My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 191 The Night Changes in Qucheng
After a whole night of discussion, they finally made up their minds and decided to launch their uprising three days later.

Because Guan Yu's army would likely arrive in Qu County within five to seven days.

At this time, Guan Yu's reputation was far less than it would be in later generations, but as Liu Bei's right-hand man, his status was still quite high, and he commanded the elite soldiers of Xuzhou, so no one dared to underestimate him.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, it's best not to wait until he arrives in Qu County.

Meanwhile, the three assigned tasks: Wang Yu was responsible for attacking the Mi residence. It would be best if they could take advantage of their connections to launch a sneak attack; if not, they would simply surround the Mi residence. They absolutely could not let Mi Zeng escape, nor could they give the Mi family the opportunity to mobilize their armed servants outside.

Gan Zhen was responsible for taking over the county government, armory, warehouse, and other locations. This task was actually relatively easy, as there were no troops stationed in Qu County, and the regular military force consisted of only a few dozen county officials and yamen runners.

Although it's unknown how they will react, even if they want to resist, it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Therefore, Gan Zhen also had another task: after capturing the key location in the county, he had to deploy 400 elite troops to provide support and assistance to Wang Yu and Zheng Wang at any time.

Finally, Zheng Wang's task was to take over Sanmen in Qu County.

Yes, Qu County only has three city gates: the North Gate, the West Gate, and the South Gate. The east side is all mudflats because it is near the sea, so there is no city gate there. In any case, the port is in the southeast of Qu County, so it is more convenient to go through the South Gate.

Within two days, the three families must gather their troops into the city.

Do not contact other smaller families for the time being. Wait until the uprising begins, then send someone to inform them and ask them to contribute manpower and resources to prevent the news from leaking out.

After all, the Mi family was deeply rooted in Qu County, and given the rebellion, it was hard to say whether those smaller families would betray them.

After agreeing on the plan, the three of them went their separate ways.

To be fair, the three families were indeed very careful when they acted, secretly sending salt workers into the mansion by mixing them with the caravan and servants.

But the Mi family in Qu County are not to be underestimated. With so many people, how could they possibly not leave any trace?

Whether it was the sheer number of unfamiliar, burly men entering the city, or the dramatic increase in the three families' purchases of fresh vegetables and meat, news reached the Mi residence and was delivered to Liu Feng and Mi Zeng.

"I just want them to stabilize salt prices and pay taxes properly according to the laws of the Han Dynasty."

After reading the intelligence, Liu Feng handed it to Mi Zeng, sighing, "But they're determined to fight to the death."

"They were just blinded by greed."

After reading the report, Mi Zeng passed it on to the Zhuge brothers below him, his old face still full of amiable smiles: "However, if this net is strong enough, I'm afraid that even if the fish want to die, let alone break the net, they'll have to ask the net if it will allow it."

Liu Feng burst into laughter.

"Young Master, according to this intelligence, the three families have at least three thousand people, and the city's forces are somewhat insufficient."

Everyone else remained silent after reading, but Chen Jiao spoke up, suggesting, "Should we bring in some men from outside the city?"

Currently, there are fifty cavalrymen under Taishi Ci, five hundred armored soldiers under Pan Zhang, and six hundred retainers from the Mi family in the city. In an emergency, the Mi family can also muster one or two hundred strong servants, all of whom have some basic martial arts training experience.

Therefore, judging from the servants of the Mi family, the retainers and servants of the Gan, Wang, and Zheng families should not be underestimated; their training level must be much higher than that of ordinary county soldiers.

Liu Feng did not answer directly, but instead asked the others, "What do you all think of Ji Bi's suggestion?"

"This strategy is utterly flawed!"

Xu Xuan stood up abruptly and retorted, "The actions of the salt merchants are entirely within our control. How can we be sure that our actions are not being monitored? At such a critical moment, suddenly deploying troops into the city is tantamount to telling them that we are prepared. Besides, the walls of the Mi residence are high and sturdy, and there are five hundred armored soldiers. What is there to fear?"

Previously, everyone had discussed that the best outcome would be to let the salt magnates rebel in Qu County, so that they could be wiped out in one fell swoop.

If these salt magnates were allowed to escape the city, things would undoubtedly become more complicated.

These salt merchants were all local tyrants, and they secretly colluded with the Yellow Turban rebels and pirates, and they also had various fortified villages in the countryside. If they were to successfully escape from Qu County and go to these places, Liu Feng would have to spend at least one or two years to quell the rebellion, which would be a huge waste of time.

In fact, Chen Jiao most wanted to persuade Liu Feng to leave Qu County, but Liu Feng had no intention of leaving.

