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

Small pavilion.

Faced with Wu Yi's earnest and heartfelt advice, Liu Shan was filled with "remorse":
"Lord Duting, last night was the first time I had ever drunk alcohol, and I never expected to say something inappropriate while drunk; now that the Prince of Yan harbors resentment, I don't know how to handle the aftermath."

Wu Yi offered a suggestion: "The Prince of Yan is known for his magnanimity. The Crown Prince could host another banquet for the Prince of Yan to prevent any more villains from taking advantage of the situation and causing trouble."

however.

The scene that Wu Yi had envisioned—Liu Shan agreeing—did not occur. Instead, Liu Shan gave him a somewhat amused look and spoke in a tone that was rather "playful": "Does the Marquis of Duting mean that he wants to host a private banquet for the Prince of Yan?"

Wu Yi, oblivious to Liu Shan's "deeper meaning," nodded and said, "I just went to see the Prince of Yan. The Prince of Yan also doesn't want to create discord with the Crown Prince. As long as the Crown Prince hosts a banquet for the Prince of Yan, this misunderstanding can be cleared up."

Liu Shan tapped the table lightly, his tone tinged with displeasure: "Since the Prince of Yan is unwilling to create discord with me, why isn't it the Prince of Yan who hosts a banquet for me alone? Instead, I am the one hosting the banquet for the Prince of Yan alone! I am the Crown Prince!"

Wu Yi was stunned.

what's the situation?
Now that the Crown Prince's drunken slip of the tongue has caused the Prince of Yan's unease, why should the Prince of Yan be invited to a banquet for the Crown Prince instead?
Could the rumors be true?
Although the Crown Prince outwardly respected the Prince of Yan, he was actually quite wary of him.

Think of this.

Wu Yi felt a sudden pang of panic.

Subconsciously.

Wu Yi thought of Cao Pi and Cao Zhang.

If the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan were truly at odds and fighting amongst themselves, then a bloody storm would surely erupt within the Han Dynasty.

"Although the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan are of different ranks, they also share a brotherly bond. We must not let a small mistake ruin the grand plan of the nation. If the Crown Prince were to develop a rift with the Prince of Yan at this time, the war at the front would surely take a turn for the worse. Your Highness, please think it over carefully," Wu Yi pleaded earnestly, forcing a smile.

clinker.

Liu Shan seemed unwilling to "endure" today, and his tone became more forceful: "Marquis of Duting, how many soldiers do you think I can command?"

Wu Yi's head was spinning even more.

Why is it this question again?

From Empress Wu, Wu Yi also learned the core of the argument between Liu Feng and Liu Shan last night: Liu Feng believed that Liu Shan did not need to worry about commanding troops and fighting battles, but Liu Shan wanted to control the troops of the whole country and said, "I can do it myself."

"As the sage said, 'A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall.' The crown prince is the heir apparent and should be in charge of state affairs; there is no need for him to personally go to the front lines." Wu Yi fabricated a reason, intending to use the teachings of the sage to advise Liu Shan.

Liu Shan chuckled and said, "In the past, Cao Cao often went to the front lines to build up military prestige. He used his ability to command troops to sweep away the rival warlords and seize half of the Han Dynasty's territory. Although his son Cao Pi inherited Cao Cao's legacy, he lacked military prestige, which is why he is now suffering repeated defeats."

My father fought for half his life before creating the opportunity for the revival of the Han Dynasty; Emperor Guangwu also personally rode into battle to command the respect of his generals and thus revive the Han Dynasty.

Now that I am the Crown Prince, how can I not follow the example of my father and Emperor Guangwu and frequently go to the battlefield? If I cannot build up military prestige, how can I control the troops of the world?
Although the Prince of Yan is brave and skilled in battle, the Han Dynasty cannot rely solely on him; there is also the Crown Prince!

Wu Yi sensed the resentment in Liu Shan's tone and his head began to ache: "Your Highness, you must not believe the rumors."

Moreover, the Prince of Yan claimed in the main hall yesterday that "the victory at Hefei was entirely due to the Crown Prince's deployment of 300,000 bolts of Shu brocade as support," and also had Sun Lü present the household registration lists of various counties in Jiangdong.

