My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 133 Zhuge Liang of Langya
The Zhuge family residence in Yangdu City, Langya.

The Zhuge family lineage traces back to Zhuge Feng, who served as the Commandant of the Capital Region during the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty and was known for his strict enforcement of the law and upright character.

Zhuge Feng was intelligent from a young age, studied the classics and history, and grew up to be upright and unyielding, unafraid of the powerful and influential.

Although he offended Emperor Yuan's favorite minister and was falsely accused and dismissed from office, Zhuge's reputation had already spread throughout the world.

The Zhuge family settled in Langya, first in various counties and later in Yangdu, for several hundred years.

During this period, the Zhuge family produced many high-ranking officials with salaries equivalent to a thousand bushels of grain, maintaining their family's prestigious lineage and becoming a renowned gentry family in Xuzhou.

Zhuge Liang's father, Zhuge Gui, once served as the Prefect of Taishan Commandery in Yanzhou, with a rank equivalent to 600 shi (a unit of grain), a high-ranking official at the commandery level. Unfortunately, he died young and did not leave behind much of a political legacy.

That year, Zhuge Jin was fifteen years old and Zhuge Liang was eight years old.

According to the tradition of the Han Dynasty, once Zhuge Jin came of age, he established his own household and took care of his stepmother.

Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun, being underage, were adopted by their father Zhuge Xuan along with their two sisters. They were raised as his own children.

Zhuge Xuan was born into the Zhuge clan of Langya. He was a famous and highly respected scholar in Xuzhou and had long-standing relationships with Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, and other prominent families in the capital.

Zhuge Xuan was a very important person, not only because he was the cousin of the Zhuge brothers, who brought them to Jingzhou and had the grace of raising them.

More importantly, Zhuge Xuan represented the two major factions of Yuan Shu and Liu Biao in achieving harmony.

Historically, there are differing accounts of Zhuge Xuan.

According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Xuan was recommended by Liu Biao and appointed as the Prefect of Yuzhang, governing Nanchang. However, the supplementary information provided by Pei Songzhi indicates that Zhuge Xuan was recommended by Yuan Shu and appointed as the acting Prefect of Yuzhang.

The endings were also quite different. The Records of the Three Kingdoms states that he died of illness after being driven away by Zhu Hao, while Pei Songzhi's record states that he was killed by the people of Yuzhang and then surrendered to Liu Yao.

If you examine them closely, is it possible that both records are true, just in different chronological orders, and actually describe the same event?

Because of the Xuzhou Incident, Zhuge Xuan led Zhuge Liang and other younger generation members south to seek refuge with his old friend Liu Biao. When they passed through Yangzhou, they were discovered by Yuan Shu, who saw the potential value in Zhuge Xuan due to his extremely flexible diplomatic skills.

As mentioned before, Yuan Shu was in dire straits at this time. He was not only caught in the pincer attack of Liu Yao and Liu Biao, but also had old enemies such as Guo Gong and Cao Cao to the north. In addition, his ambition for Xuzhou aroused Liu Bei's suspicion and hostility. He was truly surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Therefore, it is obvious that Yuan Shu was eager to change his situation.

Cao Cao in the north is temporarily tied down by Lü Bu and can be ignored. Liu Yao is engaged in a fierce battle with Yuan Shu over Yangzhou, and it will be difficult for him to compromise unless Yuan Shu cedes Yangzhou.

Liu Bei's Xu Province was also the direction of Yuan Shu's expansion, so it was impossible for them to turn enemies into friends.

After careful consideration, Liu Biao of Jingzhou is the only direction from which Yuan Shu can most likely reach an agreement.

Moreover, once Yuan Shu ceases hostilities with Liu Biao, he will have no worries about his rear and can focus all his efforts on dealing with Liu Yao before heading north to compete for Xuzhou.

This explains why Yuan Shu broke his promise to Sun Ce regarding the Lujiang issue and profited from it.

Lujiang is located in an extremely important position, adjacent to the Yangtze River, and is the first line of defense on the river for Liu Biao's side.

