My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 229 Strange Tales of Jie County
In his letter, Zhong Yao told Liu Feng that the emperor was extremely eager to return to the east.

Although a specific plan for returning east was not finalized due to the influence of generals such as Yang Feng, the emperor was still very excited and later praised Liu Feng's loyalty and diligence on several occasions in the palace.

Therefore, Zhong Yao urged Liu Feng to strike while the iron was hot in his letter.

It would be best to formally submit a memorial during tomorrow's audience, earnestly requesting the Emperor's return to the East, so as to gain the primary credit for the return.

Liu Feng agreed wholeheartedly, and so he wrote a memorial at night, waiting for dawn.

The following day, Liu Feng, Cao Cao, Guo Gong, and Zhang Yang went to pay homage to the emperor.

During the audience, Liu Feng once again submitted a memorial, earnestly requesting the emperor to return to the capital to rectify the people's hearts. At the same time, Cao Cao, the governor of Yan Province, Guo Gong, the governor of Yu Province, and Zhang Yang, the prefect of Hanoi, jointly seconded the petition.

The memorial also included the names of a host of civil and military officers and their subordinates, such as Guan Yu, Liu Ye, Zhang Liao, Taishi Ci, Gao Shun, Pan Zhang, Jia Xi, Zhuge Jin, Jia Kui, and Zhuge Liang.

The emperor was deeply moved and immediately decided to continue his journey eastward back to Luoyang.

Even if Yang Feng and the others were dissatisfied, they knew they couldn't stop it, so they could only express their approval.

Therefore, the emperor, who had long wanted to return east but had been blocked by the White Wave Army, immediately granted Liu Feng's request and announced that the central government would prepare for seven days before setting off to return east.

Originally, when the emperor went on a trip, the procession was grand and involved many rituals; seven days was hardly enough time to prepare.

However, with the warriors of Xiliang practically stripping the emperor bare, these formalities no longer matter.

The emperor was so eager to return east that he wished he could sprout wings and fly to Luoyang immediately.

Subsequently, the Guandong loyalist army, which had just set up camp, began to move again.

"Second Uncle, are you really not going back to Jie County to take a look?"

Liu Feng was quite surprised by Guan Yu's idea of ​​not returning to his hometown.

The saying goes, "To not return home in wealth and honor is like wearing fine clothes at night."

Although Guan Yu is far less wealthy and powerful than he will be in the future, he is currently a regular colonel in Xuzhou. After returning to Luoyang this time, he will at least be able to obtain the status of a general with a miscellaneous title in the central government.

This wealth is enough to make him proud when he returns home.

But Guan Yu actually refused.

He said he had a heavy responsibility to bear and could not easily leave the army.

Liu Feng was not surprised when he heard this. Guan Yu was indeed that kind of person. Asking him to leave the army just to go back to his hometown and show off was something that the Second Master would never do.

This is not to say that Second Master is aloof or dislikes showing off.

In fact, Guan Yu was not only very concerned about his image, but also particularly fond of showing off; otherwise, he wouldn't have had to compete with Ma Chao in history.

Guan Yu's arguments were more sophisticated; in modern terms, he wanted to appear profound and pretentious, while he disdained anything too superficial.

Since Guan Yu no longer wanted to return home in wealth and honor, Liu Feng would not force him.

Just before setting off to return east, Liu Feng suddenly received news that Guan Yu actually had a son in his hometown.

Liu Feng was immediately startled, wondering how Guan Yu's son had suddenly appeared.

After hesitating for a moment, he honestly went to confess to Guan Yu.

Liu Feng originally only wanted to send someone to Jie County to inquire about Guan Yu's situation after he left, and if there were any relatives or close relatives, he would help them if he could.

Surprisingly, Guan Yu had a wife before he killed someone and fled.

However, after Guan Yu fled to Zhuozhou, he did not return to his hometown for more than ten years and had long since married a woman elsewhere.

However, his second wife was unable to bear children, and they remained childless to this day, which made Guan Yu somewhat anxious, since he was already thirty-five years old.

The son who suddenly appeared was born to Guan Yu's wife in his hometown.

After hearing Liu Feng's words, Guan Yu was extremely shocked, and even felt a mixture of joy, shame, and guilt.

He clearly thought his wife back home had remarried long ago, but he never expected that she would leave him with a son.

"Feng'er...where is my son now?"

Suppressing his intense emotions, Guan Yu inquired about his son's condition from Liu Feng.

Liu Feng naturally wouldn't hide anything and quickly replied, "My brother is currently in Jie County, being raised by my second uncle's relatives, and is now nineteen years old."

Guan Yu was overjoyed and could hardly contain himself.