The Prince of Yan ceded the credit for pacifying Jiangdong and capturing Hefei to the Crown Prince, neither taking credit for himself nor becoming arrogant because of his achievements.

But as soon as these words were spoken, it was as if Liu Shan had been "stepped on" and stood up abruptly, slamming his hand on the table: "Marquis of Duting, how dare you!"
Do you also believe that the credit for pacifying Jiangdong and capturing Hefei was given to me by the Prince of Yan? As the Crown Prince, why should I need the Prince of Yan to give me credit?

Hmph! I knew it; rumors don't come from nowhere. The officials and ministers are outwardly respectful, but in reality, they all believe I am inferior to the Prince of Yan in both literary and martial arts.
If I were superior to the Prince of Yan in both civil and military affairs, why would there be such rumors circulating throughout Jiangling City? Do you really think I don't know that it is the ministers who are stirring things up, trying to give me the opportunity to criticize the Prince of Yan?
I'm not stupid, I'm not convinced!

If a few rumors spread by a spy from the false Wei dynasty could truly cause such a commotion in Jiangling City, then there would be no point in fighting for the world; wouldn't it be better to just hand it over to the false Wei?

Liu Shan's lifelike and logically consistent performance successfully led Wu Yi into the misconception that "the Crown Prince knows that the rumors are deliberately spread, but he is unwilling to accept Liu Feng's repeated military achievements and wants to go to the front line himself."

Before Wu Yi could speak, Liu Shan raised his voice again: "You are the Empress Dowager's elder brother and my closest relative. How can you only help the Prince of Yan and not me?"
I am the Crown Prince, the Heir Apparent, and the Emperor's own son! I will not, as Cao Pi and the ministers wish, reprimand the Prince of Yan, nor will I grovel and fawn upon him.

If the King of Yan could capture Hefei and besiege Shouchun, why can't I capture Luyang and besiege Xuxian?

I wish to personally go to Wancheng and challenge the King of Yan! Marquis of Duting may accompany me on this expedition!

Wu Yi was shocked.

I'm just here to mediate, why is the Crown Prince thinking of personally leading an expedition again? Does he want to compete with the Prince of Yan?
"Your Highness, you mustn't!"

Wu Yi felt like she was going crazy.

If Liu Shan were to suffer any mishap due to his "spite," Wu Yi would not be able to pay for it even with ten heads.

Liu Shan sneered: "Does the Marquis of Duting still believe that I am incapable of commanding troops?"

Wu Yi was somewhat flustered.

This is a deadly question I can't answer!

Just as Wu Yi was racking his brains for words of advice, a gruff voice rang out from behind him: "Wu Yi, why are you so timid now? The Crown Prince asked you to go on the expedition because of your kinship. How can you keep making excuses?"

Wu Yi turned around in surprise, only to see that the newcomer was none other than Zhang Fei, the Commandant of Sili!
As the Commandant of the Capital Region, Zhang Fei's duty was to supervise his superiors and subordinates. Logically speaking, he should have quelled the rumors in Jiangling City long ago.

It was only because Zhang Fei had been summoned by Liu Bei to Chang'an before the New Year that he returned to find that rumors were rampant in Jiangling.

Although Zhang Fei was rough and reckless, he was quite meticulous when he wasn't drinking.

They soon realized that there must be high-ranking officials and ministers in Jiangling City stirring up trouble, which made the rumors escalate.

Instead of investigating the ministers and officials who had instigated the trouble, Zhang Fei pretended to investigate the various counties, feigning an attitude of "turning a blind eye," just to discuss the matter after Liu Feng returned.

Upon learning that Liu Feng had returned to Jiangling City, Zhang Fei returned overnight.

As a result, when Zhang Fei went to find Liu Feng early this morning, Liu Feng simply refused to see him, leaving Zhang Fei feeling utterly rebuffed. This infuriated Zhang Fei.

Left with no other choice, Zhang Fei went to see Liu Shan first, and happened to overhear Wu Yi's conversation with Liu Shan.

Just as Zhang Fei was about to ask for clarification, he heard Liu Shan shout, "If the King of Yan can take Hefei and besiege Shouchun, why can't I take Luyang and besiege Xuchang?" He immediately stopped in his tracks.

