My father Liu Xuande

Article 182 Yu Shi Xu
The three major monopoly taxes of all dynasties were salt, iron, and alcohol.

The only exception is the Eastern Han Dynasty, which had a fragmented system. The only wine tax was recovered during the reign of Emperor He of Han, and it was almost abolished again later.

As things stand, the biggest problem in Xuzhou is the salt tax.

Because Pengcheng, the largest iron-forging center in Xuzhou, had already been demolished by Cao Cao for free, the vested interests of the city had vanished. Furthermore, the Mi family of Donghai fully supported Liu Bei and his son, and Guangling and Langya had both been conquered, so the resistance was minimal.

But we must not delay, because the longer we delay, the greater the resistance will become, and new interest groups will be born, grow stronger, and eventually become uncontrollable.

Liu Feng and Liu Bei had already discussed it. Yuan Shao would not be able to deal with Gongsun Zan until at least Jian'an 4, which is 199 AD.

Although Liu Feng has changed many aspects of reality, most of these changes are concentrated in the three prefectures of Xu, Yang, and Yu, and have had little impact on Hebei.

Therefore, before the fifth year of Jian'an, Xuzhou did not need to worry about pressure from Yuan Shao.

Cao Cao was a powerful and ruthless leader.

After he quells Lü Bu's rebellion, he will most likely change his development strategy. He may gradually encroach on Yu Province's territory, but he is more likely to expand into Henan and even Guanzhong.

People tend to pick on the weak, but Liu Bei is no longer a weakling.

Cao Cao would probably only make peace with Liu Bei, and would not become his enemy.

After all, Cao Cao's number one enemy had long been his top leader, Brother Benchu.

After discussing matters with Mi Zeng, Liu Feng returned to Tancheng the next day.

Judging by the days, Cheng Yu should have already arrived in Tancheng, and Yuan Shao's envoy Xin Ping should be arriving soon as well. He really managed to squeeze in this trip amidst his busy schedule.

Sure enough, when Liu Feng returned to Tancheng, Cheng Yu had already been there for three days. However, Liu Bei had arranged for him to stay at the guesthouse and did not receive him immediately.

Cheng Yu was quite unfazed by this, offering no complaints whatsoever, and simply stayed quietly in the guesthouse. Even Xu Shao, with whom he shared a room, was only visited once as a courtesy, and he never left the house again.

It has to be said that Cheng Yu is a truly intelligent person.

He and Jia Xu were undoubtedly the most sophisticated and self-serving people during the Three Kingdoms period.

However, Cheng Yu at least truly loved Cao Cao and regarded him as a wise ruler.

Jia Xu, however, could not find the wise ruler he envisioned, and spent his entire life merely moving between various lords.

After Liu Feng returned, he immediately went to see Liu Bei.

Liu Bei immediately summoned him.

"Feng'er, what conditions do you think I should offer Mengde?"

Liu Bei is in a great mood right now.

The direct descendants of the Cao family were someone I couldn't reach when I was young.

If it weren't for Lu Zhi's relationship with Gongsun Da Xiong, let alone the two from the Yuan family, even this member of the Cao family wouldn't have looked at him.

Although they later developed a very good relationship and felt that they were kindred spirits.

But without Lu Zhi and Gongsun Zan, how could Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, or Yuan Shu have given themselves a chance to befriend them?

It's a pity that Brother Gongsun wouldn't listen to advice and insisted on killing Liu Yu; I don't know what got into him.

Liu Feng laughed and said, "Father, please speak freely. Cao is a powerful figure in Yanzhou. Even if he holds a grudge, he will only grit his teeth and accept it at this moment."

Cao Cao was a man who acted impulsively when he was emotional, but was also extremely rational and cold-blooded when he was calm, almost like someone with schizophrenia.

Liu Feng always suspected that Cao Cao's exceptionally good treatment of Liu Bei in the original historical record was entirely a form of compensation, projecting a part of himself onto Liu Bei.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei immediately laughed and said, "Then it's not too much for me to ask for Shanyang Commandery, is it?"

Isn’t this too much?
That's going too far.

Liu Feng didn't know if Liu Bei was joking or serious, because Shanyang County was in a very special location. Rencheng Kingdom was almost entirely surrounded by Shanyang County. Only because of the existence of the South Four Lakes could Rencheng Kingdom and Xuzhou be connected by waterway.

However, if Xuzhou also takes over Shanyang County, the overall situation will be further strengthened, which will naturally be very beneficial to Xuzhou.

However, Liu Feng himself was strongly opposed to it because it was unrealistic.

Cao Cao was the governor of Yan Province.

With 77 out of 80 counties and towns in Yan Province having rebelled in one fell swoop, Cao Cao could only continue to serve as the governor of Yan Province if he was not only good at fighting, but also because he was loved by the people of Yan Province.

