Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1464 Unexpected
December of the thirteenth year of Yanxi.

Chang'an, the Grand Marshal's residence.

The dining hall was already bustling with voices. As the most powerful and noble family in the Han Dynasty, the Feng family was no longer the simple family of a small landlord in Shu.

Although the Han Dynasty had shifted from emphasizing frugality during the time of the prime minister to emphasizing practicality, the spirit of frugality remained. Therefore, the dining table was not extremely luxurious, but it was still full of seasonal delicacies, exuding an enticing aroma.

The maids moved about silently, serving dishes and adding wine.

Mrs. Zuo, dressed in casual clothes, was smiling as she watched her younger children playing around the dining table.

Hua Man and Li Mu were talking quietly about the new patterns of Shu brocade, while A Mei was carefully checking the saltiness of the dishes.

Yang Huiyu, with her gentle demeanor, sat gracefully to one side. Although she maintained the poise of a well-bred lady, a smile played on her lips and her gaze softened, clearly indicating that she had fully integrated into the family.

The eldest son, Ah Chong, appeared mature beyond his years, sitting upright to one side, taking care of his younger siblings.

The eldest daughter, Shuangshuang, although already the Crown Princess, had a much worse posture than Yang Huiyu. She sat there lazily, and no matter how much her younger brother and sister made a fuss, they didn't dare to get close to her.

Grand Marshal Feng sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously, his gaze occasionally glancing towards the outside of the hall.

Such a prosperous and bustling scene in the mansion would have been unimaginable in my previous life.

At that moment, a feeling of warmth and contentment rose in his heart.

only……

"Where is Fourth Sister? Why hasn't she arrived yet? Amo (the son of the Right Lady), go and see your mother. Is she held up by some official document again? Tell her the whole family is waiting for her to start the meal."

His tone was somewhat helpless, but he dared not be impatient, because his confidence was... insufficient kidney energy.

Feng Kai stood up in response and was about to go out when he saw a figure flash at the hall door, and the Right Madam had already walked in quickly.

Her hair was slightly loose, her breathing was a little rapid from walking quickly, and she was tightly clutching a roll of urgent official documents that had just been delivered.

Lady Right, still breathless and disregarding her decorum, handed the official document directly to Grand Marshal Feng, her expression more solemn than ever before. "Urgent report from the southeast: the outcome of the Battle of Dongxing is in."

Seeing her expression, Grand Marshal Feng became curious and took the document with a smile: "What was the outcome? Why are you in such a hurry? Could it be that Zhuge Ke can actually capture Hefei?"

As he spoke, he casually picked up the cup of tea that a maid had served him to rinse his mouth before the meal, and nonchalantly unfolded the official documents.

His gaze swept over the first few sentences describing Wu Jun's great victory, and he was still able to remain calm, even showing a slight "as expected" smile at the corner of his mouth.

However, when one sees the line "The Wei army has been routed, Huainan is pacified, Qiao County surrenders without resistance, and Wu troops have already occupied Qiao County"—

"puff--!"

Feng Yong's eyes widened, and the tea in his mouth sprayed out without warning, wetting the table in front of him.

He froze on the spot, his hand holding the official document trembling slightly, and he even forgot to wipe the tea stains from the corner of his mouth.

"Ah Lang?!"

"grown ups?!"

The laughter and cheers in the room came to an abrupt halt.

Guan Yinping, Hua Man, and the others all looked over in astonishment, and the children were so surprised that they stopped playing.

Feng Yong ignored the exclamations around him, his gaze fixed on the silk book as if to confirm whether it was real.

After a moment of deathly silence, he suddenly raised his head, his face no longer showing any leisure, his eyes wide open, staring straight at the Right Madam.

Although she didn't speak, the Right Lady nodded knowingly, a tacit understanding built up over the years.

Grand Marshal Feng leaned on the table with one hand, casually wiping the water from his chin with his sleeve with the other. His voice carried a heavy tone and a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment and anger, yet he issued the order with exceptional clarity:

"Third Sister, Fourth Sister, Ah Chong, come with me to the study! Now!"

After saying that, he stopped looking at the table full of delicious food and his bewildered family members, gripped the roll of official documents tightly, and strode towards his study.

The two ladies exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes, and immediately got up to follow.

Ah Chong also quickly left his seat and followed closely behind.

