My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 379 Shi Yuan Offers Advice
The reason why Liu Feng and Pang Tong were so frank with each other was that the advantages of frankness outweighed the disadvantages.

Liu Feng's desire for and ambitions toward Jingzhou were something that any discerning person could more or less sense, and someone would surely have already advised Liu Biao to be wary of Liu Bei.

Just like Cao Cao, he and Yuan Shao were sworn brothers, but as early as eight hundred years ago, someone warned him to be wary of Yuan Shao crossing the river to attack him.

When Cao Cao was so down on his luck that he was worried about dying in battle and having no one to protect his wife and children, Cheng Yu insisted on preventing him from sending his family across the Yellow River to join Yuan Shao. Was he truly loyal to Cao Cao at heart?
Loyalty certainly exists, but there is also some selfishness involved.

My decision to follow Cao Cao is a bet I've made.

You accepted my bet, so why did you try to withdraw from the competition without even asking me?

If Cao Cao had actually sent his family across the river, even if he had won the Battle of Yanzhou, he would probably still be just another Liu Bei from Xinye.

With his family members all under Yuan Shao's control, how could Cao Cao possibly stand up to Yuan Shao?
The same applies to Jingzhou. The scholars of Jingzhou placed their bets on Liu Biao, and as long as Liu Biao could represent their interests, the scholars of Jingzhou were not hesitant to dedicate their loyalty.

But this loyalty was not without its own selfish motives.

If a more promising and generous investor than Liu Biao emerges, it wouldn't be unreasonable to diversify investments, even without changing ships, right?
Moreover, Liu Bei and his son have already occupied three provinces, and their current situation is far superior to that of Liu Biao, and they will be even more incomparable in the future.

Apart from Jiaozhou, Liu Biao had no other room for expansion.

To the east is Liu Bei, to the north is Cao Cao, to the west is Liu Zhang, and to the south is Zhu Fu for the time being. But once Zhu Fu is gone, Zhang Jin, who will take his place, has a deep grudge against Liu Biao.

Not to mention that Liu Feng was still eager to make a move, and might even directly interfere in the selection of the governor of Jiaozhou, bringing Jiaozhou under his own jurisdiction.

However, this would be quite difficult, and Liu Feng wasn't confident.

Despite the relatively weak strength of Jiaozhi, Liu Bei and his son already possessed a territory encompassing two and a half provinces. To further pursue Jiaozhi would be extremely difficult without resorting to force, unless they offered a price that would satisfy both the emperor and Cao Cao, without risking a complete breakdown in relations.

The powerful families of Jingzhou were aware of Liu Biao's current predicament, which was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

However, their options were quite broad, including Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and even the imperial court. Originally, Liu Bei and his son weren't considered, but now that Liu Feng had swept through Jiangdong and taken over Yangzhou, he had a chance.

Therefore, Liu Biao would inevitably receive advice to be wary of Liu Bei, but at the same time, scholars from Jingzhou would also speak well of Liu Bei's group.

Therefore, Liu Feng's honesty with Pang Tong did not reveal his true intentions.

The plot to seize Jingzhou cannot be hidden; it can only be downplayed, not completely concealed.

Since it couldn't be hidden, there was no need to worry about Pang Tong leaking the secret. In fact, the secret had already been "leaked" long before Pang Tong did.

Great minds think alike.

The following day, Pang Tong presented Liu Feng with three strategies for conquering Jing.

"My lord, Liu Jingsheng, though his reputation is undeserved, has been stationed in Jingzhou for nearly ten years. He has been able to stabilize Jingzhou, resist Yuan Shu and the military men of Xiliang in the north, and expand Jiaozhi in the south. He has quite a reputation."

Liu Biao's solo entry into Jingzhou occurred in the first year of the Chuping era, which was 190 AD. Now it is 198 AD, a full nine years have passed.

Even a useless governor who has been in charge of a state for nine years can still have a considerable reputation, let alone Liu Biao, who was a rather formidable figure.

