My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 522 Good news comes frequently
Therefore, Shi Xie should not be treated the same way as Liu Yao, Guo Gong, and others.

It should be noted that Liu Yao is currently under house arrest in Tancheng, and the only one who has actually entered the court is Guo Gong, who is on good terms with Liu Feng and Liu Bei. If Liu Biao hadn't fled quickly and been accepted by Cao Cao, he would most likely be in Tancheng at this moment, not Luoyang.

Kuai Yue was worried that Liu Feng might have overlooked something, so he spared no effort in reminding him, which earned him a lot of goodwill from Liu Feng.

Liu Feng's favorite minister was none other than Zhuge Liang, a loyal minister who devoted himself to the cause until his dying breath, and who was cautious and meticulous in everything he did.
Liu Feng was naturally happy that Kuai Yue was willing to do this.

"Where is Shi Xie now? What is the situation in Jiaozhi?"

After Liu Feng nodded to indicate that he understood, he continued to ask questions.

The messenger hurriedly replied, "General Kuai sent Kuai Qi as his envoy to escort Shi Xie to board a ship and head north. At the same time, he also dispatched his personal guards to escort the virtuous members of the Shi family to their posts in the inner prefecture. In addition, he submitted a memorial requesting the appointment of Wei Yan, the Commandant of the Central Protectorate Army, as the Commandant of Jiaozhi, in charge of all military affairs in Jiaozhi. He also requested the Left General to appoint the Governor of Jiaozhi as soon as possible so that he could take up his post and oversee the region."

Liu Feng nodded: "All of this can be approved. As for the governor of Jiaozhi, let Liao Hua take up the post immediately."

After dealing with the affairs of Jiaozhou, Liu Feng continued south.

Soon they ran into the envoy from Nanping.

The messenger also came to report the victory.

In late autumn of last year, He Qi once again joined forces with Gao Shun to fight against the powerful Shan Yue.

This time, He Qi's target is the largest tribes in southern Kuaiji.

In order to capture the enemy's main force, He Qi devised a strategy of reducing the number of cooking fires and increasing the number of soldiers.

On the surface, they pretended to obey Kuai Yue of Jiaozhou's orders, constantly withdrawing Gao Shun's elite troops from the front lines and transporting them to Jiaozhou by sea. In reality, however, they withdrew their troops during the day and secretly returned to the front lines by waterway at night.

Seven powerful figures from the mountains, including Hong Ming, Hong Jin, Yuan Yu, Wu Mian, Hua Dang, Wu Wu, and Zou Lin, formed an alliance to fight against the Han army.

The two sides were initially on the verge of war, but after He Qi and Gao Shun reduced their troops and increased their cooking fires, they made repeated concessions, which greatly boosted the morale of the Yue people, and they gradually became more and more rampant.

The five generals Hong Ming, Hong Jin, Yuan Yu, Wu Mian, and Hua Dang each led more than 10,000 men to form a large military force in the Hanxing area, threatening the capital of Nanping County, Nanping.

At the same time, they sent Wu Wu with 6,000 men to garrison Datan for defense, and also sent Zou Lin with 6,000 men to garrison Gaizhu, south of Datan, in order to contain and threaten Jianzhen New City.

He Qi and Gao Shun abandoned their previous hardline strategy and instead retreated into the city, relying solely on waterways for communication, while their land transportation was almost completely cut off by the Yue people.

He Qi and Gao Shun's repeated forbearance only emboldened the Yue generals to become even more arrogant.

Hong Ming and other Yue generals judged that He Qi and Gao Shun were indeed short of troops and generals, and that their main force had obviously been transferred to Jiaozhou.

So the generals of the Yue tribes met and immediately decided to launch a strategic offensive, with Jianzhen and Nanping as the core, in order to capture these two cities and use them to resist the subsequent counterattack of the Han army.

It must be said that their ideas were not unrealistic.

Not to mention Jianzhen, even Nanping is dominated by the powerful Yue tribes.

