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

You deceive yourself before you deceive others.

Only by deceiving your own people can you keep your opponents guessing.

While deceiving one's own teammates carries the risk of them believing the deception and being taken advantage of by the enemy, this risk is acceptable compared to the allure of success.

No strategy is without risk.

To fight against others, you need not only clever strategies, but also a willingness to take risks.

Liu Feng neither gambles nor is good at gambling, but he dares to gamble with his life and is good at it.

Success! Liu Feng's name resounded throughout the Central Plains.

No, Liu Feng accepted his defeat.

Liu Feng's gamble made Liu Bei in Chang'an, like Wu Yi and Zhang Fei, a "victim".

Judging from reason, Liu Bei concluded that it was just two kids faking a fight.

Judging from an emotional perspective, Liu Bei was worried that his two mischievous children might actually be misled by the rumors.

Judging from the intelligence, Jiangling City had high-ranking officials such as Fa Zheng, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Fei Yi, Li Yan, Dong Yun, Ma Liang, and Jiang Wan, yet rumors still spread throughout the city. Even Liu Feng was forced to return to Jiangling City from Hefei. In addition, Liu Shan had sent troops. If there were no conflicts, Liu Bei would not believe it.

Subconsciously, Liu Bei thought of Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Cao Cao.

"Power can change a person's mindset. My two sons should not follow the same path as their predecessors, right?" Liu Bei suddenly felt a little insecure.

It wasn't that Liu Bei lost his mind.

Instead, Liu Bei, who was far away in Chang'an, had been paying homage to his ancestors in Chang'an and had rarely been involved in military and state affairs. Naturally, he was not timely in getting information about his two sons who were far away in Jing and Yang.

In Liu Bei's words: After fighting a lifetime of wars, it's time to enjoy myself in Chang'an.

Power in both the court and the countryside was basically being transferred to Liu Shan.

Although Liu Bei also wanted to unify the country quickly like Liu Bang and Liu Xiu, the current situation was completely different from that of Liu Bang and Liu Xiu.

Liu Bang was the one who led a coalition of warlords to overthrow the tyrannical Qin dynasty and then swept away other warlords; Liu Xiu was the one who led a coalition of warlords to overthrow the Xin dynasty and then swept away other warlords. Both of them initially had various warlords overthrowing the original regime under a unified banner before vying for power among themselves.

There is no need for moral pressure, nor is there any need to use the emperor to command the nobles. Whoever can fight and win the hearts of the people will be the winner.

When Liu Bei was able to contend for the throne, he was already facing two behemoths, Cao Cao and Sun Quan.

To witness the complete annihilation of Sun Quan's power at the age of sixty-six is ​​something to be proud of.

If I'm too old and still have to worry about everything, I might just pass away one day.

in contrast.

If you continue playing music and dancing in Chang'an, relax your mindset, and smoothly transition power, you might live a few more years.

With his eldest son Liu Feng, a skilled warrior, Liu Bei was able to enjoy this rare moment of leisure in Chang'an with peace of mind.

"Summon the Prime Minister to see me immediately."

Instead of speculating about internal strife, Liu Bei directly sent someone to summon Zhuge Liang to discuss the matter.

Zhuge Liang had a more detailed understanding of the information about Jing and Yang than Liu Bei.

Liu Bei can enjoy this, but Zhuge Liang, as the prime minister, cannot yet.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Zhuge Liang glanced at the secret report that Wu Yi had sent directly to Liu Bei, then cupped his hands in congratulations to Liu Bei.

"Ok?"

Liu Bei raised an eyebrow: "Prime Minister, with the two sons vying for power and rumors spreading, what joy can I possibly have?"

Liu Bei also wanted to be happy, but Wu Yi's secret letter almost characterized the matter as a "national crisis," so he really couldn't be happy.

Zhuge Liang said solemnly, "The Crown Prince has a keen ambition, that is the first joy; the Crown Prince saw through the rumors and turned the tables on them, that is the second joy; the Crown Prince is full of martial virtue, that is the third joy. With these three joys, how can Your Majesty say you have no joy?"