Liu Biao's reputation was undeserved, especially compared to other heroes of the time such as Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei.

"Therefore, if you want to take Liu Biao, you must first give him something!"

Pang Tong's first strategy was to give before taking.

"When our lord wiped out Yuan Shu last year, Liu Xun defected and was taken in by Liu Biao."

Pang Tong, with a hint of probing in his eyes, said, "Currently, Liu Xun is still trapped in Shu County, living in seclusion in the southwest of Lujiang, relying on Liu Biao to resist the imperial court. In my opinion, it would be better to grant Liu Xun the position of Prefect of Lujiang to appease Liu Biao."

"Since General Liu Biao was ordered to suppress the rebels and swept across Yangzhou in the south, Liu Biao has been terrified. If we cannot dispel his fears, the heavy responsibilities he commands will surely fall to our east."

Pang Tong's decision to serve Liu Feng is due to the great favor Liu Feng has shown him.

Therefore, while making his suggestion, he also wanted to see if Liu Feng truly valued him.

After listening, Liu Feng slowly nodded, but asked in return, "Shi Yuan's plan is very insightful. However, I am afraid that rashly transferring the position of Prefect of Lujiang to Liu Xun is too deliberate and may cause Liu Jingsheng to be suspicious."

After careful consideration, Pang Tong nodded. Indeed, as Liu Feng said, their goal was to appease Liu Biao. If they failed to achieve this, wouldn't giving away a prefect for nothing be a losing proposition?

After pondering for a moment, Liu Feng suddenly brightened up and said, "There is a great deal of trade between our state and Jingzhou, especially in the purchase of grain and other matters."

Xuzhou was short of food before, and the shortage was not just a little bit.

It was only by recapturing Guangling and receiving a million shi of grain from Jingzhou that they were able to catch their breath during the most difficult period.

It's not that Liu Bei would collapse without the grain from Jingzhou.

However, the speed of development will inevitably be greatly affected, especially the gathering of population and the establishment of military farms. Without that million bushels of grain, the scale will have to be reduced by at least three to five times.

This is essentially a snowball effect. Even without the grain from Jingzhou, Liu Feng could still have snowballed, but the speed would have been far slower than it is now.

Liu Bei now commands 100,000 soldiers and has sufficient resources, rations, and wealth to more than double his size at any time.

In fact, the soldiers were readily available; Liu Feng had already sent more than 100,000 able-bodied men to the two counties north of the Yangtze River.

Currently, there are still 40,000 to 50,000 mountain tribes in the Northern Region, among whom the proportion of young and strong men is quite high, at least 20,000 or more. There are at least 10,000 young and strong men who can be directly used to expand the army.

Currently, the land reclamation in Xuzhou has been completed, and the drought situation in Huaibei has greatly improved this year due to the large-scale water conservancy projects undertaken by Liu Bei and his son.

Although the weather is still extremely dry, the existence of water conservancy projects has prevented the drought in the Huai and Si River basins from becoming as terrifying as in the past, when the entire year was cut off and no harvest was achieved.

According to Liu Bei's letter, the summer harvest in the Huai-Si region this year has reached nearly 70% of the usual amount.

This harvest occurred under conditions of extreme drought. In a normal year, the harvest in the Huai and Si rivers would likely be 30-40% greater than in previous years.

This demonstrates the terrifying nature of these water conservancy projects.

However, this is also thanks to its geographical advantage, as the Huai-Si region is located between the Huai River and the Yangtze River.
There is no shortage of water here, but a lack of channels to carry the water.

If you move to a water-scarce area, no matter how well the water conservancy projects are done, if the weather is not right, the riverbed will dry up and be exposed. What is the point of building such good water conservancy projects then?

At present, Liu Bei and his son no longer lack food, or rather, although the more food the better, they no longer need to beg Jingzhou to sell their food.

