My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 414 Summoning Zhou Yu
This is the Second Brother, after all. I'm just young, it's not like I can't get it up. In future generations, middle school students my age will already be proficient in friendly matches.

On the contrary, he himself, a time traveler, was almost fourteen years old and still unmarried, which was a disgrace to the ancients.

"Alright, let's leave the person here."

After considering for a while, Liu Feng arranged, "I will write a letter of divorce later. You can send Ma Zhong to Jiangbei to deliver it to General Qiao and Lord Qiao. Let this matter end here."

At this point, Liu Feng glared at Pan Zhang as if giving a warning: "Wen Gui, I appreciate your kindness. But if you ever act so recklessly again, don't blame me for not showing you any mercy."

Pan Zhang's heart sank, and he repeatedly agreed: "I will obey the young master's order and will never dare to act on my own again in the future."

Liu Feng then softened his stern expression and turned to look at the two Qiao sisters.

The two girls are now a year older, and their looks are indeed stunning. Although they are slightly less beautiful than Feng Fangnu, they have the advantage of being sisters.

Sensing Liu Feng's gaze, the two Qiaos quickly lowered their heads, but a blush secretly spread across their fair and delicate cheeks.

"Which of you is the elder sister, and which is the younger sister?"

Liu Feng walked over and asked in a low voice.

"Pfft..."

Suddenly, the girl to Liu Feng's right laughed, but then realized her rudeness and her face turned deathly pale.

Sure enough, the next moment a furious roar rang out from behind Liu Feng, and Pan Zhang shouted, "How dare you, you lowly servant, mock my master!"

The girl who had been laughing felt her legs go weak, her whole body trembled, and she collapsed to her knees with a thud.

The girl beside her was also startled and knelt down to beg for forgiveness, saying, "We were ignorant, please forgive us, General."

The two sisters' exquisitely beautiful faces were filled with panic and unease, which stirred a pang of pity in Liu Feng's heart.

"Wen Gui, there's no need to be so arrogant."

Liu Feng first comforted Pan Zhang, then smiled at the two Qiaos and said, "Now I know."

As he spoke, Liu Feng pointed at the girl who was chuckling and said, "You should be my younger sister, Xiao Qiao."

Then, he pointed at Da Qiao, who had spoken up for her sister, and said, "You should be the elder sister, Da Qiao."

Then, Liu Feng looked at Xiao Qiao and said, "Tell me why you laughed just now, and I will forgive you."

Liu Feng's amiable demeanor calmed Xiao Qiao somewhat. Encouraged by her sister, she whispered, "His Majesty's voice is soft and delicate, hence his loss of composure."

Liu Feng suddenly realized that although Xiao Qiao hadn't said it completely, he understood what she meant.

It was obvious that Liu Feng's voice was too soft and clear, but he spoke in a somewhat old-fashioned manner. This contrast was so endearing that Xiao Qiao burst out laughing.

However, Liu Feng was still a little puzzled. The two Qiao sisters were from the Qiao family clan, so how could they be so timid and cowardly?

Liu Feng was unaware of the immense pressure that the two Qiao sisters had felt on the two occasions when they were presented to Pan Zhang. Especially the first time, when the city was engulfed in flames and filled with shouts of battle, as if the city's destruction was imminent.

At this moment, a group of fierce-looking soldiers rushed into the bridge and took the two girls away. How much psychological trauma would this cause them?

Fortunately, although Liu Feng was unaware of these things, he did not hold it against the two Qiaos.

Then someone was summoned to take the two Qiaos to the back room and hand them over to Feng Fangnu for safekeeping.

Then, Liu Feng did not let Pan Zhang leave, but instead invited him to stay and have a meal together.

During this period, he also wrote a letter to Qiao Rui and Qiao Gong, and ordered Ma Zhong, the captain under Pan Zhang, to send it to Jiangbei.

After the meal, Liu Feng personally escorted him out of the city, which moved Pan Zhang to tears.

The following day, Liu Feng summoned Zhou Yu to his residence.

After several months apart, Zhou Yu was increasingly radiant and full of energy.

Previously, he was merely a son of a collateral branch of the family, but by chance, he gained the opportunity to inherit the family business due to the decline of the direct line.

Even so, others viewed him with considerable sarcasm.

Now that he is highly valued by Liu Feng and commands an army independently, he has helped Liu Feng capture Yuzhang and pacify the mountain tribes. He has made great achievements on the battlefield, and his spirit is completely different from before.

This time, he returned not only to show off his great victory, but also to see his old friend Sun Bofu.

However, when the two met again, their statuses were completely different.

As an honored guest, Bo Fu, though not a prisoner, was still a surrendered general.

Zhou Yu took the initiative to visit Sun Ce, which was truly upright and honest. He did not doubt Sun Ce because of his identity, which greatly moved the latter.

However, Zhou Yu understood that this was also because his lord was Liu Feng.

In other words, Liu Feng possessed extraordinary magnanimity and a broad mind; if it had been Yuan Shu instead, Zhou Yu would not have dared to act in this way.

