My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 499 The Night Banquet in Linxiang
After deliberately pausing for a moment, Liu Feng continued, “Lord Zhang, your son Zhang Yi is renowned throughout the prefecture, and many virtuous men in Changsha have recommended him to me. Although we have only just met, he is already widely known. Moreover, your virtuous brother is only a few years older than me, yet he is so filial. Our great Han Dynasty is founded on loyalty and filial piety, and your virtuous brother should be selected as a candidate for the civil service examination.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian's expression froze, and even his pupils dilated slightly.

It wasn't that Zhang Xian lacked shrewdness; it was simply that happiness came too quickly.

Despite the Zhang family's prestigious status in Nanyang County, Zhang Xian's own reputation as a scholar, and his repeated appointments as prefects of various counties in Jingnan with salaries of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), making him a man of great renown and merit, he still couldn't secure a place for his son as a candidate for the civil service examination.

Zhang Yi was from Nanyang. The titles of Governor of Jingzhou and Prefect of Nanyang had always been held by Liu Biao and had never been revealed to him.

Zhang Xian and Liu Biao were sworn enemies, and they could never stand each other.

If Liu Biao hadn't exploited Jingnan so ruthlessly, giving Zhang Xian the opportunity to win over the people, Zhang Xian might have been eliminated by Liu Biao using powerful clans and gentry, just like Liu Ba's father, Liu Xiang.

Although the officialdom of the late Eastern Han Dynasty was thoroughly corrupt, with officials protecting each other and forming cliques for personal gain, there was one thing in which it far surpassed the Great Jin Dynasty.

That is, my great Han still upholds the rule of law. Even if the aristocratic clans are exonerated, it is still turning black into white. Unlike my great Jin, where bloodlines are invincible and even right and wrong are disregarded.

Even after Zhang Xian became one of the Nine Ministers and gained the qualification to recommend candidates nationwide for the civil service examination, he still dared not recommend his own son. If he had dared to recommend Zhang Yi as a candidate for the civil service examination, his reputation would have been instantly ruined.

Zhang Xian himself had cultivated deep roots in Jingnan for decades. Although his connections in Jingnan were outrageously strong, and he could command the respect of four prefectures with a single call to action.

The problem is that a person's energy and resources are limited. He spent all his time and energy in Jingnan, and even if he had connections with other states, they had faded away after decades of no contact.

Therefore, after being persuaded by Huan Jie, Liu Ba and others to surrender to Liu Feng, Zhang Xian was most concerned about the future of his son Zhang Yi. As for himself, he was seriously ill and did not know how much longer he could hold on, so it was no longer important.

"Is this true?"

Zhang Xian confirmed this with some disbelief.

Liu Feng immediately gave the other party a guarantee: "A mere title of 'Filial and Incorruptible Official of Nanyang' is nothing to worry about. Your filial piety is evident to me; how could it be faked? Besides, my father is the General of the Cavalry, and I, Liu Feng, am a Left General appointed by the court, with the same rank as the Three Excellencies. Both of us have the right to recommend people. If Lord Zhang is still not at ease, I can write a letter to the General and ask him to entrust the newly appointed Prefect of Nanyang to recommend someone."

"Oh, there's one more thing, which you might not know, Master Zhang."

Liu Feng recalled Chen Ji's matter and added, "Lord Chen of Yingchuan has already submitted a memorial on behalf of my father recommending him as the governor of Jingzhou. He will arrive in Xiangyang soon to take charge of the administration. Your brother's application for the title of 'filial and incorrupt' will surely be completed within the year."

Zhang Xian was completely stunned as Liu Feng lavishly listed four methods of recommendation. His own worries and anxieties had become so easily resolved in Liu Feng's hands.

Of course, Zhang Xian was not a fool; he could also discern the difference in strength between the two sides from the other party's words.

Liu Feng's elaborate displays of wealth were ultimately intended to reassure Zhang Xian.

What you want, I can give you easily, and even if you are determined to fight me, you won't get any more benefits.

Where you go or what you choose to do is entirely up to you.

Zhang Xian remained silent for a moment, then made his final decision. He tremblingly turned over on the couch and bowed to Liu Feng, saying, "Since becoming the Prefect of Lingling, I have served as the Prefect of the four commanderies of Jingnan for twenty-three years. Jingnan is quite well-regarded. If General Zuo does not despise me, I am willing to do everything in my power to stabilize Jingnan, hoping only to repay even a fraction of General Zuo's kindness."

Liu Feng was overjoyed. All he had done was to get Zhang Xian to support him.

Liu Feng knew exactly how much influence Zhang Xian wielded in Jingnan.

With Zhang Xian backing him up, even if Liu Feng immediately started land surveys in Jingnan, the number of rebellious aristocratic clans and powerful families would be reduced by at least one-third.

Zhang Xian's energy is just that exaggerated.

The most outstanding members of the gentry in Jingnan were almost all his students and former officials.

