My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 95 Cao Hong's Downfall (Fifth Update, Seeking First Subscription! 56)

"The one who holds this letter should exit through the west gate, which leads directly to Yanzhou."

Liu Feng spoke eloquently: "At present, although Cao and Lü are vying for supremacy in Yanzhou, the one closest to my Xuzhou is Cao Yanzhou."

"Moreover, Cao Yanzhou has never given up his ambitions against Xuzhou. Just this month, he even asked his strategists Xun Yu, Xi Zhicai, Cheng Li and others whether it was possible to attack Xuzhou first and then pacify Yanzhou."

"If Xun Wenruo had not strongly advised Cao Cao not to give up halfway, and even cited the examples of how Emperor Gaozu of Han guarded Guanzhong and Emperor Guangwu occupied Hanoi to consolidate his base and thus control the world, Cao Cao would have temporarily abandoned his intention to launch three campaigns against Xuzhou."

When Liu Feng spoke of the three campaigns against Xuzhou, even strategists like Chen Deng and kind elders like Mi Zhu turned pale upon hearing Cao's words.

Not to mention Cao Bao and Xu Dan, whose faces were ashen and filled with fear.

This is understandable; the entire Danyang army had been routed by Cao Cao several times, so how could they not be afraid?
This shows how highly Cao Cao was regarded by the people of Xuzhou.

"Therefore, I cannot be certain whether Chief Secretary Cao knew the other party's identity, but I am certain that the person who gave Cao Hong the advice was definitely one of Cao Cao's people!"

Liu Feng, full of confidence, stated bluntly, "Even if it wasn't him personally, it must have been the scheme of his advisors. In my humble opinion, this plan is so vicious, treating people like fish on a chopping board, that it was probably offered by Cheng Li of Dong'e."

Liu Feng's confidence, coupled with the evidence before him, left Cao Bao and Xu Dan speechless.

Moreover, although Liu Feng hypocritically said that it was impossible to arbitrarily conclude that Cao Hong knew the other party was Cao Cao's man, what difference did it make whether he knew or not?
In fact, he had already been informed by Cao Cao. Even if he was deceived, it was still a capital offense.

The mere act of betraying the interests of the state and plotting against the governor is enough to punish Cao Hong.

The act of communicating with Cao Hong was merely a way to nail the coffin lid shut more firmly, ensuring Cao Hong's death was more complete.

Cao Bao and Xu Dan tacitly acknowledged that Cao Hong had colluded with Cao Cao. This crime was irredeemable in Xuzhou, and would likely result in a death sentence.

Cao Hong was personally promoted to the position of Chief Secretary by Tao Qian.

As a result, you haven't even lived through Tao Qian's first year, and you're already wagging your tail to Tao Qian's mortal enemy. If we don't kill you, who will we kill?
Cao Bao and Xu Dan exchanged a glance, then rose from their seats and bowed to Liu Bei, saying, "We humbly request Your Excellency to dismiss Cao Hong and detain him, so as to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and quickly got up to help the two of them up, grasping one of their hands in each: "Wenwei and Zhengshi, it is rare to find two people who understand the greater good. They are truly my wise ministers."

Liu Feng interjected, "Congratulations, Father, on having such virtuous ministers as Uncle Cao and General Xu to assist you. In that case, why not entrust this matter to them and let them investigate and punish Chief Clerk Cao?"

If Chief Clerk Cao is indeed guilty, then Uncle Cao and General Xu are truly righteous and selfless. If Chief Clerk Cao is innocent, then Uncle Cao and General Xu will surely be able to clear his name and restore justice.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was very pleased and turned to Cao Bao and Xu Dan, asking, "My son's words resonate deeply with me. What do you two think? Could you help me share my burdens?"

Now that things have come to this point, what else can Cao Bao and Xu Dan say?
The two could only agree with mixed feelings.

After receiving their orders, the two men left their seats to take their leave.

At the entrance of the state government building, the two looked at each other for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

"How could Cao Guangyi be so foolish as to associate with Cao Cao? Has he forgotten who forced our lord to his death?"

Cao Bao spoke first, his words filled with resentment, clearly showing his dissatisfaction with Cao Hong's collusion with Cao Cao.

This also implicitly suggests that he has already come to believe Liu Feng's words.

Xu Dan glanced at Cao Bao and sighed, "Let's go to his residence and ask him ourselves."

Cao Bao nodded in agreement, and then the two of them, each leading their personal guards, along with the criminal officers sent by the prefecture, went together to Cao Hong's residence.

They met Zhang Kuang on the way and joined the group together.

