My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 327 Envoy from Jingzhou
After silently calculating for a moment, Cao Cao smiled again.

Since Piling surrendered without a fight, it naturally didn't take up much of Liu Feng's time.

In this way, taking Wuxi was obviously within his expectations. At most, it would only save him the journey time from Piling to Wuxi, so it wasn't as scary as he had thought.

Cao Cao, who had just relaxed, noticed that Xun Yu still had a furrowed brow and couldn't help but ask, "What concerns does Wenruo have?"

Xun Yu frowned and replied, "The spy's letter said that when the Southern Expeditionary Army attacked Wuxi, they used a large catapult that could throw huge stones weighing hundreds of kilograms, which was quite terrifying."

"oh!?"

Cao Cao's brows furrowed involuntarily. He had been fighting for many years and was an expert in military affairs. He had slaughtered dozens of cities. How could he not know the difficulty of attacking a city?
After Cao Cao took control of Yanzhou and incorporated the Qingzhou army, he established an ironclad rule in the army: no pardons during sieges.

The meaning is actually very simple: once the city is surrounded on all sides, there will be no more surrenders, and the entire city will be massacred.

Cao Cao's original intention was that since besieging a city was too difficult, he wanted to use massacres to intimidate the city's residents, thus subduing them without a fight. At the same time, if he encountered any stubborn people, he could also plunder their money and food through massacres.

The reason Cao Cao established such rules, regardless of whether his intentions were good or bad, was that his actions were extremely cruel and utterly devoid of conscience. One of the root causes of this was that cities were too difficult to conquer.

Let alone famous fortified cities, even ordinary small towns and counties, as long as the defending troops are determined to resist, can cause great trouble for the armies of this era.

Cao Cao's military skills were undoubtedly among the best in the Three Kingdoms period, right?

Yuan Shu was probably the epitome of incompetence in the Three Kingdoms period.

However, Qiao Rui, Li Feng, Yue Jiu, and Liang Gang still managed to resist Cao Cao's army in Qiyang for half a year.

In the later Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao, taking advantage of the terrain, held off Yuan Shao for a whole year using only field fortifications.

In this era, the ability to quickly breach a city depends either on having an inside agent or on the morale of the defending troops being compromised.

Cao Cao stroked his short beard. There were also craftsmen in Cao Cao's army who could build catapults. However, the catapults they built could only launch stones weighing twenty or thirty catties at most, and most importantly, the range was only fifty or sixty paces, which is less than a hundred meters.

Therefore, catapults could also be deployed within the city, positioned on city walls and towers to counter them. Generally speaking, the city walls, being higher and protected by crenellations, certainly had an advantage.

Is this news credible?

Upon hearing Cao Cao's question, Xun Yu hesitated for a moment and shook his head: "It is impossible to know. The descriptions in the intelligence are exaggerated and there are occasional contradictions. I dare not make a judgment."

In intelligence gathering, talent is also important. Don't be fooled by Xun Yu's versatility; in this area, he is truly inferior to Xi Zhong and Guo Jia.

If Xi Zhong and Guo Jia were here, they would definitely be able to glean more information from the spies' intelligence.

Cao Cao became inexplicably irritated. Although Liu Feng's progress was faster than he had anticipated, it was only because Sun Ce's army suffered a loss at Qu'a and voluntarily abandoned Piling.

If the three thousand men from Qu'a had retreated to Piling at that time, the news we have now is most likely that Liu Feng has captured Piling, and at most his army has reached the gates of Wuxi.

But compared to my progress over the past six months, the difference is huge.

Cao Cao has been trying to do four things at once lately, hoping to close the gap between himself and Liu Bei through hard work.

On the one hand, he sent people to Hanoi to increase his influence there. After gaining the support of the powerful clans and gentry in Hanoi, he would then issue an imperial edict ordering Zhang Yang to return to Luoyang to participate in government affairs, and then appoint his confidant as the governor of Hanoi.

In this way, wouldn't Hanoi naturally fall into his hands?

