My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 541 Tribute Mission
"Yes!"

Zhuge Liang replied decisively, "My lord, if Heaven grants it to us, not taking it would only bring us harm."

Liu Feng was somewhat surprised, not expecting Zhuge Liang to be so decisive.

Zhuge Liang continued, "The central army is now 80% ready. According to the original plan, Jiaozhou was to move first, followed by Jingzhou. There are many obstacles on the Yangtze River that need to be removed one by one. My lord can first order General Kuai to launch the attack, and the central Jingzhou war zone can follow suit. You can make your own decisions."

Liu Feng nodded slightly. In fact, he had already made up his mind about these matters, but for some reason, he wanted to hear Zhuge Liang's opinion. If the other party's opinion was the same as his own, his confidence would increase significantly.

Jiangling has now assembled a large fleet, including nine fleets led by Dong Xi, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, Gan Ning, Chen Wu, Zhu Huan, Huang Gai, Ling Cao, and Su Fei, totaling over 50,000 troops, all of whom are elite soldiers. Among them, 18,000 elite soldiers possess field combat capabilities, comparable to the elite troops of the front-line main force. Half of the remaining 36,000 soldiers also have some field combat capabilities and can accompany the elite troops on amphibious operations. The entire army is equipped with leather suits, and a few elite troops are even equipped with complete sets of accessories, long and short weapons, for the needs of land warfare.

In contrast to the navy, the land forces were mainly composed of Zhou Yu's army. The troops previously transferred east to Yuzhou had all been recalled, and the original defense zones were now occupied by the Cuifeng and Wanlan armies. At the same time, these two armies also shifted from an offensive posture to a defensive one.

Zhou Yu's current forces consist of six colonels: Zhou Dao, Zhou Bin, Zu Bin, Xu Yi, Yuan Xiong, and Sun Jing, with a total strength of 24,000 men.

Zhou Dao is Zhou Yu's half-brother, while Zhou Bin is a powerful figure from Yangxian County, Wu County. He voluntarily joined Liu Feng's forces, fought bravely and fearlessly, and was assigned by Liu Feng to serve under Zhou Yu, where he now holds the position of Colonel.

Zu Bin was Zu Lang's younger brother. He was defeated by Zhou Yu at the border of Danyang and Yuzhang and was subsequently captured. He later surrendered along with his brother and was assigned to fight under Zhou Yu's command.

Now Zu Lang has been transferred to Jia Kui's command in Xiangyang, and Zu Bin has taken over his brother's position as a colonel.

Xu Yi and Yuan Xiong were both fierce generals under Sun Ce, experienced in many battles and quite skilled in military strategy. Liu Feng arranged for them to serve under Zhou Yu.

Sun Jing was Sun Jian's younger brother and Sun Ce and Sun Quan's uncle. During the first Battle of Qiantang River, he bet on Sun Ce and helped him take the ancient Chadu Road to launch a surprise attack on Gaoqiantun, successfully defeating Wang Lang and capturing Kuaiji in one fell swoop.

However, in the ensuing Second Battle of Qiantang River, he was annihilated by Liu Feng, his eldest son was killed on the spot, and he himself was captured.

After Sun Ce surrendered, Sun Jing was also released. Two years ago, Liu Feng arranged for him to lead the Sun family members of Fuchun to serve under Zhou Yu.

It must be said that the Sun family experienced an explosive surge of talent starting with Sun Jian. It's a pity the Sun family lacked unity; otherwise, they could have gone much further and achieved much more in history.

However, Liu Feng didn't care. He just wanted the Sun family to fight for him, and he wouldn't feel sorry for them if they died.

As for senior military positions?

How could that be? Not all merits are rewarded accordingly, especially since the Sun family itself has a political stain. They were not only surrendered generals, but they also surrendered and admitted defeat only after being completely defeated by Liu Feng.

Therefore, the threat posed by the Sun family to the Liu family is decreasing and has almost disappeared.