The dining room, which had just been filled with the warmth of a family, suddenly became oppressive.

Only Hua Man, Li Mu, and the others remained, exchanging bewildered glances at the almost untouched food and the empty seat of honor. They all understood: something major must have happened again, but they didn't know whether it was the Han Dynasty or the Wu-Wei Dynasty...
-
He strode into the study without turning his head and ordered, "Close the door!"

Ah Chong, who was following at the back, obediently turned around and closed the door.

Feng Dasi immediately stepped forward, ripped off the cloth covering the wall, and a huge map of mountains and rivers appeared before his eyes.

His gaze was incredibly fixed on both banks of the Huai River.

He picked up a pen and casually drew a few lines. The Eastern Wu, which was originally confined to Jiangdong and south of the Han River, immediately resembled a giant turtle moving northward, its tentacles deeply embedded in the north.

"South of the Huai River... plus Qiao County north of the Huai River..."

Feng Yong muttered to himself, and finally couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath:
"I am Cao!"

Presumably feeling unsatisfied, he shouted another curse:
"Damn it!"

He threw down his pen, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly controlled his emotions.

Turning around, he looked at Madam Right, as if asking himself, or perhaps questioning her:

"How could this be? Zhuge Ke conquered such a large area of ​​land in less than two months. Is he a reincarnation of the God of War?"

Or is it that the Time and Space Administration is being negligent again, letting some idiot travel over and cause trouble?

Otherwise, how could such an absurd thing as Zhuge Ke defeating Sima Yi have happened?
Damn it, Qiao County was pacified by issuing a proclamation!

Feng Da Sima's voice wasn't loud, but it made Ah Chong, who was listening in, instinctively shrink his neck.

He had never seen his elders lose their composure like this before.

He quietly shifted his feet, wanting to get closer to his mother to see what had happened.

After reading the silk scroll, General Guan casually handed it to Ah Chong, walked to the map, and silently looked at it without saying a word.

The Right Lady received the military intelligence immediately and came to the backyard from the government office. She had been exposed to the cold wind for quite some time on the way, and at this moment she was the calmest of all:
"Wu's offensive is unstoppable, and Wei is abandoning its territory like worn-out shoes. When the heavens turn against the seasons, disaster strikes; when the earth turns against things, evil arises. I think there must be some treachery involved."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the map. "If Zhuge Ke were truly the reincarnation of a war god, he could have taken Hefei long ago during the ten years he was stationed in Jiangbei. Why did he have to wait until today?"

This is utter nonsense about a reincarnated god of war; I'm just saying...

Feng Da Sima harbored resentment.

“That’s right.” General Guan, who had been facing away from them, also spoke up, pointing his whip at Qiao County:
"The commander of Qiao County is Guo Huai, whose main force is the elite troops that Sima Yi brought back from Hebei. They are also the military force that Sima Yi relies on the most."

General Guan turned around and said, "But the military report said that before Wu's army even reached Shouchun, Guo Huai began to withdraw from Qiao County."

"If it were me, and we really wanted to hold Huainan, when we retreated to Shouchun, I would have Guo Huai cross the Huai River directly to help defend the city. That would have been enough."

Grand Marshal Feng turned around again to look at the map.

The garrison in Qiao County numbered as many as 50,000, and at least half of them were elite troops from Hebei who had followed Sima Yi south. They were originally intended to guard against Guanqiu Jian's rebellion.

After Guanqiu Jian surrendered, he became wary of the Han.

Even if Guo Huai were to send 20,000 troops, it would be enough to help defend Shouchun.

With 30,000 people remaining, it would be more than enough to hold Qiao County even in winter.

Shouchun was a high city with deep moats, and it was the dead of winter. Even for the Han Dynasty, they had never attempted to forcibly attack a city in this season, or rather, they had never been able to capture a major city head-on in this season.

But Sima Yi simply handed over Huainan and Qiao County without hesitation.

“Yes…” Grand Marshal Feng muttered to himself, “Zhuge Ke’s great victory came too easily and too strangely! Not to mention that old tortoise Sima Yi is no ordinary person and could not possibly be so easily defeated.”

"Huainan was a key town that the puppet Wei regime had been operating for many years, and Qiao County was the place where the puppet Wei regime rose to power, serving as the gateway to Pengcheng."

