My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 173 Chen Deng Pays Homage to His Father
Chen Deng had no idea that he was excluded from this military expansion.

If it weren't for Chen Deng's request, even if Chen Deng had found out later, it would have been a minor matter, nothing serious.

Now that Chen Deng has spoken up, Liu Bei cannot afford to be careless. Otherwise, it could lead to his important confidant becoming disloyal, something Liu Bei absolutely does not want to see.

Even if the probability was only one percent, Liu Bei could not accept it.

Liu Bei made a quick decision, a smile on his face, and pulled Chen Deng to sit beside him: "Yuanlong, the reason I asked you to come back this time is because the situation has changed."

Chen Deng's expression turned serious; the situation that made Liu Bei say such a thing was clearly not to be underestimated.

Liu Bei continued, recounting the Battle of Guangling, Sun Ce's successful surprise attack on Dantu, his sweeping victory over Wu Commandery, the upheaval in Jiangdong, the envoys sent by Liu Yao and Liu Biao seeking an alliance, and his own rescue of Chen Yi in Yuzhou and his righteous release of Guo Gong, among other events.

Finally, he said, "Therefore, Guangling hopes to expand its army to 20,000; otherwise, they may only be able to defend themselves and will be unable to assist Liu Zhengli."

The sheer volume of information left Chen Deng somewhat bewildered. In Langya, he had only heard that the Xuzhou army had successfully recaptured Guangling, and that they had only used half of their forces, while the rest of their main force had gone to Yuzhou and fought a battle with Guo Gong, the governor of Yuzhou.

Even Guo Gong's memorial recommending Zang Ba to succeed as the Chancellor of Rencheng State, and Liu Bei's plan to arrange for Tian Yu and Qian Zhao to serve as Commandants of Lu State and Pei State respectively, were all things that Liu Bei had just mentioned.

"I see."

Chen Deng's eyes shone brightly, and he exclaimed, "Your Excellency is truly a hero of our time. Your rescue of Lu and your righteous release of Guo Gong are truly the way of a king."

Liu Bei's face flushed slightly. When he received Lu Xiang Chen Yi's plea for help, he hadn't really made up his mind. He only vaguely felt that this was a good opportunity. Besides, if it weren't for his capable son's efforts in capturing Guangling with a detachment, he might still be stuck outside Guangling, how could he have the spare strength to rescue Chen Yi?
But Chen Deng was unaware of all this. His praise came from the heart, and his eyes were filled with admiration. He truly believed that Liu Bei had a flawless strategy.

Liu Bei, feeling somewhat guilty, got back to the point: "Therefore, the pressure to expand the army this year is simply too great, so I haven't considered the Langya Army and the Langya County troops for the time being. I hope Yuanlong will understand on this matter."

Upon hearing this, Chen Deng immediately said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Why do you say such a thing, my lord? I am your subordinate, and it is my duty to share your burdens and solve your problems."

Liu Bei was rebuked by Chen Deng, but he didn't mind at all; on the contrary, he was quite happy.

Chen Deng pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, “My lord, the location of the Wushui River Valley is indeed extremely important. At present, Cao and Lü of Yanzhou are fighting for power and cannot spare any attention for us. However, we have the legacy of Tao Gong and the connections of Xuan Gao, so we have a chance to win it over.”

Although Zang Ba made his fortune in Xuzhou, he was actually a native of Yanzhou. Moreover, his hometown was Huaxian, the exit of the Wushui River Valley towards Langya County.

The Zang family had served as local officials in Hua County for generations. His father had been particularly kind to the people of Hua County. When he was imprisoned by the governor of Taishan Prefecture, many people in Hua County felt indignant on behalf of the Zang family and still feel indebted to them to this day.

When Tao Qian was in power, he also successfully captured Feiguo County and Hua County, and left behind a considerable pro-Xu faction.

As Chen Deng said, if they were to take action now, they would likely succeed easily and take it for themselves.

