My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 529 South China Strategy
However, in terms of the element of surprise in their actions, they can effectively help the Jiaozhou army in the south to conduct strategic concealment and even deception.

Once the Jiaozhou army storms into Jianwei County, Liu Zhang will be caught off guard. By then, it will be too late to mobilize troops. He will have no choice but to rely on the existing forces in Chengdu to fight a decisive battle against the Jiaozhou army.

If Liu Zhang had chosen to defend the city to the death, then the Jiaozhou army could have established a foothold in Jianwei County, then sailed down the river to coordinate with Liu Feng's central Yangtze River army, encircling and annihilating the Shu army resisting Liu Feng's forces along the river.

Once this large military force is annihilated, even if Liu Zhang still retains Chengdu, he will only be waiting for his demise.

"Kongming, what are your thoughts?"

Liu Feng noticed that Zhuge Liang seemed hesitant to speak, so he stopped talking and asked, "Now is the time for planning, and we should gather opinions from all sides. You may all speak freely."

Zhuge Liang wasn't afraid to speak, but rather he didn't want to interrupt Liu Feng. He was truly flattered that Liu Feng would notice his hesitation and even interrupt his own speech.

Lu Xun and Pang Tong exchanged a helpless glance. These two were so clever and astute that they had long noticed that Liu Feng's attitude towards Zhuge Liang was quite different.

To be fair, Liu Feng had already treated Lu Xun and Pang Tong with extraordinary courtesy, absolutely deserving the title of the state's favorite ministers. In order to promote them, he even created opportunities for them to make meritorious contributions and prepared everything they needed.

Anyone with eyes can see that the so-called suppression of bandits and rebellions in Jianghuai, Danyang, and Yuzhang is just a way for them to rack up military achievements.
With a battle-hardened army to deal with local rebels, as long as the commanders are of average ability and do not act rashly or greedily, there is absolutely no risk of defeat. It's just that no one else could have imagined that the achievements of Zhuge Liang and his two companions would be so dazzling and brilliant.

However, Lu Xun and Pang Tong were well aware that Liu Feng's regard and favor towards Zhuge Liang were even greater than their own.

Initially, they thought it was because Zhuge Liang had served Liu Feng for a longer period, but the more they interacted with him, the more they realized that wasn't the case. However, both men highly recognized Zhuge Liang's talent and abilities, and they felt a mutual respect for each other.

"Lord."

Zhuge Liang did not notice the strange look between Lu Xun and Pang Tong, but spoke his mind: "I believe that in this battle, the Jiaozhou army should prioritize winning hearts and minds over seizing territory. Winning back the hearts of the people along the way is the best strategy."

Then, Zhuge Liang explained in detail: "The land of Nanzhong is located at the far southwest, with high mountains and dense forests, and is shrouded in miasma. There is the Lu River (now Jinsha River) which is turbulent, the Wumeng Mountains (now Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau) which are majestic, the Zangke River (now Beipan River) which is winding, and the Ailao Mountains (now western Yunnan Mountains) which are precipitous."

The area is filled with deep ravines and secluded valleys, too difficult for even monkeys to climb; poisonous springs and treacherous swamps teem with snakes and vipers. In summer, it is sweltering and humid, and in winter, it is shrouded in mist over a thousand peaks. Travelers who reach this place rarely return, so people from the Central Plains regard it as a perilous journey.

Among the various tribes of southern China, the majority were barbarians, including the Sou, Kunming, Zangke, Yuexi, and Ailao tribes. They all lived in fortified villages built against the mountains and along the natural defenses. Their people either cultivated terraced fields or hunted in the deep forests. They were fierce and skilled with bows and crossbows, especially poisoned arrows, which killed instantly if hit. They also had elephant cavalry to attack enemy lines, and their barbarian soldiers could climb rocks barefoot as if walking on flat ground, making them difficult for the Han army to subdue despite repeated campaigns.

