Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

Chapter 159: Sun Quan becomes a vassal and Liu Feng becomes a fake general of chariots and cavalry (6k)

"Is Zhang Liao ill?"

Sun Quan was surprised and suspicious.

According to what Pan Zhang said in the letter: After failing to rescue Cao Ren, Zhang Liao was ordered to return to Hefei, but he unexpectedly fell ill on the way and is now staying in Yongqiu to recuperate.

[If Zhang Liao is really seriously ill, then I might be able to negotiate peace with Liu Bei again.]

Sun Quan was silently calculating.

Given the current situation, it is obvious that Liu Bei wants to attack Sun Quan.

Although Sun Quan is the King of Wu in Wei, Cao Pi will definitely not confront Liu Bei head-on for Sun Quan.

Cao Pi, Sun Quan can no longer be relied upon!

If Cao Pi had not sent troops to help, Sun Quan would have been unable to defeat Liu Bei, who also had a naval advantage!
The flood season is about to come, and Liu Bei's Jingzhou navy is upstream, sailing downstream with the wind to attack Sun Quan. He has the advantage of both time and place!

Sun Quan suddenly realized that it was a mistake to establish Wuchang County and move all government offices to Wuchang County!
True.

Sun Quan could have his civil and military officials always be vigilant against Liu Bei, and he could also join forces with Wen Pin of Shiyang to suppress Xiakou.

But if Wen Pin of Shiyang chooses to watch the battle, Sun Quan will be in trouble.

This means: Sun Quan has to bear Liu Bei’s wrath alone!

What’s even more terrifying is that when Liu Bei wanted to fight Sun Quan, he didn’t even need to consider the transportation of food and fodder!

Given the distance between Xiakou and Fankou, Liu Bei could even come to attack Sun Quan in the morning, return to Xiakou for lunch at noon, take a nap and then come back to attack Sun Quan in the afternoon, and go back for lunch in the evening; if the moon was bright at night, he could have another night battle, then go back to sleep and continue the next day!

Even if Sun Quan could temporarily defend against Liu Bei's attack with the geographical advantage, he would not be able to withstand the pressure of Liu Bei's punch-in-and-punch-in attack all the time!
Before Liu Bei fought, Sun Quan's civil and military officials were complaining privately.

If Liu Bei really wants to fight, all the civil and military officials under Sun Quan will probably go crazy!

After careful consideration, Sun Quan tentatively asked Lu Xun what he thought: "If I take advantage of Zhang Liao's illness and lead the army to attack Hefei, what do you think?"

Lu Xun was speechless.

Your Majesty, oh Your Majesty, you might as well just say that you want to make peace with Liu Bei instead of lying about fighting in Hefei!

Zhang Liao is sick, not dead.

Although he thought so in his heart, Lu Xun couldn't say it, so he tactfully advised: "Your Majesty, you are now the King of Wu in the Great Wei, how can you go to attack Hefei?"

Sun Quan raised his eyebrows and said, "My father and brother are both ministers of the Han Dynasty. How can I be a minister of the pseudo-Wei? I pretended to be a minister to Cao Pi only as a temporary measure.

I have decided to retreat to Xunyang and Chaisang, and return Fankou, Echeng, Xiazhi, Yangxin and other places that originally belonged to Jiangxia County to Liu Bei. Do you think this is feasible?"

Although his heart was bleeding, Sun Quan also knew that Liu Bei would never give up unless he retreated to Xunyang and Chaisang!
Only by giving Fankou and other places to Liu Bei, and letting Liu Bei conclude that Jiangdong will not pose a threat to Jingzhou and that the disadvantages of conquering Jiangdong outweigh the advantages, can we avoid being annexed by Liu Bei!
Otherwise, Liu Bei would launch a small attack every day and a big attack every three days, and Sun Quan would have to be busy dealing with them in Wuchang County.

Cao Pi, who had suffered a loss at the hands of Liu Bei, might take the opportunity to send troops from Hefei and Guangling to seize Wujun, Danyang and other places.

By then, Sun Quan will be the first to be destroyed!
Sun Quan is a man who knows how to make choices.

Between fighting for hegemony over the world and retreating to Jiangdong, retreating to Jiangdong would naturally be the first choice.

