My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 289 The Imperial Seal of the State (Bonus Chapter!)

Historically, when Cao Cao marched south to attack Yuan Shu, he mobilized 70,000 to 80,000 people, including laborers, and it still took him several months to capture Qiyang. However, Qiyang was far inferior to Shouchun in terms of both its fortifications and the abundance of its treasury.

In other words, the severe drought in the Jianghuai region caused Yuan Shu to lose all his land and be unable to support his troops, leading to his despair and death, which allowed Cao Cao and Sun Ce to reap the benefits.

"it is good!"

The capture of Yuan Shu practically signaled a resounding victory in this southern campaign.

Previously, Liu Feng had been worried about what to do if Yuan Shu escaped.

After all, Yuan Shu's personal prestige was not low. Despite his lack of talent and moral depravity, the reputation of the Yuan family meant that his disciples and former officials were all over the world.

Most of these people would not betray Yuan Shu because of his moral failings, and would continue to serve him.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu had been operating in the Jianghuai region for three or four years, and the county magistrates and county heads in various places were all people he had personally promoted.

Although these people may not necessarily be willing to die for Yuan Shu, they will still nominally obey him as long as he escapes.

These circumstances undoubtedly prove one thing: Yuan Shu's personal value was extremely high.

Now that Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, and Zhou Yu have successfully captured Yuan Shu, it means that the entire Jianghuai region is very likely to be pacified by a single proclamation, and there will be no major reversals.

"General Wen Yuan has rendered such a great service and should be richly rewarded!"

Liu Feng immediately promised, "I will definitely submit a memorial to the court to request merit for General Wen Yuan."

Zhang Liao's face lit up with joy. What was all that hard work for? Wasn't it to achieve great deeds, to secure a good reputation for his wife and children?
Immediately afterwards, Liu Feng said to Zhou Yu, "The successful entry into the city this time is all thanks to Gongjin. I will soon submit a memorial to the court to request that Gongjin also be credited."

A smile appeared on Zhou Yu's face. He didn't really care about this achievement, but rather the genuine joy of preserving his family's honor.

Zhou Yu had actually thought that if he had accepted Liu Bei's offer to go to Xuzhou last year, he would probably be a core civil and military official in Xuzhou by now.

This wasn't just Zhou Yu's wild speculation; there were very clear real-world examples to support it.

People like Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were merely local wandering knights-errant, and some even became river pirates at one point.

Xu Sheng was a local powerful figure, while Pan Zhang was simply a wandering knight-errant who had come south.

Liu Ye and Lu Su were both local powerful figures, natives of the Jianghuai region.

Liu Ye is one thing, but even at their peak, the Lu family was not worthy of being the Zhou family's protégés and former servants.

But now, the two have become trusted advisors to Liu Bei and his son.

These people all shone brightly in Xuzhou and established their own achievements. Liu Bei truly valued talent and boldly appointed newcomers without any regional prejudice.

What else could Zhou Yu say besides regretting that he hadn't joined Liu Bei sooner?

Fortunately, he managed to jump ship and reach the shore before Yuan Shu's ship sank.

Zhou Yu couldn't imagine how much of a blow the Zhou family would have suffered if it had been any later.

As a powerful family that had produced three high-ranking officials for two generations, the Zhou family was well aware of how fierce the struggles between aristocratic families could be.

Despite the apparent unity among the aristocratic families, their internal power struggles were extremely brutal.

The faction from Henan and Hebei under Yuan Shao was able to fight to the point of near-death experiences not only because Yuan Shao was terrible at mediating disputes, but also because of the intense fighting spirit among the factions themselves.

In the Jianghuai region, any aristocratic family that had reached a certain level of power would outwardly be willing to support the Zhou family as the ancestral home of the county, but inwardly they would always want to replace them.

Originally, Zhou Yu placed his hopes on Sun Ce, but now it seems that even if he abandons his family and career to jump on Sun Ce's ship, what follows is likely to be a storm.

Given the current situation, it is inevitable that Liu Bei will continue his southward march.

Once the Jianghuai region is stabilized, it will be time for Liu Bei's army to cross the Yangtze River and head south to Jiangdong.

Liu Feng praised Zhang Liao and Zhou Yu for a while, while Xu Chu stood silently beside Liu Feng, guarding him closely.

When Liu Feng praised Zhou Yu, Yuan Shu seemed to have come to his senses a little better.

