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"Zichuan, how many refugees have we gathered so far?" Liu Bei sat within Tann County City and asked his civil and military subordinates.
Originally, Chen Xi was supposed to lead a division of troops by himself, but before they could leave Mount Tai, intelligence from Xuzhou suggested the need for supplies rather than manpower. After all, upon arriving in Xuzhou, Liu Bei realized that more important than defeating Cao Cao was figuring out how to help these people who had been displaced by war and forced to leave their homes, return to a peaceful life.
"Over three hundred thousand," Chen Xi sighed, "The necessary supplies have been confirmed to arrive tomorrow."
Cao Bao was indeed no good riddance, and though smug, it didn’t mean that others in Xuzhou were foolish either. For instance, Prefect of the East Sea Xue Yan welcomed Liu Bei with open arms, and when Liu Bei said to open the granaries to provide relief, he did so without hesitation, choosing to cling to Liu Bei’s coattails.
"Only over three hundred thousand?" Liu Bei’s expression darkened. "There should be close to a million people in the northern part of Xuzhou. Those driven from their homes due to the massacre shouldn’t only number so few." When Liu Bei said this, he was noticeably gloomy, fearing that Chen Xi would reveal something like the rest had all been killed by Cao Cao. If that were the case, Liu Bei couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t recklessly send troops to attack Cao Cao.
"It is not as Lord has imagined. Cao Mengde is also gathering refugees and conducting relief efforts," Jia Xu sighed, "Considering what Cao Cao is doing now, all Jia Xu can say is that the cunning hero is worthy of his reputation. With such a smokescreen, even if we know that Cao Mengde indeed carried out a massacre, we lack any substantial evidence."
"Hmm?" Liu Bei was taken aback, "Wen He, repeat what you just said."
"Cao Mengde is also conducting relief efforts and is eliminating the thugs who massacred the civilians of Xuzhou. Among them, Xiahou Yuanrang has already eradicated the second largest massacre force, led by the one called ’Emperor’, Quexuan," Jia Xu repeated.
As soon as these words were spoken, the Tann County Government Office burst into hushed whispers, all expressing disbelief.
"Weren’t there reports before that Cao Cao was slaughtering the civilians of Xuzhou en masse? And haven’t we also executed many of such groups?" Zhao Yun stood up immediately and asked. He had been slaying men of the Cao Army in Xuzhou until his hand grew weary, and now they were telling him he had been killing the wrong people? How could Zhao Yun just let it be?
"According to our investigation, those currently committing the massacres are no longer Cao Army but some local forces of Xuzhou, presumably trying to take advantage of the situation to rise up. As for Cao Mengde’s initial participation in the massacres, it was inevitable. However, it’s uncertain how many were actually the handiwork of Cao Cao himself," said Jia Xu, resigned. Considering the need for accurate intelligence, he wasn’t prepared to offer purely speculative data.
Chen Xi had also made some estimates regarding this matter, but he truly did not know how many had been killed. As for intelligence, with the current state of the intelligence organization, without cameras or video recorders, and amidst the interplay of multiple forces, to be certain that Cao Cao indeed committed massacres was already difficult, let alone how many he had actually killed.
"Wen He, in this massacre, which local forces of Xuzhou participated?" Liu Bei turned the conversation away from Cao Cao, asking another question, withholding comment on Cao Cao’s actions.
"So far, we have definitive information on two groups: Quexuan’s followers, and Ze Rong. Quexuan’s motives are clear, merely seizing the opportunity to undermine Lord Tao’s reputation for his own ascent. As for Ze Rong, he seems to be seizing this chance to loot wealth," responded Jia Xu impassively, "Among them, Ze Rong wields significant power, commanding over ten thousand troops and three thousand cavalry, and has already wreaked havoc across several counties."
"How dare these villains act so brazenly!" Liu Bei slapped the table angrily.
"Yun, I wish to alleviate Lord’s concerns," Zhao Yun, with a chill in his demeanor, stepped forward from his seat.
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The usually gentle Zhao Yun had become increasingly stern amidst the frenzied slaughter. With one step forward, the other subordinate generals who had intended to take over this matter all retracted their movements. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
"The White Horse Righteous Followers come and go like the wind, and assigning this task to Zilong is very fitting. Bring me Ze Rong’s head," Liu Bei said with an icy face. Since witnessing the carnage in Xuzhou, the renowned merciful and virtuous Liu Bei also revealed his own authoritative and domineering side, showing no mercy toward those who had committed massacres.
"Understood!" Zhao Yun bowed and then promptly withdrew from the Government Office, ready to muster troops to attack Ze Rong.
"Lord, what follows is my speculation, as there isn’t sufficient evidence," Jia Xu began after watching Zhao Yun leave.
"Speak," Liu Bei nodded.
Jia Xu thoroughly explained his analysis regarding Cao Bao, and after Liu Bei heard it, his expression turned dark as water. "Wen He, how confident are you that the matter is truly as you’ve described?"
"Seventy percent," Jia Xu said quietly.
"That’s enough. I came to Xuzhou to kill, whether they’re thugs disguised as Cao’s troops or Quexuan, Ze Rong and others flying Cao’s banners, they are all targets I intend to slay. As for Cao Bao you mentioned, even if there’s only a ten percent chance, he deserves death. Those who kill without reason must die!" Liu Bei’s eyes were cold as he looked at Jia Xu, speaking openly in front of everyone in a manner entirely different from before.
"It should indeed be so. With the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens at stake, one cannot prove innocence then one is guilty. Minor matters we could scrutinize and investigate in detail, but in times like this, a swift resolution is all that is needed!" Chen Xi too spoke coldly, feeling nothing but hatred for those who aggravated the chaos.
"I suggest we immediately undertake local resettlement for the people of Xuzhou and rebuild their homes," said Chen Xi, then promptly shifted the topic away from that matter to discuss another.
"Isn’t that a bit excessive?" On hearing this, any semblance of authority Liu Bei had amassed instantly dissipated. Such measures were equally incompatible with his principles.
"Only by doing so can we free up our hands in a short time to deal with Cao Mengde. Compared to the likes of Quexuan and Ze Rong, whom any one of us could easily eliminate, Cao Mengde is our true enemy. If we continue to delay with the refugees in Xuzhou, unless we implement military control, we will not be able to free up our hands to deal with Cao Mengde," Chen Xi said earnestly.
"Please reconsider, my Lord. What Zichuan has said might not be entirely accurate, but it is not far from the truth. Over three hundred thousand displaced people, if not properly organized, will only hold us back in the East Sea, just as they did the past half-month," Liu Ye stood up and said, recalling the last half-month that had been squandered, albeit with Liu Ye’s intention of sitting idle to watch the tigers fight.
"Lord Xuande, one difference between us and Cao Mengde is that we are not providing disaster relief; we are here to rescue. We ensure that people can continue to live after our departure, not just give them a single satisfying meal. For Cao Mengde, solving the issue may be as simple as setting up a porridge shed, but for us, it involves addressing their clothing, food, housing, and transportation," Li Youu sighed as he spoke.
Liu Bei’s actions left Li Youu at a loss for words, yet he clearly understood that this was Liu Bei’s pledge of benevolence—to treat all the people of the world with kindness. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to vote and support on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
