Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 101 Liu Bei Instructs Fa Zheng, Jia Xu Plots Against Huangfu Song (Seeking updates and monthly votes)
All the heroes were terrified.

Although both involve using celebrities to commit wicked deeds, hiding behind the scenes and standing at the forefront are completely different.

The reason for dragging Fazhen's son, Fayan, into the scheme was to make him a scapegoat. They would provide money and manpower to cheer him on from behind the scenes. If he succeeded, they would protect their interests; if he failed, they would pay to avoid trouble.

As powerful clans in Fufeng County, Liu Bei couldn't very well slaughter them all, could he?
However, colluding with rebels like Han Sui changes the nature of the situation. As Liu Bei just said: conviction requires evidence, but quelling a rebellion only requires location.

However, the dilemma faced by everyone was just as Lu Fang said: if the fields and houses that had been seized over the years and the slaves and farmers that had been forcibly taken were returned to the county and the private soldiers, retainers, retainers and knights were disbanded, how could the slaves and farmers who had been oppressed not vent their grievances after they had turned the tables and become masters of their own destiny?

They would be beaten to death by the peasants who had risen up and become their own masters. Even if Liu Bei punished the evildoers, the dead heroes would not be able to come back to life.

Thinking of this, the heroes couldn't help but shudder.

"But why would Han Sui and the others believe us?" another hero asked.

Lu Fang sneered: "Whether Han Sui and the others believe us or not is not important. As long as Han Sui and the others believe that Liu Bei will definitely move his troops to attack Longyou after he controls the Three Auxiliary Regions, don't forget that Longyou now belongs to Yongzhou! With Liu Bei's fierce nature, how could he tolerate Han Sui and the others occupying Longyou?"

The crowd either looked at each other in bewilderment or discussed the matter in hushed tones.

As Lu Fang said, Liu Bei came to Chang'an on the fifth day of the fifth month, and in just one month he has dismissed most of the officials in the Three Auxiliary Regions. With such a fierce temperament, how could he tolerate the rebel army led by Han Sui occupying Longyou?
After a while.

Several prominent figures took the lead in expressing their support for Lu Fang, and the rest followed suit.

Lu Fang glanced at everyone, his mind clear as a mirror.

Despite the apparent support from this group, there are bound to be those who waver or feign compliance, and some may even secretly inform on Liu Bei in order to atone for their crimes.

But Lu Fang no longer cared.

As a powerful family in Fufeng, Lu Fang's ancestors had accumulated a large amount of land, houses, and slaves. How could they easily hand them over to Liu Bei?
After being betrayed once, Lu Fang didn't trust anyone present. The only reason he was still there to rally people was to use the joint letter to negotiate with Han Sui and his group.

the other side.

Fa Zheng, who had followed Liu Bei back to Mei County, was quite puzzled: "Please forgive my ignorance, but why did my master release Lu Fang and the others?"

According to Fa Zheng's plan, they should take the opportunity to eliminate Lu Fang and his group, then confiscate their land and houses, release the slaves and farmers and register them as citizens. In that case, Fufeng County would be almost pacified.

Even if some resentful bandits in Fufeng County were to rebel, they would have to think twice about the 30,000 troops in Fufeng County sent to quell the rebellion.

(The troops sent to quell the rebellion were stationed in Fufeng County, which was mistakenly recorded as Fengyi County in the previous text and has been corrected.)
The nature of the matter is completely different depending on whether a famous person takes the lead or not.

Although Fa Zheng was intelligent, he was still young and lacked a clear understanding of the general situation of the world, so he naturally could not guess Liu Bei's intentions.

If Liu Bei wanted to take control of Yongzhou before the world descended into chaos, he couldn't use the "boiling frog" method.

Time was of the essence, and Liu Bei had to act swiftly and decisively.

Now that he had become Fa Zheng's teacher, Liu Bei could not keep his knowledge to himself and instructed him: "My mentor, Master Lu, taught me the Thirty-Six Stratagems. The stratagems are divided into six sets: winning battles, fighting the enemy, attacking battles, chaotic battles, fighting side by side, and losing battles. The first three sets are stratagems used when in a superior position, and the last three sets are stratagems used when in a disadvantageous position. Each set contains six stratagems, making a total of thirty-six stratagems, which implicitly conform to the principles of Yin and Yang, whether it be hard and soft, or unorthodox and orthodox, or attack and defense, or between the enemy and oneself, or between the real and the illusory, or between the host and the guest."

