My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 362 Shangyu Wu Fan
Once the thought crossed Sun Quan's mind, he could no longer suppress it.

Is Liu Feng really that confident?

Although Sun Quan was young, his political acumen was by no means inferior.

When Sun Ce was still in Jiangdu, he had already begun to participate in his brother's cause. By the time of Liyang, Sun Quan had already begun to win over heroes and warriors right under Sun Ce's nose.

He knew very well that if all of this was done intentionally by Liu Feng, then the other party had only one goal: to purge the local gentry and powerful families of Kuaiji.

Such a grand gesture left Sun Quan in awe.

However, Sun Quan did not expect that purging the local gentry and powerful families in Kuaiji was just the beginning. There would be many follow-up actions, such as conquering the Yue tribes, subjugating Wu County, clearing Danyang, and taking control of Yuzhang.

However, at that time, there would be no need to station so many troops in Yangzhou, and we could proceed slowly.

Sun Quan's purpose in coming here was for the sake of his family and his elder brother.

Therefore, Sun Quan had an idea at this time: to curry favor with Liu Feng.

If Liu Feng truly intended to purge Kuaiji, then his best ally would be none other than Sun Ce, the leader of the rebel army at the moment, who was being supported by the powerful and influential gentry of Kuaiji.

This suggestion was not without risk. Sun Quan could not be sure what Liu Feng was thinking, let alone whether Liu Feng would kill him.

only……

The thought of his elder brother made Sun Quan feel that it was worth the gamble!
My family cannot be without my older brother!

Sun Quan immediately made a decision, bowing to Liu Feng and saying, "My elder brother has already accomplished what you desired in the southern campaign!"

Liu Feng was engrossed in watching when he suddenly heard Sun Quan's words and became curious: "What matter do I entrust to Bo Fu?"

"It is indeed the matter of Kuaiji!"

Sun Quan raised his head, mustered his courage, and met Liu Feng's eyes directly. He said in a solemn voice, "Now that all the powerful families of Kuaiji have entered Shanyin, and the Yue barbarians have already come down the mountain in droves, I dare to ask when the blade of the Southern Expedition will be drawn?"

Liu Feng was greatly surprised. At this moment, even if Sun Quan had keenly guessed what he was planning, the difference in strength between the two sides was like heaven and earth, so how could Liu Feng be frightened?

However, Sun Quan's words did indeed arouse Liu Feng's surprise and curiosity.

"Oh? Is this happening?"

Instead of being angry, Liu Feng laughed and said, "Zhongmou, you can teach me when and where I entrusted this task to Bofu?"

Seeing that Liu Feng not only did not get angry, but instead smiled, Sun Quan did not relax, but became even more nervous.

Even so, he still forced himself to answer, "It's not a matter of entrustment, but rather a matter of self-serving service!"

Liu Feng was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

I never imagined that His Majesty the Emperor could be so adept at flattery.

No wonder Cao Cao, who was easily fooled in the original history, accepted his submission, and his own father was ambushed by him three times.

The so-called "borrowing of Jingzhou" by Liu Bei is actually a fictional story. The real "borrowing of Jingzhou" was actually a territorial exchange between Sun Quan and Liu Bei for strategic reasons.

At that time, the strategic situation was that Sun Quan almost entirely occupied the front line bordering Cao Cao, which was quite difficult for Sun Quan with his current military strength. Meanwhile, Liu Bei was able to hide under Sun Quan's protection and expand his territory on a large scale, swallowing up the four counties of Jingnan.

After Liu Bei occupied the four commanderies of Jingnan, he needed a new direction for expansion.

The situation at the time was not suitable for Liu Bei to enter Shu, nor was Jiaozhi in the south suitable as a key direction for expansion. Thus, only the road to the north remained.

However, the only passage to the north at that time, Nanjun, happened to be Sun Quan's territory, and it was an exclave, because Jiangxia Commandery was in Liu Bei's hands, which separated Nanjun from Sun Quan's Yangzhou territory.

It was precisely because both sides had such strategic needs that a territorial exchange took place, with Nan Commandery being exchanged for Jiangxia Commandery, which was a win-win situation for everyone.

"Then how do you intend to serve yourselves?"

After laughing for a while, Liu Feng calmed down and deliberately asked a question.

Perhaps because Liu Feng's attitude was good, Sun Quan felt a little relieved and quickly replied, "My elder brother is willing to follow the general's orders."

That's why it's called flattering the emperor; those words are so sincere.

Liu Feng pondered for a moment. It seemed that this was another big dumpling filling, and the Shanyin city wall was a natural dumpling skin.

"Yes."

Liu Feng finally relented, ceasing his mockery of the Emperor, and said seriously, "Go back and tell Bo Fu that this is the Sun family's last chance. Don't let me down."

