My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 222 Bankruptcy Version of Jiangdong

Dong Zhao was truly moved this time. He hadn't expected Liu Feng to remember his words so clearly.

These were the words and deeds he had spoken and done three years ago in Hebei, and Liu Feng had actually memorized them word for word. Even if they were specially prepared for this meeting, it was still far better than what Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had done.

"Having spent half my life wandering, I have never met a wise ruler. Today, after talking with Zisheng, I realize how precious it is to be recognized and appreciated."

Dong Zhao sighed, composed himself, and bowed deeply to Liu Feng at the banquet.

Liu Feng quickly helped the other man up, disregarding the surprise and doubt of the others in the hall. Holding Dong Zhao's hand, he promised, "Brother Gongren, the road ahead is long and arduous. I am willing to wait and see how you treat me."

"Time will tell... Good! Zhao is the same."

After speaking, Dong Zhao raised his wine cup with both hands and respectfully offered Liu Feng a drink, which Liu Feng gladly accepted.

After capturing Dong Zhao, Liu Feng was secretly overjoyed.

There are so many loyalists in my father's camp that the core base of die-hard supporters is not enough.

People like Xun You, Chen Deng, and the two Zhangs all had feelings for the Han Dynasty.

This requires people like Gao Shun and Zhou Tai to act as a check and balance.

However, Gao Shun and Zhou Tai were only military men, and among the scholars, there also needed to be someone to check and balance them.

Someone like Dong Zhao, who went so far as to personally write a letter to Xun Yu to debate the legitimacy of Cao Cao's conferment of the title of Duke, is someone Liu Feng should try to win over and recruit.

Unfortunately, Duan Wei was too far away, residing in Huayin County, separated from Zhang Ji's territory by Hongnong and Shancheng. Otherwise, Liu Feng would have been quite willing to contact Duan Wei and maintain some goodwill.

This is not only because Duan Wei was the cousin of Duan Jiong, one of the Three Bright Ones of Liangzhou who truly quelled the Western Qiang rebellion that had plagued the entire Eastern Han Dynasty for over a hundred years, but also because one of the three bottom lines of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Jia Xu's wife, children, and elderly parents, were with Duan Wei at this time.

As everyone knows, controlling Jia Xu's wife, children, and elderly parents is equivalent to controlling Jia Wenhe.

It's a real pity that the conditions didn't allow it.

If you calculate carefully, Jia Xu should have already arrived at Duan Wei's place by this time.

There are no detailed historical records, only that Emperor Xian suffered a major defeat at Hongnong and a large number of officials were captured alive by Li Jue.

Li Jue originally intended to bury these ministers alive, but Jia Xu dissuaded him. After that, there is a record of Jia Xu seeking refuge with his fellow townsman Duan Wei, but Duan Wei was wary of him.

"Little Lord……"

Dong Zhao opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Liu Feng.

“Brother Gongren, we are kindred spirits, just call me Zisheng.”

Liu Feng's words came from the heart. After all, he still needed Zhang Yang right now, and even if he poached Zhang Yang's talent, it wasn't the best time to expose it.

The most important thing right now is to welcome the emperor to Henan.

Dong Zhao's small eyes were full of smiles; he could see right through Liu Feng's thoughts.

Actually, the way he addressed him just now was partly a test, to see if Liu Feng would lose his composure.

Liu Feng's performance was outstanding, which gave him more confidence in his choice.

"Zisheng, go to Yewang tomorrow to pay a visit to Zhang Zhishu. Remember not to show weakness."

As soon as Dong Zhao switched sides, he began to plot for his new boss, Liu Bei, and his son.

“Zhang Zhishu is a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong. He is afraid of authority but not of virtue, and he cannot control his subordinates. In the past, Lü Bu was known for his martial prowess, but he was able to win over Zhang Zhishu and befriend him. This is the reason why.”

Many people know that Zhang Yang and Lü Bu had a good relationship. Even when Lü Bu was besieged by Cao Cao in Xiapi, Zhang Yang, despite not having the power to rescue Lü Bu, still mobilized troops to press the Yellow River to put pressure on Cao Cao.

This action even led to his death, ultimately costing him his life.

It has to be said that Zhang Yang was truly a good friend to Lü Bu.

Dong Zhao suddenly asked, "Zisheng, do you know why Zhang Yang and Lü Bu hit it off at first sight and became close friends?"

Liu Feng shook his head: "I really don't know, but I am indeed a little curious."

The friendship between Zhang Yang and Lü Bu is quite strange. Looking at historical records, it seems rather abrupt, and there are even contradictions between them.

In official history, Zhang Yang and Lü Bu were not actually old friends. Although they were both from Bingzhou, they had never had any close relationship.

