Afterwards, Liu Yu ordered his generals and subordinates to prepare food, grass and supplies, and planned to lead an elite army to the Huaibei area before returning to Qingzhou to sweep the enemy's tyrants and give some powerful tastes to those who were against him.

Liu Hun and He Heng immediately came to a guard report that someone asked for a meeting.

"Report to the General, the chief clerk Xi Jian asked for a visit!"

"Xi Jian?"

When Liu Yu heard this name, he was immediately surprised, but he still reacted immediately.

"Please!"

Xi Jian, whose courtesy name is Daohui, was from Jinxiang, Gaoping County, Yanzhou. As a famous minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty known to Liu Yu, in fact, after Liu Yu entered Yanzhou, he had been sending people to contact Xi Jian and trying to recruit him as his subordinates, but he had never succeeded.

Also, because Xi Jian was already a famous scholar of the world at this time, Liu Yu naturally couldn't use forced means.

However, since the fall of Luoyang and the fall of Yuzhang, Sima Duan, escaped to Yanzhou and was regarded as the crown prince by Liu Yu, many people from Yanzhou who were from Yanzhou accepted Liu Yu's enlistment and began to serve as officials, among which Xi Jian was among them.

Soon, under the leadership of the guards, a scholar in his forties, wearing an old robe came to Liu Yu.

"Chief Xi Jian, pay homage to the general!"

Facing Xi Jian, Liu Yu no longer had the mystery of only hearing his name.

When Xi Jian accepted Liu Yu's envoy, his poor look was really beyond Liu Yu's expectations.

Liu Yu remembered that Xi Jian's clothes were already worn out at that time, and they were even less decent than those of the soldiers of the military mansion under Liu Yu. It is conceivable how poor Xi Jian's family was at that time.

"Mr. Xi, there is no need to be too polite." Liu Yu hurried forward to stop Xi Jian from performing his rituals.

After accepting Liu Yu's enlistment, Xi Jian has always looked cautious, but he has said very little. In more than a month, he has hardly made any suggestions to Liu Yu.

Liu Yu once doubted whether Xi Jian was using his expectations to come to his place to eat and drink and get his salary because of his family's difficulties. After all, Liu Yu heard that Xi Jian and his family had a total of fifty or sixty people, and this was just a relative of his close relative.

So, this time, Xi Jian took the initiative to visit him, and Liu Yu was even a little surprised.

"General, I heard that you are planning to send someone to recruit refugees in the Sishui area of ​​Huaibei?"

After sitting down, Xi Jian didn't say much nonsense and asked Liu Yu directly.

"Yes, I do have this intention," said Liu Yu.

He had just issued an order to mobilize the army of food and grass. As the chief clerk of the general's mansion, Xi Jian was naturally one of the people who handled these things.

"Will that general, do you plan to move these refugees to Pengcheng and Xiapi area to resettle?"

"I originally had this intention, but these refugees have been operating in Huaibei for several years, and they have a small industry, so it may be difficult to do it."

Liu Yu's answer was just half the reason.

As for his intention to let these refugees form the Huaihe River defense line and organize Langya Wang Sima Rui to go north, naturally, he could not tell Xi Jian frankly.

After all, people like Xi Jian are more forced to take office due to pressure of survival, and the power of the crown prince Sima Duan held by Liu Yu is still not considered Liu Yu's confidant.

"Who is planning this for the general?" Xi Jian looked serious.

"Supervising Liu Hun, He Heng." Liu Yu was a little puzzled, why Xi Jian looked like this.

"General, these two people have ulterior motives and are now imprisoned and punished for their crimes!"

Xi Jian suddenly said.

"Prisoned? Why?!"

Liu Yu's reaction was very surprised at Xi Jian's words.

This is wherever you go. Why is it so good that you have to punish Liu Hun and He Heng, who have just opened the door to welcome the Qingzhou army into the city?

"General, the plan of these two people to recruit refugees but let them regard themselves as Huaibei is definitely a major disaster in Xuzhou in the future," said Xi Jian.

