My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 479 War of words
Amidst this rapidly changing situation, Xi Lu, under the guise of mediating a misunderstanding, entered Liu Feng's court.

He knew from the start that this would be a difficult negotiation, but he never expected that he would be met with a fierce verbal battle.

When Liu Feng saw Xi Lu arrive, he felt little goodwill; he was merely concerned for the sake of the court and Cao Cao's reputation. At this moment, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Lu Xun, three exceptionally wise strategists, spoke in turn like three sharp blades.

Their words were sharp, starting with Liu Biao's various acts of defiance against the court in his early years.

Liu Biao colluded with the rebels of Xiliang, attempting to expand his territory with their help. This act was undoubtedly a blatant provocation against the authority of the imperial court. Later, he allied with Yuan Shao, who was a notorious rebel at the time. If Liu Feng and Cao Cao hadn't marched west to welcome the emperor and returned to Luozhong, bringing him along to be rewarded and exonerated, Yuan Shao might still be carrying the name of a rebel to this day.

Leaving aside Liu Biao's intentions and difficulties in forming an alliance with them, it is impossible to clear his name.

In addition to the above, Liu Biao also instigated rebellions in Shu and fought for years with Zhang Jin, the governor of Jiaozhou, in the south. Last year, he even directly interfered in the internal affairs of Yangzhou, harboring Liu Xun, a traitorous general of Yuan Shu, to expand his own power, completely disregarding the face and laws of the imperial court.

At the end of last year, Liu Biao levied exorbitant taxes and forced Zhang Xian to rebel, leading to instability in Jingzhou.

Although Liu Feng himself was not without flaws, and in this chaotic world he adopted some extreme measures in order to survive and develop, compared with Liu Biao, he appeared to be a model of loyalty and virtue.

Liu Feng watched as his trusted lieutenants bluntly laid out all the accusations against Liu Biao. Xi Lu could only listen silently, accepting all the accusations without making any response.

For Xi Lu, his mission was to persuade Liu Feng to accept mediation, not to judge right and wrong or uphold justice.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: to convey Liu Feng's words to General Cao Cao and the Emperor in their entirety. As for how to deal with it afterward, that was not something he could decide.

Just as everyone was talking amongst themselves, Liu Feng suddenly raised his hand, stopping everyone from speaking. He looked intently at Xi Lu in the hall and slowly said, "Since the esteemed envoy has come on behalf of the court, then let's talk about the court's thoughts."

Xi Lu was startled; he hadn't expected Liu Feng to ask so directly. After a moment of silence, he composed himself and replied, "The court hopes that General Zuo can return the counties and towns of Xiangnan to their respective prefectures."

These words were like a thunderbolt from the blue.

Before Liu Feng could respond, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Lu Xun, and others all changed color, their faces filled with indignation, clearly shocked and dissatisfied with this mediation attitude.

In truth, both Liu Feng and the three strategists knew that Xi Lu was merely asking for an exorbitant price to gain the upper hand in negotiations. However, since they were prepared to counter-offer, they naturally needed to adopt a firm stance.

Zhuge Liang was the first to step forward, refuting the accusation with righteous indignation: "This is utterly absurd! Our lord is here to relieve the people's suffering and punish the guilty. Since entering Jingzhou, the people of all places have opened their cities and surrendered, welcoming the royal army with food and drink. On the contrary, Liu Biao has seized Jingzhou, inherited the traitor's orders, and acted perversely. The court has been deceived by this traitor, which is truly heartbreaking!"

Zhuge Liang's words were not made out of thin air, but were based on reason and evidence.

As everyone knows, Liu Biao's appointment as Governor of Jingzhou was not made by the Han emperor himself, but by Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo's goal at the time was to strengthen his control over the local areas and at the same time divide the power of the warlords in Guandong. Most importantly, Liu Biao flattered Dong Zhuo, considering himself a confidant, and sought recommendations from Xun Shuang and others, which led to his trip to Jingzhou.

This is why the relationship between Liu Biao and Yuan Shu was so bad. Even though Liu Biao went so far as to recommend Yuan Shu for the position of governor of Nanyang in an attempt to please him, he still could not gain the latter's understanding.

Because Liu Biao was a strategist and adversary set up by Dong Zhuo specifically to deal with Yuan Shu.

After Dong Zhuo was killed by Wang Yun, the Xiliang army counterattacked Chang'an and seized control of the court. Liu Biao then colluded with Li Jue and Guo Si, sending tribute to the court under their control. This was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill towards the rebel forces, further confirming his crime of colluding with the rebels.

Therefore, the claim that Liu Biao was a traitor is not a baseless smear, but a fact supported by irrefutable evidence.

