My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 415 Congratulations on Qi's Victory
Only after Zhou Yu left did Liu Feng remember Xiao Qiao.

However, Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao probably won't have any relationship in this lifetime.

Now that he had decided to take Xiao Qiao into his household, Liu Feng would no longer offer her up to Zhou Yu in marriage.

This behavior is both self-serving and foolish.

If you really want to give a detailed introduction, last year in Shouchun City would suffice.

Now that the person has already visited the mansion, it was still Qiao Rui and Lord Qiao who nodded in approval to send them over.

If Liu Feng really did that, Xiao Qiao's reputation would be ruined. Zhou Yu might even suspect that he had some kind of conspiracy, thus alienating him. That would be asking for trouble.

When Zhou Yu left, Liu Feng also went out of the city to see him off, during which he spoke earnestly and showed great concern, which made the handsome Zhou Yu wish he could cut out his heart to show his loyalty.

Some people have left, while others are on their way.

Inside the prefectural government office, Lu Xun, holding a scroll of silk in his hands, hurried into the study.

The layout here is different from that of a regular room. The study is divided into two sections, an inner and an outer section. The inner section has a large table with a chair behind it, while the outer section has three sets of tables and chairs, which are respectively used by Zhuge Liang, Lu Xun and Pang Tong.

Near the door of the room, there was a long bench with a blanket on it, which was reserved for Xu Chu.

Lu Meng, who was standing at the door, saw Lu Xun and hurriedly went to greet him: "Minister Lu, you look so happy, what good news has come?"

Lu Xun glanced at Lü Meng, hesitated for a moment, and then replied with a smile, "Indeed, there is good news. The army that marched south to Houguan has won a complete victory."

Lu Xun's personality was actually very split. He had a sophisticated and self-serving side, but also a selfless side. He could be ruthless and lose face for victory, but at the same time, he would be scolded to death by the emperor because of his pride.

In Lu Xun's heart, he absolutely did not want to say more.

Lu Xun was completely surprised and overjoyed that Liu Feng trusted him and promoted him to the cabinet.

Others may not be aware of Liu Feng's mistreatment of the four major families in Wu, but the four families themselves have a deep understanding of it, and Lu Xun is no exception.

Given Lu Xun's cautious nature, he was not a talkative person to begin with, and at this moment he spoke even less.

The problem is that the person who asked him was Lü Meng.

Although Lü Meng only followed Xu Chu and was responsible for Liu Feng's safety, Lu Xun actually knew that Liu Feng was grooming Lü Meng, Ling Tong, and others as trusted generals, and had them educate him. He even taught Lü Meng and Ling Tong to study with Xu Chu.

In addition, Lü Meng's personality and character were quite compatible with Lu Xun's, and the two had a very good relationship in private.

It was for these reasons that Lu Xun made an exception and answered Lü Meng's question.

"A great victory at Houguan?"

Lu Meng's face lit up with surprise, and he immediately urged, "My lord is in the study. Minister Lu, please come in quickly to report the good news."

Lu Xun smiled and nodded at Lü Meng, knowing that the other party was returning a favor, and then went into the study.

Pang Tong was not in the study; he had obviously gone out on business.

When Xu Chu saw Lu Xun arrive, he stood up, while Zhuge Liang, who was handling official documents, looked up at him.

Lu Xun handed the silk scroll to Xu Chu for a look, then smiled and nodded at Zhuge Liang.

Among the cabinet ministers, Zhuge Liang was the most respected.

Lu Xun and Pang Tong were well aware of Liu Feng's favoritism towards Zhuge Liang. If they were presented with a path to instant advancement, Zhuge Liang would be destined for immortality.

Liu Feng even explicitly stated that Zhuge Liang was ranked first in the cabinet order and would have the power to make decisions in emergency situations when Liu Feng was not present.

Actually, the ranking is secondary; the key is the decision-making power behind it.

The first-place position without decision-making power and the first-place position with decision-making power are two completely different positions. The former is almost no different from the last-place position, except that it sounds better. The latter, however, has a world of difference in status.

Lu Xun and Pang Tong were both extremely intelligent and quick-witted; how could they not see Liu Feng's trust and high regard for Zhuge Liang?

Lu Xun immediately nodded to Zhuge Liang and said in a low voice, "The great victory at Houguan has been reported by General Zhao, who sent Commandant He to report on it."

A hint of joy flashed in Zhuge Liang's eyes. Apart from Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang knew the most about Liu Feng's grand strategy and had the most complete understanding of it.

The southern part of Kuaiji borders Jiaozhi. Once Houguan is established, half of Jiaozhi will be covered by the two commanderies of Kuaiji and Yuzhang.

This is undoubtedly great news, and it will greatly benefit Liu Fengjun's strategy of taking control of Jiaozhi.

Zhuge Liang couldn't help but stand up, took two steps outside, and then stopped.

