My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 512 Arrival in Shouchun
Upon successfully arriving outside Shouchun City, Liu Feng was greeted by Jian Yong, the Prefect of Jiujiang; Chen Deng, the Assistant Prefect and Commandant of Jiujiang; Taishi Ci, the Commander of the Cuifeng Army; Zhao Yun, the Commander of the Wanlan Army; and many other officials of various ranks, numbering two thousand shi.

Along the way, Liu Feng had inspected most of the important counties and towns in Yangzhou, as well as the ordinary counties and towns along the way. Yangzhou was now thriving and full of vitality.

Surrounded by Jian Yong and others, Liu Feng checked into the Jiujiang Prefecture. After settling in, Liu Feng inquired about the organization of the Wanlan Army.

According to Liu Feng's order, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and other cavalry generals of the Cui Feng Army were transferred from their deputy positions to serve as commanders in the Wan Lan Army.

This round of replenishment for the Wanlan Army was extremely important, with abundant supplies, including more than 4,000 warhorses, 2,000 sets of iron armor, more than 4,000 sets of full-body leather armor, 1,500 sets of half-body leather armor, and more than 20,000 long and short weapons.

Now, the Cuifeng Army and the Wanlan Army have become Liu Feng's trump cards, and their combat power is unparalleled.

Not only was it led by Liu Feng's most loyal and valiant generals, but it also assembled the most elite and skilled veterans and equipped them with the best equipment Liu Feng had.

These two armies alone were equipped with 10,000 sets of iron armor, 10,000 warhorses of various types, 24,000 sets of full-body leather armor, 6,000 sets of half-body leather armor, 180,000 long and short weapons, more than 8,000 bows and crossbows of various sizes (including horse bows, box crossbows, hand crossbows and wheel crossbows), 1 million fine iron arrowheads, 4,000 tower shields, and 6,000 round shields.

Even with the industrial foundation that Liu Feng had painstakingly built, it would take one or two years to replenish these supplies.

Everything else is manageable; even though the production of armor has now reached several thousand sets per year, the only problem is the difficulty in replenishing warhorses, which is entirely supported by external procurement.

Although Liu Feng established numerous horse farms in the Huai and Si regions, these farms had only been established for two years, and it would take another two to four years for the first batch of foals to mature. Moreover, warhorses are extremely fragile creatures, yet they bear the heavy responsibility of serving as arrowheads, resulting in considerable losses and attrition.

In the short term, Liu Feng will not be able to form a large multi-service mixed army like the Cui Feng Army and the Wan Lan Army. The warhorses he has purchased can only sustain the consumption of the two armies, and it would be good if there is any surplus.

After all, although the troops of Jia Kui, Gao Shun, Zhou Yu, and Kuai Yue did not have large tactical cavalry units like the Cui Feng Army or the Wan Lan Army, each army of 20,000 men was still equipped with hundreds or even thousands of first- or second-class warhorses and third-class riding horses, which was not a small number when accumulated.

These warhorses, once depleted, also need to be replenished, even more so than those of the Vanguard Army and the Resilient Army. After all, these warhorses are the reconnaissance force of each army, and their tactical level is higher.

Therefore, Liu Feng is unable to reorganize top-tier elite troops like the Cui Feng and Wan Lan in the short term. A new field army primarily composed of infantry, however, could be considered, given the relatively high production of iron armor, which would leave a considerable surplus after replenishing losses.

"What is the combat readiness status of the Wanlan Army?"

After bathing and changing his clothes, Liu Feng came out to meet people again, and the first thing he asked Zhao Yun was about the situation of the Wanlan Army.

Zhao Yun respectfully replied truthfully, "Thanks to the young master's grace and General Taishi's assistance, the Wanlan Army has now been organized. However, the troops still need time to integrate, and with the addition of some new recruits from Jingzhou, it will also take time for them to settle down."

The Wanlan Army suffered heavy losses in this battle, and all of them were replaced by surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou. At the same time, 8,000 veteran soldiers were also transferred to form a new army. The troops transferred to replace this part came from two sources: 3,000 were veteran soldiers of the Cuifeng Army who followed Cheng Pu and Han Dang, and the remaining 5,000 were also elite surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou.

At the same time, the troops drawn from the Vanguard Army were also supplemented with the elite surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou.

This was the result of Liu Feng's careful planning, which ensured that half of the 30,000 soldiers in the Cui Feng and Wan Lan armies were veterans from Xuzhou, Yuzhou, and Heluo (Henei, Hedong, and Luozhong), while the other half were surrendered soldiers from Yangzhou and Jingzhou.

In this way, not only can about 15,000 of the elite surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou be eliminated, but 15,000 elite soldiers from Xu, Yu, and Heluo can also be transferred to form a new army.

Liu Feng's purpose was naturally to further improve the quality and quantity of his troops, while also stabilizing the morale of the people in Jing and Yang provinces, and even more so to break up the factions within the army.

