My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 166 Finally Meeting Zhuge Liang
After considering it for a moment, Liu Feng felt that Dong Xi and Gan Ning had both performed exceptionally well today, and it was time to make a promise to them.

“Yuan Dynasty, Xingba, this time went north to see my father, Feng Yu suggested to my father to vigorously develop the navy.”

Liu Feng's first words greatly shocked Dong Xi and Gan Ning, who were then overjoyed.

In fact, throughout the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the warlords were all incompetent, which was reflected not only in their technical and tactical skills but also in their poor equipment.

Not only were armored vehicles scarce, but ships were too.

At this time, whether it was Yuan Shu's army represented by Sun Ce or Liu Yao's Yangzhou army, the majority of their main naval warships were small boats such as zouge and yachts, and the Mengchong was already an extremely rare main warship.

The reason why the Jingzhou army was able to defeat the Sun family army repeatedly in the future was that Jingzhou had a batch of large ships inherited from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

If it weren't for the reckless and daring actions of figures like Dong Xi, Ling Tong, Gan Ning, and Zhou Tai, Sun Quan would probably have had to wait until Huang Zu had become even worse before he could defeat Huang Zu.

The Xuzhou army was slightly better off, with a batch of ships that Tao Qian had brought to Xuzhou. Among these ships were more than a dozen large ships, the largest of which could even carry several hundred soldiers.

These were all legacies of the Eastern Han Dynasty, just like Jingzhou, only they happened to fall into the hands of Tao Qian.

Previously, Tao Qian was able to traverse the entire Yanzhou region and transport troops to the banks of the Yellow River, which was also done by sea transport; otherwise, the food supply would not have been able to keep up.

Therefore, expanding a navy actually requires far more funds and resources than expanding an army.

Gan Ning and Dong Xi were both aware of this, so they didn't have any major concerns.

Even Gan Ning, who brought more than ten warships of various sizes and more than four hundred retainers, only desired the position of a separate commander.

Dong Xi's target is also the commander of another division, but his backup plan hasn't arrived yet, so he's currently in a rather awkward position.

Before arriving, Dong Xi had already sold all his family property and then sent his relatives and confidants with the money to recruit local heroes.

However, he was worried that the opportunity would not be missed, so he came to Xuzhou earlier.

He hasn't received the necessary manpower yet, and he's unsure how many people he can gather, so he's really not confident.

Even so, he was still very happy to hear that Liu Feng wanted to greatly expand his navy.

Liu Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Xuzhou currently has a navy of one thousand men, which has been seriously insufficient for the past six months. I want to expand it to more than four thousand men. It is easy to find manpower and funds, but the problem of ships is something I can't solve."

Then, Liu Feng asked, "Did you know any shipbuilders or craftsmen during the Xingba and Yuan dynasties?"

Dong Xi and Gan Ning suddenly realized that Liu Feng wanted to build a ship.

However, Dong Xi and Gan Ning were somewhat helpless about this problem.

Gan Ning was from Yizhou and had only been in Jingzhou for a little over a year, so he really didn't know where to start.

The fact that he could bring over four hundred books and more than ten warships of various sizes is already a testament to his personal charisma and Su Fei's blatant leniency.

Gan Ning truly had no idea how to find shipbuilding craftsmen.

Dong Xi was, after all, from Jiangdong, and had a better understanding of the situation there.

He frowned and said, "Young Master, there are indeed some shipbuilding craftsmen in Kuaiji County, but the vast majority can only build small boats such as dinghies and yachts. If you want to build large ships, there are two places that can meet your needs."

"Oh!? The Yuan Dynasty can be discussed quickly."

Liu Feng's spirits immediately lifted, and he hurriedly urged the other party to speak quickly.

Even Gan Ning, who was standing to the side, was staring intently at Dong Xi, clearly quite concerned about this issue.

"One place is Wuhu County in Danyang Prefecture, and the other is Zongyang County in Lujiang Prefecture."

Dong Xi explained earnestly, "Both of these are shipbuilding bureaus established by the imperial court, but the former is much larger and is the only place in our great Han Dynasty capable of producing warships. Although Lujiang Zongyang is much inferior to Wuhu, it is still sufficient to produce warships."

After listening to Dong Xi's explanation, Liu Feng finally understood that the key to the navy was actually not far from him.

No wonder Sun Ce, despite his formidable military prowess, was unable to cross the Yangtze River, his forces completely blocked by the Niuzhu defense line. Clearly, he suffered a significant naval defeat. Even if he managed to sneak across the Yangtze, his supply lines could be cut off at any moment. Under such circumstances, launching an attack was indeed a difficult task for the Little Conqueror (Sun Ce).

