My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 135 Zhongde lived up to his mission.

In the latter half of the second year of Xingping in history, after successfully occupying Guangling, Yuan Shu led an army of 30,000 northwards, only to be completely outmaneuvered by Liu Bei's force of over 10,000 men, who found no opportunity whatsoever.

This clearly demonstrates the poor combat effectiveness of Yuan Shu's main force.

Seeing his generals and subordinates trying various ways to refuse, Yuan Shu was naturally very angry.

But he had no choice, because he couldn't leave the group of people in front of him.

This is the best talent he could find.

Yuan Shu was not a short-sighted person; in fact, he had a very good eye for talent. He recruited Hua Xin, Zhang Cheng, Liu Fu, He Kui, Zhu Zhi, and others one after another. Unfortunately, the outcome was very tragic. None of these people thought much of him, Yuan Shu, and they all said that he was good, but he was not good enough for them.

Yuan Shu could only swallow his anger and pretend to be magnanimous and not care.

If these people could respond to criticism, they wouldn't have to suffer this humiliation.

After a long silence in the hall, Yuan Shu's strategist, Li Yexian, stepped forward and said, "My lord, since it is difficult to use troops, we should first try a plan."

"oh!?"

Yuan Shu's spirits lifted, and he became interested: "Please tell me, sir, what is the best course of action?"

"My lord, you can first send someone to Guangling to spread rumors that Liu Bei is angry that Guangling is friendly to us and that he will come to Guangling to kill people. Next year, the taxes will be doubled. At the same time, send an envoy to persuade Yuan Sui to open the city to welcome us. Then, send light troops to move quickly and seize the city. In this way, our army will turn the tables and the Xuzhou army will be exhausted from its long expedition. Our army will be at ease and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. The roles of host and guest will be reversed."

Li Ye continued, “The supply lines of the Xuzhou army stretch for hundreds of miles. Even with the aid of waterways, the consumption of grain is still enormous. I doubt that Liu Xuzhou would dare to use all three or four hundred thousand shi of grain. It would be risky to use half of it for the southward march to Guangling. If only ten thousand men come, our army can annihilate them in open battle. If tens of thousands come, we should hold the city and wait for the enemy to retreat on their own.”

"As long as we hold our ground this year, it remains to be seen whether Xuzhou will dare to invade the south again next year."

"The registrar's plan is brilliant!"

"Calculate defeat before victory. The chief clerk is well-versed in military strategy. If we follow his plan, we will be invincible."

Yuan Shu remained silent, watching Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui praise Li Ye's strategy.

Yuan Shu was fully aware of this; it was simply because they used this strategy that they no longer had to engage in direct field battles with the Xuzhou army.

Yang Hong and Yan Xiang also agreed, arguing that Li Ye's method was the most cost-effective.

Although Li Ye didn't say it explicitly, his underlying meaning was clear: our army will only send troops if we persuade Yuan Sui to open the city. If he said we couldn't move the city, then he didn't approve of sending troops.

But upon closer reflection, what Li Ye said is actually quite right.

He didn't have much capital left. If he were to lose tens of thousands more people, he wouldn't be able to hold onto his territory in Yangzhou.

How hateful Tao Gongzu! How hateful Liu Da'er! How hateful Cao Mengde! How hateful that mother-in-law was raised by a maid!

"In that case, let's do as Mr. Li says, please..."

After looking around, Yuan Shu's gaze fell on Yan Xiang: "I would like to trouble you, Mr. Yan, to go to Guangling and tell Yuan Sui to open the city gates as soon as possible, otherwise he will not have a good time when Liu Bei arrives."

Yan Xiang respectfully accepted the order, then asked in return, "When will our lord meet with Cao Cao's envoy?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu also remembered that there was a Cheng Yu.

After pondering for a moment, Yuan Shu said irritably, "This man is not famous. Now that we know the true situation of Xuzhou, he is of no use. You may send him back."

Yan Xiang obeyed the order and returned to his residence, where he summoned Cheng Yu and informed him of Yuan Shu's decision.

