Before Qin Feng could decide whether to burn coal or firewood, Liu Qi gave him a big surprise.
"What?!"
Qin Feng, snapping back to his senses, looked at Liu Qi in astonishment and asked uncertainly,
"You said your son-in-law is Gongsun Zan, and he is now the Changshi of the Liaodong Commandery?"
"That's right!"
Although a bit surprised by Qin Feng's reaction, Liu Qi nodded affirmatively.
"My lord, if we have sufficient troops, Liaodong, Liaoxi, and even Youbeiping can be pacified in one battle!"
"Hmm~!"
Qin Feng narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, his mind constantly weighing the options.
He hadn't intended to mobilize troops so soon; his plan was to first solidify Zhuo Commandery.
But now Liu Qi had presented him with a difficult problem.
The Liaodong Commandery might not be much, but the areas next to it were of great importance!
The Liao River Plain!
As one of the three major plains in the Northeast, the Liao River Plain, although not part of the Great Northern Wilderness, its significance was undeniable.
Especially in ancient times!
Once the Liao River Plain was developed, would there ever be a shortage of grain in the future?
What a joke!
Let alone the fact that the registered population in the late Han dynasty was only fifty million, even if it multiplied by ten... people would still starve to death!
Alright!
The Liao River Plain could support fifty million people without issue; any more would likely be a strain.
After all,
Although there were high-yield seeds in this era, they could only be planted once a year.
In the future, it would probably be ordinary seeds!
However,
With the bonus of black soil, the yield was likely to be much better than ordinary seeds.
If nothing else,
It would be incredibly easy to feed the six to seven hundred thousand people in You Province.
So the question remained!
Fight?
Or not fight?
Looking up at the expectant Liu Qi, Qin Feng really couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"Lord Liu, please ask Boyan to come over. We must first hear his thoughts."
"Naturally, naturally!"
Seeing that Qin Feng seemed inclined to agree, Liu Qi was overjoyed.
"I will write a letter tomorrow, and at the latest, Boyan will arrive within half a month."
"Then I await Lord Liu's good news!"
Although he had made up his mind, Qin Feng still planned to deal with the Wuhuan first.
"Lord Liu, how much do you know about the Wuhuan in Yuyang and Guangyang?"
"This..."
The smile on Liu Qi's face faded, and after a moment of thought, he shook his head.
"I don't know much about the Yuyang Wuhuan. Guangyang doesn't seem to have any Wuhuan settlements."
"Hmm?"
Qin Feng was taken aback and asked with surprise,
"Guangyang Commandery has no Wuhuan?"
"No!"
Liu Qi nodded with certainty, then explained with a wry smile,
"My lord, you may not know, but these Wuhuan within the borders were resettled during Emperor Wu's reign."
"The intention was to scout the Xiongnu forces in Shanggu, Yuyang, Youbeiping, Liaoxi, and Liaodong prefectures."
"Therefore, only these five prefectures have Wuhuan tribes."
"Among them, the Nanlou tribe in Shanggu Commandery is the strongest."
"I recall over ten thousand households were moved back then, and the current population should be no less than a hundred thousand."
"Next is the Qiulijv tribe of Liaoxi Wuhuan."
"About five thousand households were moved back then, and there should be fifty to sixty thousand now."
"As for Su Puyan in Liaodong and Wuyan in Youbeiping, these two tribes can be ignored."
"Their biggest concern now should be defending against annexation by their own kind."
"As for Yuyang?"
"The Yuyang Wuhuan are usually very low-key, and we haven't seen them making any significant purchases. It is said..."
Here, Liu Qi paused and said with some uncertainty,
"A few days ago, I received some news that the Yuyang Wuhuan have been unusually active lately."
"Is that so?"
After listening to Liu Qi's explanation, Qin Feng understood and mused,
"If I'm not mistaken, they are about to stir up trouble again, and on a considerable scale."
"This..."
Although he had a guess, hearing Qin Feng say so, Liu Qi frowned and said,
"My lord, in that case, it will inevitably lead to conflict with us!"
"Indeed!"
Qin Feng nodded. Seeing Liu Qi about to speak, he waved his hand to interrupt,
"Don't worry, Lord Liu. I plan to pacify these barbarians first in the coming days!"
"Pacify the barbarians first?"
Liu Qi blinked in surprise. Upon recovering, he said incredulously,
"My lord, these Wuhuan, all together, number one to two hundred thousand people!"
"Heh heh~!"
Qin Feng chuckled, not saying a word, but his confident expression said it all.
Anyway,
Looking at the smile on Qin Feng's face, Liu Qi felt reassured.
Indeed!
Their lord had brought back twenty thousand soldiers from one trip, so bringing back more wasn't unexpected.
Moreover,
The combat effectiveness of Wuhuan troops in this era was no match for elite Han soldiers.
Liu Qi estimated that the thirty thousand elite soldiers in Zhuo County alone could directly confront a hundred thousand Wuhuan.
However,
Liu Qi could never have imagined that his lord would be so cunning.
...
The next day,
Early in the morning,
At the Prefectural Governor's mansion,
Zhang Sanye, who had just visited his elder and second brothers, was summoned by Qin Feng.
"My lord~!"
As soon as they met, without a word, Zhang Fei knelt down with a thud.
"I know well that my elder and second brothers' crimes are unforgivable, but I still dare to beg my lord on their behalf, hoping my lord will spare their lives!"
"Oh?"
Qin Feng was somewhat bewildered by Zhang Fei's actions. Could their brotherhood be so deep?
"My lord~!"
As if guessing Qin Feng's confusion, Zhang Fei continued,
"My elder and second brothers are both quite brave. It would be a shame to kill them just like that!"
"If my lord gives them a chance, they will be loyal to my lord with all their heart from now on!"
"Hmm?"
Qin Feng, who was still somewhat confused, burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Well,
He could now confirm that this simple-minded brute had been fooled by Liu Huiyō.
Loyal to him?
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were one thing, but would Liu Paopao be loyal to him?
Don't be ridiculous!
Cao Cao treated him so well back then, practically pouring his heart out.
And the result?
He ran!
He ran from Cao Cao, then from Yuan Shao, then from Tao Qian, then...
Hmm?
It seemed like every notable warlord in the late Han dynasty had been fooled by Liu Paopao?
This is truly astonishing!
Liu Paopao is terrifyingly powerful!
Thinking of this,
Qin Feng, who hadn't intended to kill Liu Bei in the first place, decided to be direct.
"Yide, I can fulfill your filial piety and loyalty. I will not kill that Liu Xuande."
"Don't be happy too soon!"
Seeing Zhang Fei's face light up with surprise, Qin Feng quickly added,
"I won't kill him, but I won't use him either. However, your second brother can stay!"
"This..."
The smile on Zhang Fei's face froze. He hesitated for a long time, unsure of what to do.
What was this supposed to mean?
Agreed?
But not entirely agreed?
"You..."
Seeing Zhang Fei struggling to comprehend, Qin Feng's eyes twinkled, and he chuckled,
"Yide, you can't just think of yourself. You must also consider your elder brother!"
"He is of imperial lineage!"
"If we truly let him stay with me, that would be harming him!"
"Don't you agree?"
"Hiss~!"
Upon hearing Qin Feng's words, Zhang Fei, who had finally understood, let out a gasp.
That made sense!