My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 302 Liu Yao's Dilemma (Bonus Chapter!)
For a moment, Liu Bei couldn't help but admire his eldest son, feeling that he had almost seen through Cao Cao.

Given the current situation in the north, Cao Cao is weak while Yuan Shao is strong.

In order to buy time, Liu Bei naturally had to support Cao Cao and join forces to resist Yuan Shao.

This is a strategy of alliance between two weak forces to resist a strong one.

However, Cao Cao had considerable ambitions and was inherently suspicious.

Therefore, Liu Bei should selectively and occasionally oppose him; the best approach would be to side with the emperor.

This way, Liu Bei could gain the emperor's favor, prevent Cao Cao from suspecting his intentions, and also dispel Cao Cao's suspicions about his allegiance to Liu Bei.

That's killing three birds with one stone.

What's wrong with my son's brain?

After calming down, Liu Bei asked about the second matter.

Liu Feng's spirits lifted, and he said, "Father, some of the children raised in the prefecture have grown up and studied for several years. I intend to let them participate in this water conservancy project to accumulate experience, qualifications, and merits. Afterwards, they can be assigned to various places to serve as grassroots officials, or even clerks, and gradually accumulate merits and be promoted."

“Father, these children are the foundation of our family and the strength that belongs only to our family.”

While observing Liu Bei's expression, Liu Feng advised, "Their loyalty to my family far surpasses that of ordinary gentry and powerful clans. With them as our base, it's hard to say whether we can reform the local area, but raising taxes and reducing the burden on the people is certainly a possibility."

Liu Bei asked in surprise, "Have the children you gathered back then already proven useful?"

Liu Bei had already heard about those children.

Although Liu Bei had not returned to his hometown for many years, he had sent wealth and goods home on several occasions.

Liu Feng persuaded his stepmother Wu and mother Tian to take out these valuables, gather the Liu clan and orphans in Zhuo County, and personally teach them to read and write. He also trained them in military discipline.

When Liu Bei first learned of this, he was greatly surprised and praised Liu Feng for having the same qualities as his father.

Later, Liu Feng traveled a long distance and spent a lot of money and grain to bring these orphans from Zhuo County to Xuzhou.

I heard that after arriving in Xuzhou, they recruited some more orphans from Xuzhou, and the number has been increasing. It should now be close to a thousand.

After listening to Liu Feng's explanation, Liu Bei finally understood how much groundwork his eldest son had laid.

If these orphans could enter officialdom, even at the grassroots level, they would be of great help to the Liu family. If any of these orphans were talented enough to be cultivated and promoted to the county or prefectural level, their contribution would undoubtedly be even greater.

"Okay, I understand."

Liu Bei immediately assured him, "Rest assured, your men are under my care, and I will never let them be bullied."

Liu Feng was overjoyed and said gratefully, "In that case, I will trouble Father to take good care of me."

Liu Bei was pleased to have regained some of his fatherly dignity and also inquired about the situation in Liu Er's camp.

Liu Feng naturally told the truth. Liu Bei secretly decided that he must take good care of these children and, when the opportunity arose, select a few promising talents.

"Father, I will lead the army out tomorrow."

Finally, Liu Feng stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Bei, saying, "Father, please eat well and take care of your health."

Liu Bei was deeply moved and helped his eldest son up, saying, "I know, you must eat more and take care of yourself."

"Here!"

The next morning, Liu Feng led his army south, with the vanguard Jia Kui leading the way out of the city and marching along the passage between Feishui and Shaopi at a very fast pace.

In just six days, they arrived in Hefei, much faster than when Zhou Yu and his men went north to Shouchun.

This was also because the entire route was within the territory controlled by Liu Bei's army, so there was no need to worry about the enemy while marching, and logistical supplies could be obtained in Chengde County along the way, so there was naturally no pressure.

Liu Feng allowed his army to rest in Hefei for a day and replenish supplies before continuing their southward march.

Just then, Li Yang brought good news.

Under Sun Xiang's strong persuasion, Sun Ben surrendered.

This is really great news.

Therefore, Liu Feng immediately divided his army into two: Zhou Yu, Gan Ning, and Dong Xi led a total of 7,000 men by water, passing through Chaohu Lake, exiting the Yangtze River, and then sailing downstream to Liyang.

Liu Feng then led the remaining three groups of Pan Zhang, Xu Sheng, and Jia Kui, totaling 18,000 men, straight towards Liyang.

This division of forces has several advantages.

Firstly, Gan Ning and Dong Xi's naval forces could smoothly sail into the river in preparation for their subsequent crossing.