But the result was quite disappointing to him. Sui Baitu had been badly beaten by him back then, and had even killed several of his brothers. It was one thing for this guy to resent him.

But Zhang Yang and Yang Chou also treated him with disdain, which greatly shocked Cao Cao.

Now, Yang Chou and Sui Gu have actually turned from enemies to friends, and the two sides are supporting Zhang Yang together, which has made Zhang Yang the de facto governor of Hanoi.

Cao Cao was naturally unaware that although Liu Feng had left Hanoi, he had been keeping the contract he made with Zhang Yang, Yang Chou, Sui Gu, and others. The sugar and salt delivered to Hanoi every quarter were all purchased by the three Zhang families.

At the same time, Liu Feng also purchased warhorses, grain and other supplies from them, which allowed him to make another profit.

How much benefit could Cao Cao offer them?

Even if Cao Cao disregarded the Three Mutuals Law and insisted on appointing Yang Chou as the governor of Hanoi, Yang Chou might not have been willing to accept the position.

Besides Hanoi, Cao Cao also began to infiltrate Guanzhong. This direction was much better than Hanoi, at least Duan Wei, who was based in Hongnong, was relatively loyal to the court and was quite polite to Cao Cao's envoys.

But that's all.

If you want Duan Wei to submit to you and become Cao Cao's lackey, forget about it.

Considering that Duan Wei was stationed at the forefront of the Xiliang army and that his thousands of veteran soldiers were extremely loyal and willing to fight, Cao Cao did not dare to force him. On the contrary, he had to appease him.

The third direction is the State of Chen. The most important thing about the State of Chen is its tax revenue and grain. This state has not suffered any war disasters and is well preserved. It can produce a large amount of tax revenue every year and also has a large population.

Chen State was never a large prefecture or kingdom during the Eastern Han Dynasty, with only nine counties and towns. However, it was always a large prefecture in terms of population. In other words, apart from Lu State and Liang State, the entire Yu Province was a large prefecture with a population of over one million.

Originally, the State of Chen had a population of over 1.2 million. In recent years, wars have ravaged the land, especially in neighboring populous prefectures such as Yingchuan, Runan, and Chenliu, causing a large number of people to flee and flock to the State of Chen, a paradise on earth.

This resulted in the population of Chen State not only not decreasing, but instead surging to more than 1.5 million, even surpassing that of Runan Commandery.

Cao Cao was eager to bring this prefecture under his control, as it was not only a treasure trove but also a huge source of soldiers.

Yanzhou and Sili are suffering from a severe population shortage and can no longer provide many new soldiers.

At first, Cao Cao thought that the State of Chen should be easy to deal with.

Firstly, in the sphere of influence Liu Feng had initially designated, the State of Chen was ceded to Cao Cao. Secondly, Cao Cao had already seized control of the court; replacing a prime minister would have been a simple matter of course.
But Cao Cao never expected that this matter would be so difficult to handle.

When Cao Cao's edict to replace Luo Jun reached the State of Chen, it was met with staunch resistance from King Liu Chong and the people of Chen. King Liu Chong even wrote to the emperor, requesting that the young emperor not replace Luo Jun. This was accompanied by a joint petition from the powerful clans and gentry of Chen.

Prince Liu Chong of Chen himself had 10,000 elite troops, among whom several thousand crossbowmen were of paramount importance and were an elite force that should not be underestimated.

In addition, Liu Chong was a close uncle of the emperor, and Emperor Ling had once saved Liu Chong's life, so Liu Xie naturally had a good impression of Liu Chong.

Meanwhile, as Liu Xie grew older, and with Yang Biao and others assisting him, the royalists finally decided to use this incident to test Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was now in a bind, caught in a dilemma.

If Luo Jun is to be replaced, the resistance will be enormous, and it may even be counterproductive.

But if he gave up, he worried that the royalists would think he was weak and would then seize power.

This matter is still ongoing, and the two sides have not yet been able to reach a settlement.

The last direction was Yingchuan, which was also the only place where Cao Cao truly benefited.

Liu Feng kept his word and ceded all the counties except for a few in the south.

