My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 231 Warhorse Trade
Although the White Wave Army and the Xuzhou Army were not yet hostile, they were still quite wary of each other. The two sides were stationed on opposite sides of Anyi, one in the south and one in the north, maintaining a semblance of mutual respect.

Fortunately, Xu Huang had been to the camp of the Guandong loyalist army and knew where the Xuzhou army was stationed.

Although they couldn't just walk straight in, after announcing their names at the gate, they were soon greeted by Liu Feng himself.

Liu Feng was followed by Gao Shun and Pan Zhang. Guan Yu was in charge of the army's affairs and could not leave. Zhang Liao and Taishi Ci had already left Anyi and were leading elite cavalry to Puban County and Pingyang County to purchase horses.

The reason they were assigned to these two places is because they are very important.

Pingyang County is an important passage connecting Bingzhou and the only passage for people and goods to travel south from the north. It is also the location of the largest horse market in Hedong.

Although Puban County was not as important as Pingyang, it was still a crucial pass for entering and exiting Hedong, closely connected to the Hetao region and Guanzhong Plain. Relying on the Yellow River waterway, water transport was highly developed. In particular, Puban was an essential stop for horses from the Hetao region and northern Shaanxi who wanted to enter Hedong.

Therefore, Zhang Liao and Taishi Ci each led 500 cavalrymen to be in charge of procurement affairs in Pingyang and Puban.

At the same time, Liu Feng also specially transferred eight hundred naval troops led by Zhou Tai from Hanoi to be responsible for the waterway support of the two.

As for the boats, we've leased and bought a batch, which is enough to handle the situation.

The reason is simple: the waterways in these places are not suitable for large ships.

Even on the Yellow River waterway, large ships can only travel as far as Sanmenxia. It's not that they can't go further downstream, but it's very difficult to turn back.

Once you pass the Sanmenxia Gorge, it is extremely difficult and dangerous to return to the upper reaches of the Yellow River. It requires a large number of boatmen to carry out the task, otherwise there is a risk of shipwreck and loss of life.

Liu Feng was somewhat surprised when he first saw Yang Feng.

This is an ordinary-looking middle-aged or elderly northern man.

"I was unaware of General Xingyi's presence and apologize for not welcoming you properly. Please forgive me."

Liu Feng actually had some goodwill towards Yang Feng. Historically, this man was quite pitiful. Apart from Xu Huang, everyone else tried to fool him, but he actually believed everything.

Ding Chong and Dong Zhao lied to him, saying that Cao Cao wanted to form an alliance with him and was willing to provide him with food, and he believed them.

Dong Zhao then lied to him, saying that Luoyang was in ruins and not easy to defend. He suggested that it would be better to move south to Liang County, which was nearby, to not only control the Ru River and shield Luoyang, but also to radiate outwards to Yingchuan. Moreover, Cao Cao would send him grain by water, which would be convenient. He believed him again.

When Cao Cao entered Luoyang, Han Xian was so frightened that he fled alone to Liang County to seek refuge with Yang Feng. Yang Feng then spread rumors that Cao Cao was going to destroy Bai Bo, and Han Xian believed him.

Cao Cao explained that he was planning to take the emperor to Liang County to find him and replenish his food supplies, and Cao Cao believed him again.

As a result, Cao Cao performed a 196 AD version of a hearse drift for Yang Feng, skimming the edge of Liang County and heading straight for Yangcheng in Yingchuan. By the time Yang Feng confirmed the news, Cao Cao had already taken the emperor to Yangdi.

Later, Yuan Shu tricked him into attacking Lü Bu, and Lü Bu tricked him into attacking Liu Bei.

In the end, he was tricked by Liu Bei into coming to drink.

Yang Fengquan believed it!
He ultimately died at Liu Bei's Feast at Hongmen.

If you think about it carefully, this guy actually died at the hands of his own father in history, so he can be considered an acquaintance in a way.

While inwardly sighing, Liu Feng led Yang Feng into the army camp.

Yang Feng is quite bold, actually bringing Xu Huang and dozens of his followers lightly, as if he wasn't worried at all about being killed by Liu Feng. It's clear that his arrogance is innate and unchangeable.

After welcoming Yang Feng into the main tent, Liu Feng curiously inquired about the purpose of Yang's visit.

Yang Feng replied, "Our army is short of food. We have heard that your forces are purchasing warhorses in Hedong. Our troops are willing to exchange horses for food."

Liu Feng was surprised by Yang Feng's frankness, but he also began to think more highly of him.

