Jiang Wan, who left Chang'an, passed through Wuguan and returned directly to Jingzhou.
Originally, Jiang Wan wanted to go directly down the river back to Changsha. He would first report to Liu Qi and then consult with Zhuge Liang.
But what Liu Zhang said to him before leaving always appeared in his mind unconsciously.
Was it Liu Qi or Liu Bei who had the final say in what happened in Jingzhou?
In fact, for Jiang Wan, it doesn't matter who has the final say.
His position as secretary is still in the Prefectural Mufu.
Liu Qi's position as governor of Changsha and governor of the four counties in Jingnan were all self-appointed and not recognized by the court at all.
The only official position recognized by the imperial court in Jingzhou was Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao.
Therefore, Jiang Wan's ownership generally belongs to the Prefectural Mufu.
But since the war between Jingnan and Jingbei began, the two sides have already been at odds with each other.
Cai Mao even deprived Liu Qi of all his positions in the name of the Prefectural Mufu, and even labeled him a traitor.
It's just that the four counties in Jingnan have long been no longer under the jurisdiction of the Prefectural Mufu, and Jiang Wan can also be said to be Liu Qi's official.
But no matter how you calculate it, Jiang Wan cannot be Liu Bei's subordinate. There is no dispute about this.
Moreover, Jiang Wan himself did not have a good impression of Liu Bei who exploited other people's territory.
Even if Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang worked perfectly with Xu Shu's cooperation, they could only deceive the stupid Liu Qi, but it would be difficult to deceive Jiang Wan.
But Jiang Wan also felt grateful for Zhuge Liang's kindness.
If Zhuge Liang had not personally visited Lingling to discover him, Jiang Wan would still be a minor official in the county, and would not have the opportunity to go to Chang'an as an envoy.
After Zhuge Liang discovered Jiang Wan, he did not tell Liu Qi about Jiang Wan's talents. Instead, he had some selfish motives and hoped to find an opportunity to recommend Jiang Wan to Liu Bei.
Therefore, for a long time after Zhuge Liang left, Jingnan did not entrust Jiang Wan with important responsibilities.
Jiang Wan can generally understand Zhuge Liang's thoughts, but understanding does not mean understanding.
Zhuge Liang's behavior further proves the fact that Liu Bei intends to replace Liu Qi.
This trip to Chang'an to seek a war horse deal was essentially an unexpected event.
If Zhuge Liang didn't really have anyone to choose, I'm afraid Jiang Wan would still be his assistant in Lingling County.
This time when he returned to Jingnan, he happened to pass through Jiangling, so Jiang Wan abandoned his ship and went ashore, preparing to go to Jiangling to visit Liu Bei.
Jiang Wan was also quite curious about Liu Bei.
Repeated battles and defeats, repeated defeats and battles, the typical example is the cockroach that cannot be killed!
No matter what difficulties you face, you can stand up again.
Jiang Wan also heard that Liu Bei fought alongside Liu Zhang during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
During this trip to Chang'an, Jiang Wan truly saw Liu Zhang's domineering and majestic power.
I couldn't help but have a strong interest in this figure who rose to prominence at the same time as Liu Zhang.
Liu Bei, what kind of person is he?
It was this curiosity in his heart that prompted Jiang Wan to directly step into the gate of the prefect's mansion.
After a period of waiting, Liu Bei finally appeared in front of Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan had to admit that he was very surprised by Liu Bei's temperament, and his face also made people feel good about him.
No wonder people all over the world say that Liu Bei is a benevolent and virtuous king. He is indeed extraordinary.
"Lingling Shuzuo Jiang Wan, meet with Liu Taishou!"
"Shu Zuo?"
Liu Bei frowned slightly and whispered to himself.
How could a little scholar from Lingling County come to see me?
In line with the etiquette of a virtuous corporal, Liu Bei still greeted him with a smile.
"Jiang Wan, why did you come to Jiangling to see me?"
