My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 178 Liu Feng Offers a Plan
In fact, Xu Shao's statement about ceding the two prefectures north of the Yangtze River to each other was largely exaggerated.

At that time, Lujiang and Jiujiang were in Yuan Shu's hands.
The reason why it is considered a misrepresentation rather than a fabrication is also closely related to the special circumstances at the end of the Han Dynasty.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, although warlords in various regions were openly fighting each other for territory, they all liked to use the pretext of supporting the Han Dynasty.

This is not because the warlords miss the glory of our Han Dynasty, but because there are real benefits.

After all, the Han Dynasty spanned over four hundred years and two dynasties, and many powerful clans and common people within it held deep affection for the Han. Moreover, the unique political framework of the Han Dynasty, which used prefectures as kingdoms, made locals very resentful of outsiders, unless the outsider had been certified by the Han imperial court.

Despite Yuan Shu's military conquest of Jiujiang and Lujiang and his self-proclaimed title of Governor of Yangzhou, when Liu Yao, the official Governor of Yangzhou, arrived, Yuan Shu's first reaction was not to kill Liu Yao, but to treat him to a feast.

Is it because Yuan Shu is soft-hearted and honest?

Ma Ridi, the Han Dynasty's central court envoy who was imprisoned by Yuan Shu for three or four years and died of anger, has something to say.

Yuan Shu simply felt that Liu Yao's official title as Governor of Yangzhou was more useful and more acceptable to the gentry and powerful families of Yangzhou than his own appointment as Governor of Yangzhou.

However, Yuan Shu's plan to use a hen to lay eggs backfired, and Liu Yao was forced to retreat back to Jiangbei.

Therefore, if Liu Yao were truly willing to cede the two counties north of the Yangtze River, he would only need to help Liu Bei submit memorials to the governors of Lujiang and Jiujiang, which would significantly reduce the difficulty for Liu Bei in attacking these two counties.

This is a real and tangible benefit.

Liu Feng's eyes darted around beneath his drooping eyelids.

It has to be said that Xu Shao's condition was right up Liu Bei's alley.

For Xuzhou, the area north of the Yangtze River is clearly more important than the area east of it. Taking the entire north of the river would connect it with Pei State, and the overall strength and territory of Xuzhou would be far greater than the small Xuzhou of the past. More importantly, then, when it continued south to Jiangdong, there would be no longer any worries about its rear.

However, there is also a problem: how to deal with Liu Yao after receiving the benefits.

Because Liu Feng always believed that the best time to destroy Yuan Shu was when there was a drought the year after next.

Historically, it would have been a better time for Yuan Shu to declare himself emperor, but the problem is that the situation has changed drastically.

Yuan Shu declared himself emperor not because the time was right, but because of his territory and strength.

In the original timeline, Yuan Shu dared to declare himself emperor because Sun Ce swept through Jiangdong within two years, directly taking over the entire Yangzhou except for a portion of Yuzhang County.

At the same time, he also sent Wu Jing to occupy Guangling in Xuzhou, as well as part of Xiapi, basically dividing the territory with Lü Bu along the Huai River, and occupying all the cities in Xuzhou south of the Huai River.

He sent Shu Shao to occupy Pei State in Yu Province, and appointed Sun Xiang, Sun Ce's cousin, as the governor of Runan, thus controlling Runan. He assassinated Liu Chong, the King of Chen, and Luo Jun, occupied Chen State, and sent Yuan Huan to attack Liang State. In these commanderies and kingdoms, much of the territory fell into Yuan Shu's hands.

Lü Bu, who nominally controlled Xiapi, Donghai, Langya, Pengcheng, and Lu, was also an ally of Yuan Shu.

This means that Yuan Shu at the time possessed three provinces and ten counties, and with his ally Lü Bu, he felt that his influence extended to fifteen counties and kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu also negotiated peace with Liu Biao through Zhuge Xuan, and then sent Liu Yao to Yuzhang.