Only when you are alive do you have the opportunity to fight for supremacy; when you die, all that is left is a handful of earth.

Lu Xun groaned for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, whether I agree or not is not important. What is important is whether Liu Bei is willing to let you go."

Sun Quan frowned. "Liu Bei has been fighting in Jingzhou. Does he have the energy to march to Jiangdong? I think Liu Bei will weigh the pros and cons instead of insisting on destroying me."

Lu Xun lowered his head to hide the corners of his mouth that could not help but twitch: “Supreme Lord, if Liu Bei wants to weigh the pros and cons, the best strategy is to fight with the Supreme Lord and defeat him by force.

As long as Liu Bei wins, he won't need to march into Jiangdong again. A single letter of proclamation will make the nobles in the counties of Jiangdong rush to show their goodwill to Liu Bei."

Sun Quan shuddered subconsciously.

Not all the wealthy families in the counties of Jiangdong were loyal to Sun Quan.

The reason why Sun Quan was able to maintain his rule in Jiangdong was that he possessed a more powerful military force than the wealthy families in the other counties of Jiangdong.

However, if the wealthy families in the counties of Jiangdong find that Sun Quan's military power is failing, they will have new choices. Whether to join Wei or to surrender to Han, it is better than following Sun Quan.

Relying on the strong is the way for the Jiangdong nobles to survive.

"I absolutely cannot fight Liu Bei!" Sun Quan took a deep breath and said firmly: "Bo Yan, don't hide it. Tell me directly, how can I avoid going to war with Liu Bei?"

Lu Xun raised his head and looked at Sun Quan: "For now, in addition to retreating to Xunyang and Chaisang, Your Majesty must also pay tribute to Liu Bei and form an alliance through marriage."

Sun Quan's face flashed with anger: "You want me to submit to Liu Bei? Absolutely impossible!"

Lu Xun sighed, "Your Majesty, Liu Bei has already ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor! If we do not submit to Liu Bei, Liu Bei will have an excuse to attack Your Majesty. When Liu Bei raises the banner of 'attack Wei rebels', no one in his civil or military command will object."

On the contrary, if the Supreme One submits to Liu Bei, his civil and military officials will be divided into two groups, one supporting and the other opposing. If the civil and military officials cannot be united, Liu Bei will have no choice but to accept it even if he is unwilling. Please, the Supreme One, bear with the humiliation for a while!"

Lu Xun's words gradually made Sun Quan's anger disappear.

For Sun Quan, who is good at intrigue, factional struggles are all too familiar.

If Sun Quan did not submit to Liu Bei, then whether Liu Bei was marching east or north, he would be "suppressing the Wei rebels."

The Eastern Expedition is easier than the Northern Expedition. It is obvious whether to go on the Eastern Expedition or the Northern Expedition!
But it was different when Sun Quan pledged allegiance to Liu Bei.

Even though Sun Quan had already pledged his loyalty, Liu Bei still wanted to march east. This meant that personal grudges had overshadowed national affairs. There would definitely be people who opposed Liu Bei's expedition east, and Liu Bei had to weigh the pros and cons of not accepting Sun Quan's loyalty.

The only thing to consider is: how can Sun Quan prove to Liu Bei that he is truly a vassal!

"How can we form an alliance through marriage?" Sun Quan asked the key question.

Lu Xun observed Sun Quan's expression and said slowly, "There are two ways to make a marriage. One is to return Madam Sun to you. The other is to give your second daughter to Liu Bei's crown prince Liu Chan as a noble lady."

Sun Quan's expression changed drastically.

Whether he sent a younger sister or a girl, she could only be a concubine. This was equivalent to asking Sun Quan to put his warm face in front of Liu Bei's cold butt.

Such a humble marriage made Sun Quan so angry that his palms were about to be pierced by his fingernails.

If Sun Quan did not know Lu Xun's background well, he would have suspected that Lu Xun was a spy deliberately planted by Liu Bei, who came here today specifically to humiliate him.

a long time.

Sun Quan suppressed his anger and said, "I think what Bo Yan said is feasible. I want to send an envoy to Jingzhou to meet Liu Bei. Does Bo Yan have anyone he likes?"

