My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 147 Sun Ce's Scheme in Jiangdong

"retreat."

Sun Ce unexpectedly spoke up: "We can't take Guangling. Getting entangled here will only result in losses of soldiers and generals, and will only allow Liu Yao to gain the upper hand."

Sun Ce stood up, walked up to Yang Hong, and said to him seriously, "We have already taken Jiangdu, and Qiao Zisheng's army has gathered in Liyang. In that case, why don't we secretly withdraw our troops from Jiangdu, cross the Yangtze River, and launch a surprise attack on Niuzhu from the rear, while letting Zisheng attack from the front? We can then attack from both sides and defeat Liu Yao."

"Isn't this better than fighting tooth and nail at Guangling?"

When Sun Ce ordered a retreat, Yang Hong instinctively wanted to rebuke him.

However, as Sun Ce revealed his subsequent plans, everyone present fell into deep thought.

The reason was simple: Sun Ce's plan was indeed feasible, and their analysis and judgment showed that the chances of success were not small.

The so-called harmony between Yuan Shu and Liu Yao was merely a tacit agreement; there was no real agreement between them.

Even if they launched a surprise attack on Liu Yao, it wouldn't be considered a breach of alliance.

Moreover, Sun Ce knew very well that Guangling was a fortified city that was difficult to take, while once Jiangdong broke through the river defenses, it would be like an egg with its shell broken, which could be eaten however they wanted.

Sun Ce's suggestion stirred the hearts of everyone present.

Especially the bridge.

Despite being a general personally appointed by Yuan Shu, Qiao Rui commanded 20,000 troops and was the most powerful general present.

But he was actually a huge fan and admirer of Sun Ce.

When Sun Ce first went to join Yuan Shu in his early years, Qiao Rui, Zhang Xun and others became friends with him and highly praised him.

Later, when they attacked Lujiang, Qiao Rui willingly lowered his status and followed Sun Ce to obey his orders.

It can be said that Qiao Rui's loyalty to Yuan Shu was based on morality, while his affection for Sun Ce was due to his charisma.

Now that her idol has come up with a backup plan that is significantly better than the original plan, Qiao Rui immediately wants to support it.

Unfortunately, before he came, Yuan Shu repeatedly warned him not to act on his own and to obey the orders of Chief Clerk Yang Hong; otherwise, he would have spoken out in support of Sun Ce long ago.

Wu Jing and Sun Ben, who were standing nearby, were also tempted, since neither of them wanted to use their elite troops to fill the ditches in Guangling.

Yang Hong glanced at Qiao Rui, then at Wu Jing and Sun Ben, and finally chose to back down: "I will report this matter to higher authorities. You must first obey orders and march your troops to Guangling, or you will be subject to military law."

Yang Hong could not possibly agree to Sun Ce's proposal immediately. Although he still insisted that Sun Ce and his men send troops, he had already agreed to report Sun Ce's new plan to Yuan Shu. This exceeded Sun Ce's minimum requirements, so he naturally had to obey the order.

Jiangdu had gathered a total of 35,000 troops, including 6,000 of Wu Jing's troops, 8,000 of Sun Ben's troops, 6,000 of Sun Ce's troops, and 15,000 of Yuan Shu's main force under the command of Qiao Rui.

The generals then decided to leave 5,000 of their own troops to garrison Jiangdu and transport provisions, while the remaining 30,000 troops would prepare for three days before marching on Guangling.

If we have the opportunity to take Guangling, we will definitely go all out.

Yang Hong was satisfied and returned to Shouchun to report back. At the same time, he brought Sun Ce's plan back to Yuan Shu for his decision.

*********
On Liu Bei's side, Liu Feng hesitated for a long time before finally telling Liu Bei the truth honestly.

"You mean, there's a secret passage that leads directly to Jiangdu?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei and Liu Ye were initially overjoyed, but their expressions changed afterward.

Liu Ye naturally advised Liu Bei, "My lord, this is a golden opportunity. In this way, you can defeat Yuan Shu's army on the southern front alone. In this way, my lord can support Chen Gong to return to Pei State to take up his post."

Liu Ye's plan was naturally very good. Liu Feng would defend Guangling City while sending another army to launch a surprise attack on Jiangdu. This would directly cut off Yuan Shu's army's rear. Even if Yuan Shu's army retreated by land to Tangyi, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses. More importantly, in the short term, there would be no opportunity to attack Guangling again.

Losing Jiangdu meant that Yuan Shu's army lost its supply line along the Yangtze River.

