My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 162 The Three Heroes of the Night Banquet
After the Battle of Xiangcao River, Liu Feng was hosting a banquet in Guangling for three talented individuals who had come from Jiangdong to seek their services.

They are Bu Zhi (Bu Zishan), Wei Jing (Wei Ziqi), and Dong Xi (Dong Yuandai).

Bu Zhi and Wei Jing were both from Guangling, and they temporarily settled in Jiangdong to escape the war.

Now that he had been summoned back, Liu Bei, being the de facto governor of Xu Province, naturally followed him wholeheartedly.

Dong Xi was a great hero of Kuaiji, a local strongman.

The arrival of this person surprised and delighted Liu Feng.

In the past six months, Xuzhou has launched a series of military campaigns, achieving resounding victories and winning every battle.

Unbeknownst to them, their territory had expanded more than three times its original size.

The land forces were relatively good; aside from Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, there were many capable generals such as Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, Taishi Ci, Qian Zhao, Xu Sheng, and Pan Zhang, as well as commanders like Chen Deng and Lu Su.

On the contrary, there is a huge shortage of personnel in naval warfare.

Chen Deng and Lu Su can only be considered halfway there; they still need a lot of time and experience.

The only true naval commanders were Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin; even Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang didn't qualify, let alone Guan Yu at this time.

However, the current situation creates a great need for naval commanders.

Putting aside other matters, Langya in the north of Xuzhou is alright. Although the Wu River can be used for transportation, it cannot directly connect to the State of Lu, so it is not worth considering for the time being.

However, whether it was Pengcheng, Pei, Rencheng, or Lu, the West needed to control the waterways.

If Yanzhou could possess a highly skilled and capable navy, then any attempt to easily conquer Xuzhou as before would be nothing short of a pipe dream. Furthermore, the capture of Xiapi, Guangling, and the future expansion into Jiangdong would all require a large number of excellent naval commanders.

Both Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were simply too busy to be in two places at once.

Expanding the navy is imperative. Next year, we must add 10,000 naval troops; otherwise, how can we support the Xuzhou army's campaigns across the north and south, let alone conquer Jiangdong?

This would further exacerbate the shortage of naval commanders.

Just then, Dong Xi came to join them, which was truly a godsend.

Despite his eventual drowning, the old saying "the best swimmers drown" perfectly illustrates Dong Xi's prowess in naval warfare.

Moreover, unlike Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and others, he and Chen Wu, who served under Sun Ce, could be considered veterans of two dynasties. Not only was he deeply trusted by Sun Ce, but Wu Guotai and Sun Quan also highly praised him.

Dong Xi was the first person under Sun Ce to hold a high-ranking position, aside from Sun Ce's relatives, even earlier than Zhou Yu.

Even Zhou Yu, who was Sun Ce's biggest shareholder, couldn't compare to Dong Xi, which shows how much Sun Ce valued Dong Xi.

When Sun Ce died, Lady Wu only asked two people about important military and national affairs: Zhang Zhao and Dong Xi, which shows their abilities.

Such a naval commander is exactly the kind of talent that Xuzhou urgently needs right now.

However, Kuaiji Commandery is too far away and the journey is inconvenient. Moreover, the miasma in the south is severe, and the envoy sent to recruit Dong Xi has not replied until now. Finally, we have this good news.

Bu Zhi, Wei Jing, and Dong Xi were originally just passing through Guangling and planned to change boats there to continue their journey north.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei's eldest son was also in Guangling, and even specially hosted a banquet to entertain the three of them.

Bu Zhi remained calm and composed, Wei Jing hesitated somewhat, while Dong Xi appeared strong on the outside but was weak on the inside.

Dong Xi's background was too humble. His family wasn't even considered a powerful clan; they were merely local heroes with some assets and some education. However, they lacked the hard work and career advancement of a generation or two to reach the level of powerful clans.

The difference between Gan Ning and Dong Xi clearly distinguishes between a powerful local tyrant and a chivalrous hero.

When Gan Ning was young, he could roam around plundering and even kill officials he didn't like, yet no one dared to punish him.

After he grew up, he began to settle down and study hard. In just a few years, he was promoted directly to the position of County Clerk, and even more quickly rose to the position of County Assistant.

This was the prefect's nominal deputy, one of the two most important officials in the prefecture. If the prefect made any mistake, the prefectural assistant would often temporarily take over, and his salary was as high as six hundred bushels of grain.

Zhuge Liang's father, Zhuge Gui, once served as the Prefectural Assistant of Taishan Commandery.

Therefore, the Gan family held a very powerful position in Sichuan.

Dong Xi, however, lacked such confidence. He was over thirty years old and, despite his martial arts skills and strength, remained trapped at the bottom of society, never encountering any opportunity to rise in rank.

Heaven knows how happy he was when Liu Bei recruited him.

