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

In the sixth year of Zhangwu (226 AD), in the sixth month of summer.

Due to the prolonged war and the hot weather, many soldiers fell ill.

Unable to bear seeing his soldiers suffer, Liu Shan decided to lead his troops back to Wancheng.

at this time.

Liu Feng's strategic goal of opening a second front to contain Cao Wei's forces and seize Shouchun when the opportunity arises has been achieved.

Considering that there would be little benefit in attacking Luyang again, Liu Feng agreed with Liu Shan's decision to withdraw his troops and consolidate the spoils of war.

Starting from Wancheng in the west, passing through the Dabie Mountains and the Yiyang Pass in the east, and then entering the Huai River to Shouchun, except for Guangling County in the far east which was still in the hands of Cao Wei, the Jianghuai region was basically under the control of the Han Dynasty.

The original three-in-one offensive and defensive system of "Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Wuchang" proposed by Liu Feng has been pushed northward to a mountain and river curve offensive and defensive system of "Wancheng, Yiyang, and Shouchun".

Previous battles, including the surprise attack on Chang'an and the seizure of Yongliang, were all merely attempts to secure a chance for the Han Dynasty to survive.

And now.

The Han dynasty's options were no longer limited to conquering Luoyang.

In a good mood, he marched troops from Wancheng and Chang'an towards Luoyang to confront Cao Pi head-on.

In a bad mood, he launched an attack from Shouchun, first imitating Yuan Shu's strategy of taking over Xuzhou, where Cao Wei's forces were relatively weak. Then he headed north to Qingzhou, using his naval advantage to directly enter Youzhou and Liaodong along the coastline, gradually eroding their territory from the outside in, keeping Cao Pi busy dealing with them.

In other words:
Only then can the wars to come be called a true campaign to overthrow Wei and restore Han, where the roles of offense and defense will be reversed.

July, the beginning of autumn.

Liu Feng and Liu Shan returned to Jiangling City together.

News such as "Crown Prince Liu Shan of the Han Dynasty, together with Prince Liu Feng of Yan, devised a plan to deceive Cao Pi and his son Cao Rui, and achieved the astonishing results of capturing Pingchun and beheading Yu Jin, and capturing Shouchun and beheading Man Chong" circulated not only in Luyang, but also in Jiangling.

The city of Jiangling, which was already rife with rumors, became frozen solid after this news broke.

The officials who had hoped to fuel the conflict between Liu Feng and Liu Shan and profit from it all became terrified.

They've been making these accusations for months.

In the end, it was discovered that Liu Feng and Liu Shan were so close that they had conspired to deceive everyone, both friend and foe.
Did Liu Feng's achievements overshadow his lord?

But Liu Shan deserves the most credit this time!
Did Liu Feng deliberately let the credit go to him?

Doesn't that further prove that Liu Feng knows when to advance and retreat, and poses no threat to Liu Shan?
Those who are shouting are all clowns!

Gangneung City.

The main hall of the inner palace.

Liu Shan knelt before Empress Wu and bowed his head to beg for forgiveness.

Liu Shan felt no remorse towards the officials who were clamoring to sow discord between Liu Feng and Liu Shan; he only felt a secret smugness.

The fact that Liu Shan didn't directly punish Liu Shan shows his benevolence.

however.

Liu Shan felt guilty towards Empress Wu, who was always kind and benevolent.

Liu Shan's birth mother died early, and after entering Xichuan, he was raised under the care of Empress Wu.

Empress Wu had no children of her own, and treated Liu Shan as her own son, taking care of his daily life without any problems.

The two brothers initially pretended to be at odds when Empress Wu hosted a banquet for them.

Empress Wu felt deeply guilty about this, believing that without that banquet, the two brothers would not have fallen out.

Although Liu Feng informed Empress Wu of the details in advance, fearing it would cause her worry and illness, Liu Shan had already gone to Luyang by then.

It's impossible to say that Empress Wu wasn't angry.

