My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 203 Zhang Miao's Reluctance
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was startled. Although he and Cao Cao had already divided up the spheres of influence in Yu Province, there was nothing he could do if Cao Cao went back on his word.

"That's why I wanted to use generous gifts to persuade Cao Yanzhou to let Zhang Chao go. In this way, as long as Cao Yanzhou agreed, it would be equivalent to reaffirming the alliance between Yanzhou and Xuzhou."

Liu Feng's first words contained an element of uncertainty: "I only hope that Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou, can remain calm enough. If a major battle breaks out in Xuzhou and Yanzhou at this time, the only ones who will benefit will be Yuan Shao and Sun Ce."

Liu Feng did not tell Liu Bei that he should worry about Cao Cao rather than Yuan Shao. Compared to Yuan Shao, who was trapped by Gongsun Zan, Cao Cao, now freed from the internal strife in Yan Province, was the most troublesome and difficult opponent.

In response, Liu Feng could only hope that Cao Cao would rationally expand westward, and that he would have to deal with the rest when a real conflict occurred.

After thinking it through, Liu Bei readily agreed, saying, "Good, if that's the case, then I will personally recommend Lü Bu to be the governor of Donglai."

Liu Feng nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered something and added, "We can't give him all of Donglai Commandery. It would be best to separate the lower half and establish a new commandery, with Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao as governors, to completely isolate Lü Bu from our Langya. We could even divide it into three parts and let Chen Gong also lead one commandery."

“Zhang Mengzhuo still has some principles. Most importantly, he is just a guard dog with no ambition. Letting Chen Gong lead a prefecture alone can also divide Lü Bu’s supporters.”

Liu Bei pondered for a moment, then immediately nodded: "Good, let's proceed in this manner."

"In that case, I'll visit Zhang Mengzhuo this afternoon."

Liu Feng laughed and said, "We've gone to so much trouble for him, it shouldn't be difficult to ask him for a favor, right?"

At this time, Gao Shun was still a colonel under Zhang Miao. Historically, it was Zhang Miao who went to Yuan Shu for help, but was killed by his personal guards on the way. From then on, Gao Shun was completely under Lü Bu's command.

Chen Gong later instigated Hao Meng to rebel, forcing Lü Bu to escape from the toilet. In the end, Gao Shun sent troops to help him quell the rebellion.

As soon as the rebellion was quelled, Lü Bu forgave Chen Gong and then took away Gao Shun's military power.

Liu Feng was extremely envious. Even if he couldn't get the Trapped Camp, if he got Gao Shun, would he be afraid of not being able to train a new Trapped Camp in the future?

Liu Feng was confident that Zhang Miao would not refuse him, but it was better to get things done sooner rather than later, lest things get complicated.

After reaching an agreement, Liu Feng took the initiative to go to the guesthouse to pay his respects to Zhang Miao.

Pan Zhang and Zhou Tai naturally had to accompany him as bodyguards, and Gan Ning, seeing this, was unwilling to be left out. That left only Taishi Ci, who had no choice but to act as a bodyguard for his disciple.

So the group headed to the guesthouse.

Zhang Miao had just gotten up. Yesterday, he had been depressed and drank too much, and ended up drunk until noon.

After washing up, while drinking a hangover soup, he suddenly heard that Liu Feng was requesting an audience, which immediately sobered him up by three points.

"Quickly, invite them in! No..."

Zhang Miao threw off the blanket, got out of bed, and put on his shoes, saying, "I should personally greet you."

Zhang Miao had just reached the courtyard gate when he saw Liu Feng walking over.

Upon seeing Zhang Miao from afar, Liu Feng stopped, bowed, and said, "This humble one, Liu Feng, greets Prefect Zhang."

Zhang Miao still held the position of Prefect of Chenliu, just like Liu Bei was the Prefect of Pingyuan. His position did not end with him losing Pingyuan.

"Nephew, why be so polite?"

Zhang Miao smiled broadly and stepped forward to help Liu Feng up: "Nephew, do you have a courtesy name yet?"

"My father bestowed upon me the courtesy name Zisheng."

"Okay, okay!"

Zhang Miao praised, "Sheng means to rise and ascend. The Book of Songs says: 'Like the constant moon, like the rising sun.' What a fine word, what a fine word!"

Liu Feng replied humbly, "Uncle, you flatter me."

Upon hearing Liu Feng's reply, Zhang Miao was delighted. After exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the guest hall.

Zhang Miao needed something from Xuzhou and had a good impression of the young, intelligent, and polite Liu Feng. Unfortunately, Zhang Miao didn't know that Liu Feng's presence had already saved his life; he would have been killed by his personal guards on his way to Shouchun.

“Uncle, I have come here on my father’s orders to see if you need anything. If you are not comfortable here, I can find you another place to stay.”