"Both of these places are heavily guarded and are strategic locations. Even if we suffered a defeat, we shouldn't abandon them so cleanly and decisively, unless..."

As Feng Da Sima spoke, he found it increasingly unbelievable, and eventually he couldn't continue.

"Unless Sima Yi gave it up voluntarily."

General Guan continued, saying that in terms of politics, she was not as good as the Right Lady, but when it came to commanding a specific battlefield operation, even Grand Marshal Feng might not be able to compare to her.

At this moment, her expression was calm, and she was simply analyzing the situation from the perspective of the battlefield:
"No matter how you look at it, the Wei army could not have been defeated so quickly, let alone lost Qiao County in Huainan. Unless it was a deliberate defeat, a deliberate loss."

It's hard to say about others, but both Sima Yi and Guo Huai, as well as General Guan, had directly or indirectly clashed with him.

She had every reason to believe that no matter how powerful Zhuge Ke was, he couldn't possibly win so easily.

"Why? What's the point?" Grand Marshal Feng still found it somewhat unbelievable. "Do they want the pseudo-Wei state to die not quickly enough?"

General Guan, with his keen battlefield instincts, picked up the pen that Grand Marshal Feng had discarded, thickened the lines he had drawn earlier, and then scribbled over the area around Qiao County. He turned around and asked, "How about this?"

This caused not only Grand Marshal Feng to gasp, but even the Right Lady, who knew nothing about military affairs, to widen her eyes.

On the map, Qiao County, occupied by the Wu Kingdom, is like a sharp knife, piercing between the Han and Wei kingdoms.

"Damn it..." Grand Marshal Feng cursed again, this time in a calmer tone, but still with a hint of disbelief:
"If this is true, then all I can say is... that old scoundrel is truly remarkable! What a ruthless move, what a vicious scheme!"

Grand Marshal Feng shook his head, emphasizing his words:
"From this perspective, Sima Yi did not retreat, but rather gave up voluntarily. He threw the entire Huai-Si barrier, along with Qiao County, the hometown of the Cao family, to Zhuge Ke."

The right lady concluded: "Using wolves to devour tigers, diverting disaster westward."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Sow discord between the Han and Wu alliances to gain a breathing space."

If the Han-Wu alliance was truly unbreakable, then Sima Yi's move was tantamount to courting his own destruction.

But the trustworthiness of those Jiangdong rats... in later generations, they probably wouldn't be able to rent a power bank.

Sima, the old tortoise, was well aware of the character of the Jiangdong rats.

Ah Chong, who had somehow produced a pen and ink, lay on the table, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and wrote furiously, trying his best to remember what the adults and his two mothers had said.

Having arrived at a conjecture that was both the most unbelievable and the most plausible, Grand Marshal Feng turned to his son and asked:

"Did you write it down?"

"I've got it, I've got it."

Young Master Feng wiped away another bead of sweat.

"If you've written it down, take it to the General Staff Department of the Prefectural Government and have them do a simulation."

After giving his instructions, Grand Marshal Feng added, "Don't remember any of my insults."

"Here."

Mrs. Zuo glanced at her son but said nothing.

When he left the study, he called a maid and asked her to prepare some food to be delivered to the General Staff Department of the government office.

No sooner had Grand Marshal Feng stepped out of the study than a servant came to report:
"Grand Marshal, someone from the palace has arrived."

The visitor was Huang Hu, an old acquaintance and also Liu Pangzi's close confidant.

"Grand Marshal, His Majesty requests your presence in the palace, saying he has important matters to discuss."

Having regained his composure, Grand Marshal Feng nodded confidently and calmly: "Alright."
-
In the first month of the fourteenth year of Yanxi, at the beginning of the new year, Chang'an was once again filled with fireworks and celebrations.

The Grand Marshal's mansion was bustling with carriages and horses, as civil and military officials came in an endless stream to pay their New Year's respects.

Inside the hall, Qin Bo, the envoy from the Wu Kingdom, reappeared. Compared to his cautious and low-key demeanor at this time last year, he was now full of vigor and high spirits.

He was wearing a brand-new official robe, his face was ruddy, and he even stood up straight when he bowed.

Feng Yong sat in the main seat, looking at his old friend, and said half-jokingly, "Principal Qin looks radiant; it seems you've been having a good time lately!"