If we miss this crucial moment, once Cao Cao and Lü Bu have decided their victor, it will be much more difficult to take action, and we will also have to face pressure from Cao Cao and Yanzhou.

Chen Deng spoke eloquently, making promises: "My lord, I can raise enough food and weapons for two thousand men. I only ask that you give me two thousand additional troops in Langya. In return, I will offer Fei State and Hua County to you."

"Yuanlong, why bother?"

Liu Bei shook his head repeatedly: "You and I are ruler and subject, we are as close as brothers, why should we do this? Your request is for the sake of Xuzhou, how could I not know that?"

Many people suspect that Liu Bei was a cunning and treacherous person, but in fact he was very prone to getting carried away, and once he got carried away, he would become somewhat reckless.

The same principle applied to the flogging of the inspector, the meeting with the assassins at Pingyuan, the sheltering of Lü Bu, and the refusal of Liu Biao's offer of Jingzhou.

At this moment, Liu Bei was in high spirits and boasted, "Four thousand men is nothing. Why should Yuanlong bother to raise them? I agree to everything. When Yuanlong returns, he can gather the men. Some of the grain can be reserved from this year's summer and autumn harvests. As for the weapons and clothing, I will allocate them to you from the Tancheng Prefecture."

Chen Deng was overjoyed, but after his joy subsided, he still hesitated and offered a word of advice: "Your Excellency's care for me is deeply appreciated, but four thousand men is no small number..."

A force of four thousand is no small number; the food rations alone would require 120,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) per year.

This isn't a farmer who can reduce his food rations during the off-season.

On the contrary, soldiers eat more during wartime, and not only do they increase the number of meals, but they also increase their protein intake.

This only covers rations; there are also expenses for clothing, weaponry, and camps for four thousand people.

Taking clothing as an example, a soldier needs at least a cloth shirt (200 coins), trousers (500 coins), hemp shoes (30 coins), and hemp socks (10 coins). Including changes of clothes, he needs at least two sets.

Even so, such a set of clothes, even calculated at cost price, would cost a soldier 1,500 coins just for the clothing alone.

This doesn't even mention bedding and winter clothes, which are even more expensive.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was no cotton, so people had to rely on layers of cloth and silk. The wealthy would fill the spaces between the silk with silkworm silk floss and other silk fibers to keep warm, while the poor could only fill the spaces with straw.

A single quilt costs four hundred coins, and winter clothes cost six hundred coins.

If we also include the 600-coin Eastern Han Dynasty standard military sword and the 6,800-coin iron armor, these 4,000 soldiers would require approximately 40 million coins.

Even without armor, it would still cost twelve million coins.

The extravagance of maintaining an army is evident.

"No need to say anything more, this matter is settled."

But Liu Bei waved his hand and made the decision: "Yuanlong doesn't need to feel any pressure. If you can take Feiguo County and Hua County, then take them. If you can't, then there's no need to force it."

At this moment, Chen Deng could only express his gratitude to Liu Bei with great emotion.

Liu Bei pulled Chen Deng aside to discuss government affairs and then invited Chen Deng to stay for a meal at the prefectural government office. It wasn't until after dark that he let Chen Deng go home.

When Chen Deng arrived home, it was already 7 PM.

"Has Father rested yet?"

Chen Deng already knew about Chen Gui's arrival in Tancheng. Just now, he was in the prefectural government discussing with Liu Bei the matter of supporting Chen Gui to return to Xiang County and take charge of Pei State.

After arriving in Tancheng, Chen Gui went directly to the residence left by Chen Deng.
Therefore, when Chen Deng returned home, the first thing he asked about was his father's condition.

The servant hurriedly replied, "The master is not resting yet; he is waiting for you in his study."

Why didn't you say so earlier?

Chen Deng dismissed the servants and went straight to his study.

When Chen Deng arrived at the study, he found it brightly lit, and his father, Chen Gui, was standing at the door waving at him.

"Father!"

Chen Deng hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your son is unfilial and has troubled you to wait so long, Father. Please punish me."

"What wrong has my son done?"

