NOVPUBLiu Bei fell into silence for a moment, "Since that is the case, let’s clarify this matter to Lord Tao and also send the letter of interrogation from Cao Bao to Xiapi, and tell Lord Tao that I will not interfere with other affairs in Xuzhou, and after slaying Cao Mengde, I will retreat back to Mount Tai."
"Understood." Li Youu replied calmly, "Lord Xuande has also noticed the rift with Tao Gongzu. Alas, such is the world, full of helplessness."
"In that case, continue to gather supplies from Mount Tai, camp on the spot, build fortifications, take in the refugees, and center around Tann County to construct dwellings. Yunchang, Yide, Xingba, Zijian, each of you will lead three thousand soldiers and exterminate the rioters who have been slaughtering the people of Xuzhou in all directions." Having issued the order, Liu Bei no longer cared whether this was a provocation to the local families of Xuzhou.
"Understood." Guan Yu and the others rose, saluted Liu Bei, then exited the Tann County Government Office, ready to lead their troops to slay the rioters and gather the refugees.
"Zichuan, do you think Cao Mengde has realized his mistakes?" Liu Bei, left with only a few strategists, looked at the civil officials with bewilderment and asked.
"I don’t know, but as a person, Cao Cao will stop after venting his rage, as he is indeed someone with steadfast character, and won’t slaughter just for the sake of killing," Chen Xi said, lowering his head, somewhat unsure about Cao Cao.
"I’m afraid it’s not that simple." Guo Jia had been watched very closely recently. He was not allowed to drink alcohol, touch beauties, and his Five-Stone Powder had been confiscated. According to Guo Jia’s own words, he was living a life worse than a dog’s, but it was clear that his spirit had improved significantly.
"Let’s hear it. I suspect there’s something we don’t know, but unfortunately, up to now, Wen He has not received any intelligence," Chen Xi said while looking at Guo Jia, who was thin, but had bright, spirited eyes.
"We have accurate intelligence from Xuzhou, and that is Tao Gongzu wants to hand over Xuzhou to Cao Mengde, but since Cao Mengde has massacred Xuzhou, this matter is naturally void," Guo Jia said with a sneer.
"More importantly, we can be sure that Cao Mengde does not know Tao Gongzu’s attitude towards him; otherwise, he would have only needed to send envoys to question him, and upon confrontation, given Tao Gongzu’s current mindset, he would definitely have given up Xuzhou and handed it directly to Cao Cao. As for now, I am confident that Cao Mengde has already received this news through other channels, and it is accurate news," Guo Jia calmly stated, his words a conjecture, but given the current situation with Cao Cao, he believed it was highly probable.
Liu Ye was momentarily lost in thought then stood up after a long while and said, "I might understand Cao Mengde’s thinking now. Fengxiao makes sense; Cao Mengde is very likely aware of that message, and what he is doing now is trying to salvage the situation. Cao Mengde’s character was such that even after venting his anger, he would only ignore the people, not engage in relief efforts."
"Right, relief efforts. This is too bizarre for Cao Mengde. It’s not to look down on Cao Mengde, but according to his character, he shouldn’t be conducting relief for these former enemies. The most appropriate action should be expulsion," Jia Xu took over the conversation, then his face darkened. Seeing the expression on Jia Xu’s face, Guo Jia and the other strategists seemed to come to a realization, all showing displeasure.
"What’s wrong, Zichuan?" Liu Bei looked puzzled at his strategists and then called out by name.
"Cao Mengde might intend to pin this incident on us, and if Cao Mengde really has evidence that Tao Gongzu was planning to give Xuzhou to himself, once Tao Qian passes away, we will be at a disadvantage," Chen Xi said with a wry smile. "Of course, this is just my guess. After all, the common people know too little. Cao Mengde’s move is sufficient to cover up the entire affair, and as Wen He’s intelligence indicates, Cao Mengde is now aware that someone is fanning the flames."
"Pinning it on us is unlikely unless we go to see Lord Tao now, and he actually gives us Xuzhou, and then he dies shortly after," Guo Jia said, opening his fan to hide the chilly smile on his face. "Although it seems unrealistic, if we really do reach Xuzhou, this scenario could very well take place, and both Cao Cao and the local aristocratic families of Xuzhou could indeed expedite this matter."
"Then there would be no washing away our involvement," Liu Ye said expressionlessly. "As long as at that time Cao Mengde can produce solid evidence, together with his current actions to win over the hearts of the people, we would no longer just be passive, we would be truly doomed. So, until we understand how Cao Mengde came to learn of this information, it’s best we avoid any contact with Tao Gongzu. If any mishap occurs, it would spell big trouble!"
"Whose demonic strategy is this? It’s so insidious," Chen Xi said, frowning. "The lack of transparent information means the public will find it very difficult to understand the real truth of the matter. In fact, we can only speculate about the massacre by Cao Mengde, since we have no evidence to prove how many he actually killed. The most outrageous thing is that other forces are also carrying out massacres."
"Send envoys to question Cao Mengde, consider it a declaration of war. No matter what, it is indeed his fault that the people of Xuzhou have been displaced. Whether or not he provides disaster relief is merely atonement. ’To know your faults and be able to change is commendable,’ but that doesn’t mean knowing and correcting your mistakes erases them. If that were the case, what would be the need for laws and armies?" Liu Bei declared firmly.
Compared to his previous frenzied insistence on destroying Cao Cao, Liu Bei had become much more composed. In Liu Bei’s mind, it was possible that Cao Mengde had indeed committed a massacre, but only as an expression of transient fury, remembering Cao Cao as the fearless man at Hulao Pass, who for the sake of the world and the Emperor, had pursued Dong Zhuo alone.
"Good, the Lord speaks sensibly. Let’s send the envoys to question him. Meng De must have received the news that our army has been stationary by the East Sea for so long, and there’s no need to lose our composure over a moment of anger," Jia Wenhe said.
"Before we send envoys to question Cao Mengde, I think it’s better to first clarify something for Lord Xuande," Chen Xi said, somewhat troubled.
It seems Liu Bei believes that Cao Mengde only killed a thousand or so people and is prepared to question Cao Cao, expecting an explanation. As long as Cao Cao is willing to clean up the aftermath, Liu Bei is ready to let bygones be bygones.
After all, Cao Cao’s long-term efforts in places like Yanzhou have indeed proven him to be a capable official. Different from Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu’s naked ambition, Liu Bei’s memory still holds the image of Cao Mengde beneath Hulao Pass, united in spirit and resolved to restore the Han Dynasty. And from his current actions, it seems Cao Cao has indeed realized and corrected his faults. Though Liu Bei’s words may sound harsh, his tone has softened considerably. 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Liu Bei hopes that Cao Cao will achieve greater deeds and strive to restore the Han Dynasty, just as he does, hence he plans to give Cao Cao some leeway.
As for those thousand or so lives lost in Liu Bei’s heart, as long as Cao Cao provides a proper settlement for the survivors, Liu Bei is prepared to turn a blind eye. After all, Cao Cao was avenging his father’s death, and filial revenge is a pretext that can justify killing. Moreover, this excuse has been used for four hundred years in a Han Dynasty ruled by filial piety. (To be continued. If you like this work, your votes at qidian.com, and monthly tickets, are my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