"The situation in Yongzhou is complex. Officials and soldiers are corrupt and lawless, powerful bandits are arrogant and disorderly, and rebels run rampant. They are deeply rooted and intertwined. I have just arrived in Yongzhou. I have no reputation, no connections, and no knowledge of the local customs. I am in a state of defeat. I should deal with it by adopting a strategy of defeat."

"When the enemy has a large army, you cannot fight them head-on. Instead, make them wear themselves down to weaken their momentum. This is auspicious for the army and a sign of divine favor. This is called the 'Chain Strategy.' The core of the Chain Strategy is to make the enemy wear themselves down before attacking them. One strategy is to wear down the enemy, and another is to attack them. By using both strategies in combination, you can destroy their strength. Only in this way can you have a chance to defeat the enemy."

"Promising that the officials and soldiers of the various counties would not be punished after truthfully handing over the embezzled funds was a strategy to exhaust the enemy; sending the Xiyuan troops to pursue and arrest the officials and soldiers who absconded with the funds was a strategy to attack the enemy; the two strategies were linked together, using diplomacy first and then force, which led to today's success."

"Promise Lu Fang and his men to return all the fields and houses they have seized and the slaves they have forcibly taken to the county, and to disband their private armies, retainers, and knights-errant. Then we will let bygones be bygones and will also use this as a way to weaken the enemy. If they are willing to comply, their forces will collapse. If they are not, I will use the same strategy of attacking the enemy to disintegrate their forces."

Although the Thirty-Six Stratagems originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and were compiled in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as long as Liu Bei attributed them to Lu Zhi, they were created by Lu Zhi.

As is well known, Lu Zhi was not only a great Confucian scholar, but also a skilled military strategist and general who could command troops in battle. It is quite reasonable for him to teach his favorite disciple Liu Bei a set of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

Upon hearing Liu Bei's guidance, Fa Zheng was immediately excited: "My master is a genius, my ancestor is a genius! The Thirty-Six Stratagems, even just the single 'Chain Stratagem,' is so powerful. If I could learn the whole set of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, I too could become famous in the world."

In his excitement, Fa Zheng asked again, "These bandits will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. What if Lu Fang and his men really collude with the rebels in Liangzhou?"

Fa Zheng's keen insight into the situation impressed Liu Bei, who said, "What Xiaozhi said makes a lot of sense. However, if we consider the officials, soldiers, bandits, and rebels as a whole, dismissing the officials and punishing the bandits could also be a way to weaken the enemy."

Fa Zheng exclaimed in surprise, "Master's intention is to use Lu Fang and others to lure out the rebels, so that they can be wiped out in one fell swoop?"

Liu Bei smiled and nodded. Guiding talented students was easy; they often understood things immediately.

Often, it's not that a great teacher makes a great student, but rather that a great student makes a great teacher.

Upon arriving at the camp, Fa Zheng was still in shock at Liu Bei's elaborate scheme, while Liu Bei summoned Guan Yu and Jia Xu to discuss the matter.

"If the rebels arrive, our current forces will be unable to withstand them. We will need the assistance of General Huangfu Song's 30,000 troops stationed in Fufeng County to quell the rebellion."

“However, although I am the governor of Yongzhou, Huangfu Song is not under my command. Given Huangfu Song’s current prestige in the army, these 30,000 soldiers who are sent to quell the rebellion will not obey my orders.”

"We still need to find a way to gain control of the military."

Although Liu Bei made a deal with Dong Zhuo, asking him to transfer Huangfu Song away from Yongzhou after gaining power, given Dong Zhuo's nature, even if Huangfu Song was transferred, he would send a trusted confidant to take command of the army.

Despite the cooperation, Dong Zhuo wasn't foolish enough to allow Liu Bei to become unstoppable in Yongzhou.