Therefore, Liu Feng originally planned to gradually reduce the proportion of grain purchased from Jingzhou and instead purchase other strategic materials, such as giant timber, tung oil, medicinal herbs, weapons, and minerals.

But now, after listening to Pang Tong's advice, Liu Feng had a new idea.

"I wish to send an envoy to Xiangyang to request an audience with Prefect Liu."

Liu Feng stood up and paced around the hall, his gaze falling on Pang Tong: "I have recounted the severe drought in the Huai and Si regions, which has caused crop failures in several prefectures. I wish to purchase a large quantity of grain to provide relief to the disaster victims. To express my gratitude, I am willing to relinquish the position of Prefect of Lujiang to Liu Xun. What do you think, Shiyuan?"

"Miaoya!"

After careful consideration, Pang Tong clapped his hands and exclaimed, "This is a brilliant plan to deceive the heavens! If there's a lack of food, they can't wage war; if they abdicate, it's a gesture of goodwill. In this way, Liu Biao will have no worries about his rear!" "My lord!"

Pang Tong's face was full of admiration: "You are truly a genius, otherwise how could you have come up with such a brilliant plan? If I were Liu Biao, I would surely have fallen for your scheme!"

Pang Tong's words came from the bottom of his heart, without a trace of falsehood, and his usually wooden face became lively.

Liu Feng burst into laughter: "Shiyuan, you flatter me."

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Feng said, "In that case, I shall go north to Shouchun to present this plan to my father in person."

Pang Tong strongly supported this plan: "We should act quickly. Jiangdong has been secured, and there is nothing of great importance to discuss. It is the perfect time to plan our westward advance. Yuan Shao is entrenched in Hebei, and Gongsun Zan is putting up a stubborn resistance. Although their forces are strong, they are already at their limit and cannot last long."

"Looking at the big picture, I fear that Gongsun's downfall is imminent."

Pang Tong looked grave and bowed, saying, "I hope my lord will make preparations as soon as possible. With Gongsun's power, once he is defeated, Yuan Shao will have no more worries. He can turn his attention to the south at any time."

Pang Tong's insight was truly brilliant.

Yuan Shao's history is a prime example. He destroyed Gongsun Zan in the first half of the year, selected 100,000 elite troops in the second half, and began his southward march across the river at the end of the year.

Contrary to expectations, the plan to allow the troops to rest and recuperate actually caught Cao Cao off guard.

If it weren't for Jia Xu and Liu Bei each doing Cao Cao a tremendous favor, Cao Cao wouldn't even have had the chance to fight Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu.

The fact that Pang Tong was able to see this level is enough to prove his outstanding abilities.

“I wholeheartedly agree with what Shi Yuan said.”

Liu Feng immediately decided to terminate the county-level administration, transfer the highest real power of Beihui to Taishi Ci, appoint Wang Lang to be stationed in Shanyin to manage the government affairs, and appoint Taishi Ci to be in charge of the military affairs of Beihui. Liu Feng then temporarily left Shangyu with Pang Tong and Pang Shanmin, heading towards Shouchun in Jiangbei.

In order to make the journey faster, Liu Feng only took five hundred personal guards led by Xu Chu with him, while the rest of the troops returned to their respective units.

Starting from Shangyu, take a boat to Yuji, then travel by land across the Qiantang River, through the Dongtiao River into Zhenze, then to Lishui, and finally out of Wuhu into the Yangtze River.

The journey was entirely by water, so the speed was very fast. In just half a month, they arrived outside Shouchun City.

Liu Feng entered Jiujiang from Ruxu River. Along the way, there was a peaceful scene. Rice seedlings filled the fields, and people were working in the fields. Although the sun was blazing, the scene was full of vitality.

This comforted Liu Feng greatly, and he only hoped that Heaven would be moved by his butterfly effect and send down more rain.

When passing through Hefei, Liu Feng only sent someone to greet his second uncle in the city, but he himself went directly through the city without entering, heading towards Shouchun. Unexpectedly, Zhang Liao found out and chased after him to come and see him.

