My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 252 The Prime Minister of Chen
Liu Feng believed that he respected Dong Zhao more than Cao Cao, and had even handed over more than 10,000 troops from the capital to him. He thought that Dong Zhao would not betray him.

This isn't Liu Feng being arrogant; it's just that who in the entire Luoyang region can afford this price?
What Cao Cao could give Dong Zhao, Liu Feng could give as well, and even more.

Moreover, if Dong Zhao wanted to surrender to Cao Cao, he could have done so long ago. The fact that he stayed means that he chose Liu Feng.

A smart man like Dong Zhao would rarely do something he would regret betraying, especially since his younger brother was still in the Xuzhou army.

The Xuzhou army that remained in Luozhong consisted entirely of peripheral forces, with the closest being Yang Feng's troops. Originally, there were 7,000 men, including more than 2,000 under Xu Huang, but Liu Feng took them over, reducing the number to 5,000.

Secondly, there is Han Xian, who also has four thousand men. He has now completely sided with Xuzhou. The Yang and Han forces alone have nearly ten thousand troops, and they can also influence the Hu Cai and Li Le forces in Hedong.

With the addition of Zhang Yang, Yang Chou, and Sui Gu, who number seven or eight thousand, as long as the three of them, along with Yang Feng and Han Xian, unite around Dong Zhao, there is really no need to worry too much about Cao Cao's Yanzhou army.

This doesn't mean that Yang Feng and his men could win a war; even if they were tied together, they wouldn't be able to withstand Cao Cao's brutality.

However, political struggles in the capital rarely escalate into open warfare, and the role of military force is mostly confined to the card table.

Having a military force of nearly 20,000 men from Luozhong on the emperor's side greatly increases the emperor's voice and helps to balance and restrain General Cao Cao, at least preventing him from monopolizing power and doing whatever he wants.

Liu Feng and Dong Zhao discussed the same thing, urging Dong Zhao to communicate with Guo Gong and Zhong Yao in all matters to maintain the balance of power in Luozhong and prevent Cao Cao from becoming too powerful.

That's all Liu Feng wanted.

After stabilizing his base in Luozhong, Liu Feng set off again, first leading nearly two thousand Sanhe knights who had come to join him southward.

After arriving in Yingyin, he gathered all the main generals, including He Yi and He Luan, as well as Huang Shao, who had just surrendered.

The total number of Xuzhou troops in Yingchuan has now reached 35,000, not including He Luan's 3,000 men, tens of thousands of surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of surrendered Yellow Turban followers.

Reasonable deployment is necessary.

Liu Feng planned to transfer the troops of Taishi Ci, Pan Zhang, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Jia Kui, and naturally, the entire navy would be transferred as well.

Only Guan Yu's troops and Guan Ping's troops remained, totaling more than 6,000 men.

“Uncle, you can select the elite from the Yingchuan troops and expand your elder brother’s force to two thousand men.”

Liu Feng said to Guan Yu, "I'll leave the matter of Yingchuan to you, Uncle."

Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard and nodded: "Zisheng, there's no need to worry. Everything will be fine."

Then, Liu Feng turned to Liu Ye and said, "Mr. Ziyang went south to Yingchuan this time and devised a brilliant plan to capture Xiangcheng and Xuxian. He made rapid progress all the way. My uncle told me in private that Mr. Ziyang's achievements this time should be the greatest. When I return to Xuzhou and meet my father, I will definitely report Mr. Ziyang's achievements to him truthfully."

Liu Ye smiled broadly and waved his hand humbly, saying, "Young master, you flatter me. I was merely offering advice. General Guan was able to choose the best course of action and personally led the troops into battle. General Guan is the one who deserves the most credit."

Liu Ye is actually a very proud person, but also a very intelligent one.

He had long realized that neither Guan Yu nor Liu Feng were susceptible to arrogance.

Guan Yu already looked down on the gentry, and putting on airs in front of him would only cause trouble and invite his contempt and hostility. On the contrary, being humble and courteous would not only win Guan Yu's favor, but also, given Guan Yu's character, he would never deny his contributions.

Although Liu Feng is kind-hearted, he is also someone who cannot tolerate any injustice.

In that case, Liu Ye might as well adopt a low-key and humble attitude, and no one will be able to find fault with him.

Indeed, Liu Feng felt somewhat apologetic for Liu Ye's humility and went out of his way to comfort him, hinting that he must be in Liu Bei's staff.

Liu Ye was overjoyed. He was a man who had no loyalty to the Han emperor. Now, after serving under Liu Bei for a long time, he saw Xuzhou flourishing. Liu Bei had even been promoted to General of the Cavalry and appointed governor of the three southeastern provinces.

In this situation, what Liu Ye cared about most was not his own official position, but his role in Liu Bei's staff.