Cheng Yu was somewhat surprised, not expecting Yuan Shu to be so foolish as to actually send him back so easily.

Doesn't he worry that he might be hiding some information, which he can only reveal when he has a face-to-face meeting?
Yan Xiang treated Cheng Yu very politely. After explaining Yuan Shu's decision, he said, "I will be leaving Shouchun tomorrow and I am afraid I will not be able to entertain you. However, I have instructed my steward that you may ask for anything you need. But I would like to advise you that the relationship between my lord and your lord is delicate and Shouchun is not a place to stay for long."

Yan Xiang's words made Cheng Yu feel a bit more favorably toward him; he was indeed an upright and honest man.

But honest people are the easiest to bully.

Cheng Yu replied calmly, "Oh, so the registrar is going to Guangling tomorrow."

"That's right...!"

Yan Xianggang nodded in agreement, but then suddenly realized what he had said and stammered, "How did you know?"

Cheng Yu replied with a serious expression, "Naturally, it was what you just told me, Registrar."

Yan Xiang stared in disbelief, then his face flushed red as he angrily rebuked, "Why are you so rude, sir? I respect you as an envoy and have treated you with courtesy, but I did not expect you to spy on my military secrets. Are you really not afraid of my wrath?"

Cheng Yu chuckled inwardly. "You've already said that, and you're still accusing me?"

But his face remained serious: "No, clerk, please calm down and listen to what I have to say."

Yan Xiang suppressed his anger, still glaring at Cheng Yu, waiting for his explanation.

“Yu has come to Yangzhou on my lord’s orders, not only to deliver intelligence, but also with a brilliant plan in mind.”

Cheng Yu's words gradually calmed the anger on Yan Xiang's face.

He went on to say, “Liu Bei’s tens of thousands of troops are ready to go, and Guangling is in imminent danger. I have come from afar to offer my advice to the General, but the General has refused to listen to me. What should I do about my anger?”

Yan Xiang remained silent for a moment, his anger completely subsided: "Sir, do you have any good ideas? If this is indeed the best course of action, I will personally lead the way to my lord."

Cheng Yu knew that the other party had taken the bait, so he said, "Liu Xuande is powerful and has the momentum of a great victory over Langya, while General Hou is caught in the crossfire of two imperial clan governors and is in a difficult situation. The best course of action now is to withdraw the troops, but neither side may be willing to make peace with General Hou."

Cheng Yu's words made a lot of sense, and Yan Xiang naturally nodded silently, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"In that case, we can only persuade them with the promise of benefits or with the promise of harm."

Yan Xiang seemed to be deep in thought, and tentatively asked, "Then how do we persuade them with the promise of benefits and the threat of harm?"

Cheng Yu straightened up, his tall figure instantly casting Yan Xiang into his shadow.

"What Liu Zhengli wants is Yangzhou, so we're talking to him about the benefits."

Yan Xiang looked flustered: "How can this be allowed? If this is the case, where will my lord reside?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu nodded in agreement: "That's right. Therefore, we can't persuade Liu Zhengli with benefits, we can only persuade him with harm."

"Liu Bei has just conquered Langya and then captured Guangling, deploying tens of thousands of troops on the banks of the Yangtze River. What do you think Liu Zhengli, who is just across the river, will think?" Cheng Yu coaxed. "Will he think that Liu Bei is here to help him take back Yangzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiang suddenly realized: "Liu Zhengli must be afraid that Liu Bei will take the opportunity to go south to Yangzhou and interfere in Danyang and Wu County. Since he is afraid, the best way is to prevent Liu Bei from deploying his troops on the riverbank."

"Brilliant plan, brilliant plan!"

Yan Xiang clapped his hands repeatedly, praising the plan, and then took Cheng Yu's hand, saying, "Sir, please come with me to see my lord. My lord will surely reward you handsomely when he learns of your plan."

Cheng Yu was no longer in a hurry. He calmly said, "I have come here not for a great reward, but because my lord does not want Liu of Xuzhou to gain Guangling and enter Yangzhou. I wish to cross the river to see Liu Zhengli, explain the situation to him, and ask the chief clerk to make arrangements!"

