My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 66: Tens of Millions in Funds (Five chapters next Monday!)
Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu realized that although he had always valued Liu Bei and his son highly, he had never expected that he would ultimately underestimate them.

This is understandable. Who could have imagined that Liu Bei, who had only been in charge of Xuzhou for a little over a month, with only Tancheng County under his jurisdiction, no more than 6,000 soldiers, and barely enough food to last until the summer harvest, had already begun plotting to seize Langya Commandery?

If this plan is absurd and ridiculous, it will naturally be a huge loss of points, becoming the best evidence that Liu Bei is restless and warlike.

However, in the short span of a month, Liu Bei has already managed to subdue Cao Bao and dismantle the Danyang faction.

At this moment, Liu Feng's Langya strategy was so ingenious and unexpected, yet highly feasible.

Even if Mi Zhu and Lu Su put themselves in Zang Ba's shoes, they would feel that the only option was to surrender and wait to be captured.

Lu Su, in particular, was in turmoil.

He had been racking his brains for the past few days and had come up with a plan, which he intended to carefully refine and polish before presenting to Prefect Liu.

The first step was to deal with Zang Ba of Langya.

However, the methods he came up with were all crude and had a very low chance of success, far less sophisticated and feasible than the plan Liu Feng was now proposing.

The difference between the two is like heaven and earth.

Lu Su couldn't help but ask, "Young master, this strategy of removing the firewood from under the cauldron is truly ingenious and brilliant. May I ask which wise and sage offered this idea?"

Liu Feng was suddenly praised by Lu Su as a wise and sagacious man, which made him feel a little embarrassed, and his expression became strange.

Upon seeing this, Lu Su assumed it was some kind of secret that couldn't be revealed, and quickly explained, "Please don't take offense, young master. I was simply impressed by this gentleman's wisdom and couldn't help but want to inquire. If it's a secret, you don't need to tell me."

Seeing Lu Su's anxiety, Liu Feng also came to his senses and explained, "How can you belittle yourself, Master Zijing?"

“My father often said that having Mr. Zijing’s assistance is like a fish in water or a bird soaring to the sky. There is no need to hide this from you, sir. My hesitation just now was because you flatter me.”

"To be honest, gentlemen, this plan was proposed by me. It was only after my father and Chen Gongcao gave their approval that it was put into practice."

Lu Su and Mi Zhu had actually gotten used to it. When they heard Liu Feng admit that the plan was his, they were not too surprised. In fact, they even thought it made a lot of sense.

"I see. I had no idea that you were so wise, young master."

"I never imagined that the governor would have such a son; he will surely be more than just a single prefecture in the future."

Liu Feng dared not be negligent and solemnly thanked Mi Zhu and Lu Su for their praise.

Now, let's get back to the main topic.

"Your Excellency, Mr. Zijing, whether my plan succeeds or not depends entirely on your strong support."

Liu Feng said sincerely, "I have already discussed with my father that your assistance can be regarded as a loan from the state government, with interest calculated at market price. After we take Kaiyang, we can settle the debt with money and grain and repay you both."

According to Liu Feng's estimate, at least ten million coins should be prepared.

It has been calculated before that Zang Ba could have at most 150,000 shi of grain, which, according to market prices, would be worth about 38 million coins.

However, after being reminded by Chen Yuanlong, Liu Feng realized that he had overlooked something.

Of these 150,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), no more than 30,000 shi could be purchased at market price.

If other goods are unavailable, then prices must be raised.

Ultimately, it is highly likely that 50,000 to 100,000 shi of grain will be stored in Zang Ba's warehouse as reserve, and will not be easily sold.

Money alone isn't enough to get this food; we need to think of other ways.

With a broad budget in mind, this grain procurement plan would require at least tens of millions of dollars, so Liu Feng and his son had no choice but to seek help from the wealthy patrons in Xuzhou.

Of course, although this was a loan, it was actually a way to give credit. Mi Zhu and Lu Su were both shrewd people, especially good at political investment. How could they not know this?
The two men, far from displaying the demeanor of creditors, instead wore expressions of delight, as if pleading for an opportunity to contribute to the prefecture and the governor. In the end, Mi Zhu and Lu Su only exchanged a few words before finalizing the amount.

The two agreed to pool together 12 million coins, with the Mi family contributing 8 million and the Lu family contributing 4 million. The first batch of 5 million coins could be delivered in March, and the total funds could be raised by April at the latest.

Liu Feng was overjoyed and bowed deeply in gratitude. Moreover, both families would not only contribute money but also provide a caravan for this matter.

Whether it was the Mi family's caravan or the Lu family's caravan, they were already familiar faces in Xuzhou. Going to Zang Ba's place to collect grain and then using the banner of Liu Bei's plan to establish military farms would only appear legitimate and would hardly arouse the suspicion of Zang Ba and his ilk.

After finalizing the details of the plan, Liu Feng also brought up some advanced experiences from later generations, which surprised and puzzled Mi Zhu and Lu Su.

I don't know how Liu Feng, at such a young age, knows so many secrets... no, he must have used clever methods.

The two of them couldn't help but have the same thought.

Could it be that there are truly beings in this world who are born with knowledge?

Having settled their important matters, the three were in high spirits again and went out to continue the banquet.

In the midst of their drinking and lively conversation, Liu Feng suddenly brought up Liu Ye, asking whether Lu Su had written him a letter of advice.

Lu Su said that he had already written two letters and sent them to Huainan long ago.

Liu Feng was overjoyed upon hearing this, as he quite admired Liu Ye.

Although Liu Ye was a bit foolish in choosing a ruler, he was truly skilled in tactics and ingenuity, and possessed strategic vision, with the talent of a chief of staff for large armies.

Just look at his advice in several key battles; it was always right and his plans always came to fruition.

If Cao Cao and his son Cao Pi had listened to him even once, there would have been no Three Kingdoms period.

But this very man chose Cao Cao, and was eventually driven mad because he played two roles in front of Cao Rui, fearing punishment from Cao Rui, and scared himself to death.

In Liu Feng's plan, Liu Ye or Xun You would be a very good match for Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun was calm and upright, possessed the demeanor of a great general, and even had quick wit and ingenious strategies, but he lacked the talent of a great general.

The term "great general's talent" here refers to the ability to assess the battlefield situation and devise strategies for victory.

Looking at Zhao Yun's record, he had his moments of brilliance with the Empty Camp Strategy, but in most cases, his win rate was not high. In the end, he even lost to the inexperienced Cao Zhen, which led to his death in frustration.

It's not that Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang didn't give him opportunities, but rather that Zhao Yun failed to seize those opportunities.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei represent two extremes.

Zhang Fei often either won a great victory or suffered a great defeat; the probability of him drawing a battle was relatively low.

Zhao Yun rarely suffered major defeats, but he also rarely won big victories; in fact, he drew a lot of matches.

From this perspective, if Zhao Yun were paired with a sharp-eyed, resourceful, and strategically astute Liu Ye or Xun You, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

The only concern is whether Zhao Yun and Liu Ye can get along, since personality compatibility is an important factor in the harmony between generals and commanders.

After the fun was over, Liu Feng saw Mi Zhu and Lu Su off.

The two naturally refused to let Liu Feng see them off, and repeatedly asked him to stay.

But how could Liu Feng possibly agree?
In the end, Mi Zhu and Lu Su couldn't persuade Liu Feng otherwise, so they let him hold one person in each hand and walk away hand in hand.

My hand cramped up... Luckily, I've already saved up three chapters, and my plan to update five times a week on Mondays remains unchanged! Please don't forget to check back, thank you!

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(End of this chapter)