My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 263 The Sound of the Qin Inspires Worldly Fate

Seeing this, Zhang Liao suddenly understood what Liu Feng meant in the letter he sent along with his orders.

If even his trusted generals are like this in a mere few hundred units, what will happen if they are promoted to higher positions in the future? Won't they be treating the Xuzhou army as their own private army?

Startled by Zhang Liao's shout, Zhang Lu and the other two fell silent.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Liao spoke again: "I'll give you two choices. If you don't want to leave, stay and become my personal guards again. If you're willing to obey orders, that's even better; just follow my orders."

Immediately afterward, Zhang Liao stared intently into the eyes of the three men and said, word by word, "However, I must remind you here that there will be no more Bingzhou Army, nor my troops. There will only be Xuzhou Army. If you disobey military orders or violate military law in the future, don't blame me for not warning you today."

Zhang Liao was actually quite sensible and intelligent. Although he didn't have many friends due to his pride and personality, he was loyal and devoted to his lord.

However, this does not mean that Zhang Liao was a blindly loyal person; the word "blindly loyal" has never been associated with Zhang Liao.

When Lü Bu killed Ding Yuan, Zhang Liao was not an accomplice, but his attitude afterwards turned into tacit approval.

Even when Lü Bu was driven out of Chang'an and wandered the world without a fixed abode, Zhang Liao never wanted to leave him.

But when Lü Bu was besieged by Cao Cao in Xuzhou and Xiapi was flooded, Zhang Liao remained unmoved in Lu.

Unlike Gao Shun, Lü Bu was always extremely close to Zhang Liao, who was also the first high-ranking official under Lü Bu to be appointed as a prefect.

Even so, Zhang Liao's loyalty to Lü Bu was conditional, namely, that he could do what he was capable of.

At the time of the White Gate Tower incident, Zhang Liao was actually trapped in Lu State, and his forces consisted of only his personal troops of one or two thousand men. Even if he wanted to rescue Lü Bu, it would be impossible for him to do so.

In this situation, Zhang Liao would not risk his life to rescue Lü Bu, but would only wait in Lu for the outcome of Xu Province, perhaps just as he had waited outside Luoyang for the result between Lü Bu and Ding Yuan.

If Lü Bu wins, Zhang Liao will continue to be Lü Bu's chancellor of the State of Lu.

After Cao Cao won, Zhang Liao surrendered the entire county of Lu to Cao Cao.

This is the difference between Zhang Liao and Gao Shun.

Zhang Lu and the other two exchanged glances. Having followed Zhang Liao for many years, they could all see the seriousness in Zhang Liao's words.

A moment later, Zhang Lu, followed by Song Zhang and Wei Yang, stood up in turn and bowed deeply to Zhang Liao, saying, "General, why do you say such things? We are all from your hometown, how can we not listen to your words? Please rest assured, General, from this day forward, we will strictly abide by military orders and will certainly not disgrace your reputation."

"Excellent! This is what a true Yanmen man should be like!"

Zhang Liao was overjoyed, his anger turning to delight, and said, "Guards! Prepare a feast! Today, the four of us will not leave until we are drunk!"

*****
While Zhang Liao was drinking heavily, Liu Feng was extremely busy.

He first reviewed the autumn harvest in Xuzhou, the recruitment and resettlement of refugees after winter, the subsequent construction of the ironworks, the expansion of workshop staff, the application for funding for subsequent projects, and the expansion and teaching progress of Liu'er Camp.

Liu Feng had no choice but to see these things; he couldn't trust the people below him.

Officials, the lowest level of society, have always been the same, naturally standing on the opposite side of the emperor and the common people.

Emperors must rely on officials to govern the common people, but a qualified emperor actually hopes that the common people can live and work in peace and contentment, because only in this way can his country and rule last for thousands of generations.

The problem is that officials and commoners are enemies. If I eat more, you will inevitably eat less. In an agrarian society, it is almost impossible to achieve a win-win situation. It is a zero-sum relationship.

Whether a dynasty can maintain stability for a long time depends entirely on whether the emperor can control the bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, the bureaucratic group below would constantly test the emperor, their aim being to see if he was beginning to relax his guard.

If you relax or soften your stance, then our good days are about to begin.

Sure enough, Liu Feng only spent a day reading the documents and found two points of interest, which occurred in the autumn harvest last year and the recruitment and resettlement of displaced people.