Relying solely on land for supplies would not only consume three to five times the resources of water transport, but also require a massive manpower for transportation. And now, precisely during the summer harvest season, if farmers are mobilized to transport supplies, what will Yuan Shu's army eat in the second half of the year?

Once Yuan Shu's army is defeated, Tangyi, although a possible escape route, will certainly not be a viable foothold.

Because Tangyi could not provide enough food for tens of thousands of troops, Yuan Shu's army was forced to retreat back to Jiujiang Commandery.

In this way, Guangling and Dongcheng can act like two pincers, locking down Yuan Shu's main force and preventing it from moving freely.

Once Yuan Shu is unable to intervene in the north, Liu Bei will have ample time and energy to make a big impact in the states of Lu and Pei.

But Liu Bei thought differently.

Although the territories of Lu and Pei were tempting, they were not as desirable as those of his beloved son.

After careful consideration, Liu Bei solemnly said to Liu Feng, "This is unacceptable; I, your father, will not allow it."

"Father?"

Although Liu Feng used a question, he had already anticipated this.

"Your unit only has eight thousand men in total. How can you possibly launch a separate attack on Jiangdu?"

Liu Bei continued with a somber expression, "Even if I were to request the allocation of two thousand men to you, it would still be too risky. If the Jiangdu detachment fails, they might not be able to return to Guangling and would have to turn back to Gaoyou. At that point, Yuan Shu's tens of thousands of troops could launch a full-scale siege of Guangling. You only have a few thousand men, and the city is newly annexed. What would I do if something went wrong?"

"I will certainly not allow this, and you need not try to persuade me any further."

Liu Bei cut off all communication, indicating that there was no room for negotiation.

Liu Feng then completely let it go.

He had indeed considered acting first and informing later, but the last incident had already angered Liu Bei. If he continued to act first and informing later this time, and angered Liu Bei, he would be confined to Tancheng, which would make things even worse.

Moreover, this wasn't a life-or-death situation, and Liu Bei's main force was also absent. Even if they defeated Yuan Shu's army, they wouldn't be able to cripple them.

Liu Ye also considered this point, and since it was reasonable for Liu Bei to worry about his son, he naturally stopped trying to persuade him.

However, Liu Bei never intended for Liu Feng to stay in Gaoyou or return to Tancheng.

If he hadn't come out in the first place, that would have been one thing, but now all his generals have gone to Guangling and Liu Feng has run away. What kind of logic is that? Of course, it's impossible for him to do that.

Liu Feng had clearly obeyed, but Liu Bei was still uneasy. He leaned closer to him and said fiercely, "If you dare to go first and then listen later again this time, I'll make sure your butt gets bruised and battered!"

Left with no other choice, Liu Feng could only make repeated promises with a bitter face before Liu Bei finally let him go.

After discussing the matter, Liu Bei and Liu Feng reluctantly parted ways.

Liu Bei led his troops back to Pengcheng to find Guo Gong, while Liu Feng was also rushing to Guangling. Fortunately, the round trip was not far and it was by water, not to mention that Yuan Shu's army was moving extremely slowly.

Even on the day Liu Feng returned to Guangling, Yang Hong had not yet arrived in Jiangdu.

After returning to Guangling, Liu Feng immediately convened an emergency meeting.

Not only Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Zhou Tai, and Jiang Qin all attended the meeting, but even the Li brothers were invited.

First, we need to tell everyone that the original plan has changed, and Liu Bei will not be coming, at least not in the short term.

For the next two months, they must defend Guangling on their own.

The Li brothers seemed somewhat suspicious of this.

This is normal. Liu Ye told them that tens of thousands of troops from Xuzhou were marching south, which the Li brothers believed would easily defeat Yuan Shu's army.

Now that Liu Bei's army is gone, and even Liu Ye, who was supposed to be in contact with them, has disappeared, it's normal to have doubts.

Therefore, Liu Feng immediately explained Liu Ye's question.

Liu Ye was originally a key member of Liu Bei's southern expedition. He had just happened to be on a mission as an envoy when, by chance, he entered Guangling first, instigated the Li brothers to rebel, and seized Guangling County.

This operation was outside the original plan, so Liu Ye should have been by Liu Bei's side, not in Guangling City.
Since they were already in Guangling, Liu Bei simply appointed Liu Ye to temporarily handle the affairs of Guangling City. Once Liu Bei arrived in Guangling, Liu Ye could rejoin the team and return to his position as a strategist, saving Liu Ye the trouble of traveling back and forth.

