My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 456 Persuading Huan Jie
Therefore, it is clear that Huan Jie's ranking of Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng as the third in the world was not a sign of disrespect, but rather an undeniable compliment.

Therefore, it is not surprising that even though Liu Bei controlled three provinces, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao still regarded each other as their greatest enemy and competed to win him over.

Because Liu Bei's foundation was too shallow, in the eyes of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, Liu Bei was nothing more than a slightly more capable Yuan Shu.

He conquered three prefectures in three years, and was able to cultivate the local areas deeply. His royal authority entered the countryside, the gentry and heroes submitted to him, and the people supported him.

Who believes?

Based on the experience and perspective of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, they would only think that Liu Bei and his son were essentially warlords who were constantly waging war and engaging in endless conquests. They believed that if they could defeat Liu Bei on the battlefield even once, the three provinces would soon be engulfed in flames of war.

In contrast, Cao Cao now has the support of powerful clans and gentry in Henan, and he controls the court and the emperor's authority, making him arguably the most powerful figure in the land.

Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng lacked both Yuan Shao's formidable strength and widespread renown, and Cao Cao's advantage of having the legitimacy of the imperial court. Had they not conquered Yu and Yang provinces, they might not have even come close to Liu Biao. Therefore, it's not surprising that Huan Jie ranked Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng third.

"Uncle is completely wrong!"

Sun Ce immediately shouted loudly, his momentum like the roar of a fierce tiger, leaving Huan Jie dumbfounded.

Following this, Sun Ce continued, "The current situation is that of the late Qin Dynasty and the late Xin Dynasty. While a strong army and powerful horses should not be underestimated, what is more important is to find a wise ruler. My father's fault lies in this."

Huan Jie was greatly surprised. In this era, the worship of ancestors far surpassed that of later generations.

Let alone writing so blatantly about one's father, one should never be humble when others praise one's father or ancestors.

When others praise you, you can be humble; this shows your open-mindedness.

But when others praise your father, grandfather, or ancestors, you can't be humble at all. You have to accept it all and even join in the praise, otherwise you're considered unfilial. In the Han Dynasty, being unfilial was a social death sentence; even local thugs and ruffians looked down on you.

Therefore, Sun Ce's willingness to state Sun Jian's faults in this way, even in a secret room, was enough to shock Huan Jie.

“Uncle, I am not an unfilial person. It is because you have done a great favor for my family. In the past, my father’s remains were brought back to our hometown thanks to your life-and-death efforts. This kindness is as high as the mountains and as deep as the sea, as if you were given a second life. I will never forget it for a moment.”

Sun Ce first offered a reassuring remark, then continued, "Uncle, the decision regarding Jingnan is not solely my responsibility; you are truly unable to extricate yourself. Therefore, I have risked my life to present my views to you, hoping for your wise consideration."

Upon hearing this, Huan Jie finally understood what Sun Ce meant.

Sun Ce was reminding himself that no matter what choice Jingnan made, as Zhang Xian's chief confidant, the local leader, the chief clerk of the prefecture, and a renowned scholar of Jingnan, he could never escape involvement.

This also means that if Jingnan makes the right choice, he might not get any credit if he doesn't step in, but if he makes the wrong choice, he will definitely suffer the consequences.

Zhang Xian wasn't a local, but Huan Jie was a true local tyrant. Could Huan Jie afford to pay this price?

Especially since Yuan and Cao were far away, while Liu Feng was right in front of them.

After Sun Ce finished speaking, he stared intently at Huan Jie, whose face remained calm, but who was inwardly extremely anxious.

Deep down, Huan Jie actually favored Cao Cao the most, after all, Cao Cao controlled the court, was quite powerful, and was the rightful regent general.

However, Cao Cao was not only the weakest of the three in terms of strength, but he was also far away from Jingnan.

As for Liu Bei and Liu Feng, Huan Jie always had some reservations.

After all, the Liu family rose to power too quickly.

Sun Jian was already considered a rising star by the world, but the Liu family's rise to power was even more rapid than Sun Jian's.

After hesitating for a long time, Huan Jie asked with some difficulty, "Does Bo Fu believe that Liu Bei and Liu Zisheng are wise rulers?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce revealed a slightly arrogant smile: "Liu Xuande is of average appearance. If it weren't for his son, he would probably still be mediocre in the East Sea today."

Huan Jie was surprised: "Bo Fu thinks so highly of Liu Zisheng?"

A hint of embarrassment and discouragement flashed across Sun Ce's face as he sighed, "I pride myself on my bravery and strength, yet I have been defeated by Liu Zisheng. I am truly convinced of my defeat."

Huan Jie gasped. When had he ever seen Sun Ce, who was even more unruly than Sun Jian, have such an honest expression and speak like this?

At this point, Huan Jie was already somewhat tempted.

After pondering for a quarter of an hour, Huan Jie conceded: "Nephew, what is your purpose in coming to see me?"

