My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 297 Public Discussion in Jingzhou
Liu Xian recounted Liu Feng's numerous past achievements one by one, causing the crowd to gasp frequently.

"How could someone who only met me once know so much?"

Suddenly, a cold laugh came from the crowd.

Everyone looked toward the source of the voice and saw that the speaker was none other than Liu Pan, Liu Biao's nephew, who looked quite displeased.

Liu Pan was a man of great courage and strength, and also possessed some strategic acumen; he could be described as a bankrupt version of a man of both wisdom and courage.

He has always been Liu Biao's top general, after all, he is not only intelligent and brave (in a bankrupt version), but also a general from his own clan.

Although Zhang Yun was also a general from the same clan, he was quite greedy and repeatedly broke the law, so he was not well-liked by Liu Biao.

In the original history, Zhang Yun was involved with Cai Mao. Through Cai Mao's wife's influence and the fact that Liu Pan died young and Liu Hu died in battle, Zhang Yun rose to become the head of the clan's generals.

Liu Pan is currently riding high on his momentum and is also young, not yet thirty, which is the prime of his life. Moreover, he has been leading troops on the front line for many years, so he naturally knows how hard it is to lead troops. Not to mention those mid-to-high-ranking officers, even the low-ranking soldiers are enough to give you a hard time.

Therefore, Liu Pan did not believe these things and felt that Liu Xian was just trying to boost his morale.

Everyone was praising what Liu Xian had said, so Liu Pan's sudden remark naturally made the atmosphere very awkward.

"All right."

Seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere, Liu Biao, sitting at the head of the table, steered the conversation back on track: "Gentlemen, Liu Xun has now come to surrender, wishing to offer Lujiang as a token of his loyalty and then join my Jingzhou. What advice do you gentlemen have for me?"

For a moment, everyone fell silent again.

When Liu Bei marched south to attack Huai, Liu Biao was in the neighboring Jingzhou, and he had long coveted it, even making attempts to seize Yuzhang, but without much success.

Now Liu Xun has suddenly come to surrender, bringing with him the entire county of Lujiang. This is Liu Biao's greatest achievement in his history of expansion, and of course, his only one.

The reason everyone quieted down was not because Lujiang was bad. If Liu Xun had come to surrender during Yuan Shu's time, everyone present would have congratulated Liu Biao long ago.

After all, the people of Jingzhou had a psychological advantage over Yuan Shu; he was a defeated general, so what was there to say about his bravery?

But now, the person Liu Xun offended was not Yuan Shu, but Liu Bei.

"cough."

Suddenly, Kuai Liang coughed, attracting everyone's attention.

As the de facto head of all civil officials in Jingzhou, Kuai Liang's position was beyond question. Correspondingly, he also bore the responsibility; while others could remain silent at this time, Kuai Liang could not leave Liu Biao out in the cold.

"Your virtue is widely known throughout the land, which is why Liu Xun came to join you. This should be a great joy."

Kuai Liang begins by stating that Liu Xun's arrival is a good thing because of Kuai Liang's virtue and benevolence.

Sure enough, after Kuai Liang said this, although Liu Biao's expression did not change much, anyone who looked closely could see that Liu Biao's face relaxed a lot, and there was a hint of joy between his brows.

"Zirou, you flatter me."

Liu Biao slowly shook his head: "Since I entered Jingzhou, my only wish has been for the people to live in peace and for the weather to be favorable. That is enough for me."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed in admiration and exclaimed, "We are all ashamed of our own virtue, Your Excellency."

Then, Kuai Liang changed the subject, saying, "However, Liu Xun is cunning and has no integrity. Now that Yuan Shu has been defeated, he suddenly came to surrender, probably intending to use the strength of our province to counterbalance the General of the Cavalry. Our province has a long-standing relationship with General Liu. Since General Liu marched south to Guangling, trade between the two provinces has been quite frequent, especially official trade. In this year, our province's granaries have transported a million shi of grain, and in return, we have received sugar, snow salt, and a large amount of sea salt, salted fish, pearls and other seafood, as well as high-quality bamboo tubes and other supplies."

“Last year, our state raised taxes on trade and earned 14 million dollars in one year, and many goods were still tax-free.”

At this point, Kuai Liang glanced at Liu Biao, who knew perfectly well that high-value goods such as frosted sugar, snow salt, and pearls obtained through his personal connections were actually tax-free.

The trade tax alone collected 14 million coins, which is a considerable amount of revenue, not to mention the large amount of tax evasion. And what's most interesting is that these big taxpayers happened to be sitting in the hall right there.

