My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 152 Xun You Visits Kuai Yue
Sun Ben and Wu Jing exchanged a worried look.

The sudden rise of the Xuzhou army to such strength is clearly not good news, especially since it was a case of the weak becoming strong, which is even more worrying.

After recapturing Guangling, the Xuzhou army could officially move into their own backyard.

It is foreseeable that future conflicts between the two sides will only become more frequent, not less frequent.

At this time, the final casualty figures for Qiao Rui's army were reported.

The number of casualties on the spot reached over 1,100, with more than 1,000 wounded and hundreds captured, resulting in an astonishing casualty ratio of 1:1.

This is also because both sides are fighting elite troops from the start, with high damage tolerance and unwavering fighting spirit.

Just like the heavily armored infantry of Sima Yi, who was Qiao Rui's pride and joy, there were two hundred men. More than 60% of them died in battle before they collapsed and fled. In the end, only twenty or thirty men were able to escape back to camp, which was equivalent to the annihilation of the entire army.

It can be said that after this battle, Qiao Rui's troops have completely lost their fighting capacity. They will not be able to recover their strength unless they go back to reorganize and recuperate for a year or two.

"Guangling is beyond fighting."

Sun Ce simply sat down next to Qiao Rui, frowned and said, "And the problem now is, without Qiao Rui's men, can we still cross the river?"

Although the Sun family army could still muster 20,000 men even without Qiao Rui's 10,000, if they thought they could sweep across Jiangdong with only 20,000 men, then Sun Ben and Wu Jing wouldn't have been driven across the Yangtze River by Liu Yao and forced to live in seclusion in Liyang.

Sun Ben looked up at his cousin and said, "We've spotted reinforcements in Dantu across the river. They've gained several thousand men, probably Xue Li and Zuo Rong's men. This river is going to be difficult to cross."

Sun Ce nodded, then turned to Wu Jing and asked, "What do you think, Uncle?"

Wu Jing also shook his head, not optimistic about the crossing of the river: "I also think we shouldn't cross. Besides, we need to leave some people here in Jiangdu, right? Shengde will definitely go back. Who to leave in Jiangdu, and how many troops to leave? If we leave too few, we'll just be feeding the Xuzhou army. If we leave too many, we'll have even fewer people to cross the river."

"Snapped!"

Sun Ce clapped his hands and laughed, "With you saying that, Uncle and Cousin, I actually think this is a rare opportunity. Even you think we shouldn't cross the river, so wouldn't Liu Yao and his generals think even more so?"

"In my opinion, we should rest in Jiangdu for a while, let Shengde retreat first, and then the whole army cross the river."

Sun Ce became more and more excited as he spoke, his face beaming with pride: "We don't need Jiangdu anymore, we'll leave it to the Xuzhou army. I don't believe that the Xuzhou army will follow us to Jiangdong after they get Jiangdu."

"Let's cross the river with our entire army and catch Liu Yao off guard. First, we'll take Dantu, then head straight for Qu'a and capture Liu Yao alive."

Sun Ben and Wu Jing looked at each other in bewilderment, and even the dejected Qiao Rui was stunned, unable to help but look up at Sun Ce.

Sun Ce, however, said confidently, "The art of war says, 'Attack unexpectedly when the enemy is unprepared.' Even we ourselves feel it's time to return to Jiujiang to rest and recuperate, so Liu Yao would never have thought of that."

“I will personally write a letter to General Zuo and ask him to make a decision.”

When Sun Ce said this, a hint of worry flashed across his face. He was clearly worried that Yuan Shu would hesitate again and miss the opportunity.

"I earnestly request my uncle, cousin, and Shengde to join me in submitting this memorial to the Left General."

Sun Ben, Wu Jing, and Qiao Rui were even more confused. How did they end up involving us again?

But now that things had come to this point, after careful consideration, the group realized that Sun Ce's words made a lot of sense. Most importantly, none of them wanted to stay in Jiangdu and face the Xuzhou army any longer.

Rather than that, we can either retreat to Jiujiang or cross the river to fight Liu Yao. If we take him, we can stay in Jiangdong. If we don't take him, we can retreat to Jiujiang anyway. Let whoever wants to stay in Jiangdu stay.

In Xiangyang, Jingzhou, Kuai Yue, who was reviewing intelligence at home, suddenly stopped, walked out of his study, and sent a servant to invite Xun You to his residence for a chat.

Kuai Yue and Xun You were old acquaintances.

In the past, General He Jin recruited talented people from all over the country, and Kuai Yue and Xun You were both recruited into He Jin's staff.

Kuai Yue was famous and held a higher position. He Jin appointed him as Dong Cao Yuan, while Xun You was appointed as Huangmen Shilang.

