My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 409 Devoting All Their Fortune to Service
Quan Cong was both anxious and angry. When Liu Feng's troops reached the Qiantang River, he had asked Quan Rou to raise troops in support, but Quan Rou hesitated and felt that Sun Ce still had a chance, thus missing the last opportunity.

Seeing the growing prestige of the four major families in Wuzhong, as well as the Zhu and Xu families, and even the once insignificant Ling family showing signs of rising, Quan Cong became increasingly uneasy.

Ultimately, this bloody coup d'état has come to pass.

Of course, Quan Cong, who is only fifteen years old, does not have the power to really force his father to take the throne. All he can do is use his own value to compel his father, Quan Rou, to make a decision.

Quan Rou sat in the main seat, watching her son plead his case with tears streaming down his face, blood flowing from his forehead, and fell silent.

Quan Cong remained kneeling, quietly awaiting his father's decision.

After an unknown amount of time, Quan Rou finally sighed and said, "Do you know that if things were to go according to your plan, perhaps less than one-tenth of the family's remaining land would be left, and the tenants would all be scattered?"

Quan Cong raised his head and replied, "Father, what I desire is to become a duke or marquis!"

"That's all."

Quan Rou was shocked by Quan Cong's words. After a moment of stunned silence, she finally made a decision: "Since you have such great ambitions, your father should encourage you!"

After making the decision, Quan Rou's expression changed. Her previous indecisiveness vanished, and she solemnly said, "You may act freely. Your father will not object!"

Quan Cong was overjoyed and kowtowed, saying, "Father is wise."

The next day, with a white cloth still wrapped around his forehead, Quan Cong went to the Fan family, which was also a prominent aristocratic family in Qiantang.

The Fan family of Qiantang are descendants of Fan Mingyou, a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty. Fan Mingyou was a general who won many battles in foreign wars and defeated the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Western Qiang many times, almost defeating all the ethnic minorities in the north.

Unfortunately, he married Huo Guang's daughter and became deeply involved in Huo Yu's rebellion, even becoming one of its key figures.

After Emperor Xuan quelled the rebellion, Fan Mingyou committed suicide out of fear of punishment, but some of his sons and relatives survived and returned to Nanyang to settle down.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, after Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, Nanyang became a disaster area. Fan Fu, the head of the Fan family at the time, was quite insightful and moved to Qiantang County, Wu Commandery in Jiangdong, in advance, successfully avoiding the later war.

The person Quan Cong went to find was Fan Chun, the son of Fan Fu.

After Quan Cong found Fan Chun, he immediately said, "Today I have achieved a great success and wish to share the spoils with you, my brother. I wonder if you have the courage to seek wealth and honor with me?"

Fan Chun was completely bewildered, but the relationship between the Fan family and the rest of the family was still quite good.

Quan Rou became acquainted with Fan Fu in Luozhong back then. Later, when the Fan family moved to Qiantang, the whole family also contributed a lot.

The migration of a clan is not as simple as just moving house.

The clan needs a lot of land, industry, workshops, and shops. These resources are all fixed, and the pie in Qiantang County has long been divided up.

The whole family stood up for the Fan family, and at the same time, their own family also contributed some of their own profits, which helped the Fan family gain a foothold in Qiantang County.

Therefore, the relationship between the Fan and Quan families was quite good at this time.

Although Fan Chun did not understand what Quan Cong was talking about, he still respectfully replied, "What is it you are talking about, my good brother? If there is anything I can do to help, I will certainly not hold back."

Quan Cong immediately recounted the story. When Fan Chun, who was opposite him, heard that Quan Cong was going to donate all his family's land and tenants, and that he had come to persuade him to do it together, he was so frightened that his face turned pale.

"This this……"

Fan Chun looked panicked. Unlike Quan Cong, he was not particularly brave. Upon hearing these words, his first reaction was to refuse.

Just as Fan Chun opened his mouth to speak, a man emerged from behind the hall and exclaimed, "My nephew, you are truly a fine steed of the Quan family!"

"Father!"

"uncle!"

After Fan Chun and Quan Cong recognized who had arrived, they quickly bowed together.

The visitor was none other than Fan Fu, the head of the Fan family, Fan Chun's father, and Quan Rou's close friend.

Fan Fu strode into the hall, first helping Quan Cong to his feet, his eyes full of admiration: "Brother Deru is truly blessed to have given birth to such a fine steed as you, my nephew. Your uncle is not so fortunate, but I hope that you will have more contact with Boren in the future."

Fan Chun, courtesy name Boren, was the eldest son of Fan Fu, and his status was comparable to that of Quan Cong.

Quan Cong quickly replied modestly, "I am but a mediocre talent, with only a bit of courage. Brother Boren is well-versed in classics, understands strategy, and is knowledgeable in the Book of Documents; he is truly a great talent."

"All right."

Fan Fu waved his hand and gave his son a disapproving look: "What kind of talent does Bo Ren have? Do you think I, as his father, don't know? Nephew, there's no need to be modest."

Then, Fan Fu changed the subject, saying, "I have heard everything you said in the back hall."