If the governor hadn't fallen seriously ill and become weak, Dong Xi would have loved to fly directly to Tancheng.

At this moment, Dong Xi was invited to a banquet by the son of the Fang family, and he felt uneasy.

I heard that the governor of the city dotes on this boy, as evidenced by the fact that he allowed him to stay alone in Guangling.

In the afternoon, Dong Xi was anxiously waiting in her bedroom when she suddenly noticed a servant coming to her door.

Dong Xi opened the door and saw a row of attendants holding clothes and shoes, while behind them were strongmen carrying buckets of water, which were obviously for Dong Xi to bathe in.

“Brave warrior Dong, we are here on the orders of our young master. We heard that you have come from afar in haste, so we have prepared clothes and shoes for you to use.”

Dong Xi felt a warmth in his heart; when had he ever received such treatment?

"What merit or ability do I possess to warrant such trouble from the young master?"

The attendants, however, were all smiles. These people were good at judging people and knew that the big man in front of them would sooner or later be valued by the young master or even the lord. How could they dare to offend Dong Xi?

Everyone carried the items into Dong Xi's room and then prepared to take their leave.

Dong Xi naturally couldn't let them leave like that, so he quickly took out his luggage and pulled out a string of iron coins to distribute.

Although iron coins were not as valuable as copper coins, they were still a common form of currency, and were widely circulated in the south and Yizhou.

Everyone expressed their gratitude profusely before taking their leave.

After closing the door, Dong Xi felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her previous anxiety vanished.

The young master even takes such small things to heart. This kindness is so profound and considerate. How can I still doubt myself?

After a thorough washing and grooming, Dong Xi felt much lighter. When she picked up the robe brought to her by her attendant, she was surprised to find that it was the perfect size for her, and she was deeply moved.

It's no wonder Dong Xi was easily moved; in those days, even a simple handshake from Liu Xiu could be praised as a sign of respect for the virtuous and talented.

Liu Feng's act of offering food and clothing to others is at least at the level of Emperor Gaozu, even a level higher than Emperor Guangwu.

After dressing properly, Dong Xi prepared to go to the main hall to wait.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Dong Xi opened the courtyard gate, she saw a young man standing outside with a beaming smile.

Upon closer inspection, Dong Xi realized that the young man was none other than Liu Feng.

Liu Feng asked leisurely, "Sir Dong, do the clothes I sent fit you? If they don't, I'll send someone to alter them."

Dong Xi was immediately shocked and hurriedly tried to kneel down.

Liu Feng reacted quickly, stepping forward to support Dong Xi and calling out, "Hero Dong!"

Liu Feng was already quite strong, but he couldn't match Dong Xi's strength. Moreover, Dong Xi's determination to bow was so firm that he inadvertently caused Liu Feng, who had come to help him, to stumble and fall to one knee.

Dong Xi was completely stunned.

He was clearly grateful for the young master's kindness and sincerely thanked him, so how did he manage to mess things up?

Dong Xi stood there, stunned. She felt her limbs stiffen, possessing immense strength but completely clueless about what she could do. Her heart was filled with regret, and she even contemplated suicide.

Later generations may not understand Dong Xi's mindset at that time.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, people inherited the concept of valuing righteousness over life from the Qin and Han periods. Compared with fame, life was simply not worth mentioning.

Liu Feng was the eldest son of a provincial governor, who had treated him with great kindness, yet Dong Xi had caused this nobleman to be so humiliated that he had to kneel on the ground. This was undoubtedly extremely shameful for Liu Feng, and for Dong Xi, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he repaid kindness with enmity.

Even if Dong Xi's mistake was unintentional, so what?
“Dong Zhuangshi is truly strong. I suppose Peng Yue and Ying Bu were no more than this during the Chu-Han Contention.”

Suddenly, Liu Feng's gentle and refined voice rang in Dong Xi's ears.

Dong Xi didn't have time to react, but he saw Liu Feng slowly get up, casually pat the dust off his knees, and praise him highly, saying, "Although Feng is young, he has some strength. Today, having met the brave warrior Dong, I know how powerful the warriors of the world are."

As he spoke, Liu Feng grasped Dong Xi's hand and began to ramble on, "Brave warrior Dong, you may not know, but my archery and horsemanship teacher is Taishi Ci of Qingzhou, my uncle is Zhao Yun of Changshan, and my personal generals are Xu Sheng of Langya and Pan Zhang of Dongjun. They are all brave and heroic, but they always consider my status and are unwilling to seriously compete with me."

"But now the world is in chaos and the Han dynasty is not flourishing. As a member of the Han imperial family and a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, I should have the heart to cleanse the world and revive the Han dynasty."

Liu Fengqi spoke with such sincerity and earnestness, as if he were a longtime friend confiding in someone, and his words unknowingly seeped into Dong Xi's heart.