Empress Wu was also a human being, and humans have common feelings.

To put it bluntly: Liu Shan did not trust Empress Wu, which is why he joined forces with Liu Feng to stage a play to deceive her.

However, looking at Liu Shan kneeling before her, begging for forgiveness, Empress Wu felt a pang of pity.

a long time.

Empress Wu sighed and rose to help Liu Shan up: "The Crown Prince did not deliberately deceive me for personal reasons. Since it was for the sake of the country, what does it matter if I suffer some grievances? However, in the future, the Crown Prince must not cause me such worry again."

Liu Shan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and promised, "Mother, rest assured, I will never deliberately deceive you again."

Looking at Liu Shan, who had lost his childishness and gained composure and maturity, Empress Wu felt a pang of heartache: "The Crown Prince has suffered during these few months apart."

Liu Shan sighed softly, "Compared to the hardships endured by the soldiers at the front, my suffering is nothing. Mother, I have a request that I would like to discuss with you."

Empress Wu asked, "If the Crown Prince has any difficulties, he may speak frankly."

Liu Shan solemnly requested, "The soldiers have endured many years of war and hardship. Now that Father Emperor is not in Jiangling, I wish to visit the families of the soldiers. Considering that many of the soldiers' families are women, I humbly request that Mother Empress accompany them."

Empress Wu's eyes flashed with surprise as she said, "But His Majesty has long issued a strict order that the inner palace must not interfere in politics. It would be inappropriate for me to go."

Liu Shan gently shook his head: "No. Mother Empress is only assisting me in comforting the families of the soldiers, not offering private condolences. It does not count as interfering in politics. The Crown Princess will also accompany Mother Empress."

Empress Wu was even more surprised: "Crown Prince, whose idea was this?"

Liu Shan did not hide anything and said, "It was my brother's idea. My brother said that to establish prestige in the army, one does not necessarily have to lead troops into battle personally. Treating the soldiers' families well and making them grateful and without worries is more likely to win their hearts than personally leading troops into battle."

My elder brother also said that although there are many fierce generals and soldiers in the Central Plains, because Cao Pi and his son are harsh on the families of their soldiers, and there are even treacherous people marrying other men's wives in the rear, the fierce generals and soldiers in the Central Plains often become disloyal.

"If I, your son, along with the Crown Princess and the Empress Dowager, frequently visit the families of the soldiers, it will not only inspire the soldiers of the Han Dynasty to fight bravely, but also attract fierce generals and valiant soldiers from the Central Plains to join our cause."

Empress Wu was even more alarmed upon hearing this.

After hesitating for a moment, Empress Wu asked again: "If the Prince of Yan makes such a suggestion, wouldn't he be handing the scabbard over to the Crown Prince, so that he can now control life and death at will?"

Although asking such a question is judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person, I don't quite understand the meaning behind the Prince of Yan's actions.

Liu Shan truthfully replied, "Your subject has asked the same question. Your elder brother said that an emperor without military might cannot govern the country. Although your elder brother has no intention of vying with your subject for the throne, he cannot guarantee that his offspring will not be attached to the throne."

If the military might of the Prince of Yan's forces surpasses that of the emperor generation after generation, and the emperor is unable to maintain a balance of power, a rebellion by the Prince of Yan is inevitable.

Empress Wu couldn't help but ask again, "What if the Crown Prince's offspring cannot tolerate the Prince of Yan or listen to the ministers' slander and want to harm the Prince of Yan?"

Liu Shan's tone became more admiring: "My brother said that if my sons are too foolish and only think of killing each other, then it is my fault. I will do my best to teach my sons to avoid such a thing from happening."

Looking at Liu Shan, who had a clear mind, Empress Wu's eyes also revealed a sense of satisfaction, a satisfaction that her son had become successful.

In the palace of Prince Yan.

Kou Anguo, who was acting as Liu Feng's double, was giving Liu Feng a detailed report on the affairs of Jiangling.

