My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 399 Retire after success
After this mutually satisfactory private meeting concluded, Liu Feng had no choice but to remain in Luoyang. In the following days, Liu Feng personally vouched for Zhang Yang, Yang Chou, and Sui Gu, inviting them to a meeting in Luozhong.

Zhang Yang and Yang Chou are relatively easy to deal with, but Sui Gu is a bit more troublesome.

Zhang Yang was inherently terrified of Yuan Shao and had long suspected that Yuan Shao wanted to kill him, just like Zhang Miao. Yang Chou, on the other hand, was close to Cao Cao in the original timeline and close to Liu Feng in the present timeline. He was not strong in martial arts, but he had excellent judgment, so there was nothing wrong with him.

Only Sui Gu, in the original timeline, was willing to join Yuan Shao rather than rebel against Cao Cao.

This was no time for mercy. Liu Feng joined forces with Cao Cao to set up a trap, killing Sui Gu and sending someone to take over his troops, dispersing and annexing them.

Sui Gu treated Liu Feng fairly well, but no one could guarantee that Sui Gu wouldn't rebel. Forcing him to side with Cao Cao was especially risky.

For the sake of the greater good, Liu Feng had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

Before taking action, Liu Feng had tried one last time to save Sui Gu, expressing his hope that Sui Gu could lead his troops south and go to Jiangdong with him.

However, Sui Gu flatly refused Liu Feng's request, saying that he was doing well in Hanoi and had no intention of going south.

Since that's the case, then we have no choice but to send him to his death.

If he doesn't die, countless of our soldiers will be driven to despair and slaughtered by the enemy because of his possible betrayal.

After resolving the issue of Sui Gu, Zhang Yang immediately agreed to cede Heyang City to Cao Cao for defense, and at the same time offered to provide four thousand laborers to serve Cao Cao's army.

Yang Chou and Sui Gu had always been at odds, but at this moment, there was a sense of shared sorrow, like that of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.

However, under Liu Feng's reassurance, Yang Chou quickly forgot about Sui Gu and strengthened his resolve to uphold the alliance.

Of course, there were also benefits. Liu Feng not only agreed to transfer Sui Gu's portion of the goods to Yang Chou and Zhang Yang for equal distribution, but also agreed to provide a new trade commodity—sesame oil.

In addition, Liu Feng also guaranteed that if the war in Hanoi went badly, Cao Cao would have to help Zhang Yang and Yang Chou's troops retreat across the Yellow River.

After successfully establishing the alliance, Liu Feng was finally able to leave Luozhong.

On the day Liu Feng left Luoyang, Cao Cao personally saw him off, accompanied by Cao Ang, Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, Cao Zhang, and other sons, for ten miles outside Luoyang.

Subsequently, Liu Feng boarded a boat at Mengjin and traveled downstream along the Yellow River. He then entered the Langtang Canal at Yingou, which flowed into the Ying River, and finally into the Huai River, eventually arriving at Shouchun City.

At this time, Liu Bei had already planned to leave Shouchun and return to Tancheng.

However, Liu Fengxian sent someone back to ask him to wait a little longer in Shouchun.

Liu Bei readily granted his eldest son's request.

"Father."

Seeing his father standing on the dock waiting for him again, Liu Feng immediately stepped forward and bowed as soon as he got off the boat.

Liu Bei gently tidied Liu Feng's disheveled bangs, then took his son's hand and patted it, saying with concern, "Feng'er, you must be tired from your journey. When I heard about the incident in Luozhong, I was worried about whether you were alright, so I immediately sent people north."

Liu Bei said with emotion, "Fortunately, your letter arrived quickly, and I can finally put my mind at ease."

Liu Feng hurriedly apologized, saying, "Your son is unfilial and has troubled Father with worry."

Liu Bei waved his hand: "It's nothing, as long as you are safe and sound."

After the father and son chatted for a while, Liu Feng began to introduce the new people behind him to Liu Bei.

“Father, this is Zhong Yuanchang of Yingchuan, the grandson of Ji Minggong, one of the four chieftains of Yingchuan. The man beside him is his younger brother, Zhong Zhongchang, who is also a famous scholar of Yingchuan.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects.

Zhong Yao and Zhong Yan were also taken aback. They never expected that Liu Bei, a man of such high status, would take the initiative to bow to them upon their first meeting.

The two men naturally dared not accept Liu Bei's grand gesture, and hurriedly stepped aside to avoid it, then respectfully returned the greeting.

Liu Bei released his eldest son and stepped forward, grabbing one of the Zhong brothers by the other.

"The names of your brothers are renowned and I have long admired them, but I regret that I am not fortunate enough to meet them."

Liu Bei spoke with a sincere and earnest tone, his words deeply moving the Zhong Yao brothers.

"I am fortunate to meet you today. I am overestimating my abilities, and I humbly request that you brothers join my shogunate so that I may have the opportunity to learn from you day and night."

Sure enough, before he could finish three sentences, Liu Bei started poaching his men.