"When Zheng Nan marched south, he did not take Liao with him. Now he passes Hefei but does not enter. Could it be that Liao has done something disrespectful to Zheng Nan and has offended him?"

As soon as Zhang Liaofu boarded the ship, he immediately bowed deeply to Liu Bei, as if overturning a mountain of gold and a jade pillar, while simultaneously complaining with great grievance.

This is understandable, since Zhang Liao joined Liu Bei and mostly worked under Liu Feng.

Liu Feng also cherished Zhang Liao, always entrusting him with the task of breaking through enemy lines. Zhang Liao was a smart man, so he naturally respected and befriended Liu Feng even more.

However, during this southward expedition, Zhang Liao was placed under Guan Yu's command and stationed in the strategic location of Hefei.

Although he and Guan Yu were kindred spirits and had a good relationship.

But compared to the peaceful days in Hefei, Zhang Liao undoubtedly missed the days of fighting under Liu Feng much more.

Not to mention Zhang Liao, even Guan Yu was getting a little bored.

Therefore, Zhang Liao's pursuit was also partly a test of the waters.

Liu Feng naturally liked Zhang Liao very much, as Zhang Liao was undoubtedly a talented individual in terms of ability.

At present, the enterprise of Liu Bei and his sons is growing bigger and bigger, and for the time being, only Liu Bei, Liu Feng, Guan Yu and Chen Deng are capable of leading an army independently. However, Zhang Fei, in terms of both status and achievements, is naturally the best candidate for the next high-ranking official.

The competition that followed was much fiercer, with Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, Qian Zhao, Zhang Liao, Zhou Yu, and others possessing sufficient ability and achievements.

But at this position, it's no longer simply a matter of ability and achievements.

Judging purely from ability and achievements, Sun Ce was indeed qualified. He even had the fighting power to sweep across Jiangdong. Apart from Liu Feng, no one could really surpass him in terms of achievements.

But can Sun Ce stand alone?

Of course not. Even though the entire Sun family had been sent to Shouchun, Sun Ce still needed to prove his loyalty.

Zhang Liao also sensed these things, which is why he especially wanted to stay by Liu Feng's side.

Under Liu Feng's command, one can not only accumulate numerous military merits, but also gain the leader's trust, cultivate a relationship with the leader, and showcase oneself in front of the leader.

It can be described as killing four birds with one stone.

Zhang Liao was naturally very tempted.

"Wen Yuan, why do you say that?"

Liu Feng pulled Zhang Liao up and said jokingly, "My second uncle has always been good to Wen Yuan. He consults with Wen Yuan on everything. Aren't you afraid of hurting my second uncle's feelings?"

Zhang Liao chuckled and said, "Why do you dare to boast like this, Zheng Nan? Not to mention me, even Brother Yun has long admired Zheng Nan and often tells me that although Zheng Nan is young, his military skills are divinely inspired, far surpassing others. Even Brother Yun is willing to be at Zheng Nan's beck and call."

Liu Feng was greatly surprised upon hearing this and carefully observed Zhang Liao's expression.

Zhang Liao met his gaze without flinching, showing no fear whatsoever.

Liu Feng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did my uncle really say that?"

Zhang Liao nodded emphatically: "It is indeed true, how could Liao dare to deceive Zheng Nan?"

Liu Feng couldn't help but wonder to himself, could it be that his second uncle was sending him a message?

Given his status, his second uncle had no need to bow down to him.

Even though my father has acquired most of his empire himself, the influence of my second and third uncles on him is undeniable.

Especially considering his second uncle's arrogance, was he subtly bowing down to him, indicating his willingness to obey him?

In fact, Liu Feng's guess was correct.

Liu Feng was skeptical mainly because the Second Master of later generations was far too arrogant.

However, Liu Feng overlooked his current contributions and influence to Liu Bei's group. In some ways, he had even surpassed Liu Bei and was also the rightful heir.

(End of this chapter)