My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 408 The Whole Family, Father and Son
Without reorganization, the army's potential is pretty much capped. Besides, more troops aren't necessarily better. In most cases, an elite force is more powerful and cost-effective than two ordinary forces.

Liu Feng laid out his thoughts and emphasized that the entire army would need to be adjusted in the future. The Cui Feng Army was just a trial, and once it was successfully trained, the subsequent military reforms would follow.

After listening to Liu Feng's idea, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and others fell into deep thought again.

They had to admit that Liu Feng's concerns were quite reasonable.

Tao Qian is the best example. He once generously rewarded the Danyang Army, not only giving them relatively high salaries for the time, but also repeatedly bestowing favors upon them.

The result was that once the Danyang army collapsed, Xuzhou could no longer muster any combat-ready troops.

Moreover, everything Liu Feng did was of a grand vision and far-reaching strategy.

Since ancient times, there has never been a Central Army in the Central Plains that did not receive a salary and could only make a living by capturing and looting.
What difference would there be between them and the barbarians on the surrounding areas?
"Gentlemen, please take a look."

After saying a few words, Liu Feng took out a silk scroll and handed it to Zhong Yao.

Although Liu Feng trusted, valued, and cherished Zhuge Liang the most, Zhong Yao was the eldest among everyone present, regardless of status, position, reputation, or age.

If we bypassed him and gave it to Zhuge Liang first, it would be a disgrace to Zhuge Liang.

The wood show will be destroyed by the forest wind.

Not to mention such a forced growth.

Zhong Yao first bowed respectfully, and then carefully took the silk book and began to read it.

It turns out that Liu Feng had recorded the military reform plan in detail in the silk scroll.

First, the entire army was divided into three ranks of soldiers: senior, middle and junior privates.

The lowest-ranking private received a monthly salary of twenty coins and a bushel of grain in kind.

Subsequently, for each promotion, the salary increased by ten coins, and the in-kind benefits increased by one dou of grain.

The highest-ranking private could receive a monthly salary of up to forty coins, which was equivalent to three bushels of grain.

Above privates are non-commissioned officers, which are also divided into six grades, each with a corresponding increase in salary.

In theory, this expansion of the army will assign ranks to all soldiers. As the elite Vanguard Army, those who successfully pass the assessment and are selected will be designated as privates first class and will enjoy additional allowances.

Liu Feng's rank is actually quite low, at least not as high as the elite troops under Yuan Shao, Cao Cao's Qingzhou Army (at this time, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry had not yet been established), Liu Zhang's Dongzhou Army, and Liu Biao's spearmen.

The elite troops of these feudal lords received very high salaries. Although they didn't receive much in cash, they received a considerable amount in goods, such as cloth, grain, and salt, enough to support their entire families.

However, Liu Feng's army also had unique advantages. First of all, there was very little corruption in the army. Liu Feng had zero tolerance for embezzlement of military pay and rewards. Once caught, even if not executed, the person would be assigned to a suicide squad and lose all merits and status.

Secondly, the food and rations in Liu Feng's army far exceeded those of other garrisons. If Liu Feng's food subsidies are taken into account, it is basically on par with the elite troops under other warlords.

Furthermore, Liu Feng's troops also had their own unique and systematic spiritual rewards.

Other warlords may also receive moral encouragement, but this is mostly due to the personal favor and appreciation of their superiors. While this is also a form of moral encouragement, it can easily lead to personal dependence and binding with those superiors.

However, Liu Feng's increasingly sophisticated military merit badge system was far more effective than the emphasis placed on it by higher-ranking officers. It also effectively resolved the issue of personal dependence, truly making the soldiers of Liu Feng's army belong to Liu Feng, rather than to the military leaders under Liu Feng.

Finally, this was also caused by the unique economic environment at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a persistent shortage of copper, and towards the end of the dynasty, with the chaos among the warlords, the shortage of both coins and copper became even more severe. The strange thing was that although there was a severe shortage of money in the market, the value of money was constantly plummeting.

On the one hand, no one had any money, but on the other hand, the price of a shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain had already reached hundreds or thousands of coins. This was the normal market price. If there were a severe drought in Yanzhou or the Jianghuai region, a shi of millet could sell for hundreds of thousands or even millions of coins.

It should be noted that during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, a shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain cost only a little over one hundred coins.

Therefore, soldiers of this era did not favor coins and preferred commodity money.

Liu Feng's proposed plan involved less monetary rewards and more in-kind rewards, which compensated for part of the gap in military pay between the two sides.

In this military reform, Liu Feng also plans to further enhance the military medal system. The military medal system has now confirmed that military medals are an important factor in promotion, and medal recipients also have the privilege of not having to bow to officials.

It wasn't that Liu Feng liked kneeling; in fact, he deeply resented it, but he couldn't abolish it for the time being, so he used military medals as a breakthrough.

In addition, Liu Feng was also considering some benefits related to the military medal system, such as appropriately increasing the allowances for military medals.

After Zhong Yao finished reading it, he passed the silk scroll to Dong Zhao, followed by Yang Xiu, the Zhuge brothers, Pang Tong, and others.

