My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 574 Taking Over Jiangzhou
At this time, the Yan family was in a somewhat awkward and dangerous situation. Currently, the Yan family was the only one in Linjiang City who enjoyed Liu Zhang's trust the most. The clan chief, Yan Yan, was serving as a general under Liu Zhang and was currently holding the line at Bodao.

The Yan family was initially worried that Liu Feng would harm their clan, and while they were in a state of panic, they received an invitation from Liu Feng to attend a banquet that evening.

The elders of the Yan clan were reluctant to go, but they dared not go, so they had no choice but to go to the banquet with trepidation.

The expected reprimands, threats, and even punishments did not materialize. Instead, they were greeted by Liu Feng's humility and respect for elders, which dispelled the fear of the Yan clan elders, who then praised Liu Feng highly.

Upon hearing that Gan Ning had followed Liu Feng and had been promoted to the rank of General of the Household, and that he was now making a major incursion into Bashu at Zhao Wei's invitation, the Gan clan was naturally overjoyed.

Starting the following day, a large number of Gans joined the army, including many brave and valiant men.

Another day passed, and even distant relatives of the Wenshi, Yang, and Du families came to seek refuge. Only the Yan family remained at home, not daring to interfere.

Yan Yan was in Bodao, where the tribe was leaderless and their opinions were highly divided.

One faction believed that General Zuo was powerful and had treated them with courtesy, so why not seize the opportunity to join him immediately? The clan chief was currently in Bodao, and the family should send someone to persuade him to hand over Bodao to Liu Feng, which would bring great merit.

The other faction insisted on their bottom line, feeling that since their family had pledged allegiance to Liu Zhang and Liu Zhang had never mistreated them, they could not easily betray him. In particular, the clan leader was guarding a key location in Shu. If they surrendered the land directly, how would people view the Yan family in the future?

Would even General Zuo himself dare to give the Yan family important positions?
Moreover, at this time, General Zuo is treating the Yan family with courtesy. He only needs to restrain his sons and the Yan family to keep an eye on things, while he can sit back and watch the success or failure of Shu.

The two factions disagreed, but they reached a consensus on one point: to restrain their own children first.

Liu Feng stayed in Linjiang for three days. Gan Ning recruited more than two hundred warriors from Linjiang. Although the powerful families had not yet intervened, Liu Feng was completely unconcerned.

With his current status, why would he need to waste his energy on a small county like Linjiang, with its powerful clans?

If this weren't Gan Ning's hometown, even though Linjiang is quite prosperous, why would Liu Feng have stopped here?

Immediately afterward, Liu Feng continued his journey north.

Soon, before reaching Jiangzhou, Liu Feng caught up with the fleet.

At this time, Jiangzhou had already been occupied by Jiang Qin, and 6,000 of Liu Feng's naval troops were stationed in the city, taking over key locations such as the city's defenses, treasury, armory, granary, archives, and wharf.

Zhao Wei only symbolically left a thousand county soldiers in Jiangzhou City, which was less than the number of troops he left in Dianjiang.

As soon as Liu Feng landed, he saw Jiang Qin on the dock.

Upon seeing Jiang Qin, Liu Feng waved happily: "Gongyi, you must have had a long journey."

As Liu Fengjun's de facto pioneer, Jiang Qin was undoubtedly the first to enter Sichuan via the central route of the Yangtze River.

He led his fleet to deliver supplies and weapons to Zhao Wei, and the checkpoints were still in Zhao Wei's hands when the grain and baggage were delivered.

If things go wrong, he might end up throwing good money after bad, with no chance of getting his money back.

Although the risk is small, it cannot be said to be nonexistent, and those in positions of power cannot turn a blind eye to it.

Jiang Qin wanted to kneel and pay his respects, but Liu Feng stepped forward and stopped him. He then grabbed Jiang Qin's wrist and said with a smile, "I have long heard that Jiangzhou is a place where water and land meet, and where merchants gather. It is known as a famous city on both sides of the river. Seeing it today, I can see that it is indeed well-deserved."

Jiangzhou was a fortified city, but due to its prosperous commerce and thriving markets, it gradually expanded.

On the riverbank docks, merchant ships and warships were moored together. Shu brocade and tea were transported downstream from the Fu River and Xi Han River (in Shu), while salt wells (Qi Ren and Linjiang salt fields) in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and ironware from Jianwei in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were gathered and distributed here.

Lacquerware from Jingzhou and Xiangyang, bronze mirrors from Wu and Yue, pearls from Jiaozhou, and bronzeware from the south were all transshipped here. Porters, shirtless, carried goods between the gangplanks, their hempen clothes soaked with sweat mixed with the river mist. Suddenly, a commotion arose as several warships flying Jingzhou flags docked. Armored soldiers escorted provisions onto the ships, and the clanging of armor and weapons startled egrets pecking at scraps on the shore.

This beautiful scene resembled a paradise on earth. Zhao Wei's rebellion only reduced the number of ships traveling on the upper reaches of the Fu River, but it did not affect fleets in other places. Jiangzhou's prosperity seemed to remain unaffected by the war.