Liu Feng added, "Second Uncle, I have already ordered someone to bring my elder brother to Anyi immediately. I expect that you will be able to see him within two or three days."

Based on his age, Guan Yu's eldest son should be Guan Ping.

Guan Ping, born in 178 AD, is now exactly nineteen years old.

No wonder I couldn't find any records of Guan Ping in my previous life. He appeared in the Battle of Jingzhou and was a high-ranking officer in the Jingzhou army.

Moreover, when the second uncle was seeking Qin Yilu's wife, the reason he used was that his wife, Hu, was unable to bear children.

At least before Xuzhou, Second Uncle should not have known of Guan Ping's existence.

The reason they were able to contact Guan Yu later was most likely during the period when Guan Yu surrendered to Cao Cao, because Hedong was under Cao Cao's control at that time.

Xuchang is much closer to Hedong than Xuzhou is.

Unexpectedly, in this life, by a twist of fate, my second uncle and his son were reunited ahead of schedule.

Upon hearing that he had a son, and a nineteen-year-old one at that, Guan Yu was visibly overwhelmed with excitement.

After all, raising a child these days is very difficult; even the slightest problem can lead to the child's death.

"well."

Guan Yu was clearly a little uneasy. He nodded and said okay, but then stood up and said, "Feng'er, after thinking it over, I think I should go to Jie County myself. He has had a hard life all these years, and I, as his father, should go and pick him up."

Liu Feng fully understood Guan Yu's feelings, so he smiled and comforted him, "Second Uncle, my elder brother has probably already boarded the ship. Whether you go by land or water, you could easily miss him and delay things."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu realized that it made perfect sense, so he could only suppress his complex emotions and wait for the day his son would arrive.

While Guan Yu and Liu Feng were looking forward to reuniting with their families, the four generals of Bai Bo were causing trouble again.

The four men went to see the emperor together, implying that Hedong was a natural barrier for Henan, and also had the advantages of salt lakes, mines, and horse farms; it would be a pity to give it up for nothing. Moreover, Liu Xuzhou had already mobilized thirty to forty thousand troops to support the emperor, so the emperor's safety was no longer a problem.

Therefore, the four generals of Baibo secretly discussed that Li Le and Hu Cai would lead their nearly 5,000 troops to stay in the local area and stay in Hedong with Wang Yi, the governor of Hedong, while Yang Feng and Han Xian would lead their troops to escort the emperor to Luoyang.

To be fair, Bai Bo and his four generals' plan was indeed quite good, offering room for both advancement and retreat.

Li Le and Hu Cai, who remained in Hedong, would have the support of Yang Feng and Han Xian in the central government, and might even inherit the position of prefect of Wangyi in the future, becoming regional governors. Meanwhile, Yang Feng and Han Xian in the central government would also have the support of local forces in Hedong, making their position in the central government more secure.

The idea is beautiful, but the reality is very ugly.

The entire plan has only one flaw.

That is, a lack of food.

Li Le and Hu Cai need food while staying in Hedong, and the severe drought in Hedong will not change because of their presence.

It was clear that Hedong had run out of grain, so the four generals of Baibo approached Emperor Xian of Han, eyeing the 10,000 shi of grain that Liu Feng had offered as tribute.

In this era, an adult male could eat his fill with just 2 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain per month and still be able to do heavy work.

There's no battle to fight in Hedong right now. As long as the soldiers' training stops, each soldier can survive on a month and a half of shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain. One shi of grain is about 30 kilograms in modern terms, so a month and a half of shi is roughly equivalent to a jin (a unit of weight) of grain per day. Therefore, stabilizing the army shouldn't be a problem.

Of course, this kind of gameplay is limited to situations where soldiers don't need to exert any effort; they just eat, sleep, and brag in the barracks every day.

If warlords hoard large amounts of grain and refuse to distribute it, or if they do this during wartime, they are probably not far from death.

Ten thousand shi of grain, if used sparingly, would be enough for Li Le and Hu Cai to eat for eight months. With this ten thousand shi of grain as a base, and if Li Le and Hu Cai secretly plundered a little more, they could survive until the autumn harvest.

Therefore, this 10,000 shi of grain is of paramount importance and is the foundation of everything.

What the four generals of Baibo could think of, Emperor Liu Xie certainly could too. Moreover, in this matter, the emperor's stance was actually more inclined towards the four generals of Baibo. With Hedong on the flank, geographically, together with Henan, they formed a pincer movement against Henan. Coupled with the inherent centripetal force of the Three Rivers region, it would be easy for them to expand and encroach upon Henan.

Once the three rivers, the core territory of Emperor Guangwu's family, were unified, Emperor Liu Xie, if not in the hope of a revival, would at least have a good start.