Although there was no one there, the land in places like Yangdi was fertile farmland.

Although Yanzhou was also short of people, the powerful clans would never allow Cao Cao to give away their vacant lands to the poor, no matter how much they needed manpower.

Therefore, Cao Cao recruited a group of landless refugees in Yanzhou, along with some Yellow Turban rebels from Qingzhou, and migrated them to Yingchuan.

At the same time, he appointed Wang Bi, a trusted and beloved general under his command, as the Prefect of Yingchuan, and Zao Zhi as the Colonel of Agricultural Settlements.

These two men were Cao Cao's most trusted and trusted advisors.

Despite their limited roles in the novel and their rarity in historical records, these two were absolutely no less important to Cao Cao than Guo Jia.

Everyone knows what Xiahou Dun's role is, and Wang Bi is Xiahou Dun among the civil officials.

When Liu Dai of Yanzhou died in battle, Wang Bi firmly supported Cao Cao's entry into Yanzhou, and was later appointed as an aide by Cao Cao.

Later, he accompanied Cao Cao to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor and then became the chief clerk.

Wang Bi's performance as chief clerk was quite good, but what made him famous in history was his words about killing Lü Bu.

The line spoken by Big Ears in the novel was actually said by Wang Bi.

Lu Bu was indeed asking for help from Big Ears, which is a prime example of shamelessness.

But Big Ears is Big Ears after all, and he didn't kick someone when they were down. Instead, Chief Clerk Wang Bi stepped forward and advised Cao Cao not to let Lü Bu go, but to kill him.

Before Cao Cao finally strangled Lü Bu, he jokingly said to him, "I originally wanted to ease the matter, but the chief clerk wouldn't listen. What should I do?"

Later, Cao Cao appointed Wang Bi as the magistrate of Xu County, ordering him to lead troops to protect the emperor, which shows Cao Cao's trust in Wang Bi.

After Cao Cao became Chancellor, Wang Bi unsurprisingly continued to rise in rank, serving as the Chief Secretary of the Chancellor's Office, continuing to look after the emperor for his lord.

Wang Bi deserves much credit for Cao Cao's ability to wage war abroad.

As for Zao Zhi, he was from Yangdi in Yingchuan. He had already followed Cao Cao when he first raised his army and served as the magistrate of Dong'e.

Later, it was Zao Zhi who proposed Cao Cao's large-scale land reclamation plan, and he worked diligently, specializing in farming and cultivating large quantities of military provisions for Cao Cao. It's just that these two died young; otherwise, they would never be so obscure now.

After hesitating for a long time, Cao Cao said, "Wenruo, we must be careful about this matter and must not let the General of the Cavalry and his son misunderstand."

The current situation, while not exactly chaotic, has certainly left Cao Cao quite exhausted. If Liu Bei hadn't dealt with Yuan Shu in the south, he would probably be even more anxious.

Now, his progress in Hanoi, Guanzhong, and Chen is all thwarted, and Yuan Shao in Hebei is constantly making things difficult for him, finding new ways to annoy him.

Last time, it was only thanks to the support of Liu Bei and his son that they were able to finally get their revenge.

Therefore, Cao Cao was keenly aware that he needed to win over Liu Bei and his son, and could not afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.

Xun Yu understood this principle and agreed with Cao Cao's view, so he nodded and said, "General, please rest assured, I already understand."

Immediately afterwards, Xun Yu's face showed a hesitant expression, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Cao Cao laughed when he saw this: "Wenruo, what can't we say to each other?"

Xun Yu smiled and shook his head: "It's not that I can't say, it's just that the chances are really slim."

Cao Cao became curious: "What is Wenruo talking about?"

Xun Yu considered carefully and said, "The military farms in Yingchuan have achieved some success, but the prefecture and Luoyang are still short of grain. If we could get the General of the Cavalry to contribute some grain, it would greatly alleviate the grain price in Luoyang."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao immediately shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

"Wenruo, this can't be done."

