Three Kingdoms: Take care of Lady Gan on behalf of Liu Bei at the beginning

Chapter 74: Let's share the cake together. Lu Su arrives in Xiangyang City to promote an alliance.

Liu Wu saw another vertical column [Mrs. Cai & Jinyiwei] appear on the virtual screen.

A satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was a very powerful special agency during the Ming Dynasty.

First of all, they are the emperor's personal guards, directly responsible to the emperor and have enormous power.

Secondly, the Jinyiwei had a wide range of functions. In addition to guarding the emperor, they also engaged in reconnaissance, arrest, interrogation and even participated in military operations such as collecting military intelligence and instigating enemy generals to revolt.

These rights enabled the Jinyiwei to play an important role in maintaining imperial power.

In addition, the members of the Jinyiwei are elites who have been strictly selected and trained. They are extraordinary in skills, both intelligent and brave, and are capable of performing various complex and dangerous tasks.

The reason why Liu Wu was able to choose the Jinyiwei at first sight was because of his desire to see the role of this special violent institution in history.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang created the famous "Four Major Cases of Hongwu" in order to strengthen the administration of officials.

These cases involved a large number of officials, especially many middle and high-level officials, who were in high positions and had great power. Therefore, ordinary government offices had no power to arrest and interrogate them.

Or, even if they could be arrested, they would be let off lightly in the end because of mutual protection among officials, and would not be convicted strictly at all. This result was obviously not what Zhu Yuanzhang wanted.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang later made some changes to the guards who were responsible for the ceremonial work around him. After that, these guards who were originally around Zhu Yuanzhang became the "Jinyiwei". Under Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement, these Jinyiwei began to be responsible for guarding, arresting and investigating, and managing the imperial prison, and played a huge role during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign.

In his later years, Zhu Yuanzhang realized that keeping the Jinyiwei would do more harm than good to the Ming Dynasty. So in his later years, he directly abolished the Jinyiwei and made it disappear completely.

Under normal circumstances, the Jinyiwei should have disappeared completely from this time on and should not exist anymore.

However, a few years later, after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, the Jingnan Campaign broke out in the Ming Dynasty. In the end, Zhu Di successfully usurped the throne and became the new emperor. After Zhu Di ascended the throne, because his throne was not inherited, there would definitely be opposition from below. So at this time, Zhu Di had to establish a special department to help him suppress various opposition voices from below.

Therefore, during the reign of Zhu Di, the Jinyiwei was restored.

And then, because the Jinyiwei department was so useful when it came to internal management.

Therefore, the subsequent emperors of the Ming Dynasty tacitly acknowledged the existence of the Jinyiwei. But at the same time, the emperor naturally attached great importance to such a sharp knife. Therefore, almost every Jinyiwei boss was the emperor's most trusted person.

The Jinyiwei were obviously very useful in maintaining the imperial power.

And this is what Liu Wu is looking for.

"Sign in!"

Liu Wu's eyes were filled with eagerness and he signed in directly.

[Congratulations to the host for signing in successfully today and obtaining a Jinyiwei of the Qianhu rank. ]

[Hint: This Jinyiwei is from Jingzhou, named Tian Min. He served in Huang Zu's navy and has acquired a lot of skills in the battles with Jiangdong for many years. The host once provided him with porridge and food, which saved his life. He will never forget it. As long as the host gives an order, he will come to join them.]

[Hint: Unless the host does something unforgivable to it, it will never betray the host. ]

A prompt sound rang in his mind, and Liu Wu's eyes flashed with surprise.

The first Jinyiwei to sign in was actually at the Qianhu level.

You know, a thousand-household-level Jinyiwei is already a middle- and high-level member of the Jinyiwei, which is very rare.

“It’s very good.”

Liu Wu looked at Mrs. Cai who was lying lazily in his arms, his eyes flashing with excitement, and he immediately rewarded Mrs. Cai.

Mrs. Cai was surprised, happy, frightened and afraid. She had never thought about it before.

Liu Wu is so powerful!!!

……

"What did you say? She is in the residence of the General of Cavalry?"

At the Cai family, Cai Mao, who was drunk, heard the servant report that Mrs. Cai had not returned. He was so shocked that the cup of warm water in his hand fell to the ground.

"This... the young lady really hasn't come back." The butler couldn't help but lower his head and wipe the sweat off his forehead.

"Okay, let's just ignore this matter." Cai Mao's expression changed from gloomy to bright, and he finally said helplessly.

"promise!"

The butler didn't dare say anything more.

……

The next day, at the residence of the General of Cavalry.

In the meeting hall, Liu Wu sat in the main seat, facing everyone's gaze.

At this time, many people had already gathered in the hall.

Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Liu Ba, Jiang Wan, Gan Ning, Huang Zhong, Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Kuai Liang, Huang Zu, Ma Liang, Liu Xian, Deng Xi, Yi Ji and about thirty or forty other people gathered together.

