Chapter 40: Reveries of Unifying the Entire Province

Liu Bei was the master of a province and the supreme commander of the army. For Liu Feng to bypass him and plot such a massive operation was nothing short of wishful thinking. Any undertaking required Liu Bei's full cooperation to maximize their combined strength.

After listening to Liu Feng's strategy, Liu Bei's jaw dropped in astonishment, and he muttered to himself, "This plan is so wi—, so ingenious."

In short, Liu Feng's plan was to use refined salt, white sugar, and wealth to purchase grain in Zang Ba's territory before the autumn harvest. With the autumn harvest fast approaching, the powerful clans and common households in places like Kaiyang would gladly sell any surplus grain for cash, which would conveniently clear out storage space for the impending new harvest.

Once the grain had been largely bought up, Liu Bei's army would launch an attack just before the autumn harvest in Kaiyang could be stored away, trapping Zang Ba directly within his city walls. At the same time, they could use the newly harvested and centralized grain of Kaiyang as military provisions, living off the enemy.

It could truly be called killing two birds with one stone.

By that time, deprived of grain, Zang Ba would be entirely incapable of holding his city. Surrender or starvation would be his only options. Even if Zang Ba put up a stubborn resistance, it would not buy him much time; the situation was expected to be completely resolved within the year. Moreover, the historical Zang Ba was quite tactful and lacked grand ambitions, giving Liu Feng enough confidence to successfully persuade him to surrender.

Listening to Liu Feng's complete and thorough plan, Liu Bei regarded him as a prodigy. After all, although Big-Eared Liu was formidable in battle, his reputation had always rested on frontline combat prowess—relying on brothers who feared no death, fine martial arts, and sheer physical strength. When it came to intellectual strategy and cunning plots, he was still quite dim-witted and would never have conceived of such a devious scheme on his own.

Yet, Liu Bei still found a flaw: "Feng'er, what if Zang Ba refuses to sell the grain?"

Liu Feng laughed heartily and explained to Liu Bei, "Zang Ba is merely a local strongman; how could he possibly see through my strategy? Furthermore, this is an overt strategy—even if Zang Ba perceives it, he is powerless to crack it. Father must understand that Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Chang Xi, and the others are nominal lords and ministers, but in reality, they are merely allies. It is extremely difficult for him to truly interfere in the private affairs of his subordinates. Therefore, even if Zang Ba refuses to sell grain, how could Chang Xi, Sun Guan, and the others restrain themselves? At that time, it would be fine if Zang Ba did not interfere, but if he tries to stop Chang Xi and Sun Guan from selling their grain, it will likely only breed deep suspicion among them. To cut off a man's livelihood is akin to killing his parents; if Zang Ba has any sense, he will not dare to do such a thing."

Liu Bei was suddenly enlightened. The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed, practically foolproof.

Liu Feng delivered his concluding remarks: "Father, the battle of Langya will be your maiden campaign after taking control of Xu Province. We must strive for a single decisive strike to establish your majesty throughout Donghai."

"What Feng'er says makes perfect sense." A look of eager anticipation filled Liu Bei's eyes as he stared at Liu Feng. "And after subduing Langya Commandery?"

"At that time, Father can leverage the momentum of a major victory to march south toward Guangling, coerce Yuan Sui into submission, and unify the entire province."

Remembering what had been discussed earlier, Liu Bei could not help pressing further, "Didn't you say earlier that Guangling must not be touched? Why can we march south toward Guangling now?"

Liu Feng smiled and replied, "Circumstances change with the times. By then, even if Yuan Sui still refuses to bow to Father, Zhang Menggao will likely already be dead in Yan Province. Since Zhang Menggao is dead, what fault could there be in Father, in his capacity as the Mu of the province, subduing the commanderies and counties within his jurisdiction? Even if Zhang Menggao miraculously survives, Father will merely be marching south to Guangling to guard against Yuan Shu's northward invasions. Given Yuan Sui's less-than-resolute temperament, he will certainly not dare to meet Father in armed conflict. By then, our grand army will enter the city, and Father can use the authority of the Provincial Mu to adjust personnel and appoint the virtuous, placing Guangling firmly in the palm of your hand."

