My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 158 Plotting to Seize Rencheng
Chen Yi had ulterior motives when he said that.

The State of Lu was a very small place, with only six counties in total, so its tax revenue was definitely not that high.

Moreover, Liu Bei couldn't actually send people to collect taxes. The specific amount to be sent was still up to Chen Yi and the powerful clans of Lu to discuss.

But Liu Bei was very pleased with this attitude.

In fact, if Guo Gong hadn't frightened even the powerful clans of Lu, these local bullies wouldn't have made such a big concession.

Guo Gong's 10,000-strong army truly made the people of Lu realize that the world had changed and things were no longer the same.

Without a reliable backer, the small state of Lu is simply a piece of easy prey.

No matter how small the place, a single plunder can yield a large amount of wealth, food, and people.

The powerful clans of Lu were truly terrified, and this time they clearly felt that among the surrounding warlords, only Liu Bei had the best reputation, was not weak in strength, and was very close to Lu.

This is almost a perfect backer.

Therefore, after learning that Liu Bei had defeated Guo Gong's army, Chen Yi rushed over immediately, not even caring about the threat posed by the routed soldiers.

Chen Yi's words made Liu Bei beam with joy, but Guo Gong, standing beside him, even froze on his face.

You, the prime minister of my territory, actually dare to send taxes to the treasury of the neighboring prefecture right in front of me, the governor? Do you think I'm dead?
Guo Gong wanted to reprimand him, but found that his mouth was even more stiff than his expression, and he couldn't open it no matter how hard he tried.

Because he discovered that Chen Yi might actually be thinking the same thing.

Chen Yi's hatred for Guo Gong must have been very deep. Lu State was just a small place. If you want something, just say so. If I have it, would I refuse to give it to you?

But if you directly send troops to attack, that would be too unseemly.

It's hard to believe that you're sustainably exploiting resources.

In the eyes of Chen Yi and the powerful clans of Lu, Guo Gong's visit this time was to dig deep into their territory.

After all, if Liang wanted to reach Lu, it had to bypass Pei and Pengcheng and Donghai in Xuzhou.

Did they really go through all that trouble just to collect taxes?

No one, not even a fool, would believe that.

“Brother Bo, our two states are very close, so we should naturally help and support each other.”

Chen Yi, courtesy name Boshi.

Liu Bei glanced at Guo Gong, then reassured Chen Yi, "I am currently stationed in Donghai. If anything happens, the army can head west along the Si River and reach the city of Lu in less than seven days. If anything does happen, I will certainly not stand idly by. You can rest assured, brother."

Chen Yi knew that Liu Bei was returning the favor and making a promise to him, and he was overjoyed.

"Brother Xuande is known for his benevolence and virtue, but only today do I realize Kong Wenju's ability to recognize talent."

Afterwards, Liu Bei invited Chen Yi and Guo Gong into the main tent.

At this moment, an idea had already formed in Liu Bei's mind.

There are roughly three routes from Tancheng, the capital of Donghai Commandery where Liu Bei was located, to the capital of Lu Commandery.

The first route starts from Tancheng, detours around Xiapi, then passes through Pengcheng, enters Weishan Lake, and then goes upstream along the Si River to Lu County.

Although this route can be made possible by water transport, the journey is extremely long, and it also passes through Rencheng Kingdom in Yanzhou. The capital of Rencheng Kingdom, Rencheng County, is located right on the main transportation route and could be cut off at any time.

The second route also starts from Tancheng, first following the Yi River upstream to Kaiyang, then turning into the Wu River, and finally passing through the Si River to reach Lu County.

The route is very short and passes through major rivers, making water transport extremely convenient. It is arguably the easiest road to travel. However, it happens to pass through Taishan County in Yanzhou. Feiguo County and Nanwuyang County in Taishan County are located right on the main transportation route of the Wu River, and could cut off the road at any time.

The third route is the only one where all strongholds are under the control of Xuzhou. This route starts from Tancheng, passes through Xiangben County, Lanling, Cheng County, and Changlu. From there, it can continue to Qi County, Hexiang, and then enter Lu State, reaching Lu County.

There were many rivers along the way, but none of them were usable, and the journey involved a lot of hardship crossing them, making logistical support much more difficult.

This route seems to be about the same distance as the second route, but it takes ten times longer in terms of time, effort, and supplies.

The only advantage is that it no longer passes through Yanzhou.

The reason for this bizarre classification method is that it originated from the characteristics of the Han Dynasty since the Western Han Dynasty, and it was also adopted by various dynasties in later generations.