After pondering this, Zhang Fei had another little idea in mind.

Since Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhuge Liang had all gone to Chang'an, Jiangling City needed someone capable of maintaining order and assisting Liu Shan in overseeing the country.

Therefore, Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong both stayed in Jiangling City. Huang Zhong was responsible for protecting Liu Shan's safety with the northern and southern armies of the imperial city, while Zhang Fei was responsible for supervising the upper and lower levels to prevent Liu Shan from being misled.

however.

Deep down, Zhang Fei didn't want to stay in Jiangling.

Zhang Fei also wanted to improve!

But without military merit, there is no way to advance!

Just like Zhao Yun, although he was brave and had followed Liu Bei for a long time, he had to protect Liu Bei's family and keep the rear in check, so he never had many opportunities to make meritorious contributions. If Liu Bei hadn't sent Zhao Yun to a post outside the capital to make meritorious contributions in the past two years, Zhao Yun would not have been promoted to General of the Rear and appointed Prefect of Nanyang.

Once the thought crossed his mind, Zhang Fei automatically forgot the purpose of his visit and directly chose to support Liu Shan's military campaign.

As for Wu Yi's earnest advice, Zhang Fei ignored it all; any words that tried to stop Liu Shan from sending troops were considered unhelpful.

Upon hearing Zhang Fei's voice, Liu Shan's lips curled into a slight smile: "It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. My brother is right; if my third uncle knew I was going to personally lead the campaign, he certainly wouldn't stop me."

In Liu Feng's plan, Zhang Fei was also a crucial element.

Liu Feng found it strange that he did not see Zhang Fei in Jiangling City yesterday. With such a big incident in Jiangling City, how could Zhang Fei, who was the Commandant of the Capital Region, not be in the city?

Even if Zhang Fei went to Chang'an, he should have swiftly stopped the rumors upon his return, instead of going to inspect the various counties.

Although he didn't understand what Zhang Fei was thinking, Liu Feng's greatest strength was in formulating strategies and tactics based on existing conditions.

As long as Zhang Fei has the will to improve, he will definitely be unable to resist taking the bait that Liu Feng sets out.

Liu Feng's statement to Liu Shan that he would even deceive his own people was not an empty boast.

For Liu Feng, the greatest benefit of being a time traveler lies in his ability to judge people. By combining the theories he read in books with his real-life interactions, he can basically guess most of the other person's desires.

For example, Zhang Fei's desire was definitely not to stay in Jiangling City as the Commandant of the Capital Region, but to send troops to attack Wei.

Whether Zhang Fei arrived early or late, Liu Shan was waiting for Zhang Fei to take the bait.

Wu Yi was even more anxious at this moment.

It was already difficult enough to persuade Liu Shan, and now Zhang Fei has suddenly appeared?
If you don't come early, you won't come late, but you come at this time.

Isn't this deliberately making things difficult for me?

“Zhang Sili, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and his safety is the foundation of the nation. How can we risk the overall situation for a moment of anger? His Majesty is not in Jiangling now, how can Jiangling be left without someone to manage state affairs? If something happens to the Crown Prince, how can we explain it to His Majesty?” Wu Yi argued logically, hoping that Zhang Fei could also advise Liu Shan.

However, Zhang Fei had finally gotten a chance to send troops "openly and legitimately," and he was unwilling to listen to Wu Yi's advice. He sneered, "What pedantic talk! If the Crown Prince personally goes to the front line, the morale of the three armies will be greatly boosted. Wouldn't that be better than reading documents in the palace?"

If the Crown Prince isn't in Jiangling, there's no one to manage state affairs there. What's the point of having ministers and officials then? The Crown Prince is only going to Wancheng to supervise the army; he's not personally leading troops into battle against the Wei rebels. How could anything possibly go wrong?

A few rhetorical questions left Wu Yi speechless for a moment.

Seeing Zhang Fei's reaction, Wu Yi finally understood.

Rather than saying that Zhang Fei supported Liu Shan's decision to send troops, it would be more accurate to say that Zhang Fei himself wanted to send troops.

Think of this.