This explains why, once Liu Yao broke through Niuzhu, his army collapsed and he never won against Sun Ce again.

After all, on a large river, you can take advantage of a large ship to bully a small ship, but when it comes to land battles, you really have to rely on your land warfare skills.

In this way, how could the allied forces of powerful clans possibly be a match for Sun's army?

Liu Feng rubbed his chin, realizing he needed to take this into account when negotiating with Liu Yao this time.

Shipyards are unlikely to get their hands on it, but master shipbuilders and the like will at least get a share of the profits.

With these talents in hand, where can't we create a new Wuhu?
The port I saw in Qu County before was really great. It's a world-class harbor, backed by mountains and facing the sea, with Duzhou Island providing shelter from the wind. It's a truly blessed place.

Thinking of this, Liu Feng happily took Dong Xi's hand and said gratefully, "Yuan Dai's words are worth a thousand pieces of gold, and I will record this merit for you."

Dong Xi was both surprised and delighted, and quickly declined, saying, "I am ignorant and foolish, how can I accept such a high praise from you, young master? I only hope to be able to help you, young master, and I dare not accumulate merit."

Afterwards, Liu Feng told Dong Xi and Gan Ning to rest first, and that they would go to visit Zhuge's fleet together after dawn.

Although Dong Xi and Gan Ning did not know why Liu Feng insisted on bringing them along, they could only obey since their young master had given the order.

The next day at dawn, Liu Feng, along with Dong Xi and Gan Ning, went to find Liu Xian and Zhuge Jin.

Xu Shao, being of high status and in poor health, naturally wouldn't go to Zhuge's fleet again. He simply asked Liu Xian to convey his concern as a courtesy.

If Xu Shao wasn't going, Teng Zhou naturally wouldn't go either.

Xun You deliberately stayed behind. Liu Xian and Zhuge Xuan were former colleagues, and Liu Xian remained loyal to Liu Biao to this day. Xun You was worried that this would affect the conversation between them.

Finally, only Liu Feng and Liu Xian, along with Dong Xi and Gan Ning, and led by Zhuge Jin, headed to the various ship fleets.

The Zhuge family's fleet consisted of eight ships. Apart from one large two-story ship, the others were small boats and yachts, usually carrying some unimportant luggage. Each ship was escorted by two clan soldiers and accompanied by two or three sailors.

These small boats suffered heavy losses; apart from a few who immediately retreated to the larger ships, almost all the other tribal soldiers and sailors perished.

Fortunately, the casualties on the large ship were not too great. Not long after the bandits launched their attack, Gan Ning arrived, followed by Dong Xi harassing them from the outside.

Until Liu Feng finally entered the fray, the bandits were unable to mount an effective offensive against Zhuge's large ship.

Zhuge Xuan was hit by a stray arrow, which was more unfortunate than anything else.

When Liu Feng, Liu Xian, and the others boarded the large ship, a seven-foot-tall boy was standing on the ship to greet them.

Upon seeing Liu Feng and Liu Xian, he immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply in gratitude: "Last night we encountered danger. My uncle was shot by an arrow in battle, and my mother and sisters were terrified. My brother, myself, and I were all filled with fear. Fortunately, you first sent brave warriors to our rescue, and then personally led the warships to defeat the enemy, which boosted the morale of my uncle and brother, and put my mother and sisters at ease. Although we are nobodies, we are determined to repay this life-saving grace. If you do not despise us, we will repay it together."

As soon as Liu Feng boarded the ship, his eyes were immediately drawn to this handsome and tall young man.

When Liu Feng heard the young man identify himself as Liang, he was stunned for a moment and almost blurted out a heartfelt remark.

Prime Minister, please take care.

At this moment, the prime minister was in his prime, with a light downy hair around his lips, but his eyes shone like stars, as if they contained boundless wisdom and confidence.

"You are also Yinyi's nephew?"

Liu Xian spoke first. Zhuge Liang spoke clearly and logically, with a graceful demeanor and extraordinary appearance. Liu Xian felt a good impression of him at first sight.

It can only be said that Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang are hardly like brothers; Zhuge Jin's appearance is far inferior to his younger brother's.

But then I realized that wasn't quite right.

After all, Zhuge Jun was far inferior to Zhuge Liang.

It can only be said that Zhuge Liang was like a phoenix flying out from a flock of cranes. Although cranes have an ethereal quality, they still cannot compare with phoenixes.

Upon hearing Liu Xian's question, Zhuge Liang respectfully replied, "In response to your question, sir, I am the second child in my family, and my given name is Liang."

Liu Xian showed an appreciative look and wanted to ask a few more questions, but he realized that this was not the place to talk.