In the past, Liu Yu always saw some counselors and eloquent in historical books, and was willing to make amazing words, so he was indeed a little surprised at the words of Xi Jian at the beginning, but he was much calmer at this time.

"Zhengzhu, why did you say that?" Liu Yu looked humbly asking for advice.

"General, there are more than 100,000 refugees between Huai and Si. These people have been stranded here for several years and have never been under the jurisdiction. Even the local county officials have never managed it, and they have no household registration. Therefore, these refugees use the fort as a basis and are guarding against each other." Xi Jian said.

After hearing Xi Jian's words, Liu Yu nodded. When he was in Gaoping County, Xi Jian led his relatives to build his own dock fort, and he was naturally clear about these refugee-style dock forts.

"This is natural, Xi Zhubu, but has other profound meanings?"

"This time the general recruited these refugees in Huaibei to settle their hometowns, and he had to choose the powerful tyrants among them to serve as the county and county supervisory position. Is this a matter?"

"Yes, I do have this plan," said Liu Yu.

"General, the disaster in Xuzhou in the future is here!"

"Why do you say that?" Liu Yu couldn't help asking.

"These refugees built their own docks and forts, and even if they were forced by local tyrants, they just swallowed their anger. Now the general chose the strongest ones as the supervisor, and the chief officials would personally lead the army to attack the oppressed powerful people. From then on, the supervisors of these refugees would become the new powerful people in Huai Si." Xi Jian said.

"Even if these refugees can live and work in peace and accept recruitment from prefectures and counties, it's okay," Liu Yu said reluctantly.

"But when the general returns to Xuzhou, how can he check and balance these refugee commanders?" Xi Jian said.

"Of course, Xuzhou Chief Secretary, Supervisor and other officials are responsible for this matter."

In Liu Yu's plan, these refugees were basically the people who were registered as households, so they naturally had to be under the jurisdiction of the county officials in Xuzhou.

"It's hard! General, from then on, these refugees will become the corps of a few heroic commanders, with more than 100,000 troops, but with the governor of Xuzhou and others, there is no way to balance it."

Xi Jian said, glanced at Liu Yu, and said again.

"What's more, the general needs to guide these people as barriers to guard against the Langya King in Yangzhou?"

Liu Yu looked at Xi Jian's gaze and heard this, his face turned red.

"Hehe, Mr. Xi is indeed a famous scholar. Mr. Xi has already known these thoughts." Liu Yu forced himself to resolve the embarrassment.

"Then Master Xi, why did you plan to teach me?"

After Xi Jian saw that he was exposed to his thoughts, although Liu Yu was a little embarrassed, he was generous and his impression of Liu Yu was improved a little more.

"Xi is very talented and dare not speak out!" Xi Jian bowed and continued.

"However, Xi knew these people's thoughts very well for these refugee docks."

"Oh? Master Xi, I'd like to hear about it!" Liu Yu was immediately full of interest.

There are also a large number of refugees in Yanzhou, and Xi Jian has much more contact with these refugee dock owners than Liu Yu.

"General, although these refugees are all displaced, they have experienced many hardships and are not the masters and commanders of the docks and have no trust from them. Even if they are registered in counties, they are not driven by the county magistrates." Xi Jian said immediately.

Liu Yu nodded. This statement made sense. These refugees were undecided to move and trust and help each other. But the most important thing is that as for the officials of prefectures and counties in the name of the court, for some refugees, they were one of the culprits of their displacement.

"What's more, the general accepted the powerful dock master among them as the supervision. In this way, it is very likely to create a Zang Ba between Huai and Si!" Xi Jian said worriedly.

Zang Ba was one of the powerful people who surrendered to Cao Cao at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. After surrendering to Cao Cao, his Qingzhou soldiers retained considerable autonomy. Zang Ba himself also had a great prestige in the Xuzhou area of ​​Qingzhou. The people in the military stations of both states were greatly affected by it. If Zang Ba had not been ambitious, he would have been bewitched by "the emperor's uncle" or "100,000" people and burned Cao Cao's backyard.

