Chapter 287: Yizhou Defender, Planning.

"Use barbarians to rule barbarians?"

Zhou Yu fell into deep thought. This was not a new topic.

During the Western Han Dynasty, the famous general Zhao Chongguo used it when he was seventy years old and pacified the Xianrong Qiang.

The old general resisted the pressure from the court by insisting on attacking and isolating the rebellious Qiang tribes and appeasing the two tribes of Han and Qi who were coerced into submission.

After the Xianrong Qiang suffered a blow, they withdrew their cavalry and only left nine infantry schools to cultivate the land, thus trapping the rebellious Qiang.

In less than two years, the Qiang rebellion was completely quelled, bringing about decades of peace.

The ideas and methods of this famous general were used until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Unfortunately, the policies of later generations were chaotic and the ideas of the famous generals were too extreme, which resulted in the Qiang rebellion being unable to be quelled.

Now that Jin Mao brought up the matter again, Zhou Yu didn't know whether he should do this, so he asked about it.

Jin Mao didn't understand the allusion at all, so he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that's what I meant."

"We can open a market to exchange food and supplies for the obedient Di and Qiang people."

"In this way, we can get cattle, sheep, horses and flattery, and they can get enough food and supplies. Isn't it wonderful?"

This is indeed a good idea. Mu Liuyu of Youzhou in the north used this method to appease the surrounding areas, making all ethnic groups very well-behaved.

However, this must be strictly controlled.

For example, manufacturing technology must never be leaked out, and iron products are strictly controlled, not a single one can leak out. This kind of thing can accumulate over time and be fatal!
There are many other details, so Jin Mao will not get involved. He will just let his advisers come up with a set of rules.

This brings up another problem.

The commander of the garrison in the market must be both civil and military, and must be familiar with the habits of the Qiang and Di people.

The Di people are not so bad, the main ones are the Qiang people.

There is no rush. It won’t be too late to make a decision after the planning is completed.

The next step is to reward people based on their performance and assign tasks.

Yizhou must be handed over to Zhou Yu.

As for whether to leave the military generals behind, it depends on their personal wishes, because it is unlikely that a major war will happen in Yizhou again in the future.

If we hold the northern pass, no one can attack us.

There are not many Di people in the south, and they are mainly southern barbarians and Shanyue. They can be fully handled by Shenxinjiao. Jinmao believes in Bai Shi's loyalty.

Therefore, Jinmao gave the generals three days to consider.

...

Chengdu County Tavern.

When the three brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang met again, the tension at the beginning was gone and there was more laughter and joy.

"This wine is really tasteless." Zhang Fei said dissatisfiedly: "It's not as good as the one brewed in Yangzhou."

Liu Bei took a sip and said with a smile, "It's good to have something to drink, but you are still picky."

Zhang Fei was already angry because he had not encountered any decent resistance on the way up. After hearing what Liu Bei said, he shouted: "Brother, I haven't even settled the score with you yet!"

"We agreed to worship the Lord together, but you two left me alone to wrestle with that asshole Gan Xingba and ran off!"

Liu Bei easily controlled Zhang Fei, "Third brother, I really don't have the face to speak in front of you."

"Look, you are already a captain in the main battalion, but my second brother and I are still without official positions and waiting for our fate. Don't you think this is reasonable?"

Zhang Fei was still in a bad mood.

Liu Bei picked up the wine bowl and said, "Okay, how can a man hold a grudge like this?"

"After drinking this bowl of wine, don't talk about the past anymore!"

Zhang Fei was happy then: "Guan Lao San! Come! Drink this bowl of wine and don't talk about the past anymore!"

After that, regardless of Guan Yu's attitude, he picked up the wine bowl and rushed over, spilling half a bowl of wine into Guan Yu's bowl. Zhang Fei shouted, "Drink!"

He just gulped down the drink.

Guan Yu really didn't want to drink the wine, but Liu Bei reached out and patted him on the shoulder in time.

"Second brother, as elder brothers, we have to give in to our younger brothers, right?"

Guan Yu felt relieved and drank the bowl of wine.

Suddenly, the three brothers seemed to have returned to the past.

"Hey, isn't this my defeated general Zhang Fei?"

An inappropriate and annoying voice appeared. Zhang Fei turned his head and looked, furious.

"I was wondering which filthy bastard it was, but it turns out to be you!"

"Come!"

"Grandpa Zhang will fight you for another 300 rounds today. Whoever loses will be your grandson!"

Gan Ning didn't come here to cause trouble, but he couldn't help but say something because of his foul mouth. But he couldn't ask for an apology.

"Humph!" Gan Ning tossed his sleeves and said, "I won't argue with you."

How could Zhang Fei miss this opportunity? He took advantage of the victory and pursued him, saying, "I think you are just afraid!"

"You're great, Zhang Fei!" Gan Ning was not afraid either. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Fortunately, Gan Ning had many friends and he was not going out to fight today. Wen Pin and Jiang Qin, who were behind him, each picked up Gan Ning on one side.