With these 30,000 soldiers to quell the rebellion, even if Liu Bei were the governor of Yongzhou, he would have to submit to Dong Zhuo.

The population of Yongzhou was limited, and the level of agriculture at that time could not support too many soldiers.

Unless Liu Bei disregards the people's livelihood in Yongzhou and chooses to engage in reckless military campaigns that exhaust resources, he is determined to seize these 30,000 troops to quell the rebellion.

"This matter is easy. I have a hundred plans to solve this urgent problem," Jia Xu said calmly as soon as Liu Bei finished speaking. Fa Zheng, who was pondering Liu Bei's words about the chained strategy, suddenly looked up at Jia Xu, utterly astonished.

A hundred schemes?

Are strategies that easy to come up with?
Guan Yu also looked at Jia Xu in surprise, clearly finding Jia Xu's quick and decisive plan unbelievable.

Liu Bei's lips twitched, and he added, "Wenhe, I have always put the people first. If there are some plans I can avoid using, then I will not use them."

Jia Xu remained silent for a moment, then said, "There are still more than ten plans that can be used."

I knew it was like this. Liu Bei added, "Two thousand brave soldiers from the Western Garden followed me from Luoyang to Chang'an. They admired my reputation and did so for the greater good of the country. We cannot abandon them to the point of disregarding the lives of our soldiers."

Fa Zheng looked at Jia Xu with more doubt in his eyes.

what's the situation?
I don't quite understand what you're saying.

What exactly is the teacher saying?
Before Fazheng could figure it out, Jia Xu added, "Then there are only two options left: the superior one and the inferior one."

"The best plan is too ruthless. Let's just tell you the worst plan." Liu Bei directly chose the worst plan.

Jia Xu was speechless: "My lord, I haven't even said what the best plan is yet."

Fa Zheng couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "Teacher, I'd like to hear about Military Advisor Jia's best plan."

Seeing Fa Zheng's inquisitive expression, Liu Bei gently rubbed his forehead and reminded him, "Jia, Xiaozhi is still young."

Jia Xu laughed and said, “It’s alright. The plan I’m offering today is historically verifiable. You can emulate Lord Xinling’s rescue of Zhao by falsely conveying the late emperor’s edict, ordering Huangfu Song to relinquish his military power and return to Luoyang to protect the prince. If Huangfu Song refuses, you can have the clerk kill him.”

Fa Zheng was horrified: "If we were to kill the former general without authorization, wouldn't that be disregarding our teacher's reputation?"

Jia Xu did not deny it, saying, "Although it will damage your reputation, I think it is worth it if only Huangfu Song dies."

Fa Zheng finally understood why Liu Bei first added "put the people first," then "do not disregard the lives of our soldiers," and finally, upon hearing that Jia Xu had two plans, directly asked Jia Xu to tell him the second plan.

If even the best strategy can damage one's reputation, then wouldn't the dozen or so strategies that were abandoned before be even more ruthless?

Liu Bei sighed softly and said, "Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo have a long-standing feud, and Dong Zhuo has long wished to get rid of Huangfu Song. If I kill Huangfu Song, Dong Zhuo will surely be delighted. I also intend to send Huangfu Song back to Luoyang to restrain Dong Zhuo, so killing him now would be very inappropriate. Military Advisor Jia, please tell me your inferior plan first."

Jia Xu felt a little regretful.

If Huangfu Song were killed directly, although Liu Bei's reputation would be damaged, he could take command of 30,000 troops to quell the rebellion in the shortest possible time.

The current imperial court is too preoccupied with Yongzhou, giving Liu Bei ample time to bring these 30,000 troops into his own fold.

The regret lasted only two or three breaths before Jia Xu put it out of his mind again.

As Liu Bei's military advisor, his advice naturally had to be based on Liu Bei's wishes.

If Liu Bei was unwilling, Jia Xu could not force him.

Although the best plan couldn't be used, Jia Xu still had a worse one.

Jia Xu's plan was relatively normal. He said, "Although Huangfu Song commands 30,000 troops to quell the bandits, the money and provisions needed for these 30,000 men must be paid from the treasury in Chang'an. When Zhang Wen, the Commandant of the Capital Region, was in charge of this expenditure, he was responsible for it. Now that Zhang Wen has left Chang'an, whether or not to provide money and provisions is entirely up to you, my lord."