Their first encounter was when Lü Bu was driven away by Yuan Shu and was crossing the Han River in Hanoi, intending to seek refuge with Yuan Shao in Hebei, but he fell into the hands of Zhang Yang.

At that time, Zhang Yang's subordinates all wanted to kill Lü Bu and take Lü Bu's head to Chang'an to exchange for a reward.

Zhang Yang was reportedly also tempted, but insisted on asking Lü Bu for advice. Lü Bu then actually offered Zhang Yang a plan, saying that living was more valuable than dying.

Sending a live Lü Bu to Chang'an would certainly be a much bigger reward than taking his head.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang actually thought that what Lü Bu said made sense, and he actually protected Lü Bu.

"Although Zhang Zhishu was the governor of Hanoi, his power base was never stable. His generals Yang Chou and Sui Gu had a large number of troops under their command and occupied the east and west respectively. Yang Chou was a local powerful family in Hanoi. His family had great influence in Heyang County and Zhi County, and his family had two thousand followers."

Dong Zhao continued to introduce Liu Feng: "Sui Gu is a remnant of the Black Mountain bandits. He was once as famous as Yu Du and Bai Rao. During the decisive battle in Dongjun, the Black Mountain bandits fell into Cao Cao's strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' and were defeated by Cao Yanzhou. Sui Gu fled to Hanoi and joined Zhang Yang. He also had more than two thousand old bandits under his command, making him a powerful force."

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng suddenly realized what was happening.

No wonder Zhang Yang was desperately trying to find a way to save Lü Bu's life; in fact, Zhang Yang was also creating an opportunity for himself to back down gracefully.

Zhang Yang's Hanoi army was essentially a small-scale coalition of powerful local warlords. Zhang Yang was merely the leader of the coalition, while the two largest strongholds under him were the local warlord Yang Chou and Sui Gu, a remnant of the Black Mountain bandits who had fled to Hanoi.

What's even more frightening is that neither of these two strongholds is much weaker than Zhang Yang.

In this situation, Zhang Yang was no longer a man of his word; he even had to be mindful of his subordinates' moods.

It's no wonder that Zhang Yang, a minor warlord in Hanoi who was clearly subordinate to Yuan Shao, had his men try to bribe Chang'an with Lü Bu's head.

It should be noted that Hanoi Commandery is right next to Wei Commandery, and the border between Hanoi Commandery and Wei Commandery is only twenty or thirty li away from Ye City.

Yuan Shao's influence could easily cover the entire Hanoi region.

However, the local strongman Yang Chou was located in the west, on the front line directly facing the Xiliang army. Out of self-preservation, Yang Chou did not want to offend the Xiliang army too much.

Although Sui Gu had joined Zhang Yang, he was, after all, a defeated general of the Yuan-Cao alliance, and he couldn't help but feel resentful. Making things difficult for Yuan Shao was a good option for him.

After all, at this time, Lü Bu was the benefactor of the Yuan family and a meritorious official who avenged Yuan Shao.

Then, a miraculous scene unfolded: Zhang Yang, an underling of the Yuan family's vassal state, unanimously requested that he send Lü Bu to Chang'an instead of Ye City.

Without Dong Zhao's explanation, Liu Feng would have only found it strange, but now he suddenly understood.

No wonder Zhang Yang, despite appearing genuinely interested, kept asking Lü Bu for his opinion. It's clear that even the most foolish Zhang Yang knew his subordinates were deliberately setting him up for trouble.

So, when Lü Bu offered a seemingly ridiculous way to back down, Zhang Yang immediately went along with it.

Immediately afterwards, Lü Bu miraculously escaped. Not only did he escape successfully, but he also managed to escape with his Red Hare horse and a group of close followers, heading north to Ye City to join Yuan Shao.

What's even more amazing is that, despite being on the run, Lü Bu became close friends with Zhang Yang. Even when he was being chased by Yuan Shao later, he still dared to seek refuge with Zhang Yang, who had previously wanted to tie him up and send him to Chang'an.

Zhang Yang's fear of power rather than gratitude was, in fact, a kind of helplessness.

His subordinate military leaders were not convinced of his authority, so he could only fear their power and not appreciate their kindness.

Liu Feng nodded to indicate that he understood, but then asked, "Brother Gongren, in that case, why don't I rest here in Huai County for a while, and wait for my second uncle to lead the army to Yewang before we go together?"

"No, no."

Dong Zhao smiled and shook his head, his double chin swaying wildly: "What I mean is that Zisheng can be a little more domineering, especially when facing Zhang Zhishu's generals."

Liu Feng seemed to realize something and tentatively asked, "Would it have been better if I had been rude to Yang Chou and Sui Gu, or even spoken ill of them?"

"Too much effort is not beautiful."

Dong Zhao shook his head and teased, "Is Zisheng perhaps too gentlemanly, or too arrogant and domineering?"

