My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 306 Meeting Liu Yao (I can still manage to add more chapters!)

However, even if they are promoted, they rarely reach the rank of "official seal" because they lack a reputation.

Zhang Ying felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if he were drunk, while Fan Neng and Yu Mi behind him had their faces contorted with jealousy.

If we had known there was such a good thing, we would have sent all four thousand of Zhao Fan's men!
Liu Zhengnan, why didn't you say so sooner!

We also want to be loyal to you and make greater contributions to you!

What Zhang Ying and the others didn't know was that since Dong Zhuo's rebellion against the Han Dynasty, the status of military men had clearly risen, and it was commonplace for military men to serve as high-ranking officials in the court.

With the 20,000 Niuzhu troops under Zhang Ying's command, replacing the prefect wouldn't be difficult at all.

To put it simply, if they were willing to surrender to Sun Ce, they would immediately be recommended by him to be governors. But Zhang Ying and his ilk were still stuck in the past; they hadn't realized that the shackles of the aristocratic class had already begun to loosen.

Admittedly, appointing Zhang Ying as the prefect of Danyang, even if only as an acting prefect, would subject Liu Feng to some pressure from the gentry. However, this pressure was negligible given Liu Feng's campaign in Jiangdong against Sun Ce.

It took Zhang Ying a long time to come to her senses. When she saw Liu Feng smiling at her, she immediately burst into tears, unable to contain her emotions.

"This humble general, Zhang Ying, swears to die for the conquest of the south!"

Zhang Ying immediately seized the opportunity and swore an oath: "If I break this oath, may I be condemned by gods and men, and may my entire Zhang family suffer a terrible death!"

"Why must Lieutenant Zhang do this?"

Seeing this, Liu Feng's expression changed. He stood up and quickly walked to Zhang Ying, helping him up with a serious expression: "If I didn't trust Captain Zhang, how could I have entrusted him with such a heavy responsibility?"

Zhang Ying was moved to tears, feeling that she had finally found her wise ruler.

Fan Neng and Yu Mi watched with envy that twisted in their hearts, wishing they could take their place.

Seeing the expectant looks on Fan Neng and Yu Mi's faces, Liu Feng waved to them as well.

Fan Neng and Yu Mi were overjoyed and quickly got up to walk to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng patted Fan Neng and Yu Mi on the shoulder: "You are both brave warriors. Are you willing to serve me?"

Fan Neng and Yu Mi were overjoyed. They knelt down almost simultaneously, bowed deeply to Liu Feng, and swore an oath, just like Zhang Ying, that they were willing to die for Liu Feng.

Liu Feng laughed and helped the two up. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at Yu Mi and said, "Since Commandant Zhang has already taken over as acting governor of Danyang, then let Commandant Yu take over as commandant of Danyang. I wonder if Commandant Yu would be willing to accept this position?"

The Commandant of a Commandery was also a high-ranking official with a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain), which was not the same as the Commandant in the army. The Commandant was much more valuable and was in charge of the military affairs of a commandery.

In the early Eastern Han Dynasty, the position of Commandant of Commandery and Kingdom gradually became obsolete, and the military power of the commandery and kingdom was taken over by the Prefect. This made the Prefect all-powerful in the commandery and kingdom and he was known as the Lord of the Commandery.

However, towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the position of Commandant of Commanderies and Kingdoms became popular again. Appointing renowned scholars of sufficient standing as governors, while simultaneously stripping military power from commanderies and kingdoms and assigning it to experienced military officers as Commandants of Commanderies and Kingdoms, was a common practice among warlords at the time. Later, the status of military men continued to rise, eventually allowing them to directly serve as governors and other official positions.

Although Yu Mi was a captain, he was only a local captain recommended by Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou. His position was not very prestigious and was not as high as that of the Commandant of Danyang County, who was a regular official position in the imperial court.

Upon hearing this, Yu Mi was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "I am willing to obey the order to conquer the south, and I will repay it with my life!"

Liu Feng nodded, then looked at Fan Neng.

Fan Neng looked at Liu Feng with longing eyes. His two good brothers had already been appointed as officials in their respective commanderies and kingdoms, and had even taken the positions of prefect and commandant. What could Fan Neng possibly get?
Unexpectedly, Liu Feng said to Fan Neng, "There is indeed no suitable position for Captain Fan right now, so I can only temporarily ask Captain Fan to stay by my side?"

Fan Neng felt very disappointed. Looking at Zhang Ying and Yu Mi, who were beaming with joy, Fan Neng couldn't help but start to think about what exactly had caused him to be left single.

Was it because I didn't run fast enough, or didn't smile well enough, or wasn't my attitude positive enough?