If Liu Feng hadn't committed 30,000 to 40,000 troops at once, it wouldn't have been easy for the Han army to gain a foothold in Jianzhen and Nanping.

Even so, He Qi and Gao Shun fought several fierce battles before they were able to gain a foothold in the two places. However, the surrounding mountainous areas were still dominated by the Yue tribes, and it would become very difficult for the Han army to penetrate more than twenty miles into the region.

Now the Han army is weak while the Shanyue are strong. The Han army's controlled area has shrunk back to the area around the city. Even in the plains further away, near the mountains, Shanyue troops have appeared.

The situation is extremely dire.

Even so, the Han army showed no signs of reinforcements, and the Han troops that left by sea never returned, which undoubtedly greatly boosted the confidence of the Yue generals.

So, two months after their last alliance meeting, Hong Ming and his men launched a new war.

Hong Ming personally led Hong Jin, Yuan Yu, and Wu Mian, gathering more than 50,000 troops to attack Jianzhen, completely surrounding the new city and making it impossible for anyone to escape.

Hua Dang then led his troops of over 10,000 men south to Nanping, where they joined forces with Wu Wu and Zou Lin's 12,000 men, bringing their combined strength to over 20,000. They occupied all the key points around Nanping, cutting off the connection between Nanping and Dongye.

Once Jianzhen is established, the main force will move south and then breach the city together.

To be fair, the arrangements made by Hong Ming and the other Yue generals were quite sophisticated, including those who besieged the city, those who blocked reinforcements, those who controlled the outer perimeter, and those who were responsible for attacking and capturing the city.

The army of 70,000 to 80,000 men had a clear division of labor and worked together seamlessly, which was quite remarkable.

Unfortunately, they ran into Liu Feng's elite army, which was commanded by He Qi, the nemesis of the Yue tribes, and Gao Shun, a master of breaking through enemy lines.

He Qi hid his main force in Nanping City, while Gao Shun led 4,000 elite troops to guard Jianzhen.

He Qi first carried out the strategy of arrogance to the end, and at the same time added the strategy of exhausting the enemy.

With only 4,000 men, Gao Shun managed to hold Jianzhen against an attack by nearly 60,000 men for a full fourteen days. Gao Shun's successful defense was like a swift and decisive victory, completely overwhelming the Yue army, whose morale had soared to its peak.

Before Shan Yue Hongming and other generals could react and adjust their tactics, he launched another attack. Zheng Bao's navy drove straight into Dongye, and with the help of both inside and outside forces, they defeated Hua Dang's more than 20,000 troops and captured Hua Dang, Wu Wu, and Zou Lin alive.

Ignoring the fleeing Yue soldiers, He Qi personally led 10,000 elite troops and 4,000 elite naval troops under Zheng Bao, traveling by water without stopping or docking, directly to the outskirts of Jianzhen City. Once again, they employed a coordinated attack from within and without, joining forces with Gao Shun to once again inflict a major defeat on the Yue army outside Jianzhen City, capturing three generals, Hong Ming, Hong Jin, and Yuan Yu, while Wu Mian escaped with his life.

In just one night, He Qi, Gao Shun, and Zheng Bao joined forces and decisively defeated the Yue army of 80,000 men.

Six of the seven Yue heroes were captured on the spot. Wu Mian, who escaped, looked at his few pale-faced guards after entering the mountains, sighed, turned around and left the mountains to surrender to the Han army.

With this, the entire Nanping region was pacified.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Liu Feng's three consecutive "good"s perfectly expressed his feelings at that moment.

He never expected that He Qi, Gao Shun, and Zheng Bao would join forces to present him with such a wonderful gift; it was truly an unexpected delight.

The Shanyue people have suffered such a heavy blow that their strength must have been greatly diminished.

Although these 80,000 Yue people were not all elite soldiers, and most of them were actually able-bodied men, it was still extremely formidable. Based on a ratio of one to five, these 80,000 able-bodied men were a force that would require a tribe of 400,000 to muster.