"Your Excellency can host a banquet for Huangfu Song and reason with him. If Huangfu Song is willing to listen to your reasoning, that would be best; if Huangfu Song is unwilling to listen to your reasoning, Your Excellency can cut off the money and provisions for these 30,000 soldiers who are sent to quell the rebellion. Without money and provisions, no matter how high Huangfu Song's prestige is, it will be of no use."

Fa Zheng felt his worldview had been shaken. Although he had added a step of reasoning, the methods were a bit too harsh.

If you cut off the money and supplies of the 30,000 soldiers sent to quell the rebellion, wouldn't they mutini?
Doesn't this Military Advisor Jia have any reasonable plan?
Instead of immediately evaluating the merits of Jia Xu's plan, Liu Bei turned to Guan Yu and asked, "Second brother, what do you think of Military Advisor Jia's plan?"

Having served Liu Bei for a long time, Guan Yu knew that Liu Bei was not an indecisive person. Rather than asking him a question, Liu Bei was testing him.

After a moment's thought, Guan Yu said, "I believe that Military Advisor Jia's plan is feasible. Huangfu Song is kind and considerate to his soldiers and is very popular. It is said that whenever the troops stop or camp, Huangfu Song waits until the camp is properly set up before returning to his own tent. He also waits until all the soldiers have finished eating before eating himself. If any officers or soldiers accept bribes, Huangfu Song does not reprimand them in public, but instead rewards them with money in private. Some officers and soldiers have even committed suicide out of shame. Therefore, he has a very high reputation in the army, and many people are willing to die for Huangfu Song."

“If we directly falsely convey the late emperor’s edict and kill Huangfu Song, it will not only damage your reputation, but also make it difficult to win over Huangfu Song’s soldiers in the future. If we hold a banquet to reason with him, and Huangfu Song still refuses to listen, then we can’t blame you for being unreasonable. You are the governor of Yongzhou, and Huangfu Song has no right to act recklessly in Yongzhou.”

Upon hearing Guan Yu's assessment of Jia Xu's strategy, Liu Bei stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "What my second brother says is quite right. In that case, let's follow Military Advisor Jia's plan."

Subsequently.

Liu Bei then summoned Dian Wei and instructed him, "Wenwei, go to Huaili for me and tell him that I will be hosting a banquet in Chang'an in three days. Please make sure Huangfu Song, his son Huangfu Jianshou, and his nephew Huangfu Li attend on time. Since you are the scribe of the Central Army, do not disgrace the Central Army. I have heard that there are many fierce warriors among the soldiers who are fighting the bandits. You can go there and have a friendly exchange with them."

Dian Wei was initially puzzled, since it was just a matter of delivering a message and there was no need for him to go there.

Upon hearing that he was to spar with the fierce warriors among the bandits, Dian Wei instantly understood Liu Bei's intention and replied loudly, "Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly not fail in my mission."

Just as Dian Wei was about to leave, Fa Zheng suddenly asked, "Master, may I go to Huai Li with the clerk? That way we can look out for each other."

Liu Bei saw through Fa Zheng's thoughts and laughed, "Since you have this intention, then go with the scribe. Although you are my student, once you join the army, you must abide by the army's rewards and punishments. If you lose face in Huaili, you will be punished just the same."

Fa Zheng excitedly replied, "Don't worry, teacher. If I lose face, I'll accept the punishment myself without you having to say a word!"

Watching Dian Wei and Fa Zheng leave, Jia Xu smiled: "Just now you said I was too ruthless in taking their tricks, but you're not much kinder than me, my lord."

Sending a clerk to deliver a message and having him spar with the fierce warriors of the bandit-suppressing army—isn't this just a show of force to Huangfu Song?
However, I quite like the magistrate's style of being ruthless when necessary and kind when appropriate!
Jia Xu didn't care whether all the strategies were adopted. Ruthless strategies had their uses, and benevolent strategies had theirs. What Jia Xu cared more about was whether Liu Bei's decisions were decisive.

(End of this chapter)