"Sir, I want to ask you something......

Lu Ren looked at Mi Zhen and felt that Mi Zhen's current state was a little different, so he nodded and said, "You ask." ”

"How long will you stay, sir?"

Lu Ren was stunned, because he didn't expect Mi Zhen to suddenly ask this. After hesitating for a moment, Lu Ren responded, "About a year and a half, right?" It won't take more than two years at most. ”

Mi Zhen pondered: "A year and a half? It's not too long, and it's not too short. Judging from the industries that you and I are now operating, a year and a half is enough to gain a firm foothold in the Xudu area. After that, even if you leave, as long as I manage it properly, it will not be a problem for you and me to become the big clans in the Xudu area. It's just sir, I remember you told me that I was afraid that there would be a shocking war between the Cao and Yuan families in a short time, right? ”

Lu Ren nodded. This kind of thing of Cao Yuan's two families competing for the position of hegemon is not something that he Lu Ren can influence. To put it mildly, he, Lu Ren, was just helping Cao Cao plant the fields for a few years. And Cao Cao will be in a hurry to let Lu Ren go out of the mountain again, isn't it also to prepare more food and grass for this battle?

Seeing Lu Ren nodding, Mi Zhen asked again: "Then let me ask Mr. again, once this battle starts, who can win in the end?" ”

"Well...... this"

Lu Ren originally wanted to reply that Cao Cao could win, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back. This matter should have been no problem according to the original historical process, but Lu Ren suddenly remembered that now there is such an outlier as himself mixed in.

In fact, to tell the truth, Lu Ren has always had a mentality of "taking the ancient and taking it for granted" on this issue, the reason is that Lu Ren has been mixed for so many years, and there are some corresponding small influences, but in the real big situation and big trend, Lu Ren has never had any impact, so Lu Ren will feel that the battle of Guandu will still be Cao Cao's final victory.

But now that Mi Zhen asked him this, Lu Ren felt that things didn't seem to be as simple as he imagined. Let's put it this way, the so-called butterfly effect is often not visible in a short period of time, but at a certain stage, it is not a joke when the influence really comes out.

Further, Cao Cao had the reason why he couldn't keep up with the grain and grass during the Battle of Guandu, but his main job now is to help Cao Cao increase his grain and grass reserves. Perhaps it was because he had helped Cao Cao save a few more months of grain and grass, and it was not impossible for Cao Cao to change his mentality.

Even if Cao Cao is put aside, Yuan Shao seems to have to think about it carefully. In principle, it seems unlikely that Lu Ren will affect Yuan Shao's side, but what if something changes? Not to mention anything else, Lu Ren and Zhongshan Zhen have such a leg in secret, and who is Zhen Mi? Before being snatched by Cao Pi, Zhen Mi was the wife of Yuan Shao's second son Yuan Xi. What if this leads to any changes......

If you think about it more, the failure of Yuan Shao's battle of Guandu was mainly caused by a series of decision-making mistakes, and there were even comments on the battle of Guandu, "It is not so much that Cao Cao used troops like a god, but that Yuan Shao made constant mistakes". Before and after, Tian Feng, Fu Zhu, and Xu You didn't know how many correct opinions they had put forward to Yuan Shao. If Lu Ren slightly affected Yuan Shao here, causing Yuan Shao to suddenly become wise in a certain link that was originally wrong, then Cao Cao would become a big salted fish that couldn't turn over. And the possibility of this happening...... Lu Ren didn't dare to think about it.

It was after thinking about such a big deal that Lu Ren realized that he had no way to give a definite answer to Mi Zhen's question now, so he could only have a gloomy face and didn't say a word for a long time.

As for Lu Ren's reaction, Mi Zhen seemed to have expected it, so she shook her head a little bitterly and said, "Sir, you can't answer, can you?" Indeed, it is difficult to answer. In fact, no matter you and me, we all hope that Cao Gong can win this battle, but we can't deceive ourselves. Sir, in fact, in your opinion, Cao Gong's chances of winning this battle are very small, right? ”

Lu Ren thought about it again, and finally nodded. is still the same sentence, Cao Cao was originally a narrow victory, and at this time, Yuan Shao's power and strength are so strong that I am afraid that there is a consensus in the world. After another thought, Lu Ren asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly asking this?" ”

Mi Zhen said: "If you don't ask, you can't do it!" Sir, in fact, both of you and I can be said to be dependent on Cao Gong, and only by taking advantage of Cao Gong's momentum can the clan business gradually prosper. Therefore, in this war, if Cao Gong wins, of course we have no problem, but what about after Cao Gong is defeated? You and I are not related to Yuan Shao, and you and I are not a prominent clan. After Yuan Shao's victory, he had to do something to cleanse, of course he wouldn't move the well-known clan, and he could only move a small clan like us. At that time, will you and I be able to stay in Xudu safely? ”

“……”

Out of the mentality of "already taking the ancients and taking it for granted", Lu Ren really didn't think about these things. Now that Mi Zhen said this, Lu Ren realized that what Mi Zhen said was not impossible. Yuan Shao is not a good person, and he has done a lot of things to slaughter the city, and Yuan Shao's subordinates are basically some big families, and they can be said to take the route of the scholar clan, and the annexation and devouring of small clans is basically commonplace.

