ebookland Chapter 1280 Liu Feng's Dilemma
Chapter 1280 Liu Feng's Dilemma
As Liu Bei and his entourage approached the city gate, they saw Liu Feng standing beside the envoy's carriage, seemingly talking to someone inside. Liu Bei called out, "Feng'er, you've returned from Guiyang?"
Upon hearing the sound, Liu Feng quickly stepped forward, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed deeply to Liu Bei, saying, "Your son greets Father."
"You've just returned, rest first." Liu Bei gestured for him to stand up, then turned his gaze to the solemn carriage. "I'll first welcome the envoy from the King of Liang."
Liu Feng did not rise, but lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "Father, I am incompetent and have lost Runan County. Please punish me!"
Liu Bei frowned slightly, then softened his tone: "It's alright, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Cao Cao is powerful, and Runan is isolated. Losing it is not entirely your fault."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Guan Yu snorted coldly, his long beard twitching slightly. Though he didn't speak, the dissatisfaction in his eyes was obvious.
Zhang Song, inside the carriage, witnessed all of this. Hearing Liu Bei approach, he raised his hand and lifted the thin curtain of the carriage, and with the help of his attendant, he slowly stepped down from the carriage.
Liu Bei looked up and was stunned when he saw the man's face. This envoy of the King of Liang was actually Zhang Song? He was a little surprised. Back then, Zhang Song had strongly advised Liu Zhang to defend Chengdu. How did he suddenly become Ma Chao's man?
Zhang Song walked steadily to Liu Bei, cupped his hands in greeting, and said calmly, "Prefect Liu, how have you been?"
"You scoundrel!" Pang Tong, unable to contain himself, pointed at Zhang Song and scolded, "Back in Chengdu, you swore you would defend the city to the death for Liu Yizhou, but what happened? You turned around and surrendered to Ma Chao, and now you've even come here as his envoy. You've got some nerve!"
Zhang Song, not to be outdone, looked up at Pang Tong and said loudly, "Master Shiyuan, you are mistaken. A good bird chooses a tree to perch on, and a wise minister chooses a lord to serve. Liu Zhang is muddleheaded and abandons the people, while Lord Ma Chao is benevolent and recruits talented people to pacify Shu. I, Zhang Song, am merely following the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people. What is wrong with that?"
His gaze swept over Liu Bei and the others, and he continued, "Back then, I covered Liu Zhang's retreat for the sake of the people of Yizhou; now, I am sent as an envoy for the King of Liang, also for the sake of peace in the land. If Governor Liu of Jingzhou can keep the people in mind, I, Zhang Song, will naturally treat him with courtesy; otherwise..."
Before he could finish speaking, his words already carried a sharp edge. Liu Bei quickly raised his hand to stop him: "Mr. Yongnian has come from afar and must be tired from his journey. Let's talk inside the city. Come back to the mansion with me first." He knew that Zhang Song was eloquent and persuasive, and arguing at the city gate now would be pointless and would only make him lose face.
Zhang Song, seeing that things were going well, nodded slightly: "That is indeed what I wish for."
Guan Yu remained solemn, his hand gripping the Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly. Liu Feng stood to the side, watching the tense scene, his earlier worries now compounded by a new layer of complexity. Only Zhuge Liang continued to gently wave his feather fan, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Song's face, as if pondering the true purpose of this envoy from Xiliang's arrival.
Inside the city lord's mansion, the guests and hosts were seated, and tea was laid out on the table, but the atmosphere was somewhat tense.
Liu Bei picked up his teacup, gently stroking the warm cup with his fingertips for a moment before speaking, "Mr. Yongnian has come as an envoy of the King of Liang. I wonder what advice my junior brother has for me?"
Zhang Song put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and said with a hint of seriousness, "I dare not accept the title of 'instruction.' My lord only asked me to ask Liu Jingzhou: Since the two sides have already ceased hostilities and made peace, why did General Zhang Fei privately lead his troops to attack Langzhong and launch a surprise attack on Bazhou County? Such actions are probably not the behavior of a trusted person."
