My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 270 The Banquet at the Cao Mansion
After hearing the explanation, Cao Cao glanced at Xu Chu and praised Liu Feng, saying, "I didn't expect that Zisheng's subordinates would have such a fierce warrior. In my opinion, his martial prowess is no less than that of Ziman."

Liu Feng, however, looked smug and nodded in response: "General, you flatter me. Zhongkang's bravery is indeed no less than that of the Commandant of the Palace Guard. He is my trusted and beloved general. However, he is more loyal than adaptable. He only knows how to protect me and never leave my side. I'm sorry that you have to laugh at me, General."

As he spoke, Liu Feng feigned concern and said to Xu Chu, "Zhongkang, this is the General's residence, heavily guarded and very safe. You may go to the side hall to rest first."

Xu Chu was a smart man, so how could he agree? He simply said in a low voice, "This humble servant does not know where this place is, but only that I cannot leave my lord's side."

Liu Feng gave Cao Cao a wry smile.

Cao Cao seemed to be deep in thought. He had just seen it clearly: Xu Chu, in terms of strength alone, was in no way inferior to Dian Wei.

His army had countless brave warriors, but none of them could match Dian Wei in martial prowess.

I never expected Liu Feng to be so good at winning people over.

He hadn't forgotten the generals he'd seen earlier, such as Xu Huang, Pan Zhang, and Taishi Ci, and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of envy.

“Ziman, since Xu Sima is Zisheng’s confidant, he will naturally not harm me. You can rest assured.”

Cao Cao immediately decided, "Sima Ke may enter the palace together; there is no need for him to remove his armor."

Liu Feng secretly admired Cao Cao, whose heroic spirit was still strong, but whose personality was quite schizophrenic, unlike Liu Bang and Liu Xiu who were stable.

When everyone arrived at the hall, a banquet had already been prepared. Cao Cao had given the order long ago after learning that Liu Feng was coming, and had even specially prepared roasted meat and sashimi.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the highest level of hospitality among nobles was roasted meat and sashimi, which is the origin of the idiom "kuaizhi renkou" (meaning "popular and well-received").

Cao Cao spared no expense on this meal, given the large number of people in the hall.

Liu Feng immediately spotted the first person to Cao Cao's right.

This person was handsome and imposing, surrounded by incense.

Isn't this the same Xun Yu who served Cao Cao for most of his life and later became Han Xin?

Xun Yu was also observing him at this moment, his expression gentle, his eyes like jade, filled with appreciation and admiration.

Liu Feng took two steps forward, bowed to Xun Yu, and asked, "May I ask if you are a descendant of Xunzi of Yingchuan, the grandson of the Divine Lord, a member of the Eight Dragons, the son of Xun Jinan, and the Xun Master whom Mr. Boqiu praised as a talent fit to assist a king?"

A strange look flashed in Cao Cao's eyes behind Liu Feng, while Xun Yu in front of him had already stood up to return the greeting.

Xun Yu returned the greeting first, and then replied, "I am indeed Xun Yu. I did not expect that the General of the South would know so much about my history. I am unworthy of such praise from you, Master Boqiu."

"Hahaha! I didn't expect Zisheng to also know about Mr. Wenruo's abilities."

Cao Cao stepped forward with a big laugh, first nodding to Liu Feng, and then saying to Xun Yu, "Mr. Xun is my Xiao He. I really cannot be separated from him for even a day. Without you in charge, how can I remain in the court and be loyal to the court?"

No wonder Cao Cao interrupted. Liu Feng's words were indeed quite brilliant. He started by praising Xun Yu's ancestors, including his grandfather and father.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this information may seem like something you can easily find with a simple Baidu search in later times. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it would have taken a great deal of effort to investigate and gather information to obtain such complete details.

In Cao Cao's eyes, Liu Feng was no different from a petty thief at this moment. How dare he flatter his strategist to his face? What was he trying to do?
Xun Yu was also somewhat surprised, not expecting that the other party even knew that his father had once served as the Chancellor of Jinan. Although this gesture of goodwill was unlikely to move Xun Yu, Liu Feng's thoughtfulness did increase Xun Yu's goodwill towards him.

Xun Yu reached out, and the person sitting there was extremely tall and thin; it was Cheng Yu.

As soon as Liu Feng entered, Cheng Yu's gaze fell on him, and they met eyes.

Liu Feng's face lit up with joy, and he took the initiative to bow to Cheng Yu, saying, "Mr. Zhongde, it's good to see you again. I greatly admire your talent since we parted ways in Xuzhou. It's just a pity that you are so loyal to the General, even at the cost of being misunderstood by the villagers as hypocritical, yet you still follow him wholeheartedly?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu's heart stirred slightly. He naturally knew that Liu Feng was referring to the starkly different reactions Cheng Yu had to Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, and Cao Cao, when Liu Feng offered him a position.