Zhang Ying and Yu Mi, however, were secretly relieved. Fortunately, they had performed better, otherwise they would be the ones left behind now.

Subsequently, Liu Feng announced that Zhang Ying and Yu Mi could each take two thousand troops with them to take up their posts. At this time, Jiangdong was a land of barbarians, and was full of barbarian people.

From the Dabie Mountains and Tianzhu Mountains north of the Yangtze River to the Huashan Mountains, Huangshan Mountains, Tianmu Mountains, and Longmen Mountains east of the Yangtze River, tens of thousands of tribes and millions of barbarians lived in a series of mountain ranges.

To the south of Danyang County lies the foothills of Mount Hua, Mount Huang, and Mount Tianmu. The Yue people often come out to plunder and pillage, and without some retainers, it would be impossible to keep them in check.

Zhang Ying and Yu Mi both obediently agreed.

They were all mentally prepared to give up their military power, but Liu Feng actually allowed them to take four thousand troops with them, which was a pleasant surprise.

This made Zhang Ying and Yu Mi extremely grateful to Liu Feng, believing that Liu Feng genuinely wanted them to establish themselves in Danyang.

"Gongjin, I intend to appoint you as the commander-in-chief for this southern campaign."

Taking advantage of the momentum, Liu Feng began arranging tasks for the southern route.

From the southern plains of Danyang, one can start from Wanling, the county seat, pass Guangde Pavilion, and reach Guzhang County. Then, following the right side of Taihu Lake, one can reach Wucheng County, which is the future Huzhou... sorry, it's Huzhou.

At that time, Huzhou still had a lake.

Yan Baihu's stronghold is located here. His main base is in Shicheng Mountain and Baihu Mountain, 50 miles south of Changxing. He has gathered more than 10,000 people, mostly young men and women, and has several thousand soldiers.

Yan Baihu and Sun Ce had a very bad relationship, and Yan Baihu was a force that could be won over, but he wasn't very bright and was a typical example of someone who couldn't see the wind.

Simply put, this guy might not know how to appreciate kindness, so let's hand him over to Zhou Yu.

If Yan Baihu were to side with Liu Feng, then Sun Ce's army, which was marching south to Kuaiji, would be completely exposed from the flank.

The entire logistics supply line was within Wucheng's attack range.

Historically, Sun Ce dared to do this because he believed that Yan Baihu was a thief guarding the house, lacking ambition and destined for failure.

Therefore, Sun Ce rejected Wu Jing and others' strategy of first attacking Yan Baihu to consolidate their flanks and rear, and then gathering troops to march south to Kuaiji. Instead, he abandoned Yan Baihu and boldly marched south, launching a fierce attack on Kuaiji. After defeating Wang Lang and occupying Dongye, he then returned to Wu Commandery and defeated Yan Baihu.

From this perspective, Yan Baihu was indeed indecisive, lacked strategic vision, and didn't even understand the principle of mutual support and the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold".

Liu Feng had long planned to divide his forces into two groups. One group would start from Wanling, the capital of Danyang County in the central part of the prefecture, and bypass Youquan to contain its southward advance.

Zhou Yu's eyes lit up. He wasn't worried about the difficulty of the mission; he was only afraid that Liu Feng wouldn't use him. He immediately stood up and declared, "Please rest assured, General Zheng Nan, I will definitely restrain Bo Fu and prevent him from launching a full-scale southward campaign."

Liu Feng nodded approvingly, then turned to Zhang Ying and said, "You two are subordinates, and will be under Zhou Yu's command for the time being. You will only follow his orders in military matters."

Zhang Ying and Yu Mi bowed respectfully.

This would be equivalent to giving Zhou Yu an additional 6,000 troops.

Zhou Yu was overjoyed. He only had two thousand troops left, and the other two thousand were guarded in Xiang'an by Zhou Dao, which made his forces very tight.

Now Liu Feng has given him two additional troops from Zhang Ying's forces, totaling six thousand men, bringing his total strength to nearly ten thousand.

In addition, Liu Feng also promised to hand over the command of his uncle Zhou Shang's troops to him.

Zhou Shang also had two thousand Zhou family retainers in Wanling. In addition, there were three or four thousand county soldiers, and local strongmen and county soldiers could also muster at least several thousand.

In these chaotic times, the military strength of powerful clans should not be underestimated. You can think of Cao Cao as a super-sized powerful clan. The first armed forces he raised were actually the armed forces of powerful clans, without official authorization, and were not regular troops.

How much of that potential you can tap into depends on your reputation, ability, and methods.

Given Zhou Yu's abilities, recruiting several thousand people shouldn't be difficult.

Even if some troops need to be stationed along the way, the front can still gather 10,000 to 12,000 men, so they will not be afraid of Sun Ce even in a head-on battle.