Mi Zeng returned to Qu County in order to lull the salt magnates into a false sense of security and encourage them to act quickly.

At this point, it would be extremely shameful for Liu Feng to abandon Mi Zeng and Mi Yue and run away.

More importantly, Chen Jiao was, after all, just a scholar, and did not understand the significance of the fifty cavalrymen led by Taishi Ci and the five hundred armored soldiers commanded by Pan Zhang.

If Pan Zhang were allowed to act freely, even three thousand men might not be enough to defeat him.

Otherwise, the five hundred elite warriors under Pan Zhang's command, along with these five hundred sets of priceless iron armor, would be too underwhelming.

In Liu Feng's view, his safety was as solid as a rock, so why not show some courage, boldness and a sense of responsibility?

“What Baojian said is very true.”

Chen Jiao nodded in agreement, then changed the subject: "But if we do this, the salt merchants will cut off the city from both inside and outside. Generals Gan, Dong, Zhou, Jiang and others will not be able to enter the city. How many days can we hold out?"

Both Xu Xuan and Chen Jiao made valid points; now it was up to the lord to decide.

Liu Feng appeared relaxed and not nervous at all. Instead, he leisurely inquired about the silent Zhuge brothers and Taishi Ci.

"Teacher, Brother Ziyu, Aliang, do you have any good ideas for me?"

The Zhuge brothers exchanged a glance and noticed the smile in each other's eyes, clearly realizing that Liu Feng already had a good plan in mind.

Taishi Ci hadn't thought that far ahead. After considering it for a moment, he said, "If you can give me two hundred armored soldiers, I'm seventy percent confident that I can successfully launch a surprise attack on the south gate."

Zhuge Jin stood up and bowed to Taishi Ci, then said, "This plan is too dangerous. Even if the surprise attack succeeds, we still have to hold the city. Even if Generals Gan and Dong arrive in time, it will take at least half an hour. If they are late, it may take two or three hours. This is where the danger lies."

Taishi Ci frowned slightly but remained silent. As a military general, a 70% chance of success was already quite high, and that was just his modest statement.

However, Taishi Ci did not object. Firstly, Zhuge Jin's concerns were not entirely unfounded, and secondly, the other party was very polite, only discussing the matter at hand and not targeting him personally.

Given Taishi Ci's wisdom and understanding, it was naturally not a good idea to get entangled with him.

Liu Feng looked at Zhuge Liang and asked, "Zhuge Liang, do you have any good strategies to teach me?"

Zhuge Liang did indeed have some advice to offer: "My lord, in my opinion, they are about to launch their attack, which will be within three days at the earliest, and no later than seven days. In that case, you and Elder Mi need not continue to stay in the city."

Xu Xuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately chimed in, "Brother Zhuge is absolutely right."

Zhuge Liang continued, “My lord, tomorrow we can send Elder Mi out of the mansion to inspect the properties in Qu County. Then, you can travel lightly and quietly out of the city together. At the same time, we can have Commander Dong Xi meet us outside the city. In this way, General Taishi and General Pan in the city will have no worries about their rear. Once the attack begins, they can rush straight to the south gate, seize it, and let our reinforcements into the city. In addition, we can inform Generals Zhou and Jiang that they can transfer their troops to Qu Port in advance to avoid any accidents.”

Chen Jiao also praised repeatedly: "Young master, what Brother Zhuge said makes sense, we should follow it."

Mi Zeng was getting old, so naturally he didn't need to show up every day.

This appearance could easily drag on for five or six days.

If that's the case, why stay in the city? Besides, once they leave the city, there's no need to spare any effort to protect them, which inadvertently increases the number of troops in the city.

"can."

Liu Feng readily agreed, then turned to Taishi Ci and Pan Zhang and said, "In that case, the city will be in your hands. Taishi Ci will be the commander-in-chief, and Wen Gui will be the deputy commander. Your primary task is to capture the south gate. You need not worry about anything else."

"Yes, son!"

Taishi Ci and Pan Zhang rose together to accept the order.

The reason Liu Feng agreed so readily was simply because he truly shared the same thoughts as Zhuge Liang.

It's just unknown how long Zhuge Liang thought about this plan; Liu Feng, at least, spent several days figuring it out.

The next day, Mi Zeng went out of the mansion to inspect the Mi family's properties. Gan Zhen actually came to see him in person, wanting to invite Mi Zeng to a banquet at the Gan mansion, but Mi Zeng politely declined.