And his own Lu clan and Mi Zhen's Mi clan are the big families that can make Yuan Shao have scruples? Apparently not! In case Yuan Shao defeats Cao Cao and occupies Xuchang, and he and Mi Zhen are running some very profitable transactions, those families under Yuan Shao are still salivating? As soon as there was a chance, of course, the Lu and Mi families were gnawed to the point that there were no bones left.

As soon as he thought of this, Lu Ren somewhat understood what Mi Zhen meant, so he said tentatively: "Are you worried that after Yuan Shao's victory, you and I will be in danger in Xudu?" ”

Mi Zhen nodded and said, "Exactly." In fact, I haven't thought much of this before, but I was born after returning to Tancheng this time and seeing that my Mi clan was harmed by Xuzhou Haoqiang after Lu Bu was borrowed. In fact, I also have some understanding of those big families in Hebei, clans like the Zhen family are still difficult to protect themselves, and we can get better after the defeat of Cao Gong? At that time, Yuan Shao can be compared to another Lu Bu who occupies Xuzhou, and there is no difference between those families in Hebei and those here in Xuzhou. The industries that we have managed to operate with great difficulty in the past few years will only be eaten up by them in the end. ”

Lu Ren was speechless. After a long time, Lu Rencai sighed lightly: "This is something I have never thought about. ”

Mi Zhen said worriedly: "Sir, be prepared for danger in peace!" You've always been far-sighted, and you really have to think about this crisis, and I don't want to see the clan ruined in the danger that you and I have long anticipated. I know you're going to have a way, sir, so could you please think about it, sir? ”

Lu Ren frowned, pacing around and thinking about it. And after a long time, Lu Ren suddenly smiled unknowingly: "Sister, do you remember a joke I once made with you?" I can't think of this joke, maybe we're really going to do it now. ”

"What joke?"

Lu Ren smiled: "If you just want to retreat, there are at least three ways out for your Mi clan." ”

Mi Zhen immediately came to Lu Ren's side and asked urgently, "I want to hear about it!" ”

Lu Ren unhurriedly raised three fingers: "One is Langya, the second is Xiangyang, and the third is Chaisang." ”

Xiang Mi Zhen told Mi Zhen about these three pieces of land, Mi Zhen looked at the three fingers that Lu Ren raised at him, and asked suspiciously: "Sir, the three places you mentioned do have my Mi family's industry, but since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the trade routes between Xuzhou and Xiangyang and Chaisang have been blocked for a long time due to disasters. Even today, there is still Zhang Xiu as a thief in Wancheng on the road to Xiangyang, and Yuan Highway in Lianghuai on the road to Chaisang, and the road is still not passable. As for Langya......"

Lu Ren smiled and waved his hand to interrupt Mi Zhen's words: "Do you want to say that although Langya is not far from Xuzhou, it is close to the mountains and the sea, and the land is poor, so it is not a place to govern the industry?" Sister, in fact, it is precisely because of the lack of land access to Xiangyang and Chaisang that I will list Langya at the top of the three places. Let me ask you first, do you have a ship of more than 1,000 zhang and several boat shops in Langya? ”

Mi Zhen nodded: "That's true." It was the boat and shipyard used by our Mi clan in the old days to travel and freight with Beiping, Lelang, and even Sanhan. But sir, if you really mention this matter, I won't hide anything from you, in fact, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the world has been in turmoil, and although the land of Ji and Qing is rich, it is the place where the Yellow Turban thieves and thieves are most prosperous. I remember that it was before my eldest brother Ying Tao Gongzu set aside his name to drive in Xuzhou, and our Mi family was no longer a water transport vendor, and those water transport merchant ships never left the dock because of this. Although there were people who ordered people to maintain boats and boats at that time, after all these years, there are still a few boats that can be used by me, and I don't know the bottom of my heart. ”

Lu Ren smiled: "It doesn't matter, as long as the shipyard is not completely abandoned, the original ship-making craftsmen are still there." It is true that building a ship can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but repairing a ship is a different matter. ”

Mi Zhen said: "It is not difficult to repair the old ships, but what do you mean by repairing these boats, sir?" If you want to restore the old Japanese trade routes, the Hebei, You, and Liao ......"

Lu Ren smiled: "Sister, why did you decide to go north?" You Mi have such good water transportation conditions, why don't you try to go south along the coast? Or have you forgotten the big island in the sea that I once told you about? ”

Mi Zhen reacted suddenly, and said in surprise: "Sir, do you mean...... Yizhou!? ”

(Shameless asking for tickets, asking for collections, asking for recommendations!) ）