Liu Feng suddenly realized and laughed heartily, "I already know everything you have said, Brother Gongren."

Afterwards, Dong Zhao introduced Liu Feng to some information about the situation in Hanoi.

Yang Chou and Sui Gu were just the biggest factions; there were many local factions below them. The worst of these people were those who obeyed orders but not proclamations. The better ones would come to pay homage to Zhang Yang once a year during festivals.

After hearing all this, Liu Feng had only one thought.

This Hanoi is practically a bankrupt version of the Sun family of Jiangdong, except that Zhang Yang's abilities are far inferior to Sun Quan's.

No wonder his ship capsized so quickly later, and he died at the hands of his own generals.

That night, both host and guests enjoyed themselves. The following morning, the group set off from Huai County towards Yewang.

Ye Wang was also by the Qin River, and since Dong Zhao's forces were not many, they simply boarded a boat and continued northward by water to Ye Wang.

However, this meant that all the carriages and horses that Dong Zhao brought would have to remain in Huai County, and people would have to slowly drive them back to Yewang.

This reminded Liu Feng of something.

"Brother Gongren, if our state wishes to purchase warhorses, I wonder if Hanoi and Hedong can supply them?"

At that time, Youzhou, Liangzhou, and Bingzhou were the three major warhorse-producing areas in the Central Plains.

The warhorses produced in these three places were unparalleled in the Han Dynasty, both in quality and quantity.

Now that the trade channels in Liaodong have been opened, Liu Feng also wanted to try to open up the trade channels between Bing and Liang during his trip to Hanoi.

Hanoi can serve as a hub for horse trade routes to Bingzhou in the north, while Hedong, which is adjacent to it, is even more valuable. Not only does it produce horses locally, but it can also receive warhorses from Liangzhou and Bingzhou.

In these two places, warhorses are much cheaper than in the Central Plains, and because of the dispersed power, they are also much cheaper than in Liaodong.

In Liaodong, a horse costs 80,000 coins, and that's only for a first-class horse traded with sugar frosting. Here, it might only be worth 50,000 or 60,000 coins. If traded with sugar frosting or snow salt, the price could be even lower.

The only difficulty is that the goods are scattered, and it's not easy to receive enough in large quantities.

Upon hearing this topic, Dong Zhao's expression immediately turned somewhat cold. After pondering for a moment, he said, "This winter has been dry with no snow. If this continues, next year will definitely be another drought year."

After Dong Zhao mentioned it, Liu Feng also remembered that in the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), the entire Guanzhong region suffered a severe drought, and even the neighboring Henan region was affected, resulting in a serious reduction in grain production.

"If Hanoi also suffers a disaster next year, Xuzhou may be able to lend a helping hand if it has the resources."

Liu Feng sighed. In the end, he would have to suffer a loss himself and have Hanoi and Hedong exchange warhorses for grain.

The ships were much faster than the land route, and in just two or three days, Yewang City came into view.

Yewang is a historical city, a major town in the state of Han, one of the Seven Warring States, second only to its capital, and a vital transportation hub connecting Shangdang and Henan.

Later generations said: "After the fall of Yewang City, the road to and from Shangdang was cut off."

This shows how important the jungler is.

Although the capital of Hanoi County was in Huai County, Yewang was extremely important because of its location, high walls, and complete defensive facilities.

Therefore, Zhang Yang spends most of his time in Yewang and rarely goes to Huai County.

After landing, Zhang Yang was already waiting for him on the shore.

Zhang Yang was a typical Bingzhou warrior, with a strong and powerful physique, slightly bowed legs, but a solid foundation. His large hands were like palm-leaf fans, and he could shout loudly from a distance.

"Is the visitor Liu Zisheng? Where is Gongren?"

Upon hearing Zhang Yang's shout, Dong Zhao nimbly emerged from behind Liu Feng and bowed to Zhang Yang from afar, saying, "Reporting to the Lord, the one beside me is none other than Young Master Liu."

Originally, "公子" referred to the sons of feudal lords, but later it was extended to the sons of noble people. After the Han Dynasty, it was also used for a period of time to respectfully address the sons of the Three Dukes.

However, many families with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) would also be called "Young Master".

At this time, Liu Bei was already General Jianzhong, Governor of Xu Province, and Marquis of Guangling County. Liu Feng, this young master, was a well-deserved title.

"This humble servant, Feng, pays his respects to Lord Zhang."

As soon as they left the riverbank, Liu Feng bowed deeply to Zhang Yang, making Zhang Yang beam with joy.

"Young Master Liu, please rise."

Zhang Yang stepped forward to help him up, his large hands carefully pinching the boy in front of him, as if afraid of hurting him.

Zhang Yang was clearly flattered by Liu Feng's generous gift.

