My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 510 Rewarding His Trusted Men
"General Zuo, please allow me to report."

After much hesitation, Shi Xin gritted his teeth and decided to tell the truth: "My younger brother Shi Hui is deeply loved by my father and is the eldest son of the family. My father cannot leave him for even a moment. If we were to use him as a hostage, I fear my father is too old to accept it. If General Zuo would not mind, I am willing to do my best for you to redeem his sins."

Liu Feng was genuinely surprised by Shi Xin's sincerity and honesty.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that the other party was so compliant and frank already gave Liu Feng a lot of goodwill. Moreover, Liu Feng's demand for Shi Hui as a hostage was mostly a test. The most important thing now was to take control of Jiaozhou. As long as the Shi family was willing to obediently submit and hand over real power in the various counties of Jiaozhou, what did a mere Shi Hui matter?

Not to mention that with Shi Hui's arrogant, irritable, outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly, ambitious as a tiger but timid as a mouse, staying in Jiaozhou would actually be more suitable for taking action against the Shi family in the future.

Putting aside everything else, wasn't it Shi Hui who, in the original timeline, acted like a brainless idiot, jumping back and forth, directly sending the Shi family to Lu Dai's doorstep without firing a shot?
"Hey, get up now."

Liu Feng waved his hand, signaling Shi Xin to stand up, and said with admiration, "You have such filial piety, being dutiful to your father and respectful to your brothers. Your true feelings are touching. In our great Han Dynasty, loyalty and filial piety are paramount. Your actions are both loyal and filial, so how could I refuse? Since that's the case, you can stay here and serve me well in the future. I will reward you handsomely."

Upon hearing Liu Feng's words, Shi Xin, Shi Zhi, and Shi Kuang were all overjoyed.

When Shi Xin was struggling to give his speech, Shi Zhi and Shi Kuang were really worried for him, and at the same time, they were also worried that Liu Feng might get angry and wipe out all three of them.

Now that the storm has passed and the sun is shining, Liu Feng not only did not punish Shi Xin for disobeying him, but also praised him a few times, which finally made Shi Zhi and Shi Kuang breathe a sigh of relief.

Shi Xin was extremely excited and kowtowed repeatedly, willing to become Liu Feng's lackey.

After the banquet, Liu Feng wrote a letter overnight, including the matter of the Shi family's tribute and his own thoughts, and then sent it to Kuai Yue in Jingnan.

It is now mid-September, and the various units of the Jingnan army are gathering at their designated locations, preparing provisions, equipment, and supplies. The advance plans and preliminary preparations of each unit have been completed, and the operation is expected to begin in early October.

At this time, the temperature in the south begins to drop, the sweltering heat is over, and the miasma has also dissipated as the number of mosquitoes and fleas decreases. The autumn harvest in various places has also entered its peak season, and a large amount of food and fodder can be provided along the way. It is the perfect time to eat the enemy.

I believe Kuai Yue will also choose this point to send troops.

After doing all this, Liu Feng turned his attention to the treasures that the Shi family had presented as tribute.

"Ah-Chi, Ah-Tai, you guys take notes."

Liu Feng called out, and the two boys beside him immediately responded, returned to their desks, and began to write.

"Taishi Ci, Zhao Yun, and Zhou Yu were promoted to Lieutenant General and granted the title of Marquis of Guannei. Jia Kui, Gao Shun, He Qi, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Pan Zhang, Xu Sheng, Zhou Tai, Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Jiang Qin, and other generals were promoted to Assistant General. Zhou Dao, Zhou Bin, Zhao Fan, Lü Fan, Xu Ding, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Chen Wu, Fan Neng, Yu Zi, Yu Mi, and other generals were promoted to Lieutenant General."

Liu Feng continued, “The above-mentioned Lieutenant General is hereby bestowed with a peck of pearls, a hawksbill turtle shell, a giant clam shell, an ivory tusk, a rhinoceros horn, a pair of glass, two catties each of frankincense, myrrh, and styrax, two pieces of amber, five catties of frosting sugar, fifty catties of snow salt, two bolts each of four-colored kudzu cloth and banana cloth, four bolts of silk, one hundred bolts each of other silk fabrics and threads, five pairs of famous swords and precious knives, and two cotton garments.”

"Each of the generals was given half a bushel of pearls, a rhinoceros horn, a pound each of frankincense, myrrh, and styrax, a piece of amber, a pound of frosting sugar, five pounds of snow salt, a bolt each of four-colored kudzu cloth and banana cloth, two bolts of silk, fifty bolts each of other silk fabrics and threads, two pairs of famous swords and precious knives, and a cotton coat."

"The captain will receive five pearls, one pound of spices, one bolt of silk, five bolts of brocade, and one sword."

Liu Feng first announced the rewards for high-ranking generals, and then instructed: "Send each of the following gentlemen a cotton garment, five pearls, two catties of sugar, ten catties of salt, one bolt each of four-colored kudzu cloth and banana cloth from Jiaozhou, and one catty of spices."

