NOVPUBChen Xi turned his head to look at Jia Xu, "Wen He, I’ve always thought you were a master of intrigue, so why have you switched to a different trade now? Isn’t smashing the great momentum exactly the essence of an open strategy? Have you changed professions?"
Jia Xu glanced at Chen Xi, "A good plot can be either covert or overt; a covert one is effortless and allows you to accomplish much with little, while an overt one is dignified and unstoppable. They should be integrated, why divide and rule them?"
Chen Xi shrugged, "I’m not particularly skilled at plotting and scheming; what I’m best at is crushing the opponent with an upright and forthright approach, smashing through regardless of how they twist and turn."
"However, once a plot is exposed, it loses its value and can easily be countered, so it’s absolutely inadvisable to build major plans on intrigue alone. Likewise, there are times when an open strategy can’t be employed, but whatever is practical is a good plot," Jia Xu said with a somewhat strange expression.
"Another pragmatist," Chen Xi shrugged, "But open strategy is very useful, especially our approach of pressing with the force of great momentum."
After Liu Bei left, the entire aristocratic families of Xuzhou began to stir. Li Youu, like an incompetent courtier, turned a blind eye to the actions of Xuzhou’s powerful families, or it might be better to say he deliberately let them run their course.
[Let them create a ruckus, I don’t believe they can resist such a golden opportunity. Power and military authority are right before their eyes, tantalizingly within reach. I refuse to believe they won’t be blinded by greed. Lord Xuande is now far from the emperor’s reach, and I, Li Wenru, am just an earthen Taiyi, powerless to stop whatever they plan to do...]
A sneer crossed Li Youu’s face as he considered the various attitudes of the heads of Xuzhou’s aristocratic families during their first meeting after Liu Bei’s departure. Apart from Chen Gui, who made Li Youu somewhat wary, the others could be eradicated with a flick of his wrist, speaking crudely.
[If not, then I’ll just take bribes and do their bidding, which will also help to increase the treasury quite nicely. It’s more reasonable to be a bit greedy.] Li Youu, watching his subordinates—those fawning heads of Xuzhou’s aristocratic families—picked up his teacup with indifference to hide his expression, [If they present their faces for a slap, it would be rude not to reciprocate, wouldn’t it?]
The powerful families of Xuzhou had no idea that Li Youu, now sitting in the seat of the Regional Inspector, was contemplating how to divide up their wealth, and even Chen Gui, who had planned to be cautious with Li Youu, did not anticipate that the mid-aged scholar at the high seat harbored such ambition, nor that he possessed the capability to divide up their wealth.
On the other hand, Lü Su had already received an urgent report from Qingzhou; the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou had once again shown signs of rallying, and it seemed that they were about to gather a force of a million. Upon receiving the intelligence, Lü Su immediately sent it to Xuzhou and then relayed it to Guan Yu, who had just returned to Mount Tai.
When Guan Yu and others withdrew from Xuzhou, Liu Bei, following Chen Xi’s suggestions, had made preparations. If the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou made the first move, the Mount Tai Army would stop their rest and Guan Yu, with Guo Jia and Liu Ye as military advisors, would be the lead commander to push through Qingzhou within a month.
In short, if the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou stayed put waiting for Liu Bei’s army to attack, they would proceed slowly, fighting while pacifying, settling captured Yellow Turbans on-site and constructing cities. But if the Yellow Turbans acted first, to avoid being manipulated by other feudal lords, they would swiftly crush them, creating chaos, and then carry out extensive governance.
"Sovereign Marquis, I wish to persuade the current Grand Marshal of Yellow Turbans, Guan Hai, to surrender." Liao Hua, knowing Mount Tai intimately, knelt and kowtowed before the ready-to-deploy Guan Yu, realizing the fragility of the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, especially now as they were rallying. If Guan Yu, spurred by anger, struck with the swiftness of thunder, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou might bleed rivers.
"Yuanjian, do you realize what you’re saying?" Guan Yu opened his eyes slightly, and a chill swept over Liao Hua.
"Hua, I beg the Sovereign Marquis to give the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou a way to live. They’re only suffering from lack of food, they were just beguiled by others. The Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou truly long for the life in Mount Tai. Sovereign Marquis, please grant them a way to survive." Liaoo Hua knelt on the ground, a man of iron who had never shed tears no matter how tough or exhausting life had been, but now, he wept for the comrades of old.
"Please grant the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou a way to live…" Zhou Cang also knelt before Guan Yu. Once the great army set out, blood would certainly be spilled; they would not return without having fought. Such was the rule since ancient times.
"How confident are you?" After a long while, Guan Yu spoke.
"Thank you, Sovereign Marquis, thank you. We will do our utmost to persuade Guann Hai to defect. He has always hoped to join Mount Tai, but never found the right opportunity. I am willing to go and persuade him." Liaoo Hua banged his forehead on the ground, his eyes brimming with tears as he spoke.
"Mount Tai can accept the Yellow Turbans, but not the leader of a rebellion comprising millions of soldiers. Tell him this, and let him choose!" Guan Yu was clearly not a smooth talker. Both Guo Jia and Liu Ye would never have said such a thing; they would have waited until the millions of Yellow Turbans had been subdued, then quietly taken care of Guann Hai.
Tears welled up in Liaoo Hua’s eyes, "Sovereign Marquis, the Yellow Turbans need a stable home. They were merely misled. I am willing to go and persuade them."
"Then go," Guan Yu glanced at Liaoo Hua. Concerned about the fate of a million Yellow Turbans, he was willing to let Liaoo Hua give it a try, "Be careful on your journey."
"I won’t let you down," said Liaoo Hua, his eyes bloodshot. He swore that even if it cost him his life, he wouldn’t let Guann Hai drag the hopeful million-plus Yellow Turbans into the abyss.
"Go," Guan Yu said calmly.
And so, Liaoo Hua left. He removed his armor, donned the tattered commoner clothes from his Yellow Turban days, wrapped a Yellow Turban around his head, and set off on horseback towards the North Sea.
Guann Hai was a stubborn man, who, once he said he would do something, went ahead and did it, regardless of what others said. During Zhang Jiao’s time, he was already a Channel Commander. However, considering the lives of a million Yellow Turbans and their future, Liaoo Hua felt he had to try. Just as all the brothers from Qingzhou were about to lead better lives, this complication arose. Knowing well the hardships of the Yellow Turbans, Liaoo Hua was willing to stake his own life on a chance.
Of course, Guann Hai had no idea of the grave trouble he was in. He was proud to have rallied a million Yellow Turbans and was preparing to surround the North Sea and give Kong Rong a fright. He believed that as soon as he encircled Kong Rong, within a month, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou would be able to gloriously surrender to Liu Bei and become law-abiding citizens. 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
"The Great Commander is remarkable! Our brothers working on the infrastructure in Western Qingzhou sent word that Mount Tai is mobilizing troops to annihilate us, hahaha, when they arrive, we’ll all surrender, and from then on, we’ll be the people under Lord Xuande’s rule," a Minor Canal Commandant proudly informed the various Commandants after a meeting, sharing the news he had received.
"Hahaha, if so, let us abstain from more killings. Surround the North Sea, but do not attack, act, yes, just like the theater troupe in Mount Tai," laughed Guann Hai, extremely pleased with himself. If before he was ranked among the top Commandants of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou, now he was their leader, the brilliant and valorous one leading the Yellow Turbans towards a brighter life. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it with a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
