My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 118 Zhou and Jiang's Surrender

Soon someone reported the incident to the state government, which not only woke Liu Bei, but also Liu Feng, who was sleeping in the military camp.

Liu Feng is no longer permanently stationed at the military camp, but he occasionally stays overnight for a night or two to increase his closeness and affection with his direct subordinates.

That night, they happened to stay overnight at the military camp.

The entire military camp was awakened by the sound of gongs and drums signaling an alarm from the city walls.

Liu Feng immediately ordered Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, and others to lead a team to suppress the unrest and prevent any riots from breaking out.

Fortunately, Liu Feng's camp consisted of veteran soldiers who had just experienced a great victory and were full of confidence. Although they were startled, they did not cause any disturbance to the camp.

On the contrary, under the leadership of Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang, they quelled the chaos in the surrounding military camps.

Although the situation was under control, Liu Feng was still somewhat frightened.

It seems that the entire Xuzhou military system still needs to undergo systematic training. The occurrence of situations like today is itself a manifestation of inadequate military discipline.

The officers at the city gate, in particular, deserved to be punished and executed.

When Liu Feng arrived at the city gate, Liu Bei had already arrived as well.

The father and son exchanged a glance and knew what the other was thinking.

This gatekeeper must be severely punished.

Even if there were only a hundred or so people outside the city now, and even if there were real enemies coming, this kind of warning method wouldn't be appropriate.

"Who is under the city!?"

Liu Bei went up to the city wall and had Fu Shiren shout down to ask questions.

The people below the city were also in a panic. The two burly men in the lead were sweating profusely in the middle of the night, which was still chilly in April.

Upon hearing the shouts from the city wall, they hurriedly stepped forward and replied, "We are from Jiujiang. We were fortunate to be recruited by Magistrate Liu. In our haste to continue our journey, we missed our campsite and wished to spend the night outside Tancheng before entering the city at dawn. We have inadvertently disturbed the city's defenses and deserve to die. We humbly beg Your Excellency to punish us."

Jiujiang?

Upon closer inspection of the two burly men's chivalrous attire below the city, Liu Feng immediately made a guess.

"Are Zhou Youping and Jiang Gongyi of Jiujiang below the city walls?"

Just as Liu Feng had guessed, the two burly men leading the way below the city were Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.

The two men became outlaws in Jiujiang, roaming the river and plundering merchant ships with two or three hundred men. Naturally, they had no fixed abode.

After the envoys arrived in Jiujiang, it took them quite some time to finally meet them.

When the envoy explained his identity and purpose, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin could hardly believe it.

They initially suspected that the envoy was a fake, and that Yuan Shu wanted to lure them ashore so that he could capture them all.

The documents brought by the envoy did indeed bear the seal of the governor of Xuzhou, and there was also a letter written in Liu Bei's own handwriting.

It was all so wonderful, so wonderful that even though Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were full of doubts, they still couldn't bear to burst this bubble.

Finally, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin discussed it and decided to ask the envoys to stay and give them some time to gather information.

The envoys didn't mind; at least they could rest, which was much easier than searching for the two of them for a while.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, however, were completely obsessed. During the days and nights they spent sending people to gather information, they couldn't sleep at all. They could only get together to drink and cautiously imagine how wonderful it would be if the news were true.

It's no wonder that Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were so cautious; they had been taught a lesson by harsh reality far too many times.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were villagers with some property. They were somewhat similar to Zhang Fei, being richer and more powerful than ordinary people, but not quite on par with powerful clans.

These days, even the path for powerful figures to become officials is blocked, let alone wandering knights like Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.

They had also visited various places, hoping to recommend themselves or find a powerful clan that valued their martial prowess to sell themselves to.

The harsh reality is that no matter how much they lower their stance, no one still looks up to them.

Let alone governors and prefects, even county magistrates couldn't find anyone to rely on.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were also in despair, which is why they led their trusted brothers to become river pirates.

Since we can't achieve great things, at least we can help our brothers get a decent meal.
They were called river pirates, but they still had some bottom line. They only siphoned water from passing merchant ships and did not harm people, so they did not attract large-scale encirclement and suppression by powerful clans and local officials.

But once they gained fame, attempts to lure and kill the two men to gain merit continued to emerge.

Therefore, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin had long considered quitting their business and had been inquiring about heroes worth joining.

