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In the Governor's mansion of Xiangyang.
Liu Biao had not left the mansion for several days. His recent marriage, coupled with the attentiveness of his new wife, Lady Cai, had made his life quite comfortable.
As for his late wife, Lady Chen, who had passed away not long ago...
Liu Biao had already forgotten her.
Now, Liu Biao had firmly secured control over most of Xiangyang. His original plans were gradually unfolding, and everything was progressing smoothly. Compared to the dire situation he had faced when he first arrived, it was like night and day.
When he had first arrived in Xiangyang, aside from a few loyal followers, he had no money, no food, and was in an unfamiliar place. Bandits plagued the countryside, making it impossible to enforce government orders or collect taxes. His subordinates, the clerks, were all scheming and insincere, waiting to see him fail. Back then, he had been truly at a loss.
But now, things were different. On the domestic front, the local powerhouses, the Kuai brothers, were managing affairs. The clerks were trembling with fear, not daring to slack off, lest they be caught by the Kuai brothers and lose their positions. On the military front, Cai Mao, a prominent local figure, was reorganizing and training the troops, gradually transforming the ragtag bandit forces into a proper army...
Liu Biao's trusted aides were also keeping a close eye on the Kuai and Cai families, reporting any information directly to him. As a result, Liu Biao's position as Governor was now secure.
Moreover, following Fei Qian's advice, the Imperial Academy had officially opened. Liu Biao had sent out official notices to neighboring provinces, inviting scholars to teach and recruiting students to cultivate future talent for his administration.
With the current progress, the "strengthening strategy" was mostly complete, while the "accumulation strategy" was a long-term effort that couldn't be rushed. With the end of the year approaching, Liu Biao decided to take a short break after a year of hard work. For the past few days, he had been using the excuse of poor health to avoid handling government affairs...
After all, Fu Xun and Yi Ji were keeping an eye on things. Taking a few days off shouldn't be a problem...
However, thinking of Fei Qian, Liu Biao felt a bit displeased. It had been quite some time, and Fei Qian had promised to help persuade Pang Degong, but there had been no progress. Was he just playing along and not taking it seriously?
Even the Kuai brothers would come by from time to time to report and seek instructions. But Fei Qian had only shown up once during Liu Biao's wedding and hadn't been seen since. That slippery fellow...
Just as Liu Biao was pondering this, a servant came to report that Kuai Yue had come to visit.
Kuai Yue, of course, was there to report on his work. Since Liu Biao's arrival, the projects undertaken had been significant—renovating roads, building water conservancy projects, establishing the Imperial Academy, and organizing the military. Each of these required substantial funding. Although these projects promised future returns, the initial investments were substantial. The Kuai and Cai families had already advanced most of the funds. Even though this year's taxes couldn't cover the expenses, it was still necessary to let Liu Biao know about the Kuai family's contributions.
Liu Biao carefully reviewed the reports Kuai Yue had brought. They were very clear, with no signs of deliberate manipulation, and matched the reports from Fu Xun and Yi Ji. Satisfied, he nodded and said, "Yidu, your hard work is deeply appreciated."
Kuai Yue clasped his hands and thanked Liu Biao for the praise, saying, "This is merely my duty."
Normally, if Kuai Yue had no further matters requiring Liu Biao's decision, he would take his leave. But this time, after responding, Kuai Yue remained seated in silence.
Liu Biao understood that there was something else on Kuai Yue's mind and asked, "Yidu, is there something difficult to say?"
Kuai Yue clasped his hands and said, "It's not my place to comment, but..."
Liu Biao waved his hand generously and smiled, "Yidu, there's no need to be so formal. Speak freely!"
Kuai Yue thanked him and said, "Now that you, my lord, hold power in Jingxiang, everyone is working diligently, each fulfilling their duties, fearing to hinder your great cause. But recently, I've heard..."
Kuai Yue glanced at Liu Biao, who showed no reaction, and continued, "...some clerks have mentioned that there are those who hold high positions without contributing, merely occupying their posts. If this continues, it may be hard to satisfy the public..."
Liu Biao understood. Kuai Yue was pointing out that some people were just sitting in their positions without doing any real work.
Of course, Kuai Yue wasn't saying this out of envy for those positions. Instead, he was positioning himself as the voice of the officials, saying that this wasn't his personal opinion but the sentiment of the masses. He was merely representing their views, remaining impartial and not targeting anyone. He was just voicing the concerns of the people...
Naturally, Liu Biao saw through this. He knew exactly what Kuai Yue was up to, so he asked, "What do you suggest, Yidu?"
"I have no personal opinion, but the clerks are working hard, while others are idle. This has inevitably led to discussions..." Kuai Yue emphasized again that he had no personal stake in this, but he couldn't control what others thought...
However, Liu Biao was no fool. He understood Kuai Yue's game and pressed further, "What do you think should be done?"—Don't beat around the bush. If you bring up a problem, you need to offer a solution...
Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Kuai Yue had no choice but to reply, "Well... with the New Year approaching, perhaps you could assign some practical tasks to avoid further criticism..."—As for what kind of tasks, whether difficult or easy, that would be up to Liu Biao to decide...
Liu Biao smiled and nodded, "Very well, we'll do as you suggest."—Alright, we'll follow your suggestion. But if any problems arise as a result, it'll be on you...
Although Kuai Yue felt a bit resentful, he had essentially achieved his goal, so he didn't say more and took his leave.
Liu Biao nodded, watching Kuai Yue leave—then he sneered. 'You think you can outsmart me? You're still a bit short!'
Kuai Yue's original plan was this: although the Kuai family was a prominent clan in Jingxiang, they couldn't compare to the Pang family. However, now that the Kuai family held important positions in Xiangyang, they naturally wanted to climb higher. By using this opportunity, Kuai Yue aimed to secure the position of Assistant to the Governor for himself while also using Liu Biao to suppress the Pang family. If it worked, great; if not, Liu Biao would take the fall...
But Liu Biao was a seasoned schemer. He wasn't about to fall for such a trick and forced Kuai Yue to propose a solution. In the end, Kuai Yue could only offer a vague suggestion. While he managed to pass the ball back to Liu Biao, the standard for evaluation now rested in Liu Biao's hands, and Kuai Yue had no control over how high or low that standard would be...
Liu Biao had stayed up late the previous night and was feeling a bit drowsy. He yawned widely, thinking to himself, 'Pang Degong refused to serve, and even declined the position of scholar at the academy. It's only right to give him a little push, but the degree of pressure needs to be carefully managed. After all, this was the Kuai family's idea. If things go south, I can always pin it on them...'