Sun Ce had a blood feud with Liu Biao and Huang Zu, who were responsible for the deaths of their fathers.

If Sun Ce were placed in Lujiang, how would Yuan Shu reconcile his relationship with Liu Biao?

We should be thankful that the war doesn't escalate, let alone negotiate peace.

Therefore, Yuan Shu preferred to break his promise and gain wealth rather than appoint Sun Ce as the governor of Lujiang. In the end, he chose Liu Xun, who was also a son of a noble family and had old ties with Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, Huang Zu and others. They were all friends in the past.

Having someone like that on the front lines would obviously have an immediate effect in easing tensions between the two sides.

After Zhuge Xuan arrived, Yuan Shu keenly recognized his value.

If Zhuge Xuan, who was a close friend of Liu Biao, could be appointed as the Prefect of Yuzhang, he and Liu Xun of Lujiang would have built a firewall, completely separating Yuan Shu's main force from Liu Biao's main force, thus providing a realistic basis for the two sides to reach an agreement.

And that's exactly how things unfolded. After the death of Zhou Shu, the Prefect of Yuzhang, Yuan Shu used the tally of Ma Ridi to immediately recommend Zhuge Xuan to act as the Prefect of Yuzhang.

The word "署" here means "acting" or "temporarily taking office," referring to a temporary replacement.

Ma Ridi's tally served to persuade the people of Yuzhang to accept Zhuge Xuan.

Soon, Liu Biao's response arrived.

Initially, Zhou Shu, the governor of Yuzhang, died of illness. Liu Biao then appointed Zhuge Xuan as the governor of Yuzhang, who governed Nanchang.

Liu Biao not only agreed with Yuan Shu's opinion, but also formally recommended Zhuge Xuan as the Prefect of Yuzhang, removing the "signature" part.

Zhuge Xuan's appointment as Prefect of Yuzhang was likely the result of the combined efforts of Yuan Shu and Liu Biao. In fact, after Zhuge Xuan took office as Prefect of Yuzhang, Liu Biao and Yuan Shu did cease hostilities and negotiate peace, no longer opposing each other, and each went about their own business.

If things continue like this, Zhuge Xuan might be able to carve out a niche for himself in Yuzhang and even evolve into a minor warlord.

Unfortunately, Li Jue and Guo Si deeply resented Yuan Shu at this time and refused to acknowledge the memorials submitted by Yuan Shu and Liu Biao. Instead, they directly appointed Zhu Hao, the son of Zhu Jun, a famous general of the late Han Dynasty and the Grand Minister of Agriculture, as the Prefect of Yuzhang.

With the official endorsement of the imperial court, Zhu Hao directly expelled Zhuge Xuan and his family from Nanchang to Xicheng.

Whether Zhuge Xuan died in Xicheng, was killed by the people of Jiangxi, offered his head to Liu Yao, or fled back to Jingzhou and died of illness in Xiangyang, it no longer mattered.

At this moment, a young man with a long and thin face walked out from the Zhuge clan's territory.

Upon seeing his fourteen-year-old brother standing outside, the young man slowly shook his head.

The young man with a narrow face was Zhuge Jin, the 21-year-old eldest son of Zhuge Gui, while the 14-year-old boy opposite him was none other than Zhuge Liang, the future Prime Minister of the Shu Han Dynasty and Marquis of Wuxiang, whose fame would be etched on the backbone of the entire Chinese nation.

"Elder brother, does Father still refuse?"

Zhuge Liang was tall and had a resolute appearance. His bright eyes were piercing and his spirit was high.

His elder brother, Zhuge Jin, however, had a deep, calm, and resolute expression.

“My father has long wanted to go south to Jingzhou. Last year, there was war, and after winter, the road south was blocked, which delayed his journey until now. Now that Langya has been pacified, the road south is unobstructed. My father has been away from Prefect Liu for more than a year and naturally wants to return as soon as possible.”