Liu Feng started the conversation, ostensibly to inquire about Zhang Miao's lodgings, but actually to hint that Zhang Miao had any requests.

Zhang Miao was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses.

After a moment's thought, he decided that was a good idea.

If one were to directly seek help from Liu Bei, one's request would indeed be quite difficult. Therefore, having Liu Feng act as an intermediary, allowing both sides to have room for maneuver, would certainly be a better choice.

"Alas, my dear nephew, you are unaware of this."

Zhang Miao sighed, and this was not a feigned expression; he was genuinely worried: "My brother is in charge of our clan and family, trapped in Yongqiu City. We are short of soldiers and food, and have no reinforcements. I am deeply troubled and filled with fear. I earnestly request that Governor Liu send troops to aid Yongqiu. I am willing to do everything in my power to repay this kindness!"

Liu Feng did not avoid Zhang Miao's gaze, but looked directly at him and said, "Uncle, if our state sends troops to Yongqiu, do you know the consequences?"

Zhang Miao was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a pained expression.

What other outcome could there be? Naturally, it would trigger the Battle of Yanzhou and Xuzhou.

Liu Feng continued, "Uncle, once a major war breaks out between Yan and Xu, and Yuan Shao of Hebei marches south with overwhelming force, how will you protect the family?"

Although Zhang Miao was in pain, he also admitted that Liu Feng was right.

Zhang Miao and Cao Cao were like brothers. Zhang Miao did not betray Cao Cao for personal gain, but because he feared that Cao Cao would follow Yuan Shao's orders and kill him.

So ultimately he was just a guard dog, without much ambition.

Such a person is both pathetic and laughable.

In the midst of chaos, and in Yanzhou, the center of the world, the idea of ​​enclosing territory and living in seclusion is utterly foolish and laughable.

However, if this matter can be resolved satisfactorily, Liu Feng has indeed found a place where Zhang Miao and his family can live in seclusion.

Zhang Miao thought Liu Bei wanted to persuade him to abandon Zhang Chao and his family and live a life of ignominy.

Zhang Miao wanted to rebuke the other party, but he was afraid of crushing this last hope with his own hands. He could only suppress the pain in his heart and ask for advice: "What you say is very true, my dear nephew. May I ask how you can teach me?"

Liu Feng replied, "In my humble opinion, perhaps we can negotiate."

"negotiation?"

Zhang Miao was stunned. Was this Liu Bei's delaying tactic, or had the other side not given up on him?

So he cautiously asked, "Nephew, could you please explain in detail?"

Liu Feng readily agreed and laid out his plan.

After hearing this, Zhang Miao felt a mixture of surprise, joy, worry, and anxiety.

"Would Meng... Mengde agree to such a proposal?"

Liu Feng couldn't guarantee it either, so he could only give a reassuring answer: "At least it's a way to solve the problem, it's never wrong to give it a try."

“Mengde was indeed short of food, otherwise he wouldn’t have taken such a big risk by disbanding his army to harvest the wheat outside Dingtao.”

Zhang Miao sighed. If Lü Bu had listened to Liu Feng back then... the difference between victory and defeat would have been just a hair's breadth.

But it's no use resenting Lü Bu now.

Liu Feng then replied, "Since Uncle agrees, I will ask Father to send an envoy to Juancheng as soon as possible to ask Governor Cao of Yanzhou to show leniency."

Zhang Miao nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Xuande."

"Uncle, these are some gifts I brought, nothing more than some frosting sugar and snow salt."

Liu Fengyou then presented a gift: "This frosting sugar can be dissolved in water and consumed directly; it is sweet and delicious and can also invigorate the spirit. As for the snow salt, it can be used when cooking; it has a fresh and delicious taste and does not have a bitter flavor."

"How does this make."

Zhang Miao wanted to decline, but Liu Feng respectfully placed the gift box next to Zhang Miao.

Zhang Miao exclaimed, "My dear nephew, you've put your heart into this."

He had also tasted Xuzhou frost sugar and snow salt, after all, he was one of the eight famous chefs in the world.

The word "cook" implies the ability to save lives with money.

Zhang Miao was one of the wealthiest men in Yanzhou, so he naturally had experience with things like frosting sugar and snow salt, and knew the preciousness and value of these two things.

Seeing that things were progressing well, Liu Feng revealed his true colors.

"I have a request that I am not sure if I should make."

Zhang Miao was somewhat surprised, but then secretly pleased, and immediately replied, "What is it you wish to ask, my dear nephew? Please speak freely."

Liu Feng lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I have always respected heroes. Yesterday's competition saw my uncle's Senior Captain stand out from the crowd with astonishing skills. I admire him greatly and wonder if my uncle would be willing to give him up. I will certainly make good use of him." "Senior Captain... you mean Gao Xiaofu?"