"It is true, but with the current grain price, exchanging horses for grain may not be satisfactory."

Hearing Liu Feng's words of comfort, Yang Feng felt a little better. He glanced at Xu Huang, who said, "I wonder if your army could exchange some more grain for our troops? The grain stored in our army is not enough for even a month."

A military ration reserve of less than a month's worth is a very dangerous sign, so it's no wonder Yang Feng was so anxious.

Liu Feng didn't mind. He had recently acquired a large number of warhorses, and this was simply a matter of changing trading partners. After offering a few words of comfort, Liu Feng casually informed the other party of the latest price.

Even though Yang Feng and Xu Huang had already received the news and were mentally prepared, it didn't matter.

They were still taken aback by the low price, and what shocked them even more was that while there was no limit to the number of first-class horses, the quota for second-class horses was less than 1,800.

Eighteen hundred second-class horses could only be exchanged for nearly six thousand bushels of grain, which was hardly enough.

However, there are not many first-class horses to begin with. Even if all of them were exchanged, they would probably only get a little over a thousand bushels of grain, which would be of no use.

Xu Huang couldn't help but ask, "Why is there a quota for these second-class horses?"

With Liu Feng's consent, Gao Shun explained, "Gongming, you may not know this, but since the exchange program began, the number of second-class horses has far exceeded that of first-class horses. We have already collected over a thousand. If we do not limit the quantity, we may run out of grain."

What Gao Shun said was true. Ever since Liu Feng entered Hedong, he had spread the news that grain could be exchanged for warhorses, especially first-class warhorses.

Even in places like Hedong, where there were many horse farms and it was a vital transportation hub for importing warhorses from Bingzhou and Liangzhou into the Central Plains of Henan, first-class horses were still relatively rare and were the breeds that everyone prioritized for preservation.

On the contrary, thousands of second-class horses were used at once.

However, Liu Feng became picky. The more than one thousand second-class horses he eventually purchased were actually quite close to first-class horses. They were the best of the best selected from thousands of second-class horses, and their quality was extremely high.

In the past, if Liu Feng had made such a selection, he would probably have been boycotted by the horse traders.

But now, the other party still has to put on a smiling face and beg Liu Feng to exchange for a few more horses.

No wonder so many people like years of famine. Liu Feng didn't resort to any underhanded tactics; he simply used the protection of tens of thousands of troops to conduct normal transactions and made a fortune.

After hearing Gao Shun's explanation, Yang Feng and Xu Huang both understood.

But even though I understand, the grain still needs to be exchanged.

Liu Feng asked with some surprise, "On this return journey eastward, General Xingyi's troops will surely travel with us. Even if our troops are short of food, we will not stand by and watch your troops go hungry. Why does General need to join in the fun by selling off your warhorses?"

Liu Feng wasn't deliberately trying to bait Yang Feng; he genuinely couldn't understand Yang Feng's actions.

Yang Feng had already decided to return east. Not to mention that Yang Feng himself had more than a month's worth of grain in his hands, the emperor also had several thousand jin of grain in his hands, so Yang Feng had no need to join in this commotion.

Li Le and Hu Cai are short of food, you can just let them come and trade, there's no need for Yang Feng to come out himself.

Yang Feng sighed and said, "Li Le and Hu Cai are both old brothers of mine. They came to help in the bloody battle of Hongnong at my behest, and finally defeated the stubborn enemy. Now they are in dire need of food. If I turn a blind eye to this, how am I any different from a beast?"

Liu Feng glanced at Yang Feng. If Cao Cao had said this, he would have thought he was just polluting the air, but he actually found Yang Feng's words believable.

Despite the credibility of the agreement, grain still had to be exchanged for warhorses, with the most they could offer a discounted price.

So Liu Feng tentatively asked, "What does General Xingyi intend to do?"

Yang Feng suddenly hesitated. After a moment of silence, he looked up at Xu Huang again, and finally bowed deeply to Liu Feng, saying, "I, Yang Feng, was originally a general under the traitor Li Jue. I conspired with others to punish Li Jue, but my plan failed. I was fortunate that the Emperor did not abandon me and appointed me General Xingyi, overseeing the affairs of the court. Now, I feel deeply inadequate. If Lord Liu is willing to enter the court to assist in governing, I am willing to be his assistant!"

The expressions of everyone present changed drastically.

Xu Huang was naturally delighted, never expecting that his general would finally listen to his advice.

Liu Feng, Gao Shun, and Pan Zhang were shocked. Yang Feng's words were practically a surrender, or rather, an admission of surrender.

