My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 123 Xi Zhicai's Scheme in Guangling

Outside Dingtao City, watching Lü Bu's army flee in defeat, Cao Cao felt exhilarated, as if he had finally vented his anger.

I recall last year's defeat at Puyang, where I almost lost my life.

Fortunately, Lü Bu did not recognize him at the time and even asked him where Cao Cao was.

In a moment of quick thinking, he replied, "The one riding the yellow horse is Cao Cao."

It was only thanks to this witty and insightful remark that he barely managed to save his life, which gives you an idea of ​​how devastating the defeat was.

However, now, the tables have turned, and he has defeated Lü Bu's army, which had come from afar, in a fair and square battle.

Unfortunately, the defending troops in the city suffered no losses, and they were still unable to capture Dingtao City for the time being.

Just as Cao Cao was hesitating about whether to take the opportunity to retreat to Juancheng or continue the siege of Dingtao, Xi Zhicai quietly came to his side.

The coughing startled Cao Cao, who turned around and saw that it was his trusted confidant Xi Zhong.

Xi Zhong's surname was Xi, his given name was Zhong, and his courtesy name was Zhicai. He was Cao Cao's trusted strategist and advisor in his early years.

"Zhicai, you just recovered from your cold and shouldn't be exposed to the wind, so why are you out here again?"

Cao Cao cared deeply for Xi Zhicai. If Xun Yu was his chief steward and Cheng Yu was his eyes and ears, then Xi Zhicai was his wise advisor.

Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai hit it off immediately, sharing similar temperaments. Cao Cao held Xi Zhicai in high esteem and followed his advice without question.

"My lord, I am fine now, but I still have a slight cough."

Xi Zhicai, however, was completely unconcerned. He stepped forward and said to Cao Cao, "My lord, I fear that Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, has the ambition to march south to Guangling."

"Go south to Guangling? Is that reliable?"

Cao Cao was greatly alarmed and asked, "He has only just captured Langya. How can he still have the strength to march south? Isn't he afraid that the Taishan Army will be unstable? Besides, even if he has the courage, where will his food come from?"

"This is based on my analysis. I dare not say that it is a perfect plan, but... cough cough."

Xi Zhicai started coughing violently again halfway through his sentence.

Cao Cao quickly helped him up, saying, "Sir, there's no need to say any more. Let's go back to the main tent first."

Back in the central command tent, after drinking some hot soup, Xi Zhicai suppressed his cough and began to explain to Cao Cao: "Liu Bei's swift victory at Langya saved a lot of military rations, and it is said that Zang Ba has already surrendered and is willing to serve Liu Bei. The Taishan Army is no longer a threat."

Cao Cao frowned deeply. His skin was already dark, but now his face was ashen, like the bottom of a pot: "What about the grain? Even if the Taishan Army surrenders, they won't have enough grain to take Guangling again, will they?"

Although Guangling County was under the jurisdiction of Xuzhou, its territory was actually very vast. Moreover, due to the dense network of waterways and numerous rivers within its borders, the plains were divided into small, inaccessible sections.

The core area, represented by Guangling City, the seat of Guangling Commandery, is far from Xuzhou, close to the Yangtze River, and almost on the edge of Danyang Commandery, Jiujiang Commandery, and Wu Commandery. It has a closer connection with these three commanderies of Yangzhou.

Therefore, heading south from Tancheng to take Guangling was completely different from heading north to Kaiyang; it would require a large-scale, long-distance expedition.

Without a large stockpile of food and supplies, it would be tantamount to suicide.

Xi Zhicai sighed, "With Zang Ba in charge, how could Xiao Jian of Ju County possibly hold out? Liu Bei has the title of Governor of Xuzhou, and he can subdue all the counties of Langya with a single proclamation. How could Ju County dare to resist? According to reports from spies, after Ju County was besieged, Xiao Jian surrendered the next day and was then sent to Tancheng."

