Mr. Kuai didn't come to the banquet. It's really a pity!" He knew that Kuai Liang was trying to avoid a conflict between him and Liu Biao yesterday, but after all, he had contacted him twice, so he needed to be more friendly. Seeing him like this, Kuai Liang stroked his beard and said: "Because I had to return to the palace to report yesterday, I asked Gongti and Wenxing to wait." "I wonder if General Qin still likes these two?" "Gong Ti and Wen Xing are both talented people. I had a very pleasant conversation with them. I would like to thank Lord Kuai and the envoy for their kindness!"

Seeing that Kuai Liang did not want to respond to his question, Qin Zhen knew that Kuai Liang was trying to avoid suspicion. From this we can see that Liu Biao must not be in a very good mood, otherwise Kuai Liang would never have this attitude! After finding out a few words like this, he stopped talking nonsense and said with a smile: "May I ask where the envoy is now? Can Lord Kuai introduce you to me?" "The envoy is in the main hall of the mansion. I will take the general there!" As Kuai Liang spoke, he led Qin Zhen into the main hall of the yamen. Liu Biao was seen sitting in the middle, with Cai Mao and Kuai Yue on his left, and a middle-aged man whom Liu Xian and Qin Zhen did not know on the other side. However, although Qin Zhen did not know him, he could guess that the middle-aged man was most likely Pang Ji. There is not much record about Pang Ji, except that he and Kuai Yue persuaded Zhang Hu, Chen Sheng and other troops to surrender when Liu Biao entered Jingzhou. But he was at least a contributor to Liu Biao's rise to power, and was naturally one of his confidants. Seeing everyone gathered, Qin Zhen knew that he would have to discuss this matter again today. After entering the hall, he bowed to Liu Biao, and when Liu Biao offered him a seat, he sat down. When Liu Biao saw him take his seat, he stroked his beard and said thoughtfully: "You looked very sad yesterday, saying that state affairs were of great importance and that you wanted to discuss matters with me. Why are you silent today?" Qin Zhen saw it, cupped his hands and smiled: "Your Excellency has not spoken, so I dare not speak. Today, the Emperor has ordered our two families to attack Sun Ce. What do you think, Your Excellency?" Upon hearing this, Liu Biao smiled coldly and said: "Since there is an imperial decree, we should obey it. What else is there to do with it?" "Sir, please do not test me here. You and I both know that the emperor's decree this time is the intention of your army!" "Although Jiangdong covers a thousand miles, it belongs to Yangzhou." "Your army is now dissatisfied with Sun Ce's southward march, which is right. Why do you want to involve my Jingzhou in sending troops?"

Seeing that he was talking directly, Qin Zhen smiled and said: "I really don't know what your Majesty means." "The empire was in great turmoil, so I sent you to guard Jingzhou, and Liu Yuzhou to gather the people of Huainan to help the country in times of trouble!" "Although Jiangdong belongs to Yangzhou, it is the land of the Han Dynasty." "Sun Ce is now occupying our country without reason and killing loyal officials. He is truly a traitor to our country." "So the emperor issued an edict to help us fight together. Why should we differentiate between you and me?" When Liu Biao heard this, he frowned, but Cai Mao sneered: "Sir, what you said is ridiculous. Since there is no distinction between you and me, after we have captured Sun Ce this time, will the people of Jiangdong also be able to distinguish between you and me?" Seeing him talking, Qin Zhen smiled and replied again: "This is the land of the Han people, so there should be no distinction between you and me!" "After Jiangdong is taken, the emperor can choose whom to appoint as governor. That is up to the emperor." "Brother Cai, do you think that the land your army has taken is private land?" When Cai Mao heard this, he immediately thought to himself that Qin Zhen was really shameless. Now that they were talking openly, Qin Zhen insisted on talking about justice. After all, the Governor of Yangzhou is in Liu Bei's army, and in the end Jiangdong will still belong to Liu Bei's army! But there is nothing wrong with this statement, and he cannot respond easily. But he didn't say anything, and Pang Ji, who was meeting him for the first time, sneered: "Sir, your words are really ridiculous. Now everyone in the world knows that Liu Yuanying belongs to your army!" "If you follow your advice, sir, and our army sends out troops and manpower, and then we defeat Sun Ce, all the land, money and food will belong to your army. What benefit will our army get?" Qin Zhen looked at him and said with a leisurely smile: "This gentleman looks unfamiliar. I think this is the first time we meet. May I ask what benefit did we gain from defeating Dong Zhuo?" "Everyone is here just to help the cause, how can they have the intention of seeking personal gain?" "A man is born in this world, and loyalty and filial piety are the foundation of his conduct." "Since you are a minister of the Han Dynasty, if you see someone who is not loyal to you, you should swear to kill him together: this is the way of a minister." "I am here to obey the Emperor's order and receive Liu Yuzhou's order to discuss the matter of joining forces with your army!" "How come, in your mouth, it becomes a profit-seeking move by the two families?" "I hope you can take back your words that are disrespectful to your father and your king. Otherwise, I will keep you silent. When I enter the court in the future, I will also report to you, sir!" As he said this, he frowned, making Pang Ji blush with shame. Seeing Qin Zhen's sharp tongue, Liu Biao had no choice but to speak to Pang Ji: "Xiao He's words are indeed inappropriate. You must not say that again!" Without waiting for Pang Ji to speak, he looked at Qin Zhen coldly and said: "I already know what Xuande wants. Since you have come here to discuss the matter of sending troops, why not tell me your plan?" "Let's talk about how you want our army to help." "After all, Yangzhou belongs to you. This time, your army should be the main force in the fight against Sun Ce, and our army should be the auxiliary." "You shouldn't let my soldiers in Jingzhou die first, so that we can seize Yangzhou for you!"