Going to the banquet at the Gan residence at this time would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—a one-way trip with no return.
Even though Mi Zeng was old, he could see clearly what Gan Zhen was planning, so naturally he would not agree to it.

The next day at daybreak, a small convoy of carriages quietly left the Mi residence.

This included Liu Feng and others, who disguised themselves as servants and left Qu County at dawn.

This matter did not arouse the curiosity of Gan Zhen and others. They rested all day because the date set by the salt magnates for the rebellion was that very night.

At midnight that day, the mansions of the Gan, Wang, and Zheng families were brightly lit. More than 3,000 strong men had eaten their fill and were armed with long swords and shields. Hundreds of them were clad in armor, and dozens were carrying powerful crossbows, exuding a murderous aura.

Gan, Wang, and Zheng, in their respective residences, gave a speech, promising that after the city was occupied, the wealth in the county treasury and the saltworks would be freely available to their men, and that those who fought bravely would receive additional rewards. This immediately aroused the lust of these soldiers and salt workers, causing them to howl with excitement.

Lights were constantly being turned on around the area, clearly startled by the changes taking place.

However, the salt tycoons didn't care at all; since they had already started, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

The next moment, three fire dragons surged out from the three mansions and pounced on their respective targets.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen messengers headed towards the mansions of powerful local families in Qu County. Every single one of these people was a salt tycoon from Qu County.

When Gan, Wang, and Zheng contacted them, it was naturally to urge them to quickly gather their tribesmen and launch a joint operation. The movement of several thousand people could not be kept secret.

Lights were constantly being lit throughout Qu County, and some daring people even climbed over their own walls to peer out. Upon seeing many burly men carrying torches and long knives, looking fierce and menacing, they quickly retreated.

These salt tycoons and rebels had no time to pay attention to the common people; they simply rushed straight towards the city gates, the county government, the millet treasury, the armory, and other places.

Wang Yu personally led the team, heading straight for the Mi residence.

Upon arriving outside the Mi residence, Wang Yu turned back and gave him a meaningful look.

The rebels split into two groups and hid at the base of the walls of the Mi residence, leaving about twenty men to surround Wang Yu.

The Mi Mansion was indeed fortified with high walls and deep moats, and its main gate was even made of copper-clad, century-old heavy wood, making it extremely sturdy.

The mansion was heavily guarded, with soldiers patrolling day and night.

For Wang Yu and his group, the best way was to trick them into opening the gate.

Ideally, it would be best to capture Mi Zeng by trickery, but how could Wang Yu agree to that?

Mi Zeng was an old man, while he himself was in his prime. Naturally, he would politely decline such a dangerous task.

"Take the things out."

Wang Yu called out softly, and several of his confidants took out a few chickens and ducks from a cloth bag, all of which had their mouths tied so they couldn't make a sound.

Then, one person with a knife slit their throat, caught the chicken and duck blood, and smeared it on their face and body.

Afterwards, Wang Yu took a deep breath, walked up the steps, and pounded hard on the gate of the Mi residence.

"Master Mi, Master Mi!"

Hearing someone shouting outside, a person came out of the side room and asked through the door, "Who goes there?"

"I am Wang Zuyao of the Wang family, open the door immediately!"

"Wang Zu...Wang Jia Dalang?"

The doorman inside recognized Wang Yu's voice.

"It's me."

Wang Yu also recognized the other person's voice: "Erquan, open the door quickly, I have something important to report to Lord Mi."

The two dogs inside hesitated and said, "Young Master Wang, I cannot make this decision. Please tell me what happened, and I will immediately report it to my master."

Wang Yu knew that what the other party said made sense, so he took out the explanation he had prepared beforehand: "The Gan family and the Zheng family have rebelled! My father sent me to the Mi residence with men to escort Lord Mi to my house for temporary refuge. Please open the door quickly."

"What!?"

The two dogs inside were clearly frightened by these words: "Wang Langjun, please wait a moment, I will open the door right away."

"Okay, I'll wait."

Wang Yu revealed a ferocious and cruel smile and made a gesture to the person next to him.

The gates of the Mi residence slowly opened.

As soon as a crack appeared, the men behind Wang Yu shouted, exerted their strength, pushed open the door, raised their long swords, shouted battle cries, and then rushed into the doorway.

But to their utter surprise, as soon as they entered, they bumped into a cold iron wall.

"My men, kill him!"

Pan Zhang roared, which was met with a chorus of shouts from the Tiger Warriors. The Wang family's troops who rushed in couldn't stand firm and were actually pushed back out from the inside.

Those who retreated were considered lucky; many were directly cut down and trampled on by iron boots. At first, they still had the strength to shout and beg for mercy, but after a few breaths, their shouts gradually subsided and eventually disappeared.