Secondly, the route led by Gan Ning, Dong Xi, and Zhou Yu was able to shield the flanks of Liu Feng's main force.

Thirdly, by dividing the troops, the burden on the roads will be reduced, thereby increasing the speed of marching.

From Liu Feng's perspective, the navy naturally wanted Zhou Yu to be their commander.

However, in reality, things couldn't be so arbitrary. In the end, Dong Xi was appointed as the main general, with Gan Ning and Zhou Yu as his deputies.

Commander Liu Feng led his army on a rapid march, covering sixty li a day, towards Liyang.

Four days later, Liu Feng encountered the messengers sent by Sun Xiang and Sun Ben to welcome Liu Feng's army.

“I was sent by General Zheng Lu to welcome General Zheng Nan.”

Subsequently, the messenger also presented a silk scroll, written by Sun Xiang.

After Liu Feng took it, he opened it and read it. The contents of the silk scroll were naturally Sun Ben's surrender. At the same time, there was a small mark at the end, which was agreed upon in advance with Sun Xiang to prevent any accidents.

After confirming that the markings were correct, Liu Feng breathed a sigh of relief and gestured, "Lead the way!"

Sun Xiang had already explained Li Yang's situation very clearly. The enemy only had four or five thousand troops left in the city, and Sun Ben really had no reason to oppose Liu Bei after Yuan Shu had already been captured.

Even so, when passing through the mountainous section, he slowed down and conducted necessary reconnaissance to prevent Sun Ben from really going crazy.

He brought his elite troops this time. Pan Zhang, Xu Sheng, and Jia Kui's troops were all built up by him from scratch, and their equipment was the best among the Xuzhou army. He would be heartbroken if even one of them died, let alone be ambushed in the mountains.

The casualties were even higher than in a direct confrontation.

Fortunately, nothing happened along the way; Sun Ben neither went mad nor did Sun Xiang betray them.

Liu Feng arrived at the city of Liyang safely seven days later.

Meanwhile, Sun Ben and Sun Xiang from Liyang City had already gone out ten miles to welcome Liu Feng's army and had also prepared provisions and supplies for them.

Liyang is the front line against Liu Yao and Niuzhu. It is well-equipped with supplies and is second only to Shouchun among the major towns in Jiangbei. Even Hefei cannot compare.

After all, Hefei was located in the safe hinterland of Jiangbei at this time, and there were no enemies that could threaten it.

Only Li Yang was currently engaged in battle with Liu Yao's army.

Just as Sun Xiang had said, Liu Feng, though young, showed no signs of arrogance; instead, he gave Sun Ben the impression of being shrewd and decisive.

Upon seeing Sun Ben, Liu Feng immediately dismounted and stopped him from kneeling to greet him.

“Brother Boyang, now that we have surrendered, we are comrades-in-arms. As comrades-in-arms, how can you humiliate your brother like this?”

Liu Feng, holding Sun Ben's hand, chatted and laughed: "Brother Wenyang, have you not told my virtuous brother that under my command as General of the Cavalry, only talent and virtue are valued, and we never care about birth or kinship?"

Cao Cao advocated appointing officials based solely on their talent.

Liu Bei couldn't shout like that.

Cao Cao made that statement because he had given up all hope. He could no longer get the full support of the scholars in Yanzhou, so he simply gave up and accepted anyone who was capable, even the most insignificant ones.

The phrase "appointing people based solely on their talents" has been romanticized in later generations.

However, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, this term was essentially no different from nepotism.

You don't even consider morality when choosing people; you even use wicked people who lack virtue. In some ways, this is even worse than nepotism.

But Cao Cao had no choice; he desperately needed the support of political forces to counter the traditional scholars.

Since he himself came from a eunuch family, shouldn't he be the one to appoint people based on their abilities?

Liu Bei is different now; he wears shoes, so how can he stoop to the level of a barefoot man?

Therefore, Liu Bei and his son adopted the slogan of "appointing people based solely on their talent and virtue, not on personal connections," and with the support of most scholars in Xuzhou and Yuzhou, Liu Bei's reputation was quite good.

Sun Ben honestly confessed, "I was blind and a traitor, and I once harassed Guangling County under the General's rule. I still feel guilty about it. This time I surrendered because I abandoned darkness and turned to the light. I am willing to accept the punishment of the Southern Expedition to serve as a warning for future actions."

Liu Feng laughed heartily: "Boyang, what a joke you're making. In the past, when the two armies fought, each served their own master. Although Yuan Shu harmed one side, you can't blame Boyang for that."

