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

Chapter 218 Strategic Determination, General Liu Feng's Debut (Vote Requested)
Because Xiahou Shang fell ill due to the death of his concubine, he was unable to command troops for a short period of time.

Cao Pi then further promoted Cao Rui to General Who Conquers the South, and appointed Jiang Ji and Liu Ye as military advisors, Chen Qun's son Chen Tai and Cao Zhen's son Cao Shuang as military advisors, leading 10,000 infantry and cavalry to Luyang.

They joined forces with General Xu Huang of Luyang, along with 20,000 infantry and cavalry including the fierce generals Xu Shang, Yin Shu, Lü Jian, Zhu Gai, Chang Diao, Zhuge Qian, and Wang Shuang.

With 30,000 infantry and cavalry, they defended against Liu Shan's invasion.

The Office of the Minister of Personnel.

Chen Qun carefully instructed Chen Tai: "Prince Pingyuan should have been the crown prince, but His Majesty is suspicious of Prince Pingyuan because of the death of Empress Zhen, and has been reluctant to make Prince Pingyuan the crown prince."

Throughout history, the practice of deposing the eldest son in favor of the youngest has been a recipe for disaster. The calamities suffered by Yuan Shao and Liu Biao in the past serve as a stark reminder, and caution is always advised.

This time, Liu Bei's son Liu Shan led his troops to invade, which is the perfect opportunity for the Prince of Pingyuan to regain his prestige. As long as he can hold Luyang and repel Liu Shan, the ministers can petition His Majesty to make the Prince of Pingyuan the crown prince.

Therefore, in this battle, victory or a draw is acceptable, but defeat is unacceptable, and above all, the loss of Luyang is unthinkable!

Chen Tai couldn't understand: "It has always been taboo for the royal family for a subject to participate in the struggle for succession. Why would Father want to get himself into this mess and arouse His Majesty's suspicion?"

Chen Qun shook his head: "You only know one side of the story, not the other. This is not a dispute over the succession, but a dispute over the foundation of the state. When the Great Wei was first established, I proposed the Nine-Rank System, just to ensure that all ethnic groups in the Central Plains could have a proper order of rank and status."

With order established, the country will be stable. I do not wish for the country to be thrown into turmoil again because of the matter of choosing a crown prince.

Moreover, none of the princes are currently qualified to compete with Prince Pingyuan for the position of heir. It is best to have His Majesty appoint Prince Pingyuan as the crown prince as soon as possible. When you enter the court as a minister in the future, you will surely be valued by Prince Pingyuan.

This action is both for the sake of the nation and for the sake of our family. Only when the nation and our family are safe can the Chen family prosper. You must remember this.

Chen Tai bowed in admiration: "Father's plans are far-sighted, and I admire them. However, although I am a military advisor, I do not understand military affairs and do not know how to help the Prince of Pingyuan defend Luyang."

Chen Qun had already planned ahead and said, "After you arrive in Luyang, you can send a messenger to inform Sima Yi in Yiyang about the situation in the court. With Sima Yi's wisdom, he will surely be able to help the Prince of Pingyuan defend Luyang. As for other matters, you should listen to the ideas of Jiang Ji and Liu Ye. Do not be arrogant just because you are a member of the Chen family."

Subsequently.

Chen Qun then explained the specific details to Chen Tai one by one, fearing that Chen Tai might ruin the important matter by relying on his background.

And on the other side.

Cao Shuang came to congratulate Cao Rui.

After the defeat in Chang'an, Cao Rui adopted Zhong Yao's strategy and tried his best to "play the victim" in front of Empress Guo. Although he did not get the position of crown prince, he was spared from being held accountable by Cao Pi for the defeat.

Subsequently.

Cao Rui was then transferred back to Luoyang.

Upon returning to Luoyang, Cao Rui became even more "attentive" to Empress Guo, showing her utmost filial piety.

Regardless of the Han or Wei dynasties, "filial piety" was an important standard for evaluating the moral character of scholars.

The more filial Cao Rui was to Empress Guo, the more he was praised by scholars, which was one of the reasons why Chen Qun and others tried so hard to make Cao Rui the crown prince.

now.