"Lord."

Upon seeing Liu Feng emerge from behind the hall, Zhou Yu immediately rose and bowed.

"Gongjin has arrived."

Liu Feng smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. After taking his seat, he waved his hand and said, "Please sit down comfortably, there's no need for formalities."

"Here!"

Zhou Yu responded respectfully and returned to his seat.

Zhou Yu then gave a detailed account of his journey to Yuzhang and the current situation in Yuzhang.

After listening, Liu Feng asked, "Where is Zu Lang now?"

Zhou Yu cupped his hands and replied, "I have released him and sent him home. He is quite prestigious among the Yue people in Danyang and Yuzhang. I wish to win his heart in order to gather the people of Danyang and Yuzhang."

At this time, the Shanyue people still lived in a primitive tribal system. They were far from civilized, and even large tribal alliances were rare. Their level of Sinicization was far lower than that of the Jingman people. Take Zulang and Shamoke as examples. Zulang was one of the best among the Shanyue people in Danyang County, but his tribe was only about 10,000 people. He could mobilize one or two thousand Shanyue soldiers, and even if he mobilized allied and friendly tribes, his forces would only be four or five thousand.

But Shamoke was already the leader of the Jingman Alliance, with his own tribe numbering twenty to thirty thousand, and other tribes that directly obeyed him numbering over one hundred thousand.

This is not because the Jingman people are more numerous than the Shan people, nor because the Jingman's living area is more prosperous than the Shan people's; it is entirely because there is a huge gap in the level of organization between the two sides.

The root cause of this is that the Jingman people were actively trying to Sinicize, while the Shanyue people remained stagnant and closed off from the beginning.

Liu Feng nodded, expressing his support and satisfaction with Zhou Yu's approach: "Then let Gongjin subdue Zu Lang. As you said, if this man has considerable prestige among the Yue people in Yuzhang, then if I want to gain the service of the Yue people in Danyang, and if he can become my assistant, we will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

After thinking for a moment, Liu Feng added, "I have no prejudice or discrimination against the people of the mountains. I have heard that the mountains lack salt and iron. Iron cannot be given at present, but salt can be given."

After a moment of contemplation, he added, "Oh, right, there's also silk. The Yue people don't know how to weave cloth. I'll order Yuan Chang to allocate 20,000 batches of cloth for you. You can decide for yourself."

Zhou Yu felt a surge of excitement. Liu Feng was giving him both resources and power, a truly benevolent act, and he would naturally repay him with the same magnanimity.

Liu Feng, unaware of this, continued, "Let Hua Ziyu continue to serve as the Prefect of Yuzhang. As for Yu Zhongxiang... let him come back first; I have something to discuss with him. Also, I have a question about Yuzhang that I can't decide on. Since you're here, Gongjin, could you please give me your advice?"

"What are your thoughts, my lord?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu immediately straightened his posture and asked seriously, "I will do my utmost to offer some advice to my lord."

Liu Feng smiled and waved his hand: "As I said before, there's no need for formalities, Gongjin. In public, we are superior and subordinate, but in private, I have always regarded you as a friend."

A hint of emotion flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes, and he felt a warm glow in his heart. Perhaps even Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu felt the same way.

They can give you power, money, people, tasks, and advice, but they won't actually interfere with your actions.

This lord is truly a reincarnation of Emperor Gaozu and a return of Emperor Guangwu!

Liu Feng, unaware of Zhou Yu's complex emotions, continued, "Yuzhang is vast and rich in resources, yet the Yue people of the mountains are not subservient to the king's rule and frequently raid Han people, a true scourge of Yuzhang. I intend to divide Yuzhang into Ganzhou Commandery and Poyang Commandery. Ganzhou Commandery will be headquartered in Ganxian County, governing Ganxian, Yudu, and Nanye Counties. From Nanye, Dayu County will be separated, located upstream of the Yuzhang River outside Nanye City. Quannan, Dingnan, and Xunwu Counties will also be separated, located in the southern part of Yuzhang Commandery, bordering Jiaozhou. Furthermore, from Yudu, Huichang, Ruijin, and Ningdu Counties will be separated. The first two counties are located upstream of the Gan River, while Ningdu County is northwest of Yudu County."

After saying that, Liu Feng silently calculated: "In this way, Luling Commandery will have a total of ten counties under its jurisdiction."

Following that, Liu Feng continued, "As for Poyang Commandery, its capital is Poyang County, which administers three counties: Poyang County, Yuhan County, and Qiyang County. Yuhan County was split into three counties: Zhongling County, Geyang County, and Shangrao County. Poyang County was split into Guangchang County, making a total of seven counties."

"The remaining part remains Yuzhang Commandery, with its capital at Nanchang County. It governs the remaining counties and towns, including Nanchang, Haihun, Xingan, Jiancheng, Shangcai, Yongxiu, Jianchang, Wuping, Xi'an, Pengze, Ai, Yifeng, Yangle, Fucheng, Xinwu, and Zhongling, totaling sixteen counties and towns."