"Hmph, you trust people?" Pang Tong immediately put down his feather fan and retorted, "Sir, you have the nerve to mention 'cease hostilities and make peace.' Since ancient times, all's fair in war. Putting aside the matter of Brazil for now—why was your Xiliang army able to attack my Yingchuan without prior notice? Zhang Liao has been locked in a stalemate with our army in Yingchuan for months. Did he just appear out of thin air?"
Zhang Song raised an eyebrow, his voice suddenly rising several decibels, and his gaze swept over everyone in the hall: "Mr. Shiyuan, what you say is utterly unreasonable! The two sides ceased hostilities in Chengdu, agreeing to each guard their own borders. Liu Jingzhou and all of you gentlemen witnessed and heard this firsthand, didn't you?"
He paused, his tone becoming even sharper: "As you all know, my lord was stationed in Chengdu at the time. Later, a war broke out in Yingchuan, where General Zhang and General Guan clashed. When my lord returned to Chang'an and heard the news, he not only did not send in a single soldier, but also strictly ordered Zhang Liao not to escalate the conflict. But what about Liu Bei, the governor of Jingzhou? He kept sending troops to Yingchuan, which forced Zhang Liao to retreat to Xuchang. Isn't that right?"
Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "That is indeed the case."
"In that case," Zhang Song pressed on, turning his gaze to Guan Yu, "After my lord returned to Chang'an, did he send a single soldier to Yingchuan? If he really wanted to reinforce, General Guan, please forgive me for saying something unpleasant—with the sharpness of my lord's iron cavalry, whether General Guan could withstand them in Yingchuan is questionable."
Guan Yu's face flushed instantly, and the veins on his hand, which was gripping the hilt of his sword, bulged, but he ultimately remained silent. He knew in his heart that he was indeed no match for Ma Chao's martial arts and military prowess; these words, though harsh, hit the nail on the head.
Seeing this, Zhang Song softened his tone slightly, but it still carried an undeniable weight: "My lord has always intended for our two families to shake hands and make peace, which is why he has yielded at every turn. But what did General Zhang Fei do? He actually took advantage of my lord's return to Chang'an and the unsettled situation in Xichuan to launch a surprise attack on my Xiliang Baxi County, killing my soldiers and seizing my territory! Such behavior is not only disrespectful, but it is tantamount to disregarding the alliance! I have come today to ask Governor Liu to give an explanation—does he still acknowledge the original agreement?"
The council chamber was silent, save for the sound of the wind whistling through the eaves. Liu Bei looked at Zhang Song's unyielding stance, then at Guan Yu's ashen face, and thought to himself: Ma Chao sent Zhang Song here, clearly to question me about the matter of Ba County. If I don't give him a proper answer, things will likely not end well.
Zhuge Liang broke the silence with a gentle wave of his feather fan: "Mr. Yongnian, please calm down. Yide's attack on Baxi was indeed a rash act, and our lord has already reprimanded him, ordering him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. As for the alliance..." He looked at Liu Bei, "Our lord has always kept his promises, but this matter involves many aspects. Let us discuss it further before giving you and the King of Liang an answer, shall we?"
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Zhang Song stopped pressing and nodded slightly: "In that case, I will wait at the post station. But I urge Governor Liu to make a decision as soon as possible, as my lord is still waiting for a reply in Chang'an."
After Zhang Song finished speaking, he said no more. His gaze swept over Liu Feng, who had a worried look on his face, not far away. Then he bowed to Liu Bei to take his leave and turned to go to the post station with his entourage.
After he left, Liu Bei stared at the empty doorway, his brows furrowed: "Yide's recklessness this time has indeed given Xiliang a pretext, and now we are in a passive position."
Guan Yu couldn't contain himself and said in a deep voice, "Brother, you are too kind! That Ma Chao is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Even if Third Brother doesn't go to Brazil, how could he truly be at peace with us? This time, he sent an envoy here just to use this as an excuse to demand benefits. In my opinion, even if we don't give them to him, what can he do?"
Pang Tong gently waved his feather fan and slowly said, "Yun Chang's words are harsh, but they have some truth to them. However, the current situation in the world is delicate. Yuan Shao is powerful in Hebei, Cao Cao occupies a corner of the Central Plains, and Zhou Yu in Jiangdong is eyeing us covetously. We are in Jingzhou, where there are opportunities to take advantage of all sides, but there are also hidden dangers on all sides."