Cao Cao, however, was unaware of this and looked back and forth between Liu Feng and Cheng Yu with a puzzled expression.

Liu Feng generously explained the reasons to Cao Cao, and then said enviously, "Mr. Cheng is full of wisdom and talent, and is proficient in both literature and martial arts. It is truly enviable that the General has such loyalty to Mr. Cheng."

Liu Feng was absolutely right. Many people only know that Cheng Yu is a brilliant strategist and outstanding in politics, but few know that he is actually a military general.

Although he had only a thousand men under his command, he was a true military commander.

Later, as his status rose, he withdrew from the ranks of military officers and transferred his troops to others.

After all, serving as a military officer in the Cao family offered a bleak future; it was nowhere near as comfortable as being a scholar.

Although Cheng Yu remained calm, he was genuinely surprised. He couldn't understand how Liu Feng, at such a young age, knew so much about his hometown.

Cao Cao was even more surprised and uncertain, but fortunately, he was a very good actor and managed to suppress his doubts.

However, Cao Cao dared not let Liu Feng make any more connections, so he quickly moved him to his own seat.

Liu Feng's seat was on the left, at the head of the table, next to Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and others.

Just by observing the people and events that appeared there, Liu Feng deduced that Cao Cao intended to take control of Luozhong.

Putting aside other matters, Xiahou Dun, as Cao Cao's top henchman and the first de facto regional commander, was located in Cao Cao's most important base.

"Come on!"

Sitting in the main seat was naturally Cao Cao, while sitting in the secondary seat to his right was Cao Ang.

"Gentlemen, let's drink to our victory!"

It must be said that Cao Cao was a master at enlivening the atmosphere, easily stirring up the mood of the scene, even more so than Liu Bei.

Soon, three rounds of wine had passed and five dishes had been served.

After everyone had drunk their fill, Cao Cao began his probing.

"Zisheng's arrival in Luoyang this time indicates that something big has happened in Luoyang."

Cao Cao suddenly turned to Liu Feng and asked him a question, his small eyes concealing a sharp edge as he watched Liu Feng's reaction closely.

Liu Feng calmly put down his wine cup and replied seriously, "Is the question you asked about the Grand Marshal?"

Cao Cao sighed and shook his head with a bitter smile, saying, "Brother Yuanchu is no longer the passionate young man he once was. When he drove out the eunuchs, he hesitated and indecisive, which led to the former Grand General being killed by the eunuchs. Later, when he dismissed Dong Zhuo, he acted inappropriately, which allowed Dong Zhuo to seize power in Luozhong and wreak havoc on the world."

"Although the current emperor is young, he is very wise and respectful of virtuous scholars. He cares about the people and desires money and grain to help them, restore their livelihood, and revive the Han Dynasty."

Cao Cao grew increasingly angry as he spoke: "But the Grand Marshal only cares about his own selfish interests, disregarding the plight of the central government, and is unwilling to send any money or grain. How can the Grand Marshal bear the heavy responsibility of being the head of all officials with such behavior?"

Cheng Yu interjected at the opportune moment, saying, "Zheng Nan is an important general of the court, and the General of Chariots and Cavalry is a pillar of the nation. The General wants to raise funds for the central government, not for his own selfish reasons, but for the sake of the Emperor and the refugees in Luozhong. It is a pity that the General is isolated and helpless, and has been framed by the Grand Marshal. Although the Emperor is wise and not deceived, the court is still short of food and goods and cannot continue."

“What Cheng Jiyin said is all true, and this is something that everyone in Luozhong knows. I have met General Flying Cavalry, and he is truly a hero of the land, a member of the Han imperial family, and a loyal minister of the emperor. He has repeatedly performed acts of benevolence and righteousness, and his virtue is known far and wide. He will certainly not sit idly by and watch the court suffer humiliation. I do not heed his advice, but earnestly request that General Conqueror of the South persuade General Flying Cavalry to lend the Great General a helping hand.”

The speaker was Man Chong, whose face was full of sincerity: "From the emperor to the refugees, everyone will be grateful to General for your kindness."

Good grief, is this guy trying to morally blackmail me?

Liu Feng sneered inwardly. Yuan Shao was indeed a traitor, but how much better was Cao Cao?

Your dream of becoming the General Who Conquers the West has probably long since been swept away into the sewers.

At this moment, Cao Cao's only thought was to expand his territory, increase his army, and gain the strength to rival Yuan Shao.

"I have already heard about this matter."

Liu Feng straightened his face and replied righteously, "Although I am of humble status and my words carry little weight, I am quite aware of righteousness. Tomorrow, when I enter the palace to pay homage to the Emperor, I will do my utmost to repay the Emperor's kindness and the expectations of the Grand General."

