My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 301 Li Yang Opens the City

Li Yang's Sun Ben looked at Sun Xiang opposite him with extremely complicated feelings.

He didn't expect that Sun Xiang would only travel north for a short while and return in just half a month.

However, Sun Xiang was no longer Yuan Shu's subordinate; she had transformed herself and come to persuade him to surrender on Liu Bei's behalf. Shouchun had already been captured in a night raid by Liu Bei, and even Yuan Shu had been captured alive and was about to be sent to the emperor's palace in Luozhong.

Sun Ben's face stiffened as he looked at Sun Xiang and asked, "Wen Yang, what exactly happened?"

Sun Xiang gave an awkward smile and sighed, "Boyang, what else can I say? We've been caught."

Sun Ben looked on with suspicion. You brought eight thousand elite troops with you, how could you be captured so easily?

Sun Xiang continued speaking to herself: "General Zuo is a terrible commander. He made me leave four thousand men in Hefei. And that Zhou kid is a scoundrel. He betrayed me. At that time, there were six or seven thousand cavalrymen on the other side. Our troops were pulled four or five miles away, with the river on both sides and the front blocked outside the city gate by that Zhou kid."

Sun Ben's eyes widened as he listened to Sun Xiang's introduction.

This is a hopeless situation.

Sun Ben, who had just been about to complain about Sun Xiang, immediately fell silent. If it were him, he probably would have only two options: surrender or die in battle.

Sun Xiang continued, "What could I do at the time? It didn't matter if I died, but the four thousand chapters would all be wiped out."

Sun Ben nodded in empathy.

Given that terrain, it's unlikely they could even escape.

Sure enough, Sun Xiang continued, "These cavalrymen are really ruthless. They even sent cavalry across the river to encircle us in advance. They were determined to wipe us out in one fell swoop."

Sun Ben asked in surprise, "Why is that? Do we have such a deep grudge against him?"

Sun Xiang glanced at him: "Among these cavalrymen are our old rivals from Guangling."

"Is that so?"

Sun Ben gasped and quickly asked, "Did they mistreat you?"

"No, that's not true. Liu Bei's army has excellent discipline, and there is almost no mistreatment of prisoners. I heard that Liu Bei and his son are very strict about this."

Sun Xiang shook her head and continued, "Besides, they have other ideas."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ben asked curiously, "What are you thinking?"

Sun Xiang paused for a moment before replying, "They infiltrated Shouchun by impersonating us."

Sun Ben suddenly realized that his information network was much more closed off than Liu Xun's. Liu Xun knew everything, but he was still not very clear about it.

This is also largely due to the terrain. The route from Liyang to Hefei involves many hills and mountains, and there are no waterways. However, Liyang is a key point on the Yangtze River, with Niuzhu on the opposite bank, a crucial stronghold where the Yangtze's current is relatively gentle and calm, making it easy to cross the river.

Sun Ben then realized that Sun Xiang had already completely pledged allegiance to Liu Bei and probably had made a significant contribution in the ambush of General Zuo.

"Let's lower it."

Having said all she could, Sun Xiang decided to openly and honestly persuade them to surrender: "With just a few thousand men, you can't hold them off. Besides, General Zuo has already been captured by the Grand General. Whom are you serving?"

Sun Ben hesitated, "What about Bo Fu and the others?"

Sun Ben explicitly mentions Sun Ce, but he is actually hinting at the younger brother and son that he and Sun Xiang sent over.

Sun Xiang said, "Bo Fu and the others naturally have their own fate. We have already done what we can to help them. We can't risk our lives for them, can we? Besides, the General admires Bo Fu quite a bit and is even thinking of having us recruit him. As long as Bo Fu is willing to humble himself, what is there to worry about?"

Sun Ben asked in surprise, "The General admires Bo Fu?"

Sun Xiang straightened her face and said, "The General highly regards my uncle. He mentioned him twice in front of me, saying that he was a waste of talent and could not serve the Emperor, which was a great pity."

Sun Ben hesitated and asked, "Is what the General said truly sincere?"

After all, it's normal for those trying to persuade someone to surrender to say nice things, but for those who are surrendering, whether it's genuine or not is very important.

At this point, Sun Xiangke perked up: "You have never met the General. He is a man who puts his heart into people's hearts. Talking with him is like drinking fine wine. You can't help but let down your guard and doubts. His words are sincere, and you can feel that you are talking to him. His attitude is earnest, like that of an old friend."

