My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 104 The Draw
After a brief silence, the people joined in the chanting.

Later on, even the soldiers of Xuzhou joined in the shouting.

Only the prisoners of war from Mount Tai looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

They could guess that the young master was Liu Feng, but when they thought of the bloody gun formation, these Taishan soldiers found it hard to associate the idea of ​​a noble family with that bloody scene.

The person who invented this terrifying military formation must be a demon!

Liu Feng felt that the woman looked familiar, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that she was indeed someone he knew.

This woman was Gu Chenshi, the wife of Gu Jiang from Xishan Village, which he had visited earlier.

Liu Feng smiled and nodded at the other party, and seeing Gu Chenshi's flattered expression, he immediately burst into laughter.

Even after the Xuzhou army had completely entered the city, the people of Xiangben County remained in place, looking rather reluctant to leave.

This scene had a huge impact on the Xuzhou army, but it also seemed to have a significant impact on the common people.

The soldiers of Xuzhou Army naturally had no idea that these civilians had not come spontaneously, but had been organized by Jin Rui, and that there were even many officials mixed among them, for fear of any accidents.

The letter brought back by the messenger reporting the victory instructed Jin Rui to gather some people to welcome the triumphant Xuzhou army, while trying not to delay the farm work.

We must try our best to make the people understand that it is precisely because of the bloody battles fought by the Xuzhou army that they are able to enjoy a peaceful life.

It was the blood of the Xuzhou army that saved them from being slaughtered by the enemy.

We need to make them understand, appreciate, and be close to the Xuzhou Army.

Liu Feng's purpose was not only to gradually cultivate a harmonious atmosphere between the military and the people, but more importantly, to give the Xuzhou army of this era some spiritual reward.

Let them realize how much the people of the state and county will love and support them when they are defending the state.

Although the Xuzhou army may not understand this kind of spiritual and emotional value now, they will certainly gain positive emotional benefits.

Jin Rui did a great job, successfully organizing the people to come and welcome him.

Throughout the day, Jin Rui patiently explained to the villagers that it was thanks to the valiant efforts of the Xuzhou army that their farmland had been preserved.

If Liu Feng hadn't led the Xuzhou army to victory against Chang Xi, they would have been completely looted by the bandits of Mount Tai long ago, and their farmland, on which they depended for survival, might have been burned down.

Especially Liu Feng, Jin Rui knew that the people of Xiangben County felt the deepest gratitude towards this young master.

It was Liu Feng's incognito visit that led to the punishment of all those corrupt officials, including beheading them as a warning to others.

At the same time, the shortfall in grain was quickly redistributed, allowing them to have a full meal for the first time in years.

Almost every household in Xiangben County has enshrined the young master and Prefect Liu, hoping that Heaven will bless the Liu family, father and son, with generations of noble titles and lasting good fortune.

This shows how high Liu Feng's status was in Xiangben County.

Jin Rui never expected that Liu Feng's name would be so effective; he had only managed to persuade a few dozen elderly people and children to come out and help.

But as soon as they heard that Liu Feng was leading the troops, the situation immediately reversed, and almost every household contributed manpower and effort.

The food on site wasn't all prepared by the county; most of it was contributed by the local people themselves.

"You handled today's matter very well."

Liu Feng first settled the seriously wounded soldiers, then inspected the Xuzhou army camp, and finally went to the prisoner-of-war camp.

Seeing that the prisoners of war from Mount Tai were in relatively stable condition, Liu Feng relaxed and ordered that their food supply should not be reduced. He also instructed Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang to distribute all the fermented rice and other food that the people had brought that day to give everyone an extra meal.

After finishing all that, he finally had time to find Jin Rui and praise him.

Jin Rui modestly declined, saying, "Young master is too kind. I have only done my best, and it is all thanks to your reputation in Xiangben."

Liu Feng smiled and said, "Well done is well done. There's no need to be modest. My father always said that mistakes must be punished and merits must be rewarded. Clear distinction between rewards and punishments is the foundation of good governance."