Wu Yi's tone also became more direct: "Since Zhang Sili has the power of investigation, he should know the profound meaning behind His Majesty's decision to leave Zhang Sili to guard Jiangling!"

Rumors are rampant in Jiangling, and the hearts of officials, scholars, and common people are unsettled. The Crown Prince's most urgent task is to work with the Prince of Yan to stabilize the court, not to engage in a petty squabble with him.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Fei glanced sideways at Wu Yi and asked, "How much did the Prince of Yan give you to make you speak so enthusiastically for him?"

I accepted a bribe?

Wu Yi nearly choked on his breath, and, somewhat exasperated, cried out, "Zhang Sili, when did I accept any benefits from the Prince of Yan? How can you falsely accuse me?"

Zhang Fei chuckled: "Wu Yi, don't be so resentful. If you didn't accept any benefits from the Prince of Yan, why do you always side with him?"

I went to Chang'an, and rumors started spreading in Jiangling. It seemed like spies from the puppet Wei were spreading rumors, but in reality, it was the officials and nobles of Jiangling who were bullying the young and powerless Crown Prince.

As the Empress's elder brother and a close confidant of the Crown Prince, you don't strive to establish prestige for him, but instead constantly try to persuade him to be tolerant. How foolish! Once the Crown Prince gains prestige, who, whether it's the Prince of Yan or the high officials, would dare to cause trouble? You are also a shrewd strategist; how could you not see the Crown Prince's current predicament? Aside from accepting bribes from the Prince of Yan, I can't think of any other reason why you would actively speak up for him.”

At this moment, Liu Shan was overjoyed.

I was thinking of putting in more effort to refute Wu Yi, but Zhang Fei's arrival immediately satisfied my wishes.

The situation has now become this: Cao Pi only used a rumor scheme, but Liu Feng turned the rumor scheme into an open strategy.

Even if Liu Shan knew that Cao Pi was deliberately plotting something, he would still fall into the trap because of a rumor. This led Liu Shan to have the idea and action of personally going to Wancheng to supervise the army and compete with Liu Feng for credit.

Although it was not entirely the same as Cao Pi's initial purpose, it also served the same purpose of sowing discord.

This is the effect of Liu Feng taking advantage of the chaos.

Instead of directly thwarting Cao Pi's rumor scheme, they simply muddied the waters, making Cao Pi feel that although the rumor scheme had not achieved its intended effect, there were new advantages to be gained.

As long as Cao Pi is greedy, he will take the bait.

And now.

Before Cao Pi could even take the bait, Zhang Fei did.

The opportunity to send troops is not to be missed and must be cherished.

As for the "struggle" between Liu Shan and Liu Feng, Zhang Fei had already put it out of his mind.

Just like the statement earlier, "As long as the Crown Prince has prestige, who would dare to cause trouble, whether it's the Prince of Yan or the high officials?" If one has enough prestige, why be afraid of not being able to deter others?
Wu Yi had no way to refute this at this point, so he could only invoke Empress Wu's name and say, "Zhang Sili, I am here on the Empress's orders to persuade the Crown Prince."

Zhang Fei retorted directly, "Did the Empress ever say that the Crown Prince was not allowed to send troops?"

Wu Yi's tone froze: "No."

Subsequently.

Wu Yi lowered his head in dejection.

The empress is not allowed to interfere in matters of state and military affairs. Zhang Fei's question had one meaning: if Wu Yi said that the empress had said it, then the empress was interfering in politics.

If it involves the empress interfering in politics, then the nature of the matter changes.

Liu Shan seized the opportunity to clap his hands: "With my third uncle here, I have nothing to worry about."

Upon hearing Liu Shan address him as "Third Uncle," Zhang Fei felt as sweet as honey and burst into laughter: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will follow your command in this battle and make sure you defeat the Prince of Yan, so that no minister or official dares to underestimate you."

"Don't bring the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat this time, lest people gossip again that the Crown Prince only achieved military merit because of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

Wu Yi gritted his teeth and advised again, "Zhang Sili, if the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat doesn't offer advice, who can serve as the Crown Prince's military advisor and assist him in deploying troops?"

