Chapter 15 Goodbye Xuzhou, I, Liu Bei, will come back sooner or later!
How come the water general and water soldiers are in the prison cell of my Mi family?

Mi Zhu was completely confused.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu and others looked at each other with confused eyes.

"Could it be that Xu Sheng that Military Advisor Xiao was talking about?"

Mi Fang suddenly realized and jumped up with surprise on his face.

Xu Sheng?

Liu Bei and Mi Zhu turned to Mi Fang, their expressions still blank.

Apparently, when Sun Qian went to see Liu Bei, he did not report to Liu Bei the fact that Xiao Fang had devised a plan to capture Xu Sheng alive.

"It's like this. When we were returning to Wubi, we ran into Xu Sheng from Ju County who was attacking us and wanted to borrow food and grass by force. It was Xiao Junshi's plan..."

Mi Fang described the whole story in vivid detail.

Sun Qian also reacted, his eyes lit up:

"Xu Sheng is quite knowledgeable about naval warfare. He travels between Xuzhou and Huaihe River all year round. He must be familiar with the sea waves and the Huaihe River waterway."

"He had hundreds of sailors under his command, all of whom were captured alive and imprisoned."

"Military Advisor Xiao must be trying to get the Lord to recruit this man and use him for his own purposes."

"With Xu Sheng and his navy soldiers, we can travel to Runan by water!"

After these words, everyone suddenly understood.

"No wonder my brother-in-law repeatedly told Wei Yan to capture Xu Sheng alive."

"Could it be that my brother-in-law not only values ​​Xu Sheng's military talent, but is also preparing in advance for Liu Xuande to take the water route to Runan?"

"If this is true, my brother-in-law's foresight is truly incredible..."

Zhuge Liang's mind was in turmoil.

Liu Bei also suddenly understood and looked at Xiao Fang with surprise:
"Jinglue, as Gongyou said, is this really what you meant?"

Xiao Fang smiled and agreed to what Liu Bei asked.

"That's it, that's it."

"God has really been kind to me, Liu Bei. He has been kind to me."

"Zifang, where is Xu Sheng? Take me there quickly!"

Liu Bei slammed the table and stood up, and was determined to go to the prison in person to persuade Xu Sheng to surrender.

Mi Fang hurriedly led the way.

Everyone stopped the banquet temporarily and waited for the result of Liu Bei's surrender.

"Military Advisor Jinglue, Xu Sheng is a real man. He has been holding a tough attitude and has refused to give in during the past few days of detention."

"Do you think that my lord can really subdue this man this time?"

Jian Yong was somewhat worried.

Xiao Fang sat down again, poured himself a bowl of sobering tea, and sipped it slowly.

"This Xu Sheng comes from a family of heroes, and what he values ​​most is loyalty."

"Looking across the world, no lord is more to my liking than you."

"He had no chance before, but now that he has met the Lord, there is no reason for him not to surrender."

While sipping tea, Xiao Fang pointed out Xu Sheng's character.

If everyone realizes something.

"Then, Military Advisor Yi Xiao, tell me, how will my elder brother persuade Xu Sheng to surrender?"

Zhang Fei widened his eyes and asked curiously.

There was a hint of deliberate testing in his words, to see if Xiao Fang understood Liu Bei.

"If I were to guess, the lord would most likely untie him himself, treat him with courtesy, and honestly express his intention to recruit him."

"If Xu Sheng is unwilling to surrender and insists on going to Jiangdong to join Sun Ce, my lord will not only not force him to stay, but will also give him food and fodder and send him off with courtesy."

Zhang Fei burst out laughing.

"I'm a straightforward person, I couldn't help laughing, please don't mind it, Military Advisor."

"That Xu refused to serve my brother, so my brother was generous enough not to kill him. Why should he pay him money and food to send him to work for Sun Ce?"

"Do you think my brother is stupid enough to do such a losing business?"

Xiao Fang raised the corner of his mouth slightly, but did not argue with the black man. He just sipped his tea leisurely.

After a moment, footsteps were heard.

Everyone looked outside the hall door, and all of them were surprised.

Liu Bei is back.

But he did not come alone, but returned with Xu Sheng, talking and laughing along the way.

In this situation, is there any need to guess?

It must be that Liu Bei conquered Xu Sheng.

Everyone looked at Xiao Fang in admiration.

"Wen Xiang, this is Xiao Fang, Xiao Jinglue, my new military advisor."

"Your defeat that day was exactly his plan."

