Chapter 319 Xuzhou? I want them all!
Jingzhou, Jiangling County, Nanjun.

Fortunately, at the beginning of the year, Jinmao made timely adjustments and was able to preserve most of the fertile land in the upper and middle reaches when the flood came.

The Yangzhou counties along the downstream coast could not be saved and were left fallow for a year.

It’s just that the logistical pressure is a bit great.

However, we can still get by if we tighten our belts.

Thanks to the reserve plan made by Xun Yu and others in recent years, Jin Mao had the time to inspect Jiangling County.

The peak of the flood has passed. Yizhou and Jingzhou will bear the heavy responsibility of grain production this year, and Jinmao has to take it seriously.

The road to Yizhou is not easy to travel, so Jinmao can only pay more attention to the affairs of Jingzhou.

this day.

Cao Cao sent an envoy, Chen Qun, to ask for help, and Jin Mao met Chen Qun by the river.

"Chen Qun pays respect to the general."

Chen Qun was very humble and polite, and he flattered her again, "I heard that the ancient sage, Dayu, passed by his home three times without entering, and the general governed by the river, which was quite ancient."

This situation really proved what Chen Qun said.

Jin Mao then laughed and said, "What a eloquent Chen Qun!"

"Tell me, what's Cao Cao up to this time?"

Chen Qun bowed and said, "My lord Cao Gong has encountered some difficulties in Jizhou. I would like to ask the general to show mercy and send Chen Gongtai back and provide him with 400,000 stones of grain and grass."

Jin Mao's mouth twitched. I was just being polite to you, why did you take it seriously?

"Four hundred thousand stones!"

"Why didn't Cao Mengde go and rob it?"

Jin Mao flatly refused: "No! Not even a pound of food!"

Chen Qun was not surprised at all, and threw out his chips, saying, "General, calm down. Lord Cao also knows that this request is very difficult, but in the current situation, Jizhou has just been settled, and there is a lot of work to be done. In addition, there are natural disasters and man-made disasters, and the shortage of food and grass has reached the limit.

Duke Cao, remembering the friendship we had fought side by side in the past, has given the three northern counties of Xuzhou as a gift, and is willing to form an everlasting alliance with the general and work together for the great cause.

"Three counties?" Jin Mao sneered, "You're sending beggars away!"

"You can ask for grain. One hundred thousand dan can be exchanged for Qingzhou and Xuzhou!"

Facing Jin Mao Lion's big mouth, Chen Qun smiled bitterly and said, "General, why do you have to embarrass me?"

"It's not that I'm in trouble, it's that I'm forced by the situation." Jin Mao looked solemn, and his tone was full of unquestionable determination, "I'm responsible for the safety of the people in the four states, how can I treat the land as a joke?

Qingzhou and Xuzhou have been in a state of decline after years of war, and ten grains and grass are enough.

Besides, Cao Cao hasn't even taken care of the fact that he swallowed up 200,000 of my grain. If he really wants to do that, why doesn't he prove it with actual actions instead of just testing my bottom line with these conditions? "

“I know that Cao Cao has many brave generals and wise men under his command, but after the war, people’s livelihood has been devastated, and it will take time to recover.

I propose that we open the border market and promote trade. In the long run, the people of both places will benefit. Isn't that wonderful?"

Jin Mao raised the corners of his mouth. The ancients of this era probably didn’t know what economic war was.

As long as trade is liberalized, products like Jinmao can be dumped in the north, which is no different from robbing money, and there is no need to make any effort to regulate it.

Chen Qun showed admiration on his face and said, "The general has a far-sighted vision, which is a blessing for the country and the people.

Opening border markets can not only alleviate the post-war material shortages and promote economic exchanges, but also deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the North and the South and reduce unnecessary disputes and suspicions.

If this plan succeeds, it will bring benefits to the people.”

Chen Qun paused and said in embarrassment: "But I am just an assistant official and cannot influence the will of my lord Cao Gong."

