My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 223 News from Hedong
“Your teachings are absolutely correct. I will certainly use your words to encourage myself in the future.”

To the surprise of Liu Feng, Zhang Yang, and even Dong Zhao, Yang Chou actually swallowed his anger and not only did not turn against them, but even expressed his willingness to follow Liu Feng's teachings.

This left Zhang Yang, Liu Feng, and Dong Zhao stunned, wondering what Yang Chou was really up to.

In fact, Liu Feng had not expected that the deterrent power of 40,000 troops would be so great, and more importantly, that they would be able to mobilize 40,000 troops to cross the three provinces of Yu, Yan and Sili to reach Hanoi Commandery.

Yang Chou wasn't stupid. He dared to challenge Zhang Yang because Zhang Yang's elite troops numbered only about three thousand, while his Yang family alone had two thousand. Moreover, he was a native of Hanoi, so the local military leaders there were naturally closer to him.

Moreover, although Zhang Yang was strong and powerful, he was brave but lacked strategy, and had no reputation or achievements. How could he possibly intimidate these natives?

The relationship between the two sides was originally somewhat harmonious, but ever since Zhang Yang took in Sui Gu and his group of Black Mountain bandits, Yang Chou and other local factions and the Black Mountain bandits have naturally become enemies.

Zhang Yang's ability to balance things was lacking, and the addition of the Black Mountain bandit Sui Gu not only failed to make Zhang Yang stronger, but also naturally widened the rift between the three parties.

Historically, Yang Chou actively sought to curry favor with Cao Cao, wanting to offer him the entire Hanoi Commandery, but he was killed by Sui Gu, and the credit ultimately fell into the hands of Dong Zhao.

Because he had been defeated by Cao Cao, Sui Gu harbored deep hatred for Cao Cao and therefore actively sought to side with Yuan Shao.

How could a tiny city like Hanoi, torn apart into three factions, not be defeated?

Given that Liu Bei is currently powerful while Cao Cao is weak, it is not difficult to understand why Yang Chou would abandon Cao Cao and choose Liu Bei.

Therefore, even after being treated coldly by Liu Feng, Yang Chou did not take it to heart. On the contrary, he took the initiative to bring over a fine horse and said ingratiatingly, "Young Master Yan has come by waterway, and I suppose you may not have a horse to accompany you. Therefore, I have selected this fine steed to present to you for your use as a means of transportation."

Liu Feng couldn't understand why Yang Chou was acting this way for a moment, but instinctively felt that he couldn't embarrass Yang Chou any further, otherwise Zhang Yang might also feel something was wrong.

Therefore, Liu Feng's expression softened, and he patted the warhorse's neck, praising, "A fine horse."

Yang Chou's withered face immediately lit up, like a dried-up chrysanthemum: "I'm glad you like it, young master."

Liu Feng nodded to Yang Chou, which pleased the latter. He then turned to Zhang Yang and said, "I am only acknowledging your kindness, Uncle. In that case, I will accept your offer."

Zhang Yang laughed heartily: "It's a coincidence. I also prepared a fine horse for my nephew, but it's not as good as the one Wenmei found."

At this moment, another burly man behind Zhang Yang also laughed and said, "It is indeed a coincidence. Gu also prepared a fine horse for the young master. The young master cannot be biased and only accept General Yang's fine horse."

When the burly man spoke, a flash of hatred crossed Yang Chou's face, but it vanished instantly.

Just then, Zhang Yang introduced, "This is Sui Gu, a general of Hanoi, whose courtesy name is Bai Tu."

It turns out that this person was Sui Gu, who later avenged Zhang Yang by killing Yang Chou and even wanted to lead the entire Hanoi region to surrender to Yuan Shao.

It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover; Yang Chou's name contains the character for "ugly," and he really is quite ugly.

But this Sui Gu, whose courtesy name is White Rabbit, is as burly as a bear, which is a bit excessive.

Liu Feng nodded to Sui Gu: "General Sui, you are too kind. In that case, I will accept them all. I will give you some gifts later as a token of my appreciation. Please do not refuse, Uncle and the two generals."

Zhang Yang laughed heartily and readily agreed, while Yang Chou and Sui Gu also chimed in with a few words of thanks.

Suddenly, the atmosphere became harmonious.

Subsequently, under Zhang Yang's guidance, Liu Feng and the others followed him into Yewang County and moved into a large house specially prepared for Liu Feng.

That evening, Zhang Yang hosted a banquet for Liu Feng. Also in attendance were Zhang Yang's chief secretary Xue Hong and his personal general Miao Shang.

At the banquet that evening, Liu Feng took the opportunity to present gifts and also gave thanks to Yang Chou and Sui Gu.

This precious gift is naturally a useful and delicious frosting candy, comparable to gold and loved by everyone.