Zhou Yu listened quietly, pondering in his heart. Yuzhang was indeed vast; even after being divided into three, it still directly governed sixteen counties. Moreover, the situation within Yuzhang was indeed extremely complex, with Han gentry, powerful clans, commoners, and various Yue tribes—a truly intricate and dangerous situation.

It's no exaggeration to say that Zhou Yu has indeed pacified Yuzhang, but he himself doesn't know how long he can maintain this peace. Without further investment and suppression, this tranquility may not even last two or three months.

When Zhou Yu came this time, he was determined to report this situation to Liu Feng.

Now it's no longer necessary. Before he said any of this, Liu Feng had already begun sweeping reforms.

“I think Yu Fan can be appointed as the governor of Gan County. You can allocate four to six thousand men to garrison Gan County and await Yu Fan’s command. At the same time, I will also provide Yu Fan with two thousand men of county soldiers and corresponding money, food and weapons, which he can recruit and use himself.”

After Liu Feng finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Yu and asked, "What does Gongjin think?"

Zhou Yu was somewhat surprised, not expecting Liu Feng to think so highly of Yu Fan, and to promote him directly to the position of prefect.
Although Gan Commandery was not as large as Yuzhang Commandery, it was much larger and more important than Poyang Commandery.

However, Zhou Yu did not rush to answer. Instead, he thought about it carefully before replying, "I am very pleased with your intention, my lord. Yu Zhongxiang is skilled in both literature and martial arts. This time, his contribution to entering Yuzhang ranks third, only after Prefect Hua Xin and Chief Clerk Liu Yi. He rode alone straight into Nanchang and persuaded Hua Xin and Liu Yi to surrender, which saved me a lot of effort in taking control of Yuzhang."

As mentioned before, Hua Xin had a very high reputation in Yuzhang, and was respected by both Han and non-Han peoples.

If Hua Xin resists stubbornly, Zhou Yu will really have to launch a major attack.

Liu Feng agreed, saying, "That's right. That's why I let Hua Ziyu continue to serve as the Prefect of Yuzhang, hoping that he could govern the Yue people in the mountains."

Hua Xin's reputation among the Yue people was considered invaluable by Liu Feng.

This shows that the Yue people themselves have a drive to Sinicize, and as long as this drive is protected and guided, a portion of the Yue forces can be subdued without a fight.

What was the purpose of Liu Feng recruiting Zu Lang?
The purpose was not to pacify the mountain tribes.

With Hua Xin's current prestige and his status as a Han Chinese, wouldn't it be twice as effective to have him persuade the Yue tribes to surrender and assimilate them?

Subsequently, Liu Feng communicated with Zhou Yu about many things, informing him in advance that he might place his troops in Yuzhang, with the main target of defense being Liu Biao of Jingzhou.

Despite the treacherous land routes between Yuzhang and Jingzhou, Chaisang is the most crucial pass on the Yangtze River between Jingzhou and Yangzhou. Chaisang can be considered Yangzhou's first line of defense against Jingzhou; as long as Chaisang is held, the Jingzhou navy will not dare to sail down the river recklessly.

In this way, although the possibility of an enemy coming from land was not high, Yuzhang still became the front line against Jingzhou.

Therefore, it is necessary to give Zhou Yu a proper reminder.

Zhou Yu's eyes showed a hint of realization, and even a few extra thoughts.

Originally, the relationship between Liu Biao and Liu Bei was still acceptable, but after the incident with Liu Xun, although they maintained trade relations, their relationship deteriorated rapidly.

Hearing Liu Feng's reminder, it seemed that the situation inside was perhaps more serious than he had imagined.

It seems I need to be well-prepared in Yuzhang.

"Although Yuzhang was divided into three, the military leadership was not split up."

Liu Feng then brought up the topic of command: "I will recommend you, Gongjin, to be the Commandant of Yuzhang and the Military Governor of the three commanderies of Yuzhang."

Zhou Yu had indeed been somewhat worried because Yuzhang Commandery had been split into three, and Liu Feng had promoted Yu Fan to be the governor of Gan Commandery and in charge of military affairs in Gan County.

His concern was not entirely selfish; rather, he worried that such a division would disrupt cooperation among the three commanderies of Yuzhang.

This is extremely important during wartime; otherwise, after Liu Bei recaptured Langya and divided it into three, he wouldn't have been willing to let Chen Deng go to Langya to take charge.

Yu Zhongxiang had only served under Zhou Yu for a few months, yet Zhou Yu already knew of his outstanding talent, but also his strong-willed nature. If there were no hierarchical relationship, he would show Zhou Yu no mercy in the event of a conflict, and would absolutely not back down simply because Zhou Yu held a higher position.

He had just considered whether to explain, but the issue was far too sensitive.

If Liu Feng were to misunderstand and think that he was acting out of self-interest and trying to seize power, then it would truly be a case of losing more than he gained and being utterly wronged.

At this moment, Zhou Yu's pent-up frustration dissipated, and he said with great pride and high spirits, "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

(End of this chapter)