Looking at the armored soldiers pouring out of the Mi residence, Wang Yu felt his legs tremble and his limbs go weak.

The Wang family rebels who rushed in from both sides of the courtyard wall were also startled.

The rebels behind, unaware of what was happening, continued to push forward, forcibly squeezing the people at the very front into the hands of the armored soldiers.

Before long, the area in front of the Mi residence was in a mess, and the blood could not flow out for a while, almost reaching above the ankles.

Pan Zhang looked at Wang Yu in front of him and said smugly, "Why don't you rebel quickly?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu was stunned and didn't understand what Pan Zhang meant.

Pan Zhang slapped him across the face and angrily rebuked, "You've caused your father to lose sleep for two days and be unable to drink alcohol. This is all your fault!"

Wang Yu burst into tears; this was far too unreasonable.

"Wen Gui, you should quickly lead your men to the North Gate. I will go to the South Gate. When reinforcements arrive, we can join forces to attack the West Gate."

Taishi Ci rode out of the mansion on a white horse, followed by fifty cavalrymen and two hundred armored soldiers.

"Don't worry, Ziyi!"

Pan Zhang responded casually, then shouted into the crowd, "Bao Hu, you take your soldiers and follow Ziyi."

A burly man stepped out from the crowd, respectfully acknowledged Pan Zhang's command, and then addressed Taishi Ci, saying, "General Ziyi, I obey your orders."

Taishi Ci knew Pan Zhang's temper, so he didn't argue with him. He nodded to Bao Hu and said, "Commander Bao, target the South Gate, let's go."

"Yes! General!"

At Bao Hu's command, two hundred armored soldiers sprang into action, following him toward the south gate.

The Mi Mansion was located south of Qu County, only about 200 meters from the South Gate. From the Fu Lou building in the mansion, one could see the Qu Mountain to the southeast.

Pan Zhang immediately ordered Wang Yu to be tied up, and then shouted, "Men, follow me to take the North Gate!"

Taishi Ci took away fifty cavalrymen, two hundred armored soldiers, and two hundred retainers from the Mi family, while Pan Zhang took the remaining three hundred armored soldiers and the remaining four hundred retainers from the Mi family.

By this time, the south gate had already changed hands.

Because the South Gate was close to the Mi residence, Zheng Wang personally led the attack, while the North and West Gates were left to his subordinates.

The operation proceeded very smoothly after it began.

Zheng Wang captured the South Gate with almost no resistance.

The dozen or so county soldiers dared not resist Zheng Wang's hundreds of ferocious rebels; they knelt down and begged for mercy as soon as they saw them from afar.

After easily capturing the south gate, Zheng Wang left only two hundred men to defend the city gate, and then led the remaining four hundred men toward the Mi residence.

He wasn't trying to help Wang Yu out of kindness; he was just eyeing the gold and silver in the Mi family mansion and wanted a piece of the pie.

In fact, Gan Zhen assigned Wang Yu to take over the Mi Mansion, while Zheng Wang was tasked with seizing the city gate, which greatly displeased the latter.

You two, one in charge of the government office and the other in charge of the county office, are making me go to the city tower to get some fresh air?

However, given the situation where Gan Zhen and Wang Yu were working together, he couldn't object.

But precisely because of this, he had already made up his mind that even if he couldn't catch up with the county government, he had to get a share of the spoils from the Mi family. So, he only sent four hundred men to the west and north gates, and brought the remaining six hundred men to the south gate.

Zheng Wang even sent several clever subordinates to scout out the situation before he appeared, confirming that Wang Yu had tricked his way into opening the Mi family's door.

Otherwise, if we go too early, wouldn't we be helping Wang Yu?

Unexpectedly, several screams came from afar, followed by a rumbling thunder that grew closer and closer.

Zheng Wang was a little puzzled. He looked up at the sky, where the stars were shining brightly and it didn't look like it was going to rain.

Suddenly, one of his men in charge of northern trade cried out in a piercing voice, "Cavalry! It's cavalry!"

Zheng Wang's expression changed drastically. Before he could react, he saw a white figure break through the darkness. Moonlight shone on the knight, illuminating him as he nocked an arrow and drew his bow. A streak of light flowed across the arrowhead and caught Zheng Wang's eye.

"Back off... Ah!!"

Just as Zheng Wang uttered his cry, the streak of light he had seen earlier was already upon him, striking him precisely in the throat.

Zheng Wang's eyes widened, his hands gripping the arrow shafts tightly, and he slowly collapsed to the ground.

(End of this chapter)