The position of Huangmen Shilang was a close attendant of the emperor, responsible for conveying imperial edicts. It was an important position that allowed frequent contact with the emperor and his edicts, and was consistently regarded as a prestigious post by the court officials.

In comparison, although Xun You's position may seem lower than Kuai Yue's, he actually has more potential.

This is the difference between the first-class and second-class aristocratic families.

The Xun family couldn't compare to the Yuan or Yang families, but compared to the Kuai family, a powerful clan in Jingzhou, they were far superior.

After Xun You arrived in Xiangyang, he naturally paid a visit to Kuai Yue, and the two had many interactions.

Xun You learned a great deal about the state of the world from Kuai Yue, including Liu Bei's rise in Xuzhou.

Therefore, Xun You also told Kuai Yue about Liu Bei's letter.

Kuai Yue jokingly referred to Xun You's name, which had already reached the ears of the military men in the border regions.

But now Kuai Yue has changed his mind. In his view, Liu Bei seems to be more than just a border military man.

Jingzhou is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is closely related to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. If one is willing, things happening in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River can easily be known to Jingzhou.

Previously, Jingzhou's focus was on Yuan Shu, but things have gradually changed recently, with the addition of two other forces: Liu Bei and Liu Yao.

At this time, Kuai Yue was in charge of intelligence affairs in Jingzhou. After all the intelligence was collected, he would review it first and select the reliable and useful information to submit to Liu Biao.

However, as more and more intelligence about Liu Bei came in, Kuai Yue's perception of Liu Bei kept changing.

When Liu Bei first entered Xuzhou, Kuai Yue shared the same thought as Chen Qun: that Liu Bei was blinded by self-interest and made a decision that was beyond his capabilities.

However, as events unfolded, it became clear that Liu Bei must have already seen through the scheme at that time and devised a complete and effective solution.

Otherwise, how could he have managed to divide and annex the Danyang army, which was highly hostile to him, in less than half a year after entering Xuzhou, and extract a large amount of wealth and grain from the Mi family to use for military farming and raising troops?

Each step, each link, after being meticulously unraveled by a wise person, will form an unparalleled hidden thread.

The person who devised such a plan must truly possess divine power.

What shocked Kuai Yue even more was that he had secured Langya in half a day.

Kuai Yue had a high opinion of himself and always took pride in his intelligence, but even he couldn't figure out how he had done it.

If Liu Bei wasn't a genius, he must have had capable people assisting him.

Within half a year, he had already seized real power in Xuzhou, and his future potential is truly limitless.

Kuai Yue recalled that Xun You had mentioned to him that Liu Bei had written to him a month earlier, inviting him to Xuzhou, his words respectful and his eagerness to find talented people.

Although Xun Gongda was somewhat moved by the other party's sincerity, he felt that Liu Bei's foundation was still too weak. Moreover, there were too many factions under Liu Bei's command, and internal strife was bound to be very serious.

Kuai Yue disagreed. In his view, no matter how many factions there were, could there be more than the central faction?

If all you want to do is be a guard dog, what good is it if you have few factions?
Therefore, Xun You was not swayed by this and remained in Xiangyang to observe the situation.

However, Xun You still had a good impression of Liu Bei.

Kuai Yue therefore felt that this was a good opportunity to curry favor.

When Xun You arrived, Kuai Yue entertained him in his study.

In front of Kuai Yue was a small stack of documents.

Upon seeing Xun You, Kuai Yue rose to greet him, ordering tea to be served while jokingly saying, "Gongda, it's been a long time. How have you been lately? I've heard you've been enjoying your spring outings and literary gatherings immensely."

Xun You smiled modestly and replied, "Lord Sima is too kind; I am very grateful."

"Gongda, please take a seat first."

Kuai Yue invited Xun You to sit down, and the two began their conversation only after the beautiful maidservant had served tea.

"Gongda, do you know that the other day Your Excellency summoned me to inquire about Xu Yang?"

As Kuai Yue spoke, he observed Xun You's expression.

Xun You remained calm, a smile on his face, appearing to be listening attentively.

Kuai Yue continued, "This Prefect Liu of Xuzhou is truly immeasurable."

After saying that, Kuai Yue felt it wasn't enough and added, "Unfathomable."

Xun You became interested. He knew that Kuai Yue wouldn't speak without reason. The fact that he brought up Liu Bei today meant that he must have something to teach him.

"These are intelligence reports on Xuzhou that I collected in Jingzhou. You may take a look at them yourself, Gongda."

Kuai Yue pointed to a small stack of silk in front of him, indicating that Xun You could take it himself.

