My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 172 The Second Chen Returns to Tan
Liu Feng was well aware of this; he had been very magnanimous before, after all, the person in question was his idol.

What does a little fame matter? It's just a good opportunity for my idol to owe me a huge favor.

For the mere act of naming the child, Liu Feng gained the favor and indebtedness of Zhuge Liang; at least he felt he had made a huge profit.

If he wanted fame, Liu Feng had plenty of ways to achieve it; he wasn't lacking in that.

Therefore, he was very happy that his idol named the quill pen.

However, it seems that it will be quite difficult to do this favor now.

Helpless, Liu Feng could only reply to Zhuge Jin, "This pen has a very short lifespan, lasting only seven to ten days. However, it can write twenty to thirty characters each time it is filled with ink."

Later quill pens were able to write 100 to 120 English letters and 50 to 70 Chinese characters.

However, those Chinese characters were simplified characters, with far fewer strokes than the characters used in the Han Dynasty.

Although many simplified characters had already appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty, most formal classics still used seal script and clerical script.

Cursive script was limited to low-level documents, notices, and draft letters. As for regular script, although it had already appeared, it would take a full two hundred years to defeat clerical script and become the most mainstream script. Right now, it is still a junior.

With this in mind, Liu Feng reduced the number of characters written with a quill pen to one-third of the original level.

"Was this brush really so short-lived?"

Zhuge Liang's attention was once again drawn to the quill pen. In his view, even if it could only write twenty or thirty characters at a time, its efficiency was still far superior to that of the brush pen.

After all, a brush can only write three or four characters at most with one dip of ink, making the efficiency difference between the two methods more than five times.

However, calligraphy brushes have a much longer lifespan than quill brushes, but they are also more difficult to make and require proper maintenance, which is very troublesome.

All things considered, a quill pen is definitely more convenient.

Not only is it cheaper, but it also has a shorter lifespan. It is easy to use and can be replaced at any time. Compared to this, the calligraphy brush is truly outclassed.

After visiting the papermaking workshop, Liu Feng took Xun You and the other two to Liu'er Camp to see the orphans adopted in the name of Xuzhou Prefecture.

Xun You and the Zhuge brothers both seemed to be deep in thought, clearly moved and generating many ideas.

As the sun began to set, Liu Feng hosted a banquet for the three at the prefectural government, thus concluding the day's invitations.

Xun You didn't think much of it; this was an invitation Liu Bei had extended to him in a letter.

Today, when Liu Feng saw Xun You off, he asked him if he was interested in visiting Xiangben to see the military farms.

When Xun You expressed interest, Liu Feng said he would make arrangements as soon as possible.

Today's journey through Xuzhou has deeply moved Xun You.

If Xuzhou is a paradise on earth, then Xiangyang in Jingzhou is not bad at all, and is even more peaceful than Xuzhou.

After all, traces left by Cao Cao last autumn are still visible on the walls of Tancheng, indicating that the city had just experienced the flames of war.

Xiangyang, on the other hand, was like a peaceful city, far removed from the flames of war, and its tranquility was unlike that of a chaotic world.

However, Xun You felt that Xuzhou was more vibrant than Jingzhou.

Although Xiangyang was peaceful and stable, it inherited the decadent atmosphere of the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Although it appeared peaceful and prosperous, it was rife with corruption within, just like the old empire of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which slowly slid towards collapse.

Xuzhou, however, was quite different. Although it had suffered greatly and was marked by the flames of war, the people of Xuzhou, whether they were the prefects, the gentry, the common people, or the soldiers, all showed a positive and optimistic attitude.

Although Xun You couldn't articulate the exact differences between Xuzhou and Jingzhou, the sense of difference was very clear.

After today's observation, Xun You became increasingly curious about Xuzhou and truly considered staying.

After the Zhuge brothers returned home, they discussed their experiences during the day.

Liu Feng's actions undoubtedly confirmed the Zhuge brothers' earlier suspicions.

"Second brother, Young Master Liu does treat our family differently."

Zhuge Jin's expression was solemn, his brows furrowed slightly: "Master Xun is a direct descendant of the Xun family of Yingchuan, and a renowned scholar throughout the land. He even participated in the plot to assassinate Dong Zhuo in Chang'an, and was later recommended by the court to serve as a prefect of a region. What merit do you and my brother possess to be ranked alongside Master Xun?"

Zhuge Liang nodded in agreement, but his expression was much more relaxed than Zhuge Jin's: "Brother, no matter what, Young Master Liu has always been kind to our family. Previously, Prefect Liu had also recruited my uncle and recommended him to be the prefect, which shows how much he values ​​him. Our family has received a great deal of kindness from Prefect Liu and his son, and we should think of ways to repay them. We should not rashly doubt him."

