While he was talking, a strong-backed cavalryman came galloping towards him, rolled his saddle and dismounted, clasped his fists and said: "Lingling Guards General Xing Daorong, I have been ordered to come to greet the general!"

"General, please get up!" Liu Qi said with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, Commander Liu."

This Xing Daorong looked tall and thick, and his stature was almost the same as that of Zhang Fei. Liu Xian called him General Lingling. He was more than enough to guard the county, but he was not yet ranked among the famous generals.

Without Liu Bei coming to capture Jingzhou, Xing Daorong's chance to become famous would be gone. It would be good to just be a county general like this.

When everyone came to Lingling, Liu Du had already brought hundreds of officials to greet them. They went to the government office to hold a banquet and enjoy themselves.

Liu Du and his son surrendered voluntarily, but nothing happened in the county. In the evening, Liu Qi wrote a letter and ordered Liu Xian to send it to Liu Ba to see if he was willing to serve as an official.

Early the next morning, Liu Qizheng met with Jiang Wan and Liu Min. These two people were about the same age as him and had not yet been promoted. They did not have the titles of Maocai and Xiaolian, so they could not serve as officials in the court.

Liu Qi saw that Jiang Wan was knowledgeable and calm, while Liu Min was more heroic and worthy of being a figure who dared to withstand Cao Wei's 100,000-strong army in the later period.

At this time, Liu Qi's changes had already spread throughout the world, and Jingzhou was even more agitated. Everyone was of the same age. While they admired Liu Qi, they also had a good conversation, and they were both attracted by the youth's vitality and pride.

In order for the two of them to be promoted to official positions, they must at least have the title of Maocai, so they discussed finding a famous person to recommend them.

This is the shortcoming of the imperial examination system in the Han Dynasty. Without celebrities and official recommendations, you cannot enter the officialdom.

The person recommended is a lifelong benefactor, and each family naturally only recommends people close to them. This has also become the basis for aristocratic families to control officialdom.

The imperial examination is one of the ways to break the monopoly of aristocratic families, but Liu Qi does not yet have the power to do it, let alone the conditions and resources to implement it, so he can only follow the current rules.

During the discussion, suddenly an official document from Xiangyang arrived, and an imperial edict. Cao Cao declared Liu Qi as the Marquis of Xiangyang, worshiped the general of chariots and cavalry, and took charge of Jingzhou affairs!

"Congratulations to the general on your promotion to the rank of noble!" Liu Xian and others were overjoyed after hearing this, and they all held their hands in congratulations.

At the age of only eighteen, he was honored by the Nine Ministers and was granted the title of Marquis and General. Such an achievement, looking at all dynasties, only a few people could achieve it.

After this edict was issued, Liu Qi not only took charge of Jingzhou, but also had the power to establish a government and manage affairs. In the future, he would appoint officials without having to show up for everything.

Liu Qi glanced at the letter, then slowly put down the imperial edict, frowned and sighed: "The thief Cao is just eager to redeem the captives. If there is no hostage in hand, how can he reward him like this? If this is really the emperor's favor, then

How great would it be?”

Cao Cao gave him an official title just because he wanted to reduce the five million money and grain to two million. The official title was dispensable to Liu Qi. After all, Jingzhou was in his hands, and the money and grain were real benefits.

Jiang Wan clasped his fists and said: "The general is wrong! The edict comes from the imperial court. Your Majesty knows that the general is powerful in the south of the Yangtze River and wants to destroy the traitors and rejuvenate the Han Dynasty. He will be looking forward to it in the deep palace. There may not be your majesty's earnest hope in this edict."

meaning."

Liu Qi was slightly startled, and bowed far to the north: "The emperor is trapped in Hebei, and is desperately looking forward to rescue. Cao Cao, a thief, faked an edict to order the world. Someone will save the emperor's brother from the fire and water."

Everyone saluted one after another, but one person laughed and said: "The general has such great ambitions, and Cao Cao's thieves will not be eliminated, why worry about the Han Dynasty not being prosperous?"

