My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 242 Yuan Shao's Decision
In Yuan Shao's eyes, these two were scoundrels who thought he was a fool and actually believed they could use him as a weapon against the other.

Do they really think I'm that easy to fool?
Yuan Shao, who had always been arrogant, was completely devastated.

But the angrier he got, the less he could show it.

Because he wasn't angry, the ministers might not have thought of this possibility.

If he reveals his anger, it would be tantamount to admitting guilt without being asked.

In fact, several of the ministers in the hall had already seen this, but they were just pretending not to know.

But now that Yuan Shao has asked, they can no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb.

After a moment of silence, Xu You was the first to stand up and speak.

"My lord, Mengde has been your friend for many years, and you have worked together to stabilize Hebei and helped each other. I believe that Mengde is still the most trustworthy."

As a friend of both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and a trusted confidant of Yuan Shao, Xu You could not avoid this issue.

Since we're not going to avoid it, let's just start talking.

Liu Bei and Xu You were not familiar with each other, and although Xu You lacked wisdom and strategy, he was shrewd enough.

He keenly realized that this was a mess, and it was difficult to determine who was right and who was wrong.

Since that's the case, then just find someone you know to side with; he's not familiar with Liu Bei anyway.

After Xu You took the lead, other scholars from Henan also spoke up, and almost all of them tended to trust Cao Cao.

Only a few scholars from Henan, such as the brothers Xun Chen and Xin Ping, remained silent.

Guo Yuan was also in the hall at this time. He went to look at Xin Ping several times, hoping to get some hints from him.

Before leaving, Guo Tu instructed Guo Yuan to follow Xin Ping's advice if anything major happened in Ye City.

Xin Ping noticed Guo Yuan's unusual behavior and shook his head almost imperceptibly, signaling the other party to calm down.

Then, he secretly glanced at the composed Xun Chen.

Everyone admires Xun Yu, but Xin Ping knows that Xun Chen's abilities are no less than Xun Yu's.

"My lord, I would like to ask you something."

Shen Pei suddenly straightened up and asked loudly, "I wonder which of these two letters arrived first and which arrived later?"

Yuan Shao held Shen Pei in high esteem and immediately replied, "Mengde's letter arrived first, and Xuande's letter arrived later."

Shen Pei said decisively, "Liu Bei is known for his benevolence and kindness, and I have never heard of him speaking ill of others behind their backs. On the contrary, Cao Cao, who comes from a eunuch family, is known for his cunning and treacherous nature. He also massacred famous scholars in Yanzhou and wiped out Bian Wenli's entire family, not even sparing children. Moreover, since both sides received this news at the same time, the one who wrote the letter first must be more suspicious."

Shen Pei bowed to Yuan Shao and stated his judgment: "I believe Liu Bei is more trustworthy."

"absurd!"

Feng Ji stood up and said sarcastically, "What absurd Shen Zhengnan's words are. Bian Wenli obstructs the administration of the state and insults the governor. As a renowned scholar of Yanzhou, he does not think of serving the state government but frequently attacks it. Such a person is called a virtuous scholar but is actually a traitor to the state! Cao Mengde's actions may have been excessive, but they were not without reason."

Feng Ji loudly refuted, "Moreover, Liu Bei is in Xuzhou, while Cao Cao is nearby in Sili. How can we make a judgment based on the order of their letters?"

The relationship between Feng Ji and Shen Pei was quite complex, and many people in later generations believed that they belonged to the same faction.

In reality, aside from supporting Yuan Shang together, the two of them were not allies at all.

Despite Feng Ji speaking well of Shen Pei after the Battle of Guandu, he was ultimately betrayed and killed by Shen Pei in the end.

The conflict between the two sides is a fundamental one and is extremely difficult to resolve.

Feng Ji was born in Nanyang. Although he was not from Henan, he was in the same situation as the scholars from Henan.

After arriving in Hebei, they abandoned their families and homes, and had no assets other than some luggage and savings they carried with them.

When it comes to setting up businesses in Hebei, money is one thing, but relationships with the locals are also very important.

Ironically, the powerful families of Hebei, led by Shen Pei, were the most opposed to non-Hebei residents buying land and houses in Hebei.

Especially since Feng Ji was from Nanyang, he was alone and powerless, and had suffered many losses at the hands of Shen Pei. Naturally, their relationship was one of sworn enemies.

Upon finding a loophole in Shen Pei's argument, he stood up and refuted it without hesitation, subtly comparing Shen Pei to Bian Rang and implying the arrogance and domineering nature of Yuan Shao and other Hebei people.

