My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 530 Strategizing Shangyong
It's important to know that Cao Cao wanted to retreat at that time, but he didn't retreat immediately because he didn't have enough food.

If they had retreated immediately, the soldiers might have mutinied due to lack of food during the retreat.

To avoid this situation, Cao Cao ruthlessly chose to attack for several more days. As long as the extra soldiers were all killed, there would be no shortage of food on the return journey.

On the very last day, a strange event occurred: a herd of deer ran away at night. Zhang Lu's elite troops collapsed at the first contact, handing over the entire Hanzhong region to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao attacked Hanzhong via the Baoxie Road, which was the most convenient route in and out of Guanzhong and Hanzhong, and the terrain was also the easiest to traverse.

Once Hanzhong falls under Liu Feng's control, whether Cao Cao's Guanzhong region can remain stable will depend entirely on Liu Feng's plans.

Liu Feng was also able to avenge the loss of Nanyang. The vast Nanyang Basin was taken away by Cao Cao with a single sentence. Although Liu Feng did not show it on his face, he had been harboring a lot of anger in his heart.

Getting back to the main point, there are two main routes from Jingbei to Shangyong. One is by water, which goes north along the Mian River, then turns northwest, and after entering the mountainous area, it goes west, which can lead directly to Xicheng. Alternatively, it can turn into the Dushui River in Shangyong and go directly to Shangyong City.

The other route is by land, starting from Zhonglu south of Xiangyang, heading west, entering Wudang Mountain from Nanzhang, passing through Baokang, Fangcheng, and arriving at Shangyong.

Unlike most situations, the land route is easier to travel on these two routes in Shangyong. Although the water route has the Mian River as its support, the Mian River is full of dangerous rapids after entering Wudang Mountain, and in many places it even turns more than 200 degrees, almost turning back.

This route is risky for even small ships, let alone large ones, and the terrain along the banks of the Mian River is not suitable for large armies to pass through.

Therefore, the best solution is to travel by land and then use elite small boats to transport food and supplies from the Mian River to the city of Shangyong, thus relieving some of the pressure on land transport.

Although the Shangyong region is not as rugged as the southern part of the country, it is still quite isolated. The Han people and powerful clans in the mountains formed alliances with the Banshun Man (Cong people) and Linjun Man through marriage, and they were fierce and brave.

Liu Feng planned to entrust this task entirely to Pang Tong. The Pang family had been deeply rooted in Nanjun for hundreds of years, and their influence was not limited to the Han people.

The territory of Nanjun was inhabited by various groups, including the Tushan Man, Jiangxia Man, and Mianzhong Man, and had close ties with the Banshun Man (Cong people) and Linjun Man.

Regardless of the closeness of their relationship with these barbarian tribes, the Pang family could at least communicate with them and had stable channels of communication.

"Shiyuan, I need you to win the support of the Banshun and Linjun barbarians. Not only do we need them to allow us to enter Shangyong, but we also need their strong support for our subsequent invasion of Hanzhong."

Liu Feng said earnestly, "The Hanzhong strategy can not only conceal the true situation in the south, but also pose a real threat to the north, which is of great importance to us. If Shiyuan can accomplish this important task, he will be rewarded with outstanding achievements."

Pang Tong was immediately invigorated and replied without hesitation, "Please rest assured, my lord, I will do my utmost to make this a success!"

"But could the lord also allocate a batch of supplies...?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Pang Tong's face: "My lord, as you know, these things are far too tempting to the barbarians."

In fact, it wasn't just the barbarians; the gentry and powerful families also fawned over them.
Liu Feng's annual profit now exceeds 500 million, most of which comes from contributions from local gentry and powerful families. Commoners simply don't have that much money to consume these luxury goods.

Of course, not all of these profits were in the form of money; a large portion was converted into warhorses, gold, silver, grain, and various other supplies.

The Central Plains have always suffered from a shortage of money. If all the money needed were gold, silver, and copper coins, it would greatly affect the growth of sales.

Liu Feng readily agreed to Pang Tong's request.

"It's easy."

After a moment's consideration, Liu Feng said, "I'll give you two thousand shi of snow salt, twenty shi of frost sugar, one hundred shi of sesame oil, and one hundred iron pots. I'll also add some other supplies for you."

Finally, Liu Feng chuckled and teased, "Is Shiyuan satisfied now?"

"I will never forget your great kindness, my lord!"

Pang Tong, however, bowed deeply in gratitude.

Finally, Liu Feng turned his gaze back to Zhuge Liang and instructed, "Kongming, the planning of the central army's advance route, troop assembly, battle deployment, and logistical support structure are all to be compiled by you."

Seeing Zhuge Liang respectfully accept the order, Pang Tong and Lu Xun smiled with a mixture of longing, envy, and self-satisfaction.