Xun You shook his head: "This is a state and county secret. I am an outsider. How can I possibly observe it?"

Kuai Yue laughed heartily: "Gongda, what is there to worry about? These things belong to my Kuai family and are not considered the property of the state or county. You may look at them as you please." This was a characteristic of the Eastern Han Dynasty: powerful clans and lords were nominally rulers and subjects, but in reality, they were shareholders.

They are different from those from humble backgrounds, whose resources are provided by their lord, making their relationship closer to that of a lord-vassal in later generations.

To hand over resources to outsiders without the lord's permission is treason.

However, the powerful clans of the Eastern Han Dynasty were completely different. They had their own manpower and the money they invested was also inherent to their families. They could share intelligence with their lord, which was a form of mutual exchange, not unconditional obedience.

This intelligence belongs to the Great Clan, not to the Lord.

In this situation, they have the right and freedom to use intelligence freely.

Even if Kuai Yue had only shown it to Xun You, or even if he had shown it to Cao Cao, Liu Biao would have just laughed it off.

After all, the two sides are now on the same side. If the letter contains rumors that have nothing to do with Liu Biao, what right does Liu Biao have to criticize Kuai Yue?

Seeing Kuai Yue's sincere attitude, Xun You also became curious and began to read.

Kuai Yue leisurely sipped his tea, observing Xun You's changing expressions.

As expected, just as Kuai Yue had predicted, Xun You's expression not only changed, but the change became increasingly obvious.

At first, it was subtle and imperceptible, but gradually his expression changed frequently, and finally it became obvious, giving Kuai Yue a good show.

However, when Xun You put down the silk, his flustered expression returned to calm.

Kuai Yue smiled and poured tea for the other man, asking meaningfully, "Gongda, how is it?"

Xun You shook his head and sighed, "I have only a limited perspective."

Kuai Yue laughed heartily: "Gongda, why blame yourself? I feel the same way."

Xun You frowned and said, "There must be a master behind Liu Xuzhou who is guiding him."

Kuai Yue nodded in agreement, then changed the subject and asked, "Is Gongda now interested in making a trip to Xuzhou?"

Xun You looked up at Kuai Yue, then smiled and said, "That's fine."

Xun You had previously received Liu Bei's invitation, and although he was moved, he declined. Now, however, he has regained his interest and even agreed to Kuai Yue's suggestion, all because of the general trend of the world.

Xun You refused to go because he felt that Liu Bei was trapped in a quagmire with no way out, and that going would only be a waste of his talent and time.

Even when diversifying investments, you should invest in worthwhile places, not just anywhere.

Moreover, Xun You's personality was humble and self-disciplined. He was willing to sacrifice himself to eliminate Dong Zhuo, but he also wanted to protect himself by giving up the position of Chancellor of Rencheng and instead seeking the position of Governor of Shu Commandery.

Kuai Yue's intelligence brought about a dramatic change for him, and Liu Bei unexpectedly became one of the heroes of the north.

To put it bluntly, Liu Bei's current strength has surpassed that of Cao Cao.

Although they may be slightly inferior in terms of military strength, they control more counties and kingdoms, and their rule is also stronger than that of their opponents.

I've heard that Liu Bei is currently leading an army south and has already captured Guangling County.

If we can successfully defeat Yuan Shu's army, then Guangling County should naturally return to the jurisdiction of Xuzhou.

In the eyes of tacticians like Xun You and Kuai Yue, Liu Bei had already won by capturing Guangling County.

If Yuan Shu were smart, he would have retreated instead of launching a counterattack.

Guangling County is a well-fortified city with a large population; a direct assault would only be a waste of lives.

By this calculation, Liu Bei already controlled four commanderies and had a considerable influence over Pei State. While his strength might not be as great as Yuan Shao's, he had firmly established himself in the second tier.

Considering that he had only been in charge of Xuzhou for half a year, the situation of a trapped dragon rising from the abyss had already taken shape.

"good!"

Upon hearing Xun You's admission, Kuai Yue smiled with satisfaction: "In that case, once you arrive in Xuzhou, you can exchange goods and resources with me more often."

Xun You nodded calmly: "That is inevitable."

Kuai Yue continued, "A few days ago, Your Excellency had already decided to send Liu Xian to visit Xu and Yang to discuss the matter of besieging Yuan Shu. I have followed Your Excellency's decision and sent someone to inform Huang Gongzu, so that he can make preparations there and set sail down the river as soon as Liu Xian arrives."

"If Gongda is willing to accept this, he can set off with Liu Xian by water to Guangling, and then head north to Tancheng. This way, the journey will be much safer."

Xun You was overjoyed and bowed in gratitude, saying, "In that case, I thank you for your kindness, Yi Du."

