Cao Mengde’s days were not going too well; the recent shortage of food supplies was somewhat serious. However, having heard from Xun Yu that the grain in Lub Kingdom was about to ripen, he decided to take a leaf out of the Yellow Turbans’ book, but he wouldn’t be as foolish as they were, leaving not an inch of land untouched. Cao Cao wanted to secure a grain-producing territory for himself. It didn’t need to be very large; it just needed to ensure that his soldiers had enough food to eat.
A five-day ration for an expedition was hardly enough to operate with. Every time Cao Cao thought of it, he felt an immense envy towards Liu Bei. Mount Tai itself produced an abundance of grain and was further supported by the backing of Xuzhou and the strong support from Tao Gongzu. Chen Zichuan pressed his troops upon Jizhou, emptying the entire grain storage of Nanpi. Mi Zizhong, the number one merchant in the world, generously supplied grain, while the Jiangdong Lul Clan continuously transported grain through waterways, delivering large quantities of it to various places within Qingzhou of Mount Tai. Despite having taken in over a million Yellow Turbans, they managed to avoid any chaos arising from food shortages.
Cao Cao was well aware that he had to speed things up. Liu Xuande was growing too fast; at most, in just two years, he would be fully capable of completely assimilating Qingzhou, while Cao Mengde at least had wasted this year. Without grain, he couldn’t develop. Everything revolved around grain.
"Wen Ruo, when do we make our move?" Cao Cao sighed as he said this. The wealth of Yuzhou filled him with envy. If his soldiers were all veterans, he wouldn’t need to be so cautious. He was confident that even with less military might than Yuan Shu, he would not be at a disadvantage against him.
"Wait three more days. Zhicai will soon have Jingzhou in order. It’s a pity that Liu Jingsheng refused our goodwill. Since that’s the case, we can only force him to be occupied with Yuan Gonglu," said Xun Yu helplessly. The influence of Liu Yan was simply too great; Xun Yu for the first time truly acknowledged the significance of such an esteemed Scholar. He had not realized that such a noted talker could cause so much trouble after encountering a person like Liu Biao.
Frankly speaking, over the past year, Liu Yan, at the government’s expense, aggressively invited Noted Scholars to engage in song and dance, wine feasts, and poetry; with his actual capability in poetry, and sparing no cost, he invited everyone he could, and so figures like Xuu Zijiang appeared at his banquets, indicating just how significant his reputation was within the Scholar Circle.
Because of this, Liu Yan’s arrival in Jingzhou caused quite a stir, as Jingzhou was inherently a domain of the Scholar Circle. With such a widely admired figure in the region, the scholars of Jingzhou naturally thronged Liu Jingsheng’s venue to welcome the esteemed Liu Yan.
Of course, aside from Liu Yan’s own fame and his generous spending to invite guests, he gained his status because he had accomplished a great feat! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have achieved such a lauded position within the Scholar Circle.
If you ask what great endeavor Liu Yan undertook, it was simple: Chen Xi cast the halo of the improved paper-making technique onto Liu Yan, instantly turning Liu Yan into a nationally known Scholar. Just like a firefly in the dark night, Liu Yan’s scholarly aura couldn’t be overshadowed, and having crafted such an invaluable treasure conducive to the propagation of civilization, Liu Yan was no longer a minor Scholar. Upon his arrival in Jingzhou, even the older generation, figures like Lord Pang De, Huang Chengyan, and Sima Hui, came out to welcome him.
With Liu Yan having resolved the great task of carrying on the world’s cultural affairs, it was only natural that such a figure would be personally received. So when Liu Yan arrived in Jingzhou, even he himself felt a chill of awe at the welcome that awaited him; it was an honor he felt incapable of bearing.
Liu Jingsheng personally arranged a banquet to invite Liu Yan to take the seat of honor, while Mao Jie, who had come to discuss an alliance against Yuan Shu, was simply put on the back burner by Liu Biao. Originally unsure about whether to go to war with Yuan Shu recently, Liu Biao now faced a distinguished guest from the North—how could he dampen the spirits with urgent matters?