These elite surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou already enjoyed first-class treatment under Liu Biao. If their status were abruptly lowered, morale would inevitably waver, and maintaining such a formidable fighting force would be detrimental. However, by incorporating them into the Vanguard and Rescuing Forces, and granting them the same first-class treatment under Liu Feng, these surrendered soldiers would undoubtedly be grateful and their doubts would dissipate. More importantly, in the future, warriors from Jing and Yang provinces would have a chance to distinguish themselves in their achievements.

Factions will always exist; even if they are forcibly split up, new factions will emerge in the future.

Therefore, Liu Feng never intended to eliminate factions. After all, as the great man once said: "Without factions outside the party, there is no imperial ideology; without factions within the party, there are all sorts of strange things."

It is clear that forming cliques is human nature and difficult to eradicate.

Therefore, Liu Feng's idea was to suppress any single faction and prevent it from becoming too powerful, while also wanting as many factions as possible.

As long as talented individuals from Jing and Yang provinces rise to prominence, the veteran officials from Yu and Xu provinces will have checks and balances, preventing any one of them from becoming too powerful. This will naturally reduce the risk of Liu Feng being coerced by these veteran officials.

However, this would inevitably require a large number of new recruits to be added to the Cuifeng and Wanlan armies.

Although these new recruits were also elites of the Jingzhou army, they were clearly distinct from the veterans of the Cuifeng and Wanlan armies. Not long ago, the two sides were even mortal enemies.

To reunite them as one, it will require not only rigorous training, integration, and education of the generals and officers of both armies from top to bottom, but also a considerable amount of time.

Regarding this, both Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun felt that the army's combat strength was probably only 50% of what it used to be. If they had three months, they could recover to 70%, and within six months, they could recover to 80% or 90%.

It's November now, and the weather is starting to get cold. According to intelligence from the north, Yuan Shao's army is also preparing for war, selecting elite troops, eliminating the old and weak, organizing weapons, and allocating supplies.

The intelligence report mentioned that Yuan Shao intended to conduct a major reorganization of his entire army, selecting 200,000 elite troops to be known as the Hebei Army. At the same time, he ordered the Hebei Iron Pipe Battalion to work day and night to forge weapons and armor in preparation for marching south to defend the emperor.

Based on current intelligence, Yuan Shao is unlikely to launch an attack this year; at the earliest, he will probably have to wait until after the New Year, perhaps until the spring of next year. Moreover, even if he does launch an attack, Cao Cao will be at the forefront, making it impossible for him to reach the Jianghuai region in a short period of time.

In contrast to Yuan Shao, Cao Cao was also reportedly reorganizing his army, intending to select elite troops to form the Henan Army, though on a much smaller scale, reportedly only able to train 60,000 to 80,000 men.

However, it can be predicted that these 60,000 to 80,000 men must be the elite troops used in the decisive battle.

In this timeline, Cao Cao's territory is indeed much smaller, but in terms of revenue and strategic advantage, it far surpasses that of the original timeline.

Originally, Cao Cao was located in the heart of the Central Plains. To the north was his formidable enemy Yuan Shao, to the south was Liu Biao, Yuan Shao's staunch ally, to the east was Zang Ba, the ambivalent warlord of Xuzhou who obeyed orders but not commands, and to the west were the Western Liang bandits such as Ma Teng and Han Sui. His only apparent ally, Sun Ce of Jiangdong, was constantly plotting a long-distance raid to seize Xuchang.

It was truly a miserable situation. But now, apart from the continued threat from Yuan Shao in the north, things are undoubtedly much better in other directions.

To the south, Jingzhou directly gained the Nanyang Basin for free, and only a few thousand people were needed to pacify the region. Liu Biao, a close ally of Yuan Shao, was also driven into the court by Liu Feng.

As for the original ally who was always plotting to ambush him, he was replaced by the trustworthy Liu Bei. The two sides also agreed to a defensive alliance. At the same time, the east and south were also Liu Bei's territories, so there was no need to garrison too many troops. This undoubtedly greatly reduced Cao Cao's military pressure, allowing him to concentrate his forces far better than in the original timeline.

This led to Cao Cao selecting the entire army and organizing it into an elite force.

Therefore, the two armies, Cuifeng and Wanlan, have plenty of time, with at least six months to rest and recuperate.

In addition, the 15,000 men drawn from these two armies are all battle-hardened elites and can form the basis of the third army. Only 5,000 surrendered soldiers from Jingzhou are needed to complete the army.

Although the Third Army could no longer have two cavalry battalions like the Vanguard and Rescue Armies, or even a single cavalry battalion, it could still form an elite combined arms field army with infantry as its core. The training and integration time would only take about half a year.

In addition, Liu Feng had long thought that stationing 100,000 troops in Shouchun was a waste.

