My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 219 The Sealing Ceremony in Chenliu

Zhang Yang in Hanoi had already received the letter from Xuzhou.

In addition to the letter written by Liu Bei himself, there was also a letter sent by Lü Bu.

For this letter from Lü Bu, Xuzhou had to sacrifice another thousand shi of grain, which shows how greedy Lü Bu was.

Fortunately, Lü Bu did his job after receiving the money, and in his letter to Zhang Yang, he praised Liu Bei extensively.

Zhang Yang and Lü Bu were truly compatible; even though Lü Bu had been driven out by Yuan Shao, Zhang Yang dared to take him in.

Therefore, Zhang Yang trusted Lü Bu's words completely.

This letter from Lü Bu immediately made Zhang Yang feel much more favorably toward Liu Bei.

Afterwards, Zhang Yang began reading the letter sent by Liu Bei.

The letter began with lavish praise on Zhang Yang, expressing great approval of Zhang Yang's loyalty to the emperor and the Han dynasty. At the same time, it expressed concern that the emperor might be bullied in Hedong. Finally, Liu Bei formally invited Zhang Yang to go to Hedong to defend the emperor.

Zhang Yang was overjoyed by Liu Bei's praise and attitude.

Hearing that the Xuzhou coalition forces heading north numbered as many as 30,000 to 40,000 made Zhang Yang very interested.

It should be noted that there are tens of thousands of White Wave bandits in Hedong. Zhang Yang has been hesitant to set off, partly because he is gathering food supplies, and partly because he has some concerns.

He was worried that the White Wave bandits would reject him, and even more worried that they would use their numbers to bully him and swallow him up.

Zhang Yang only wanted to gain some benefits from the emperor. He didn't even have the intention of controlling the government. He just wanted to become a general with a high-ranking title and consolidate his territory in Hanoi.

Therefore, he had been planning to go to Hedong to deliver grain, to see if there was any chance of achieving these goals.

Before they could even take any action, a letter arrived from Xuzhou.

Of course, besides being tempted, Zhang Yang was also wary.

Zhang Yang only had seven or eight thousand men under his command, while Liu Bei brought thirty or forty thousand in one go. He would instinctively worry about the possibility that the other side was using this as a pretext to attack Guo, and that they might eat him up along the way.

In fact, Guo Gong, Liu Chong, and others had similar concerns after receiving news that Liu Bei was coming to the aid of the king.

Guo Gong was a special case; he trusted Liu Bei and Xuzhou much more than Zhang Yang and Liu Chong.

After all, he and his army had already fallen into Liu Bei's hands, yet Liu Bei not only didn't annex him but also generously released them all. If he wanted to conquer Liang, he could have done it months ago; why wait until now?

This is also the fundamental reason why Guo Gong overruled all objections, not only leaving his main base in Liang State's Suiyang to Liu Bei as the forward logistics center, but also personally leading three thousand elite troops to follow Liu Feng north to the capital.

Compared to Guo Gong, Liu Chong and Luo Jun were far inferior. They were only willing to contribute 50,000 shi of grain, of which 20,000 shi were to support the Xuzhou army in defending the emperor, and the remaining 30,000 shi of grain were to be offered as tribute to the emperor.

In addition, the State of Chen was willing to sell another 100,000 shi of grain to Xuzhou at a fair price to serve as military provisions.

The price of 100,000 shi of grain is only 250 coins per shi, which is a very generous offer considering the current rising grain prices.

"My lord, you were looking for me?"

Just as Zhang Yang's expression shifted between excitement and worry, his trusted strategist, Dong Zhao, arrived.

Zhang Yang trusted Dong Zhao implicitly, even at the cost of offending Yuan Shao, to detain Dong Zhao in Hanoi and have him serve him.

Speaking solely of discerning talent, Zhang Yang does a good job in this regard.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang overestimated his value in Dong Zhao's eyes and underestimated Dong Zhao's resentment at his detention.

With Dong Zhao's wisdom and methods, he practically made Zhang Yang look like a child, even more so than Jia Xu deceived Zhang Xiu.