This is quite vicious, and also very effective.

Yuan Shao's face visibly darkened.

Seeing that Shen Pei was at a disadvantage and Yuan Shao's face was displeased, Cui Yan had no choice but to stand up and retort, "How foolish Feng Yuantu is."

"As has been said since ancient times, only the heroes of old protected their territory and ensured the safety of their people, waiting for the virtuous, and never yielding to anyone but God. This is what is meant by a worthy minister waiting for God."

Cui Yan's meaning was very clear: Bian Rang was not convinced by Cao Cao because Cao Cao lacked virtue.

Look at us, the gentry of Hebei, we are different. We are willing to contribute our manpower and resources to you, mainly because you, Yuan Shao, are of such high moral character. You are a true wise ruler, and it is worthwhile for us, your famous ministers, to serve you and contribute our efforts.

Cui Yan cleverly shifted the blame to Cao Cao's lack of virtue and ability, rather than Shen Pei's arrogance. While explaining Shen Pei's position, he also praised Yuan Shao as a true wise ruler, someone Cao Cao could not even dream of matching.

Cui Yan's words immediately brightened Yuan Shao's expression, and he even nodded slightly at Cui Yan, showing his approval.

Cao Cao's performance and formidable fighting power in Henan greatly exceeded Yuan Shao's expectations.

What Yuan Shao wanted was for Cao Cao to continue to survive, so that he could protect his base of influence and shield him from harm.

However, Cao Cao's ambition exceeded his imagination. After nominally taking control of Yan Province, he began to expand towards Xu Province, and now he followed Liu Bei to Guanzhong to serve the emperor.

The reason Yuan Shao accepted Liu Bei so easily was that he wanted to use Liu Bei to restrain Cao Cao, keep the two forces in a stalemate in the Central Plains, and buy himself time to unify Hebei.

This strategy was successful, I would say.

Liu Bei and Cao Cao both began to expand their territories, especially Liu Bei, who became extremely arrogant. Although his base was in the devastated Xu Province, he managed to gain control of both Yu Province and Yang Province in one fell swoop during his campaign to defend the emperor.

But Yuan Shao simply couldn't stop him.

Firstly, Yuan Shao hoped that Liu Bei could continue to restrain Cao Cao, so he couldn't step forward and become the bad guy.

Secondly, although Liu Bei appeared to be extremely arrogant, he was actually still within Yuan Shao's tolerance range.

This may sound incredible, but you can understand it by looking at the spheres of influence of the feudal lords.

Both Yuzhou and Yangzhou were traditional spheres of influence for Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu posed the primary threat to Yuan Shao. If Liu Bei wanted Yuzhou and Yangzhou, he had to completely eliminate Yuan Shu, which was also one of Yuan Shao's objectives.

Therefore, both morally and logically, Yuan Shao had to continue to tolerate Liu Bei.

Since they tolerated Liu Bei and wanted to use Cao Cao to counterbalance him, they could only turn a blind eye to Cao Cao's expansion to a certain extent.

Although Yuan Shao understood the reasoning behind it, he still felt he had been wronged and was filled with resentment.

After the two sides had argued for a while, Xin Ping originally wanted to get up and make a final decision.

Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly noticed that Xun Chen was looking at him, which startled him and made him stop moving.

Xun Chen smiled slightly at Xin Ping, then turned his gaze away.

Xin Ping was filled with doubt and uncertainty. He wouldn't care about anyone else, but he valued Xun Chen very much.

Unable to understand what Xun Chen was thinking, Xin Ping decided to temporarily lay low and observe what Xun Chen wanted to do.

Afterwards, scholars from Hebei and other regions banded together and confronted each other. Generally speaking, Hebei sided with Liu Bei, while Henan sided with Cao Cao. The two sides attacked each other and were locked in a fierce confrontation.

Yuan Shao's face darkened again; he was thoroughly weary of such arguments.

What he wants is an answer, or a solution and approach to the problem, not this kind of mindless mudslinging.

"My lord." Suddenly, Tian Feng, who had been silent all along, spoke up.

The noise in the arena immediately disappeared, and it became quiet again, which shows how high Tian Feng's reputation was under Yuan Shao's command.

Yuan Shao frowned slightly, then immediately straightened up and asked with a friendly expression, "Yuan Hao, what can you teach me?"

"Feng has only one thing he wants to remind you of, sir."

Tian Feng seemed to have found the key: "My lord, Liu Xuzhou is only a General of the Cavalry, while Cao Yanzhou is a Grand General."

As soon as Tian Feng said this, all the intelligent people in the room immediately realized what he meant.