"Although this man was incompetent, he did not burden the people. During his two years in Ju County, he amassed hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain."

Xi Zhicai smiled bitterly and sighed, "After Ju County was opened to traffic, Chen Yuanlong transported a large amount of grain onto ships and sent it to Tancheng by waterway. The grain that the Xuzhou army sent south to Guangling was very likely this batch."

"After Liu Bei acquired Langya, he did not station his troops in different places, but continued to gather them in Tancheng, expanding the forces of his trusted confidants and training them day and night. He must have a plan."

"Looking at Xuzhou, only Guangling is the most tempting for Lord Liu. If we send troops now, we can take advantage of the fact that Yuan Shu, Liu Yao and others are mutually restraining each other and unable to interfere, and easily take over the counties of Guangling."

Cao Cao paced back and forth in his tent with a dark expression, thinking about the hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain. If he had that grain, he could sweep across the entire Yan Province and wipe out all those traitors.

"No, we can't let Liu Bei take Guangling so easily."

Cao Cao's small eyes narrowed with a shrewd glint, and he already had a plan in mind, but he still asked Xi Zhicai first, "I want to stop Liu Bei from going south. What advice do you have for me, sir?"

Xi Zhicai, clearly having already planned ahead, replied without hesitation when Cao Cao asked for his advice: "We can employ multiple strategies simultaneously. One group can send spies into Langya to spread the news that Yuan Tan intends to sweep through Qingzhou, forcing Liu Bei to divide his forces in Langya. Another group can go to Tancheng to spread false rumors that the Taishan Army is about to rebel. Finally, we can send a shrewd and loyal strategist to Guo Gong and Yuan Shu to warn them."

"Guo Gong?"

Cao Cao remembered that this man was the governor of Yu Province appointed by the Liang Province army. Previously, when Zhang Miao and Chen Gong joined forces with Lü Bu to launch a surprise attack on Yan Province, this man had also led troops to take advantage of the chaos and besieged Juancheng. Fortunately, Xun Wenruo went to the meeting alone and persuaded the other party to retreat.

Cao Cao originally planned to cause trouble for him after quelling the rebellion of Lü Bu, Chen Gong, and Zhang Miao.

Now it seems we can make use of this waste.

"Zhi Cai's plan coincides with Cao Cao's!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed and said, "Let Zhongde take the lead; success will be achieved in no time."

"Zhongde can send Guo Gong to tell Xuande that he intends to attack Lu and Pei, and to reinstate Chen Gui as the Chancellor of Pei. Then go to Yuan Shu and tell him that Guangling is in danger."

Xi Zhicai nodded in agreement, saying, "Your Excellency's thoughts are comprehensive, and there is nothing that can be done to remedy the situation."

“Excellent! Do it immediately.”

Cao Cao sneered, "Yuan Gonglu had long regarded Xuzhou and Yuzhou as his own, but they were both stolen by Liu Bei. I'll just let the two of them fight it out."

Xi Zhicai nodded, pondered for a moment, and added, "My lord, could Zhongde possibly go to Jiangdong one more time?"

Cao Cao was taken aback. His first thought was, "Why run so far?"

He quickly realized what was happening, and excitedly stood up, clapping his hands: "Brilliant! Zhicai is truly a genius!"

Sun's army and Liu Yao's army had been locked in a stalemate at Niuzhu for nearly a year. The two sides had launched several attacks and won some battles, but strategically Liu Yao had won a great victory, preventing Sun's army from crossing the Yangtze River.

However, whether it was Sun Jiajun or Liu Yao, their main forces and territories were concentrated in Liyang, Danyang and Wujun along the Yangtze River. Guangling was sandwiched between the three places, and it would only take a few days to reach any of them.

It's likely that neither Yuan Shu, Sun Ben, Wu Jing, nor Liu Yao wanted Liu Bei, this behemoth, to appear by their side.