The lower-level managers played a little trick; they didn't embezzle much money, but they blatantly listed it in the documents.

If Liu Feng fails to detect it, it's foreseeable that many similar little tricks will emerge, and the hole will gradually grow bigger.

Liu Feng bluntly pointed out these two loopholes and demanded that they be dealt with severely.

Tell the officials below that testing is acceptable, but there will be a price to pay.

In the afternoon, Liu Feng, who had just finished lunch, wanted to rest for a while, so he went out of his room and took a walk in the courtyard.

Suddenly, a melodious piano tune drifted from afar.

Although Liu Feng couldn't understand which classical zither piece it was, the sound of the zither was like the tinkling of jade pendants, extremely pleasing to the ear.

Unbeknownst to him, Liu Feng slowly walked toward the direction from which the zither music came, while Xu Chu quietly followed behind him.

As they walked, the music grew clearer and clearer, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, its pure sound captivating.

"Huh, where am I...?"

Arriving outside a courtyard in the rear of the mansion, Liu Feng felt the place looked familiar, but couldn't quite place it. Xu Chu, behind him, was also entering Xuzhou Prefecture for the first time and had no idea where he was.

Liu Feng stepped forward and gently pushed the gate, finding it unlocked, so he went inside.

At this moment, the doors of the houses in the courtyard were wide open, but there was no one there, and the sound of the zither was coming from the back of the courtyard.

Liu Feng continued forward out of curiosity, walking from the courtyard corridor to the backyard. Suddenly, a bamboo grove appeared before him, and in the bamboo grove, a graceful woman was sitting at a stone table playing the zither.

The woman was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice Liu Feng's arrival.

Liu Feng recognized her immediately; this woman was none other than Cai Zhaoji, the talented and beautiful woman from the Han Dynasty who had been brought to the state last year, possessing both beauty and intelligence and the ability to remember everything she saw.

At this moment, Cai Zhaoji was completely absorbed, her mind and soul immersed in the music.

As the saying goes, songs express one's aspirations, and the zither conveys one's emotions.

Liu Feng regretted that he was not knowledgeable in music and had listened to even less music. He didn't even know the name of this piece, otherwise he might have been able to find out the beauty's heart through it.

Liu Feng stood still, quietly appreciating Cai Zhaoji's zither music.

Previously, Liu Feng was too polite to pay much attention to the appearance of this talented woman.

Seeing it now, I can't help but exclaim in admiration.

Cai Zhaoji had fair skin, a face like an oval seed, a pointed and smooth chin, and well-defined features, exuding a fresh and lively beauty.

Perhaps it was because of playing the zither, but at this moment, Cai Zhaoji's mouth was slightly open, her cheeks were flushed, and her breath was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, creating a unique and alluring picture of pure desire.

Even Liu Feng, who was extremely ambitious, determined to change history and even the course of the entire nation, became obsessed with it for a time.

The deep bamboo forest, like a richly colored painting, perfectly blends the vitality and energy of nature. Sunlight filters through the dense bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, making one feel as if they are in a fairy tale world.

In early spring, the bamboo grove is a vibrant green, like a giant piece of jade inlaid in the courtyard. Sunlight filters through the sparse bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows and creating a sense of tranquility and mystery.

Cai Zhaoji, playing the zither under the bamboo, is like a fairy from the deep bamboo forest, occasionally descending to the mortal world to play celestial music.

As the music ended, the lingering notes remained.

Liu Feng couldn't help but applaud.

Liu Feng's applause immediately startled Cai Zhaoji in the bamboo forest. She looked at Liu Feng outside the forest in surprise, her fair face turning bright red, as if it were about to bleed.

This vibrant red color enhanced Cai Zhaoji's beauty, making her even more stunning. Combined with her innocent face, she was both pure and alluring.

Even with Liu Feng's composure, he couldn't help but swallow hard, and his gaze involuntarily became aggressive, even brazenly drifting downwards.

Cai Zhaoji was both surprised and flustered, and felt extremely ashamed. In particular, her female sensitivity made her easily notice the change in Liu Feng's eyes, which further intensified her shyness and panic.

After a while, Cai Zhaoji finally suppressed her flustered and shy emotions, slowly stood up, picked up her zither, and walked towards Liu Feng.

When she was five steps away from Liu Feng, Cai Zhaoji stopped and bowed, saying, "I was unaware of your arrival, young master. I apologize for not greeting you properly."