They don't give you the key passes and strategic points; instead, they transfer them to the neighboring provinces.

This system of checks and balances is quite effective; even in this chaotic world, it still makes Liu Bei extremely annoyed.

But at this moment, Liu Bei thought of Guo Gong.

Guo Gong must be hoping to get back his seven or eight thousand troops. Since he needs something from him, it's only natural for him to help him out a little.

Liu Bei hoped that Guo Gong could help him conquer Rencheng Kingdom.

That's right, it's about taking over the entire Rencheng Kingdom.

Because Rencheng Kingdom was so small, consisting of only four counties.

These four counties are clustered together. If we only take down Rencheng County and Xiaqiu County, then the adjacent Fan County and Kangfu County will seem extremely annoying and an eyesore.

The location of Rencheng was extremely important. It could be said that without Rencheng, Xuzhou's control over Lu could be cut off at any time.

Ideally, we should occupy the entire Rencheng Kingdom. If that's not possible, we can settle for taking over Nanwuyang, Feiguo County, and Nancheng County.

After hearing Liu Bei's request, Guo Gong was immediately in a dilemma.

He just wanted to cause trouble for his underling Chen Yi, but he's already been beaten up by Liu Bei. Does he expect me to go and provoke Cao Cao and Lü Bu?

Either of them could easily beat me up again.

Guo Gong hesitated and said, "My lord, I am currently without any troops. Rencheng may be small, but it is still a country. How can I possibly..."

Liu Bei's kind face was full of sincerity: "How can you say that you have no troops? Aren't all eight thousand of your soldiers in the main camp?"

Guo Gong was stunned for a moment, then realized that the other party was offering him benefits.

As long as I agree to the other party's conditions, these eight thousand pieces can be returned to me immediately.

If you don't agree, then it's hard to say.

Guo Gong hesitated. In fact, Rencheng Kingdom was not that difficult to attack. Two years ago, the Yellow Turban Army of Qingzhou entered Yanzhou and swept through the entire Rencheng Kingdom, even killing Zheng Sui, the then prime minister of Rencheng Kingdom.

Taking over such a dilapidated prefecture with only four cities is not actually that difficult.

Would Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou, really pretend not to see it?

Liu Bei wanted to gain some control over the situation. He didn't want to break ties with Cao Cao, but Rencheng was too important to ignore. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to control the waterway advantage, and Lu would never be fully integrated.

In that case, it would be better to use Guo Gong's hand to submit a memorial to the Chancellor of Rencheng and bring Rencheng under our control.

In this way, Cao Cao could only suffer in silence. If he wanted revenge, he could only seek it out on Guo Gong.

Even if Cao Cao really wanted to seek revenge on Guo Gong, Liu Bei could have helped Guo Gong.

After all, Liu Bei wasn't concerned about Rencheng Kingdom; he simply couldn't stand Cao Cao bullying local officials everywhere. This also aligns with Liu Bei's public image.

“If Governor Guo is willing to do this, I will keep it in mind and obey any orders he gives in the future.”

Liu Bei's words were clearly a guarantee to Guo Gong: if Cao Cao dared to attack you because of this, I would definitely save you.

Hearing Liu Bei's assurance, Guo Gong's expression softened considerably.

In fact, Rencheng Kingdom had no strength left to resist at this time. It had been ravaged by the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou and was the first to be hit when Tao Qian invaded Yanzhou. It really had no strength left.

The local gentry and powerful families were unable to protect themselves and fled Rencheng, leaving behind only a few low-level county officials and ordinary people.

"If the governor is willing to help Lord Liu resolve his troubles, the State of Lu is also willing to contribute its strength and donate a thousand bushels of grain to boost the army's morale."

Chen Yi also stepped forward to join in the fun. He saw things very clearly: if Guo Gong didn't agree, then his Lu State would still be essentially isolated.

Regardless of which waterway is blocked, north or south, the outcome will be one of isolation and helplessness.

Therefore, Chen Yi decisively stepped forward, wanting to contribute something, even if it was little, but at least to show his stance and attitude.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Chen Yi was still willing to provide provisions, both Liu Bei and Guo Gong looked at him with even more gentleness.

Guo Gong began to make his own calculations. Yu Province now had six commanderies. Runan and Yingchuan were out of the question, but he could control Liang. Liu Bei seemed to be able to control Lu and Pei. If he could get Liu Bei's support, wouldn't he be able to secure his position as the governor of Yu Province?

No, with the support of the three kingdoms, I might even be able to be promoted from governor to provincial governor.

