(Thanks to Cang Lan’s memory, Chen Yanhong, windofdream, King Jing Jing, toilet pose and several book friends for their tips)
After a few months, Yan Liang re-captured Ancheng.
The day after he captured Ancheng, Yan Liang ordered more than 10,000 Runan people to be forcibly moved to the seven counties of Xinye and classified them as Tuntian people.
There, Man Chong had already selected several deserted fields for the more than 10,000 people near Xinye, imitating Cao Cao's farming system, and ordered these immigrants to cultivate the wastelands.
Man Chong was good at politics and knew the importance of food, so soon after he returned to Yan Liang, he proposed to start farming near Xinye.
Although there have been few wars in Jingzhou, with a household registration of one million, the population is still significantly reduced compared to before the chaos. There is also a lot of abandoned farmland near the seven counties of Xinye controlled by Yan Liang.
What Yan Liang lacks is not land, but population.
Yan Liang ordered Man Chong to conduct an inventory of household registrations. Although many households that had escaped from compilation were cleared, the current number of households in the seven counties of Xinye was obviously still not enough to support Yan Liang's expansion of the army or launch of a long-term campaign.
Yan Liang, who had historical foresight, naturally thought of borrowing Cao Cao's farming system.
Most of the indigenous people in Xinye own land. If they are forced to farm, it will inevitably cause fierce resistance.
As for these refugees who moved from Runan, firstly, they had no influence in the local area, and secondly, they were frightened by the war and hoped to settle down, so it would be a good idea to use them as farmers.
At this time, the battle of Guandu had reached a critical moment. Although Runan was in chaos, Cao Cao could no longer find a single soldier to intervene, so Yan Liang was able to drive away Liu Bei calmly, and then calmly captured more than 10,000 Dingkou. Moved to Xinye.
Three days later, Yan Liang led his victorious army back to Xinye.
At the city gate, Xu You and Yi Ji were waiting to greet him.
"Congratulations to the general on your triumphant return." Xu You rushed forward and held his hands in congratulations.
The rest of Yiji and other officials also came forward to congratulate him, their words and expressions filled with awe for Yan Liang.
Yan Liang just smiled faintly, waved his hand and said: "It's just a small victory, nothing worth mentioning. But without this strategy of showing weakness, it would not be that easy to defeat Liu Bei."
"Haha, the general has given you a compliment. It's just a small trick. If the general hadn't predicted that Liu Biao wouldn't take the opportunity to send troops, this old man's strategy would be useless."
There was also a hint of pride in Xu You's complimentary words.
Both the principal and the minister laughed and entered the city in high spirits.
The people of Xinye, who had been spared from the war, were all surprised and delighted when they heard the news that their general Yan had defeated Liu Bei. Now that they heard about Yan Liang's triumphant return, they all rushed to both sides of the street to greet him.
Yan Liang turned his horse and walked slowly, his calm expression filled with a bit of majesty, and he calmly nodded to greet the soldiers and people who greeted him.
"I heard that the general also captured Liu Bei's two wives during this battle. I wonder what the general plans to do with them?" Xu You asked, standing a horse's head away.
"After all, they are Uncle Liu's women. How can we be so careless as to place them in my house?" Yan Liang said simply.
Xu You raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "I heard that the two ladies of Liu Xuande are both stunning beauties. Could it be that the general placed them in the palace because he wanted to..."
Before he finished speaking, Xu You smiled with some evil intent.
Yan Liang was startled for a moment, and then he understood what he meant, thinking that this bad old man was full of crooked thoughts.
Mi and Gan are indeed beautiful women, but Yan Liang's original intention of placing them in the mansion is of course to better protect these two people, so that they will not have any shortcomings and the world will mistakenly think that Yan Liang has no magnanimity and even two female dependents.
It can't be tolerated.
"Sir, if you say this, don't you worry that your wife will hear you and complain to me on your pillow that you are old and disrespectful?" Yan Liang said with a smile.
Xu You was stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, with a self-deprecating expression on his face.
"Uncle Liu Huang is now defeated by the general and has become a lost dog. I wonder if he will be looked down upon by Feng Ji and his gang if he escapes back to Yuan Shao."
The laughter subsided, and the conversation was diverted away from the woman.
Yan Liang sneered and said: "Sir, you still don't know Liu Bei well enough. I bet that Liu Bei will not return to Yuan Shao this time."
"The general is right. Liu Bei managed to break away from Yuan Shao with great difficulty. Now that he has lost the battle, he will be embarrassed to go back."
Xu You nodded slightly, but then murmured: "It's just that Liu Bei is surrounded by people and is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Apart from returning to Yuan Shao, I really don't know where he can go..."
"No need to think about it, it must be Xuzhou."
Yan Liang made a decisive decision and broke Xu You's speculation.
"Xuzhou?"
Xu You was a little surprised, confused for a moment, and then suddenly realized.
Xuzhou is the easternmost part of Cao Tong District and is the area where Cao Cao's rule is weakest. Due to too many killings, the people there have always been resentful towards Cao Cao.
At present, the battle of Guandu has too many troops to divide. Cao Cao can only entrust Chen Deng, Zang Ba and other powerful families to rule. In fact, Xuzhou has always been in a semi-independent state.
Liu Bei had been operating in Xuzhou for many years and was quite popular among the people. He also had friends with local powerful families. It can be said that he had a good "mass foundation".
Now, if Liu Bei takes advantage of Cao Cao's free time to visit Xuzhou again, he may not be able to make some waves by relying on his previous reputation.
After thinking about all this, Xu You couldn't help but admire Yan Liang and sighed: "As the general said, it seems that Liu Bei really has the only way to go to Xuzhou this time. The general's judgment is really not as good as mine.
."
Yan Liang only smiled at Xu You's compliment.
After some chatting, Yan Liang returned to the prefect's mansion.
At this moment, hearing that Yan Liang had returned, Huang Yueying led a group of servants to greet him at the door.
Turning the corner, Yan Liang raised his eyes and saw Huang Yueying, dressed in red, with her head raised and looking towards this side, her pretty face filled with anticipation.
A separation is better than a new marriage, not to mention that not long after they got married, Yan Liang led the army to go on an expedition. How could Huang Yueying, a first-time wife, not miss her husband's return.
Yan Liang also missed his little wife, so he whipped his horse and she was already close in a blink of an eye.
"Husband——"
Huang Yueying had a happy face and hurriedly walked down the stairs.
Yan Liang jumped off the horse, walked up with a smile, took her slender hand, and caressed her face with his generous palm.
Huang Yueying's face immediately blushed a little.
Although she was married to Yan Liang and had gone through the wedding ceremony, how could she not feel ashamed when Yan Liang was being intimate with her in front of so many servants?
Under shyness, Huang Yueying blushed and said in a low voice: "Husband, there are still people watching."
She was so shy and so breathtakingly beautiful that her heart skipped a beat, and the ecstasy of that night in the wedding room couldn't help but come to mind.
With his heart throbbing, Yan Liang suddenly picked up Huang Yueying and strode toward the inner room.
