My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 525 Shogunate Personnel
Shouguang County is located downstream of the Mei River, about 50 to 60 li northeast of Ju County.

Even in times of peace, this place was a small county with a small population. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in Qingzhou, this area, being a plain, was repeatedly ravaged, and the city was even breached.

At this time, there were only two hundred garrison soldiers in the city, which was better than nothing.

Zhang Fei easily captured Shouguang County, forcing Yuan Tan to request Chunyu Qiong to lead 15,000 troops to Yiguo County to confront Zhang Fei's forces and protect the flank of Yuan's main army.

Immediately afterwards, Guan Yu sent Guan Ping with 8,000 men south to Linqu. There were no troops stationed there by Yuan's army, only a few hundred young men and soldiers of local gentry and powerful families guarding the area.

As soon as Guan Ping's troops arrived, they immediately opened the city gates and begged for surrender.

Upon learning the news, Yuan Tan immediately ordered his general Lü Kuang to lead 15,000 troops to Guang County for a standoff.

The key to Guan Ping's 8,000 men being able to mobilize Lü Kuang's 15,000 men was the advantage of terrain.

The terrain of Guang County, where Lü Kuang was stationed, was quite unfavorable. The Mei River was shaped like an inverted "几" (ji), which meant that if Guan Ping's troops were to forcefully cross the river, they could receive reinforcements from Guan Yu's main force from the east.

In this way, Lü Kuang's troops were caught in a pincer attack by Liu Bei's forces from the east and south. Yuan Tan, on the other hand, would have to take a long detour to provide support, and the terrain would make it difficult for him to deploy his troops.

Therefore, Yuan Tan had no choice but to directly reinforce Lü Kuang's troops, ordering them to hold Guang County and defend it to the death, as long as they could shield the flank of Yuan Tan's main force.

As a result, Yuan Shao's army and Liu Bei's army were locked in a full-scale standoff along the Mei River, brewing up for the next major battle.

The second piece of good news came from Gan County. Zhuge Liang appointed Lü Meng as the main general and Ling Tong as the deputy general, and supervised Fu Tong and Huo Du, leading 12,000 infantrymen and boatmen southward down the Gan River, heading straight for Gan County.

Knowing he was no match for the enemy, Pan Lin dared not fight, but was unwilling to surrender. So he retreated to Pan Lin Mountain near Yudu (later known as Yudu) and put up a stubborn resistance, relying on the treacherous terrain and his camp.

However, the terrain here was far less treacherous than that of Linli Mountain. After observing the terrain, Lü Meng and others selected elite troops, with Ling Tong, Fu Tong, and Huo Du leading eight hundred Han and Yue elites skilled in mountain warfare. Clad in heavy armor and armed with powerful bows and crossbows, they charged forward wave after wave and forcefully broke through the pass that Pan Lin had defended from the strategic pass.

After his defeat, Pan Lin fled back to his mountain camp, filled with anxiety and unease.

When the Han army pursuers arrived, Pan Lin opened the camp gates wide, removed his armor and weapons, stripped naked, carried thorns on his back, and went out of the camp to surrender.

Thus, the rebellion involving more than a thousand people in the three prefectures of Jing, Yang, and Jiao, under Liu Feng's jurisdiction, was completely quelled.

In mid-July, Shih-hsieh arrived at the mouth of the Yangtze River by sea.

Liu Feng personally traveled from Wu County to Dantu to welcome him.

It was summer, and a strong river breeze was blowing. Shi Xie stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the waves reaching the sky and the seagulls and egrets soaring around. He thought of how Jiaozhi, which he had managed for many years, had been uprooted by Kuai Yue, and his ancestral homeland of Cangwu was now in Liu Feng's hands. He was now being escorted with gifts, but in reality, he was being escorted away. He couldn't help but sigh: "In the past, Emperor Gaozu started his uprising by slaying the snake and eventually gained the world; now I am fleeing from chaos and returning to the Ming Dynasty. This is also the will of Heaven!"

Those on both sides were moved by his words.

When the ship reached Dantu, scouts had already informed Liu Feng.

Liu Feng was overjoyed and said to his attendants, “Shi Weiyan has always been very respectful to me. He has always been courteous in obeying imperial edicts. Now that he has come from afar to submit to me, it is clear that he is loyal to the court and has no intention of establishing his own power. I should personally welcome him and treat him with great respect. We must not be negligent.”

The people around him readily agreed and followed Liu Feng to the dock.

Upon reaching the riverbank, they saw Shi Xie's boats docked, the fleet orderly, and banners fluttering.

"This person must be Shi Weiyan."

Liu Feng pointed to an old man at the bow of the boat, then turned to Chen Qun, Gu Yong, Gu Shao and his son, Du Xi, Du Ji and others and spoke.

Then, he straightened his clothes and composed himself, adjusting his hat and shoes before stepping forward.

Shi Xie saw that Feng was nearly eight feet tall, with a majestic appearance and a powerful gait. He was very respectful of him. After going ashore, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I am a person from a remote place who has traveled a long way across the waves. I have heard of the Left General's virtuous reputation and have come here to seek refuge. I beg you to take me in!"