Sun Xiang's flattery left Sun Ben completely stunned.

Sun Ben was somewhat skeptical and tentatively asked, "How does the Grand General compare to the Left General?"

A hint of disdain flashed across Sun Xiang's face: "The comparison between the Left General and the Grand General is like comparing a cow or sheep to a tiger, or a clay tile to a porcelain tile. To put them side by side is simply an insult to the Grand General."

Although Sun Xiang, Sun Ben, and others still addressed Yuan Shu as General Zuo, they no longer held him in much respect.

Hearing Sun Xiang praise Liu Bei so highly, Sun Ben felt a little uncomfortable and deliberately retorted, "If the Left General is not worthy of being compared with the Grand General, then what about my uncle? If my uncle were compared with the Grand General, how would he fare?"

Sun Xiang was taken aback, not expecting Sun Ben to ask such a question.

He pondered for a long time before answering Sun Ben's complicated gaze: "My uncle is brave in battle and has a keen sense of smell. His choices on the battlefield are often divinely inspired, and he can often defeat the strong with the weak and defeat the many with the few. However, my uncle is impatient and even somewhat tyrannical. He always does things his own way and rarely listens to the advice of others. In my opinion, he is far inferior to the general."

Sun Ben was surprised that Sun Xiang was praising Liu Bei so highly and couldn't help but retort, "How is that possible? My uncle is invincible in every battle. If he hadn't been harmed by villains, he would have already helped General Zuo take Jingzhou, or even Yanzhou and Yuzhou. In terms of martial arts, how can General compare to my uncle?"

At that time, Liu Biao was really being suppressed by Sun Jian and was hiding in Xiangyang, not daring to fight at all.

Huang Zu desperately tried to break the siege from the outside, but suffered defeat after defeat and almost lost all his resources.

Who could have imagined that Sun Jian, having defeated Huang Zu once again and was pursuing him to eliminate him completely, would be killed by a stray arrow?

If Sun Jian hadn't been so impulsive, Xiangyang definitely wouldn't have been able to be defended.

Back then, Xiangyang was not as well-equipped and well-supplied as it is now. The city only had enough food for three or four months, which was not enough to sustain a long-term war.

With the fall of Xiangyang, Changsha, which was originally Sun Jian's stronghold, would likely fall into Yuan Shu's hands, as many powerful clans and gentry supported the Sun family.

Once they control Jingzhou, given the Yuan family's prestige in Runan, their next step will undoubtedly be Yuzhou.

Yuan Shu then inflated like a balloon, didn't he?

Sun Ben, Sun Xiang, Wu Jing, Xu Kun, and others all regarded Sun Jian as an idol.

But Sun Ben discovered that Sun Xiang was now praising Liu Bei, which was simply treasonous and heretical.

After being reprimanded by Sun Ben, Sun Xiang laughed instead of getting angry.

"why are you laughing?"

Sun Ben was annoyed by Sun Xiang's laughter: "Just say what you want to say, why are you laughing like that?"

Sun Xiang laughed and said, "Boyang, you underestimate the heroes of the world. Although your uncle is a hero, the general is the hero among heroes."

"Uncle served under General Zuo for two years but failed to capture Xiangyang. However, after the Grand General took control of the devastated Xuzhou, he was able to sweep through three prefectures in two years, and even went to Hedong to welcome the Emperor back to Luoyang. Now, he has quelled General Zuo's rebellion in just one month. How can Uncle compare to the Grand General?"

Sun Xiang's words left Sun Ben speechless.

“Boyang, if we surrender now, we will not lose our title of marquis. Moreover, we can both earn better conditions for Bofu in the future.”

Sun Xiang pressed her advantage, urging him to surrender again: "You can't hold Liyang, and you can't cross the river. Do you really want to die here for Yuan Shu? What will happen to Guo Yi if you die? Do you want him to die avenging you in the future?"

Sun Xiang's words completely persuaded Sun Ben.

After a long sigh, Sun Ben made up his mind: "If that's the case, I have no choice but to surrender and await capture."

Sun Xiang laughed heartily: "Why does Boyang humble himself like this? This time, the one who went south was the son of the Great General, Liu Zheng Nan, who commanded the troops. This son is as wise as the sea, good at understanding people's hearts, and it is said that he was taught by an immortal. The infiltration of Shouchun, the night raid on the palace, and the capture of Yuan Shu were almost all his doing. Although he is young, he has no arrogance at all. Despite his great achievements, he is humble and modest. If I could have a son like him, I would have no regrets even if I died."