Zhang Fei scoffed: "It's not like only the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat can come up with ideas! Besides, the Crown Prince also has the ability to mobilize troops, so why does the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat need to go?"

Furthermore, since the Crown Prince has gone to Wancheng, Jiangling still needs the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to manage all officials. The Crown Prince has his own plans, so you don't need to worry.”

Wu Yi was helpless.

They had no choice but to get up and leave.

After Wu Yi left, Zhang Fei's expression turned cold again: "Crown Prince, what exactly is going on between you and the Prince of Yan?"

Zhang Fei simply wanted to improve; he wasn't stupid.

Supporting Liu Shan's decision to send troops and inquiring about the relationship between Liu Shan and Liu Feng are two different things.

One yard owned by a yard.

Liu Shan slammed his fist on the table indignantly: "As the Crown Prince, how can I be inferior to the Prince of Yan!"

Zhang Fei felt a chill run down his spine. Still pretending?

“Your Highness, Wu Yi has already left. You’ve already called me Third Uncle. Are you going to lie to me too?” Zhang Fei gestured for Liu Shan to tell the truth.

Liu Shan did not forget Liu Feng's instructions and firmly denied that he was deceiving Zhang Fei. Instead, he asked, "You don't even believe your nephew, Uncle?"

I know that Father has always liked Prince Yan. If it weren't for the fear that making Prince Yan the crown prince would alienate the people, I certainly wouldn't have become the crown prince.

My nephew was born out of wedlock and only managed to secure the position of legitimate son by being raised under the care of my mother. The Prince of Yan did not want to ruin his father's grand plan to revive the Han Dynasty, so he gave up competing with my nephew for the position of crown prince.

While the Emperor was alive, the Prince of Yan would not covet the position of Crown Prince; but once the Emperor passed away, how could the Prince of Yan not have such thoughts? Previously, the Prince of Yan was only a general and did not have a fiefdom.

Now things are different. The Emperor not only granted Xincheng County to the Prince of Yan as a temporary fiefdom, but also appointed the Prince of Yan as the Governor of Yangzhou and the Commander-in-Chief of Jianghuai. Sun Quan's tens of thousands of troops and his civil and military officials were all under the Prince of Yan's command.

In other words, the current King of Yan has effectively replaced Sun Quan as the new King of Wu and the new ruler of Jiangdong! And my nephew is just a regent prince without any military authority!
Given time, the King of Yan will conquer Shouchun and then head north to Xuzhou, thus establishing the foundation of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. His power will be unmatched. In the future, he will sweep across the north. Will the people of the north respect the King of Yan or their nephew?

If the Prince of Yan acts arrogantly in the future, should I punish him or not? If I punish him, I will be considered ungrateful and forgetful of the Prince of Yan's contributions; if I do not punish him, how will that be different from the practice of powerful relatives of the empress throughout history?
Uncle, this time, I must make a great contribution, and I must take Luyang and Xu County before the Prince of Yan takes Shouchun!

"Once my nephew gains prestige, he'll be able to keep the Prince of Yan and all the officials in check!"

Liu Shan spoke with such conviction that it sounded as if it were the truth!
Although Liu Shan was intentionally deceiving Zhang Fei, he was still taught these words by Liu Feng.

A monarch must have prestige; this was a view that Liu Feng always insisted on, which is why he tried every means to help Liu Shan enhance his prestige.

The same principle applies to sending Liu Shan, along with Zhuge Liang and others, on a northern expedition to Longyou. The same principle applies to sending Liu Shan to Wancheng this time; both are aimed at helping Liu Shan enhance his military prestige.

Although Liu Feng also desired power, he placed greater emphasis on reputation.

Therefore, Liu Feng would devote himself to military struggle, striving to destroy Cao Wei and restore the Han Dynasty as soon as possible.

However, Liu Feng was, after all, only human.

Accidents can happen to anyone.

Perhaps Liu Feng's luck will allow him to avoid accidents as much as possible, but no one can say for sure whether Liu Feng will suddenly die in battle or from illness.

If Liu Shan were to die prematurely before achieving his great ambitions, and if he lacked sufficient prestige to intimidate his officials, a man named Qiao Zhou would likely be able to directly criticize him with his "anti-China rhetoric."