Liu Feng's guarantee struck a chord with Liu Ye, making him overjoyed.

"Thank you for your kind offer, young master. I will spare no effort to assist General Guan."

"good!"

Liu Feng praised, "In that case, we'll have to trouble Mr. Ziyang."

Then, Liu Feng turned to Taishi Ci and said respectfully, "Teacher, you can select 20,000 elite troops from the Yellow Turbans to serve as soldiers and supplement the various units. If I am not mistaken, we will be heading south to Yangzhou by the middle of this year."

Taishi Ci was slightly taken aback and said with some concern, "That's only four months away. Isn't that a bit too short a time?"

Liu Feng sighed and said, "I also want to rest more, but Sun Ce of Jiangdong may not give us more time."

Upon hearing the mention of Sun Ce, Taishi Ci's eyes lit up, and he sneered, "Young Master, please rest assured, Ci knows what to do."

Judging from his expression, he was clearly recalling the battle at Guangling, which ended in a draw.

Then, Liu Feng said to He Yi, "Commander He, this time I have requested the court to appoint you as the General of Abundance, in charge of the military agricultural settlements in Yingchuan and Runan. Please do not refuse."

He Yi was overjoyed, not because he truly cared about the rank of General of the Central Army, but because Liu Feng had treated him with such care, it was clear that he wouldn't abandon him after using him.

He Yi then rose and bowed deeply to Liu Feng, saying, "Young Master, please rest assured that I will strictly follow General Guan's orders, manage the Yingyin region well, and provide the army with sufficient food."

Liu Feng was overjoyed. He stood up and helped He Yi to his feet, then took her hand and led her to her seat: "In that case, I have nothing to worry about."

Then he said to Guan Ping, "Brother, I have placed you under the care of Second Uncle Yingchuan. You can learn a lot from Second Uncle about how to lead troops, and you must not neglect your duties."

Guan Ping had already been promoted to the rank of Separate Division Commander, and his forces were about to expand to two thousand men, making him a worthy colonel. It was clear to everyone that Guan Ping's promotion to Colonel was just around the corner.

At the end of the meeting, Liu Feng said to He Luan and Huang Shao, "Would you two generals be willing to follow me south to conquer Yangzhou? I have no other wish than to guarantee that I will treat everyone equally and be fair in my rewards and punishments."

He Luan and Huang Shao exchanged a glance, then rose from their seats and bowed deeply: "Luan (Shao) is a defeated general, but thanks to the general's kindness, we are willing to serve the general with utmost loyalty."

"Good! Good!"

Liu Feng happily pulled the two men up, one in each hand, and comforted them, saying, "Generals Huang and He are both wise and brave. Heading south is the perfect opportunity for them to display their talents. I am willing to watch as you two generals defeat the enemy and achieve great merit."

Liu Feng successfully dismantled the Yellow Turban leadership in Yingchuan, taking He Luan and Huang Shao away, leaving He Yi in charge of the military farms, and then transferring 20,000 veteran soldiers away.

These veteran Yellow Turban soldiers had served for many years and had undergone extensive training, making them far superior to ordinary new recruits. Moreover, the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan were not particularly fanatical among the Yellow Turbans, especially those like He Yi.

As long as they are dispersed and distributed, they will naturally be absorbed by the Xuzhou army over time.

Subsequently, Liu Feng went ahead to Suiyang in Liang State to join Liu Bei.

The main army was led by Taishi Ci, who commanded the troops of Pan Zhang, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Gao Shun, Jia Kui, and Guo Gong, as well as the troops of Huang Shao and He Luan, and the Three Rivers Knights recruited for this eastward return. They marched back to Xuzhou together, escorting 20,000 veterans from Yingchuan.

Liu Feng himself, traveling light and with only two hundred personal guards, headed straight for Suiyang.

Four days later, Liu Feng arrived outside Chen County with a group of personal guards.

The garrison soldiers of Chen County were very wary of Liu Feng's cavalry. After seeing them from a distance on the city tower, they immediately alerted the city gate.

When Liu Feng and his men arrived, the garrison of Chen County had already set up deer antlers on the main road and deployed crossbowmen behind them and on the city walls.

With over four hundred crossbows aimed at them, if Liu Feng and his small force wanted to storm the city gate, they would probably be wiped out before they even reached the gate.

Liu Feng nodded to the person beside him, and a personal guard rushed out and shouted loudly outside the city: "My lord is General Liu Feng, also known as Liu Zisheng, who is on the orders of the Emperor. Go quickly and inform the Prince of Chen and the Prime Minister to come and welcome him!"

The city gate magistrate was immediately alarmed. After considering for a moment, he shouted outside, "Wait a moment, I will go and report to King Chen and the Prime Minister."