In the past two years, the entire Han Empire has entered a period of peace, especially Liu Feng's army, which has been fighting for years, and has not engaged in any major warfare for almost two years.

Liu Feng made sweeping changes to the army's middle-level backbone, including colonels and commanders, by splitting, merging, and reassigning them, in order to ensure that no general under his command could control the same army for an extended period.

With this, coupled with the supervisory commission system, Liu Feng can rest easy.

The current troop strength is sufficient, with more than 30,000 soldiers on both the land and naval forces alone, and a total strength of more than 80,000. This is only the Jingzhou Army in the Yangtze River Theater.

If the Jiaozhou army is included, the total strength would definitely exceed 150,000.

Liu Zhang's forces would not exceed 100,000, and the number of elite troops with field combat capabilities would be even smaller. Moreover, he would inevitably have to detach some troops to garrison Fucheng to defend against threats from the direction of Hanzhong.

This is a clear advantage we have.

Liu Feng nodded, considered for a moment, and then asked in a questioning tone, "On this trip to Shu, does Kongming intend to establish any merit?"

Zhuge Liang remained calm, but a hint of joy still flashed in his eyes: "That is indeed my wish, I dare not ask."

"good!"

Liu Feng immediately agreed: "In that case, when the central army is mobilized, I will appoint Ling Tong as the main general, assisted by Fu Tong and the Huo brothers, leading 4,000 elite troops, and set up a separate unit, which will be under your full responsibility, to act in conjunction with Zhou Yu's troops."

With Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun's experience and qualifications, they would be capable of leading troops independently after the campaign to conquer Shu. With them in charge of a portion of the elite new army, and with them as candidates for the next echelon of commanders, his position would undoubtedly be more secure.

Zhuge Liang suppressed his joy and bowed, replying, "Yes, sir!"

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

Liu Feng laughed, then remembered something and said, "Now that I am about to get married, after I return this time, I will set off north to fetch my bride. After that, the matter between Kongmingru and my sister can also be put on the agenda."

Liu Feng had previously planned to marry Lady Mi and Lady Cao in the middle of the year, but this has obviously been postponed due to the campaign to conquer Shu.

After all, such a major event would easily attract the attention of all parties. With Liu Feng's political acumen, it was not difficult for him to see the benefits, so it was only natural to postpone it until the end of the year.

As the eldest son, Liu Feng's marriage meant his younger sisters could now be engaged. His eldest sister, Liu Wan, had reached marriageable age, and Liu Feng strongly urged Liu Bei to betroth her to Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang is now engaged to Liu Wan, and they will get married after Liu Feng's marriage.

Upon hearing Liu Feng mention marriage, Zhuge Liang's fair face flushed red, clearly showing some embarrassment, while the younger Liu Feng burst into laughter.

After discussing with Zhuge Liang, Liu Feng made a decision and replied to Kuai Yue, agreeing to his request in his memorial and giving him his full support in launching the operation.

Subsequently, Liu Feng summoned Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Pang Tong, a local strongman in Jingzhou, and entrusted them with the affairs of the central army. He also appointed Dong Xi, Zhou Tai, and Gan Ning as the naval commanders, with Zhou Tai as the Grand Commander and Dong Xi and Gan Ning as the Deputy Commanders, to command the navy and await the orders of Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang.

As for when the central army would launch its attack, Liu Feng delegated authority to Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Pang Tong, as he had other important matters to attend to and had to leave Jingzhou.

The Yangtze River is thousands of miles away, and Liu Feng was worried that in case of an emergency, they wouldn't have time to report, so he temporarily delegated authority. However, this did not mean that the three of them could always act first and report later. As long as it was not an emergency and they had the support of more than two people, they still had to report.

After making the arrangements, Liu Feng set off again, heading east. This time, upon returning to Yangzhou, he would prepare for his wedding.

Marriages among the powerful and wealthy during the Eastern Han Dynasty followed the Six Rites system of the Han Dynasty marriage system.

