My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 656 Letting the Tiger Return to the Mountain
Xi Zhicai was deeply moved, and Jia Xu, who was standing to the side, also showed a slight change in expression, admiring the bond between Cao Cao and Xi Zhong.

Whether it was psychological or not, after putting on the brocade robe and cloak, Xi Zhong's cough gradually stopped, and he then said, "My lord, Dong Xi is a great general. If we can keep him in Xinye, it will be like cutting off Liu Zisheng's arm. If we let him go today, I'm afraid we'll raise a tiger to cause trouble in the future."

Clearly, Xi Zhong disagreed with Cao Cao on this issue.

Cao Cao shook his head and smiled bitterly, then sighed and said, "Zhicai, Zhicai, it's not that I don't want to keep Dong Xi, but it's the will of Heaven that I can't defy! Although Cai Degui is a hero of Jingzhou, he holds a high position and has been out of the game for a long time. His naval skills are far inferior to Dong Xi's."

He suddenly pointed his whip at the waves of the Yu River, his voice turning somber: "This time, the ambush at the Yu River was intended to leave one side open, allowing Dong Xi and Wei Kai to escape, and to capture all their troops. Who would have thought that the trap set by De Gui would be so easily broken by the other side."

At this point, Cao Cao suddenly gripped his riding whip tightly, veins bulging: "The opportunity for war has passed, and even if we wanted to change course, it would be too late! What a pity that such a brilliant move has been lost!"

Amidst the crashing waves, Cao Cao's face was grim, his robes fluttering in the river wind.

It turns out that Cao Cao's plan this time was a scheme within a scheme. He not only wanted to set a trap in Xinye to weaken Dong Xi, but also to confirm the identities of Hou Yin and Wei Kai and bring them into Xiangyang. It was a triple kill.

However, he was very disappointed with the performance of Cai Mao and the Xiangyang navy. Before the battle, Cai Mao had confidently assured that he could capture Dong Xi's large force, but now, after the fire attack was thwarted, Cai Mao was completely unable to stop Dong Xi's breakout and could only watch helplessly as the enemy tore through the defenses and headed downstream.

Cao Cao could rationally understand Cai Mao's actions. More than two years ago, when Liu Biao and others went north, they did indeed bring a lot of warships, including many large ones.

Upon entering the Nanyang waterway, most of these ships were converted into merchant vessels and fishing boats, while a small number of large warships were converted into cargo ships. After all, given the size of Nanyang Prefecture at this time, it no longer needed or could afford to maintain so many warships. Naval warfare hinges on warships, and unless the opponent is utterly incompetent, the side with the larger warships will generally prevail.

While he was rational, his emotions also greatly angered Cao Cao.

Cai Mao had previously assured everyone that he could capture most of Dong Xi's troops, especially his warships. Now that these warships are gone, the upcoming Battle of Xiangyang will inevitably become much more unpredictable.

Xi Zhong confessed his sins, saying, "Your subordinate is foolish and short-sighted, and failed to consider this matter! I am ashamed beyond measure."

Cao Cao came to his senses and quickly helped Xi Zhong up, laughing and saying, "This is Cai Degui's fault, what does it have to do with you? Besides, although we couldn't keep Dong Xi's ships, we did severely damage his troops. Moreover, in this way, Wei Kai and Hou Yin will gain his trust even more, which can be considered a great benefit."

"Okay, no need to say more."

Seeing that Xi Zhong was about to say something, Cao Cao stopped him: "Zhicai, Wenhe, the river wind is cold and not conducive to a long bath. Come back to the city with me."

Xi Zhong and Jia Xu exchanged a glance and said nothing more.

Down in the Yu River, Dong Xi's troops used fire rafts to clear a path. Although Cai Mao's troops were numerous, they were unable to stop them at all. The river was reopened, and Cai Mao could only watch helplessly as Dong Xi's troops set sail and sailed downstream.

When Dong Xi came to search for them, he went upstream, so the speed was slow. He not only had to pay attention to the wind direction and maneuver the sails at all times, but also needed the help of oars, which consumed a lot of energy.

But now, during the retreat, they were going downstream, and with the wind helping the ship, Cai Mao had no large ships to hold them back, so he couldn't stop the enemy at all. In truth, it's not entirely his fault.

Cao Cao was only angry because the other party had made too many boasts.

Cai Mao himself was also ashen-faced. He hadn't expected that his carefully designed fire attack would not only fail to achieve any effect, but would instead become the vanguard for the enemy's breakout. It was truly a case of overdoing it.

The thought of having to go back to Cao Cao to explain himself gave him a terrible headache, and he didn't know what to do.

After successfully breaking through Cai Mao's trap, Dong Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

Upon hearing Yu Zhen's words, Wei Kai not only gave an early warning, but also led his family's retainers, women, and children to break through the siege with them, showing that he was truly loyal to them.

The journey there took two or three days, but the return trip was extremely quick.

Especially at dawn, Dong Xi ran into the flotilla sent by Jia Kui to pick him up, led by Dong Xi's cousin, Dong Peng.