Of course, Liu Biao could argue that he was loyal to the emperor, but in this chaotic world, Liu Feng's side was just lacking a suitable excuse.
In an era where strength reigns supreme, such a muddled situation naturally leads to whoever is stronger being right. Currently, Liu Feng clearly holds the upper hand; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to bring his army to the gates of Xiangyang in just a few months, posing a significant threat to Liu Biao.

After listening to the words of the scholars from Yangzhou, Xi Lu was secretly surprised. He had tested the strength of Yangzhou and Liu Feng's tough attitude.

Left with no other option, he had to change his strategy and probe again, "Then, in General Zuo's opinion, what should be done about this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng looked at Pang Tong, who immediately understood and made an outrageous demand: "If it is in accordance with my lord's will, then we should eliminate evil completely and capture Liu Jingsheng in Xiangyang, and then present him to Luozhong to uphold the law!"

Xi Lu's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He stared intently at the expressions of everyone in the hall, trying to discern any flaws or hidden meanings. But which of the people present wasn't a person of exceptional wisdom and profound insight? How could he easily see through their deception?

Left with no other choice, Xi Lu knew he could no longer delay and had to reveal a trump card that Cao Cao had prepared for him ahead of schedule.

"General Zuo, do you remember the request from the State of Chen?"

Indeed, the first trump card Cao Cao prepared for Xi Lu was the State of Chen.

According to the initial agreement between Cao Cao and Liu Bei regarding the division of Yu Province, the State of Chen originally belonged to Cao Cao. However, the State of Chen was powerful and was also the territory of the royal family. King Liu Chong of Chen and Chancellor Luo Tong of Chen were renowned and highly respected, making Cao Cao very hesitant to act against them.

Previously, Cao Cao was preoccupied with the war in Yan Province and had no time to attend to Chen State; later, when he wanted to take action, Liu Feng petitioned on his behalf.

Ultimately, Chen State changed its tax payment to be guaranteed by Liu Feng, and Cao Cao temporarily tolerated Chen State being jointly guaranteed by Cao Cao and Liu Feng.

In this matter, both morally and logically, Liu Feng owed Cao Cao a considerable favor, and Cao Cao's power was enough to make this favor extremely heavy.

After Xi Lu brought up the matter, Liu Feng finally spoke up: "I will never forget the great general's past kindness."

"Lord!"

Zhuge Liang and the other two looked anxious and tried to dissuade him, but Liu Feng stopped them with a gesture of his hand. Liu Feng then continued, “Since that’s the case, I will temporarily back down. I will definitely take Xiangyang. Offering Liu Jing to the court is a matter of my loyalty to the Emperor and the court, and this matter cannot be changed. However, I am willing to cede two-thirds of the counties north of Xiangyang, including Wancheng, to the General, leaving only Zhuyang, Shandu, Dengxian, Chaoyang, Xinye, Caiyang, Zhangling, Xiangxiang, Huyang, Anzhong, Suicheng, and Xiangyang as the remaining thirteen counties.”

Nanyang Commandery was the largest commandery in the land, encompassing a total of thirty-seven counties. Liu Feng now only retained thirteen of them, which was exactly one-third.

Upon closer examination, these twelve counties, apart from Xiangyang, were all important cities that shielded Xiangfan from the north.

One point needs to be made special note of here: although the counties of Zhonglu, Qi, Ruo, and Yicheng protect Xiangfan to the south and have close ties with Xiangyang, none of these counties belong to Nanyang Commandery.

The southern part of Nanyang Commandery only extends to Xiangyang. Further south, counties such as Zhonglu all belong to Nanyang Commandery.

Since these cities to the south did not belong to Nanyang, Liu Feng naturally did not mention them at all. However, in fact, the counties of Zhonglu, Qiguo, and Yicheng were still in Liu Biao's hands at this time and had not yet fallen.

To be fair, although Liu Feng's proposed solution was not as sincere as he claimed, it was indeed a concession.

Although Liu Feng hasn't even touched the borders of Nanyang Commandery yet, judging from the current situation, these territories are practically under the control of the Yangzhou army. As long as there's no interference from Cao Cao or the imperial court, Liu Feng, at his current pace, has a very high probability of capturing Xiangyang City within the year.

Given the speed of Liu Feng's army's advance, they could reach the walls of Xiangyang within a month, while ensuring unimpeded logistical access and secure flanks and rear. At that time, the Vanguard Army, serving as the general reserve, would block the Xiangyang defenders from leaving the city. Simultaneously, they would oversee the manufacture of siege equipment such as counterweight catapults, battering rams, siege towers, and earthen platforms. Then, the Wandering Wave Army would sweep through the cities of Nanyang to the north of Xiangyang, cutting off and protecting the flanks and rear. Finally, breaching the city would be a piece of cake.

Now that Cao Cao has intervened, Liu Feng's plans have naturally fallen through. However, Liu Feng is not stupid; he has made use of these territories that were originally within his grasp, using them as bargaining chips at the negotiating table.