At least Jia Xu helped Zhang Xiu avenge himself, giving Cao Cao a lesson in how one cannon shot could kill three wise men.

However, Dong Zhao always used Zhang Yang as a stepping stone, using him entirely to support his idol, the wise ruler Cao Cao.

"Gongren is here? Please take a seat!"

Upon seeing Dong Zhao, Zhang Yang immediately straightened up and extended an invitation.

Zhang Yang was actually quite good to Dong Zhao; apart from preventing him from continuing south and leaving Hebei, he was extremely attentive to him.

He first recommended the other party as a cavalry captain, and then repeatedly entrusted him with important tasks.

In the third year of the Chuping era, Cao Cao sent Wang Bi, the Chief Administrator, to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor. However, Zhang Yang directly stopped him, not only preventing Wang Bi from passing through but also detaining him.

At this critical moment, Dong Zhao stepped forward and praised Cao Cao, calling him the greatest hero in the land. He also predicted that the alliance between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao could not last long and that a major war would break up sooner or later. He said that choosing sides would be very important for Hanoi at that time.

These words were meant to deceive, but in reality, they were an endorsement of Cao Cao's credibility and talent.

In the end, Zhang Yang did not trust Cao Cao, but Dong Zhao.

Zhang Yang entrusted such an important matter to Dong Zhao, which shows that Zhang Yang is also a sycophant.

Dong Zhao was somewhat overweight, especially his face, which was round and chubby. His eyes were like mung beans set in his fat face, and if they weren't so bright, they would almost be negligible.

As soon as Dong Zhao sat down, he took the initiative to ask, "My lord, are you worried about the loyalist army in Guandong?"

Zhang Yang didn't think anything was wrong and directly voiced his concerns, worrying that the allied forces might use the pretext of conquering Guo to take the opportunity to destroy him.

"Your words are utterly laughable!"

Dong Zhao directly mocked Zhang Yang: "Your Excellency thinks Hanoi is a treasure and is worried that others will come to seize it. Little do you know that in other people's eyes, Hanoi is nothing but a chicken rib. With delicacies from land and sea, and fish and seafood delicacies right in front of you, who would give a second glance to a chicken rib?"

Instead of being angry at Dong Zhao's sarcasm, Zhang Yang was delighted: "Gongren, what do you mean by that?"

“My lord, just three days ago, you were still asking Zhao how to go west to serve the king and how to stand out in front of the emperor?”

Dong Zhao, with a smile on his chubby face, looking quite prosperous, continued, "Even you, my lord, want to gain face before the emperor, let alone the heroes of the Central Plains?"

Upon hearing Dong Zhao's words, Zhang Yang laughed awkwardly.

Dong Zhao was being very polite. Every single one of those who wanted to go and serve the emperor was extremely envious of the status of the warriors of Xiliang and wanted to follow suit.

Even if it was Zhang Yang, he still wanted to gain some benefits from the emperor's presence, at the very least he could get a general's title.

The current emperor is truly in a precarious situation, not only deeply mired in turmoil, but also lacking even basic necessities like food and clothing.

At this point, as long as the military man shows even a little obedience, even just verbal obedience, the emperor's reward will be extremely generous.

In the original timeline, during the half-year that the emperor spent in Hedong, he appointed more than a dozen generals with important titles, and countless other official positions such as Lieutenant General and Colonel. There was so many that the seals were not even made in time, and the military leaders simply filled in their own names.

This shows how excessive the bestowal of honors and favors was.

"My lord, Cao, the governor of Yanzhou, is a hero, and Liu, the governor of Xuzhou, is also a hero. They have come here to welcome the Emperor. How could they possibly care about such a small place as Hanoi? Especially Liu, the governor of Xuzhou, who has mobilized a large army. The journey from Xuzhou to Hedong is more than a thousand miles. Do you really think he would give up Xuzhou just to occupy your Hanoi?"

Upon careful consideration, Zhang Yang realized that Dong Zhao was indeed right.

