Mythical Three Kingdoms

Zhou Yu, who was stationed in Yuzhou, found out about the situation in Xuzhou when Sun Ce had already led his men on a campaign against Jingzhou. By that time, Liu Biao, with the strategies of Kuai Yue and the valor of Huang Zhong, had already successfully captured most of the South Commandery. This was the first successful counterattack since the fall of Jingbei.

At this time, Zhou Yu was quite conflicted, but fortunately, he had a clear grasp of the priorities of various matters, so although he knew this was an excellent opportunity to capture Xuzhou, he hesitated for a moment and then decided to give up. After all, Zhou Yu had not yet fully consolidated the territories originally under Yuan Shu’s control.

As for the areas in the southern part of Yangzhou, they were even more beyond reach. Thus, Zhou Yu’s plan to steadily build a strong rear area was not yet complete, and he had to give up this great opportunity.

”Ziyu, the governance of the aristocratic families of Yuzhou, as well as the upcoming spring farming, I’ll leave to you. I need to figure out a way to stall the elders of the Yuan family,” Zhou Yu sighed and instructed Zhuge Jin.

During this period, thanks to Zhuge Jin’s persuasion, many aristocratic families were already willing to support Sun Ce. Even those who did not openly endorse him no longer resisted his rule as before. As for the soldiers, Zhou Yu had also begun reorganizing the army, trying to improve the combat power of the Yuzhou troops while maintaining an army of two hundred thousand.

”I will handle it well. However, Gongjin, sometimes one must be decisive when necessary,” Zhuge Jin nodded and then said with a lighthearted tone.

”Alas, after all, they are relatives of Yuan Gong and owe a great debt to Bofu; how could it be done so rashly.” Zhou Yu shook his head. He had thought the same, but both Sun Ce and Yuan Shu were men of honor, and such an action would greatly damage the relationship between the three.

”It’s not like that. Sometimes it’s better to guide than to block. Gongjin, why not consider other methods? I’m sure you understand why the Yuan clan elders do not unite with us. Since that is the case, why not get to the root of the problem?” Zhuge Jin spoke calmly. If the Yuan family could not be tripped up, then transform them into an asset.

”Though that’s easier said than done,” Zhou Yu heaved a long sigh.

”On the contrary, this matter is very simple. Yuan Benchu cannot reach Yuzhou; what we need to do is to solidify our own strength and let the Yuan family witness our power. When our roots are deep and trunk is strong, it will be too late for the Yuan family to react by then. Moreover, Yuan Benchu in Jizhou might not perform as the Yuan family expects,” Zhuge Jin said with a light laugh, uninterested in suppressing others but focused on how to grow their own power.

”That’s a good idea. I’ll go along with their thoughts for a while and let them understand that things aren’t as simple as they imagine,” Zhou Yu responded, inspired and quickly forming a complete line of thought.

Zhou Yu silently stopped his actions and carefully pondered the feasibility of the entire matter, thinking, ”The Yuan clan elders always speak of the ’Yuan family’ and ’Yuan Shao.’ Let them first understand the difference between the two.”

”Hmm, but I need to seize the right moment, and certainly cannot let the Yuan clan elders do as they please. It seems I still need to stall the other party first,” Zhou Yu mused silently.

Zhou Yu gave a few reminders to Zhuge Jin and then headed towards the door. He needed to talk with the Elder of the Yuan Family. At least for now, they couldn’t clash with Liu Bei, as that did not align with the interests of Sun Ce and Yuan Shu. The so-called interests of the Yuan Family did not coincide with theirs, so it was not possible at this time.

Though the Elder of the Yuan Family was old and cunning, there was still a huge gap when compared to a natural prodigy like Zhou Yu. Despite their distaste for Yuan Shu’s transfer of military authority to Sun Ce, when faced with Zhou Yu’s consideration of the overall interests of the Yuan Family, these people were not fools and could only agree.

When Fa Zheng and Zhuge Liang arrived in Yanzhou, Liu Yan was busy creating momentum for Lyu Bu’s return to Bingzhou. He had already invited many noted scholars and published views on the invasion of Bingzhou by the Hu People.

Before Liu Yan could propose Lyu Bu’s willingness to march north to attack the Hu People and clear the frontier troubles, many scholars began to respond. Then, a group of idle scholars truly began to hustle about, calling for the feudal lords to set aside prejudices and clean up the Hu People first.

The following events didn’t follow the script Liu Yan had designed. First, Chen Lin stood up to openly praise Gongsun Zan’s great achievements in eradicating the Wuhuan Xianbei in Youzhou and clearing the frontier troubles, suggesting that Yuan Shao shouldn’t attack Gongsun Zan.

It seemed that this master had also been angered by Yuan Shao’s previous actions, extensively lauding how well Gongsun Zan had performed in Youzhou and his great merits in frontier defense. Although there was some exaggeration, compared to the real combat achievements in fighting the Hu People, the title of White Horse General was indeed dyed in blood, and the achievements were genuine.

With Chen Lin being the first to stand up, a group of people quickly responded in support of Gongsun Zan. Yuan Shao faced verbal and written condemnation, and the inexplicable death of Han Fu in the restroom further darkened his reputation, as those with sinister minds splashed dirty water on him. In short, Yuan Shao’s misfortune had begun.

However, where there were supporters, there were detractors. Liu Yu was still alive, and once Chen Lin’s praises reached Chang’an, Liu Yu began organizing people to denigrate Gongsun Zan. After all, some of Gongsun Zan’s actions were indeed too harsh; wherever he went, if there were Hu People, they would be wiped out without a hair left. Moreover, the fact that Gongsun Zan had attacked the Imperial Relatives was not easy to wash away.

The practice of ”seeing a Hu Person and killing a Hu Person” was favored by some scholars, but others leaned towards enlightenment. As a result, both sides began to fight directly. It was clear that the dispute had evolved beyond who was right or wrong; it could basically be considered as party strife.

One side was led by the Iron Blood Sect with Chen Lin and Xu Gan, while the other was led by the Enlightenment Sect with Liu Yu and Kong Rong. The Iron Blood Sect’s best debater was naturally Chen Lin himself, and the Enlightenment Sect’s strongest critic was none other than Mi Heng.

In fact, judging by the lineup, it was clear that the combat power of both sides was quite evenly matched. By this point, neither was likely to change their stance; one side firmly supported Gongsun Zan while the other vehemently denounced him. This left Lyu Bu with much less to worry about, and Liu Yan was simply dumbfounded. Chen Lin and Kong Rong even planned to have a debate, expecting Liu Yan to provide the venue and serve as the mediator.

Naturally, at this time, Yuan Shao would not be foolish enough to target Gongsun Zan. If he killed Gongsun Zan now, both sides would definitely see him as an attack target, and it would be a wonder if he wasn’t vilified to death. These noted scholars included historians, Pure Stream Faction, and Pragmatists of all kinds, offending all of them. This group of scholars, who held the power of speech, would certainly not mind tarnishing Yuan Shao’s name in the history books.

Aside from the debating team, the Iron Blood Sect and the Enlightenment Sect also had a combat group, like the previous conflict between Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu. Naturally, among the scholars involved in this battle, there were those who couldn’t be bothered to convince others with eloquence. Some directly picked up their equipment, ready to find a place for a real battle and then use facts to slap their opponents in the face. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian ) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)