The tasks Liu Feng assigned to Zhuge Liang seemed extremely tedious, but in reality, they were essential steps for a mature commander to take on responsibilities. This was clearly an effort to train Zhuge Liang's ability to handle things independently.

In contrast, although Lu Xun was able to assume an important position in Jiaozhou, he would still be under the command of Kuai Yue, and Pang Tong would not even be able to touch military power for the time being.

Comparing the two, how could Pang Tong and Lu Xun not be envious? At the same time, they also felt a desire to compete. Both Pang and Lu were outstanding individuals. Pang Tong was gentle on the outside but firm on the inside and liked to take unconventional approaches, while Lu Xun was meticulous and held grudges. Neither of them were the type to take things easy.

It's perfectly normal to want to compete with Zhuge Liang.

"Okay, let's go get busy."

Liu Feng concluded the meeting, and Zhuge Liang and the other two left one by one.

Aside from the slight jealousy that Pang Tong and Lu Xun harbored towards Zhuge Liang, the three actually had a fairly good relationship.

All three were exceptionally talented and gifted, and all were humble and cautious. Even Pang Tong was outwardly gentle but inwardly firm, with a proud and arrogant personality, and rarely clashed with others.

The three of them spent two years together with Liu Feng, and naturally formed a strong friendship.

After leaving the study, Pang Tong smiled and invited, "Now that we are parting ways, you are all going your separate ways. How about we get together tonight?"

Upon receiving Pang Tong's invitation, Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun exchanged a glance and then readily accepted, putting aside all their other matters.

**
In the days that followed, Zhuge Liang went to Jiangling to take charge, while Lu Xun went south to Jingnan to serve under Kuai Yue in Jiaozhou. As for Pang Tong, not only did he mobilize the Pang family's power, but he also mobilized the Ma family, Feng family, and other families that were on good terms with the Pang family, and even the Kuai family joined in.

Moreover, Pang Tong was the first to receive the supplies. Firstly, the amount allocated to him was negligible compared to that of Jiaozhou, and secondly, the Yangtze River and Mian River waterways were very smooth and convenient.

Pang Tong used snow salt to pave the way, and used frosted sugar, sesame oil, and iron pots as his trump cards to bribe the Banshun and Linjun barbarians along the way.

At the same time, Liu Feng openly recruited the Shen family in his name, enticing them to surrender the city, while secretly leveraging his influence in Jingzhou to actively win over the powerful clans and barbarian chieftains of Shangyong. In a short time, the Shangyong region was in turmoil.

Although Shangyong Commandery was isolated during the Eastern Han Dynasty, with a small population and weak economy, it still held a relatively high status.

Firstly, when the Western Han Dynasty was founded, Liu Bang received assistance from the Banshun barbarians, who selected elite soldiers from their ranks to join the army. These soldiers were known as the elite troops of Bayu, and they helped Liu Bang to conquer the Three Qin regions and then march eastward to conquer the world.

The elite soldiers of Bayu here are the Banshun barbarians from Shangyong and Hanzhong.

Secondly, there is its importance to Xiangyang and its geographical advantage in connecting Hanzhong.

However, as China's economic center gradually shifted eastward and southward, Shangyong's position became increasingly awkward. Even strategically important places like Guanzhong gradually declined, so it's no wonder that Shangyong eventually degenerated into a mere town. Currently, Shangyong County is dominated by one powerful family and many weak ones, and that powerful family is the Shen family.

The brothers Shen Dan and Shen Yi not only possessed a large amount of land and troops, but also had close ties with many barbarian tribes. They were so powerful that they could command a large following and were considered uncrowned kings in Shangyong County.

There were almost no forces that could rival the Shen family, but the Shen family also had no way to completely wipe out other powerful clans.

Therefore, there are still some powerful and influential figures.

The four largest forces are the most powerful among them.

The first group is led by Han Ran, a powerful figure in Xicheng. He is considered the most powerful person after the Shen family.

After Cao Cao captured Hanzhong, Han Ran was even able to unite with the Shen family to resist Cao Cao's eastward advance, and his troops numbered three to four thousand.

The second force was the Kuai family of Fangcheng.

With Liu Biao's support, the Kuai family actively expanded into Shangyong. Their initial stronghold was Fangling County, where the family members had been operating for many years. Although their power was far less than that of the Shen family, they had at least established a foothold in Fangling.

In the original timeline, this was also the reason why Kuai Qi was able to serve as the prefect of Fangling.

This is why the Kuai family also joined in and contributed greatly. Once Liu Feng's army advances westward, as long as they can hold onto Fangling City as their forward base, the Kuai family's contribution will be irreplaceable and cannot be shared by anyone else.

The third force is the Deng clan of Fangling. The Shu Han generals Deng Fu and Deng Xian in the original timeline both came from the Deng clan of Fangling, which was also a local power in Fangling.

