My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 259 Appeasing Cao Bao
"At this stage, there are two things to do. First, without affecting the production of iron tools and weapons, we must do our best to increase the production of iron armor."

Liu Feng concluded: "Second, we should make every effort to expand the size and training of the apprentice team and institutionalize it to lay the foundation for the court to establish workshops and academies in the future."

Liu Gan and others immediately accepted the order and pledged to do their utmost.

Then Liu Gancai complained, "Young Master, this will cause a significant shortage of money and provisions."

Liu Feng waved his hand generously and said, "Don't worry about the money and supplies. Just give me a report later, and I'll make up for any shortages."

Upon their return, the Mi family alone had to settle accounts for over a hundred million coins. With the treasury full and the granaries abundant, allocating an additional batch of money and grain to the ironworks would not put any pressure on them.

Before coming to Xiapi, Liu Feng had carefully considered whether to bring out his three-piece riding kit—a high-bridged saddle, double-sided iron stirrups, and iron horseshoes.

After careful consideration, he felt that the time was not yet right.

Although information spread very slowly in this era, security measures were equally poor.

Keeping something secret is actually quite difficult.

The three-piece set requires almost no technical skill, making it incredibly easy to replicate and requiring minimal time investment.

Rather than developing these three things too early and then having other feudal lords steal their methods, it would be better to focus our efforts on setting up horse farms and increasing the production of warhorses.

By simply producing three to six months in advance, enough three-piece sets can be manufactured, leaving ample time for the riders to train and get used to the equipment.

Therefore, this time when he came to Xiapi, he did not start the project, but inquired about the quality of the iron ingots currently being produced, as this was related to the subsequent progress of the three-piece set.

After visiting the ironworks, Liu Feng went back to Xiapi City.

As soon as they arrived at the city gate, Cao Bao was already waiting there.

Cao Bao learned that he had arrived in Xiapi from Liu Feng himself.

He never expected that the other party would go to such lengths, to greet him outside the city gate as the prime minister of Xiapi.

Liu Feng thought to himself, if the other party had known his route, given Cao Bao's eagerness, he would definitely have come dozens of miles out of the city to greet him.

However, Liu Feng didn't mind at all; in fact, he was quite satisfied with Cao Bao's attitude.

Cao Bao had rendered meritorious service to the Liu family, was an original shareholder, and was also a prospective in-law. Therefore, both morally and logically, he should be honored and treated like a virtuous figurehead to show that the Liu family had not forgotten their roots and would repay kindness.

Such a memorial archway was a must; every warlord had one like that. And judging from the current situation, Cao Bao's performance couldn't be considered satisfactory; he should at least be rated excellent.

Since that's the case, Liu Feng has to give his future father-in-law some face. Passing through Xiapi without entering is a hurtful thing to do, and unless the situation is urgent, he should never do it.

"Upon hearing of my son-in-law's return, I was unable to greet him from afar. I hope my son-in-law will forgive me."

Cao Bao's words were strange, even rambling and disorderly.

However, none of the officials in Xiapi behind him dared to point this out; they even cast extremely envious glances at Cao Bao.

Cao Bao was merely a local strongman from Danyang, barely managing to associate himself with any aristocratic family.

Because he invested in Liu Bei early and even married his daughter to Liu Feng as a concubine, he unexpectedly rose to prominence.

He is already a powerful prime minister with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure). Even if it is difficult for him to become one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers in the future, he may not be unable to become a governor of a prefecture or even a provincial governor.

Thinking of all this, the officials behind Cao Bao, including the Chief Clerk, the Chief Clerk, and the Registrar, were green with envy.

Don't underestimate these people. Every single one of them, whether in terms of personal reputation, family background, or status, is far superior to Cao Bao.

But now, they can only grovel at Cao Bao's feet, willingly serving as his subordinates.

All because of this young man who came from afar.

Upon seeing Cao Bao, Liu Feng dismounted and respectfully bowed to Cao Bao, saying, "I am deeply grateful to my father-in-law for personally welcoming me. How dare I accept such a request?"

Xu Chu followed closely behind, one hand on his sword, standing behind Liu Feng.

The imposing Xu Chu immediately attracted a lot of attention, and everyone was shocked by such a fierce warrior.

However, everyone's attention soon returned to the only protagonist present—Liu Feng.