After all, Wang Mang had an enormous impact on the Eastern Han Dynasty, to the point that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and various warlords vied for control of the Central Plains, but all of them claimed to be fighting against the disobedient emperor.

The main point is that everyone in the world except me and the emperor is a rebel!

Even Yuan Shu is now obediently serving as a loyal subject of the Han dynasty.

The problem is, I can support you, but asking me to give you all the food would be asking too much.

The emperor was not only not wealthy, he was practically destitute.

Before Liu Feng delivered 10,000 shi of grain, the emperor's three dukes and nine ministers had all gone outside the city to dig for wild vegetables. How could the emperor possibly justify this?
Therefore, almost immediately after Liu Feng delivered 10,000 shi of grain into the city, Liu Xie distributed 1,000 shi to supplement the salaries of officials and palace servants at all levels.

The White Wave Army had previously come to the emperor's door asking for grain, and the emperor had also allocated them 1,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) so that they could prepare to march east.

The emperor cherished the remaining eight thousand shi (a unit of grain) more than anything else, treating it like his lifeblood.

"Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on General Xingyi's words?"

While he was tempted by the proposal from Yang Feng and others, he was also reluctant to part with the grain. In the end, Liu Xie decided to listen to the opinions of his important ministers and close associates.

Grand Commandant Yang Biao was the first to speak. Although he was over fifty years old, he was still bold and courageous: "This old minister believes that it should be given."

Sikong Zhang Xi hesitated and said, "But if we give it to them, how will we solve the problem of the expenses incurred by the officials and palace servants on their journey to the east?"

Yang Biao replied, "If there are any shortcomings, we can summon the governors and prefects of the various prefectures and counties in Guandong to discuss them together."

At this moment, Minister Zhao Wen stroked his beard and frowned, saying, "What if the warlords of Guandong make excuses because of insufficient military provisions?"

The situation was beyond their control. Although the people were loyal ministers who had come from afar to serve the king, the central government officials, having experienced the trials of the Western Liang and Hedong warriors, had a clear understanding of the situation and no longer considered themselves superior.

"Although the Guandong Loyalist Army is called a coalition, it was actually formed by Liu Xuzhou alone. Not only did Liu Xuzhou send the most troops, but he also took on most of the logistical support. He even sent his eldest son to the army, which shows his loyalty."

Zhang Xi sighed, “Therefore, the grain we eat is all transported from Xuzhou, which is thousands of miles away. The cost of the journey probably accounts for more than half of it. Xuzhou only governs five counties, and Governor Liu only took office two years ago, which is only two years now, or even one year in fact. I’m afraid Xuzhou is also unable to keep up with the demand.”

Seeing that the Three Dukes could not come up with a good solution, the emperor had no choice but to consult the Nine Ministers.

Just like the Three Dukes, the Nine Ministers also had no good solutions. On the contrary, the younger generation, such as Ding Chong and Zhong Yao, were eager to try.

Ding Chong was the first to stand up and speak: "Your Majesty, while Prefect Liu is indeed loyal, Prefect Cao is no less so. Since Prefect Liu has contributed a great deal but has fallen short, why doesn't Your Majesty summon Prefect Cao for a consultation? Perhaps you can get his help."

Ding Chong was not unaware that Cao Cao didn't have much food, but that didn't stop him from intervening. Even just letting Cao Cao make a name for himself in front of the emperor would be a sure win.

After hearing this, the emperor actually showed a hint of interest.

After all, no matter how intelligent the emperor was, he was still just a teenager.

Over the years, it has been controlled by military men from Liangzhou, so how could they possibly know anything about the local situation?

He naturally had no idea how corrupt Yanzhou had become, let alone that the gap between Yanzhou and Xuzhou had been completely reversed.

In the emperor's simple mind, Xuzhou was a province, and Yanzhou was also a province, and the eight counties of Yanzhou were much richer and more prosperous than the five counties of Xuzhou.

If Xuzhou can afford such a large amount of military food losses, Yanzhou should be able to bear even half of that burden without feeling overwhelmed.

Zhong Yao glanced at the emperor, and seeing that the emperor was interested, he stood up and spoke before the emperor could speak: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Cao and Yan provinces may not have any grain to offer as tribute. I observe that although Commandant Liu is young, he is quite sensible. Why don't you issue a special edict to allow Commandant Liu to take full charge of the eastern expedition?"

Zhong Yao's suggestion made everyone's eyes light up.

In fact, Zhong Yao's suggestion was essentially the same as Yang Biao's: to impose the expenses of the officials and palace staff traveling east on the Guandong loyalist army, thereby saving grain to supply the Baibo army stationed in Hedong.