Liu Feng knew that his abrupt entry into the hospital was very impolite, so he half explained and praised, and half apologized, saying, "I happened to hear the sound of the zither and followed the music here. I apologize for disturbing you."

However, to be precise, this was Liu Feng's house, and Cai Zhaoji was merely a guest staying overnight.

Cai Zhaoji seemed to have returned to normal at this moment, her expression calm, and she smiled gently as she said, "This place is the prefecture. I was only able to take temporary refuge here because of the grace of the General of the Cavalry. What wrong has the young master done?"

Then, Cai Zhaoji said, "If there is nothing else, young master, then I will take my leave."

Liu Feng was somewhat displeased. It was indeed wrong of him to enter without permission, but I had done you a great favor.

Without me, you would already be a concubine of the Xiongnu Chanyu in the north of Bingzhou.

Many books, in an attempt to romanticize Cai Wenji's experiences, record that she was a lady in the Xiongnu, but in reality, her status was only that of a concubine, not even a secondary wife.

He had only listened to a piece of music, yet Cai Zhaoji was giving him attitude and even wanted to kick him out after only a few words.

This greatly displeased Liu Feng.

"Since that's the case, then I won't bother you any longer." Liu Feng said this and turned to leave.

Seeing Liu Feng leave, Cai Zhaoji's face showed a mixture of shame, shyness, and relaxation.

Unexpectedly, after taking two steps, Liu Feng suddenly remembered his earlier question and turned back to ask, "I have another matter I would like to ask you, my lady. Is that alright?"

Cai Zhaoji immediately tensed up again, but still managed to nod her head with a forced smile: "Please speak, sir."

Liu Feng asked curiously, "The tune you played just now was extremely beautiful. May I ask what it was called?"

Liu Feng's question caused Cai Zhaoji's face to flush bright red, and she even began to tremble slightly.

Liu Feng was stunned for a moment. Although he didn't understand why Cai Zhaoji would react this way, he couldn't just watch her fall down.

So Liu Feng stepped forward a few paces, wanting to help the other person up.

Unexpectedly, Cai Zhaoji suddenly raised her head, glared at him hatefully, and uttered three words through her slightly parted cherry lips: "You lecherous scoundrel!"

Immediately afterward, Cai Zhaoji ran past Liu Feng and fled straight back into the house.

Liu Feng was left alone, bewildered in the spring breeze.

However, Liu Feng couldn't argue with Cai Zhaoji, and it was even more inconvenient for him to break down the door.

Finally, with no other choice, Liu Feng could only swallow his anger and leave Cai Zhaoji's courtyard to head back.

After returning to his courtyard, Liu Feng's anger had subsided considerably.

Although being wronged is very unpleasant, Liu Feng was still a little puzzled by Cai Zhaoji's reaction.

Could the problem lie with that piece of music?
So Liu Feng immediately summoned someone to find a musician.

Next, Liu Feng threw himself back into his work.

After hiding back in the house, Cai Zhaoji was constantly worried that Liu Feng would break down the door.

After confirming that Liu Feng had left, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and leaned weakly against the bed, lost in thought.

After a moment, two lines of tears fell down her cheeks, and she felt even more aggrieved.

I blame myself for being so bewitched that I actually played that piece.

It's infuriating that this young master Liu is so disrespectful, eavesdropping outside.

The thought of causing a misunderstanding, leading the other party to believe that I did it on purpose, is unbearable.

Cai Zhaoji spent that night in constant fear, unaware that Liu Feng was no longer in Tancheng.

They didn't even have time to ask the musicians they found before rushing out of the city with Hua Tuo.

Because Chen Yuanlong is sick.

And it was a serious illness.

It was almost a terminal illness.

When Liu Feng received the urgent report, he immediately thought of the other party's serious illness in the past—intestinal worms.

They quickly summoned Hua Tuo for consultation, and sure enough, Hua Tuo could cure the illness.

However, Hua Tuo dared not make any guarantees, only saying that he would do his best.

Therefore, Liu Feng, accompanied by Xu Chu and a hundred or so personal guards, along with Hua Tuo and a dozen or so apprentices, left Tancheng.

The group first traveled by horse-drawn carriage to the Yi River, then transferred to boats and headed north towards Dongguan.

Even though it was going against the current, the several warships arranged all had large oars at the bottom, with six people rowing in each row. They rowed at the same time, faster than galloping horses, and could travel a hundred miles a day.