The most crucial person was Liu Yao. Originally, Liu Yao was staying in Guangling to seek refuge. When the court announced that he would be appointed as the governor of Yangzhou, Yuan Shu welcomed him.

Contrary to his usual behavior, Yuan Gonglu not only voluntarily relinquished his self-appointed position as Governor of Yangzhou, but also sent Wu Jing and Sun Ben to Guangling to welcome Liu Yao, and then settled him in Qu'a, where he officially assumed the post of Governor of Yangzhou.

Of course, Yuan Gonglu wasn't doing charity work, otherwise why didn't he just hand over Liyang, the capital of Yangzhou?
Yuan Shu's purpose was actually very clear: he wanted to use Liu Yao to control Yangzhou.

Alright, I am the governor of Yangzhou, whom I appointed myself. If the governors of the various prefectures and kingdoms of Yangzhou are not convinced by me, that's fine.

You must acknowledge Liu Yao as the governor officially appointed by the court, right?

If they don't accept it, then they are rebelling against the court, and I will lead the royal army to conquer them, in accordance with the principles of Heaven and the people.

If they agree, then they should obediently follow my orders, Yuan Shu. Then I can replace these governors without bloodshed and replace them with my own confidants.

Yuan Shu's plan was so shrewd that the abacus beads were almost hitting Liu Yao's face.

But he forgot that his reputation and credibility were already in the red.

Since Yuan Shu raised his army, the only trust he had was with Sun Wentai. Sun Jian was the only minor warlord who suffered a defeat and went to Yuan Shu for refuge. Not only was he not annexed, but he also received reinforcements of soldiers, food, and weapons.

Liu Yao took the tragic deaths of others as a warning to others.

Liu Yao, who didn't think he could become Liu Wentai, was afraid and directly stabbed Yuan Shu in the back at Qu'a. He united a large group of powerful clans who were afraid of Yuan Shu crossing the river and stubbornly held the Yangtze River defense line from collapsing.

Just because Liu Yao fears Yuan Shu doesn't mean he'll be close to Liu Bei.

Liu Yao himself wanted to become the governor of Yangzhou, and he felt that the situation was very favorable.

If Liu Bei, having captured Guangling, were not satisfied and wanted to interfere in Jiangdong, Liu Yao knew he couldn't withstand an army of 30,000 crossing the river. Xi Zhicai clearly understood this situation and also grasped Liu Yao's mindset of using Liu Bei while also being wary of him. That's why he advised Cao Cao to send Cheng Yu to Jiangdong as well.

There was no need to persuade Liu Yao to betray them; all Liu Yao needed to do was guarantee that he would not cross the Yangtze River to the north. Sun's army of more than 10,000 elite troops would immediately be freed from the quagmire. In addition, there were 10,000 to 20,000 personal troops directly under Yuan Shu's command, as well as Guo Gong's more than 10,000 troops from Yuzhou.

These troops totaled as many as fifty to sixty thousand men. As long as the food supply could keep up, they could march on Guangling at any time. Such immense pressure could instantly render Liu Bei unable to move.

Cao Cao didn't expect to hold Liu Bei back for long; he would be overjoyed if Liu Bei simply failed to obtain Guangling this year.

Once the Yanzhou affair is resolved next year, Cao Cao will be able to free up his resources, and Liu Bei, facing attacks from three or four directions, will have even less chance of taking Guangling.

Cao Cao immediately made a decision: "I will follow your plan, sir. Please invite Zhongde to give me instructions in person and we will set off as soon as possible."

************
Liu Feng knew he couldn't hesitate any longer at this point, and after much deliberation, he decided to accept Mi Zeng's offer.

Firstly, her father didn't actually like the younger sister from the Mi family much in history. It was purely because when Xiapi was stolen by Lü Bu, and the counterattack on Guangling was also defeated by Yuan Shu, he retreated to Haixi, where his army and food supplies were cut off and he was almost in a desperate situation. At that time, the Mi family used coercion to arrange a marriage between them.

