Liu Qi's words not only stunned Wang Lang, but also shocked Guan Yu and others. They never thought that he would make such an absurd request.
After a brief moment of astonishment, Xu Shu shook his head and laughed. Liu Qi exaggerated on purpose so that the subsequent conditions could be discussed more easily.
Wang Lang took a long time to come back to his senses. He clasped his fists and said, "Although the general is of the same clan as the emperor, Cao Ren is a prisoner, and the emperor is the supreme ruler. The difference between the two is like heaven and earth. How can we exchange hostages? Where does the dignity of the court stand?"
Liu Qi sneered, "Everyone knows that Cao Cao holds the emperor hostage and controls the princes. If the emperor allows Cao Cao to bully him, what's the difference between him and a hostage? Since I am a relative of the Han Dynasty, I should welcome him and assist him. What's wrong with that?"
Wang Lang said angrily, "The emperor is the supreme ruler of the world, how can he be held hostage? Moreover, the court is now in Xuchang, where the dragon energy gathers. Moving the capital is related to the fate of the country. It is a major plan for the world and needs to be decided by the three ministers and discussed by the monarch and his ministers. The general's argument is absurd."
Liu Qi did not take it as an offense and thought: "According to what you said, if we can welcome the emperor in Luoyang, would that be reasonable?"
Wang Lang thought that Luoyang was now under the control of Cao's army, so he nodded and said, "The emperor's return to the old capital is the law of nature, and it is natural and reasonable."
"That's good!" Liu Qi said with a smile, "In that case, let's exchange Cao Ren for Luoyang!"
“You…” Wang Lang’s hair and beard stood up, and he wanted to explode, but he held back. His face flushed with anger, “General, you, you should not go too far!”
"How am I compared to Cao Cao who held the emperor hostage and bullied his colleagues?" Liu Qi smiled coldly and said with a flick of his sleeves, "Luoyang is dilapidated and has been in disrepair for a long time. Since Cao Cao is unwilling to repair it, as a descendant of the Han Dynasty, it is my duty to guard the imperial mausoleum and repair the ancestral temple. It will not be too late to welcome you after Luoyang is repaired!"
Wang Lang saw that Liu Qi would not budge and that his mission was about to fail, so he begged with a sad face, "General, this move is too much. I am afraid that the Prime Minister may not agree. Please think twice."
"No need to talk nonsense!" Liu Qi seemed to have lost his patience and smiled grimly: "If Cao Cao really wants someone, he must show his sincerity. I have a deadline of half a month. If there is no reply by then, Cao Zixiao will be missing something in his possession. Send him away!"
Wang Lang was shocked. He was about to discuss further when he saw Zhang Fei step forward and glare at him: "Emissary Wang, please!"
Wang Lang was horrified and dared not look Zhang Fei in the eye. He lowered his head and hurried out, only to hear bursts of laughter behind him.
"Da Lang, well done!" Zhang Fei walked to the door and laughed, "It was great!"
Guan Yu was also stroking his beard and smiling, and the eyes of Sun Qian and others when they looked at Liu Qi changed again.
In the past, when following Liu Bei, although he was deeply loved by the people, he was always cautious, treading on thin ice, and looking back and forth, which made people feel very aggrieved.
However, Liu Qi acted arbitrarily and dared to scold the imperial envoy and directly denounce Cao Cao. He really expressed his feelings and felt relieved.
Xu Shu understood that this was the fundamental difference between Liu Qi and Liu Bei, and the personalities of the two were incomparable.
Liu Bei started from scratch and had no foundation, but he claimed to everyone he met that he was a relative of the Han royal family, just to win people's hearts and seek a place to settle down.
Liu Qi was different. He had Jingzhou as his base and was the eldest son of the Liu family. As long as he had the courage and ambition, his target would be the imperial court. Naturally, he had the right to scold Wang Lang.
Mi Zhu stepped forward and said, "General, even if we evaluate it in terms of business, how can a mere Cao Ren be exchanged for the emperor or Luoyang? Cao Cao will definitely not agree."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Sir, you are a wealthy family in Xuzhou, with businesses all over the place, and you are familiar with the ways of doing business. Although I am asking for an exorbitant price, I didn't say that Cao thief can't bargain!"
Sun Qian stroked his beard and smiled, "General, this is a delaying tactic. If we drag the two sides together for a few days and months, we can mobilize the troops at ease."