Facing Liu Biao's cold eyes, Qin Zhen just nodded and said: "Your Excellency's words are the right thing to say. This time we go south to Jiangdong, our army will lead the attack!" "To be honest, sir, our army has already assembled and is ready to march south with a force of 100,000 to attack Sun Ce." "You don't need to send troops this time, but you need to lend us 500,000 dan of food and 3,000 warships to complete the task." "A major war will not cost you a single soldier. What do you think?" As soon as he finished speaking, Kuai Yue couldn't help but sneered and said: "I have heard that you are good at fighting but also like to boast. I never expected you to be so humorous." "Although your army now has 160,000 to 170,000 soldiers and horses, there are still strong enemies defending in the north." "Except for the troops stationed in various places, the maximum number of troops that can be mobilized is no more than 40,000 or 50,000. Where can we get a 100,000-strong army to go south?" "Furthermore, 500,000 shi of grain and fodder will be enough, 3,000 warships, and at least tens of thousands of naval forces." "Where did your army get so many navy troops? Are you trying to defraud our army?" Seeing him sneer like that, Qin Zhen shook his head and said: "I am not trying to deceive your army. The 160,000 or 170,000 soldiers you mentioned are just the surrendered soldiers from various places that our army has accepted." "You must know that after our army entered Huainan, the people were loyal to us and warriors gathered in droves." "With the merits of the officers, we can train an elite force in just a few months. It's a pity that we don't have enough food and grass, so we can't march south!" "If we ask your army to provide us with 500,000 dan of grain, it will not be difficult for us to lead an army of 100,000 to march south before winter this year." "As for the navy, you don't have to worry about it. Our navy is ready now, but the ships are stuck in Chaohu Lake and cannot enter the Chu River." "With your army and three thousand ships, our army can fight Sun Ce from west to east." "There are more than ten thousand men in Lujiang. So, three thousand is still too few!" At this point, he looked at Liu Biao and said frankly: "I also know that you do not want to tire your troops. You only need to follow this method and there will be no danger." "First, our army is not borrowing them for nothing. Once the autumn grain arrives, the grain, fodder and ships will be returned in turn." "Liu Mu has nothing to lose by using this method. On the contrary, when the two countries trade in the future, our army will offer a valuable gift." "Secondly, the emperor's edict is here, and your army has to march out. If you do this, even if the court knows about it, they will know Liu Mu's intentions and will not blame him." "What do you think of this best of both worlds method, Liu Mu?" After hearing this, Liu Biao was silent for a while and thought about the pros and cons. Admittedly, Qin Zhen made him quite displeased, but it was undeniable that what he said was very realistic. With Liu Bei's current strength, he can indeed crush Sun Ce directly, but he lacks food and navy. It’s not that Liu Bei’s army doesn’t have these two things, it’s just that they don’t have them now. With these things he gave Liu Bei, Liu Bei was indeed able to eliminate Sun Ce independently.