However, when mentioning certain individuals, Kou Anguo's tone was quite indignant: "While Your Highness is away fighting, these treacherous officials are always trying to harm you with malicious words. This is intolerable. It would be better to eliminate them to prevent future troubles."

"They're just a bunch of pedantic scholars who only know how to talk. There's no need to pay them any mind. We'll need them sometime in the future." Liu Feng wasn't angered by their malicious words.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

If it weren't for the existence of this group, Liu Feng wouldn't have had the opportunity to muddy the waters and deceive Cao Pi and his ministers.

In Liu Feng's position, he would inevitably face many people with different stances.

You can't kill them all.

If Liu Feng only resorts to killing when faced with trouble, he won't be able to hold onto his position.

Just as Cao Cao burned the list of civil and military officials who had colluded with the enemy after the Battle of Guandu, the way to deal with such matters does not necessarily have to be extreme.

After considering for a moment.

Liu Feng gave Kou Anguo an order: "Go and prepare some generous gifts and send them to this group of people in the name of the Prince of Yan's Mansion. Also, pass on a message for me: Cooperation benefits both sides, while fighting harms both. The Central Plains is vast and rich in resources, merchants from the Western Regions gather here, and there are countless rare treasures from overseas islands. Why fight amongst ourselves for such a small gain?"

Kou Anguo was alarmed: "Isn't Your Highness being too modest, giving them too much credit?"

When he said this, Kou Anguo was unconvinced.

What right do these pedantic scholars, who only know how to talk nonsense, have to question Liu Feng, the Prince of Yan, who is also a general and has made outstanding military achievements?

Not only did they not come to the Prince of Yan's residence to offer gifts and apologize, but they actually expected the Prince of Yan's residence to take the initiative to offer gifts.

Why?
Is it because these people have good-looking faces?

Liu Feng chuckled: "Have you ever seen an adult actually fight a group of children? Confucius climbed Mount Dongshan and found Lu small, climbed Mount Tai and found the world small."

The world I have seen is far more vast than what ordinary people can see or know; the world I wish to conquer is far more than just the Central Plains.

"Instead of wasting my energy on outwitting a bunch of pedantic scholars, I'd rather think about how to conquer the Central Plains in the shortest amount of time."

There was a widely circulated saying in the internet age: "I hate that Qin Shi Huang didn't know how to use a world map. If the world had unified its writing system two thousand years earlier, we wouldn't have had to waste our energy learning English, which is almost never used."

The idea that you need to learn English to research academic papers is utter nonsense. Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, and knowledge is acquired at different times. The grass isn't greener on the other side; it's just getting dimmer.

While Qin Shi Huang's abilities and the level of social development at the time were overestimated, his ambitions were not.

Liu Feng's biggest selfish desire was not to fight for the throne, but to hope that the whole world would be Sinicized.

No dynasty can last forever; they basically cycle every few hundred years. The world, after a long period of unity, will inevitably divide, and after a long period of division, will inevitably unite.

But Han culture has been able to endure for thousands of years. Even if Kublai Khan came, he would have to be Sinicized and become Liu Bilie.

When the whole world is Sinicized, will the Liu family lineage no longer be valued as emperors?

The world needs Sinicization, and society needs a unified world.

This was Liu Feng's greatest wish after he became the leader.

There was no such thing before because of their low status and weak strength; naturally, their priority was how to conduct themselves and save their lives.

First cultivate oneself and then manage one's family. Once the small wish of cultivating oneself and managing one's family has been fulfilled, one should naturally pursue the greater wish of governing the country and bringing peace to the world.

And which ruler can refuse to be remembered in history and have their name passed down through the ages?

After letting Kou Anguo make the arrangements, Liu Feng returned to the inner courtyard.

Because he was often away fighting battles, Liu Feng rarely spent time with his wife and children.

To this day, apart from his eldest son Liu Lin, Liu Feng has no other children.

