My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 489 Changing the Imperial Relatives
Liu Feng was prepared for this question and replied, "Hua Xin (Hua Ziyu), Kuai Yue (Kuai Yidu), and Wang Lang (Wang Jingxing) are all acceptable."

Zhuge Liang asked in confusion, "Kuai Yidu and Wang Jingxing are indeed commoners now, but Hua Ziyu is still serving as the Prefect of Yuzhang. What are your plans, my lord?"

Liu Feng replied, "I wish to recommend Mr. Kuai Liang to be the Prefect of Yuzhang, replacing Hua Ziyu, and to invite Hua Ziyu to join the cabinet."

Zhuge Liang nodded slowly. Kuai Liang had served as the governor of various prefectures in Jingzhou many times and had achieved remarkable political achievements. There would naturally be no problem in recommending him as the governor of Yuzhang.

Now Yuzhang is located in the heart of Liu Feng's territory, and apart from the Baiyue and Jingman, there are no other enemies that can threaten it.

Zhuge Liang then asked, "What do you intend to do with the governors of Jingzhou and Jiaozhou, my lord?"

Now that Liu Biao has gone north to Luozhong to assume the position of Grand Master of the Palace, it is naturally impossible for him to continue as the Governor of Jingzhou. As for Liu Feng, who is the de facto ruler of Jingzhou, it is neither possible nor possible for him to assume the position of Governor of Jingzhou.

The most realistic approach would be to recommend a trusted confidant to serve as the governor of Jingzhou, making him the nominal ruler of the province. Then, Liu Feng would appoint his own trusted confidants in Jingzhou to important positions in the prefecture, such as the Prefectural Governor, Chief Administrator, Chief Clerk, and Chief Secretary. Furthermore, he would appoint renowned scholars from Xu, Yang, and Yu provinces as prefects of various counties in Jingzhou. This would allow him to consolidate power and ensure that Jingzhou remained under his personal control.

The same approach can be replicated in Jiaozhou.

For now, we should deal with the affairs of Jingzhou first, and then consider sending troops to Jiaozhou.

The powerful clans of Jiaozhou, living far from the mountains, had become accustomed to acting like local tyrants. But to be fair, the powerful clans of Jiaozhou at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty did not have much ambition. Shi Xie had become a de facto local tyrant in Jiaozhou, yet he was still willing to obey the court's appointments and assist one governor of Jiaozhou after another.

As an outsider serving as the governor of Jiaozhou, it's not a big deal for him to make some money after taking office. As long as he doesn't act like Zhu Jun's son, Zhu Fu, who levies exorbitant taxes and plunders the land, there won't be any serious consequences.

Similarly, if you organize your troops in Jiaozhou, as long as you don't mobilize tens of thousands of troops to fight to the death in Jingzhou like Zhang Jin did, you won't die from the rebellion of your subordinates.

The problem is that Liu Feng sent people there this time to collect grain, recruit soldiers, and seize power, essentially trying to break all the taboos imposed on him.

If it weren't for the large army following him, Liu Feng, the governor of Jiaozhou, would probably have died suddenly from acclimatization problems as soon as he arrived in Jiaozhi.

"I have two candidates in mind: Chen Ji (Chen Yuanfang) and Chen Gui (Chen Hanyu). Who do you think is more suitable?"

Chen Ji was the son of Chen Shi and the father of Chen Qun, while Chen Gui was the nephew of Chen Qiu and the father of Chen Deng.

These two men can be considered the most trusted advisors of Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng, and they are now serving as governors in Yu and Xu provinces.

Liu Feng's intention to recommend them for the position of Governor of Jingzhou was not only a way to reward them handsomely, but also to appease his old associates. Moreover, Chen Ji and Chen Gui were both quite capable, especially Chen Gui, who not only had outstanding political achievements but was also resourceful and decisive. In the original timeline, he had resolutely rejected Yuan Shu's attempts to win him over and successfully sabotaged the marriage alliance between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu.

At the same time, both Chen Ji and Chen Gui are already quite old.