Cao Cao sighed: "Xuande is a good man. If we really asked him, we could get something, more or less. But his son is not easy to talk to. I've seen through him. He's cunning and slippery. If you want to ask him for grain, we might have to give up some of our own. Let's just forget about it."

Xun Yu listened to Cao Cao's words, and although he was somewhat unwilling, he had to admit that what Cao Cao said made a lot of sense.

Thinking about it carefully, although Cao Cao is currently a Grand General, Liu Bei is also a General of the Cavalry, and Liu Feng himself is the General Who Conquers the South.

Cao Cao really had nothing of value to offer Liu Bei in exchange.

We can't just trade land for food, can we?

The two looked at each other and fell silent.

Cao Cao grinned, wondering what merit Liu Bei had to have such a fine son.

Such a fine son, I, Lao Cao, would like one too.

********
Liu Bei in Shouchun was naturally unaware of Cao Cao's thoughts. He had been busy in Shouchun for the past few months, even busier than Cao Cao.

Firstly, the entire water conservancy project in Lujiang has been launched, and almost all the county magistrates and county heads in various places have been replaced. Almost none of the dismissed officials are usable, which fully demonstrates how wonderful the lives of the people in the two counties north of the river are under the governance of the officials appointed by Yuan Shu.

Don't be fooled by Liu Bei's kind heart; that kindness is only towards the common people. When it comes to powerful clans and wealthy families, Liu Bei can be ruthless without hesitation.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Bei immediately ordered all these county magistrates to be escorted to Shouchun for trial, and appointed Du Ji as the chief judge, with Xu Xuan and Shu Shao as his assistants.

The combination arranged by Liu Bei was quite remarkable.

Du Ji was from Duling in Jingzhao Commandery. He was a descendant of Du Yannian, the Imperial Censor of the Western Han Dynasty. The laws of the Du family were a family tradition. Moreover, Liu Feng had recommended him to Liu Bei. Du Ji was a man of both literary and military talent, and he was particularly good at judging cases.

Therefore, Liu Bei appointed Du Ji as the chief judge, entrusting him with an important task, which made Du Ji feel that he had met a great patron.

At the same time, Liu Bei appointed Xu Xuan, a native of Haixi in Guangling, Xuzhou, and Shu Shao, a local representative of the surrendered generals, as his deputies. Both of them were known for their love of the people and their strong character. Shu Shao was also an official under Yuan Shu and was quite familiar with these corrupt officials.

Using these two men to assist Du Ji was a perfect fit, and Liu Bei could also gain their loyalty, since all three of them would later be remembered in history for their love of the people.

After that, Liu Bei assigned talented individuals from various regions to serve as county magistrates and county heads, responsible for water conservancy projects in each county. At the same time, he also arranged for more than one hundred orphans from Liu'er Camp, who had been transferred from Xuzhou, to serve as his followers.

Although these orphans were literate and had received some education from officials, Liu Bei still felt uneasy.

After all, they are too young and inexperienced. If they are tricked by their subordinates, they will suffer a great loss.

Therefore, Liu Bei simply assigned them to the various scholars as attendants, and at the same time let them observe, learn, and do more, as a way of learning.

None of the scholars had any objections to Liu Bei's arrangements, and they all went to their posts and got to work as soon as possible.

Just as this matter was arranged, the envoy from Jingzhou arrived.

The visitor was naturally Pang Ji, who brought Pang Tong and Pang Hua to Shouchun.

When envoys from Jingzhou arrived, Liu Bei naturally received them with the highest honors.

Even though Liu Xun has now defected to Jingzhou and a rift has developed between Jingzhou and Xuzhou, the trade between them that has lasted for a year has brought great benefits to each other. Therefore, they should be treated with courtesy both morally and logically.

Liu Bei invited Xun You, Lu Su, Guo Jia, Du Ji, Jia Xi, Yuan Huan, Yuan Ba, Yuan Min and others to attend and receive Pang Ji.

Chen Deng was still on his way at this time; otherwise, he would certainly have been at the head of the court officials, above Xun You and Lu Su.

