Chapter 237: The Benevolent King
Although Liu Bei was very surprised at Wen Pin's surrender, he still received him happily and warmly.
His personal charm was almost at its peak. After just one meal, Wen Pin was completely convinced. He told him all about the situation in Nanyang and handed over the throne to him.
However, Liu Bei did not deprive Wen Pin of his official position and military power, and still handed him over to Wen Pin for management, and also let him settle the people he brought with him in Nanyang.
Wen Pin was deeply moved by such trust and attention, and he devoted himself to the Lord.
Nanyang County was easily brought under Liu Bei's command.
Chen Qun followed Liu Bei in a daze as he led an army of 100,000 troops from Nanyang to Xiangyang, and he couldn't help but doubt his life.
The education he received since childhood told him that benevolence is just a slogan, a strategy, or a tool.
Especially in these troubled times, you cannot win the world or hold power by relying on benevolence. It will only restrict yourself in every way and put you at a disadvantage in the fierce competition.
After joining Liu Bei, although Chen Qun worked as a subordinate, he respected Liu Bei but was not completely convinced.
Deep down, he felt that although Liu Bei had generals like Zhang Fei and Chen Dao and some soldiers, his ability to accomplish things mainly depended on his help and that of the Chen family.
Even if it wasn't Liu Bei, anyone he chose would be enough to build such a foundation.
Moreover, Liu Bei's decisions based on his womanly kindness always made him feel a little ridiculous. Although he knew that this was not hypocrisy, it was very stupid.
But now, he began to reflect, recalling the details he had overlooked in the past and observing the attitudes and thoughts of the people and soldiers.
Yuzhou was taken so easily. Is it really mainly his credit that they have come this far?
"Changwen, what are you thinking about?" Seeing that Chen Qun looked a little strange, Liu Bei asked with concern.
"Nothing." Chen Qun shook his head and temporarily put these random thoughts behind him. With a powerful enemy at the doorstep, there was no time to think about these things.
"My lord, the four great families in Jingzhou are headed by the Cai family and the Kuai family. Liu Biao was able to pacify Jingzhou mainly relying on the strength of these two families."
"Now they want to control Jingzhou, so they don't want us to take over. But the other two families, the Huang family and the Pang family, can be won over, but they are a little weaker."
"But I have contacted them. As long as the lord can capture Xiangyang, they can persuade the Jingzhou family to help the lord take over Nanjun."
Hearing this, Liu Bei nodded and asked, "Is Liu Qi okay?"
Chen Qun and others persuaded Liu Bei to go south solely for the purpose of seizing Jingzhou, but Liu Bei himself did not think so.
He and Liu Biao were once allies, and as both were descendants of the Han Dynasty, their relationship was naturally very good. This time, in addition to taking Jingzhou, he also really wanted to protect his brother's bloodline.
"Don't worry, my lord. As long as you don't withdraw your troops, Master Liu Qi will be safe." Chen Qun said.
As for Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, he actually looked down on them. It was not because of their wisdom, but because of their vision.
They are a bunch of frogs in a well, and only see the small area of Jingzhou, without any overall view of the world.
If he were in the other's place, he would never sit and wait for death, but would immediately check for the princes around him who had the potential to be potential dragons and come to their aid.
Jingzhou's current location is really good. There is no need to worry about Jiaozhou in the south, Yizhou in the west poses no threat and there is a chance to seize it, and Yangzhou in the east is now in a state of chaos, so there is a chance to profit from the chaos.
If we could welcome a powerful ruler to take control of Jingzhou as soon as possible and capture Yangyi, even if we couldn't unify the country, at least dividing the country by the river wouldn't be a problem.
The rewards they can get by then will be incomparable to defending just Jingzhou.
Moreover, these two people have been arguing over Jingzhou and neither of them has given in. Until now, no new governor of Jingzhou has been appointed. They are truly cowardly.
"A counselor is just a counselor after all!"
At this moment, Chen Qun seemed to wake up from his trance.
It turns out that he had been wrong all along.
It was not because he chose Liu Bei that Liu Bei occupied Yuzhou, but because he and Liu Bei chose each other.
