The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 317 Liu Bei Gains Another Son

Meanwhile, Liu Bei arrived in Jingzhou to conduct an on-site inspection.

Zhuge Liang was commended for his work in recovering the four counties in southern Jing and restoring the economy of northern Jing.

Then they discussed how to further promote the development of Jingzhou and other related issues.

Finally, when discussing the Central Plains War, Liu Bei mentioned the issue of Eastern Wu.

Zhuge Liang stated that he had deepened the exchanges between the two places with Zhou Yu, the second most important figure in Eastern Wu.

It is believed that Zhou Yu had no intention of antagonizing the State of Qi, but rather genuinely wanted to cooperate with Qi and repair relations between the two regions.

He also assured Liu Bei that even if Eastern Wu did anything untoward, the defensive line he had set up on the eastern front of Jingzhou would be as solid as an iron wall.

The people of Wu cannot break through!
After thinking it over carefully, Liu Bei smiled and said:

“Excellent. When Li Xiang was in Xuzhou, he praised Kongming’s talent.”

"It is said that the gentleman is cautious and prudent in his work, leaving no room for error."

"I have now traveled to Jingzhou to inspect the counties and observed that the people's livelihood and military affairs here are indeed very good."

"Since Kongming has made such a decision with such confidence, I will no longer worry."

If Jizhou is the Shanghai of the Great Qi, then Jingzhou is at least Jiangsu.

Liu Bei was quite satisfied with the development of Jingzhou.

The second day of the eighth month in the fourteenth year of Jian'an.

King Liu Bei of Qi summoned more than twenty important ministers, including Zhuge Liang, the governor of Jingzhou, Ma Liang, the chief administrator, and Yi Ji, the general of Zhaowen, to the Jiangling government office to discuss the major plans for governing Jingzhou.

At the beginning of the meeting, Liu Bei took out the map of Jingzhou from the previous year and showed it to everyone, saying:

"I am very satisfied with the peaceful development of Jingzhou in recent years."

"Now that war is about to break out, I do not wish to let the efforts of Jingzhou over the years go to waste."

"What good strategies do you gentlemen have for the future? Speak boldly."

After speaking, Ma Liang stepped forward and presented his "New Strategy for Military Colonization".

"I request that we follow the old system of Chen Yuanlong in Huainan and order the soldiers to cultivate wasteland during their leisure time."

Before he could finish speaking, his younger brother, Ma Su, suddenly stood up, sleeves fluttering:

"Brother Ji Chang's plan is too slow to be of any use in this urgent situation!"

He bowed to Liu Bei and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we should first dredge the Ju and Zhang rivers and divert the Han River to irrigate Nanyang."

"If we employ 30,000 people, the project can be completed by March of next year, which will increase our annual grain production by 400,000 bushels!"

Ok……

Liu Bei nodded and then asked the others for their opinions.

Zhuge Liang immediately chimed in:
"Your Majesty, Liang also made the same suggestion."

"If we want to develop agriculture and sericulture, we should first dredge the Ju and Zhang rivers, which is the most important thing."

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei ordered Ma Liang and others to draft specific procedures, which were then submitted for approval.

Next, Liu Bei discussed other issues concerning people's livelihood, and Ma Su spoke enthusiastically and eloquently.

Those who came from the Jiangling government office were all high-ranking officials from the Jingxiang area, and all were learned scholars.

Faced with Ma Su's eloquent speech, no one could refute him; they only felt that he made sense.

Liu Bei, a newcomer, was also attracted by the young man's outstanding performance and immediately asked:
Who is this person?

Before Ma Su could speak, Zhuge Liang stepped forward first and said:
"Your Majesty, this is Ma Su, the younger brother of Ma Jichang, a man from Xiangyang."

"This man is exceptionally talented and fond of discussing military strategy; Zhuge Liang also greatly admires him."

Oh?
Liu Bei raised an eyebrow, his interest immediately piqued upon hearing Zhuge Liang's praise.

"You also understand military strategy?"

Ma Su's lips curled into a slight smile; this was one of his specialties.

When Ma Su discussed military strategy, he was someone who could talk to Zhuge Liang from day to night.

The historical record states, "He appointed Su as his military advisor, and whenever they met, their discussions would last from day to night."

You should know how busy Zhuge Liang was.
The fact that he was willing to spend time discussing military matters with Ma Su for a whole day and night shows that Ma Su's military theories were indeed substantial.