The man then asked for a horse and rode towards the city.

He went to the Prime Minister's residence first, and as soon as he arrived at the gate, he bumped into Luo Jun and Prince Chen coming out.

It turned out that Prince Chen had come to see Luo Jun on business. After they finished, the two were chatting in the hall when they heard about what was happening outside.

So, just as the two were about to go to the city wall to find out what was going on, they ran into Sima.

After hearing Sima's report, Liu Chong and Luo Jun looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Who is this General Who Conquers the South? Liu Feng, Liu Zisheng, the name sounds familiar, but I've forgotten who he is." Luo Jun frowned, unable to recall where he had heard it for a moment.

Prince Liu Chong of Chen said, "It's not a big deal if I can't remember. Let's just go to the city gate."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jun felt that what the other party said made sense, so the two of them mounted their horses and, with the city gate magistrate and the guards at the gate, headed towards the city gate.

Upon arriving at the city gate, both Prince Liu Chong and Luo Jun were taken aback.

These two hundred cavalrymen were well-trained and well-equipped, and their discipline was particularly strict. The two hundred men stopped outside the city without whispering to each other, which made Liu Chong very envious.

"Are these elite troops truly dispatched by the imperial court?"

Liu Chong couldn't help but ask Luo Junlai, "Don't they know what the court is like right now?"
If such a knight were truly available, he should be kept by the emperor's side as an attendant; how could one bear to send him away?

After a moment's thought, Luo Jun guessed, "Perhaps it's from an outer vassal state."

Liu Chong nodded, then cracked his whip and called to Luo Jun, "Let's go, let's go out and meet them."

Soon, there was a commotion at the city gate, a gap opened, and several riders galloped out and came to the opposite side of Liu Feng and his group.

"I am Liu Chong, the Prince of Chen. Please come forward and meet me, General Who Conquers the South."

Looking at Liu Feng, King Liu Chong of Chen was not tall, but he was very sturdy, with long arms and strong limbs, showing considerable strength. Beside him, Chancellor Luo Jun of Chen, on the other hand, was tall and thin, dressed in the typical attire of a scholar.

Liu Feng rode out and said, “I am Liu Feng, General Who Conquers the South. My father is the General of the Cavalry appointed by the court, Governor of Yu Province, and Commander-in-Chief of the affairs of Xu, Yu, and Yang Provinces. A month ago, he led troops to Hedong to protect the Emperor and escort him back east. We were fortunate to receive assistance from the State of Chen, which provided financial and material support. I have specially submitted a memorial to the Emperor on behalf of the King of Chen and the Chancellor of the State, detailing their merits. Today, I have received an imperial edict from the Emperor and have come to Chen County to commend Your Highness and the Chancellor of the State.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Chong and Luo Jun were overjoyed.

Previously, the State of Chen had also sponsored tens of thousands of shi of grain and sold a batch at a fair price.

Although the relationship with Xuzhou was not close, the financial and material support was only given because of the other party's righteous cause of serving the emperor.

But now the other party is showing gratitude and even recounting their achievements before the emperor, which makes Liu Chong and Luo Jun very happy.

Upon receiving a meaningful glance from Prince Chen, Luo Jun immediately extended an invitation: "I see. Liu Zhengnan is a guest from afar. Please come into the city for a chat!"

"good!"

Liu Feng slowly rode up to the other party and invited, "Please, elders, go first."

Liu Chong was very pleased to see Liu Feng's extraordinary martial prowess and his respectful manner: "Please, General of the South!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the city.

Upon arriving at the Prime Minister's residence, Liu Chong directly addressed his personal guards, saying, "You may all go and rest. I am safe and sound in Prime Minister Luo's residence."

The guards, unfazed, responded in unison.

This scene left Liu Feng dumbfounded.

If Luo Jun's residence were heavily guarded, Liu Chong's actions would not have been problematic, as they would have demonstrated his closeness and trust in Luo Jun.

However, Liu Feng could tell from the situation near the gate that the Prime Minister's residence was not only poorly protected, but also laxly guarded.

No wonder Zhang Kai single-handedly wiped out those two next year and made them escape unscathed.

Such precautions are tantamount to courting death in this chaotic world.

However, Liu Feng did not say much at this time, but followed the two into the mansion.

Then, Liu Feng took out a yellow imperial edict, and Liu Chong and Luo Jun bowed in the hall.

In his edict, the emperor praised Liu Chong and Luo Jun, and even bestowed upon them a small amount of frosting sugar and snow salt. These two items were presented as tribute by Liu Feng, which shows that the emperor was truly poor.

The main reason is that Liu Chong and Luo Jun, who have business dealings with Xuzhou, don't lack this; they might even have more than the emperor.