Tian Feng's meaning was actually very simple: the Grand Marshal was above the General-in-Chief, and the General-in-Chief was above the General of the Cavalry. Even though the General of the Cavalry had the word "Grand" added to his title, he was still below the General-in-Chief.

Therefore, from the perspective of self-interest, Cao Cao was the one who least wanted Yuan Shao to take the position of Grand Marshal.

After all, Liu Bei already had Cao Cao above him, so why worry about having Yuan Shao as well?

Only if Yuan Shao fails to become Grand Marshal will Cao Cao become the most powerful official in the central government of the Han Dynasty.

Yuan Shao's heart sank. Was it really Mengde?

In truth, he also suspected Cao Cao more than Liu Bei, but he hadn't expected Tian Feng to mention this.

Hearing Tian Feng's explanation, he suddenly felt enlightened and almost convinced that Tian Feng's judgment was correct.

The Henan faction scholars all looked quite grim. They had just been defending Cao Cao, but now Tian Feng's reasoning had almost nailed Cao Cao to the spot with irrefutable evidence.

Even if Yuan Shao doesn't demand an explanation from them, will he trust their judgment in the future?
The scholars of Henan have lost face and suffered a great loss this time.

Yuan Shao's face turned extremely gloomy. Cao Cao's betrayal still hurt him greatly. Even though he no longer trusted Cao Cao, his mood was still quite bad.

At this critical moment, someone who had remained silent spoke up.

"Ming Gong."

Yuan Shao raised his head and looked in the direction of the voice, only to find that the person who spoke was Xun Chen.

Xun Chen was a meritorious figure among the Henan scholars, a direct descendant of the Xun family, one of the four great aristocratic families of Yingchuan, and was known for his exceptional wisdom and resourcefulness. More importantly, although his relationship with the Hebei scholars was not particularly friendly, it was not hostile either.

Even those from the Hebei faction, such as Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Cui Yan, and even stubborn individuals like Shen Pei, felt that Xun Chen was a man of profound wisdom, resourcefulness, and outstanding virtue.

Although the other party is from Henan, they are a potential partner.

Therefore, as soon as Xun Chen spoke, all eyes were on him, especially Xin Ping, whose eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what Xun Chen wanted to do.

If you want to turn the tide, then what should your opponent do?

"What insightful opinion do you have, my friend?"

Upon seeing Xun Chen, Yuan Shao's expression softened, and he asked gently, "Please do not hesitate to offer your guidance."

Xun Chen instantly became the focus of attention in the hall, but he remained calm and composed, and slowly said: "My lord, in my opinion, whether Cao Yanzhou or Liu Xuzhou is lying, or whether neither of them is lying, is not the important matter."

Yuan Shao's expression changed slightly, and although he was somewhat displeased, he still patiently pressed on, "In your opinion, what is the most important matter?"

Xun Chen smiled slightly: "Naturally, the rank of Grand Marshal is the most important."

Yuan Shao was taken aback at first, then fell into deep thought.

Xun Chen continued his analysis: "My lord, the letters between Cao Yanzhou and Liu Xuzhou are a mess to begin with. Besides, is it really that important who is right and who is wrong? But the position of Grand Marshal is the most urgent matter, as it relates to your status in the court and, more importantly, your legitimacy over the four provinces of Hebei. Therefore, whoever can grant you the title of Grand Marshal, whether it is Cao Yanzhou or Liu Xuzhou, is truly on your side."

Xun Chen's meaning is very clear: whether Cao Cao or Liu Bei deceived you is actually not important, because even if you knew, what could you do?
It's not just others who need you now, and you can't turn against them because of this deception. You also need the help of Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Since you can't turn against someone or get revenge, why keep dwelling on this?
On the contrary, obtaining an official title from the imperial court and the rank of Grand Marshal is the most urgent task.

Yuan Shao remained silent for a moment, carefully considering Xun Chen's words, before clapping his hands and laughing loudly: "Indeed, what Youruo says is absolutely right. The most important thing is who can secure favor for me. So, in Youruo's opinion, what should we do now?"

Xun Chen respectfully replied, "Your Excellency may reply with two letters, detailing what I said earlier. Those who help Your Excellency become Grand Marshal will be close, and those who fail will be distant."

Yuan Shao was amazed and immediately bowed to Xun Chen, saying, "My friend, your insight is as clear as a fire; I am no match for you."

Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Xin Ping, and others all looked at Xun Chen with complicated expressions.

The former was because his efforts were in vain, allowing Xun Chen to turn the tide, while the latter stemmed from suspicion about the other party's true attitude and purpose.

