I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 157 The Naive Liu Bei

“Military garrisons were established in Danyang, Wujun, and Yuzhang. Talented and capable people from the registered population were selected as garrison soldiers. For families with three able-bodied men, one able-bodied man was selected and exempted from taxes and corvée labor. During the off-season for farming, the prefectural governor would teach and test them. The soldiers, weapons, clothing, pack animals, and provisions were to be jointly provided by six families, who would raise and train them as if they were their own children.”

Liu Miao then revealed his draft of the Fubing system.

"In this way, more soldiers can be sent to Jiangdong to protect the heartland."

Because the Three Chiefs and Equal Field System had already been implemented, it was not difficult for people to understand the details of the "Fubing System".

In short, it meant that people should farm during normal times, practice martial arts during the off-season, and go to war when needed.

With such a system, it's easy to imagine the terrifying troop-generating capacity it could unleash.

However, what everyone was thinking about more was something else—

If the Fubing system is truly implemented, it is very likely that a situation will arise where "soldiers do not know their generals, and generals do not know their soldiers," thus completely eliminating the private troops and retinues of generals.

This greatly reduced the risk of a general rebelling, and also almost eliminated the possibility of soldiers following their generals in rebellion.

The only concern is the actual combat effectiveness of the soldiers under this "Fubing system"...

"feasible."

Zhang Zhao was the first to approve of the "Fubing system".

The power of Sun Jian's former subordinates under Liu Miao's command is now too great.

To reiterate, whether Liu Miao trusted these people or not is one thing, whether he took appropriate countermeasures is another.

Implementing the "Fubing" system can effectively bring about the risk of generals rebelling, and this alone makes it worth trying.

As for the fighting strength of the garrison troops...

Zhang Zhao, who had once organized the young men of Jinling to fight against Zu Lang, was even more qualified to speak on this matter.

“People from the same village and neighbors have good relationships and know each other well. With a little training, they are more suitable for fighting than recruited soldiers.”

The recruitment of soldiers mostly involved people from all over the country coming together.

For example, Cheng Pu and Han Dang, who served under Sun Jian, were both from Youzhou, while Huang Gai was from Jingzhou and Zhu Zhi was from Jiangdong... It would take a lot of time and effort to get them to trust each other. On the other hand, with the Fubing (府兵) system, colleagues are like neighbors and comrades are like relatives, which saves them the time of getting to know each other.

In addition, Zhang Zhao also keenly realized that the foundation of the Fubing system was ultimately the equal-field system.

In particular, Liu Miao said—

"Exempt them from taxes and corvée labor."

One of the major advantages of being a soldier in the local government was that they were exempt from taxes.

This means that the soldiers not only had private property, but also special privileges.

Combined, the fighting power of soldiers under the Fubing system was absolutely not to be underestimated.

However, Zhang Zhao also advised Liu Miao: "The matter of the Fubing is of great importance, and it will probably take more than a year to coordinate. Your Majesty should not be too hasty."

"nature."

Unlike when the Three Chiefs and Equal Fields systems were established, everything was in its infancy. Now, we can build a framework first, like setting up a makeshift stage, and then gradually fill in the content to enrich it.

The transition from a conscription system to a militia system will undoubtedly require a gradual and time-consuming process, like peeling away layers of an onion.

Most importantly, Wu Jing, Cheng Pu, and other former subordinates of Sun Jian must take the initiative to cooperate.

If it weren't for the incident involving Sun Ben and Sun Fu, Liu Miao really wouldn't have dared to bring up the idea of ​​weakening their control over the military.

But now that this has happened, they have no reason to refuse.

as predicted.

After Liu Miao finished speaking, Wu Jing, Cheng Pu, and others immediately raised their cups to him: "We are willing to reform the military system for our lord and strengthen Jiangdong!"

"good!"

Liu Miao immediately raised his glass as well.

"In that case, once Gongjin returns, we can begin preparations for this matter!"

------

Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were unaware of the changes in Xuzhou, but they still arrived at Huaiyin to meet with Liu Bei as agreed.

Huaiyin possessed a strategically important terrain, with convenient water and land transportation, making it easy to observe enemy movements. Its fertile fields were suitable for cultivation, and it was also ideal for transporting goods by boat. Before Zhou Yu and Sun Ce arrived, Liu Bei, leading Guan Yu, had already been fighting Yuan Shao's army there for a month.

When Liu Bei learned that Zhou Yu had come to his aid, he personally went to greet him, saying, "Zhongshan is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness. How could he not forget Liu Bei at a time like this?"

When Zhou Yu and Sun Ce first met Liu Bei, they felt that he had the appearance of a hero!

Upon seeing the tall and imposing Guan Yu behind Liu Bei, one can only marvel, "Could there really be such a magnificent general in the world?"

But when they saw Liu Bei's soldiers, they all frowned.

Liu Bei was, after all, a regional warlord who succeeded Tao Qian as the governor of Xu Province, but he only had a little over ten thousand soldiers under his command.

"Does Liu Xuzhou really intend to defeat Yuan Shu with these troops?"