Jin Rui quickly explained, "I am not being modest; everything I have said is true. You and Fang Bo are already well-known in Xiangben County. Everyone in the county knows this. I am not making this up. You can find out for yourself."

Liu Feng was stunned. He really hadn't expected this. It seemed that Jin Rui wasn't just flattering him.

"Alright, I certainly trust you, but you still deserve credit, so we can't generalize."

Liu Feng patted Jin Rui's arm. Jin Rui was rather short, less than the average height of men in the Eastern Han Dynasty, only about 1.56 meters tall, which was quite short.

Therefore, even the tall Liu Feng felt superior to him.

This is also a major reason why Jin Rui, despite his talent, has never been promoted.

In the Han Dynasty, appearance was one of the important conditions for becoming an official; one could not become a high-ranking official if one was not handsome or tall and strong enough.

"Do your job well, and you'll be able to become a registrar within three to five years. If you perform exceptionally well, I'll personally vouch for you and guarantee you a position as county magistrate."

Upon hearing Liu Feng's promise, Jin Rui could hardly believe his ears.

Can someone like me even become a county magistrate?

No, we still have to rely on you, young master!

Without you, young master, even if I tried a hundred times harder, I would never have this opportunity.

After regaining consciousness, Jin Rui's first action was to pay homage to Liu Feng with great ceremony, bowing and saying, "I am grateful for your kindness, young master, and I am willing to serve as your loyal servant!"

Liu Feng smiled wryly. He did want to treat Jin Rui as a human being, but if he did, Jin Rui would only think that Liu Feng was dissatisfied with him.

Being a lackey isn't something just anyone can do; it requires a trusted confidant.

"Alright, get up now and get back to work."

Liu Feng then offered a sweet treat: "Commander Lu has already submitted a report to the state government, wanting to promote you to Chief Clerk. I believe the state government will approve it soon, so be prepared."

Jin Rui was overjoyed and knelt down again, having just gotten up: "Thank you, young master! Thank you, Lord Fang! Rui will be diligent and conscientious and will not dare to slack off in the slightest!"

"Alright, alright, no need to bow anymore."

Liu Feng stepped forward and personally helped Jin Rui up: "I have some advice for you, and I hope you will keep it in mind."

"Sir, please tell me!"

Jin Rui's face showed unwavering loyalty, as if he wished he could die for Liu Feng.

Liu Feng said earnestly, "Your success in standing out is due to your integrity, selflessness, and dedication to public service. I hope you will never forget this. I hope you will keep the people in your heart. I don't expect you to be the top priority, but you can't let them go without a place in your life."

Jin Rui seemed to realize something, and solemnly replied, "Please rest assured, young master, I will be utterly devoted and honest in my duties. I will never forget your teachings today!"

Liu Feng was finally satisfied. That evening, Jin Rui's hospitality consisted of only four dishes and a soup. The dishes included one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, one fruit dish, and the soup was chicken soup, which suited Liu Feng's taste perfectly, earning him a lot of praise.

The messenger arrived in Tancheng the night before Liu Feng entered Xiangben County.

At this time, Liu Bei was entertaining an old friend in his mansion, and was overjoyed at his arrival.

"Zijing, you've finally arrived! I've missed you so much, your brother has missed you terribly!"

Liu Bei held Qian Zhao's hand and began to dance with joy, as if he couldn't express his happiness in any other way.

Qian Zhao was all smiles, and upon hearing this, he deliberately bowed and said, "I am sorry to have troubled you, my lord, to wait for me for so long."

"Hahahaha! What are you doing!"

Liu Bei was startled at first, but then he realized that Qian Zhao was teasing him, so he burst into laughter.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Bei pulled the other man up, holding his hand tightly and refusing to let go, while nagging, "It's been eleven years since we brothers parted ways in Luoyang, hasn't it?"