Upon tasting the frosting sugar for the first time, Zhang Yang, Yang Chou, and Sui Gu all had the same reaction for the first time in their lives, all showing expressions of disbelief.

There is such a delicious thing in the world, sweeter than honey, yet pure and flawless.

When Liu Feng mentioned offering a thank-you gift before, none of the three paid much attention. Only now did they realize how significant Liu Feng's gift was.

Yang Chou and Sui Gu sighed inwardly, thinking how generous the powerful Central Plains vassal state was.

Seeing the opportunity, Liu Feng pressed his advantage and proposed to trade horses with Zhang Yang.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Yang was subtly given a wink by Chief Clerk Xue Hong, who then noticed that Yang Chou and Sui Gu had been frequently visiting Liu Feng.

Zhang Yang was startled, realizing that these two guys were also tempted.

So Zhang Yang, determined, quickly said, "Nephew, the river region is a strategic pass, and it's not difficult to get horses. We will raise three hundred warhorses within the month to provide for you."

Liu Feng was overjoyed; calling him "uncle" was well-deserved.

Zhang Yang offered three hundred horses in one go, which were at least second-class horses, suitable for charging into battle.

How dare you call a third-rate horse a warhorse?
However, this number is not a big number for Zhang Yang, after all, Hanoi is a vital passage to Bingzhou and Hedong, and there is no shortage of horses.

Not to mention far away, there is a small horse market in Yewang City, which has no less than a hundred horses.

Moreover, Hanoi's grain harvest has been poor in the past two years, and Zhang Yang also feels that the thousands of warhorses he is raising are becoming somewhat strained. If he could sell a batch of them at a good price, that would be ideal.

Yang Chou ignored Zhang Yang's words and continued, "Young master, I am not talented, but I am willing to follow the lord and follow in his footsteps. I can also raise a hundred warhorses."

No sooner had Yang Chou finished speaking than Sui Gu burst into laughter: "Young master, I am not as eloquent as General Yang, but I, White Rabbit, can still offer you a hundred horses!"

Five hundred warhorses arrived at the meal, much to Liu Feng's delight.

But the thought of the price to pay makes my teeth ache.

If these people are willing to accept sugar frosting, that's fine; but if they want grain, then it's going to be a real pain.

The group then enthusiastically discussed the price and finally agreed that a first-class horse would cost 50,000 coins, a second-class horse 20,000 coins, and sugar, grain, and money would be divided equally.

However, grain prices in Hanoi are much higher than in Xuzhou. For example, millet in Xuzhou has already risen to 250 coins per shi (a unit of dry measure), while in Hanoi, the price was already as high as 350 coins last year, and it has long exceeded 500 coins this year.

Zhang Yang and others did not actually want money. Frost sugar held its value well, and grain prices were rising steadily, while money was depreciating day by day.

But Liu Feng wasn't willing to suffer a loss, so he insisted on negotiating a three-tenths price, which Zhang Yang and the others had no choice but to agree to.

In the end, everyone agreed on a transaction price of 500 coins per shi (a unit of dry measure) of millet.

Although food prices will be higher next year, we should not only look at the present, nor should we take all the benefits for granted.

Moreover, the warhorses we buy now can be used to train cavalry.

But the warhorses we buy next year will most likely be underweight. People aren't even getting enough to eat, so where would we find the fine feed to feed the warhorses?

These horses, once brought back to Xuzhou, would be useless if they weren't properly cared for. Some of them wouldn't even recover and would only be used as third-class packhorses.

That night, another joyous feast was held, and everyone returned home having a wonderful time.

On the way back, Liu Feng lured Jia Kui into the carriage.

At this moment, he was accompanied only by Jia Kui, Pan Zhang, and Zhou Tai.

Dong Fang followed Dong Zhao away. In those days, a parting might be a final farewell. The two brothers were able to meet again, and naturally they had endless things to say to each other.

How could Liu Feng be a villain? He simply let Dong Fang and Dong Zhao go back together and have a proper reunion.

"Liang Dao, what are your thoughts on today?"

Although Liu Feng was somewhat tired, he remained seated in the carriage to show respect to Jia Kui.

Jia Kui was a straightforward man. Don't be fooled by his status as a staunch supporter of Cao Wei into thinking he was slick and unreliable.

He was really not on the same page as the senior Dong Zhao and his son Jia Chong.

Historically, Jia Kui was incredibly audacious. In the nineteenth year of Jian'an (214 AD), Sun Quan captured Wan City and took Zhu Guang, the prefect of Lujiang, prisoner.

Could Cao Cao tolerate this?
They immediately decided to raise an army and march south to teach Sun Quan a lesson.

However, the weather had already entered the rainy season. In ancient times, marching during the rainy season was an ordeal that modern people cannot imagine, and it was also extremely easy for infectious diseases to spread.

The entire army developed a sense of resistance.