If that's the case, then I can rest easy?
Then Zhang Yang asked, "In your opinion, what should I do now?"

Dong Zhao had clearly anticipated this, and replied directly, "Your Excellency can do your best to procure food. I anticipate that the allied forces have come from afar, and replenishing supplies will certainly be difficult. Every bit of food Your Excellency contributes is a contribution."

The Hanoi region experienced relatively little warfare, and the southward invasions of nomadic tribes were shielded by the counties of Hedong and Bingzhou, so the people's livelihood and food production were not greatly damaged.

After hearing Dong Zhao's words, Zhang Yang pondered for a moment and then exclaimed, "Gongren is truly a man of wisdom and strategy. My doubts immediately vanished when I spoke with him."

A glint flashed in Dong Zhao's small eyes, but in reality, he was not as relaxed as he appeared.

However, his problem of hesitation and indecision was completely different from Zhang Yang's.

The problem troubling Dong Zhao was how to place his bets.

Dong Zhao had already staked everything on Cao Cao, and he deeply admired Cao Cao's decisiveness, ruthlessness, and military talent.

But who could have imagined that in just one year, Liu Xuande of Zhuo County would rise to prominence so rapidly, with his momentum so strong, his foundation so solid, and his expansion so swift, that it all deeply shocked Dong Zhao.

If the letter hadn't been written by his own younger brother, Dong Fang, Dong Zhao might have even suspected that someone was setting him up.

In the few days since receiving the letter, Dong Zhao has read his younger brother's letter repeatedly.

This letter details the events surrounding Liu Bei's time in Xuzhou, in such a detailed way that it arouses suspicion.

But why didn't the naturally suspicious Dong Zhao suspect anything? The reason was that along with his brother Dong Fang's letter came a letter from Liu Bei, the governor of Xu Province.

In his letter, Liu Bei praised Dong Zhao highly, and then expressed his loyalty to the emperor and his desire to settle the emperor in Henan.

If the previous points were just flattery and the usual clichés of expressing his feelings, then the last point deeply moved Dong Zhao.

Because that was also his plan, he and Liu Bei were of the same mind.

This feeling of mutual understanding and connection began to make him waver slightly, and he began to doubt whether it was still a wise move to bet everything on Cao Cao.

Currently, Cao Cao occupies Yanzhou, almost caught between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei. The situation is quite different from his original grand vision of using Yanzhou as a base to expand eastward to Xuzhou, annex Yuzhou to the south, and use the emperor to command the disobedient.

It's like night and day.

This made Dong Zhao doubt his own judgment for the first time.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Yang and Dong Zhao, while they were each lost in their own sorrows, Liu Feng had already arrived at the gates of Chenliu.

Cao Cao was already waiting in Chenliu City, ready to meet and reunite with Liu Feng.

Cao Cao was the elder, while Liu Feng was the younger.

Cao's army was weak, while Liu's army was strong.

Cao Cao was the host, and Liu Feng was the guest. In the end, Cao Cao still decided to go out of the city five miles to welcome Liu Feng.

Liu Feng had a relatively worry-free journey. All his troops were elite elites, and the generals and commanders had close and harmonious relationships with him. In addition, Liu Ye, Jia Xi, and Du Ji were in charge of the central army.

Although Zhuge Jin was a junior, he was also given the title of military officer and followed behind to learn.

In particular, Jia Xi and Du Ji performed exceptionally well.

Jia Xi can only be described as a talent that has been buried, while Du Ji was personally sought out by Liu Feng.

Du Ji was from Duling County, Jingzhao Prefecture, making him a native of Guanzhong. Duling County was even right next to Chang'an.

Du Ji also served as the Chief Clerk of Jingzhao Commandery, a high-ranking official position that could only be held by local gentry and powerful families, especially during the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Some sources say that by his father's generation, Du Ji's family was already an ordinary family, but it's best to just take that with a grain of salt.

Du Ji's debut was a typical example of how a scholar-official family could create stars.