Liu Qi looked back and saw a man standing outside the yamen. He was wearing long sleeves and a goatee, and he was walking in with a big smile.

Liu Xian was surprised and said: "This is Liu Zichu!"

To elaborate, Liu Xian and Liu Ba belong to the same sect and were in the same family five generations ago. Although they are estranged now, they occasionally interact with each other.

Liu Qi stepped forward to greet him, clasping his fists and saying, "Jingzhou is very lucky to have you here, sir!"

"How dare you, how dare you!" Liu Ba returned the courtesy and said, "The great victory in Nanyang has made Cao Cao return home in disgrace. It is the good fortune of Jingzhou and the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Qi was secretly happy. As expected, Liu Ba was optimistic about Cao Cao because he was the strongest and even had the hope of unifying the world. He wanted to end the troubled times as soon as possible.

The sudden rise of Liu Qi blocked Cao Cao's march south. He was much stronger than Liu Bei in terms of status and strength. This series of operations finally made Liu Ba change his mind.

After some greetings, everyone came to the government office. Liu Xian ordered a new banquet. Jiang Wan and Liu Min all met Liu Ba. The three famous people in Jingzhou finally met in the Lingling government office.

After chatting for a while, Liu Ba asked: "The general's letter, drawing the Nanyang route and traveling to Guishuang, is really an ambitious plan. I have been living in Jingnan for a long time, and I have only heard about it. However, the general's drawings are so detailed, which is admirable."

Liu Qi smiled and said: "When I was in Xiangyang, I liked to collect strange books from all over the world, and I had a little dabble in the affairs of other countries. In the past, Qin Shihuang conquered Baiyue, and General Fu Bo Ma Yuan pacified the South China Sea. This is my land in China, and the treasures of South Sea are the best."

If there is a lot of it, if it can be transported to the Central Plains, you will definitely make a lot of money."

Liu Ba stroked his beard and said: "You can live with rare goods and make a lot of profits. The general can not only command the army, but also have such foresight. Why worry about big things? If we can trade with South Vietnam, goods can be transported from Jingzhou to Jiangdong, Western Shu, the Central Plains, and Jingchu. There is a lot of potential."

"

Liu Qi said: "Although I know a little about business, I know nothing about financial matters. The foundation of a country depends on whether the treasury is sufficient, and I still need my husband to make plans."

Liu Ba cupped his fists and said, "Thanks to the general's respect, Ba is willing to do his best."

Liu Qi was overjoyed. The key to impressing Liu Ba was to let him engage in economics. This business route and money-making strategy really aroused Liu Ba's interest.

Although Liu Ba was unwilling to join Liu Bei at first and fled from Jingzhou to Jiaozhi and then to Yizhou, he came thousands of miles to meet Liu Bei and eventually became Liu Bei's staff.

The first thing he did when he took office was to solve Liu Bei's financial problems. A "worth a hundred" system would replenish the treasury within a few months!

Liu Ba had such advanced economic ideas, and he could tell at a glance Liu Qi's plan. This was completely different from the current thinking of the princes who only increased taxes to replenish their treasury. Although the two had not met, they already felt like close friends.

The plan to open up Nanyang made Liu Ba realize his ambition.

The slogan of reviving the Han Dynasty is known to the world. In the Central Plains, it was just to win people's hearts and to send troops for the sake of justice. But when it expanded outward, it showed Liu Qi's unique side.

As a man who impressed Zhuge Liang, there is no doubt about Liu Ba's vision and ability. Only by using these extraordinary means can he impress him.

During the banquet, everyone exchanged glasses and talked freely. Some of Liu Qi's novel opinions made everyone praise him. Especially when he talked about making money with Liu Ba, the two talked non-stop, leaving others dumbfounded.

Seeing how high-spirited these young people were, Liu Du realized that his son Liu Xian was still far behind, so he finally agreed to let Liu Xian go out to practice. If he wanted to achieve something, he could not stay with his parents all the time.
Chapter completed!