After hardship comes happiness.

Cao Rui was delighted to have the opportunity to command troops again.

However, when Cao Rui thought of Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong who followed Liu Shan, he felt a pang of frustration and envy: "They are all his own sons, but the generals Liu Bei assigned to Liu Shan far surpass those of his father."

Liu Shan already brought Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong with him, so Cao Pi would have to bring in a few veteran generals and seasoned officers.

result.

Cao Pi only mentioned that Jiang Ji, Liu Ye, Cao Shuang, and Chen Tai should accompany the army, and he also transferred 10,000 infantry and cavalry from Luoyang to Cao Rui. The rest were only Xu Huang from Luyang and others.

Upon learning the reason for Cao Rui's worries, Cao Shuang comforted him, saying, "Although no great generals are accompanying the army, this southward march is not to engage Liu Shan in a decisive battle on the plains, but to defend our strategic positions. Even if Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong are as brave as they are, they are now old. Can they still don armor and be the first to charge into battle?"

Despite this, Cao Rui remained displeased and asked, "Does Zhao Bo have any worthy candidates to recommend?"

Cao Shuang pondered for a moment and said, "Literary clerk Guanqiu Jian and Wen Ji's son Wen Qin can be generals."

Cao Rui frowned: "Zhonggong has served me for many years and is one of my trusted confidants. Wenqin was involved in Wei Feng's rebellion, but the late emperor pardoned him because of Wenji's past merits. How can we use him?"

Cao Shuang replied without hesitation: "When Wei Feng plotted a rebellion in the past, Wen Qin was merely misled and not sincere. This is why the late emperor pardoned Wen Qin."

After being demoted to a commoner, Wenqin was depressed and frustrated. If Your Highness could be kind enough to promote Wenqin, Wenqin would surely serve Your Highness to the death.

Wenqin was also from Qiao County, the same hometown as Your Highness.

Hear this.

Cao Rui understood perfectly.

It is more effective to promote Wen Qin when he is down on his luck than to win him over when he is successful.

Think of this.

Cao Rui made a decision: "I will follow Zhao Bo's advice and summon Wen Qin to join the army. If there are any like Wen Qin who are not successful, Zhao Bo can help me win them over. All rewards can be promised first and then given to me later."

Cao Shuang was overjoyed: "I will certainly live up to Your Highness's expectations!"

Cao Shuang did not disappoint Cao Rui's trust. In addition to Wen Qin, he recruited more than ten fierce generals who had been demoted for their crimes into his army.

Cao Rui didn't delay either.

After reorganizing his troops, he led his civil and military officials, along with 10,000 infantry and cavalry, south to Luyang.

And during this period.

Liu Shan, along with Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and others, arrived at Wancheng to join forces with Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun was quite surprised to learn that Liu Shan had come in person.

"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall; how could the Crown Prince disregard his own safety and personally go to a dangerous place?"

Zhao Yun is still the same Zhao Yun.

They wouldn't be more tactful just because Liu Shan became the crown prince; they would still speak directly when necessary.

In front of Zhao Yun, Liu Shan would not show any disrespect due to his status as the crown prince.

They rescued the master at Changban Slope and at the river crossing.

Zhao Yun gave up the opportunity to kill enemies and make merits like other generals, and devoted himself to protecting Liu Shan. Even though he did not get promoted for many years, he had no complaints.

Whenever he thought back, Liu Shan deeply felt the hardships Zhao Yun had endured.

But thinking of Liu Feng's plan, Liu Shan had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "General, I am the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince should have military might."

Now, the Prince of Yan has been appointed Grand General and Governor of Xuzhou by my father, and rumors are rampant in Jiangling. If I do not personally lead the expedition to achieve merit, not only will I be ridiculed by the enemy state, but I will also arouse suspicion among my ministers.”

Zhao Yun frowned: "These rumors are all deliberately instigated by traitors to sow discord between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan. How can we believe them so easily? The officials in the court are all wise men, so why would they be suspicious? Haven't you heard that rumors stop with the wise?"

Liu Shan's momentum seemed somewhat weak: "General, now that I'm here, how about we discuss these matters after we've captured Luyang?"