Yang Feng was appointed by the emperor to oversee all government affairs. Whether he could actually control the situation was a matter of his personal ability, but legally he had the authority. The one who could make Yang Feng bow down and assist him was naturally another powerful minister who oversaw all government affairs.

This clearly means that Yang Feng acknowledges the power and status of the Xuzhou army and is willing to respect that power.

Yang Feng's humble attitude seemed like a good thing, but Liu Feng found it somewhat troublesome.

First, Liu Feng did not want to serve the emperor to command the disobedient for the time being, because he was worried that the Liu family's foundation was not stable enough.

If you rashly welcome the emperor, you might end up being possessed by him instead.

Indeed, Liu Bei was appointed Governor of Xu Province by the emperor, and most of the officials in the prefectures and counties below him were appointed and dismissed by Liu Bei.

One crucial point that cannot be overlooked is that although these people were appointed and dismissed by Liu Bei, their salaries were called "Han Lu" (Han stipends). They would be grateful for Liu Bei's promotion and recommendation, but they would not necessarily feel that they were receiving a salary from Liu Bei.

On the contrary, the military was more purely political than the political one, and the generals were undoubtedly more steadfast in their support for Liu Bei and his son.

In this situation, if Liu Bei were to welcome the emperor, and the emperor were to bypass Liu Bei and appoint or dismiss the governors of the surrounding counties and kingdoms, what recourse would Liu Bei have?
To rise up in rebellion?

Then it would be better not to welcome the emperor at all.

Are you assuming you're at a disadvantage?

It won't be long before Xuzhou truly falls under the direct control of Emperor Xian.

Using the emperor to command the disobedient is not an easy task, nor is it a foolproof strategy.

Cao Cao did indeed reap considerable benefits from this strategy, but it was not without its costs.

The price of serving the emperor to command the feudal lords is that one must be able to control the emperor.

Cao Cao nearly had his chariot overturned, and more than once.

Cao Cao, a native of Pei in Yu Province, had amassed such power that he dared to claim the title of Duke, yet he dared not establish a fiefdom in Qiao, nor even stay in Henan, but instead went to Yuan Shao in Hebei. This was only a negligible part of the price he had to pay.

In the late Han Dynasty, no one had ever successfully rebelled against the Liu family.

The blessings bestowed upon the Liu family over four hundred years will not disappear overnight.

Liu Feng's calculations were very clear: given the extent of Xuzhou's contribution this time, a position equivalent to one of the Three Dukes Generals was the standard.

The position of Grand General can only be given to Yuan Shao. Anyone who wants to take this position is simply trying to fight Yuan Shao.

Historically, Cao Cao first bestowed the title of Grand General upon himself, but before he could even settle into the position, he received a letter of dissatisfaction from Yuan Shao.

It must be said that Cao Cao was truly patient. He actually gave up the position of Grand General to Yuan Shao and then appointed himself as Minister of Works and General of Chariots and Cavalry.

In fact, it would have been more reasonable for Cao Cao to be appointed as Minister of Works, since the position of Minister of Works corresponds to that of the Chancellor.

But what could be done when Situ was originally intended as a gift for Yuan Shao by Cao Cao?

If Yuan Shao doesn't want it, why should I, Cao Cao, accept it?

Therefore, it can be seen from this that the most important positions were the Three Dukes and Generals.

Since the Grand General was Yuan Shao's, then the second-ranked General of the Cavalry must have been Liu Bei's.

The gold seal and purple ribbon, a rank equivalent to the Three Dukes, were indispensable for Liu Bei. This allowed him to openly establish his own government, appoint trusted confidants, and legitimately build his own private power.

This is what Liu Feng values ​​most, and he feels that this is the power that the Liu family needs most at present.

As for Emperor Xian himself, it didn't matter whether he was placed in Luoyang or Xuchang.

When Yuan Shao actually pressed down from the north, Cao Cao didn't actually weaken Yuan Shao by relying on Liu Xie. On the contrary, he sent Yuan Shao a large number of surrender letters and secret letters like crazy.

This was not as effective as one might imagine, except that Yuan Shao's position as Grand General was also quite useful.

Therefore, in Liu Feng's plan, Yang Feng was to be the personal bodyguard of the young emperor Liu Xie.

This bodyguard has some skill, but that's about it.

Liu Xie, who needs to support his army, will continue to lack food. If Xuzhou can survive this year, the grain harvest will increase significantly starting next year. With sufficient food, they can "buy" the title of punishing the disobedient from Liu Xie.