After all, Zhuge Liang was also an outstanding military strategist.

If you only know how to boast and talk about things that have no practical value, you will never gain Zhuge Liang's attention and recognition.

"Your Majesty, I only have a very basic understanding."

"I am still not as good as Master Kongming, and I usually rely on Master Kongming's teachings."

Ma Su's words not only demonstrated his humility but also emphasized that he was someone who could discuss military matters with Zhuge Liang.

Of all the talented people in Jingzhou, he was the most valued by Zhuge Liang.

His words exuded confidence.

Having reached the age of fifty, Liu Bei was undoubtedly a seasoned veteran who had seen countless people.

He felt that Ma Su was somewhat cunning and liked to use his cleverness.

However, adhering to the principle of "cherishing talent," Liu Bei was still willing to give this young man a chance.

"Now our Great Qi is preparing for a major campaign against Wei, and troops are being mobilized in all parts of the north and south."

“Since Youchang is knowledgeable in military strategy, let him try to explain it to me.”

Ma Su was overjoyed upon hearing this, for this was a golden opportunity.

He made an appearance in front of the King of Qi and the high-ranking officials of Jingzhou, in his area of ​​expertise.

"As ordered!"

Ma Su excitedly ordered someone to bring him a sand table map, and he took up a pen to outline the landscape and strategic points on it, outlining his plan to defeat Cao Cao.

"Now Cao Cao occupies the land of Western Sichuan but has lost control of the Central Plains, just like a fierce tiger losing its claws and teeth."

"We might as well order Li Xiang to lead the Jizhou army out of Hebei, block Tongguan, and trap them in the Qinling Mountains."

"Even with a powerful army, Cao Cao dared not abandon Guanzhong to save the Central Plains!"

Veteran general Huang Zhong frowned and immediately retorted:

"I also spent two years in Hebei and know that the men of Hebei are all strong men and skilled riders."

"It is the most formidable army of our Great Qi."

"With such elite troops, why choose the difficult one over the easy one?"

Why not attack Yanzhou, which is not heavily fortified, but instead attack Tongguan, a natural stronghold that is easy to defend and difficult to attack?

Ma Su, unperturbed, pointed to the Hedong region and analyzed:
"The year before last, Prime Minister Li had already unified Hebei and recovered Hedong."

"If the Jizhou army marches through Hedong, it can reach Guanzhong directly."

"As long as we capture Tongguan, we can control the Qinling Mountains and cut off Cao Wei's east-west communication."

"From a strategic point of view, this almost secured the victory for our army."

After a slight pause, Ma Su continued to analyze why the Hebei army was the one who had to do this job.

As the saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach."

"Now our Great Qi is going to mobilize 600,000 people to fight. How enormous will the grain and supplies be incurred in the process?"

"Therefore, shortening transportation routes is of paramount importance."

"The Jizhou army takes the Hedong route to attack Tongguan, which is the closest route; this is one reason."

"Furthermore, as General Huang said, Tongguan is a natural fortress that is easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"Li Xiang's military strategy is unparalleled throughout history, and the soldiers and generals of Hebei are all heroes and brave warriors."

"Without the Hebei army, Tongguan Pass could not have been captured; this is the second point."

At this point, everyone fell silent, clearly considering whether Ma Su's words made sense.

Ma Su's third point, however, immediately caused a slight tremor in everyone present.

“We are all subjects of Qi. Now we are willing to die for our country and devote ourselves to the royal family. We should repay you with our lives.”

"Although Tongguan is dangerous, how can we choose the easy path and avoid the difficult one, fearing danger and shirking responsibility?"

"This is absolutely not the way of a subject!"

"Even if this danger is a thousand feet high, we should brave it with our blood and flesh."

"I believe that with Prime Minister Li's broad-mindedness, he will certainly not resign from this post!"

What Ma Su said can be translated as: We are all people of Qi, and we are all working for Boss Liu.

The company is currently in a growth phase, and we employees must have the spirit of sacrifice and dedication.

We cannot say that Tongguan is difficult to attack, and that we should be afraid of difficulties and shirk our responsibilities.

This is not something a government official should say.

Given our Prime Minister Li's vision, he certainly wouldn't shirk this project.

Liu Bei's first impression of Ma Su was that he was arrogant and liked to show off his cleverness.

These last words further confirmed his point of view.

Among the various factions in the State of Qi, the Hebei faction had always been the most powerful.