Liu Feng sneered inwardly, thankfully he was quick, skillful, and clean, leaving no loophole for his father.

As expected, Zhong Yao and Zhong Yan showed expressions of being moved but reluctant. They first bowed respectfully to Liu Bei, deeply moved, and said, "Although we brothers have some minor reputation, we never expected to receive such favor from the General of Chariots and Cavalry. We should have given our lives to repay the General's kindness. However, we have already accepted the Left General's invitation and entered the Left General's staff. Fortunately, the Left General is the General's son, so we can continue to serve the General and repay the General's favor."

General Zuo?
Isn't the Left General Yuan Shu?

When did he become my son?

Liu Bei looked completely bewildered, as if several question marks had appeared on his forehead, and he stared at his eldest son with a face full of doubt.

Liu Feng hurriedly stepped forward and explained, "Father, this time when I entered Luoyang, I was favored by the Emperor and valued by the court. The Grand General recommended me to be promoted to Left General, take over as Governor of Yangzhou, and be enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu with a fief of 6,500 households. I was also appointed as the military commander of the southeastern Yangzhou and Jiaozhou."

Liu Bei was somewhat surprised, not expecting that the emperor's treatment would be much better than he had anticipated.

At this time, he was unaware that his eldest son had joined forces with Cao Cao in Luoyang to completely usurp the emperor's power.

This reward was less a gift from the emperor to reward his merits and more a reward from Cao Cao.

"Father, there is also an imperial edict."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei hurriedly bowed and said, "Your subject, General Liu Bei, respectfully welcomes the imperial edict."

Liu Feng then said, "General Liu Bei, the General of the Cavalry, oversees all military affairs in the southeast, pacifies the Jianghuai and Jiangdong regions, captures Yuan Shu and Sun Ce, stabilizes the local area, and comforts the people. He has made great contributions and is hereby granted an additional two thousand households as a reward for his merits."

When Liu Bei was originally enfeoffed as the Marquis of Qiao, he had a fief of 8,000 households. Now, he has added another 2,000 households, bringing his fief to 10,000 households, which is quite high. In the entire Han Dynasty, he should be second only to Grand Marshal Yuan Shao with 12,000 households and General Cao Cao with 11,000 households.

When Huangfu Song quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he almost saved the Eastern Han Dynasty and extended its lifespan. Yet, he was only granted an additional 8,000 households as a fief, which shows how valuable a fief was.

Although the fiefdoms have been inflated to an exorbitant size, 10,000 households is still a watershed, representing the highest level.

In the present world, there are still only three people whose fiefdoms exceed ten thousand households: Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei.

Then, Liu Feng added, "Father, the court still appoints you as the military commander of Xu and Yu provinces."

Although Liu Bei was surprised by the abundance of Liu Feng's harvest, the more rewards his son received, the happier the father would naturally be.

He immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude for the emperor's grace and the court's virtue, and accepted the additional title.

"Father, the two Mr. Zhongs have joined my staff."

Liu Feng brought up the old matter again, and seeing Liu Bei's displeasure, he quickly continued to introduce the others. "Father, this is my newly recruited chief clerk, a direct descendant of the Hongnong Yang clan, the grandson of former General of the Cavalry Yang Ci, and the son of former Grand Commandant Yang Biao, Yang Xiu."

Yang Ci once served as Grand Commandant, but died of illness while serving as Minister of Works. He was posthumously awarded the title of General of the Cavalry.

Liu Feng specifically praised him, saying, "Yang Dezhu is respectful and studious, learned and versatile, especially skilled in the classics. He can speak eloquently and is a rising star in Guanzhong."

Despite his young age, Liu Feng is now a big shot.

He was a dignified Left General, Marquis of Wu, Governor of Yangzhou, and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Yangzhou and Jiaozhou.

This string of titles alone determines his influence.

Yang Xiu was overjoyed to receive Liu Feng's evaluation of him as a rising star in Guanzhong.

Liu Bei was tempted to recruit him again, for he was the eldest son of the Yang family of Hongnong.

As everyone knows, the Yang family is the third most powerful clan in the country, second only to the Yuan family among the gentry, and the difference between the two families is not significant.

If the Yuan family was scheming, not only fickle but also harboring ulterior motives, then the Yang family was indeed much more loyal. They were close to the emperor and devoted to the court, making them far more faithful and cautious than the Yuan family.

However, the Han Dynasty inevitably declined, and the Yang family, who were deeply bound to the Han Dynasty and never thought of breaking free until its later years, inevitably sank along with the sinking ship of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Feng originally wanted to take Yang Biao with him, but Cao Cao refused Liu Feng's request and was adamant about it.

With no other option, Liu Feng could only take Yang Xiu south, leaving Yang Biao behind in Luoyang.

Liu Bei was flustered, but before he could come up with a reason to recruit him, his eldest son firmly refused.

Subsequently, Liu Feng introduced Dong Zhao and others to Liu Bei.