Lu Xun groaned for a moment and said, "It has to be Zhuge Jin. Liu Bei will consider this for Zhuge Liang's sake."

After careful consideration, Sun Quan decided to implement Lu Xun's strategy: ceding land, becoming a vassal, and forming an alliance, with the core being to preserve strength.

a few days later.

Zhuge Jin arrived in Xiangyang.

When Liu Bei learned the purpose of Zhuge Jin's visit, he suddenly felt a headache.

After arranging Zhuge Jin in a separate residence, Liu Bei summoned Liu Feng to discuss countermeasures.

"The little Sun Quan is very cunning. He not only agreed to return Echeng to me, but also took the initiative to return Fankou, Echeng, Xiazhi, Yangxin and other old counties of Jiangxia. He also took the initiative to declare that he would pay homage to me, return his sister and give his second daughter to the crown prince as a noble lady."

Liu Bei had a terrible headache.

Liu Bei's original plan was to directly demand Echeng, provoke Sun Quan to raise an army, and then take advantage of the situation to attack.

As long as Sun Quan is defeated and crippled, people can be sent directly to the counties of Jiangdong to incite rebellion, and the lost territory can be recovered without the need for a long expedition!
If Sun Quan endures, then he will continue to demand Fankou, Yangxin and Chaisang, and put Sun Quan in a situation where "I cede five cities today, ten cities tomorrow, and then I can sleep well for one night. When I wake up and look around, the Han army is here again."

Eroding Jiangdong step by step!
Never thought.

Sun Quan actually surrendered directly and gave away his sister and daughter!

This made Liu Bei feel depressed as if he was punching out but couldn't exert any power.

If Liu Bei wanted to attack Jiangdong, he had to have a legitimate reason.

If one has no legitimate reason to do so, it will easily lead to criticism. Not only will the civil and military officials under one's command question him, but in more serious cases, it will also make those in Cao Wei who want to return to Han Dynasty have doubts: If I will be beaten if I become a vassal, then why should I become a vassal?

Liu Feng was also a little surprised.

Sun Quan slid to his knees too quickly!

At least you can "resist" it!

Where has your emperor's self-esteem gone?

Think for a long time.

Liu Feng had a response plan: "Sun Quan's surrender and cession of territory are acceptable. First, we should take over the old Jiangxia counties such as Fankou, Echeng, Xiazhi, and Yangxin. We should give priority to establishing a three-in-one defense system with Xiangyang as the main attack, Echeng as the main defense, and Jiangling as the control of the joint defense of the Jingzhou counties.

As for the marriage, I think it is unacceptable. Firstly, your father has already chosen a queen, and if Madam Sun returns, it may cause instability in the harem; secondly, the prince is at an age of vigor and vitality, and if something unexpected happens to him, your father will have a hard time dealing with the aftermath.

The marriage alliance can be changed to sending sons as hostages. Sun Quan has two sons, and the eldest son, Sun Deng, has been made crown prince by Sun Quan, so he will definitely not be sent here. Sun Quan can send the second son, Sun Lu, as a hostage.

Although Sun Lu is less than ten years old, he is more intelligent and mature than his brother Sun Deng, and has inherited a lot from his grandfather Sun Jian. If we can show kindness and treat Sun Lu well, and let him study and practice martial arts with Liu Shuang and Liu Zan, he may become a great general in the future to attack the pseudo-Wei. "

In Liu Feng's opinion.

Whether it is Sun Quan's sister or Sun Quan's daughter, they are of no use.

Even if it is sent to you, you can only keep it as a mascot.

But if Sun Quan could send his sons as hostages, especially his second son, that would be a different situation.

People do not suffer from scarcity but from inequality.

Both are sons of Sun Quan, but why can the elder brother Sun Deng become the crown prince and enjoy power and wealth, while the younger brother Sun Lu can only be sent to Jingzhou as a hostage?
No matter what reasons Sun Quan used to appease Sun Lu, Sun Lu was always the one who was abandoned.

And this time.