He first promoted filial piety, and then he was noticed by a high-ranking official and recruited as a senior official in the prefecture.

Xun Yu, Xun You, Zhong Yao, and Chen Qun all emerged from this path.

From this perspective, the resources invested in Du Ji by his family were definitely no less than those invested in Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and others.

After entering officialdom, Du Ji not only served as the Chief Clerk of Jingzhao, but also concurrently as the Magistrate of Zheng County.

Large counties are governed by a magistrate, while small counties are governed by a chief.

When Du Ji served as the county magistrate, his rank was equivalent to a thousand shi (a unit of grain), which was even higher than that of the official in charge of the capital.

If you call this kind of family an ordinary family, then very few people in China would even be worthy of being called powerful and wealthy.

Liu Bei and his son invited Du Ji to serve in Xuzhou and assist the Xuzhou army in its northward march, mainly because they valued Du Ji's abilities, his familiarity with Guanzhong, and the influence of the Du family in Guanzhong.

"Young master, news has come from the front that Cao Yanzhou has left Chenliu City and will meet you at Wuliting."

Liu Ye accompanied Liu Feng all the way. He had previously been transferred to Pengcheng to assist Mi Zhu and Lu Su in rebuilding the Pengcheng Kingdom. He was not only responsible for rebuilding the official system of the prefecture and kingdom from top to bottom, but also for arranging for the people to settle down and cultivate land, as well as for mining iron and coal mines. He was so busy that he couldn't spare a moment to himself.

Liu Ye was very excited about doing it, and it was precisely because he was assigned these tasks that it indirectly proved Liu Bei's high regard for and cultivation of Liu Ye.

Liu Ye has undoubtedly proven himself in terms of wisdom and strategy. If not a top-tier strategist, he is at least at the T1 level or above.

However, Liu Ye not only failed to achieve anything in political affairs, but also lacked experience.

At this juncture, he was specially assigned to such an important position. This was not just for his professional development, but also for his important training.

Whether one can govern a region in the future, become a prefect of a commandery or even a governor of a state, this step is extremely important.

A smart man like Liu Ye doesn't need anyone to enlighten him; he already knows it perfectly well, otherwise he wouldn't be doing it so willingly.

On the contrary, when he was temporarily transferred, Liu Ye was a little confused. He even suspected that someone wanted to take away the fruits of his labor.

It was only later that they discovered that a better opportunity had presented itself, and Liu Bei and his son had chosen them instead.

Liu Bei and Liu Feng patiently discussed the selection of people to go north for this mission for a long time, and almost every position was discussed several times.

The reason for choosing Liu Ye, rather than Lu Su, Xun You, or Guo Jia, is that Liu Ye was chosen instead of Lu Su, Xun You, or Guo Jia.

The main reason is that Liu Ye was the least likely to be influenced by the emperor.

This guy is a complete rebel, utterly disillusioned with the Han Dynasty and the current emperor, and this cannot be changed by a few empty official positions.

"I have long heard that Cao Yanzhou is sharp-witted, decisive, and has an extraordinary bearing."

Liu Feng looked at Liu Ye with a smile and said, "If Cao Yanzhou is bullying the weak with his strength, what advice would you give me, Master Ziyang?"

Liu Ye burst into laughter: "Does the young master fear Cao Yanzhou?"

Liu Feng also burst into laughter. In fact, at this moment, he was actually hoping that Cao Cao would give him a hard time.

If Cao Cao truly regarded Liu Feng as a ten-year-old child, he would probably suffer a loss he couldn't speak of this time.

After laughing, Liu Ye still reminded him, "However, young master, Cao Yanzhou is cunning and resourceful, quick-witted. When talking to him, you should be more careful and cautious."

Liu Feng felt that Liu Ye's reminder was correct, so he nodded: "What you say is very true, sir. I will definitely keep it in mind."

The two sides met at noon that day at Wuliting, south of Chenliu City.

Cao Cao was quite bold, as he only brought a hundred or so cavalrymen with him.