This accounts for almost 10% of the total population of the Yue people.

This battle not only completely wiped out the Yue tribes in the Nanping region, but also severely damaged the Yue forces in the surrounding areas, including Shangrao, Pucheng, Jianning, Guangchang, Ningdu, Nancheng, and Yong'an. Given the strategic vision and tactical prowess of He Qi and Gao Shun, they are likely now planning attacks on the surrounding Yue tribes. These tribes have suffered heavy losses and are currently in a state of panic; a combined approach of appeasement and suppression would likely yield twice the results with half the effort.

Sure enough, Liu Feng opened He Qi's memorial. In addition to reporting the victory and giving a detailed account of the battle, it also included a petition requesting the pardon of Hong Ming and the other seven famous Yue generals. Clearly, He Qi and Gao Shun's thinking was very similar to Liu Feng's.

Liu Feng immediately agreed and delegated full authority, hoping that He Qi could achieve even greater results for him.

Since last winter, just over a year has passed, and He Qi and Gao Shun have joined forces to pacify 600,000 to 700,000 Yue people, accounting for one-sixth of the total number of Yue people.

It is clear that He Qi's reputation as the nemesis of the Yue people is well-deserved.

In addition, Liu Feng also gave He Qi the authority to act first and report later, allowing him to make bold and unreserved progress.

As long as He Qi performs as well as he has in history, the entire southern Kuaiji region will be stable.

This would not only generate additional tax revenue, but also allow Liu Feng to gather a force of 10,000 to 20,000 elite Yue warriors.

These elite Yue soldiers are fearless in battle and skilled in archery, especially in mountain warfare. They will be extremely useful special forces, whether they enter Shu or manage Bingzhou and Guanzhong.

Moreover, these elite Yue troops, once equipped with Han army weaponry, are quite formidable even in open terrain warfare. While they cannot be compared to elite forces like the Cui Feng and Wan Lan, they are certainly no less capable than front-line legions.

Most importantly, they didn't feel sorry for these Yue soldiers who died.

Of course, Liu Feng from later generations was not so cold-blooded. To him, all loyal and brave Yue warriors would be treated equally, and he would also give them the opportunity to join the Han nationality.

As for those who are unwilling to join, he will not force them, since as assimilation begins, their descendants will eventually be integrated as well.

Liu Feng wouldn't stoop so low as to harm a meritorious official; at least his conscience wouldn't allow it, and there was no need for it.

Liu Feng immediately promoted He Qi and Gao Shun to the rank of Assistant General, and Zheng Bao to the rank of General of the Household. He also ordered the meritorious generals and soldiers under his command to submit their names for appointment and to be promoted and rewarded.

In addition, Liu Feng specially sent famous swords and armor to He Qi, Gao Shun, and Zheng Bao. He Qi was fond of luxury, so Liu Feng gave him a lot of money. Gao Shun was introverted and quick-witted, so Liu Feng gave him clothes and food. Zheng Bao was ambitious and a newcomer, so Liu Feng gave him a personal inscription.

It is conceivable that the three generals will be overjoyed to receive the gift, as it truly caters to their tastes.

Finally, Liu Feng also discussed with He Qi in a letter how to build a new county seat.

Now that the southern part of Kuaiji has been pacified by He Qi, in order to consolidate his rule and expand the government's influence and power, the current county seat is obviously no longer sufficient.

Therefore, it is necessary to establish new county seats in areas where influence is insufficient.

Preparations can begin for the second and even third batches of counties originally planned.

As long as He Qi deems the time ripe, the additional positions can be established. Any shortages of personnel, materials, food, and other resources can naturally be raised with Liu Feng.

Continuing south, just after crossing the Yangtze River, they received another piece of good news.

The good news was also sent in triplicate, one copy each to Pang Tong in Jiangbei, Lu Xun in Danyang, and Zhuge Liang in Yuzhang.

