My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 246 Returning to Luoyang
Although Liu Feng had something on his mind, he patiently asked, "Oh, what is it?" because he needed He Yi's help for the future.

"Bring the people here."

He Yi received Liu Feng's permission and waved to the back.

He Luan escorted two people in from outside.

“Young master, this man is He Kui, formerly the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou, and the other man is Zhang Mang, also a leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou.”

Seeing Liu Feng's puzzled expression, He Yi stepped forward and introduced them: "These two men came from Yanzhou and told us that the Xuzhou army under your command will soon march south to sweep through Yingchuan. Therefore, they hope that we can bring our families and follow them to Yanzhou, or simply switch sides and surrender to the newly appointed General Cao Cao."

He Yi's actions were tantamount to betraying his brothers, but he had no choice. Now that he had surrendered to Liu Feng, he had to consider the hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban brothers and sisters in Yingchuan.

Moreover, He Kui and Zhang Mang are no good either. They came here this time to use them as a stepping stone to advance their careers, trying to get them to surrender to Cao Cao from all sides.

Cao Cao slaughtered countless Yellow Turban rebels in Yingchuan back then, and Bo Caibo, the great general, was defeated by him, Huangfu Song, and Zhu Jun in a joint effort.

These grudges have only been buried for ten years, but many elderly people have not forgotten them.

Previously, He Kui went to Yangdi to persuade Bo Xing, but after Bo Xing was killed in battle, he fled back to Yingyin with his entourage.

Therefore, after deciding to surrender, He Yi immediately sent people to control He Kui and Zhang Mang, who had been staying in Yingyin to persuade him to surrender.

Now is the perfect time to give it to Liu Feng as a token of my loyalty.

"I see."

Liu Feng suddenly realized that he had been wondering why Cao Cao hadn't made any moves.

Immediately, Liu Feng felt a surge of anger.

It turns out that Old Deng actually cut off all the fuel supply by running ahead of him.

Fortunately, He Yi was not persuaded by them, otherwise she would have become a laughingstock.

The thought of mobilizing tens of thousands of troops, wasting resources, and marching south in a grand manner, only to have the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan switch sides and become Cao Cao's subordinates before even engaging in formal combat, was utterly disgusting.

It could even greatly affect Liu Feng's, and even Liu Bei's, reputation.

You went to great lengths to fight the Yellow Turbans, but they looked down on you and surrendered to Cao Cao without losing a single soldier.

Doesn't this mean that Cao Cao is far superior to Liu Bei and his son?
If Cao Cao really did that, not only would Yingchuan be unable to hold on, but even Pei and Runan would be difficult to manage in the future, and the management of Yuzhou would definitely be much more difficult.

Damn it, that old dog Cao Mengde might still be eyeing Pei State and Runan.

The Yellow Turban Army in Runan and Yingchuan were separated only by a narrow strip of water and supported each other.

In other words, he defeated the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan with speed and almost no siege warfare. Otherwise, the Yellow Turban army in Runan would not have stood idly by, and reinforcements would have arrived sooner or later.

If Cao Cao had successfully subdued the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan, no one would believe he wouldn't have harbored treacherous intentions towards Runan.

He Yi and his nephew He Luan watched Liu Feng perform Sichuan opera face-changing in front of them, and their hearts trembled.

He Yi secretly sighed, thankful that he hadn't secretly released He Kui and the others. Judging from Liu Feng's current behavior, if he had actually done so, it might have become the cause of his uncle and nephew's deaths.

Liu Feng slowly exhaled, controlling his anger. After calming down, he realized that this had actually become a good thing.

Widow Cao did such a despicable thing, and the person who handled it was caught red-handed. If she thinks she can get away with it without paying some price, wouldn't that make her seem too incompetent?

Liu Feng's expression changed, and he stepped forward to grasp He Yi's hand, saying emotionally, "General, you have done me a great favor."

He Yi and He Luan were both startled, but then a sense of secret joy rose in their hearts. Could it be that they had made the right bet?
This was actually an exaggeration deliberately made by Liu Feng.

Admittedly, He Yi's actions greatly helped Liu Feng and deserved Liu Feng's gratitude. However, besides acknowledging the contributions of He Yi and his nephew, Liu Feng had another purpose in doing so.

Interpersonal relationships are not always about one-way favors. If you encounter someone of bad character, it can even lead to a situation where a great favor turns into an enemy.

In fact, receiving favors is also a way to enhance the relationship between the two parties, and it is effective.

Liu Feng openly told He Yi and his nephew He Luan that He Kui and Zhang Mang were very useful and that they had made great contributions.

