My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 459 Jingnan Siding
"Your Excellency, you almost ruined your lifelong reputation!"

Huan Jie strode to Zhang Xian's side, bent down, and grasped Zhang Xian's hand, saying, "Does Your Excellency know that Sun Bofu is brave and decisive, and exceptionally fierce? Although he is young, he dares to regard all the heroes of the world as nothing. He crossed the Yangtze River, defeated Liu Yao, destroyed Xu Gong, and defeated Wang Lang. Within a year, the Yangtze River bowed down to him."

"Does Your Excellency know how he is currently serving under the Left General?"

Huan Jie's question not only piqued Zhang Xian's curiosity, but also puzzled Zhang Yi, who was standing nearby.

After Huan Jie had attracted the attention of the two men, he then recounted Sun Ce's experiences in Jiangdong.

"My lord, Wu County is fortified with high walls and deep moats, and its soldiers are well-trained and its provisions are plentiful, yet it could not hold out against General Zuo for even a season. Who in Linxiang does not know of Sun Bofu's bravery and skill in battle these past few months?"

Huan Jie asked solemnly, "But Sun Ce's army was wiped out in the Battle of Qiantang. He barely escaped with his life and fled back to Shanyin County. He had no choice but to surrender. Do you think Linxiang is much stronger than Wu County? How do the soldiers of Linxiang compare to the elite troops under Sun Ce?"

Huan Jie's words resonated like a great bell in the ears of Zhang Xian and his son.

Following Huan Jie's instructions, the two couldn't help but switch places, and immediately felt a chill in their hearts and were filled with fear.

Linxiang was only on par with Wu County. If Liu Feng could conquer Wu County in two months, he could also take Linxiang. Not to mention that the garrison of Linxiang was really no match for Sun Ce's troops.

"My lord, you must not forget that the father of the Left General is the General of the Cavalry and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who has the power to participate in government affairs."

Huan Jie concluded by reminding us: "Our uprising against Liu Biao is in accordance with the Emperor's will and the court's order, and it is an act of assisting the righteous and resisting the rebellious. But if it were the Yangzhou army, it would be defying the court and they would be branded as traitors."

Zhang Xian and his son Zhang Yi were immediately shocked. Upon reflection, they realized it was indeed as Huan Jie had said. Moreover, the most important point was that they were confident they could hold out against Liu Biao by raising up the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou.

But if it were the Yangzhou army, they would have lost all confidence.

Zhang Xian glanced at his son Zhang Yi, and knew that Huan Jie must have something to gain from saying all that. So he waved his hand at his son and said, "Yi'er, please step back first. I have important matters to discuss with Duke Huan."

Zhang Yi was reluctant to comply, but Zhang Xian insisted, so he had no choice but to take his leave.

After Zhang Yi left, Zhang Xian opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly started coughing violently.

Huan Jie saw this and hurriedly stepped forward to pat Zhang Xian's back, but was unexpectedly grabbed by Zhang Xian.

"Bo Xu, have you come to persuade me to surrender to Liu?"

Zhang Xian's gaze was fixed on Huan Jie. Although he was still coughing incessantly, his eyes were burning with intensity, making him seem nothing like a patient.

Huan Jie felt a pang of anxiety, but then relaxed.

He ignored Zhang Xian's tightly gripped left wrist, and continued to soothe the other's cough with his right hand before replying, "The emperor's surname is Liu, and the world's surname is Liu. You are the prefect of Changsha appointed by the court. How can you say that you have surrendered to Liu?"

Zhang Xian stared intently at Huan Jie, who met his gaze without fear.

After a moment, Huan Jie spoke first, asking, "My lord, with your achievements and reputation, you would surely be a minister in the court, and you could also quell the war in Jingnan. Why not do it?"

Zhang Xian's heart stirred. He was well aware that he only controlled one prefecture in the world. The other three prefectures would follow him because of his reputation and because they needed a leader to resist Liu Biao of Jingbei.

His status as the ruler of Jingnan was illegitimate, lacking both legal basis and imperial decree.

Now that the Jingbei army has retreated, the other three commanderies will naturally no longer respect Zhang Xian as their lord. Now, the powerful clans of Linxiang, led by Huan Jie, are persuading him to submit to Liu Feng, and Zhang Xian's already weak ambition has been extinguished.

"Is it truly possible to hold the position of one of the Nine Ministers?"

"really!"

Huan Jie looked certain. Although he was lying at the moment, in Huan Jie's opinion, Liu Zisheng would be incredibly foolish to refuse a position as one of the Nine Ministers in exchange for four counties in Jingnan.

Zhang Xian sighed deeply, and after a moment, he spoke again: "Bo Xu, may I trouble you with something?"

"What are your orders, my lord? I will gladly die for you!"

Huan Jie still felt indebted to Zhang Xian. Although he had his own selfish motives in persuading Zhang Xian to surrender, he did indeed choose the better outcome for Zhang Xian after weighing the pros and cons.

Zhang Xian whispered, "I've heard that Liu Zisheng, though young, is a man of exceptional talent. I intend to have Ziming serve him. I wonder if Boxu could help me make this happen?"