After Pang Ji entered the hall, he saw a majestic ruler with a face like jade, lips like painted rouge, and ears that reached his shoulders, staring intently at him.

Pang Ji could naturally guess that this person was none other than Liu Bei, the General of the Cavalry, Governor of Yu Province, and Marquis of Qiao.

Therefore, Pang Ji hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble subject, Pang Ji of Xiangyang, pays respects to the General of the Cavalry."

"Mr. Pang, please rise."

Liu Bei's voice was gentle and soothing, calm and unhurried, as if it had the power to calm people's hearts.

Hearing Liu Bei's voice, Pang Ji's heart gradually calmed down.

"Thank you, General!"

Pang Ji stood up and saw Liu Bei greet him with a friendly expression, saying, "Please take your seat, sir."

Pang Ji felt a warmth in his heart and couldn't help but praise him. He had long heard of Liu Biaoji's kindness and generosity towards his men, and seeing him today, he could confirm that his reputation was well-deserved.

In fact, Liu Biao was known for his benevolence in his early years, but as his rule over Jingzhou became more stable, his temper gradually worsened.

Of course, Liu Biao's temperament was actually two-sided. Part of it was genuine temper. After all, as the powerful governor of Jingzhou, he was the third strongest vassal state in the land. How could he still be as approachable as before?

Even someone as magnanimous as Liu Bei, after acquiring Jingzhou, didn't he still want to continue playing music and dancing?
However, there is still a big difference between Liu Bei and Liu Biao. Liu Bei's benevolence and kindness were ingrained in his bones, while Liu Biao's only remained on the surface.

Liu Bei only killed four ministers in his entire life. After eliminating his adopted son Kou Feng, only three remained.

Of these three, Peng Yang rebelled, Zhang Yu courted death, and Yong Mao died for his political actions; he resolutely opposed Liu Bei's ascension to the throne. Even with such a serious offense, Liu Bei only executed the individuals directly involved and did not implicate their entire families.

If the same crime had been committed by Wei or Wu, the lightest punishment would probably have been the extermination of their entire family.

Before his death, Peng Yang repented and wrote a letter to Zhuge Liang, which was truly heartfelt.

As for Changyu, he brought this upon himself with reckless abandon.

Zhang Yu had a thick beard. When Liu Bei saw him, he told a joke to tease Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu retorted that Liu Bei had no beard (Liu Bei did not have no beard, but rather no sideburns). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, mocking someone for not having a beard was a very serious matter, as it implied that you were subtly implying that the other person was a eunuch.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the aristocratic families and eunuchs were locked in a life-or-death struggle, so one can imagine how excessive Zhang Yu's counterattack was.

But Liu Bei held back, feeling it was his fault for making fun of the other's beard first.

Zhang Yu was later executed because he resolutely opposed Liu Bei's northern expedition to Hanzhong.

Even after Liu Bei had captured Hanzhong, he still resolutely opposed it and spread rumors in Shu, saying that although Liu Bei had now gained Hanzhong, he would inevitably lose it again in nine years.

Faced with such remarks, Liu Bei could no longer tolerate them and, disregarding Zhuge Liang's pleas, ordered the execution of the person in question.

Yong Mao's situation is even simpler. As Liu Bei's trusted confidant and chief clerk, he actually opposed Liu Bei's claim to the throne, and was also the leader of the opposition party.

Liu Bei could not forgive him, neither publicly nor privately.

Comparing the entire Three Kingdoms period, among rulers, no one could surpass Liu Bei in terms of magnanimity, generosity, and the ability to recognize and treat people well.

Besides his genuine temper, Liu Biao also had a part of a feigned one.

This is a tactic often used by those in positions of power: if you haven't made a mistake and I can't punish you openly, then I'll use my anger to punish you.

In the later period of Liu Biao's reign, he actually dealt with many famous scholars from Jingzhou, such as Han Song, who was imprisoned by him for several years.

Its purpose was also to weaken the power of the Jingzhou gentry in order to consolidate its own rule, but compared with Liu Bei, it was obviously inferior.

(End of this chapter)