My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 460 Deploying Troops in Jiangling
When Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun's troops arrived at Baqiu, Liu Feng's orders also followed.

The two of them discussed it with Zhou Tai and Sun Ce.

According to Sun Ce's official rank, he was not qualified to attend such a high-level military conference.

Unfortunately, Sun Ce now has an additional, informal identity that has increased his authority.

That was the identity of the Jingnan Army Captain that Zhang Xian had temporarily recommended to him.

This means that Sun Ce was representing the military power of the four commanderies in Jingnan at this time.

Based on this point alone, Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun are both broad-minded and have a grand vision, so they naturally wouldn't underestimate Sun Ce and exclude him from the meeting.

Seeing Taishi Ci sitting upright in the main seat, Sun Ce was filled with emotion.

Three years ago, the two had fought in Guangling City. At that time, Sun Ce valued the other party quite a bit and had the idea of ​​recruiting him.

But now, Taishi Ci is the commander of the Cuifeng Army, a dignified general of the Han Dynasty, and the person in charge of all the generals present.

Sun Ce was merely a colonel, two ranks lower than Taishi Ci.

This meeting had only two agenda items: how to deal with Baqiu and whether to take Jingnan into consideration.

"General, Baqiu is neither defensible nor necessary to defend."

Zhao Yun spoke first. Among the generals present, his status was no less than that of Taishi Ci. However, Taishi Ci was the commander-in-chief of this battle, while he was the deputy commander, which is why he was ranked below Taishi Ci.

Having made up his mind, Zhao Yun was the first to speak, revealing his considerations.

“There are hardly any civilians left in Baqiu City now, and not a single resource left. If we were to station troops there, we would inevitably have to decide how many troops to deploy. If we deploy too many, we would weaken our main force and waste resources. If we deploy too few, we would not be effective.”

Just as Zhao Yun had said, Baqiu City was almost completely emptied at this time.

Kuai Yue took away all the food and supplies, and the able-bodied people in the city were all conscripted as laborers, while the old and weak were abandoned inside and outside the city.

Now that the Yangtze River is under Yangzhou's control, and Kuai Yue is traveling by land, Baqiu can hardly be considered a strategically important location.

Zhou Tai hesitated and said, "If we don't garrison Baqiu, the supply line will be over 1,500 li long. Isn't that...?"

Taishi Ci frowned slightly. Zhou Tai's opinion was not wrong. If Baqiu was used as a relay point to stockpile supplies, the distance could be shortened to more than 300 li.

Just as Taishi Ci was deliberating, Sun Ce spoke up, saying, "General, you may not know this, but there is a port city outside Jiangling called Jinxiang Port, which is the most important stronghold near Jiangling. Although it is a port city, it can accommodate thousands of ships, and its port and treasury are well-equipped with abundant supplies. If we can capture this place, it will not only provide a storage place for our army, but the grain and weapons there will also be enough to supply the army for half a year."

"oh!?"

Sun Ce's words not only attracted the attention of Taishi Ci, but also drew the attention of Zhao Yun, Zhou Tai and others.

Sun Ce, however, was greatly encouraged and continued, "My father once served as the governor of Changsha. He traveled south from Luozhong and passed through Jiangling, so he knows the geography of this place."

Taishi Ci and the others suddenly realized what was happening and were immediately captivated.

"In that case, let's ignore Baqiu for now and head to Jinxiang Port first. If we can capture Jinxiang, we won't need to worry about Baqiu anymore. If things change, we can send a detachment back to Baqiu."

Taishi Ci made the final decision, which was unanimously approved by Zhao Yun and others.

Thus, the military council moved on to the next topic: how to deal with Jingnan.

When this topic was brought up, everyone's eyes invariably fell on Sun Ce.

There was no other reason than that Sun Ce was not only leading the army from Jingnan at this time, but he had also just come from Jingnan. He could be said to be the person who knew the situation in Jingnan and Linxiang best among all those present.

Sun Ce hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "In my humble opinion, Jingnan should perhaps be treated with more leniency than rigor."

Zhou Tai didn't quite understand, so he asked in confusion, "What does Bo Fu mean by this?"

Zhao Yun spoke up to answer for Sun Ce: "Bo Fu's meaning should be that we should not bully Jingnan, but rather be gentle rather than forceful."

Sun Ce immediately nodded and affirmed, "That's right. Before I went north, I consulted with Huan Gong, the chief clerk of Linxiang and a famous scholar from Changsha. Huan Gong also greatly admires you, my lord. Although Zhang Gong is very famous in Jingnan, he is not in good health. If you want to recover Linxiang, my lord, you may be able to take it without a fight."

Taishi Ci glanced at Zhao Yun, who chose to support Sun Ce.

In Zhao Yun's view, the common people suffer the most from the ravages of war. If he could persuade Jingnan to surrender, he could save the people of Jingnan from a war, which would be the most appropriate thing to do.

