The decision of whether or not to attack Xiapi City appeared complex.
It involved Tao Qian's father and son, Yuan Shu, Liu Bei… and even Lu Bu in the northern reaches of Yanzhou was connected to this region, a situation where pulling one thread would move the entire tapestry. However…
If a grand premise was established, the matter of Xuzhou would be easily resolved.
With this thought, Lu Yu's eyes hardened.
Xun Yu had been observing Lu Yu, initially believing that even someone of Hidden Dragon's caliber would need time to ponder and carefully consider such a difficult decision.
To his surprise, Lu Yu blurted out, "Director Xun likely already has the answer. Isn't this obvious? A buffer zone is indeed necessary. As for Tao Qian's father and son, they are no match for Liu Bei…"
"If I were Lord Cao, I would simply memorialize the court, stating that Tao Qian is elderly and gravely ill, unfit to continue as governor of a province. I would specially recommend Liu Bei as the Prefect of Xiapi and Guan Yu as the Prefect of Guangling."
Ah… ah…
Xun Yu was slightly taken aback. Lu Yu's first statement coincided with his own thoughts.
Leaving these two prefectures as a buffer zone between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu was undeniable. But… why did Lu Yu's tone shift, and why was he now paving the way for Liu Bei?
Just as Xun Yu was about to ask for clarification, Lu Yu's words continued, "Director Xun, do not panic. Hear me out. Recommending Liu Bei to temporarily take charge of Xiapi and Guangling Prefectures has three benefits for Cao's camp!"
Three benefits?
Xun Yu felt like crying because, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't fathom how assisting Liu Bei could be beneficial. This was clearly a case of choosing the lesser of two evils!
It seemed that on this point, his thinking diverged considerably from that of Hidden Dragon.
Lu Yu's words continued, "First, if Lord Cao recommends Liu Bei as the Prefect of Xiapi to the court, he establishes righteousness… Liu Bei considers himself a benevolent gentleman. If he accepts the title of Prefect of Xiapi and then attacks Lord Cao, he would be acting unjustly, ungratefully, and lose the moral high ground. He would be despised by the masses and the court… Liu Bei is a wise man, and righteousness is the foundation of his character. Therefore, if he becomes the Prefect of Xiapi, he will certainly be on courteous terms with Cao's 'Xuzhou' and maintain peace!"
Hoo… Xun Yu nodded slightly. With Lu Yu's statement, it started to make some sense.
Of course, this didn't mean Xun Yu's own insights were poor, but rather that their approaches were diametrically opposed.
Xun Yu's initial intention was to secretly assist Tao Qian's father and son in expelling Liu Bei, and all his strategies were geared towards that goal.
Lu Yu's thinking was the opposite, but as it stood, it was not without merit as a clever plan.
"Director Lu, what about the second benefit?"
Xun Yu proactively asked.
Lu Yu took a sip of tea, moistening his throat, and continued, "Second, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the friend of my enemy is my enemy. If Liu Bei maintains courteous relations with Lord Cao and peace, he won't actively seek trouble with Lord Cao. Then… what will Yuan Shu think? Yuan Shu will surely seek trouble with him!"
"In that case, will there inevitably be small-scale or large-scale friction and clashes between the two? With one side weakening and the other strengthening, Liu Bei and Yuan Shu will exhaust each other? Who will reap the benefits of their labor?"
Hiss…
As these words left his mouth, Xun Yu's eyes snapped open wide.
Brilliant, a brilliant plan!
Although Liu Bei was small, he had the bravery of Guan and Zhang, and the name of benevolence and righteousness. He was like a needle, very fine, but if pricked, it would hurt.
Although Yuan Shu was large and had many soldiers, he was like a wild bull. Colliding a fine needle with a bull's horn would give them plenty to worry about. If both sides were thus mutually harmed, Lord Cao would be able to reap the benefits and, incidentally, weaken Yuan Shu by using Liu Bei…
Even if Liu Bei were to be absorbed by Yuan Shu, it wouldn't matter… it was a buffer zone to begin with, and any further consumption was a gain.
Brilliant, the more Xun Yu pondered it, the more brilliant the plan seemed…
If Lu Yu's "first point" merely matched his own plan to support Tao Qian and expel Liu Bei,
Then this "second point" far surpassed Xun Yu's strategy.
For a moment, Xun Yu was filled with curiosity about Lu Yu's upcoming "third point." However… Xun Yu seemed to have some inkling of this third point.
"Director Lu, does the third point you mentioned mean that Lord Cao can use this opportunity to lead his army back to Yanzhou, gather superior forces, and counterattack Puyang City? To eliminate Lu Bu, that scourge, in one fell swoop?"
Xun Yu asked proactively…
Lu Yu's eyes flickered. "Yes and no!"
This ambiguous answer left Xun Yu somewhat bewildered. He immediately picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Director Lu, I wish to hear the details."