Perhaps spurred by Liu Feng's praise, he glared venomously at Zhou Yu, gritting his teeth as he said, "A traitor who betrays his master will not die a good death. Do you think Liu Bei would trust a traitor like you?"

"Be bold!"

Seeing Liu Feng frown slightly, Xu Chu, who was standing next to Liu Feng, loudly rebuked him: "In front of General Zheng Nan, you are nothing but a commoner. How dare you make noise and curse Commandant Zhou?"

Yuan Shu, after being shouted at by Xu Chu, actually became somewhat intimidated, which made Liu Feng shake his head repeatedly.

Despite being the dominant force in the Jianghuai region for the past few years, it's all show and no substance.

From a distance, it seemed to be holding up a sturdy position, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that this was truly a skeleton king who couldn't be helped up.

Just then, someone outside the palace came to report that Zhang Qian was requesting an audience.

Zhang Qian was Zhang Xun's cousin and played a significant role in disarming Zhang Xun's troops.

His sudden request to see me at this time clearly indicates that he has something urgent to discuss.

Liu Feng immediately summoned the other party.

When Zhang Qian entered, he saw his cousin and the disheveled Yuan Shu.

He was taken aback, and lowered his head to tell them his purpose.

It turned out that Xu Sheng had already taken over Xiangguo City, and Zhang Xun's two thousand men had long since been disarmed.

However, Zhang Xun had always treated his troops well and was quite popular with them. His soldiers repeatedly requested confirmation of Zhang Xun's safety.

With so many people around, Xu Sheng became quite worried, so he asked Zhang Qian to come and check on Zhang Xun's life or death.

If Zhang Xun is still alive, then please ask Liu Feng to let Zhang Xun show his face so as to reassure the people and settle Zhang Xun's troops down completely.

Although the person who came was Zhang Qian, those accompanying him were all Xu Sheng's subordinates. It was clear that Xu Sheng handled things meticulously and did not give Zhang Qian any chance to back out.

Therefore, Liu Feng immediately agreed and had Zhang Xun handed over to the other party.

At this moment, Zhang Xun was in a sorry state. Like Yuan Shu, his clothes were covered in dirt, his hair was disheveled, and he looked extremely wretched and miserable.

When he saw Zhang Qian, tears welled up in his eyes, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that his life was safe.

It's no wonder Zhang Xun thought that way; Yuan Shu was a direct descendant of the Yuan family of Runan, with disciples and former officials all over the country.

These are the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of the imperial court. Although they openly criticize Yuan Shu, if Liu Feng were to actually send him to the court, someone might stand up and plead for him.

Zhang Xun, a local strongman and martial artist, was the perfect candidate to make an example of someone.

Killing Zhang Xun and hanging his head on the city wall would undoubtedly be one of the quickest ways to intimidate Shouchun City.

Therefore, even now, Zhang Xun is still trembling with fear, not daring to even breathe loudly, for fear that Liu Feng will suddenly remember his existence and have him dragged away and beheaded.

"Brother, are you alright?"

Zhang Qian picked up Zhang Xun and couldn't help but ask him a few questions.

Zhang Xun was uneasy and didn't dare to stay and talk to him. Instead, he signaled to the other person with his eyes to leave quickly.

Although Zhang Qian did not understand Zhang Xun's concerns, he still followed Zhang Xun's advice and quickly led the other party away from the palace.

After Zhang Qian and Zhang Xun left, Liu Feng ignored Yuan Shu and the others, and instead told Zhou Yu and Zhang Liao to go and rest. He also decided to reward the entire army three days later and hold a banquet for the generals to celebrate their achievements.

After that, various prisoners were sent here, including Yuan Shu's future son-in-law Huang Yi and cousin Yuan Yin, as well as Yuan Shu's son Yuan Yao and his two daughters.

Yuan Yao was only twelve or thirteen years old at the time, while Yuan Shu's two daughters were different. One was older, around seventeen or eighteen, and the other was only ten.

Judging from their ages, the older daughter should be Huang Yi's wife, while the younger one should be the future concubine of the King of Wu of Wei.

Yuan Shu watched his son and daughter weeping together, and his heart ached as if it were being torn apart by a knife.

After a moment of silence, Yuan Shu suddenly turned to Liu Feng and said, "You brat from the Liu family, how do you intend to treat me?"

The moment the words "Liu family brat" were uttered, the Xuzhou soldiers around Liu Feng were immediately displeased.

