My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 369 Unexpected Events in Yuzhang
Liu Feng wrote to Liu Bei on average once every two weeks. The letters contained a great deal of information, including inquiries about the progress of the water conservancy project in Jiangbei, the progress of Liu Bei's military training in Jiangbei, and the effectiveness of the policies implemented by talented individuals in various parts of Jiangbei.

At the same time, Liu Feng also informed Liu Bei about many things in Jiangdong and sought Liu Bei's opinion.

Liu Bei showed considerable restraint in this regard. Since he had already entrusted all matters in Jiangdong to his eldest son, he rarely interfered.

He would never interfere unless Liu Feng asked for help.

Liu Feng had mentioned Sheng Xian to him before, and Liu Bei himself felt that he was too incompetent to control the local areas.

If he were to continue serving as the governor of Wu Commandery, it would likely be another chaotic mess in two or three years, and his prestige might even rise further thanks to the praise of the people of Wu Commandery.

Liu Feng's letter was a plea for help, and Liu Bei naturally could not continue to ignore it.

Liu Bei already had some ideas about the situation in Jiangdong, but he still wanted to hear the opinions of Chen Deng and Xun You.

Xun You had actually planned ahead, but he was used to not being the first to speak, so he did not speak first and waited for Chen Deng's reaction.

Sure enough, Chen Deng spoke up in no time, and he took on all the responsibilities.

"My lord, in my opinion, Mr. Zigang can be appointed as the governor of Wu Commandery, and Mr. Zibu as the governor of Kuaiji Commandery."

Chen Deng recommended worthy men without regard to kinship, showing no hesitation in choosing Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao because they were from the same hometown: "Mr. Meng Yu is suitable to be the Prefect of Danyang. Zhang Ying is merely a local strongman. He lacks talent and ability and is unable to bring peace to Danyang."

Of the four prefectures in Jiangdong, Chen Deng recommended three prefecture governors in one go, all of whom were famous scholars from Xuzhou.

This is something only Chen Deng could do. Others would have to cover it up, even if they were unwilling, they would have to add "a famous scholar from another state" to make it look good.

But Chen Deng was always proud and arrogant, and he was very close to Liu Bei, so he didn't care about these pretenses at all.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was filled with emotion, recalling what Liu Feng had said to him more than a year ago.

Liu Feng once told Liu Bei that the best approach was to use people from Yu to govern Xu, people from Xu to govern Yang, and people from Yang to govern Yu. Although Liu Bei didn't say it explicitly at the time, he certainly mocked Liu Feng quite a bit in his heart.

But now it seems that everything Liu Feng said has come true.

Now, everything Chen Deng has proposed is within Liu Feng's grasp.

After observing Liu Bei's expression, Xun You also spoke up: "The people recommended by Yuanlong are all famous scholars, but perhaps one or two more could be added, such as Yuanfang, the son of Zhonggong, or Mr. Li Zan, so that Zheng Nan would have room to choose."

Upon careful consideration, Liu Bei realized that Xun You's words were indeed true.

Therefore, he finally decided: "We can recommend him based on this, but the final decision is up to Zisheng himself."

********
At Liu Feng's command, the generals obeyed and marched out from Shanyin. Counties and towns in various places surrendered without the slightest hesitation.

Without exception, the county magistrates, officials, and powerful clans who participated in the reversal of the regime were imprisoned immediately after the Southern Expeditionary Army entered the city, and their family property and land were confiscated and registered under the general's name.

Each general focused on three tasks and did their utmost to accomplish them.

One aspect is the confiscation of property and assets.

Secondly, it provided relief to the people and helped them complete the summer harvest.

Thirdly, stabilize the local area and select officials.

Liu Feng himself was quite busy in Shanyin City, while also keeping an eye on news from various places.

Fortunately, Liu Feng's arrangements were quite appropriate, and good news came from all over the country. The handover between counties was smooth, and the assigned tasks were carried out properly.

The overall situation in Jiangdong is changing for the better, and all the news coming in is good.

The only exception was the news reported by Zhou Yu of Yuzhang.

To Liu Feng's utter astonishment, and in a way he could not comprehend, the Prefect of Yuzhang, Zhu Hao, had actually colluded with the Yue bandit Zu Lang to ambush and lure Zhou Yu's troops.

Fortunately, Zhou Yu saw through the plan and turned it on. Taking advantage of the enemy's attempt to ambush him, he launched a decisive battle, beheading more than two thousand Yue bandits and Zhu Hao's men, and capturing more than three thousand people.

Liu Feng was shocked when he received the news. He couldn't understand how Zhu Hao dared to act in this way.

Zhou Yu had an army of 15,000, while Zhu Hao and Zu Lang only had a few men.

Even with a geographical advantage, unless Zhou Yu is foolish enough to lead his army into a deadly trap, they might not be in any danger even if they fall into an ambush.

The Southern Expeditionary Army was far superior in weaponry and equipment to Zhu Hao and Zu Lang's forces.

The two sides are not evenly matched in terms of combat strength.

As Sun Tzu's Art of War states, "Divide the two."

