My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 305 Releasing Military Power with a Cup of Wine

Niuzhu had the largest troop strength, with 10,000 men stationed there, while Danglikou and Hengjiangjin each had 5,000 men stationed there.

Zhang Ying personally oversaw operations at Niuzhu, while Fan Neng and Yu Mi were stationed at Danglikou and Hengjiangjin respectively.

Jia Kui soon met Zhang Ying, who, on the surface, fit the world's fantasy of a fierce general.

Although he was not tall, about six and a half feet, he had a face full of fat and thick arms, giving him a fierce and menacing appearance, which had little to do with the character "英" (Ying).

However, upon seeing Jia Kui, Zhang Ying smiled.

Upon hearing that Jia Kui had been promoted to Commandant and acting Colonel, Zhang Ying's smile became even more genuine.

This Jia Kui looks to be only in his early twenties, yet he's already a captain; he seems like a trusted and beloved general.

With the sheer number of talented individuals in Liu Bei's army, where couldn't he find a captain to command the troops?

The fact that Jia Kui was given the position of Commandant and the authority of Colonel strongly suggests that they were waiting for him to achieve merit and be promoted to a higher rank.

If this didn't have powerful connections... no, I should say, if these connections weren't incredibly influential, could they have pulled this off?
Look at myself, I paid out of my own pocket, led my own troops, and fought bloody battles for Liu Yao, but I haven't even managed to become a Lieutenant General.

"I never imagined that Commandant Jia was so young. He must be a favorite general under the General Who Conquers the South. Zhang Ying is quite envious."

Zhang Ying walked up to Jia Kui with great respect. Despite being a senior captain, he seemed to be subtly following Jia Kui's lead.

Jia Kui was also very strong-willed; otherwise, he wouldn't have stood firmly in front of Guo Yuan even though he knew he was no match for him.

If someone hadn't saved him, Jia Kui would have died at Guo Yuan's hands, thus ending the line of three generations of loyal officials and preventing the conquest of Wei and the destruction of Jin.

However, Jia Kui's strength was outwardly gentle but inwardly firm; he had great compassion for ordinary people.

Jia Kui never reached a central position in the Cao Wei regime. Even though he contributed greatly to Cao Pi's ascension to the throne, he was still not liked by Cao Pi.

A few days after Cao Pi ascended the throne, he kicked him to the position of governor of Yuzhou.

If this were during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Governor of Yuzhou would be the most powerful regional official in the land.

But in Cao Wei, the governor of Yuzhou was practically useless.

Of the three major war zones in the land, the Yongliang war zone was used to fight against the Shu Han, while the two major war zones of Cao Wei and Eastern Wu were located in Hefei and Xiangyang respectively.

Yuzhou is adjacent to these two war zones, Yingchuan is close to Nanyang and Xiangyang, and Runan is close to Shouchun and Hefei.

All the troops were concentrated in Xiangyang and Shouchun. Yuzhou had no troops and no money, and it still had to desperately supply food to the two major war zones in front.

This shows how much Cao Pi disliked Jia Kui. Even as a reward for his merits, he gave him such an awkward position. Who was he deliberately trying to annoy?

Even so, Jia Kui still devoted himself to local affairs in every post he took office, organizing the people to develop water conservancy and cultivate mulberry trees, making him a model of doing practical work.

Liu Feng greatly admired and liked Jia Kui for this quality. Anyone who is willing to do practical things and is capable of doing practical things is worthy of admiration and cherishing.

Although Jia Kui did not refuse Zhang Ying's overtures, he maintained a certain distance, displaying his characteristic arrogance.

This self-perception of leaving room for others was Jia Kui's signature move that later offended various deities.

Zhang Ying was very unhappy at this point, feeling that Jia Kui was just giving her the runaround.

However, the situation was beyond his control. The other party was clearly Liu Feng's trusted and beloved general, and Zhang Ying knew he couldn't afford to offend him. He could only smile awkwardly and follow Jia Kui to help him take over the defense of Niuzhu.

After the successful garrison change at Niuzhuji, Dong Xi and Gan Ning's naval forces returned to shore and, together with Zhang Ying's navy, headed to Liyang Water Fortress to receive the next batch of troops crossing the river.

Soon, the second batch of troops crossed the Yangtze River and began to disembark.

Jia Kui didn't care at first, but when he saw a person at the bow of the ship, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly ran towards the location of the ship.

Zhang Ying was following Jia Kui at this moment. When she saw him suddenly start running, she didn't understand why, but she also started running.

When Zhang Ying caught up with Jia Kui, he saw that the somewhat arrogant young captain was now bowing his head, his face full of respect, and following a boy.

On the other side of this boy was a robust young man with a fierce and valiant appearance.