Zhong Yao silently calculated in his mind that even if all the soldiers were of the lowest rank, an army of 200,000 would still require 50 million shi of grain per year, as well as 240,000 shi of grain, and other in-kind rewards such as cloth and salt.

Moreover, as Liu Feng just said, the Cui Feng Army has a strength of 20,000, and all of them are guaranteed to receive the treatment of privates or above. The treatment of the soldiers in these 20,000 men alone will be doubled, and the treatment of non-commissioned officers and officers will be several times or even more than ten times that of the soldiers.

Having calculated this, Zhong Yao felt a surge of admiration for Liu Feng.

According to Zhong Yao, the morale of Liu Bei's soldiers was quite good. According to Ziyu, Kongming, and Shiyuan, the morale of Liu Feng's troops was even higher than that of Liu Bei's troops.

If a different ruler were in charge, he probably wouldn't even consider improving the soldiers' treatment.

But Liu Feng did exactly that, and he gave him very comprehensive treatment, which made Zhong Yao realize the difference between Liu Feng and other feudal lords.

Liu Feng had great ambitions.

Dong Zhao and Yang Xiu, who were standing nearby, also realized this.

Like Zhong Yao, Dong Zhao and Yang Xiu also noticed Liu Feng's unusual behavior.

Dong Zhao was alright. He was initially impressed by Liu Feng and valued by him, which is why he joined Liu Feng's ranks.

Zhong Yao was only half-heartedly willing to join the alliance. At first, he was merely on friendly terms with Liu Feng and established the alliance as a subordinate. To be precise, he was not a true subordinate of Liu Feng.

But this time, after leaving Luoyang, Zhong Yao truly came under Liu Feng's command.

At this time, Liu Feng's staff was indeed lacking a capable general who could oversee domestic affairs, and the southward migration of Zhong Yao and Dong Zhao was undoubtedly the best way to fill that gap.

Compared to the surprise and secret joy in the hearts of Zhong Yao and Dong Zhao, Yang Xiu felt much more bitter.

Yang Xiu was a smart man, and a top-tier one at that. He naturally sensed Liu Feng's intention to win him over. He also understood his value in Liu Feng's eyes.

However, his own father had just been dismissed by Liu Feng and Cao Cao, and had suffered a lot in Luoyang prison.

For his father's life, Yang Xiu had no choice but to submit. Even though he felt a mixture of awe and apprehension towards Liu Feng, along with a deep-seated fear, Yang Xiu still didn't want to surrender so easily. However, the magnanimity Liu Feng displayed and the great things he had accomplished made Yang Xiu acutely aware of the vast difference in their bearing compared to his father.

This not only plunged Yang Xiu into a deep sense of frustration, but also lessened his resistance to Liu Feng.

"This matter is of great importance, and you must not divulge it to anyone."

The plans to expand the army, pay military salaries, and select elite troops to form separate armies were too significant, and even though the court was filled with the most talented people in the country, they could not make up their minds for the time being.

Liu Feng immediately said that he could go back and think about it. Anyway, this matter was not urgent for the time being, and he could come to him to report any ideas he had at any time.

However, there is one thing to note: this matter is extremely sensitive and must not be leaked.

Zhong Yao and the others knew the gravity of the situation and immediately obeyed.

********
Wu County, Qiantang.

A brave young man was kneeling on the ground, speaking to his father.

"Father, how long are you going to hesitate?"

The person sought by the young man was Quan Rou, a native of Qiantang in Wu Commandery, who had been recommended as a filial and incorruptible official by Fan Ling, the governor of Wu Commandery, during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han.

Fan Ling was Sheng Xian's predecessor and was from Longshu, Lujiang.

Longshu County is now occupied by Liu Xun, and is the front line of confrontation with the Liu family's forces. It is also an important town on the left flank where Liu Xun's main base, Shucheng, is located.

Fan Ling succeeded Wen Fujun of Nanyang as the governor of Wu Commandery in the second year of Zhongping (185 AD).

During his tenure, he promoted Quan Rou, a renowned scholar from Qiantang, to the position of Xiaolian (a candidate for officialdom). He also recruited Quan Rou into the Prefect's office. Subsequently, he sponsored Quan Rou's journey to Luoyang to serve as a Gentleman of the Palace. Later, due to his outstanding talent, Quan Rou was promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

This position is quite good; it's truly a fast track for those who are recommended for official positions based on filial piety and integrity. The next step would either be to be appointed as a county magistrate in a major county, or to be promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary or General of the Palace Guard—the future is bright.

But no one could have imagined that less than four years later, Dong Zhuo would enter the capital, replace the emperor with a new one, and poison Empress He and the young Emperor Bian.

This terrified Quan Rou, who immediately resigned from his official post and fled back to his hometown.

However, the Quan family was a powerful and influential clan in Qiantang, and soon Zhou Qian, the governor of Yangzhou at the time, recommended Quan Rou to take up an official post, and even a high-ranking official position like the Prefectural Governor.