Chen Ji is already seventy years old, and Chen Gui is only a few years younger than him.

If it weren't for the care of the medical officers from Hua Tuo's lineage, Chen Ji would have died of a sudden illness this year.

These past few years have been peaceful in Xuzhou, free from the threat of war, and with the care of the medical staff in Liu Bei's camp, Chen Ji and Chen Gui are in excellent health. They should have no problem becoming governors.

With them appointed as governors of Jingzhou, Liu Feng could rightfully reward and honor the pro-Liu Feng faction within Jingzhou.

For example, Pang Degong of the Pang family would definitely have one of the four official positions, while his younger brother Pang Ji would definitely be appointed as a prefect of a region.

This is the reward they won in Jiangling. As a result, the Pang family, along with other second-generation powerful families in Jingzhou such as the Kuai family, Pan family, Ma family, Feng family, and Xi family, will become the Liu family's base in Jingzhou.

"Mr. Yuanfang is probably more suitable for the Lord's wishes."

After thinking for a moment, Zhuge Liang answered Liu Feng's question.

Liu Feng laughed and nodded in agreement, saying, "Kongming, you and I truly share the same views."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang smiled but remained silent.

The main reason Liu Feng praised Zhuge Liang so highly was that Zhuge Liang's suggestions were exactly what he wanted to hear.

Chen Gui was younger and more capable, but Liu Feng was worried that he still had ambitions and was likely to have disagreements or even conflicts with the local gentry of Jingzhou.

Chen Ji, however, was different. He was mild-mannered in his youth, and after taking a liking to Liu Bei, he dared to directly give up his official rank and title to him, while he himself went to Xuzhou to seek refuge.

It is evident that Chen Ji was not someone who clung to power, and his personality was low-key and humble. As the nominal ruler of Jingzhou, he would not complain about his lord overstepping his authority, nor would he fear that the state officials would undermine him. He was indeed more suitable than Chen Gui.

“In that case, you draft a document for me. After I affix my seal, I will send it to Xuzhou and present it to my father, requesting that Mr. Yuanfang be transferred to my care.”

At this point, Liu Feng hesitated again and asked, "Kongming, in your opinion, is it feasible to recommend Mr. Hanyu as the governor of Jiaozhou?"

After careful consideration, Zhuge Liang slowly shook his head: "My lord, Mr. Hanyu is already old, and Jiaozhou is a remote and undesirable post."

Liu Feng slowly nodded; this was also a headache for him.

Chen Gui was actually quite suitable for Jiaozhou. Jiaozhou, which was far from the Central Plains, needed a strong governor who could keep the region in check. Chen Gui was strategic and decisive, and in terms of ability, he was quite suitable.

The position of Governor of Jiaozhou is hardly a desirable one. Chen Gui is highly respected and currently serves as the Chancellor of Pei State. To transfer him to Jiaozhou would be a demotion in disguise. Moreover, the climate of Jiaozhou is far inferior to that of the Central Plains. What if something were to happen to Chen Gui? How would Chen Deng explain this?

Liu Feng could only shake his head helplessly. It seemed that the governor of Jiaozhou would probably have to be chosen from among the younger generation.

After discussing with Zhuge Liang, Liu Feng issued a document and went to Xuzhou, earnestly requesting Liu Bei to transfer Chen Ji to Jingzhou, and at the same time, together with Liu Feng, to recommend him as the governor of Jingzhou.

Immediately afterwards, documents were sent to various places to transfer Zhou Shao, son of Zhou Tai; Sun Quan, brother of Sun Ce; Sun Jiao; Zhu Ran, nephew and adopted son of Zhu Zhi; Gu Shao, son of Gu Yong; Lu Ji, paternal uncle of Lu Xun; Chen Tai, son of Chen Qun; Zhong Yu, son of Zhong Yao; and Zhou Fang, son of Zhou Bin.

The cabinet consisted of Hua Xin, Wang Lang, Kuai Yue, and Gu Yong. In addition to the three originally agreed upon, Liu Feng unexpectedly added Gu Yong.