Sometimes Liu Feng wondered if joining Liu Bei's camp automatically turned him into a workaholic, otherwise why were the general population in Liu Bei's camp so few in offspring?

Perhaps it's also because Liu Feng didn't engage in the same rampant looting of other men's wives as Cao Cao and his son.

this era.

A married woman has another very important characteristic: she can bear children.

only.

Liu Feng disdained such a thing.

Having children is entirely a matter of metaphysics.

When the time comes, children will naturally appear.

Although Liu Feng's eldest son, Liu Lin, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wu, he was only ten years old at the time, and Liu Feng had no intention of sending Liu Lin to Wu Commandery now.

As Liu Feng's eldest son and the future heir to the Prince of Yan's mansion, Liu Lin was destined to shoulder the heavy responsibility of succeeding the Prince of Yan.

Therefore, Liu Feng paid special attention to Liu Lin's upbringing.

Whether it's studying literature or practicing martial arts, Liu Lin has to work harder than teenagers from ordinary families.

Happy education?

nonexistent.

For someone of Liu Feng's status, daring to advocate for a happy education for his children is tantamount to cutting off his own arm and leaving him vulnerable to exploitation.

Let alone Liu Feng, even ordinary families cannot provide happy education.

Happy education is only suitable for families where progress is impossible and parents are there to support them without requiring any effort.

Water flows to lower place, man goes to higher position.

Either don't have children, or if you do, you must educate them. Letting them run wild is like the wise saying: spoiling a child is like killing a child.

Whether one becomes a dragon or a worm, a good education is extremely important.

Just like now.

Under the scorching sun.

Liu Lin was still practicing his horse stance in the courtyard.

Large beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, causing Sun Yan a pang of worry.

If it weren't for the rule that Liu Feng set that couldn't be broken, Sun Yan would have really wanted to call Liu Lin back inside to cool off.

They saw Liu Feng return.

Sun Yan leaned closer and took Liu Feng's arm, pleading in a low voice that he hoped Liu Feng wouldn't be too demanding of Liu Lin.

"Training in the sweltering heat of winter and the freezing cold of summer. Being the eldest son of the Prince of Yan's mansion is no easy task. Without a strong physique, one is likely to die young. Does Madam perhaps wish to outlive her son in the future?"

Liu Feng politely declined Sun Yan's suggestion.

Even someone as physically strong as Zhuge Liang, according to historical records, died young due to overwork.

Like Cao Cao, he only lived to be over sixty years old.

Sima Yi lived a long life, didn't he?
Sima Yi's brothers lived long lives, didn't they?

As a result, Sima Yi's descendants did not live long.

Liu Feng did not believe in the concept of divine retribution. If retribution truly existed, then only moral saints would remain in this world.

Nothing less.

Those in power expend too much mental energy on their schemes, and their physical strength is insufficient to support such mental exertion.

Therefore, there is a saying that fools are blessed, because they don't have to expend any effort and therefore live a long life.

Now look at Huang Zhong today.

Not only is he physically fit, but he also doesn't expend much energy. Even in his seventies, he's still lively and energetic, able to eat, drink, and fight.

Although Zhong Yao was over seventy years old and still had a son named Zhong Hui, Huang Zhong could have done the same. However, Huang Zhong felt uncomfortable marrying a young girl at his age, and he also felt that he probably wouldn't have the energy to raise a son at that age.

Once he had a clear understanding of his thoughts, Huang Zhong became too lazy to care about getting married and having children.

It's not like the Huang family of Nanyang is without members.

Huang Zhongzhen wanted an heir to inherit the family business, and adopting a member of the clan as a son was just a matter of a word.

To be the adopted son of the General of the Guards of the Han Dynasty—that's a position many people would fight over!

Seeing the aggrieved look on Sun Yan's face, Liu Feng called out loudly to Liu Lin, "My son, under the scorching sun, can you still hold on?"

Upon hearing Liu Feng's call, Liu Lin's spirits lifted.

Despite the unbearable heat, Liu Lin responded loudly, "Father, I can still endure it!"