Interestingly, Gan Ning had a particularly good relationship with the navy. Both Huang Gai and Zhou Tai had dealings with Gan Ning.

So, Gan Ning was hosting a banquet and wanted to find a place to entertain the generals, so he found this tavern.

There was no other way. Before leaving, Liu Yan plundered Chengdu completely, leaving only this well-hidden tavern that was still open for business.

"Say less than a few words."

As the deputy commander of the Huaihe River Navy, Jiang Qin's status was no less than that of the deputy commander of the main battalion. He stepped forward to persuade them, "We are all colleagues. Why do we want to fight in front of outsiders?"

"If the lord knew about this, he would definitely beat you both with his military sticks!"

Zhang Fei refused to give in: "This fellow started the trouble first. Even if he brings the trouble to the Lord, I am not afraid!"

Liu Bei quickly pulled Zhang Fei aside and whispered, "Brother, stop talking! Do you really want to embarrass our lord in public?"

"Will you be satisfied only if the whole of Yizhou knows that the lord is not strict in his rule?"

Zhang Fei then snorted angrily and stopped.

Gan Ning borrowed the donkey to go down the hill and bowed to Liu Bei, who immediately stood up to return the greeting.

Then, Gan Ning opened a table next to Liu Bei and the other two, and said loudly, "Boss, I'll take the remaining tables!"

"Bring me all the good wine and good food!"

Gan Ning pointed at Liu Bei's table and said, "Serve one to this table as well."

"Okay!" The shopkeeper and the waiter immediately got busy.

Liu Bei, however, heard the hidden meaning behind the words, stood up, clasped his fists towards Gan Ning and said, "Captain Gan, you are honored."

Gan Ning quickly stood up and saluted in return: "Captain Liu."

From the beginning to the end, Gan Ning has never changed. He is still the young man from Ba County who respects me as much as I respect you.

As for the feud between him and Zhang Fei, it was simple. It was just that Zhang Fei was also foul-mouthed. During the fight for the four northern counties, he often mocked Gan Ning, who had not yet been officially promoted.

Now that everyone is a captain of the main battalion, Gan Ning will naturally return all the humiliation he suffered before.

When Liu Bei heard Gan Ning's title, he hurriedly explained, "I am no longer a lieutenant. It was only a temporary appointment by the lord."

"Captain Liu, you are worrying too much." Gan Ning stepped forward, covered his mouth with his hand and lowered his voice, "I heard that the lord doesn't have any candidates for the captain of the first battalion, so isn't it yours?"

Liu Bei was not at all disgusted by Gan Ning's move to get closer to him. Instead, he was somewhat delighted and said, "Captain Gan is really well-informed."

Gan Ning couldn't resist the praise and immediately became proud: "That's right!" "There is no one in the army that I, Gan Ning, don't know!"

"Captain Gan is really amazing!" Liu Bei praised him lightly and asked, "I wonder if you are here today to guard Yizhou?"

Gan Ning's eyes widened, and he leaned back tactically and asked, "You too?!"

"That's such a coincidence!"

"Boss!" Gan Ning shouted, "Put these tables together. We are all good friends together!"

Liu Bei and Guan Yu had no objection, but Zhang Fei wanted to express his opinion but was suppressed by Liu Bei.

The tavern owner was also confused. They looked like they were fighting to the death just now, but now they were as calm as if they were wearing the same pants. However, it didn't matter to him much, so he just did what he was told.

After a while, the table was put together. Gan Ning and his two companions sat on one side, and Liu Bei and his two companions sat on the other side.

Then, one by one, those who had not arrived yet arrived.

Huang Gai, Zhou Tai, Huang Zhong, and even Dian Wei came.

Gan Ning was not bragging. He was familiar with all the famous generals in the army.

Except for Zhou Yu and the military advisors, those present include almost half of the senior generals in the army, or all the generals who are attacking Yizhou this time.

The seating arrangement is interesting.

Dian Wei and Huang Zhong sat at the top, followed by Huang Gai, Zhou Tai, Gan Ning, Jiang Qin and Wen Pin in order of their positions from nearest to farthest.

Liu Bei and his three brothers were on the other side.

The scene was divided into three small groups.

Huang Gai and Zhou Tai wanted to sit with Dian Wei, but there were not enough seats, so they just sat where they were.

Dian Wei was the person with the highest status among the people present. He was the first to pick up the wine bowl and said, "Everyone, drink up!"

"In the following discussion, Han Sheng, Gong Fu, You Ping and I will only be spectators and will not participate."

His stance was made clear in just one sentence, saving Huang Gai and Zhou Tai from having to explain further.

There is no doubt that Dian Wei and Huang Zhong will follow Jin Mao. Huang Gai and Zhou Tai are on duty respectively and it is impossible for them to stay in Yizhou.

The remaining people are the protagonists of this event.

Gan Ning was indeed a socialite. After Dian Wei finished speaking, he half-jokingly asked, "Commander Dian, why don't you tell me clearly what the benefits of staying in Yizhou are?"

Since becoming the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, Dian Wei is no longer the reckless man he used to be. He retorted, "Gan Xingba, don't ask about things you shouldn't ask about."

