My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 505 Zixiu’s Three Requests
"Within three months of the outbreak of war, there will be at least two more corps of 40,000 to 60,000 reinforcements. However, these troops are currently scattered throughout the defense zones of Yuzhou and Xuzhou and need time to assemble and replenish their weapons and provisions."

Liu Feng continued, "As for the Xuzhou direction, there will be no fewer than 30,000 troops launching a diversionary attack on Qingzhou to weaken the Grand Marshal's power. In this way, my family can be considered to have fulfilled its duty as an ally, right?"

Cao Ang secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Liu Feng's reply was enough for him to report back.

However, Cao Cao's father instructed that he hoped to obtain more and broader support from the Liu family, not just more troops. Food, cloth, money, weapons, timber and other supplies were also what Cao's army urgently needed.

"General Gao Yi's loyalty to the court and the emperor is deeply appreciated by my father."

Cao Ang carefully chose his words and said, "However, Hanoi is a strategically important military location, but the imperial court's troops need to be deployed along the Yellow River for thousands of miles. It is really unable to send in more troops to reinforce it. With the current troops, there are only 20,000 men under Zhang Yang and more than 10,000 troops under the imperial court. If there are no reinforcements, I am afraid it will be difficult to hold out for long."

Liu Feng frowned and looked at Cao Ang with a slightly puzzled expression.

The latter, forcing himself to speak, said, "My father earnestly requests that General Zuo, for the sake of our two allies, provide a batch of provisions and military equipment. If you could also provide some elite troops for the Hanoi battlefield, that would be even better."

Liu Feng suddenly realized what was happening and immediately tried to shake his head in refusal.

Providing some money and supplies wouldn't be a big problem. Liu Feng is now quite wealthy, and even without considering Liu Bei's resources, he can support Cao Cao's army on his own.

However, sending reinforcements would be too risky.

Taking the 20,000 men of the Truong Duong regime in Hanoi as an example, it's likely that only a quarter of them could be considered elite soldiers; it's impossible that all of them were combat soldiers.

Even though the Eastern Han Dynasty did not have a clear distinction between combat troops and auxiliary troops, it still had elite units that were equivalent to combat troops.

Even Lu Bu's elite Trapped Camp and Bingzhou Cavalry were not large in scale. The Trapped Camp only had seven or eight hundred men, while the Cavalry at its largest size was over a thousand, nearly two thousand, and at its smallest size, it only had one thousand two or three.

These are elite soldiers; they would never dig trenches or build earthen platforms.

In fact, apart from Liu Feng, all warlords in the country, including Liu Bei, currently operate with the same military system. The only difference is the ratio of combat troops.

Generally speaking, the stronger, more powerful, and more numerous the warlords, the higher the proportion of combat soldiers they tend to have. Conversely, smaller warlords tend to have a lower proportion of combat soldiers.

Lu Bu's troops were no exception. The reason he seemed to be an "exception" was that his main force was actually left in Chang'an. Those who were able to break through with him were actually elite soldiers.

Zhang Yang was, after all, just a local strongman in Hanoi, and under his command were two factions, Yang Chou and Sui Gu, who were practically regional warlords. It was only natural that the proportion of his troops was far lower than that of the major warlords.

The 10,000 reinforcements from Cao Cao's army might have a higher proportion of combat soldiers, depending on how elite the unit was under Cao Cao's command, ranging from 20-30% to 50%.

If you calculate it this way, although Hanoi currently has 30,000 troops, in reality, the elite force of less than 10,000 is truly capable of field battles. In fact, the outcome of field battles is often decided by these 10,000 troops. The rest of the troops are quite competent for defending cities, but if they are used for field battles, it all depends on the commander's skill.

The Yuan Shao army that came to attack must have had a combat force ratio of at least 40%, and if they had enough elite troops, it wouldn't be surprising if they had 50% or 60%.

Cao Cao was determined to defend Hanoi to the death, but throwing his elite troops into such a meat grinder-like war was undoubtedly the most costly thing he could do.

The most effective use of elite troops is in open field battles, as seen in Guan Yu and Zhang Liao at Baima, Yu Jin at Yanjin, Xu Huang and Shi Huan's conquest of Hanoi, and Yue Jin's defeat of Wuchao. These were all top-tier elite troops, and full armor was a basic requirement for these units. Their level of elite status depended entirely on the percentage of iron armor worn.

This is the fundamental reason why a large country with hundreds of thousands of troops can quickly become crippled after losing tens of thousands of its most elite soldiers.

Using such an army to defend cities and engage in brutal warfare would be extremely disadvantageous, and for a renowned general like Cao Cao, it would be absolutely impossible without a strategic necessity.

But the key point is that Hanoi is also important.

Since you can't bear to part with it yourself, the best way is naturally to ask someone else for help.

While Zhang Yang and his group are easy to use, there are advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, they may not be reliable, and secondly, they may not be able to stop them.

If Liu Feng were willing to step in, Cao Cao could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

So, does Liu Feng actually want to get involved?

That was definitely not what he wanted, but Liu Feng didn't want to lose Hanoi.

