My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 388 War in the South
Yang Biao glanced at his son, but his face showed no surprise at his son's blunt opposition.

It turns out that Yang Xiu had opposed Yang Biao's attempt to ambush Liu Feng from the beginning.

The reason is simple: Yang Xiu has a clearer understanding of the current situation than Yang Biao and others.

Yang Xiu had earnestly advised Yang Biao to win over Liu Feng, and Yang Biao did indeed do so.

But Liu Feng wasn't buying it, or rather, he didn't realize Yang Biao's attempts to win him over.

In Yang Xiu's opinion, even if they couldn't win him over, there was no need to turn against him, much less to target Liu Feng.

Liu Bei and his son were, after all, members of the Han imperial family, and among the vassal states, they were relatively respectful to the emperor and the court. Instead of relying on them for support, they chose to oppose them. What else could it be but foolishness?

However, Yang Biao refused to listen to advice. This was not because Yang Biao was truly hopelessly stupid, but because of a different perspective.

In Yang Biao's view, Liu Bei only took control of Xuzhou three years ago after Tao Qian's death.

Although Liu Bei currently appears to control three provinces, Yang Biao is convinced that Liu Bei's foundation is definitely unstable.

In Yang Biao's view, Xuzhou originally belonged to Tao Qian. Although Liu Bei was entrusted by Tao Qian and successfully took control, he was a true outsider with no real foundation in Xuzhou.

During these three years, instead of cultivating his territory properly in Xuzhou, Liu Bei engaged in reckless military campaigns, even sending troops to Yu and Yan provinces. He openly invaded Rencheng State in Yan Province and also seized large tracts of land in Yu Province.

Now he is eagerly heading south to Yangzhou. From the perspective of most scholars, Liu Bei is indeed a frivolous fat man.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, only through deep cooperation with powerful clans and gentry could the forces within a territory be effectively mobilized. Otherwise, take Cao Cao as an example: the governor of Yan Province, with hundreds of thousands of troops under his command, was almost completely driven out of Yan Province overnight.

In Yang Biao's view, even if Liu Bei was somewhat better than Cao Cao before the Yanzhou Incident, he was still not much better.

The recent Kuaiji Rebellion undoubtedly served as irrefutable evidence to confirm their suspicions, and also led them to conclude that Liu Feng was not welcomed by the powerful clans and gentry of Yangzhou.

This was also the main reason why Yang Biao's faction successfully persuaded Emperor Liu Xie to assassinate Liu Feng.

Similarly, this is also the root cause of Yang Biao's deliberate attempt to ambush Liu Feng.

In Yang Biao's view, Liu Bei and his son, who lacked the support of powerful clans and gentry, were the most suitable partners for him.

He himself had prestige, official position, the emperor's favor, the admiration of the gentry, and the ability to govern the country and save the world, but what he lacked was military power, making it impossible for him to pacify the world. Liu Bei, on the other hand, happened to possess military power, and his foundation was very shallow.

The two sides not only formed a highly complementary relationship in terms of resources, but Yang Biao also felt that Liu Bei was easier to control and his ambitions were far less than those of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.

In Yang Biao's view, Liu Bei would be satisfied if he were given the official position of Grand Commandant or even General in the future.

However, Yang Xiu's opinion was completely different from Yang Biao's.

Yang Xiu's understanding of the issues was clearly much deeper than Yang Biao's. He keenly perceived that although Liu Bei had conquered three provinces in three years, his ability to mobilize and govern his subjects was nothing like that of a newcomer from out of town.

Putting aside other things, Liu Bei actually started land reclamation as soon as he entered Xuzhou.

Although only 5,000 households and 300,000 to 400,000 mu of land were settled in the first year, the matter itself was quite sensitive. It at least shows that the powerful clans and gentry of Xuzhou not only did not hinder Liu Bei, but also provided considerable assistance. Otherwise, given Liu Bei's resources at the time, he could never have organized such a large-scale agricultural settlement.