Liu Feng was also a little embarrassed, but seeing that Liu Chong and Luo Jun were very happy, he relaxed.

Subsequently, Liu Chong and Luo Jun hosted a banquet for Liu Feng at the Prime Minister's residence.

During the meal, Liu Feng keenly sensed that Liu Chong and Luo Jun were somewhat uneasy, testing whether Liu Bei would transfer Luo Jun to another post.

In theory, Liu Bei was already the governor of Yu Province and had the authority to adjust the prefects of Yu Province.

If Liu Bei were to order Luo Jun to be transferred out of the city, Luo Jun would be in a very awkward position.

If I obey, I will feel resentful.

If you resist, you immediately lose your legitimacy.

Liu Feng sighed, “You two are unaware of the fact that last year, the four provinces of Yan, Yu, Yang and Qing fought a major war, and a large number of refugees rose up. Xuzhou had just experienced the ravages of war and was in dire need of reconstruction. It was a time for recuperation and development. But suddenly hundreds of thousands of refugees poured in. How could the province possibly accommodate them all? It was difficult to even provide enough food.”

At this point, Liu Feng turned to Luo Jun and said, "My father has long heard that Prime Minister Luo is skilled in civil administration and also adept at land reclamation. He really wants to invite Prime Minister Luo to govern Xuzhou, but he is afraid of being presumptuous. Therefore, he asked me to inquire about Prime Minister Luo's intentions along the way."

When Liu Bei heard that he really wanted to transfer Luo Jun to Xuzhou, both Liu Chong and Luo Jun looked grim.

It's not that the two of them harbored any rebellious intentions at this time, but rather that they were very close friends and got along very well. At the same time, Luo Jun had devoted a great deal of effort to the State of Chen, and he only wished to protect the people of Chen from the suffering of war and hunger.

Liu Feng was now fearless, no matter what Luo Jun chose, he would still make a huge profit.

Luo Jun was from a prominent family in Kuaiji Commandery, and the Luo family was quite powerful in the area.

If Luo Jun is willing to obey Liu Bei's orders, then this trip south to Yangzhou will immediately allow them to utilize the strength of Luo Jun's family in Kuaiji.

If Luo Jun refuses to leave Chen, then there must be some price to pay in exchange.

As a result, the banquet that evening ended rather abruptly, with things starting strong but ending weakly.

After the banquet, Liu Chong pulled Luo Jun aside to discuss the matter.

"Xiaoyuan, you can't leave Chen."

Liu Chong said anxiously, "Chen Kingdom cannot do without you. If you leave, what will become of the people?"

Luo Jun sighed; he was also extremely conflicted.

During his years in the State of Chen, he worked diligently to govern the country, encouraged production, provided relief to the people, united the powerful clans, and stabilized the region.

Of all the places in Yu Province, the most peaceful place is the State of Chen.

This is a rich land that even the Yellow Turban Army ultimately dared not enter.

Although Luo Jun also desired promotion, at this moment he truly couldn't let go of the people of Chen.

Luo Jun said with a complicated expression, "Liu Biaoji also serves as the Governor of Yuzhou, which is my superior. How can I refuse his orders? Unless I resign and go home, there is absolutely no way I can disobey his orders."

Liu Chong paced around the room, while Luo Jun sat in deep thought.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Chong suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Isn't Xuzhou short of food? My Chen State has food!"

As he spoke, Liu Chong strode over and sat down opposite Luo Jun, his expression a mixture of joy and excitement. He said, “Xiao Yuan, what do you think? General Liu is short of grain, while our Chen Kingdom has abundant reserves. In that case, why don’t we hand over more grain and beg General Liu to keep you here? After all, General Liu wants to transfer you away so that you can help him increase his income by cultivating the land.”

Liu Chong became more and more eloquent as he spoke: "If that's the case, why don't we, the State of Chen, simply pay more grain and get him to allow you to stay? Wouldn't that achieve the same goal through different means?"

Luo Jun frowned slightly and hesitated, saying, "But if we do that, the burden on my Chen Kingdom will increase greatly. What have the people done to deserve this suffering? My original intention was to stay and bring peace to the people and take good care of the people of Chen Kingdom. If they have to pay more taxes because of me, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

"Xiaoyuan, you are mistaken!"

Liu Chong loudly rebuked, "The people of Chen are now living in peace and prosperity, the country is in perfect order, the young are educated, and the elderly are cared for—all thanks to Xiao Yuan. Moreover, you have encouraged sericulture and rewarded production, resulting in a large amount of newly reclaimed land and a significant increase in grain taxes. The country's prosperity is a testament to Xiao Yuan's immense contribution. If you were to leave, who knows what the new prime minister would be like? Aren't you worried?"

(End of this chapter)