Who was Cao Cao? Could he tolerate these soldiers?

He never knew what it meant to treat soldiers well; to him, they were nothing more than tools to be wasted.

Cao Cao was certain that someone would come forward to offer advice, so he preemptively issued an order that anyone who dared to offer advice would be executed immediately. Upon seeing this order, everyone else shrank back.

Only Jia Kui dared to directly and frankly advise Cao Cao to cease hostilities and wait for the opportune moment.

Cao Cao's blade was feared even by his own family.

This incident provides a glimpse into Jia Kui's audacity.

If it were the veteran Dong Zhao or his son Jia Chong, let alone offering advice, they probably wouldn't even be within a hundred meters of Cao Cao.

Jia Kui genuinely believed that Cao Cao was the hope of the world, which is why he supported the Cao family so much.

Unfortunately, he truly misjudged the person and misplaced his trust in his lord.

When faced with Liu Feng's question, Jia Kui simply uttered four words with disdain: "Clinging to petty people."

"oh!?"

Liu Feng became interested and pressed on, "Why does Liang Dao think so?"

Although Jia Kui was somewhat surprised that Liu Feng would ask such a question, he still answered honestly: "Young Master, Yang Chou and Sui Gu are nothing more than intimidated by the strength and power of my Xuzhou army. They think that with a few thousand men they can carve out a territory, which is truly laughable."

"I see."

Liu Feng suddenly realized that he and Dong Zhao might have overcomplicated the matter. Perhaps Yang Chou and Sui Gu were genuinely afraid, intimidated by the might of the Guandong loyalist army, which was why they were kneeling and currying favor with him.

If you put it that way, this whole series of events makes perfect sense.

"I see, hahahahaha!"

Liu Feng laughed loudly and then put the matter aside.

In the days that followed, Zhang Yang repeatedly invited Liu Feng to banquets, but Liu Feng's focus was on arranging carriages and horses.

Once we reached Hanoi, the advantage of traveling entirely by water was gone.

According to Liu Feng's plan, the goods would enter the Yellow River from the Ji River, travel upstream, reach the Yan River, and finally be unloaded in Yuanxiang County. They would then travel by land out of Jiguan Pass and proceed northwest along the Wangwu Mountains, eventually reaching the east bank of the Yellow River.

This is also the route taken by Zhang Yang to transport grain to Hedong in history, and by the emperor to Hedong at the end.

This road is the easiest to travel, it is passable by carriages and horses, and there are no detours, so it is naturally the best choice.

Previously, Liu Bei had written to Zhang Yang earnestly requesting that he prepare more carriages and horses, and Zhang Yang had indeed done so diligently.

Liu Feng then tried his best to raise more carts and horses, and at the same time mobilized them to Yuanxiang County to prepare to receive the grain supplies.

Seven days later, the Kwantung Army, loyal to the emperor, began to arrive in Hanoi.

Following the instructions in the letter sent back by Liu Feng, the Guandong Loyalist Army, with a force of 2,000 men from one division, was stationed in Yuanxiang County, the grain and logistics center. This was the lifeline of the army and could not be lost.

In addition, the army will land in Ha Duong County, Hanoi, which is Yang Chou's old stronghold.

That place is closest to Jiguan Pass, and historically, Emperor Xian of Han crossed the river from here to Luoyang.

From this point on, the Xuzhou Navy was divided into two parts: one continued to transport provisions, while the other transported supplies to the Guandong loyalist army on the Yellow River.

It will take about ten days in total for the troops to arrive at Jiguan, and food supplies will begin to be transported normally.

In early January, Zhang Yang's army of 3,000 men was added to the army that came to the aid of the emperor from the Guandong region.

At this time, the Guandong Loyalist Army comprised 16,000 men from Xuzhou (minus one colonel, who was transferred to Yuanxiang County), including Guan Yu, Taishi Ci, Pan Zhang, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun; 3,000 men from Yuzhou under Guo Gong; 5,000 men from Yanzhou under Cao Cao; and 3,000 men from Henan under Zhang Yang, totaling 27,000 men.

Six thousand naval troops were deployed to maintain a stable logistical supply line.

At this time, the momentum of the Kwantung Loyalist Army surged.

Guo Tu led 5,000 troops and hesitated to advance 30 miles outside Ye City.

He did indeed want to welcome the emperor, but Yuan Shao was determined not to recognize Emperor Xian, so Guo Tu could only give up in frustration and watch Liu Feng raise an army and swear an oath in the neighboring Hanoi.

Starting in January, the army mobilized again, with Pan Zhang's troops as the vanguard. The entire army began to leave Jiguan Pass and travel northwest along Wangwu Mountain, preparing to detour through Wenxi to welcome the emperor.

Even the emperor and the White Wave bandits next door heard the news of the Guandong loyalist army.