Liu Bei was a hero, so it's impossible that he didn't remember this incident vividly and regard it as a disgrace.

After Liu Bei abandoned his wife and children for the nth time, Cao Cao helped him reclaim Xuzhou and eliminate Lü Bu.

After that, Cao Cao did something very strange. In the name of the Xuchang court, he appointed Mi Zhu as the governor of Ying Commandery and his brother Mi Fang as the chancellor of Pengcheng State. Both of these were governors with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and the Mi family had never produced a high-ranking official with a salary of two thousand shi before.

Cao Cao gave them two at once, one for each person. This was more than just poaching talent.

It is very likely that the Mi family had already become Cao Cao's "in-laws" by this time, which is why Cao Cao invested so much to try to pry the Mi family away from Liu Bei.

From Cao Cao's perspective, it's not hard to see how much help the Mi family provided to Liu Bei.

Since that's the case, Liu Feng can only take on some of the burdens for his father; at least it's much better than letting the Mi family fall out of favor.

"Since you have been so kind to me, I dare not be presumptuous and wish to be treated as a concubine."

Liu Feng expressed his agreement. The other party was only asking for a concubine, which was as low-key and pragmatic as ever.

Not to mention that Liu Feng actually needed the Mi family more than Liu Bei did; the Mi family was an extremely important part of his economic empire.

Upon receiving Liu Feng's personal confirmation, Mi Zeng's eyes lit up with surprise; indeed, this bet had paid off.

Mi Zeng was unaware of how important his family was to Liu Feng. Although Liu Feng was a wise and insightful man, it was precisely because he understood so well that he was aware of the low social status of merchants.

He and his eldest son, Mi Zhu, remained clear-headed, hoping to seize this chaotic era and use their immense wealth as a key to a chance for a meteoric rise in their fortunes.

Have you not heard of Dongguo Xianyang, who boiled salt from all over the world; and Li Tong, who, by attaching himself to a steed, established a foundation for generations?

Dongguo Xianyang was a wealthy merchant in the Western Han Dynasty who owned the profits from salt and iron. However, he was willing to devise a plan for Emperor Wu of Han to monopolize the salt and iron industry, which can be regarded as a model of sabotaging his own livelihood. However, he eventually succeeded in rising from a merchant to become the powerful Minister of Agriculture, ranking among the Nine Ministers.

Li Tong was a wealthy merchant from Nanyang during the late Western Han Dynasty, whose status in Xuzhou was similar to that of the Mi family.

He saw the potential in Liu Xiu and his brothers, and spared no expense, even using his entire family's assets to serve them. He ultimately succeeded, becoming one of the thirty-two officials in the Yuntai Hall, and was deeply favored by Emperor Guangwu. He successively held prominent positions such as Commandant of the Guards, Grand Minister of Agriculture, General of the Vanguard, and Grand Minister of Works, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Gushi. He enjoyed wealth and honor, serving as a high-ranking official and sharing the fate of the nation.

Isn't this a true reflection of my Mi family's current situation?
How could my Mi family not become the next Li Tong?
"I am deeply grateful for your kindness in favoring my Mi family, young master."

Mi Zeng stood up solemnly, bowed deeply, and said, "I am willing to offer a dowry of forty million."

"The elders give it to me and I dare not refuse it."

Liu Fengzhuang returned the bow, but suddenly changed the subject: "There is something I have to say that I don't know if I can say it."

Mi Zeng was taken aback, his heart skipped a beat. He didn't think Liu Feng's serious words were anything simple.

After hesitating for a moment, Mi Zeng knew he couldn't refuse, so he could only say, "Please speak frankly, young master."

Liu Feng looked at Mi Zeng with longing in his eyes and said, "Compared to millions of treasures, I hope that Elder Zeng can come out of seclusion and help me."