However, Zhong Yao's plan was clearly more sophisticated and covert than Yang Biao's, and it left Liu Feng and the others with no way to refuse.

The emperor entrusted Liu Feng with full authority over the affairs of the eastern journey. What great importance and trust this shows!
Liu Feng could only be moved to tears, gladly accept the imperial favor, and kowtow in gratitude, for this was what a loyal subject should do.

This is much better than Yang Biao forcing the cow to drink water.

Then we can give Liu Feng and the other warlords of Guandong a credit for their contributions and bestow titles and ranks upon them. Wouldn't that be a happy event for everyone?

Ding Chong wanted to object, but most of the ministers agreed with the plan, and even the Three Dukes praised it.

Left with no other choice, Ding Chong could only remain silent.

Therefore, the emperor decided to summon Liu Feng.

When Liu Feng heard the summons, he was somewhat bewildered, not knowing why the young emperor had summoned him.

However, he knew that he was not qualified to ask this question at the moment, so he changed his clothes and followed the palace servants to the "Imperial Palace".

When we arrived, we found that there were quite a few people there, filling the small house to the brim.

Zhong Yao was the one who informed Liu Feng of the details, while the emperor remained silent in his seat. However, when Liu Feng looked over, the young emperor actually gave him a smile.

Yang Biao, standing to the side, sternly rebuked, "Lieutenant Liu, you must not be rude."

Liu Feng suddenly woke up with a start and hurriedly bowed his head to show respect.

Upon hearing Yang Biao's reprimand, Liu Feng hurriedly apologized in fear.

Although Yang Biao seemed to be nitpicking, he actually meant well. The other party only scolded him for being impolite, and then glossed over Liu Feng's coveting of the emperor.

The emperor naturally wouldn't punish Liu Feng for his apology; instead, he treated him leniently.

Afterwards, Liu Feng pondered the matter that Bai Bojun had caused.

Liu Feng's first reaction was that the emperor wanted to cause trouble, but he quickly ruled that out.

If we're really going to make a fuss, the important thing is the task at hand, not the people involved.

The emperor wasn't completely without food. If the emperor truly wanted to do something, he certainly wouldn't summon me, at least not before doing so.

So, from that perspective, the matter is indeed as simple as it appears on the surface.

Bai Bojun wanted to split up his bets to leave himself a way out, and coincidentally, this way out was also the emperor's external support.

That's a perfect match!
But the emperor was reluctant to part with the grain, so he summoned himself, who seemed most like a sucker.
Once you understand it this way, things become much easier.

But Liu Feng wasn't stupid.

Even if you transport 10,000 shi of grain by water from Xuzhou to Henan, it would take 5,000 shi of grain. The rest would be transported from Henan to Hedong, and the losses on this land route would be twice as much as the losses on the previous thousand-mile water route.

The 10,000 shi of military rations in Hedong would be equivalent to consuming 25,000 shi of grain in Xuzhou.

Just because of a word from you, the emperor, I have to cut off my own flesh?

Not to mention that Liu Feng had already seen through the fact that the White Wave Army was deceiving the young emperor.

The White Wave Army's account seems reasonable at first glance, but it actually contains a major hidden problem: the army's livestock, especially warhorses.

The main fighting force of the Hedong White Wave Army was its cavalry; otherwise, with their tattered equipment, how could they have fought a bloody battle against the Xiliang Army?
Liu Feng observed carefully and found that the armor rate of the Hedong White Wave Army was only slightly over 20%. They were basically all wearing leather armor, with no iron armor in sight, and even the leather armor was mostly half-body armor.

Liu Feng believed that his thousand well-trained heavy infantrymen alone could crush the Hedong White Wave Army infantry.

Therefore, the main fighting force of the White Wave Army lies in its cavalry.

Even the weakest White Wave Army leader, Li Le, had four or five hundred warhorses in his army of about two thousand men, a ratio of four to one man to horse. The entire White Wave Army had at least three thousand warhorses.

The consumption of warhorses is five times that of infantry, and if only rations are considered, it is two or three times that of infantry.

Moreover, humans can withstand hunger, but Marco has a hard time enduring it.

Even if we calculate it at the lowest rate of twice, three thousand warhorses would require an additional six thousand people's worth of rations. Moreover, horses are not as resistant to hunger as people. Therefore, we would need to provide the White Wave Army with at least another twenty thousand shi of grain, for a total of thirty thousand shi of grain.

Liu Feng was not about to suffer such a loss.
If Liu Feng really suffers this loss, the imperial court and the White Wave Army might become more ambitious and take advantage of him.

(End of this chapter)