It has to be said that this is the essence of both civil and military affairs. Even Liu Wu felt a little confused after seeing it.

Unknowingly, his civil and military forces had achieved such a grand occasion.

Because of the urgent need for manpower, Liu Wu transferred Zhuge Liang back from Yuzhou.

Prepare to stay by your side and use it.

For someone like Zhuge Liang, he could be directly used as prime minister.

Liu Wu naturally would not let it go.

"My lord, the senior officials of Jingzhou have arrived."

Zhuge Liang bowed to Liu Wu and said.

Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Wu with some emotion.

He still remembers the scene from more than a year ago vividly.

That day, in the thatched cottage in Longzhong.

The iron-cutting sword cut off his weapon.

The fine, snow-white snow salt without any impurities and the exquisite, tough rice paper made him, who has always loved inventions and creations, dumbfounded and shocked.

Because whether it is the sharp iron-cutting weapon, or the snow salt and rice paper, they are all of great significance, and they were actually made by Liu Wu?
However, Liu Wu in front of him was full of ambition and ambition.

"These are just minor paths. What we should pursue is to truly save the tens of millions of people who are suffering and displaced in the war."

"When I came to Longzhong, I heard from Mr. Yuanzhi that he was called Mr. Wolong, and he had the talent to rule the world and the ambition to stabilize the country. Although he lived in seclusion in the mountains, he knew the general situation of the world very well. His talent and wisdom were widely known in Jingxiang. He could help me revive the Han Dynasty and restore the glory of the Han Dynasty. Please teach me, Mr. Kongming!"

Liu Wu faced the man holding an iron-cutting sword in one hand and rice paper in the other, and bowed in shock, speaking solemnly.

The words "restore the Han Dynasty and revive the glory of the Han Dynasty" made his eyes sparkle.

"Young Master has great plans, and Liang is willing to listen to them. Young Master, please come in!"

He said to Liu Wu.

But now, Liu Wu has ascended to the position of the lord of Jingzhou and controls the three states. Compared with Cao Cao, Liu Wu is more stable step by step.

"Oh, are they all here?" Sitting in the host seat, Liu Wu didn't know that Zhuge Liang was uneasy inside. When he heard Zhuge Liang say that all the high-ranking officials of Jingzhou had arrived, Liu Wu understood that all the noble families had gathered today to share the benefits.

The aristocratic family of Jingxiang allowed him to ascend to the position of lord of Jingzhou.

He couldn't really think that once he showed his domineering aura, everyone would bow down to him.

Without benefits, who will follow you?

Liu Wu met everyone's gaze and said with a smile:
"Everyone is here today. Wu mainly announced two things today. First, the establishment of the Universal Chamber of Commerce. This marquis will be the president of the chamber of commerce. The main business is to sell snow salt, rice paper, white sugar and soap in the three states of Jingzhou, Yuzhou and Yanzhou."

In the hall, the representatives of the Jingxiang families were all in an uproar when they heard Liu Wu's words. However, no one spoke. Instead, they all listened to Liu Wu carefully.

Liu Wu met everyone's eager gazes and said with a smile:

"Whether it is the Jingxiang family or the family that has followed me for a long time, they can all join the Universal Chamber of Commerce as a family. Anyone who enters the Universal Chamber of Commerce can do business within my sphere of influence without any restrictions. Of course, I will still protect the local interests of the Jingzhou family. The specific matters will be led by the heads of the Mi and Cai families, and then the specific division will be made to ensure my share and come up with a charter."

Liu Wu's voice resounded, and all the heads of the Jingxiang families in the hall were immediately shocked.

The meaning of Liu Wu's words was obviously very clear.

They can also expand their family business to other states, and Liu Wu will also protect their local interests in Jingzhou.

Whether it was Cai Mao or representatives of Jingzhou families such as Huang Zu and Kuai Yue, they all saw the possibility of further expansion of their families.

From today on, they will not only be trapped in Jingzhou, but can also expand the family's influence to other states and counties.

Cai Mao and Mi Zhu immediately stood up and said respectfully to Liu Wu:

"Thank you for your trust, Lord. We will definitely come up with a set of rules!"

Liu Wu nodded to this. In fact, they had discussed these matters in detail before entering Xiangyang.

Simply put, Liu Wu is still in charge of the most core production part, and he still controls the source of things, while families like the Cai family and the Mi family are more like regional agents, getting goods from him.

But even so, it is enough for these aristocratic families to make a fortune.

Liu Wu doesn't feel bad about this. The more the other party earns, the more he will earn.

All the noble families were satisfied.

Liu Wu looked at Huang Zu, Cai Mao and others, smiled and said:
"Now let's talk about the second thing. The troops of Jingzhou need to be separated like Wancheng. Moreover, we now occupy three states, and Cao Cao is eyeing Guanzhong covetously. The army is still not enough, and we need to expand it further."

"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zu, Gan Ning, and Zhao Yun will form five major armies, totaling 600,000 troops. You must train them as quickly as possible and make them combat-ready."