It is divided into three stages. The first stage is the marriage negotiation stage, which mainly consists of two steps: first, matching social status, and then the matchmaker's words.

This phase has passed; Liu Feng has already arranged marriages with the Cao and Mi families, and only the wedding ceremony is pending.

The second stage is the formal wedding process. The first step is betrothal, the second step is asking the name, and the third step is engagement. These steps have now been completed.

The next step is the fourth step – betrothal (presenting betrothal gifts).

Given Liu Feng's current status and power, this step will inevitably be extremely troublesome.

Ordinary powerful and wealthy people would usually send their own brothers or younger relatives. If they were also holding high-ranking official positions at the time, they would also send their subordinates, such as prefectural magistrates or chief clerks.

Liu Feng is currently appointed as General of the Left, holds the title of Grand Master of the Three Excellencies, carries the imperial insignia, and is the military commander of Yang, Jing, and Jiao provinces. He has also been enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu, making him extremely powerful and influential. Moreover, he has no adult brothers or younger relatives, so theoretically, Liu Feng can only send his own subordinates to collect the tribute.

Furthermore, Liu Feng cannot send just one person. Given the extravagant and decadent atmosphere of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Feng's current status necessitates sending a delegation, and each side must be of the same caliber.

Although Liu Feng intended to be frugal, he was persuaded by others to do so.

After all, Liu Feng's marriage wasn't just his own affair; it represented the face and prestige of the entire Southeast Group. Even Liu Bei didn't support Liu Feng's idea of ​​frugality. This wasn't because Liu Bei and his group were ambitious, extravagant, or dissolute, but rather because a necessary grandeur and magnanimity could unite people and boost confidence.

Left with no other choice, Liu Feng had to accept the opinions of Liu Bei and others and initially drafted two missions.

The first delegation was led by Xu Shao, a renowned scholar from Yuzhou, as the chief envoy, with Huang Chengyan, a renowned scholar from Jingzhou, Gu Yong, a renowned scholar from Yangzhou, and Taishi Ci, a master of archery and horsemanship, as deputy envoys. Ma Liang, a rising star from Jingzhou, served as the official in charge of rites (master of ceremonies), and Zhou Jun, Zhou Cheng, Sun Xiu, and others served as assistant ministers. They went to the Mi family in Qu County, Haidong, to collect taxes.

The second delegation was led by Wang Lang, a renowned scholar from Xuzhou, with Pang Degong, a renowned scholar from Jingzhou, Sheng Xian, a renowned scholar from Yangzhou, and Pan Zhang, a trusted and beloved general, as deputy envoys. Zhang Wen, a rising star from Yangzhou, served as the official in charge of rites, and Zhou Fang, Sun Yi, Sun Jiao, and others were sent as officers to the Cao family in Xiapi Kingdom to pay tribute.

Wu Bo was an important escort guard, commonly seen in the processions of high-ranking officials (such as those with a salary of two thousand shi), weddings, funerals, or military formations. In the Han Dynasty, he served as the vanguard in the official's ceremonial guard, responsible for clearing the way, protecting, and demonstrating authority, symbolizing the official's majesty.

The Wu Bo (a type of military rank) was not only an important manifestation of the authority of Eastern Han officials, formally a ceremonial guard prescribed by ritual law, but also a tool for displaying power. Its existence profoundly reflects the social characteristic of "using military force to demonstrate propriety" in the Han Dynasty and served as a prototype for later official ceremonial systems.

Of course, not just anyone could use the Wubo system; only officials with a salary of 2,000 shi or above were entitled to use it, and usually only 4 to 8 Wubo were assigned to them. However, at the level of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, the number could reach 8 to 12, or even more (relatives of the empress and powerful ministers often overstepped their bounds and set up even more Wubo).

Liu Feng did not overstep his bounds; he only appointed twelve people for himself, with these attendant military officers leading them.