"Haha…" Lu Yu said with a laugh. "Lord Cao will naturally return. How can he tolerate others sleeping soundly beside his own bed? Moreover, with our Yanzhou being so vast, we cannot leave a corner for that Lu Bu to benefit from!"
"However… the third point I want to discuss is not entirely that…"
"What is it then?" Xun Yu's ears perked up, eager to listen.
"It is…" Lu Yu leaned closer to Xun Yu and then lowered his voice, smiling. "People say Xuzhou is a great granary, but in fact, Xuzhou is a great dye vat. It's not that I look down on Liu Bei, but the waters in Xuzhou are very deep, and Liu Bei cannot grasp them!"
Whoa… The waters in Xuzhou are deep, and Liu Bei cannot grasp them.
This statement truly astonished Xun Yu. Lu Yu spoke with such great confidence.
…Tao Qian could grasp them, so why couldn't Liu Bei?
If these words came from anyone else, Xun Yu would have immediately shaken his head. Yet, past events had taught him that Hidden Dragon's words always had a reason.
"Director Lu, please don't keep me in suspense." Xun Yu proactively refilled Lu Yu's tea. "Director Lu, why don't you explain how deep the waters in Xuzhou are and how Liu Bei cannot grasp them?"
"That, well… it's a long story." Lu Yu picked up his teacup again, as if anticipating that explaining this would require a lot of effort. He first asked Xun Yu, "Director Xun, do you know which factions Tao Qian has under him?"
Factions? As a talented scholar from Yingchuan, Xun Yu had never specifically investigated Tao Qian. From the very beginning, he had considered Tao Qian a mediocre ruler, unsuitable for assistance… Therefore, he was not even very clear about which officials were in Xuzhou.
"Director Lu, please enlighten me. I am eager to hear the details."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu finally got to the main point. "Although the civil and military officials under Tao Qian appear harmonious on the surface, they are divided into three factions: the scholar faction led by Chen Gui and Chen Deng; the Danyang faction led by Cao Bao; and the commoner faction led by Mi Zhu and Sun Qian!"
"And Tao Qian, the old man, governed Xuzhou by allowing the Danyang faction from his hometown to control the military power, while outwardly appeasing the scholar faction and suppressing the commoner faction… but secretly, he was using the commoner faction to suppress the scholar faction."
"Simply put, Tao Qian was skilled at maintaining balance. The only ones he could trust were the Danyang faction from his hometown. As for the scholar faction and the commoner faction, he suppressed and utilized them both openly and secretly… This was also understandable. As long as the Danyang faction held military power and the commoner faction was of low status, they naturally could not make any waves! The scholar faction and the commoner faction were too busy opposing each other to complain, and would naturally cling to Tao Qian, not opposing him!"
"But… if Tao Qian's father and son were to fall, and Liu Bei were to ascend, the situation in Xiapi City would be entirely different."
Lu Yu spoke a great deal, his lips dry…
Xun Yu, however, suddenly understood. So that's how it was…
He was an intelligent man. As Lu Yu described the three factions in Xuzhou, he keenly sensed the crisis involved.
Of course, this crisis was not for Cao Cao, but for Liu Bei.
Hoo…
Xun Yu let out a sigh. Hearing that Tao Qian had already died of illness, if he were indeed dead and Liu Bei were to take over Xiapi City, would the Danyang faction, originally the direct lineage, willingly hand over military power to Liu Bei?
Could Guan Yu and Zhang Fei command these Danyang soldiers?
Furthermore, if Liu Bei heavily favored the commoner faction, he would offend the scholar faction. If he favored the scholar faction, he would offend the commoner faction. Who wouldn't want to seize this opportunity for a share of the spoils?
Granted, Liu Bei was adept at winning over the populace, but the power struggles in officialdom were entirely different from winning over the populace. The balance involved was far beyond his grasp.
This way… Lu Yu's words made a lot of sense.
Xuzhou was not just a great granary, but also a great dye vat. With the separation of military and government and the opposition of three factions, even if Lord Cao recommended him to the court, Liu Bei's position as governor of Xuzhou would not be stable.
Facing so many trivial matters and Yuan Shu's threat, how could he grow strong and powerful, or check Cao Cao?
Enlightened, Xun Yu was enlightened at this moment. Not to mention… Lu Yu's method, while seemingly completely different from his own, was in fact a path to the same destination. Moreover… Xun Yu's method was somewhat hasty, while Lu Yu's method was unhurried and just right.
However… Xun Yu thought of another problem.
Xuzhou was a great granary, and also a great dye vat.
Granted, Xiapi City had the scholar faction, the commoner faction, and the Danyang faction… but what about Pengcheng? Dongguan City? Langya Commandery? Donghai Commandery? The factions in these places must also be deeply intertwined and extremely complex…
The waters in Xuzhou were deep. If Liu Bei couldn't grasp them, could Lord Cao grasp them?
