My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 64 Delivering Gifts
With orders from the prefectural government and Governor Liu to set off, and being Cao Bao's own trusted troops, setting off at any time was truly effortless.

By the time they reached the walls of Kaiyang City, the truth would have been revealed, and there was no need to keep it a secret any longer.

However, Liu Feng raised a slightly more difficult question.

“Uncle, my father’s position as governor was bestowed upon him by Lord Tao. This kindness has always been in my father’s heart and he has never forgotten it. Therefore, my father has always had high expectations for you, Uncle, and also has great hopes for General Xu.”

Liu Feng hesitated for a moment, then, urged by Cao Bao's gaze, continued, "When you see the departure, could you ask your uncle to temporarily draw some troops from General Xu to join the expedition?"

"Even if General Xu doesn't want to make a contribution, surely there are other soldiers who do? Shouldn't we give them a chance to serve the state? Uncle, are you really willing to let the soldiers of Danyang lose their chance for promotion?"

Cao Bao suddenly realized that Liu Feng's meaning was very clear: he hoped that after his troops set off, he could get Xu Dan to join them.

Even if we can't get Xu Dan involved, getting those minor leaders of the Danyang Sect involved would still be a great achievement.

Cao Bao was extremely tempted; this credit came too easily.

The thought that he could also rise to high office made it impossible for him to refuse.

Finally, Cao Bao gritted his teeth, patted his chest, and assured him, "Nephew, don't worry. Your uncle didn't spend those seven or eight years in the Danyang army for nothing. Putting aside Xu Dan, everyone else will definitely give your uncle face. As long as there's enough money and supplies, setting off won't be a problem."

"Good! Uncle is a man of few words!"

Liu Feng praised loudly, and finally congratulated him, saying, "In that case, I wish my father-in-law a future as a general and prime minister, and that he will become the prime minister of Xiapi!"

Cao Bao was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and was overjoyed, bursting into loud laughter.

After finishing his business, Liu Feng did not leave immediately. Instead, he patiently stayed and had a good feast with Cao Bao.

Cao Bao didn't notice anything amiss, and happily drank his fill before letting Liu Feng go.

After Liu Feng left, Cao Bao sobered up a bit and went to the backyard to find his beloved daughter.

After Cao Bao recounted the whole story, he looked at Cao Qing with longing eyes.

Cao Qing knew that his father was interested in the position of Chancellor of Xiapi, but he was still worried that Liu Feng was deceiving him.

Cao Qing had his father recount the whole story, including the plan to eliminate Zang Ba by cutting off his supply lines.

She also interrupted Cao Bao's narration several times, asking a few key questions.

Finally, Cao Qing affirmed, "Father, the young master's plan is indeed ingenious. It is extremely difficult for Zang Ba to detect it. What is even more terrifying is that even if Zang Ba does detect it, he will be powerless to reverse the situation."

"If Father were in Zang Ba's position, Qing'er could only advise you to surrender immediately and submit to Lord Liu. Otherwise, you would have no choice but to take your trusted followers and abandon Kaiyang as soon as possible and rush into the mountains."

"From this point of view, what the young master said should be true. He could not possibly have fabricated such a brilliant plan to deceive you."

"The only thing to worry about is whether they will keep their word afterward."

At this point, Cao Bao's heart jumped; wasn't this exactly what he was most worried about?
"Qing'er, do you think they will keep their promise?"

Cao Qing wasn't entirely confident either, but she still analyzed, "In Qing'er's opinion, it shouldn't be a problem."

"After all, Father's troops were only handed over, not dismissed. In the future, Governor Liu will continue to rely on them to conquer the Huai and Si regions."

Moreover, Prefect Liu is a hero; how could he not understand the principle of valuing talent above all else? If Prefect Liu harbors ambitions to dominate Xuzhou, he will surely emulate the sages of the past, using his father as a model to attract talented individuals from all directions.

Cao Bao listened with amusement. Liu Shijun was even more discerning than Tao Gong, recognizing his exceptional talent, yet failing to grasp the hidden meaning in Cao Qing's words. Hearing that his daughter also believed Liu Shijun's words, Cao Bao was completely relieved, and couldn't help but imagine himself going to Xiapi and taking charge of a major prefecture.

Seeing Cao Bao lost in his beautiful daydreams, Cao Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he had thought, if his father relinquished his military power and was molded into a son-in-law by Liu Shijun, then his father and the entire Cao family would be safe and sound.

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The plan was progressing so smoothly that even Cao Bao was easily persuaded, which further boosted the morale of Liu Bei and his son.

Liu Bei was naturally in charge of military operations. He summoned his trusted confidants Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Tian Qi, and Zhao Yun to discuss in detail the route of the expedition, how to besiege the city, how to cut off Kaiyang's external support, and many other military plans.

Liu Feng naturally took charge of entertaining Mi Zhu and Lu Su, asking these two great benefactors to generously donate money.

In the evening, both Mi Zhu and Lu Su gladly accepted the invitation.

Liu Feng hosted a banquet in his own courtyard in the governor's mansion, inviting Mi Zhu and Lu Su to attend.

Mi Zhu and Lu Su naturally dared not neglect Liu Feng's invitation.

Both of them already knew Liu Feng's abilities and talents, and no longer regarded him as a child.

After receiving the invitation, everyone made preparations, wanting to send a gift to express their feelings.

Mi Zhu and Liu Feng had a long-standing partnership, so Mi Zhu knew more about the situation and how to cater to Liu Feng's preferences. Therefore, he was very confident about today's gift.

In contrast, Lu Su seemed less confident. In his haste, he hadn't prepared anything of value and had to make a last-minute purchase. Surprisingly, he discovered a very nice and valuable item that he could use as a gift.

As evening fell, while Liu Bei was drinking and making merry with his brothers, Liu Feng also welcomed two guests.

After both parties were seated, Mi Zhu first took out a silk scroll and had his attendant hand it to Liu Feng: "Young master, I am grateful for your care in the past. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Liu Feng took a look and was amazed to find that it was full of all kinds of supplies, from basic food to clothing, medicine, and bedding, all labeled with an enticing number.

It turned out that Mi Zeng's decision had been delivered to Mi Zhu, along with the first batch of supplies, as well as the news that the curved plow, rock sugar, and snow salt had been successfully tested and the results were excellent.

Mi Zhu was now completely certain that the son of the governor was worth the Mi family's heavy investment, especially given the hints in his father's letter, which greatly appealed to Mi Zhu.

"This gift is too precious."

The first half of Liu Feng's sentence made Mi Zhu a little worried. He was thinking about how to persuade Liu Feng to accept it, but unexpectedly, Liu Feng took the initiative to pull back and said, "I am honored by your kindness, Prefect. As a disaster victim from outside Tancheng County, I can only accept it with shame."

Mi Zhu replied with delight, "Young master, why do you say that? This is simply my duty, and I dare not accept your thanks. Besides, the cooperation between you and my family has already been proven to be successful and will soon be fully rolled out. This is truly a great favor from you, and I will never forget it."

Lu Su was unaware of the true value of the gift Mi Zhu had given, but seeing Liu Feng's delighted expression, he secretly guessed that the gift must be extremely valuable.

However, Lu Su then remembered the treasures he had bought, and his anxiety subsided.

With these treasures, even if they are not as good as those of the Mi family, they shouldn't be too far off.

The new book category has been overtaken and pushed to fourth place. Brothers, see if we still have any monthly votes left. The gap between us and the other side is very small. Can we help the old man regain third place?

Thank you everyone!

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(End of this chapter)