Liu Bei was taken aback, then rubbed his forehead: "Prime Minister, how could the Crown Prince have such methods? If it is truly as the Prime Minister says, then it must be the Prince of Yan who secretly instructed the Crown Prince to do so."

Zhuge Liang then said, "The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan do not doubt each other and have joined forces to devise a plan. This is the fourth joy."

Upon hearing Zhuge Liang mention the fourth piece of good news, Liu Bei's face revealed undisguised pride.

Look!
My two sons are far superior to the sons of Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, and Cao Cao.

Liu Bei had not fully trusted Wu Yi's secret letter, and rationally believed that Liu Feng and Liu Shan would not fight to the point of spreading rumors. Now, with Zhuge Liang's "four reasons for joy," he felt much more at ease.

"Since the Prince of Yan and the Crown Prince have joined forces to deceive me, they must have something in mind. What does the Prime Minister think I should do in cooperation?" The advantage of talking to a smart person is that you don't need to beat around the bush. Often, a simple hint is enough for them to understand, without needing to analyze things over and over again.

Liu Bei was concise and to the point, directly asking "how to cooperate," because only with good cooperation could the schemes of Liu Feng and Liu Shan have a better chance of succeeding.

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and then came to an answer: "I believe that Your Majesty should act a little more muddleheaded."

"Incompetent?" Liu Bei was taken aback, not expecting Zhuge Liang to give such an answer.

He lowered his head and thought about it seriously for a while.

Liu Bei understood Zhuge Liang's intention.

Zhuge Liang left out two more words: add "old age" before "muddled and confused".

Being old and senile is a good excuse.

Even a powerful emperor like Emperor Wu of Han made some foolish mistakes in his later years, leading to his crown prince's rebellion and suicide.

This foolish act is not a sign of intellectual decline, but rather a manifestation of the loss of control over the art of political balancing.

Another example is Cao Cao.

After establishing Cao Pi as heir apparent, Cao Wei tacitly allowed the existence of Cao Zhi's power, leading to a continuous split within the political group in Ye City. Although this reflected a balance of political maneuvering, it also objectively exacerbated factional struggles within Cao Wei.

The mistakes that Cao Cao could make, Liu Bei could make as well.

We are the only heroes in the world, so it's not surprising that we become a little senile as we get older.

However, there are nuances to understanding how to become muddleheaded.

He needed to appear so incompetent that the Cao Wei rulers and ministers would believe he was truly "incompetent," but he also couldn't allow the Han political group to actually split.

The degree of this needs to be controlled.

After a moment's thought, Liu Bei asked directly, "How should I be considered foolish?"

While Liu Bei was pondering, Zhuge Liang had already made a plan and said, "Your Majesty may issue a formal edict to enfeoff Liu Lin, the son of the King of Yan, as the Marquis of Wu, and to bestow upon him the daughter of Sun Quan, Sun Luyu, as Liu Lin's wife. Considering that Liu Lin and Sun Luyu are young, Sun Luyu may be temporarily raised in the Empress's palace, and they may be married upon reaching adulthood."

Furthermore, in recognition of the Prince of Yan's merits in pacifying Jiangdong and capturing Hefei, he was further granted the title of Grand General, concurrently serving as Governor of Xuzhou, and given the authority to command the military and political affairs of Xuzhou and Yangzhou. He was also granted the privilege of "not having to hasten his steps when entering the court, not having to name his subject when presenting memorials, and being allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace."

Zhou Fang, a subordinate of the Prince of Yan, could be promoted to Governor of Yangzhou; Lu Xun could be promoted to General Who Pacifies the North and Prefect of Lujiang.

The remaining civil and military officials will be appointed and requested by the King of Yan himself.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

Zhuge Liang is about to do something big!

Although Liu Feng deserved rewards for pacifying Jiangdong and capturing Hefei, it was inappropriate for Liu Bei to directly appoint him as Grand General.

Normally.

It should be that after Liu Bei's death, Liu Shan bestowed upon Liu Feng the title of Grand General, which is called "imperial favor".