Currently, Liu Feng's procurement of warhorses mainly involves two directions: one is maritime trade, purchasing from Liaodong; the other is inland trade, purchasing from Hanoi to Hedong.

Now there is another route: from the Nanyang Basin, through Wuguan Pass, into Guanzhong, to purchase goods from Longxi. However, the transportation conditions of this route are far inferior to those of Hanoi. It lacks major rivers like the Yellow River and the Huai River for support, and the terrain is mostly mountainous.

Secondly, the gains and losses in Hanoi would bring Cao Cao entirely different pressures, and the greater the pressure, the greater the possibility of Cao Cao rebelling.

It should be noted that Cao Cao is currently the weakest party. Given his vision and the strategies of Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Jia Xu, and others, he certainly wouldn't be willing to serve as a meat shield for Liu Feng and his son Liu Bei.

Finally, Liu Feng intended to send out a portion of his elite troops to test the true strength of Yuan Shao's main force, which would be of great reference value for the subsequent large-scale battles.

Therefore, Hanoi was also very important to Liu Feng, and if it could be defended, Liu Feng naturally hoped to hold it.

But these soldiers are really hard to send. Even though we only need to send a few thousand people this time, they must all be elite soldiers, equivalent to the soul of tens of thousands of troops. Moreover, these people are isolated in Hanoi, hundreds of miles away from the homeland, and they also need extremely tenacious generals.

Liu Feng's first thought was Gao Shun, but Gao Shun was in Nanping and held the position of military commander. If he were to be sent, either a large army would have to be mobilized or he would have to be demoted.

Then Liu Feng thought of Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao was indeed excellent in both offense and defense, but he was one of the few famous cavalry generals in Liu Feng's army, and he was also a Martial Temple level general. If anything happened to him, the loss would be too great.

But who should go?

After a moment's hesitation, Liu Feng put the matter aside for the time being, saying, "Let me think about this matter carefully."

Cao Ang was overjoyed. He had originally thought that Liu Feng would most likely refuse outright, but he did not expect that there seemed to be room for negotiation. How could he not be delighted?

When he arrived, his father Cao Cao set three tasks for him. If he could complete the first task, he would be considered qualified; if he could complete the second task, he would be considered excellent; the third task was purely for him to practice and train his son. Cao Cao never dreamed that things would be so wonderful.

But now that Liu Feng has relented, Cao Ang couldn't help but have some ulterior motives. If he could persuade Liu Feng, his father would be overjoyed when he got back.

Thinking of this, Cao Ang said sincerely, "What I said is true. Our army's situation is indeed critical. I beg General Zuo to investigate thoroughly."

Liu Feng nodded, and then they exchanged ideas for a while, mainly with Liu Feng asking questions and Cao Ang answering.

Because of Liu Feng's statement, Cao Ang appeared extremely obedient. He answered all of Liu Feng's questions without reservation, showing that he was open and honest in his words.

That evening, Liu Feng hosted a banquet for Cao Ang, and both host and guests became thoroughly drunk. Liu Feng slept until noon the next day before waking up. Not long after he got up, Zhu Ran walked in from outside, holding a silk scroll in his hands.

"My lord, this is an urgent secret letter from the Grand Lord of Xuzhou."

Now, Liu Feng's first batch of close followers, such as Lü Meng and Ling Tong, have all been released to follow Zhuge Liang and others to establish merits, so that he can promote them in the future.

Those around him now were the second group of attendants: Zhu Ran, Zhu Zhi's nephew and adopted son; Zhou Jun, Zhou Yu's nephew; Zhou Fang, Zhou Bin's son; Zhou Shao, Zhou Tai's son; Sun Yi, Sun Ce's third brother; and Sun Jiao, his cousin.

At the same time, all the documents in the cabinet were changed, and Chen Tai, son of Chen Qun, Zhong Yu, son of Zhong Yao, and Sun Kuang, the fourth brother of Sun Ce, were appointed.

Sun Ce himself, whose original rank was General of the Household, was also appointed as the Commandant of Cangwu and was about to participate in the conquest of Jiaozhou. His second brother, Sun Quan, was also promoted to the position of magistrate of Xiling County, the seat of Jiangxia Commandery. Now, his cousin Sun Jiao, his third brother Sun Yi, and his fourth brother Sun Kuang were all summoned to the imperial guard. For a time, the Sun family was very powerful and their gates were always crowded with visitors. The carriages that came to visit lined up at the end of the alley.

Liu Feng made this arrangement for two reasons: to reward merit and to appease the people.

Sun Ce made outstanding contributions in this Jingzhou campaign. Not to mention his achievements in the overall direction, he made more than half of his contributions in the four southern counties of Jingzhou alone.

First, they successfully blocked Kuai Yue's army, and then they defended the isolated city, blocking the repeated attacks of the Jingbei expeditionary army and keeping them firmly tied down under the city walls.

Finally, it also sowed discord among the Jingnan army in Changsha and played a significant role in the eventual defection of Zhang Xian.

Sun Ce's contributions were not only enormous, but also quite sensitive.

All the officials, officers, and soldiers of the original Sun faction were paying more or less attention to this matter.