Xu Dan quickly told Zhang Kuang the general situation on the way, which shocked the latter so much that he almost popped his eyes out.

Is Cao Hong really that stupid?

This was the only thought in Zhang Kuang's mind.

Cao Hong's mansion was a luxurious residence purchased during Tao Qian's era. It occupied a large area and was very luxurious inside, much more so than the mansions of Cao Bao and Xu Dan.

Although Cao Bao was considered the second-in-command of the Danyang faction, second only to the leader Tao Qian himself.

However, firstly, he was a military general and could not interfere with local affairs, and secondly, he was an honest person, so it was not excessive for him to exploit his soldiers.

Therefore, the wealth he has accumulated in Xuzhou over the years is probably less than one-tenth of Cao Hong's.

Xu Dan was the same, and even less than Cao Bao.

After all, Cao Bao was a Zhonglang General, and those of the same generation could call him Cao Wenwei. If they wanted to show more respect, they could call him Cao Jianwei, since he was the current Jianwei Zhonglang General.

Xu Dan, on the other hand, was different. His position as a Lieutenant General was a rank lower in both strength and status. He was merely a position used by Tao Qian to divide Cao Bao's power, and he didn't even have a miscellaneous title.

In other words, the world is in chaos now, and the imperial court has lost its sense of law.

Otherwise, a high-ranking official like a Lieutenant General, who is comparable to a governor with a salary of 2,000 piculs of grain, could only be appointed and dismissed by the central government, and local officials would not have the right to submit memorials to the emperor.

Cao Bao and Xu Dan entered Cao Hong's house and saw the various rare and precious decorations in the backyard, including pearls, agates, gold, and jade. Their eyes turned red with envy.

That damned Cao Guangyi, he always complains about being poor to them, but he's secretly made so much money.

Upon hearing that soldiers had come to cause trouble, Cao Hong angrily went out to greet them.

Upon seeing Cao Bao and Xu Dan, Cao Hong was visibly taken aback, but quickly recovered and said to them with displeasure, "Wenwei, Zhengshi, what is the meaning of this? Why are you bringing people to trespass into my residence and harass my family members?"

At this point, Cao Hong became even more anxious as he watched the soldiers rushing around and harassing the beautiful maids.

"Wenwei, Zhengshi, whatever it is, we can talk in the back room. You two should ask these soldiers to leave first."

Cao Hong originally wanted to have a proper conversation with Cao Bao and Xu Dan.

But the two men opposite him just sneered and didn't respond at all, which made Cao Hong furious. He shouted at them, "What do you mean by this? Are you planning a rebellion?"

Cao Bao sneered. Cao Hong was about to die, yet he still put on airs. He was truly courting death.

Xu Dan gave Zhang Kuang a wink, and the latter chuckled, then led his men forward and suddenly pinned Cao Hong down.

"Are you crazy?"

Cao Hong only realized the situation after being restrained, and looked at Cao Bao and Xu Dan in disbelief: "What are you doing? I am the Prefectural Chief Clerk, are you rebelling?"

"Hey, Guangyi, you're confused."

Cao Bao walked up to Cao Hong, sighed, and shook his head: "Your affair with Han Xun has been exposed. Zheng Shi and I were sent by the magistrate. You should understand now, right?"

Cao Hong's body trembled, sweat poured down his forehead, and his angry curses suddenly subsided.

But after a moment, he raised his head, his pale face devoid of color, his lips trembling as he tried to explain: "I...we just wanted to...want to perform meritorious service for the lord, what's wrong with wanting to perform meritorious service?"

Xu Dan said unhappily, "Enough, Cao Guangyi, stop trying to fool me and Brother Wenwei. Your handwritten letters have been intercepted by the magistrate's men. What excuse do you have left?"

Cao Hong was completely paralyzed, his whole body slumped down like a noodle.

Cao Hong was in a terrible state, his clothes were dirty and disheveled, and he was almost completely pinned to the ground by the soldiers.

However, he felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he was completely powerless. If it weren't for the soldiers holding him down, he would have collapsed to the ground long ago.

Originally, Cao Bao and Xu Dan intended to give Cao Hong some face, since they were all from Danyang and couldn't go too far in their actions; they had to give him some dignity.

It's possible that when Liu Bei was about to execute Cao Hong, the two of them agreed to work together to persuade him to save his life and let him return to his hometown of Danyang to live out his retirement.

But when the two saw the wealth that Cao Hong had hidden, their thoughts began to change.

Cao Bao and Xu Dan exchanged a glance and tacitly changed their attitudes.