Although some Han Chinese migrated there, they intermarried with the Yi people and gradually adopted their customs, speaking languages ​​different from those of the Central Plains, and their clothing also became mixed with Yi styles. The Yi chieftains held their positions hereditarily, and their people obeyed only their chieftain's orders, unaware of the authority of the imperial court.

Although Nanzhong belongs to Yizhou, the emperor is far away and the barbarian chieftains are independent. Currently, Yong Kai occupies Yizhou Commandery, Meng Huo governs Jianning, Gao Ding dominates Yuexi, and Zhu Bao occupies Zangke. Each harbors their own ambitions, sometimes surrendering and sometimes rebelling. The officials sent by Liu Zhang are dependent on them for survival. The barbarians fear power but do not appreciate virtue. When the Han Dynasty is strong, they send envoys to pay tribute; when the Central Plains are in turmoil, they plunder prefectures and counties, kill officials, and seize their seals.

The only way to subdue the barbarian tribes in this western expedition is through a strategy of winning their hearts and minds.

It is difficult to control barbarian lands for long. We can use the strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians, leaving Han officials to supervise them, while allowing the barbarian chieftains to govern themselves and pay tribute annually to temporarily appease them.

The dangers of the South lie not in warfare, but in the barriers of mountains and rivers, the poison of miasma, and the ferocity of the barbarians. To govern them, one must possess great wisdom and courage to win their hearts, and one must combine firmness with gentleness to secure their land.

The nature of barbarians is greedy for profit and goods, and they do not admire benevolence and righteousness. Now that we in Jiaozhou want to take the land of Shu, we do not need to win their hearts completely. It is enough to ensure that they do not cut off our supply lines and provide us with military supplies.

One can send eloquent men, carrying gold, silk, salt, and iron, to secretly befriend the chieftains of various tribes, promising them great benefits.

The lord can further use the name of the court to cultivate a good relationship with Yong Kai, Meng Huo, Gao Ding, and Zhu Bao, offering them generous gifts and granting them the right to self-government, and also submitting a memorial to the emperor regarding their official positions.

"We'll deal with them after we take Yizhou."

Zhuge Liang's words were clear and logically sound. He not only explained the root of the problem but also proposed a very effective solution. However, he did not forget to point out that this was only a temporary measure and could not address the root cause.

Liu Feng understood Zhuge Liang's reminder perfectly: the only way to address the root cause was to abolish the local chieftain system and allow the people to be appointed directly to the capital.

To achieve the goal of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials, a combination of iron and fire, economic measures, and moral education must be implemented to yield results.

However, Zhuge Liang was right. At present, stabilizing the southern region is much simpler than conquering it.

Yong Kai, Meng Huo, Gao Ding, and Zhu Bao were all quite capable, but their strength was only considerable in the southern region.

Liu Feng was a fan of Zhuge Liang, so he had done considerable research on the affairs of the Nanzhong region.

According to his research, the strongest of these four people is actually Gao Ding. This guy has truly seized control of Yuexi County. Although he has not yet rebelled, it is only because Liu Zhang is coaxing him.

Aside from denying him the position of prefect under the pretext of the Three Mutuals Law, he was given everything else he could.

Gao Ding was practically the undisputed leader in Yuexi County, possessing considerable strength with a retinue of seven or eight thousand men. He was the most powerful of the four, and by a significant margin.

Secondly, there was Meng Huo, who had more than 3,000 followers.

Contrary to the novel, Meng Huo was not only not the leader of the Southern tribes, but he wasn't even the leader's underling. Strictly speaking, Meng Huo should be considered the underling of Yong Kai, a subordinate of Gao Ding.

Yong Kai and Meng Huo had a good relationship. Although Meng Huo was more powerful, Yong Kai had a greater reputation.

Therefore, Yong Kai, who only had one or two thousand troops, was actually the leader of Meng Huo, who had more troops and was more capable in battle.

As for the last one, Zhu Bao, his strength was about the same as Meng Huo's, but his fame was greater than Meng Huo's, and he was the actual master of Zangke County.

These people were later swept away and killed by Zhuge Liang like autumn leaves in the wind; except for Meng Huo, none of them survived. But now, their power is at its peak, like oil on a raging fire.

