My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 462 Ponzi Scheme
Inside the inner hall, the atmosphere was as heavy as if a huge rock was pressing down on him. Liu Qi sat upright behind a desk, his brows furrowed, listening to the county official who had rushed back from the front, reporting the situation outside in a breathless manner.

As the county official spoke, Liu Qi's face grew increasingly grim, alternating between pale and bluish hues, as if shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

Although Liu Qi knew he was neither a hero with extraordinary talent, he was certainly not a foolish or ignorant person. Hearing the faint commotion coming from the gate of the prefectural government, a terrible thought flashed through his mind—a mutiny.

The thought flashed through his mind like a cold lightning bolt, causing his body to tremble slightly.

However, just as he was on high alert and extremely nervous, there were no screams or shouts of killing as he had expected. Instead, he heard Pang Degong's familiar and steady voice, as well as Feng Xi's response.

This sudden calm allowed Liu Qi's tense nerves to relax slightly, but at the same time he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, unsure whether Pang Degong had actually staged a coup.

Liu Qi's gaze wandered around the room before finally settling on the registrar, Shi Jing.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Qi was torn between his conscience and whether he should send Shi Jing to investigate.

But the situation was unclear, and he really had no better solution, so he could only bite the bullet and say, "Registrar Shi, please move to the front of the hall and see what has happened."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jing felt as if she had been suddenly doused with cold water, and she was taken aback.

He inwardly groaned, wanting to refuse, but when he looked up and met Liu Qi's intense gaze, the words of refusal that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.

Left with no other choice, Shi Jing could only force a smile, cup her hands in a respectful bow, and then walk heavily toward the front of the hall.

As soon as Shi Jing appeared in front of the hall, she was spotted by Pang Degong, Feng Xi and others who had been closely watching the situation in the hall, just like a firefly in the dark.

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Pang Degong's eyes. He immediately stepped forward, grabbed Shi Jing's sleeve, and said loudly, "The Registrar has arrived just in time! The Prefect has ordered us to lead our troops to resist the bandits. But these people are trying to prevent me from seeing the Prefect. What is the reason for this? The Registrar must give me a reasonable explanation!"

Pang Degong's voice, as loud as a bell, echoed in the hall. His face was full of indignation as he grabbed Shi Jing and launched into a tirade of complaints.

Shi Jing was initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, but after hearing Pang Degong's words clearly, he was not surprised but rather delighted.

After he carefully inquired about the ins and outs of the matter, he secretly complained about the petty officials for making a fuss and causing trouble, and his heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled down.

Afterwards, Shi Jing straightened his robes, straightened his back, and said, "Lord Pang, there is no need to worry. I am already aware of this matter. I will go to the back of the hall to inform the Prefect, and I will certainly give you a satisfactory answer."

Having said that, Shi Jing seized the opportunity to leave hastily, as if grasping at a lifeline, and ran to the back hall to report the situation to Liu Qi.

After hearing Shi Jing's report, Liu Qi breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension on his face eased considerably.

He glared disapprovingly at the junior official who had come to warn him, his eyes full of reproach.

However, he was well aware that the current situation was complicated and it was not appropriate to be too harsh on his subordinates, so he did not say much and immediately led Shi Jing and others to walk briskly towards the front of the hall.

As soon as Liu Qi emerged from the back hall, all eyes in the hall immediately turned to him.

Everyone rose and respectfully took their seats, then bowed to Liu Qi and said in unison, "Greetings, Lord Liu."

Liu Qi took his seat with a solemn expression, made a gesture of support in the air with his right hand, and said in a steady voice, "Please rise, gentlemen."

After everyone had sat down again, Liu Qi slightly turned his head and gestured to Shi Jing.

Shi Jingxin understood immediately, stood up, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "The Yangzhou army has now reached Jiangling, Jinxiang Port has unfortunately fallen, and the city's defenses are weak. The situation is critical. Do any of you have a good plan to repel the enemy?"

Upon hearing this, the people in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment, and for a moment, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

The crowd looked at each other, their faces filled with helplessness and confusion, and no one could come up with a practical and effective strategy to repel the enemy.

Fortunately, Liu Qi, Shi Jing, and the others hadn't really expected them to come up with any good ideas. They just wanted to use this as an opportunity to raise the topic and recruit the retainers from these powerful clans to strengthen the defenses of Jiangling City.