This was more effective than the hundred times he had wrapped a cloak around He Yi before, and it was more comforting to He Yi and his nephew He Luan.

Because they were confident that they had rendered meritorious service to Xuzhou, which Liu Feng had personally promised, meaning that Liu Feng could no longer arbitrarily execute them, otherwise Liu Feng's political reputation would also be greatly damaged.

After all, there is a huge difference between executing a surrendered general and executing a surrendered general who has made great contributions.

Upon hearing Liu Feng's praise and commendation, He Yi and He Luan were overjoyed and relaxed. In an instant, even the humiliation of being surrendered generals that had been lingering in their hearts subsided.

Liu Feng's personal admission of his great contribution gave He Yi and He Luan the feeling that they were beginning to integrate into the Xuzhou Group, which was undoubtedly a very good start.

Subsequently, Liu Feng suppressed his urge to run back to Luoyang to cause trouble for Cao Cao, and immediately held a banquet to entertain He Yi and He Luan, and even invited Zhang Liao to accompany them.

With Gao Shun and Xiahou Bo in charge of the city's defenses, Xu Huang overseeing the cavalry and Taishi Ci in overall command, Liu Feng had no worries whatsoever.

During the banquet, Liu Feng also specifically consulted He Yi and He Luan about the situation in Runan.

He Yi and his nephew were indeed very familiar with that area.

"Young master, you may not know this, but two years ago, we Daoists gathered together, intending to go to the State of Chen for food."

At this point, He Yi blushed slightly. He said that although it was called a meal, those who knew the truth understood that it was just a robbery.

"The plan was to gather in Xihua County, which was already a barren wasteland with hardly any people around."

He Yi spoke with a normal expression, simply because the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan had indeed never harmed this region.

Although the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans are relatively close to the Runan Corner region, the reason why this area is so desolate now is mainly due to the Western Liang Army and the Runan Yellow Turbans, and has little to do with the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans themselves.

He Luan added from the side, "The same goes for Zhaoling and Zhengqiang. This place used to be extremely prosperous, but now it's just like Xihua. When we gathered in Xihua before, we had to transport grain from Yingyin because Zhaoling and Zhengqiang next door also had no surplus grain."

Zhengqiang County is a large county with more than 10,000 households.

The famous scholar Jiao Jiao from Kuaiji whom Bu Zhi once visited had served as the magistrate of Zhengqiang County, and he did a pretty good job.

During the Han Dynasty, those with more than 10,000 households were called county magistrates, while those with fewer than 10,000 households were called county chiefs.

This demonstrates the fertility and prosperity of this land, which could support at least ten thousand households.

Liu Feng was secretly delighted. If that were the case, he would have many more options to choose from.

Subsequently, Liu Feng began to probe the matter of migration.

After listening, He Yi and He Luan remained silent for a moment, expressing some grievances and difficulties.

After all, in these days, such a long migration is a life-threatening thing for ordinary people.

Even with government organization and ample supplies along the way, many elderly, women, children, and even young adults would die on the road for various reasons.

He Yi and He Luan's reaction was not unexpected by Liu Feng. On the contrary, their opposition seemed too weak, giving Liu Feng the impression that they would back down if he were to be a little more forceful.

However, Liu Feng did not press the matter further, but instead changed the subject, introducing the situation in Xuzhou to He Yi and his nephew, and inquiring about their future intentions.

When He Luan heard Liu Feng mention that he could continue to serve in the army, his eyes immediately lit up, and he couldn't help but ask, "Young master, I wonder if I would be fortunate enough to serve under General Xu?"

Liu Feng was immediately amused. He hadn't expected He Luan to make such a request. Could it be that Xu Huang had won him over?

"If you really have this idea, I can inquire on your behalf, but it will have to be approved by General Xu."

Liu Feng's words were conservative, but it was precisely because of this conservatism that they were more sincere.

He Luan was overjoyed and immediately knelt down on the table: "I am foolish and ignorant, having spent half my life as a thief. I am grateful that you do not despise me, and I am willing to be your lackey!"

Liu Feng laughed and stood up, helping him to his feet: "Wenshan, I hope we can have a good beginning and a good end. If you do not betray me, I will certainly not betray you."

On that day, He Yi and He Luan both returned home drunk, and the uncle and nephew had completely relaxed.

The next day, Liu Feng specially arranged for Taishi Ci to take charge and asked He Yi to cooperate. He then appointed He Luan as a colonel, selected two thousand Yellow Turbans to form a company, and assigned it to Xu Huang for command.

He Luan was overjoyed, but Xu Huang was also somewhat surprised.