"Your voice is as loud as a bell, can you rest assured, Madam?" Liu Feng replied to Sun Yan with a smile.

Sun Yan pouted and hummed, "Lin'er usually admires Liu Lang very much and wants to show her manliness in front of him. When she heard Liu Lang's call just now, she must have been excited. Even if she was exhausted, she would have pretended to hide it."

Liu Feng's smile deepened: "Since my son has this idea, then we must not discourage his manliness."

Madam, please do not worry. Men and women are different. Women tend to be more emotional, so they need more care and tenderness when being educated; men tend to be more rational and have their own ideas, so they need more guidance and encouragement when being educated.

Sun Yan glanced at Liu Lin, who had become increasingly excited, and sighed inwardly.

Although I was worried that Liu Lin would get sick from being exposed to the scorching sun, Liu Feng's words made a lot of sense.

Liu Lin has his own ideas. Interfering too much will not only spoil Liu Lin's manly spirit, but also make him impatient.

On the contrary, Liu Feng's guidance and encouragement made Liu Lin more motivated.

The difference between actively studying literature and martial arts and being passively studying literature and martial arts is significant.

While we were chatting.

Sun Cheng entered from outside and had just opened his mouth to call out "brother-in-law" when he saw that Sun Yan was also there. He immediately shut his mouth, bowing to Sun Yan while giving Liu Feng a meaningful look.

Sun Yan couldn't help but feel annoyed: "What? Do you think I'm an outsider now?"

Sun Cheng did not use the formal title "Your Highness" but instead addressed Liu Feng as "Brother-in-law," clearly indicating that he was seeking Liu Feng's help on private matters.

However, he deliberately kept this private matter from Sun Yan.

Sun Cheng quickly apologized: "Sister, you've misunderstood. I just wanted to ask my brother-in-law for a favor. How could I treat you like an outsider?"

Sun Yan stared at Sun Cheng, giving him a look that said, "Keep making this up."

"Just tell me, what kind of help do you need?" Liu Feng asked directly, without trying to get rid of Sun Yan.

Sun Cheng stammered, but finally confessed the truth just as Sun Yan was about to roll up his sleeves: "Brother-in-law, my mask has been taken off."

Ok?
Liu Feng and Sun Yan were both taken aback.

Because Sun Cheng was refined and handsome and had a strong appeal to women, coupled with Liu Feng's status as his brother-in-law, many officials and famous scholars wanted to marry their daughters to him.

Liu Feng once gave Sun Cheng an idea: to wear a mask when going out. As a result, rumors spread that "whoever can make Sun Cheng take off his mask, Sun Cheng will fall in love with."

This was originally just an amusing anecdote circulating in the streets and alleys.

Liu Feng and Sun Yan only listened to it as anecdotes, occasionally teasing Sun Cheng, but Sun Cheng never admitted to saying it.

The result is today.

Sun Cheng then added, "The mask has been taken off."

It's obvious: Sun Cheng has met his soulmate.

"Whose daughter is it that has captured the heart of Jiang Lingcheng's handsome and cold-sharp-haired son, Sun Cheng?" Liu Feng couldn't help but tease.

Sun Cheng's face instantly turned red, whether from embarrassment or heat, he didn't know, and hurriedly explained, "No, no, it's not."

"Huh? Not a woman? Could it be a man?" Liu Feng asked in surprise.

Sun Yan covered her mouth with her small hand and looked at Sun Cheng in astonishment. There were quite a few scholars who were fond of male homosexuality. Although it was despicable, it was a fact.

Subsequently.

Sun Yan's tone turned cold, filled with disappointment: "Sun Cheng, what nonsense are you spouting! How can you face your father's spirit in heaven? You're the only son in the Sun family, and you're into homosexuality?"

Sun Cheng was stunned when Sun Yan reprimanded him. He quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly explained, "Wrong! Wrong! I am not a homosexual, brother-in-law, don't talk nonsense. My sister has misunderstood. She is the daughter of the Lord of Law, and her nickname is Linglong."