The saying goes, "A subject dies for his lord's honor." Yuan Shu dared to call Liu Feng "the brat of the Liu family" to his face, so how could these armored soldiers not be furious? Xu Chu, in particular, glared fiercely at Yuan Shu, looking as if he wished he could slap him to death.

Yuan Shu appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was in a panic.

Xu Chu's gaze was truly like a blade, piercing him and making him tremble.

However, for the sake of his own life and the safety of his children, Yuan Shu unusually stood his ground and refused to apologize to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng was curious. Yuan Shu was a man who was tough on the outside but weak on the inside. He was captured and could barely protect himself. How could he suddenly have the audacity to provoke him?
Liu Feng deliberately feigned surprise and said in astonishment, "I thought Lord Yuan wouldn't recognize me, but I didn't expect to be wrong."

Yuan Shu was a bad man and a madman, but he was definitely not a fool.

Therefore, Yuan Shu understood the implication in Liu Feng's words, and his face flushed red. Liu Feng's words were practically a slap in the face to him, clearly a sarcastic reference to Yuan Shu's previous boast about who Liu Bei was.

"Now, does Lord Yuan know who Liu Bei is?" Yuan Shu stood there, his face flushed, and remained silent for a long time.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Liu Zhengnan, I wish to make a deal with you."

Liu Feng thought to himself, "As expected, Yuan Shu clearly has something he wants to trade with me, which is why he's been so patient."

However, Liu Feng didn't care and just wanted to hear what the other party had to say.

So Liu Feng nodded and asked, "What kind of transaction?"

"I wish to exchange one thing for the lives of my entire household."

Yuan Shu immediately said, "This is a rare treasure, and you will definitely think it is well worth the price."

Having said all that, Liu Feng could immediately guess what Yuan Shu was relying on.

This was naturally the Imperial Seal of the State, which Sun Jian had obtained but was forced to seize by Yuan Shu.

If Sun Jian concealed the Imperial Seal after obtaining it, possibly intending to hand it over directly to the Emperor in exchange for reward, then Yuan Shu's intention to hide the Imperial Seal was as clear as day.

After all, Sun Jian could never have dreamed of becoming emperor. His background and experiences determined that no noble family would support him to become emperor at that time.

Even if Sun Jian were crazy, he would never think he could become emperor. If he really had such thoughts, after his defeat in the Liangdong War, he should have turned to fighting for territory and expanding his power, just like other warlords.

Sun Jian, however, had to beg and plead with his family to reorganize his troops and once again come to the aid of the emperor. He finally defeated Li Jue and Guo Si in the Battle of Yangren, and later crushed Dong Zhuo and recovered Luoyang.

Liu Feng pondered for a moment, then looked up at Yuan Shu and uttered four words: "The Imperial Seal of the State?"

How did you guess?

Yuan Shu's face was full of doubt. He had kept the matter of the Imperial Seal of the State a closely guarded secret.

However, Liu Bei added this point to his proclamation against Yuan Shu, which clearly shows that he knew the Imperial Seal of the State was with Yuan Shu.

This puzzled Yuan Shu greatly, and seeing Liu Feng's reaction, he couldn't help but ask him more questions.

Liu Feng avoided the topic and instead returned to the main point: "If you are willing to hand over the Imperial Seal, I can guarantee to treat Lord Yuan and your entire family well. However, in the end, it is the Emperor who will decide Lord Yuan's fate."

This was a last resort. He had long ago ordered his generals to prioritize finding the Imperial Seal of the State, but so far, a large number of prisoners had been brought in, including Yuan Shu, who had been captured alive, but there was still no news of the Imperial Seal of the State.

It is evident that Yuan Shu's hiding place was quite ingenious.

Liu Feng didn't want to cause any trouble. Since Yuan Shu was willing to use the Imperial Seal of the State as a bargaining chip, he decided to give him a small reward to save himself a lot of trouble.

Otherwise, by threatening Yuan Shu with his children, Yuan Shu would have no reason not to confess.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu couldn't help but plead again, "Can't Liu Zhengnan just let my family go?"

Liu Feng scoffed, "What do you think of what Lord Yuan has said?"

Yuan Shu blushed, lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Behind the throne, there is a secret chamber, in which a secret box is stored."

"The Imperial Seal of the State... is in the secret box."

Liu Feng was greatly surprised, never expecting that the Imperial Seal of the State was hidden behind the seat he had always been sitting in.

No wonder I couldn't find it. He's been sitting here all this time. Who would come and look through this chair?