Looking back at last year's Jianghuai Project, Liu Bei mobilized hundreds of thousands of people and worked on it for more than half a year.

Yang Xiuzhen didn't understand how her father could turn a blind eye to this. This level of mobilization was something that even Emperor Xiaohuan's reign would have been powerless to achieve, let alone now.

This shows how shallow and ridiculous it was for the father to be so optimistic in thinking that Liu Bei and his son lacked resources and did not have the support of local gentry and powerful families.

Yang Biao turned to look at his son, his stiff expression softening slightly: "You don't understand."

Yang Biao was actually quite satisfied with his extremely intelligent son.

However, deep down, Yang Biao felt a deep sense of regret and remorse. His Hongnong Yang clan was also a Ji clan in the world, so why was he so much inferior to the Yuan clan?

During the reign of Emperor Ling, the Yang family was not as powerful as the Yuan family, but they were still the most wary and important rivals of the Yuan family.

But now?

Let alone the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, how many of the minor warlords in Guanzhong still take the Yang family of Hongnong seriously?
Perhaps Liu Bei and his son were the Yang family's last chance to turn things around. Yang Biao could only gamble once, and he had to gamble once, otherwise, even in the afterlife, he would be ashamed.
Yang Xiu was somewhat angry: "Father, if I don't understand, why don't you teach me?"

Yang Biao fell silent again.

A pang of heartache flashed in Yang Xiu's eyes as he continued, "Father, it's one thing that Liu Xuande is kind-hearted, but his son Liu Zisheng, though a young dragon and phoenix, already shows signs of ambition and talent, and is beyond human control."

Yang Biao looked at his son in surprise, not expecting Yang Xiu to have such a high opinion of Liu Feng.

Yang Xiu met his father's gaze and said calmly, "Father, don't forget that war is like fire; it cannot be contained."

Yang Biao's pupils suddenly contracted.

Yang Xiu's words came from the Zuo Zhuan, Duke Yin, Year 4.

The word "兵" (bīng) is like "火" (huǒ), and the phrase "弗戢" (fú jià) is followed by four more characters—"将自焚也" (jiāng zì fén yě).

After understanding his son's meaning, Yang Biao fell silent.

********
Late the next night, outside the General's Mansion.

Cao Ang stood beside his father Cao Cao, watching the carriage of General Liu Feng slowly drive away, his eyes full of doubt.

"Father, what does Liu Zisheng mean by this?"

Yesterday, Liu Feng sent Ling Tong with a calling card to the mansion, informing him that he would request an audience with Cao Cao tomorrow.

The entire General's Mansion took this matter very seriously and prepared for it for a whole day.

When Liu Feng arrived for the banquet that evening, he only presented generous gifts and recounted his journey south, without mentioning anything else.

This puzzled Cao Ang greatly.

Cao Cao could not possibly be completely unaware of the actions of Yang Biao's faction.

In fact, Cao Cao not only knew about this matter, but also secretly fueled it.

Cao Cao's territory is now much smaller than in the original timeline, and his strength is also much weaker. Therefore, he feels much more pressure from Yuan Shao.

Historically, there have been fewer mindless provocations against Yuan Shao, but the disputes between the two sides are still numerous.

Feeling his own strength was insufficient, Cao Cao's desire to win over Liu Bei and his sons grew even stronger.

As Cao Cao's eldest son and rightful heir, Cao Ang had already begun assisting Cao Cao in governing and was well aware of these matters.

Therefore, he had high expectations for tonight's banquet, feeling that it was a great opportunity to win over Liu Feng.

Cao Cao turned and glanced at Cao Ang, sighing inwardly.

My eldest son is undoubtedly an exceptionally outstanding successor.

Not only was he exceptionally talented, but he also possessed an extraordinary demeanor and a decisive and insightful personality. In ordinary times, Cao Cao praised him highly and never had any complaints about him.

But as soon as Liu Feng arrives, something feels off. And that's especially true right now.

