My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 484 Each Has Their Own Place
"Kongming will be appointed magistrate of Jiangling County, Shiyuan will be appointed magistrate of Xiling County, and as for Boyan..."

Liu Feng smiled and looked at Lu Xun, saying, "How about becoming the magistrate of Xiangyang County?"

Strictly speaking, Liu Feng had his own reasons for making this arrangement.

The reason Lu Xun was placed in Xiangyang was because of his military capabilities.

Compared to Zhuge Liang, a top-tier learning genius, Lu Xun's military talent seemed to be innate. When Zhuge Liang first led troops, he also made continuous progress through constant learning, eventually becoming invincible.

Unfortunately, Kongming lost because of a major earthquake.

The great earthquake that occurred in Wudu Road in 186 BC during the Western Han Dynasty had a magnitude of seven to eight, and the aftershocks lasted for eight months, completely severing the connection between the Western Han River and Guanzhong.

From then on, there was no longer a waterway between Sichuan and Guanzhong, and transportation costs skyrocketed, increasing by at least ten times. This made it increasingly difficult for Zhuge Liang to launch military campaigns, making the task almost ten times more difficult than Han Xin's campaigns in Guanzhong in the past.

Even with such a nightmarish level of difficulty, Zhuge Liang was still able to force Sima Yi to stay at his camp and extend the agricultural settlement work to Wei territory. This proves that Zhuge Liang's military command talent was definitely superior to Sima Yi's.

Lu Xun was completely different. Unlike Zhuge Liang, who was a diligent and studious genius, he was more like a gifted genius.

Having just entered the military, he captured tens of thousands of Yue tribes in a single battle, selecting five thousand elite soldiers to form his own retinue, demonstrating his exceptional military talent.

What followed was a series of fierce battles, in which they were undefeated.

The Battle of Yiling averted Sun Quan's fear of losing his kingdom.

The Battle of Shiting directly placed Sun Shiwan on the throne of the emperor.

Although there were no major victories in the offensive battles, this was less due to Lu Xun's lack of ability and more due to the internal problems of the entire Eastern Wu regime.

Compared to Zhuge Ke's crushing defeat at Shouchun, Lu Xun, though unable to achieve a strategic breakthrough in each offensive campaign, was always the victor in terms of tactics and never suffered a loss.

"What do you mean by this?"

Liu Feng was somewhat puzzled, as the three people in front of him all looked troubled. So he asked, "Could it be that you have other intentions? You may tell me frankly."

Upon hearing Liu Feng's words, Lu Xun was the first to speak, saying, "I am deeply grateful to my lord for his painstaking efforts in arranging this important position for me. However, I have other plans, and I hope my lord will grant them."

"Oh?"

Liu Feng, intrigued, asked, "What are your thoughts? Speak freely. Given our relationship as ruler and subject, what can't we discuss?"

Upon hearing Liu Feng's words, not only Lu Xun, but also Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, who were standing nearby, showed expressions of gratitude, overjoyed to have such a lord in their lives.

Since Liu Feng had told him to speak the truth, Lu Xun no longer hesitated to hide anything and immediately said, "Reporting to my lord, I wish to go to Jiaozhou!"

Jiaozhou?

Liu Feng was greatly surprised: "That's a place shrouded in miasma, why would you want to go there?"

Lu Xun replied, “Now that Jing and Xiang are pacified and the Huai and Si rivers are peaceful, the only place where we can make a contribution is Jiaozhou. Moreover, Jiaozhou is the rear area. Although it is plagued by miasma, it is rich in resources. I have heard that rice can be harvested four times a year. I am not capable, but I am willing to take over Jiaozhou for my lord to enhance our strength and resources.”

Liu Feng was somewhat moved, knowing that Lu Xun wanted to repay his kindness.

As Lu Xun said, although there is still Jingnan south of Xiangyang that needs to be reorganized, the general trend has already been set.

Zhang Xian, with only 20,000 to 30,000 men and the city of Linxiang, could not hold off Liu Feng's army for half a year. Moreover, even if Zhang Xian wanted to fight against Liu Feng's army, it did not mean that the powerful clans and gentry of Linxiang were willing to do so.

They rebelled against Liu Biao because Liu Biao levied exorbitant taxes on Jingnan, infringing upon their interests.

What good would it do them to oppose Liu Feng?
They had already heard about what Liu Feng had done in Yangzhou.

In contrast to the obedient submission of Jiangbei to Liu Feng, the rebellion in Jiangdong had devastating consequences for the local gentry and powerful families. This also caused the gentry and powerful families of Linxiang to become weaker in their dealings with Liu Feng.

As the core and leader of the four prefectures in southern Jingzhou, Linxiang's surrender would inevitably affect the other three prefectures.

Therefore, in Lu Xun's view, only in Jiaozhou did the local gentry and powerful families, relying on their remoteness and distance from the emperor, maintain a degree of independence. If Shi Xie hadn't been less ambitious and more submissive to the Han court, he would probably have become the second Zhao Tuo long ago.