Liu Feng stepped forward, supporting Shi Xie's arms with both hands and gently helping him up. A smile graced his face as he said, "Mr. Wei Yan is a renowned scholar of our time, and has served the Emperor in Jiaozhi for many years with unwavering loyalty. His courage in braving the perilous waves and returning from afar is truly a blessing to the Han Dynasty! What virtue or ability do I possess to deserve such a gesture?"

Next, Liu Feng held Shi Xie's hand and they traveled together back to Dantu City.

Liu Feng had already prepared a banquet in the main hall of the county government in the city for Shi Xie and his entourage, specifically to welcome them and wash away the dust of their journey.

When the wine was half-finished, Shi Xie saw that Liu Feng was exceptional in his speech, could analyze the general situation of the world with great clarity, and was also sincere towards him without any arrogance. He secretly admired him.

During the banquet, Shi Xie raised his cup and said, "I am originally a humble man from Nanyue. Now, seeing your great talent and strategy, General, I realize that there are always higher realms to conquer. If you do not mind my old age, frail health, and limited abilities, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse and work together to support the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Feng knew perfectly well that Shi Xie was trying to curry favor with him and express his willingness to submit.

In fact, Shi Xie did a good job, handing over Jiaozhi without resistance and even sending generous gifts beforehand. Both morally and logically, Liu Feng could not treat him unfairly.

So Liu Feng raised his cup and replied, "I am young and inexperienced, and I need Mr. Wei Yan's guidance and assistance to fill in any gaps in my knowledge. If I can one day sweep away all obstacles and restore the Han Dynasty, I will surely share wealth and honor with you!"

Having received Liu Feng's approval and affirmation, Shi Xie and his descendants all breathed a sigh of relief.

Previously in Jiaozhi, where the sky was high and the land was far, they still dared to spout a few words.

Now residing in Jiangdong, nestled beside the young dragon, even his verbal attacks have vanished, and he dares not act disrespectfully in the slightest.

That night, both host and guests enjoyed themselves.

After Shi Xie fell into a drunken stupor, Liu Feng specially escorted him to a guest room to sleep, demonstrating his respect for the elderly and virtuous.

After Liu Feng left, Shi Xie opened his eyes again, and the sorrow on his face faded somewhat.

Liu Feng's courteous treatment reassured Shi Xie.

Knowing that he wouldn't be abandoned after being used, Shi Xie finally relaxed. Moreover, Liu Feng indeed had the bearing of a dragon and a tiger, with countless capable ministers and fierce generals under his command. The father and son also controlled five provinces, already displaying the aura of Emperor Guangwu.

If there truly is a worthy successor to the throne, kneeling today would not only not be a mistake, but probably a wise move, which could help the scholar family reach even greater heights.

Before long, the effects of the alcohol took hold, and Shi Xie stopped thinking about these things and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Liu Feng set off, taking Shi Xie and his entourage south back to Wu County. In Wu County, Liu Feng had already prepared a mansion for Shi Xie, complete with various amenities, including frosting sugar, snow salt, sesame oil, iron pots, cooks, doctors, and so on.

Shi Xie was quite satisfied with this, and things were temporarily settled.

After dealing with Shih-hsieh's matter, it was already the end of July.

Since the beginning of this year, the entire Left General's Office has begun to devote more energy, resources, and manpower to domestic affairs.

After dealing with Shi Xie, Liu Feng made a major adjustment to internal affairs and personnel.

He promoted more than 130 of his direct descendants, who had graduated from Liu'er Camp three years ago in five prefectures in Xuzhou (Pengcheng, Xiapi, Guangling) and Yangzhou (Jiujiang, Lujiang), to become county magistrates and county heads in the newly established prefectures and counties. These descendants were the most senior and had already served as county clerks, merit officers, county assistants, and county commandants in these places.

At the same time, a group of Liu'erying youths who graduated in the previous two years and had been working for one or two years were selected, along with new graduates this year, to form a group of eight hundred people, who went to these newly established counties to take up important positions as deputies and key personnel of these county magistrates and county heads.

Liu Feng was determined to transform these newly established prefectures and counties into his most trusted and fundamental base.

These prefectures and counties comprised a total of six or seven prefectures and more than thirty counties, almost all of which were newly established in areas previously beyond the jurisdiction of the government.

There were no Han Chinese gentry here, and the original rulers, Han Chinese powerful families and Yue chieftains, were swept away by Liu Feng using military force, creating a rare power vacuum.

Once he has taken over these regions, Liu Feng will have more resources and manpower, which will allow him to further expand his base.

Liu Feng's current plan is to first exploit the weak points, then the strong, and finally break through the solid ones.

The first batch of newly established prefectures and counties, as well as those that had been thoroughly swept away and suppressed, were all considered vacuum areas. Areas that had suppressed rebellions but, for various reasons—such as not all local gentry and powerful families participating in the rebellion, or a polarization where a group of gentry and powerful families simply sided with Liu Feng, contributing money and effort to help suppress the rebellion—were considered weak areas.

