Chapter 228 "Good people" full of complaints
Huang Quan's strategy is in line with Liu Feng's mind to attack Yizhou. The key lies in Chengdu.
In this attack on Jiangzhou, almost 7,000 of the more than 10,000 Jiangzhou troops were surrendered, which made the total number of troops of Liu Feng's army reach more than 40,000.
Moreover, Liu Feng also received almost half of the money and grain of the Chengdu treasury. The military strength and money and grain have surpassed Liu Bei and Liu Zhang, becoming the strongest force in Yizhou.
The day after capturing Jiangzhou, Liu Feng made a new deployment:
With Yan Yan, he commanded 5,000 troops and marched north along Fushui to Fucheng, threatening Liu Bei's rear.
With Ma, he led 5,000 troops, stationed in Jiangzhou and stayed in Ba County as a backup.
Liu Feng himself, together with Huang Quan and Meng Da, commanded 30,000 troops. The army marched westward against the river and went straight to Chengdu.
Before the army was deployed, Liu Feng also made a series of personnel deployments.
In the name of General Zhennan, Liu Feng recruited a large number of indigenous scholars from Ba County to enrich his shogunate, including Zhou Qun, Huang Yu, Ma Zhong, Gou Fu, Zhang Yi, Ma Xun and many other local rich scholars.
Most of these indigenous scholars have been promoted to the higher level, serving as county guards, county magistrates and officials at all levels in Ba County, Badong and Fuling counties. Among them, Zhang Yi, Ma Zhong and other generations will be awarded the title of Zhonglang General and General by Liu Feng, and become generals under Liu Feng's command.
Liu Feng Dali's heavy use of Yizhou indigenous scholars is precisely to collect people's hearts with the fastest means, and his approach is very different from that of Liu Bei and Liu Zhang.
When Liu Yan entered Shu, a large number of northern scholars also entered Shu, who were known as Dongzhou scholars.
In order to ensure the rule in Yizhou, Liu Yan relied on the Dongzhou scholars to kill the indigenous scholars with silver power. Throughout the Liu Yan era, the Yizhou scholars were in a state of serious suppression.
After Liu Zhang succeeded to the throne, he was also known for being "lenient". On the one hand, he allowed the Dongzhou scholars to continue to run rampant. On the other hand, the attack on the indigenous Yizhou scholars was not as severe as his father's. In this way, he offended some Dongzhou scholars such as Fa Zheng.
Liu Bei's entry into Shu has won the support of many Dongzhou scholars. In this case, if Liu Feng wants to obtain Yizhou, the most effective way is to be tit-for-tat and vigorously promote the indigenous scholars of Yizhou.
These scholars who were suppressed in the era of Liu Yan's father and son, once they gain unprecedented trust in promotion and see the hope of getting ahead, they will inevitably fall to Liu Feng without hesitation.
As an outsider who is not as famous as Liu Bei, Liu Feng's only choice if he wants to get rid of Liu Bei and Liu Zhang at the same time, lift the suppression of indigenous scholars, and use the power of Yizhou's local factions to seize control of Yizhou, it is also Liu Feng's only choice.
Liu Feng's method, as he expected, has had an excellent effect.
The news that General Liu Zhennan helped a large number of Yizhou scholars quickly spread to the neighboring counties of Ba County. With the advance of Liu Feng's army, Jiangyang and Qian were the local heroes of the counties. They rose up one after another, led the private part to attack and kill the county magistrate, and responded to welcome Liu Feng's entry.
From the west of Jiangzhou, Liu Feng's army was unimpeded all the way. Five days later, 20,000 troops successfully entered Shu County and occupied Guangdu County, south of Chengdu.
This place is less than 50 miles away from Chengdu.
..............................Chengdu, the state pastoral government.
In the magnificent hall, the dim yellow lights are swaying, and the black shadows on the wall full of ladies' pictures, like a strange ghost, dancing ghost dance on the big wall.
On the tiger skin couch, Liu Zhang, who looked like a withered, sat in a daze, holding the Taoist in his hand under the wind blowing and twisting his fragile posture feebly.
He is like a weak and dying patient, with a desperate expression on his face.
I just want to keep the foundation left by my father and feel at ease for the rest of my life.
I dare not offend anyone and deal with every prince around me carefully.
I am extremely tolerant of my subordinates. Even if they commit a death crime, I am willing to forgive them.
I am benevolent to the people. Even in the face of difficulties, I don't want to clear the walls and burn their fields.
I'm a complete good person, but why does God want me to be so unfair?
The same clan will take revenge, the allies turn against each other, the subordinates will carry me away, and the people will worship the new master.
"Why, why--"
Suddenly, Liu Zhang roared at the empty hall and responded to him, but only the dull and gradually fading echoes.
The ferocious face only lasted for a moment, and the pale face was immediately occupied by grievances and despair. After holding on for a moment, he could no longer stand the pain in his heart and burst into tears on the case.
"Look, Zhou Mu is crying like a child."
"Yes, at least it's a prince. How can it be so useless."
"I heard that General Liu is about to fight in Chengdu. Our master will definitely not be able to resist this. When the Jingzhou army enters the city, what should we do?"
"What are you worried about? I heard that General Liu is a bright master, which is very good for us in Yizhou. Let's change to a new master then."
............Outside the hall, a group of male and female maidservants were talking in private.