However, after Chen Yi suddenly requested help, Liu Ye had to return to the team ahead of schedule.

Because Liu Bei needed such a strategist by his side to provide him with tactical analysis and decision-making.

Therefore, Liu Bei simply sent Liu Ye and Liu Feng to Gaoyou to meet and discuss the matter, then decide what to do next. If Liu Bei ignored Chen Yi and continued south, then Liu Ye could return and wait for Liu Bei in Guangling.

However, if they choose to support Chen Yi, then Liu Ye, as a military advisor, will definitely have to go north with Liu Bei and will not return to Guangling.

The affairs of Guangling had to be handled by Liu Feng on his behalf.

From this perspective, the Xuzhou army still lacked talent, especially in the area of ​​staff officers.

Liu Feng conveniently linked Liu Ye's problem with the issue of his father's arrival to help, and explained it to the Li brothers.

"My two uncles, please put your minds at ease. My father went to Lu State on a mission to seek help from Chen Yi, the prime minister of Lu State. Mr. Ziyang is my father's military advisor. Since the army is heading north to Pengcheng, Mr. Ziyang naturally has to accompany the army. Therefore, he has not returned to Guangling."

Liu Feng paused here, and after the Li brothers had a better understanding, he continued, "Chen Guoxiang was a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor during the reign of the late emperor, and the eldest son of Chen Fan, a model minister of the world."

"what!"

Li Luo and Li Zhang exclaimed in surprise. For local powerful figures like them, the name Chen Fan was incredibly impactful.

They grew up hearing this name.

Let alone the Li family, even the Yuan family was far inferior to the Chen family at that time.

The Yuan family of Runan and the Yang family of Hongnong are quite formidable, aren't they?
The first and second largest surnames in the land still obediently acted as subordinates in front of Chen Fan.

Not everyone has the ability to be pampered like a treasure by Emperor Huan of Han, who would dodge when drawing his sword and yield to him when sheathing it.

When Emperor Huan of Han launched the first purge of the partisans, many were killed, arrested, imprisoned for life, or dismissed from their posts. Among them were many members of the Yuan, Yang, and Xun clans. However, when faced with Chen Fan, who was the ringleader, Emperor Huan did not even allow him to resign, and kept him firmly in the position of one of the Three Dukes.

Later, at Chen Fan's urging, Emperor Huan of Han began to ease the pace of the movement. He first used a general amnesty to indirectly pardon those students who had been imprisoned for life, restoring their status. Then he recruited some high-ranking officials who had been dismissed and brought them back to the central government.

This reflects Emperor Huan's trust and appreciation for Chen Fan, but it also reveals Chen Fan's high standing among scholars.

Emperor Huan of Han was a very shrewd and capable emperor. He clearly understood that as long as he did not offend Chen Fan, the scholars would not take any risks.

As long as Chen Fan remained one of the Three Dukes, the scholars believed they could rely on him to turn the tide in the court.

This is also one of the reasons why Emperor Huan of Han withstood the pressure and instigation of the eunuch group and continued to tolerate Chen Fan.

Originally, thanks to the tacit cooperation between Chen Fan and Emperor Huan of Han, the rift between the aristocratic clans and the imperial power was mended. However, Emperor Huan's health suddenly deteriorated, and he passed away six months later, which was also Chen Fan's misfortune.

Li Luo and Li Zhang were both people who had heard of idols and top-tier celebrities since they were young.

Upon learning that Chen Yi was Chen Fan's son, the two immediately shared a common hatred and denounced Guo Gong for his misdeeds and oppression of loyal officials.

Lord Liu's act is truly righteous!

We must express our support.

Li Luo and Li Zhang also volunteered to donate their clan's stored grain to support the army's aid to Shandong.

Liu Feng naturally declined, and then continued to explain the strategic plan.

Tian Yu has 4,000 men stationed in Gaoyou and Ping'an, with the main force definitely in Gaoyou. Later, Jiang Qin will also return to Gaoyou with ships of various sizes, as well as thousands of sailors and 500 naval troops.

These ships are all large and cannot enter Jiangdu. If they remain isolated, they are easily captured by Yuan Shu's army. It would be better to return directly to Gaoyou, which would also increase Gaoyou's strength and mobility.

Zhou Tai then led the remaining 500 naval troops into the city to join the battle.

The main force in the city consisted of 4,000 men under Zhao Yun, 2,000 men under Xu Sheng, 1,000 men under Taishi Ci, 1,000 men under Qian Zhao, 500 men under Zhou Tai, and 1,500 men from Guangling County, totaling 10,000 men.