Liu Ye chuckled and reminded him, "It seems that Cao Yanzhou won't be able to send many troops this time."

Upon hearing Liu Ye's words, Liu Feng immediately understood.

Cao Cao certainly didn't bring many troops, which couldn't compare to the formidable Xuzhou army.

So he simply stayed in Chenliu City, accompanied only by a hundred or so cavalrymen, which still showed his extraordinary courage.

In response, Liu Feng could only sigh that Cao Cao was truly cunning.

Then, Liu Feng glanced at Liu Ye, as if his own man was no less impressive.

Liu Ye didn't seem to notice anything; his attention was entirely focused on Cao Cao.

"Is the visitor Liu Fengxian's nephew?"

Despite his short stature and somewhat plump figure, Cao Cao was quite adorable with his round and chubby appearance.

But his voice was quite powerful.

The moment he opened his mouth, his breath was drawn into his dantian, and his voice resounded in all directions.

Liu Feng could hear the other party's shout from a great distance.

"You need not come along."

After giving instructions to his personal guards, Liu Feng spurred his horse and galloped off alone, heading straight for Wuliting.

The knights, led by Jia Kui, wanted to catch up, but were stopped by Liu Ye.

"No need. The young master has his own plan. You can observe the situation quietly."

Because Liu Feng had instructed him beforehand that after leaving the team, he should prioritize Guan Yu in all matters, and Liu Ye should follow Guan Yu's lead.

With Guan Yu absent, Liu Ye naturally had the authority to make this decision.

In addition, Liu Feng had just ordered them to stop, so Jia Kui and the others could only follow Liu Ye reluctantly, watching Liu Feng ride alone into Cao Cao's territory.

After entering the pavilion, Liu Feng dismounted.

Upon closer inspection, Cao Cao was indeed quite fat.

This was Liu Feng's first time meeting Cao Cao, and he was quite excited.

This was a powerful figure who was on par with his father, and in fact, he had suppressed his father for his entire life.

Even at the very end, the father risked everything to settle the score with the man before him.

If the other party had died three months earlier, the Cao family might have become the second Yuan Shao, and the Han dynasty would most likely have been restored for the third time.

But this short, somewhat obese, and ruthless warlord managed to outlast Sun Quan until Sun Quan betrayed the alliance and Sun Quan was beheaded.

After arranging the funeral for the Second Master, he retired gracefully and passed away suddenly.

No matter how much you dislike this short-statured tyrant, how much you loathe his cruelty and bloodthirstiness, or how much you hate his many acts of cruelty and abuse against the people.

But it must be acknowledged that he was the most capable, the most visionary, and the most romantic hero of his time.

Looking back on five thousand years of Chinese history.

Apart from that saint who saved the Chinese nation, Cao Cao can be considered the most skilled poet among all military strategists in the classical era, and also the most skilled military strategist among all poets.

"This humble servant, Liu Feng, pays his respects to Lord Cao!"

After dismounting and staring at Cao Cao for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Liu Feng suddenly bowed deeply to him with a respectful expression and perfect posture, showing his utmost reverence.

Cao Cao was slightly surprised. He had originally thought that Liu Feng, who had become famous at a young age and was deeply involved in the military and political affairs of Xuzhou, must be a young, arrogant, and flamboyant boy.

In fact, Liu Feng rode alone into Cao Cao's camp, dismounted, and stared at him for a long time, leading him to believe that he had guessed correctly.

But to Cao Cao's surprise, the outcome was completely unexpected.

Liu Feng actually treated him with great respect.

Cao Cao developed a strong interest in Liu Feng.

In that brief eye contact, he saw a complex mix of emotions in Liu Feng's eyes, including respect, disgust, admiration, hatred, and nostalgia, and even a hint of relief.

Cao Cao was unaware that Liu Feng's complex emotions stemmed from the fact that he was reflecting on a journey of over 1,800 years.

However, when Liu Feng first met Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, he was much more excited than when he met Cao Cao.

After all, Liu Bei was Liu Feng's true home.

(End of this chapter)