This means that even if you outnumber the enemy by two to one, it is best to find an opportunity to divide the enemy before engaging in a decisive battle.

Are Zhu Hao and Zu Lang really that fierce?

Leaving aside Zu Lang, you, Zhu Hao, are at least the second son of Zhu Jun, a famous general of the Han Dynasty. Is this all you've got?
Although the reports from the front lines were of a great victory, Liu Feng's feelings were quite complicated.

The terrain of Yuzhang is far too complex. If Zhu Hao really loses his mind and follows Zu Lang into the mountains to wage guerrilla warfare, it will definitely be a significant burden on Liu Feng, at least in terms of time, adding several months, or even half a year or a year, to the ordeal.

Another troublesome matter is that Zhu Hao's brother, Zhu Fu, is the governor of Jiaozhi, and still holds some power and military strength.

Zhu Fu and Zhu Hao had a very good relationship; they were like brothers, relying on each other. It was easy to imagine that if Zhu Fu were to deal with Zhu Hao, he would definitely go crazy.

Thinking of this, Liu Feng cursed Zhu Hao in his heart again.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Feng made up his mind and began writing a reply to Zhou Yu.

In his reply, Liu Feng advised Zhou Yu to continue with persuasion as the primary strategy, supplemented by military attack, and to avoid killing Zhu Hao. If Zhu Hao could be captured alive, he should be sent to Shanyin immediately. Furthermore, Liu Feng specifically mentioned Hua Xin's name, suggesting that Zhou Yu ask Yu Fan to persuade Hua Xin.

After finishing his letter to Zhou Yu, Liu Feng took out a blank piece of silk and began to write. He realized that Zhu Hao's problem would likely require the intervention of the imperial court.

It's not that Zhu Hao is particularly difficult to deal with, it's just that time is a bit tight.

It is now May of the third year of Jian'an (198 AD). Gongsun Zan will be finished in March of next year, and Yuan Shao will begin his southward march in June.

The timing alone shows that Yuan Shao went to find his good brother Cao Cao almost without stopping, without any hesitation or procrastination.

In this respect, Yuan Shao completely gambled and blew it away. Yuan Shao originally thought that Liu Bei had the fortified city of Xuzhou in his hands, along with tens of thousands of soldiers and enough food to last for half a year, so he could hold off Cao Cao for more than half a year.

Yuan Shao's plan was perfect. He thought that Cao Cao would be reckless and attack Liu Bei first, so he would pretend that his son was sick and secretly make preparations. When Cao Cao arrived in Xuzhou, he would make a sudden move and have a perfect start.

As a result, Liu Bei couldn't even hold on for half a year, let alone half a month. As soon as Cao Cao arrived, Liu Bei collapsed and took a dozen followers to detour through Langya to Qingzhou to seek refuge with Yuan Shao.

After Cao Cao pacified Liu Bei, he quickly returned to the Yellow River line, just in time to catch Yuan Shao's army marching south, showcasing his prowess as a renowned general.

Liu Feng has been working tirelessly for years, and finally managed to pacify Xuzhou and Yangzhou before Yuan Shao marched south, occupying most of Yuzhou and gaining the resources to become one of the three kingdoms in the north.

However, he still had a lot to do: the drought in Jiangbei, the new round of expansion and reorganization of the army, and the stability of Yangzhou. There was only one year left.

Now, Liu Bei's army's main force alone has exceeded 100,000 men, and with the addition of surrendered soldiers, retainers, and able-bodied men, the total number is probably over 200,000.

Liu Feng envisioned training a top-tier elite force, comprising 6,000 armored soldiers (equipped with 1,000 sets of iron armor, 1,000 sets of full leather armor, and 2,000 sets of breastplates), 1,000 Iron Pagoda cavalry (equipped with 1,000 sets of iron armor and iron horse armor, two warhorses, and one packhorse), 3,000 elite cavalry (equipped with 3,000 sets of half-body leather armor, 3,000 sets of leather horse armor, one warhorse, and one packhorse), 4,000 elite archers (1,000 crossbowmen, 1,000 archers, 2,000 guards and auxiliary soldiers), and 4,000 artillerymen (a siege weapon battalion with twelve artillery groups as its core components).

Every warrior needs to fight alongside other warriors to unleash their full potential.

If a warrior fights alongside nine cowards, there's a one in ten chance the warrior will inspire the cowards to fight, but there's a nine in ten chance the cowards will lead the warrior astray.

But when warriors fight together, they compete with each other, striving to be the first and comparing their achievements. If anyone is even a little slow, they will immediately be despised by the other warriors, and the resulting fighting power is extremely astonishing.

It is precisely this kind of force that is often able to fight to the bitter end, and the high casualty rate only fuels their ferocity and determination to die.

Liu Feng's current considerations are not yet fully mature, but the aforementioned organizational structures are ones he has already decided to organize.

At the same time, at the end of last year, he also ordered Xuzhou to continue expanding production and to increase production by working overtime to meet the needs of these troops for the armaments required.

These units need time to draw personnel, reorganize, and train to integrate.