Therefore, Cao Cao's ability to fight was the only reason he could hold onto Yan Province.

Even when Zhang Miao offered his wife and children to fight Tao Qian to the death, it was because Tao Qian occupied the two commanderies of Taishan and Rencheng in Yanzhou.

Therefore, as long as Liu Bei dared to make this request, Cao Cao was willing to risk his life to fight Liu Bei to the death.

Liu Feng could only try to dissuade him, saying, "Rencheng Kingdom has probably already embarrassed him enough. If you dare to ask for Shanyang, then Cao Yanzhou will have no choice but to fight to the death with Xuzhou."

"Our bottom line is to preserve Rencheng. We would even give Rencheng back to Cao Yanzhou if he has enough leverage to entice us."

Liu Feng earnestly advised, "Father, our strategic focus is on Jiangdong. Xuzhou's foundation lies in Yangzhou. Only by unifying Xuzhou and Yangzhou can we secure our territory in retreat and support the Han Dynasty in advance. In fact, the two commanderies of Runan and Pei in Yuzhou are far more important than Rencheng. We took Rencheng to shield Pei and Peng, along with Lu. But if we fight Cao Cao to the death over Rencheng, that would be putting the cart before the horse."

Liu Bei's smile was somewhat awkward, as his son's words were exactly the same as those of Lu Su, Liu Ye, Xun You, and others.

Chen Deng, however, was strong-willed and believed that although Cao Cao was a powerful and ambitious man, Xuzhou's strength was already twice that of Cao Cao, and even if war broke out, Cao Cao would suffer more losses.

With Cao Cao's wisdom, he would not have made such a foolish decision.

After being doused with a bucket of cold water by his eldest son, Liu Bei also came to his senses: "In your opinion, if Rencheng is the bottom line, then what additional conditions can we propose?"

"The most important one is naturally Hulu County, which is a key point among the four southern lakes and the only lake port in Yanzhou."

Liu Feng held up his finger and said, "If you want more, consider Feiguo County and Hua County in the Two Mountains Valley."

Liu Bei urged, "Anything else?"

"Gone."

Liu Feng spread his hands: "Father, you should know Cao Yanzhou's personality better than I do. We should be content with securing these benefits. If we really anger Cao Yanzhou, things will get complicated."

Cao Cao was a man with a split personality. When he killed three wise men with one cannon shot, it wasn't that no one tried to persuade him, but he still couldn't control his son, Cao Cao.

At the Battle of Red Cliffs, a whole host of strategists, including Cheng Yu and Xun You, lined up to earnestly advise him to be wary of the southeast wind, but he only became more and more convinced that there would be no southeast wind in winter.

In the end, he even turned around and accused Fengxiao, while Cheng Yu, Xun You, and the others had to suppress their disgust and comfort him.

Therefore, Liu Feng dared not equate the other party with the wise and mighty Emperor Wu of Wei in the TV series.

Liu Bei clicked his tongue, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded.

The next day, Liu Bei summoned Cheng Yu, and Liu Feng still sat beside Liu Bei.

Liu Feng was also quite curious about this legendary founder of human flesh jerky.

When he saw the slender and tall Cheng Yu, he really wanted to ask him if the story about dried human flesh was true.

After all, the earliest record of the human candy incident comes from the "Wei Jin Shi Yu" (Anecdotes of the Wei and Jin Dynasties), which dates back to the Jin Dynasty, several decades after the incident. However, Pei Songzhi also cited the account in this book, indicating that it has some credibility.

Cheng Yu walked into the hall. His height of 1.9 meters was quite rare, even ordinary military generals could not reach this height.

After bowing respectfully, Cheng Yu said, "This humble subject pays his respects to Lord Liu."

"Please rise, Your Excellency."

Liu Bei, following proper etiquette, invited Cheng Yu to the table before asking, "Mengde and I are old acquaintances. It has been seven years since we parted ways. I wonder how Mengde's health is?"

Cheng Yu replied solemnly, "Thank you for your concern, Prefect Liu. My lord is in good health and has personally led the charge, repeatedly defeating the rebels within the state."

Liu Ye looked surprised and asked, "Oh, there are rebels in Guizhou? May I ask, Your Excellency, who are these rebels?"

Cheng Yu scoffed inwardly. Is this all there is to showing off?
Cheng Yu scoffed, “The rebels in the state are nothing but charlatans who steal fame and fortune; they are not worth mentioning.”

Liu Ye pressed on, saying, "Isn't your statement rather rash? I've heard that the traitors you speak of in the state are actually renowned scholars of Yanzhou, as well as prefects of various counties. If they are all traitors, then who is your esteemed lord?"

Cheng Yu glanced at Liu Ye and asked, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

Liu Ye cupped his hands in greeting and introduced himself: "I am Liu Ye, a descendant of the Han dynasty, and currently an official in Xuzhou." "Since you are an official in Xuzhou, you must be a learned man."