At this moment, Liu Feng also snapped out of his reverie and gave a kind smile, saying, "Brother Zhuge, why do you say that? Sheyang Lake is under the jurisdiction of Guangling County, yet so many water bandits have emerged from it. This is also my father's responsibility. However, Guangling was practically independent before, resisting the prefecture. It was only recently recovered, and then the Left General invaded again. We were simply unable to be in two places at once." "But in any case, my father, as the governor, bears responsibility for the Zhuge family's peril this time."

Liu Feng took full responsibility, shifting the blame onto Liu Bei. While apologizing, he turned to Zhuge Jin and invited, "Why don't you and Envoy Liu travel north together and rest in Tancheng for a while?"

Zhuge Jin was stunned. Liu Feng taking responsibility was already beyond his expectations, but Liu Feng's request for them to go to Tancheng together was even more baffling.

On the other hand, Zhuge Liang's eyes flickered, as if he was thinking about something, and his starry eyes occasionally swept over Liu Feng.

Although Liu Feng had already made up his mind, he was still somewhat uneasy under Zhuge Liang's watchful eye.

This is not out of fear or unease, but out of reverence for the Marquis Wu from the original timeline.

Before Zhuge Jin could answer, Liu Feng turned to Liu Xian and said, "I heard that Lord Zhuge was injured last night. Shall we go and visit him first?"

Liu Xian naturally wouldn't refuse; his main purpose in coming here was to meet Zhuge Xuan, wasn't it?
Helpless, Zhuge Jin could only suppress his doubts and lead Liu Feng, Liu Xian and others to Zhuge Xuan's cabin.

Zhuge Xuan's cabin was located on the second floor, and upon entering, one was greeted by a strong smell of herbs.

Zhuge Xuan himself was leaning against the bed, wearing loose robes.

Upon seeing Liu Feng and Liu Xian, he intended to stand up and pay his respects.

Liu Feng quickly stepped forward and pressed the other person down: "Lord Zhuge, you are unwell, there is no need for such formalities."

Zhuge Xuan was quite grateful to Liu Feng, mainly because this time it was too dangerous.

The clan soldiers numbered only a few dozen, while the bandits besieging them numbered at least several hundred. Moreover, the Zhuge family was not skilled in naval warfare. If the bandits launched a fire attack, they would be helpless in the dark.

Even with Zhuge Liang's current abilities and wisdom, seeing this situation, he could only advise Zhuge Xuan to abandon all his wealth to attract the attention of the river bandits and ensure that the women could quickly get ashore and leave.

However, this ship full of wealth represents all of the Zhuge family's savings. If they could take this wealth to Jingzhou, they could acquire some property and avoid running out of resources.

If I really threw it away, I would truly be living under someone else's roof in Jingzhou.

At that time, even whether one could have enough to eat would depend on the whims of others, which was unacceptable to Zhuge Xuan.

But circumstances are beyond one's control, and wealth is ultimately just an external possession.

Seeing that their lives were in danger and there were women on board, Zhuge Jin strongly supported Zhuge Liang's suggestion, and Zhuge Xuan had no choice but to accept it in the end.

Just as the Zhuge family was about to abandon ship and go ashore, and was about to scatter copper coins and silk to attract the bandits, Liu Feng appeared like a hero, and the god-like Gan Ning was a shot in the arm, which directly boosted the morale of the Zhuge family, and they changed their strategy to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements.

Zhuge Xuan was quite embarrassed when he learned that the reinforcements were Liu Feng, the son of Liu Bei, the governor of Xu Province.

He had often spoken ill of Liu Bei, yet now he had been saved by Liu Bei's son. How could Zhuge Xuan bear this?

In fact, Zhuge Xuan did not dislike Liu Bei, but was using the tactics of the aristocratic class.

He was a trusted former official of Liu Biao, and he was determined to go to Jingzhou, where Liu Biao was located, even selling off his ancestral property.

In this situation, it was only natural for him to refuse Liu Bei's offer of service when Liu Bei, who came from a remote area, came to recruit him, in order to make a name for himself and Liu Biao.

As for Liu Bei, firstly, he came from a humble background, and secondly, he was a weak governor. He had little chance of gaining a foothold in Xuzhou, and it was impossible for him to turn against the local gentry.

Even if they offended him, given Liu Bei's reputation, he would most likely have to pretend to be magnanimous.

Why not?
Zhuge Xuan just didn't expect that he would make such a mess of things.

Liu Bei actually occupied Xuzhou so quickly, and even began to expand.

Zhuge Xuan had no choice but to accelerate his migration. He was well aware of the state of affairs and the immense power of a strong governor.

But Zhuge Xuan never expected that instead of Liu Bei's revenge, he was almost ambushed by river bandits.