It's just that his father and his close confidants' children are too young. He can't possibly let a bunch of captains and lieutenant generals serve as his envoys for the tribute mission, can he?

In addition, the newly acquired young talents, such as Wei Yan, Wen Pin, Fu Tong, and the Huo brothers, all have important positions. Moreover, given Liu Feng's high regard for them, even if they were willing, Liu Feng would not want them to submit to such a lowly position.

Considering these circumstances, even though the Wubo in his entourage were all either Zhou or Sun, Liu Feng could only laugh it off for the time being.

In addition to the formalities, the two delegations will also present betrothal gifts to the women.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the betrothal gifts were basically four characters: black silk and red silk bundles. However, those with some wealth would inevitably add jade and gold.

However, these two items are not necessarily better the more precious they are, nor are they better the more the better; rather, they have strict standards.

If the quality is too high or the quantity is too large, that is also overstepping one's bounds.

After all, the emperor only gave 20,000 catties of gold when he married the empress. What you are giving is even more. What else is this but overstepping your bounds?

Liu Feng prepared two sets of betrothal gifts, which was quite fair.

Among them, the basic plate is Xuanxun Shubo. Xuan is interpreted as black (symbolizing "heaven", representing yang and nobility); Xun is interpreted as light red or yellowish-red (symbolizing "earth", representing yin and gentleness).

The combination of the two symbolizes "the harmony of heaven and earth, and the balance of yin and yang," which is a manifestation of the Confucian worldview of the Han Dynasty in weddings.

Since Liu Feng wanted to display the betrothal gifts, he naturally couldn't be so conventional.

He prepared "five-colored silk," which included silk in five colors: blue, red, white, black, and yellow. He also prepared ten pairs of "paired deer hides," symbolizing the union of yin and yang.

In addition, there are five pairs of jade discs symbolizing virtue and refinement.

The jade discs were made of green jade and white jade, both over eight inches in diameter. At that time, the usual diameter for a 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) was only five inches, demonstrating the preciousness of the jade artifacts prepared by Liu Feng. The black jade ritual object, the Xuan Gui, was a complete set of eight pieces, all of which were rare and precious treasures.

Then, it's about current financial goods.

Liu Feng prepared 20 shi of frosting sugar, 200 shi of snow salt, 50 shi of sesame oil, 20,000 sheets of paper, 50 iron pots, 2 sheng of pearls, 2 each of tortoiseshell and giant clam shell, 2 each of ivory and rhinoceros horn, 2 pairs of glass, 20 jin each of frankincense, myrrh, and styrax, 10 pieces of amber, 20 bolts each of five-colored kudzu cloth and banana cloth, 200 bolts each of other silk fabrics and threads, 5 pairs of famous swords and knives, 2 famous horses, 1 pair of precious armor, and 10 cotton clothes.

In addition, there are 500 catties of gold, 100 catties of silver, and 10 million coins.

To ensure the safety of the delegation, Liu Feng also selected 1,600 men from his personal guards, dividing them into two groups of 800 each, to be responsible for the safety of one delegation.

Originally, it was planned that Taishi Ci and Pan Zhang would concurrently serve as escort generals, but after Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Cheng Pu, and Huang Gai heard about it, they immediately requested to join the delegation and serve as the leaders of the delegation's guards, responsible for protecting the envoys.

Although agreeing to Zhang Liao and the others' request might be considered unfair, he couldn't very well turn them away since his generals were so eager to help.

Moreover, the world is at peace now, and there is no intelligence indicating that Cao Cao's army intends to launch a surprise attack on Liu Feng's army. Cao Cao's elite main force is even far away in Luoyang, Guanzhong and Hanoi, and there is no suspicious movement.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Liu Feng decided to grant the generals' request. He appointed Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Cheng Pu, and Huang Gai as the chief and deputy guards of the mission, responsible for ensuring the mission's safety and smooth operation.

(End of this chapter)