On the surface, Yuan Shu at that time could be said to have completely dominated the southeast and had no rivals left, allowing him to focus all his efforts on dealing with enemies in the Central Plains. His situation was extremely advantageous.

This is the real reason why Yuan Shu, in his folly, dared to declare himself emperor.

However, Yuan Shu still only controls the two commanderies of Jiujiang and Lujiang. Although he has some influence over Runan, he is still far from having complete control over it.

In Pei State, he shared a portion with Liu Bei, and the title of Prefect of Pei was also in Liu Bei's hands.

As for Jiangdong, although Sun Ce, who had just landed, had defeated Liu Yao in the Battle of Xiangcao River, he had only taken over a small part of Wu County so far.

Wu Jing is still engaged in fierce fighting outside Wu County, and has yet to breach the city walls.

With so little territory in his hands, how could you expect him to declare himself emperor?

Although Yuan Shu was ambitious but lacked talent, he wasn't completely mentally challenged. With such limited ability, his attempt to become emperor was practically suicide.

Therefore, Liu Feng concluded that Yuan Shu's attempt to become emperor would not happen again, and that the drought in Huainan the following year would be the best opportunity to attack and destroy Yuan Shu.

What Xuzhou needs to do now is to maintain the current balance, contain Sun Ce, and drag the current situation out for two years.

By then, the Xuzhou army will have completed its land reclamation and the newly recruited soldiers will have finished training, making it the perfect time for heroes to display their bravery and prowess.

Liu Feng's thoughts were racing, but silence fell over the main hall.

Chen Deng and the others lowered their heads, pondering whether Xu Shao's condition was appropriate.

After all, everyone knows that these two counties are still under Yuan Shu's control, and they are the two counties under Yuan Shu's most complete and longest-lasting rule.

"I am Lu Su from Guangling. I have met Lord Xu."

Suddenly, Lu Su stood up and said, "I have a question, and I hope that Lord Xu can answer it for me."

Xu Shao cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I wonder what doubts Mr. Lu has?"

Lu Su said solemnly, "Lord Xu previously mentioned that he wanted Xuzhou to assist Yangzhou. I am foolish and would like to ask Lord Xu, how does Guizhou want Xuzhou to assist it?"

Upon hearing Lu Su's words, Liu Bei and his son, Chen Deng, Liu Ye, and others all showed expressions of admiration.

Lu Su's words hit the nail on the head.

The saying goes, "you get what you pay for." Regardless of whether the compensation was appropriate or not, at least it was given, but the demands were too vague.

Helping Liu Yao destroy Yuan Shu and Sun Ce is called aiding Yangzhou.

It could help Liu Yao retain northern Danyang, which could also be considered aiding Yangzhou.

However, the effort put in by Xuzhou was completely different.

Xu Shao's expression changed slightly; he hadn't expected there to be so many troublesome people in Xuzhou.

I had heard of Chen Deng and Chen Yuanlong before, and I also knew that Chen Changwen was a rising star of the Chen family in Yingchuan. I had also witnessed Liu Ye's talent firsthand.

But who is this Lu Su?

And where did it come from?

Looking at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, and Dong Zhuo on the other side, how could there be so many talented and brave men from Xuzhou?

Xu Shao didn't want to answer Lu Su's question, but he couldn't refuse.

Liu Bei had already looked over and was clearly very concerned about the issue as well. How could he allow Xu Shao to make excuses, especially since Xu Shao couldn't find any reason to refuse?

Left with no other choice, Xu Shao could only bite the bullet and say, "The Xuzhou army is strong and powerful, and its advance is unstoppable. Our soldiers are far inferior. Sun Ce is the son of Sun Wentai, the fierce tiger of Jiangdong in the past. He has inherited his father's bravery and fierceness. Therefore, our state hopes that Lord Xuande can lend us a hand and eliminate Sun Bofu in one fell swoop, or at the very least drive him out of Jiangdong."

