Chapter 1148: Straightforward and Good at Planning, Jian Xianhe!【1】

That night.

The army led by Liu Bei arrived at an area thirty miles away from Nanwuyang before dark and camped along the bank of the Wu River, which flowed down from the west side of Nanwuyang.

The ten thousand-strong army had three huge camps by the Wu River.

This place was the only road from Linyi to Nanwuyang.

To the southwest, there was the obstruction of Ni Mountain and the separation of the Wu River, while to the northeast were the continuous Meng Mountains.

And at this time, the million Yellow Turbans from Qingzhou were hiding in the Meng Mountains, intending to bypass the Wu River and then plunder all the way.

In the camp under the night.

Liu Bei sat in the main tent.

The location for the meeting invited by Cao Cao was Nanwuyang.

It was already late at night and they could not travel anymore, so they had to wait until tomorrow morning to go.

Sitting in the main tent at this time, besides Liu Bei, were two men dressed in Confucian robes.

One was in his twenties, and the other looked older, nearly forty.

Jian Yong, in a gray Confucian robe, sat on Liu Bei's right hand, while Zhuge Gui, in a black Confucian robe and wearing a Jinxian cap, sat on Liu Bei's left.

Zhuge Gui came from the Zhuge clan of Langya; his grandfather Zhuge Feng had served as the Grandee of the Imperial Household and Commandant of Justice during the Yuan Emperor's period and was highly esteemed by the Yuan Emperor.

And the Zhuge clan lived in Langya State for generations, with a very high reputation.

Previously, Zhuge Gui served as the Commandery Assistant in Taishan, but returned home to avoid disaster during the Huang Jin Rebellion.

And after Liu Bei served as the Chancellor of Langya State, he personally visited him and recruited Zhuge Gui as the Assistant Governor.

During the day, the two were responsible for managing the baggage after the army.

After setting up the camp, Liu Bei informed the two of Cao Cao's invitation to meet in Nanwuyang.

"Mr. Zigong, Cao Cao invited me; it is eight out of ten about the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans. Mr. Zigong, how do you think I should respond?" Liu Bei's gaze looked at Zhuge Gui.

Zhuge Gui, in a black robe, knelt behind the desk, stroking his beard.

After thinking for a while, he said: "The Inspector of Yanzhou, Cao Cao, must want the Lord to retreat."

"The Lord's purpose in coming is to quell the thieves and collect refugees, and the purpose of the Inspector of Yanzhou, Cao Cao, is naturally the same as the Lord's."

"Now the Lord relies on Commissioner Tao, and the troops and grain under your command are provided by Commissioner Tao."

"The civil officials under your command are also mostly Langya noble clans."

"If one day Commissioner Tao does not need the Lord, just one transfer order, then the Lord will be helpless, isn't that so?"

"The Lord looks glorious today, as the Chancellor of Langya State, but isn't it just a word from Commissioner Tao?"

Liu Bei's frown deepened, and the hand in his sleeve clenched into a fist unconsciously.

"Back then in Lu Gong's army, the Lord protected Lu Gong with his life, but in the end?"

"If it weren't for the fact that the Lord is still useful to Commissioner Tao, I'm afraid that at most, you would be just a small county clerk now."

Jian Yong's words were very direct.

Every sentence seemed to be piercing Liu Bei's heartstrings.

Pulling Liu Bei back to the Jizhou battlefield, the moment he faced Duan Yu directly.

"Lord, if you want to control your own destiny, you must get rid of the constraints of others."

"This is one of the few opportunities the Lord has now!"

"If you can grasp this opportunity, then the Lord will no longer be constrained by others!" Jian Yong said righteously.

Liu Bei took a deep breath, then cupped his hands and bowed to Jian Yong: "Please teach me, Xianhe."

Jian Yong's eyes flashed with brilliance.

"Lord, if these million Qingzhou refugees can be absorbed by the Lord."

"If they can be used by the Lord, the Lord will immediately have twenty or thirty thousand troops that can be used."

"If the remaining refugees are allowed to reclaim wasteland and salt fields, there will be a steady stream of money and grain."

"The Lord holds a strong army, has money and grain in the treasury, so why need to be constrained by others?"

"That is why I said that taking these million refugees is the only opportunity for the Lord to get rid of constraints now."

Liu Bei nodded slowly.

Yes, that's right.

The logic is like this.

But how to take these million refugees is the key problem.

There is Cao Cao blocking in front, and the exclusion of the Langya noble clans behind.

How can he take these million refugees?