He paused, his gaze falling on the Central Plains region on the map: "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to figure out Cao Cao's movements. Yuan Shao is currently the strongest, and Cao Cao is the second strongest. If Cao Cao chooses to ally with Yuan Shao next, then we need to ally with Ma Chao to resist Cao Cao; if Cao Cao intends to attack Yuan Shao, then we should temporarily stabilize Ma Chao, help Cao Cao weaken Yuan Shao first, and wait until they are both exhausted before making our move—only by destroying Cao Cao can we open the way to the north."
“Shiyuan, you are mistaken.” Zhuge Liang shook his head and raised an objection. “The struggle for the Central Plains is unpredictable. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are both powerful figures. How can we easily rely on them? It would be better to look south. There are many ethnic minorities living in the south of Yizhou. The area is vast. If we can subdue it, we can expand our territory and avoid the sharp edge of the Central Plains.”
He pointed with his feather fan towards the area south of Yizhou: "Now Xiliang and Cao Cao are locked in a standoff in the Xudu and Luoyang area. We can keep Ma Chao in check and let them fight in the Central Plains. We can take this opportunity to develop the south. Once our foundation is solid, we can then march north. Wouldn't that be more secure?"
Listening to their analysis, Liu Bei became even more hesitant. Guan Yu said, "No matter who we ally with, Xiliang must not be tolerated! Although Ma Chao's cavalry is brave, our Jingzhou soldiers are no weak force either. If we really have to fight, we may not necessarily lose to him!"
Listening to the endless debate, Liu Bei was undecided. His gaze inadvertently fell on Liu Feng, who was standing to the side, and he casually asked, "Feng'er, you have been traveling between Guiyang and Yingchuan for many days. Do you have any insights into the current situation?"
Liu Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to express his opinion when Guan Yu coldly interrupted him: "Why is my brother asking him? What does a mere child know about matters of state? We haven't even settled the score for the loss of Runan last time, and now he has the nerve to interrupt?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Liu Feng's interest. His lips moved, but he ultimately couldn't utter a single word.
Pang Tong's eyes flashed, and he immediately chimed in, "General Yun Chang is right. Runan is a strategically important military location. Our lord entrusted it to General Liu Feng to guard, but it was lost in his hands, exposing our flank. If this matter is not severely punished, it will be difficult to convince the people."
Zhuge Liang watched silently from the side, understanding the situation perfectly. Ever since Liu Shan was born, Liu Feng's position had become increasingly awkward. Guan Yu and Pang Tong were now working together, ostensibly to investigate the loss of Runan, but in reality, they wanted to use this as a pretext to strip Liu Feng of his military power and pave the way for Liu Shan's future.
Liu Bei frowned immediately and said in a deep voice, "Didn't I say I wouldn't mention the matter of Runan again? Feng'er is so young, yet he managed to hold out for several months under the siege of Cao Cao's army. That's already remarkable. Someone else might not have done better. Victory and defeat are common in war. Why are you so harsh on him?"
Liu Feng felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he listened to his father's defense of him, but when he looked up and saw Guan Yu's cold, hard face, Pang Tong's ambiguous smile, and the averted or indifferent gazes of the civil and military officials around him, he couldn't help but feel sorrowful. His father's protection was genuine, but so was the ostracism he faced from all sides in Jingzhou. This kind of opportunistic behavior clearly showed that they couldn't tolerate him.
He stood there, caught in a dilemma, feeling as if the air in the council chamber was so heavy it was hard to breathe. Despite being his father's adopted son, he felt like an outsider, even his right to speak depended on the whims of others.
Seeing Liu Feng with his head down and his face pale, Liu Bei felt a pang of pity, but ultimately said nothing more. He knew that Guan Yu and Pang Tong's thoughts were actually the thoughts of many people, and for the sake of Jingzhou's stability, some things could only be turned a blind eye.
"Let's set that aside for now," Liu Bei changed the subject, looking back at the map. "Let's discuss how to reply to the envoy from Xiliang first."
The focus in the council hall returned to the current situation, but Liu Feng seemed to have been forgotten, standing alone in a corner. He gazed at his father's retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He was grateful for his father's protection, but the waters of Jingzhou were too deep; he felt like a superfluous person, his future uncertain.