He never dreamed that his unofficial reinforcements would have the opportunity to be expanded. Although He Luan was a surrendered soldier, who would have thought that he would be assigned to Xu Huang?

Even with Xu Huang's composure, he couldn't help but come over to Liu Feng to sound him out.

Liu Feng didn't say much, only expressing his high regard and appreciation for Xu Huang, telling Xu Huang to rest assured, and even specially promising him the position of Lieutenant General.

Historically, Xu Huang was doing quite well at this time, not only obtaining the rank of Lieutenant General but also being granted the title of Marquis.

However, with Liu Feng's strong intervention, Yang Feng has actually been sidelined during the emperor's return to the east. Although his official rank has been promoted rather than demoted, his actual power is far less than that of the same period in history.

If Yang Feng was in such a predicament, Xu Huang was naturally in an even worse situation. He was still only a colonel, not even a lieutenant general. There was a whole two ranks between a lieutenant general and a deputy general, not to mention the possibility of being enfeoffed as a marquis.

After making the arrangements, Liu Feng left Yingyin, traveled north by water, and then rode a horse back to Luoyang by land.

His main purpose in returning to Luoyang this time was threefold. The first was naturally to cause trouble for Cao Cao, and he had to make the widow Cao Cao bleed a little.

The second thing was naturally to pay homage to the emperor and request credit for the generals under his command.

The third thing is to continue to win over Yang Feng and Zhang Yang. The fact that Widow Cao still has time to set traps for herself clearly shows that Yang Feng and Zhang Yang are not putting enough pressure on her, so she needs to encourage the two brothers.

Eight days later, Liu Feng returned to Luoyang with a convoy of carriages and horses.

On the day he entered the city, Liu Feng went to the Zhao residence to pay homage to the emperor.

The person who came out to greet him was an old acquaintance, Zhong Yao, who had by then been promoted to Vice Censor-in-Chief.

"Liu Jianzhong, the Emperor is waiting for you in the main hall. Please come with me."

Upon seeing Liu Feng, Zhong Yao gave him a friendly smile and whispered as he led the way, "The Emperor heard that you won three battles in Yingchuan, defeating the Yellow Turbans and recovering seven or eight cities. He is overjoyed. If it weren't for the General stopping him, the Emperor would probably have already granted you a marquisate."

Liu Feng's face lit up with surprise, and he quickly said humbly, "I am unworthy of the Emperor's concern. This great victory in Yingchuan is thanks to the Emperor's good fortune and the soldiers' valiant fighting. I have been trembling with fear and trepidation, but I have not failed the Emperor's expectations. For the Emperor and the court, I have wiped out the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan."

While Liu Feng was flattering the emperor, he was actually processing the information Zhong Yao had given him.

Liu Feng was not sure whether Zhong Yao's words were true or false, but Zhong Yao's attitude was very important.

At this point in history, Zhong Yao had completely pledged allegiance to Cao Cao, and later, with Cao Cao's support, even assumed the important position of Commandant of the Capital Region.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of the officialdom of the Eastern Han Dynasty knows that the position of Sili Xiaowei was extremely powerful, a veritable sharp blade used to eliminate dissidents.

Therefore, it was absolutely impossible for anyone who wasn't extremely trusted by Cao Cao to have secured this position.

The reason why the Commandant of the Capital Region was so arrogant was because this official position could directly arrest high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

Wang Fu, a powerful eunuch who served as Da Changqiu (the highest-ranking eunuch official) and was the father of the Ten Attendants, was killed by Yang Qiu, the Commandant of the Capital Region.

This shows how powerful this official position was.

Historically, after Emperor Xian of Han moved to Luoyang, the first Sili Commandant was Cao Cao himself, who killed three important central officials in one fell swoop.

Subsequently, Cao Cao was appointed Grand General, and the position of Commandant of the Capital Region was transferred to Ding Chong.

After Cao Ang's death, Cao Cao's relationship with Ding Chong deteriorated rapidly, and he was eventually forced to poison Ding Chong.

The person who succeeded Ding Chong as Commandant of the Capital Region was Zhong Yao.

This whole thing seems like a long story, but it actually only lasted a short year.

It is evident that Zhong Yao must have joined Cao Cao early on, otherwise how could he have risen from Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate to Imperial Censor, then to Attendant-in-Ordinary, then to Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and finally to Commandant of the Capital Region within a year?

This series of promotions is equivalent to elevating a centrally managed department-level cadre to a high-ranking official within a year.

If Zhong Yao wasn't one of their own, Cao Cao would be insane to promote him like that.

Based on the information Zhong Yao has revealed to Liu Feng, it seems that he still stands on the side of the emperor, is subtly close to Liu Feng, and dares to directly criticize Cao Cao.