The Liu Shijun mentioned by Zhuge Jin was not Liu Bei, but Liu Biao (Liu Jingsheng), one of the Eight Steeds of Jingzhou.

Zhuge Xuan was an old friend and former subordinate of Liu Biao. He had been Liu Biao's old subordinate when they were in Jingzhou, and later went to court to pay homage to Liu Biao on Liu Biao's orders.

Upon learning of his brother Zhuge Gui's death, he hurriedly requested leave from Liu Biao. With Liu Biao's support, he first went to the imperial court, then traveled around Mount Tai to pick up Zhuge Jin, Zhuge Liang, and others who had followed his father to take up their posts there, and returned to Yangdu.

Upon returning to Yangdu, they immediately faced Cao Cao's two campaigns against Xuzhou.

Amidst the chaos of war and rampant bandits and soldiers, even with his personal guards protecting him, Zhuge Xuan dared not venture south at this time.

Forced to remain in Yangdu, they awaited an opportunity to head south.

Now that the war has finally subsided, Zhuge Xuan naturally didn't want to wait any longer and prepared to set off with Zhuge Liang and others. As Zhuge Jin had already established his own faction, Zhuge Xuan could only persuade him to go south with him, rather than forcing him to come along.

“Brother, recently, it seems that someone is targeting our Zhuge family and spreading the news that our Zhuge family will take a large amount of wealth south.”

At this time, Zhuge Liang's height was already close to that of Zhuge Jin, exceeding the average height of that era.

At this moment, his face was full of worry, and he advised Zhuge Jin: "We must be wary of this. Nowadays, bandits are rampant and bandits are gathering in groups. If news of wealth attracts their attention, then setting out now would be no different from a child carrying gold through a bustling market."

"If this rumor is indeed a deliberate act, I fear that the other party has other tricks up their sleeve. If they do not make a move, all is well, but if they do, my Zhuge family may be in danger of being destroyed."

Instead of scolding his younger brother for worrying unnecessarily, Zhuge Jin nodded with concern: "My brother's words are very reasonable, and I have been worried about this as well. I have also heard the recent rumors, but I cannot find out where they came from, or whether someone is really targeting our family. However, our Zhuge family has always been kind to people in Yangdu, and our elders are highly respected officials. We have never made any enemies, so I really cannot imagine who would want to frame our family."

Zhuge Liang shook his head and sighed, "But my uncle refuses to believe it."

He was very worried. The fact that the other party released such information clearly showed that they harbored ill intentions towards the Zhuge family and wanted to use the power of bandits and soldiers to do wicked things.

Although he saw this, he couldn't warn his father, and even asking his elder brother for help didn't work, which left him feeling powerless.

In particular, Zhuge Liang could not understand why his father insisted on going to Jingzhou to seek refuge with Liu Biao.

In his view, Liu Bei's uprising of troops marching south, rushing hundreds of miles to rescue Xuzhou and forcing Cao Cao to retreat, can be described as a great act of benevolence and righteousness.

It should be understood that Liu Bei's move brought him no benefit whatsoever; on the contrary, it would deplete his own military strength. After all, even Liu Bei himself could not have imagined that he would one day acquire Xuzhou before Liu Bei's arrival.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang and his brother Zhuge Jin both had a high opinion of Liu Bei, while Zhuge Xuan did not think much of Liu Bei. In his view, Liu Biao, who entered Jingzhou alone, with the help of Cai and Kuai, eliminated the leader of the rebel clan, incorporated the rebels, stabilized the local area, and drove Yuan Shu north, was the true hero.

Zhuge Jin noticed his younger brother's worry and, after a moment of contemplation, comforted him, saying, "Second brother, do not panic. I have heard that Chen Yuanlong is about to go north to take up the post of prefect. With his abilities, he should be able to quell the bandits and rebels along the way."

Zhuge Liang nodded helplessly. He had tried his best to advise Zhuge Xuan, but Zhuge Xuan would not listen.

To make matters worse, Zhuge Xuan's trip south to Jingzhou was intended to avoid the war in the Central Plains.