Xiao He can only be Xiao He and cannot be Liu Bang.
The army slowly moved southward, harming no one along the way, and clearing out some pirates and bandits. Countless people welcomed them with food and drink, and even some wealthy families expressed their support.
They walked to the city of Xiangyang so easily and encountered almost no obstacles.
The people's support is the general trend. Along the way, Chen Qun deeply felt the power of Liu Bei's benevolence, which he was always proud of, and thought a lot.
At the same time, he is also ready to change his strategy.
"My Lord, let's go south."
Outside Xiangping City, Chen Qun looked at Cai Mao who was facing a formidable enemy on the city wall, and suddenly said.
"What? Go south?" Liu Bei asked in confusion.
Heading south before we even take Xiangping City?
Chen Qun smiled and said, "That's right. Perhaps we don't need to fight for Xiangping City anymore. We can just go south to quell the rebellion."
"But what if Cai Mao attacks from behind? And if something happens in Yuzhou, I'm afraid we won't be able to take care of it." Liu Bei couldn't help but ask.
Liu Bei was not a man who was ignorant of military affairs. He had fought wars for many years, and although his level was not very high, it was at least second-rate.
"My lord, there is no need to worry. Jingzhou is ownerless, and our army is marching south to quell the rebellion with a righteous cause. Cai Mao dare not act rashly, otherwise he will be seeking his own death." Chen Qun smiled, and there was more awe in his eyes when he looked at Liu Bei.
From the beginning to the end, he underestimated his lord.
Originally, what he wanted to do was to take the people with him and relocate like Yuan Shao did, but under the influence of Liu Bei, he ended up taking the people with him and relocating.
There is only one word difference, but the meaning is completely different.
Hundreds of thousands of people who followed Liu Bei to migrate almost all followed him voluntarily without any coercion.
The appearance of this scene made Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence quickly spread throughout the world.
The chain reaction that resulted from this led Chen Qun to discover another way.
His original plan was to take Jingzhou. But now it seems that Liu Bei can definitely pacify Jingzhou.
It's just a difference of one word, but there is a world of difference between them.
Now he has just realized that being a benevolent monarch and a descendant of the Han Dynasty are Liu Bei's greatest assets in troubled times.
Liu Bei, who had great ambitions, could naturally see the changes in Chen Qun and felt quite relieved.
As a man who was good at judging people, how could he not see Chen Qun's attitude before? But he didn't mind, because he believed that Chen Qun would understand one day.
Although he was born in a humble family and lacked the vision, talent, and resources compared to the various princes from aristocratic families, he still had his own advantages.
With many years of experience in weaving mats and selling shoes, he knows the sufferings of the people better than anyone else, and he also understands human nature very well, and has honed an indomitable heart.
He knew very well that the common people and peddlers, whom the sons of noble families looked down upon, were also an extremely powerful force.
Especially after understanding the situation and pattern under Tian Ze's rule, he summed up his own way of governing the world.
He set foot in all the counties and villages in Yuzhou one by one, and he had full control over all the county magistrates and village heads. Relying on his own personal charm, he controlled the overall situation from the bottom up with the power of the counties and villages.
"The people can carry the boat, but they can also capsize it." Liu Bei always regarded this sentence said by Tian Ze as his guiding principle.
Unlike Tian Ze who suppressed the aristocratic families, broke up the clans, and went straight to the end, Liu Bei chose a more gentle approach.
Unite clans, balance aristocratic families, gather strength from all parties as much as possible, and enhance your influence silently.
If you do too many seemingly insignificant things, they will leave a heavy mark; if you shout too many seemingly hypocritical and exaggerated slogans, they will also affect and infect others.
It was because he visited every village that he had hundreds of thousands of refugees following him, and that he gained a reputation for benevolence that spread throughout the world.
In this era full of intrigue and struggle, Liu Bei's benevolence and sincerity turned into a beacon, attracting countless people to gather around him.
The romance that belongs only to idealists can also bloom into brilliant flowers in the mud.
(End of this chapter)