Liu Ba, Jiang Wan, and Pan Jun were all from Lingling and were Zhang Xian's former neighbors. Huan Jie was the chief clerk recommended by Zhang Xian, and Liu Pan was the merit officer recommended by Zhang Xian. These people were all influential figures in the various counties of Jingnan. Zhang Xian's influence radiated throughout Jingnan through many of these people.

"Why do you say such things, Lord Zhang? I only wish you good health so that you can make greater contributions to the country, the court, and your hometown."

Liu Feng immediately stated that he would absolutely not mistreat Zhang Xian.

After the two sides reached an agreement, the atmosphere naturally became more harmonious.

At this time, Xu Chu also came to visit with Fan A.

Liu Feng made room for Zhang Xian in front of the bed, and Fan A then began to listen to Zhang Xian's heart and lungs.

A moment later, Fan A inquired about Zhang Xian's feelings, diet, and other details, and finally followed Liu Feng out of the bedroom.

"How is Lord Zhang doing?"

Liu Feng glanced back at the bedroom and asked in a low voice.

Fan A respectfully replied, "Zhang Gong is a soldier suffering from palpitations. I can prescribe a remedy to alleviate the symptoms, but it can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause, and cannot cure the condition."

Liu Feng suddenly realized that Zhang Xian probably had heart disease, but the specific cause was unclear. However, this disease was difficult to treat even in modern times, let alone in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Feng instructed, "Then prescribe a medicine. It would be good if it could calm you down. If you are missing any materials, you can tell Zhongkang and go to the storeroom to get them yourself."

Fan A immediately obeyed, but did not leave; instead, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

Liu Feng asked curiously, "Mr. Fan, is there anything you need? Please speak freely."

Fan A then spoke up, saying, "I had previously heard of a famous doctor in Jingnan named Zhang Ji, courtesy name Zhongjing. My master had also heard of him. Today, when I was treating Master Zhang, he mentioned the doctor, and it was this famous doctor."

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng suddenly thought of Zhang Zhongjing.

I almost forgot about this person.

This man was later known as one of the Three Divine Physicians of the Jian'an Era, and was also called the Sage of Medicine. He wrote the masterpiece "Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases," and established the principle of "differentiation of syndromes and treatment based on syndromes," which is the basic principle of clinical practice in traditional Chinese medicine and the soul of traditional Chinese medicine.

Although many prescriptions in the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases have problems, it is still the first medical prescription classic and is groundbreaking. In particular, the prescriptions for treating typhoid fever have been used for nearly two thousand years and have not been eliminated until modern times, which shows that their efficacy was unparalleled in ancient times.

"Zhongkang."

Liu Feng turned to Xu Chu and instructed him: "First, find out where Mr. Zhongjing is. I will personally go to visit him."

Xu Chu immediately agreed, and Fan A was secretly delighted.

The importance that their lord placed on physicians was unprecedented. Fan A felt that he was extremely fortunate to have met their lord.

After drinking Fan Akai's medicine, Zhang Xian's anxiety was relieved to some extent. Perhaps there was also the factor of the promising future of the legitimate son involved. Zhang Xian soon fell into a deep sleep.

Zhang Yi was indeed a filial son, and was extremely grateful to Liu Feng. After all, he no longer showed any of the arrogance and hostility he had shown when facing Sun Ce.

The following evening, Liu Feng hosted a grand banquet at the Linxiang Prefecture to entertain the renowned scholars of southern Hunan in Linxiang City.

Besides Huan Jie, Liu Ba, Liu Pan, Qu Jing, and others, the attendees also included Pan Jun's father Pan Ren, Jiang Wan's father Jiang Xin, Pan Jun and Jiang Wan's cousin, Liu Min, the grandson of Liu You, the current Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and many others.

The banquet started off smoothly and the atmosphere was harmonious. Liu Feng was very approachable and treated people with respect. The gentry of Jingnan were at the bottom of the food chain, only slightly higher than the gentry of Liangzhou and Jiaozhou, and even lower than the gentry of Youzhou. How could they dare to give Liu Feng a hard time?

However, the fact that the gentry of Jingnan dared not give it does not mean that any particular gentry in Jingnan dared not give it.

This refers to Liu Ba, a famous scholar from Lingling.

Although Liu Ba, like Huan Jie, advised Zhang Xian to give up resistance, their initial intentions were different.

Huan Jie had goodwill towards Liu Bei and his son, and was willing to serve them, so he chose to persuade them to join him. Liu Ba, however, was different.

Although Liu Ba assessed the situation and realized that Jingnan could not withstand Liu Feng, he persuaded Zhang Xian to surrender. However, Liu Ba himself still looked down on Liu Bei.

In his view, Liu Bei only succeeded because of the people he met; without his good son Liu Feng, the other side probably wouldn't even be able to take over Xuzhou.

As for Liu Feng, although he was talented, he lacked integrity.

Liu Biao and he had been allied for many years, yet he could turn his back on them without hesitation. If we don't call him ungrateful or treacherous, he was at least a person who abandoned righteousness for personal gain.

Although Liu Ba persuaded Zhang Xian to surrender, he himself did not want to serve Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng.

Therefore, at the banquet, Liu Ba, though modest and unassuming, remained quite silent and rarely raised his glass.