"Also, the Huai and Si land is connected to the Central Plains in the north and Jiangdong in the south. If a powerful man with more than 100,000 troops appears here, it will be a major concern for Xuzhou in the future, and may even be a major concern for the general." Xi Jian said meaningfully.

"Mr. Xi's words are great kindness, great kindness!" Liu Yu couldn't help but exclaim, "I just don't know, Mr. Xi, how do I deal with these refugee dock masters?"

Xi Jian's expression remained unchanged and he continued.

"It is still a strong person to be the supervisor, but it must take his children as hostages."

Liu Yu nodded in agreement, but in fact he had already thought of this method.

"In addition, at least half of these refugees should be selected to migrate to Pengcheng and Donghai to resettle. Xiapi County is too close to Huaibei, so it is not suitable for use."

Xi Jian's method was beyond Liu Yu's expectations.

"Zhengbu Xi, these refugees have been in Huaibei for several years. If they are forced to migrate like this, they may force them to flee south to Yangzhou."

Liu Yu said with some concern that if the refugees were forced to migrate and forced them to go south to surrender to Sima Rui, the loss would be more than worth it. Liu Yu also hoped that these refugees would form a defense line in Huaibei to block Sima Rui from going north and by the way to block the fugitives who went south.

"General, don't worry. Although these refugees have a very pitiful situation, there are not many of them. These people are afraid of authority and strength, but rarely feel kindness. If the general blindly follows the will, it will encourage his arrogance. I am afraid that once the general leads his army back to Qingzhou, these cunning people among the refugees will see through the general's original intention, and will take the initiative to go south to connect with the King of Langya, and at the two ends of the rat between the General and the King of Langya, they will benefit from each other!"

Xi Jian had a prejudice against these refugees that "afraid of authority but not virtue".

However, Liu Yu had some understanding of Xi Jian's prejudice. After these refugees realized their importance, they would definitely quickly find their own position in the power game between the two parties, or even several parties, and then seek greater benefits for themselves until they exceeded the scope that Liu Yu could give.

Seeing Liu Yu's expression change, Xi Jian knew that Liu Yu had accepted his statement, so he continued to say.

"And, there is another thing, even if the general is relieved. Although the King of Langya in Jiangdong is also recruiting refugees and reclaiming land, the miasma of Jiangdong has always been the most feared by these northern refugees. In addition, the good fields in Jiangdong have long been occupied by the great surname of Wuzhong. Even the land for reclaiming has been occupied by the northerners who crossed the river in the past few years. Even if these refugees go, they will only resettle Jiangbei. I believe that the King of Langya still expects these people to guard against the general's going south."

After listening, Liu Yu agreed with what Xi Jian said.

In history, after the Yongjia Rebellion, a large number of northern refugees went south and were placed on the northern bank of the Yangtze River by Sima Rui, especially the Jingkou area, which became the geographical label of the famous "Northern Mansion Army" in history.

The reason for this is that Sima Rui and others have long known that "to guard the river, to defend the Huai River". Only by establishing defenses on the north bank of the Yangtze River can we better protect Jiangdong.

"What Mr. Xi said was that he had received the teachings and was indeed a talented person in the world." Liu Yu had always praised famous scholars like Xi Jian.

"Then I will immediately follow Mr. Xi's words and ask these refugee commanders to send their children as hostages, and then select some of them to move to Pengcheng and Donghai counties to resettlement."

After Xi Jian's explanation, Liu Yu had a clearer understanding of these Huaibei refugees. It seemed that he could not blindly obey these seemingly pitiful refugees and continue like this.

When Liu Yu thought of this, he suddenly thought that he was too tolerant of those powerful families. Otherwise, if he now occupied almost three states, why was he still so poor that he could only support 50,000 or 60,000 troops?

However, Liu Yu could not ask Xi Jian about this question about the powerful. Although Xi Jian was in poverty, he was more due to war and natural disasters. His clan had a lot of land in Gaoping, and he was also a member of the powerful.

If Liu Yu asked Xi Jian how to deal with the powerful people under his rule, he would inevitably be spit on his face.

What's more, compared with these refugees, those powerful people are far more powerful than those who have gone bankrupt, whether they are economic or military.
To be continued...