The entire Yangtze River region is now in a state of panic due to the standoff between Yuan Shu and Liu Yao. It would be safest to let Yuan Shu arrange for them to cross the river.

Yan Xiang agreed immediately upon hearing this.

Afterwards, Yan Xiang hurriedly went to Yuan Shu again and presented Cheng Yu's plan.

Yuan Shu was overjoyed and praised Cheng Yu and Yan Xiang. He then instructed Yan Xiang to arrange for Cheng Yu to cross the river before going to Guangling.

Under Yan Xiang's arrangement, Cheng Yu arrived in Liyang, and then set off from Liyang Water Village, crossed the Yangtze River, and arrived in Jiangdong.

Although Cheng Yu had seen the Yellow River, he had never seen the Yangtze River. He could not imagine the boundless view of the Yangtze River. When crossing the river, he turned pale on the boat and almost vomited.

I rested on the shore for a while before I could catch my breath.

Soon, a group of Liu Yao's troops surrounded them.

Cheng Yu, acting as Yuan Shu's envoy, requested an audience with Liu Yao.

Liu Yao was in Qu'a at the time, so Cheng Yu entered the city to meet him.

Liu Yao was somewhat surprised upon receiving the news and sought advice from Xu Shao.

Xu Zijiang was also surprised to hear this, wondering what Yuan Shu's purpose was in sending an envoy at this time. However, he ultimately decided to meet with him first.

When Cheng Yu entered, there were three people in the hall: Liu Yao, Xu Zijiang, and the brothers Sun Shao, Teng Dan, and Teng Zhou.

Sun Shao, Teng Dan, and Teng Zhou were all from Qingzhou and fellow townsmen of Liu Yao.

Sun Shao was once Kong Rong's chief clerk, and was highly regarded by Kong Rong, who praised him as a talent for the imperial court.

The brothers Teng Dan and Teng Zhou were also renowned scholars in Qingzhou, and the Teng family had a long-standing friendship with the Liu family, to which Liu Yao belonged, so they were naturally trusted and important officials.

"Why did General Hou send you to Qu'a?"

Upon seeing Cheng Yu, Liu Yao was somewhat surprised by Cheng Yu's height, and then thought of asking him a question.

Cheng Yu replied, "I came here for General Zhenwei."

When Liu Yao was recruited in Guangling, he was the governor of Yangzhou. However, after resisting Yuan Shu, he was immediately promoted by the court to governor of Yangzhou and general Zhenwei.

Li Jue and Guo Si eagerly hoped that Liu Yao could give Yuan Shu, that shameless villain, a good beating and help them vent their anger.

Since Cheng Yu was impersonating Yuan Shu's envoy, he could not acknowledge Liu Yao's status as the Governor of Yangzhou, so it was reasonable for him to address him as General Zhenwei.

Liu Yao did not dwell on this detail too much. If it could be clearly explained, why would there be any need for war?

"Oh, why have you come for me?"

Cheng Yu spoke solemnly, “General Zhenwei, are you aware that Liu Xuzhou’s army has gathered in Tancheng and will soon march south to Guangling, heading straight for the Yangtze River?”

Liu Yao's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Even before Cheng Yu arrived, he and Xu Zijiang were already worried about this matter.

News of Liu Bei's pacification of the Taishan Army and the recapture of Langya in ten days had already reached Jiangdong, greatly shocking Liu Yao.

Others might not know, but how could a man from Qingzhou not know whether Zang Ba was a good fighter?

Zang Ba's victory over 100,000 with only 3,000 men was achieved in the border regions of Langya and Qingzhou.

Zang Ba now commands an army of ten thousand men and occupies Kaiyang, a fortified city, yet he was defeated by Liu Bei in one fell swoop. Is the Xuzhou army really that capable of fighting now?
This was Liu Yao's first reaction.

Xu Zijiang suddenly spoke up: "Guangling originally belonged to Xuzhou. It was reasonable for Liu Bei to recover Guangling. It was an act of extending the power of the governor. How could I have any objection? On the contrary, it was General Hou who occupied Yangzhou and encroached on our state's rights. Such behavior is treason against the court."