Moreover, as long as Liu Bei is willing to fully support him, the pressure from Cao Cao and Lü Bu will no longer be so overwhelming.

After thinking it over, Guo Gong made a decision: "I have already felt ashamed for mobilizing troops and disturbing the Prime Minister of Lu, and for troubling Prefect Liu to come to my aid. If I can make some compensation, I can find peace of mind."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and grasped Guo Gong's hand, saying, "If you do not betray me, I will certainly not betray you."

Subsequently, Liu Bei returned all of Guo Gong's eight thousand troops to him, including his weapons and armor, without withholding a single item. He even provided Guo Gong with an extra thousand shi of grain.

With this additional two thousand shi of military rations, Guo Gong's actions became even more confident.

That evening, Liu Bei hosted a banquet for Guo Gong and Chen Yi.

Zhang Fei and Zang Ba naturally accompanied them.

At the height of the banquet, Liu Bei, having drunk too much, grabbed Zang Ba's hand and patted it while saying, "Xuan Gao, I'll take Kaiyang from you and return a commandery to you, how about that?"

Zang Ba was startled, and half of the alcohol's effects evaporated from the cold sweat on his forehead.

He hurriedly rose from his seat and knelt down, saying, "I am ashamed to accept what you say, my lord. In the past, I stood alone in Kaiyang and disobeyed the orders of the prefecture. I am still ashamed of myself. I am grateful for your magnanimity and hate myself for what I did in the past. Since joining your ranks, I have never stopped feeling ashamed of my past. I only wish to fight for you on the battlefield to repay your great kindness."

Seeing Zang Ba's reaction, Liu Bei realized he had gone too far.

Zang Ba's reaction was perfectly normal.

At that time, he was a local warlord. Liu Bei said that he had seized Kaiyang from him. Wasn't this just bringing up old grievances?

Now they're saying they'll return a prefecture to him? In Zang Ba's eyes, isn't that just a blatant test?
Although Liu Bei truly didn't mean it that way, he was simply happy and got drunk, and then his sense of loyalty got the better of him, so he wanted to give Zang Ba a surprise.

But in the end, it backfired.

Historically, when Guan Yu was in Xiangyang, Liu Bei also made a similar mistake and ended up losing.

Originally in Xiangyang, although Guan Yu was in charge of the affairs of Jingzhou, he needed to rely on Pan Jun, the chief administrator of Jingzhou, for civil matters, while Mi Fang, the prefect of Nan Commandery, also had a certain degree of autonomy in military matters.

Simply put, although both of them were subordinates of Guan Yu, they were also subordinates of Liu Bei. They could have some degree of objection to Guan Yu's orders, and Guan Yu couldn't do anything about it.

But at this crucial moment, Liu Bei went too far, sending a fake imperial axe directly from Yizhou, which caused an uproar.

Even if Guan Yu cursed Mi Fang every day, it was just a matter of poor colleague relations. At most, Mi Fang would ignore Guan Yu. He couldn't possibly bite Guan Yu, could he?

I am, after all, the lord's maternal relative and a former major shareholder.

So even though Guan Yu threatened to kill you, Mi Fang, every day, Mi Fang would only think that no matter how much you threatened him, he was just a coward.

Mi Fang would never worry about her own safety.

But with a fake imperial axe, things really change.

Legally speaking, without the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, if Guan Yu dared to kill Mi Fang, he should have been prepared to have Mi Fang buried alive with him, because this would be considered unauthorized killing.

With the authority to act as a proxy, it would be perfectly logical for Guan Yu to kill Mi Fang. Not to mention Mi Fang, he could kill anyone in Jingzhou, including Pan Jun and Bo Shi Ren.

This has created an imbalance.

However, Guan Yu was extremely arrogant, and he even said in public that he would kill Mi Fang when he got back.

Actually, Guan Yu's words were more of a scare tactic. If he really wanted to kill Mi Fang, would he need to wait to go back?
But Mi Fang believed it anyway; his bottom was filthy.

In addition, the many mistakes Liu Bei made in the Xiangshui Alliance ultimately led to the Jingzhou Incident.

In essence, Liu Bei, as the leader of the faction, bore the greatest responsibility.

At this moment, Liu Bei ignored the strange looks from Guo Gong, Chen Yi and others around him, and hurriedly got up, worried that he might hurt the feelings of his trusted general.

He quickly got up and helped Zang Ba to his feet, then held the other's hand and said, "Xuan Gao, why did you have to go to this? I know your heart perfectly well. Xuan Gao is a loyal and righteous man; how could high office and generous salary sway him?"