Sun Quan was overjoyed and immediately vowed, "The sons of the Sun family will never fail the great kindness of the Southern Expedition, and will certainly keep their promise and die for the Southern Expedition!"

It would have been better if the emperor hadn't sworn an oath. But now that he had, Liu Feng noticed a few more black lines appearing on his forehead. He felt that this guy was doing something unnecessary.

The method of communication and a preliminary plan were determined.

Liu Feng still gave the Sun family a chance, allowing them to once again act as front men.

Afterwards, Sun Quan took his leave and rushed back to Shanyin overnight.

Sun Quan had been gone for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when Liu Feng was preparing to continue resting.

As a result, a guard came to report that someone else had come to surrender overnight.

Liu Feng was somewhat surprised and asked who had come to join him.

The visitor was Wu Fan from Shangyu, dressed in the robes of a Taoist priest, with an elegant demeanor and a somewhat otherworldly air.

"My name is Wu Fan, I pay my respects..."

After Wu Fan entered the main tent, he cupped his hands and was about to perform a grand salute to Liu Feng.

But he froze halfway through his sentence, pausing for three full breaths before hurriedly bowing his head and saying, "Greetings, Zheng Nan."

Liu Feng was also looking at him curiously at this moment. If it were just Wu Fan, Liu Feng might not have remembered him.

But Wu Fan from Shangyu actually reminded Liu Feng who he was.

Although he was not well-known in Eastern Wu, he was a highly respected and influential figure at the time.

This person had neither military merit nor administrative talent, but was skilled in studying calendrical calculations, understanding climate, divination, and interpreting hexagrams.

When Wu Fan was young, he was recommended by Kuaiji County as a man of virtue and was recommended to enter Luoyang.

It is said that a person with morality, virtue, and talent, considered a lower-level version of a filial and incorruptible official, could still be recommended for official appointment in Luoyang. However, Wu Fan was unlucky, as the world descended into chaos and he was not appointed, forced to return to his hometown of Shangyu to escape the war. Later, Sun Ce established his rule in Jiangdong and became the governor of Kuaiji, while Sun Quan was recommended by Zhu Zhi as a filial and incorruptible official and appointed as a county magistrate.

At this time, Sun Quan's forces were still quite lacking in talent. Wu Fan recognized Sun Quan's extraordinary abilities and took the initiative to go and serve him.

Because of his divination skills, Wu Fan was quickly regarded as a confidant by Sun Quan and kept by his side. From then on, whenever there were any omens, Sun Quan would consult Wu Fan to determine whether they were auspicious or inauspicious.

Wu Fan's most remarkable predictions included successfully forecasting when Sun Quan would succeed in his campaign against Huang Zu, when Liu Biao would die, the success or failure of the surprise attack on Jingzhou, and Guan Yu's feigned surrender and subsequent escape, which would inevitably lead to his capture.

Wu Fan's decision to surrender under cover of night was based on his observation of the stars, which revealed a very ominous sign in Kuaiji. Not only would the local gentry and powerful families suffer bloodshed, but even the Yue people in the mountains would not escape unscathed.

In contrast, the area around Yuji, where Liu Feng's troops were stationed, had a hidden air of power and strategic importance. Wu Fan was terrified and, unable to persuade his relatives and friends, had no choice but to come and surrender under cover of night.

Unexpectedly, Liu Feng was not in a hurry to ask him about his purpose. Instead, he deliberately frowned and asked him why he had lost his composure: "Just now, when Lord Wu entered the tent, he looked at me with surprise and doubt. What was the reason for that?"

Wu Fan dared not tell the truth; he had clearly seen the aura of royalty in Liu Feng just now!

If he were to reveal this, it might be fine if Liu Feng harbored ambitions, perhaps even finding something he could use. But if the other party perceived this as flattery and divination, then he would be doomed.

Wu Fan, being a skilled talker, quickly offered an explanation: "Indeed, General, your heroic spirit is overwhelming. I am but a humble man, and I was intimidated by you, which is why I lost my composure."

Liu Feng laughed. He didn't really regard Wu Fan as a god. After all, although the other party was strange, there were also many coincidences.

However, one thing is true: regardless of the circumstances, the other party is indeed a talented individual.

Wu Fan's accurate prediction that Liu Biao would die in the thirteenth year of Jian'an was actually quite frightening.

In particular, he advised Sun Quan in the twelfth year of Jian'an, a whole year earlier, and the content of his advice was that this year's expedition would surely fail, but next year they could sweep through the enemy like a whirlwind and achieve a great victory.

The probability of this prediction being based solely on guesswork is extremely low.

Therefore, if there is no real magic that can predict the future, then Wu Fan himself must be a master of intelligence, or extremely good at analyzing situations.

In addition, Wu Fan was also very skilled in calendar making, and was a rare calendar expert. He was recommended to the central government at a young age.

Liu Feng greatly admired this talent.