The fact that the Kuai family was able to gain a foothold in Fangling was largely due to the Deng family's concessions.

The last force consisted of the leaders of the Bantun barbarians, such as Duhu and Puhu. Neither of them had much ambition; in the original timeline, they directly chose to join Cao Cao and were even willing to be relocated from their homeland. This shows that they were among the most pro-Han barbarians.

Based on these circumstances, Pang Tong secretly colluded with Kuai Yue, the Deng family, and even the Han family, who were far away in Xicheng, promising them great benefits.

As Pang Tong made progress, the Shen family began to get restless.

On this day, the brothers Shen Dan and Shen Yi, along with their general Li Xian, gathered in the hall to discuss matters.

“Brother, this young man from the Pang family has really gone too far. He takes our politeness as weakness. We really can’t back down any further.”

As soon as he entered, Shen Yi started shouting loudly. He was very dissatisfied with Pang Tong's actions of diverting the powerful clans and gentry around Shangyong, feeling that this was undermining his own family's power.

Even when Liu Biao was in power, he didn't dare to be so blatant.

Liu Biao ruled Jingzhou for ten years, and even a powerful clan like the Kuai clan only managed to gain a foothold in Fangling.

But now, Pang Tong, a descendant of a younger generation, is extremely audacious, even extending his reach to the western part of Shangyong, Xicheng. How can we tolerate this?

Shen Dan glanced at his younger brother, then at his trusted and beloved general Li Xian, who remained silent, and reprimanded him, "Speak properly, what are you yelling about?"

Shen Yi was most afraid of Shen Dan. This was true for most families in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The eldest son had great prestige and power, since he was going to inherit the family business. Naturally, the younger brothers would not dare to cause trouble for their elder brother.

This also includes the families of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

It's a pity that Yuan Ji, the eldest son of the Yuan family, died young. Although Yuan Shu dared to be arrogant towards Yuan Shao, he was very obedient in front of Yuan Ji.

"Defang, what do you think of what I said?"

When Shen Dan asked, Li Xian replied, "My lord, while it was only when Duke Jing Sheng was alive that he extended his reach into Fangling, the one in power now is no longer Liu Zhennan."

A fierce glint flashed in Shen Dan's eyes, but he quickly calmed down.

He understood what Li Xian meant.

Liu Biao only controlled Jingzhou, and his control over southern Jingzhou was relatively weak, yet he still managed to extend his reach into Shangyong.

Now, the one in charge of Jingzhou is Liu Feng, the young and invincible general who controls three southeastern provinces.

For Shangyong, it's like getting rid of one jackal only to have a young dragon appear. They've overstepped their bounds, is there a problem?

"Brother Defang, why do you boost the morale of others while diminishing your own prestige?"

Shen Yi said indignantly, "I think Liu Zisheng is just a child. In the past, he only took advantage of others' misfortunes to achieve his goals."

Li Xian glanced at Shen Dan and saw that he seemed not to have heard his younger brother's words, so he couldn't help but sigh.

He actually understood why Shen Yi was so hostile to Liu Feng; essentially, it was because he was worried about his own power.

Shen Dan and Shen Yi were not great rulers. Although they were the undisputed rulers in Shangyong, they were actually quite short-sighted, lacking any strategic vision or ambition.

What the two brothers sought was nothing more than to preserve their current power.

But Liu Feng found these guard dogs the most disgusting. To him, it was a grave offense for local gentry and powerful families to have private retinues.

The prominent families in the southeast have been subjected to all sorts of turmoil by Liu Feng because of this. The four major families in Wuzhong probably have less than 5,000 retainers left. As for Kuaiji, it has been purged again and again, and there are not many gentry and powerful families left.

It was precisely because the Shen brothers realized this that they did not want to surrender to Liu Feng.

If Liu Feng were to promise that the Shen brothers would continue to protect their current power, their attitude would change drastically, and it wouldn't be surprising if they immediately started praising Liu Feng.

If Liu Feng were willing to offer even more, such as perhaps giving the governorship of Shangyong to Shen Dan, then there would be no need to fight for Shangyong, and the Shen family would immediately be willing to surrender the city.

But what is the point of this occupation?
Money, grain, taxes, population, and land are all under the control of the Shen family. Liu Feng estimates that he won't even be able to collect taxes. In that case, he probably won't see any money or grain, and will instead have to take the blame for the Shen family's exorbitant taxes and levies in Shangyong.

Liu Feng would never do something so foolish.

Pang Tong was well aware of Liu Feng's intentions. Although he publicly contacted the Shen family multiple times in Liu Feng's name to actively communicate and persuade them, the conditions he actually offered were almost all about reputation and economic benefits, never mentioning the matter of autonomy.

Not only were they not given the title of Prefect of Shangyong, but they weren't even given a guarantee that the Shen family would never be relocated.

(End of this chapter)