"If you wrestle with me, you're no match!"

There is nothing wrong with what he said. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, once they dismounted from their horses, were no match for Dian Wei. In terms of infantry combat, Dian Wei could only claim to be second to none!

Gan Ning had also suffered a lot, so he just laughed twice and stopped asking questions, and started communicating with others.

"Zhongye, you haven't even made it to the rank of captain yet, what are your plans?"

"Gong Yi, do you really want to stay under Yu Ping's command for the rest of your life? Don't you have any ideas of your own?"

Gan Ning is like a chatterbox, livening up the atmosphere.

Liu Bei was also an expert at this. He joined the conversation with just a few words and became friends with Gan Ning and others.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

It was useless for Dian Wei to be stubborn. With alcohol on his mind, he said everything he should and shouldn't say.

Therefore, Gan Ning and others knew that their lord was going to form another Yizhou navy, which meant having one more commander-in-chief.

Among all the people present, only Wen Pin was jealous. However, Jiang Qin's qualifications and military exploits were better than Wen Pin's, so it was obviously unlikely that he would give it to Wen Pin.

Other positions such as Hanzhong County Governor and Wudu Settlement Envoy sound good, but they are not very attractive to the captain of the main camp.

After all, Dian Wei said that in the future the lord intends to expand the five main camps to form an army respectively.

What is that concept?
The commander of an army must at least have the rank of general, which means he is a general!

Although the court was in chaos due to Dong Zhuo and Wang Yun, generals were still rare, let alone generals under Jin Mao, whose value was incomparable.

Three days later.

I don’t know who submitted an application and who didn’t.

In the end, Jiang Qin became the commander-in-chief of the Yizhou Navy as he wished, and Wen Pin became his deputy general.

Hanzhong County was commanded by Guan Yu, the captain of the four camps, who also served as the Wudu resettlement envoy and was in charge of the Di people's market and border.

The southern part of Yizhou was commanded by Zhang Fei, the captain of the second battalion, and the position was rotated every two years.

At the same time, Zhang Fei had to allocate troops to help He Qi to guard Jiaozhou, and the young general Wu Ning continued to partner with Zhang Fei.

Gan Ning, the captain of the third battalion, was to lead his troops to Huaiyin County, Guangling Commandery, to help Zhou Tai gain a foothold.

Because the day before yesterday, Yu Xin, the governor of Nanjun, who was also Yu Fan's father, passed away, according to filial piety, Yu Fan needed to observe mourning, even if not for three years, at least for three months.

Considering the time spent on the journey, Guangling County can be said to be undefended.

But Jinmao could not possibly lose Guangling County, where a large amount of iron was produced. The supply could not be cut off before the iron production in the two provinces in Yizhou was fully restored.

Gan Ning was brave but had a bad temper.

Zhou Tai was calm, and the two of them complemented each other. It should not be difficult to defend Guangling County temporarily.

Jin Mao will take Liu Bei back to Xiangyang City in Jingzhou. Whether it is to guard against Liu Biao or keep a close eye on Yuan Shu, this is an excellent location.

After arranging everything, Jinmao will return to Jingzhou to take charge.

The night before leaving, Jin Mao summoned Zhou Yu.

"Gongjin, Yizhou may seem peaceful, but it is actually extremely important."

Jin Mao said: "From now on, this will become my most important granary. Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhou Yu did not rush to answer. After thinking for a long time, he said uncertainly: "My lord, do you want to..."

He raised his palm and chopped it down in the shape of a knife.

Jin Mao nodded with satisfaction and scolded with a smile: "You, don't be so murderous."

"Focus more on the mistakes of the nobles and powerful, and less on the common people."

Zhou Yu's handsome face showed a bloodthirsty smile and said, "My lord, is it too harsh to exterminate the three tribes?"

"It's a bit heavy." Jin Mao groaned, "We are short of people everywhere."

"It would be better to execute the main culprit, make the men slaves, and send the women to Yihong Courtyard."

Zhou Yu took a deep breath, his lord was really ruthless.

What are the things that the nobles of this era fear the most?
die?

No, no!
What they fear most is humiliation, insult and abuse!
The saying "A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated" is exactly this truth.

Killing them and exterminating the three clans would only anger the other noble families. But if it really happened as Jin Mao said, it would be more terrifying than killing them and would make them afraid!

"My lord is wise!"

Zhou Yu thought for a moment and said, "Now the lord governs a vast territory, more than ten thousand miles. If you use this method to deal with the enemy, it's fine. But if someone under your command makes a mistake, and you use such a heavy punishment, I'm afraid people will lose their morale."

Jin Mao thought about it and felt that it made sense: "This matter still needs to be improved by the law."

"I will ask Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu and others to prepare. You should also think about it and give some suggestions."

Zhou Yu said in embarrassment: "This is the art of the Legalists, I don't understand it either."

Zhou Yu did not embarrass his lord and said, "I know of a family in Yizhou who is proficient in this art."

Jin Mao nodded and said, "Then ask him to draft one first, so that I can see its strength."

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)