Zhong Yao secretly informed the emperor that Liu Bei, thousands of miles away, had raised a righteous army, braved the bitter cold, and marched north to protect him. He had already arrived in neighboring Hanoi and would soon be coming to Hedong.

The emperor was moved to tears, repeatedly praising Liu Bei as a true member of the Han imperial family, whose loyalty was as clear as the sun and moon.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of military affairs knows that marching in winter is extremely troublesome for both soldiers and logistics.

Fortunately, Liu Bei's expedition was also cleverly timed, as the areas he passed through were all in the Central Plains.

Although the population has been drastically reduced due to several wars, the houses in the county town have remained, which greatly facilitates the army's journey to avoid the cold.

Secondly, due to the drought, although the weather was cold, there was no snowfall.

This was a desperate sign for the farmers and the coming year's harvest, but for the army marching through the winter, it was a cause for great joy.

Therefore, although the Kwantung Loyalist Army trekked through the winter, it did not suffer many injuries or casualties, and most of them returned to their posts in time.

The emperor and Zhong Yao were unaware of these matters; they only saw that Liu Bei cared deeply for the emperor and was willing to send troops out in winter to respond to the emperor's edict to defend the emperor as soon as possible.

How could this not make the emperor overjoyed and weep with happiness?

After sobbing for a moment, the emperor asked Zhong Yao, "Minister Zhong, Minister Liu is so selfless and devoted to public service, obeying the orders of the court without question. I should reward him handsomely."

Zhong Yao, however, advised, "Your Majesty, Minister Liu has not yet arrived in Anyi. Please be patient for a while longer."

The period during which the emperor stayed in Hedong was a time of utter chaos and disorder.

Besides selling off large quantities of miscellaneous generals, deputy generals, lieutenant generals, colonels, and colonels, the White Wave bandits also expressed their "love and support" for the emperor in their own way, making Emperor Liu Xie feel like he was living in dire straits.

Furthermore, due to the changes caused by Liu Feng, Zhang Yang did not send grain to the emperor.

As a result, the food supply in Anyi has become even more strained. Previously, the emperor and his accompanying officials and palace servants could at least have enough to eat, but recently, the food supply has become even more strained, and even the highest-ranking officials have to live on thin porridge.

For this reason, Emperor Liu Xie is now eagerly anticipating the arrival of the loyalist army from Xuzhou so that they can escort him back to Luoyang.

However, the emperor also knew that Zhong Yao was right.

He wanted to return east, but the White Wave Bandits had already become the former warriors of Xiliang.

They only wanted to control the emperor and had no intention of escorting him back east to Luoyang.

In December alone, Yang Feng and others rejected the emperor's repeated requests to return to the east, clearly intending to detain the emperor in Hedong.

If the emperor had received the news, the White Wave bandits certainly wouldn't be unaware of it either.

The four generals of the White Wave Bandits are Yang Feng, Hu Cai, Li Le, and Han Xian.

Of these four, Yang Feng held the highest position as General Xingyi, with the authority to act on behalf of the emperor and the power to establish his own government, equivalent to the Three Dukes. He was in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat and was in charge of the overall administration of the court. Han Xian was next in rank as General Zhengdong, with the authority to act on behalf of the emperor and the power to establish his own government, equivalent to the Three Dukes. Hu Cai was General Zhengbei, Governor of Bingzhou, with the authority to act on behalf of the emperor and the power to establish his own government, equivalent to the Three Dukes. Li Le was General Zhengxi, Governor of Liangzhou, with the authority to act on behalf of the emperor and the power to establish his own government, equivalent to the Three Dukes.

The three men, along with Yang Feng, participated in court affairs and jointly governed the government.

This is truly a massive clearance sale by MG.

The reason why Yang Feng, Han Xian, Li Le, and Hu Cai failed to become generals with the title of Grand General was that the Grand Generals were all filled, and they were all powerful figures, such as General of the Left Yuan Shu, General of the Right Yuan Shao, General of the Vanguard Gongsun Zan, and General of the Rear Guo Si.

At this moment, the White Wave bandits felt smug and self-satisfied, believing that the world was in their hands.

If Li Jue's Liangzhou martial arts group still did some decent work before the internal strife, then the White Wave bandits are now doing absolutely nothing.

Simply put, there are fewer major evils, but numerous minor evils.

Although there were no arbitrary killings of officials or deliberate suppression of the emperor.

But these White Wave bandits were from the lowest rungs of society, and their highest status was no more than that of local powerful figures. In the past, they would never have been able to meet the emperor.

Therefore, while they were "moved", they also wanted to serve the emperor.

The way the officers and soldiers under Yang Feng and Han Xian showed their loyalty was by bringing wine and meat to the emperor in a boisterous manner. They would sit on the ground, drink from large bowls, and eat large chunks of meat, having a great time.

(End of this chapter)