As they talked, Sun Xiang's eyes revealed envy, and she couldn't help but want to compete with Liu Bei.

Sun Ben was somewhat bewildered. Bo Fu was already quite outstanding. In his youth, he was able to make that boy from the Zhou family drive two hundred miles to meet him, and then establish a friendship with Bo Fu with the power of a noble family.

Upon reaching adulthood, his debut battle saw him capture Shucheng, which had been besieged for two years, for General Zuo, showcasing his prowess as a child prodigy. However, his flaws were also extremely prominent: he was arrogant, conceited, and overly frivolous, inheriting almost all of Sun Jian's shortcomings.

How could Liu Feng be so outstanding that Sun Xiang praised him so highly?
Sun Ben's heart stirred slightly. The more outstanding Liu Bei and his son were, the more correct his determination to surrender would be.
********
Liu Feng had almost finished preparations. The next morning, the vanguard Jia Kui would set off south, followed by Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Gan Ning, and Dong Xi, with Zhou Yu bringing up the rear.

On the night before his departure, Liu Feng thought of two things and came to his father to give him instructions. "Father, the first thing is related to the General."

Despite the politeness shown by Liu Bei's subordinates and people from other states, who all respectfully addressed him as the Great General.

But the real great general was Cao Cao.

It's like an official title; no one would add the word "deputy" to the title of a deputy.

He can be called General of the Cavalry, Liu the Cavalryman, or General, but most people feel that the latter sounds better.

Liu Bei was reluctant to part with his eldest son, who had only been reunited with him for a few days before having to leave again.

However, Liu Bei was a hero after all, and he wouldn't be too influenced by personal feelings, so as not to neglect important matters.

Liu Bei immediately asked, "What is it? Tell me."

Liu Feng said, "Father, whatever news comes from the court recently, as long as it does not harm our family's interests, you should give your full support to the General."

"Why?"

Liu Bei was stunned. He knew better than anyone his eldest son's attitude towards Cao Cao.

Given the opportunity, even if his eldest son didn't kill Cao Cao outright for various reasons, digging a huge pit for him and continuously cutting flesh from his body would be a standard practice.

Why does he suddenly seem like a completely different person?
Seeing the doubt in his father's heart, Liu Feng carefully explained to him: "Father, now our family's main forces are almost all in the south, in order to sweep across Jiangdong and lay the foundation for the Liu family's hegemony. But the fact that the northern front is empty is undeniable."

"General, you are a cunning and ruthless man. Although you have the spirit of a hero, you are suspicious, jealous, and selfish. What I am most worried about now is that Yanzhou will betray our army."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil.

At this moment, there were only 40,000 to 50,000 troops on the long northern front, including the Yellow Turban Army, which was quite weak.

If Cao Cao really turns against us, we'll probably lose Yingchuan and Liang, and Rencheng, Lu, and Pei will also be in great danger.

"Father, you don't need to worry too much. The General has his own troubles now, and his focus is still in the north."

Liu Feng laughed and said, "I heard that the General is also raising funds and wants to cultivate land in Yingchuan. At least we can't let the cultivated land we handed over go to waste. Moreover, the Grand Marshal of Hebei won't just stand by and watch the General. In my opinion, the Grand Marshal will find ways to make things difficult for the General."

The better the relationship between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao was before, the worse their relationship became now.

There's nothing we can do about it. Yuan Shao used to be a goddess, and Cao Cao was a sycophant. Cao Cao fawned over Yuan Shao in every way possible, all for the sake of upward social mobility.

At least they could change their lineage from being descendants of eunuchs to becoming scholar-officials.

Such a relationship, in which one party provides emotional value, will not only be difficult to sustain if it does not receive any return in the long run, but will also likely turn into enmity.

However, Yuan Shao had a particularly superior opinion of himself, believing that he had given Cao Cao a lot of help.

These forms of assistance did objectively exist, but they weren't what Cao Cao wanted most.

Given this, it would be strange if these two didn't fall out and become mortal enemies.

Although Yuan Shao did not march south to Guandu until after he destroyed Gongsun Zan in the fourth year of Jian'an, it does not mean that the two only broke off relations at that time, nor does it mean that Yuan Shao only became disgusted with Cao Cao at that time.