However, Liu Bei directly appointed Liu Feng as Grand General, leaving no one else to bestow titles upon after Liu Shan ascended the throne. Any normal emperor would not have appointed Liu Feng as Grand General at this time; this was not a reward for Liu Feng, but rather a deliberate attempt to incite conflict between Liu Feng and Liu Shan.

anyway.

Many emperors enjoyed doing this, especially those who were capable, who liked to use one son as a whetstone for another.

Emperors are often lenient with their subjects.

This is basically a consensus.

It is rare to see people as sentimental as Liu Bei and his son.

Zhuge Liang made Liu Bei appear muddleheaded, but in reality, he made Liu Bei use "common emperor thinking" to appear muddleheaded.

"Will it be too risky?"

Liu Bei pondered for a long time, feeling somewhat worried.

If used well, it's a brilliant strategy; if used poorly, it's a foolish move.

Zhuge Liang said solemnly, “I understand Your Majesty’s concerns. However, regardless of whether Your Majesty is incompetent or not, the open and covert struggles within and outside the court will not cease because of this.”

The rumor scheme was just a minor one. Without the encouragement of high-ranking officials, how could the rumors have spread so widely in Jiangling City?

Even before the decisive battle with the pseudo-Wei has begun, and before the Han Dynasty has even entered the Central Plains, undercurrents against the Prince of Yan are already surging.

While Your Majesty is alive, there is still a way to keep them in check; but if Your Majesty passes away, how could the Prince of Yan, with his personality, tolerate it? At that time, no matter what the Prince of Yan and the Crown Prince do, they will be wrong.

Instead of waiting for this opportunity, let the undercurrents come to light, and at the same time prove to the world that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan are still brothers even in the face of rumors all over the city, and will instead take the opportunity to join forces to deal with the pseudo-Wei.

If rumors circulate again in the future, even if the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan really have a conflict, the people of the world will only think that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan are playing tricks again.

In this way, the court and the people can be at peace!

Zhuge Liang meticulously analyzed Liu Feng's intentions one by one.

So you're going to use rumors as a tactic?
it is good!
Stay with them.

Every time Cao Wei used it, Liu Feng and Liu Shan would openly clash, and then secretly join forces to deal with Cao Wei.

One time might not arouse suspicion.

Two times, three times, and so on, even the dumbest person will see through it.

Whether on the Cao Wei side or the Han side, officials who wanted to advance through unorthodox means had to lose interest.

Good guy!
Are you trying to portray us here?

You, my brother, are the protagonist, while we're all just clowns?
Liu Bei got up and paced back and forth, deep in thought.

a long time.

Liu Bei said decisively, "As the Prime Minister wishes, let us issue an edict to all the prefectures immediately! As for the Crown Prince's personal visit to Wancheng, we can issue another edict stating, 'Now that the Crown Prince has assumed the presidency, he should make independent decisions on military affairs. I am old, and the Crown Prince should encourage him.'"

Done.

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang exchanged a smile.

The emperor and his minister began to discuss the specific details.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei ordered Guo Youzhi, a court attendant, to travel day and night to Jiangling to announce the imperial edict.

Once the imperial edict was issued...

This once again shocked the officials and ministers of Jiangling, as well as the people and spies of Cao Wei within the city.

Leaving aside Liu Lin's status as Marquis of Wu and his marriage to Sun Quan's daughter, the mere fact that Liu was promoted to "Grand General, concurrently Governor of Xu Province, and Commander-in-Chief of the military and political affairs of Xu and Yang Provinces with the authority to 'enter the court without hastening, present memorials without naming his name, and wear a sword and shoes in the palace' was enough to shock everyone."

The edict to Crown Prince Liu Shan, stating, "Now that you are overseeing the country, you should make independent decisions on military affairs. I am old, and you should encourage me," almost bluntly said: You are the future emperor of the Han Dynasty, so you should handle the important affairs of the country yourself.

"What is Your Majesty trying to do? Why would you suddenly issue such an edict? Isn't this deliberately trying to provoke a conflict between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan?"

"Although the Prince of Yan has military achievements in pacifying Jiangdong and capturing Hefei, the Crown Prince has also contributed a great deal. Directly promoting the Prince of Yan to the position of Grand General is going too far."