Liu Bei suddenly understood, beaming from ear to ear as he could not help but indulge in delightful daydreams of truly unifying Xu Province.

Over a hundred li east of Tan City, in Qu County—where the Mi family of Donghai resided—Mi Fang, younger brother of the head of the Mi family, was reading a silk scroll sent back in a rush by his elder brother Mi Zhu, guarded by armored elite soldiers.

Like his elder brother Mi Zhu, Mi Fang was a refined yet accomplished scholar skilled in archery. However, compared to Mi Zhu's introverted nature, Mi Fang appeared much more unrestrained, outgoing, and impatient.

As he read the letter, Mi Fang's brows remained tightly furrowed. It was no wonder he wore such an expression; the quantity of supplies Mi Zhu had promised Liu Feng was simply too staggering. The miscellaneous supplies were manageable—the household could scrape them together somehow, and even if they fell slightly short, it mattered little; by sounding out the powerful clans and gentry families of Qu County, they would all give the Mi family face and help make up the deficit.

However, the one hundred thousand *dan* of grain was terrifyingly excessive. There were indeed nearly three hundred thousand *dan* of newly harvested grain stored within the Mi family's estate, but this was what tens of thousands of family members relied on for a whole year. To siphon off a third of it in one go—should any unexpected situation arise—would spell immense trouble.

It was not until the mention of refined salt and rock candy that Mi Fang's expression shifted from hesitation to suspicion. Yet, when he opened the wooden box delivered alongside the letter, which contained the refined salt and rock candy, his doubt turned into utter shock.

Everything his elder brother said was actually true?

Mi Fang, who had initially hesitated to carry out his brother's instructions, picked up the wooden box and the letter and hurried toward the inner courtyard.

Mi Zheng, the father of Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, was still alive. Having passed the age of sixty, he had completely retired, entrusting all household affairs to his eldest son, Mi Zhu, while having his second son, Mi Fang, assist the eldest in management. As for himself, he lived in complete seclusion in the rear courtyard's Fortune Tower, enjoying his golden years in peace and comfort.

This Fortune Tower stood four stories high and measured over a hundred paces in circumference, making it one of the premier tall structures within Qu County. Standing atop the tower, one's line of sight could clear the city walls and gaze out at the scenery beyond. When the Mi family originally constructed the tower, it allegedly cost a full twenty million coins, and Mi Zheng named it the Fortune Tower. The interior was magnificently decorated, with six to eight rooms on each floor, and atop the fourth floor sat a pavilion designed for ascending high to view distant landscapes.

Mi Fang trotted all the way, startling the passing servants, who wondered what matter could possibly cause the Second Master Mi to be in such a frantic rush. Upon reaching the Fortune Tower where Mi Zheng lived, Mi Fang knocked on the great gate and climbed the stairs.

His father, Mi Zheng, was currently enjoying a leisurely sip of fine wine while admiring the distant scenery in the company of a picturesque, bright-eyed young maiden. All the windows on the top floor were thrown wide open, though the interiors were draped with silk curtains, leaving only the side facing the mountain landscape exposed. This arrangement blocked the bitter winter wind while allowing Mi Zheng to bask in the warmth of a brazier, appreciating the snow-covered distant mountains of winter without feeling cold.

Hearing the commotion from below, Mi Zheng—who had been beaming with joy in the maiden's company—wiped the smile from his face and looked toward the stairs. Recognizing that the person ascending was Mi Fang, Mi Zheng's smile returned, and he playfully scolded, "Zifang, how many times must your father tell you? One must be steady in conduct and demeanor, never frivolous. Especially for those of us in commerce, while we require decisiveness when making a choice, we must consider things with utmost prudence beforehand and never act rashly."