Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 725 - 689 The Enemy Inevitably Inside
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"My goal is to make him use troops from Fenggao. Liu Bei’s rise has been too swift, his military might robust, with fiercely loyal subordinates. That’s why the local aristocrats under his rule don’t dare to act rashly. But once the troops from Fenggao are drawn away…" At this moment, Xu You’s eyes revealed his thoughts without any attempt at concealment, cold and emotionless!
"When Fenggao’s forces, which sustain the central government’s power, are diverted, and with the formidable advantage of our own troops, I refuse to believe the noble families of Xuzhou, Qingzhou, and Yanzhou won’t make a move. Liu Bei’s wealth and strength are built upon draining these very families of their blood!" Xu You said with a cold laugh. If a direct confrontation isn’t an option, then it’s time for trickery!
In such a state of mind, Xu You’s intelligence alone deemed him top-tier in the present age. He was no longer focused on winning a single battle but on how to reap greater benefits within a particular campaign and thereby influence the overall situation, leveraging the course of the world.
Already, Xu You was not contemplating the loss or gain of a single city or territory, but rather how to achieve overarching strategic goals, ready to sacrifice certain things when necessary to accomplish specific objectives.
What Xu You was planning now was to gamble the noble families of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, betting they would upheave Liu Bei’s foundation. If successful, the once strongest force under heaven would undoubtedly collapse, and no one would be able to stop Yuan Shao from unifying the realm.
At this moment, Xu You was not scheming for a mere gain or loss in Linyi of the Eastern Commandery; he was scheming for Liu Bei’s entire domain of Qingzhou as well as Yanzhou, which was already under Liu Bei’s control, along with the Elder of the Yuan Family. The fate of the world would have to fall into Yuan Shao’s hands to bring Xu You the most benefits.
Gambling with the lives of others for one’s ascension was Xu You’s strategy. His specialty was shifting the burden, redirecting his own problems onto others, using minimal effort to secure what he needed, or rather, he had such justifiable means to stealthily clinch the final prize.
However, Xu You was not like Jia Xu, who left no way out for his pawns; he dealt like a merchant, driving others with the cards he held, then obtaining what he wanted. Though his methods might be those of a profiteer, he still left a slim chance of survival, though this slim chance was merely a better means to control those pawns.
[Elder of the Yuan Family, ah, I have laid out everything for you; the rest is up to your own choices.] Xu You looked back towards Xuzhou, his heart sneering incessantly. When he managed to incite all the dissatisfied noble families under Liu Bei, he did not believe the Elders of the Yu Family could resist such an opportune moment.
[Xuzhou, such a huge pitfall, I wonder how many will fall into it this time? The internally weakened noble families, as a lever, are still too insignificant. Moreover, such actions will certainly provoke Liu Xuande’s wrath. If he were to counterattack desperately, it wouldn’t be pleasant. Elders of Yuzhou, the time has come for your sacrifice. The Yuan Family needs only one lord, and that is my lord Yuan Benchu!]
Yuan Shu, in Liu Bei’s eyes, is like a fattened pig just as he is to Xu You, a piece of fat meat. And what Xu You intended to do was to redirect the wrath of the upcoming war from Yuan Shao to Yuan Shu. Only in this way could it best serve Yuan Shao’s interests and align with the Yuan Family’s goal to annihilate "Liu."
While Yuan Shu may be a piece of fat meat, Xu You didn’t believe the weakened Liu Bei could swallow him whole, and even if he somehow managed to, Liu Bei wouldn’t be able to digest him anymore. Even if he were to follow the pillaging development path like the previous Cao Cao, he would no longer be able to sustain his weakened body.
Wen Chou wasn’t a complete fool; how could he misunderstand when Xu You explained things so clearly? Xu You was proposing a scorched earth strategy, aiming to completely destroy Liu Bei’s foundation. Even if it failed, a large-scale rebellion by the noble families would still damage Liu Bei’s base.
Realizing this, Wen Chou’s eyes lit up. He suddenly saw that all the blame he had been saddled with was not trouble at all; it was proof of his merits.
"Damn it, from now on if the strategist says east, I’ll never go west!" Wen Chou vowed firmly, thumping his chest.
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"Stop talking nonsense, and just lead your troops to storm into Feicheng in a moment. Don’t let a single one of the enemy escape," Xu You glanced at Wen Chou as he spoke. He had no interest in commenting on Wen Chou’s assurance. When it came to commanding valiant generals, he had his own methods, which were all about securing a victory!
"No problem," Wen Chou promised, patting his chest confidently.
Seeing Wen Chou’s boundless confidence, Xu You didn’t say anything more as the real test hadn’t yet arrived.
"Come with me," Xu You said to Wen Chou as he dispersed most of his men upon entering Jibei Kingdom, only taking five hundred soldiers with him towards Feicheng. They had reached the last resting place before Feicheng, where he then addressed Wen Chou.
"Ah, alright," Wen Chou answered somewhat puzzled but followed nonetheless.
This time, riding his horse without the slightest attempt at concealment, Xu You, dressed in fine silk robes, riding a tall steed, followed by the formidable presence of Wen Chou, with seven or eight soldiers who had shed their armor for commoner’s clothes yet still carried their weapons, bore the air of a legitimate son of an aristocratic family out for a venture.
He sped towards Donglin Village under Feicheng with no effort to hide. There resided a local tyrant family; they weren’t very well-known, but for Xu You, they were sufficient. Bold enough to devise such a strategy, he must have done the necessary research, otherwise, he wouldn’t be so confident.
"We’ve arrived," Xu You announced as he rode straight into the village path and up to the Hee family’s doorstep.
"Military Strategist, what are we doing here so suddenly?" Wen Chou asked, puzzled.
"Recruiting allies and simultaneously spreading the news," Xu You replied calmly.
"May I inquire if Old Master Hee is in?" asked Xu You, dismounting his horse and greeting the gatekeeper with a respectful gesture.
Generally, for someone who serves as the gatekeeper of a family, most skills can be mediocre except for one vital ability: discernment. Although the Hee family’s gatekeeper had never met Xu You, the authority Xu You exuded as he dismounted and moved made the gatekeeper feel its weight.
"Kindly proceed to the main hall and wait for a moment. I will immediately inform the Head of the Family," the gatekeeper, after witnessing the evil Qi emanating from Wen Chou, knew that the people in front of him were either military veteran generals or the trusted aides of an aristocratic family. Not daring to entertain any other thoughts, he bowed to them, opened the main doors to usher them into the main hall. After presenting them with tea, he hurried to the inner chambers to notify the Head of the Hee Family.
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Such a personage the Head of the Hee Family naturally did not dare to neglect. After changing his clothes, he came out to meet Xu You. It is the tragedy of small households that, although they might dominate locally, they have to shed their pride and humbly look up to true aristocratic families.
"Head of the Hee Family, I heard your youngest son is serving as a quartermaster in Feicheng. Is this true?" At this moment, the aura emanating from Xu You made the Head of the Hee Family’s heart chill, for he had already seen the seal ribbon hanging from Xu You’s waist. (To be continued. If you liked this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