However, Liu Bei did not despise or treat Sun Lu harshly because of his hostage status. Instead, he allowed Sun Lu to study and practice martial arts with his two grandsons, and treated Sun Lu with great kindness and righteousness. How could Sun Lu not be grateful?
This is Liu Feng’s conspiracy!
Since Sun Quan wants to play the trick of becoming a vassal, Liu Feng must train Sun Quan's son to be a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty who is treated well by the Han Dynasty!
Just like Yang Jian's half-brother Yang Zan, Yang Zan was favored by Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. When Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou went on an expedition, he always left Yang Zan to guard the capital. Such was his favor!
Therefore, when Yang Zan faced Yang Jian, who wanted to usurp the throne, he repeatedly planned to get rid of Yang Jian for Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou. In the future, the more Sun Quan wanted to usurp the throne, the more dissatisfied Sun Lu would be with Sun Quan, and he would be ashamed of Sun Quan.

Once there is any change in Jiangdong, he can also use Sun Lu's identity to appease Jiangdong.

Liu Bei was already an expert in this field. After hearing Liu Feng's proposal, he felt relieved and his headache was gone. "What my son said is very much in line with my opinion. If Sun Quan is willing to cede land, pledge loyalty, and send hostages, I will not bother with him for the time being! If he is not willing, then I don't mind personally leading the expedition to Fankou!"

Liu Feng said, "It takes a long time to go from Xiangyang to Echeng and back. Father, why don't you take Zhuge Jin with you to Xiakou?"

Liu Bei stroked his beard and smiled: "It has been a long time since I last saw Yun Chang. It is a good opportunity for me to go to Xiakou to have a few drinks with Yun Chang. Would you like to come with me, my son?"

Liu Feng shook his head: "I have to go back to Fangling first to deal with the affairs of Xincheng County, so I will not go with you."

Liu Bei did not force him: "You haven't been home for many days, you have to go back."

When leaving.

Liu Bei also asked Liu Feng to bring along the sisters Liu Xiuyu and Liu Liangyu and the brothers Liu Shuang and Liu Zan.

The reason was: Liu Bei wanted Liu Xiu Yu and Liu Liang Yu to go to Xincheng County to see if they could meet a good match.

Liu Feng was so surprised as if he met Liu Bei for the first time.

As an emperor, why are you still worried about your prince consort?
However, in Liu Bei's words: My two daughters have suffered enough, and their marriage cannot be forced.

What surprised Liu Feng the most was that Liu Bei had no idea what kind of confusing magic words Liu Shuang and Liu Zan had been fed, but the two brothers actually expressed their willingness to help their mother choose a husband.

Liu Feng couldn't bear to see his two younger sisters live widowed for the rest of their lives, so he could only accept this "imperial order" silently.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei took Zhuge Jin with him and went downstream to Xiakou.

On the way, he used both coaxing and intimidation to treat Zhuge Jin. After Zhuge Jin returned to Echeng, the feedback Sun Quan received was that he should either "cede land, pledge allegiance, send hostages" or "start fighting directly."

Upon hearing that Liu Bei had come to Xiakou in person, Sun Quan was so panicked that he dared not find any reason to refuse.

He immediately sent Zhuge Jin to Xiakou again and agreed to Liu Bei's conditions of "ceding land, paying tribute, and sending hostages."

Just as Liu Feng expected.

If he asked Sun Quan's eldest son Sun Deng to be a hostage as Cao Pi did, Sun Quan would not agree. But if he asked Sun Quan's second son Sun Lu to be a hostage, Sun Quan would be much less resistant.

As if he was afraid that Liu Bei would go back on his word, Sun Quan acted quickly.

In addition to refusing to attend the banquet, he sent his second son Sun Lu to Xiakou the next day.

He also sent Zhang Wen as an envoy to present Liu Bei with rare treasures such as quetou incense, large shells, pearls, ivory, rhinoceros horns, tortoise shells, and jadeite.

Afterwards, the civil and military officials and their families, as well as the troops stationed in Fankou, Echeng, Xiazhi, Yangxin and other old counties of Jiangxia were withdrawn in batches to Xunyang and Chaisang.

Liu Bei also sent troops to occupy Fankou, Echeng, Xiazhi, Yangxin and other county cities without hesitation.

“I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly!”

Sun Quan's panic escape made Liu Bei feel unreal. After all, Sun Quan was a local overlord, so how come he had no temper at all?

soon.

Liu Bei felt relieved again.