Cheng Yu smiled but did not answer, and the room fell silent for a moment.

Liu Yao looked at Sun Shao, signaling him to speak.

Sun Shao leaned forward and asked, "Why is Your Excellency laughing?"

Cheng Yu straightened up: "I laugh at you all for having more reputation than substance and lacking any long-term vision."

Liu Yao and the others all paled; this envoy from Yuan Shu had quite the nerve.

Cheng Yu, however, remained calm and continued, "Even the General knows that one cannot allow others to snore beside one's bed. Does General Zhenwei not understand this principle? Not a single wise man present has offered any advice to the General. Does this mean he lacks foresight?"

"Liu Xuande is a hero. If all five counties of Xuzhou were to submit, do you all think he would remain stagnant and conservative, or would he instead head south to Yangzhou to expand his power?"

"General, your appointment as Governor of Yangzhou was made by the imperial court, but Liu Bei's appointment as Governor of Xuzhou was a private one. Do you really think that Liu Bei will treat you differently because of the imperial court's appointment?"

"Does the general know where Xiao Jian, the Prefect of Langya appointed by the imperial court, is now?"

Cheng Yu's four consecutive questions did indeed intimidate Liu Yao's side.

Liu Yao's official position and general title were conferred by the central government of the Han Dynasty, which was controlled by Li Jue and Guo Si, while Liu Bei's position as governor of Xuzhou was privately bestowed upon him. Moreover, in order to stabilize the people's hearts, Chen Deng even wrote a letter to Yuan Shao, which was recognized and supported by Yuan Shao.

At this time, Yuan Shao was the leader of the rebel camp and was at odds with the imperial court.

Yuan Shao's transformation from a rebel to a great general began when Emperor Xian of Han fled and was welcomed back to Xuchang by Cao Cao.

Look at Yuan Shao's camp now. Yuan Shao's own governorship of Ji Province was obtained through a secret deal. Liu Bei's governorship of Xu Province was obtained through a secret deal. Cao Cao's governorship of Yan Province was even more outrageous. It wasn't even a secret deal; he was directly impersonated.

Only Liu Biao, an external ally, could be considered a legitimate candidate, which embellished the image. However, Liu Biao did not willingly side with Yuan Shao; it was purely because the enemy of my enemy is my ally.

The Battle of Kuangting was, strictly speaking, a righteous war waged by General Yuan Shu on behalf of the imperial court against Cao Cao, the self-proclaimed governor of Yan Province, but unfortunately, he was defeated.

This is one of the key reasons why Cao Cao pursued Yuan Shu for 600 li, from Fengqiu in Yanzhou all the way to Shouchun in Yangzhou, but never managed to kill the mediocre Yuan Shu who was trying to escape.

Cao Cao was already self-appointed as the Governor of Yan Province. If he were to kill Yuan Shu, who was officially appointed by the court as the General of the Rear, then he would have no choice but to become Yuan Shao's dog. Just like Sun Jian killed Zhang Zi in Nanyang, all the benefits went to Yuan Shu, and he could only serve as Yuan Shu's weapon.

Xu Shao then spoke leisurely, saying, "Your Excellency is truly exaggerating and deceiving us."

All eyes turned to Xu Zijiang, who continued, "Liu Xuande's appointment as governor of Xuzhou was indeed a private appointment, but his journey of thousands of miles to aid Xuzhou was a righteous act! Now that the roads are not peaceful and it is impossible to contact the court, and with Tao Gong's recommendation and the local officials following suit, it is perfectly reasonable to temporarily appoint him as governor."

"I am curious, with Liu Bei's elite troops from Xuzhou approaching the Yangtze River, who will he deal with first, Liu Bei or the General of the Rear? Your Excellency's words are a ruse to deceive us into thinking we are the ones who will snatch the General of the Rear's teeth from his jaws."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood.

I was really scared by the other party just now.