Jin Mao rolled his eyes. It turned out that everything he said was just bullshit!
Jin Mao, who had completely lost his patience, waved his hand and said, "Tell me Cao Cao's bottom line, and I'll see if I can help you."

Chen Qun's expression became serious, not knowing whether this was a test or an ultimatum.

Although Chen Qun had studied everything about Jin Mao in depth on the way here, there was too little information about his personality.

Chen Qun only knew that Jin Mao was greedy for money and lustful, but he was not greedy for the wealth of the common people, nor was he attracted to worldly beauties. Only the most beautiful women could catch his eyes.

Logically speaking, such a principled person would definitely not make jokes casually.

Facts have proved that Jinmao is such a contradictory person.

Perhaps he would not joke easily only when facing civilians and soldiers, but he would joke as he pleased when facing other people.

After a long silence, Chen Qun still didn't dare to gamble, so he told Cao Cao half of his bottom line: "My lord, I am willing to exchange Pengcheng for 400,000 shi of grain and grass."

Jin Mao was too lazy to say anything more and waved his hand to signal Yu Fan to take care of the matter.

Everyone in the four states knows how vicious Yu Fan is. He also has a bad reputation throughout the world, and this is all caused by Jin Mao.

Chen Qun had naturally heard about this before, and immediately, he was frightened and greeted carefully, saying, "Greetings, Lord Yu."

"What do you mean by 'gonggong'?" Yu Fan immediately entered combat mode and asked, "Am I that old?"

Chen Qun smiled awkwardly and said, "Duke Yu is joking. This is a respectful title."

"Honorary title? Humph, I think you are afraid that I will embarrass you if I ask you."

Yu Fan raised his lips in a teasing smile, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, staring straight at Chen Qun, "But since you mentioned the deal, let's get straight to the point.

Exchanging Pengcheng for food and fodder sounds like a good deal, but you have to understand that in this world, food and fodder are life, and a city is just a piece of land built of bricks and tiles.

If Cao Mengde was really short of food, why didn't he just say it directly instead of going through so much trouble? "

Chen Qun's face changed slightly. He knew that although Yu Fan's words were harsh, they made sense. He could only bite the bullet and explain: "Mr. Yu's words are reasonable, but my lord also has a secret. This transaction is actually to stabilize the rear so that he can better fight on the battlefield in the future and protect our Han Dynasty."

Yu Fan sneered, seemingly not buying it: "Protect the Han Dynasty? It's ironic to hear you say this. If he really wanted to, why didn't he work hard and love the people, reduce wars, and let the people live and work in peace? Instead of bargaining here, sacrificing the peace of the people for his own selfishness."

Chen Qun was so choked by these words that he was speechless and could only lower his head in silence.

But Chen Qun's silence did not mean that Yu Fan let him go. He said, "You and I both know that this so-called transaction is nothing more than an exchange of interests."

"Business is business, why bother to flaunt righteousness?"

"You want 400,000 grains?"

"can!"

Yu Fan clasped his fists in the direction Jin Mao left and said, "My lord has already made it clear that we must exchange Qingzhou and Xuzhou for them!"

"One Pengcheng?" Yu Fan said disdainfully, "Even a Chen Gongtai would be too little."

Chen Qun's thoughts were exposed, but he remained calm.

Yu Fan secretly praised him and continued to increase his firepower: "If you want to talk about justice, my lord is a general, may I ask what position Cao Gong holds?"

Chen Qun certainly could not be scared off by a few words, and pretended to be angry and said: "Duke Yu bullies my master so much, isn't he afraid that Duke Cao will join forces with Yuan Shao and Lu Bu to attack the general?"

"There is a flood in the south of the Yangtze River, and you are too busy to take care of yourselves."

"Hahaha!"

Yu Fan laughed and asked, "Lü Bu?"

"We are defeated! It's all in vain."

"Yuan Shao is quite a bit of a threat." Yu Fan sneered, "Chen Changwen, can you guarantee that Yuan Shao won't betray you?"