What if there were reversals in the already conquered cities? Then… what should be done?
With this thought, Xun Yu hurriedly asked, "Director Lu's words are reasonable, but they raise a new question: the waters in Xuzhou are deep, can Lord Cao grasp them?"
Ah… ah…
This question truly startled Lu Yu. He had almost forgotten this. Could Old Cao grasp them?
Immediately, Lu Yu pondered slightly…
Actually, he could, but it would require some special methods.
Lu Yu recalled how Cao Cao dealt with the intricate factional disputes within Xuzhou after he acquired it in the original course of history.
If it were according to the original course of history, Cao Cao would have carried out a great massacre in Xuzhou. Historical records state, "Even the chickens and dogs were exterminated, and no travelers remained in the ruined settlements. Wherever he passed, he caused great devastation!"
If one thought about the situation at that time, Cao Cao, the greatest butcher of the Three Kingdoms, would undoubtedly face even greater difficulty in governing Xuzhou than he did now.
Indeed, within just three years of Xuzhou submitting to Cao Cao, there were more than five rebellions…
But a turning point appeared in the third year. No one knew who taught Cao Cao a trick, which then prevented any further rebellions in Xuzhou for the next twenty years.
And this trick was…
…
"Director Xun, I have a story. Are you interested?"
Hmm… Xun Yu was very interested and gestured for him to continue.
"I didn't expect Young Master Lu to tell stories. I am very interested…"
"This happened during the ancient Era of the Eight Desolations…" Lu Yu blurted out. "At that time, there was a kingdom called 'Dragon Kingdom' on the entire continent. Dragon Kingdom was originally very prosperous, ranking at the pinnacle of the Eight Desolations, with all nations paying tribute… However, for a long time, due to its policy of isolation, Dragon Kingdom was gradually surpassed by other nations. Subsequently… those nations began to bully Dragon Kingdom, forcing it to sign many unequal treaties!"
"One of these clauses was to temporarily lease a city called 'Port City' in Dragon Kingdom to other nations. As time passed, Dragon Kingdom welcomed wise great men one after another. Under their management, Dragon Kingdom became increasingly powerful, and naturally, it wanted to reclaim the 'Port City' that it had leased to other nations in the past!"
Hiss…
To be honest, Xun Yu listened to Lu Yu's story with great interest.
Of course, it seemed that this story had no connection to the governance of Xuzhou for now. However, since it came from Lu Yu… there must be a connection.
"What happened next? Was this 'Port City' reclaimed?" Xun Yu asked curiously…
"With the power of Dragon Kingdom, 'Port City' was naturally reclaimed. However, in the early stages of reclaiming 'Port City,' it was as complex with factions as Xuzhou is now, and many people were worried…"
"Worried about what?" Xun Yu continued to ask. He was becoming more and more engrossed in the story.
"At that time, Port City had become a prosperous city, and Dragon City had not been in contact with it for a long time. Dragon City was still in its development phase, and in terms of prosperity, it was far inferior to Port City. The people of Port City worried that Port City would no longer be prosperous and their lives would not be as good as before!" Lu Yu recounted as if he were reciting family treasures…
"What was the final outcome?" Xun Yu asked curiously, even though it was a story from the ancient Eight Desolations.
However, as Lu Yu said, this Port City and Xuzhou City did indeed have some similarities.
Port City was prosperous, while Dragon City was still in its development phase, hence such worries…
Xuzhou was the granary of the empire, and its people were prosperous, but Yanzhou was poor. Wouldn't the people of Xuzhou also have worries? And there were also the same complex factions…
See, there were plenty of connections.
For a moment, Xun Yu was eager to know the final fate of Dragon Kingdom and Port City.
And as Lu Yu spoke, his tone also unconsciously became higher.
"Dragon Kingdom was worthy of being the greatest kingdom in the ancient Eight Desolations. The great men of successive generations left behind many moving chapters. As for 'Port City,' a great man proposed a method, and it was precisely this method that allowed Port City and Dragon Kingdom to advance hand in hand and create glory together!"
Lu Yu's voice grew louder and louder, higher and higher…
By the end, Xun Yu was infected by his voice, as if… this was a powerful sense of pride.
Xun Yu muttered to himself, why was Lu Yu so proud of events from the ancient Eight Desolations, as if he had been there himself?
Furthermore, Xun Yu was more concerned about what method that great man had proposed.
Before Xun Yu could speak…
Lu Yu's words came out, six words, yet the crystallization of countless people's wisdom – "Port City is governed by its people!"
And this…
This was precisely the method in history that prevented rebellions in Xuzhou and restored its prosperity.
In Lu Yu's eyes, this was also Cao Cao's only way and ultimate strategy for governing Xuzhou – Xuzhou is governed by its people!
…
…