Lu Xun said, "I am grateful for the general's trust, but the Huainan soldiers are all old friends of the Marquis of Wu. I am young and weak, so I am afraid it will be difficult to convince them."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "I have always known Bo Yan's talent. Military affairs cannot be determined by age. Gan Luo was appointed a general at the age of twelve, and the Marquis of Wu went to Jiangdong at the age of eighteen. Although I am not talented, I was determined to support the Han Dynasty before I reached the age of twenty, and I have made great achievements today! Zhou Lang should have been in charge of the affairs of Dongwu, but now he is far away in Qingzhou, and Lü Ziming has been killed in battle. You are the only one in Jiangdong who is smart and good at making plans. A real man should face challenges and rise to the top to achieve fame. Please don't refuse."
Lu Xun was touched, but his face remained calm. He clasped his fists and said, "I have been a Han official for generations, and my ancestors have served the court for generations. Now that the Han Dynasty is declining, I am honored to be entrusted with this important task. I will not refuse even if I die! However, now that Sun Quan has abdicated, people's hearts are already unstable. If this continues, I am afraid that the civil and military officials will be even more dissatisfied and unable to control themselves, which will lead to major mistakes."
Seeing that Liu Qi valued Lu Xun so much, Lu Su also recognized his ability and said, "Bo Yan is indeed a man of great talent and strategy, but unfortunately he is not in the right position. The general wants to entrust him with important tasks, which shows that you are good at judging people. In my opinion, it is better to appoint him as military advisor, the general will command the troops and horses, and Bo Yan will assist in military affairs. The two of you are a perfect match and can defeat Cao Cao."
Zhang Zhao also took the opportunity to remonstrate: "Zijing is right! Only if General Liu is in charge of military affairs can we win the support of the people, and with Boyan's assistance, we can fight against Cao's army."
Liu Qi originally wanted to make Lu Xun the strange commander and secretly play the sixth position himself, and take advantage of Cao Cao's underestimation of the enemy to give him a replica of the Battle of Nanyang. However, Jiangdong has lost its young master, and it seems he can't avoid it.
"That's the only way!" Seeing that everyone still trusted him, he had to find another plan and asked, "For the matter of recruiting soldiers, we need to negotiate with the heroes of the green forest. We also need a capable, smart, bold and careful person to take charge. Do you have any candidates?"
Lu Xun said: "Kan Derun is well-read, intelligent, and well-connected. He is very famous in the Jianghuai area. If we use him to recruit bandits, they will surely come to us."
Liu Qi's eyes lit up, and he nodded and smiled, "It was not until Fei Boyan reminded me that I almost forgot about Mr. Kan. With him planning this matter, it can be guaranteed to be foolproof."
Kan Ze was also a famous scholar in Jiangdong, and he had no objection to the appointment of Zhang Zhao and Lu Su. They discussed writing a manifesto to attack Cao Cao, arouse the hatred of the people in Xuzhou, and call on everyone to join the army to take revenge.
Liu Qi was not good at this kind of official rhetoric, so he handed it over to Zhang Zhao and others. He invited Han Dang to the side to ask about the military situation in Huainan, and soon Lu Xun also followed.
Lu Xun was a typical son of an aristocratic family. He was eight feet tall, with a face as beautiful as jade. He was less heroic than Zhou Yu, but he exuded elegance, a true gentleman in troubled times.
Such a great commander of Jiangdong in the late period unexpectedly became his nephew's husband. Whenever Liu Qi thought of this, he felt secretly happy.
Liu Qi appointed Lu Xun to be in charge of the Huainan war. Of course, because of his famous record in the Yiling Battle in history, later generations even discussed that Lu Xun might not be as good as Zhou Yu in commanding troops, but his strategy was better than Zhou Yu.
Judging from the two plans of surprise attack on Jingzhou and burning of Lianying, Lu Xun was calm and experienced, and he acted after careful planning. He was also one of the top strategists in the Three Kingdoms. With him planning by his side, he felt at ease.
In addition, Liu Qi had another little trick. He made use of Sun Ce's son Sun Shao and promoted his son-in-law Lu Xun in order to reawaken the nostalgia of the Little Overlord among the people of Jiangdong and gradually weaken Sun Quan so that he could gradually gain power.
Seeing that Lu Xun seemed to have something to say, Liu Qi asked, "Although I don't have a close relationship with Boyan, you and I are both sons-in-law of the Sun family, so we are also family. If you have anything to say, you can talk without any hesitation."