"The son of the King of Yan is the Marquis of Wu, and Zhou Fang, a confidant of the King of Yan, is the Governor of Yangzhou. The King of Yan also serves as the Governor of Xuzhou. If we wait for the King of Yan to take Shouchun and then take Shouchun again, with the combined strength of Xuzhou and Yangzhou, he will be no less powerful than the Hegemon-King of Western Chu in the past."

"What exactly does Your Majesty mean? Is it because you fear that the Crown Prince will be detrimental to the Prince of Yan after he ascends the throne, and therefore refuse to appoint the Prince of Yan as Grand General, so you are granting the Prince of Yan so much power in advance?"

"His Majesty doesn't object to the Crown Prince's military expedition. Does this mean he's dissatisfied with the Crown Prince, or is there another reason?"

"I heard that Li Miao, the former Imperial Academy Doctor, has been appointed as the Crown Prince's military advisor. It seems the rumors were true; the Crown Prince was just pretending to punish Li Miao."

"."

All of a sudden.

The people of Jiangling City were filled with fear and unease.

Meanwhile, Cao Wei's spies quickly spread the news to Luoyang through various channels.

"Liu Bei, this old soldier, is finally getting old and senile. Even if he loves Liu Feng, he shouldn't reward him so generously. He's already a general now. How will he reward Liu Feng after Liu Shan succeeds to the throne?"
Is it because he feels indebted to Liu Feng that he wants to grant him both Xu and Yang prefectures? That old soldier who sold shoes really doesn't understand people's hearts.

My plan has succeeded!

Inside the palace.

Cao Pi burst into laughter.

The rumors worked better than expected; this was the best news Cao Pi had heard since learning that Hefei had been captured by Liu Feng.

In front of the palace.

Cao Xiu rubbed his hands together, eager to take the lead, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to atone for my crimes by entering Luyang. Although I dare not boast that I can capture Liu Shan alive, I will certainly defeat him."

"If Liu Shan is defeated, he will be unable to enhance his military prestige to intimidate Liu Feng. With a weak ruler and powerful ministers, internal strife is inevitable!"

Jiang Ji cautiously advised, "Liu Feng has always been cunning. What if Liu Shan deliberately lured the army into Luyang to cover Liu Feng's capture of Shouchun? What then?"

Cao Xiu laughed loudly: "Does Minister Jiang mean that Liu Shan is willing to be Liu Feng's sidekick? Is he only trying to establish Liu Feng's prestige so that Liu Feng can replace Liu Shan?"
Hahaha! Although Liu Shan was known for his humility and filial piety, he was Liu Bei's own son, the crown prince of the pseudo-Han dynasty, and the future emperor of the pseudo-Han dynasty. How could he hand over the throne to Liu Feng?
Even if Liu Shan really had this idea, would those officials and ministers of the pseudo-Han regime allow Liu Feng to replace Liu Shan?

His Majesty merely used a small rumor-mongering tactic, yet it caused widespread panic and rumors throughout Jiangling. If no one had fueled the flames, would Minister Jiang have thought it was possible?
Even if Jiang Shangshu's guess is true, Shouchun is a fortified city with high walls and deep waters, and is guarded by Man Chong and others, Liu Feng would not be able to break through it even with an army of 100,000.

top priority.

The plan was to gather elite troops to defeat Liu Shan's army and break his morale, after which the army could rest and recuperate, waiting for the pseudo-Han regime to descend into internal strife.

Cao Xiu, beaming with pride, launched into a scathing analysis, his momentum as fierce as a tiger.

In Cao Xiu's view.

Liu Shan would never willingly play a supporting role for Liu Feng.

Even if someone has to play a supporting role, it should be Liu Feng playing a supporting role for Liu Shan.

There is no kinship in the imperial family.

Just look at Cao Pi to see.

Cao Xiu's rebuttal left Jiang Ji speechless.

Jiang Ji judged Liu Feng based on his military cunning, while Cao Xiu judged him based on Liu Feng's and Liu Shan's positions.

Although both have their basis, Cao Xiu's judgment is clearly more in line with "human nature." (End of this chapter)