Zhou Tai also felt that Sun Ce's words made some sense, and he felt that since Baqiu had already been temporarily abandoned, it was not appropriate to divide the troops in Jingnan at this time. It would be better to let it go for the time being and report back to Liu Feng.

This explains why the people in charge were Taishi Ci, Zhao Yun, and Zhou Tai—all of whom were deeply concerned for the people and loved them like their own children. If it had been Pan Zhang or Gan Ning present, they would most likely have been ranked first in military merit.

After everyone finished discussing, the army rested for another day in Baqiu City, and set off again the next day, heading upstream against the Yangtze River towards Jiangling.

The waterway from Baqiu to Jiangling is less than 400 li, and in less than four days, the Yangzhou army had already reached the river outside Jiangling City.

Looking out from the city walls of Jiangling, the Yangtze River was almost entirely filled with Yangzhou warships, densely packed like stars in the sky, stretching as far as the eye could see. It seemed as if an endless stream of ships were sailing out from where the water met the sky.

In an instant, alarms sounded throughout Jiangling City.

At this time, the governor of Nan Commandery was Liu Qi. In the novel, Liu Qi went to Zhuge Liang and begged him for help. With the help of Liu Bei, he finally got advice on how to avoid disaster and was able to save his life.

However, in official history, Liu Qi, as Liu Biao's eldest son and only adult heir, became a highly trusted assistant to Liu Biao at a young age and had long been stationed in various regions for Liu Biao.

Looking at the vast and boundless Yangzhou warships outside the city, even Liu Qi, who was quite courageous, couldn't help but feel his legs go weak.

With only a few thousand soldiers available in the city, Liu Qi was at a loss as to what to do.

He turned to look at the clerk, the merit officer, the captain, and others around him, but he was immediately startled when he saw them.

It turned out that the chief clerk, the merit officer, the captain, and others were in even worse shape than him. Their faces were deathly pale, and they would probably have been sitting on the ground if they hadn't been supported by the people around them.

Liu Qi was furious and wanted to reprimand someone, but the words wouldn't come out.

Because these clerks, merit officers, and captains were not famous figures in Jiangling, but were all handpicked by him and actively approached by minor gentry and powerful families who were close to the Liu family.

Liu Qi chose them not because of their talent, but simply because they were obedient to him and never dared to disobey him.

After Liu Biao took control of Jingzhou, his authority grew stronger day by day, and his mindset naturally changed. He became increasingly dissatisfied with the spoils being divided among the powerful clans of Jingzhou.

Liu Biao wanted more power and more benefits.

Liu Qi was appointed governor of Nan Commandery with the aim of controlling Jiangling and turning the Jiangling, once home to the powerful clans of Jingzhou, into Liu Biao's Jiangling. This explains why the Pang and Feng families, though residing in Nan Commandery, were not employed by Liu Qi.

Left with no other choice, Liu Qi could only order heightened security while returning to the prefectural government.

At the same time, Liu Qi also sent people to invite prominent clan leaders and elites such as Pang Degong and Feng Xi to the prefectural government for a meeting.

When the imperial edict was delivered to the Pang family, Pang Tong was having a secret meeting with Pang Degong.

At this time, Pang Tong had also received the news that Liu Feng's army had arrived in Jiangling and was showing off its power on the Yangtze River.

Presumably, they will be landing in the besieged city in the next moment.

Therefore, Pang Tong immediately sought an audience with Pang Degong, hoping to persuade Pang Degong to cooperate with Taishi Ci from within and without, and to offer Jiangling and even the entire Nan Commandery to Liu Feng.

Upon first hearing Pang Tong's words, Pang Degong nearly lost his composure.

He never dreamed that his nephew, who had only gone to Yangzhou for study, would become Liu Feng's cabinet member, let alone that the other party would become Liu Feng's advocate.

Pang Tong held Pang Degong in the highest esteem. He was not a direct descendant of the Pang family, nor did he possess any outstanding talent; he had always been of average appearance.

But Pang Degong never underestimated him. On the contrary, the Pang family, under Pang Degong's leadership, invested in Pang Tong in no less than Pang Degong's own son, Pang Shanmin.

What Pang Tong didn't know was that this year, Pang De Gong Hui contacted a famous scholar from Yuzhou, namely the Water Mirror Master Sima Hui in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, to help Pang Tong make a name for himself throughout the world.

This was a crucial step, from which Pang Tong began to rise in prominence, gaining the qualifications to sit and discuss philosophy with figures such as Gu Yong's son Gu Shao, Lu Kang's grandson Lu Kang, Lu Xun's brother Lu Ji, and Sun Quan's son-in-law Quan Cong. Furthermore, it was because of this that he was recruited by Zhou Yu on behalf of the entire Nan Commandery, becoming its chief clerk.

Although none of these things have happened yet, Pang Tong's respect and gratitude for Pang Degong are no less.

Pang Degong frowned, his mind racing. After the initial shock, he gradually calmed down and realized that Pang Tong's words were not without reason.

