My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 240: Conquering the City
As the armored warriors completed their armor-clad duties, Pan Zhang personally led them into the battle line, charging out directly from the right flank. The Three Rivers Knights also began to press forward with all their might, squeezing out the enemy's cavalry.

The two sides were completely outmatched in horsemanship, archery, combat skills, and the quality of their horses, not to mention that Liu Feng's cavalry had a numerical advantage.

In just a quarter of an hour, the enemy cavalry could no longer hold out and showed signs of retreating.

At the same time, it exposed the flanks of the infantry front.

The Yellow Turban infantry, already scattered and struggling under the onslaught of Pan Zhang's armored soldiers, collapsed so quickly that even Liu Feng's Three Rivers cavalry didn't have time to launch a flanking attack.

Chaos and collapse quickly spread among the Yellow Turban Army, the entire battle line crumbled, and nearly 10,000 men fled back to the rear.

Liu Feng showed a satisfied expression and ordered a full-scale pursuit. At the same time, he ordered Jia Kui to release the cavalrymen who had changed into Yellow Turban clothing to flank the chaotic soldiers in the middle and go with the Three Rivers Knights to seize the city gate.

The Yangguan battlefield was placed under the unified command of Jia Kui, while the main force began to pursue the fleeing Yellow Turban army.

At the same time, an order was given to Pan Zhang's armored soldiers to cease pursuit and serve as reserves, while the rest of the troops were to launch a full-scale attack to pursue the Yellow Turbans and look for an opportunity to seize the city.

Upon receiving the order, Pan Zhang stopped, while the armored soldiers around him were all panting.

For these armored warriors, the physical exertion of pursuit is no less than that of battle.

Therefore, Pan Zhang immediately ordered the two hundred auxiliary soldiers behind him to come up and help the armored soldiers remove their armor, while also replenishing their water and food, so that they wouldn't be in big trouble if they didn't have enough strength when they really needed to use the armored soldiers again.

Liu Feng's main force moved forward two miles, found a small hill, stood on it, and raised a large flag.

Along the way, there were all sorts of Yellow Turban soldiers surrendering, some wounded, some overtaken, who threw down their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.

Liu Feng only glanced at them briefly, but he could tell that there were at least two or three thousand prisoners, and people were still surrendering in droves.

Half an hour later, the Yellow Turban army flags on Yangdi City were replaced by Xuzhou army flags, and all the fleeing Yellow Turban soldiers were captured. Bo Xing was caught up and killed by Jia Bin, while Ma Zhong died in the chaos of battle.

Meanwhile, less than an incense stick's time (five minutes) after Liu Feng left, the morale of Yangguan Ju collapsed, and they surrendered to Jia Kui.

Liu Feng did not gather or leave troops at Yangguan, as the area was already dilapidated and too small to block the passage to the north.

When a large army marches, it only needs to detour a certain distance to the plains nearby, and the troops stationed there will be dumbfounded, at most serving as an early warning to Yangdi.

Since Liu Feng doesn't need a warning from the north, the value of Yangguanju is quite low.

By the time Liu Feng entered the city, the entire Yangdi had already been occupied by the Xuzhou army. Apart from a few thousand people who went around the city or scattered in all directions, all ten thousand Yellow Turban soldiers, twenty thousand Yellow Turban women and children, and twenty thousand civilians in Yangdi were captured by the Xuzhou army.

"What? The Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou have come to persuade us to surrender?"

After Liu Feng entered the city, Pan Zhang suddenly came with his men to report that a Yellow Turban from Yanzhou had sent a message, revealing not only that the Xuzhou army was about to march south, but also the size of their forces.

Liu Feng looked at Pan Zhang and asked seriously, "Have you caught the person?"

Pan Zhang's face flashed with anger, and he said bitterly, "This fellow is too cunning. He advised Bo Xing and Ma Zhong not to go out of the city to fight, but after being refused, he prepared horses with his men early on. As soon as they saw us break through the city, they ran straight out of the south gate."