Seeing that Zhao Yun was asking too hastily, Zhang Fei grabbed Zhao Yun's shoulder and shouted in Zhao Yun's ear: "Zilong, the Crown Prince has grown up and has his own ideas. We can't always impose our past experiences on the Crown Prince. That's not right!"
As elders, we should give the younger generation opportunities to learn and grow. Even if they fail, we old folks are still here, so it won't affect the overall situation.

Look, I've brought my son along this time! Zhang Bao, come over and pay your respects to your Uncle Zhao.

A chubby-faced young general, with a slight hunch of his neck, quickly approached Zhao Yun and greeted him politely, "Nephew Zhang Bao greets Uncle Zhao."

Distracted by Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun had no choice but to turn around and return the greeting, then showered Zhang Bao with praise.

Just as he was about to continue their previous conversation, Zhang Fei asked again, "Zilong, why didn't your son come? Is he afraid of dying?"

Zhao Yun blushed instantly: "Yide, my eldest son is only seventeen."

Zhang Fei pursed his lips: "When I was seventeen, I was already fighting the Yellow Turbans with His Majesty; when you, Zilong, were seventeen, you were already a junior officer in Changshan."

Zilong, spoiling your children is like killing them. You can't just think about protecting them without giving them opportunities to learn and grow.

After being teased and joked around by Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun lost his previous momentum.

They've even said things like "spoiling a child is like killing him," so how can they possibly persuade Liu Shan to go back?
Zhang Fei gave Huang Zhong a look, and Huang Zhong chuckled and said, "Although I am old, I am still more than capable of protecting the Crown Prince."

See this.

Zhao Yun had no choice but to give up his idea of ​​persuading Liu Shan to return.

Subsequently.

Zhao Yun dismissed everyone else and privately asked Zhang Fei, "Yide, what exactly happened? How could the Prince of Yan be at odds with the Crown Prince?"

Zhang Fei's big eyes darted around: "Zilong, do you also think that the Prince of Yan and the Crown Prince won't be at odds?"

Zhao Yun said irritably, "Yide, it's just the two of us here now, why are you playing tricks on me?"

Zhang Fei chuckled: "Zilong, don't be angry. Actually, I don't know what happened either. The Crown Prince didn't tell me either."

Zhao Yun's eyes widened: "Yide, are you trying to trick me?"

Zhang Fei shrugged: "Zilong, don't you know who I am? Why would I lie to you? I just said that the Crown Prince has grown up and has his own ideas. Even His Majesty is turning a blind eye, so why should we pry? Just fight battles and earn merit, isn't that enough?"

Zhao Yun was even more surprised.

soon.

Zhao Yun realized what was going on: "So, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan are playing along, deliberately trying to make things difficult for each other. But this is too risky. If something happens to the Crown Prince, we will both be held responsible."

Zhang Fei didn't take it to heart: "Zilong, don't worry. We certainly can't let the Crown Prince lead the charge. The Crown Prince is also self-aware; he's just going to personally lead the campaign under the banner, not acting recklessly. Not everyone is like Sun Quan, who, relying on his martial prowess, went to fight Zhang Liao."

After Zhang Fei's long persuasion, Zhao Yun gradually put aside his worries and asked, "Since it's just a pretense of discord, then the Crown Prince's offensive should be as fierce as possible, so as to create the illusion that the Crown Prince is eager to make merit and surpass the Prince of Yan."

"Does Yide have a good plan?"

Without hesitation, Zhang Fei said, "Wait!"

"Wait?" Zhao Yun was taken aback.

Zhang Fei's tone was appreciative: "The Crown Prince said that Cao Rui will definitely come to Luyang. Therefore, we only need to conserve our strength and then attack Luyang when Cao Rui arrives."

Zhao Yun pondered: "Although Cao Rui is not the crown prince of the pseudo-Wei, as Cao Pi's eldest son, he is the most likely person to become the crown prince of the pseudo-Wei."

Because of Cao Rui's defeat in the Battle of Guanzhong and his retreat to Chang'an, he lacked prestige and was not made crown prince. If he were to return this time, he would definitely compete with the crown prince for supremacy.

The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan are trying to pull the same trick again!