Fortunately, the situation has changed. The relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao continues to deteriorate. As long as Liu Bei doesn't take the initiative, the relationship between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao will inevitably break down sooner or later.

In addition, Gongsun Zan also has some opportunities. After all, Gongsun Zan's defeat in history was quite regrettable, just a matter of a single thought.

If Gongsun Zan really adopted his suggestion, he might be able to survive another year.

Even Gongsun Zan didn't need to make the right choice; he only needed to be afraid of death enough.

When Gongsun Zan died, he had more than 20,000 soldiers, but his trusted lieutenants were all wiped out during his final battle outside the city, forcing Gongsun Zan to flee back and commit suicide by burning himself.

If Gongsun Zan had been more afraid of death and had not wanted to leave the city to defeat Yuan Shao, he would have simply held his ground and refused to come out.

With Yi County being built into a fortified city and stronghold like a cluster of fortresses, how could Yuan Shao possibly take it down in less than a year or two?

Sigh, time is still too tight, and my dad's foundation is too weak.

Apart from Zhou Yu's route, all other routes were reporting frequent victories, especially Zhao Yun's route, which had already captured Yongning and was only one leg away from Dongye County, equivalent to the distance between Wenzhou and Fuzhou in later times.

However, thinking of that idiot Zhu Hao, Liu Feng realized he couldn't be too optimistic.

In the original timeline, Dongye managed to muster 20,000 to 30,000 men to resist Sun Ce's army. Hopefully, the imperial court's influence will have some effect.

********
After Jia Kui took control of Shangyu, Wu Fan, Wei Teng, and others contributed greatly.

Don't underestimate Wei Teng. Although he is not mentioned much in historical records, he had a close relationship with Wu Fan.

However, the Wei family was also a first-class aristocratic family in Kuaiji. It was just that they had not produced a scholar with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain) in the past twenty years. In addition, the rise of families such as Lin and Jiao had overshadowed the Wei family's glory.

Wu Fan had assured Liu Feng that he could gather more than three thousand shi of grain to provide relief to the people and stabilize the situation.

In reality, after persuading Wei Teng, Wu Fan directly produced 11,000 shi of grain, which was more than 10,000 shi of grain after all the counties had been plundered.

Therefore, Jia Kui did not hesitate to lower himself and personally hosted a banquet to thank Wu Fan and Wei Teng.

Interestingly, Jia Kui, Wu Fan, and Wei Teng all left their mark on history with a reputation for fortitude.

Jia Kui nearly died at the hands of Guo Yuan because of his strong will.

Wei Teng nearly died at the hands of Sun Quan because of his strong will.

Only Wu Fan, outwardly strong but inwardly shrewd, had a very clear bottom line.

The three found they got along quite well upon meeting, especially Wu Fan, who was regarded as a great talent by Jia Kui.

As the banquet reached its climax, Wu Fan subtly gave Wei Teng a wink.

It was fate, really. Wei Teng came from the Wei family and was famous from a young age, becoming a renowned scholar in Shangyu in his youth. In contrast, Wu Fan came from a humble background and was not from a prominent family. Although he had some fame, it was far less than that of Wei Teng.

However, when the two interacted, Wu Fan was the primary figure, while Wei Teng was secondary.

Although Wei Teng was strong-willed, he was always persuaded by Wu Fan with various clever words and eventually listened to the latter's advice.

This time was no different; Wu Fan persuaded Wei Teng to donate the Wei family's land outside Shangyu City to Liu Feng and Jia Kui.

Although the Wei family has not produced more than 2,000 shi of grain in the past twenty years and its prestige has declined somewhat, it is still a first-class aristocratic family in Shangyu County. It's just that it has no connections in the imperial court and has to keep a low profile.

The Wei family has been operating in Shangyu for over a century. Outside Shangyu city alone, they own 6,000 mu of paddy fields, 10,000 mu of irrigated land, and tens of thousands of mu of dry land.

If someone else had suggested to Wei Teng that he donate his land, they probably would have been kicked out of the house long ago.

But Wei Teng took Wu Fan's words to heart.

The reason is simple: Wu Fan is too good at talking.

Wei Teng was upright and incorruptible, strong-willed, not greedy for money or profit, and had little interest in women, but he was fond of fame throughout his life.

Therefore, Wu Fan started from this point and persuaded Wei Teng.

"Zhou Lin, the world is in turmoil. Even the Emperor has fled to Chang'an to avoid disaster, yet he is being coerced by the Liangzhou warriors. This is a great pity for all those with ambition. However, Liu Biaoji and his son, both from the imperial clan, have risen to prominence in just a few years, pacifying the three provinces of Xu, Yu, and Yang for the court. Their power is like the rising sun, dazzling the golden light. Now, Liu Zhengnan has marched south to Jiangdong, quelling the rebellion of Sun Quan within half a year and subjugating Kuaiji within a month. This demonstrates his abilities. If Zhou Lin is content with a life of leisure, there will be no problem. But if Zhou Lin is interested in serving the country in the imperial court, this is the perfect time to make a name for himself!"

(End of this chapter)