Under these circumstances, Lu Xun's willingness to risk his life to go to Jiaozhou truly moved Liu Feng.

Before Liu Feng could speak, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong bowed and said, "Boyan's words are truly our sentiments. I, Liang (Tong), am not talented, but I am willing to follow Boyan's example and help our lord to take over Jiaozhou to increase our strength."

Liu Feng was deeply moved and wanted to agree to their request immediately.

But reason eventually calmed Liu Feng down.

Jiaozhou was not a good place in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Liu Feng already had a suitable candidate in mind.

That's right, it was Yu Fan, Yu Zhongxiang, Bu Zhi, and Bu Zishan.

These two are the most suitable candidates, and historically they have both served in Jiaozhou for extended periods, indicating that their physical constitutions are far more suited to the climate and environment of Jiaozhou than others. Especially Yu Fan, who was exiled to Jiaozhou by Sun Shiwan for his entire life and was never pardoned and allowed to return home.

Yu Fan lived to be over seventy years old, which shows his adaptability to the climate of Jiaozhou.

As for Zhuge Liang and the other two, especially Zhuge Liang, let's just forget about them.

Someone who only lives to be in their early fifties shouldn't be competing with Yu Fan and Bu Zhi for work.

Looking at the three men, Zhuge and his companion, who were filled with earnest hope, Liu Feng suddenly realized that they clearly did not want to be confined to literary matters, but rather had greater ambitions.

During the Han Dynasty, the highest honor was not held by the Three Dukes, who were the most powerful civil officials, but by those who served as both generals and prime ministers.

To be a general when going out and a prime minister when at home—this is the highest aspiration of the Han people today.

Zhuge Liang and the other two were no exception.

They had already found their place in literary matters, their experience in the cabinet over the past year comparable to that of a junior minister. However, they lacked opportunities for military experience. "Your kindness has deeply moved me."

Thinking of this, Liu Feng considered his words for a moment before speaking: "However, you are all my treasures. Jiaozhou is rife with miasma, and there are unforeseen dangers."

"Let's do this."

Raising his hand to stop Lu Xun and the other two from explaining, Liu Feng made a decision: "Currently, the Yue tribes are rampant in Yangzhou. Although He Qi, Gao Shun, Zhou Yu, Zu Lang and other gentlemen have swept and suppressed them, they still show signs of resurgence."

Liu Feng was actually being too polite. Although the results of the campaign against the Yue tribes were extremely impressive, with two to three hundred thousand Yue people having been defeated by Liu Feng's forces.

The total number of mountain tribes could be between three and four million, but this figure is only one-tenth of that.

If we add one or two hundred Jingzhou barbarians and nearly a million Dabie Mountain barbarians, the population would be almost one-tenth of the Han population.

Of course, although these two barbarian tribes both belong to the Southern Barbarians, they are not part of the same system, not to mention that even within their own groups, they are fragmented and fighting each other.

“Boyan, Kongming, Shiyuan, since you are willing to devote yourselves to military affairs, how can I not help you? In this regard, Zhang Ying, the governor of Danyang, sent a letter earlier, saying that the mountain tribes in the prefecture are in rebellion.”

After a moment's thought, Liu Feng allocated the resources at his disposal and said, "In that case, Boyan, I will appoint Quan Cong as the Commander-in-Chief, leading a thousand troops to assist you. I will also allow you to select two thousand elite soldiers from the surrendered troops of Jingzhou, with Feng Xi and the brothers Xi Zhen and Xi Hong as generals, and assign them to your command. Furthermore, I will allow you to recruit one thousand followers in Wu County, bringing the total to four thousand troops. I will then recommend you as the Commandant of Danyang, specifically responsible for suppressing the rebellion in Danyang. Are you willing?"

In the original timeline, Lu Xun also rose to prominence through this incident. Sun Shiwan was overwhelmed and furious by the rebellion of the Yue tribes in Danyang County. As a result, Lu Xun volunteered to lead the attack, and with only a thousand men, he raided and captured Fei Zhan, the local Yue chieftain, killing and capturing 100,000 Yue people and gaining tens of thousands of elite soldiers. He then selected five thousand elite soldiers from among them to form his own retinue.

Liu Feng has now given the enemy four thousand elite troops in one go, and has even recommended him as the Commandant of Danyang. Zhang Ying's two thousand troops can also be transferred to Lu Xun's use if necessary.

This is six times the military strength of the original timeline, so Liu Feng naturally had even higher expectations for Lu Xun's impending victory.

Lu Xun was quite shocked after hearing this, never expecting that Liu Feng would give him such great power.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, in order to weaken the various commanderies and kingdoms, the position of Commandant was often not established, and was instead held concurrently by the governor of the commandery or kingdom or the chancellor of the state. Later, due to frequent border wars, the position of Commandant was gradually restored in the border commanderies and kingdoms, but the position of Commandant in the inland commanderies and kingdoms was never restored until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

During the warlord era at the end of the Han Dynasty, local warlords reinstated the position of Commandant (都尉) to attract more talent by creating more official posts. Even today, the Commandant position is not a permanent post in various commanderies and kingdoms, and its establishment depends entirely on the wishes and needs of the local warlords.

