Tiger Guards

Chapter 308 The Era of Leveling Graves
Inside the capital city of Xudu, at the General's headquarters.

The autumn rain was chilly. Xun Yu, the chief clerk recruited by Lü Bu, wearing wooden clogs, followed his guards to the West Pavilion.

Up in the pavilion, Lü Bu sat by the window, gazing at the trees in the western garden.

The temperature drop after the start of autumn was not drastic. In this freezing rain, tree branches and leaves were either knocked off or frozen black and stuck tightly to the trunk.

Through the rain, Lü Bu felt that everything was desolate and lifeless.

Hearing footsteps, Lü Bu turned around and saw Xun Yu coming upstairs, so he said, "Chief Clerk, please sit down."

Xun Yu, with a solemn demeanor, knelt on the low couch, tidying his clothes before asking, "Why has the General summoned me here?"

"This concerns the matter of Jingzhou."

Lu Bu pointed to the silk scroll on his desk, and his chief clerk, Lou Gui, picked it up and handed it to Xun Yu.

Xun Yu had already read the silk scroll. He picked it up and read it again, saying, "General, what Liu Zhennan said is also true. Since the beginning of autumn, the Yu River has first risen sharply, making it inconvenient for the naval fleet to transport grain and fodder. After the autumn flood, the Yu River has become shallow again, which is even more unfavorable for grain transport."

"I know that transporting grain and fodder is difficult in autumn and winter, but the imperial army has more than 100,000 troops and no fewer than 300,000 disaster victims in Liang and Pei. If there is no grain transported from Jingzhou, how many people will die of hunger and cold by next spring?"

Lü Bu, seeking a pretext for attacking Liu Biao, said, "I have heard that when the Chief Clerk served as Sima under Cao Cao, he advised him against attacking Liu Biao. Why was that?"

Xun Yu cupped his hands and replied, "Jingzhou is rich and its people are strong, so it cannot be taken in a hurry. At that time, the Grand General is by my side. If Cao Mengde leads his army south, the Grand General will attack from the rear. None of Cao Mengde's generals can withstand the Grand General's army."

Lü Bu nodded in agreement and asked in return, "So, does the Chief Clerk mean that even if I were to launch a southern campaign against Liu Biao, with the combined forces of Zhang Zhishu of Yanzhou, Liu Xuande of Xuzhou, and Zang Xuangao of Qingzhou, we would still be no match for Cao Cao?"

"I do not mean to exaggerate Cao Mengde's talent, but after Cao Mengde there is Yuan Shao of Hebei. What I have been worried about is actually these two Yuans. Now that the General is following the Emperor to attack Liu Zhennan, Yuan Gonglu is harassing Ruzhou and Yingzhou, and Yuan Shao is ordering Cao Mengde to attack Zhang Zhishu. How should we deal with this?"

Xun Yu, unfazed by Lü Bu's outburst, rolled up his right sleeve and pointed towards Qingzhou: "Zang Xuangao comes from a powerful family and is not respected by the officials and people of Qingzhou. Although he drove Yuan Tan to Beihai, the state of Jinan belongs to Cao Mengde. Yuan Tan and Feng Ji hold troops in Pingyuan, constantly eyeing Beihai. Zang Xuangao is more than capable of protecting himself than advancing, and so far he has no power to spare troops to pacify Donglai. If Cao Mengde devotes all his efforts to the west, what can Zang Xuangao, even if he is behind him, do?"

"As for Liu Bei, although he is the governor of Xuzhou, he has just suffered a defeat and his authority is not yet established. Moreover, Yuan Shao of Huainan is eyeing him covetously. Relying solely on Chen Yuanlong to defend Guangling is truly difficult. As for Sun Ce, although he is affiliated with the court, it is not his true intention. If he is instigated and invited by Yuan Shao, he will inevitably cause trouble repeatedly. If Xuzhou falls into chaos, how can he coordinate with Zhang Zhishu of Yanzhou?"

Xun Yu was not optimistic about Lü Bu's southern campaign plan at all, saying, "Zhang Zhishu seems to control four commanderies: Hanoi, Shangdang, Dongjun, and Chenliu. However, Shangdang is isolated and will surely be seized by Yuan Shao without the support of a Grand Marshal. Hanoi is poor and difficult to defend itself, so how can it send troops to support it? Dongjun is devastated, and the counties north of the Yellow River have already fallen to Yuan Shao. Zhang Zhishu has only gained the area around Puyang. Therefore, in Yanzhou, Zhang Zhishu only truly controls Chenliu and has no more than 20,000 troops under his command. How can he possibly contend with Cao Mengde?"