Cao Cao sighed inwardly, realizing that he had to teach his own son.

"Why is Zixiu so melancholy?"

Upon hearing his father's call, Cao Ang quickly composed himself and replied, "Father, what is Liu Zisheng's purpose in coming here? Surely he can't really be here to deliver gifts to you?"

"Of course not."

Cao Cao shook his head and then said, "But Liu Zisheng has already achieved his goal."

Cao Ang wasn't stupid. With his father's prompting, he suddenly realized: "Father means that Liu Zisheng only needs to attend the banquet at the General's mansion to achieve his goal?"

Cao Cao slowly nodded, his eldest son finally understanding.

Cao Ang's lips moved slightly, but he ultimately didn't say anything.

Cao Cao understood that his eldest son wanted to know why he had cooperated with Liu Fengyan's charade.

Cao Cao gave a bitter smile. This was not something he had done himself; he only discovered this after Liu Feng came to visit.

However, Cao Cao was happy to see it happen.

Therefore, all of this at least indicates that Liu Feng is willing to align himself with him, rather than bowing down to Yang Biao's faction.

********
Aside from attending a banquet at the General's residence the day after his audience with the Emperor, Liu Feng did not engage in any other activities.

From the third day after arriving in Luoyang, Liu Feng closed his doors to guests and stopped going out.

Despite Liu Feng's actions, news from Jiangdong, Yangzhou, and even the south kept reaching Luozhong.

First, Zhou Yu, a general under Liu Feng, reported that Zhu Hao, the governor of Yuzhang, had colluded with Zu Lang, the chieftain of the Yue tribes, to oppose the imperial army. However, he was defeated by Zhou Yu, and the two ended up fighting amongst themselves. Zhu Hao was killed by Zu Lang, and Nanchang surrendered.

Immediately afterwards, news came from Kuaiji that local gentry and powerful clans had colluded with the Yue tribes to rebel again, and 20,000 rebels in Dongye County of Houguan area were holding out in the city and resisting stubbornly.

Then, news came from Jiaozhou that Zhu Fu, the governor of Jiaozhou, had been killed by a mutiny of local powerful clans due to excessive exploitation and perverse policies. The local people of Jiaozhou pleaded with the emperor to send officials south again.

At the same time, Liu Biao of Jingzhou also sent someone to Luoyang to recommend that Liu Biao appoint Ren Gong as the governor of Jiaozhou.

Furthermore, Liu Bei submitted a memorial from Shouchun in Jiangbei, accusing Liu Biao of condoning Liu Xun's rebellion and sending troops to harass and plunder counties such as Lujiang and Jiujiang.

Subsequently, rebellions broke out among the Yue people of Danyang, the river pirates of Wujun, the Xuezhou of Guangling, and Zheng Bao of Jiujiang. For a time, it seemed as if the south was engulfed in flames of war.

For the past two weeks, Liu Feng has remained obediently in the General of the Cavalry's residence and has not left the house.

Therefore, Yang Biao had no choice but to drag his ailing body into the palace to meet with the emperor to discuss matters.

This meeting was held in a side hall.

Those present were all important officials of the court and confidants of the emperor, including the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, as well as Zhong Yao and others.

When Yang Biao arrived, everyone had already gathered.

Soon, the emperor walked out from the rear hall.

"Your Majesty, please excuse me."

Liu Xie waved his hand, his face full of gloom.

He hadn't expected so many things to happen in the south all at once.

At first, Liu Xie even thought that Liu Feng was showing off to him, and he became furious.

But then news came from Jiaozhou, Jingzhou and other places, and Liu Xie was immediately taken aback.

If Jiangdong could still be influenced by Liu Feng, then Jiaozhou and Jingzhou couldn't possibly be considered to be affected.

One of these places is Liu Biao's territory, but now the relationship between him and Liu Bei is deteriorating and they are not on good terms. Moreover, Liu Biao is also quite restless in Yangzhou, and his shadow can be seen behind Lujiang and Yuzhang.