Regardless of whether the position of Commandant was permanent, once it was established, it was a high-ranking official with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain). Moreover, according to the laws of the Han Dynasty, in commanderies and kingdoms with a Commandant, the highest military commander was not the Prefect, but the Commandant.

The governor only has the power to decide whether to send troops, while the highest power to lead and command troops in battle belongs to the commandant.

Now, Liu Feng's special decree has not even left Zhang Ying with the power to decide on sending troops, so Lu Xun is effectively already the highest military commander of Danyang Commandery.

Such trust and reliance deeply moved Lu Xun, who immediately bowed and said, "I am a sinner, but I am fortunate to have been recognized by my lord for his discerning eye. He has not considered me unworthy and has entrusted me with this important task, giving me the opportunity to realize my ambitions. I will never forget this kindness and have no way to repay it. I am willing to serve my lord with all my heart and soul, and to serve him with the utmost loyalty, to repay even a fraction of your kindness."

Lu Xun's claim of being a sinner was simply a reference to the situation when Liu Feng marched into Jiangdong. The powerful clans of Wu County were caught in a dilemma, wanting to use Liu Feng to deal with Sun Ce while simultaneously trying to preserve their privileges. Liu Feng had actually already punished the powerful clans of Wu for this, but Lu Xun, being cautious and humble, compared himself to a sinner to show he hadn't forgotten Liu Feng's kindness.

Lu Xun was deeply grateful, while Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, standing to the side, watched with a mixture of envy and longing.

Pang Tong later advised Zhou Yu and Liu Bei on the battlefield and served as their de facto chief of staff, which shows that he was not without ideas about military strategy.

As for Zhuge Liang, he compared himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, both of whom were not only political geniuses but also military strategists who have gone down in history.

Le Yi goes without saying; his military talent is renowned, and he is a permanent member of the Ten Philosophers of the Temple of Martial Arts, never having been removed from the list. Guan Zhong, however, is also a permanent member of the Temple of Martial Arts, having been selected twice as one of the Ten Philosophers, a fact many are unaware of.

Guan Zhong had actually led troops before, and was a victorious general. He even nearly killed Duke Huan of Qi with an arrow.

After Guan Zhong's death, the State of Qi began to decline, and Duke Huan of Qi was even unable to die a peaceful death.

The best thing Duke Huan of Qi did in his life was to pardon and give important positions to Guan Zhong, which also brought him great success.

Zhuge Liang compared himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, which shows that he truly dreamed of becoming both a general and a prime minister.

In the original timeline, Liu Bei regarded Zhuge Liang as his successor and carefully cultivated his leadership and political abilities. In addition, Liu Bei himself had very little military resources, and he already had two great commanders, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who was the de facto third military figure. There were simply no military resources left to give to Zhuge Liang.

This is why, after the Battle of Yiling, the elite military forces of Shu were completely wiped out, which allowed Zhuge Liang to regroup and achieve a military victory.

However, although Zhuge Liang's performance was the result of years of accumulated experience, his military skills could not have been achieved overnight. They were built on a foundation laid through reading military books since his youth.

Since both Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong aspired to become generals and ministers, they naturally envied Lu Xun, who had achieved his goal.

However, they soon stopped envying each other, because Liu Feng had made arrangements for them as well.

"Kong Ming, Shi Yuan."

Looking at Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, Liu Feng asked with a smile, "Could it be that you share the same thoughts as Boyan?"

Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong were both very astute, and seeing Liu Feng's reaction, their hearts immediately burned with excitement.

After exchanging a glance, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong replied in unison, "Our wishes are the same as yours, and we earnestly request that you grant our request, my lord!"

"it is good!"

Liu Feng readily agreed and then arranged, "Gongjin has made many military achievements this time, and he must be rewarded. His troops must also be reorganized. The mountain tribes in Poyang still need someone to take charge. I intend to appoint Kongming as the Poyang Commandant."

After a moment's thought, Liu Feng said, "I appoint Lü Meng and Ling Tong as commanders, leading two thousand Yangzhou soldiers. I also appoint the brothers Wei Yan, Fu Tong, Huo Du, and Huo Jun, selecting two thousand surrendered Jingzhou soldiers. In total, you will command four thousand troops, specifically responsible for the campaigns in Yuzhang, Poyang, and Ganzhou."

Zhuge Liang was greatly encouraged and immediately bowed in gratitude.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Feng continued to give instructions to Pang Tong: "Shiyuan, you have two places to choose from."

Upon hearing this, Pang Tong's eyes lit up immediately.

Liu Feng pondered for a moment and said, “One place is Hunan. The barbarians there are rampant and have already gained power. You need to use both suppression and appeasement. Among them, Wuling barbarian king Shamoke has always admired the culture of the Central Plains and respects the Liu family. He can be a friend, not an enemy.”

(End of this chapter)