Liu Feng nodded, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Whether or not the other party is caught, it doesn't affect Liu Feng's fact that he already knows who is behind the other party.

With so many obvious clues—Yanzhou, the Yellow Turbans, and persuading Bo Xing to go to Chenliu—if Liu Feng still can't figure it out, he might as well just give up and go to sleep.

It seems Cao Cao still coveted the population of Yingchuan. Unable to join in and get a share, he wanted to snatch food directly from the plate.

There was nothing that could be done about it; Liu Feng had always been wary of Cao Cao, and his western army, which divided Chenliu and Yingchuan, numbered as many as 14,000, making it the largest of the three armies.

Liu Feng pondered that if Cao Cao would send people to Yangdi, there was no reason why he wouldn't go to Yingyin, Yingyang, Xuxian, and other places.

However, the Yellow Turban rebels of Yangdi were actually the least likely to escape, as Guan Yu's western army had probably already captured Changshe by then. If Bo Xing wanted to flee with tens of thousands of civilians, he would likely be surrounded and encircled by Xuzhou halfway there.

However, Yingyin actually had a considerable opportunity. He only needed to travel a few dozen miles east to join up with the Yellow Turbans in Xu County, and then head southeast, passing through Xinji, where he could freely choose to go to Chenliu in Yanzhou or Chen State in Yuzhou.

Liu Feng's Yangdi was some distance from Yingyin, and the most troublesome thing was that it was separated by the Ying River and the Yi River.

As for the Eastern Route Army, it was too far away to reach them; no matter how many cavalry they had, they couldn't arrive in time.

The key to the complete victory in Yingchuan lies in when Guan Yu's western army can capture Xu County.

"Immediately dispatch scouts. I need to know the enemy's movements in Yingyin. At the same time, quickly contact the eastern and western armies to inform them that our army has captured Yangdi, and report back on their progress."

Liu Feng assigned tasks one by one, and then remembered to say, "Oh right, have someone find out how many leaders the Yellow Turbans still have in the city. Separate them and make sure they are treated well and not rudely. I will summon them when I have time."

"Yes, young master!"

Liu Feng already held a formal official position at this time, and was appointed General Jianzhong by the central government.

However, those close to him still call him Young Master, especially Pan Zhang, who has a personality that likes to take advantage of favors and is arrogant, so he considers the title of Young Master an honor.

Following Liu Feng's orders, all tasks proceeded smoothly, and the weapons and armor discarded by the Yellow Turban army outside the city were retrieved and stored in the armory.

The city's wealth, food, and other supplies were also inventoried one by one for future use.

By the third day, news from all sides had been relayed back.

Guan Yu had already occupied Changshe four days ago, and now he had occupied Yanling. He was sending troops to occupy Xinji, completely blocking the escape route of the Yellow Turbans in Yingyin and Xuxian to the east.

The Eastern Route Army made good progress, first capturing Jia County and then Xiangcheng.

After the three thousand Yellow Turban rebels in Xiangcheng surrendered in one battle and the city was recaptured, Li Zan, the son of Li Ying, a famous scholar from Yingchuan in Xiangcheng who was ranked first among the "Eight Worthies" and was known as the "Model of the World," actually went to Xiangcheng with his sons Li Xuan and Li Li to reward the troops.

Liu Feng was shocked after reading it.

He hadn't expected that Li Zan was still alive. He didn't know if it was because of his butterfly effect or if Li Zan was never supposed to die so early.

Li Zan was a renowned scholar in Yingchuan, and his father was even more famous. Both father and son were very talented.

When Li Ying was recommended to be the governor of Qingzhou, he governed strictly and just like Jia Cong. This made corrupt officials dare not cling to their posts and they all abandoned their posts and fled, thus cleaning up the officialdom of Qingzhou.