"My name is Beihai Yi."

Shi Yi stood up, bowed to Xu Shao, and then asked, "Lord Xu, are the manpower, weapons, and provisions for my Xuzhou army fighting in Jiangdong supplied by your side?"

Xu Shao and Teng Zhou were choked and felt extremely uncomfortable.

Xu Shao suddenly started coughing violently, partly because he was indeed feeling unwell, and partly because he wanted to use the opportunity to buy time.

Liu Bei ordered someone to bring Xu Shao fresh hot soup and asked with concern, "How are you, Mr. Zijiang? Perhaps we should stop here for today and I should send someone to invite Mr. Hua to examine you?"

Xu Shao raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Lord Liu's reputation for benevolence is truly well-deserved. However, this is just an old ailment of mine, it's nothing serious."

Liu Bei glanced at Xu Shao with concern, and seeing that the other party insisted, he could only sigh and say, "In that case, after the meeting today, you may rest at the guesthouse, and I will invite Master Hua Tuo to come to you to treat your illness."

Xu Shao felt a warmth in his heart and said gratefully, "Thank you very much, Magistrate Liu."

Liu Bei smiled broadly: "Lord Xu, there's no need for such politeness."

Xu Shao lowered his head to drink the hot soup, and after resting for a while, he looked up to answer Shi Yi's question: "My lord only has half of Danyang County now, and he really cannot afford the consumption of the Xuzhou army. I ask the people of Xuzhou to understand."

Chen Deng said, "If that's the case, then our Xuzhou army can't easily cross the river."

“Master Xu, the Art of War says: A country becomes poor because of its wars, and when wars are fought far away, the people become poor.”

Chen Deng spoke eloquently: "Xuzhou is already exhausted, how can it bear the burden of tens of thousands of troops stationed far away from the prefecture? In my opinion, our army should be stationed in Guangling, which can support Danyang across the river. If Sun Ce advances westward, our Guangling army can cross the river to provide support at any time. In this way, we can save food and ensure the safety of Liu Yangzhou." "What Yuanlong said makes a lot of sense."

After receiving a meaningful glance from Liu Feng, Mi Zhu also spoke up in support, saying, "Once Xuzhou has recuperated for two or three years, recovered its strength, and stockpiled provisions, it can lead twenty or thirty thousand elite troops south to Jiangdong to eliminate the threat to Liu Yangzhou."

Xu Shao and Teng Zhou could not hide their disappointment.

Xuzhou had no choice; it couldn't just let its own people starve to death while they crossed the river to fight for it.

Xu Shao, Liu Yao, and others had considered Jingzhou, but they still felt that it was far less reliable than Xuzhou.

First, Liu Biao's methods after entering Jingzhou were too ruthless, and he also had a history of instigating rebellions in Shu, so he seemed to have ill intentions. In contrast, Liu Bei not only had a reputation for benevolence, but also repeatedly helped the weak and supported the strong, earning him widespread praise.

Secondly, if Liu Biao wanted to support Danyang, he would have to get past Lujiang first, and the waterway was easily cut off by Yuan Shu, making it far less convenient than the Xuzhou army supporting Yangzhou.

Third, naturally, the Jingzhou army was not as capable as the Xuzhou army. Even if they wanted to curry favor with a powerful ally, they should at least choose the most capable one.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Xu Shao could only stand up and say to Liu Bei, "Sun Ce is a scoundrel, bloodthirsty by nature, just like Sun Wentai. Lu Kang, a famous scholar in Wu, was forced to his death by him. Now Sun Ce is running rampant in Wu County, and the scholars of Wu are suffering terribly, as if they are in deep water and fire. They urgently need Lord Liu to save them from this predicament."

Liu Bei looked troubled.

On the one hand, he wasn't stupid; his many strategists had thoroughly figured out Xu Shao's thoughts and provided the best solution.