Huan Jie suddenly realized that Zhang Xian clearly felt that a position as one of the Nine Ministers was not enough to reward his merits, nor was it a guarantee of success, hence his desire to negotiate.

So he agreed without hesitation, and even offered his services, saying, "My lord, do not worry, I will personally handle this matter."

Huan Jie secretly made up his mind to do his best to secure a good treatment for Zhang Yi. Putting aside other matters, since Liu Feng had already started a war with Liu Biao, there was a high probability that Nanyang would be captured in the future. At that time, he might be able to secure a position as a candidate for the Nanyang Xiaolian position for Zhang Yi.

Even if Nanyang cannot be recovered for the time being, as long as one can obtain the position of Governor of Jingzhou or Prefect of Jingzhou, one will still have the right to recommend Zhang Yi.

At the very least, Liu Feng's father, Liu Bei, was a General of the Cavalry, one of the Three Dukes, and could recommend one person as an outstanding talent and two people as filial and incorruptible officials each year.

Huan Jie was fairly confident about this, but he didn't mention it at the moment, wanting to give Zhang Xian a surprise.

Zhang Xian received a satisfactory answer. He was a decisive and upright man, and immediately said, "In that case, the registrar can send someone to Baqiu to pay homage to the Left General. I am old and in poor health, and wish to entrust the affairs of Changsha Prefecture to you. I hope the Left General will not find it offensive."

Huan Jie was overjoyed and immediately agreed.

**
Sun Ce spent only half a day selecting five thousand elite troops, each carrying only seven days' worth of rations, before hastily heading north to pursue them, fearing the escape of Kuai Yue's forces. Subsequent supplies were entirely entrusted to Huan Jie.

It can be said that if Huan Jie had encountered problems, Sun Ce would likely have run out of supplies.

However, it was precisely because Sun Ce dared to take risks, traveling forty or fifty miles a day and forcibly pursuing them for three days, that he finally caught up with the Jingbei army on the south bank of Dongting Lake.

Liu Hu was ordered to take charge of the waterways, which effectively made him the rearguard of the entire army.

He attempted to break out of the siege twice with his navy, but Zhou Tai drove them back each time, resulting in the loss of dozens of warships and hundreds of soldiers.

Left with no other choice, he decided to burn the warships, head south to the south bank of Dongting Lake, and pursue Kuai Yue.

What Liu Hu didn't expect was that Sun Ce caught up at that moment and blocked Liu Hu's path.

Having received the news, Zhou Tai led his navy into the Xiang River, passing Baqiu but not entering, and went straight after Liu Hu.

The three sides fought a major battle south of Dongting Lake.

Liu Hu's retreat was actually quite fast, and it was a combined land and water retreat. Unfortunately, Sun Ce had detected the movements of the Jingbei army and precisely set up camp on the main road to ambush them.

Although Liu Hu's main force was elite, Sun Jian's former troops were not weak either.

Liu Hu immediately deployed his most elite spearmen to launch a fierce attack on Sun Ce's camp.

However, encouraged by Sun Ce, Sun Jian's former troops held their positions and refused to yield an inch.

Liu Hu launched a fierce attack on Sun Ce's camp for half a day. Although he broke through the first line of defense, Sun Ce successfully led the first line of defenders into the second line of defense and continued to hold out.

Liu Hu wanted to continue the attack, but at this time Zhou Tai's Yangzhou navy had arrived from behind. Even though Liu Hu's forces were all Liu Biao's elite troops, they were powerless to turn the tide.

The next morning, the battle resumed. Although Liu Hu's elite troops fought valiantly and held out for four hours, they were ultimately defeated when Zhou Tai and Sun Ce broke through from the east and west.

In this battle, Liu Hu's main force of 5,000 men suffered 2,000 dead and 2,000 wounded, while the navy burned their warships and fought a fierce battle ashore, also suffering more than half of their casualties.

Of Liu Hu's more than 10,000 men, more than 3,000 died in battle, and the rest were captured. Liu Hu was captured after being seriously wounded, and his deputy general Han Xi died in battle. In the end, more than 700 seriously wounded men could not be saved and died one after another from their injuries.

In this battle, Sun Ce's troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than half of their 5,000 men killed or wounded, and over 1,000 dying on the spot. Zhou Tai's troops also lost more than 400 men. Fortunately, most of the wounded were able to be treated, but more than 200 died from their injuries and illnesses.

This battle was still a great victory, with a casualty ratio as high as 1:5. After discussing it with Sun Ce, Zhou Tai sent a letter to Liu Feng to announce the victory.

As for Kuai Yue's troops, Sun Ce still wanted to pursue them, but was dissuaded by Zhou Tai and Dong Xi.

Sun Ce was born to be a great general, and Dong Xi was also quite capable of commanding troops. Zhou Tai was far inferior to the other two in terms of strategic vision, especially compared to Sun Ce, he was clearly one or two levels below.

Even Zhou Tai could tell that Kuai Yue and the others wanted to escape to Chanling.

Chanling is on the opposite bank of Jiangling. As long as the navy reaches the river outside Jiangling, they can block the enemy's way across the river.

