Chapter 10: Big Ears, Listen to Me

“Father, no one has spoken to me about Chen Gongcao’s slander, and I hold no grudge against him.”

“It’s just that I feel the current situation is precarious; even a slight misstep could trigger widespread turmoil. You and I, father and son, stand at the eye of the storm. Should we err in judgment, the consequences could be unbearable.”

Liu Bei gradually calmed himself.

Since assuming the Governorship of Xuzhou, he had brought all his family here. He now had three sons and two daughters, but the one who truly satisfied and captivated his affection was his eldest legitimate son, already famed in the northern territories.

Reflecting on his son’s precocious wisdom and the secret of his dream encounter with a celestial being, Liu Bei’s anger slowly subsided.

After a while, he sat cross-legged, fixing his gaze on Liu Feng. “Very well, my son. I wish to hear your insightful analysis. Tell me plainly—what is this calamity you speak of?”

“Father, do you truly believe we are the rightful rulers of Xuzhou?”

Liu Feng’s opening words nearly ignited Liu Bei’s fury once more.

What was this about? Was his son mocking him as a mere puppet?

Fortunately, Liu Bei’s magnanimity prevailed, and he patiently listened on.

“Allow me to analyze the situation, Father.”

Liu Feng rose and took several bamboo slips and silk scrolls from the table, placing them upon the floor. Pointing to the bamboo slips, he said, “Within Xuzhou, there are roughly four factions. You, Father, represent the governor’s faction—the nominal head—supported by our uncles, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Uncle Zilong, Uncle Guorong, and others.

“Yet, your power is weak, and talent is scarce. When you first arrived, your forces numbered fewer than a thousand, with only four generals. Even with the aid of Tao Gong’s four thousand Danyang troops, your strength barely sufficed for self-defense.

“Father, without the support of kin or experienced retainers, though you hold the title of governor, the affairs of the province are not truly under your control.”

The native clans of Xuzhou, led by the Chen and Mi families, naturally seized the reins of provincial governance after Liu Bei’s appointment. Their grip was even firmer than that of the Yan Province clans over Cao Cao.

Cao Cao, after all, had the steadfast support of his own clan, the Xiahou, and Wei families, with abundant talent to manage key posts.

But Liu Bei? Aside from Jian Yong, Tian Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao, he could scarcely find literate subordinates, let alone scholarly aristocrats.

Had this not been the case, a year later when Yuan Shu rebelled, Liu Bei and Guan Yu would not have been forced into such distress that Zhang Fei had to remain behind to hold the fort.

Liu Bei was well aware of this predicament, but despite his deepest contemplation, he found no better solution than to intensify efforts to win over Chen Deng and Mi Zhu, relying heavily on them and striving to bind their interests with his own.

This strategy could neither be deemed right nor wrong. Logically, it was utterly foolish—it relinquished the governor’s lofty position and neutral mediator role, throwing Liu Bei directly into the heart of factional strife, even enabling Chen Deng and Mi Zhu to sideline him.

Yet, in practice, this very approach ensured that after Lü Bu betrayed him and seized his home, Liu Bei continued to receive steady support—men, money, and grain—from Chen Deng and Mi Zhu. With an army swelling to ten thousand, he nearly staged a remarkable comeback.

And what of Lü Bu, the relative victor at the time?

Though he assaulted Liu Bei’s army of ten thousand, he could muster only three to four thousand troops himself, his total force barely surpassing ten thousand.

Though these were seasoned warriors, this revealed Lü Bu’s own precarious position.

A newly appointed governor of Xuzhou, Liu Bei, having not yet lost his family’s estate, commanded more troops than his adversary.

If Liu Feng’s purpose was to help his elder brother guard their Xuzhou legacy, from this perspective, Liu Bei’s actions might appear exceedingly foolish.

“Father, the second faction consists of the local aristocratic gentry of Xuzhou.

“These can be divided into two groups.

“First, the Chen and Mi families, who are close to you and relatively loyal, yet hold all the provincial power. They are a force that requires both appeasement and division.

“Second, families like the Wangs and the Zhuges, who know nothing of you and lack trust. They would rather flee than serve you. These too are factions that can be both placated and won over.”

Listening to Liu Feng’s words, the anger lurking in Liu Bei’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep contemplation.

He had long sensed these realities but lacked any effective countermeasures.

At this moment, he found himself quietly hopeful that his son might offer a pragmatic solution.

“The third faction is the Danyang outsiders, led by the General Jianwei Zhonglang.

“They were originally Tao Gong’s trusted men from his homeland, fiercely loyal to him, but deeply resented by the local aristocrats in Xuzhou. The two sides are openly hostile.

“This faction both leans toward you and remains distant—willing to follow, yet wary and suspicious.

“Moreover, they have long-standing animosity with the scholarly faction to which Chen Gongcao belongs. Their conflicts are sharp.

“Now that you have become governor, you must mediate and reconcile these factions, or at least enable their coexistence.

“Otherwise, these factions will be consumed by internal strife, neglecting proper governance, and the resulting imbalance will invite invasion by external enemies.”

Liu Bei suddenly asked, “External enemies—my son, who exactly are these external enemies you speak of?”

Though Liu Bei had never grasped the situation so clearly before, his remarkable intuition allowed him to vaguely perceive some of it.

He had always been closely allied with Chen Deng and Mi Zhu, but his skills in balancing these relationships were limited, so the Danyang faction kept their distance.

Liu Bei had no intention of destroying the Danyang faction, but naturally, his actions tended to favor Chen Deng and Mi Zhu.

He had considered that the Danyang faction, as outsiders without local roots, wielded military power but depended on the local gentry for funds and provisions.

If Liu Bei aligned firmly with Chen Deng, the Danyang faction would stand little chance.

In this scenario, he even entertained the thought of using the local gentry’s pressure to gradually absorb or eliminate the Danyang faction.

Whether this plan would succeed depended on Liu Bei’s subsequent maneuvers and political skill.

But the prerequisite was maintaining a closed circle.

Without external allies, the Danyang faction would have no options but to be absorbed or submit to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei bore them no deep hatred; only madness would drive their leaders to resist outright.

Thus, Liu Bei might seize the opportunity to absorb the Danyang faction.

Earlier, Liu Bei had felt this was manageable. Upon assuming the governorship, he reconciled with Yuan Shao.

Chen Deng’s memorial to Yuan Shao, informing him of Liu Bei’s appointment, led Yuan Shao to choose peace with Liu Bei.

Remarkably, though Liu Bei made peace with Yuan Shao, he did not sever ties with Gongsun Zan, and in doing so, denied Yuan Shao’s ally Cao Cao any pretext to attack Xuzhou again.