Liu Feng's attitude towards Cao Bao was very respectful and friendly, which surprised the officials of Xiapi, who looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although Cao Bao often boasted about his close relationship with Liu Feng, most of these people didn't really believe him.

After all, Liu Feng is no longer just Liu Bei's son. He is now the General Who Conquers the South, who can command tens of thousands of troops to protect the emperor on his return to the east, sweep away the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan, and win the praise and support of the people and powerful families in the Central Plains. He is also the General Who Conquers the South, whom the emperor trusts and relies on.

You, Cao Bao, are not even worthy to carry her shoes. It was merely a political marriage made early on, but your value is now almost gone. In fact, many people are secretly hoping that Liu Feng will break off the engagement.

It wasn't until they saw Liu Feng's attitude towards Cao Bao that these people realized things might be a little different.

Cao Bao, however, was all smiles. He took Liu Feng's hand and helped him up, saying, "My dear son-in-law, there's no need for such formalities. You must be tired from the journey. Come with me back to the manor and rest for a while."

At this point, Cao Bao turned to his aides and said, "Liu Zhengnan has had a long journey and should rest well today. Tomorrow evening, I will host a banquet at the Prime Minister's residence so that my son-in-law can meet the heroes of Xiapi."

"Thank you very much, sir!"

The officials of Xiapi present, led by the Chief Clerk and the Chief Clerk, all bowed their heads in gratitude.

"In that case, gentlemen, I will keep you company for a while longer."

Cao Bao nodded reservedly and invited Liu Feng, "Son-in-law, shall we get in the carriage?"

Liu Feng nodded, then said to the officials of Xiapi, "Gentlemen, I will keep you company for now. I will offer you wine at the banquet tomorrow to apologize."

"Don't dare."

The local bullies, led by Chen Chang, the Chief Clerk of Xiapi, were immediately flattered, never expecting that Liu Feng would actually take care of their feelings.

"In that case, young man, please excuse me."

Liu Feng said another polite word, then followed Cao Bao into the carriage that had been waiting for a long time, and went straight into the city.

Xu Chu led his horse over and followed closely behind, with two hundred personal guards entering the city in turn.

As the carriage departed, Chen Chang, the Chief Clerk of Xiapi, couldn't help but say to the Chief Clerk, the Five Officials, and others, "I have long heard of Liu Zhengnan's reputation for valuing talent and scholars. Today, having met him, I can see that his reputation is indeed well-deserved."

"What the Chief Clerk says is very true. Both General Liu and his son value talent and respect the virtuous and capable. Great order in our prefecture is just around the corner."

Gongcao Zhou Song nodded in agreement, praising and flattering them. Clearly, no matter what they were thinking, they dared not speak ill of Liu Bei and his son.

Liu Feng and Cao Bao's carriage didn't stop until it entered the Prime Minister's residence in Xiapi.

After Liu Feng and Cao Bao alighted from the carriage, Xu Chu and other guards were already standing guard outside.

Liu Feng instructed Xu Chu, "Zhongkang, you can rest today. You have been protecting me day and night these past few days, which has been hard work. You can arrange the guard shifts later and then rest with the others."

Xu Chu respectfully agreed. Since being appointed captain of the personal guard by Liu Feng, he had immediately adapted to his new position, working diligently and conscientiously.

Liu Feng then said to Cao Bao, "Father-in-law, I will trouble you to make sure they are settled in and provided with food."

Cao Bao immediately nodded to show he understood: "My dear son-in-law, please rest assured. Your personal guards will be arranged in my Prime Minister's residence, and meals will be served shortly."

After settling Xu Chu and his personal guards, Liu Feng and Cao Bao went to the main hall.

At this moment, a banquet had been prepared in the main hall, clearly indicating that they had been waiting for Liu Feng for a long time.

Liu Feng was quite satisfied with Cao Bao's performance over the past six months.

Cao Bao actively sided with the father and son, and had taken the lead in the anti-corruption campaign in Xuzhou by voluntarily handing over his ill-gotten gains. He also cooperated with the state government to clean up the officialdom in Xiapi, making him a man of great merit.

Even Liu Bei's opinion of Cao Bao changed drastically, and he began to praise him highly.

Since Cao Bao's performance was so outstanding, Liu Feng naturally wouldn't hesitate to make empty promises.