"I am still young now, but there will be times when I will be fighting on the battlefield. They are all enemies and will not give me any leeway just because I am young."

At this point, Liu Feng looked at Dong Xi and said, "Brave Warrior Dong, what do you think?"

Looking at Liu Feng's handsome yet slightly immature face and listening to his somewhat naive question, Dong Xi was filled with excitement. He suddenly bowed deeply and spoke eloquently: "Young Master is a member of the Han imperial family, of such high honor and prestige. Even when fighting on the battlefield, you should be in charge of the central army, strategizing and issuing orders. I, Dong Xi, am willing to serve as your henchman, fighting on the battlefield, slaying generals and capturing flags."

“Young Master, Xi is a local hero, but he has always been oppressed by officials, the gentry regard me as a criminal, the powerful regard me as a sword, and the farmers regard me as a tiger and wolf. But Heaven and Earth should know that we also have the ambition to serve the Han Dynasty and to achieve great things. But we have the ambition but no one to recognize our talent. What can we do?”

"Now I am grateful that the young master has not abandoned me, has given me his clothes and food, and has not held Dong Xi's unintentional mistake against me, but has comforted me with kind words."

“I have nothing else but my life, which I wish to repay to the young master.”

"If the young master ever needs Xi's life, and Xi shows the slightest hesitation, may Heaven punish him!"

Liu Feng was deeply moved and quickly helped Dong Xi up: "Brave warrior Dong, why do this? I, Feng Su, respect your loyalty and righteousness and have never doubted you. You must make this solemn oath."

Dong Xi confessed his true feelings, saying, "Young Master, my courtesy name is Yuandai. You may address me by my courtesy name directly. Heaven and earth can bear witness to my words. It is not out of doubt, but because the young master's kindness is so great that I cannot fail to repay it."

Liu Feng suddenly realized, nodded repeatedly, and took Dong Xi's hand to help him up again: "In the Yuan Dynasty, I regarded you as my right arm. How could I doubt the person who is my right arm? You must not do this again in the future."

Dong Xi felt that although Liu Feng was young, he was well-mannered, knew how to conduct himself properly, and spoke gently and sincerely.

If the young master has such a demeanor, how can the governor's charm possibly captivate people?
Afterwards, Liu Feng chatted with Dong Xi for a long time and learned that Dong Xi was indeed not only well-versed in naval warfare but also proficient in mountain warfare, making him a true all-rounder.

Dong Xi also learned a lot of amazing news from Liu Feng and was shocked by the power Liu Feng possessed.

Afterwards, Liu Feng led Dong Xi to the courtyard where Bu Zhi and Wei Jing were.

Both Bu Zhi and Wei Jing were shocked to receive a personal invitation from their young master.

Bu Zhi remained calm and composed, while Wei Jing was much more agitated and almost couldn't speak properly.

After the incident with Jiao Jiao, Bu Zhi became more composed, while Wei Jing was deeply affected. Naturally, he overreacted to Liu Feng's sudden courteous treatment.

That evening, Liu Feng hosted a banquet to welcome Dong Xi, Bu Zhi, and Wei Jing.

Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, Qian Zhao, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, the Li brothers, and a host of other trusted followers from Guangling were all present.

At the banquet, Liu Feng also took out a letter from Liu Bei that had just arrived the day before, informing everyone that Liu Bei's western expedition had been a great success. Not only had it mediated the internal disputes in Yu Province, but it had also recommended that Zang Ba succeed as the Chancellor of Rencheng.

Seeing that Xuzhou Group was developing well and the situation was booming.

Veterans like Zhao Yun and Tian Yu were naturally quite pleased, while newcomers such as Taishi Ci, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Zhou Tai, and Jiang Qin were even more beaming with joy, appearing to be even happier than the elders.

Bu Zhi watched coldly from the sidelines, feeling that the Xuzhou army was full of vitality, like all things vying for growth and a hundred boats racing.

Dong Xi was valued by Liu Feng and had already considered himself part of the Xuzhou group.

As everyone discussed the situation in Jiangdong, Dong Xi rose from his seat and bowed, saying, "Young Master, gentlemen. Sun Bofu is a tiger in his bud. His father, Sun Wentai, has a great reputation in Jiangdong and is admired by powerful heroes and chivalrous figures. Many people in Jiangdong worship him. If Sun Ce establishes a foothold in Jiangdong, I fear that a large number of powerful heroes and chivalrous figures will flock to him, including many talented and brave warriors."

In fact, Dong Xi himself was somewhat tempted. If he had not been recruited by Prefect Liu of Xuzhou, he might have made the same choice after observing the situation.

"That is exactly as you said."