Zhuge Jin was startled and looked apologetic: "What you say is very true, Second Brother. The Liu family has done a great favor for my family, and it was even a life-saving favor. I was indeed too suspicious."

Zhuge Liang comforted his elder brother, saying, "Brother, you are a young man who manages the household and bears a heavy burden. How can you not be careful in your actions?"

Zhuge Jin smiled slightly and nodded to his younger brother to show his gratitude.

In the following days, Chen Deng, Lu Su, and Chen Qun returned to Tancheng one after another, while envoys from Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Guo Gong also arrived in Tancheng in turn.

Yuan Shao's envoys were naturally Xin Ping and Guo Jia. They should have arrived long ago, but because Yuan Tan and Tian Kai had another large-scale battle in Qingzhou, they had to postpone their departure.

There are two routes from Jizhou to Xuzhou. One of them is to cross the Yellow River from Qingzhou, then go south through the Beihai Kingdom, walk through the valleys of the two rivers, follow the Yi River through Kaiyang, and finally reach Tancheng.

Another route is to cross the Yellow River from Cangting in Dongjun, then pass through Dongping State, then go down to the South Four Lakes in Rencheng, turn into the Yi River from the Si River, go upstream, and reach Tancheng.

Yuan Tan of Qingzhou was unable to leave due to his battle with Tian Kai, but the road to Yanzhou was also impassable. At this time, Cao Cao was locked in a fierce battle with Lü Bu, and the relationship between Yuan Shao, Lü Bu, and Zhang Miao was extremely hostile.

Xin Ping always preferred to protect himself and had no intention of risking his life.

This delay lasted for more than two months. In the end, it was only after Yuan Tan defeated Tian Kai that Xin Ping and others were able to come south from Qingzhou.

The envoy Cao Cao sent this time was Cheng Yu, a famous strategist from Yanzhou.

Guo Gong then invited his own chief administrator, Huang Jiu, who was also a renowned scholar from Liang. Huang Jiu had previously served as the magistrate of Guanjin, but later resigned and returned home. He had been recruited by Guo Gong and appointed as chief administrator.

At this moment, entrusted by Guo Gong, he was sent as an envoy to Xuzhou.

After arriving in Xuzhou, Chen Qun first sought an audience with Liu Bei.

"Is Chen Gong really coming to Tancheng?"

Liu Bei was so surprised he almost stood up, his face showing delight.

It turned out that Chen Qun's purpose in requesting an audience with Liu Bei was to inform him that his father, Chen Ji, was already on his way to Tancheng.

After Chen Ji relinquished his post in Pingyuan, he lived in seclusion between the states of Donghai and Xiapi for a period of time. Only after the situation in Yingchuan stabilized did he return to Yuzhou.

Later, when Liu Bei was recommended by Tao Qian to be the governor of Yu Province and stationed his troops in Xiaopei, Chen Ji recommended his son Chen Qun to Liu Bei. Overjoyed, Liu Bei appointed Chen Qun as his chief advisor.

To be fair, the Chen family did indeed value Liu Bei highly. Chen Qun was Chen Ji's eldest son and was to inherit the family business and bring glory to the family.

By arranging for Chen Qun to serve under Liu Bei, Chen Jin was essentially entrusting Chen Qun to Liu Bei.

Despite having the title of Governor of Yu Province and commanding five or six thousand men, Liu Bei did not live up to his reputation at that time.

But that title was nominal; Tao Qian himself submitted it, and it hadn't been officially recognized by the Han court. As for the troops, two-thirds of them were thanks to gifts from Tao Qian.

Despite being a down-on-his-luck warlord, Chen Ji was willing to send his son to serve him, which shows how sincere Chen Ji's appreciation for Liu Bei was.

Judging from Liu Feng's perspective, what Liu Bei could attract Chen Ji was probably only his benevolence and love for the people. Coincidentally, history also records Chen Ji as a renowned scholar who loved the people and was benevolent, which can be seen as corroborating each other.

Although Chen Ji could not be considered Liu Bei's former master, he was definitely a benefactor to Liu Bei, and the two got along extremely well.

When Liu Bei heard that Chen Ji was coming, he was naturally very happy.

"Okay, great!"

Liu Bei was somewhat excited, so he stood up and walked up to Chen Qun to ask, "Changwen, has Lord Chen made any arrangements for his journey? Nowadays, bandits are rampant and soldiers are running amok. It is imperative to ensure Lord Chen's safe arrival in Tancheng. I will personally go out of the city to welcome him."

Upon hearing that Liu Bei was going to personally come out of the city to welcome him, Chen Qun was deeply moved and kowtowed in gratitude, saying, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, my lord. I will certainly serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion to repay your kindness even in the slightest."

"The heart that writes long articles is well-known."

Liu Bei helped Chen Qun up, grasped his hand, and asked, "Lord Chen, have you come here with a purpose in acquiring prefectures or counties?"

