After dark, the government office was brightly lit and filled with cheers.
Xu Shu has ordered people to distribute the rewards to each camp. The pensions for the casualties are also 30% more than before, and all the soldiers are happy.
In the lobby, Liu Qi brought Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu to introduce them to the generals. When they saw that Zhuge Liang was ranked above Xu Shu, many of them were dissatisfied.
Liu Qi didn't care. At this time, Zhuge Liang was an airborne soldier, and it was inevitable that he would be excluded by these subordinates. It would be redundant to say anything now, and he would have to wait and see what strength he had in the future.
After three rounds of drinking, Liu Qi encouraged his generals. He couldn't drink, so he kept Xu Shu company and took Zhuge Liang with him to leave first and have a private date.
After the two men left, Guan Yu stroked his beard and asked, "Is this the Wolong that the eldest son visited twice but avoided?"
"That's right!" Xu Shu took in everyone's expressions and said with a smile, "Kong Ming is my close friend. He is a man of extraordinary talent and extraordinary strategies. Generals, don't underestimate him and treat him with courtesy."
Guan Yu snorted slightly, while Zhang Fei glared and asked, "How does Wolong compare to the military advisor?"
Xu Shu said: "Kong Ming's knowledge is profound, which is far beyond the reach of my half-time study! Xu Shu is like the light of a firefly, while Kong Ming is as bright as the full moon."
Wei Yan held up his wine bowl and sneered, "We admire the military advisor's talent. Although Wolong is the military advisor's good friend, isn't the praise too much?"
Xu Shu smiled and said, "My assistance to the general is like icing on the cake, but if the general has Kong Ming, it will be like a fish in water!"
Gan Ning raised his bowl and laughed, "Is it a fake?"
The generals laughed continuously, but Xu Shu shook his head helplessly. He wanted everyone to respect Zhuge Liang, but it had the opposite effect, so he had to keep silent.
As long as Liu Qi trusts Zhuge Liang enough, with his abilities, he will soon win over everyone.
After a while of socializing, Xu Shu came to the backyard alone. The light in the wing on the left was still on. Yu Jin was sitting alone in the room, not moving his chopsticks on the table.
"I am really sorry, a distinguished guest just came, General Zuo accompanied him personally, so I cannot come to meet you, please forgive me."
Yu Jin smiled bitterly: "How can a prisoner like me have any extravagant hopes?"
Xu Shu shook his head and said, "General, you are wrong! When General Liu heard that you were willing to give up the dark and join the light and serve the Han Dynasty, he was overjoyed. It was only because of poor health that he could not wait, and it was not intentional to ignore you."
"Is that really the case?" Yu Jin was a little surprised, and then he sighed: "I don't ask General Liu to use me, as long as I don't fight against Cao's army anymore, I am willing to serve you!"
Xu Shu smiled and said, "It is natural for the general to miss his old master! Jingzhou is surrounded by war zones, so there must be a place where the general can use his military prowess."
In the study room in the backyard, Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang met formally and had an in-depth exchange.
Liu Qiyan said, "I left a copy of the map here before you, so I'm here to show off my skills. What do you think of the current situation?"
Zhuge Liang nodded and smiled, "General, your opinion coincides with mine. We should occupy Jingzhou and Xichuan, build a foundation to form a three-pronged force, and then plan to conquer the Central Plains! Now that we have made the plan, why should we doubt it?"
Liu Qi sighed: "Although I know the situation, I don't know how to do it."
Zhuge Liang asked, "Why do you say that, General?"
Liu Qi smiled bitterly and said, "But in the current situation, Cao Cao and I are already at loggerheads. The arrow is on the string and must be shot. I also have a grudge against the Sun family for killing my father. The Eastern Wu is eyeing me covetously. It will be difficult to form a tripartite alliance with us!"
Liu Qi is now like a student who has the standard answer but lacks the problem-solving process.
If there is no process for the answer, the teacher will give zero points.
Considering the situation of the Three Kingdoms, he naturally understood that he should ally with Sun and fight against Cao and annex Yizhou, but the current situation is very different from Liu Bei's. Sun and Cao are both enemies, and their primary target is Jingzhou.