Just as Shi Jing was about to continue speaking, Pang Degong suddenly stood up, knelt down, and shouted, "I have a plan that may be feasible."

Upon hearing Pang Degong's words, everyone's previously dim eyes instantly brightened, focusing on him with surprise and anticipation.

Liu Qi's slightly furrowed brows relaxed a little. He sat up straight and said with a hint of urgency, "Lord Pang, please speak freely. If you can truly drive back the troops outside the city, I will reward you handsomely."

Pang Degong slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on Liu Qi, and said in a resounding voice, "My lord, the tide has now turned in favor of Yangzhou. In Jiangling City, we have no troops to defend it, and no reinforcements to come to our aid. What can we rely on to hold the city? Moreover, Huang Chengde's Jiangxia navy and Cai Degui's Xiangyang navy suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Zhouling, their entire forces wiped out. Kuai Yidu withdrew from Linxiang City, but was pursued by the Jingnan army. In the Battle of Baqiu, Liu Hu was captured, Han Xi died on the battlefield, and the five thousand elite spearmen were either killed or surrendered. The Jingzhou expeditionary force is now barely able to protect itself and has no time to spare."

Pang Degong paused, then continued, "Jiangling is now an isolated city, on the verge of destruction. For the sake of Your Excellency, for the sake of the officials in the prefecture, and for the sake of the people in the city, why doesn't Your Excellency surrender sooner?"

In an instant, Pang Degong's words echoed in the hall like a heavy hammer, making everyone's eardrums buzz. Everyone in the hall was shocked by Pang Degong's words, their expressions frozen in that moment, as if they had been frozen in place.

Unfortunately, the information contained in Pang Degong's words was too much. The Jingzhou navy was completely wiped out, and the Jingzhou expeditionary force was struggling to survive and was too busy to take care of itself. Jiangling had become an isolated city, with no reinforcements from the outside and no defenders from the inside.

These words were like heavy hammer blows, striking the hearts of everyone in the hall with each syllable, filling them with immense heaviness and despair.

Not only Liu Qi, but also Feng Xi and others were stunned and speechless for a moment.

"Lord Pang, where did you get this information from?"

Shi Jing raised his finger tremblingly and pointed at Pang Degong. His voice trembled slightly. His shout startled the crowd in the hall who were still immersed in shock.

Pang Degong glanced at Shi Jing, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, then turned to Liu Qi, bowed, and said, "I dare not deceive Your Excellency. This information was actually obtained from the Yangzhou army."

Liu Qi's face instantly darkened, becoming as gloomy as the sky before a storm. He gritted his teeth and said, "This must be a rumor spread by the Yangzhou army, attempting to demoralize our troops. Pang Gong is a wise man; how could he be deceived by such words?" Pang Degong, however, showed no mercy to Liu Qi. He stood up, pointed outside the hall, and towards the great river outside the city, loudly proclaiming, "My lord, thousands of sails are billowing on the great river outside the city. Did these Yangzhou warships fly here to Jiangling out of thin air?"

Yup!

Feng Xi and the others suddenly realized that if Huang Chengde and Cai Degui's Jingzhou navy were still there, how could the Yangzhou navy have thousands of warships sailing to the gates of Jiangling?

You should know that Jiangling is a major town in the westernmost part of Jingzhou, north of the Yangtze River.

At the same time, Feng Xi and the others immediately realized that Pang Degong must have made contact with the Yangzhou army long ago.

They were both surprised and secretly pleased.

They were never very loyal to Liu Qi to begin with, and if the situation in Northern Jingzhou were stable, they would naturally be obedient subjects.

But now that the Yangzhou army is at the city gates, and they need these aristocratic and powerful families to sacrifice their families for loyalty, Feng Xi and others are not so willing.

After all, if you look closely at the important positions around Liu Qi, such as the chief clerk, the merit officer, and the captain, which one of them was given to a local powerful family in Jiangling?

Appointing members of minor clans to suppress powerful clans and curb local tyrants was something almost all the warlords and warlords of the late Eastern Han Dynasty did. However, whether they did it well was another matter entirely.

After all, even a powerful figure like Cao Cao had lost Yanzhou.