"If the General insists on marching south to Jingzhou, and Zhang Zhishu is defeated at Chenliu, then Yuzhou will not belong to the court. I implore the General to consider this carefully!"

After finishing his speech, Xun Yu cupped his hands in greeting, but he didn't mention the King of Chen at all.

During the decisive battle at Bian River, King Chen dispatched over 10,000 troops, which served to provide support and distract Cao Cao's detachment.

They can't even hold back ten thousand men, so don't expect Chen Guo's soldiers to risk their lives in Chenliu.

Lu Bu felt like he'd been doused with cold water, and stared at Xun Yu: "Are we just going to sit here and wait like this this year?"

Xun Yu replied, "General, Liu Jingsheng is a key figure among the imperial clans, and the court must not act rashly."

Lu Bu's expression grew even more displeased: "Ruying's grain reserves are insufficient. My soldiers can die in battle, but they cannot starve to death!"

Xun Yu remained unyielding: "General, you should assist the court in governing, remain calm and wait for things to fall into chaos on their own. The counties of Jingzhou will be within your grasp. Why be so hasty and lose the support of the people?"

Even though Xun Yu was exonerated only because Zhao Ji let him go, he is now the main leader of the Ru and Ying scholars in the court, and he cannot back down.

His concessions and support represent more than just himself.

The two men stared at each other. Lu Bu could have easily killed Xun Yu with a single punch, but while the act itself was simple, cleaning up the mess would be much more difficult.

Xun Yu further provoked Lü Bu: "I was appointed by the General and although I serve in the staff, my actions are for the court. I urge the General to prioritize the affairs of the state and not to belittle himself."

Lu Bu let out a long sigh and nodded slowly: "I understand. I will consider this matter carefully. I also ask the Chief Secretary to write a letter urging Liu Zhennan to also prioritize the safety of the court. If it is really difficult, I can also transfer 50,000 officers and soldiers to garrison Nanyang to assist in the transportation."

We can temporarily slow down the plan to attack Jingzhou, but we must obtain Jingzhou's grain.

If it is inconvenient for you to transport the grain, then I will send people to garrison along the way to participate in the transport of grain and to eat there.

At this moment, Lou Gui spoke up: "General, there is a treasury in Hedong. Why not transfer it to the court? Send envoys with gold to purchase grain in Jingbei and Jingnan. This way, Liu Zhennan will have no reason to obstruct us."

They sent people to purchase grain in the name of the imperial court, transported it along the Han River to the Yu River basin, and then used garrison troops to transfer it station by station.

The army was well-fed, and Ru Ying also received food supplies.

Lü Bu then went to Lou Gui and said, "Zibo is right. How about Zibo go to Hedong and ask the Grand Marshal for it?"

Lou Gui lowered his eyes and remained silent. The Wei family's treasury was the capital that allowed Zhao Ji to be exempted from taxes and corvée labor in Hedong for ten years.

If he dared to go to Zhao Ji, the news would leak out, and men, women, and children from Hedong would block his way and beat him to death with sticks.

Let alone him, even if you persuaded the three dukes to go to Jinyang, they would be beaten to death by the men and women of Hedong on the way.

Lou Gui's suggestion was also quite reasonable, and Lü Bu then said, "In this way, the Chief Clerk will write a letter urging Liu Jingsheng to transport grain. If he is really having difficulty, I will send officials and soldiers to assist in the transportation. If the Jingzhou treasury is empty, I will raise money and goods and send envoys to Jingzhou to purchase grain for the court. In this way, we can gradually advance our efforts, and Liu Jingsheng will find it difficult to stop us."

The envoys who purchased grain also served as a means to cultivate relationships with local powerful families, allowing them to gather informants and support their forces. At the same time, it was also necessary to expedite the independence plans for the four prefectures of Jingnan.

If the four commanderies were separated from Jingzhou and Xiangzhou were established according to the plan of the people of Nanyang, then Liu Biao's spine could be removed.