Compared to the 30,000 troops brought by Zhou Yu and Sun Ce, Liu Bei's 10,000 soldiers were truly meager.

However, Liu Bei had his own reasons—

“There are still bandits from Mount Tai to the north of Xuzhou, and we need to leave troops to guard against them.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce realized that Liu Bei was not as unreliable as they had imagined, so they joined forces with Liu Bei, hoping to find the right opportunity to defeat Yuan Shao's army!

That evening, Liu Bei hosted a banquet in the army camp, inviting Zhou Yu and Sun Ce. During the banquet, he praised them, saying, "You two are truly heroic young men! When I was your age, I was still studying with my teacher. How could I possibly command thousands of troops?"

Both Zhou Yu and Sun Ce had strange expressions on their faces.

They were not unfamiliar with Liu Bei when they arrived.

Although Liu Bei studied under the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, he was known for not liking to read. Instead, he preferred dogs, horses, music, and fine clothes. How did it come to be that Liu Bei said he devoted all his energy to reading when he was young?
However, neither of them exposed Liu Bei's true intentions. Zhou Yu simply said, "Everything depends on Liu Yangzhou's appreciation."

“Zhongshan.”

Liu Bei asked Zhou Yu curiously, "When Zijing went to Xuzhou last time, Han Yin was there, so I couldn't ask him in detail. I don't know what kind of person Zhongshan really is."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials under Liu Bei turned their gazes toward Zhou Yu.

Clearly, as Liu Miao's reputation grew in the Central Plains, people became increasingly curious about him.

There are rumors that Liu Miao was eccentric and fond of beautiful women.

There are rumors that Liu Miao was a flatterer and constantly tried to please Yuan Shu.

There are also rumors that Liu Miao was loyal to the Han Dynasty, had extraordinary character, and was a hero of the world.

Sometimes people wonder how the same person can have so many different versions of rumors circulating about them.

Liu Miao's image in their minds was always unpredictable. Now that they had met people like Zhou Yu and Sun Ce who were close to Liu Miao, how could they not ask for clarification?

Seeing so many people curious about Liu Miao, Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and then uttered a few words—

"Have you not heard: Dragons can be large or small, can rise or hide; when large, they stir up clouds and mist, when small, they conceal their form; when rising, they soar through the universe, when hiding, they lurk within the waves."

"Liu Yangzhou was a dragon-like figure, ever-changing yet never forgetting his original aspirations. I remember when I first met Liu Yangzhou, he said to me: What does the world have to do with me? If the world were not like this, why would he have raised an army in the chaos and fought for supremacy among the heroes?"

Zhou Yu spoke clearly and possessed a magnanimous demeanor, astonishing all the civil and military officials under Liu Bei: "So Liu Yangzhou is such a hero!"

Immediately, everyone's favorability towards Liu Miao soared, instantly surpassing that of the other warlords who only knew how to fight for supremacy and did not care for their people.

Liu Bei also lamented, "I regret that I cannot befriend Zhongshan!"

Zhou Yu joked, "If we can defeat Yuan's army in this battle, Liu Xuzhou and our lord will have a chance to meet again." "That would be perfect."

At this time, Liu Bei truly admired Liu Miao.

Although he had never met Liu Miao, Liu Bei was almost certain that Liu Miao was the same kind of person as him!

After several rounds of drinks, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were about to leave when they heard a commotion outside the tent.

"what happened?"

Slightly agitated, Liu Bei questioned the guard beside him with some dissatisfaction.

"With such distinguished guests present, who dares to make such a fuss?"

The guards on either side went out to check, but soon they all ran back with terrified expressions.

Immediately afterwards, a burly man with a leopard's head, round eyes, a swallow's jaw, and a tiger's beard walked into the tent from outside with a mournful face.

"This is... Yide?"

Liu Bei exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing the person who had approached.

"Why is Yide here when he's not in Xiapi?"

puff.

Covered in mud and looking disheveled, Zhang Fei knelt on the ground, and this towering man burst into tears.

"My lord! Xuzhou...has fallen!!!"

Not to mention Liu Bei, even Zhou Yu and Sun Ce suddenly stood up, their expressions changing drastically: "What did you say?"

Zhang Fei didn't even bother to see who was questioning him, and told Liu Bei everything about what happened in Xuzhou.

When Liu Bei heard that Cao Bao had actually led Lü Bu into Xiapi, he immediately clutched his chest.

Zhang Fei wept bitterly, drew his sword from his waist and held it to his own neck: "I can neither protect Xuzhou nor safeguard my sister-in-law, what is the point of living?"

Seeing that Zhang Fei was about to commit suicide, Liu Bei immediately stepped forward, knocked the long sword away, and angrily rebuked Zhang Fei: "Women are like clothes, brothers are like limbs! How can you cut off your limbs because of clothes!"

It was at this moment that news also came from Jiangdong, where a scout whispered in Zhou Yu's ear what had happened.

Liu Bei was already shaken by the loss of Xuzhou, and now seeing the scouts beside Zhou Yu, he couldn't help but ask, "Gongjin, has something happened in Jiangdong as well?"