At this point, they both realized that their previous thinking had been too superficial, and they had not fully grasped the seriousness of Cao Hong's crimes.

This is colluding with a foreign enemy, and the one they're colluding with is Cao Cao.

The entire Xuzhou region, including the Danyang soldiers, had a blood feud with Cao Cao, a feud that was irreconcilable.

Cao Guangyi has gone too far this time. He actually colluded with Cao Cao and betrayed his own people. This is a betrayal of the elders of Xuzhou, the people of Danyang, and the deceased former magistrate Tao Gong.

Cao Bao and Xu Dan exchanged a few words and were pleasantly surprised to find that they had the same idea.

It would be better if Cao Hong were dead. After all, money can be a powerful motivator, and they didn't want to have to return these things to Cao Hong later.

After all, nobody wants to have a debt collector watching them in the future.

Cao Bao and Xu Dan had their personal guards pack and seal the valuables, then they discussed the matter. They finally decided that Cao Hong must die, and half of Cao Hong's property would be given to Liu Bei. Of the remaining half, Cao Bao would receive 25%, Xu Dan 15%, and Liu Feng 10%.

The 10% benefit for Liu Feng was proposed by Cao Bao, who originally intended to argue his case and subdue Xu Dan.

Unexpectedly, Xu Dan only considered it for a moment before agreeing.

This made Cao Bao feel uneasy, as if he had punched thin air. He even began to suspect that Xu Dan might be secretly flirting with Liu Feng behind his back, which was why he agreed so readily.

However, without any evidence, there was nothing that could be done to Xu Dan. In the end, he had achieved his goal. As long as he could get ahead of Liu Feng to claim credit, he didn't care about anything else.

"Brother Wenwei, Brother Zhengshi, both of you, I know I was wrong. Please, please be merciful and help me!"

Cao Hong finally caught his breath and desperately tried to grasp at the last straw: "For the sake of our fellow villagers, please spare my life?"

"To save your life?"

Xu Dan said irritably, "How are we supposed to protect you? You're in league with Cao Cao, and we might both be implicated because of you."

Xu Dan's temper grew angrier as he spoke: "Did you think of me and Brother Wenwei when you were colluding with Cao?"

"How could I have colluded with Cao Cao?"

Cao Hong was crying his eyes out. He was just trying to find a way out, so how did he become a traitor?

Cao Bao simply waved his hand, ordering someone to gag Cao Hong.

It's too late for Cao Hong to say anything now, so why bother listening to his nonsense?

Cao Hong's fate was sealed, and his faction of civil officials in Danyang would inevitably be purged as well.

Liu Feng spent half a day with his mother and mother in the prefectural government office before heading to the military camp in the evening.

This group of Danyang soldiers had become accustomed to Liu Feng eating and living with them. Some of the bolder soldiers, like Wang Gui, even dared to joke with him cautiously.

As everyone knows, Liu Feng is very serious during training. Although he is young, he is strict in training and rarely smiles.

But during breaks, he could put aside his airs and mingle with the soldiers.

On ordinary days, he would often give the soldiers extra meals, increase their meat intake, arrange for women and children to clean the barracks, and wash and mend the soldiers' clothes, which greatly moved the soldiers.

Especially after dinner every night, he would often chat with his soldiers, telling them stories of famous figures who rose to high positions, while also implying that good soldiers should defend the country and protect their hometown, so that they could earn the love and respect of the people.

If they prey on local people and oppress civilians in peacetime, and are cowardly and timid in wartime, they will collapse at the slightest provocation.

So why should such soldiers expect civilians to respect and admire them?

Neither these things nor rhetoric can change a soldier's thoughts and beliefs overnight.

But as time went on, even if it only had a slight effect, Liu Feng was happy to do it.

Two days later, Cao Bao and Xu Dan suddenly sent someone to deliver a gift worth 400,000 coins, presumably to round it up to a whole number for him.

Liu Bei also received the same gift, but it was worth five times more than Liu Feng's.

Liu Feng quickly figured out where the money came from, and without any hesitation, he accepted it all and put it into the treasury.

Cao Bao and Xu Dan's embezzlement of Cao Hong's property was certainly illegal.

But can we punish them now?
Obviously not, because military action is imminent.

Moreover, when Liu Bei took the initiative to send the two of them to capture Cao Hong, he was essentially tacitly acknowledging that they would confiscate his property and divide the spoils.

Liu Bei hadn't expected that the two of them would be so sensible as to actually divide the food into two portions to give to the father and son.

Since that's the case, they can only accept the money with a smile. Even if they send it to the state government to subsidize the treasury, it's still better than returning it to Cao Bao and Xu Dan to squander.