Pang Degong was barred from holding office, and the Pang family was confined to Nanjun. Now, they have lost all the important positions in the prefecture, such as chief clerk, merit officer, and commandant.

Even Pang Degong himself wouldn't believe that he didn't hate or resent anyone.

On one hand, there was Liu Qi's various forms of suppression and exploitation; on the other hand, his trusted nephews and nieces were serving in the central government.

After calming down, Pang Degong found himself somewhat tempted.

"Tell me in detail about your experiences studying in Yangzhou, especially your interactions with General Zuo. Do not conceal anything."

Pang Degong immediately rebuked him, saying, "If there is even the slightest inaccuracy, you are not a son of my family."

“Tong An dared to deceive his uncle.”

Pang Tong quickly agreed and then recounted in detail his experiences in Yangzhou, especially how he met Liu Feng, how Liu Feng valued him, treated him as a confidant, and made him a participant in major political affairs.

Pang Degong was dumbfounded, his face flashing with surprise, then doubt, and then confusion.

After a long pause, Pang Degong hesitantly asked the question that had been nagging at him: "Shiyuan, why does the Left General value you so highly?"

If someone else had asked that question, even Pang Tong, with his good temper, would have stormed off.

But the person asking this question was his most respected and grateful uncle, Pang Degong, so Pang Tong naturally couldn't afford to offend him. Besides, Pang Tong himself had thought about this question many times in the dead of night.

This wasn't because Pang Tong lacked confidence, but because Liu Feng treated him exceptionally well.

After much deliberation, Pang Tong could only come up with the four words: "harmony between ruler and minister."

Fortunately, the presence of Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun allowed Pang Tong to gain more confidence.

“Uncle, the Lord’s favor toward Tong is rare, but not unique.”

Pang Tong said, "There is the talented Zhuge Kongming from Langya, whose uncle is Zhuge Xuan, a trusted confidant of the General Who Guards the East. He is even better than me and is also the most favored by the Left General."

"Zhuge Yinyi?"

Zhuge Xuan, courtesy name Yinyi.

Pang Degong was greatly surprised. He and Zhuge Xuan were old acquaintances. They had served under Liu Biao in the past. Zhuge Xuan was one of Liu Biao's confidants and one of his most trusted subordinates. As a local strongman, Pang Degong naturally had connections with him.

Pang Degong just couldn't understand it. Zhuge Yinyi's abilities were only average, but his character was decent. He was diligent in his administration and was trusted by Liu Biao. But to say that he was particularly talented was simply nonsense.

How could his nephew possibly surpass my young phoenix?
Pang Tong smiled wryly and said, "Kongming's talent is indeed superior to mine. I am a few years older than him, but I am really not as good as Kongming."

Pang Degong was shocked again. His nephew was outwardly gentle but inwardly strong. Despite his humble and low-key demeanor, he was actually very strong inside, making him feel inferior. Could this Zhuge Kongming be a talent fit to be a king's advisor?

"Zhuge Yinyi is truly blessed..."

Pang Degong was surprised and retreated, replaced by deep envy.

Pang Tong shook his head: "Uncle, you don't know this, but my lord's forces are truly a gathering of elites and wise men. There are many with my talents, and even those who surpass me are few and far between."

Pang Tong was being modest, but he knew that in Liu Feng's mind, he was still among the top five civil officials. As long as he didn't make any major mistakes, he would eventually become one of the Three Dukes.

After all, in his opinion, he only recognized Zhuge Liang as superior to him. Even Lu Xun and Lu Boyan were only on par with him in terms of talent, and in terms of the emperor's favor, the other party was still slightly inferior to him.

However, the most important task now is to persuade my uncle to agree to my request and work with General Taishi to capture Nanjun for our lord.

A little vanity is nothing.

As Pang Tong had expected, when he heard that Liu Feng had so many talented people in his camp, Pang Degong couldn't help but gasp.

In his view, among all the people in Jingzhou, only Kuai Yue could be compared with his own Phoenix Chick in terms of talent.

Whether it was Kuai Liang, Cai Mao, Han Song, or Wang Jie, a scholar from the north, none of them could compare to the all-around talent of his nephew.

In the original timeline, Pang Degong also elevated his nephew Pang Tong to the highest position in the Southern Kingdom, and he genuinely believed it to be true.

Pang Degong asked with some skepticism, "Does the Left General really have so many talented people in his staff?"

Pang Tong, already prepared, immediately replied loudly: "The descendants of the prestigious Xun family of Yingchuan, the eight sons of the Xun clan, Xun You, Xun Gongda. The eldest of the four chiefs of Yingchuan, the grandson of the virtuous Chen Shi, the son of Chen Ji, Chen Qun, Chen Changwen; the grandson of Grand Commandant Chen Qiu, the son of Chen Gui, Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong; the nephew of Zhuge Xuan, Zhuge Kongming; and the great-great-grandson of Lu Kang, Lu Xun, Lu Boyan. These five men are all capable of governing the world and are truly talents fit to be kings."

(End of this chapter)