"Shh!" Zhang Fei lowered his voice: "Zilong, don't talk nonsense! The Crown Prince just wants to compete with the Prince of Yan. The Crown Prince is afraid that the Prince of Yan's achievements will overshadow the Crown Prince. He absolutely has no intention of repeating the same trick!"

Zhao Yun understood, then kicked over the table in the tent and shouted angrily, "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, how dare the Prince of Yan presume to rely on his military might? Does he think we old generals don't exist? We are old, not dead!"

This sudden change left Zhang Fei stunned. Was he already putting on an act?

Meanwhile, within Jiangling City.

After Liu Shan left, civil and military officials of all ranks sent visiting cards to the Prince of Yan's residence one after another.

Liu Feng is now a Grand General, and Liu Bei's thoughts are somewhat "ambiguous".

So some people wanted to send invitations to curry favor, hoping to get ahead by chance and realize their dreams of advancement.

This group of civil and military officials can almost all be categorized as those who cannot advance through normal means or whose current advancement cannot satisfy their inner ambitions. If Liu Feng cannot properly settle them, they are likely to be respected but resentful.

There is no distinction between black and white in the imperial court.

Rather than letting them run wild, it's better to gather them under your command and properly restrain and guide them. This is also a way for Liu Feng to assist Liu Shan in indirectly controlling the other civil and military officials in the court.

When a business becomes large, the benefits must be shared equally.

Inequality will lead to complaints.

The desire to improve is human nature and inevitable.

We can't let Liu Bei and his son enjoy all the benefits while the civil and military officials don't even get a sip of soup.

In order to cooperate with the original plan and to win over the hearts of these civil and military officials, Liu Feng showed sufficient magnanimity: he replied to the letters of invitation that were sent by the civil and military officials and attended the banquets that were to be attended.

Not vague at all.

Liu Feng's attitude of "always replying to every invitation and attending every banquet" made civil and military officials eager to curry favor with him.

First come, first served; if you don't show your favor, others will.

Whether replying to posts or attending banquets, they made no attempt to conceal their true intentions, showing no concern whatsoever about being discovered.

Such an "arrogant" attempt to win people's hearts only exacerbated the illusion of "discord between Liu Feng and Liu Shan" in the eyes of outsiders.

In the palace of Prince Yan.

Liu Feng and Yu Fan sat facing each other, playing chess.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Fa Zheng, didn't even have a seat and was simply left standing there.

Fa Zheng's face showed a hint of resentment: "Your Highness, what exactly are you plotting? Do you know that the court and the country are in turmoil, and rumors are flying everywhere. It is said that Your Highness is at odds with the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince is furious and has sent troops to attack Luyang to establish military prestige."

Liu Feng didn't even raise his head, only staring at the chessboard: "Lord Faling, you are the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and all the officials and ministers are under your jurisdiction. If there is unrest in the court and the rumors are rampant, that is also under your jurisdiction."

Gu Ping had captured Jiangdong and Hefei, and was about to take Shouchun in one fell swoop, but due to rumors, he had to return to Jiangling City, thus missing the opportunity to win the battle.

I have not blamed you for failing to restrain your officials, yet you turn around and accuse me of having ulterior motives. What is the logic behind this?
"I also want to see if you can help the Crown Prince take Luyang without me."

Seeing Liu Feng's "arrogant and haughty" attitude, Fa Zheng felt a surge of anger.

With Fa Zheng's intelligence, he could naturally guess that the discord between Liu Feng and Liu Shan was a facade, and that they had ulterior motives.

However, what frustrated Fazheng was that neither Liu Feng nor Liu Shan would tell the truth!

I am the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat!
Am I not qualified to participate?
If Liu Bei were present, he would have patted Fa Zheng on the shoulder and advised him: "Even I am not qualified to participate, so Xiaozhi, you should not even think about getting involved. Just pretend to be deaf and dumb and don't get yourself sick from getting angry."

"Sun Lü, see the guests out!"

Liu Feng didn't explain further, but simply waved his hand, signaling Sun Lü to see Fa Zheng off.

Seeing this, Fazheng could only leave in anger.