If handled well and proceeded step by step, Liu Biao's rule could be gradually dismantled, eventually leading to the recruitment of this Marquis of Chengwu and General Zhennan into the court, where he was appointed as the Minister of the Imperial Clan.

In his current position, with Zhao Ji no longer around, Lü Bu can practically dictate many things.

Under a dictatorship, he can naturally do whatever he wants.

But what does the emperor think? What do the high officials think? What do the generals under his command, the people of Nanyang, and the people of Ruying think?
What would Zhao Ji, King Chen, Liu Bei, and others think?
So, while it may seem like a dictatorship, it has to consider the attitudes of various parties on many issues.

Without the cooperation of Ru Yingshi, he felt that unilaterally seizing Jingzhou would cause trouble in his own backyard.

Xun Yu did not lie to him; in reality, Zhang Yang's position was not secure.

The scholars of Chenliu and Dongjun now support Zhang Yang, firstly because Zhang Yang was appointed by the imperial court, and secondly mainly because of the affairs of Zang Hong and Bian Rang. Most scholars in Yanzhou oppose Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, so they choose to support Zhang Yang.

If a better replacement is found, these scholars from Yanzhou will support the new, legitimate governor based on their hatred of the imperial court.

Xun Yu felt much more at ease seeing that Lü Bu was still somewhat willing to listen to his opinions.

But he was still very worried. Zhao Ji would never give Lü Bu gold, so Lü Bu had to find a way to get gold himself.

Some things are obvious: Zhang Yang and Liu Bei are both penniless, and even if King Chen had money, he wouldn't give it to Lü Bu.

Unable to obtain money from living people, Lü Bu had no choice but to utilize his expertise and do what Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had done: borrow some money from the ancestors of the prominent Ru Ying clan.

It is a blessing for these people that they can still share the burdens of the court even after death.

Previously, Cao Cao had been active in Yan Province, causing severe damage to the area, to the point that there was practically nothing left to borrow.

Also during the winter and spring of this year, Cao Cao campaigned against the Yellow Turban rebels in Ru and Ying, consuming the followers and wealth of many displaced leaders and local strongmen, thus solving the problem of insufficient military supplies.

Therefore, the Ruying region and the Liangpei region, Cao Cao's hometown, have great potential to make money from the land!

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had both dug up the ancestral graves of their respective hometowns with their friends and relatives, and Lü Bu didn't mind digging up the ancestral graves of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and their friends, relatives, and in-laws!

Lu Bu never minded such things.

Compared to the collapse of the imperial court, or merely bearing the same infamy as Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, Lü Bu had no qualms about it.

Besides, digging up the ancestral graves of these two gangs might garner them even more support.

After seeing Xun Yu off, Lü Bu immediately summoned Wei Yue and Wei Xu to see him, as such matters had to be entrusted to trusted confidants.

Zhang Liao and Gao Shun would certainly be unhappy, and Lü Bu was also afraid that they would embezzle funds and deduct money from his own pocket.

As for Jingzhou, the only option is to put pressure on Liu Biao step by step, gradually pushing the situation to change, and then wait for the day when the time is ripe.

For those in positions of power, patience is clearly a very important thing.

Back then, when he fled to Guandong with Dong Zhuo's head and wandered around, his character had already been greatly tempered.

The failure to seize Yanzhou and the subsequent confinement to Shanyang also honed Lü Bu's patience.

People grow up, especially Lü Bu, who was forty years old and held a very high position.

His current anxiety mainly stems from the fear of failure. If he can use various means to delay failure, he will naturally have more patience.

He didn't want to resort to violence and force to resolve issues that could be solved through political means.

Having grown accustomed to defeat, he did not want to suffer another.

Given his current position, he only has one chance to fail.

Of course, we should avoid fighting if possible, and let our allies and followers fight instead.

We must avoid personally getting involved; the current general cannot afford to fail.

How intelligent was Xun Yu?
After hearing Lou Gui's solution, he guessed what Lü Bu wanted to do.

But what way could Xun Yu possibly do to stop it?

After the Luoyang Coup, Xun Yu went to Hebei and then came to the Central Plains to join Cao Cao.

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao both dug up graves, and now Lü Bu is doing it to solve the court's expenditure problems. You can't just suddenly go against the old ways and stand up to oppose it, can you?
(End of this chapter)