The banquet atmosphere was quite pleasant, and over time, Liu Ba's out-of-place behavior became somewhat apparent.

Liu Feng glanced at Liu Ba, a hint of doubt in his mind.

Although Liu Feng didn't know what Liu Ba was thinking, he was, after all, a time traveler and knew a great deal about the Three Kingdoms period. Therefore, he was quite puzzled by Liu Ba's attitude.

In Liu Feng's view, Liu Ba's ability to join Cao Cao in the original timeline shows that he was also a powerful figure.

Although Cao Cao possessed immense charisma, even rivaling his father's alluring charm, he was never a man of integrity. Upon gaining power, the first person he betrayed was his former sworn brother, Yuan Shao, leading to the Battle of Guandu. Not to mention the numerous crimes he committed throughout the land, his record of massacring cities being unparalleled among the warlords of the Three Kingdoms period.

Since Liu Ba could even serve Cao Cao, there's no reason why he couldn't serve me.

Thinking it over carefully, I realized that my reputation was far superior to Cao Cao's. Even with the fact that I betrayed Liu Biao, my reputation was still far beyond what Cao Mengde could possibly claim.

Therefore, Liu Feng raised his wine cup and gestured towards Liu Ba, saying, "Master Zichu, I have long admired your name. It is truly an honor to meet you today. Your learning is profound and your reputation is widespread throughout Jing and Xiang. Although I am not talented, I am willing to work with you to accomplish great things and restore the Han Dynasty. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ba frowned slightly, his wine cup remaining untouched. After a moment, he replied, "General Zuo, I am ashamed to accept such words. A month ago, your army marched up the river with overwhelming force, causing fear and displacement in Jingzhou. I am but a wild and unruly man from Lingling; how could I possibly discuss joining forces for a great cause?"

These words immediately silenced the room. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Some people even secretly poked their ears, unable to believe what they were hearing.

Liu Ba was practically pointing his finger at Liu Feng, accusing him of sending troops to launch a sneak attack on Liu Biao and deeming him unworthy to work with him on a grand cause.

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Liu Feng. Some of the quick-witted ones even secretly looked around, worried that if Liu Feng smashed the cup, they and Liu Ba would be killed together.

Huan Jie's expression changed slightly. He glanced at Liu Feng and then spoke in a more conciliatory tone: "Zichu has always been humble. He is highly regarded by the Left General. He is deeply worried that his reputation outweighs his talent and that the General might be disappointed. That is why he said this."

After Huan Jie finished speaking, there was no other sound in the hall.

On the contrary, Xu Chu, Taishi Ci, Sun Ce and others stared at Liu Ba with predatory eyes, as if they would swarm him and chop this arrogant young man into mincemeat at Liu Feng's command.

Liu Ba was incredibly bold; anyone else, under the watchful eyes of these fierce generals, would probably have been trembling with fear and unable to withstand it.

But Liu Ba was completely unfazed, and even unusually, he poured himself a drink.

Huan Jie's heart skipped a beat. He had previously gotten along quite well with Liu Ba, and their political views were also aligned. Whether it was seeking help from Liu Feng or persuading Zhang Xian to surrender, Liu Ba was exactly the same as him.

He never expected the other party to pull such a stunt. If he had known earlier, he would have risked offending Liu Feng rather than let Liu Ba attend tonight's banquet.

However, Huan Jie was unaware that one-fifth of the people attending tonight's banquet were there for Liu Ba, while Huan Jie himself only made up one-fifth of the crowd.

Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.

Everyone secretly glanced at Liu Feng, who was in the main seat, only to find that he looked perfectly normal.

Liu Feng slowly put down his wine cup, smiled calmly, straightened up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Liu Ba, saying, "Mr. Zichu, your words are indeed frank. As for what happened a month ago, I was indeed inappropriate. However, Liu Zhennan first harbored the important general of the traitor Yuan Shu, and then invaded our territory. Instead of reflecting on his own faults, he raised troops to go south to punish virtuous people and bully the people of Xiangnan."

The saying goes, "It's possible once, it's possible twice, but it's not possible three times."

Feng Shi had already made concessions many times, and with Zhang Gong's help, what did personal righteousness matter in the face of the greater good of the world?
The sealing was a last resort.

If you are being harsh, I have no words to defend myself. I only hope that I can explain myself in the future.

If you, sir, can understand, I am willing to treat you with sincerity and work together to achieve this great undertaking and restore the Han Dynasty.

Liu Feng's words were reasonable and well-founded. He pointed out that the root of the problem lay with Liu Biao, not with himself. More importantly, he stated that his military expedition was ostensibly for the sake of Liu Biao's lord, Zhang Xian. Now that Xiangnan was at peace, the virtuous men of Linxiang City owed their current good fortune to Liu Feng.

Reminded by Liu Feng's words, everyone present came to their senses and remembered Liu Feng's good qualities.

Even Liu Ba himself showed a slight change in expression, clearly moved.

Just when everyone thought Liu Feng was going to deal with Liu Ba, Liu Feng stood up, holding a wine cup, and slowly walked down the steps.

(End of this chapter)