Pang Tong ventured deep into the Dabie Mountains, using the Mei family father and son as envoys. He employed both persuasion and pacification, eventually winning over 17,000 members of 13 families of Huai and Si barbarians to join him. At the same time, he fought four battles, destroying six villages and capturing over 11,000 prisoners.

Although Pang Tong's battle record may seem inferior to that of He Qi and Gao Shun, the number of Jingman people in the Dabie Mountains was far less than that of the Shanyue people, not to mention that Pang Tong only had four thousand soldiers under his command.

Such a record is indeed quite outstanding.

However, compared to the other two reports of victory, Pang Tong's report was slightly inferior.

The first document was a report of victory from Lu Xun of Danyang.

When Lu Xun took office as the Commandant of Danyang County more than half a year ago, he encountered the rebellion of the powerful Shanyue tribes in Danyang.

This rebellion was concentrated in Yixian and Shexian counties.

Among them, the mountain Yue leader Jin Qi led 10,000 households of mountain Yue people to garrison Anle Mountain; another leader Mao Gan led 10,000 households to garrison Wuliao Mountain; and the Yi Shuai leaders Chen Pu and Zu Shan led 20,000 households to garrison Linli Mountain (south of Yi County).

Of these three mountain ranges, Linli Mountain is the most dangerous. Its four sides are sheer cliffs, dozens of feet high, and the mountain path is narrow and dangerous, only wide enough for one person at a time. The rebels, positioned high above, find it difficult to attack from below.

Chen Pu and Zu Shan, the two leaders of the Yue tribes, held their ground by relying on the strategic terrain and the high ground, making them virtually impregnable.

After arriving in Danyang, Lu Xun did not rush to use his troops. Instead, he assembled his forces while surveying the terrain of both locations.

Lu Xun led a dozen warriors to Yixian and Shexian counties, braving danger to personally survey the terrain.

At the same time, they lured local elderly hunters with gold and silk, asking them about various hidden mountain trails.

Once the situation is clear, Zhang Ying should lead his troops to exert pressure from the front, while Lu Xun should lead his elite troops to take a shortcut, detour around Linli Mountain, select agile and brave soldiers, and use iron spears to cut through the mountain at night to climb up the mountain, and then use draped cloths to help those below.

The soldiers and brave warriors climbed up and launched a surprise attack while the enemy was off guard, and drums and horns sounded from all sides, with shouts and cries echoing.

Chen Pu and Zu Shan were startled and panicked when they suddenly heard the sounds of drums and horns late at night. They abandoned the mountain path they were guarding and fled back to the camp on the mountaintop.

Lu Xun's main force immediately ascended the mountain and launched a fierce attack on the enemy camp, annihilating Chen Pu and Zu Shan's rebels who were entrenched in Linli Mountain. More than a thousand were beheaded on the spot, and more than 20,000 able-bodied men and women and children were captured.

Jin Qi and Mao Gan of Shexian were now surrounded by Zhang Ying and Lu Xun, and fearing the crushing defeat of Chen Pu and Zu Shan, they decided, in a moment of panic, to surrender with their troops.

Lu Xun achieved a great victory this time. In just six months, he pacified the entire Yi and She regions, successfully extending the influence and rule of the Left General's office to the entire southern part of Danyang. It should be noted that this area had long been the domain of the mountain tribe chiefs, leaders, and powerful clans.

In this battle, only a little over a thousand heads were taken, but more than 40,000 households and more than 200,000 people were captured, including more than 50,000 able-bodied men.

Lu Xun submitted a memorial reporting the victory, and like He Qi and Pang Tong, he requested Liu Feng to select elites from these mountain tribes and train them into an army to conquer the Central Plains.

Liu Feng was secretly amazed and sighed inwardly. Although Pang Shiyuan was resourceful and invincible, he had also achieved great results.

Compared to Lu Xun, he paled in comparison.

Then, Liu Feng began to look at the third report of victory.

This document naturally came from Zhuge Liang.

(End of this chapter)