Kuai Liang's meaning was clear: if they fell out with Liu Bei, Liu Bei would certainly have no food supplies, but everyone would also suffer significant losses.

Do you think it's worth it for Liu Xun and the still-unknown size of Lujiang?

As expected, as soon as Kuai Liang finished speaking, it was as if a bugle call had been sounded, and everyone broke their silence and began to speak out vehemently.

"My lord, Liu Xun is cunning and should not be trusted."

The first one was Pang Ji, a member of the Pang family, a cousin of Pang Degong, and an uncle of Pang Tong, Pang Lin, Pang Hua, and others.

When Liu Bang's army entered Jingzhou, Pang Ji was the second group to join, following the brothers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, and Cai Mao.

When Liu Biao first entered Jingzhou, he went to Xuancheng, where he summoned the Kuai brothers and Cai Mao, because Xiangyang had already been occupied.

The people who occupied Xiangyang were Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng, two bandits from Jiangxia. They were quite powerful and controlled a large population.

At this critical juncture, Pang Ji went to Xiangyang with Kuai Yue. With just his words, he not only persuaded the two men to hand over Xiangyang, but also led his people to surrender to Liu Biao.

Therefore, this person is a meritorious official, and has the merit of supporting the emperor's ascension to the throne.

"Liu Xun's attitude towards our state was ambiguous before, but now he's suddenly seen the light?"

Pang Ji sneered, "My lord, this man is absolutely not to be trusted. He might be using the strength of our province to fight against Liu Biaoqi, so that he can continue to dream of playing both sides."

"Indeed! What Master Pang said makes perfect sense."

The speaker was Han Song, a native of Nanyang, who had taken refuge in Xiangyang a few years earlier.

He served as Liu Biao's aide at this time, and later rose to the rank of Biejia. He was sent as an envoy to Xuchang for Liu Biao and obtained the position of Shizhong.

Han Song was a very talented man, and he would consider Liu Biao's position when making decisions and offering advice, making him one of the more objective candidates among the gentry.

During the Battle of Guandu, Han Song and Liu Xian strongly urged Liu Biao to change his mind, even elevating Liu Biao to the status of an emperor.

With two powerful forces vying for supremacy, Liu Biao, as the strongest third party, had no choice but to actively participate. He either had to expand his own power to compete with the two, or simply align himself with one of them.

However, Han Song personally strongly supported Cao Cao, and even directly advised Liu Biao to surrender Jingzhou to Cao Cao.

This aroused Liu Biao's suspicion and apprehension, and ultimately, after Liu Biao returned from his mission to Xuchang, he imprisoned the man.

Han Song's words were actually quite correct, but Liu Biao not only failed to heed them, but also became suspicious of him. This shows that the rift between Liu Biao and the gentry of Jingzhou had grown to a point where it was difficult to conceal.

"My lord, it is not impossible for Liu Xun to surrender to my Jingzhou. Let him hand over Xunyang first."

The Xunyang mentioned by Han Song is located on the southern slope of the Dabie Mountains, along a narrow passage along the Yangtze River.

This passage is surrounded by rivers, marshes, and mountains, yet it is passable by large armies, connecting Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and is one of the most important land routes between the two states.

Xunyang is the exit of this riverside passage on the Yangzhou side. As long as Xunyang is controlled, Jingzhou will be unable to enter Yangzhou from here.

Conversely, if Yangzhou controls Xunyang, it can freely enter and exit Jingzhou.

Therefore, the importance of Xunyang to Jingzhou and Yangzhou is beyond doubt. Whoever gets Xunyang will gain the initiative.

Previously, Jingzhou had tentatively requested Xunyang, but Liu Xun refused. Moreover, of Liu Xun's more than 10,000 troops, 3,000 were stationed in Xunyang, which shows how much Yangzhou valued this place.

Asking for Xunyang now is indeed a good way to test the waters.

If Liu Xun truly intended to surrender his entire prefecture, he would naturally not refuse such a reasonable request.

As soon as Han Song made this suggestion, even Liu Pan, Liu Hu, and others who had just been dissatisfied with the other side's overly conservative approach agreed with it.

"In that case, let us follow your advice."

Liu Biao immediately decided: "Send an order to Huang Zu to send three thousand troops ahead to take over Xunyang in Liu Xun's name."

"Speak," Liu Biao said, turning to Cai Mao, "De Gui, I'll have to trouble you to make the trip again."

Cai Mao immediately bowed and said, "This is my duty, and I dare not complain."

"it is good!"