Chen Qun quickly shook his head; he and his father, Chen Ji, had already exchanged opinions in their letters.

He had just been appointed governor of a prefecture, and had even skipped the rank of county magistrate, all thanks to Liu Bei's promotion. Normally, after a prefectural governor leaves office, he would be appointed as the magistrate of a large county.

The reason why Zhao Yu and Wang Lang were able to become prefects was because Li Jue and Guo Si lacked allies. After seeing Tao Qian take the initiative to pay tribute, they gave him special rewards, which also served to sow discord between Tao Qian and Guo Si.

Under normal circumstances, it is very difficult for a junior official to be promoted to prefect.

But Chen Qun did it, and he only served as the Prefectural Governor for less than half a year before becoming an Attendant in Xuzhou.

Strictly speaking, he was not a deputy prefect who was transferred to the position of prefect, but rather an official who was transferred to the position of prefect. At the same time, he was also from another state.

Even though Liu Bei's power in Xuzhou was growing, he also encountered a lot of resistance. Chen Qun was aware of these circumstances and was therefore very grateful to Liu Bei.

Hearing Liu Bei's words that he wanted to make arrangements for his father, Chen Qun quickly declined, saying, "I am deeply indebted to you, my lord, and my father is also honored. The reason I came to Xu this time is because Yingchuan has been ravaged by war again, and I have no choice but to find a quiet place to study the classics."

Liu Bei suddenly realized that Chen Ji had come here as a refugee.

What Liu Bei didn't know was that Chen Ji had also fled to Xuzhou in history, but it was none other than Cao Cao who scared him into running away.

Chen Ji was initially frightened by Cao Cao's ruthless methods of killing officials such as Tai Chong, Feng Shuo, and Hou Qi. Later, when he went to Hebei to appoint Yuan Shao as Grand Commandant, Yuan Shao refused the position because he felt that his rank was lower than Cao Cao's and instead offered the position to Chen Ji.

In the end, the matter was resolved when Cao Cao relinquished the position of Grand General to Yuan Shao and conceded the position of Minister of Works.

However, the cautious Chen Ji was worried that he had offended Cao Cao, so he abandoned his position as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and fled again.

When Chen Ji fled to Xuzhou, Liu Bei had already been betrayed by Lü Bu and taken to Xiaopei.

Later, Chen Ji and Chen Gui sabotaged the marriage alliance between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu, leading to Lü Bu's defeat and death.

When the two met again, it was at the White Gate Tower.

Historically, Liu Bei had no opportunity to repay Chen Ji, but now things are different.

Hearing that Chen Ji only wanted a quiet place to study the classics, Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, we can temporarily appoint Lord Chen as the Confucian scholar of Xuzhou. Lord Chen can reside in my prefecture so that I can listen to Lord Chen's teachings day and night."

Liu Bei had genuine feelings for Chen Ji, and therefore considered things very carefully.

Chen Qun bowed again in gratitude, agreeing to obey the governor's command.

Not long after Chen Qun returned to Tancheng, Chen Deng also returned.

After entering the city, he did not go to visit his father first, but went to the prefectural government to visit Liu Bei.

Upon seeing Chen Deng, Liu Bei was overjoyed.

He immediately went out to greet Chen Yuanlong and led him into the main hall.

After paying his respects to Liu Bei with great ceremony, Chen Deng began to give a serious report on the situation in the three counties of Langya.

Don't underestimate Chen Deng just because he was only the Prefect of Dongguan Commandery and the Military Governor of the three commanderies of Langya.

Mi Fang greatly admired Chen Deng and was undoubtedly Chen Deng's subordinate. Even if Chen Deng openly interfered in the affairs of Langya County, he would not have any objection.

Chen Qun is a low-key and cautious person, and Chen Deng is a fan of the Chen family.

That's right, the talented and proud Chen Yuanlong is a true fan of the Chen family.

Not only does he admire Chen Qun's grandfather, Chen Shi, but he also greatly admires Chen Qun's father, Chen Ji, and uncle, Chen Chen. He is also very warm and friendly towards Chen Qun, and they often exchange letters and have become friends.

Therefore, Chen Deng had effectively gained control of the military and political power of the original Langya prefecture.

Liu Bei had heard about this before, but he didn't care at all and trusted Chen Deng completely.

After Chen Deng finished reporting on the situation in Langya, he concluded that, overall, the grain harvest in Langya this year would be able to remain at the same level as last year.

Chen Deng's main focus at present is to reorganize the official ranks. He clearly defines rewards and punishments and emphasizes authority. In one fell swoop, he replaced one county magistrate, two county heads, four registrars, and thirty-seven other county-level officials, which revitalized the lax administration in the three prefectures of Langya.