In this way, Liu Feng could have the pretext to punish disobedient subjects at any time without having to bear the burden of "serving the emperor." This was the solution Liu Feng came up with.

After all, compared to Xuzhou, Yuan Shao in Hebei and Cao Cao in Yanzhou would undoubtedly be more anxious.

To everyone's surprise, Yang Fengxian actually surrendered to him.

This greatly surprised Liu Feng, leaving him feeling caught off guard.

Liu Feng quickly calmed down, first returning Yang Feng's deep bow, and then explaining: "I am but a captain, and although I have the responsibility of leading troops and receiving orders, such an important matter cannot be left unattended by my father. I am deeply grateful to General Xingyi for entrusting me with the great task of reviving the Han Dynasty, and I am naturally willing to work together with you. I am willing to provide you with a thousand shi of grain to relieve your worries."

Before Yang Feng could speak, Liu Feng added, "If that is still insufficient, we can exchange warhorses. I will do my utmost to provide the general with the necessary provisions."

Liu Feng shifted the blame to Liu Bei, but inwardly he was worried that Yang Feng might be displeased.

Fortunately, Yang Feng was indeed trustworthy. He actually agreed with what Liu Feng said and then made a request for a large number of warhorse transactions.

According to Yang Feng's requirements, he demanded at least two thousand warhorses in the trade.

This amount effectively wiped out Liu Feng's publicly acknowledged grain reserves, yet Liu Feng had no reason to refuse. Furthermore, given Yang Feng's willingness to surrender and curry favor, Liu Feng could not refuse either.

Thus, the two sides finally reached a deal: Yang Feng and Bai Bo would provide a total of 300 first-class horses and 1,700 second-class horses in exchange for 10,000 shi of millet from the Xuzhou army.

According to the market price, the total price of this transaction should be 6,600 shi of grain. The quoted price of 10,000 shi means that Liu Feng increased the price by half.

Therefore, Yang Feng and Xu Huang both agreed and were very grateful to Liu Feng. With this 10,000 shi of grain, and after dealing with the warhorses of Li Le and Hu Cai's troops, the remaining grain was enough for them to sustain them in Hedong until the autumn harvest.

After Yang Feng returned, he explained the details to Han Xian and the other two. Even Li Le and Hu Cai felt that the deal was acceptable.

As for the emperor's edict, Li Le and Hu Cai no longer cared.

After two days of trading, the two parties finally completed this big deal.

On the third day, the emperor made another move.

He first arranged for Zhong Ji, the Chamberlain, to lead a group to Hanoi to observe the specific movements of the Hebei army.

He then ordered the Hedong Army to be ready to set off at any time to escort the emperor's carriage back east.

It seems that Liu Xie still has a lot of guts and wants to get through the dangerous Hanoi as soon as possible to Luoyang.

The same order was also given to the Kanto Loyalist Army, but the effect was obviously much worse than that of the Kagoshima Army.

As long as there are benefits, the White Wave Army is still willing to fight for the Emperor against Yuan Shao.

However, the Guandong loyalist army was different. They did not want to clash with Yuan Shao, and apart from Cao Cao, no one else was worried that the emperor would be taken away by Yuan Shao.

Upon receiving the news, the Kwantung Loyalist Army finally began to split.

Zhang Yang first apologized and was the first to take his leave, returning to Hanoi.

After all, Hanoi was his only base of operations, and if he lost it, Zhang Yang would be homeless.

Therefore, it is understandable that Zhang Yang rushed back to Hanoi.

Secondly, there was Guo Gong, who was mainly there to make up the numbers and increase the weight and power of the Guandong loyalist army. His main attitude was to follow Liu Bei, but he had a natural fear of Yuan Shao.

Only Cao Cao had the most ideas, and the most urgent ones.

Cao Cao originally planned to wait until the emperor returned to Luoyang before making any moves, but now, facing the threat from Yuan Shao, he found himself unable to stand alone and had to win over reliable allies.

Cao Cao looked around and realized that only Liu Bei and his sons had the power and status to do so.

So Cao Cao came to Liu Feng's door and shouted, "Zisheng, I have heard that Yuan Shao has already sent troops into Hanoi and his army has reached Ji County."

Liu Feng's expression changed slightly. He had just received a similar message and wondered what Yuan Shao was thinking. He had actually taken action, and Guo Tu's five thousand men had already reached Ji County.

Although the Guotu people are few, numbering only five thousand, their significance is immense.

Because behind him stood Yuan Shao, the most powerful and influential warlord in the land, the Prince of Beidi.

(End of this chapter)