As Xu Shao said, Liu Bei would be crazy to provoke Liu Yao, the legitimate governor of Yangzhou, instead of fighting his mortal enemy Yuan Shu. Moreover, Liu Bei was also a member of the imperial clan, while Liu Yao's status within the clan was even higher. It was highly unlikely that Liu Yao would risk such a blatant act to come to Jiangdong.

Sun Shao and the Teng brothers were even considering whether it was possible to unite with Liu Bei to drive out Yuan Shu, and form an alliance between the two families. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
In this way, the four provinces of Yi, Jing, Yang, and Xu are now united as one, all under the control of the imperial clan. Could it be that the fate of the Han Dynasty has not yet run out?
Cheng Yu burst into laughter: "You gentlemen have misunderstood my meaning."

"Your humble servant was merely analyzing the situation for Prefect Liu; how could I have allowed Prefect Liu to snatch teeth from the tiger's mouth for General Liu?"

Seeing that the time was right, Cheng Yu decisively revealed his true intentions: "General Hou has a long-term vision and knows that Liu Bei is a major threat to Jiangdong. He wishes to stop him for you all, but he regrets that his forces are insufficient and he cannot guarantee victory. Therefore, General Hou is willing to temporarily cease hostilities with Liu Bei and help him snatch the tiger's teeth from the tiger's mouth."

Liu Yao, Xu Shao, Sun Shao, and the others were not fools. Now that things had come to this point, apart from Xu Zijiang who had already anticipated it and Liu Yao who had a vague idea, the others all suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out that Yuan Shu wanted to call a truce.

The group exchanged glances and looked at each other.

Cheng Yu pretended not to see it and said to himself, "General Zhenwei only needs to use the Yangtze River as the boundary, and the two armies should not cross the river for the time being, and maintain the status quo."

Liu Yao was silent for a moment: "Please go and rest, Your Excellency, while we discuss this for a while."

Cheng Yu readily agreed and got up to leave.

The people in the hall were pondering Cheng Yu's suggestion. In fact, the dividing line between Liu and Yuan was now the location of the Yangtze River.

Yuan Shu's headache stemmed from the fact that Sun Ce and Wu Jing's forces had been unable to breach Liu Yao's Yangtze River defenses for over a year.

“If it’s just a truce across the river, I think we can agree to it.”

Sun Shao glanced around and offered a suggestion: "Your Excellency is merely sending Yuan Shu to fight Liu Bei, while we sit comfortably in Jiangdong. Regardless of who wins or loses, both will suffer heavy losses, allowing us to reap the benefits."

Teng Zhou, the younger of the Teng brothers, frowned and said, "I'm afraid Liu Xuzhou is too capable in battle. If he were to defeat Guangling again and crush the General of the Rear's troops, wouldn't he take his anger out on Jiangdong? Wouldn't that just give him a pretext to invade Jiangdong?"

Liu Yao nodded and said, "Gongsi's words are reasonable, and I am also worried about this."

Xu Shao was about to speak when he suddenly had a violent cough, which he managed to suppress with a bowl of hot soup.

“My lord, Shao believes it is permissible to proceed.”

Xu Shao wiped his mouth and continued, "Liu Bei is powerful and indeed a great threat to Jiangdong. However, Yuan Gonglu is all bark and no bite, and we must not trust him completely."

Liu Yao nodded repeatedly as he listened, and finally asked, "Then, in your opinion, what should I do?"

"Let's agree to his request first."

Xu Zijiang's eyes gleamed: "On the surface, we can reduce the number of troops at Niuzhu, while secretly gathering our elite forces. Regardless of who wins or loses between Yuan Gonglu and Liu Xuande at Guangling, once the great battle is over, we can launch a surprise attack on Liyang Water Fortress with our elite forces and burn their warships."

"If Yuan Gonglu wins, although Guangling will fall into his hands, I can still retain the safety of the Yangtze River. If Liu Bei wins, I will be assisting Xuzhou, and he will naturally have no excuse to invade my Jiangdong."

Liu Yao clapped his hands: "This plan is excellent! Let's do as you say!"

(End of this chapter)