Tiger Guards

Chapter 328 Strategic Conflict
"I underestimated the heroes of the world."

In the East Pavilion of the Grand Marshal's Office, Zhao Ji and his strategist Zhao Qi were playing chess and chatting when they couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Zhao Qi held the chess piece, looking energetic, his white hair neatly combed.

With a smile on his face, he placed a piece on the chessboard: "The timing is in the hands of the Grand Marshal, so why worry? This is just a temporary gain or loss. If you are distracted by it, it will not be good."

Zhao Ji also smiled; he only had a rudimentary understanding of Go.

The "Overcoming Obstacles" skill can enhance his learning efficiency in any physical skill-related areas, including calligraphy and carving, but it has no effect on intelligence software such as Go.

The skill of concentrating one's mind and cultivating one's inner energy can make him mentally strong and make it easier to maintain focused thinking, which is somewhat helpful for learning Go.

Chatting while playing chess is not only entertaining but also allows for communication in a relatively relaxed atmosphere.

Zhao Ji didn't need to memorize chess manuals, but once he mastered common patterns, he could make quick moves.

He said dismissively, "Now it seems that only Yuan Shu has not made any progress."

He regretted that he acted too late; he should have tried to recruit people from Sun Ce earlier. Now, it was difficult to recruit Huang Gai and Taishi Ci.

Unexpectedly, Sun Ce was so decisive, jumping directly out of the swampy, murky pit of Xuzhou.

Zhao Qi was not one to care about winning or losing, and his moves were no slower than Zhao Ji's. He said, "Yuan Shao is bullying Sun Ce because his escape route is cut off. How can we give him the governorship of Qingzhou so easily?"

"Does the strategist mean that Sun Ce will have another battle against Yuan Shao and Cao Cao?"

"Yes, Grand Marshal should prepare a response as soon as possible."

Zhao Qi smiled and said, "Sun Ce almost seized control of the counties of Jiangdong. Now that he has entered Qingzhou, it is like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. The local strongmen of Qingzhou will find it difficult to resist him. Moreover, fearing his ferocity and cruelty, they will inevitably flock to Yuan Shao. If Yuan Shao can easily gain the allegiance of the strongmen of Qingzhou, how can he allow Sun Ce to harm people?"

"understood."

Zhao Ji picked up the shallow dish, swirled the layer of honey vinegar in it, and drank it down.

He grabbed the vinegar bottle and poured himself some more vinegar. This was a batch of honey vinegar presented by the Zhang family of Yanmen, and it was almost finished.

He then placed a chess piece down, his brows furrowed in thought as he considered the possible developments in Qingzhou.

If things really go as Zhao Qi predicted, then Yuan Shao is essentially using Sun Ce as a weapon, holding him hostage to demonstrate his power, and letting the local heroes of Qingzhou choose for themselves.

They wanted to be killed by Sun Ce, their clansmen were killed and wounded, their followers were annexed, and their wives and daughters were either sold by Sun Ce or divided up by Sun Ce's soldiers.

In short, judging from Sun Ce's behavior in Jiangdong, the vast majority of the powerful figures in Qingzhou would not have a good ending.

Even if they surrendered to Sun Ce, they would be assigned to the vanguard to fight against other warlords and attrition battles, proving their loyalty and value through bloodshed.

Rather than that, it would be better to completely submit to Yuan Shao, especially the Jiaodong Peninsula.

This place has maritime trade, and the largest pirate group has a scale of tens of thousands; unfortunately, Sun Ce's group is currently the most skilled in naval warfare in the north.

If all the powerful figures in Qingzhou were to submit to Yuan Shao, why would Yuan Shao forcefully support Sun Ce to become the governor of Qingzhou?
Yuan Shao had two choices: one was to transfer Sun Ce to Hebei, keeping him under his nose, and let Sun Ce play the role of Sun Jian and Ju Yi to wear down Gongsun Zan.

Either Sun Ce is sent to another place, just like Yuan Shu sent Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao back then.

If that's the case, then either Sun Ce should be sent to fight Zhang Yang, or he should be sent to fight Liu Bei and Zang Ba.

Sun Ce had two choices: accept or resist.

If he accepts the offer, given the precedents of Sun Jian and Ju Yi, Sun Ce will most likely not have a good ending; then he will most likely rebel against Yuan Shao and completely break with the Yuan Shao faction.

Sun Ce had very few options left; at the very least, he had to rejoin the imperial court.

You either follow Lü Bu's lead or find your own way.

Seeing that Zhao Ji was silent with a furrowed brow, Zhao Qi did not disturb him.

After several more rounds of moves, Zhao Qi asked, "Grand Marshal, where do you think the Guandong region will be crucial next year?"

"Donglai".

Zhao Ji uttered two words and said directly, "Langya and Youzhou have a well-established sea route. Now that Gongsun Zan's power has been revived, Liu Bei is short of horses. The two are like brothers, and their relationship is no less than that of Lü Bu and Zhang Yang. Next year, the two will definitely trade horses, and Liu Bei's army will surely be greatly strengthened."