"My lord, Jiangzhou is a strategically important place, controlling both rivers and radiating influence to Bazhong. It is truly the key to Sichuan."

The fervor in Jiang Qin's words reveals how much he values ​​Jiangzhou; otherwise, he wouldn't have so strongly recommended it to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng naturally understood Jiang Qin's meaning; if he didn't value Jiangzhou, he wouldn't have personally taken action.

"Let's go back to the manor first and talk about it there."

Liu Feng led the group into the Jiangzhou Prefecture.

Because of the thriving commerce in Jiangzhou, the local area was still quite wealthy despite the heavy taxes.

The Ba County government building was very spacious and comfortable, with luxurious interior decoration and Sichuan specialties everywhere.

However, Liu Feng had no time to appreciate these things. Instead, he discussed subsequent matters with everyone in the main hall of the prefectural government.

Now that Jiangzhou and the river defenses have been acquired, although they are to be shared with Zhao Wei, Zhao Wei has actually withdrawn all his main forces, leaving only a few hundred county soldiers in various places, which is tantamount to handing over these places to Zhao Wei.

Liu Feng was quite satisfied with Zhao Wei's sensibility and decided to provide him with a batch of military equipment and provisions after he suffered a crushing defeat at the gates of Chengdu, so that he could recover some of his strength and put more pressure on Liu Zhang.

The opinions of the frontline commanders were mainly divided into three factions.

Among the most radical groups, such as Pang Tong and Gan Ning, the idea was to join forces with Zhao Wei to march north, capture Chengdu, and take Liu Zhang prisoner.

The most conservative advisors, such as Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai, suggested stationing troops in Jiangzhou to await the outcome in Shu. Regardless of who won or lost, they would then intervene and resolve the conflict together.

The middle route was led by Zhuge Liang and others, who suggested dividing the forces, with the main force stationed in Jiangzhou, and then sending 5,000 to 10,000 troops up the river to capture Bodao.

In this way, not only could Chengdu be threatened from the south, but it would also be able to join forces with the Nanzhong troops, thus linking Nanzhong with Jiangzhou. Moreover, this route had another advantage: before capturing Bodao, it was necessary to take Fujie and Jiangyang (present-day Luzhou), which were located between Bodao and Jiangzhou.

The tally can control the Chishui and Xishui rivers. If the tally is not captured, the Yangtze River waterway may be harassed by naval forces hidden in the Chishui and Xishui rivers.

Compared to Fujie, Jiangyang was undoubtedly more important, as it was the confluence of the Jian River (now the Tuo River) and the Yangtze River. Taking Jiangyang would allow passage along the Jian River directly to the outskirts of Xindu County, only twenty li from Chengdu. Therefore, Zhuge Liang suggested dividing the forces to first capture Fujie and Jiangyang, and then using Jiangyang as a base to seize key towns along the Jian River, thus preparing for a future military campaign against Chengdu.

On the surface, it seems that Zhuge Liang's strategy was the best.

But that's not actually the case. Judging from Pang Tong's suggestion, although it was radical, it would actually be the most rewarding if it succeeded.

Once Chengdu is captured and Liu Zhang is taken down, we can use Liu Zhang to control Yizhou.

Places like Bodao, Jiangyang, Fujie, and even the entire Shu region could be pacified with a single proclamation, which was much faster and more convenient than attacking city by city.

This is what the ancients often referred to as the three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior.

It's not that the best strategy is the best and the worst strategy is the worst. Rather, the best strategy has the greatest risk and the greatest potential reward, while the worst strategy has the least risk and the least potential reward, and may even result in a negative return.

Therefore, it wasn't that Pang Tong and others had a grudge against Zhuge Liang, or that they clung to his advice even though they knew it was good.

The reason is that both of these suggestions represent the optimal solution in terms of their respective attitudes.

The only difference is that one is radical and the other is conservative.

Can these two plans be implemented simultaneously?
Yes, with Liu Feng's current strength, he can definitely do it. He doesn't even need to transfer troops from Jing and Jiao; he only needs to bring out He Qi's troops.

He Qi's Yue army had been successfully organized two years prior and had been undergoing training in Changsha County. Changsha County was chosen because it not only has towering mountains but also large rivers and lakes.

He Qi's mountain Yue army was able to continue training in mountain warfare in Changsha, and at the same time, they were also able to practice naval warfare.

Although the Shanyue army was proficient in mountain warfare, they were best at small-scale battles. They also fought large-scale battles, but not as well as the Central Plains system, so they needed to improve. The same was true for naval warfare. The Shanyue were a fishing and hunting people living in the mountains, so they were not completely unfamiliar with water, but large-scale naval warfare was something that the Shanyue could not even imagine.

With General He Qi, who was considered a god of war in the hearts of the Yue people, leading the army, the Yue army in Changsha had been diligently training.

Now, these 20,000 Shanyue soldiers can be mobilized to fight at any time. After Liu Feng set off from Jiangling, He Qi had already led the Shanyue army to move to Jiangling.