Liu Feng sighed, "Now that Sun Bofu has defeated Liu Yangzhou at Xiangcao River, the situation in Danyang is not optimistic. If we take this opportunity to advance westward, sweep through Danyang, and break through the Niuzhu defense line, we will immediately be connected with Yuan Shu's Jiujiang. At that time, we will be too powerful to control."

At this moment, Bu Zhi also stood up and left his seat, bowing to Liu Feng and saying, "Young Master, if Sun Ce advances westward, he will not amount to anything. What we in Xuzhou are worried about is that Sun Ce will not only not advance westward, but will also turn around and continue eastward. If that happens, things will be very troublesome."

Liu Feng's eyes lit up. In fact, what he said just now was not his true intention, but rather a test of Bu Zhi and Wei Jing's abilities.

Unexpectedly, Bu Zhi passed the test so easily.

Although Liu Yao suffered a crushing defeat at Xiangcao River, his real loss was only a thousand or so elite soldiers from Niuzhu. The other powerful clans' troops and Xue Lizhe Rong's troops were not his own, so their losses were negligible.

Moreover, Liu Yao still had tens of thousands of elite troops in Niuzhu, and Xue Li and Ze Rong each had 10,000 troops. In addition, the troops held by the powerful families in Danyang made the entire Danyang Prefecture still heavily armed.

If Sun Ce were to advance westward at this time, he would appear to be on the verge of a great victory, but in reality, he would be trapped in the predicament of attacking and capturing cities and strongholds.

These troops are all deployed in the cities north of Danyang. Even if Sun Ce had 60,000 or 70,000 men, it would still take a lot of effort to take them down.

With Sun Ce's current forces, he'd probably exhaust his elite troops by the time he'd reached halfway through the battle.

Therefore, Liu Feng actually hoped that Sun Ce would be blinded by ambition and head west directly.

Liu Feng, naturally playing the role of a jovial follower, asked, "What do you mean by that, sir?"

Bu Zhi confidently replied, "I came from Wu Commandery. Most of the counties I passed through were undefended, except for Wu County, which had a large number of soldiers and was now besieged by Wu Jing's army. The essence of Wu Commandery lies in the four counties of Wu, Lou, Piling, and Wuxi. If Sun Ce continues to reinforce the eastern front, once he takes Wu and Lou counties, he will have captured the essence of Wu Commandery."

"In this way, Sun Ce can rely on Wu Commandery to become a source of water and a mountain of soil, which will surely become a great threat."

As soon as Bu Zhi finished speaking, Liu Feng's expression changed drastically. He quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Bu Zhi, saying, "Fortunately, you have taught me, otherwise I would have made a grave mistake."

Bu Zhi quickly replied modestly, "I dare not accept such praise from you, young master. I have only gained some knowledge and dare not conceal it from you."

Liu Feng stepped forward and grasped Bu Zhi's hand, saying solemnly, "Sir, your insights are incisive and thought-provoking. With such profound wisdom, you should offer more advice in the future. My father is delighted to hear criticism and especially appreciates frank advice. Sir, you are exceptionally talented and insightful about the situation; you will surely be highly valued by my father."

Bu Zhi felt relieved. In fact, his suggestion was a test to see Liu Feng's character and attitude towards differing opinions.

Bu Zhi was truly surprised by Liu Feng's attitude, which was not only compliant but also highly praised.

Wei Jing, standing to the side, was quite envious. He had actually thought of these things as well, but seeing that Liu Feng's opinion was completely opposite to his own, he hesitated.

Seeing that Bu Zhi received such high praise from Liu Feng,
Wei Jing then spoke up, "Young Master, what Zishan said makes sense, but there's no need to worry too much."

"Oh?"

Liu Feng continued to hold Bu Zhi's hand, then turned his gaze to Wei Jing: "What can I do for you, sir?"

Wei Jing suppressed his inner joy, his expression slightly tense, and said, "Even if Sun Bofu can occupy Wu Commandery, he will still be in a dangerous place. To the south of Wu Commandery is Kuaiji, where Prefect Wang Lang is renowned and admired by the people of the commandery. He will surely fight to the death for him now. To the west, Prefect Liu of Danyang still has tens of thousands of troops, which cannot be easily humiliated. Most importantly, there is Guangling in my Xuzhou, which is located north of the Yangtze River."

“Sun Ce is surrounded on three sides, and his connection with General Zuo’s Jiangbei is only the Yangtze River. He could be cut off at any time. I fear that he will only be able to keep running around and will not be able to expand his territory.”

Liu Feng nodded. Wei Jing's eyesight was indeed excellent; he could see that his family coveted Yangzhou and also recognized Sun Ce's difficulties in Wu County.

However, compared to Bu Zhi, Wei Jing is undoubtedly far inferior in terms of character, virtue, talent, and ability.

Considering Wei Jing's character in history, Liu Feng concluded that this man was only capable of serving in a county or prefecture, suitable for minor tasks but not for major ones.

(End of this chapter)