This fierce-looking, valiant young man resembled a fighting rooster, his eyes gazing upwards as if he were looking down at people out of the corner of his eye. Compared to this young officer, Commandant Jia immediately appeared amiable and approachable.

Zhang Ying shuddered and immediately realized that the young man in front of him was none other than General Liu Feng, the General Who Conquers the South.
Only he could make someone as unruly as Commandant Jia follow him so obediently.

Zhang Ying hurriedly went to greet him, kneeling on one knee from a distance and saying, "This humble officer, Zhang Ying, Colonel of Hengjiang, greets General Zheng Nan. Please forgive me for not being able to perform the full ceremony due to my armor."

Zhang Ying's guess was correct; the person who came was indeed Liu Feng.

In fact, according to Liu Feng's original intention, the first group to cross the river wanted to come over.

However, for his own safety and that of the army, he had to suppress his anxiety and wait for the second batch to arrive.

This time, it was Pan Zhang's troops who landed, and the one who was looking at people out of the corner of his eye was naturally Liu Feng's trusted general, Pan Zhang.

Of course, Pan Zhang's arrogance was reserved for outsiders, but he was extremely obedient and strict with Liu Feng.

Zhang Ying suddenly rushed out from the side, and Xu Chu, who was behind Liu Feng, rushed out immediately to protect Liu Feng behind him. Pan Zhang also stood in front of Liu Feng, fearing that the other party might be hiding crossbows.

Only Jia Kui was dumbfounded. He recognized the other person's identity but had no idea what this guy wanted to do.

When Zhang Ying knelt down on one knee, she shouted her greetings to Liu Feng.

Everyone then realized that the other party simply wanted to greet them.

Liu Feng was both amused and exasperated. Fortunately, Zhang Ying had bowed from a distance to show his respect.

If we were any closer, Xu Chu would probably be holding our necks by now.

"My lord, this man is Zhang Ying, the garrison commander of Niuzhuji."

Jia Kui quickly explained to Liu Feng, "This person is quite cooperative with our troops; it was probably just an unintentional mistake on his part to want to see our lord."

Jia Kui was Jia Kui after all; he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Although he disapproved of Zhang Ying's behavior, he still went out of his way to explain and smooth things over for Zhang Ying after Zhang Ying got into trouble.

Liu Feng smiled and waved his hand: "There's no need for Liang Dao to explain. I've long heard of Zhang Ying's name."

Then, Liu Feng gently pushed Xu Chu and Pan Zhang aside and walked towards Zhang Ying.

Despite Zhang Ying's burly appearance, Liu Feng is now quite skilled and might not be afraid of him at all.

Sensing Liu Feng approaching, Zhang Ying lowered her head even further, until her forehead was almost touching the ground.

"Commander Zhang is a meritorious official, why should he treat himself so humbly?"

Liu Feng's warm voice rang out, and the next moment, he actually helped Zhang Ying to her feet.

"General, your humble servant...your humble servant is willing to die for you."

Zhang Ying was deeply moved and quite excited, wanting to express his loyalty to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng nodded in satisfaction: "I know General Zhang's intentions well. For now, he will stay by my side."

Zhang Ying was overjoyed and quickly followed.

At Zhang Ying's introduction and suggestion, Liu Feng dispatched two battalions of Pan Zhang to Hengjiangjin and Danglikou respectively to take over the defense.

The two guards were Fan Neng and Yu Mi, so there was naturally no obstruction.

The handover of defenses at Yokojō and Dangrikou went quite smoothly. Not long after Liu Feng's troops landed, they had already taken control of both places.

By this time, Liu Yao had already received the news.

Not only did they learn that Liu Feng's troops had successfully landed, but they also learned that Zhang Ying, Fan Neng, Yu Mi, and other members of the Niuzhu army had already joined Liu Feng's forces.

Instead of being filled with impotent rage, Liu Yao sighed and returned to his courtyard.

The relationship between Liu Yao and Zhang Ying and others was truly a vicious cycle.

Because Liu Feng was about to cross the river, he possessed not only the emperor's edict but also Liu Bei's orders.

Liu Yao was in a state of confusion and uncertainty, which manifested outwardly as his suspicion and wariness towards Zhang Ying and others.

Zhang Ying and other local factions had long been disappointed by Liu Yao's differential treatment and lack of results. Now, with Liu Yao on guard, they naturally became even more disloyal.

As Zhang Ying and the others grew increasingly disloyal, Liu Yao naturally noticed it and became even more worried about his own safety.

The two sides were caught in a vicious cycle. It wasn't until Liu Fengjun, with the support of Zhang Ying and other Jiangdong troops, successfully crossed the river and entered Niuzhu that he realized what was happening.