Zhang Miao realized what was going on. To be honest, Gao Shun was one of the most courageous warriors under his command. He was good at training and commanding troops, came from a noble family, and was a fellow townsman of Chenliu. All these factors combined made him quite trusted by Zhang Miao.

Otherwise, Gao Shun wouldn't have become a captain so early.

For Zhang Miao, the prefect, submitting a memorial to the commandant was already the limit of his power and an extraordinary matter.

Yesterday, Gao Shun had saved face for him, but now that Liu Feng had asked, Zhang Miao found it hard to refuse.

This is the advantage of being young. Liu Bei would never have dared to openly poach someone's talent, but Liu Feng was fine with it.

On the contrary, Zhang Miao found it difficult to refuse.

Zhang Miao hesitated, but Liu Feng was not in a hurry. He just looked at Zhang Miao and waited quietly for his reply.

Looking at Liu Feng's eager face, Zhang Miao sighed inwardly and made a decision: "Since my nephew admires your father so much, I am naturally happy to help you make this happen."

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Liu Feng immediately stood up, bowed deeply to Zhang Miao, his expression sincere and his eyes filled with gratitude.

Seeing Liu Feng's sincerity, Zhang Miao felt much better and added, "Leave this matter to me. I will summon Xiaofu later and explain it to him personally. You can rest assured, my dear nephew."

Clearly, Zhang Miao wanted to see this through to the end and do a good deed to the fullest extent.

Many things have different effects when said by different people.

Having his benefactor speak to Gao Shun directly is clearly much more effective than having Liu Feng speak to him.

Therefore, Zhang Miao was doing Liu Feng another favor, and Liu Feng naturally had to express his gratitude.

Liu Feng appreciated the favor; Zhang Miao's willingness to step in was naturally better than him doing it himself.

Liu Feng chatted with Zhang Miao for a while longer, offering him much comfort. Seeing that Zhang Miao looked unwell, Liu Feng advised him to rest more before leaving Zhang Miao's place.

At this time, only Lü Bu and Zhang Miao were in the guesthouse. Chen Gong had been invited by the famous scholars of Xuzhou to a gathering to discuss the classics.

Liu Feng, being quite polite, paid a visit to Lü Bu and learned that Lü Bu was still hungover.

So he asked about Zhang Liao's situation.

Upon hearing that Zhang Liao was still at the guesthouse, they paid him a visit.

Zhang Liao had already gotten up, washed up, and was practicing martial arts.

Upon hearing that Liu Feng had come to visit, he was immediately taken aback and quickly changed into his everyday clothes to greet him.

"We were unaware of your arrival, young master. We apologize for our failure to greet you properly."

Many people in later generations felt that Zhang Liao was arrogant and lacked emotional intelligence. He had a bad relationship with Li Dian and Yue Jin in Hefei, which almost affected the course of the battle.

However, there is a reason why this relationship is so antagonistic, and it is a reason that cannot be reversed by human effort.

The reason for the bad relationship between him and Le Jin is that their positions overlapped. They were similar in age, seniority and ability. However, one was a military officer on the frontier and the other was a military officer in the interior, so it was easy for them to become enemies.

Despite his short stature and wiry build, Yue Jin was more like a scholar than a warrior.

In reality, however, Le Jin was a master of the vanguard, and under Cao Cao, his job was to charge into battle and capture flags.

Le Jin rose from a minor official to a commander, earning numerous merits in every battle. In just a few years, he accumulated so many achievements that he became a captain, and his captaincy was even more impressive.

Chen Tongzhen means to be trapped in battle.

The fact that he used the signal to charge into battle shows how satisfied Cao Cao was with Yue Jin, and how impressive Yue Jin's record of being the first to charge into battle was.

Coincidentally, after Zhang Liao joined Cao Cao's forces, he was also tasked with capturing flags in battle. During the long-distance raid on White Wolf Mountain, the entire battle was saved almost entirely thanks to Zhang Liao's heroic efforts in capturing flags.

Zhang Liao deserves at least half the credit for the Battle of White Wolf Mountain, and it was because of this battle that he was able to enter the Temple of Martial Arts, becoming one of only two attendants in the entire Cao Wei Kingdom, or even the only one.

Because Deng Ai had such a close relationship with the Sima family, he would have definitely become a minister of Jin if he hadn't been abandoned by Sima Zhao and then falsely accused and killed.

While classifying him as belonging to Cao Wei is reasonable, it is not entirely logical.

Zhang Liao and Yue Jin were both generals who charged into battle, so they were obviously competitors. In addition, Yue Jin was a senior general, so it would be strange if they didn't get along.

As for Li Dian, that was an irreconcilable hatred.

Lü Bu once massacred Li Dian's clan in Yanzhou, killing two clan leaders. As Lü Bu's partner and top minister, it is impossible for Zhang Liao not to have participated in this.