Dong Zhao was not famous and his family background was not outstanding, but Liu Bei did not underestimate him because of this. On the contrary, he treated him with even greater enthusiasm, which showed that he was still determined to recruit him and had great trust in the judgment of his own son.

Fortunately, the fat man was extremely loyal to Liu Feng, and in the end, he still refused, preventing Liu Bei from saving face.

"Uncle Yuanchang, Uncle Zhongchang, you must be tired from your long journey."

Xun You, standing behind Liu Bei, bowed to Zhong Yao and Zhong Yan.

According to seniority, Xun Yu and the brothers Zhong Yao and Zhong Yan were of the same generation. Even though Xun Yu was not young, he was still a junior in front of Zhong Yao.

Zhong Yao recognized Xun You and smiled, "So it's Gongda. It's been a long time since we last met."

Xun You respectfully replied, "Uncle is right. It has been six years since I left Luoyang in the third year of Chuping (192 AD).

Immediately afterwards, Xun You revealed a genuine smile and said, "Liu Biaoji and his son treat people with sincerity and are good at accepting advice. They are truly wise rulers. Uncle, after spending more time with the young lord, you will naturally come to the same conclusion."

Zhong Yao nodded thoughtfully, knowing that Xun You was trying to curry favor with him.

The four major surnames in Yingchuan are closely related, and they intermarry with each other, making them all considered relatives by marriage.

Few of the high-ranking officials on Liu Bei's side were from Yuzhou, especially Yingchuan; to date, there are only a handful, such as Xun You. Even though Xun You was valued and trusted by Liu Bei and his son, the people of Yingchuan had very little influence and could not compare with those from Xuzhou.

Now that the Zhong brothers have joined the fold, Xun You is naturally overjoyed.

This has nothing to do with character; it simply comes from genuine feelings.

Seeing so many talented people before him, yet none of them could be recruited, Liu Bei was clearly unwilling to give up. That night, he hosted a banquet in the city to welcome Liu Feng and others, and also wanted to make more contact with the Zhong brothers, Yang Xiu, Dong Zhao and others.

Everyone, including Liu Feng, had a great time that night.

After much deliberation, Liu Feng still felt that it was not appropriate to rush things and there was no need to discuss serious matters with Liu Bei, who had been drinking.

The events that occurred in Luozhong this time were clearly against Liu Bei's wishes, and Liu Feng had to give them more consideration.

The following day at noon, Liu Feng met with Liu Bei alone and recounted what had happened in Luozhong.

However, Liu Feng wasn't foolish enough to be completely honest. Instead, he used the subtle and indirect approach of historical writing, focusing on how Cao Cao launched a political attack on Yang Biao, how he seized the emperor's remaining military power, and how he eventually gained absolute power.

As for their own role in it, it was either mentioned in passing or downplayed.

The key is to minimize your presence.

Liu Feng had no choice in this matter; he couldn't very well tell Liu Bei directly that he had instigated Cao Cao to usurp power over the emperor, and that he had incited Cao Cao to arrest Yang Biao.

If that's really the case, there's a high chance Liu Bei will turn against him and stage a scene of sacrificing family for the greater good.

While desperately shifting the blame to Cao Cao, Liu Feng also tried to defend him, saying, "Father, the General has no choice but to do this."

"Ok?"

Liu Bei looked over in bewilderment, his eyes clearly showing displeasure, obviously displeased that his son was defending a traitor.

Seeing this, Liu Feng sighed inwardly. Fortunately, he had taken precautions, otherwise his father might have had to turn against him for the greater good.

"Does Father know the situation in Hebei?"

Instead of answering, Liu Feng asked a question.

Liu Bei frowned slightly: "Brother Gongsun is still trapped in Yijing, but he no longer has the ambition of the past. He only wants to delay and wait to know what is going on in the world."

Gongsun Zan meant that he was waiting for the general trend of the world to become clear. In other words, he did not intend to fight for the world. He was waiting for a wise ruler to emerge so that he could sell his limited territory for a good price.

This was a complete collapse of morale. If it weren't for Gongsun Zan's deep hatred for Yuan Shao, and his willingness to fight to the death, he would have been utterly devastated.

If it were anyone else, he probably would have surrendered to the other side long ago.

"Father is unaware of this."

Liu Feng began to speak, slowly recounting Yuan Shao's intention to negotiate peace with Gongsun Zan.

Liu Bei was extremely shocked after hearing this, and even asked in disbelief, "Where did you get this information?"

Liu Bei was so surprised because he couldn't understand why Yuan Shao would still be negotiating peace with Gongsun Zan at this point.

"This news came from the Grand Marshal's inner circle, Father, you need not doubt its authenticity."

After giving a vague answer, Liu Feng continued, "It is true that the Grand Marshal wants to negotiate peace with Uncle Gongsun, but what he really thinks may not be true."

Liu Bei was puzzled and asked, "What does this mean?"

Liu Feng guessed, "I suspect that the Grand Marshal's peace talks are a scheme."

(End of this chapter)