Chapter 385: Lotus Blossoming from the Tongue

This was a banquet.

The scale was very high.

Clearly, the various bigwigs of Chuan Shu and the prominent figures of Shuzhou City had all come.

When Xie Zhen and Liu Zheng walked in, everyone stood up and greeted Liu Zheng one after another.

It was unclear whether it was intentional or unintentional.

This group of people deliberately placed Liu Zheng's seat next to the Prince of Shu, Xie Zhen. This action was truly somewhat meaningful. After all, Liu Zheng's official rank at this time was merely a Prefect; although he was about to be promoted to Hanlin Academy Shidu Xueshi, the Imperial Edict had not yet arrived. In terms of rank, he was even lower than some of the Prefects present.

This was definitely intended to "praise to kill."

Of course, Liu Zheng did not care about these things and sat down with bold, unconstrained movements.

Sure enough.

This action caused many people on the spot to change their expressions.

The seat was given to you, and you didn't even offer to yield?

This Prefect Liu's covetous heart for Chuan Shu is clearly revealed.

"Ahem, come, let us first toast Prefect Liu! This time, annihilating three hundred thousand Southern Barbarians is a monumental merit. Heaven bless Longyan!"

Before Xie Zhen could speak, one of the white-haired elders raised his cup and said loudly.

Once these words were spoken, the whole room roared in agreement.

Liu Zheng also smiled: "Heaven bless Longyan!"

It seems today's encounter will not be easy to deal with; these old men are all human spirits well-versed in all kinds of Thick Black Theory.

After a cup of wine was downed, everyone sat down again.

After a bout of hypocritical pleasantries, that white-haired old man laughed and looked at Liu Zheng: "Prefect Liu, this great victory not only manifests the majesty of Longyan but also shows that the Liangzhou Army is unparalleled in the world! If it weren't for the Liangzhou Army, we in Chuan Shu would be, would be..."

Everyone also shook their heads and sighed endlessly.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zheng hurriedly said modestly: "Dare not, dare not, it was merely the right time, the right place, and the right people. Chuan Shu is a good place with simple folk customs and unity, which is why the Southern Barbarians became an exhausted force; if not for this, the Liangzhou Army would have found it difficult to do anything."

This old man deliberately raised up his own Liangzhou Army while belittling the Shu Army, making Xie Zhen's brow twitch involuntarily.

What does this mean?

Is this issuing a warning?

That as long as the Liangzhou Army does not retreat for a day, Chuan Shu is in more danger?

Although Xie Zhen treated Liu Zheng as a brother, that was before he became the Prince of Shu; once he truly sat in the position of Prince of Shu, his mindset inevitably changed.

Who doesn't like having their territory truly under their own control?

Another person said indifferently: "Prefect Liu has a very high opinion of Chuan Shu. I wonder how Prefect Liu thinks Shuzhou compares to Liangzhou?"

Everyone looked over in unison.

Liu Zheng cursed angrily in his heart; this was truly one question after another, and each one was so malicious, laying all kinds of traps. Yet, on the surface, he smiled faintly and said as if inadvertently: "Chuan Shu is a Land of Abundance, with outstanding people and divine spirits, and simple folk customs; it is naturally an unparalleled treasure land."

Everyone revealed looks of contempt one after another.

They thought, is this the world-renowned Prefect Liu? Could it be that he has made up his mind to bow his head today?

These people could not help but look at each other triumphantly.

This was the effect they wanted. If Prefect Liu bowed his head, he would not take too many benefits from Chuan Shu.

However.

If he praised Chuan Shu too much, it would send a message to Xie Zhen!

He still has the intention to covet Chuan Shu!

Therefore, this question was a trap from the start.

Who would have thought, before Liu Zheng finished speaking, he smiled faintly and continued: "However, Chuan Shu's land is fertile, relying on heaven for food, and the people are well-fed and worry-free, naturally living and working in peace and contentment, without competing with the world. But the people of Liangzhou have barren land, eating wind and drinking dew, fighting with heaven for food!"

He looked around and smiled faintly: "So, between those who rely on heaven for food and those who fight with heaven for food, which is superior and which is inferior, is it not self-evident?"

Once these words were spoken, many people changed their expressions on the spot.

No one expected that this Prefect Liu would be so sharp-tongued.

First speak of your Chuan Shu's goodness, then speak of my Liangzhou's strength.