No one present would believe that Liu Biao acted on Liu Feng's orders.

As for Jiaozhou, it's far from the capital, and the Northern Hui, which Liu Feng has only recently conquered, is still prone to rebellion, making it difficult for him to effectively govern Jiaozhou. Moreover, the previous governor of Jiaozhou, Zhu Fu, was appointed by the imperial court and had been stationed there for several years, making him someone Liu Feng couldn't possibly control.

Therefore, the emperor was deeply displeased and somewhat at a loss.

"My esteemed ministers, what should we do now?"

After Liu Xie took his seat in the main seat, he urged his other trusted ministers to rise.

Yang Biao gave Liu Ai, the Imperial Clan Minister, a look, and the latter coughed and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the most urgent task is to select an capable official from under the General of Chariots and Cavalry and appoint him as the Governor of Jiaozhou to suppress the local rebellion in Jiaozhi. Secondly, we can select a capable official from the court and send him to serve as the Governor of Yangzhou. Thirdly, we should send a special envoy with imperial credentials to Xiangyang to order the General Who Guards the South to withdraw his troops immediately."

Liu Ai's meaning was clear: he would exchange the governorship of Jiaozhou for Yangzhou held by Liu Bei and his son, and at the same time, he would order Liu Biao to withdraw his interference in Jiaozhou.

If Liu Biao listens, it will uphold the authority of the imperial court; if Liu Biao does not listen, the relationship between Liu Biao and Liu Bei will continue to deteriorate until a conflict breaks out.

Then the imperial court can act as a mediator and plan accordingly, gradually regaining control over various regions.

It must be said that Yang Biao's idea seemed quite good, and the emperor nodded slowly in agreement.

After pondering for a while, Liu Xie asked, "Then who would be the most suitable person to be the governor of Jiaozhou from among the generals under the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

After a moment's thought, Liu Ai replied, "General of the Household, Zhou Yu (Zhou Gongjin), General of the Household, Zhao Yun (Zhao Zilong), and General of the Household, Taishi Ci (Taishi Ziyi), are all suitable. Zhou Gongjin is the nephew of Zhou Zhong, the Minister of Justice, a pillar of the Zhou family of Jiujiang, skilled in both literature and martial arts. He made outstanding contributions in the capture of Yuan Shu and is a rising star under the General Who Conquers the South. The latter two are fierce generals under the General Who Conquers the South, having fought in the north and south and repeatedly achieved meritorious service. Now they hold regional power, and pacifying Jiaozhi should not be a problem for them."

The emperor nodded slightly, then asked, "Where are these three people now?"

Liu Ai replied, "Zhou Gongjin has just entered Yuzhang and is currently quelling the rebellion of Zu Lang in Yuzhang. Taishi Ci is stationed in Beihui and is also clearing out the local mountain tribes. Zhao Yun is leading an army south to Houguan and is currently fighting against the rebels outside Dongye County."

After pondering for a moment, the emperor asked his ministers, "What do you all think?"

Yang Biao secretly breathed a sigh of relief; in fact, this was already the second plan.

Previously, Yang Biao instructed Zhang Xi to submit a memorial proposing to Liu Biao for the position of Prefect of Yuzhang, and to Liu Feng for the position of Governor of Jiaozhou, while sending a famous scholar from Guanzhong south to serve as Governor of Yangzhou.

This would likely cause Liu Bei and Liu Biao to turn against each other immediately.

Liu Bei had already ceded the position of Prefect of Lujiang to Liu Xun, who had surrendered to Liu Biao. If he were to cede Yuzhang as well, Yangzhou would be lost by a third.

How can we possibly tolerate this?

Liu Xie recognized this point, which is why he rejected the plan.

In Liu Xie's view, this was far too radical. Liu Bei and Liu Biao were not fools. If their plan failed and instead led Liu Bei and Liu Biao to join forces against the court, then the trouble would be immense.

(End of this chapter)