Liu Feng, holding Sun Ben's hand with one hand and Sun Xiang's hand with the other, walked side by side into Liyang City. Liyang City was not located by the river, but it did draw water from the Yangtze River as its moat.

A naval fortress was established near the Yangtze River, housing a thousand naval troops. However, these troops only possessed small boats and lacked any large ships. They had few large warships, let alone large battleships, and were therefore no match for Liu Yao's navy on the opposite bank.

As Liu Feng entered the city, he also sent men to take over the water fortress and sent a message to Liu Yao on the opposite bank of Niuzhu.

Liu Feng's goal this time is to sweep away Jiangdong. Taking Liyang is just an appetizer, not even a cold dish.

The next step is to cross the river, so naturally we need to inform Liu Yao in advance to prepare for what's to come.

After entering the city, Liu Feng inquired about the situation of Dong Xi and the others. Upon receiving Sun Ben's reply, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "The Yuan Dynasty hasn't arrived yet?"

"Indeed, they haven't arrived yet."

Sun Ben replied, "However, the speed of the southern expedition far surpasses that of ordinary marches. Although Commandant Dong and his men have the advantage of convenient waterways, they have to take a long detour on their journey. It is not surprising that they fall behind if they are delayed even slightly."

Sun Ben's explanation is indeed reasonable.

Liu Feng's arrival was remarkably swift, which actually surprised Sun Ben.

It also made him secretly fearful.

The marching speed of an army is actually a very good indicator of its combat effectiveness.

After all, if you march quickly, you must first have a high degree of organization; otherwise, a large number of people will inevitably fall behind and get separated during a rapid march.

Secondly, one must have extremely strong physical fitness, as long-distance, rapid marches are quite tiring.

Finally, one must also possess a high degree of obedience and fighting spirit.

With these three points, is fighting a war still difficult?
Without going into distant examples, just consider the case of Cao Cao's army marching south from Guandu. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry marched 300 li in a day and night, directly defeating Liu Bei's army at Changban Slope.

This is very telling.

In this era, only elite troops can accomplish long-distance raids.

That evening, Sun Ben hosted a banquet for Liu Feng, who naturally accepted with pleasure, though Hu Chi, who never drank, was always by his side.

At the same time, although each department received rewards, the internal situation remained relaxed on the surface but tense on the inside.

Liu Feng wanted to make things look good so as to win over Sun Ben and Sun Xiang, so he did not take over the defenses of Liyang City as soon as he entered the city.

Although Sun Ben had already handed over the defenses of Liyang City and voluntarily disarmed himself, Liu Feng returned them all.

However, necessary precautions should still be taken; otherwise, it would be reckless courage.

That night, after the night was over, Sun Ben said to Sun Xiang with emotion, "Wen Yang, today I realize that what you said was true."

The following day at noon, Dong Xi's fleet also appeared on the Yangtze River. After being notified, they entered Liyang Water Village one after another.

Dong Xi and the others quickly arrived in Liyang City and recounted the events to Liu Feng.

Just as Liu Feng had guessed, Dong Xi and his group did indeed encounter an accident.

This unexpected event is actually good news.

It turned out that during their march, Zhou Yu encountered a fellow villager.

This fellow villager was Zheng Yue, a powerful figure from the Zheng family in Xiang'an County.

The people of Xiang'an County now yearn to go north and want to surrender to Liu Bei, but because they are not far from Shucheng and are located south of Shucheng, they have been hesitant to make a decision.

As a result, Zheng Yue suddenly ran into Zhou Yu's large army in Chaohu Lake. Thinking that they were going to attack Shucheng from the south, he was overjoyed and approached Zhou Yu, wanting to become the leader of the attacking force.

Xiang'an County has a rather unique location. It is situated southeast of Shucheng, bordering the Yangtze River and the Ruxu River, but not directly adjacent to them.

It is about 40 li away from the Yangtze River and more than 50 li away from the Ruxu River, which is just enough to shield the Ruxu waterway.

If this place can be occupied, it will threaten Liu Xun's flank and rear. More importantly, it will provide a solid foothold for the navy to land on the west bank of the Ruxu River.

After discussing the matter with Dong Xi and Gan Ning, Zhou Yu unanimously decided that they could first take Xiang'an County.

After all, the opportunity was rare, and Liu Feng had not set a date for them to arrive in Liyang, which meant that they were allowed some flexibility.

The people of Xiang'an County were already on good terms with the local population, and there were no troops stationed there, only two or three hundred county soldiers.

Zhou Yu only marched once, without even needing any inside help. As soon as Zhou Yu's army reached the city gates, Xiang'an County directly tied up the county magistrate and surrendered.