Yuan Shao's underhanded tactics against Cao Cao began as early as the first year of Jian'an (200 AD), and they continued wave after wave without ceasing.

Therefore, Liu Feng said with certainty, "As long as we don't provoke the General, he won't have time to deal with us for a while."

Liu Bei suddenly realized and nodded, then frowned and asked, "If the Emperor and the General disagree, should I, Father, also side with the General?"

Liu Feng laughed and gave him some advice: "Father, you only need to do two things to ensure everything goes perfectly."

"Oh?"

Liu Bei became interested and urged his eldest son, "Tell your father what it is."

Liu Feng chuckled and said, “Regarding matters between the Grand General and the Grand Marshal and other vassal states, Father, you should stand on the side of the Grand General. Be clear in your attitude and strong in your words, and do your best to show your support for the Grand General. Regarding matters between the Grand General and the Emperor, Father, you should side with the Emperor. Be gentle in your attitude and tactful in your words, and do your best to show your thoughts and intentions on bridging the gap between the Emperor and the Grand General.”

Liu Bei clicked his tongue, seemingly lost in thought, as if he had learned something from his eldest son's words.

"correct."

Liu Feng continued, "I have also prepared a gift for the General."

Startled by Liu Feng's words, Liu Bei asked curiously, "What gift?"

"one person."

Liu Feng's expression was somewhat somber as he said, "Father, do you still remember when the General led his army into Xuzhou and went on a killing spree?"

"Naturally remember."

Liu Bei nodded emphatically: "General, you are too cruel. Even if Tao Yuanming has made mistakes, what have the thousands of people of Xuzhou done wrong?"

Liu Feng nodded in agreement and then said, "The General himself said that he was avenging his father, and the one who started it was Zhang Kai, the Cavalry Commandant under Tao Qian. After committing the crime, he plundered the Cao family's wealth and dared not go back to see Tao Qian. Instead, he fled south all the way into the Jianghuai region and sought refuge with Yuan Shu."

At first, Liu Bei didn't realize anything, but when Liu Feng mentioned Zhang Kai's southward escape and defection to Yuan Shu, he began to understand.

Liu Bei tentatively asked, "You mean, when we entered Shouchun this time, we also captured him?"

Liu Feng smiled and nodded, saying, "Exactly! This time, I've gotten a double benefit, an unexpected bonus. This man tried to blend in with the surrendered generals and get away with it, but I didn't expect that I would have such a deep impression of him, and I can't let him get away with it."

Besides helping Cao Cao play a game of Candy Crush, Zhang Kai later played it again in the State of Chen, wiping out King Liu Chong and Chancellor Luo Jun in one fell swoop.

This is an S-class assassin. If Liu Feng hadn't never done assassinations, he really wouldn't have been willing to send him to Cao Cao like this.

Liu Bei then realized that his eldest son had a trump card up his sleeve.

"I see. I have nothing to worry about now."

Seeing Liu Bei so relaxed, Liu Feng quickly reminded him, "Father, you must not be so careless. The Great General is a cunning and ruthless man. How could he abandon his ambitions for the throne because of a man who killed your father?"

"This matter should be regarded as icing on the cake, not as a lifeline in times of need."

Liu Feng had always had very low trust in Cao Cao: "Besides, even if you offer help in times of need, the General can still turn his back on you without hesitation."

Finally, Liu Feng worriedly advised, "Father, we are doing this to lull the General into a false sense of security. You mustn't let yourself be lulled into a false sense of security first."

Liu Bei, whose face was usually impassive, showed obvious embarrassment. He didn't know why, but he always lost his composure in front of his beloved eldest son.

Partly because of their kinship, Liu Bei was more relaxed in front of his eldest son.

Secondly, it's because my eldest son always speaks with such weight that I can't keep up with his words.

"I understand."

Liu Bei's expression returned to calm. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that his eldest son had truly seen through people's hearts.

After careful consideration, Liu Bei actually quite agrees with his eldest son's opinion.

Zhang Kai, being so insignificant, truly only served to add icing on the cake.

If Cao Cao was determined to stab himself in the back, even ten Zhang Kais couldn't save him.

"Feng'er, don't worry, your father understands."

Liu Bei now fully understands why Liu Feng specifically wanted to have a talk with him.

This incident certainly served as a wake-up call; the north was not a peaceful place, as it was home to two powerful warlords.

At the same time, Liu Bei suddenly realized the significance of Liu Feng's advice to Cao Cao.

(End of this chapter)