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Chapter 693: I'll Take the Lead
🕑 Added 2024-10-04 05:08:44 +0000 UTCThe noble families' rebellion, which had been uncertain as to when it might occur, finally found an opportunity to erupt, thanks to the machinations and patient waiting of Jia Xu and the others. To their surprise, Yuan Shao’s side had unexpectedly triggered this conflict earlier than anticipated, not during the large-scale war between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei that Jia Xu and the others had originally prepared for.
"Go inform Baining," Jia Xu instructed as he exited the administrative hall. He ordered the Tiger Guards to secure the entire building and sent a messenger to notify Man Chong.
"The timing is even better than we anticipated," Lü Su said with a face full of delight.
"The worst-case scenario didn’t happen, and that’s great news," Jia Xu remarked with a sigh of relief. They had initially prepared for Yuan Shao to execute this move after the full-scale war between Yuan and Liu had begun. Having it occur this early was better than they could have hoped for.
"They’re operating from a different perspective than we are. The person who designed this scheme is targeting not just us but also this place." Li Ru pointed to a spot on the map, and the other two smiled knowingly.
"The Yuan clan truly is hopeless. I can’t believe that Yuan Shao’s advisors would act against the Yuan family without his implicit approval. It’s clear that Yuan Shao, once he gained power, could no longer restrain his ambitions," Jia Xu said, his expression turning cold.
Previously, Jia Xu had held Yuan Shao in high regard, believing that even if Yuan Shao were to fail, he would fall like a hero. However, as more intelligence reports arrived, Jia Xu's respect for Yuan Shao, who was gradually slipping into mediocrity, completely dissipated.
[Fengxiao, it seems you understood Yuan Shao's nature the moment he seized control of Jizhou. You've surpassed the limits of human understanding of the human heart.] Jia Xu thought silently.
Jia Xu didn’t hold much awe for Guo Jia. To him, apart from Guo Jia’s grasp of human nature, the rest of his strategies weren’t particularly remarkable. Guo Jia’s tactics, to Jia Xu, could be easily countered, as every strategy Guo Jia devised was based on manipulating human emotions.
But now, seeing Yuan Shao's gradual decline, Jia Xu couldn't help but sigh deeply. He had underestimated Guo Jia. Even he might not have been able to escape Guo Jia's mastery of human nature.
"Not necessarily. Yuan Shao wouldn’t stoop so low," Li You shook his head, recalling the events in Chang’an. At that time, it was only Yuan Shao who had the courage to raise his sword against Dong Zhuo, while the rest of the warlords appeared mediocre. Moreover, Yuan Shao's actions during this period had undoubtedly shown him to be a true hero.
"Perhaps he’s using this opportunity to manipulate the Yuan family, dragging them into a war against our forces, thus forcing them to fight with all their might," Lü Su speculated. In his view, while Yuan Shao and Liu Bei had different ideals, Yuan Shao was still worthy of the title of a hero.
Jia Xu nonchalantly glanced at the two and didn’t offer further explanation. They would soon see what kind of person Yuan Shao really was. With the Yuan family’s support and the possibility of leading the entire Yuan clan, Yuan Shao likely believed his power was sufficient to sweep through the world.
[When the situation is unfavorable, a person becomes a model of virtue. When in power, complacency sets in. This saying is indeed true.] Jia Xu’s expression was indifferent as he analyzed the current situation with Li You and the others, though his thoughts wandered far.
"If the noble families do rebel this time, I’ll take the lead in dealing with them," Li You said calmly. "Currently, most of the noble families in Qingzhou are rooted in Fenggao, which is also our stronghold. If they manage to capture it, it will boost their morale. So, if they’re not foolish, attacking Fenggao would be their best choice."
"Leave only three thousand troops for city management, and vacate Fenggao. When Zichuan was constructing Fenggao, he specifically reinforced the main street. Now, those reinforcements have become a hindrance to Fenggao's development. The southern street’s shops are mostly fronts for the noble families. If an uprising occurs, it will undoubtedly start there," Lü Su said, given his deep involvement in administrative matters and thorough knowledge of Fenggao’s layout.
"Three thousand men are enough. Although urban combat will diminish our troops’ effectiveness, we still have a significant advantage over them," Li You said with a calm demeanor. He had seen truly elite soldiers before, so he knew what the three thousand troops in Fenggao were capable of.
"That leaves the final question: how should we handle this situation?" Lü Su asked, looking at Li You.
"Divide, compensate, and reestablish the ruling family," Jia Xu replied in place of Li You.
"Not extermination?" Lü Su glanced at Jia Xu before turning to Li You, staring at him intently. Since Li You would be the one executing this plan, he needed to agree on the overall approach.
"Not extermination," Li You replied calmly. Seeing that Lü Su was still staring at him, he sighed. "Zijing, while I may be ruthless at times, I’m not so far gone that I can’t distinguish right from wrong. I understand how to act in a way that benefits our lord."
"Then it’s in your hands," Lü Su said, finally withdrawing his gaze and ending the conversation.
"Prepare to notify Chen Yuanlong. He needs to be informed of what’s happening in Jizhou and be ready to deal with the Xuzhou noble families’ assault and the Yuan family’s invasion from Yuzhou," Li You said after Lü Su stopped staring at him.
"Chen Yuanlong…" Lü Su frowned. "Can he be trusted? If there’s any doubt, I recommend Man Baining. When Fazheng proposed this plan, I already thought it was too risky. Can we really trust him?"
"He’s trustworthy," Li You replied succinctly.
"Baining entering Xuzhou now would be too conspicuous. If someone with ill intentions notices, it could cause problems," Jia Xu explained. "Besides, Chen Yuanlong’s ambitions don’t lie in the world at large. Everything he plans is for his family. That’s his weak spot. With the Chen family currently flourishing and him serving as the Xuzhou Administrator and the governor of Xiapi, the Yuan family’s invasion would bring him no benefit."
"In that case… we’ll go with it," Lü Su hesitated for a moment before nodding, accepting Jia Xu’s explanation.
Lü Su knew that Man Chong couldn’t leave Taishan right now. After all, the moment when Li You would dismantle all the noble families was also the best time to announce Man Chong’s new legal code. This code, developed by Man Chong by integrating various ideas and theories, was a comprehensive legal system combining customary law and case law, among other concepts that Chen Xi had partially formulated.
When Xun Yue received the code from Man Chong, he was thoroughly shocked. He had always regarded Man Chong as nothing more than a harsh enforcer, but after reading this legal code, Xun Yue never underestimated Man Chong again. In his eyes, Man Chong was simply a genius with a peculiar temperament.
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