"Cough--"
A soft cough woke them up. A group of people dispersed like birds and beasts. Looking for the sound, they saw a young Confucian student coming slowly.
"Your Excellency."
After seeing this person, the maidservants were relieved and only called him casually.
The comer, named Qiao Zhou, is Liu Zhang's teacher and friend who is responsible for the education in the state.
This Qiao Zhou has been obsessed with reading and learning since he was a child. He read through the classics and has the good name of "Confucius in Shu".
However, this person is a little selfless in reading, behaves strangely, and often smiles happily, so he is often laughed at by his colleagues. Even these maidservants dare to despise him and have little respect.
"Is the state herdsman in the temple?"
Qiao Zhou didn't mind that these people were slacking at him and looked into the hall and asked.
A maid replied, "Zhou Mu is in the hall, but he said that he could not be disturbed by outsiders. If you want to see him, you'd better come back another day."
Qiao Zhou shook his head repeatedly with an exaggerated expression. "A big disaster is coming. How can I change the day? I'm going to see the lord now."
The left and right maids wanted to be stopped, but they wanted to see the nerd make fun of him, so no one stopped her.
Qiao Zhou stepped over the high threshold with his clothes, as if he didn't see Liu Zhang crying bitterly. He strode into the hall and said loudly, "Lord, great disaster is coming, great disaster is coming."
Liu Zhang didn't expect that someone suddenly entered. He was shocked and quickly wiped away his tears. When he raised his head, Qiao Zhou had come to the bottom of the steps.
Seeing that it was Qiao Zhou, Liu Zhang was unhappy and curious.
At the beginning, Liu Zhang conquered Qiao Zhou because Qiao was the surname of Ba County, and this person was famous for his knowledge in Shuzhong, so he forcibly summoned him to the curtain, which was also regarded as buying people's hearts.
It's just that this person is stupid in reading, and his behavior is perverse and ridiculous. Every time he makes a fool of himself in front of the staff, Liu Zhang feels embarrassed, so he rarely summons him.
Qiao Zhou seemed to be very happy. He was always in charge of political affairs. A lot of free time just focused on research and knowledge. Without Liu Zhang's call, he almost never took the initiative to participate in the discussion.
What surprised Liu Zhang was why this nerd, whom he had not seen for almost a few years, came to see him late at night at such a special moment.
"Cao Yunnan, you came uninvited in the middle of the night and talked nonsense. Are you confused when you read?" Liu Zhang criticized unhappily.
Qiao Zhou took a step forward and said with a worried face: "Master, Liu Zhennan's army has reached Guangdu, and the front will arrive in Chengdu in an instant. Now in Chengdu, the army is scattered and the people are panicked. There are strong enemy soldiers outside the city, and there are soldiers and people inside who are separated. Isn't it a big disaster?
Qiao Zhou was originally famous for his clumsiness. Why do you think that today's words are fluent and smooth without stagnation? He said it in one breath, which only scared Liu Zhang.
Liu Zhang was frightened, but he forced himself to calm down and said harshly, "There are still nearly 10,000 in Chengdu, and there is enough money and food for several years. Although Liu Feng's soldiers and horses are not afraid. Qiao Yunnan, don't be alarming.
Qiao Zhou Chang sighed: "Liu Feng came all the way from Ba County. Most of the county magistrates in the county were looking down, and the tyrants in the state killed the county magistrate and generals and opened the door to greet Liu Feng. It can be seen that the hearts of Yizhou have fallen to Liu Feng. Even if there are soldiers and grain in the city, how can they guard it?"
Liu Zhang listened to his heart beat faster, and Qiao Zhou then said, "Before, when Liu Bei went south, there were countless surrenders all the way. If it hadn't been for General Zhang and others to guard Lucheng, Liu Bei's army would have arrived in Chengdu at this moment. Now Liu Bei has not retreated, Liu Feng has arrived again, and people's hearts have collapsed in a blink of an eye. Lord, now must be the time to make a decision. If Liu Feng's army breaks the city, the lord will really face a great disaster.
Liu Zhang was as frustrated as he could, and then be "intimidated" by Qiao Zhou. His composure of pretending was immediately shattered, and his expression was suddenly shocked.
"At this point, Yunnan, what good policy do you have to solve this internal and external danger?" Liu Zhang's attitude immediately became sincere.
Qiao Zhou swallowed his saliva and shouted, "I watched the dry elephant at night and saw the stars gathered in Shu County. Its big starlight was like a bright moon. This is the elephant of the king. Up to now, how can the lord go against the sky again? According to Zhou's opinion, if you don't open the door to welcome the surrender, you should return to Liu Zhennan.
Surrender to Liu Feng!
Thanks to what you said, you have eaten the salary of Liu's father and son. Now that the great disaster is coming, you don't solve my problems, but you advise me to surrender to the enemy and give up the great rivers and mountains of Yizhou to the boy surnamed Liu.
In an instant, Liu Zhang felt unprecedented anger, as if the anger accumulated in the bottom of his heart had been ignited by the flame of Qiao Zhou, which erupted unstoppable.
"Good, you thief, come on, drag this person down and kill him."
At least this Chengdu has not been broken yet. No one dares not to listen to Liu Zhang's words. After the order was issued, a valet of warriors quickly entered the house and dragged Qiao Zhou to leave the hall.
At this moment, a bodyguard hurriedly entered and shouted, "Lord, it's a bad thing. Liu Feng's army has appeared outside the city."
(to be continued)