20demayo Chapter 57 Winning Hearts and Minds is Paramount!
Chapter 57 Winning Hearts and Minds is Paramount!
"How's the food, you two?"
Sun Fu stood in front of the two with a smile on his face.
It's obvious that both of them appeared at the same time to ask their lord for help.
Both Cao Cao and Lü Bu were regional warlords.
The fact that the envoys sent out were in such a state is truly lamentable.
Having filled his stomach, Man Chong immediately wiped the grease from his mouth, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for your hospitality; I will remember it!"
"this……"
"They don't care about their image when they're hungry, but now they're putting on airs. It's ridiculous!" Chen Gong sneered.
At the same time, he stood up and bowed to Sun Fu.
Anyway, his predicament and the gifts he had prepared were all seen by Sun Fu and everyone else.
Explaining or covering it up is pointless; it's better to be frank.
of course.
More importantly, we cannot let Cao Cao's envoy go!
Chen Gong had many feelings about Cao Cao!
"You!" Man Chong knew what the other party meant, and was about to speak when Sun Fu interrupted him.
"Please don't let this cause a rift between you two; everyone here is a friend of the Prime Minister."
"My Prime Minister said that after you two have finished your meal, you should rest well."
"He will come to see you in person once he has finished what he is doing."
"As for the gift..."
Even Sun Fu couldn't help but shake his head at this.
Those horses, so thin from hunger, would require a lot more food to keep them.
"Thank you for your trouble..."
The two men bowed to each other, exchanged a glance, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.
at the same time.
Not far away, Li Zhao slowly closed the door.
At this moment, Liu Bei and Xu Shu were sitting on either side of each other in the room.
From the moment Cao Cao and Lü Bu's envoys arrived, they knew that the peaceful days of Qingzhou were about to be shattered.
It's impossible to stay out of it!
"My lord, Cao Cao and Lü Bu have been locked in a stalemate for over a year, and now they are at their last gasp."
"The appearance of these two is nothing more than an attempt to take advantage of you, or more precisely, our food supplies."
"In my humble opinion, it would be best to ignore everything and simply send it back politely!" Xu Shu said in a low voice after a moment of silence.
Liu Bei glanced at him and nodded. "Yuanzhi is right!"
"In today's world, many people are watching us. If we're not careful, we could be dragged into their struggles!"
There were some things he didn't say explicitly: the premise of supporting the Han Dynasty and bringing benefits to the people of the world was to ensure his own steady development and not be influenced by anyone.
The room was quiet. Li Zhao did not immediately express his opinion, but was thinking about something.
After a while.
Looking up at Liu Bei, who seemed hesitant to speak, he said, "Xuande, I need you to utilize your unique qualities!"
Liu Bei: "?"
……
Chen Gong and Man Chong were placed in separate rooms, and were deliberately placed far apart from each other.
After calming down, both of them couldn't help but start to worry.
after all.
Now they are the ones who need their help, and Li Zhao holds the absolute initiative.
What if he chooses the other person instead of himself?
"Bang bang bang—"
Chen Gong, who was restless in his room, came to the door as soon as he heard the knock.
As soon as I opened it, I saw Liu Bei's smiling face.
"Did you rest well, Gongtai?" Liu Bei asked softly.
After a brief moment of disappointment, Chen Gong quickly regained his composure and politely ushered him into the room.
"I have long admired Lord Xuande's name; to meet you today is an immense honor!"
"You're too kind, Gongtai!"
"..."
After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Bei casually sat down to the side.
Chen Gong immediately realized that the other party was probably there in place of Li Zhao.
After a brief hesitation, he tentatively asked, "Lord Xuande, this...?"
"Gongtai! What are your views on the current court and the situation in the world?"
Chen Gong: "..."
……
at the same time.
Man Chong saw Li Zhao walking in from outside with his hands behind his back.
Although he couldn't read the expression on his face, Man Chong still felt immense pressure.
In such a short period of time, Qingzhou had become so prosperous, and the people had no worries about food and clothing, which far exceeded his expectations.
This psychological pressure made him unconsciously lower his stance.
"I have met you... I have met Prime Minister Li!" Man Chong said, bowing.
Li Zhao looked up at him, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. "I heard the Manchu has a good appetite. Is the food here alright?"
"Thank you for your hospitality, Prime Minister Li!"
"You tell me... wouldn't it be a good thing if everyone in the world could eat delicious meals every day and not have to worry about war breaking out and causing displacement?"
These calm words seemed to carry an unusual power.
Man Chong's eyelids twitched wildly, as if he realized what he was about to say.
"Of course, of course it's a good thing!"
"Actually, I can see that the Mandarin also has his own pursuits!" Li Zhao said calmly.
"But then again, among all the renowned scholars and ambitious individuals in the world, who wouldn't wish to benefit the world and change this chaotic situation?"
"Cao Cao and Lü Bu fought for more than a year. How many people died and how many were displaced?"
"If someone continues to support one side, allowing this tragedy to continue, or even escalate, do you think... such a person can be considered a good person?"
in fact.
Man Chong was very confident about his trip, believing that Li Zhao had no family background.
He had the opportunity to befriend Cao Cao and gain access to the imperial court.
It's just a matter of sacrificing some supplies; they'll definitely take action without hesitation.
After all, he had so much stored grain; who wouldn't want to improve their status?
However, at this point, he couldn't utter a single word.
Li Zhao directly positioned himself on the moral high ground, thus controlling all the initiative.
Furthermore, they even defined their struggle as an evil act that was detrimental to the world!
Li Zhao was somewhat relieved to find that Man Chong had no intention of making excuses.
After all, someone like him has countless angles to use to defend himself if he wants to.
"How about we make a bet?" Li Zhao stopped what he was doing.
"If Chen Gong accepts the same conditions, you may return and withdraw your troops. I will provide food for the army and the people!"
"If he refuses and gets angry, then I'll agree to all your conditions, no bargaining!"
Man Chong opened his mouth, but ultimately let out a sigh, "As Prime Minister Li says..."
"good!"
As Li Zhao pushed open the door to leave, his voice rang out again, "The people of Qingzhou are truly fortunate to have Prime Minister Li!"
"If one day..."
Li Zhao stood there for a while, and when he found that there was no follow-up, he left.
"If there were half such people in the world, how could things have come to this?" Man Chong sighed again.
He was a living, breathing human being, and he understood the meaning behind Li Zhao's words all too well, which is why he realized how formidable the other party was.
Facts always speak louder than words!
……