Or rather, it is a dominant force with many strong contenders. Whether it is the Huainan School, the Danyang School, or the Qingzhou School where Guan Yu was from, none of them can contend with it.

This was partly due to Li Yi's rule over Hebei, which became prosperous and powerful because of him.

The people of Hebei are confident because of Li Yi.

Jingzhou was a key area that Liu Bei invested a great deal of resources in and focused on supporting.

This was to create a balance of power between the North and the South, and to prevent people from Hebei from having too much say in the country.

Ma Su saw this and, very opportunely, stepped forward to flatter his leader.

That is, in this war in the Central Plains, the Qi state's leadership was full of confidence in victory, almost assuming that they would definitely win.

After all, the difference in national strength is undeniable.

But there's a trick to figuring out exactly how to win.

Logically speaking, given Hebei's geopolitical location, it is almost adjacent to the entire Henan province.

Therefore, the Central Plains War was Hebei's home ground.

However, before the war even started, the people of Hebei were already incredibly powerful and influential within the country.

If we let them shine in the war to unify the Central Plains and take the lead, wouldn't they be unstoppable in the future?
Putting aside everything else, let's talk about a very real problem.

Unifying the Central Plains was undoubtedly an unprecedented achievement for the State of Qi since its founding.

Once the war is won, how will the meritorious officials be rewarded?

Li Yi was already the prime minister, governor of Ji Province, and the second-in-command of the state, holding the highest position among officials.

He helped Liu Bei unify the Central Plains, so did you, Liu Bei, just reward him with a few coins and send him away?
Even if Li Yi doesn't say anything, what will your subordinates think of you?

So, this is how you treat your meritorious employees who have worked for you, Boss Liu?
Everyone worked overtime like crazy, 966, and finally the company went public and it was time to distribute dividends. Is this how you, Boss Liu, treat the brothers who started the business with you?
Even putting Li Yi aside, those generals in Hebei should at least be rewarded, right?
At that time, Zhang He, Xu Huang, and their group will each be appointed as one of the Four Generals or the Four Directions General.

How many people in Hebei hold significant military power?
Based on this, Ma Su came up with an excellent strategy.

That was to give the people of Hebei the most severe and difficult task.

They were to leave Hedong, block the Qinling Mountains, and tackle the tough challenge of Tongguan.

They call it "for the greater good."

In reality, they wanted the Hebei army to assist the Jingzhou and Huainan armies, so that they could contain the main force of the Wei army.

Then the Southern army could reap the rewards, marching north from Wancheng in Nanyang, directly attacking Yingchuan, and conquering Yanzhou, Yuzhou and other places in one fell swoop.

This strategy can be described as almost perfect, as it not only aligns with national interests but also with the interests of the people of Jingzhou.

The group of generals from Jingzhou immediately understood the hidden meaning in Ma Su's words.

They all raised their hands in agreement:

"Wow! What a great strategy!"

"This idea is absolutely brilliant."

"If we follow this strategy, it won't be long before our Great Qi can unify the world!"

Everyone was a master of feigning ignorance, and they all tacitly expressed their support for Ma Su's strategy.

Liu Bei, as always, kept his emotions hidden and quietly took a sip of wine.

Then he praised Ma Su, saying:

“You Chang’s strategy is indeed insightful.”

"However, war is a matter of great importance to the state, and one must be cautious about it."

"I still need to discuss the specific details of the war with the other ministers of Qi."

"Of course, the strategy for the young and ordinary will also be under my consideration."

The implication is that everyone should just take what Ma Su says at this meeting with a grain of salt.

Because those who truly made the final decisions on specific strategies were definitely high-ranking state officials like Li Yi, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Chen Deng.

Who do you think you are, Ma Su, to dare to point fingers and tell me what to do?

However, Liu Bei's words both reprimanded Ma Su and gave the young man ample face.

The meeting then lasted for about an hour.

At the end, all the ministers departed.

Just as Kongming was about to leave, Liu Bei called out to him from behind.

"Your Majesty, is there anything else you require?"

Zhuge Liang respectfully bowed to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei glanced at Ma Su, who was standing next to Zhuge Liang.

He was Zhuge Liang's chief clerk, or secretary.

He was almost inseparable from Zhuge Liang, and they would even leave together after a meeting.

"...Oh, I have something to discuss with your husband."

"Youchang, you may go down now and wait outside."

Liu Bei smiled slightly and said to Ma Su.

"Here."

Ma Su bowed and withdrew.