Although there were two great victories, as long as the battle with Cao's army became stalemate, Soochow would definitely take action. This was what Liu Qi was most worried about.
Of course he was confident in the local battlefield, but in the overall situation, he was still passive and at a disadvantage. At this time, he needed someone like Zhuge Liang to coordinate the overall situation.
During the Three Kingdoms period, there were only a few people like Zhuge Liang, Lu Su and Xun Yu who had a strategic vision for the overall situation.
Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Nanyang is the gateway to Jingzhou. We have to fight, and it is worth fighting. General, this move has actually broken the deadlock!"
Liu Qi was puzzled and said, "Cao Cao is very powerful. If we fight him, Jingzhou will decline in the long run, and Dongwu will take advantage of the opportunity to attack. Then the situation will be hopeless, so how can we break it?"
Zhuge Liang said: "After the battle of Nanyang, the general's reputation has been greatly enhanced. He has won the hearts of the people and has made Jingzhou his home. His foundation has been established. We only need to inflict heavy damage on Cao's army, so as to shock Sun Wu and make Sun and Cao feel apprehensive, and then a tripartite situation can be achieved!"
Liu Qi naturally understood this principle. If you want to negotiate with others, you must first have the strength. Otherwise, who would look you in the eye
The one with the stronger fist is not necessarily right, but only when your fist is strong will others listen to your reason.
Liu Qi asked: "When will the war end?"
Zhuge Liang said: "When Cao Cao leads his troops here!"
Liu Qi suddenly understood, clapped his hands and laughed, "Sir, what you said makes sense. The only way is to seriously injure Cao's army and scare Cao Cao. When he dares not to act rashly, we can proceed calmly."
"That's right!" Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Cao Cao is powerful, and we cannot fight him. If we hold on for too long, we will be hurt. We should stop at the right time! Sun Quan has repeatedly attacked Jiangxia, in the name of revenge, but in fact he wants to swallow Jingzhou. If he sees that things are not going well, he will take advantage of the opportunity to attack Huainan and then wait for an opportunity to make friends. There are many heroes in Jiangdong, and there must be someone who will take the overall situation into consideration and be willing to turn hostility into friendship."
"Sir, your words are like clearing the clouds and seeing the sun!" Liu Qi's eyes lit up. "With your help, why should we worry about not accomplishing our great cause and the prosperity of the Han Dynasty?"
Now we are only forced by the situation and fighting for the sake of fighting, but Zhuge Liang has a long-term vision and can designate the direction, so we can make arrangements calmly afterwards.
This is the importance of planning. If a small private company wants to grow bigger and stronger, it must have clear goals and definite plans in order to move forward steadily.
There are no eternal enemies on the battlefield, only eternal interests.
As long as he is strong enough, Sun Quan might one day take the initiative to come and ask for peace.
Zhuge Liang said calmly: "Cao Cao was able to defeat Yuan Shao not only because of the right time, but also because of human strategy. Jingzhou is located in the north of Hanmian, with benefits all the way to the South China Sea, connected to Wuhui in the east, and connected to Bashu in the west. It is a place where military force can be used. General, if you take advantage of the terrain, employ talented people, expand your foundation and wait for the right time, you will be invincible."
Liu Qi was overjoyed when he heard this. He left the table and bowed to Zhuge Liang to express his gratitude. Just these words were worth making two trips.
Zhuge Liang hurriedly stood up to return the greeting, and the two men held hands and smiled knowingly, expressing their mutual recognition.
The desks and chairs used in the Han Dynasty were really inconvenient to sit on. It would easily cause your legs to go numb after sitting for a long time, so you should find time to modify them.
Liu Qi complained in his heart, and after sitting down again, he said: "Xiahou Dun was defeated, Cao Cao will definitely lead the troops himself. He is well versed in strategy. Do you have any countermeasures, sir?"
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan and said slowly: "To advance is to retreat, to retreat is to advance!"
It is really like listening to your words, just like listening to a speech!
Liu Qi complained in his heart, stood up, took the map and spread it on the table, and said modestly: "I would like to hear more details."
The two of them talked in the study room by candlelight until the late night, and then they fell asleep in the room with their feet touching, spending half the night together.