Having lost all popular support, what is there left for me to fight for?
For a moment, Liu Yao was disheartened and simply went back to his room to rest. The rest of the time went quite smoothly; Liu Feng's entire army successfully crossed the Yangtze River and took control of the entire Niuzhu defense line.

The four troops that temporarily crossed the river were Jia Kui, Pan Zhang, Gan Ning, and Dong Xi, while Xu Sheng's troops remained in Liyang, waiting for Sun Ben's troops to march north.

The Sun family troops naturally did not need to participate in this battle.

Allowing Sun's troops to participate in the Jiangdong campaign would be entirely detrimental, and there's no need to trust them for the sake of "trust."

Sending the Sun family north to bolster the northern border defenses would undoubtedly be a better option.

However, Sun Xiang stayed behind, considering that he could be used for political offensives in the later stages. Even if it was just to win over Sun Xiang's son, Sun Ben's brother would be worthwhile.

If we could bring in either Wu Jing or Xu Kun, it would be a huge win.

As for persuading Sun Ce to surrender, Liu Feng held no hope for the time being.

Liu Feng knew all too well how ambitious that guy was.

At this time, Sun Ce had broken free from Yuan Shu's control and was winning battle after battle in Jiangdong. His momentum was at its peak. At this point, trying to persuade him to surrender would probably be seen as a sign of contempt, so there was no need for that.

To truly subdue Sun Bofu, we need the right timing, the right location, and the right people all working together.

For example, if you corner him, capture his mother and siblings, and then send Sun Xiang, Wu Jing, Xu Kun, and Zhou Yu to persuade him to surrender, then there is a chance of success.

After capturing the Niuzhu defense line and gaining the support of powerful clans in northern Jiangdong, Liu Feng has finally established a firm foothold in Jiangdong.

Zhang Ying and his group were incredibly wealthy. Their contributions played a significant role in Liu Yao's ability to hold out in Jiangdong for three years. Otherwise, relying solely on the meager taxes and grain supplied by the other three prefectures of Yangzhou, Liu Yao might not have been able to support even 5,000 soldiers, let alone 20,000.

That evening, Liu Feng specially hosted a banquet to entertain Zhang Ying and the other two.

Zhang Ying and his two companions were already trying to curry favor with Liu Feng, and Liu Feng also praised them highly, so the atmosphere on the scene was very harmonious and everyone enjoyed themselves.

As the banquet entered its second half, Liu Feng suddenly beckoned to Zhao Fan, who was at the rear.

“Gangyi, come to my side.”

Zhao Fan was originally positioned at the end of the hall, and according to his position, he would not have been entitled to attend this banquet.

However, since he was a meritorious official and Liu Feng personally honored his name, a seat was specially added for him near the door, placing him at the very end.

Zhao Fan was quite satisfied with this. The thought that Liu Feng could actually call out his name warmed his heart.

Everyone present held a higher rank and title than him. Even Jia Kui, who held the lowest rank, was a captain, a rank and a half higher than him, a military commander.

Zhao Fan looked at Liu Feng's army, which was full of talented people. The generals were either elegant like Zhou Yu, majestic and steady like Xu Chu, or high-spirited and flamboyant like Pan Zhang, or flowery like Gan Ning, or skillful yet unpretentious like Dong Xi. Even a young man like Zhuge Liang was gentle and refined, making Zhao Fan feel ashamed in comparison.

Overjoyed and envious, Zhao Fan drank his fill of wine, thoroughly enjoying himself, when suddenly he heard Liu Feng calling him from the seat of honor.

Zhao Fan initially thought he was overthinking things and was hallucinating.

But when he actually saw Liu Feng waving at him, he realized that it was real.

Happiness came too suddenly, and Zhao Fan tried hard to hide the smile on his face so as not to leave Liu Feng with an impression of being too frivolous.

But he found it too difficult; he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth no matter how hard he tried.

"Gangyi, I'd like to offer you a toast."

Liu Feng raised his wine cup and said to Zhao Fan, "This wine is to honor you for protecting Lord Liu in Qu'a, defending the isolated city alone. You are truly a hero!"

Zhao Fan was filled with excitement and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Liu Feng also drank it all in one gulp, and the people around him cheered loudly, especially Zhang Ying, who shouted the loudest, since Zhao Fan and he were ostensibly uncle and nephew.

After they finished drinking, Liu Feng pulled Zhao Fan to sit down next to him and suddenly asked Zhang Ying, "Commander Zhang, I heard that Zhao Fan addresses you as his uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying felt a surge of pride, while Fan Neng and Yu Mi also showed expressions of envy.

Zhang Ying cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Liu Feng and said, "Reporting to Zheng Nan, this is indeed the case."