Chen Qun said stubbornly, "It is unknown." Yu Fan snorted coldly and said, "Everyone knows that although Yuan Shao and Cao Gong were allies in the past, the times are different now. They each have their own policies and their own interests come first.

Not to mention whether Yuan Shao was willing to mobilize his troops for a mere verbal dispute, even if he really wanted to do so, he would have to first deal with the princes and generals in his own territory who had different intentions.

Besides, the general commands half of the world's troops, and has many counselors and brave generals under his command. How can he be shaken by a mere alliance?"

After saying this, Yu Fan looked at Chen Qun with a sharp gaze and continued, "My lord, the general, is not only a master of martial arts, but also a well-known benevolent man. All his actions this time are in accordance with the right time, right place and right people, and seek peace for the people of the world.

On the other hand, although Cao Gong was also a hero, he was suspicious and often ignored the people. If this continued, he would lose the support of the people.

"Chen Changwen, if you really care about Cao Gong, why don't you persuade him to stop fighting and make peace, and work together for the great cause of the world, instead of arguing here and causing more trouble?"

Chen Qun's face changed slightly when he heard this, but he was not willing to be outdone: "Duke Yu is wrong. The world is like a chess game, each game is new and the winner is not yet determined. How can we know who will win in the end?
My lord Cao Gong has great ambitions and is ambitious. How could he be stopped by a temporary predicament?
As for the people's support, since ancient times, the winners have always been kings and the losers have always been bandits. When Cao Gong unifies the Central Plains, he will naturally win the hearts of the people."

Yu Fan smiled slightly, and that smile showed both respect for Chen Qun's persistence and confidence in the future situation: "Brother Changwen's words make sense, but the long river of history is vast and mighty. Those who follow it will prosper, and those who go against it will perish.

The general follows the will of the people and is unstoppable. This is the will of heaven.

As subjects, we should do our best to assist the wise master and accomplish great things. As for the final result, let time witness it. "

After finishing his words, Yu Fan turned around and was about to leave, leaving behind a meaningful sentence: "Chen Changwen, you and I each serve our own masters. Today's discussion is just a topic for after-dinner conversation. If we meet on the battlefield someday, I hope you won't show mercy."

"Wait a minute!" Chen Qun was cornered and called out to Yu Fan, "Lord Yu is worthy of his reputation. I am defeated today."

Chen Qun sighed and said, "To be honest, my lord is willing to use Xuzhou as a hostage. I wonder if the general can lend a helping hand to my lord?"

Yu turned around and said with a smile: "If I had known this would happen, why did I do this in the first place?"

"For a state like this, Lord Cao is quite courageous."

Yu Fan hesitated for a moment and said, "Since Brother Changwen is so honest, I won't waste any more words. I will report this to the Lord and ask him to make the decision!"

Chen Qun bowed and said, "Thank you very much."

the other side.

Jinmao has already started planning the next step.

"Tell all the generals of Jingzhou to come to me. Don't forget Zhao Yun, Wen Pin, Xu Huang and other generals."

These people are included in the Imperial Guards, and generally speaking, they are not summoned when foreign generals are called upon.

Since this plan was formulated by Xun Yu, Jin Mao chose to believe it this time.

Cao Cao will definitely take action against Yuan Shao.

In this case, no matter how busy he is, he has to send some people to the north to seize people, horses, and resources. He cannot allow Cao Cao to become more powerful.

Compared to Yuan Shao's growing power, Jin Mao really doesn't want Cao Cao to become stronger. No matter how much attention is paid to historical figures, it is never too much.

Soon.

The generals didn't wait for the news, but Yu Fan got the news first.

"Cao Cao wants to exchange Xuzhou?"

This is a one-and-done gamble.

Jin Mao couldn't help but feel an impulse in his heart: "Why not take this opportunity to destroy Cao Cao?"

Fortunately, I still had my sanity and immediately put the thought to rest.