Liu Feng's statement brought a slight smile to the faces of Cao Cao and the others.
"However, Feng also has an important mission to undertake this time in Luoyang."

After Liu Feng finished speaking his fine words, he suddenly changed the subject: "The Grand Marshal and the General-in-Chief are just fighting over pride, and I would assume that they are still loyal to the Emperor. But the Left General of Jianghuai is quite rebellious."

"General Zuo holds a high position in the court and has received imperial favors many times. He is burdened with the grace of two emperors, but instead of repaying the favor, he regards the emperor's territory as his private land. He has even detained Grand Tutor Ma Ridi for several years and tricked him into giving away his imperial staff to his cronies. His rebellious intentions are obvious."

“My father is unworthy, but he wishes to raise an army to march south and attack the Left General, capture his head in front of the palace, and hand it over to the Emperor for judgment.”

Liu Feng declared with righteous indignation, "I have come to Luoyang for this very reason! I hope that the General can lend me a hand and persuade the Emperor to dismiss Yuan Shu, label him a traitor, and announce this to the world to enhance the Emperor's power!" Cao Cao and the others' expressions changed slightly. They had not expected that Liu Bei, who had just wiped out the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan at the beginning of the year, would set his sights on Yuan Shu again in the second half of the year.

Yuan Shu was far superior to the Yellow Turban rebels; his strength was formidable, making him a truly colossal figure.

Although Yuan Shu is far from being as powerful as he was in his historical prime, he is absolutely qualified to compete for the top two spots in the world, and may even firmly hold the third position.

Even though it's obvious to everyone that Cao Cao is stronger than Yuan Shu, and even Yuan Shu himself was intimidated by Cao Cao.

However, most people believe that Yuan Shu's strength is superior to Cao Cao's.

This is because Yuan Shu's territory was too large.

At this time, Yuan Shu's core power consisted of the two commanderies of Lujiang and Jiujiang. He also used his influence to occupy the southern part of Runan, the southeastern part of Pei, and the northeastern part of Nanyang.

In addition, Wu Commandery, which was occupied by Sun Ce, could truly be described as a tiger dominating the southeast, spanning three provinces and six commanderies.

Although it is not as terrifying as the complete territories spanning four provinces and eleven counties in history, with its current resources, who in the world, apart from Yuan Shao, dares to say that they can definitely defeat Yuan Shu?
Even Cao Cao, who had terrified Yuan Shu, didn't have as much confidence as Liu Feng.

Because only Liu Feng knew that the Skeleton King was just a skeleton, and his true strength was far less than what he appeared to be.

This stems from the Skeleton King's ruling structure. Unlike other warlords who strive to exert influence and control, the Skeleton King is truly audacious. He adopts a policy of appeasement throughout, but he is extremely exploitative when it comes to money and supplies.

Therefore, in the territory ruled by the Skeleton King, the most miserable are the common people and small noble families, who have almost no way to survive.

Ironically, these are the very people who form the foundation of the regime.

Furthermore, the Skeleton King's reputation was so tarnished that he had almost no capable subordinates. Ironically, Yan Xiang, a rare and valuable talent, was not trusted or valued by Yuan Shu because of his loyalty and outspokenness.

It's easy to imagine how much Yuan Shu's true strength must have been discounted.

According to Liu Feng's estimate, Yuan Shu's true strength was at most 40% of what it appeared to be.

If Liu Feng can persuade Emperor Liu Xie to remove Yuan Shu from his position as Left General, Yuan Shu's strength will plummet by 10%.

Because Yuan Shu's system of indirect rule relied too heavily on the imperial court's titles and ranks.

The various factions he controlled, large and small, were ultimately subservient to the imperial court's titles and prestige, at most with the added prestige of the Yuan clan of Runan.

Once Yuan Shu loses his title and honor from the court, all he will have left is the reputation of the Yuan family, which has been damaged by his infamy.

Yuan Shu's increasingly diminished reputation was not enough to sustain his rule.

This is also the fundamental reason why Liu Feng went to Luoyang to seek the emperor's edict.

This strategy, which cuts off the enemy's supply lines, can have the effect of an army of ten thousand.

Cao Cao hesitated for a moment before asking, "What benefit did Xuande gain from this campaign?"

Liu Feng sneered inwardly, but replied respectfully, "Indeed, it is Runan and Yangzhou."

"Oh?"

Cao Cao was slightly surprised: "Nephew, would you be willing to explain this to me in detail?"

"only!"

Liu Feng immediately explained, "Although Yuan Shu's rebellious intentions are awe-inspiring, he has a large army and abundant supplies. My father once said that this traitor cannot be defeated in a short time."