Li Dian and the Li clan later followed Cao Cao in severely punishing Lü Bu's forces, killing Lü Bu's chief advisor and governor, and completely defeating Lü Bu's Bingzhou army.

In this situation, the fact that Zhang Liao and Li Dian could still work together without fighting shows that both sides had a great sense of the bigger picture.

Zhang Liao was a rare high-ranking official under Lü Bu. Whenever Lü Bu divided his troops, he would usually let Zhang Liao lead one of the armies.

As it turns out, Zhang Liao did indeed have such abilities, and emotional intelligence is an essential skill for a successful commander.

Lu Bu, who was practically invincible, is another matter. Moreover, the fact that he couldn't defeat Cao Cao, who had high emotional intelligence, can be seen as a testament to the importance of emotional intelligence.

Having not taken a close look yesterday, Liu Feng was surprised to find that Zhang Liao had a baby face and fair skin. Apart from his tall and robust physique, he did not look like a warrior from the borderlands at all.

Zhang Liao was actually from a prominent family in the north. He became a county official in his teens and was later taken in by Prefect Ding Yuan. After being recommended to General He Jin, he was entrusted with an important task: to recruit soldiers.

His official career can be described as smooth sailing, with his career steadily rising.

After Ding Yuan died, Zhang Liao became the second-in-command and major shareholder of the Bingzhou army, and was even willing to serve as Lü Bu's deputy, which shows that he was not only brave but also wise.

"General, you're too kind."

Taking advantage of the situation, Liu Feng grasped Zhang Liao's hand and said, "To be honest, General, the person who defeated you yesterday was my archery and horsemanship teacher."

"After returning, my teacher praised the general highly and wanted to get to know him better."

Liu Feng asked, "When will the general be free? I would like to host a banquet for the general."

Zhang Liao was somewhat surprised. Although he didn't understand why Liu Feng was so close to him, he keenly sensed that this might change the awkward situation of the Bingzhou army in Xuzhou.

Zhang Liao had long heard of the strict discipline of the Xuzhou army, but upon seeing it yesterday, he was still amazed.

In contrast, the Bingzhou army was lax in discipline and frequently engaged in looting. Along the way, they were repeatedly warned by the Xuzhou army that if anyone robbed civilians, Xuzhou would investigate to the end.

Whether for the benefit of the Bingzhou group or for his own personal benefit, befriending Liu Feng was clearly Zhang Liao's best option.

Zhang Liao, disregarding his lingering hangover, immediately nodded and said, "I am deeply grateful for your invitation, young master. As long as I am still safe and sound in the city, I will await your summons at any time."

Liu Feng was very pleased to hear this.

The two talked for a long time, and before parting, Liu Feng thoughtfully gave him a piece of frosting sugar as a gift.

After Liu Feng left, Zhang Liao felt that the other party was being a little too enthusiastic.

However, for Zhang Liao, who was staying in Xuzhou as a guest, it was a good thing that his host was hospitable. Moreover, Zhang Liao believed that he had nothing that Liu Feng could covet, so he was at ease.

Zhang Liao didn't notice, but Hao Meng, after witnessing this scene, quietly went to Lü Bu's place.

After a meal, Lu Bu, while drinking hangover soup, looked at Hao Meng with bleary eyes.

"Are you saying Wen Yuan is going to betray us?"

Lu Bu's face was full of disbelief. He and Zhang Liao had a life-or-death bond and had been working together for five or six years. They had their disagreements, but they had always been of one mind.

When Li Jue and Guo Si captured Chang'an and Lü Bu fled in panic, he only had a few dozen knights with him. It was only after Zhang Liao rallied the Bingzhou army and caught up with him that Lü Bu was able to rebuild his morale.

Zhang Liao didn't abandon Lü Bu back then, so why is he betraying him now?

Hao Meng, however, said with certainty, "I personally saw him chatting and laughing with Liu Feng, and they seemed very close. After Liu Feng left, he saw me standing to the side, and his expression changed drastically. If he wasn't guilty, he wouldn't have done that."

Lu Bu raised his head and stared at Hao Meng, making the latter feel a little guilty, and she lowered her head.

Lu Bu sneered inwardly. He knew Hao Meng's thoughts. This guy was one of the top three generals in the Bingzhou army. He had his own troops and was a powerful figure.

However, Hao Meng had always resented Zhang Liao for being above him and had long been dissatisfied with him, which made Lü Bu suspicious of his intentions.

"It's just proper social interaction. Zisheng is Xuande's eldest son and has already been working for a long time. Everyone in Xuzhou respects him greatly."

Suppressing his impatience, Lü Bu reassured Hao Meng, "Wen Yuan's friendship with him may not necessarily be a bad thing for us Bingzhou people."

(End of this chapter)