"Young Master, Brother Shizong, please take a seat."

Zhuge Xuan was indeed embarrassed, but fortunately, Liu Feng comforted him with a few words, so he took advantage of his injuries to lie down in bed.

Liu Feng and Liu Xian took their seats one after another, while Gan Ning and Dong Xi stood behind Liu Feng as if they were two divine generals.

The Zhuge family members couldn't help but glance at Gan Ning. Last night, he moved through the area as if it were his own, and they heard that he even killed the bandit leader in battle. He was truly unstoppable.

Now that chaos has arrived, the status of warriors has risen sharply, but they are still bound by their previous understanding, and even the warriors themselves have not yet realized the improvement in their status.

However, insightful people have already recognized this problem. Whether it is Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Ce, or Liu Biao, they have all been making great efforts to enhance the status of military men.

Many people feel that Ju Yi died unjustly, but it was the chaos of the times that elevated Ju Yi's status. If it had been a decade or two earlier, someone like Ju Yi wouldn't have even been able to get ahead, let alone be wrongfully killed.

Therefore, Zhuge Xuan added, "Please take your seats, both of you brave warriors."

Unexpectedly, neither Dong Xi nor Gan Ning seemed to have heard these words and stood there on their own.

Zhuge Xuan was taken aback, then looked somewhat embarrassed.

Liu Feng, however, spoke calmly: "Since Lord Zhuge has asked you to sit down, Yuan Dai and Xing Ba, please take your seats."

"Yes, my lord."

Dong Xi and Gan Ning responded and sat down to the side.

Upon seeing this scene, the expressions of everyone present changed slightly, clearly not expecting Liu Feng to have such a great influence on the two fierce warriors, Dong Xi and Gan Ning.

This made them feel that their assessment of Liu Feng might have been flawed.

Even Liu Xian, who had been in contact with Liu Feng for quite some time, thought that Dong Xi and Gan Ning had come to join Liu Bei. But now it seems that Liu Feng even has the air of a lord.

Only Zhuge Liang glanced at Liu Feng, seemingly unintentionally, without saying a word.

"Lord Zhuge, Liu Zun's envoy has come to my Xuzhou to discuss an alliance."

After considering it for a moment, Liu Feng gently advised, "Lord Zhuge is a former official of Duke Jingsheng and also a native of Xuzhou. He should mediate this matter. Why not come back to Tancheng with us? You can recuperate from your injuries and also serve as an advisor to Duke Shizong. Why not?"

"This……"

Zhuge Xuan was stunned for a moment. He had already arrived in Guangling and was about to enter the Yangtze River and go upstream to Jingzhou. Now he had to turn back to Tancheng. He felt like he had traveled all this way for nothing.

But Liu Feng's words made a lot of sense, which made Zhuge Xuan hesitate.

Although Liu Xian didn't understand why Liu Feng would speak up for him, he was naturally happy to see it happen, so he chimed in, "Young Master Liu is right. Yin Yi, His Majesty is very sincere about this alliance. If you can lend me a hand, I will definitely report to His Majesty truthfully after we return, and give full account of Yin Yi's contributions."

Zhuge Xuan was now completely moved. He knew Liu Xian and knew that the other party was a gentleman who would never deceive him.

Then this is practically a gift delivered right to your lips.

Zhuge Xuan was also aware that at this time, Jingzhou had a large population but few officials, and many gentry from the Central Plains were fleeing to safer places.

The most likely destinations were Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Yizhou, and Jiaozhou.

Yangzhou is currently in chaos, with Yuan Shu and Liu Yao locked in a fierce struggle, and Sun Ce adding fuel to the fire. Clearly, it's not the best place to go.

Jiaozhou is located in a remote area with a harsh climate; if you go there, you might not be able to come back.

Yizhou is a good place, but the roads are blocked and there is war and banditry everywhere. I'm afraid people will die before they even get to Yizhou.

Therefore, the vast majority of aristocratic families who left their hometowns to escape the war went to Jingzhou.

Scholars who had fled to Jingzhou accounted for almost half of the total.

However, Jingzhou only had seven commanderies to begin with, and Nanyang Commandery was almost completely deserted, being on the front lines. The four commanderies in southern Jingzhou hardly obeyed Liu Biao's orders, even though he had been appointed Governor of Jingzhou and General Who Guards the South by the court in Chang'an three years prior, and had the power to establish his own government.

Therefore, Liu Biao's true power base was still Nan Commandery, Jiangxia Commandery, and half of Nanyang Commandery.

The most important reason why Zhuge Xuan rejected Liu Bei was that he felt Liu Bei would eventually step down.

(End of this chapter)