"It's all thanks to Grand Marshal's good fortune!" Qin Bo bowed deeply, his smile even harder to suppress than an AK.
"To be honest, Grand Marshal, our Great Wu army recently achieved a triumphant victory, expanding our territory to Huainan. The Prime Minister even personally sent a letter praising my previous efforts in procuring grain."

"But I know very well that if it weren't for the Grand Marshal's strong support, Qin Bo would not be where it is today. I am deeply grateful for the Grand Marshal's kindness and will never forget it."

That sounds nice, but looking at you, I feel like I'm just a sucker who's delivering grain to your Wu Kingdom.

Thinking this, Grand Marshal Feng wore a half-smile, as if he could see right through Qin Bo's little scheme:
"I see. It seems that Qin Xiao is now a favorite of the Prime Minister. Congratulations!"

"Oh, no, no!" Qin Bo quickly waved his hand, smiling, but said modestly, "I can't be considered a favorite. I can only say that I have a slight connection with the Prime Minister."

Grand Marshal Feng said leisurely, "Yuan Xun is currently enjoying unparalleled fame in your country. Being able to have his name attached to him is something that countless people dream of."

He picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam: "Principal Qin, you must have come today for more than just to wish me a Happy New Year, right?"

Upon seeing this, Qin Bo's expression turned solemn. He took out a silk letter sealed with sealing wax and made of extremely fine materials from his bosom, and raised it high above his head with both hands:

"Grand Marshal, please be wise. I have come here today not only to congratulate you on the New Year, but also on the orders of our Prime Minister Zhuge Liang of Wu, to present you with a personal letter."

"The Prime Minister has said that the alliance between Wu and Han is of paramount importance. Now that we have a good plan for securing the country, I would like to discuss it with the General."

Feng Yong nodded slightly to A Chong, who was standing to the side.

Ah Chong understood, stepped forward to take the letter, checked that the sealing wax was correct, and then presented it to his master.

Grand Marshal Feng was in no hurry to unwrap it. His fingertips caressed the smooth silk surface, his gaze still fixed on Qin Bo, and he said calmly:
"Oh? A strategy for stabilizing the country? Yuan Xun has just made great contributions, yet he is already concerned about the world. He is truly diligent in national affairs and is worthy of admiration."

"Regarding the matter of Qin Xiao, you and I are old acquaintances. Yuan Xun must have given you some instructions on such an important matter."

"Why don't you first analyze its essence for me? I will listen attentively, so that I can satisfy my longing and carefully ponder Yuan Xun's profound meaning."

Qin Bo repeatedly said, "I dare not accept such praise," and under the silent urging of Feng Yong's gaze, he could only silently recite the Prime Minister's instructions to himself before clearing his throat and saying loudly:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, the Prime Minister believes that since Wu and Han are allies, they should work together to eliminate the false Wei. Now, our Great Wu is fortunate to have acquired the lands of Huai and Si, however..."

He deliberately paused there, wanting to observe Grand Marshal Feng's expression.

But then they saw Grand Marshal Feng taking a sip of his cup, the rising steam obscuring his face like a thin veil, revealing only his relaxed demeanor and the slightest hint of emotion.

Qin Bo felt a slight chill run down his spine, but had no choice but to continue:

"However, Qiao County is isolated north of the Huai River. For our country, it is like a chicken rib. To defend it requires a large number of troops to be deployed, which will only waste the country's strength. To abandon it, we are afraid that it will help the enemy. It is truly a dilemma."

"The Prime Minister has great foresight. He believes that Qiao County is located in the heart of the Central Plains. If your country takes over it, your army can march east and strike Pengcheng directly, like a sharp sword piercing the chest. The puppet Wei will not be able to stop it!"

"Therefore, the Prime Minister is willing to exchange the entire territory of Qiao Commandery for your country's Nanyang Commandery. In this way, Wu will obtain the perfect geographical advantage of Jingxiang, and Han will gain a shortcut to the east to conquer Wei. Each territory will be in its rightful place, and the armies will be united against the rebellious Wei. This is truly a perfect match, a joint effort to achieve great things."

After Qin Bo finished speaking, there was no response from Grand Marshal Feng for a long time.

He glanced up discreetly and saw that Grand Marshal Feng was still holding his teacup, the steam obscuring his face.

Standing beside Grand Marshal Feng, Feng Ling could see that his master's mouth was silently opening and closing, as if he was saying, oh, cursing... "Fuck your mother?"