"Exactly."

Qian Zhao was also lost in memories: "It has been eleven years since my elder brother joined the army to fight against the Yellow Turbans in the first year of Zhongping."

“At that time, my elder brother was full of vigor and ambition. Brother Yunchang and Brother Yide were also eager to make a name for themselves through military merit.”

Qian Zhao clearly remembered that during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, although her elder brother was very worried about the continuous war and the suffering of the people, he was also extremely excited about the opportunity to gain military merit.

He remembered that Liu Bei took out all his assets to recruit soldiers and horses and went south to seek refuge with his teacher Lu Zhi.

He left Youzhou for Luoyang because his teacher, Yue Yin, was recruited by General He Miao and went to Luoyang to serve as the chief secretary of the General's office.

The two never saw each other again after that.

In the sixth year of the Zhongping era, when his teacher was murdered, Qian Zhao risked his life to collect his teacher's remains and then escorted him a thousand miles back to his hometown.

On the way, he encountered bandits. All his companions fled, but he remained behind, crying and pleading, explaining what had happened. The bandits were moved and let him go.

From then on, Qian Zhao gradually gained fame.

After gaining fame, Qian Zhao continued to stay at home, farming and studying, refusing several offers of official positions from county magistrates, and focusing solely on his studies to cultivate his reputation.

During this time, he actually received a letter from Liu Feng.

Qian Zhao didn't know much about this nephew at first.

However, as Liu Feng's reputation for pleasing others spread from Zhuo County to the entire Youzhou region and even Hebei, Qian Zhao began to take his nephew seriously. Subsequently, the uncle and nephew corresponded more frequently, with Liu Feng often asking questions about classical texts, and Qian Zhao happy to answer them.

But occasionally, Liu Feng would discuss the current situation and comment on heroes.

In his letter, Liu Feng highly praised Cao Cao but disapproved of Yuan Shao.

Qian Zhao couldn't help but feel curious. After all, Cao Cao was the descendant of a eunuch. Although he desperately wanted to become a member of the gentry, he spent his days associating with Yuan Shao and others, feigning politeness and flattering them.

Yuan Shao, however, came from a family that had held high office for four generations. The family was the most prominent in the land, with countless protégés and former officials. Although he was born to a maid, he had become the legitimate son of the Yuan family through adoption.

More importantly, Yuan Shao was already the Governor of Ji Province, while Cao Cao was merely the Prefect of Dong Commandery, and it was Yuan Shao who had recommended him for this position.

The two sides are allies in name only, but in reality, they are vassals.

However, Liu Feng insisted that Cao Cao was learned and talented, good at learning, had a powerful family, many talented people, and was able to appoint people based on merit, so he would definitely be able to gain a foothold in Yanzhou.

Qian Zhao initially didn't take it seriously, thinking that Liu Feng's excessive goodwill towards Cao Cao was simply wishful thinking.

But what happened next almost shocked Qian Zhao. Liu Dai fought against the Yellow Turban Army, was defeated and killed, and Cao Cao took over as governor of Yanzhou. He turned the tide and defeated the Yellow Turbans, capturing 300,000 young men from Qingzhou in one battle.

He then went on to defeat Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, and Yuan Shu in succession, and even his own brother Liu Bei was beaten badly.

When Qian Zhao learned of this news, it was already the first year of Xingping.

At this time, Cao Cao had already begun his campaign against Xuzhou, and Pengcheng was filled with corpses and blood. However, the news was spreading slowly, and Qian Zhao was still unaware of it.

From that moment on, Qian Zhao no longer regarded Liu Feng as a child. He truly realized that his brother's little nephew was a prodigy, so precocious that even in the Eastern Han Dynasty, where child prodigies were commonplace, there was none.

In fact, Qian Zhao did not know that Liu Feng did not truly admire Cao Cao; his arrogance towards Cao Cao was a ruse.