At this point, Cheng Yu paused deliberately, revealing a mocking expression, and continued, "Yang Xiong was once a renowned scholar, yet he knelt down and wrote poems for Wang Mang. What else could he be but a traitor?"

“My lord is the governor of Yanzhou. For years he has fought in the north and south, all for the sake of protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people.”

When Cheng Yu got excited, he stood up and said, "But Chen Gong, Zhang Miao and others, relying on their reputations, refused to submit to my authority and instigated rebellion for their own selfish interests. What are they if not traitors? Governor Liu is also a governor of a prefecture, in charge of Xuzhou. Can he tolerate famous scholars defying the law and instigating rebellion?"

Liu Ye was speechless for a moment. He couldn't very well say that Cao Cao's governorship was a private appointment and not actually appointed by the court.

After all, Liu Bei's position as governor of Xuzhou was also a private appointment.

If I were to say that, wouldn't I be embarrassing my own boss as well?

"I've heard that your lord has a terrible reputation in Yanzhou. How can he compare to my lord?"

This time, it was Lu Su who spoke. He said solemnly, "Your lord levies exorbitant taxes in Yanzhou, while my lord levies light taxes in Xuzhou; Your lord wages war incessantly in Yanzhou, while my lord allows the people to recuperate in Xuzhou; Your lord kills countless people in Yanzhou, while my lord saves countless lives in Xuzhou."

"If that's the case, how can your lord be compared to my lord?"

Liu Feng could only say, "As expected of you!"

To make flattery sound so righteous and convincing, you truly live up to your reputation as Lu Zijing.

Cheng Yu asked Lu Su, "May I ask your honorable name, sir?"

Lu Su replied politely, "I dare not accept such praise. I am Lu Su from Guangling."

Cheng Yu nodded, indicating his understanding: "Mr. Lu only knows one side of the story. Although my lord has been waging war for years, he is not warlike by nature; it is truly for the sake of the people of Yanzhou. My lord took office when Yanzhou was in dire straits, first defeating the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, then the Black Mountain bandits, and then repelling Yuan Shu of Nanyang. The former governor of Guizhou even annexed the Taishan and Rencheng counties of our province. He even wanted to penetrate into Jiyin and Shanyang, his deceitful intentions were completely undisguised. In such a critical moment of survival, if my lord had not raised an army to fight, how could Yanzhou have survived to this day?"

"Even in the two campaigns against Xuzhou, it was Tao Qian who first plotted against our state and then ruthlessly murdered my lord's family. How can you blame my lord?"

It must be said that Cheng Yu's explanation made some sense.

So far, Cao Cao has not actually engaged in any aggressive expansionist activities.

Taking Xuzhou should have been a brilliant move for Cao Cao to take off, but it turned into the fuse for the rebellion in Yanzhou. It can only be said that Cao Cao was too nervous in handling the Xuzhou issue.

Yes, it's because I feel guilty.

You probably won't believe it when I tell you.

Before fighting Tao Qian, Cao Cao not only felt that he was at a disadvantage, but also believed that his chances of winning were far less than Tao Qian's.

The most compelling evidence is that before the battle, he instructed his wives not to seek refuge with Yuan Shao, but to go to Chenliu and join Zhang Miao if he were to die in battle.

This clearly shows how much Cao Cao feared Tao Qian at the time.

At that time, Tao Qian was a behemoth who controlled five counties in Xuzhou, one county in Yuzhou, and two counties in Yanzhou.

Cao Cao, who was nominally the governor of Yan Province, actually only controlled Dong Commandery. What was even more frightening was that even this one Dong Commandery was not entirely under his control, as it was heavily influenced by Yuan Shao.

One obvious point is that after Cao Cao took over as governor of Yan Province, he immediately moved the province's capital to Juancheng.

This place is quite interesting; it is right next to the Yellow River, and Dongjun is on the opposite bank.

Moreover, the ownership of Juancheng was disputed at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The most widely accepted view is that he belonged to Jiyin Commandery, while another school of thought believes that he was transferred from Jiyin to Dong Commandery during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Regardless of which version is correct, it proves that Juancheng was the southernmost part of Dongjun.

This fully reveals Cao Cao's underlying insecurity and his desire to test the waters and gain control over other commanderies and kingdoms.

It's no wonder Cao Cao was prepared to die in battle when he was fighting against eight other commanderies with only one.

It was precisely for this reason that they defeated Tao Qian with unimaginable ease, not only driving him out of Yanzhou but also pursuing him all the way to Xuzhou.

Although he defeated Tao Qian, he was afraid of Tao Qian's counterattack, as he had always thought Tao Qian was extremely powerful.

It was this conflicted feeling that led him to make the decision to plunder Xuzhou.