"The Lord of Law left in anger. Isn't Your Highness worried that the Lord of Law might ruin things?" Yu Fan asked softly.

Liu Feng shook his head and said with conviction, "Since the Prime Minister is not in Jiangling, Lord Faling is the head of all officials in Jiangling City, and Lord Faling is also someone whom Father Emperor values ​​and trusts."

Although Xiao De has his flaws, the law lord knows how to act appropriately on important matters.

Although the law lord did not participate in the slander against me this time, he also condoned the spread of the rumors.

If someone sees it but doesn't stop it, it must mean that the person involved has a past relationship with the law magistrate.

Since you've chosen to protect your old friend, then you should suffer the hardships I've prepared.

In other words:
Liu Feng believed that Fa Zheng had a broad perspective, but he didn't believe that Fa Zheng's old friends did. The more people who knew about the plan, the greater the risk of leaks and the smaller the chance of success.

Both Dong Cheng and Wei Feng proved that the more people involved, the more likely traitors are to emerge.

Liu Feng's power is too great now, and too many people's interests are affected. These people are loyal to Liu Bei and are willing to die for the Han Dynasty, but that does not prevent them from suppressing Liu Feng.

Based on his understanding of Liu Shan, Liu Feng was confident that Liu Shan would not disregard brotherhood.

But it's hard to say about the others.

Even Fa Zheng was not someone Liu Feng could fully trust.

When evaluating Fazheng, we should only consider his talent, not his virtue.

If it were Zhuge Liang in Jiangling, Liu Feng could have revealed everything. Zhuge Liang was a model of both virtue and talent.

Yu Fan didn't try to persuade him further, but instead turned to look at the chessboard: "Now that the Crown Prince has arrived in Wancheng, Cao Rui will also arrive in Luyang as expected. The struggle between the Crown Prince of the Great Han and the Crown Prince of the Pseudo-Wei will surely cause quite a stir."

Lu Xun and Man Chong were locked in a stalemate in Shouchun. Although there were some minor skirmishes, neither side could gain the upper hand. Unless the right opportunity presented itself, the stalemate would not change.

Next, we need to find a way to transfer Pingchun and Yiyang's troops to the Luyang battlefield as well.

Liu Feng nodded: "Military strategy involves deception and deception. Currently, Shouchun and Luyang are both heavily armed, while Pingchun and Yiyang are only heavily armed."

Turning illusion into reality is no easy task. Yu Jin is manageable, but Sima Yi is a man of exceptional wisdom and strategy, and is very likely to see through my intentions.

We still need to find a way to deceive Sima Yi.

Thought for a moment.

Liu Feng added, "Zhongxiang Gong, could you go to Shiyang for me and have Guan Xing and Guan Ping set up a false flag in Pingchun, while secretly dispatching a large army to Luyang to assist in the battle, making it as discreet as possible?"

Afterwards, Zhongxiang Gongke could send someone to Sima Yi to reveal that Guan Xing and Guan Ping had secretly gone to Luyang to help.

He tried to make it appear as if he didn't want Guan Xing and Guan Ping to assist Liu Shan, and therefore wanted to use Sima Yi and Yu Jin to restrain the two generals.

After a moment's thought, Yu Fan understood Liu Feng's intention and said, "Simply sending a letter might not be enough to deceive Sima Yi. It would be better if I went to Yiyang myself."

Liu Feng shook his head: "Lord Zhongxiang, you are more important than Pingchun and Yiyang. I can do without Pingchun and Yiyang, but I cannot do without Lord Zhongxiang. If this plan fails, I can devise another one."

Seeing Liu Feng speak these words without hesitation, and with such sincerity in his tone, Yu Fan was moved and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I am now over sixty years old. Although I have made some contributions, I have not achieved any great merit. Now that the great war has begun, I should also emulate the eloquent debaters of ancient times and seek opportunities for Your Highness. How can I be greedy for comfort and fear death?"

Liu Feng remained silent.

Liu Feng's words just now were not said intentionally, but were sincere.

In Liu Feng's mind, Pingchun and Yiyang were definitely no match for Yu Fan.

However, Yu Fan was not wrong. Sending a letter alone was far from enough to deceive Sima Yi.