Although Sun Quan could not be eliminated once and for all, taking Fankou, Echeng, Xiazhi, Yangxin and other places without bloodshed was still a huge profit.

On the bright side, with Sun Quan hiding in Jiangdong, Cao Pi had no way to extend his influence to Jiangdong.

Liu Bei currently does not have enough money, food and military strength to launch another expedition to Jiangdong, and Cao Pi cannot really watch Liu Bei annex all the counties in Jiangdong.

If you swallow too much in one mouthful, you will choke.

Except for the 29 counties of Nanyang which were still in the hands of Cao Pi, all the counties in Jingzhou were basically controlled by Liu Bei.

It also takes time to digest the results of the victory.

Sun Quan withdrew his troops and surrendered, which also declared that the war in Jingzhou had come to an end.

South of Echeng.

After inspecting the new city of Wuchang, Liu Bei summoned Guan Yu to discuss: "After Sun Quan retreats to Xunyang and Chaisang, he will definitely move his seat back to Jianye and use Ruxukou as a support to protect Jiangdong. The eastern part of Jingzhou will not be threatened by Sun Quan for the time being.

I intend to temporarily move the seat of Jiangxia County to Echeng, and appoint Guan Xing as the governor of Jiangxia to guard Echeng; Guan Ping as the general who smothers bandits to guard Xiakou. What do you think, Yunchang?"

Guan Yu was surprised: "Tanzhi has been in the army for many years, so it won't be a problem for him to lead the troops to defend Xiakou. Anguo, at a young age, may not be able to take on the responsibility of being the governor of a county. It would be better for my younger brother to guard Echeng, and for my two sons to guard against Wen Pin and Sun Quan."

"No problem." Liu Bei obviously thought highly of Guan Xing, and said, "An Guo is both civil and military, and he has seen through Sun Quan's conspiracy to join forces with Wen Pin to attack Xiakou, which shows his talent. With Tan Zhi guarding against Wen Pin in Xiakou, An Guo can also focus on governing Jiangxia County."

There was a pause.

Liu Bei sighed again, "Yun Chang, you and I are both old, how long we live depends on fate. We can't do everything ourselves, we have to let the younger generation gain experience. You are a general now, you have to follow me back to the court, formulate military and national affairs, and leave small matters like sitting in charge of a place to the younger generation."

Guan Yu was about to speak but stopped.

To be fair, Guan Yu was not at ease letting Guan Ping and Guan Xing guard Jiangxia together to guard against Wen Pin and Sun Quan.

But what Liu Bei said was not wrong.

Guan Yu is now a general!

The general did not follow Liu Bei back to the court to formulate military and national affairs, but instead wanted to stay in Jiangxia to take charge of one side. Not only was this a waste of his talent, but it also prevented the younger generation from getting any experience.

Seeing that Guan Yu no longer objected, Liu Bei said: "My son, the Prince of Yan, has made great contributions to my current success.

Now that the situation has been stabilized, it is time to reward the meritorious officers. I intend to promote the Prince of Yan to the rank of General of the Northern Expedition, to supervise the military and political affairs of the four counties of Hanzhong, Xincheng, Xiangyang, and Yidu, and to grant him the military power of the General of Chariots and Cavalry. "

Liu Bei's intention in setting this up was:
As the General of the Northern Expedition, he was in charge of the strategic direction of the north.

He managed the four counties of Hanzhong, Xincheng, Xiangyang and Yidu in a way that was equivalent to the four counties being a separate state, with Liu Feng as the governor of the state.

With the fake title of General of Chariots and Cavalry, he was in charge of garrisoning the four barbarians, guarding the capital, suppressing rebellions, sending envoys to announce imperial decrees, recommending officials, important ceremonial activities, etc., in order to enhance Liu Feng's qualifications.

In short: Liu Bei was paving the way for Liu Feng to take control of the government in the future.

Guan Yu was shocked when he heard this: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly. Is the power of the King of Yan too great? The Crown Prince is young and has no military merits. If you show too much favor to the King of Yan, I am afraid that the King of Yan will fight with the Crown Prince."

Liu Bei sighed: "Yun Chang, I understand your concerns. But you should also understand that with the prince's current prestige and knowledge, it is far from enough to become the king of a country.