These people, all put together, number only around 15,000, not even enough for Liu Feng to beat up. But if you take into account their prestige and influence in the south, then it becomes quite a difficult situation.

Putting aside everything else, if you anger these people, the southern tribes they incite might launch sneak attacks and harass your supply lines, which could very well cause the Jiaozhou army to fail at the last minute.

Not only did Liu Feng agree with Zhuge Liang's suggestion, but Lu Xun and Pang Tong were also greatly amazed, as if they were only now realizing Zhuge Liang's abilities.

Lu Xun, in particular, wanted to go to the south to establish merit, and Liu Feng was well aware of his intentions and most likely agreed to them.

Therefore, Lu Xun also searched for a lot of information about the southern regions, but it was still far less detailed than what Zhuge Liang knew.

Lu Xun was naturally unaware that Zhuge Liang's extensive knowledge stemmed entirely from the information written down by Liu Feng.

These are all top-secret documents, accessible only to people of the rank of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Xun Yu, the two Chen brothers, Lu Su, and Liu Ye, in addition to Liu Bei and Liu Feng themselves.

This included not only intelligence from the south, but also from Liu Zhang, Liu Biao, Zhang Xian, Ma Teng from Guanzhong, Han Sui, and others.

Liu Feng originally wrote it down because he was worried that his memory of the numbers might become unclear over time. In warfare, this is a major taboo; as the saying goes, a bad pen is worse than a good memory, so it's best to record it.

As for Liu Bei's side, Liu Feng wouldn't be foolish enough to hand over everything. Even if he did hand over some, it was done little by little over the next six or seven years.

Lu Xun and Pang Tong greatly admired Zhuge Liang, but they didn't know that although Zhuge Liang was exceptionally talented, he had indeed received special treatment from Liu Feng in this matter.

"Excellent! First establish authority, then cultivate virtue—this is the right way to subdue barbarians!"

"Even if Sun Quan were to be resurrected, he could not change this strategy of Zhuge Liang!"

Lu Xun and Pang Tong were not jealous of talent, and they praised Zhuge Liang's suggestions highly.

Liu Feng nodded slowly and immediately adopted the idea, saying, "Kongming's words are indeed profound truths."

"In that case, the land taxes and grain of Guiyang, Lingling, and Nanping counties next year need not be handed over, but will all be transferred to Jiaozhou for military use."

After a moment's deliberation, Liu Feng made a decision: "In addition, supplies should be transferred from Xuzhou and Yangzhou. Next year, 100,000 shi of snow salt, 1,000 shi of sugar, 5,000 shi of sesame oil, 2,000 dan of paper, and 60,000 bolts of cloth should be sent to Jiaozhou for use in the south."

The southern and central regions have historically lacked salt, and even more so, good quality salt.

The tribal chiefs in the south engaged in fierce and bloody battles over salt wells, all for the sake of ensuring their tribes had access to salt.

At the same time, cloth is one of the scarcest resources for people in mountainous areas. Not only the Yue and Jingman peoples, but also the Nanzhong Man peoples lack cloth. Moreover, due to inconvenient transportation, they are even more lacking than the Yue and Jingman peoples. Many people can only wrap themselves in animal skins and grass leaves for their entire lives.

As for sesame oil and frosting sugar, those are even more of a game-changer, regarded as miracle drugs.

Using these things to bribe the powerful chieftains of the South would surely be twice as effective with half the effort.

At this point, he turned his gaze to Lu Xun: "Boyan, I know you intend to go to Jiaozhou, and I approve of this."

Lu Xun was overjoyed and wanted to kowtow in gratitude, but Liu Feng stopped him.

"Between you and me, we are nominally ruler and subject, but in reality, we are close friends. If you wish to achieve great things, I will only be happy for you and would never stop you."

Liu Feng then changed the subject, saying, "However, when you go south this time, you must remember to tell Mr. Kuai Yue what Kongming said, and say that it was my order. Those supplies are also for his use. Remember that very well."