"However, Xuan Gao, Rencheng is a vital transportation route connecting Lu State and my Xuzhou. It needs a general to guard it so that I can feel at ease."

Liu Bei patiently explained to Zang Ba: "Governor Guo wanted to recommend someone to guard Rencheng, but he had no one under his command and could only ask me for help. After thinking it over, I found that only Xuan Gao was capable of this important task. Therefore, I made a joke, which was my slip of the tongue."

"Xuan Gao, you should punish yourself with three cups of wine."

After saying this, Liu Bei downed three cups of wine in front of Zang Ba.

It wasn't until Liu Bei finished drinking that Zang Ba realized that Liu Bei had indeed found him a position as a prefect.

At that moment, he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, feeling both gratitude and admiration for Liu Bei.

You should know that Liu Bei's brothers, his most trusted and loyal followers Zhang Fei and Zhang Yide, were sitting on the side. Zhang Fei hadn't even become a prefect yet, but Liu Bei had already become one.

Liu Bei also had his own considerations regarding this.

Rencheng is a strategically important and crucial location. Zhang Fei is careless and has never had the opportunity to lead independently. If he is rashly put to use, any problems could ruin the entire situation.

On the contrary, Zang Ba is calm and steady, with rich experience in leading independently. He is an important general in Xuzhou, and using him will better win the hearts of the old troops of Danyang and Taishan.

It's simply killing multiple birds with one stone.

Most importantly, Zang Ba was capable enough to defend Rencheng, and could even become a sharp dagger threatening Cao Cao's rear in the future.

If that's the case, why don't you dare to delegate authority?

In addition, Liu Bei had another idea: to appoint his old comrade Tian Yu as the Commandant of Lu State, stationed in Lu County, and in charge of the Lu State's troops.

In this way, Lu and Rencheng can support each other from afar, making their defenses even more impregnable.

Then, appoint Yun Chang as the Commandant of Pei State, in charge of Pei State's military affairs. In this way, the three places and Xuzhou will be integrated into one, forming a military alliance. With Guo Gong providing early warning from the outside, the northwest will be safe.

When we first came here, Feng'er said that Yuzhou was unattainable.

However, he never expected things to go so smoothly. Guo Gong not only had no resentment, but was even willing to change his ways and be used by him. This must have greatly exceeded Feng'er's expectations.

Now it seems that half of Yuzhou has fallen into my hands, but there is indeed a hidden danger: our military strength is insufficient.

After the autumn harvest, we must expand our army by 10,000 to 20,000, otherwise we fear there will be no soldiers available in Xuzhou.

Although Liu Bei was pleased with himself, he also knew that there were many problems at this time.

Putting aside everything else, just take Pei State as an example. Even if he supports Chen Gui to return to Xiang County, he can only control the area between Pei State and Feng County. The more than ten counties in the Wo River basin below and the area around Qiao County above will not obey the orders of Pei State Prefecture.

In particular, those eight or nine counties in the Wo River basin had long been firmly under Yuan Shu's control, and it was impossible to take them back without sending troops.

In this way, the territory of Pei State that he could actually occupy was only five counties, which was less than a quarter of the total number of counties in Pei State.

"What virtue or ability does Ba possess to shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

Zang Ba realized what was happening, and his eyes reddened slightly.

He truly admired Liu Bei from the bottom of his heart, both grateful for his kindness and respecting his abilities.

Back in Langya, Zang Ba himself wouldn't have been confident he could sweep through Kaiyang within ten days.

After surrendering to Liu Bei, he was treated with great favor and never treated differently. Now he has been appointed as the governor of a prefecture even earlier than Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. This kindness can only be repaid with death.

Zang Ba was a chivalrous person by nature, and he also valued loyalty and righteousness.

When Cao Cao was alive, he protected the person Cao Cao specifically ordered to be killed out of loyalty; this was the spirit of loyalty in his character.

At that time, he was already terrified of Cao Cao, but he still gritted his teeth and asked Liu Bei for help to mediate, and finally succeeded in saving his friend's life.

When Cao Cao died, he saw through Cao Pi's scheme to seize Yunmengze, but he still surrendered without resistance, which reflects his loyalty.

Zang Ba never had great ambitions in his life; all he sought was a wise ruler.

After recognizing Liu Bei as a wise ruler, Zang Ba considered himself a subject, harboring some concerns about his past misdeeds. He secretly resolved to use his achievements to gain Liu Bei's trust.

But little did he know that Liu Bei already trusted him so much; how could Zang Ba not be moved to tears?

At that moment, Zang Ba felt that Liu Bei perfectly met his expectations.

(End of this chapter)