Chen Gui smiled and helped Chen Deng up. He couldn't be more satisfied with his eldest son.

Chen Gui first chose Tao Qian, and not only was he recommended by Tao Qian to become the Chancellor of Pei State, but he also secured an opportunity for Chen Deng to demonstrate his abilities in land reclamation.

Chen Deng lived up to expectations, making a name for himself by successfully establishing military farms, which filled the granaries of Xuzhou and made him an important official in Xuzhou.

Before Tao Qian died, Chen Deng chose Liu Bei.

To be fair, Chen Gui not only supported Chen Deng's choice, but also agreed with it.

Because he also thought highly of Liu Bei.

Even with such optimism, no one expected Liu Bei to rise to power so quickly that the Chen family didn't even have time to increase their investment at the best opportunity.

Fortunately, no matter what, as long as Chen Deng is there, there will be original shares.

In the entire Xuzhou, apart from Tao Qian's two sons, only Chen Deng and Mi Zhu had original shares.

Seeing his son's robust appearance, Chen Gui smiled and asked, "Have you had a meal at Uncle Fang's?"

Chen Deng laughed heartily: "Fang Bo specially prepared fresh crucian carp for Deng. The chef's knife skills are superb. The sliced ​​fish is as thin as a cicada's wing. It is truly extremely delicious."

At this point, Chen Deng couldn't help but click his tongue, clearly savoring the delicious food.

The "Shanfu Jing" (a classic text on sashimi) divides fish suitable for sashimi into three grades: only crucian carp is listed as the first grade, while there are four or five types in each of the second and third grades.

Liu Bei specially prepared crucian carp for Chen Deng in advance, which can be described as meticulous.

Supported by Chen Deng, Chen Gui entered the study, and the father and son sat down facing each other. After taking their seats, Chen Gui put away his smile and said seriously, "The governor of the province relies on you very much and has the potential to rise to the rank of general or prime minister. You should be cautious and humble, and not be arrogant or conceited."

Chen Deng solemnly replied, "I will obey my father's command, and I will never forget it."

"Well, so good."

Chen Gui nodded in satisfaction, then asked about today's itinerary: "What did you talk about with Fang Bo when you returned today?"

Therefore, Chen Deng told his father everything about the conversation in the prefectural government, since these were not secrets.

Moreover, Chen Gui was already considered Liu Bei's subordinate at this time. If he, as the Chancellor of Pei, did not obey Liu Bei's orders, would he obey Guo Gong instead?

After listening, Chen Gui did not speak, but fell silent.

Seeing his father deep in thought, Chen Deng didn't dare to disturb him and waited silently by his side.

After a moment, Chen Gui opened his eyes: "It seems that Governor Fang intends to go south to Yangzhou."

Chen Deng was not surprised by his father's words at all. Instead, he nodded and said, "That's right. Liu Zhengli has only been in charge of Yangzhou for two years. He can only truly control half of Wu County and half of Danyang County. His request for help from Xuzhou is indeed a godsend."

Chen Gui nodded, then suddenly changed the subject, asking, "I've heard that the position of Prefect of Guangling is still vacant. I wonder if you have any plans to fill this one?"

Chen Gui realized that Liu Bei was about to head south to Yangzhou, and Guangling, as a forward base, was not only important but also a place to make contributions.

Chen Gui could see it, and Chen Deng could see it too. He shook his head and replied, "I asked Fang Bo, but he said it was not decided yet."

Chen Gui's expression was uncertain. After hesitating for a while, he tentatively asked, "If that's the case, is there any chance for my son to be transferred to the position of Prefect of Guangling?"

Chen Deng's expression changed, and he immediately straightened up.

But soon he realized that the person in front of him was his father, so his tense body relaxed slightly, and he swallowed back the reprimand that was about to come out.

Although Chen Deng didn't utter the curses, how could his series of actions escape the notice of Chen Gui on the other side?

