Chapter 729 Contradiction between top and bottom
In addition to Jiangling's personnel communication, Li Tai also did not ignore Shuzhong.
He had previously promised the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office to recommend officials from the Jingzhou Governor's Office who were familiar with Shuzhong's personnel into the office, so after returning to Mianbei, he began to select personnel.
The personnel interaction between the Jingzhou General Office and Shuzhong was mainly carried out by Li Qianzhe, which was mainly based on mutual trade, with some operations to connect local powerful people in Shuzhong.
Of course, Li Tai would not leave this line to the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office. What the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office currently needs is candidates who can communicate with Shu at the official level, such as blackmailing King Wuling Xiao Ji, and contacting and lobbying key military personnel. As for other aspects, they need high degrees. not tall.
These human interaction foundations established by Li Qianzhe still had considerable value even after the Western Wei Dynasty captured Shuzhong. Li Tai himself does not intend to strive for a military and political official position in Shuzhong. Of course, he needs other ways and means to participate in the distribution of benefits after seizing Shuzhong.
In addition to Li Qianzhe, Li Tai also sent Liu Fan to Shuzhong last time to negotiate, return Xiao Ji's son Xiao Yuanzheng and redeem Wang Yue and others. Liu Fan was originally from the Southern Dynasties, and he had previously served in Hanzhong, which is close to Shuzhong. Therefore, he was very familiar with people in Shuzhong, so he completed the last task very well.
So this time Li Tai planned to recommend Liu Fan to the Chinese Foreign Affairs Office and ask him to assist the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office in conducting some personnel operations in Shu.
Liu Fan is different from Li Qianzhe. He still has a lot of identification with the Southern Dynasty in his heart, and he also has his own ethics and persistence. Therefore, Li Tai did not let him participate in the affairs that Li Qianzhe was responsible for. Recommending him to return to the country also allowed Liu Fan to see the domineering and profit-seeking style of the Zhongwai Mansion, thus strengthening his inner feelings towards the General Manager's Mansion. recognition.
When Li Tai summoned Liu Fan and told him this arrangement, Liu Fan still felt a little conflicted in his heart. He lowered his head and said: "It's a humble position but I have no talent. Fortunately, the general tolerates me and appoints me. I only hope that I can dedicate myself to the task and repay the general." It’s my kindness to live. But there are many old acquaintances in Sichuan, and it is inevitable that we will feel ashamed and lose our integrity when we meet each other. It is bearable for a person to be belittled and ridiculed, but if it is a burden..."
Li Tai also understood that Liu Fan's current situation made it somewhat embarrassing for him to face those old acquaintances again, but such shame did not need to last for long. It would not take long anyway, and everyone would Became a subjugated slave.
Although the situation was like this, Li Tai couldn't persuade Liu Fan directly. After a brief pause, he said: "Remaining true to your original intention is indeed a valuable quality, but sometimes you need to be flexible. What Hanzhong doesn't do is The defense was due to Xiao Shijun's slowness and oversight. When entering the city, Liu Zhonglang's mediation and cooperation prevented many unnecessary casualties.
All the people in Nanzheng City must appreciate Liu Zhonglang's virtues, and the only person Liu Zhonglang is ashamed of is the Xiao family. But the current chaos and rampant evil in Jiangnan are not caused by the Xiao family abandoning the world? What's more, now that King Wuling is brazenly self-reliant and showing his rebellious attitude, Shu will be in trouble soon if he coerces him! If Liu Zhonglang could be diligent in persuading him at this time, even if he could survive just one person, it would be a hundred times more valuable than being alone in a secluded place and feeling sorry for himself! "
After hearing this, Liu Fan suddenly looked thoughtful. Although he was ashamed of not being able to swear to defend Nanzheng and now he was serving in the Western Wei Dynasty, he couldn't help but feel disgusted when he thought of King Wuling's rebellion and self-reliance.
After thinking for a while, Liu Fan then lowered his head and said: "I know that I don't have the talent to match the general's favor and love. I often feel withdrawn and give up on myself. However, the general still does not dislike him and gives many explanations and encouragements. It really makes me humble." I feel so ashamed, but I have to do what I have done. If it is true that the lives of two or three people can be saved as the general said, it is all due to the kindness of the general!"
Hearing Liu Fan's agreement, Li Taicai nodded with satisfaction, and immediately assigned the official Lu Yan to Liu Fan as his deputy, and together they went to the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office to take orders. Lu Yan is Lu Tong's younger brother. When Li Tai was in Huazhou, Lu Tong made a special trip here, hoping to arrange for Lu Yan to return to the government to take up his duties, so that the brothers could still care for each other.
Li Tai didn't say much to this and just nodded in agreement. It may be that Lu Tong also sensed that the Jingzhou General Manager's Office was becoming increasingly powerful, and he could not figure out Daxingtai's inner thoughts. He was worried that the atmosphere between the Sino-Foreign Affairs Office and the Jingzhou General Manager's Office would become increasingly awkward in the future, so he recalled Lu Yan in advance.