Sun Yan then realized what was happening, her face flushing slightly: "Liu Lang, since it concerns the Law Lord, I won't get involved. You two talk first, I'll go prepare some wine and dishes."

Given Sun Yan's usual composure, he wouldn't have reacted so strongly. However, he had a disagreement with Liu Feng about educating Liu Lin today, and in his haste after overhearing Liu Feng's joke, he misunderstood Sun Cheng.

After Sun Yan left, Liu Feng couldn't help but rub his forehead: "Don't you know that I don't get along with Lord Fa Ling?"

Sun Cheng chuckled: "That's why I came to Zifu to discuss this. My relationship with the daughter of the Law Lord is mutual."

"I can't help you with this," Liu Feng said bluntly. Seeing Sun Cheng's bitter expression, Liu Feng added, "Although I can't help you, you can go to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince wants to arrange this, it will be a piece of cake for him."

Sun Cheng's face lit up with joy again: "Really? The Crown Prince can really bring them together?"

Liu Feng smirked: "The Crown Prince is currently at the height of his military might, so how could he possibly have any difficulty presiding over a marriage?"

Sun Congshi has been following the Emperor since Xuzhou. Moreover, Sun Congshi is a disciple of Duke Kangcheng. Sun Congshi's son is marrying the daughter of the Law Lord. This is a perfect match. With the Crown Prince in charge, who would dare to say a word against it?
Let me pass on a message to the Crown Prince: In ancient times, there was the harmonious relationship between generals Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. Now, the King of Yan and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat are at odds, which damages the prestige of the country. The Crown Prince should follow the example of these predecessors and help the King of Yan and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to resolve their conflict.

Perfect: both personal and business matters can be resolved at the same time.

Sun Cheng was overjoyed: "I knew my brother-in-law would have a way. I'll go find the Crown Prince right now."

Watching Sun Cheng leave, Liu Feng thought of Liu Shuang and Liu Zan again.

To maintain a regime, passion alone is not enough; a complex network of relationships is also required.

Such is the nature of imperial power.

The same applies to aristocratic families.

Why is it that even if someone from a poor family makes great contributions, it is difficult for them to become a wealthy family?

One important reason is that there are too few people from poor families, making it impossible to build a network of relationships through marriage.

Regardless of the chaotic times, marriage between people of similar social standing and with intricate kinship ties remains a good strategy for protecting the family.

Although the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is touching, from a rational perspective: when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. In chaotic times, if the family no longer exists, the so-called free love will only result in the man being steamed and the woman being boiled.

Liu Feng also needed to build a network of relationships through marriage.

Coincidentally.

Sun Cheng unexpectedly fell for Fa Zheng's daughter. If Liu Feng didn't bring the two together, he would be letting this opportunity slip by.

Given Fa Zheng's age, as long as he doesn't contract a serious illness or suffer a major setback, he can serve as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat for at least another ten years.

Within these ten years, Liu Feng will inevitably launch another northern expedition.

In order to target Liu Feng, more rumors will inevitably emerge.

Liu Feng did not want Fa Zheng to remain silent the next time rumors surfaced.

Although Fa Zheng is a talented and loyal person, he is loyal to Liu Bei and Liu Shan, not Liu Feng. Only by aligning interests can Fa Zheng avoid standing idly by when rumors resurface in the future.

The strategy of feigning discord with Liu Shan is only useful once; using it again would be too simplistic.

Next.

Liu Feng preferred to unite the forces within his camp into one, in order to pacify the Central Plains in the shortest possible time.

For example, Huan Wen's Northern Expedition was a military success, but political obstacles caused him to lose the cities he had captured.

Before launching a formal northern expedition to the Central Plains, Liu Fengde avoided these problems one by one.

Liu Feng is almost forty years old.

If we cannot pacify the Central Plains within our lifetime, the future is uncertain. (End of Chapter)