Liu Wu's voice resounded, and the hall fell silent in an instant. All the Jingxiang families couldn't help but hold their breath, yet they were shocked by Liu Wu's expanded military force.

However, no one was worried about whether Liu Wu could support these 700,000 troops. As the business expanded, the profits earned from snow salt, rice paper, sugar, and soap alone would probably be enough to support such a large army, not to mention the taxes from various states.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zu and Gan Ning were obviously prepared. They all stood up and responded to Liu Wu.

Liu Wu had communicated with them in advance, and even Huang Zu was very cooperative.

This is because Liu Wu did not take away his military power. Instead, he added more troops to him. How could he not be excited?

It can be said that everyone got what they wanted in this meeting.

Huang Zu's mouth was crooked with joy.

The number of troops at hand increased.

Liu Wu, the General of Cavalry who controlled three states and held the emperor's power, was his son-in-law.

The Huang family's business and influence can be extended to other states and counties under Liu Wu's command.

Everything is going in the right direction for the Huang family.

"Do you have anything else to do?"

Liu Wu asked as he looked at his subordinates who were all smiling.

At this time, Zhuge Liang, who had been silent, stood up and bowed to Liu Wu, saying:
"My lord, there is one more thing. Sun Quan of Jiangdong sent an envoy, Lu Su, to discuss important matters with us."

"Lu Su is here?" Liu Wu raised his eyebrows when he heard Zhuge Liang's words and became interested.

Liu Wu has always had a good impression of Lu Su, a strategist in the late Han Dynasty.

Lu Su, courtesy name Zijing, was an outstanding counselor, general, strategist and diplomat of the Eastern Wu during the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Historically, Lu Su was born into a landowner family of the nobility. He lost his father at an early age and was raised by his grandmother. He was generous, charitable, and often generous, which won him the admiration of his neighbors.

Lu Su was a man of great stature, good at planning and coming up with unusual ideas. He also learned the arts of fencing, riding and archery, and was proficient in both civil and military affairs.

Lu Su became good friends with Zhou Yu in his early years, and later they joined Sun Ce. After Sun Quan took power, Lu Su proposed a strategic plan for him to dominate Jiangdong, which was appreciated by Sun Quan.

Strategic planning: Lu Su tailored "emperor strategies" for Sun Quan many times, including establishing a foothold in Jiangdong, conquering Jingzhou, advancing into Yizhou, controlling the Yangtze River, and establishing a title as emperor, demonstrating his far-reaching strategic vision.

Before the Battle of Chibi, Lu Su rejected all objections and firmly advocated war, and suggested that Sun Quan and Liu Bei jointly fight against Cao Cao. In the end, the Wu-Shu coalition defeated Cao's army, laying the foundation for the Three Kingdoms.

Maintaining the Sun-Liu alliance: After the Battle of Chibi, Lu Su did his best to maintain the Sun-Liu alliance, mediated the conflicts between the two sides many times, and ensured that the two families could jointly fight against Cao Cao.

Lu Su disciplined the army and enforced the prohibitions. Even in the battlefield, he never put down his books, demonstrating his outstanding military talent and diligent and studious spirit.

After Zhou Yu's death, Lu Su took over the command of troops to guard Lukou. During this period, he commanded troops in the neighboring border with Guan Yu many times, demonstrating his outstanding military command ability.

A key figure who facilitated the cooperation between Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang and maintained the overall situation of the Sun-Liu alliance.

In history, Lu Su was praised as a chivalrous man and a top strategic master, and his contributions to Jiangdong and Shu Han were very significant.

This is also the reason why Liu Wu admired Lu Su.

Logically speaking, for such a talented person, he should keep him in Xiangyang and make him work for him.

However, sometimes, for the master of strategy, it is necessary to stay with Liu Wu.

Perhaps it would be more beneficial to Xiangyang if he continued to stay with Sun Quan.

This is the power of a strategic master.

"Do you know why Lu Su came to Xiangyang?" Liu Wu asked Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang smiled and said to Liu Wu, "If what I guessed is correct, Lu Zijing is not here to be our enemy, but to negotiate with us and attack the Yuan brothers in the north."

As soon as Zhuge Liang finished speaking, everyone's eyes in the hall lit up.

Did the envoy from Jiangdong want to encourage Liu Wu and Sun Quan to jointly attack the Yuan brothers in the north?
It has to be said that in an instant, all the noble families were moved.

The Yuan brothers in the north occupied four states, namely Jizhou, Qingzhou, Bingzhou and Youzhou.

If Liu Wu occupied half of it, that would be the land of two states!

"For the north?" Liu Wu narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this. In fact, Liu Wu was willing to join forces with Sun Quan to attack the north.

But don’t forget, Shen Pei has been here. If possible, he could easily take over Jizhou!
"There is no rush for this matter. Our army has not yet been formed. Let Lu Su wait for now." Liu Wu said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)