At the same time, he actively trained elite troops. He used both kindness and force to successfully divide the local powerful armed forces in Langya, bringing them under his command and turning them into his own forces to strengthen and improve the Langya County army.

Chen Deng, Chen Qun, and Mi Fang had only been in office for a few months, yet they had already brought stability to the people of Langya, while also encouraging production and promoting agriculture and sericulture, demonstrating remarkable performance.

After listening, Liu Bei's face was full of satisfaction, and he praised Chen Deng and the other two very highly.

Then, Chen Deng straightened up and said loudly, "I have a request for your permission, Your Excellency."

“Yuanlong, if you have something to say, please speak freely.”

Liu Bei smiled and waved his hand: "Between you and me, ruler and subject, what can't we talk about?"

Chen Deng also laughed. There is no greater understanding between ruler and subject than this.

"My lord, please request a map of Langya."

Chen Deng's request was immediately fulfilled. Liu Bei and Chen Deng walked to a table, and Liu Bei personally took out a map of Langya County and opened it.

Chen Deng glanced around a few times and soon landed on a valley.

"Please take a look, my lord."

Chen Deng pointed to the valley and said, “My lord, this is the Wushui River Valley, which is sandwiched between Mengshan and Nishan. It is a key passage from Taishan County in Yanzhou to Langya.”

"When Tao Gong was in power, he controlled the two counties of Huayin and Mengguo in this valley."

At this point, Chen Deng's face showed resentment, and he continued, "However, when Cao Yanzhou entered Xu for the second time, he easily broke through this mountain road, bypassed Kaiyang, and went south to Tancheng."

Liu Bei was aware of this matter, nodded, and asked, "What does Yuanlong want?"

Chen Deng continued, "I humbly request Your Excellency to allow me to expand my army by four thousand men and write another letter to Xuan Gao to lend me a hand. With that, we should be able to easily reclaim the Wushui River Valley."

"This……"

Liu Bei frowned, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Chen Deng's Langya Army was indeed excluded from this military expansion.

If Chen Deng doesn't mention it, then naturally there's nothing to worry about.

But now Chen Deng has taken the initiative to request an expansion of the army, and the reasons he gave are very plausible. Even Liu Bei himself had previously considered this, but had to put it aside for the time being.

Now that Chen Deng has volunteered, Liu Bei cannot refuse him, either out of courtesy or reason. Otherwise, wouldn't he be disheartening to have such a loyal, capable, and trusted minister?
Seeing Liu Bei hesitate, Chen Deng, being astute as he was, quickly realized that perhaps something he was unaware of was influencing Liu Bei's decision. So, he tentatively asked, "My lord, is there something amiss?"

Liu Bei, realizing what was happening, smiled and reassured him, "Yuanlong's words make a lot of sense, and I wholeheartedly agree. However, the matter of expanding the army is still under discussion, and the reason I summoned you back is for this very reason."

At this point, Liu Bei paused, giving Chen Deng time to think and also to organize his thoughts before continuing, "In this expansion, Guangling needs to increase its army by at least 10,000 men, bringing the total number of Guangling troops to 20,000. Xuan Gao, Guo Rang, and Zi Jing are on the front line, surrounded by Yan and Pei, so I intend to expand their army to three schools of 6,000 men."

In this way, the two places combined would bring the total to 38,000 men. Adding the existing forces in Xuzhou, the total would be close to 70,000.

At this time, Chen Deng was unaware that Liu Bei was going to reduce the troops in Donghai and Xiapi counties, so he naturally included these two groups of troops in his calculations.

Upon realizing this, Chen Deng immediately understood Liu Bei's concerns.

It is not easy to maintain troops in Xuzhou, and this year is even more difficult.

Seeing the summer harvest stored away, Liu Bei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If we don't plan our military expansion carefully this year, we'll repeat the same mistakes starting at the beginning of next year.

However, Chen Deng did not intend to back down this time, because he felt that the location of the Wushui River Valley was too important. If Langya could control the Wushui River Valley, they would not be afraid of Yanzhou launching a surprise attack from there.

Increasing the total military strength of Langya was also for the purpose of better defending the north.

Therefore, Chen Deng took the initiative to suggest reducing the number of troops in Guangling.

"My lord, now that Guangling has been captured, the situation in the south is naturally very different. Guangling is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is protected by many cities and surrounded by lakes. Why is it necessary to station 20,000 troops? Twelve thousand will suffice if we take a look from the top."

Chen Deng's thinking wasn't entirely wrong. If it was purely for defense, 12,000 men in Guangling would be more than enough. As long as the main force from Xuzhou could arrive within a month, even 6,000 to 8,000 men in Guangling would be more than sufficient.

However, Chen Deng was unaware that both Liu Bei and Liu Feng wanted to seize the opportunity presented by Liu Yao's request for help to take over Jiangdong.

(End of this chapter)