Chen Gui smiled bitterly to himself. His son was good in every way, except that his upright personality was too stubborn. Fortunately, he followed Liu Bei. If it were a lord who was suspicious by nature, he probably would have had a hard time to tolerate him.

At this moment, Chen Deng's voice rang out: "Father, I have already recounted my conversation with Fang Bo. Just this afternoon, I presented my plan to seize the Wushui River Valley and pleaded with Fang Bo to allow the expansion of the army by four thousand. Fang Bo's mind is on Jiangdong at the moment, but he still agreed to my request and rejected my suggestion to raise half of the money and provisions himself, simply because he was worried that my burden would be too heavy."

"You treat me like a national hero, how can I not repay you with the same devotion?"

"I have just proposed a strategy, and I am fortunate to have received your approval and such great assistance. If I were to withdraw now, wouldn't that be abandoning the project halfway? Moreover, how could you not know the importance of Guangling? If I were to abandon my advice and shirk responsibility, how would you view me?"

Chen Deng bowed deeply to Chen Gui and said loudly, "Father, even if you blame me, I will never obey."

Despite being scolded by his son, Chen Gui remained calm and composed.

"Alright, get up. When did your father ever say he would blame you?"

Chen Gui said gently, "You were able to see things through to the end, prioritizing the task over the result. As your father, I am only happy and would never blame you."

"Father!"

Chen Deng looked up in surprise and saw the faint smile on Chen Gui's face. He immediately said with delight, "I was too excited just now and spoke harshly. I offended Father. Please punish me."

"Alright, you and my son, there's no need for this."

Chen Gui waved his hand, stroked his beard for a moment, and then asked, "Yuanlong, Guangling is located on the front line of the southward march to Jiangdong, and it is indeed a place to make achievements. It is a pity that you cannot go south because you have things to do. However, both of your uncles are in your hometown, and your great-uncle has the experience of serving as a high-ranking official. Do you think he can compete for this position?"

The "Chen Dengda" mentioned by Chen Gui naturally refers to Chen Qiu's son, Chen Yu.

After being recommended for his filial piety and integrity, he served as a consultant in the central government and later recommended by Yuan Shu to be the governor of Yangzhou. This was equivalent to a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), so his qualifications were not in question. More importantly, Chen Yu had previously served as the governor of Yangzhou and had some influence there, making him seem like a very suitable candidate. Even with Chen Deng's recommendation, it wouldn't give Liu Bei the impression of nepotism.

But Chen Deng shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this: "Father, don't you know what kind of person my father is?"

It's not that Chen Deng is unfilial or disrespectful to his uncle; it's just that Chen Yu is ambitious but lacks talent and ability, though he has a lot of ambition.

The Chen family, as a top aristocratic family in Xuzhou, was actually quite familiar with the Yuan family.

Historical records show that Chen Gui, Chen Yu, Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shu were all members of the royal family and had been friends since childhood.

Compared to Yuan Shao, the Chen brothers were closer to Yuan Shu; otherwise, Yuan Shu would not have recommended Chen Yu as the governor of Yangzhou.

It must be said that Yuan Shu did have some strategic vision. He recommended Chen Yu to be the governor of Yangzhou. On the one hand, he could use Chen Yu to control Yangzhou. On the other hand, he could also win over the Chen family of Xiapi, preparing for expansion into Xuzhou after establishing a foothold in Yangzhou.

Yuan Shu chose Chen Yu over the capable Chen Gui because he was worried that Chen Gui's abilities were too great and that Chen Yu would take over the position.

What he never expected was that Chen Yu was all talk and no action, with little ability but great ambition.

After witnessing Yuan Shu's defeat at Kuangting, his relentless pursuit by Cao Cao resulting in three consecutive losses, and his desperate escape of seven hundred li before finally losing his life, Chen Yu's mindset underwent a subtle change.

He not only refused Yuan Shu entry into Shouchun, but also sent troops to attack Yuan Shu, nearly capturing him alive.