"This trip to the capital has broadened my horizons. The high-ranking officials under the emperor's nose are of very different abilities."

Liu Feng steered the conversation toward the central government, lamenting, "Many high-ranking officials among the Nine Ministers are actually quite incompetent, only having empty titles. When it comes to practical matters, they are far inferior to my father-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Cao Bao immediately became interested: "I didn't expect that even a high-ranking official in the central government would be so incompetent?"

Liu Feng laughed and said, "That's right. To be honest, the Three Dukes are in office now, but the Nine Ministers are not all there. The Emperor has no talented people to fill the vacancies for the time being."

At this point, Liu Feng paused deliberately and glanced at Cao Bao's expression.

The latter listened intently, becoming quite absorbed in the conversation.

So Liu Feng continued, "To be honest, in my opinion, father-in-law's abilities are far superior to those of the Nine Ministers, despite his humble background." "This... how can I accept this?"

Cao Bao was completely absorbed in listening to Liu Feng talk about Luozhong when he suddenly heard Liu Feng say that his talent was worthy of being one of the Nine Ministers. He immediately snapped out of his daze and waved his hands in refusal.

Liu Feng laughed and said, "Father-in-law is too modest."

After saying that, they changed the subject and started talking about other things.

Cao Bao, on the other hand, was quite uneasy after Liu Feng's words. He wanted to continue, but he was worried about being looked down upon by Liu Feng.

Liu Feng's words were actually intentional; he was testing Cao Bao to see his attitude towards entering Luoyang.

We are now in a chaotic world; this is a consensus among people everywhere.

In times of chaos, the titles and ranks held by the central government are far less valuable than those held in times of peace.

Take the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers as an example. Twenty years ago, they were among the top twenty in the country.

But now, it is not as prestigious as a powerful prefect.

Especially when the military men of Xiliang rebelled, their prestige was completely shattered, and some high-ranking officials even starved to death.

Liu Feng intended to promote Cao Bao to serve as one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers in Luo, so that he could replace Liu Feng and his son as the core officials of the Liu faction in Luo.

But it also depends on whether Cao Bao himself is willing. It's clear that forcing someone to do something will not work.

If we go against Cao Bao's wishes, the result will likely be more harm than good.

It seems that Cao Bao still has a strong desire for MG, which is undoubtedly a good sign.

That evening, Cao Bao needed Liu Feng's help, and Liu Feng treated him with great respect.

Both sides were going to the same place, so the atmosphere at the banquet remained very lively throughout.

Especially after Cao Bao got drunk, he asked Liu Feng in his drunken state when he could marry Cao Qing and bring her into the Liu family mansion. Liu Feng gave him a straightforward answer.

Upon receiving the reply, Cao Bao was overjoyed.

Although Liu Feng said the wedding would take place next year, Cao Bao felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

As Cao Qing grew older, and Liu Feng became engaged to the Mi family, Liu Bei was bound to start considering who Liu Feng's principal wife would be as he aged.

This only intensified Cao Bao's sense of urgency.

Fortunately, Liu Feng finally gave a definite time this time, and Cao Bao breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Feng smiled bitterly to himself. Whether it was the Mi family or the Cao family, they all seemed a bit impatient as his status rose.

They had been just as anxious before, but never as anxious as they are now.

The reason is that although the status of the two parties had begun to diverge, it was still within the bounds of an arranged marriage.

However, the prestige, official titles, and increased strength that Liu Bei and his son gained from this northward expedition to support the emperor were far too great.

Liu Bei rose to the rank of General of the Cavalry, and even Liu Feng himself received the title of General Who Conquers the South.

The Mi and Cao families are even entangled together, neither of them is worthy of Liu Feng. Moreover, one family is a wealthy merchant and the other is a military leader.

If Liu Bei and his son were to break off the engagement, public opinion would likely be on their side, which is the real reason why the Mi and Cao families are so anxious.

For Liu Bei and his son to break the agreement, there were almost no costs involved, and neither the Mi family nor the Cao family had any way to retaliate.

Fortunately, Liu Bei and his son were kind and benevolent, and had no intention of breaking off the engagement. They even gave a specific date for the wedding.

Overjoyed, Cao Bao drank himself into a stupor.

Cao Bao was so drunk that he lost his composure, and the family banquet naturally couldn't continue.