This was tantamount to sending a signal to the Yangzhou gentry to enter the upper echelons of Liu Feng's government.

In addition, Liu Feng appointed Chen Tai, Zhong Yu, Sun Quan, Gu Shao, Lu Ji, and Pang Hua as cabinet clerks. He also added Zhou Shao, Sun Jiao, Zhu Ran, and Zhou Fang to his personal guard, who were under the command of Xu Chu.

Then, the tentative lineup for the Governor of Jingzhou was determined as follows: Pang Degong as the Assistant Governor, Huang Chengyan as the Chief Administrator, Pan Jun as the Chief Clerk, and Han Ji as the Chief Clerk.

Subsequently, Liu Feng appointed Jia Kui as the Commandant of Xiangyang, in charge of the overall defense of Xiangyang.

In addition to Jia Kui's own troops, there were 10,000 soldiers from Xiangyang County, as well as the troops led by Gan Ning and Chen Wu, totaling 8,000 men.

In this way, the garrison in Xiangyang would total 38,000 troops. An attack would be impossible, but defense would be more than sufficient. After all, with the fortified city of Xiangyang as a reliable base, tens of thousands of able-bodied men could be easily recruited for the war. Jia Kui's nearly 40,000 troops were all elite veterans, possessing formidable fighting power, so there was naturally no danger. Even disregarding troop strength, Cao Cao wouldn't station many troops in the Nanyang Basin; his greatest enemy remained Yuan Shao in Hebei.

According to Liu Feng's estimation, the enemy probably only had a few thousand troops stationed in the Nanyang Basin. At this time, Cao Cao clearly regarded Liu Feng's army in Xiangyang as a friend rather than an enemy, since the two sides had an alliance.

If necessary, Jia Kui's troops could also march north from the Nanyang Basin, out of Fangcheng, into Yingchuan, and support Luozhong. Alternatively, they could enter Wuguan, proceed into Guanzhong, and support Chang'an.

Therefore, Cao Cao might worry that Liu Feng's forces in Xiangyang were too few, and that he would not be able to rely on Liu Feng's strength when necessary.

As for the Nanyang Basin, it was practically free. Moreover, its greatest use was for grain collection and resettlement of migrants. What Cao Cao wanted was the output of the Nanyang Basin, not to invest his already strained resources into it.

After temporarily handling the affairs of Jingzhou and successfully taking over Jingbei, Liu Feng made adjustments to other armies.

First, with Taishi Ci as the commander-in-chief, along with Sun Ce's troops and the naval forces of Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and Zhu Huan, they sailed south down the Xiang River, threatening Changsha and taking over Linxiang.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yun's troops were transferred eastward to Yangzhou for repairs and reorganization, transforming into the fully-fledged Wanlan Army.

In the year or so that Liu Feng established a horse farm in Huaisi, the farm began to produce foals. At the same time, he also purchased thousands of warhorses from the Gongsun family in Liaodong by sea, one-third of which were first-class warhorses. It was a great success.

The surge in trade volume was predicated on the commissioning of large ocean-going vessels designed and built in Xuzhou, which had a carrying capacity five to six times that of the largest vessels previously built, laying a solid transportation foundation for the increase in trade volume.

Secondly, a large number of goods from Xuzhou were very popular among the powerful and wealthy families of Youzhou.

Leaving aside the snow salt and frost sugar, these two flagship products were naturally unstoppable in the north, regarded as life-saving medicines by everyone from the powerful families to the common people of Youyan. The newly developed sesame oil, ironware, and coal stoves were also extremely popular, bringing Liu Feng a large number of horses, supplies, and wealth.

Next, Liu Feng will continue to vigorously produce ocean-going vessels, not only because the northern routes need to increase tonnage, but also because Jiaozhou in the south is eagerly awaiting development, a vast untapped market for trade.

As for Zhou Yu's troops, they remained stationed in Jiangling for the time being, guarding the prisoners of Kuai Yue's army and awaiting further orders.