I don't want the Crown Prince to be constrained by the officials in the court and unable to work hard to govern the country, so there must be someone who can calm the officials on his behalf.

The Prince of Yan is known for his strategies. He has both the reputation of a royal family and his civil and military achievements. He values family affection and knows gratitude. What he lacks is only experience.

You have to understand my difficulties!"

If Liu Chan had the same strategies, reputation, and civil and military achievements as Liu Feng, Liu Bei would not have worried about whether Liu Chan could control his ministers, just like Li Shimin, the most powerful carbon-based creature in the seventh century, who never worried that his ministers would become arrogant because of their power.

However, the reality is: Liu Chan is young, and his experience, knowledge, courage, prestige and other aspects are still very immature. If Liu Bei does not leave ministers to assist Liu Chan in military and political affairs, Liu Chan will not be able to stand on his own.

Liu Bei didn’t know how long he could live, after all, his age was there.

What Liu Bei knew was: if he died, he had to leave behind a relative for Liu Chan who could control the officials in the court and the country!

And the best candidate for this clan member is Liu Feng!
Although Liu Feng was the King of Yan, as the regent, he was easily ostracized by the officials in the court and the public, and was also easily slandered and defamed by rumors. Even Shu Dan, who assisted King Cheng, was afraid of rumors.

Therefore.

Liu Bei had to improve Liu Feng's qualifications while he was still alive.

This was also Liu Bei's intention of letting Liu Feng act as the General of Chariots and Cavalry. If Liu Feng, the fake General of Chariots and Cavalry, could be convincing, Liu Bei could remove the word "fake".

After Guan Yu stepped down as general, Liu Feng would be able to succeed him smoothly.

As for whether Liu Feng's excessive favor would lead to conflict with Liu Chan, Liu Bei also considered it carefully.

In the end, Liu Bei came to the conclusion that if Liu Feng and Liu Chan really quarreled, it was not their fault, but Liu Bei, as a father, failed to educate them well. If Liu Bei followed Cao Pi's example of throwing Cao Zhang, a skilled warrior, to his fiefdom and left Liu Feng idle because he was worried about the quarrel between Liu Feng and Liu Chan, then Liu Chan would most likely be coerced by his ministers in the future because he had no clan support.

Should he cut off his own arm or put the Han Dynasty first?

Liu Bei could still tell the difference.

If his descendants would become puppets like Liu Xie in the future, Liu Bei would rather let them become rich men.

Seeing Liu Bei say this, Guan Yu realized that he could no longer persuade him, and said, "If the Prince of Yan is allowed to be the General of Chariots and Cavalry, how will Your Majesty deal with Yi De?"

When he ran for the position of prefect of Hanzhong, he lost to Wei Yan.

Liu Bei prepared the vacant position of General of Chariots and Cavalry for Liu Feng.

Zhang Fei’s placement became Guan Yu’s concern.

Originally, Guan Yu thought that Liu Bei would let Zhang Fei be the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Liu Bei had already made arrangements for this: "It is time for the crown prince to have a consort. Yide's eldest daughter is quite virtuous, and I intend to choose her as the crown prince's consort.

Yide's eldest daughter is the Crown Princess, so it is not appropriate for Yide to be the General of Chariots and Cavalry. You can let Yide be the Colonel of the Imperial Guards or the General of the Guards. The specific arrangements will be determined after I have a face-to-face meeting with Yide."

Guan Yu was a little depressed.

Obviously.

Guan Yu also intended to make his daughter the Crown Princess.

Liu Bei keenly noticed Guan Yu's mood changes and comforted him: "I only have one prince, and I cannot have two princesses at the same time. If I take care of one, I will lose the other. This time, let Yide take the throne. I will find a good son-in-law for Yunchang."

"I understand." Guan Yu was not unreasonable. If he did not give any of this benefit to Zhang Fei, he would not be worthy of Zhang Fei regarding Guan Yu as his brother.

Seeing Guan Yu's mood recover, Liu Bei secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "In this case, Yunchang can first hand over everything to the two sons and return to Jiangling with me. Calculating the time, the Prime Minister should have made a decision on the matter of moving the capital to Jiangling."

(End of this chapter)