They had heard that Sun Ce was recruiting heroes and warriors in Jiangdong, regardless of their background, which greatly tempted them. However, their previous experiences had made them more cautious, and they decided to send a few reliable brothers to investigate first.

Just then, Liu Bei's envoy arrived.

Compared to Liu Bei, Sun Ce was truly no match.

Liu Bei was a respectable governor of Xuzhou, and was supported by the scholars of Xuzhou.

Sun Ce was a colonel under Yuan Shu, not even a general, and he was forced to be trapped in Liyang north of the Yangtze River with his uncle and cousin, unable to break through the Yangtze River for a long time.

Comparing the two, even a fool would know which one to side with.

When the trusted confidant who had gathered the information returned, he not only confirmed that the envoy was indeed sent by Liu Bei, but also brought back a major piece of news.

Liu Bei launched a northern expedition and won a great victory, completely defeating Zang Ba and capturing Langya in less than half a month.

How could Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin possibly hold back now? They immediately packed their valuables, dismissed their unwilling underlings, and led the remaining brothers, escorting the envoys, all the way north to Tancheng.

However, due to their excessive excitement, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin insisted on disembarking and traveling at night after the boat approached Tancheng, despite the late hour, which led to this incident.

Upon hearing the question from the city wall, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, upon hearing their names, quickly looked up and replied, "It is indeed we. Since being summoned by the magistrate, we have not dared to delay and have been traveling day and night, only arriving today. Fearing that the magistrate would keep us waiting, we disregarded the late hour and traveled through the night, hoping to enter the city early tomorrow morning. However, we did not intend to disturb the garrison. We beg Your Excellency to punish us."

"It turns out to be Zhou Youping and Jiang Gongyi."

At this moment, Liu Bei spoke up and directly ordered, "Open the city gates and welcome Zhou, Jiang, and other brave warriors into the city."

Fu Shiren advised from the side, "My lord, it is still dark and difficult to identify the people coming. Moreover, there are city rules that prohibit opening the city before dawn."

"As the governor of Xuzhou, I naturally have the authority to exercise my power."

Liu Bei replied, "It is a joyous occasion that brave warriors are willing to come and join me. How can we follow the rules and discourage the courage of these brave men? Go and open the city gates immediately!"

Fu Shiren dared not persuade him any further and went down to open the city gate.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who were outside the city, also heard these words and felt a surge of excitement in their hearts, feeling that their trip to Xuzhou was truly the right one.

After the city gates were opened, Liu Bei personally descended from the city wall and left the city with his guards.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin saw a large man with long arms, big ears, and a kind and gentle appearance among the crowd, and they guessed that this man must be the governor.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin then knelt down on the dirt road and kowtowed to Liu Bei, saying, "We have no special skills, yet we were recruited by you, my lord, and our gratitude is beyond words. We came in haste and disturbed the city guards, but you have generously pardoned us. This kindness is so profound that we have no way to repay it, and we are willing to die for you!"

"I am of the same mind as you, Your Excellency! I am willing to die for you!"

"well!"

Liu Bei laughed loudly, took two steps forward, first helped Zhou Tai up, then helped Jiang Qin up, and then grasped the hands of the two men, saying: "I am of meager virtue, but I did not expect that you two brave men would not mind my humble reputation and would travel a long distance to help me. I am overjoyed and how could I possibly blame you two gentlemen?"

"You flatter me, sir."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin felt a surge of warmth in their hearts. Having been used to the cold faces of aristocratic families, they were caught off guard by Liu Bei's close and kind treatment and were somewhat unable to adapt.

Liu Bei looked at the warriors behind Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin and asked, "Youping, Gongyi, are these brave men all from your hometown?"

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin exchanged a glance, their faces flushing slightly.

These were certainly not brave warriors; they were just river bandits.

Liu Bei couldn't possibly be unaware of this, and calling them brave warriors was clearly a way of flattering Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.

“As you have said, sir, they are all fellow villagers who have been persecuted by cruel officials and powerful local magnates and have had no choice but to go out and seek a way to survive. We two have been recruited by you, sir, and we also want to do our part, so we invited these fellow villagers to come with us and serve you.”

"Okay, okay!"

Liu Bei nodded: "These are all brave warriors, and this is also a token of the goodwill of Youping and Gongyi. I should make good use of them. Let these brave warriors enter the city together, give them wine and meat, and let them rest for a few days." Then he turned to Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin and said: "In these few days, we can choose a good position for Youping and Gongyi, and then assign all these brave warriors to your command."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin couldn't help but kneel down again, their eyes reddening.