Sun Ce was secretly pleased, realizing that this was Huan Jie's concession, so he revealed his plan.

“Uncle, the Jingbei army has just retreated, and we must not let them escape at will. I am willing to lead several thousand elite troops to pursue them. If there is an opportunity, we should be able to win two or three small victories. At the very least, we can slow down the Jingbei army’s northward advance.”

At this point, Sun Ce paused, deliberately feigning hesitation, before continuing, "To be honest, Uncle, if I am not mistaken, my lord has already personally led a large army westward, intending to encircle the Jingbei army south of the Yangtze River."

Huan Jie was startled upon hearing this, but then became somewhat excited.

He might have hesitated between Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei, but he never thought highly of Liu Biao from beginning to end.

Huan Jie was undoubtedly the mastermind and true culprit behind the recent uprising in Jingnan.

If Liu Feng's Yangzhou army could truly come west and wipe out the Jingbei army, Huan Jie would certainly support it.

Next, Sun Ce continued, "After we annihilate the Jingbei army, the main force will take advantage of the situation to move south. Although Linxiang is a fortified city, how can it stop my Yangzhou army?"

“Uncle, my lord’s troops are particularly skilled at attacking cities. Wuxian and Moling in Yangzhou are both fortified cities with well-trained soldiers and ample supplies, and their walls are high and their moats deep. I even deployed tens of thousands of troops, but they couldn’t hold out for more than a season. How long do you think Linxiang City can hold out, Uncle?”

Huan Jie was completely shaken; Sun Ce's words were almost a blatant threat.

As a member of the gentry in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Huan Jie was all too aware of the consequences of troops from other provinces entering the country.

In fact, let alone other states, just looking at what the Jingbei Army did in Jingnan is enough to make people tremble with fear.

If the Jingbei army, which also belongs to Jingzhou, is in such a state, will they have any chance of survival when the Yangzhou army arrives?

Huan Jie was unaware of Liu Feng's emphasis on military discipline and continued to view the issue through his old lens.

However, this mistake, ironically, frightened Huan Jie into making a decision immediately.

“Nephew, since the Jingbei army entered our territory, the people have suffered terribly, and the masses have been displaced. How can we not avenge this hatred?”

Huan Jie immediately assured him, "Don't worry, just wait for my news. I'll change my clothes and head to the prefectural government right away."

Sun Ce was overjoyed, knowing that Huan Jie had completely sided with him, and that Huan Jie had a lot of influence over Zhang Xian, even more so than Zhang Yi.

As long as Huan Jie intervened, even if he didn't regain military power, at least he could select several thousand elite troops to pursue the enemy out of the city. Huan Jie immediately changed his clothes and prepared to go to the prefectural government, with Sun Ce following behind him.

When the two reached the door, Huan Jie instructed Sun Ce to stay in the mansion and wait for him to return so they could talk.

Just then, a rider came galloping from afar. Upon seeing Sun Ce, he tumbled off his horse and rushed forward, saying, "General Sun, a letter has arrived from Yangzhou."

Sun Ce and Huan Jie exchanged a glance, both filled with surprise and doubt. Then, Sun Ce stepped forward, took the silk scroll, and began to read it.

Before long, Sun Ce's face lit up with ecstasy. He turned around and handed the silk scroll to Huan Jie, saying loudly, "A letter from Yangzhou reports a great victory at Zhouling. My lord personally supervised the battle, and the navy utterly defeated the Jingzhou navy on the river outside Zhouling, capturing Huang Zu alive."

Huan Jie was about to take the silk scroll when he suddenly heard Sun Ce's words, and his mind wavered, so he failed to take it.

The silk scroll slowly fell, but Huan Jie was unaware of it, staring blankly at Sun Ce, whose face was full of joy.

At this moment, Huan Jie had only one thought in his mind: he had made the right bet.

Sun Ce did not blame Huan Jie for his loss of composure at all; on the contrary, he was very understanding and took the initiative to pick up the silk scroll and hand it back to Huan Jie.

Huan Jie hurriedly opened the document and carefully examined it, only to discover that the Yangzhou navy had not only decisively defeated the Jingzhou navy and captured Huang Zu alive, but had also taken over 40,000 prisoners and killed or drowned 7,000 to 8,000. Cai Mao had fled in disarray, the Jiangxia navy had been completely wiped out, and the Xiangyang navy had also suffered heavy losses.

More than 40,000 prisoners!?

Huan Jie was experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. On one hand, he was pleasantly surprised by Liu Zisheng's skill in battle, but on the other hand, he was alarmed by the fact that Jingnan's resources were far too limited. All of his men, including his personal retainers, were no match for the prisoners captured in a single battle.

Fortunately, they're already on our side.

Huan Jie slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, the coldness in his heart vanished, and a surge of heat rose from the bottom of his heart.

"Come, Bo Fu, come with me!"

Huan Jie's body, which had been somewhat stiff, regained its strength, and he immediately strode towards the carriage: "Let's go to the prefectural government to deal with the most urgent matter."