At present, the Central Plains are in turmoil, and it is not an easy task to travel safely to Xuzhou.

Otherwise, Xun You might actually have gone to Xuzhou to take a look, even if he ultimately didn't serve Liu Bei, so he could at least express his gratitude in person.

The two chatted for a while longer before Xun You took his leave.

Kuai Yue sat alone in the study, quietly pondering.

Since Liu Biao entered Jingzhou, he has had a fairly pleasant working relationship with the local gentry.

In this cooperative model, Liu Biao, the Kuai family, the Cai family, and even the Huang family were all beneficiaries, reaping extremely rich rewards, but Kuai Yue himself actually gained relatively little.

Because of Kuai Yue's awkward positioning.

At that time, Liu Biao held the position of the paramount leader of the entire Jingzhou group. He was much stronger than the allied leaders like Liu Xie and the newly enthroned Sun Quan, but much weaker than the collaborators like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, who were from aristocratic families. He was somewhere in between.

The Kuai family was positioned as the civil official group in Jingzhou, headed by Kuai Liang, while the Cai family controlled the central army of Jingzhou, which was the main force of the state army. The Huang family represented the local powerful clans, controlling the largest private retinue and local military force in Jingzhou.

This triple power structure ensured the stability of the Jingzhou forces, while Liu Biao sought opportunities within it to strengthen himself.

Liu Biao actually did a pretty good job. By the middle period, he had control of a portion of the state army led by his nephew Liu Pan, as well as the assistance of the exiled scholars from the north, and his power was constantly growing.

Kuai Yue was in a very awkward position.

First, he was a member of the Kuai family, whose traditional sphere of influence should have been the group of officials in the prefectures and counties. However, he was positioned as a general, which clearly meant that he was extending his reach into the Cai family's core territory. Moreover, the Kuai family was a Confucian aristocratic family, but Kuai Yue himself was more inclined towards Legalist thinking, making him a Confucian in appearance but a Legalist in heart.

Secondly, although Kuai Yue was a general, he did not have any directly subordinate troops.

The Kuai family has never been known for its powerful retinues, and he can only command the Kuai family's own retinues, and even then, he needs the family's permission.

Finally, Kuai Yue's immense fame, exceptional abilities, and formidable reputation made Liu Biao deeply wary of him.

Putting aside other things, Liu Biao was extremely determined to kill people several times in the future, but as long as Kuai Yue spoke up to persuade him, he never succeeded in killing them.

Of course, this could also be interpreted as Liu Biao trusting Kuai Yue quite a bit and listening to the latter's advice.

If that's the case, why did Liu Biao never dare to appoint Kuai Yue as commander in his later years? When pacifying Jingnan, he preferred to fight until Zhang Xian died of illness rather than give Kuai Yue military power.

This shows that Liu Biao both respected and feared Kuai Yue, both relied on him and was wary of him.

"Liu Bei came from the border region, but I never expected him to be so good at winning people over."

After a long while, Kuai Yue's light laughter echoed in the study: "Xun Gongda has even fled to Xiangyang, yet he still knows about it. I'm rather envious."

Kuai Yue had thought Liu Biao would be his Guangwu, but in the end he was disappointed.

Kuai Yue's character was just like that. In the past, when he was at the residence of General He Jin, he was impressed by the courtesy He Jin showed him and explained in detail He Jin's situation, strongly urging him to take the initiative and eliminate the eunuchs.

To be fair, different people have different motivations when giving the same advice.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Kuai Yue, and Chen Lin all strongly urged He Jin not to hesitate and to strike first.

Yuan Shao harbored ulterior motives, seeking to control He Jin and interfere in court affairs, while Cao Cao genuinely wanted to eliminate the eunuchs in order to integrate himself into the gentry class. Only Kuai Yue and Chen Lin hoped to assist He Jin in achieving great things, thus repaying He Jin's kindness and favor while gaining fame and recognition.

However, after He Jin showed hesitation and refused to listen to advice, Kuai Yue immediately changed his attitude, stopped trying to persuade him, and instead chose to protect himself. Following this, Kuai Yue obtained the Ruyang magistrate from He Jin and then made his escape.

It is evident that Kuai Yue actually had a very flexible principle of loyalty.

If we get along, we stay; if not, we leave.

Since Liu Biao cannot treat me as a national hero, then I need not repay him in the same way.

Second update!

Thank you to all the brothers and sisters who care about the old man's health. Your concern has made him feel much more relaxed and comfortable during his illness.

The old man finally held on! He didn't ask for leave! He went to bed, he was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Brothers and sisters still waiting for updates, please take care of yourselves too!

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(End of this chapter)