Later, when he became the Commandant of the Capital Region, he terrified the officials, which was something that could not be done without considerable power.

But Li Ying's greatest strength lies in his deep involvement in Chen Fan and Dou Wu's campaign to eliminate the eunuchs. After the campaign failed, Chen Fan was imprisoned and died, while Dou Wu committed suicide in the army.

But Li Ying actually managed to walk away unscathed, only being dismissed from his official post.

Li Ying died during the second purge of the party, but he left behind a great reputation and network of connections for his son.

Li Zan was also quite remarkable, with a keen eye for talent. He recognized Cao Cao's potential early on and publicly praised him on numerous occasions, thus forging a deep bond between them.

Unfortunately, the third generation of the Li family was disappointing and lacked ability, so much so that Li Zan had no suitable candidates to place his bets on.

Even so, before his death, Li Zan strictly forbade his sons from seeking refuge with his friend Zhang Miao or his relative by marriage Yuan Shao, saying that the only true hero in the world was Cao Cao. Although his sons were not particularly talented, they were obedient and later managed to build a decent fortune in Cao Wei.

The exact dates of Li Zan's birth and death are unclear in history. Liu Feng judged that he must have died because of this last sentence.

However, there are two historical accounts of Zhang Miao. One is that he was killed by his own men when he went south to seek help from Yuan Shu. The second is that he successfully escaped to Yuan Shu and even advised Yuan Shu against declaring himself emperor.

Regardless of the conclusion, Li Zan's visit to Xiangcheng to reward the Xuzhou army is a very positive sign.

Li Zan himself has a good reputation and ability. If he can be recruited to Xuzhou, it will surely attract a large number of scholars from Yingchuan and Runan to Xuzhou.

This also greatly helped to stabilize the overall situation in Yuzhou.

Li Zan himself was related to the Yuan family by marriage, and he could even share in the Yuan family's influence in Runan. This was truly a golden brand.

After receiving this news, Liu Feng got up and paced around the room.

After considering for a moment, he said, "Go and invite the military advisor and his brother to come here."

Liu Ye followed Guan Yu, Jia Xi was sent to Taishi Ci's troops, Dong Zhao stayed in Luoyang, and Liu Feng was only accompanied by Jia Kui and the Zhuge brothers.

Soon, the Zhuge brothers answered the call and came.

"Ziyu, take a look at this message."

As soon as the Zhuge brothers arrived, Liu Feng handed Li Zan's message to Zhuge Jin.

Zhuge Jin quickly began to read it. After finishing, he looked at Liu Feng, who gestured for him to hand the scroll to Zhuge Liang. Once Zhuge Liang had also finished reading it, the scroll was returned to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng folded the silk scroll and placed it on the table. He looked at Zhuge Jin and said, "Ziyu, I have an important task that I would like to entrust to you. I wonder if you are willing to take on this task for me?"

Zhuge Jin was surprised, but his expression remained calm. After a moment, he respectfully bowed and said, "I am of average appearance. I am grateful to the young master for trusting me and entrusting me with this important task. I am willing to go through fire and water without hesitation."

"good!"

Liu Feng was overjoyed and then revealed his true wish: that Zhuge Jin could go to Xiangcheng on his behalf and persuade Li Zan to take up a post in Xuzhou.

Whether it was the position of governor of Xuzhou, or the position of Liu Bei and his own staff, Liu Feng would grant Li Zan anything he wished.

Liu Feng's attitude was clear: he only wanted Li Zan to side with Xuzhou, which would greatly enhance Liu Bei's prestige for entering Yuzhou soon.

Imagine that among the famous scholars of Yuzhou, Yingchuan had Chen Ji, Li Ying, and Xun You; Runan had Xu Shao and Yuan Huan; Liang had Huang Jiu; Lu had Chen Yi; and Pei had Huan Shao and others.