How could Liu Qi's abilities and reputation compare to Cao Cao's?
As Feng Xi and the others pondered the matter, their thoughts gradually shifted towards the Pang family.

Just then, Shi Jing suddenly screamed, "Lord Pang, are you trying to force me to abdicate?!"

Liu Qi inwardly cried out in alarm. He had been thinking about how to make a deal with the Pang family to get them back on his side. If that didn't work, he hoped at least that the Pang family would let him go and allow him to leave the city to the north.

But Shi Jing's sudden shout might cause things to spiral out of control. Liu Qi's guess was indeed correct.

Before he could come up with a solution, Pang Degong's expression changed immediately, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He suddenly drew his sword from his waist, his movements as swift as lightning, and in an instant, he placed the sword against Liu Qi's neck.

"My lord, I only resorted to this drastic measure to prevent the people of Jiangling from suffering such devastation," Pang Degong said with an upright expression. "Afterwards, you may decide whether to kill or punish them as you see fit. But for now, I urge you to open the city gates and welcome the Yangzhou army into the city."

Liu Qi looked pale and was so angry that he wanted to curse out loud.

He was left to Pang Degong's mercy afterward, only to become a prisoner while Pang Degong became a guest in his court. Who was really in charge of whom? He was filled with remorse but helpless, left to Pang Degong's mercy, his heart filled with despair and resentment.

At this volatile and precarious moment, the air in the main hall of the prefectural government was thick with a suffocating tension, so heavy it was almost suffocating, and the atmosphere so oppressive it could be wrung out.

The crowd's gazes met, their expressions varied, and fear, worry, and suspicion spread rampantly in the small space.

Pang Degong stood in the hall, his posture upright, his hand tightly gripping the gleaming sword, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings warily, not missing a single sound.

His eyes revealed a calm and resolute demeanor, as if declaring his determination to everyone.

Suddenly, a series of rapid and orderly footsteps came from afar, breaking the oppressive silence.

Pang Degong's eyes lit up instantly; the clan soldiers he had carefully arranged had finally arrived.

The Pang family soldiers, armed with weapons, rushed into the hall with swift steps and quickly took control of the entire hall.

Upon seeing this, Pang Degong did not hesitate to put down his sword, extend his hands, and steadily support Liu Qi's slightly trembling body with gentle yet firm movements.

Then, he leaned close to Liu Qi's ear, lowered his voice, and said, word by word, "My lord, there is no need to panic. The Pang family is doing this for the safety of the people of Jiangling and for your safety. We are willing to guarantee with the lives of our entire clan that the Yangzhou army will not endanger your safety."

Although his voice was soft, it carried an undeniable power, which reassured Liu Qi.

A hint of surprise and doubt flashed in Liu Qi's initially panicked eyes. He slowly raised his head, his gaze meeting Pang Degong's.

When he saw the resolute look in Pang Degong's eyes, his heart softened.

At this critical moment, Pang Degong's words undoubtedly gave Liu Qi great hope and comfort.

He gripped Pang Degong's hand tightly, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "Pang Gong, given the current situation, I am as frightened as a bird startled by a bow. Everything is in your hands now."

Pang Degong finally felt relieved. He nodded repeatedly and solemnly promised, "Your Excellency, rest assured, if the Yangzhou army dares to threaten your life, my Pang family will unite as one and fight to the death to protect Your Excellency's safe return north."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qi's eyes showed a hint of gratitude, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good!"

At this moment, he felt a little more at ease, as if he had found someone to rely on.

Pang Degong straightened his back, glanced at everyone in the hall, and said solemnly, "Xiuyuan, Jichang, the Yangzhou army has now occupied Jinxiang. In my opinion, their next step will definitely be a large-scale attack on the city. The people of Jiangling are innocent. In order to save the people in the city from the calamity of war, I ask you two to assist Shiyuan in opening the city gates and welcoming the Yangzhou army into the city."

Feng Xi, courtesy name Xiuyuan, was a tall and strong man with a resolute face. He stood quietly in the hall at the moment. After listening to Pang Degong's words, he frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

Wang Yuan, courtesy name Jichang, was slightly thin, with a shrewd look in his eyes. He was also silently pondering the deeper meaning of Pang Degong's words.

(End of this chapter)