Mi Zhu nodded and said, "General, you are wise. I was negligent."
Everyone laughed again. Although it was a fantasy for Liu Qi to exchange Cao Ren for the emperor, it sounded reasonable and wonderful.
After seeing off the messenger, everyone went about their business. Liu Qi also breathed a sigh of relief. After this battle, he truly gained the recognition of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others, and completely took over Liu Bei's team.
As his reputation grew, Liu Biao in Jingzhou gave his full support and issued edicts to various places to recruit soldiers to help and prepare money and food, which made it much easier to recruit talents.
In the past few days, various counties in Nanyang have sent reinforcements, ranging from hundreds to thousands. Nearly 20,000 new recruits have gathered in Wancheng. As Nanyang people, they are all willing to defend their hometown to the death.
Liu Qi ordered Zhao Yun and Wei Yan to be selected and trained, with Kou Feng and Hu Ji as their assistants. He would be satisfied if he could train a strong army of 5,000 men.
The next day, Deng Zhi reported that Cao's army marched south to Luyang and set up camp at Mopo, led by Xiahou Dun himself.
Deng Zhi was the descendant of the famous general Deng Yu. He was well versed in military tactics and served as a general in his later years. Liu Qi appointed him to be in charge of intelligence and assist in military affairs.
Xu Shu said: "Cao Cao is cautious and has deployed troops on the border, eyeing Nanyang covetously. We need to prepare early."
Liu Qi nodded and said, "We can station an army in Bowang City to prevent Cao's army from making a surprise attack from the south. There is Bowang Slope to the south of the city, and the terrain is complex, so there is a lot of potential for us to do."
Xu Shu smiled and said, "It turns out that the general knew the terrain here and made preparations in advance."
Liu Qi said: "I only have a rough idea. If Cao's army really attacks, the deployment of troops still needs the advice of the military advisor."
Xu Shu nodded and said, "It is my duty, how dare I not serve you?"
Liu Qi ordered Wen Pin to lead 20,000 troops to garrison in Bowang City and deploy defenses. He also sent Fu Rong to lead 3,000 soldiers to set up a watchtower on the high point of Bowang Slope to monitor the movements of Cao's army.
On this day, he was practicing sword skills with Xu Shu in the mansion when his personal soldiers came to report that two thousand reinforcements had arrived from Jiangxia, led by Captain Su Fei himself, and they requested to see Liu Qi.
The scholars in the Han Dynasty were not as weak as they were later on, especially those from aristocratic families. They learned the six arts of a gentleman from a young age, so Liu Qi still had some basic knowledge.
The body is the capital of revolution. Apart from military affairs, Liu Qi’s most important thing now is to keep fit.
He put away his sword and went to the study, where he saw Su Fei, who was about thirty years old, not very tall, but with a calm demeanor. After greeting him, he ordered people to prepare a banquet to welcome him.
Su Fei clasped his fists and said, "Young Master has risen from hiding and soared into the sky. This is truly a blessing for Jingzhou. County Magistrate Huang was overjoyed upon hearing the news and has specially sent two thousand elite soldiers to help you fight against Cao."
Liu Qi sighed and said, "Why is my uncle so polite? Sun Quan has always been obsessed with his father's death. The Wu army is watching us. We should focus on guarding against the Sun family. We dare not trouble him with the affairs of Nanyang."
Su Fei smiled and said, "My Lord has always hated the Cao family, but I only regret that I cannot afford to send troops. Now that I heard that you have raised an army, I want to express my gratitude. I hope you will not refuse."
Liu Qi nodded and said, "I will accept your kindness, but the defense of Jiangxia is urgent, so why does General Su have to come in person?"
Su Fei clasped his fists and said, "I am here for both official and personal matters! I heard that you are recruiting talents and it is the right time to use people, so I came here to recommend a good friend."
Liu Qi thought about it and felt that Jiangxia didn't seem to have any talented people. Even if there were any, they should be kept to guard Jiangxia. Why would he send them to him
But after all, it was Su Fei's intention, so he had to show respect and courtesy, raised his glass and said with a smile: "Thank you for your concern, General Su. I wonder what this person's ability is?"
Su Fei thought about the words and said, "This man's name is Gan Ning, and his courtesy name is Xingba. Although in his early years..."
"Puff—" Liu Qi spit out a mouthful of wine, widened his eyes and yelled: "Gan Ning hasn't gone to Dongwu yet?"