After Xiangyang was stabilized, the matter in Jingbei came to an end. Liu Feng had also discussed with Kuai Liang in advance that he would appoint Kuai Liang as the governor of Kuaiji, and that Kuai Liang would take office after he recovered.

After finishing all his business, Liu Feng quietly left Xiangyang with a small entourage and headed south towards Jiangling.

**
"My lord! Great news!"

Guo Jia, holding the documents in his hands, went straight into Liu Bei's study, his face beaming with delight.

"Where does joy come from?"

Liu Bei looked up from his documents and, seeing Guo Jia's expression, asked with a smile, "How could you be so overjoyed, Fengxiao?"

Guo Jia was unfazed by Liu Bei's teasing. He walked directly to Liu Bei, sat down, and placed the document in his hand on the table in front of Liu Bei, saying, "My joy today is due to what you did for me in the past."

"Oh?"

Liu Bei laughed, took the document, opened it, and asked with a smile, "Then Fengxiao should be very grateful to me."

Guo Jia remained silent, focusing instead on Liu Bei's expression.

Sure enough, a moment later, Liu Bei's expression also changed.

At this moment, Liu Bei finally understood the meaning behind Guo Jia's words.

The document was none other than a report of victory from his eldest son, who had already entered Xiangyang.

Liu Bei was so engrossed in watching that he blurted out in surprise, "I never expected Brother Jingsheng to be like this..."

"So easily defeated?"

Guo Jia, true to his straightforward nature, filled in the gaps in Liu Bei's unspoken words.

Liu Bei shook his head and chuckled. He cherished Guo Jia very much now, feeling that the other man was very compatible with him. Even when the other man said something inappropriate, he couldn't bear to blame him.

"My lord, the young lord's journey up the Yangtze River and his swift conquest of Jing and Xiang is certainly inspiring and exhilarating, but it also exposes the general's strength."

Guo Jia's smile vanished, and he took out a document from his robes and handed it to Liu Bei: "My lord, you may read this document."

Liu Bei took the document, opened it, and began to read it.

Guo Jia continued, "General, your opportunistic plundering of the thirty-eight counties of Nanyang is a sign of your deep-seated fear. It is also a clever way to test our strength."

Nanyang actually only had thirty-seven counties. However, after Liu Biao took power, due to his own power base, he incorporated Xiangyang, along with Fancheng on the opposite bank of Xiangyang, into Nanyang Commandery.

Although Xiangyang was currently occupied by Liu Feng, Fancheng had fallen into the hands of Cao Cao, which is why Guo Jia mentioned the thirty-eight counties.

After reading it, Liu Bei nodded slowly, agreeing with Guo Jia's reasoning.

General Cao Cao dared to send troops this time, and with only ten thousand elite troops, he dared to snatch food from the tiger's mouth and take the biggest piece of cake, Nanyang County, almost without bloodshed. He relied on nothing more than the Cao-Liu alliance.

After pondering deeply, Liu Bei asked, "According to Fengxiao's words, how should I respond now?"

"As Jia suggests, the lord should unite with the young master for defense."

Guo Jia immediately replied, "Now that Yu Province is in the hands of our lord, Yang Province is no longer a threat. And the routes from the southeast to the Central Plains are all in the hands of our lord and his son. Therefore, there should be major adjustments to military affairs in order to adapt to the current situation."

The path from the southeast to the Central Plains mentioned by Guo Jia refers to the four main routes used in the north-south campaigns throughout history.

Two of them are in Yangzhou, and two are in Jingzhou.

Of these four, the two from Yangzhou are primary, while the two from Jingzhou are secondary.

The reason why the two waterways in Yangzhou could become major channels was that they could guarantee the transportation of goods by waterway throughout the entire route, and the water supply was sufficient and unobstructed almost all year round.

Jingzhou is somewhat lacking. Even with the best route, there are still hundreds of miles of land to transfer goods, and there is a lack of a river connecting the Nanyang Basin water system and the Yingchuan River system.

(End of this chapter)