The two, who had endured countless scornful looks and indifference, had never seen Liu Bei so close before, not to mention how powerful Liu Bei's current status as the Governor of Xu Province was.

In the past, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin could not even get to chat and laugh with the governor, let alone the county officials.

"Your Excellency's kindness is as heavy as a mountain; Tai and Qin are willing to die for you!"

Liu Feng watched intently from the side, marveling at his father's natural talent for winning people over. It was as if he were a natural genius, without the slightest trace of artifice, as seamless as a gazelle hanging its horns.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, having met today, have already won over Liu Bei's heart.

As long as they are promoted step by step in the future, given their personalities, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin will definitely be loyal to the Liu family father and son and will never betray them again.

"Why is this so?"

Liu Bei pulled the two men up, one in each hand, and said, "Youping, Gongyi, come with me into the city."

Zhou Tai quickly cupped his hands and said, "My lord, Tai and these brave men arrived first, and there is another group of people guarding the boats at the ferry."

Liu Bei nodded, then turned to Fu Shiren and instructed, "Junyi, make arrangements for these brave men, provide them with wine and meat, and let them rest well. Also, send someone to the ferry to pick them up, so that they can come to Tancheng by water after dawn and be entertained together with the brave men ahead."

Fu Shiren quickly agreed.

Liu Bei was then satisfied and led Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin into the city.

After entering the city, the group was confronted by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

The two entrusted their troops to Zhao Yun and Tian Yu, and then led their personal guards straight to the city gate, where they happened to encounter Liu Bei and his men.

After a brief introduction, Liu Bei introduced Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei joined the group and headed to the prefecture together.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin exchanged a glance, secretly marveling.

I never expected that Commander Liu would have such valiant warriors under his command, and there are two of them.

They just hadn't met Zhao Yun yet, otherwise there would be more than just two of them.

People always compare themselves to each other to confirm their own value. Before seeing Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were somewhat inferior because of their low status, but also somewhat proud of their martial arts skills.

Upon seeing Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, all his pride shattered, and he suddenly felt utterly worthless, becoming even more grateful to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei and Liu Feng were completely unaware of this. As they entered the prefectural capital, they ordered their attendants to go to the kitchen to start a fire and prepare some hot soup, rice, wine, and meat.

The group sat down in the main hall, and Liu Bei enthusiastically introduced Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, however, were not particularly interested in the robust and powerful Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.

Actually, among Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei had the highest academic qualifications, but Guan Yu was the most learned. This was because Liu Bei loved hunting dogs and wearing fancy clothes, and was not keen on studying. He just became a good teacher.

Guan Yu, however, was a diligent student, often reading late into the night in the military camp. He was very knowledgeable about the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Zuo Zhuan. The Jiang Biao Zhuan records that "Guan Yu loved the Zuo Zhuan and could recite it almost perfectly," which shows how hard he studied.

As for Zhang Fei, he was once verified to be a master calligrapher and well-versed in culture, but all of these claims were eventually proven false.

Zhang Fei's calligraphy and paintings were later imitations, and the inscription on Zhang Fei's horse written after his great victory over Zhang He in Langzhong has also been proven by modern times to be a forgery from the Ming Dynasty.

Historically, it can be seen that Zhang Fei's transformation from a reckless general to a scholar-general began in the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

Zhang Fei's series of "works" were all passed down from the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Fei's image as a scholar-general was actually fabricated by Ming Dynasty enthusiasts.

Historically, Zhang Fei was indeed seen by the gentry as Liu Ba thought: a great man should associate with heroes from all over the world, how could he talk with a soldier?

Therefore, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's personalities were deeply ingrained and difficult to change.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were neither renowned scholars nor from the background of river bandits, so it was perfectly normal that they were not noticed by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were secretly uneasy. Just by looking at the close relationship between Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and Liu Bei, they knew that these two men were of extraordinary status.

But judging from the other party's attitude, they didn't seem to think much of them, which made Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who were new to the area, feel uneasy.

As if sensing Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin's unease, Liu Bei gave Liu Feng a wink and asked, "Youping, Gongyi, do you know who this person is?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin looked up and saw a smiling young man looking at them.

After their eyes met, the boy nodded to them as a greeting.

"The common people don't know."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin shook their heads at the same time. They had also been puzzled, wondering how such a young man could be following the governor.