Liu Feng nodded in satisfaction: "Then I must congratulate Commandant Zhang on gaining such a worthy nephew."

Zhang Ying smiled even more happily.

But Liu Feng suddenly changed the subject, saying, "I heard that before Zhao Fan crossed the river last night, the three of you promised him that he could lead a battalion by himself and that you would mobilize brave warriors to help him succeed?"

Zhang Ying and the other two were stunned for a moment, not understanding why Liu Feng would suddenly bring this up.

"I intend to transfer Zhao Fan to my side to serve me, but two thousand soldiers are not enough. I would like to ask the three of you to generously assist him and make it four thousand men. What do you think?"

When Liu Feng said this, Zhao Fan was overjoyed, but Zhang Ying and the other two were in a bind.

The pride and arrogance on Zhang Ying's face vanished completely, and the envy and jealousy on Fan Neng and Yu Mi's faces also disappeared.

The three of them looked at each other, somewhat bewildered.

Previously, all they needed was enough to replenish Zhao Fan's ranks with over a thousand men, and those men could be new recruits.

A token amount of military equipment and supplies would be enough to appease Zhao Fan.

But now that Liu Feng has personally spoken, and specifically requested brave warriors, the supplies given to Zhao Fan will have to be elite veterans, and the quantity of military equipment and supplies will certainly be substantial.

After Liu Feng finished speaking, he simply pulled Zhao Fan to drink, seemingly in no hurry.

But Zhang Ying and the other two became restless.

They didn't want to give it to him, but this was the first time Liu Feng had made a request, and they had already disobeyed him. It didn't seem like they were being loyal or obedient at all.

If it were Liu Yao, it would be fine, but now Niuzhu has been occupied by Liu Feng, who has the north bank of the Yangtze River as his backing and is supported by an army of 100,000.

If Zhang Ying and the others had been willing to stop Liu Feng for Liu Yao, things wouldn't have escalated to the current situation.

Although Liu Feng is no longer pressuring them, the gazes of fierce generals like Xu Chu and Pan Zhang frequently sweep over them, putting them under considerable pressure.

Left with no other choice, Zhang Ying and the other two began to discuss the matter in hushed tones, their conversation interspersed with some arguments.

Fortunately, they all remembered the occasion and didn't really break off relations, and eventually they reached a conclusion.

Finally, Zhang Ying, his face stiff, reported to Liu Feng: "We will naturally obey the orders of the Southern Expedition and are willing to assign four thousand warriors to Commander Zhao's command."

The result of the discussion among Zhang Ying and the other two was that Zhang Ying, as the instigator and the ringleader, would contribute two thousand men and half of the military equipment and supplies, while Fan Neng and Yu Mi would contribute the other half.

It can be said that Zhang Ying suffered the most losses. Although his forces were the strongest, they still accounted for less than half of the total. This time, he handed over two thousand elite troops and a considerable amount of military equipment and supplies, which was truly a devastating blow.

Although Zhang Ying agreed to Liu Feng's conditions, it was impossible for him not to feel resentful. He even began to doubt whether his decision to side with Liu Feng was the right one.

But upon closer examination, Liu Yao really had no future. Three years of fighting alongside Liu Yao yielded almost nothing, and the wasted money, provisions, and manpower far exceeded what was spent this time.

With this in mind, Zhang Ying calmed down.

Just then, Liu Feng spoke up again.

"I remember that Commandant Zhang is from Qu'a?"

Zhang Ying quickly stood up and replied, "That's right!"

Zhang Ying was a powerful local lord in Qu'a. His hometown had been lost to Liu Yao, and he had been unable to reclaim it for a long time. This was one of the reasons why Zhang Ying was completely disappointed in Liu Yao.

Liu Feng clapped his hands and said, "That's quite a coincidence."

Zhang Ying was puzzled. What was the coincidence?

Surely you, Liu Feng, aren't also from Qu'a?
Unexpectedly, Liu Feng's next words sent Zhang Ying soaring to heaven.

"Zhou Xiaowei's cousin, Shang Gong, has long served as the governor of Danyang. Now, thanks to my father's recommendation, he is about to step down from his post as governor and go north to take up a post in Yuzhou."

Liu Feng continued, "I intend to appoint Colonel Zhang as acting governor. I wonder what Colonel Zhang's opinion is?"

Zhang Ying almost doubted whether she was hallucinating.

Liu Zhengnan actually wants to appoint me as the governor of Danyang!?

Local powerful figures like Zhang Ying rarely became officials. Even if they did, they mostly served as clerks or county officials. Their advancement depended primarily on their relationships with governors, prefects, and county magistrates.

(End of this chapter)