To be fair, if Cao Cao were truly confident enough to conquer Xuzhou, he would never have acted so abnormally.

At this moment, Cao Cao was like a thief, unable to believe he had successfully broken into the vault. Overwhelmed with joy and fear, he only thought of making a quick fortune, not of actually possessing the vault.

When he finally decided to take possession of the vault, he discovered that he was already on the vault's blacklist and had no choice but to entrust the vault to Zang Ba for safekeeping.

Cheng Yu's explanation successfully silenced Lu Su, preventing him from continuing to criticize Cao Cao's brutality.

If we continue, who was Tao Qian, who actively invaded Yanzhou and seized Mount Tai and Rencheng, and who is Liu Bei, who now also occupies Rencheng?

Having received a signal from Liu Bei, Mi Zhu stepped forward and asked, "May I ask what brings you here, Your Excellency?"

Cheng Yu immediately knew when to stop, and bowed to Liu Bei, saying, "I have come here specifically to clear up the misunderstanding between the Yan and Xu families and to promote friendly relations. My lord, mindful of past friendship, does not wish to be an enemy of Lord Liu. Therefore, he is willing to make a concession, personally recommending Zang Ba to be the Chancellor of Rencheng, while Xu Province will provide Yan Province with 100,000 shi of grain. In this way, both sides can achieve stability between Yan and Xu Provinces."

Cheng Yu's candid offer touched Liu Bei somewhat, but this condition only barely met the bottom line agreed upon by the Xuzhou side, and it did not include the 100,000 shi of grain to aid Yanzhou.

Therefore, Chen Deng stood up and declined, saying, "Prefect Zang is now the Chancellor of Rencheng, why should we trouble Governor Cao of Yanzhou to speak again? Besides, Xuzhou does not have any surplus grain. In the past two years, there have been many refugees, and my lord has had to provide relief to the disaster victims. How could we possibly have any surplus grain?"

"We think Cao Yanzhou knows better than anyone else where these refugees came from."

Chen Deng sneered, "My lord is actually paying off a debt for your lord. In my opinion, since Governor Cao of Yanzhou is willing to recommend you, why not recommend the Prefect of Shanyang County on my lord's behalf?"

Cheng Yu's heart sank; as expected, Liu Bei's side was eyeing Shanyang County covetously.

With Cheng Yu's knowledge, he could naturally have seen this long ago, but this was a condition that Yanzhou could not accept, as it had far exceeded Yanzhou's bottom line.

However, since it's a negotiation, there's still more to discuss.

The two sides began a war of words, testing each other's limits.

Liu Bei sat in the main seat without saying a word.

When Liu Bei speaks, he must make a decisive statement; otherwise, he will be looked down upon at best, and suffer losses at worst.

Gradually, Liu Bei also began to understand something from what the other party was saying.

Just as his eldest son had predicted, Shanyang Commandery was Cao Cao's red line. The chancellor of Rencheng State was already the bottom line. If Cao Cao dared to touch any other commandery or state in Yanzhou, he would completely turn against him.

However, it can be inferred from Cheng Yu's words that ceding Hulu County is not out of the question.

Finally, both sides reached an agreement: Cao Cao would personally recommend Zang Ba as the Chancellor of Rencheng State, and at the same time cede the three cities of Hulu, Feixian, and Huaxian. Yan and Xu would form an alliance, and the two sides could exchange trade and would no longer be enemies.

In addition, Yingchuan Commandery in Yuzhou was recovered by Yanzhou, while the states of Chen and Liang remained unchanged.

From this perspective, it can be seen that Cao Cao's next phase of strategy should indeed focus on Sili and Guanzhong.

The states of Chen and Liang conveniently shielded the interior of Yanzhou, and with the additional cover of Yingchuan, even if Liu Bei captured Runan, the two sides wouldn't immediately lose their buffer zone.

From this perspective, Cao Cao was indeed very pragmatic.

Both Chen and Liang are like thorny fruits; although they look extremely delicious, they prick your mouth.

If there are no opponents, then it's fine to just take it by force.

With an opponent nearby, if you force your way in, you might just give them an easy advantage.

Cao Cao had already suffered a loss once in Xuzhou, and naturally did not want to fall into the same trap twice.

Overall, Xuzhou is quite satisfied with the agreement reached, while Yanzhou does not feel it has been taken advantage of.

Cao Cao gave Cheng Yu the quota of eight counties, but Cheng Yu only gave up three, which can be described as a great achievement.

However, Xuzhou also made a huge profit, because the three counties that Cheng Yu gave up were actually the three most important counties.

In particular, Hulu County was more important than the other seven counties combined. With Hulu County, Cao Cao could threaten the South Four Lakes and the surrounding waters, and there was a possibility of a counterattack.

By giving up Hulu County, they have indeed made it clear that they have adopted a yielding attitude.

(End of this chapter)