Yuan Shao immediately decided to write two letters, one to Cao Cao and the other to Liu Bei, asking them to request the power of Grand Marshal and Governor of the four provinces of Hebei for him.

While Yuan Shao's side had reached a conclusion, the Yellow Turban rebels in Yingchuan were in complete chaos.

The leaders of the Yellow Turbans in Yingyin were He Yi, Huang Shao, and Bo Xing. He Yi resided in Yingyin, Huang Shao was stationed in Yingyang, and Bo Xing was in Yangdi, forming a triangle that supported each other.

The Yingyin Yellow Turbans were essentially one of the main branches of the infamous Gebei Yellow Turban Army.

They shared the same origin as the Yellow Turbans of Runan and were allies. They invaded and occupied counties in western Runan and central and southern Yingchuan, wielding considerable power. They even turned the tables and suppressed Yingchuan. The powerful clans and gentry of Runan were filled with resentment and suffered greatly.

The Xu family, to which Xu Chu belonged, built a fortified village and gathered several thousand strong men, yet they were still overwhelmed by the Yellow Turban Army of Gebei. At one point, the army almost breached the city, but fortunately, Xu Chu was brave and used flying stones to repel the enemy, thus saving the Xu family clan.

Historically, Cao Cao was thwarted by Changnu and instead headed south to expand his territory, which was warmly welcomed by the powerful clans of Yingchuan. He then employed a combination of carrot and stick tactics, effectively eliminating the Yellow Turban rebels at Gebei.

He Yi was one of the doves, and it was he who ultimately led the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan to surrender to Cao Cao. Later, during the Battle of Guandu, when Liu Pi and Gong Du rebelled again, he did not participate.

Overall, He Yi preferred farming to fighting.

It was this mindset that made his forces the strongest, allowing him to firmly hold the top position among the Yellow Turban rebels of Yingchuan.

But it was precisely this mindset that made him panic when faced with Liu Feng's sudden attack and encirclement from all sides, and he couldn't come up with a solution for a long time.

He Yi's nephew, He Luan, urged, "Uncle, General Bo has been killed in battle and Yangdi has fallen. Now Xu County and Linying have also been captured by the enemy. We only have Uncle Huang in Yingyang left. We must take action now. Whether we go south to retake Linying or go west to join Uncle Huang, and then go south through Fenqiu, Dingling, and Runan, it is better than sitting and waiting for death."

He Luan's words were very harsh; in this era, they could even be considered an act of insubordination.

This also proves that He Luan was anxious.

In his view, the situation was not yet hopeless, which was what Liu Feng was most worried about.

Because Yingchuan is too flat, even if Linying is blocked, it can only cut off the most convenient and fastest passage for the Yellow Turban Army in Yingyin to move south.

However, the Yellow Turban Army could still detour through Yingyang, then follow the Ying River, cross the river at Fenqiu, and head straight southwest to bypass Linying and enter Runan.

This is the fundamental reason why Liu Feng assigned the vast majority of his cavalry to the Eastern Route Army.

Once the Yellow Turban Army takes such action, the only option left is to rely on cavalry to pursue them.

After all, the Yellow Turban Army also had to carry logistical supplies and the elderly, women and children. Facing the pursuit of cavalry on the vast plains, it would be difficult for them to sustain themselves for the entire journey.

"Let's wait a little longer, let's wait a little longer."

He Yi was still hesitant and instead placed his hopes on Huang Shao: "Your Uncle Huang is brave and daring to fight, with many elite soldiers under his command, and his weapons are the best among us."

"Um……"

He Yi hesitated for a moment, but under He Luan's urging gaze, he had no choice but to make a decision: "How about this, you take three thousand... no, four thousand men, plus a thousand Yellow Turban warriors, to support Yingyang. After you get there, you will listen to your Uncle Huang in everything."

He Yi finally made his decision, and before he could finish speaking, he added another two thousand men, especially a thousand Yellow Turban Warriors, who were the elite among the hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans. There were only three thousand of them in the entire Yingyin.

With the loss of Lin'ying and Xuxian, Yingyang was practically the last flank barrier for the southward route.

If Yingyang is lost, then Yingyin will truly become a dead end, and even if we want to escape, it will be too late.

Therefore, whether we want to defend it or leave, Yingyang must not be lost.

"Yes, uncle!"

He Luan's spirits lifted. The number of Yellow Turban soldiers in Yingyin City who could fight was no more than 20,000, and the number of elite Yellow Turban warriors was only 3,000.

(End of this chapter)