As for the three counties of Jingbei, due to strategic reasons, Liu Feng had to abandon the method of violent destruction in order to take Xiangyang as soon as possible and advance into Nanyang. Instead, he turned to winning over the local gentry and powerful families.

As a result, apart from a small number of families who chose the wrong side and stubbornly resisted to the end, the power of the gentry and powerful families in northern Jingzhou was not weakened.

This type of region is considered to be wealthy and powerful.

As for the strongholds, those were naturally the gentry from the Central Plains, Hebei, and Sichuan. They simply supported proxies to oppose Liu Feng, a case of the victor being king and the loser being a bandit. Naturally, it was best to destroy them with violence.

When Liu Feng issued and implemented this order, he was somewhat worried about a backlash from the aristocratic families. However, the implementation was actually easier and smoother than he had anticipated.

It wasn't until the matter was finished that he realized that it was because almost all of these newly established counties were located in remote areas, and the aristocratic lords naturally looked down on these places. They were even worried that Liu Feng would send them to these places to take up their posts.

Because Liu Feng's prestige was too high and his power too great, if this arrangement were really made, these aristocratic sons probably wouldn't even dare to refuse. But unexpectedly, Liu Feng actually shifted the blame onto some officials, which was undoubtedly great news.

It is precisely for this reason that these people are quite cooperative in their work, and the aristocratic officials, who are already of excellent quality, character and ability, are even less likely to cause trouble.

This is the reason why things went so smoothly.

Realizing this, Liu Feng was both amused and exasperated, and even felt a little regretful.

If we had known about these people's nature earlier, we should have let the most senior members of Liu'erying compete for some lucrative positions. Anyway, nobody wants to go to these harsh and cold places, so we could have promoted the less senior members of Liu'erying to fill the vacancies.

However, he then thought that if he really did that, things would probably become complicated again and wouldn't go as smoothly as they were now.

It can be said that every sip and every bite has its own cause and effect.

With the advancement of the newly established prefectures and counties, the demand for personnel and materials is like a bottomless pit that can never be filled.

In the past six months, the Left General's headquarters has mobilized more than 2,000 officials of all ranks, more than 3,400 farmers, and more than 40,000 soldiers. It has consumed 3.2 million shi of various grains, more than 50,000 bolts of cloth, 44 million coins, 2,700 curved plows, 170,000 iron farm tools, 1,300 oxen, more than 3,000 farm tools such as seed drills and plows, and countless other supplies.

This allowed the millions of mountain tribesmen to settle down, successfully register them as households, and guide them in successfully carrying out spring planting, summer harvest, and autumn harvest.

The harvested grain and taxes immediately replenished the funds invested by the Left General's staff, and it was expected that the investment would be fully recovered in two years.

The reason for such high efficiency is entirely due to the absence of middlemen who take a cut.

The large-scale grain production, thanks to the centralized purchase and sale by the Left General's office, resulted in very stable grain prices. With money in hand, the mountain people were able to repay the loans for farm tools and cloth provided by the Left General's office, and even have spare money to buy new cloth.

This is why the output of that year made up for one-fifth of the input. And the farming and sericulture in the following years will become more skilled, and the output will inevitably be more abundant, making the situation even more optimistic.

Of course, given the normal state of affairs and efficiency of the Eastern Han Dynasty, this timeframe should have been extended to ten or twenty years, or even indefinitely. This shows how much the gentry, powerful clans, chieftains, and other middlemen profited from the process.

Before we knew it, the year was drawing to a close.

Throughout the year, Liu Feng remained obedient and did not launch any battles except for suppressing rebellions.

The fighting in the north gradually subsided, and the armies of Yuan and Liu remained locked in a stalemate along the Mei River. Faced with Yuan's army's stubborn refusal to engage, the allied forces seemed to have no good solutions.

We had tried to cross the river to attack before. Although the Mei River was neither deep nor wide, the current was quite rapid, which made the idea of ​​a pontoon bridge somewhat troublesome.

At the same time, Yuan's army had a numerical advantage, a strong fortified city as a base, and most importantly, narrow terrain, which made it difficult for the allied forces to make a breakthrough.

As a result, the battle in Qingzhou subsided. Although both sides were extremely distressed by the burning of logistical supplies, neither had any reason to back down, and the stalemate could only continue.

Overall, Yuan Shao's army still had a slight advantage.

Despite the disastrous defeat of Yuan's army in the Battle of Ju County, which resulted in the loss of 8,000 men, they managed to stabilize their position and prevent the allied forces from crossing the Mei River.

As the defending side, and fighting on their home turf, Yuan Shao's army consumed significantly less food than the attacking side.

The stalemate was Yuan Jun's advantage, and he naturally gained the upper hand.

Fortunately, after capturing the three counties of Ju, Shouguang, and Linqu, the grain supplies had a base, reducing the need for so many laborers later on. With 30,000 laborers dismissed, Liu Bei's grain expenditure was significantly reduced.

(End of this chapter)