Watching Ma Su's departing figure, Liu Bei remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:
What is Kongming's assessment of Ma Su's talent?

Zhuge Liang was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that Liu Bei had kept him behind alone to discuss Ma Su.

"This person is a rare talent of our time, and we cannot find many like him."

“When Liang was on official business, he often consulted him.”

"I wonder why Your Majesty asks this question?"

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking:
"...No, in my opinion, this man's words are exaggerated and he should not be given important responsibilities."

Then, turning to Zhuge Liang, he spoke earnestly and in a deep voice:

"Kongming should investigate this carefully."

Zhuge Liang frowned, thinking to himself that he had been using Ma Su for quite some time now.

It's not as exaggerated as Your Majesty claims, is it?

They clearly have excellent military strategy.

“Your son possesses exceptional talent, which I personally tested, and he is indeed a pillar of the state.” “Your Majesty said that his words were ‘exaggerated.’ Is it not because he was too arrogant and did not follow the principle of humility of a scholar when he was discussing policies?”

Trust in my discerning judgment of people.

Zhuge Liang thought to himself.

He believed that Ma Su's speech was too arrogant, and Liu Bei disliked such arrogant men, hence his prejudice against him.

However, Zhuge Liang was a very tolerant person. He believed that Ma Su, a young man with ideals and vigor, was the future pillar of the State of Qi.

Therefore, I should trust my own judgment.

“…Here you go.”

In front of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang could not refute him.

Because he couldn't immediately prove that Liu Bei was wrong.

Zhuge Liang believed that practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.

Over time, Liu Bei will gradually discover that Ma Su is a rare talent.

"...Well, perhaps I was a bit too harsh in what I said just now."

Liu Bei nodded, then realized that he had just spoken too absolutely.

It's wrong to set a bad future for a young man so early and end his political career.

“You Chang is still young, and Kongming can guide him to prevent him from going astray.”

"...Yes, Liang will take good care of him."

After discussing Ma Su, Zhuge Liang asked Liu Bei if he planned to return to Xuzhou.

This way, he could arrange ships for Liu Bei to return.

"Not urgent."

Liu Bei waved his hand and said:
"Since I have already made the trip to Jingzhou, I plan to go to Xiangyang as well."

The two richest prefectures in Jingzhou were Xiangyang and Jiangling.

These were all prefectures and counties that were separately established and governed after Zhuge Liang arrived.

However, Xiangyang was mainly dominated by Liu Biao's old forces, so Liu Bei's trip was actually an indirect way to appease Liu Biao's former officials.

This can be considered as helping Zhuge Liang further stabilize the situation in Jingzhou.

After all, during a major battle, no internal mishaps are acceptable.

As for Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei simply told him to stay in Jiangling and do his job well.

There's no need for them to come with me to Xiangyang.

……

Two days later, Liu Bei, accompanied by his servants, defended Xiangyang City and summoned his former officials from Jingzhou to commend them for their achievements.

During the banquet, the officials paid their respects in turn, and Liu Bei encouraged them one by one.

Until Liu Bi, the magistrate of Fancheng County, stepped forward to pay his respects.

Although Liu Bi was a county magistrate, he governed effectively, and the people lived in peace and contentment, achieving remarkable political achievements.

Liu Bei, having heard of his virtuous reputation, was delighted and personally poured him wine in respect, saying:
"Magistrate Liu is diligent in his duties and loves the people; he is a pillar of the Han dynasty. It is truly a fortunate occasion to meet him today!"

Liu Bi was flattered and repeatedly said he didn't deserve it.

Suddenly, Liu Bei noticed a young man standing beside Liu Bi, who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.

He was born with a dignified and imposing appearance, with sharp, sword-like eyes and a heroic spirit.

Liu Bei, intrigued, asked Liu Bi:
Who is this young man?

Liu Bi then answered in response:
"This is my nephew, named Kou Feng. He has been practicing martial arts and studying since childhood and is quite courageous."

Seeing Kou Feng's extraordinary demeanor, Liu Bei secretly admired him and beckoned him to come closer for a chat.

"Young man, can you drink?" Liu Bei asked.

Kou Feng, full of energy, shouted:

"A true man should have the spirit to conquer mountains and rivers; how can he not be able to drink a cup of water?"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and ordered someone to bring a full dou (a unit of volume) of wine for Kou Feng.

This originally meant "to put in a difficult position".

Unexpectedly, Kou Feng picked up the wine vessel without saying a word and drank it all in one gulp.