“Lord Zhongxiang, I still have others I can employ.” Liu Feng hesitated again.

Yu Fan then pleaded again: "But others do not know Your Highness's true intentions. If they are not careful, they may ruin Your Highness's grand plan. Your Highness, hesitation will only lead to chaos. Such an important matter cannot be delayed!"

Seeing Yu Fan's resolute gaze, Liu Feng sighed softly, stood up and bowed deeply to Yu Fan: "Lord Zhongxiang, if things don't work out, don't force it. I am still young and there's no rush."

Yu Fan laughed loudly: "Your Highness, don't worry, I value my life very much."

Liu Feng gave Sun Lü, who was standing to the side, a wink.

Sun Lu understood and stepped forward to offer his command: "Your Highness, I am willing to go with Lord Zhongxiang and I will certainly be able to protect Lord Zhongxiang's safety!"

Yu Fan was well aware of Liu Feng's intentions and immediately rebuked him, "What are you doing getting involved, you mere youth?"

Sun Lu retorted, "Gan Luo was twelve years old when he went on a mission to the State of Zhao and secured a city for the State of Qin. I am also twelve. Although I dare not compare myself to Gan Luo in talent, I do possess Gan Luo's courage. How can you underestimate me because of my youth?"

Yu Fan was stunned.

There's really no way to refute that.

We can't say that Sun Lü was neither talented nor courageous, can we?
Liu Feng made the final decision: "In that case, Zhongxiang Gong and Sun Lü will go together."

Subsequently.

Liu Feng repeatedly instructed Sun Lu to prioritize protecting Yu Fan's safety and not to act rashly for the sake of merit.

After Yu Fan and Sun Lü left.

Liu Feng then summoned Kou Anguo.

Wang Ping and Li Ping, along with their trusted generals, went to Chang'an and have not returned.

Those who remain in Jingzhou today, besides the five Flying Army units, include Kou Anguo, Fang Yue, Pan Feng, Yu She, Mu Shun, Yue Ju, Yang Xing, Yan Cheng, He Yuan, and others.

To launch a surprise attack, it's naturally best to use one's own loyal followers.

Having followed Liu Feng for many years, Kou Anguo's status has risen accordingly.

As an illegitimate child unrecognized by the Kou clan, a lowly person who was shunned even when he came to claim kinship, he now has his own page in the Kou clan's genealogy and has become an object of envy and flattery among the more than sixty Kou clan members.

but.

After returning home in glory and showing off for a while, Kou Anguo found the Kou family particularly boring. Their obsequious attitude disgusted him.

After dealing with the situation for a few days, Kou Anguo returned to Jiangling to await further orders.

Compared to the Kou family, following Liu Feng made Kou Anguo feel more at ease and comfortable.

"Your Highness summoned me, is there an important mission entrusted to you?" Kou Anguo asked, his face beaming with excitement. He had felt a deep regret for not being able to go to Chang'an with Liu Feng last time, and at the same time, he was also eager to make a name for himself.

Liu Feng also highly valued this fierce general from the Kou family whom he had personally trained, saying, "Indeed, he has an important task, and I need a substitute."

"A double?" Kou Anguo was somewhat bewildered: "Is Your Highness perhaps worried about an assassination attempt?"

Liu Feng shook his head: "In this Jiangling City, who would dare to assassinate me? I want to carry out my grand plan, but I cannot leave Jiangling openly. Therefore, I need someone who understands my style of doing things to stay in Jiangling for me."

Kou Anguo's face fell: "Your Highness, I didn't even get to go to Chang'an, and this time Your Highness isn't taking me with you again."

Seeing the aggrieved look on Kou Anguo's face, Liu Feng couldn't help but laugh and say, "Do you think I would deny you the opportunity to make merit? The Central Plains is so vast, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to make great contributions in the future. If you are unwilling, I will have to find another member of the Kou family."

Kou Anguo's smile returned as he chuckled, "Your Highness, I was just joking. Those people who only know how to fight over their own small share of profit have no idea what Your Highness's style is like! Rest assured, Your Highness, I can imitate you so well that no one will suspect a thing!"

(End of this chapter)