He was praising Cao Cao on the surface, but secretly putting down Yuan Shao. After all, Cao Cao couldn't reach Qian Zhao, only Yuan Shao could recruit him.

Given Qian Zhao's personality, once he is successfully recruited by Yuan Shao, he will have no chance with Liu Bei again, unless Liu Bei can defeat Yuan Shao.

From Qian Zhao's perspective, his nephew admired Cao Cao and looked down on Yuan Shao.

Since Cao Cao has shown such outstanding ability, doesn't that prove that my nephew has good judgment?

Since my nephew has such good judgment, doesn't that just prove that Yuan Shao is indeed incompetent?
This caused a subtle change in Qian Zhao's mind.

This led Qian Zhao to decline Yuan Shao's offer of service when he received it for the first time in the third year of the Chuping era, despite some hesitation.

Yuan Shao was very surprised when he heard the news. In his opinion, Qian Zhao was just a local gentry in Youzhou. He might not even be ranked in the third tier in the entire Han Kingdom. He had given him the title of Attendant, but Qian Zhao did not know how to appreciate it.

Yuan Shao was somewhat displeased, but on the surface he had to show magnanimity and tolerance, so he didn't hold it against him.

To be honest, I regretted it later, but not much.

The eldest nephew played a crucial role in this, constantly instilling in Qian Zhao the idea that he shouldn't make rash bets and implying that he must be cautious when choosing a bettor.

At the same time, Liu Feng also hinted between the lines that if his father were to have the opportunity to inherit a legacy, he, as his son, would be very worried about whether he could hold onto it. If his uncle, who was as close as a brother to him, could lend a helping hand at this time, his father would be very grateful.

After all, Father is all alone, with no clan to rely on, which means he lacks the most trustworthy relatives. Those who can be considered close relatives are only Guan Zhangjian and your Uncle Qianzhao.

Although Qian Zhao didn't think Liu Bei had any chance of establishing a foundation, he agreed with his nephew's words and subconsciously felt that his relationship with Liu Bei had indeed reached the level of that of brothers.

With so much groundwork laid, when Liu Bei finally took control of Xuzhou and sent a personal letter inviting Qian Zhao to come to Xuzhou to assist him, Qian Zhao felt a strange sense of belonging.

Therefore, Qian Zhao accepted her elder brother's invitation without hesitation and immediately traveled south to Xuzhou.

However, due to the long distance and the unsafe conditions along the way, the war between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan continued, with continuous warfare and rampant banditry.

Qian Zhao has only just arrived in Xuzhou.

Along with the recruits came the wandering knights from the north whom Liu Bei had entrusted to recruit. These were all helpers he knew well and had a good relationship with. Each of them was a skilled horseman with a good skill, either proficient in archery or exceptional in martial arts.

It's no wonder Liu Bei was overjoyed to see Qian Zhao.

That very night, Liu Bei hosted a banquet to entertain Qian Zhao and a group of wandering knights from the north.

After the banquet, Liu Bei held Qian Zhao's hand tightly, refusing to let go, wanting to talk all night and sleep side by side.

After washing up, the two were lying on the tatami mat chatting.

More than ten years have passed since we parted, yet there is no trace of estrangement between us, as if we had never been apart.

“Zijing, I’ll trouble you to take up the post of Chief Clerk for now. Yuanlong’s northern expedition to Langya will surely be a great success. When he returns, you can step down as Chief Clerk and be appointed Prefect of Dongguan County. Since the position of Chief Clerk is vacant, I should ask you, my brother, to take it.”

Liu Bei hasn't changed; deep down, he's still that impulsive and chivalrous wanderer.

When Qian Zhao arrived, he was so overjoyed that he promised him the position of Gong Cao.

The position of Gongcao is an important post in a province. Chen Deng was able to hold it because his family was the most powerful clan in Xiapi and Xuzhou.

Chen Deng was already quite talented, and he helped Tao Qian establish military farms, which filled the granaries of Xuzhou Prefecture to the brim. This was a great achievement, and he was promoted to the position of Gongcao (a minor official).