So, in a consultative tone, he asked Chen Deng, Taishi Ci, Zhao Yun, and others: "Now, the army in Shouchun is amassed, numbering over 100,000. If this continues, I fear Jiujiang will be overwhelmed. I intend to deploy the Cuifeng Army along the Ying River, stationed in Xiang County, Ruyin County, and Shen County. If necessary, they can quickly advance north along the Ying River to reinforce Chen State and even Chenliu County. At the same time, deploy the Wanlan Army along the Sui River, stationed in Liang State's prefectures of Suiyang, Ningling, and Gushu. This will allow them to form a pincer movement with Chen State and Ruyin, and can also reinforce Chenliu and Jiyin counties along the Sui River."

According to Liu Feng's plan, the Cui Feng and Wan Lan armies could then deploy along the Yuzhou and Yanzhou line, connected by the Ying River and the Sui River. Furthermore, the two rivers were linked by the flat Central Plains Road, making it very convenient for maneuver and relocation.

Once fully prepared for war, it would only take three to five days to reinforce various battlefields in the Central Plains. At the same time, being deployed along this line would not be subject to enemy surprise attacks, making it obviously very safe.

It can be described as a true strategic reserve force.

Most importantly, both regions are fertile and prosperous, with flat and rich land yielding abundant produce. Stationing the army there would save considerable expense and manpower in transporting grain. Furthermore, these areas are connected to Jiujiang, Shouchun, and Pengcheng by waterway, making the replenishment of military supplies much more efficient.

Chen Deng's mind raced, and he was the first to realize it, so he wanted to agree.

After all, most of his troops were deployed along the Pingyu line in Runan Commandery. If Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun's armies were to deploy according to Liu Feng's latest plan, it would provide significant support for him.

In this way, he was no longer alone, but had a solid and reliable flank.

"In Deng's opinion, this case is feasible."

Chen Deng immediately agreed, noting that people's livelihoods were gradually recovering and the population was increasing near Pingyu, with previously abandoned fields gradually being cultivated again.

The greatest contributor was Chen Deng. He provided manpower and resources, raised funds and grain, and volunteered to Liu Bei. He humbled himself and inquired about the situation, winning over the former subordinates of the Yellow Turban generals such as He Yi and Liu Pi, and developing land reclamation and water conservancy projects.

Only then, within two years, were they able to overcome the drought, reopen the fields, and successfully establish agricultural settlements.

This time, the land reclamation is much more difficult than it was in Xuzhou. Back then, Tao Qian wanted to reclaim land, so he naturally raised a batch of resources for Chen Deng. Chen Deng was a local strongman, and cooperating with various forces in Xuzhou made it much easier to achieve results with half the effort.

But now he was in Runan, a place filled with prominent families and powerful clans, whose families were even more prestigious than his Chen family in the scholarly world. Moreover, the area was a mixed bag, with defeated soldiers, bandits, robbers, Yellow Turban rebels, and powerful figures all mixed together. Chen Deng had put a lot of effort into this land reclamation project and really didn't want to suffer any losses.

With Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun's armies at the forefront, the pressure on Chen Deng's side will be greatly reduced, Runan will become safer, and the garrison will naturally not be harmed by the war.

Therefore, Chen Deng strongly agreed with and supported Liu Feng's adjustment.

After careful consideration, Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun also agreed that it was feasible. Shouchun was a convenient place with high city walls, deep moats, a vast area, and several branch cities, making it an excellent place to station troops.

However, the army is now far too large.

The Cuifeng and Wanlan armies together numbered 70,000, and with the newly established army, the total was already 90,000. This did not include the county soldiers of Shouchun, or the 3,000 men under Chen Deng stationed in Shouchun.

When put together, the number has clearly exceeded 100,000.

More importantly, if the troops from Jing, Yang, and Jiao provinces march north in the future, they will most likely converge on Shouchun. In this case, it would be more appropriate for the Cuifeng and Wanlan armies to advance appropriately, which would also ensure that they have a sufficiently large buffer zone and depth.

Thinking of this, Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun both nodded in agreement with Liu Feng's opinion.

"Alright, since all three uncles agree, let's move the troops accordingly."

Liu Feng immediately delegated the authority to move the troops to Taishi Ci and Zhao Yun, letting them make the arrangements themselves.

When he goes to Xuzhou, he will naturally discuss the matter in detail with Liu Bei. There is also the matter of Hanoi, and he wants to hear the opinions of Liu Bei, Xun You, Guo Jia, Lu Su, Liu Ye and others.

Next, Liu Feng turned his attention to Jian Yong and inquired carefully about the situation in Jiujiang and Lujiang.

Jian Yong had previously sent him documents on several occasions, which recorded the changes in the drought situation in the two prefectures north of the Yangtze River.

By autumn of this year, the drought had basically ended, and the weather had begun to return to normal. Liu Feng even encountered a light rain on his way across the river to the north.

According to Jian Yong, this year's drought has eased considerably compared to last year, and grain production is expected to recover to more than 80% of normal levels. Some paddy fields in the south and along the river may even have a bumper harvest.

Firstly, these paddy fields are located near the Yangtze River and are not short of water; secondly, the drought in these areas has basically ended, which is why this result is possible.

(End of this chapter)