Although he praised Chuan Shu's geography and so on, it was a series of blows that scolded everyone present. What can you rely on? Isn't it just relying on fertile land? With fertile land and being the granary of the world, you are greedy for pleasure, extravagant and licentious, and lack enterprise; besides engaging in intrigue here, what else can you do? When facing the Southern Barbarians, what were you doing?

Chuan Shu has plenty of grain, is there anything worth bragging about? Although my Liangzhou is barren, it is precisely because of the hammering of wind and frost that the people of Liangzhou have that incomparably tenacious character and the spirit to fear no hardship.

Now, the problem of the people's food and clothing has also been solved.

The Liangzhou Army is even more invincible in the world, sweeping away everything in its path.

Young generals like Qin Zhangfeng, Jiang Xuan, and Cheng Kai are beginning to be famous throughout the world. In contrast, Chuan Shu has no one who can fight, and talent is withering.

This Southern Barbarian invasion is the best example.

Except for Zhong Ling and Niu Guishan, there is not a single talent worth mentioning. But even these two are just running errands for Qin Zhangfeng, and cannot even compare to Jia Shu, who leaped into the fire and became famous for a time.

This speech by Liu Zheng immediately made everyone present feel as uncomfortable as if they had drunk foot-washing water.

The question they asked was refuted in such a way; who could be happy?

Another person stood up, holding a wine goblet, and laughed: "Prefect Liu's lesson is well-taken, but although the Liangzhou Army is fierce, its edge is too sharp; it is always a weapon of slaughter! This time, Jiangzhou City was completely destroyed, and the world has mixed reviews about this. Everyone calls the Liangzhou Army a 'tiger-wolf army' that devours people and hurts itself! Prefect Liu, what do you think?"

This was again using the burning of Jiangzhou to make things difficult for Liu Zheng!

Liu Zheng laughed loudly: "Soldiers are weapons of slaughter! The sage uses them only when there is no other choice!"

"The expenses of the people are seven out of ten; the expenses of the public treasury are six out of ten!"

"Therefore, the best military policy is to attack the strategy, the next is to attack the alliances, and the lowest is to attack the cities."

"However, whenever an army of one hundred thousand is raised and sent out for a thousand miles, the expenses of the people and the offerings of the public are a thousand gold per day, causing turmoil inside and outside. Seventy thousand households are exhausted on the roads and cannot attend to their work. They guard for several years to compete for a single day's victory!"

He stood up abruptly, his face turning cold: "You only know that the Liangzhou Army burned Jiangzhou, but do you know that for the sake of Chuan Shu, the Liangzhou Army mobilized the masses, and six or seven out of ten of the treasury's silver and grain were spent! Yet the people had no complaints and lined the roads to see them off. The imperial court rewarded them and did not hold them accountable!"

"If it is a weapon of slaughter, then my Liangzhou Army is Longyan's last resort! It is Longyan's weapon of slaughter!"

"Even so."

"That is still a vital weapon of the state!"

"Shu lacks strategy, Shu is weak in diplomacy, and Shu has no formidable weapons!"

"If the Liangzhou Army does not come, who will?"

"If the Liangzhou Army does not burn it, who will?"

Bang!

After Liu Zheng finished speaking, he slammed his wine goblet onto the ground.

The entire room instantly fell silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

They want to negotiate with him? Do they not see whose blade is fiercer, or whose sword is sharper?

Liu Zheng coldly swept his gaze around the room; if not for the sake of his sworn brother Xie Zhen, who among those present would dare to speak loudly to him?

"Th-th-this..."

Xie Zhen was startled and hurriedly mediated, "Second brother, second brother, calm down, calm down. Today is a banquet to thank you, this..."

As he spoke, he felt embarrassed himself.

The banquet had barely begun, and it was already aggressive. This was no thank-you banquet; it was clearly a negotiation!

Liu Zheng smiled dashingly: "Brother, there is no need to worry that Liu Zheng has too large an appetite. If you want to thank me, it shall be here!"

He pulled a map from his pocket and spread it out on the table in front of him.

On that map, the far southwest corner had already been marked with a circle in cinnabar ink.

The crowd could not help but look over in unison.

"What?"

"This?"

"Prefect Liu... what is this?"

Everyone was shocked.

This place?

What does he want with this godforsaken place?

【Author's Note】

There will be more updates later. The usual rule: after a major plot arc ends, I need to write a detailed outline for the upcoming plot. Also, there is no "map-shaming" intended; it is purely for the sake of the plot. You all know where I am from by my name, so please don't bash me for this.