However, Lu Yan still had some objections to this. He had just served as the magistrate of Rang County at the beginning of the year and was planning to take charge of the government and make great achievements. Of course, he did not want to return to the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office to do those busy but unfulfilling government jobs. .
But since the general had given this order and his brother's family letter had been sent to Jingzhou, Lu Yan could only nod and agree. But when he said goodbye to Li Tai, his eyes were red and his tone was slightly choked: "Since the time of Rudu, I have been serving the general for a long time. Now that I have suddenly abandoned you, I dare not fight for it. I only hope that there will be more under the general in the coming year." When you are tired, you can remember your humble duties and be respectful!"
When Li Tai heard this, he felt a little uncomfortable. Lu Yan, Cui Yansheng and other subordinates were the first to follow him. They have worked together for many years, and the tacit understanding between them has not been developed overnight. From the initial disobedience and resentment to now, they can fully implement his ideas without Li Tai's instructions. intention, now that they are suddenly separated, there is more or less reluctance.
He stepped forward and patted Lu Yan on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Both inside and outside, we are all members of the royal family. There are close friends in the sea, and we are neighbors in the world. Mr. Lu and I have been together for many years, and there will always be time to get together and work together. Time! If your talents are inferior to your progress, don’t blame me for scolding you mercilessly!”
"I don't dare, I don't dare, but I feel honored to be taught again and hold such a humble position. How dare I feel resentful? I just lost the general's advice, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to make progress..."
Lu Yan was still a little disappointed. In his mind, he only felt that the General Manager's Office in Jingzhou was the most energetic. Take the magistrate of Rangxian County, which he had just taken over recently, because it was the location of the military government, and the General Manager's Office was flourishing in industry and agriculture. , the money, food and human resources that he supervises and dispatch are probably inferior to even Jing Zhaoyin. After leaving Jingzhou General Manager's Office, it would be much more difficult to accumulate merit elsewhere.
When seeing off Liu Fan, Lu Yan and others, Li Tai asked them to bring his memorial recommending Cui You as the governor of Liangzhou.
Putting aside other considerations, Liangzhou alone is under the jurisdiction of the Jingzhou Governor's Office. He has a lot of say in the appointment of Liangzhou governor. If he did not replace Yan Qing before, it would be a face to Daxingtai. Now he recommends it. Cui You was also based on the plan to defeat Shu, and believed that Cui You was more effective than Yan Qing in this position.
At least if Cui You serves as the governor of Liangzhou, Li Tai plans to send his disciple Guo Yan to lead 3,000 troops with him, and these 3,000 troops can also join in the subsequent battle against Shu. If the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office is ignorant and refuses to agree to Li Tai's personnel proposal, then I will give you a shitty support!
After sending Liu Fan and his party away, Li Tai sent an envoy to inform Li Qianzhe, who was still active in Bashu, to return to Jingzhou to discuss the follow-up plan.
After receiving this notice, Li Qianzhe did not dare to delay. He immediately returned to Ankang, took a boat down the river, and returned to Rangcheng in early August.
The first thing after entering the city, Li Qianzhe reported to Li Tai the trade results achieved during this period. Since the Jingzhou General Manager's Office sent Xiao Yuanzheng back last year and eased the relationship between them, the originally stagnant business has resumed.
There were also some twists and turns in this process. The boy Xiao Yuanzheng was angry at Jingzhou General Manager for defeating more than 10,000 of his troops. Although this boy was the one who flirted first, he still found a way to vent his anger after returning to Yizhou's home court. Due to Xiao Yuanzheng's interference, Li Qianzhe's trade volume with Yizhou Official Market dropped sharply.
After Li Tai learned about this situation, he felt quite angry. He felt that the Xiao family was full of people who cared about eating rather than fighting and repaying kindness with enmity. Xiao Yuanzheng fell into his hands and returned to Shu. In fact, he was lucky. If he had stayed in Jiangling, he would have been arrested by his good uncle and thrown into prison. In the end, he was so hungry that he gnawed his own arm and starved to death!
However, although Yizhou's official market shipments are small, private market shipments have increased significantly. On the one hand, it was because Li Qianzhe kept contacting Shuangtang and Shuangtang was highly sought after in Shu. On the other hand, it was because Xiao Ji proclaimed himself emperor.
In particular, the latter had a great impact on the mood of the Bashu people. Many Shu people were not happy that they finally had another emperor in Sichuan, but were full of a sense of crisis. They only felt that a military disaster was about to come, and good days were probably coming. It's over.
Therefore, in the past few months, many powerful people in Shu have been scrambling to sell the Shu brocade they had accumulated in their homes and exchange it for various other materials. As a result, the price of frost sugar in exchange for Shu Brocade has further increased.
"Since the rebellion of Wuling, the people of Shu have been rushing to sell off their brocade goods. In just a few months, they have accumulated nearly 10,000 pieces of goods!"
When Li Qianzhe said this, he couldn't help but look at Li Taifa and asked: "Master Sir, what is the country's plan for the rebellion of Shu? Wu Ling rebelled against the throne, but the people of the country rushed to avoid danger, and the superiors and subordinates were at odds. , it will definitely not last long!”