After the initial battle, Xu Sheng's troops suffered minor casualties, but were generally unharmed.

With 10,000 men defending a fortified city, and enough food to last for half a year, as long as there are no internal problems, they cannot lose no matter what.

In addition, Liu Feng also cleaned up Liu Ye's mess.

During the previous night battle in Guangling City, Liu Ye promised extremely generous rewards in order to boost the morale and fighting spirit of the Li family's troops and the soldiers of Guangling Commandery.

However, they were defeated at the time, and if it weren't for the timely reinforcements from Xuzhou, Guangling County would have been lost long ago.

However, in the end, Guangling County was handed over to the Xuzhou army, which can be considered as fulfilling Liu Ye's original request.

This presented a real challenge.

Even Li Luo and Li Zhang did not want to easily give up such a generous reward.

It's important to know that Liu Ye had said he would open the Guangling Treasury and distribute all the money to the soldiers.

Now, after taking stock, there are about eight million coins in the Guangling Prefecture treasury. This money is needed to maintain the operation of the prefecture and to cover the expenses of some government projects within Guangling County.

This is quite awkward.

If the rewards are all given to the local troops in Guangling, the Xuzhou army will definitely be dissatisfied. If they are not rewarded, firstly, it would be a breach of faith with the soldiers in Guangling, and secondly, it would be truly unfair to these soldiers who fought so hard.

In the end, Liu Feng decided to distribute the money, and if he was going to distribute it, he might as well distribute it all. All eight million coins in the treasury were gone, leaving not a single coin.

After all, even leaving just a single coin would give people something to talk about.

The only difference is that the number of recipients needs to be significantly expanded.

In addition to the soldiers of Guangling County, the soldiers of Xuzhou also needed to be paid.

The final reward plan was to give each soldier five hundred coins.

All soldiers who participated in the battle that night, regardless of whether they were from Guangling County or Xuzhou, received double the reward money, and those who died or were wounded received double the reward money again.

As a result, only a little over a thousand of the Li family's troops and their relatives by marriage, along with a small number of county soldiers, fought that night.

Those who participated in the bloody battle that day were nothing more than Taishi Ci's fifty cavalrymen and Pan Zhang's two hundred men from Rushan Camp.

All these people together received a reward of about eight million coins. Of the remaining two hundred thousand coins, half were given as rewards to the prefectural and county officials in Guangling City, and the rest were used to buy wine and meat for a grand banquet for the army.

Liu Feng once mentioned this matter to Liu Bei. Liu Bei was indeed very generous; he would never be stingy with his subordinates if he had something.

Liu Bei didn't care about these riches at all; he was a person who didn't care about wealth.

Moreover, compared to Guangling, what are these riches?
What's even more ingenious is that if Guangling were captured by Yuan Shu, wouldn't all that money become part of Yuan Shu's coffers?

Liu Bei directly granted Liu Feng the authority to handle the matter as he saw fit, which deeply moved Liu Ye, who was listening nearby.

Finally, Liu Bei made sure to reassure Liu Ye, telling him not to worry and that Liu Feng would handle the matter.

After Liu Feng proposed this reward plan, the entire Guangling County was in an uproar.

The Xuzhou army received rewards even before the major battle began, which was like a windfall. Each soldier received 500 coins, more than they had received during the last campaign against Zang Ba.

The local soldiers of Guangling were quite satisfied, feeling that Liu Bei was righteous and actually willing to give money.

It should be noted that the soldiers of Guangling County and the Li family's troops were actually quite embarrassed, knowing how poorly they had performed in the Guangling night battle, and that they had actually been completely defeated.

If it weren't for the swift arrival of the Xuzhou army to reinforce them, they would have been driven out of Guangling City long ago.

Even so, Governor Liu was willing to keep his promise and distribute the rewards, truly a wise ruler.

Even the county and prefectural officials, having received rewards, developed a great fondness for the Xuzhou army and Governor Liu, and became even more diligent in their work.

As a result, the treasury's wealth indeed shone brightly, just as promised.

At the same time, the Xuzhou army, the local troops in Guangling, and the local county officials all felt they had made a profit, resulting in a win-win situation, which was something Liu Feng had not anticipated when he formulated this reward plan.

Immediately, the morale of the Xuzhou army, including the local troops in Guangling, soared, and the relationship between them also became more harmonious.

After dealing with all these matters, only one question remained: should the summer grain that was about to ripen outside the city be destroyed?

(End of this chapter)