Zhou Yu glanced at Sun Ce, then cupped his hands to Liu Bei and said, "Sun Ben and Sun Fu of Jiangdong have rebelled and cut off your retreat, my lord."

Now, the expressions on the faces of all the civil and military officials changed again.

Liu Bei asked in alarm, "Does Heaven not protect the Han Dynasty? Why have Zhongshan and I both suffered such a calamity?"

They were all members of the Han imperial family, and their hometowns were raided as soon as they left their homes.

At this point, some officials in Xuzhou began to wonder: "Could it be that Yuan Shu really has the mandate of heaven?"

Otherwise, how could they have lost both Xuzhou and Jiangdong in succession as soon as they became enemies with Yuan Shu?
Liu Bei reacted quickly, extending an invitation to Zhou Yu: "Now that we cannot return to Jiangdong, Gongjin and Bofu, why don't you come back to Xiapi with me first?"

"That's not necessary."

Zhou Yu then added the following sentence—

"The rebellion of Sun Ben and Sun Fu has been quelled, and now our lord has returned to Jiangdong to oversee the situation and is safe and sound."

"..."

The crying stopped abruptly.

At the same time, an even greater sorrow arose in the hearts of Liu Bei and others, realizing that after all this time they were the most miserable!

Now it was Zhou Yu's turn to extend an invitation to Liu Bei—

"Now that Yuan Shu is by our side and Xuzhou has been seized by Lü Bu, why don't you, Liu Xuzhou, return to Jiangdong with me?"

Liu Bei hesitated.

Xuzhou was the foundation of his career; how could he easily give it up?
Even though the situation is difficult now, Liu Bei still doesn't want to give up this place where he has finally settled down and built his career!

"Thank you for your kind offer, Gongjin!"

Liu Bei still did not want to give up at this time.

"Since Zhongshan was able to pacify Jiangdong immediately, why can't I return to assess Xuzhou?"

"Gongjin and Bofu, please rest first. We will discuss the details with you two tomorrow."

This is what it means to kick someone out.

After all, losing Xuzhou was such a major event that Liu Bei would definitely need to discuss subsequent strategies with everyone.

Zhou Yu and Sun Ce also wisely left, no longer disturbing them.

As soon as he came out of the tent, Sun Ce asked Zhou Yu, "Gongjin, do you think Liu Bei can retake Xuzhou?"

Zhou Yu immediately shook his head.

"Why?"

Sun Ce actually had a fairly good impression of Liu Bei.

"Liu Bei is magnanimous and generous, knows how to treat people well, and seems to have the ambition of a hero. How could he not take back Xuzhou?"

Zhou Yu said, "Liu Bei is indeed a benevolent and magnanimous man, but the fact that he said such things just now proves that he is not a qualified ruler."

"Zhang Fei lost Xuzhou, so it would have been justified for Liu Bei to kill him. But Liu Bei not only didn't kill him, he also comforted Zhang Fei, saying, 'Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes'... Admittedly, Zhang Fei might have been moved to tears by this, but what would the other soldiers whose families were still in Xuzhou think?"

"If Liu Bei wants to retake Xuzhou, he needs to rely on his soldiers. But he said such disheartening things to them. I'm sure these troops will collapse as soon as they reach the walls of Xiapi."

Zhou Yu then compared himself to Liu Miao.

"When the same crisis occurred in the rear, our lord was able to avoid provoking the soldiers and shaking their morale. He even took the initiative to lead the soldiers into the mountains to take refuge, and only revealed the truth after Jiangdong was pacified. This alone proves that our lord is more clear-headed than Liu Bei and knows who he is really relying on."

Sun Ce became anxious: "What should we do about Xuzhou?"

“Lu Bu is as brave as a tiger. Now that Xuzhou has fallen into his hands, it will not be able to be taken back in a short time.”

Zhou Yu calmly analyzed the current situation.

"Fortunately, Xuzhou only fell into the hands of Lü Bu, not Yuan Shu, so things may still have a chance to turn around."

"If we follow our lord's advice and occupy Guangling, we will have a place to station our troops north of the Yangtze River, and then our trip will not have been in vain."

The next day.

Zhou Yu subtly hinted again that Liu Bei's return to the north to contend with Lü Bu for Xu Province at this time would certainly be unsuccessful, but Liu Bei remained strangely confident—

"Lu Bu is brave but lacks strategy, so he is not worth worrying about!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yu could only helplessly tell Liu Bei, "I will station troops at Guangling to guard against Yuan Shu's advance from here. If Liu Xuzhou cannot win in the north, he may go to Jiangdong."

"must!"

With the precedents of Cao Cao and Liu Miao, who "lost and found" their lost treasures, Liu Bei was full of confidence at this time!
"Once I have pacified Xuzhou, I will discuss the matter of attacking Yuan Shu with Zhongshan!"

"..."

Zhou Yu could only cup his hands and say, "In that case, I hope Liu Xuzhou will achieve a resounding victory!"

(End of this chapter)