The county magistrate, Yu Zhaonai, was from the Wu region and had already served two terms as the county magistrate of Xiang'an County.

Although Yu Zhao didn't exactly fleece the land, he certainly exhausted all resources.

From powerful clansmen to ordinary people, everyone in Xiang'an County hated him intensely.

Zhou Yu didn't hold back and beheaded him, then hung his head on the city wall of Xiang'an, which immediately won the enthusiastic support of the people of Xiang'an County.

Subsequently, Zhou Yu left his elder brother Zhou Dao with two thousand Zhou family troops to guard Xiang'an, while the others returned to their ships and headed for Liyang.

At the same time, Zhou Yu also sent messages back to Hefei and Shouchun, instructing the troops stationed in both places to take care of Xiang'an in case Liu Xun wanted to retake it.

Now that Dong Xi, Gan Ning, and Zhou Yu had arrived in Liyang, Liu Feng planned to cross the river.

However, the envoys sent earlier have not yet returned, and no one knows what Liu Yao is planning.

Liu Feng also understood that Liu Yao was extremely wary of this crossing of the river.

After all, Liu Bei was appointed as the governor of the three southeastern provinces, which included Yangzhou, where he was located.

Even as the governor of Yangzhou, he had to obey Liu Bei. Liu Bei even had the power to bypass Liu Yao and dismiss or replace officials and generals in Yangzhou.

Anyone would be in a bind in this situation.

If Liu Yao had any sense, he would have thought about how to gracefully retire after achieving his goal.

In fact, Liu Yao was indeed having a terrible headache at this moment.

At this time, Liu Yao was in the Niuzhu camp and indeed saw the envoy sent by Liu Feng.

Subsequently, Liu Yao summoned his trusted advisors.

The brothers Sun Shao, Teng Dan, and Teng Zhou were all present, and even Zhang Ying, Fan Neng, and Yu Mi were called in.

The brothers Sun Shao, Teng Dan, and Teng Zhou were all from Qingzhou and were considered part of Liu Yao's hometown faction.

Zhang Ying, Fan Neng, and Yu Mi were local powerful figures, considered part of the local faction.

Liu Yao can be considered to have drawn on the strengths of many.

As for Xu Shao, whom Liu Yao regarded as a trusted confidant and advisor, he was still in Xuzhou receiving medical treatment. Although Liu Yao wanted to bring him back, he was worried about his health and even more worried about his own reputation. Therefore, he could only hope that Xu Shao could recover soon and return to his side.

Once everyone had arrived, Liu Yao recounted Liu Bei's instructions, the news that Liu Feng had arrived in Liyang, and the news that Sun Ben had surrendered without a fight.

At this point, there was no need to keep it a secret anymore, and besides, he couldn't keep it a secret anyway.

Niuzhu has always been the territory of the local faction, and it is full of their subordinates. Liu Feng sent people to Niuzhu, and they even swaggered in during the day. Liu Yao couldn't hide it from them even if he wanted to.

"Gentlemen, things have come to this point, what are your opinions?"

After speaking, Liu Yao's gaze swept across the tent, mainly wanting to see the reactions of Zhang Ying and the other two local factions.

Sun Shao and his associates were loyal to Liu Yao and were from the same hometown, so their loyalty was guaranteed. Moreover, they were all strategists and did not hold military power, so they could not play a decisive role.

If the local faction represented by Zhang Ying and the other two can still support him, then even if Liu Feng crosses the river, he, as the governor of Yangzhou, will still have some say.

But if all three of them want to change ships, then any struggle he tries will be in vain, and he will have no chance at all.

Unfortunately, Zhang Ying and the other two looked hesitant and uncertain, glancing at each other without one of them willing to speak.

Liu Yao's heart is cold and indifferent. He personally promoted Zhang Ying and the others, and they are like this now. One can imagine what the others must be like.

There's really nothing we can do about it.

Liu Yao has been in charge of Yangzhou for more than two years, even earlier than Liu Bei took control of Xuzhou.

But so far, apart from taking advantage of Sun Ben and Wu Jing's carelessness and exploiting their weaknesses to drive them across the Yangtze River with the help of the powerful families in northern Danyang and northern Wu, Liu Yao has truly accomplished nothing.

Xu Gong of Wu, Wang Lang of Kuaiji, Zhou Shu of Yuzhang, Hua Xin, and Zhu Hao have never obeyed his orders.

Even Zhou Shang, the governor of Danyang whom he appointed and dismissed, remained neutral and did not place all his bets on him.

(End of this chapter)