Liu Bei thought he was hiding it well, but in fact, the subtle changes in his expression had long been captured by Jiang Wan, who was attentive and thoughtful.
Especially the look of contempt in his eyes when he heard about the position of Secretary.
Alas, Liu Bei and Liu Zhang are both clan members of the Han Dynasty, but their achievements are very different, and it is not without reason.
Jiang Wan sighed softly in his heart, disappointed with Liu Bei's performance.
He vaguely remembered Liu Zhang's surprise and admiration when he saw him. He did not look down upon him at all because of external factors such as his low official position.
"Reporting to Governor Liu, I am following the orders of Zhuge's military advisor to go to Yizhou to trade war horses with General Wei, oh no, Duke Qin."
"What! Qin Gong?"
Liu Bei screamed and was stunned by Jiang Wan's words.
"Is Liu Zhang proclaimed duke?"
Jiang Wan was startled. Liu Bei's voice was so sharp that it almost pricked his ears.
"Reporting to the prefect, Liu Zhang will officially declare himself a duke and found the country at the beginning of next year, and the country will be named Qin."
Liu Bei suddenly stood up and cursed...
"Traitors, traitors, traitors to the country, and traitors to the Han Dynasty!"
"This Liu Zhang is really a clan member of the Han Dynasty in vain. He is not satisfied with being a general in the imperial guard. He dares to arrogantly claim the title of Duke and calls himself Duke of Qin!"
"Where did the traitor Liu Zhang put His Majesty? Where did he put the Han Dynasty? Where did he put this prefect?"
"This prefect is incompatible with this thief! If I don't kill this thief, I swear I won't be a human being!"
Bang!
As he spoke, Liu Bei drew out his sword and cut the table in front of him in half.
Jiang Wan narrowed his eyes and sneered in his heart.
Liu Xuande is really a hypocrite. He is obviously envious and jealous, but he pretends to be a loyal minister!
It seems that he wants to use his own words to publicize his loyalty and patriotism!
If Liu Bei had any good impression of Jiang Wan before, it was all gone now.
Liu Bei thought he was hiding it well, but the greed in his eyes was clearly visible to Jiang Wan.
"Prefect Liu, calm down."
After hearing Jiang Wan's consolation, Liu Bei took several deep breaths and gradually calmed down his excitement.
"Jiang Wan, you went to Chang'an to negotiate with the traitor Liu Zhang about trading troops and horses. How did he respond?"
Liu Bei brought the topic to the war horses, which further confirmed Jiang Wan's disdain for him.
Just now he was scolding Liu Zhang angrily and wanted to be at odds with him. In the blink of an eye, he was thinking about his war horse.
"Prefect Liu, didn't you say you wanted to fight Liu Zhang until death?"
Liu Bei's face suddenly became gloomy. He didn't expect that a little assistant would dare to be so rude.
"Jiang Wan, this prefect is asking you something, all you need to do is answer it!"
Jiang Wan was stunned for a moment, then handed over his hand and accepted the order.
"Qin Gong said, five thousand stones of grain and grass will be exchanged for a war horse."
"What! Liu Zhang is so poor that he is crazy?"
Liu Bei screamed again and almost jumped up.
What is the concept of five thousand stones of grain and grass?
One stone is thirty yuan, five thousand stone is one hundred and fifty thousand yuan!
Is 150,000 dollars expensive?
In fact, it is not expensive. After all, this is the Jingxiang area, and war horses are completely marketable and priceless.
When the real war horses are here, not to mention 150,000, even 200,000 or 300,000 will be no problem.
Anyway, the war horse is here. If you want it, pay this price, or if you don’t want it, you can pull it down.
However, Cai Mao just bought 20,000 horses for 500 shi some time ago, which Liu Bei couldn't accept!
Jingnan is not short of food and grass, but it is not rich enough to buy a war horse for five thousand dan!
What's more, Jingnan is not Liu Bei's first choice right now. Even if Liu Bei agrees, Liu Qi may not agree yet.