Liu Biao praised Cai Mao for a few words, and then said, "I intend to expand the troops led by Liu Pan, Cai Mao, Liu Hu, and Wen Pin, adding a school of two thousand men to each of them, in order to adapt to the changing situation."

Kuai Liang and the others had complicated expressions. They wanted to refuse, but now was not a good time to offer advice.

Moreover, on the surface, Liu Pan and Liu Hu were Liu Biao's nephews, while Cai Mao and Wen Pin were local powerful clans in Jingzhou, making Liu Biao appear quite fair.

"There is one last matter." Liu Biao glanced around the hall and asked, "I intend to send a gentleman to General Huo Qubing to convey Liu Xun's loyalty to me, so as to avoid any misunderstanding between the two provinces. I wonder which gentleman would be willing to make the trip?"

The hall fell silent once again, but this silence was different from before. Now, the scholars were all weighing whether it was worthwhile for them to volunteer.

Since Liu Biao did not specify who should be chosen, it was clear that self-recommendation or recommendation would be the preferred option.

To be honest, Liu Bei's power is growing stronger and stronger, and he is getting closer and closer to Jingzhou. Runan in the north and Yangzhou in the south are both bordering Jingzhou.

The gentry within Jingzhou would naturally want to make contact with him to assess Liu Bei's character and the internal power structure.

Suddenly, Kuai Yue, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "My lord, I am willing to make a trip to Shouchun to pay my respects to General Piaoqi, so as to avoid any misunderstanding between the two prefectures."

Although intelligence at the time indicated that Liu Bei was still in Ruyin, those with insight understood that it was only a matter of time before Liu Bei marched south to Shouchun.

Liu Biao looked at Kuai Yue, and his feelings toward Kuai Yue were quite complicated.

Liu Biao was both grateful to Kuai Yue and wary of him, because Kuai Yue's talent was so great that he felt he could not control him.

For example, if someone else had volunteered at this time, Liu Biao would have agreed long ago.

Kuai Yue offered his services, but Liu Biao couldn't help but overthink it and immediately wanted to reject him.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Biao finally rejected Kuai Yue's request: "Yi Du, you know I cannot be separated from you for even a day. This trip to Shouchun and back will take a month, and with the talks, I'm afraid I won't be able to see Yi Du again until winter. I really don't want that."

When everyone saw that Liu Biao rejected Kuai Yue's self-recommendation, their expressions became somewhat subtle.

Kuai Yue, on the other hand, appeared completely at ease, showing no displeasure or embarrassment whatsoever.

After Liu Biao rejected his self-recommendation, Kuai Yue surprisingly suggested, "In that case, Pang Youlin is bold and meticulous, and his words are concise and to the point. He is suitable for this important task."

Pang Ji, whose courtesy name is Youlin.

Pang Ji was surprised that Kuai Yue had recommended him, but he didn't care; the trip wasn't a loss.

The Pang family was one of the four great families of Jingzhou, a large and powerful family that owned more than a dozen merchant caravans.
Xuzhou is now rich in resources and has many in-demand goods, so the Pang family naturally wants to maintain a good relationship with Xuzhou and expand trade.

Moreover, Kuai Yue and Pang Ji had a very close relationship in private. Pang Ji could even be considered Kuai Yue's subordinate. How could the subordinate back down when the boss recommended him?

Pang Ji immediately rose from his seat and bowed to Liu Biao, saying, "If Your Excellency sends me there, I will certainly not fail in my duty."

With Kuai Yue and Pang Ji both saying so, how could Liu Biao possibly object?

Therefore, Liu Biao immediately said, "In that case, we will follow Yi Du's advice and trouble You Lin to make the trip."

********
Guan Yu was stationed in Pingyu when he suddenly received a letter from Liu Bei.

He then immediately summoned his generals.

At this time, Jia Xi had already received orders to go to Shouchun under the protection of his entourage.

Guan Yu was left with only Guan Ping, He Yi, Huang Shao, Zhou Cang, Pei Yi, and Liu Jiang, Liu Pi's younger brother, who had been left by Liu Pi to guard Pingyu.

At this time, Pingyu still had nearly 30,000 Yellow Turbans and 8,000 under Guan Yu, making it a formidable force. Moreover, the Yellow Turbans had settled and cultivated land there, resulting in a large population and the ability to easily mobilize a large number of laborers.

However, since it was harvest time, the number of laborers would be reduced temporarily.

Fortunately, Guan Yu still had waterways to rely on on his southward journey. Although the Yellow Turban army did not have a navy, it had many fishing boats and merchant ships, so there was no need to worry about the subsequent transfer of supplies.