With the help of these people, Liu Bei will be able to quickly take control of Yu Province and gain the support of the local gentry and powerful families. Even if Yuan Shao wanted to incite a rebellion in Yu Province, he would probably not lose the hearts of the people of Yu Province as Cao Cao did in history.

After hearing Liu Feng's request, Zhuge Jin immediately accepted the order and prepared to depart for Xiangcheng the next day.

Liu Feng specially arranged for twenty riders to protect Zhuge Jin's safety, and at the same time asked Zhuge Liang if there was anything he needed to add.

After thinking for a moment, Zhuge Liang said, "I know nothing about Mr. Li, so I have no specific plan. However, I have heard that the best way to show courtesy to someone is to cater to their preferences. Perhaps we can start from there."

Liu Feng's eyes lit up immediately, and he clasped his hands together, saying, "A Liang's words are very reasonable."

Afterwards, Liu Feng instructed Zhuge Jin: "Ziyu, you should tell Mr. Li about the flourishing state of the scholars in Xuzhou and ask him to take his son to Xuzhou."

Even on his deathbed, Li Zan couldn't let go of his children and grandchildren, painstakingly planning their future. This shows how deeply he cared for them.

If we can start from this point, we will achieve twice the result with half the effort.

As long as Li Xuan and the others are tied up in Xuzhou, why would Li Zan be able to escape alone?

"Especially the news about Mr. Zijiang must be made known to Mr. Li. Besides, given my father's standing with Mr. Zijiang, it wouldn't be difficult for him to comment on my brother."

Liu Feng remembered that Xu Zijiang was still recuperating in Xuzhou.

Why not make good use of it?

Throughout the late Han Dynasty, he was the most prestigious private ability certification expert. A single positive review from him was enough to guarantee a secure future.

Zhuge Jin simply nodded, carefully remembering Liu Feng's words, demonstrating exceptional loyalty and diligence.

This is also what Liu Feng admires most about him.

Afterwards, Liu Feng handed other military reports to the Zhuge brothers.

After the Zhuge brothers finished reading, Liu Feng took the initiative to ask for their opinions.

Zhuge Jin remained cautious, lost in thought, and did not speak.

Zhuge Liang spoke before his elder brother, saying, "Young Master, you can now order Colonel Jia Kui to defend Yangdi, and personally lead an army south to join forces with the eastern army and capture Yingyang."

The central army numbered only 7,000, but it captured 10,000 prisoners, plus twice that number of women and children. Therefore, Yangdi also had to keep enough manpower.

Regardless of how many troops Yangdi sends, the pressure on Yingyang is real, and at the same time, it greatly boosts the morale of the Eastern Route Army.

With the two armies successfully joining forces, morale will undoubtedly be greatly boosted.

This was also the main reason why Zhuge Liang persuaded Liu Feng to send troops from Yangdi.

Liu Feng readily agreed, feeling that Zhuge Liang's advice resonated with him.

So Liu Feng explained his plan: "I intend to leave four thousand men for Liang Dao, and I will personally lead the remaining three thousand men. Perhaps we can also select another four or five thousand men from the Yellow Turban prisoners to accompany the army and serve as auxiliary troops. What do you think, Liang?"

In this way, Liu Feng could bring an additional four or five thousand laborers with him, which would also relieve the pressure on Jia Kui in Yangdi City and allow him to bring more men to strengthen the momentum of the central army. It was a win-win-win situation.

Zhuge Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "This plan is brilliant."

Zhuge Jin had also made up his mind at this time. He raised his head and said, "Young Master, since that is the case, why not send Jia Bin as a detachment and have a thousand cavalry escort three thousand Yellow Turbans to the Eastern Route Army first? In this way, all the Yellow Turbans in the city can be taken to the walls of Yingyang."

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng immediately thought it was a good suggestion.

The cavalry was fast, so they first escorted three thousand men to serve as laborers for Taishi Ci's eastern army.

In this way, the number of Yellow Turbans in Yangdi will decrease by 3,000, and Liu Feng can bring more troops when he goes out to war. More troops mean that he can bring more Yellow Turban laborers.

