Chapter 20: Balancing the Accounts on the Daybed

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The next day, Liu Feng returned to his old routine of never leaving the house. He paid his respects each morning and evening, then stayed home reading.

He only took time out to send Cao Bao a letter, informing him that everything had been settled. He also sent Mi Zhu a calling card, planning to pay him a visit on his next day off.

Around noon, Liu Bei finally rose and sent for Liu Feng.

When Liu Feng arrived, Liu Bei was still reclining on the couch.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had already left. Newly appointed commandants, each now overseeing a division of troops, they had to travel frequently between the military camps and the provincial administration. They could no longer eat at the same table and sleep on the same couch with Liu Bei as they had in the past.

“Feng’er, I called you here because there are several matters I wish to discuss with you.”

Seeing Liu Feng, Liu Bei raised a hand and beckoned him closer.

Liu Feng simply took off his shoes, climbed onto the couch, slipped behind Liu Bei, and began gently massaging his temples.

Liu Bei looked somewhat surprised, but soon relaxed.

Liu Feng’s technique was excellent. The gentle pressure and kneading eased the throbbing in Liu Bei’s hangover-stricken head, and before long he had become completely absorbed in the sensation.

Only after a long while did Liu Bei finally come to himself.

Turning his head, he saw that a fine sheen of sweat had formed on Liu Feng’s brow. Clearly, the massage had taken considerable effort.

Moved, Liu Bei patted Liu Feng’s arm, signaling him to stop.

His son was not only precociously intelligent and extraordinarily gifted, but had even encountered an immortal stroke of fortune. And toward his old father, he was unfailingly filial. Liu Bei could not have been more satisfied.

“Feng’er, I called you here to discuss three matters.”

“First, there is Cao Jianwei. We cannot delay too long; we must give him a formal reply.”

Patting Liu Feng’s hand, Liu Bei said, “I have received word that Cao Jianwei has shown great sincerity this time. He has already begun organizing his retainers and sent someone to inform me that I should make preparations and dispatch people to take them over.”

At this, Liu Bei sighed. “He truly trusts you. I have no idea what sort of bewitching potion you gave that boy.”

He meant it from the bottom of his heart. During these past few months in Xu Province, he had not failed to try to win Cao Bao over, yet the man had behaved like a tortoise hiding in its shell, leaving Liu Bei no way to approach him.

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“If everything goes according to plan, I intend to ask your Uncle Jian Yong to visit him the day after tomorrow and draw up a marriage contract with Cao Jianwei. We can stipulate that the wedding will take place once you have completed your coming-of-age ceremony. What do you think?”

Liu Feng considered the matter and found no problem with it. Cao Bao and Liu Bei still possessed a certain degree of political trust in each other.

Seeing that Liu Feng had no objections, Liu Bei continued, “You know that over the years, I have spent all my wealth maintaining my retainers, while whatever remained was sent back to our ancestral home. I made a special examination of the accounts yesterday. Even after scraping together what we can from the treasury, we can only raise three or four hundred thousand coins for the time being...”

Liu Bei was deeply embarrassed. His own son was taking a concubine, yet he, the father, could not even produce the betrothal gifts.

Still, he forced himself to continue. “I was thinking that we could offer part of the betrothal gifts first, then add to them once our finances improve. Would that be acceptable?”

Liu Feng was dumbfounded. Liu Bei’s way of handling the matter had left him utterly thunderstruck.

But after thinking it over, he also felt a pang of sympathy for Big Ears. The man truly had little wealth at present, while also having to support an army of forty or fifty thousand men. Raising three or four hundred thousand coins was already no easy feat. He had probably emptied his private savings completely.

Liu Feng reassured him, “Father, there is no need to worry. I have already reached an agreement with Jianwei: the profits from the snow salt will serve as the betrothal gifts. He agreed to it at the time. After I return from visiting the Assistant Governor tomorrow, I need only write up a contract and give it to him.”

Only then did Liu Bei let out a long breath of relief.

“Excellent, excellent. Since you already have a solution, Feng’er, I need not trouble myself further.”

That was what he said, and the prospective bride was his precious son’s choice, yet Liu Bei still felt somewhat empty inside.

But Liu Bei was Liu Bei. His weakness lasted only for an instant. Soon enough, he rallied himself once more.

“The second matter concerns the supplies for the agricultural colonies.”

Liu Bei sat upright, pulled two silk documents from beside the bed, and handed them to Liu Feng.

“Yesterday morning, I summoned Chen Changwen to inventory the surplus in the provincial treasury. It is not much, but we still have more than three hundred and fifty thousand piculs of grain, fifteen hundred piculs of salt, three million four hundred and seventy thousand coins, more than seventy thousand pounds of iron, and several thousand bolts of hemp cloth and silk. That is the entire foundation of Xu Province.”

Liu Bei hesitated, then added, “Even this amount includes a third transported here by Yuanlong from Xiapi Commandery. In addition, Zifang sent forty thousand piculs of grain and five hundred piculs of salt from Ju County.”

“I estimate that there should still be some reserves remaining in the storehouses of Xiapi Commandery. I will discuss it with Yuanlong later and see whether we can procure more from those two places. As for Guangling Commandery, I will send an official letter there as well. Whether they respond, however, is another matter.”

At present, Guangling Commandery was without its governor, Zhang Chao, who had gone to Yan Province to help his elder brother, Zhang Miao, resist Cao Cao.

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All the affairs of Guangling Commandery had been entrusted by Zhang Chao to his assistant governor, Yuan Sui.

Although Yuan Sui was not a member of the Ru’nan Yuan clan, his ancestors had shared the same forefather as theirs.

For that reason, he was rather well disposed toward Yuan Shu.

Under Yuan Sui’s influence, Guangling Commandery had not openly raised the banner of rebellion, but neither was it hostile toward Yuan Shu or unwilling to let him interfere.

Fortunately, Yuan Shu was currently in dire straits, being caught between Liu Biao and Liu You, who were pounding him mercilessly from both sides.

Big Ears still had a chance to win back the heart of Guangling Commandery, though the opportunity would certainly not be easy to seize.

This time, Liu Bei also wanted to use the occasion to test Guangling’s reaction. If they actually sent grain, everyone would be delighted. Not only would the storehouses receive supplies, but it would also signify that Yuan Sui was willing to accept Liu Bei as the governor of Xu Province.

If Yuan Sui rejected him outright, then a peaceful resolution would be all but impossible. They might as well prepare for war.

“But even so, it is only a cup of water poured on a burning cart, and it will not sustain us for long.”

Liu Bei sighed heavily, his face clouded with worry. “Feng’er, your plan for the agricultural colonies is indeed excellent. But with supplies so scarce, I fear we can do nothing but wait until the autumn harvest before making further plans.”

There was a reason for Liu Bei’s despondency. He currently had to support twenty-seven thousand soldiers: six thousand of them his own personal troops, and the remaining twenty thousand Danyang soldiers.

Although the Danyang troops had a tendency to act as a law unto themselves, as long as Liu Bei paid for their upkeep, that was all it amounted to.

But if Liu Bei dared cut off their pay and provisions, it would become an armed uprising.

Therefore, Liu Bei had no choice but to include the Danyang troops’ expenses in his own budget. It was an aggravating burden.

Fortunately, he had acquired the whole of Xu Province without paying for it, so he was still willing to shoulder the cost.

That was precisely why Liu Bei had been so delighted upon learning that Cao Bao was willing to cede four thousand retainers to him.

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