Liu Biao was particularly clear on one point: if someone he barely knew was in a rush for him to do something, it was definitely advantageous for the other party. Whether it benefited himself was uncertain, so Liu Biao was in no hurry. He spent his time engaging in idle talk and enjoying the finer things in life with Liu Yan.
Liu Yan might be inept at other things, but when it came to eloquence, demeanor, presence, and facial expressions, he was the epitome of excellence in every aspect. And with such a prominent halo, wherever he went, he attracted everyone’s attention.
"Yan has come from the North and is grateful to all the gentlemen for not forsaking him, entertaining him daily with banquets. I’ve heard that Lord Jingsheng possesses the elegance of the Three Jay Birds. I’ve brought with me fine wine from the North; would the gentlemen care to try?" Liu Yan said aloud.
Liu Yan enjoyed the past few days immensely, treating it purely as a vacation. After all, according to Chen Xi, they were not here to be lobbyists, but to pay a visit. Thus, Liu Yan was completely forthright, with not a hint of ulterior motive, naturally drinking wine, enjoying dishes, and writing poetry without a trace of flattery—a true gentleman’s demeanor.
As for Jian Yong, he had been left in some forgotten corner, but he didn’t mind. Since Liu Yan could do better, he didn’t care about being neglected. He clearly knew what mattered more and understood why Chen Xi had said not to worry about anything and just to maintain the air of a noted scholar—indeed, different people required different approaches.
"Hahaha, I didn’t expect Weishuo to have such refined taste, awarding me the rank of ’San Ya’," laughed Liu Biao, his tolerance for alcohol was not just talk.
Soon, three large cups were brought forward. Liu Yan laughed heartily, "Indeed worthy of Lord Jingsheng’s wine rank, truly generous. But how can there be good wine vessels without good wine!" With a clap of his hands, a servant brought up a jar of wine.
"Please, Lord Jingsheng, this fine wine I acquired from the North is a once-in-a-lifetime strong liquor. Today, I shall honor everyone with this wine!" He finished, breaking the seal, and a gust of wind swept through the hall, filling it with the aroma of wine.
Liu Biao himself was a lover of wine, and naturally, when Liu Yan broke the seal on the jar, the rich scent of the wine tantalized and beckoned him.
Liu Yan carefully poured three full cups for Liu Biao, the color of the wine comparable to the clear springs on rock, its fragrance overflowing. Then the jar of wine was passed around, just enough for everyone.
"Excellent, truly excellent wine!" Liu Biao downed all the strong liquor in the cups in one go, feeling as though he had swallowed a flame, yet the searing burn turned into warmth the next moment. He became fully immersed in the rapid change of sensation, entranced by it.
"Clap—" A noted scholar collapsed to the floor, dazed. Liu Biao laughed heartily, "Someone get a needle to wake Yidu up—we shall continue drinking!"
But before he finished speaking, a few seconds later, Liu Biao too slumped over the table, still murmuring about continuing to drink.
After everyone had been carried out, Liu Yan smiled at Jian Yong—their plan was successful. With someone like Liu Biao who would drink five liters at a time, even upon waking up, it would take five days to recover without thinking about handling official duties. And now with Mao Jie also drunk, Cao Cao’s request for a joint military campaign was effectively quashed, at least for a while!
What Liu Yan and Jian Yong didn’t know was that Xi Zhicai had not placed his hopes on the envoy Mao Jie. His habit was to act on his own because relying on others was unreliable, especially upon learning that Lyu Bu had now fled to Yuan Shu, Xi Zhicai almost shouted for joy at his good fortune!
Right now, as Xi Zhicai saw the latest intelligence from Jingzhou, cold sweat dripped down. Had fortune turned too thoroughly in his favor? How utterly surprising! (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian ). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)