Unfortunately, Zhou Qian soon died of illness, and Quan Rou had barely settled into his position as the Prefect when he was dismissed by the newly arrived Governor Chen Wen.

Fortunately, Quan Rou's family was a prominent and influential clan, and Chen Wen graciously appointed him as the Eastern Commandant of Kuaiji, a position with real power. Meanwhile, Zhu Zhi, the Commandant of Wu Commandery next door, mobilized several thousand troops to welcome Sun Ce's southward advance.

Later, He Qi also quelled the rebellion in southern Kuaiji from this position.

However, not long after, just over a year later, the newly appointed governor Chen Wen also died of illness, and Yuan Shu took the opportunity to go south and became the governor of Yangzhou himself.

Originally, this matter had little to do with Quan Rou. After all, although Yuan Shu had declared himself the governor of Yangzhou, the court soon sent Liu Yao to serve as the governor of Yangzhou, and then directly drove Wu Jing and Sun Ben out of Jiangdong.

But no one expected that Sun Ce would cross the river so quickly, and defeat Liu Yao and his allies all the way, becoming invincible and unstoppable. In just one year, he conquered most of Danyang County and most of Wu County.

As a native of Wu Commandery, his hometown was already under the attack of Sun Ce's army.

Quan Rou himself did not have much ambition. In the original history, he chose Sun Ce over Wang Lang, secretly abandoned his official position, and led his troops back to the north of the Qiantang River to join Sun Ce with Zhu Zhi.

But this world is different. Sun Ce is indeed as fierce as a tiger, but just when Quan Rou was tempted to surrender to him, the hidden dragon of the Liu family also crossed the river. Moreover, he came with the immense merit of capturing Yuan Shu in one battle.

This immediately plunged Quan Rou into anxiety.

His choices suddenly became Liu Feng, Sun Ce, and Wang Lang.

Quan Rou's son, Quan Cong, strongly advocated joining Liu Feng's forces, but Quan Rou dared not take the risk.

In his view, Liu Feng was indeed brave and skilled in battle, but the threat posed by Sun Ce was imminent.

If they sought refuge with Liu Feng, who was far away in northern Wu, they would be unable to help him should Sun Ce attack their home.

Therefore, Quan Rou ultimately suppressed her son's opinion and decided to remain neutral.

Later, Sun Ce was defeated at Qiantang, and Liu Feng won a great victory. His whole family naturally surrendered as well, but Quan Cong was extremely dissatisfied.

He wasn't dissatisfied that Liu Feng shouldn't have been subdued, but in Quan Cong's view, his father had squandered the best opportunity to make a name for himself.

If we had started the Qiantang rebellion when Sun Ce crossed the Qiantang River, we would have immediately achieved great success.

However, Quan Rou was stubborn and did not seek merit but only to avoid mistakes, with the preservation of her family as her top priority.

Liu Feng has already pacified most of Yangzhou, and good news is also frequently coming from Yuzhang and southern Kuaiji. He will be able to take them soon.

Quan Cong couldn't hold back any longer, and he once again suggested to his father that he should devote himself to serving Liu Feng.

The "devotion" that Quan Cong spoke of was quite different from the "devotion" at this time.

Quan Cong's decision to serve Liu Feng was an attempt to leverage the entire family's resources and place all his bets on Liu Feng.

Just like in the original timeline, Quan Cong bet everything on Sun Quan, giving away his entire fortune to provide relief to the people, recruiting an army, and fighting against the Yue tribes for Sun Quan.

Now, Quan Cong is doing the same, requesting Quan Rou to donate all of his family property, use the gold and silver to recruit warriors, provide relief to the people, and donate his land and property to the state government, just like the major families in Wuzhong, the Zhu family, the Xu family, and the powerful clans of Kuaiji.

Quan Rou was stunned by her son's words and couldn't believe it.

She had been steady and reliable her whole life, so how did she end up with such an impulsive son?

“Father, Liu Zhengnan led his troops out in the middle of last year, marched hundreds of miles, captured Shouchun in one night, captured Yuan Shu, and sent a proclamation to the north of the Yangtze River. After that, he crossed the Yangtze River to the east. Governor Liu was almost powerless to resist and was stripped of his military power and sent to Tancheng.”

"Liu Zhengnan then won more than a dozen battles, large and small, in Jiangdong, achieving small victories in small battles and great victories in large battles, and almost no one could stop him. Sun Bofu inherited his father's bravery, but he was powerless to reverse the situation. Now Yangzhou is completely under Liu Zhengnan's control, and his power is established. If we local small clans do not go all out, we will have no chance to follow him."

Although Quan Cong was only fifteen years old, he looked solemn at the moment. His forehead was covered in blood, obviously from kowtowing. A trickle of blood flowed down his forehead, past his nose, and dripped down.

Quan Cong, however, did not care at all, and stared intently at Quan Rou with bloodshot eyes.

Quan Rou's heart softened at this moment. Although he had several sons, the one before him was the most promising, talented, and dignified. Moreover, Quan Cong was Quan Rou's eldest son and the next generation's leader of the family.

(End of this chapter)