That means providing support across the river. If Sun Ce were to bully them, the Xuzhou army could lend Liu Yao a hand.

But if they don't come to their doorstep, how can the Xuzhou army, which is currently short of money and food, take the initiative to attack across the river?

Moreover, the former relies on city defense, while the other is an active offensive, making them several times more difficult.
Surely Liu Yao and Xu Shao could compensate for the casualties of the Xuzhou army?

On the other hand, Liu Bei was indeed not very resistant to famous scholars, and the person he was asking for help from was Xu Shao, also known as Xu Zijiang.

Back then, I didn't even have the right to sit in on the Yingchuan Monthly Review.

At that time, I never dreamed that Xu Shao would be so humble towards me.

At this moment, Liu Feng suddenly straightened up and said to Liu Bei, "Father, I have come up with a plan."

The civil and military officials of Xuzhou were already used to Liu Feng speaking up.

Seeing this, Xu Shao and Teng Zhou exchanged surprised glances. They had already thought highly of Liu Feng, but they never expected that Liu Feng would actually have the power to make policy recommendations in the Xuzhou government.

Liu Bei glanced at Liu Feng slightly, nodded, and asked, "What are your thoughts, my son?"

Teng Zhou muttered under his breath, "What does a teenager know about matters of state? If Governor Liu spoils his son so much, what will become of him in the future?"

Xu Shao was also dissatisfied, but he slowly shook his head: "Let's hear what he has to say."

With Liu Bei's permission, Liu Feng said, "Now that Lord Zhengli has asked my father for help, it is both reasonable and morally right for us in Xuzhou to do so."

Liu Feng won the favor of Xu Shao and Teng Zhou with his first words.

Especially Teng Zhou, whose previous complaints vanished immediately, and whispered in praise: "Although Lord Xuande's son is not very old, his knowledge is already outstanding. No wonder Lord Xuande dotes on him so much."

Although Xu Shao was also pleased, he was not as optimistic as Teng Zhou.

Liu Feng was just a boy after all. Even if he agreed, he couldn't come up with a solution to the food problem, so it would all be for nothing.

Liu Bei is a hero; how could he disregard his own foundation and forcefully aid Yang based on a single sentence from his son? Besides, Liu Feng might be planning to praise him first and then criticize him; we'll have to wait and see what he says next.

Sure enough, Liu Feng immediately changed the subject: "But it is a fact that Xuzhou is short of food, and the surplus of food in Yangzhou is not enough to support the operation of our army."

"Therefore, the key point is food."

Liu Feng deliberately showed a little lack of confidence and continued, "I have heard that His Highness Prince Chen of Yuzhou and Prime Minister Luo have stabilized the hearts of the people in Chen, encouraged production, and gathered up the refugees, which has made the people of Chen submit to them, resulting in a bumper harvest and granaries full of grain."

"His Highness Prince Chen is a member of the imperial family. Why doesn't Prince Zijiang ask His Highness Prince Chen and Chancellor Luo for grain?"

Liu Feng began to calculate very seriously: "If we consider an army of 10,000 men, we would need 30,000 to 40,000 shi of grain per month. If we could borrow 100,000 shi of grain, we could launch a counterattack on the Qu'a Dantu line and perhaps relieve Prefect Xu's predicament."

When Liu Feng came up with this plan, everyone in the main hall was taken aback and began to discuss it in hushed tones.

The hall was instantly filled with a cacophony of voices.

Liu Feng's gaze swept across the hall below. Most people were nodding as they discussed, while a few were shaking their heads.

However, even those who shook their heads did not doubt Liu Feng's idea itself, but rather were not optimistic that Prince Chen, Liu Chong, would lend grain, especially such a large amount.

Liu Feng continued, offering another suggestion: "Furthermore, Duke Jingsheng of Jingzhou has been governing Jingzhou for five years, and it is said that he has the support of the people of Jingzhou, resulting in a full treasury. Jingzhou is a major grain-producing area, and if we can get Duke Jingsheng's assistance, Duke Zhengli's predicament can be easily resolved."