A few days later, it was February.

The state government's land reclamation plan is about to begin; if we don't act soon, it will delay spring planting.

The state government had already selected more than 4,000 families, all of which had two or more able-bodied men and women.

These people were evenly distributed among three places: Cheng County, Lanling County, and Xiangben County. Lu Su was eventually appointed as the Colonel of Agricultural Settlements, with a salary equivalent to two thousand shi of grain, in charge of all agricultural settlement affairs, and also served as the magistrate of Xiangben County.

Lu Su was deeply grateful and thanked him profusely before taking office, where he began to allocate personnel and supplies.

Liu Feng's troops will escort two thousand households of civilians to Xiangben County, west of Tancheng County. This is a vital transportation route from Tancheng to Yanzhou. It used to be a very prosperous county with many merchant caravans.

But now, all that's left is an empty ghost town.

However, Xiangben County is much better than Chengxian and Lanlingxian, at least its city walls and houses are still there.

Most of the original civilians here died after fleeing the city, from the looting, killing, and capture by Cao Cao's army and the fleeing soldiers.

The largest casualty incident occurred outside the city of Tancheng.

When Cao Cao's army pursued them to their camp outside Tancheng, the city gates of Tancheng were tightly closed, and they dared not open them, leaving tens of thousands of civilians fleeing outside the city to Cao Cao's army.

After Liu Bei arrived, he joined forces with Cao Bao to launch a counterattack, but unfortunately, the counterattack not only failed, but they were also nearly defeated by Cao's army.

Therefore, although Xiangben County remains intact, its former inhabitants are no longer the same.

The first batch of escorts consisted of 500 households, totaling 2,664 people, who set off first. Among them were 60 officials, all of whom were drawn from other counties in Donghai Commandery.

Liu Feng ordered that Xu Sheng's troops be drawn from the army to participate in this operation, while Pan Zhang and Cao Meng's troops set off first, already escorting supplies such as grain, oxen, and salt.

Xu Sheng's force consisted of 500 men, plus his own 30 personal guards, totaling 530 men.

This is not because Xu Sheng had more personal guards than General Xu Dan, but because when Xu Dan met Liu Bei, he could not have brought all his personal guards with him like Xu Sheng did when he went on a campaign.

Xu Sheng's personal guards were all his relatives and guests. They all possessed good martial arts skills, were quite united, and had strong combat capabilities.

Xu Sheng also intended to train them under his wing, and later send them out to serve as junior officers.

Outside the west gate of Tancheng County, Liu Feng saw the households waiting for them to escort him.

Although these people were mostly young and strong, they were extremely thin, clearly indicating that they hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

These people have already been given some rations, probably a few bushels each, enough for them to eat for several days.

Once they reach their destination, they will receive new supplies, enough to sustain them until the summer harvest.

The straight-line distance between Tancheng and Xiangben is only about 20 li, but the two cities are separated by the Yi River. Therefore, one must detour through a bridge built in a narrow place, so it is actually more convenient to go to Jiqiu County in Langya Prefecture.

“Brother Wenxiang, send one garrison to lead the way, send another garrison to bring up the rear, and the rest will guard the middle.”

Although the nominal commander of this team was Military Commander Xu Sheng, he had to ask Liu Feng for his opinion on everything, which made Liu Feng quite helpless.

However, Liu Feng also wanted to take this opportunity to gain more practical experience, so he gradually began to overstep his authority.

Xu Sheng, on the contrary, had no complaints and was very obedient.

The team set off, and everyone hoped to leave as soon as possible, otherwise they might not make it to Xiangben in time. In that case, they would have to spend the night in the wilderness, where it was freezing cold, and there would likely be many casualties.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened along the way. Occasionally, there were bandits, but upon seeing the regular army, they were terrified and fled in panic.

At this point, Liu Feng did not order the cavalry to pursue, but instead maintained a safe reconnaissance distance to cover the main force's continued advance.

Finally, as the sun began to set, the team arrived safely in Xiangben County.

At this time, the gate of Xiangben County was still open, and a group of soldiers stood outside the gate.

Torches have been lit on the city walls, and large pots of boiling rice porridge have been set up in the open spaces inside the city.

The villagers were already exhausted and hungry, but the month-long experience of queuing had made them consciously form a line instead of rushing forward.

Seeing the villagers finish their hot porridge and be guided into the surrounding houses, Liu Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction.

That day, Liu Feng stayed until the very end, waiting until everyone else had rested before he and Xu Sheng went back to rest.

(End of this chapter)