Therefore, he sold off his land, shops, mansions and other real estate on a large scale to obtain wealth, which he planned to take to Jingzhou to purchase land.

Therefore, this trip south was indeed accompanied by a large amount of wealth, which could not be concealed even if one wanted to.

As a result, there were quite a few bandits and rebel soldiers who coveted the Zhuge family's caravan. If someone were to instigate them, even with more than a hundred clan soldiers accompanying them, they might not be able to protect them completely.

According to Zhuge Xuan's plan, they could set off in early April.

The reason they were able to delay until now was because Zhuge Liang secretly planned to have his four brothers and sisters take turns feigning illness in order to buy time.

But now that my uncle has discovered this trick, it's no longer safe to use it.

Although he strongly opposed not working hard and relying on external connections, given the current situation, Zhuge Liang could only hope that his brother would do as he had suggested.

*************
The instigator of the Zhuge brothers' worries was unaware of his own, as he was currently on the training ground, learning archery from his teacher, Taishi Ci.

When Liu Feng was in Zhuozhou, he did study literature with his clan. Although his grades were not very good, he was still passable thanks to his photographic memory.

As for martial arts, Liu Feng could only be considered a trial learner.

Aside from knowing a little about riding, he knew nothing else, but he had the advantage of good physical fitness and had trained with Xu Sheng's troops, so he had some basic skills.

"With a single thought in mind, the spirit moves at will."

Taishi Ci casually drew his bow, and an arrow flew from the string, hitting the bullseye perfectly.

“Young master, please look. My arrow just now may have seemed effortless, but it was actually the result of countless hours of practice. And the foundation is the eight words I just mentioned.”

Afterwards, Taishi Ci instructed Liu Feng on his posture and had him put on a light bow and practice drawing it.

"When drawing a bow, you should use your waist to generate power, and avoid using your arms."

Taishi Ci continued to instruct: "If you use your arms to generate power, you will be exhausted after shooting only a few arrows, and your shoulders will even ache unbearably. But if you use your waist to generate power, you can maintain a full and continuous source of strength."

"In addition, one should stand up straight, chest out and back straight, with the bowstring passing through the nose, the power originating from the waist, driving the arms to draw the bow, and then gently releasing it."

After Taishi Ci's explanation and guidance, Liu Feng was able to hit the target twenty paces away in just ten days.

Taishi Ci has been working very hard lately. In the mornings he goes to the drill ground to train the soldiers, and in the afternoons he teaches Liu Feng horsemanship and archery. He is extremely busy.

The more than four hundred brave warriors from Qingzhou that he brought were all incorporated into Taishi Ci's command by Liu Bei. At the same time, Taishan Army and Danyang soldiers were also transferred to give Taishi Ci a total of one thousand men, and he was equipped with long and short swords and other military equipment and supplies.

The most valuable items were two hundred sets of leather armor, which greatly enhanced the combat power of Taishi Ci's troops.

After Liu Feng pleaded, Taishi Ci specially selected forty brave warriors skilled in archery and horsemanship and assigned them to him.

Liu Feng used forty heroes from Qingzhou as his disciples, along with elites from Danyang such as Niu Erleng and Wang Gui, as well as some warriors selected from the surrendered soldiers of Changxi, to make up a total of two hundred people. He organized them into a separate unit called Rushan Camp, which means "unmovable as a mountain".

Although this garrison, known as the Mountain Camp, had only two hundred men, it was equipped with two hundred sets of armor, half of which were iron lamellar armor, ensuring that each of its heavy infantrymen had a set of iron lamellar armor.

In order to gather so many suits of armor, Liu Feng not only pleaded and begged, but also kept the dozen or so suits of armor he had seized from Chang Xi, and even added a few suits that the Xu Sheng family had accumulated, as well as a few suits brought by Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.

Because Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were in charge of the navy and engaged in naval warfare, they generally did not wear iron armor, but instead used leather armor with better defensive capabilities.