"My Fan family moved from Nanyang to Qiantang, and we received the full support of the whole family."

Fan Fu said solemnly, "Now that the whole family has made a decision and needs the assistance of the Fan family, it is our duty to do so."

Quan Cong was overjoyed and looked at Fan Fu with some disbelief.

Fan Fu was a man of great vision and great courage; otherwise, he would not have disposed of his family property and land in Nanyang so early and moved the entire family to Qiantang.

Some people may not understand the difference here. Wu Commandery was indeed quite good. During the Western Han Dynasty, it was even comparable to Nanyang.

But by the Eastern Han Dynasty, the gap had widened considerably.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, we can apply the example from later times. It's like Fan Fu selling all his shops and mansions in Shanghai and then moving with his family to the suburbs of Chongqing and Chengdu to purchase properties.

Fan Fu had previously secretly advised Quan Rou to join Liu Feng with the troops of the Eastern Commandant of Kuaiji. He said that even if they suffered a defeat, it would be fine as long as they could keep themselves safe.

However, Quan Rou ultimately rejected Fan Fu and resigned from her official post to return to Qiantang to live in seclusion.

It can be said that Fan Fu and Quan Cong had very similar ideas. Therefore, when Fan Fu heard Quan Cong's intention to abandon his family and serve Liu Feng in the back hall, he couldn't help but stand up and express the Fan family's support for Quan Cong.

“My family’s farmland is not thriving, as you know, my dear nephew. Currently, the clan only has a total of over 7,000 mu of farmland, which we are willing to donate entirely.”

The Fan family has only been in Qiantang for less than ten years, so it is quite remarkable that they have more than 7,000 mu of land. Of this, more than half, over 3,000 mu, is dry land, and the actual paddy fields are only a little over 4,000 mu.

Rice is produced in the south, and the yield of rice is much higher than that of other crops.

Two shi of wheat per mu was already considered a high yield, but rice could yield four shi per mu, almost twice the output of the north. What's even more astonishing is that this was only the output of Jiangnan. If it were Jiaozhi, which had three harvests a year, plus the seeds of Champa rice, it would easily yield over eight shi. Fan Fu pondered. Clearly, in his view, this amount of land was far from enough to serve the emperor. Quan Cong had given up more than 20,000 mu of land, and his own family had given up not a single acre. It could truly be considered a complete financial sacrifice.

After a moment, Fan Fu continued, “Although my family does not own much land, we have a lot of wealth, including hundreds of catties of gold and silver. In addition, we have eighteen fine horses, all of which were transported from Nanyang. I am willing to donate them all.”

When Fan Fu sold his land, Nanyang was still the largest prefecture in the country, extremely wealthy and prosperous. The price of land there was second to none in the Central Plains; not only were the prices high, but there was also a shortage of available land.

Therefore, Fan Fu's sale went very smoothly, and he received a huge amount of gold and silver, which brought him to Qiantang. At the same time, because he had only recently arrived, even with the full support of his family, he only managed to buy four thousand acres of paddy fields, hardly touching any gold or silver, and paid the full amount with just five zhu of silk.

Fan Chun stared wide-eyed at her father, opening her mouth several times as if to speak, but was silenced by Fan Fu's glare.

"Uncle is wise!"

Quan Cong's face lit up with surprise and delight. He thought to himself, if his father had half the courage of Uncle Fan, his family would probably already be on the General's ship. There would be no need for him to risk everything here.

Coincidentally, Fan Fu, sitting opposite him, also looked at Quan Cong with a face full of regret, thinking to himself, "If I had a son like Cong, I would have no regrets even if I died."

The uncle and nephew made an important agreement, and Fan Fu then personally went to Quan Rou's residence to inform her.

Seeing that Fan Fu was also willing to give up his entire fortune to follow Quan Cong and serve Liu Feng, Quan Rou's unease dissipated considerably.

He was somewhat surprised, however, because his close friend was someone who hated officialdom the most.

Back in Luozhong, he would rather get promoted than enter officialdom. How come he has changed so much now?

Faced with Quan Rou's question, Fan Fu replied solemnly, "In the past, in Luozhong, all the officials only knew how to fight for power and profit, but none of them could bring peace to the world. I was powerless to change the situation and could only protect my clan and avoid disaster in other places. Now, Liu Zhengnan has established his rule in the southeast, and the people under his rule are living in peace and happiness. He has won one battle after another and has the potential to rebuild the Han Dynasty. Why should I care about the money in my family?"

Quan Rou remained silent, and sighed deeply.

********
As Liu Feng crossed the Yangtze River and returned to Jiangdong, news spread from Niuzhu in all directions.

This time, Liu Feng was granted the emperor's favor upon his arrival in Luoyang. The court appointed him as General of the Left, granted him the title of Grand Master of the Three Excellencies, appointed him as Governor of Yangzhou, and made him the military commander of Yangzhou and Jiaozhou. He was also enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu, with a fief of 6,500 households.

The news spread like wildfire, shocking the entire Jiangdong gentry and powerful families, and unexpectedly reaching Jing and Jiao provinces.