In the end, the three families were united under the Jin dynasty, allowing the powerful clans to reap the final victory, rendering Liu Feng's efforts over the years futile.

The cunning rabbit still has three burrows.

Liu Feng, who was always cunning, was no exception.

If Liu Feng's luck allows him to live to see the unification of China, that would be ideal; if not, Liu Feng would still need a successor.

after all.

Liu Feng is almost forty years old.

Zhang Fei listened with skepticism, and seeing Liu Shan's "sincere" expression, he couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that I'm just overthinking things?

the other side.

Wu Yi visited the Prince of Yan's residence again and informed Liu Feng that Liu Shan intended to personally visit Wancheng and that Zhang Fei also supported sending troops. He hoped that Liu Feng could host a private banquet for Liu Shan.

Wu Yi has not given up on trying to reconcile the two sides.

Unexpectedly.

Liu Feng's expression changed drastically: "I risked my life on the front lines, yet someone in the rear falsely accused me of having ulterior motives. I didn't want to take the Crown Prince's drunken words to heart, but now you want me to host a banquet for the Crown Prince alone?"

"So you mean I have to apologize to the Crown Prince? Wu Yi, are you humiliating me?"

Wu Yi's expression changed drastically, and he quickly explained, "Your Highness, that's not what I meant."

Liu Feng ignored him, turned around with a flick of his sleeve, and said, "Sun Lu, see the guest out!"

Sun Lü, his hand on his sword hilt, gestured to Wu Yi, saying, "Marquis of Duting, please!"

Looking at Liu Feng who had turned away, Wu Yi sighed and walked away.

Sun Lu immediately closed the gate tightly, then jogged back, his face full of doubt: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince wants to personally visit Wancheng, aren't you going to dissuade him?"

Liu Feng turned around and sat down at the stone table, chuckling, "Why try to persuade him? If the Crown Prince wants to go to Wancheng, let him go."

Then, Liu Feng took out a silk scroll from his bosom and handed it to Sun Lü, instructing him: "According to my instructions, arrange some men to spread the news throughout the city. Within three days, I want the entire city to know the contents of the silk scroll!"

Sun Lu opened the silk scroll with a puzzled look, glanced at its contents, and exclaimed in surprise, "If this is how it's spread, won't the rumors of discord between His Highness and the Crown Prince become even more intense?"

Liu Feng chuckled: "That's exactly the effect I wanted! The Crown Prince is not convinced by me and has decided to personally go to Wancheng to attack Luyang! Look, what a wonderful 'internal strife'!"

Sun Lu seemed to understand, but not quite.

He scratched his head and then accepted the order to arrange manpower.

With Liu Feng's encouragement, rumors in Jiangling City escalated rapidly, and even Liu Shan's drunken slip of the tongue at the Empress's banquet was "unintentionally" leaked.

And this time.

Then someone discovered that Li Miao, who was supposed to be sent back to Shu, was still outside the city.

According to Li Miao's servant, Li Miao was merely taking a vacation outside the city to avoid the limelight. Once the storm passed, he would still be highly regarded by Liu Shan and would have a bright future and a successful official career.

This further fueled rumors of discord between Liu Feng and Liu Shan.

Later, it was rumored that Zhang Fei had a "debate with the scholars" in the main hall, strongly supporting Liu Shan's personal visit to Wancheng to attack Luyang.

Liu Shan also defied public opinion and disregarded the advice of ministers and officials, deciding to appoint the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Fa Zheng, to guard Jiangling, Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong as generals, Fei Yi and Dong Yun as military advisors, and Li Yan to supervise the transport of grain and fodder, leading 30,000 troops from Jingzhou into Wancheng.

At the same time, Guan Xing and Guan Ping were ordered to lead a detachment to contain Yu Jin and Sima Yi in Pingchun and Yiyang.

As news spread throughout Jiangling that "the Crown Prince intends to challenge the King of Yan," Liu Shan offered sacrifices to Heaven outside the city and vowed to launch a northern expedition, displaying an overwhelming determination to "not return until victory is achieved."

Changan.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Bei was shocked and stood up abruptly. (End of Chapter)