Strictly speaking, Zhang Yang was not simply a military man; he was also from a gentry family, a common practice in the frontier regions.

People like Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei, Xianyu Fu, and Yan Rou are all examples of this.

As a result, the gentry in the border regions were widely looked down upon by the gentry in the Central Plains and fell to the bottom of the gentry class.

Moreover, Zhang Yang grew up in a border region, so it's normal for him to like martial arts, and naturally he would look like a martial artist.

Regardless, the fact that Zhang Yang was able to enter the Bingzhou government as a martial arts officer at a young age, and then be valued by He Jin and sent to Bingzhou in Henan to recruit elite soldiers, shows that his family was quite powerful in the border region.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang's path as a regional military governor was quite bumpy. At the beginning, he was tricked by the Southern Xiongnu and was captured by the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, almost losing his life.

After defeating the army of General Geng Zhi, Zhang Yang regained his power and even gained the position of Governor of Hanoi. At this time, Zhang Yang had actually begun to have a split personality.

On the surface, he was Dong Zhuo's man, but in secret he was colluding with Yuan Shao of Hebei.

This was also the most comfortable period of Zhang Yang's life.

However, with the emperor's return to the east, the two major factions under Zhang Yang's command had serious disagreements and became increasingly hostile to each other, causing Zhang Yang a great deal of trouble.

He had hoped to help the king and mend the divisions within his ranks, but he was outnumbered and outmatched, and worried about being devoured by the White Wave bandits.

Unfortunately, who would have thought that Liu Bei, from so far away, also wanted to come to the emperor's aid? This delighted Zhang Yang.

After Liu Feng finished bowing respectfully, he said, "Your Excellency is a hero of the same generation as my father. If Your Excellency does not mind, you may call me by my name."

"Okay, okay."

Zhang Yang repeatedly praised the idea, then pretended to ponder for a moment before saying, "In that case, let us address each other as uncle and nephew."

Then, Zhang Yang introduced the generals behind him to Liu Feng.

The first one was Yang Chou, a local gentry and powerful clan in Hanoi, with two thousand followers, making him a formidable force.

Zhang Yang ultimately died at the hands of this man.

Yang Chou's current inclination is unclear, but historically he strongly favored Cao Cao.

When Lü Bu was besieged, Yang Chou advised Zhang Yang not to rescue Lü Bu, but Zhang Yang did not listen. So Yang Chou killed Zhang Yang and then wanted to lead the entire Hanoi Commandery to surrender to Cao Cao.

Liu Feng had already discussed it with Dong Zhao and did not intend to give Yang Chou, Sui Gu, and the others any face.

But as we all know, things don't always go as planned.

Yang Chou actually bowed deeply to Liu Feng.

"General Yang Chou greets Young Master Liu!"

Yang Chou was not tall, of medium height, and rather thin. He looked more like a scholar than a military general.

Indeed, this was the case. The Yang family was a powerful clan in Hanoi that was gradually becoming aristocratic, because the family had no Confucian tradition and no official background, so they could only serve as lackeys for the powerful aristocratic families.

In other words, the world is in chaos now, and those with strong armies and powerful horses have become arrogant and complacent.

Yang Chou had two thousand followers, which was the source of his confidence to swagger in front of Zhang Yang.

"Oh? So you are General Yang. I have long admired your name. I have a few words to say to you."

Liu Feng originally thought he would see a fierce general who was not to be trifled with, but he did not expect that Yang Chou would be very respectful to him.

Even so, Liu Feng would not easily change his established policy.

Yang Chou respectfully inquired, "May I ask how you, sir, will instruct me?"

Liu Feng snorted disdainfully and said to Zhang Yang, "I have heard that for a subject, virtue comes first, loyalty second, and talent third. It is clear that loyalty is above ability. Since you are a beloved general of the magistrate, you should prioritize loyalty and filial piety and serve your lord with loyalty."

Liu Feng's words were actually quite excessive. How could someone accuse another of not being loyal enough to the emperor on the first meeting? It was practically the same as pointing a finger at the other person and cursing them.

Zhang Yang was stunned, but secretly pleased. He felt that Liu Feng's words had hit the nail on the head and helped him vent his anger.

Zhang Yang was just a little worried about Yang Chou's reaction.

Regardless, Liu Feng was a guest, and he was even speaking up for him. Although it was impolite, Zhang Yang still appreciated the other party's kindness and didn't feel that Liu Feng was being nosy.

It is clear that Zhang Yang is a kind and honest person at heart.

The problem is, Zhang Yang can't control the people under his command either.

Yang Chou kindly accompanied him to greet Liu Feng, only to be lectured by the young man. It wouldn't be unreasonable for Yang Chou to turn hostile on the spot. What troubled Zhang Yang the most was that Yang Chou really wouldn't give him any face or allow him to endure this humiliation.

(End of this chapter)