What is Qian Zhao's family background?

What merits have he made for Xuzhou Prefecture?

Fortunately, Liu Bei became arrogant, but Qian Zhao himself did not. He knew very well that this appointment was a chaotic order and might even provoke a strong backlash from the local gentry in Xuzhou.

By then, Liu Bei's reputation would be damaged, and his attempt to provoke Liu Bei would also be counterproductive.

It's just a minor official position. If you can continue to rise in rank, why would you be afraid of not getting a good job?

Therefore, Qian Zhao firmly declined the offer, and Liu Bei finally realized what was going on.

After regaining his senses, Liu Bei smiled awkwardly, racked his brains for a while, and came up with a solution: "Zijing, since you have no interest in being a Gongcao (a minor official), then you can only temporarily accept the position of Attendant. In addition, I would like you to be in charge of establishing a cavalry force within the province. What do you think?"

"oh!?"

When Liu Bei mentioned this, Qian Zhao became very interested.

On his way here, he had heard that Cao Cao had twice attacked Xuzhou, leaving the city in ruins and turning each city into a wasteland.

With such devastating war, Xuzhou should be facing financial difficulties.

How could my elder brother still have enough money to build up the cavalry?

The people of the North know all too well how expensive cavalry is.

Even for nomadic Hu peoples, warhorses were the most unprofitable livestock.

Whether in terms of meat yield or the difficulty of raising them, ordinary horses are far inferior to pigs, cattle, and sheep.

As for the warhorses, they were incredibly delicate.

The "delicate" aspect mentioned here doesn't mean the warhorse is pampered and can't survive without these things. Rather, it means that if you want to raise a strong, combat-capable warhorse, you must pamper it. The saying "a horse won't get fat without night grass" actually refers to warhorses.

Horses are animals with large appetites but poor absorption. They also have a single stomach and no ability to reflux, so they need to eat multiple meals.

A good warhorse needs one or two grooms to look after it around the clock, and it needs to be fed one to three meals of fine food at night. Only in this way can the warhorse gain weight and become full of strength.

It's easy to imagine how expensive warhorses are, and how much money they cost to raise.

Qian Zhao specifically reminded him, "Brother, building this iron cavalry is not easy; it will cost a lot of money."

Liu Bei nodded repeatedly: "Zijing, don't worry, I know about this matter. You can relax and select suitable horses to train first. The horses can wait a while, and the Lucky Boy will bring them to us."

"The Lucky Boy?"

Qian Zhao was puzzled. Could it be that someone wanted to give my brother a fine horse?
"Ha ha!"

Seeing Qian Zhao's puzzled expression, Liu Bei said mysteriously, "This lucky boy is my family's most precious treasure. You've seen him before, Zijing."

Liu Bei is right. Not only did Liu Feng personally visit Qian Zhao after he returned to his hometown, but Qian Zhao also personally attended Liu Feng's 100-day celebration when he was born.

Seeing that Liu Bei was unwilling to speak openly, Qian Zhao shook his head helplessly. His elder brother was over thirty years old, but sometimes he still had the temper of a child.

Then, Liu Bei and Qian Zhao chatted for a long time, feeling that they had endless topics to discuss.

Just as night deepened and the moon reached its zenith, a commotion suddenly arose outside the courtyard.

The sound interrupted Liu Bei and Qian Zhao's conversation, which displeased Liu Bei.

He put on his shoes and got out of bed, cursing, "I'll see who's causing trouble in the middle of the night, disturbing my and Zijing's conversation. If there's no reason behind it, they'll be severely punished!"

Qian Zhao was also somewhat puzzled, as this was the residence of the governor of Xuzhou.

There are still people who dare to cause trouble?

It's really strange that they're causing trouble in the middle of the night.

So Qian Zhao got out of bed, put on her shoes, and went out with Liu Bei.

(End of this chapter)