"Here!"

Lu Ji and Chen Tai wrote swiftly, transforming Liu Feng's orders into written documents.

"In addition, elephants and rhinoceroses were sent to Luoyang as tribute."

Liu Feng paused, thought for a moment, and then added: "Add five dou of pearls, five jin of spices, ten jin of frosting sugar, twenty jin of snow salt, ten jin each of gold and silver, one million coins, twenty bolts of silk, two hundred bolts of brocade, and three thousand shi of grain. Half of these shall be sent to the General's mansion."

Such a tribute would surely demonstrate his loyalty to the high-ranking officials and ministers, and also make the emperor understand his predicament, thus easing the previously somewhat distant relationship.

Finally, Liu Feng instructed, "Also, divide the remaining items in two and send half to my father in Xuzhou."

My father loves fine clothes and luxury cars. With so many nice things, I should give them to him as a token of my respect, not to mention my grandmother and mother.

These cotton garments are breathable in summer, warm in winter, and have a pleasant feel; otherwise, they wouldn't be so expensive. I believe that all the generals, gentlemen, and your own fathers, mothers, and grandmothers will be quite pleased to receive these gifts.

Liu Feng was never stingy when it came to wealth. Every year during festivals, he would distribute lavish gifts to his trusted confidants and beloved generals, including frosted sugar, snow salt, sesame oil, and even white paper, swords, and precious bows. It was only because the horse farms in Jianghuai had only been established for two years and the foals hadn't yet grown up that fine horses were sure to be among the rewards.

As Lu Ji and Chen Tai took notes, they secretly marveled at Liu Feng's generous rewards. They were especially moved when they heard that their cousin, grandfather, and father had all received them, and they couldn't help but feel grateful and envious.

Considering all these valuables, none of them were exceptionally precious. Even scions of prestigious families like Lu Ji and Chen Tai did not have cotton-padded clothes to wear.

Liu Feng, however, gave away the gifts without a second thought. His expression was calm and composed, showing no sign of stinginess whatsoever. He truly seemed to regard wealth as dirt, which shocked Lu Ji and Chen Tai. They were filled with admiration and envy.

Lu Ji and Chen Tai were not envious of the cotton clothes themselves; they were more envious of the kindness of being remembered by a wise ruler like Liu Feng.

Fortunately, Liu Feng said at the end, "Each of you can take one set. If you are not used to cotton clothes, you can also exchange them for a bolt of silk."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ji and Chen Tai quickly rose from their seats and bowed to thank Liu Feng for his reward.

"It doesn't have to be this way."

Liu Feng didn't care that they were young. He stepped forward and helped them up as if they were all the same, and instructed them: "You are new here and do not know my preferences. I have never liked people kneeling and bowing. From now on, you will follow me and do not need to be so reserved and polite."

Lu Ji and Chen Tai were deeply moved, feeling as if they had encountered a wise ruler, just like those described in historical records, and a desire to serve him arose spontaneously. This was also Liu Feng's original intention in bringing them along. Although the Lu family was one of the four great clans of Wu Commandery, it had actually fallen behind somewhat since Lu Kang's death. Moreover, even among the four great clans of Wu Commandery, their prestige was only great in the southeast; when viewed in the context of the entire Eastern Han Empire, it was somewhat insignificant.

Chen Tai's situation was somewhat similar to Lu Ji's. After Chen Shi's death, the Chen family's reputation also declined. Although Chen Ji was virtuous and talented and had exceptional knowledge, he was not good at being an official. Instead, the shrewd and resourceful Chen Chen died of illness at a young age.

If it weren't for having such a good son as Chen Qun, the Chen family would most likely have disappeared into the annals of history with Chen Ji's death.

Chen Tai was Chen Qun's eldest son, one of the few remaining loyalists to Cao Wei in the original timeline. Although they were powerless to reverse the tide, the Chen family truly remained loyal to Wei, which ultimately led to their decline.

The Chen family is essentially a family that values ​​loyalty and filial piety. Although they have been very flexible and adaptable since Chen Shi, they have always kept to a basic standard in their conduct. Such people are highly appreciated and loved by Liu Feng.

After dealing with the Shi family's affairs, Liu Feng began his tour of Yangzhou.

I went there once last year, but due to time constraints, I only tried it briefly.

Now that he had more time, Liu Feng wanted to inspect Wu Commandery, northern Kuaiji Commandery, Danyang Commandery, Lujiang Commandery, and Jiujiang Commandery, and then inspect Zhao Yun's Wanlan Army, which was changing equipment and adjusting its configuration in the Huai and Si River regions.

Currently, Liu Feng's main forces are each performing their duties, while Zhao Yun's troops are undergoing preparations in the Huai and Si regions, replenishing their warhorses and armor, and then expanding and upgrading their configuration to the same level as the Vanguard Army.