Therefore, after seeing that Liu Feng was interested in buying them, the two of them discussed it and decided to give Liu Feng the four or five sets of armor as a gift.

Finally, the biggest expense was the seventy-eight sets of armor brought in by the Mi family. Without this large sum of iron armor, Liu Feng would probably have had to make do with leather armor by now.

In addition to armor, Rushan Camp was equipped with twelve warhorses, plus sixty powerful bows and crossbows, long and short weapons, and armor-piercing maces, making them armed to the teeth.

The selected soldiers were all brave, experienced, and loyal veterans, making them the most powerful and valuable unit under Liu Feng's command.

As for the position of the separate commander, Liu Feng thought it over and decided to let Pan Zhang personally lead it.

However, before issuing the order, Liu Feng had a serious talk with Pan Zhang, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of military discipline and strictly prohibiting the plundering of civilians and the killing of innocent people to claim credit.

Pan Zhang naturally obeyed without question. He was personally promoted by Liu Feng, who was his lord. How could he not listen to Liu Feng's earnest instructions?

Liu Feng naturally took good care of Taishi Ci, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and others.

Not only did he use his own savings to buy them leather armor and clothing, but he also gave them a large amount of valuables to help them settle down.

There were indeed many places to spend money. Although Taishi Ci was a powerful figure in Qingzhou, and Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were river bandits on the Yangtze River, they all had a lot of wealth.

However, the subsidies and allowances from the young master were different, which brought them much closer to Liu Feng.

Just as Taishi Ci had been tutoring Liu Feng for half a day, and the sun was setting, he was preparing to rest.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin appeared outside the training ground with an old bandit brother.

"Youping, Gongyi, what brings you here?"

Liu Feng was very happy to see Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.

Although Taishi Ci had just arrived in Tancheng, he had already become acquainted with Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin through Liu Feng's connections, and their relationship was fairly good.

Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, with smiles on their faces and a hint of excitement in their expressions, stepped forward and clasped their hands, saying, "Young Master, Commandant, while I was resting today, I chatted with my old brother and learned some news that I felt might be useful to you and Lord Ming, so I came to report it."

"Oh."

Liu Feng immediately became interested upon hearing this. Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were both calm and resolute, and disliked frivolity.

The things they say must have some basis in fact.

Looking at the two bandits behind Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who were also curiously sizing him up, Liu Feng met his gaze, first giving a fawning smile before lowering his head.

"Come on, it's getting late, and this isn't the place to talk. Come back with me and we'll have dinner together."

Liu Feng invited Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, and together with Taishi Ci, led the three back to the mansion for a meal.

Liu Feng's meals were naturally much better than the soldiers' meals. Because of the arrival of Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin and others, he specifically instructed the kitchen to add more good meat and wine.

Liu Feng didn't usually drink much, but Taishi Ci, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and other military men were all heavy drinkers.

Heaven knows how Taishi Ci, who could drink so much, could still maintain his archery skills.

After dinner, Liu Feng dismissed the servants and began to talk.

Taishi Ci wanted to take his leave, but Liu Feng persuaded him to stay.

“You and I are master and disciple, but our relationship is like that of uncle and nephew. Why should we be so formal? Besides, my father regards his teacher as a brother. Since we are brothers, there is nothing that cannot be discussed.”

Liu Feng's words made Taishi Ci feel as if he were bathed in a spring breeze. He felt that he had received great kindness from Liu Bei and his son, and that his journey had been worthwhile and that he had chosen the right lord.

Seeing that there were no outsiders present, Liu Feng invited Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin to explain the situation.

The Prime Minister made his entrance, tears streaming down his face. The Master was particularly nervous about the Prime Minister's first appearance and hoped to gain everyone's approval. If there were any shortcomings, the Master apologized in advance, saying that he had done his best.

The road ahead is long and arduous. Please allow me, esteemed guests, to slowly sketch out the details and strive to create a historically accurate and flesh-and-blood prime minister. Thank you for your support.

The Battle of Guangling is about to begin. All actors, please come to the stage.

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(End of this chapter)