This is simply a case of the darkest place being under the lamp.

Liu Feng immediately turned around and looked at Xu Chu.

After receiving the order, Xu Chu strode to the throne and bowed his body.

A moment later, he had a long, rectangular box in his hand.

Xu Chu dared not open it without permission and sent it to Liu Feng.

At that very moment, Yuan Shu obediently took out a key from his waist and handed it to Liu Feng.

"This key is the key to opening the box."

Liu Feng nodded; Yuan Shu was becoming more and more obedient.

Liu Feng took the key and opened the secret box.

The moment he opened the box, Liu Feng seemed to see a burst of dazzling light erupting out.

Once the box was fully opened, a jade seal with a missing corner, repaired with gold, appeared before his eyes.

Liu Feng felt his heart pounding violently in his chest. No wonder he had been seeing things and thought there was a shimmering light in the box.

This jade seal truly holds an extraordinary significance for all Chinese people.

Liu Feng gently picked up the jade seal, and sure enough, eight large characters were revealed.

"Mandated by Heaven, I shall live long and prosper forever."

This is the one and only Imperial Seal of the State.

After playing with the jade seal for a while, Liu Feng put it back into the secret box and instructed Xu Chu to keep it safe.

Xu Chu responded to the order in a deep voice.

Liu Feng turned his gaze to Yuan Shu, who was trembling and filled with fear, worried that Liu Feng might go back on his word.

“Lord Yuan, my father Liu Xuande was a descendant of the Han dynasty, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, and a member of the imperial family.”

Liu Feng said to Yuan Shu, "Men, escort Lord Yuan and his family to rest. Make sure they are well taken care of and not treated with disrespect."

At this point, Liu Feng paused for a moment and added, "If there is any need, it can be met within reasonable limits."

It's not that Liu Feng is stingy, but that Yuan Shu is a clueless jerk.

If this sentence hadn't been added, Yuan Shu would have certainly made many extravagant demands. Liu Feng would have preferred to save the money and grain for disaster relief next year, rather than letting a prisoner like Yuan Shu squander it.

"Thank you for the southern expedition!"

After Liu Feng issued the order, Yuan Shu finally felt relieved and knew that his life was temporarily spared.

His expression of gratitude truly came from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Feng waved his hand in response, and after Yuan Shu and his family left, he also sent Han Yin and the others away.

This thrilling night has finally come to an end.

After relaxing, Liu Feng suddenly remembered what Zhou Tai had said earlier.

Before leaving, Zhou Tai secretly told Liu Feng the location of the woman, which made Liu Feng feel a little itchy.

Since I have nothing to do now, I might as well go and see. A woman whom Zhou Tai praises so highly and calls a beauty of unparalleled grace should not disappoint me, right?

Liu Feng finally couldn't hold back any longer. He gave an order to the armored soldiers in the palace and led Xu Chu toward the rear hall.

Liu Feng was going to see beautiful women this time, and he traveled light, with only twenty armored soldiers accompanying him besides Xu Chu.

However, these armored soldiers were the elite of the elite, each one a brave warrior. While they might not be able to take on ten men at once, they could easily handle five.

Once outside the rear hall, twenty armored soldiers under Zhou Tai's command remained to guard it.

Upon seeing Liu Fenghou, all the armored soldiers knelt down.

Liu Feng never looked down on his soldiers, and he smiled and waved for them to get up.

Afterwards, Liu Feng and Xu Chu stood outside the door without moving, while ten armored soldiers behind them went in first to inspect the inner hall.

After confirming that there were no problems, nine of them took over important positions to ensure Liu Feng's safety, while the remaining one went out of the back hall to report to Liu Feng that everything was normal.

At this moment, Liu Feng led Xu Chu into the hall.

In fact, this rear hall is more of a large complex of houses than a palace.

The entire rear hall is surrounded by a wall, inside which are three rows of long houses, the row of houses directly opposite the main gate being the rear hall.

Liu Feng's armored soldiers were already positioned at various key points to ensure that Liu Feng would not be threatened in the slightest.

Meanwhile, the inner hall had already been searched, and no one was hiding there.

So Liu Feng led Xu Chu directly into the inner hall.

The target was not found in the main hall of the rear palace. However, the armored soldiers in the main hall quietly made a hand gesture to indicate the location of the other party to Liu Feng.

Following the other person's directions, Liu Feng entered the side room. As soon as he entered, he saw a slender figure sitting sideways on the bed.

(End of this chapter)