Liu Bei smiled and said again:
"Bring me the pig's shoulder!"

The shoulder of a pig is its foreleg.

The cook brought a whole pig's shoulder and gave it to Kou Feng.

Without saying a word, Kou Feng drew his sword, cut off a piece, and ate it without changing his expression.

Liu Bei was overjoyed, and his bodyguard Xu Chu said:
"Just now I used the matter of Xiang Yu testing Fan Kuai to test you, and now I will test you, young man."

"I once said that Zhongkang was the ancient Fan Kuai, but now, looking at this young man, he is no less than Fan Kuai!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chu's face showed disdain, and he glared at him angrily.

It should be noted that Xu Chu was born with a waist ten spans in circumference and a body as strong as an ox.

His contempt was enough to frighten everyone into looking at him with disdain.

Only Kou Feng, young and fearless, showed no fear and glared back at Xu Chu.

There was not a trace of fear.

Liu Bei took an even greater liking to the young man named Kou Feng, and immediately took his hand, inviting him to sit at the same table with him.

To be able to sit at the same table as the King of Qi was an immense honor.

Everyone remarked on Liu Bi's good fortune in having such a wonderful nephew.

Based on what happened tonight, he might get promoted and transferred to another post in a couple of days.

Thinking of this, the officials felt regret, wishing they had brought their sons with them.

Thinking about it now, it makes sense; King Qi was already nearly fifty years old.

People of this age simply admire energetic young people.

Oh, how I regret it!

Liu Bei pulled Kou Feng to his seat, and they began to chat and laugh.

When the army cook was serving dishes, he accidentally dropped a piece of roasted meat, which rolled to the ground.

Before the officials could notice, Kou Feng had already bent down to pick it up, gently brushed off the dust, and put it directly into his mouth.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei was both surprised and impressed, and asked:

"Young Master Kou, the meat is already stained with dust. Why do you not reprimand the servants but instead eat it yourself? What is the meaning of this?"

Kou Feng cupped his hands in reply:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. As a general, I have always been concerned about the well-being of the people."

"Every grain of rice and every piece of meat is hard-earned, and it would be a pity to throw them away."

"Kitchen servants work hard all day long, and if they occasionally make mistakes, wouldn't it discourage them to be scolded for such trivial matters?"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed and thought to himself:

"This young man is not only handsome, but also kind-hearted; he is truly a rare talent!"

Liu Bei then asked Liu Bi, the magistrate of Fancheng, who was standing nearby:

"You and I are of the same lineage, and have been one family for four hundred years."

"Who were your ancestors?"

Liu Bi bowed and replied:

"Your Majesty, I am a descendant of Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan."

"Oh? You are also from the lineage of Prince Jing of Zhongshan?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was even more delighted.

He then rose, took Kou Feng's hand, and said to Liu Bi:

"Your nephew, at such a young age, already possesses a heart of benevolence and love for the people."

"I love him very much and wish to adopt him as my godson. I wonder what Magistrate Liu thinks?"

Liu Bi was overjoyed and immediately agreed.

Kou Feng also bowed respectfully and said:

"Father, please accept my bow!"

Liu Bei helped Kou Feng up and patted his shoulder, saying:
"From this day forward, you shall take my surname Liu and be named Liu Feng."

"I hope that you will live up to this name and make contributions to the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Bei's acceptance of Liu Feng's offer was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a result of his own political considerations.

According to historical records, Liu Bei adopted Liu Feng as his son because he had no heir at the time.

So when Liu Shan came into being, Liu Feng's position became quite awkward.

However, this did not diminish Liu Bei's fondness for Liu Feng, who was directly appointed as the deputy general and governor of the three eastern commanderies, giving him full authority.

Don't underestimate this position just because you hear the word "deputy" in "deputy army general".

The term "deputy general" means Liu Bei's deputy.

Liu Bei was the commander-in-chief, and Liu Feng was his deputy.

This was an official title created by Liu Bei.

At that time, only Liu Feng in Liu Bei's army had such an honorific title, commanding a region and commanding great prestige.

Liu Bei's favoritism towards Liu Feng stemmed not only from his desire to cultivate him into a great general capable of commanding a region.

At the same time, it was also hoped that Liu Feng could become a great general who could assist his younger brother A Dou, just like Cao Zhen of Wei.

As for this world, although Liu Bei already had offspring, he still adopted Liu Feng as his son.

This is because Liu Feng is indeed very capable.