Fortunately, Liu Feng himself didn't like drinking much, so he simply ended the family banquet and personally helped Cao Bao back to his bedroom.

As Liu Feng was leaving, he glanced casually at the back room and met a pair of clear eyes.

However, those eyes quickly disappeared like a startled rabbit.

Liu Feng hesitated for a moment, then laughed. It seemed that his future wife at least had pretty eyes.

After Liu Feng left, Cao Bao, lying on the bed, drunkenly called out his daughter's name.

Sure enough, a beautiful woman emerged from behind the house; she was Cao Qing, Cao Bao's daughter.

Seeing her father, who had collapsed like a limp rag doll, Cao Qing reluctantly stepped forward with her maid.

First, she personally fed Cao Bao the hangover soup that the maid was holding, and then covered him with a blanket, but unexpectedly her fair wrist was suddenly gripped tightly by the other party.

"Qing'er, do you...do you know why your father is so happy today?"

Cao Bao grabbed his daughter's wrist and chuckled foolishly.

Cao Qing looked at his father with some helplessness, and said in a conciliatory tone, "There must be something good to make you so happy, Father."

"Not bad!"

Cao Bao suddenly raised his voice and said loudly, "Today, the young master has finally set a date with you. At the latest, next year, he will definitely welcome you to his residence."

Cao Qing was slightly surprised upon hearing this.

She was somewhat aware of Cao Bao's mindset; unlike her father, Cao Qing herself was quite easygoing.

Even if Liu Feng broke off the engagement, Cao Qing wouldn't harbor much resentment.

As the gap between her and Liu Feng's social standing widened, and Cao Bao's value to Liu Bei and his son diminished, Cao Qing was mentally prepared for the possibility of her engagement being called off.

Unexpectedly, Liu Feng was so loyal and righteous, and he ended things well.

Cao Qing pondered this in his heart, while Cao Bao burst into tears, complaining to his daughter, "These days, Chen Chang, Zhou Song and the others are respectful on the surface, but deep down they all look down on their father. They all think that the son-in-law will definitely break off the engagement, and they are all waiting to see us, father and daughter, make a fool of ourselves."

A bitter smile flashed across Cao Qing's fair and jade-like face, and she gently patted her father's hand to comfort him.

Unexpectedly, Cao Bao suddenly burst into laughter after his tears, and while laughing, he scolded, "How laughable are these petty people! How could they know the virtue of my virtuous son-in-law?"

As he spoke, Cao Bao's voice gradually faded, replaced by increasingly loud snoring.

Cao Qing, however, was not as optimistic as his father. In his view, Liu Feng was meticulous, precocious, and could be described as shrewd and resourceful.

When Liu Bei had only been in Xuzhou for less than half a year, a mere child dared to come to his father to make a deal.

Cao Qing really didn't know what the future would be like with such a young man as her husband.

Liu Feng returned to his room and was about to rest when he heard a servant requesting an audience.

Liu Feng opened the door and saw a pretty maid being escorted to him by two burly guards.

The maidservant bowed her head respectfully and said tremblingly, "My lord, this is a hangover soup that I have prepared for you. Please drink it while it's hot."

Liu Feng was somewhat surprised, not expecting Cao Qingxin to be so thoughtful, so he gladly drank it.

This hangover soup has a sweet and sour taste and tastes quite good. After drinking it, I was indeed relieved of some of the effects of the alcohol.

"Please thank your lady for me."

After finishing his drink, Liu Feng gave her a few words of advice, and the maid quickly took her leave.

Liu Feng then slept until dawn the next day before getting up to wash and dress.

That evening, at the banquet specially arranged by Cao Bao, he showed great reliance and closeness to Cao Bao, which made Chen Chang, Zhou Song and others feel uneasy.

They often mocked Cao Bao, and they also had a lot of disagreements with him on official business.

After all, Xiapi suffered less damage, and the local powerful clans and gentry were not greatly harmed, nor were any of them wiped out like in Pengcheng.

Therefore, Cao Bao's life in Xiapi was quite stifling, as he often faced the combined efforts of the Chief Clerk and the Chief Clerk to sideline him.

However, Cao Bao had Liu Bei and his son as his backers, which prevented Chen Chang and Zhou Song from being too reckless, and the two sides finally reached a fragile balance.

Liu Feng's special support for Cao Bao has deeply moved the latter.

(End of this chapter)