Seeing that Liu Feng was willing to make concessions, Xi Lu felt slightly relieved. However, these conditions were still far from the bottom line set by Cao Cao, so Xi Lu naturally would not be easily satisfied and had to continue to negotiate.

"General Zuo, Nanyang County is not currently in your hands. There are still tens of thousands of soldiers in Xiangfan City who are ready to fight, with ample weapons and full granaries. The outcome is truly unpredictable."

Xi Lu continued, "Isn't it a bit absurd for General Zuo to repay the General's favor by offering the southern territory of Liu Zhen?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng was displeased and coldly said, "How could Liu Jingsheng be my enemy? Nanyang is merely temporarily in his hands, being held by him for my safekeeping."

Xi Lu seized the opportunity to reply, "General Zuo, have you forgotten the court? This is precisely the purpose for which the court sent me here."

Liu Bei fell silent, clearly understanding the threat hidden in Xi Lu's words. If the imperial court (in reality, it was General Cao Cao) were to intervene, Nanyang might not truly be his for the taking.

After a moment of silence, Liu Feng spoke again: "Since the court insists on getting involved in this matter, then let's come up with a plan for handling it."

Seeing Xi Lu about to speak, Liu Feng interrupted him and warned him sternly, "Your Excellency is an angel, and every word and action represents the court. If you continue to spout nonsense as before, then this meeting will have to end here."

Liu Feng's words were clearly a response to Xi Lu's unrealistic remarks about having Yangzhou withdraw its troops and abandon Jingzhou.

After receiving the warning, Xi Lu swallowed back all the words he was about to say. After careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons, he spoke again: "I dare not hide it from General Zuo, the court's bottom line is to cease hostilities on the spot and for both sides to reconcile."

This time, Xi Lu had clearly played another trump card.

Historically, Jingzhou in this dynasty consisted of seven commanderies, but now, due to Liu Biao's establishment of Zhangling, it has become eight. However, for Cao Cao, most of Jingzhou's land is irrelevant to him. Even if he were to intervene in Jingzhou affairs now, he could only truly control Nanyang Commandery. And even Nanyang Commandery alone is enough to make Cao Cao covet it, because Nanyang's value is simply too great.

Nanyang suffered greatly from Yuan Shu's tyranny, to the point that nine out of ten houses were deserted. However, this does not mean that all of Nanyang's more than two million people died.

In reality, not to mention the remaining population, not all those who disappeared from the household registration were dead. While many died, a significant number either migrated south to the Xiangfan region seeking a stable life, hid in the deep mountains and forests to escape the war, or were recruited by aristocratic families to become part of the hidden population.

In short, disappearing from the household registration does not mean that a person is really dead.

Therefore, after Liu Biao drove Yuan Shu away, Nanyang began to regain its vitality.

As the gateway to Xiangyang, Liu Biao was well aware of Nanyang's importance, so he invested a great deal of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, which enabled Nanyang to recover quickly.

Except for a few counties in the northwest corner near Guanzhong, which were abandoned due to frequent wars and the annual raids by the Guanzhong Xiliang army, the other counties have recovered to about 20% to 50% of their former strength.

Although it was far from comparable to its peak, Nanyang Commandery was still enormous, unmatched in the Han Dynasty. Even with only 20% of its former strength, it was still equivalent to the size of other commanderies and kingdoms at their peak; if calculated at 50%, it was equivalent to half of Xuzhou at its peak. How could Cao Cao not be envious, how could he not want to bring Nanyang into his own hands? The size and abundance of Nanyang Commandery also greatly satisfied Cao Cao.

Therefore, Cao Cao's bottom line for Xi Lu was to retain the Nanyang prefecture.

This time, Xi Lu didn't make any exorbitant demands. If he could reach a ceasefire agreement with Liu Feng on the spot, and the conditions were still within his bottom line, he could make another great contribution.

However, Xi Lu's idea was too optimistic, and Liu Feng was certainly not willing to agree to stop fighting on the spot.

Before Liu Feng could speak, Pang Tong immediately shook his head and objected, saying, "To cease hostilities on the spot is truly unfair. Our army has endured countless hardships, and now is the time to reap the rewards. How can we just give up now?"

Lu Xun sneered, "My lord respects the imperial court and does not obey every random order."

Lu Xun may seem to be a low-key and humble person, but he is actually a sharp-tongued person. He only suffered one defeat in his life, which was against Sun Shiwan, who verbally abused him to death.

Pang Tong and Lu Xun's words were harsh and arrogant, which made Xi Lu both shocked and afraid. Only then did he realize that the person in front of him was one of the most powerful warlords in the world.

Fortunately, Zhuge Liang spoke up at the right time, half to comfort and half to remind: "My lord said before that of the thirty-seven counties in Nanyang, he only took thirteen, which is really not excessive. Why should the angel be so demanding of my lord?"

(End of this chapter)