Then, Lu Xun saw that he was trying hard to suppress the joy on his face and said as calmly as possible, "The lord is in the inner room. He was instructed not to disturb him unless it is important. But such good news is great, Boyan, please go in and tell him the good news quickly."

A hint of gratitude flashed in Lu Xun's eyes. Zhuge Liang was clearly overjoyed, yet he was still able to restrain himself and leave the opportunity to share the good news to him. In this respect, Zhuge Kongming was indeed a kind and honest person.

"Thank you for your guidance, Kongming."

Lu Xun said thank you with a double meaning, then went to the door of the inner room and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The sound coming from inside was still somewhat crisp, but Lu Xun dared not underestimate it in the slightest.

The door was unlocked; it opened with a gentle push.

Upon entering the inner room, Lu Xun's gaze swept across the room.

There were only two people in the room at the moment. One was Liu Feng, who was sitting behind the table writing something. The other was a beautiful and charming young woman, one of the Two Qiaos, who was standing beside Liu Feng, serving him tea and water and passing him silk scrolls.

"It's Boyan."

Liu Feng put down his writing brush, looked up and saw Lu Xun, and immediately greeted him with a smile, "Please sit down and talk."

Immediately afterwards, Liu Feng turned to his head and instructed, "Xiao Qiao'er, serve Boyan a bowl of fresh tea."

Lu Xun quickly bowed and thanked him, then walked over and said excitedly, "My lord, General Zhao of the southward army sent He Qi to report that Houguan was a great victory! Houguan has now fallen, and the south of Kuaiji has surrendered without a fight. Kuaiji is now pacified."

"oh!?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng was overjoyed.

Then he asked, "He Qi is back?"

Lu Xun was somewhat surprised by Liu Feng's attitude toward He Qi, but immediately nodded: "He is already in the prefectural government office, and I have already arranged for him to have a meal."

Liu Feng had already stood up and immediately said, "Let's go see him!"

Lu Xun was startled; it seemed He Qi held a high position in Liu Feng's heart. Before Xiao Qiao could even brew the tea, Liu Feng had already left with Lu Xun.

********
He Qi arrived in Wanling in the afternoon, having not eaten along the way. Although he was starving, he was extremely excited.

Along the way, thanks to Liu Feng's instructions, he gained Zhao Yun's attention, and whenever he had to make a decision, he would consult with him.

Now they have achieved a complete victory, capturing Houguan and pacifying Huinan.

A true man's achievements are nothing more than this.

Just as He Qi was thinking about how to praise his General Zhao and recount the hardships of the Houguan army that had marched south when he met Liu Feng, Liu Feng suddenly appeared before him.

He Qi once thought he was seeing things because he was so hungry.

Once he regained consciousness, he immediately tried to get up and bow, but Liu Feng stopped him.

"Please sit down, Gongmiao. There's no need for such formalities."

As Liu Feng spoke, he slumped down opposite the other person.

"You've really had a hard time on this trip."

Next, while waiting for the food, He Qi recounted the entire process of traveling south in great detail.

When Lu Xun heard that an epidemic had broken out in Zhao Yun's army and that miasma was rampant, his heart skipped a beat and he almost cried out in alarm. However, he quickly realized that if the epidemic really broke out in Zhao Yun's army, they would not be able to take Houguan County, let alone protect themselves.

Sure enough, He Qi quickly changed the subject and mentioned the medicines prepared in the army, especially the leaves and bark of Artemisia annua and Cinchona tree, which were extremely effective and quick to take effect, successfully preventing a large-scale plague.

At this point, He Qi couldn't help but reveal his admiration for Liu Feng. He was a southerner living in a malaria-ridden place, yet he didn't know as much as Liu Feng, a northerner.

Even the miasma was dispelled by the medicinal herbs recommended by Liu Feng, which undoubtedly made He Qi overjoyed beyond measure.

Because He Qi was from the South, he was particularly aware of how important effective remedies for relieving miasma were to Southerners.

Today, the entire Jiangdong region has a population of no more than ten million, and half of these ten million are Yue people from the mountains.

However, the territory of Jiangdong is much larger than that of Yanzhou and Xuzhou. It is no exaggeration to say that Yuzhang is equivalent to Yanzhou, and Kuaiji is comparable to Xuzhou.

But why is there such a huge population gap? Even with the addition of the Baiyue people in the mountains, their population is still less than that of the two provinces in the Central Plains.

One of the biggest problems was the miasma.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which coincided with the Little Ice Age, temperatures were lower than usual.

But precisely because of the overall temperature drop, the temperature in the south is not only more suitable for survival, but also more suitable for farming.

At this time, Liu Feng produced a good medicine that could dispel miasma, and several key difficulties in developing the south were easily resolved.

How could He Qi not be incredibly excited?
"My lord, the miasma has now been cleared. We only need to subdue the Yue tribes to develop the southern frontier."