Perfect.

In this way, only two thousand soldiers need to be left for Jia Kui, while he himself can take four thousand men, and there will be no problem taking the remaining seven or eight thousand Yellow Turban laborers with him. As for Jia Kui's two thousand men, guarding the old, weak, women and children in the city will be no problem at all.

In fact, during this campaign in Yingchuan, Liu Feng's logistics could not rely on waterways. Therefore, he relied on the able-bodied men captured in Gongxian and the local able-bodied men from Yin County, Henan.

Although most of Henan Yin has been flattened, the forward bases of the Eastern Route Army and the Western Route Army are still well preserved.

Because Xinzheng County and Liang County are located off the main road of Sanguan Avenue, they were not the main routes chosen by the Xiliang army when they swept through Yingchuan. As a result, tens of thousands of people were left behind and lived in the two places.

In addition, Yang Feng and Zhang Yang were asked to send some troops to help escort the grain, which ensured the logistics of the Xuzhou army.

The central army has now successfully captured Yangdi, and the city has a large stockpile of grain and fodder, allowing the forward base to be directly moved from Henan Yin to Yangdi. Furthermore, the strategies offered by the Zhuge brothers have undoubtedly greatly reduced logistical pressure.

“Good, then proceed accordingly. We shall depart tomorrow.”

Liu Feng praised them, saying, "You two brothers are truly my confidants."

The next morning, Liu Feng issued an order, appointing Jia Bin as the commander-in-chief and Liu Fu as the deputy commander, to lead over a thousand of his own Sanhe cavalry to escort three thousand Yellow Turban rebels to Xiangcheng.

Liu Feng originally wanted to send some grain over, but he was worried that the Yellow Turban army in Yingyang would come out of the city to attack, so he temporarily gave up.

There's no need to take any risks right now. At most, we can wait until we meet up with Taishi Ci's troops under the walls of Yingyang City, and then Zizhong can start transporting all the supplies from Yangdi.

After Jia Bin and his group set off, Zhuge Liang came to see them again, bringing a silk scroll with him.

"Young Master, this is the storage in Yangdi City, and it has been organized."

Liu Feng's eyes lit up immediately. He quickly took the silk scroll, invited Zhuge Liang to sit down, and ordered the servants to serve tea.

Only then did he open the silk scroll and begin reading.

I was overjoyed when I saw it, and I finally understood where Cao Cao's capital for establishing military farms in Yingchuan came from.

It turns out that the entire investment was brought in by these Yellow Turban rebels from Yingchuan.

The Yellow Turban Army in Yangdi has been in the city for two years, and has also been farming for two full years.

Yingchuan County has extremely fertile land and five parallel rivers within its borders, making its natural water resources so abundant that they are the envy of many.

This explains why Yingchuan's territory is less than half the size of Guangling County in Xuzhou, yet its population is a whole number higher than Guangling's.

Guangling has a population of 410,000, while Yingchuan has a population of 1,430,000.

While other places have been suffering from severe drought for the past two years, Yingchuan has remained unaffected because its water resources are so abundant that even with insufficient rainfall, it can still draw water from rivers to replenish its water supply.

As a result, the Yellow Turban rebels in Yingchuan actually had a bumper harvest.

Most of the Yellow Turban rebels were born out of starvation, and they were hostile to the surrounding feudal lords, with little trade relations.

Under normal circumstances, after a bumper harvest, a portion of the grain will be sold. Even if the leaders at the top are relatively honest, they will exchange it for various supplies such as cloth, money, medicine, weapons, and tools to supplement production.

After all, food cannot be stored for a long time.

The problem was that the Yellow Turban Army had no way to sell off large quantities of grain in exchange for various goods and luxuries. They could only store the large amounts of grain they had harvested, just like squirrels.

As a result, it all benefited Liu Feng.

(End of this chapter)