If they could successfully persuade Yan Baihu, the situation would change drastically, and they might even be able to contact Wang Lang of Kuaiji and annihilate Sun Ce's elite troops in the Yuhang-Qiantang region in one fell swoop.

At this time, Wang Lang was not weak; he had at least seven or eight thousand men, and possibly even more than ten thousand.

Guling City was originally a small, fortified city that could be defended with a small force. Moreover, its strategic location made it difficult for the enemy to cross easily. It was no longer just a strategically important place, but a place of life and death. If you wanted to cross the Qiantang River from here, you had to take Guling; otherwise, no matter how many people you sent, they would just be throwing their lives away.

Niuzhu had a total of 20,000 soldiers. Zhou Yu and Zhang Ying took 8,000 with them, Zhao Fan selected 4,000, and there were 1,000 elite soldiers and 1,000 new recruits, who were organized into a separate unit and sent across the river to Liyang to garrison, replacing Xu Sheng's troops in Jiangdong.

Now Liu Bei's army has two supply lines for its southward advance. One comes from the two counties north of the Yangtze River, which do not require long-distance transport. The reserves in Liyang, Hefei, and Shouchun, as well as the grain obtained from the autumn harvest, are enough to support Liu Feng's army in its campaign in Jiangdong.

The other route is the line from Guangling and Jiangdu to Jiangcheng. Guangling's grain production has increased significantly, and it is currently in the autumn harvest, which is enough to support the war effort at the front.

Actually, there is a hidden third supply line, which is the local supply line in Jiangdong.

At this time, Jiangdong was also harvesting its autumn crops. The faster Liu Feng acted, the more grain he obtained.

Then, Liu Feng looked at Fan Neng, who seemed a little downcast, and said, "I have long heard that Colonel Fan is brave in battle and has strict command, and has repeatedly thwarted Sun's offensive. Therefore, I am reluctant to place you in a local area and wish to keep you by my side to achieve merit together. I wonder what Colonel Fan thinks?"

Fan Neng felt as if he had instantly climbed from hell to heaven, and immediately knelt down with tears of gratitude, saying, "I am but a warrior, how can I be expected to do such a great service in the Southern Expedition? I am willing to follow the Southern Expedition, sweep away the Jiangdong region, and establish meritorious achievements!"

"Good! Good!" Liu Feng glanced at Zhang Ying and Yu Mi's reactions and, sure enough, the two were not as happy as before.

For a moment, he couldn't decide whether it was better to become a prefect or to follow Liu Feng and make new achievements.

Liu Feng smiled with satisfaction and helped Fan Neng up.

There needs to be comparison and competition in everything to provide motivation.

If everything is arranged perfectly, what if everyone just lies down and does nothing?
Zhang Ying, Yu Mi, and Fan Neng were all quite capable military leaders. Those who make a name for themselves in history all had some ability, and even if they were incompetent, they were incompetent in a unique way.

Zhang Ying and his two companions not only made their mark on history, but also held off Sun Ce's army north of the Yangtze River for two years. Even when Sun Ce personally led the charge, he was forced to halt his troops on the riverbank for half a year, and even suffered considerable injuries from attempting to cross the river.

In the end, they were only able to cross the river thanks to Zhou Yu's betrayal.

This ability alone is already quite remarkable.

Liu Feng also wanted to see if they could demonstrate more value if given a bigger stage.

Zhang Ying became the prefect, Yu Mi became the commandery commander, and Fan Neng followed Liu Feng. All three of them will have a better future.

The next morning, Liu Feng left Niuzhu, accompanied by Xu Chu and other close followers, and headed straight for Shicheng, which was about twenty miles away from Niuzhu.

Liu Yao is currently staying in Shicheng. Although Liu Feng has now taken over Niuzhu and Niuzhu Army, Liu Yao is still the governor of Yangzhou.

Liu Feng had no choice but to come and pay him a visit.

After entering Shicheng, Liu Feng went straight to the county government office, wanting to see Liu Yao.

Upon receiving the news, You Xuyi, the magistrate of Shicheng County, came out to greet him early in the morning.

"Is Magistrate Liu not in the county office?"

Upon hearing this news, Liu Feng was greatly surprised and immediately asked, "Where is Lord Liu now?"

Liu Yao can't run away, or he'll cause a lot of trouble.

Fortunately, Yu Xu's next words relieved Liu Fengchang.

It turns out that Liu Yao simply moved out of the county government office overnight and is now living in a small courtyard in the east of the city; he did not run away.

Liu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, glared at the county magistrate who was panting heavily, and then ordered him to send someone to lead the way, as he wanted to see Liu Yao in person.

Liu Yao's residence was not far away, and the group arrived at the place quickly.

This is an independent courtyard house, with three courtyards, and it is quite clean.