He Qi excitedly said, somewhat incoherently, "The south has many lakes and marshes. As long as we can solve the miasma problem, we will definitely be able to reclaim a large number of paddy fields and plant rice. What is there to fear even if we raise hundreds of thousands of soldiers?"

Excluding Shu, the entire south had already surpassed the northern provinces in area during the Eastern Han Dynasty, but in reality, the differences in economy, population, and arable land area between the two sides were not small.

The three prefectures of Jing, Yang, and Jiao appear to be very large, but in reality, only six of them have been developed.

The most fertile and influential area is naturally the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain.

This plain is currently composed of three smaller plains: the Taihu Plain, the Hangzhou-Ningbo Plain, and the Danyang Plain. In terms of area, economy, population, and technological level, it is the largest in the Jiangnan region.

Secondly, there is the Poyang Lake Plain, which is the former Yuzhang Prefecture that Liu Feng just reclaimed.

This plain, which encircles Poyang Lake, is one of the smallest in area, but it is rich in fertile soil and has abundant water.

The third area is the Jianghan Plain, which is second only to the Yangtze River Plain in size. Moreover, like the Yangtze River Plain, it is one of only two places that are less affected by miasma.

It is no exaggeration to say that two-fifths of the Han Chinese population in the south are now concentrated on these two plains.

The remaining three areas are the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal plain, the Pearl River Delta plain, and the Red River Delta plain.

The Zhejiang-Fujian coastal plain is a long, fragmented plain situated along the coastline. This plain is not only narrow and dilapidated, but also lacks convenient land transportation, relying more on sea routes. The area is also rife with miasma, and the mountains to the north are home to countless Baiyue and Jingman tribes. The development difficulty is arguably the highest, making it a hellish place.

Secondly, there are the Pearl River Delta Plain and the Red River Delta Plain, which are simply blessed lands. Both of these plains are very large, each being 1.5 to 2 times the size of the Poyang Lake Plain.

Most importantly, these two plains are not only near the sea, but the biggest difficulty in developing them is the miasma. Other difficulties are relatively low. The sparse population was originally a big problem, but now that a large number of scholars and refugees from the north have poured in, the problem has been solved much more than expected.

Once the miasma problem is solved, it will be a piece of cake for Liu Feng, who has the legal authority over Jiaozhi, to take them down.

No wonder He Qi was so happy.

Liu Feng looked at He Qi, feeling secretly satisfied.

Just then, the meal was ready, and Liu Feng reassured him, "Gongmiao, please eat first. We can discuss other matters after the meal. I have an important task for you."

He Qi obediently ate his meal first, and then followed Liu Feng to the study.

The reason Liu Feng was so happy to hear that He Qi had returned was not actually because Zhao Yun's army had won a great victory.

Well, that's part of the reason, but a large part of it is indeed because of He Qi himself.

Although He Qi doesn't have much of a role in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was an indispensable general in the official history of Eastern Wu.

From the very beginning of its founding, Eastern Wu faced two problems: internal and external threats. The outer ring naturally consisted of the Jianghuai region of Cao Wei. Without the Jianghuai region, it would be difficult to defend Jiangdong. This was the fundamental reason why the emperor's 100,000 troops insisted on fighting to the death at Hefei.

The internal troubles, of course, came from the millions of Baiyue people living in the mountains of Jiangdong.

These Baiyue people were dissatisfied with Sun Quan and engaged in various rebellions, plundering, and destruction.

He Qi was widely recognized by the generals of Eastern Wu as the "nemesis of the Baiyue".

He Qi enjoyed extremely high prestige among the Baiyue people, and Baiyue women and children often used He Qi to frighten disobedient children in the tribe. There was no particular reason for this; the only explanation was that He Qi had beaten the Baiyue people too badly.

He Qi repeatedly triumphed over the strong with the weak and the many with the few, effortlessly defeating the Baiyue.

The most absurd thing is that Heqi was often able to win annihilation battles in the mountains, which should actually be the home ground of the Baiyue people.

Having been utterly humiliated on their home turf, who else could they possibly lose to? They could lose to Lu Xun, then to Zhuge Ke, then to Zhongli Mu, and in the end, they could beat anyone.

It can be said that the two commanderies of Yuzhang and Kuaiji in Eastern Wu were pacified by He Qi.

He Qi's brilliant achievements in these two places are countless. Five years after the original timeline, He Qi led a force of less than 10,000 men, 5,000 of whom were brave warriors from various counties, and quelled the Baiyue rebellion in Dongye, beheading 6,000. In one battle, he wiped out all the famous generals of the Yue tribes in Dongye, captured more than 60,000 people, and incorporated more than 10,000 elite soldiers into his army.

Now that Liu Feng has focused his attention on the Baiyue, how could He Qi not be given an important position?
(End of this chapter)