Guan Yu stroked his beard, tidying it up, and then said, "Gentlemen, the General has ordered our army to march south immediately and reach Liao County. Who among you is willing to be the vanguard?"

As soon as Guan Yu finished speaking, Guan Ping immediately stood up: "Father, your son is willing to take on this responsibility!"

Guan Yu's face darkened, and he glared at Guan Ping, scaring the latter into swallowing his next words.

"When discussing matters in the tent, there are only military officers, not fathers and sons."

Guan Ping broke out in a cold sweat and quickly left his seat to apologize.

Guan Yu's expression relaxed: "Please take a seat."

After Guan Ping sat down again, he was still somewhat frightened and did not dare to volunteer again.

Guan Yu's gaze swept across the crowd. This time, he actually hoped that the Yellow Turban generals would volunteer.

Unlike Zhang Fei, Guan Yu was arrogant towards his superiors but compassionate towards his subordinates. He didn't care much about their background. Of course, this only applied to his subordinates; it was a different story for important generals of the same rank.

Zhou Cang straightened up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "If the general does not mind, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Guan Yu was overjoyed and nodded, saying, "If Yuanfu is willing to go first, I am naturally at ease."

Immediately afterwards, Guan Yu ordered: "In that case, all generals may return to camp immediately to prepare. We will prepare for one day tomorrow, and the army will march south early the day after tomorrow."

The generals clasped their hands in unison and replied, "Yes, sir!"

Therefore, Guan Yu immediately ordered that Zhou Cang be the vanguard, Huang Shao the left flank, He Yi the right flank, and he himself lead the central army, with Guan Ping in charge of the rear. Liu Jiang was left to continue guarding Pingyu, and a thousand laborers and fishermen were dispatched to transport grain and fodder.

The generals immediately accepted the order.

The reason why the army was able to set off so quickly was not only because Guan Yu was strict in disciplining his troops, but also because Xincai surrendered to Liu Bei along with the Yellow Turbans.

The distance from Pingyu to Xincai is over 150 li, and it only takes three to four days to march.

In this way, the army only needs to carry four days' worth of rations to march easily. After reaching Xincai, they can replenish their food supplies there and continue south.

The distance from Xincai to Liaoxian is only two hundred li. Even if one is cautious, it would take five or six days to travel the entire distance, and the food carried would be sufficient to support one's journey.

The purpose of transporting grain by water was to prevent unexpected events, such as a sudden rebellion in Liao County or encountering obstacles along the way.

If there is no further food supply at this point, and the army goes hungry, that would be no laughing matter.

Guan Yu's troops advanced very quickly, traveling fifty li a day after setting out, and arrived at Xincai in just three days.

He Man, the garrison commander of Xincai, followed Liu Pi to Ruyin, while the city was then guarded by the deputy commander He Yang.

This man is He Man's younger brother, but he is twelve years younger than He Man. He Man can be considered both an older brother and a father.

Although He Yang was not very talented, he was quite dedicated. After receiving the message from the cavalry, he had already prepared a large amount of dry rations as required, and also prepared some pigs and sheep to reward the troops.

Guan Yu praised He Yang a few times, which made He Yang feel a little flattered.

He Yang was well aware of Guan Yu's position in Liu Bei's army. Now that everyone had joined Liu Bei's army, it was natural to inquire about it.

Guan Yu was not only deeply trusted by Liu Bei and regarded as a brother, but he was also a rare high-ranking official who was usually dignified and rarely praised his subordinates.

How could He Yang not be overjoyed?

Some people and some things are just that strange.

Some people praise excessively, but it only makes them seem noisy.

However, a casual compliment from some people can be remembered and make people overjoyed.

Guan Yu's army continued south. Before parting, he instructed He Yang, "Captain He, I entrust my rear to you."

Upon hearing this, He Yang was greatly encouraged and quickly assured them, "Unless I die, I will ensure the safety of Xincai."

"it is good!"

After leaving Xincai, Guan Yu continued south, and his journey was unimpeded.

Liu Xun knew he was powerless to stop the other side, so he decided to withdraw all the forces and resources from northern Lujiang back to the north.

However, the people in the north were already restless. Everyone was a subject of the emperor and a subordinate of Yuan Shu. What was Liu Xun?
Therefore, Liu Xun's efforts to mobilize troops and supplies in northern Lujiang were not successful. Only Yulou and Liuan counties, where his trusted confidants served as magistrates, were able to mobilize troops. Five hundred county soldiers and one thousand five hundred able-bodied men were taken from these two counties and escorted the money, grain and wealth stored in the two counties to Shucheng.

At this time, Liu Bei had already led his army south to Shouchun.

(End of this chapter)