This attitude is completely opposite to that in history.

Liu Feng was actually quite envious of Zhong Yao, but he didn't deliberately try to win him over.

Because renowned scholars from aristocratic families like Zhong Yao are all quite opinionated, your respect for them will only bring you some points, but it will never be the same decisive factor you would when dealing with powerful and humble families.

Simply put, the return on investment is too low.

Even if you invest heavily to win over Zhong Yao, you might end up letting him take advantage of you for free.

Liu Feng didn't have enough resources to squander them like that.

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry, the General of the Guards, and the Minister of Works all support bestowing titles and rewards upon you, while the Grand Commandant, the General of Anji, and the Grand General share the same opinion."

Zhong Yao continued to tell Liu Feng about the changes that had occurred during the nearly one month he had been away.

“A few days ago, General Han Xian, who was in charge of the Eastern Expedition, had a major conflict with General Dong Cheng, whose soldiers almost came to blows. This angered the emperor, who ordered both of their forces to withdraw from Luoyang. Now, only the troops from Yanzhou, Henan, and the troops of the General of Chariots and Cavalry are stationed in the city.”

This news alerted Liu Feng, who knew that Zhang Yang would eventually flee. Yang Feng was no match for Cao Cao and also wanted to establish military farms in Gong County.

If this happens, won't Widow Cao have absolute power over Luoyang from now on?

It seems I'll need to bring more followers when I go into the city in the future, and I'll also need to control one of the city gates.

Although Widow Cao might not actually go mad, Liu Feng was still uneasy.

After thanking Zhong Yao, the two arrived outside the main hall.

Zhong Yao apologized and went into the palace to announce his arrival.

"Quickly invite Minister Liu to the palace."

The emperor had a very good impression of Liu Feng, especially after experiencing the arrogance of warlords such as Cao Cao, Yang Feng, Zhang Yang, Han Xian, and Dong Cheng over the past half month.

Although they are far inferior to the warriors of Xiliang, they are even inferior to those of Hedong.

But the emperor's ambitions have also grown.

He no longer considers himself a puppet emperor.

Cao Cao's successful return to Luoyang, coupled with the strong support from Xuzhou, gave the emperor the illusion of being in charge, and he naturally began to find Cao Cao and his warlords' behavior increasingly intolerable.

On the contrary, Liu Feng had requested an imperial decree to go to Yingchuan to suppress bandits early on, and he was very successful.

In this way, Liu Feng, with the added advantage of being admired from afar and disliked up close, coupled with his previously submissive attitude, instantly became a loyal minister in the emperor's heart.

"Your Majesty, I was ordered to march south and sweep through Yingchuan. Under Your Majesty's protection, my generals fought bravely, and my soldiers gave their lives. Now, we have finally achieved great success."

Liu Feng first boasted of his achievements, and then proceeded to bribe the emperor: "During the process of suppressing bandits, I seized a batch of supplies and valuables. I learned that the court is facing financial difficulties, and I am willing to hand them all over to the Grand Minister of Agriculture and the Imperial Treasury."

Upon hearing this, the emperor was filled with excitement.

The Emperor was well aware of the current difficulties facing the court, but apart from Zhang Yang squeezing another batch of money and grain from Hanoi to send to the capital, Yang Feng and Han Xian also wanted the court to subsidize them to support their troops, while Cao Cao refused to contribute a single penny.

Zhang Yang only controlled most of Hanoi, and his funds and provisions were extremely limited. The goods he sent this time amounted to only a few hundred thousand coins, and three thousand shi of grain.

This was already the best Zhang Yang could offer; he couldn't give any more.

Cao Cao still had some money and provisions, but he also needed to support his army. If he handed over the money and provisions, how would he maintain his 70,000 to 80,000 troops?

Liu Feng is currying favor with the emperor and handing over his ill-gotten gains because he is about to leave.

Before leaving, it's quite important to try and improve your chances with the emperor to leave a good impression.

At the same time, Liu Feng was about to settle accounts with Cao Cao, and the emperor was also a very good bargaining chip.

Soon, the eunuch handed the memorial in Liu Feng's hands to the emperor.

The emperor opened the package with great eagerness and saw a dazzling array of supplies, including not only money, cloth, salt, grain, lamp oil, and candles, but also many precious items. Even two bolts of Shu brocade were presented as tribute.

These items were all taken from the Yellow Turban Army's warehouse. Although the quantity was not large, the variety was considerable, including supplies such as lamp oil and candles, which were exactly what the emperor urgently needed.

(End of this chapter)