Meanwhile, after leaving 4,000 troops in Kuaiji Commandery to continue guarding the area, Gao Shun led his own 16,000 troops northward.

Now, after being repeatedly defeated by He Qi and Gao Shun, the various mountain tribes in Huinan have benefited from Liu Feng's recruitment of soldiers. With a combination of soft and hard tactics, most of the mountain tribes in Huinan have been subdued. The few remaining stubborn resisters are hiding in the deep mountains and forests and can no longer pose much of a danger to the Han counties.

Large-scale rebellions, such as those involving tens of thousands or even sixty or seventy thousand people, have completely vanished.

Moreover, the sea route between Huinan and Jiaozhou is now open, so if anything happens, Kuai Yue will naturally send troops from Jiaozhou to provide assistance.

On the contrary, Liu Feng was still worried that if news of his entry into Shu leaked out, Cao Cao might be provoked into turning against him completely.

If that's the case, then it would be better to mobilize troops in advance.

Whether it's deploying them to Sichuan to quickly stabilize the region, or leaving them in Jiangling and Shouchun as a second-line reserve, it would undoubtedly be much more useful than placing them in Huinan, where the situation has clearly eased and is now peaceful, with Jiaozhou providing mutual support.

Even without waiting for Gao Shun to head north, He Qi's troops alone marching westward, while perhaps less numerous than the combined forces of Zhao Wei and Liu Zhang, were still strong enough to fight two against one and defeat them.

In the original timeline, Zhao Wei's rebellion lasted less than a year, and from the time Zhao Wei raised his army to his defeat and death, it was only a short ten months.

If we take into account Zhao Wei's advantageous period, then the only option is to launch a full-scale attack, advance all the way to Chengdu, and then besiege the city for six months.

In this dimension, Liu Feng knew he had given Zhao Wei a great deal of support, at least far more than Liu Biao had given Zhao Wei in the original timeline.

Moreover, with himself in command, Zhao Wei would not have to worry about the safety of his rear or Liu Zhang turning against him. Furthermore, with the continuous supply of grain from Jingzhou, there might actually be a chance that Zhao Wei could take Chengdu.

However, judging from the situation in the original timeline, even if Zhao Wei wins, Chengdu could easily hold out for more than half a year. Moreover, although Zhao Wei successfully besieged the city in the original timeline, he did not pose a substantial threat to Chengdu; he simply could not breach Chengdu's defenses.

If I don't provide Zhao Wei with counterweight catapults and related craftsmen and technicians, it's really hard to predict whether Zhao Wei will be able to break through Chengdu.

"Gentlemen, your insightful opinions are already fully understood. Kongming's strategy is as deep and still as a mountain, infallible; Shiyuan's plan is like a thunderbolt, achieving victory amidst danger. Each has its strengths, making a decision truly difficult. However—"

Liu Feng suddenly composed himself, gripped his sword, straightened his back, and looked down at the generals with eyes as bright as stars, exuding a commanding presence: "I also have a plan here. I hope you gentlemen will listen attentively and discuss its merits and demerits."

Seeing Liu Feng's imposing presence, the crowd dared not be negligent. They all bowed and responded in unison, "We are eager to hear your wise words, my lord!"

Liu Feng immediately stood up and walked towards the two maps of Sichuan and Chongqing hanging in the hall behind him.

The map on the left is the "Complete Map of Bashu," which was a collection of maps that various prefectures and kingdoms in Yizhou had to submit to the central government of the Eastern Han Dynasty every year. It included topographical maps and household registers of each prefecture and kingdom.

The map on the right is the "Map of the Mountains and Rivers of Yizhou". This map was a gift from Zhao Wei and was jointly made by the local powerful families of Yizhou. It was used specifically for military command and conquest within Yizhou.

Although Liu Feng considered these two maps extremely crude and riddled with omissions, they were already the best maps of Yizhou available at that time. To make them even better, one would have to rely on these maps and supplement them with Liu Feng's hand-drawn maps modified from his memories of later generations.

However, the map is still classified and there is no need to take it out for now; these two maps are enough for the time being.

"Gentlemen, please observe. If I lead the main force northward, I will turn around at Dianjiang, take the route through the Xihan River to the north, pass Anhan, go through Langzhong, and then north to Jiameng. After that, I will take the Jinniu Road and drive straight to Hanzhong."

When Liu Feng finished speaking, everyone in the hall showed expressions of shock.

Unexpectedly, Liu Feng completely ignored the chaos in Shu and instead jumped out of Shu to attack Hanzhong first.

"My lord, I'm afraid this matter will be difficult to accomplish."

Zhuge Liang was the first to shake his head, speaking frankly: "From Jiameng to Mianyang, the journey is a full four hundred li, and most of it is a plank road. Although the Jinniu Road is the smoothest route from Shu to the outside world, there are still many dangers along the way. With our army of 20,000 men, we need to conscript more than 50,000 civilians to transport military supplies. There are countless difficulties and variables involved, and I'm afraid that if we make a single oversight, we will lose everything."

(End of this chapter)