"As the saying goes, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Your decades of experience in the business world and your experience in managing the overall situation are the best treasures."

Liu Feng spoke very seriously, which was also a true reflection of his own feelings. At the same time, without making a sound, he changed his address from Old Man Mi to Old Man Zeng.

Liu Feng has made up his mind to make a big splash in Qu County. At the very least, the salt industry center will be in Qu County in the future, and maybe even iron smelting and arms industry.

Such a large project cannot be left unsteering by an experienced, tactful, visionary, and seasoned business elite.

He had originally thought about whether he could persuade Mi Zhu to take the position, but he was worried that Mi Zhu would misunderstand and think that he was going to be marginalized.

Now they've encountered Mi Zeng, and this old man is no ordinary person. The Mi family reached its peak under his leadership before being handed over to Mi Zhu.

It would be a waste to just leave such a capable, steadfast, and reliable elder, who can also increase the loyalty of the Mi family, to retire.

"Old man?"

Mi Zeng was truly surprised; he hadn't expected that the other party would actually set their sights on him.

What use is an old man like me who's just enjoying his retirement?

Mi Zeng couldn't help but wonder if Liu Feng didn't trust him and didn't believe the Mi family could provide such a large dowry.
But that doesn't make sense. They've already invested so much money and grain; they shouldn't doubt the Mi family's strength.

Does he really want me to take charge?

How could he dare to entrust such an important matter to me?

Aren't you afraid of the Mi family taking over the nest?

Just as Mi Zeng was lost in thought, Liu Feng solemnly said, "Elder Zeng, if you firmly refuse, then I will have no choice but to go back and ask my father to recruit you to serve in the government."

Is this serious?
Mi Zeng was finally moved, and his heart, which had been dead, began to beat again.

Just reading what Liu Feng described in the silk scroll was enough to amaze and inspire Mi Zeng. How satisfying it would be if he could make all of these things come true.

This is probably what people like Dongguo Xianyang and Li Tong were willing to abandon their families and businesses for.

Mi Zeng looked at the boy in front of him, who was looking at him earnestly and earnestly, his expression sincere. Finally, he was moved by the boy's sincerity.

"Since the young master is so fond of you, and has even gone so far as to bring up the governor of Fangbo as a threat, what more can this old man say?"

Mi Zeng shook his head with a wry smile, but his heart was filled with eagerness: "In that case, I have no choice but to comply."

Liu Feng was overjoyed and bowed deeply, saying, "Master Zeng, in that case, I will have to trouble you with your work from now on."

Mi Zeng dared not accept the courtesy and quickly stepped aside, saying, "Young Master, please wait. How can this old man accept such a courtesy?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Liu Feng asked with a smile, "Elder Zeng, I plan to find a suitable place near Qu County to carry out the first phase of development. This land must meet three requirements. First, it must have a large amount of beach and mudflats that can be converted into salt fields, the more convenient the better. Second, it must be secluded, preferably isolated from the outside world. Third, it should be as close as possible to Qu County, but this requirement can be relaxed a bit."

Mi Zeng was speechless after hearing this. They were ordering him around so quickly?

However, he was quite happy and soon fell into deep thought.

A moment later, Mi Zeng opened his eyes: "I had an idea, and it just so happens to fit the young master's requirements."

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng was overjoyed: "Elder Zeng, where is this place?"

"It's on Yuzhou Mountain Island."

Mi Zeng explained, “This island is isolated overseas. There were very few original inhabitants on the island, and most of them made a living by boiling salt, fishing and farming. Therefore, the island is surrounded by mudflats, with only one place where small sea boats can dock. In addition, the island has no special products, so although it is right across from Qu County, there is little contact between them.”

Liu Feng's eyes lit up as he listened. There were vast beaches and mudflats, a small dock, and a small, secluded place with few people and no outsiders. It was practically a gift from heaven.

(End of this chapter)