Currently, the imperial court in Luoyang also lacks reliable talents such as the Grand Historian.

In terms of pure ability, Wu Fan is absolutely qualified. After all, he is not only outstanding in his professional skills, but also very smart and quick-witted, and has a silver tongue.

However, there is also a problem, which is a common problem among people like Wu Fan: they would rather take all this knowledge underground than pass it on to outsiders.

Sun Quan even stripped Wu Fan of his title for this, but Wu Fan still refused to bow his head and compromise. Liu Feng wanted more than just Wu Fan's service; he hoped that Wu Fan would contribute his family's scholarly traditions.

Liu Feng stood up, walked to Wu Fan, looked down at him, but said nothing.

Whether it was psychological or not, Wu Fan felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, as if a huge pressure was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

But Liu Feng didn't say anything, he just looked at him.

At this moment, Liu Feng was thinking about how to manipulate Wu Fan so that he would submit.

Wu Fan was unaware of the situation. After swallowing hard, he forced himself to speak and said, "I have come here to offer Shangyu to the general."

All the powerful and wealthy families in Shangyu City went to Shanyin. Not only did they leave, but they also took away all their money, grain, and supplies, leaving behind only an empty city.

The reason for this outcome is simply that Shangyu and Shanyin are too close. It only takes one day by water, and even by land, the roads are open and it takes only two days to reach them.

The powerful clans and gentry of Shangyu dared not stay there, so they simply went to Shanyin instead.

The force here numbers over 50,000, and this massive military strength gives them a strong sense of security.

Wu Fan made an excuse not to go and stayed in Shangyu City. Although Wu Fan seemed like a sycophantic and treacherous official, he was actually quite righteous and even willing to risk his life to save his friends.

This time, he secretly contacted several powerful figures in Shangyu with whom he had a close relationship, and persuaded them to stay under some pretext. Then, by leveraging his excellent eloquence and reputation for being good at observing celestial phenomena, he successfully convinced the remaining powerful figures and his close friends to defect again.

Liu Feng looked at Wu Fan thoughtfully; this Wu Fan was indeed quite something.

The location of Shangyu is very important. Once it falls into Liu Feng's hands, the army will be completely safe.

Shangyu is located at the confluence of the Cao'e River and Jingruo Lake, and it also blocks the passage of the Cao'e River into the sea.

Once Shangyu is occupied, the area west of Shanyin in Kuaiji Commandery will be completely safe, and there will be no need to worry about anyone being able to sneak across and attack Liu Feng's siege army from the rear.

Unless the enemy also spares no expense, sending hundreds of ships to sail around north of Shanyin, taking advantage of the high tide to rush onto the beach, and then marching for a day to reach the outskirts of Shanyin City to launch a surprise attack.

This is several dimensions more difficult than Liu Feng's Battle of Qiantang River.

Therefore, in Liu Feng's original plan, Shangyu was a place that had to be taken.

Taking Shangyu would shield us from the threat to the east of Shanyin, while Yuji would shield us from the west of Shanyin. In addition, the new navy of the Southern Expeditionary Army would shield us from the threat to Jingruo Lake and its south bank. Finally, we would set up some beacon towers and scouts in the north.

In this way, the army besieging Shanyin can be completely successful.

Therefore, Wu Fan is indeed not to be underestimated.

If he just happened to be there, that would be fine. But if the other party had figured this out and arrived at the exact moment, then they really are a hidden force.

"General, I have more intelligence to present."

Seeing that Liu Feng remained silent, Wu Fan felt a growing sense of unease and couldn't help but start raising the price himself.

"Fan Yixin was loyal to the court and the emperor. When he heard that the Southern Expedition had crossed the river to quell the rebellion, he had long wanted to serve the emperor. He had even advised the gentlemen of Shangyu not to resist the Southern Expedition and to defy the court."

Wu Fan said with a righteous expression, "Although it was to no avail, we learned a lot about the situation during the conversation, and we are about to report it to the General of the South."

Wu Fan then recounted in detail the intelligence he had learned.

Now all the forces of the counties east of Shanyin have been concentrated in Shanyin, including five counties on the Ningbo Plain and Shan County in the middle and upper reaches of the Cao'e River.

These cities are now almost entirely empty, and the county officials have all fled, fearing capture by the Southern Expeditionary Army.

With just a force of a thousand men, they could sweep across all the counties, and no one could resist them.

However, there are also pitfalls involved.

“Zheng Nan may not know this, but these people are incredibly audacious. It’s one thing for them to defy the imperial army, but they have gone almost insane in their actions. Their deeds are utterly depraved, and they have even confiscated the food rations from the households of people in various counties.”

Anger flashed across Wu Fan's face. He wasn't acting; he genuinely felt that the local powerful clans had gone too far.

How could someone who isn't utterly depraved do such a thing to the villagers?
(End of this chapter)