Strictly speaking, Sun Ce was the first major warlord to be conquered by Liu Feng, before Zang Ba, who controlled five or six counties in Langya.

As for Yuan Shu, he did not annex him, but rather annihilated him.

Yuan Shu himself has already been sent to Luozhong by Liu Feng and his son to await the emperor's judgment.

Therefore, Liu Feng rewarded Sun Ce handsomely for his contributions, not only promoting him back from Colonel to General of the Household, but also restoring the title of Marquis of Wucheng that had been previously stripped from him.

Sun Ce showed great gratitude and even twice wrote to decline the title, but Liu Feng had already made up his mind and resolutely refused.

The generous reward given to Sun Ce served as a signal, completely appeasing all the officials and generals who originally belonged to the Sun family.

It's not that these people are still loyal to the Sun family; undeniably, quite a few still have feelings for them. It's just that the vast majority will no longer be willing to die for the Sun family. The generous rewards the Sun family is receiving now largely make them feel that their connection to the Sun family won't hinder their career advancement. Even Sun Ce himself was so highly regarded and promoted by Liu Feng, so what else do they have to fear?

Liu Feng took the document from Zhu Ran and immediately began to read it.

It turns out that this was the letter from Liu Bei of Xuzhou, who was following Xun You's advice and preparing to take the initiative to provoke a conflict with Yuan Shao in Qingzhou.

After reading it, Liu Feng had only one thought in his mind: He truly deserves to be called Xun Gongda.

This strategy is so brilliant that it almost perfectly captures the essence of human nature.

Even someone as cunning and scheming as Cao Mengde had to drink Xun Gongda's foot bath water.

It's just unknown whether Xun Wenruo of Cao Cao's faction and Xun Youruo of Yuan Shao's faction could see through this plan, and if they could, would they expose it?

Regardless of whether the other party saw through it or not, Liu Feng felt that this plan was entirely beneficial and should be implemented as soon as possible.

Immediately, Liu Feng wrote back to his father, supporting the plan and offering several suggestions, one of which was recommending Guan Yu as commander-in-chief, hoping that Liu Bei would not act rashly.

Secondly, he advised the Qingzhou battlefield to prioritize stability and suggested that they could join forces with Lü Bu, Zhang Miao, Chen Gong, and Kong Rong to launch an attack, but to be extremely cautious of Lü Bu.

Lu Bu was opportunistic and treacherous, outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly. He was truly a fickle character, and this is not just a fabrication in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms; historical records also portray him in this way.

Despite Yuan Shao's threats to kill Lü Bu and their seemingly life-or-death relationship, Lü Bu, a short-sighted, brainless, and fickle chameleon, is capable of betraying Yuan Shao if he offers him enough benefits to win him over.

The fact that Lü Bu and Yuan Shu later colluded repeatedly is sufficient proof of this.

Finally, Liu Bei should be wary of Cao Cao's army and avoid cooperating with them in battle as much as possible. In particular, the division of defense zones should be as clear as possible to minimize the losses caused by Cao Cao's defection.

This point is actually included in Xun You's Qingzhou tactics.

In the Central Plains battlefield, the vast plains stretched as far as the eye could see, making it easy for the two sides to become entangled in a fierce melee.

Xun You suggested sending troops to Qingzhou, which would not involve Cao Cao's army's deployment at all, and there would be no confusion.

It is clear that Xun You had anticipated this.

After finishing the letter, Liu Feng looked up at Zhu Ran and casually asked, "Yi Feng has been by my side for a while now, are you getting used to it?"

Hearing Liu Feng's concern, Zhu Ran was both happy and excited, and quickly replied, "We are quite used to it. The general's treatment is excellent, and the colleagues are harmonious. Apart from being strict with tasks, General Xu is usually very kind and generous to people. We have no discomfort at all."

"So good."

Liu Feng felt a little regretful. In fact, Zhu Ran was quite suitable. In the original timeline, he had defended Jiangling City for half a year under the siege of 50,000 elite troops led by Cao Zhen, Xiahou Shang, and Zhang He, and under the premise of making a big mistake in the early strategic judgment. Disease was rampant in the city, and Zhu Ran could no longer hold a sword in the end, but he still commanded bravely until the reinforcements arrived.

Unfortunately, Zhu Ran is only nineteen years old at the moment. Although he is mature and cautious and well-versed in military strategy, Liu Feng is still somewhat hesitant.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed in Liu Feng's mind.

Since Zhu Ran is not suitable, his father Zhu Zhi is very suitable.

Zhu Zhi was quite capable in battle. He made many meritorious contributions under Sun Jian and advised Sun Jian on many crucial decisions. Later, he assisted Sun Ce in sweeping across Jiangdong and taking over the four commanderies of Wu, Kuaiji, Danyang and Yuzhang. His troops were very strong.

Later, Zhu Ran made great contributions in Jiangling because Zhu Zhi entrusted all his elite troops to him before his death.

Since Zhu Ran is still too young, why not just find him a powerful figure who can keep things under control?

Zhu Ran is an excellent choice.

(End of this chapter)