Meanwhile, after crossing the river, Liu Feng's first stop was not Wu Commandery or Kuaiji, but Danyang.

Liu Feng descended the Yangtze River from Liyang, traveled upstream for more than two hundred li, turned into the Lishui River, and then into the Lengshui River, eventually reaching Wanling City, the seat of Danyang Commandery.

Wanling City was an important town in Danyang, which later became Xuancheng.

This place is located at a transportation hub with well-developed water and land routes. To its southwest and south are hills, and further down are the Huangshan and Tianmu mountain ranges.

At this time, the governor of Danyang County was Zhang Ying, who led four thousand soldiers to garrison Wanling City, mainly to pacify the southern part of Danyang and to guard against the northern invasion of the Shanyue.

When Liu Feng arrived at Wanling City, Zhang Ying, knowing full well that the other party was traveling by water, still led all the city's officials, gentry, and powerful figures to greet him twenty miles outside the city, showing utmost respect.

After Liu Feng met Zhang Ying, he sent someone to fetch Zhang Ying and the others onto the boat in a small boat.

Upon seeing Liu Feng, Zhang Ying immediately knelt down and respectfully reported the good news: "Your Excellency, General Zhou sent a proclamation the day before yesterday, saying that he had captured the entire territory of Yuzhang and was about to send the report to Jiangbei when Your Excellency arrived in Wanling."

"Oh?"

Liu Feng was overjoyed. Although Yuzhang belonged to Yangzhou, it was actually quite independent. Its unique geography, surrounded by mountains with plains nestled within them, made land routes not only narrow but also difficult to traverse.

However, Yuzhang's location is crucial. If Yuzhang cannot be captured, then the northern part of Kuaiji, Danyang, and Wujun will be almost entirely exposed to enemy attacks, a thought that sends chills down one's spine.

Now that Zhou Yu has successfully recaptured Yuzhang, he has made a great contribution regardless of the circumstances, and has also obscured the prime areas of the three counties of Jiangdong, which naturally makes Liu Feng very happy.

Not to mention that Yuzhang is also an excellent forward base for Jingnan, with at least three or four roads by land and water that can be used for attack.

The best option was naturally by water, and the most convenient route was the one Zhou Yu took. And Haihun County, a key town along this route, was the place where Sun Ce entrusted Taishi Ci with an important mission in the original timeline.

Taishi Ci, with Haihun County as his center, controlled Liu County, and with only the remnants of Liu Yao's forces, he wiped out Liu Pan.

Liu Pan was the foremost general among Liu Biao's relatives, and was renowned as a general in Jingzhou, repeatedly leading his troops to invade and seize territory in Yuzhang. However, when he encountered Taishi Ci, the difference in their abilities was immediately apparent, and he lost his former prowess.

However, Yuzhang at this time was so large that it could be divided into two or three prefectures or kingdoms.

Liu Feng asked, "Where is Zhou Gongjin now?"

Zhang Ying respectfully replied, "According to the report, General Zhou is currently stationed in Luling County."

Liu Feng turned to Zhuge Liang and said, "Bring me the map."

Zhuge Liang quickly brought out a map and spread it out in front of Liu Bei.

Liu Feng glanced at the map twice and found the location of Luling.

Luling is located in the middle of Yuzhang, in the middle reaches of the Gan River.

Although Yuzhang is characterized by its mountainous terrain, it has one major advantage: its waterways are well-connected. The Gan River flows from south to north, linking most of the counties and towns within Yuzhang Prefecture.

And in the east-west direction, there are several rivers that are connected end to end, such as the Jinjiang River, Yuanshui River, Yuzhang River, Yushui River, and Poshui River, which link the counties and towns in the east-west direction together.

Therefore, a strong navy is a crucial element in defending Yuzhang. A powerful navy can not only block the entrance of the Yangtze River into Yuzhang, but also threaten the waterways of surrounding enemies at any time, and help friendly troops move quickly through the mountains and valleys of Yuzhang County.

Zhang Ying glanced at Liu Fenghou and whispered, "General Zhou recommended Hua Xin to be the acting governor of Yuzhang, temporarily in charge of Yuzhang's affairs."

Liu Feng nodded; Zhou Yu's actions were something he had previously permitted.

Yuzhang Commandery is nestled among mountains and covers a vast area, so it's impossible to report every day. Since I've appointed Zhou Yu to quell the rebellion, I should naturally grant him the necessary authority.

"Send someone to Lujiang to inquire about the current situation in Yuzhang. If General Zhou has stabilized the area, tell him to return to Wanling as soon as possible."

Liu Feng immediately ordered, "I wish to discuss matters at Wanling."

"In addition, send someone to Kuaiji to inquire whether Uncle Zilong has sent back any news from that route."

Liu Feng thought for a moment and then added, "At the same time, order Taishi Ci, Jia Kui, Xu Huang, Gao Shun, Sun Ce and others to come to Wanling to discuss matters, and order Xu Sheng to be stationed in the northern part of Kuaiji."

(End of this chapter)