"It was his plan that led me to travel by water to Runan, recruit the Yellow Turban Army, and then attack Nanyang." Liu Bei introduced Xiao Fang to Xu Sheng in a proud tone.

Xu Sheng looked Xiao Fang up and down, with a look of surprise in his eyes. He seemed surprised that Xiao Fang was so shrewd at such a young age.

"Sheng pays respect to Lord Xiao... No, it's Military Advisor Xiao."

"I didn't expect that Military Advisor Xiao, at such a young age, would have such a wise strategy."

"I, Xu Sheng, have not had many people I respect in my life. My lord is one, and Military Advisor Xiao is the second!"

Xu Sheng stepped forward and bowed, expressing his admiration frankly.

Although he was impressed by Xiao Fang, his tone did not conceal his arrogance.

Xiao Fang sighed in his heart, thinking that Old Liu's life was not easy either, as he had some arrogant ministers under him.

I won't mention Guan Erye, Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, Pang Tong, Fa Zheng...

Each of them has eyes on the top of their head, too many to be counted with two hands.

It is because of Lao Liu's broad mind and magnanimity that he can control so many arrogant heroes, and each of them is willing to go through fire and water for him.

Compared with those people, Xu Shengzhiao is at most a bronze level.

It was natural for Old Liu to control him.

"Wen Xiang, you are too kind. We should not be polite to each other."

"Come on, let's drink and discuss how to go to Runan by water."

Xiao Fang walked forward with a smile, helped Xu Sheng up, and as a military advisor, he comforted Xu Sheng.

So the banquet continued again.

With Xu Sheng joining the group, the atmosphere became more lively than before.

"Zifang, what methods did my brother use to subdue Xu Sheng so easily?"

Zhang Fei pulled Mi Fang over and whispered into her ear.

"The Lord personally untied Xu Sheng and invited him to help the Han Dynasty."

"But the lord is really generous. He said that if Xu Sheng insists on joining Sun Ce, he will give him food and fodder and send him out of the city."

"This Xu Sheng is not a blind man. He was moved by the lord's kindness and righteousness, so he surrendered to the lord."

After listening to Mi Fang's narration, Zhang Fei took a deep breath.

He turned around and looked at Xiao Fang with astonished eyes.

"This Xiao Jinglue, is he a worm in my brother's stomach? I can't hide anything from him..."

This banquet was a great feast.

...

The next day, everyone went their separate ways to prepare for their trip to Runan.

Mi Zhu bought fishing boats from nearby fishermen, Xu Sheng trained and drilled the water soldiers, and Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and other generals to mix the two thousand slaves presented by Mi Zhu with the original one thousand remnant soldiers.

Three days later, the wind direction was just right.

Three thousand soldiers and their families boarded the ship in an orderly manner at Haixi Port.

On the pier.

Mi Fang ordered his servants to load countless food, fodder, gold, silver, and cloth onto the boat.

"Brother, although our Mi family is not as prestigious as the Chen family, it is still considered a wealthy family in the state."

"All our family wealth is in Xuzhou."

"Brother, have you really decided to use all your family wealth to support Liu Xuande and bet the future and fate of our Mi family on Liu Xuande?"

On the bow of the boat, Mi Zhen frowned slightly and asked in a low voice.

Mi Zhu looked at Liu Bei's figure on the neighboring boat and said meaningfully:

"Even though my Mi family is as rich as a country, we are from a merchant family after all, and we are always inferior to others."

"If we want to be among the noble families in our lifetime, we must bet on the princes along the way."

"Based on my decades of business experience, I know Lord Xuande is very different from the other princes. He is a lord worth assisting!"

Changing the subject, Mi Zhu's gaze shifted to Xiao Fang's back.

"Now Lord Xuande has got Xiao Jinglue. Although he is not well-known, he is very smart and can be called a genius in the world!"

"Lord Xuande is blessed by God to have such a rare person to assist him!"

"I am even more convinced of my judgment. My Mi family has staked their lives on Lord Xuande, and it will definitely not be wrong!"

Mi Zhen's body shuddered, and her bright eyes fell on the young and elegant back.

"Xiao Fang, Xiao Fang..."

She murmured to herself, repeating the name over and over again.

At noon, the sky is clear.

Dozens of large and small ships, carrying three thousand soldiers, left Haixi Port.

Set sail and head south.

"Xuzhou, one day, I, Liu Bei, will definitely come back..."

Liu Bei stood at the stern with his hands behind his back, looking at the gradually receding coastline, and made a secret vow in his heart.

(End of this chapter)