To this end, Liu Feng replenished Zhao Yun's troops with a number of elite soldiers and generals, as well as thousands of warhorses and thousands of sets of iron armor and other supplies, and upgraded the Wanlan Army to the same Class A rank as the Cuifeng Army.

The commander of the Third Cavalry Battalion, which was added to the Wanlan Army, was Cheng Pu, and the commander of the Fourth Cavalry Battalion was Han Dang. They were merged into the Second Cavalry Brigade, with Cheng Pu as the brigade commander and Han Dang as the deputy brigade commander.

The remaining nine battalions of infantry were reorganized into three brigades, commanded by Pan Zhang, Zhao Fan, and Xu Ding respectively, with Fan Neng serving as the commander of the supplementary brigade.

The Third Special Battalion was reorganized into a brigade, and the brigade commander was still Wang Peng, who was skilled in craftsmanship and machinery and was selected from Liu'er's battalion.

After its reorganization, the Wanlan Army was roughly the same size as the Cuifeng Army, comprising two cavalry battalions, nine infantry battalions, one supplementary battalion, and three special operations battalions, totaling fifteen battalions and 30,000 men.

In this way, Liu Feng's elite field forces were transformed into two armies, thirty battalions, and 60,000 men, which was already a significant strategic force capable of changing the course of the battle.

In addition, Taishi Ci's Cuifeng Army was also on its way back east.

In this battle, because Liu Biao collapsed rather quickly, the elite Vanguard Army, which was meant to be the trump card, had no opportunity to be used and achieved very few victories, instead serving as a reserve force and a rising force in the rear.

The result was that Jia Kui and Zhou Yu's troops shone brightly, while the entire Cui Feng Army was seething with anger.

The reason they are being transferred to Huai and Si is that the strategic focus will shift northward, as both Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are located to the north of Liu Feng.

As the core area of ​​the grand strategic triangle, the Huai-Si region is located in the Jianghuai region, which is well-connected by rivers and has a dense network of waterways. Whether heading north to Hebei or west to Luozhong, it is the most convenient place.

Therefore, Liu Feng decided to deploy his most powerful strategic forces, the Vanguard Army and the Wandering Wave Army, here. He also needed to equip these two armies with a strong naval force, not only to enhance their mobility but also to secure their control of the inland waterways.

In this way, Liu Feng would have a powerful and swift rapid reaction army as a strategic reserve force to deal with many unexpected situations in the Central Plains war.

After dealing with many trivial matters, Liu Feng officially began his tour of the counties, with his first stop being the southern counties of Wu Commandery.

Wu Commandery, extending south from Wu County, comprises a total of six counties: three in the central part and three in the southern part.

The three counties in the central region are quite far apart. Youquan and Haiyan are relatively close, about 30 or 40 li apart. Wucheng, which is right next to Tianmu Mountain, is quite far from Youquan, about 100 li apart.

As for the three southern counties of Yuhang, Qiantang, and Fuchun, they are almost clustered together, with a distance of only about 20 li between them, and the farthest one being no more than 30 li.

After leaving Wu County, Liu Feng went to Haiyan first, not Youquan.

Haiyan is a low-grade county. Although it is located in Wu County, it is not a true land of fish and rice, contrary to what one might imagine. The reason is simple: seawater intrusion.

The current location of Haiyan was formed by erosion and will eventually become inland rather than coastal. As a result, the area has an extremely low elevation, and seawater constantly floods it, making a large area of ​​land in Haiyan County saline-alkali land, which is completely unsuitable for cultivation.

To make matters worse, Haiyan is a long and narrow county running from north to south, and the more fertile inland lands all belong to Youquan County. This is the main reason why Haiyan is quite poor despite being located in Wu County.

During his trip to the county, Liu Feng also wanted to conduct an on-site inspection of Haiyan to see if he could establish a salt field there to improve the income of the local people.

Upon arrival, they discovered that the county magistrate was an old acquaintance, Jiao Jiao, a powerful figure from Kuaiji Commandery.

Despite his extremely rude and contemptuous attitude towards Bu Zhi and Wei Jing, he is actually quite talented.

Zhengqiang County was a large and superior county, so Jiao Jiao was originally the county magistrate of Zhengqiang.

Judging from the results, Jiao Jiao governed Zhengqiang County quite well and was well-liked by the local gentry, powerful families, and common people. Therefore, he even left behind the name "Jiao Zhengqiang".

In the Han Dynasty, there was an unspoken rule that those who could be honored with the name of the place where they governed were generally those who had governed the region exceptionally well.

From this perspective, Jiao Jiao's performance in Zhengqiang County was quite remarkable, demonstrating that he was by no means an incompetent fool, which does not contradict his disdain for the poor.

In the past, Kuaiji had been plagued by several wars. This man wisely protected himself, first by avoiding Sun Ce's campaign against Wang Lang, then by cleverly escaping from Sun Ce's command, and finally by not being coerced by the rebels and successfully standing on Liu Feng's side. This is enough to prove his wisdom and ability.

(End of this chapter)