Xu Shao and Teng Zhou looked at each other in shock.

How exactly did Liu Xuande teach his children? How could Liu Feng have such great foresight?

Everyone present was only thinking about the relationship between Xu and Yang. Even if a wise person could see this, they would not dare to bring it up because of the interests of the state and county.

After all, Yangzhou was willing to grant Xuzhou the two counties north of the Yangtze River in the hope that Xuzhou could help solve the problem.

If Xuzhou brings in other people, wouldn't some of the benefits have to be shared with them?

But Liu Feng, at such a young age, was able to suppress his desire for personal gain; his magnanimity was astonishing.

Liu Bei let the people in the hall discuss it until the noise subsided a bit before asking, "Gentlemen, what do you think of my son's proposal?"

The term "my unworthy son" was not a genuine expression of humility, but rather a usage derived from Sima Xiangru's childhood nickname.

It embodies the parents' best wishes for their son, hoping that he can grow up healthy like Sima Xiangru and become someone with Sima Xiangru's talent.

When Liu Bei addressed Liu Feng as his "dog son," it was clear that he was extremely satisfied with him.

The problem that so many wise men in the hall could not solve, I, Liu Bei's son, offered two suggestions in one go.

I, Lao Liu, have a successor!

Upon hearing Liu Bei's question, Chen Deng spoke first: "Young Master, I believe that both of your strategies are excellent and should be implemented quickly. To be on the safe side, we can pursue both approaches simultaneously. Whichever side brings good news, it will break the current predicament."

Mi Zhu and the others all expressed their agreement.

The situation with Liu Biao in Jingzhou is relatively straightforward; Liu Biao's envoy has already arrived in Tancheng, and we will be receiving him shortly.

But who should be sent to Prince Liu Chong of Chen?

The most suitable person is naturally Xu Shao.

Firstly, he was most aware of the precarious situation in Yangzhou; secondly, he was a renowned scholar from Yuzhou, and his persuasive power over Prince Chen and Luo Jun was exceptionally strong; and thirdly, this was originally a matter concerning Yangzhou.

At this moment, Liu Feng whispered to Liu Bei, "Father, if Xu Gong and Mr. Teng have no objections, then we should wait until we meet the envoy from Jingzhou before deciding on the person to be sent to Chen."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei immediately felt that it made sense.

So Liu Bei said to Xu Shao, "Lord Xu, why don't we stop here for today? Please go back to the guesthouse and rest. I will ask Master Hua Tuo to come to the guesthouse to treat you later."

Xu Shao was helpless. He had done his best, but he had too few cards to play and couldn't influence Liu Bei's thoughts.

Moreover, Liu Bei's actions were already quite generous to him and Liu Yao, and he felt more grateful than helpless.

Xu Shao then got up to leave.

But then Liu Bei also rose, descended the steps, and came to Xu Shao's side. He grasped Xu Shao's hand and said, "Lord Xu is a renowned scholar of the land. In these times, rebellious ministers are rising up and separatist regimes are emerging. We need scholars like Lord Xu to uphold the Han Dynasty and defend righteousness. Please think of the world and take care of yourself. Master Hua Tuo is a famous doctor in Xuzhou, with superb medical skills and outstanding medical ethics. Lord Xu should follow Master Hua Tuo's advice, take good care of your health, and then you can help those in distress."

Liu Bei's words were sincere and heartfelt, and even Xu Shao, a man of great experience and knowledge, was moved by them.

Xu Shao immediately returned the courtesy, bowed and thanked him, saying, "Your Excellency did not consider me old and frail, first providing me with medicine, and then showing me great care and concern. I am deeply grateful."

Afterwards, Liu Bei personally helped Xu Shao out of the main hall.

(End of this chapter)