There are too few cavalry to cope with the war in the north.

If the south is the world of navy, then the north is the world of cavalry.

Without enough cavalry, they would only alert the enemy and scare Cao Cao away.

Even if Jin Mao has enough brave generals under his command, it will be useless if he can only defeat Cao Cao but not destroy him!

"My Lord," Yu Fan bowed, "Please make the decision."

Jin Mao stroked his beard, which was less than five centimeters long, and asked, "What conditions does Chen Qun want?"

Then he said to himself, "In addition to 400,000 grain and Chen Gong, do you still want me to send troops to help Cao Cao?"

Yu Fan said respectfully, "That's right."

"It's good to send troops."

Jin Mao clapped his thigh and stood up. At that moment, a hole appeared in the dark clouds and the sunlight shone through the world, giving Jin Mao a halo.

"Zhong Xiang, I intend to send all the cavalry to the north, but we have no way of solving the problem of food and supplies."

"What do you think we should do?"

Yu Fan knew what his lord meant. Land transportation would result in huge losses. If he promised Cao Cao 400,000 tons of food and fodder, he would have to prepare at least 2 million tons.

Even if the road conditions are very bad, two million may not be enough, and four or even eight million are not uncommon.

"My lord, you can give us less food and fodder. It doesn't have to be 400,000 dan. 100,000 dan will be enough."

"How can that be possible?" Jin Mao raised his lips and said, "One hundred thousand shi makes me look stingy."

Yu Fan was anxious: "My Lord, the times are different now! Due to natural disasters and man-made disasters, the people don't have much food left at home."

Jin Mao waved his hand and said, "Zhong Xiang, you know that the Lujiang Shipyard has built a seagoing ship this year. If I transport grain from the sea, pass through Xuzhou, and store grain in Qingzhou Bay, what will happen?"

A map instantly appeared in Yu Fan's mind, fixed on the Bohai Bay.

This place is close to Qingzhou Donglai and Beihai counties, and a little further north is Jizhou Bohai County.

Above Bohai County is Youzhou, which is only a hundred kilometers away from the Yijing battlefield. If you ride at full speed, you will arrive there in two or three days.

By then, not only will Yuan Shao be unable to sleep, but Cao Cao will be even worse off.

No matter who takes over Jizhou, he must be supervised by Jinmao!
"My lord, a great idea!"

Yu Fan sincerely admired him and said, "I am not as good as him."

"Zhong Xiang is too modest." Jin Mao's mouth was as wide as a lotus flower. Nothing was more satisfying than a sarcastic admission.

"You haven't had much to do lately, why don't you go north for me?"

Yu Fan really wanted to say, I am the general's chief secretary and a close minister to you, how come I have nothing to do?
However, faced with the temptation of expanding territory, Yu Fan could not resist and bowed, saying, "It's all at the lord's command."

Jin Mao seemed not to notice Yu Fan's inner thoughts and consoled him, "Don't worry, I will send a brave general who is familiar with the geography of the north to go with you. Your safety will be guaranteed."

Yu Fan seemed to be greatly insulted, and immediately blushed and said: "My lord, you underestimate me!"

"I learned literature at the age of three and martial arts at the age of six. I have mastered all six arts of a gentleman. Why do I need protection?"

"Okay, okay." Jin Mao coaxed a child, "I know you have guts, so how about I give you a thousand soldiers and horses to charge into battle?"

Yu Fan said disdainfully: "A gentleman is good at making plans, how can he charge into battle like a reckless man?"

"You are said to be weak but you refuse to admit it. You are said to be strong but you try to make excuses. Yu Zhongxiang! You are really this!"

Jin Mao stuck out his thumb and pointed it down.

Yu Fan wanted to refute many times, but in the end he just sighed and said, "My lord, it is what you say."

"Hey, I'm just kidding you." Jin Mao said in a bored tone, "You're not easy to tease."

A feeling of chillness lingers in my heart.

(End of this chapter)