Lu Xun curled his lips slightly, clasped his fists and said, "A great war is about to break out in the Central Plains. Once the battle begins, I'm afraid I won't have time to look south. The Shanyue in the south of the Yangtze River have been a threat for a long time. I don't think it's a long-term strategy to fight and conquer!"
Liu Qi asked, "What do you think, Boyan?"
Lu Xun said, "I heard that the general has taken over the Wuxi barbarians in Nanjun, providing them with trade and paying them back with money and food. The Wudang flying army has repeatedly made great achievements, and the barbarian king Shamoke has achieved great success. The people of the Wuxi tribes are obedient. Why not promote it and win the hearts of the other tribes?"
Liu Qi nodded and said, "That's what I was thinking, but the Shanyue are known as the Hundred Yue. They are savage, brutal, and capricious. I don't know if this method is appropriate."
Lu Xun replied, "The mountain bandits are old enemies. They have built deep territories and are difficult to eradicate. Instead, they are hated. Now that the general is in charge of Jiangdong, you should show the world your benevolence. We also have the example of the Wuxi barbarians. We can recruit and pacify them, and make the strong serve as soldiers while the weak become households. We can take their best troops to strengthen our army, provide their people with a place to live, and promote the policy of cultivating crops. In the long run, they will surely be civilized."
"This is a very good plan!" Liu Qi nodded and said, "Let He Qi and Quan Zong handle it. Use the policies of Jingzhou to appease the clansmen and divide up some land in Jiangdong. What do you think, Bo Yan?"
When dealing with foreign races, Liu Qi has always advocated a conciliatory policy. Confrontation is not the mainstream, but integration is the trend. Only by accommodating all ethnic groups in China can a stronger Han Dynasty be built, with its reputation spreading overseas and passed down through the ages. This is what he wants.
Lu Xun was such a smart man that Liu Qi could tell from his slightest observation that he intended to attack the Jiangdong noble families. He quickly advised him, "Today, the world is not at peace and Cao's army is still strong. If you want to recover the Central Plains, you need a lot of people. Jiangdong is stable because of the noble families. The Han Dynasty will rise soon. You must not act too hastily or your inner circle will be in chaos. You should take your time."
Jingzhou had already re-registered its land and population. The Kuai and Huang families took the lead in paying additional taxes and handing over their excess land, but this could not be implemented in Jiangdong. The situations of the two sides were different, and Liu Qi was an outsider. A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, so now was not the time to discipline the aristocratic families.
Liu Qi joked, "If Cao is really destroyed and Han is revived, and the world is at peace, Bo Yan will surely be a high-ranking official. The threat of the aristocratic families needs you to be a role model and take the lead in the world. What do you think?"
Lu Xun took a deep breath, clasped his fists and said, "I have experienced many turmoil since I was young, and I am always cautious and careful. Now I have been favored by the general and promoted. How can I forget the gratitude when I achieve success? It is a happy thing in life to meet a wise master. If I am a meritorious official who has made the Han Dynasty prosperous, how dare I use my public power for personal gain?"
"That's a very good point!" Liu Qi nodded with satisfaction. With Lu Xun's words, there would be a breakthrough in dealing with the Jiangdong aristocratic families in the future.
Han Dang complained, "This Cao Aman was only a breath away. He wanted to go north to make a name for himself, but he came back to life. God is really blind! The ice and snow in the north couldn't freeze this old turtle to death. I don't know when I can return home in glory."
Liu Qi was also puzzled by this and said with emotion: "As the saying goes: Good people don't live long, but evil people last for thousands of years. I don't know what adventure Cao the thief has had, but this time when he comes to the Central Plains again, it is no longer the time for him to be arrogant and domineering. I will make him lose his reputation and regret it forever."
Han Dang saw that although Liu Qi did not have Sun Ce's tyranny, his words and confidence were exactly the same. He seemed to be back to the time when he swept across Jiangdong. He could not help but laugh and said, "General, if you can make Cao thief regret not dying earlier, you will be the second person Han admires."
Lu Xun asked, "The thief Cao has ordered people to spread rumors in Jiangdong. I wonder what countermeasures the general has?"
Liu Qi's eyes were slightly stern, and he laughed, "Prime Minister Cao defeated the Xianbei and eliminated the border threat. After all, he has made great contributions to the country. Why not repay evil with kindness and give him a box of pineapple cakes as a gift of congratulations!"