Yuan Shu fled to Yinling, barely clinging to life. In desperation, he could only resort to delaying tactics to appease Chen Yu. He then rallied his defeated troops and joined forces with the Sun family army led by Sun Ben. They first defeated the Zhou brothers, then intimidated Chen Yu, who was so frightened that he abandoned the city and fled back to his hometown of Xiapi.

As a result, Yuan Shu originally wanted to win over the Chen family of Xiapi, but because of Chen Yu's brilliant move, the Chen and Yuan families completely turned against each other and even became mortal enemies.

It was precisely for this reason that the Chen family supported Chen Deng's choice of Liu Bei, displaying a firm belief in Liu Bei and a willingness to provide 100,000 infantry and cavalry for him.

From this perspective, Liu Bei's ability to take control of Xuzhou was truly thanks to Chen Yu, a mediocre talent with high aspirations but low abilities.

However, Chen Yu himself did not feel that he was incompetent; he was always ambitious and wanted to find opportunities.

First, he sent his beloved son Chen Wan to Chen Deng, hoping to use Chen Deng's connections to arrange a position for his own son. Now, he wants to use Chen Gui to obtain the position of prefect.

Chen Deng had always looked down on Chen Yu. The southward march to Jiangdong was clearly the most important task for Xuzhou in the next stage. How could he allow a good-for-nothing like Chen Yu to ruin his lord's important affairs?

Therefore, Chen Deng refused without hesitation: "The appointment to Guangling involves the strategy for conquering Jiangdong. My father is not capable enough to intervene rashly. If something goes wrong, it's not just a matter of him suffering the consequences, but what if it ruins your great cause of marching south to Jiangdong?"

Chen Gui knew his son was right. In fact, he didn't want to bring it up, but Chen Yu had long coveted the position of governor of Guangling.

It wasn't that Chen Gui and Chen Yu had long seen through Liu Bei and his son's plan to move south to Yangzhou, but rather that Chen Yu still longed for Yangzhou. Guangling was the closest place to Yangzhou, and it had just been recovered from Xuzhou. Even more coincidentally, it didn't yet have a proper governor.

This series of coincidences gave Chen Yu a considerable illusion, making him feel that this position was simply a gift from God.

In terms of ability, strategy, and character, Chen Gui was far superior to Chen Yu.

But Chen Gui couldn't let go of Chen Yu, after all, his uncle Chen Qiu treated Chen Gui like a son.

Compared to his own two sons, Chen Qiu provided more resources for cultivating Chen Gui.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Chen Gui was supported by Tao Qian to become the Chancellor of Pei State, and Chen Yu was supported by Yuan Shu to become the Governor of Yang Province.

These two seemingly similar things are actually worlds apart.

Chen Gui had already held the position of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) before this, and his resume was extremely impressive. He started his career as a recommended candidate for the civil service examination and served as the magistrate of Ju County, the capital of Beihai State.

Those with more than 10,000 households were called "Ling"; those with fewer than 10,000 households were called "Zhang".

A county magistrate receives 600 to 1,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), while a county head receives only 300 to 500 shi.

Zhao Yu, Wang Lang, Zang Hong, and Liu Yao were all recommended for their filial piety and integrity, and all came from prestigious families, but they could only serve as county magistrates, which put them at a lower level than Chen Gui.

Subsequently, Chen Gui also became the Chancellor of Jibei.

It is evident that Chen Gui's rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure) was obtained legitimately from the imperial court, and was not fabricated by Tao Qian. In contrast, Chen Yu would not have attained such a rank if he had not been selected by Yuan Shu.

Therefore, Tao Qian recommended Chen Gui in order to take over the state of Pei by leveraging Chen Gui's abilities and reputation.

Chen Yu was merely a tool erected by Yuan Shu to secure a position for himself.

Not to mention Chen Yu's subsequent lackluster performance.

Chen Gui had no troops or power in Pei State, yet he persisted until Cao Cao's army besieged the city before retreating to Xiapi.

Chen Yu, who commanded several thousand troops, fell for Yuan Shu's delaying tactic, which was truly incredibly foolish.

(End of this chapter)