At that time, the enemy's situation would be somewhat better than in Baqiu. Although they would have towns like Chanling, Gong'an, and Lexiang to rely on, improving their tactical environment, unlike Baqiu where they were surrounded by enemies from the north and south, their strategic situation would still not improve. They would be unable to cross the Yangtze River and return to their important town of Jiangling.

If that's the case, why abandon the easy path and pursue Kuai Yue's army by land, giving up the advantage of the navy?

Without the assistance of Zhou Tai, Dong Xi, Jiang Qin, and others, Sun Ce only had a little over three thousand men left. It was nothing short of a pipe dream to try and pursue Kuai Yue's tens of thousands of troops with such a small force.

Helpless, Sun Ce had no choice but to stop while he was ahead.

However, he did not return to Linxiang, but instead led his followers to Jiangling with Zhou Tai.

**
Liu Feng was in Shaxian City at the time when he received several proclamations.

First came a report of victory from Zhou Tai, reporting the annihilation of Liu Hu's troops, and also the speculation that Kuai Yue's troops had successfully escaped and were heading to Chanling.

That afternoon, Lu Bu from Gan Ning also arrived. Upon learning that Gan Ning had successfully launched a night raid on Zhang Yun, inflicting a great defeat on his army, killing and capturing over ten thousand, while suffering only two thousand casualties himself, Liu Feng immediately praised Gan Ning highly.

Especially when they saw Gan Ning, all alone, leading only a few personal guards, dare to sneak into Zhang Yun's camp under the cover of night, and even circle around to gather all sorts of intelligence before leisurely leaving the camp before dawn.

Liu Feng couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Xingba is truly a man of immense courage!"

After saying that, Liu Feng suddenly remembered that this was his father's praise for Uncle Zilong. How could he have just blurted it out?
Fortunately, there were no outsiders in the cabin, only a few clerks.

After putting the two reports of victory together, Liu Feng began to think about his next step.

Now that Zhang Yun has been captured, Zhou Yu can focus all his efforts on attacking the city. It is expected that although Xiakou is strong, it should not be able to hold out for more than a few days.

Moreover, it is currently the high-water season, and without the threat of Zhang Yun's navy, Liu Feng can even boldly sail upstream. For at least two or three months, he will not have to worry about the threat posed by Xiakou City to his supply ships. And two or three months is more than enough time for Zhou Yu to take Xiakou.

In that case, should we first recall a portion of the Vanguard Army and the Rescue Army to go upstream along the Han River and open up the passage to Xiangyang?

It should be noted that although the Han River was already under Liu Feng's control, there were still obstacles to heading north.

Lankouju, Ruoguocheng, and Qiguocheng are all key locations.

After much deliberation, Liu Feng rejected his idea.

Zhang Yun's troops have also been wiped out, and Xiangyang's military strength will inevitably be depleted. Even if they wanted to replenish their forces, they could not do so much in a short period of time.

In that case, Liu Feng should naturally prioritize the south, focusing all his efforts on eliminating Kuai Yue and capturing Jiangling.

However, heading north to Xiangyang was not out of the question. After some consideration, Liu Feng made a decision.

Previously, to ensure the safety of the rear, Zhou Yu's troops had divided into two counties, Qichun and Xiazhi, each with 1,000 soldiers, Echeng with 2,000 soldiers, and Zhucheng with 4,000 soldiers.

Now, only the Yangzhou navy remains on the Yangtze River.

Because of Huang Zu, Xiling surrendered two days ago, meaning that Liu Biao's army can no longer threaten any city along the Yangtze River.

This also means that the troops that Liu Feng originally arranged to be stationed on the rear route can now be mobilized.

Liu Feng immediately ordered the mobilization of 2,000 troops from Zhucheng, 1,000 troops from Echeng, 1,000 troops from Qichun and Xiazhi, and 3,000 troops from Xiling, totaling 7,000 men, to reinforce Gan Ning's forces. He also ordered Gan Ning to lead his own troops, Zhu Huan's troops, Chen Wu's troops, and the reinforcements, totaling 16,000 men, northwards first to pave the way for the main army and seize key points along the Han River.

He then sent another order to Yangzhou, commanding Jia Kui's troops to depart immediately and come to Jingzhou to await orders.

At the same time, an order was also sent to Zhou Tai, instructing him to block the flow of traffic north and south of the Yangtze River and strictly forbid Kuai Yue from returning to Jiangling. Once the Cuifeng Army and Wanlan Army arrived, they would land on the north bank of the river and attack Jiangling first.

Pang Tong has now been back in Jiangling for several months, and Liu Feng is unaware of the specifics of his situation.

Before Pang Tong left, he had already instructed him that if things went well, all the better, but if things did not go well, he hoped that Pang Tong would be wise enough to protect himself.

Especially now, Jiangling City has only a few thousand soldiers. Even if you add the troops of powerful clans and the conscripted young men, the number may not even reach ten thousand.

Jiangling is a large city, and with such a small number of people, it would be difficult to defend it, and it would not be hard to break through.

It is believed that once the Cui Feng Army and the Wan Lan Army arrive at the gates of Jiangling City, they will provide Pang Tong with considerable assistance.

(End of this chapter)