Liu Bei then explained, "This man is my eldest son, whose given name is Feng. It is quite a coincidence that he is so close to you all. I was able to hear of Youping and Gongyi's names and travel thousands of miles to recruit them, all thanks to this son's strong recommendation."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were immediately shocked and hurriedly looked at Liu Feng, only to see Liu Feng smiling and nodding, taking the initiative to speak: "I have heard that there are two brave and valiant gentlemen in Jiujiang, named Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who are skilled in swimming and knowledgeable in hydrology, and are excellent naval commanders."

"Therefore, I strongly recommended the two gentlemen to my father. However, the governor has not returned. Just a few days ago, he was talking to my father about this matter and was preparing to send more men south. But unexpectedly, the two gentlemen have already arrived in Tancheng."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin both looked terrified, their faces filled with shame and remorse.

Taking advantage of the situation, Liu Bei asked, "Youping and Gongyi, I have observed that you two are brave and courageous in battle, and I wish to invite you to join the army. I wonder if you two are willing?"

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin immediately rose from their seats and knelt down, saying, "Now that we have followed you, we should take you as our master and obey your arrangements."

"well!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed. After a moment's thought, he said, "To be honest, Guangling is a prefecture of my Xuzhou, yet it does not obey the orders of the prefecture. Now that I have been appointed governor, I cannot simply ignore it. In the next two years, I must make Guangling submit."

"Guangling is located in Huainan, with a dense network of waterways, numerous rivers, and many large lakes. Without the coordination of boats, it would be difficult to mobilize a large army."

Liu Bei continued, "Therefore, I have long had the idea of ​​building a navy, but I have always been troubled by the lack of talented people. Now that Youping and Gongyi have arrived, they can assist Zijing in establishing a navy."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were overjoyed upon hearing this.

This is a groundbreaking achievement! Even if there is a higher-ranking official above us, the two of us will certainly be able to share a large portion of the credit and become veterans and important ministers of the navy.

The navy was actually quite important in this era; whether or not there were ships in the entire Huai-Si region made a world of difference.

The speed of movement can differ by as much as three to five times, and the difference in logistics is even more stark.

Therefore, Liu Feng strongly urged Liu Bei to recruit Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who were historically renowned naval generals. In addition, with the addition of Guan Yu, Pan Zhang, and Xu Sheng, Liu Bei's military system already had many established and future naval generals.

“Youping and Gongyi, the brave men you brought can also be selected.”

Liu Bei said earnestly, "However, I would like to remind you two that the Xuzhou army has been working on discipline for the past few days. If any brave men are willing to join the army, I will treat them well, but they must strictly abide by the military discipline. If they cannot endure the hardship of military discipline, I can also provide them with travel expenses and send them home."

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin readily agreed, feeling that the treatment Liu Bei had given them was already excellent. They were extremely satisfied, and the river bandits they had brought were eager for the opportunity to be officially enlisted in the state army. Now that Liu Bei had given them such an opportunity, anyone who dared to violate military law would naturally be severely punished.

Seeing how obedient the two men were, Liu Bei was pleased and continued, "Since you are new here, it is not appropriate to promote you rashly. For now, let you serve as the commanders of Qujun. Once the navy is established, you can be rewarded for your contributions. What do you two think?"

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin could hardly contain their joy, feeling that their new master was truly a magnanimous and generous ruler.

On the way here, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin had discussed it many times and both felt that they would be content to be appointed as a garrison commander.

Anyway, I have the courage and strength, and I dare to fight. Sooner or later I will be able to accumulate merit and advance in rank.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei promoted them by one rank, appointing them as Marquis of Qujun, and even promised them the reward of Military Commander.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were overjoyed, wishing they could immediately go into battle to fight the enemy so that Lord Liu could witness their loyalty and bravery and repay Liu Bei's appreciation and kindness.

Afterwards, once Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin had finished their meal, Liu Bei personally escorted them to their lodgings before leaving.

Although Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were extremely excited, they were indeed exhausted. After chatting for a while, they realized that Liu Bei treated them with respect and did not look down on them because of their family background, which made them feel that they had made the right decision to come.

It's laughable that he previously thought the provincial envoys were part of a trap set by Yuan Shu to lure and kill them.

Looking back now, it's utterly ridiculous.

The two men were also somewhat frightened. Fortunately, they hadn't killed those state officials and clerks with a single blow, otherwise they would have had no choice but to continue being river pirates.

(End of this chapter)