The two groups met up, and Dong Xi finally felt relieved.

When they returned to Xiangyang, Jia Kui personally went to the north dock of the city to greet them.

"I regret not heeding Liang Dao's advice, which led to the defeat the other day."

As soon as Dong Xi saw Jia Kui, tears streamed down her face.

This battle resulted in the loss of over 900 men under Dong Xi's command, with over 200 killed in action and the remaining wounded, numbering nearly half of the entire army.

These are all elite soldiers who have followed Dong Xi through countless battles and faced life-and-death situations.

Their experience, qualifications, and achievements are all top-notch; any one of them could easily become a squad leader or platoon leader. Yet, they have been wasted in Xinye City, which truly breaks Dong Xi's heart.

Jia Kui quickly comforted him, saying, "Brother, what are you saying? This attack was decided by you and me together. If it is your fault alone, I share the responsibility. Fortunately, you returned safely and the main force was not lost, which is truly a blessing."

Jia Kui's words calmed Dong Xi's mind somewhat, and he then personally escorted Dong Xi back to his residence.

When only the two of them remained in the room, Dong Xi suddenly grabbed Jia Kui's sleeve and said in a deep voice, "Something strange has happened to the Wei family."

Jia Kui's expression immediately turned serious: "Brother, why do you say that? Could it be that there is some flaw in the Wei family's actions this time?"

Dong Xi shook his head: "The Wei family handled the siege of Xinye well and without any mistakes. They have done nothing wrong."

Jia Kui knew there would be more to come, so he waited patiently for what was to be said.

Dong Xi continued, "Although the Wei family has done nothing wrong and can be described as quick-witted, they are even willing to give up their entire fortune to follow the Wei family, which shows their loyalty and prudence. However, the actions of Cao Cao's army have made me suspicious."

Jia Kui's eyes lit up: "I'd like to hear the details."

"My insistence on attacking Xinye this time has actually played into the General's plan."

Dong Xi said solemnly, "At that time, I knew I could not escape and was prepared to die for my cause. However, Cao Cao's ambush was quite strange. Although their attack was fierce, they did not kill, but rather seemed to drive them away rather than annihilate them. Putting aside other matters, if Cao Cao's army had set up an ambush on both banks of the Yu River, they would not have needed crossbows or cannons to throw stones. With just strong bows and crossbows supplemented by fire arrows, I would have died in the Yu River long ago. How could I have seen Liang Dao again in Xiangyang City?"

Jia Kui nodded slowly, clearly convinced by Dong Xi's words, but he didn't say much. After all, if their guesses were true, Dong Xi had indeed narrowly escaped death, and it was truly a result of Cao Cao's single decision.

"But..." Dong Xi's tone suddenly softened, "The fact that the entire Wei family has followed them this time is truly puzzling. If Wei Kai and Hou Yin are indeed spies, do they not even care about their own families?"

Jia Kui nodded in agreement. In this era, family was extremely important. It was true that some people disregarded their families, but that was often a choice made when they could not protect themselves on the battlefield, not an intentional betrayal of their families. That was precisely why Cao Xiu believed Zhou Fang's feigned surrender in the original timeline—because there was no precedent for it.

However, Jia Kui, Dong Xi, and Cao Xiu were completely different; they did not disregard logic simply because there was no precedent.

In their view, Liu Feng had done no favors for Wei Kai and Hou Yin, so why would the two of them go to such lengths to serve him?

Although Hou Yin and Wei Kai admitted that they were disliked by Cao Cao and could not bear the exploitation by the Cao family, they abandoned their evil ways and turned to the light.

However, both of them knew that this suspicion was unfounded, because whether Cao's attack was somewhat reserved or Wei's surrender was flawed, there were strong subjective factors involved, and it was not irrefutable evidence.

Moreover, on the surface, the Wei family had made a great contribution; it was Wei Kai's timely report that gave Dong Xi the opportunity to escape the trap.

Although this intelligence was also provided by Wei Kai, merit is merit and demerit is demerit, and it was Dong Xi who ultimately made the decision to go to Xinye.

After considering for a while, Jia Kui made a decision: "In that case, let's settle Wei Kai in the city for now and observe him closely."

Dong Xi pondered for a moment, nodded, and agreed to Jia Kui's arrangement. He then added, "This matter should be reported to our lord. Perhaps he will give us some instructions."

"Liang Dao".

Suddenly, Dong Xi seemed to remember something and reminded him, "Now that we have suffered a setback at Xinye, the General will no longer hide. It is imminent that Cao Cao's army will launch a full-scale southward offensive. You should make preparations as soon as possible."

Jia Kui nodded and said, “Brother Yuandai, please rest assured. I have already ordered all the counties in Jingbei to make preparations as soon as possible. At the same time, I have ordered Jingnan to transfer its troops northward to garrison many key passes such as Jiangling, Xiling, Yiling, Dangyang, and Xiakou to strengthen the local defenses. As long as we hold out until Shu is pacified, once our lord is free to deal with the situation, the general will surely retreat without a fight.”