It is said that Liu Yao bought it himself.

Liu Feng stopped his personal guards from knocking on the door and ordered most of them to step back, leaving only Xu Chu with a few armored soldiers behind him.

Then, Liu Feng went to the door himself and knocked on it.

After knocking a few times, there was a sound from inside the door, and the voice of a boy going through puberty rang out from behind the door.

"Who?"

Liu Feng coughed lightly and replied, "My name is Liu Feng, also known as Liu Zisheng. I heard that you, Lord Liu, reside here, so I came here to pay my respects."

The boy inside paused, but Liu Feng wasn't in a hurry and just stood outside the door waiting.

Before long, the courtyard gate was finally opened, revealing a handsome young man with a beautiful face.

"My name is Liu Ji, and my father's surname is Liu, and his given name is Yao."

The young man bowed to Liu Feng and said, "Please follow me inside, esteemed guest."

"good!"

Liu Feng nodded and followed, while Xu Chu followed closely behind Liu Feng, his right hand always resting on the hilt of his sword.

The courtyard is small and easily visible, so it can't hide many people.

Liu Feng followed Liu Ji into the backyard, where he saw Liu Yao sitting and reading. Even though no one was around, Liu Yao remained upright with impeccable posture, clearly a person who held himself to very high standards.

"This humble one, Liu Feng, pays his respects to Master Zhengli."

Liu Feng neither reported his own official position nor mentioned Liu Yao's.

It was just like a student paying respects to his teacher.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao paused for a moment, then surprisingly closed his book and turned to look at Liu Feng.

Admittedly, Liu Feng was not as handsome as Liu Ji, but in Liu Yao's eyes, Liu Feng possessed a unique spirit that was indescribable yet impossible to ignore.

The only thing Liu Yao could see clearly was that confidence, which was somewhat like "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me," but it was not that simple.

Liu Yao couldn't explain it clearly, but he was deeply shocked.

Liu Yao opened his mouth as if to say something, but suddenly began to cough violently.

Liu Feng was startled. Wasn't Liu Yao supposed to have died this year in history?

Don't come yourself, or he'll die suddenly.

Then I would be truly wronged.

Fortunately, Liu Yao recovered after his violent coughing fit.

Liu Feng quickly stepped forward and brought the tea to Liu Yao's lips.

Liu Yao glanced at Liu Feng, then looked at his son who looked completely bewildered, as if he had been scared out of his wits, and couldn't help but feel envious of Liu Bei again.

Liu Yao ultimately did not allow Liu Feng to feed him the tea, but instead reached out and took it from him.

After taking a few sips, I felt much better.

"You see, my health is deteriorating day by day, and I am no longer capable of holding the post of Governor of Yangzhou."

Liu Yao was a man of strong character; once he made a decision, he would not hesitate.

Historically, the reason Sun Ce was able to go to Yuzhang to wage guerrilla warfare wasn't because his men genuinely supported him and were willing to abandon their families and homes to follow him. Rather, it was because Sun Ce's killing spree in Jiangdong was too ruthless; he dared to kill even noble families and showed no mercy to powerful clans.

This forced these powerful figures to follow Liu Yao and closely unite around him.

Essentially, they did not support Liu Yao, but rather opposed Sun Ce.

Now, however, such a predicament no longer exists. Once Liu Feng crossed the river, it was clear to everyone that Sun Ce was already at a disadvantage. Furthermore, Liu Feng showed an accepting attitude, so Liu Yao's supporters naturally scattered.

Liu Yao saw this point, which is why he ultimately chose to give up rather than fight to the death.

After all, Liu Zhengli has a son. If he lets go sooner, everyone will remember his kindness and it will naturally be reciprocated to Liu Ji.

If things really come to a head, forget about any remaining friendship; it's questionable whether Liu Ji can even grow up safely.

At this moment, Liu Yao immediately expressed his desire to resign from his position as Governor of Yangzhou.

Although Liu Feng had been aware of this all along the way, he still didn't expect Liu Yao to be so resolute.

They really didn't even discuss the terms before casting their ballot.

That's a bit too decisive, isn't it?

Liu Yao's actions, however, made Liu Feng somewhat embarrassed.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Feng solemnly said, "Lord Liu is the ruler of a province, and only the Emperor can make the decision."

Liu Yao was somewhat displeased. "Isn't it all because you forced me to resign? And now you're talking to me about the emperor?"

Following that, Liu Feng continued, "Your health cannot be delayed. Why don't you go to Xuzhou first and have the renowned physician, Mr. Hua, examine you? It just so happens that Mr. Xu is also in Tancheng at the moment, and his health has improved. I believe Your Majesty will not be lonely in Tancheng."

(End of this chapter)