Seeing Liu Feng's seriousness, how could Lu Xun dare to be negligent? He immediately replied, "Rest assured, my lord, I will keep it firmly in mind and present it to Lord Kuai. I will never fail your trust and entrustment."

"good!"

Liu Feng nodded with satisfaction and said, "I trust you completely."

Next, Liu Feng's gaze fell on Pang Tong, who seemed somewhat envious.

"Shiyuan, what Kongming said earlier has just reminded me."

Liu Feng's words aroused the curiosity of Pang Tong, as well as Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun.

But Liu Feng continued, "Besides the Jiaozhou army in the south and the Yangzhou army in the middle, the Jingzhou army in the north can also be mobilized."

"My lord means..."

"Excellent!?"

Pang Tong and the other two shouted almost in unison.

"Indeed, it is Shangyong!"

Liu Feng nodded in affirmation, saying, "Shangyong is located west of Xiangyang and has been a natural barrier for Xiangyang since ancient times, echoing Jingzhou and Xiangyang. The five key points north of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou refer to Wancheng in Nanyang, Xiangfan in Nanjun, Jiangling, Xiakou in Jiangxia, and Shangyong."

"Moreover, Shangyong can not only support Xiangfan, but also threaten the Yangtze River line."

Liu Feng pointed to the location of Wu County and said, "From Shangyong, you can cross the Guandu River and go directly to Badong County. From Dushui, through Wuxi, and along the Daning River, you can go directly to Wu County. Both of these routes can cut off the Yangtze River."

"Moreover, our army is gathering along the river, which may be able to keep it from the General, but it may not be able to keep it from Liu Jiyu."

Liu Feng laughed and said, "Since that's the case, why not use Shangyong as a target and kill two birds with one stone? After taking Shangyong, we can threaten Hanzhong even more. If the opportunity arises, we can take Hanzhong. Once we take Hanzhong, even if the General knows that I want to take Yizhou, he will probably be hesitant to act rashly."

All three of them, including Zhuge Liang, could understand what Liu Feng meant.

For Cao Cao to turn against Liu Feng, he would have to weigh the pros and cons. His so-called reckless defection was also because Liu Feng's strength had greatly increased after he annexed Yizhou, surpassing even Yuan Shao's.

Ultimately, the benefits of independence were too great, forcing Cao Cao to sacrifice other interests to safeguard his independence.

However, if Liu Feng takes Hanzhong first, Cao Cao will be in a very awkward position.

If they turn against each other, Liu Feng hasn't even attacked Yizhou yet, and they will not only lose their own interests for nothing, but they also won't be able to find a way to counter Liu Feng.

Liu Feng deployed two of his most elite forces, the Cui Feng and Wan Lan, in the heart of the Central Plains. These two elite forces directly commanded more than 80% of Liu Feng's cavalry, totaling 78,000 men (each with two additional mountain bandit camps of 4,000 men each), which was almost equivalent to all of Cao Cao's elite field army.

Although Liu Bei struggled against Yuan Shao alone, he was certainly not someone Yuan Shao could defeat quickly. On the contrary, Liu Feng could enter Guanzhong from Hanzhong, advance into Nanyang from Xiangfan, and sweep across Yanzhou from northern Yuzhou.

From any perspective, Cao Cao was in a situation of great loss.

But if they didn't turn against each other, Cao Cao could only watch as Liu Feng slowly eroded Shu from Hanzhong, which was a desperate measure.

Therefore, although Hanzhong is far from comparable to Shu, if Liu Feng were to take Hanzhong first, Cao Cao would have an even bigger headache.

However, Hanzhong is not so easy to conquer; it is no simpler than Yizhou.

Historically, Cao Cao's capture of Hanzhong was also a matter of chance and good fortune. He had previously fought hard and suffered heavy casualties but still could not take Yangping Pass. However, the sight of deer running away at night was regarded as an omen by Zhang Lu's army, which led to their collapse.

Who can you reason with about this? The only explanation is that the Han dynasty was in decline and even Heaven no longer protected the Liu family.

(End of this chapter)