Although for safety reasons, the boat stops to rest at night.

However, Liu Feng and his men arrived in Dongguan County in just three days.

Dongguan County is also located on the banks of the Yi River. After disembarking, the group immediately entered the county town and then arrived at the rear of the county government office.

When Liu Feng saw Chen Deng, he was quite startled.

Chen Deng's abdomen was swollen high, like that of a woman who was five or six months pregnant, and his complexion was as dark as gold paper, no wonder he seemed to be terminally ill.

“Mr. Hua, Mr. Yuanlong is my father’s right-hand man and trusted advisor. I implore you to do your utmost.”

Liu Feng bowed deeply to Hua Tuo in front of Chen Deng, pleading with him to save Chen Deng.

Instead, Chen Deng, the person involved, gave a helpless bitter smile: "Young Master, as the saying goes, success is in the hands of Heaven. My misfortune is also predestined. If Physician Hua can cure me, then Heaven did not expect me to die halfway. If he cannot cure me, then it is my fate, and what does it have to do with Physician Hua?"

"Mr. Yuanlong."

Liu Feng stepped forward and took Chen Dengxu's raised left hand, comforting him, "Mr. Hua is a true miracle doctor. He must have a way to cure you. Please rest assured and follow his doctor's advice. You will surely recover completely."

"Thank you, young master!"

Chen Deng nodded with difficulty and said gratefully, "I am but a mediocre person, yet the young master cares for me so much. I am merely of average talent, but the lord has not abandoned me and promoted me to be the governor of a prefecture. Now I am seriously ill, and the young master has sent me a doctor from a thousand miles away. What virtue or ability do I have to receive such kindness from the lord and his son? I will die without regret!"

"If I cannot help you, my lord, to pacify the world and restore the Han dynasty, I fear I will die with my eyes open in disgrace!"

Liu Feng held Chen Deng's hand and watched him joke around so casually, and was speechless.

Meanwhile, Hua Tuo was already prescribing medicine for Chen Deng.

Soon, a prescription was completed, and people were immediately ordered to prepare the medicine according to the prescription and decoct it according to the method described in the prescription.

Chen Deng, however, was in unbearable pain and gripped Liu Feng's hand tightly, squeezing Liu Feng's hand until it turned white.

Liu Feng remained unmoved, only concerned with whether the medicine was ready.

When it got dark, the medicine was finally ready and served immediately.

Liu Feng personally fed the medicine to Chen Deng.

You know what, as soon as the medicine was taken, Chen Deng's churning abdominal pain immediately eased a bit.

"Dr. Hua is truly a miracle doctor."

With the pain relieved, Chen Deng's complexion improved, and he regained some color.

Seeing his symptoms gradually improve, Liu Feng breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Deng was a man of great talent, capable of managing affairs, and he was quite compatible with Liu Bei, with an extremely harmonious relationship between them. Moreover, the Chen family had no successor, so there was no need to worry about him becoming too powerful.

How could Liu Feng bear to see such a talented person die so young? He was already thinking about how to persuade Chen Deng to give up sashimi.

Before he could think it through, Chen Deng's expression suddenly changed, and he covered his mouth, saying, "Quickly, get the spittoon!"

Soon, a servant brought up a spittoon.

Before Chen Deng could speak, he immediately leaned over the spittoon and began vomiting violently.

Liu Feng peeked through the crack and his heart skipped a beat.

What Chen Deng vomited wasn't vomit at all; it was clearly full of insects.

Chen Deng spat insects of varying sizes and lengths, mixed with purplish-red mucus, into the spittoon. Most of these insects were already dead, but a few, whether not quite dead or just acting on nerve reflexes, were still crawling around in the pile of insect corpses.

Liu Feng couldn't bear to watch this scene and almost vomited as well.

Fortunately, Liu Feng managed to control himself in the end and signaled his servants to take the spittoon away.

The servant had only taken two steps when he heard someone shout, "Wait!"

The visitor was none other than Hua Tuo. He said to his servant, "Bring me the bucket so I can see it."

The servant went to look at Chen Deng, and only after Chen Deng nodded did the servant bring the spittoon to Hua Tuo.

Hua Tuo opened the lid, looked inside, and then surprisingly reached out and picked up a wriggling little worm to examine it closely, without showing any disgust or aversion.

After observing for a while, Hua Tuo sighed.

Chen Deng and Liu Feng's hearts jumped into their throats.

(End of this chapter)