**
After arriving in Xiakou, Gan Ning immediately summoned Zhu Huan and Chen Wu.

Zhu Huan was the head of the Zhu family, one of the four great families in Wu. Chen Wu was a trusted confidant of Sun Ce, responsible for commanding his elite troops. After the great defeat at Qiantang, he surrendered with Sun Ce.

These two men were no match for Gan Ning in terms of seniority, bravery, or official rank, not to mention that Gan Ning had orders from Liu Feng.

Therefore, the two quickly expressed their willingness to follow Gan Ning's lead.

Gan Ning was very pleased to see Zhu Huan and Chen Wu being so honest, and his attitude became much gentler as a result.

However, there was a slight discrepancy when inquiring about troop strength.

"Why are there only seven thousand soldiers?"

Gan Ning looked displeased and stared at Zhu Huan and Chen Wu with a suspicious gaze.

Zhu Huan and Chen Wu were both hot-tempered, but they didn't dare to lose their temper in front of Gan Ning.

Everyone knows that this man is Liu Feng's trusted and beloved general, and even Liu Feng is very tolerant of him. These surrendered generals can't possibly confront him just because of their attitude.

Fortunately, there was a reason for the incident, and Zhu Huan and Chen Wu quickly offered an explanation.

The messenger ship that had previously reported the victory brought a proclamation, along with orders to mobilize troops. This allowed the army stationed at Shaxian to begin its westward march in preparation for the next phase of the plan.

When Zhu Huan and Chen Wu learned that Jiangxia's navy had ambushed them behind the Yangzhou navy at the very end of the Battle of Zhouling, they were nearly scared to death.

Fortunately, Liu Feng did not pursue their responsibility. This was not because Liu Feng did not care, but because Liu Feng felt that it was really not Zhu Huan and Chen Wu's fault.

The two men, with inferior forces, had already done their duty by sealing off Xiakou and blocking Zhang Yun. Even Liu Feng himself hadn't anticipated that Huang Zu would have hidden an ambush in the Tu River, so how can Zhu Huan and Chen Wu be blamed?

Liu Feng did not blame the two of them, but they felt guilty. Therefore, fearing that the army would encounter Chen Sheng's defeated troops when heading west, they specially set aside a thousand men and two hundred ships of various sizes to escort the army to Baqiu.

After receiving the explanation, Gan Ning felt a little guilty.

However, an apology was out of the question. Gan Ning immediately turned his anger into joy and said, "Xiu Mu, Zi Lie, I have a good thing to discuss with you. I just don't know if you have the courage."

Zhu Huan still possessed the pride of a noble family, but Chen Wu was a true gentry. He was already dissatisfied with Gan Ning's aggressive demeanor, but since he was stronger than Gan Ning, he dared not confront him and could only grit his teeth and silently endure it.

Hearing Gan Ning's words, he could no longer hold back and immediately raised his head and shouted, "Why does the Commander look down on me? Although I am lowly, I know honor and shame. If the Commander does not reject me, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

After Chen Wu spoke, Zhu Huan couldn't hold back any longer. He then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "I am deeply grateful for the great kindness of my lord, who has promoted me time and again. Even if I were to die, I could not repay even a fraction of this favor. Now that I am concerned about the affairs of the state, how could I possibly cherish my life? I am willing to die for my lord and the general!"

"Good! Good!"

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning was overjoyed, completely ignoring the subtle barbs hidden in their words.

"My lords, I intend to defeat Zhang Yun at Xiakou."

Gan Ning revealed his true intentions: "I beg you two to help me! After this is accomplished, I will not claim all the credit for myself."

Zhu Huan and Chen Wu were shocked, not expecting Gan Ning to have such a big appetite.

However, upon closer examination, three battalions of over ten thousand elite naval troops have already been assembled here, while Zhang Yun only has twenty to thirty thousand men under his command. Almost all of their warships are small boats, as the larger ships have all been taken away by Cai Mao in front.

In that sense, Gan Ning's plan does have some merit.

As they thought about it, both Zhu Huan and Chen Wu began to feel tempted.

The resentment from before was instantly burned to ashes by the fervor of achieving merit, leaving only a burning passion.

Next, Gan Ning asked Zhu Huan and Chen Wu for a lot of information.

The two men held Xiakou for a long time, and Zhang Yun's troops only launched a few probing attacks before retreating. Now they set up camp fifty miles from Xiakou, at the confluence of the Han and Yu rivers, a strategic transportation hub.

After retreating, Zhang Yun also deployed 5,000 infantrymen to camp on the shore, coordinating with the naval camp. At the same time, he attempted to reinforce Xiakou by land, but was ambushed and defeated by Zhou Yu, suffering over a thousand casualties.

Gan Ning talked with Zhu Huan and Chen Wu for an entire night and learned a great deal of intelligence.

The next morning, he led over a hundred personal guards and more than ten small boats upstream to conduct an on-site investigation of Zhang Yun's camp.

(End of this chapter)