Upon hearing Liu Feng's words, not only Cao Cao, but also Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Man Chong, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and others present nodded slightly in agreement.

Seeing this, Liu Feng was secretly delighted, but continued to deceive people, saying, "Runan has a large population and abundant resources. It has long been oppressed by Yuan Gonglu, and the local people and gentry are all living in misery. My father believes that sending troops now can achieve the merit of punishing the tyrant."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and nodded. Putting himself in Cao Cao's shoes, if he were given the power to be the Governor of Yu Province and the Commander-in-Chief of all affairs in Yu Province, he would also want to take Runan County first. Even if he couldn't take it all at once, he would take as much as he could.

Who can blame them? Runan Commandery is just too good to pass up. It was once the second-best commandery in the land, and now it is the best. Not to mention, Runan is home to many famous scholars.

With his mind preoccupied with Runan, watching Liu Feng deliver his impassioned speech, and then glancing at Cao Ang who was listening in stunned silence, Cao Cao felt as if he had eaten a lemon.

Suddenly I realize my eldest son doesn't seem so appealing anymore!
Liu Feng continued to deceive, saying, "Sun Bofu, a valiant general under Yuan Shu, has repeatedly used ingenious strategies to sweep across Wu, forcing Xu Gong, the governor of Wu Commandery, to retreat to a corner, and Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou, to be trapped at Niuzhu. My father heard that Yuan Shu is going to send 20,000 more troops to Sun Ce, ordering him to take all of Jiangdong."

"My father sent troops to Runan to draw away Yuan Shu's main force and relieve pressure on Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou."

Liu Feng's words were reasonable and well-founded, and very credible.

Even Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and others had already come to believe it to some extent.

Sometimes things in this world are just so ridiculous; lies can be more convincing than the truth.

If Liu Feng were to shamelessly boast that he would annihilate Yuan Shu in one fell swoop and take all of Jiangbei, Cao Cao and his men would probably start to suspect that Liu Feng was trying to deceive them.

Liu Feng considered himself an upright person, but unfortunately, this distorted world always forced him to lie.

"I see."

After listening, Cao Cao roughly understood what Liu Bei and his son wanted.

He was very relaxed at this moment because what Liu Feng and his son asked for was far too simple.

In a way, Liu Feng's willingness to ask Cao Cao for help was actually a gesture of respect for him.

Because the emperor greatly disliked Yuan Shu, not to mention the grudges between the Yuan family and the emperor, Yuan Shu had already been colluding with Li Jue and Guo Si when he was in Nanyang, and the two sides even formed an alliance at one point.

For this reason alone, the emperor hated Yuan Shu to the core.

Not to mention that Yuan Shu has never spoken well of the emperor, and to this day, he has never sent anyone to Luoyang to pay homage, which shows his arrogance and disrespect.

Liu Feng was absolutely right when he called him a traitor and a rebel.

Therefore, Cao Cao was well aware of the strength of Liu Bei and his son, coupled with the emperor's attitude.

As long as they petition the emperor, the young emperor will absolutely grant their request.

Cao Cao didn't need to exert any effort at all; this matter was a sure thing.

Being willing to speak to him is both a sign of respect for his status as a general and a way of showing goodwill towards him.

Since Liu Bei and his son had gone to such lengths, Cao Cao could only be grateful and couldn't utter a single word of dissent.

“This matter is easy. Yuan Shu has long disregarded the court, and Cao Cao is deeply ashamed of him.”

Cao Cao immediately declared, "I will join Xuande and Zisheng in submitting a memorial to the court to strip Yuan Shu of his titles and ranks, and to declare him a traitorous minister."

Liu Feng immediately expressed his gratitude: "General, you are insightful and fair in your dealings. I am deeply grateful."

Cao Cao laughed heartily. Perhaps it was because of his goodwill towards Liu Feng, or perhaps it was because of Liu Feng's status, but Liu Feng's praise always made him very happy.

After a while, Cao Cao inquired about the specifics of Liu Bei's army's southward campaign.

"Zisheng, what are Xuande's chances of success on this southward expedition?"

Cao Cao had also drunk a bit too much, and his speech became much more relaxed, even somewhat casual.

Xun Yu and Cheng Yu exchanged a glance and felt it was necessary to advise Cao Cao to drink less.

This isn't the first time our lord has made a mistake while drinking; all the strategists are experienced in this.

"The chances of winning are slim."

Upon hearing Cao Cao's question, Liu Feng was initially taken aback, but then shook his head and said solemnly, "Yuan Gonglu has at least seventy or eighty thousand troops in Jiangbei. Ruyin, Shenxian, Shouchun, and Hefei are all fortified cities. With fortified cities behind them, ample food supplies, and well-trained and well-equipped soldiers, they are not to be underestimated."

(End of this chapter)