As the two had predicted, on the third day after the Battle of Xinye, Cao Cao raised an army in Wancheng and marched south, with Cao Hong as the vanguard, leading 20,000 cavalry, infantry and naval troops, heading towards Xiangyang.

Meanwhile, having failed to draw out the main force of Xiangyang, Yu Jin in the west no longer concealed his movements and set off with his entire army. They reached Zhuyang in one day and Shandu two days later, with the vanguard Yue Jin even stationed in Deng County.

Meanwhile, on the upper reaches of the Yu and Mian rivers, a large number of ships shuttled back and forth, constantly transporting grain, fodder, and military equipment to Xinye, Fancheng, and Dengxian.

Suddenly, war clouds loomed over Xiangyang, clearly indicating that a fierce battle was imminent.

**
At this time in Shu, Liu Feng was chatting and laughing with several young scholars.

These men, though young, were all full of vigor and spirit. They were Zhang Fang from Wuyang County, Jianwei Commandery; Dong He from Zhijiang County, Nan Commandery; Li Hui from Yuyuan County, Jianning Commandery; Fei Shi from Nan'an County, Jianwei Commandery; and Lü Chang from Chengdu, Shu Commandery.

These people's names may sound unfamiliar at first, but the names they are associated with are very well-known.

Among them, Zhang Fang had a son the year before, named Yi, who would later become the famous Governor of Yijiang in the south. His predecessor was Li Hui, a native of Yuyuan County, Jianning Prefecture, who was present at the meeting. Dong He was the father of Dong Yun, and Lü Chang was the father of Lü Yi.

Lü Yi was a capable salt and iron official after Liu Bei entered Shu. He was able to revitalize the nearly bankrupt finances of Shu and save them with the help of the Zhibai coin. This was inseparable from the contributions of Liu Ba and Lü Yi.

The Lü family, to which Lü Chang and his son Lü Yi belonged, had been in business for generations and was renowned in the county for its expertise in managing finances.

Liu Feng adopted a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, he sent Zhang Song and others to meet with the local gentry and powerful families of Shu County, led by the Zhao family father and son; on the other hand, he personally contacted talented individuals from other counties in Chengdu.

Although Lü Chang was a special case, it was precisely because of his special nature that Liu Feng valued him.

Liu Feng is currently lacking the business acumen to help him quickly stabilize the situation in Shu, raise funds and supplies, so that he can pursue and annihilate Cao Ang's remaining forces as soon as possible.
Li Hui and the others were both surprised and delighted to receive Liu Feng's invitation.

Liu Feng's current status, strength, and reputation are unparalleled, a world apart from Liu Bei in the original timeline.

Investing in Liu Feng not only offers the potential for substantial returns, but also the possibility of rapid advancement, leading to a high-ranking position in the central government.

This was undoubtedly a huge temptation for Li Hui and his group.

Li Hui and his ilk could not be greedy for money, and they could limit their families' cruelty towards the people, but they all had strong ambitions. They wanted to use their talents, express their political views, and contribute their strength to the people, the world, and the monarch.

Liu Feng was precisely such a stepping stone to heaven, so how could they not take him seriously?
Therefore, although they all had different constraints, none of them gave up the opportunity and went to the prefectural government to wait for Liu Feng's audience.

The conversation went quite smoothly. Liu Feng treated his subordinates with respect and courtesy, and everyone was already eager to submit to him. For a while, both sides chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was very warm.

In particular, the several people present offered insightful suggestions in their respective fields, which Liu Feng secretly kept in mind.

Just as everyone was having a pleasant conversation, Zhang Song and the others suddenly requested an audience.

Liu Feng's heart sank. He knew that today was the day Zhang Song was to meet with the Zhao family and others. It was not yet dark, and Zhang Song had already come to the prefectural capital to request an audience, which meant that this communication was likely to be very difficult.

Otherwise, Zhang Song should have been hosting a banquet for the Zhao family at the prefectural government office, or at most sending someone to inform them of the news. Why would he have come in person?

Seemingly sensing that Liu Feng's mood had soured, Li Hui and the others immediately got up to take their leave.

Liu Feng waved his hand and said, "You are all talented individuals, and I intend to make good use of you. There is no reason for you to decline."

Seeing this, Li Hui and the others naturally couldn't insist on leaving anymore, otherwise they would be seen as ungrateful.

Seeing this, Zhang Song recounted in detail what they had discussed during the day and the specific circumstances.

Everyone present was shocked upon hearing this, never expecting that the Zhao father and son would be so arrogant and domineering.

The city was home to tens of thousands of elite Left Guard troops, and Liu Feng was also appointed Left General by the imperial court, which was an extremely prestigious honor.

Although the Zhao family had extensive and complex kinship ties in Shu County—for example, the Zhang family, currently in the main hall, was related to the Zhao family by marriage—the Qin family was also related to the Zhao family by marriage.

But if Liu Feng gets angry, how can these things save the Zhao family?
(End of this chapter)