Not only did he suffer no losses, but he was also able to complete the task of sending troops as ordered by the emperor. But the problem is that he doesn't want to disrupt the current balance. Whether Liu Bei or Sun Ce becomes stronger, it is not in his interest. This proposal is feasible, but it cannot achieve his goal. After thinking about it for a while, Liu Biao stood up and said: "I know what your army wants, but this matter is of great importance. Please wait for me to think about it for two days!" His reaction was exactly what Qin Zhen had expected. He didn't expect to settle this matter in just one or two days. Seeing that Liu Biao was going to see him off, he stood up, bowed and said: "Your Excellency, please think carefully. After finishing your official duties, I will wait for your reply in the inn." After saying this, he left the table and walked out of the hall slowly. Seeing this, Liu Biao said to Liu Xian: "My dear, please come with me to see you off. You are from the north and it is rare for you to come here. I will take you around for a tour in the next two days!" Upon hearing this, Liu Xian stood up and followed Qin Zhen out. Seeing that the person who entertained him turned out to be Liu Xian, Qin Zhen smiled and said: "How can I be so worthy of your personal escort? There is no need to trouble you. I will go back to my own residence. Sir, please go back now." When Liu Xian heard this, he said, "No, I have heard of your name for a long time but have never met you. Now let's have a good chat." He also knew that Liu Biao wanted to have a secret talk with everyone and he could not participate, so he might as well take Qin Zhen for a walk. So Qin Zhen followed Liu Xian all the way out of the government office, and on the way he naturally asked about Liu Xian's family situation - mainly he wanted to find out about the child prodigy Zhou Buzhi. Zhou Buyi is Liu Xian's nephew, and Qin Zhen is very interested in this guy. Because Zhou Buyi was a rare talent in history, Liu Xian wanted to send Zhou Buyi to study under Liu Ba, but was politely declined by Liu Ba. Later, Zhou Buzhi followed Liu Xian north and became Cao Cao's son and playmate of the child prodigy Cao Chong. It can be said that Cao Cao liked Zhou Buzhi very much and wanted to make him his son-in-law, but Zhou Buzhi refused. Later, when Cao Cao was attacking Liucheng, Zhou Buyi offered ten strategies in a row, helping Cao Cao capture Liucheng, which made Cao Cao even more surprised. As a result, Cao Chong died young, and Cao Cao wanted to get rid of Zhou Buyi. When Cao Pi advised him against it, Cao Cao made it clear that Zhou Buzhi was not someone he could control, and then sent an assassin to kill Zhou Buzhi. There has been a great deal of debate in history about this man's deeds. Qin Zhen also wanted to see what kind of genius he was that made Lao Cao so afraid of him. Could it be that this guy is a little Sima Yi? When he asked this question, Liu Xian said in surprise: "Sir, do you know my nephew's name in the Central Plains?" Qin Zhen immediately expressed that he heard that he was a rare genius boy and was a little curious. When Liu Xian heard this, he said with a smug look on his face:

"If you say so, you are truly gifted, which is rare at such a young age. You can walk at the age of six, speak at the age of one, and read at the age of three!" "Now, at the age of six, he can already recite a book of a thousand words!" When Qin Zhen heard this, he thought to himself, wow, this kid is truly a genius! He immediately praised him and smiled at Liu Xian: "I have a daughter who is also six years old. She is still ignorant and doesn't know anything. You can tell that Mr. Liu's nephew is extraordinary!" But he didn't expect that as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Xian stroked his beard and smiled: "Although this boy is intelligent, he has no famous teacher. Now I heard that the teacher is spreading knowledge in Huainan." "I wonder if my nephew could catch your eye and be accepted as your disciple?" This sentence made Qin Zhen pause for a long time. He thought that he was just asking casually, but Liu Xian was so excited. But judging from Liu Xian's expression, he really wants to make Zhou Buzhi his apprentice. This matter is worth considering. Although he and Lao Cao are not on good terms, he still approves of Lao Cao's view of people. Even Cao Cao felt that Zhou Buzhi was difficult to control, so could Lao Liu's son be controlled? But don't wait until he finally helps Liu Bei to accomplish something, only to have him raise a traitor. That would be troublesome. (End of this chapter)