Historical records describe him as "possessing martial arts skills and extraordinary strength."

It should be noted that there are only about thirty generals recorded as brave and valiant in official history.

Liu Feng was one of them.

Liu Bei admired Liu Feng's abilities and also appreciated his pride.

In contrast, Liu Shan did not inherit Liu Bei's arrogance; his personality was rather weak.

For this reason, Liu Bei felt it necessary to support a member of the imperial clan to assist his son and make up for A Dou's shortcomings.

In other words, Liu Bei intended to groom Liu Feng as the historical Cao Zhen.

Because Cao Zhen was Cao Cao's adopted son, and later became a member of the imperial clan who assisted Emperor Ming, Cao Rui.

The reason why Liu Feng in history failed to become a regent like Cao Zhen was not because he lacked ability.

Liu Feng is very capable.

The fundamental difference between Liu Feng and Cao Zhen is that Liu Feng had a "right of succession".

Although this right of succession has been tacitly avoided since the birth of Liu Shan.

However, this did not prevent Liu Feng from thinking this way and hoping that he would have the opportunity to inherit the throne.

However, in this world, Liu Bei already has three sons.

Liu Shan was made crown prince at a very early age.

Even though Liu Bei adopted Liu Feng as his son, no one would think that Liu Feng had the right to inherit the throne, including Liu Feng himself.

But Liu Bei's affection for Liu Feng remained unchanged.

After Liu Feng died, Liu Bei also cried very sadly.

This young man is not only proud and ambitious, but also very much like myself.

Most importantly, they also have a kind heart and compassion for the people at the bottom of society.

This is truly remarkable.

Liu Bei was very fortunate to have come to Jingzhou to inspect the counties and met Liu Bi, a relative of his own lineage.

I also thank my ancestor Liu Sheng for spreading the seeds, which enabled me to meet my family in Jingzhou.

All these factors combined, along with Liu Bei's good mood, led him to decisively adopt Liu Feng as his godson.

He needs a second-generation member of the royal family to assist his son in governing the country in the future.

This could be considered a small personal motive of Liu Bei.

To put it bluntly, he's already reached the age of fifty, who knows when he might pass away?

But can the power of the state truly be smoothly transferred to the hands of a young child?
In particular, A Dou's personality was rather weak.

Unlike Cao Cao, Liu Bei did not have so many members of his royal family helping him control military power.

However, Liu Feng's appearance provided Liu Bei with a window to hand over military power.

As mentioned above, Liu Feng, as the deputy general, held the second-highest military power in Liu's camp.

This clearly shows that Liu Bei hoped to bring military power back into the hands of the "Liu" family as much as possible.

Of course, historically, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu could also be considered members of Liu Bei's "clan".

Therefore, when Liu Feng threatened Liu Shan's right to succession, both men stood firmly on the side of their own son, Liu Shan.

But now Liu Bei's family and business are large and powerful, and military power is not simply in the hands of Li, Guan and Zhang.

Many generals of different surnames held military power.

It cannot be assumed that these people have ulterior motives; anyone who holds military power will have many considerations of their own.

Throughout history, it has been proven that if military power cannot be firmly controlled by the royal family, chaos will ensue.

After Liu Bei adopted Liu Feng as his son and appeased all the former officials of Jingzhou in Xiangyang, he...

He then took his adopted son Liu Feng and planned to officially return to Xuzhou.

Of course, Liu Bi, the magistrate of Fancheng County, was also promoted to the position of Commandant of the Guards by Liu Bei because of his son's status, and was transferred to work in the central government.

On the day of his departure, all the ministers of Xiangyang came to the riverbank to see him off.

Liu Bei waved goodbye to everyone, and before leaving, he did not forget to give them some instructions:
"You should all be conscientious in your duties and not be lax or negligent."

"Beware! Be cautious!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After Liu Bei left, the story of Liu Feng eating the pieces of meat that had fallen to the ground quickly spread throughout Xiangyang.

Everyone admired Liu Feng's benevolence and virtue.

The military cooks were deeply moved and, to repay their young master's kindness, specially prepared a new dish—

The meat is coated with sugar and filled with red bean paste.

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and delicious, it is named "Sugar Sandwich".

This is to commemorate Liu Feng's virtue of cherishing food and loving the people.

This dish later spread to Xiangfan and became a local specialty. When people ate it, they all remembered Liu Feng's benevolence and kindness.

Not to be discussed.

……

(End of this chapter)