In the Xu-Huai region, Liu Bei had about five thousand cavalrymen, and he dared to go to Huainan to capture and fight Yuan Shu.

Zhao Ji added, "Yuan Shao and Cao Cao will naturally not sit idly by. Taking back Qingzhou and incorporating the Donglai pirates will become the only means to obstruct trade. If Sun Ce were to take control of Qingzhou or Donglai, and if he were to ally with Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao would inevitably be put on the defensive."

Selling Sun Ce became the only option.

Sun Ce's reputation was already ruined, how could Yuan Shao possibly trust him?
However, Donglai was also very important to Sun Ce, as Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou, had a clan in Donglai.

By occupying or capturing Liu Yao's clan, Sun Ce could exchange his family members and former subordinates for them along the route from Donglai to Wu Commandery.

Only by acquiring Donglai can Sun Ce be freed from his bonds.

Even if we untie them and bring their families back to Qingzhou, even if we were to give them to Yuan Shao, would Yuan Shao want them?

Zhao Ji couldn't help but shake his head: "It's a pity. Sun Ce, after this ordeal, if he's lucky, he'll still have a place to stay. If he's unlucky, his army will collapse, and he'll only become a guest general. Probably only Liu Bei would be willing to take him in."

Zhao Qi asked, "Doesn't the Grand Marshal want to use Sun Ce's matter to create some trouble for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao?" "It's pointless; it will only lead to bloodshed."

Zhao Ji refused, sensing that the old man already had a bad idea, and said, "Sun Ce is a sharp blade, let's keep him."

But in his heart, he felt that Sun Ce had already replaced Lu Bu's previous ecological niche and might become a little Lu Bu.

Seeing this, Zhao Qi changed the subject: "The court has been making more and more moves lately. I have seen many counties in Nanyang change their magistrates, and the prefectures in Jingnan have also submitted to the court. Liu Jingsheng's situation is becoming increasingly dire. Does the Grand Marshal really intend to protect Liu Jingsheng?"

"What does the strategist think?"

"Liu Jingsheng is an important figure among the imperial clans. Since the court moved east, he first sent troops to repair Luodu, and then transported grain continuously, amounting to more than a million shi (a unit of dry measure) to date."

Zhao Qi spoke slowly: "If we summon them to the court now, Yizhou and Yangzhou will inevitably become disloyal to the imperial court."

He then reminded Zhao Ji: "Yizhou has cut off all roads and is not communicating with the court. It has concealed the news of Liu Yan's death, and the provincial officials and local tyrants have supported his son Liu Zhang to succeed him. How is this any different from treason? Now, Yizhou is probably filled with suspicion from top to bottom, and it is in grave danger."

When Liu Yan died two years ago, Liu Biao sent his chief advisor Liu He to instigate Gan Ning and others to rebel, attempting to annex Yizhou.

But halfway through, Liu Biao abandoned Gan Ning and his men, and the remaining forces had no choice but to retreat to Jingzhou.

Liu Biao couldn't conquer Yizhou because he lacked legitimacy... Although he was the General Who Guards the South and Governor of Jing, Yi and Yang provinces, he still lacked influence among the people of Yizhou.

If Lü Bu takes Jingzhou, the emperor will gather naval warships in the Jiangling area, and envoys from all directions will rush towards Yizhou, which will surely turn Yizhou upside down.

It's really hard for Yizhou to resist.

Liu Zhang's forces are currently very fragile and cannot withstand Lü Bu's attacks.

This is why Zhao Qi reminded him: only by protecting Liu Biao can Yizhou be protected.

If Lü Bu were to successively acquire Jingzhou and Yizhou, that would mean a population of at least seven million, with abundant resources and a prestige that would surpass that of Zhao Ji, the Grand Marshal.

At that time, with the old officials advocating for reform, abolishing the reform policies would be a natural outcome.

After listening, Zhao Ji placed a piece on the chessboard and sighed, "The affairs of the world are interconnected; a single hair can affect the whole situation. Strategist, you can send an envoy to Yizhou to sound out Liu Zhang's intentions."

"This is exactly what I've been thinking about."

Zhao Qi held the chess piece, remained silent for a moment, and then comforted himself, saying, "It is not that I intend to ruin the affairs of the court, but that the General's expansion is too rapid and will inevitably lead to disaster."

“I understand. If he really integrates the two provinces of Jing and Yi quickly, ostensibly because he has integrated them and is full of pride, he will also turn against me. In reality, these two provinces will just fall into the hands of the former officials, protégés, and former subordinates. At that time, inciting him to fight against me will only result in one death and one injury, and neither of us will have a good ending.”

Zhao Ji, feeling slightly bored, countered, "Did Wang Zhongxuan say this?"

"I suppose so. When he visited me, he mentioned this matter and asked me to invite the Grand Marshal to a banquet so that I could privately advise him."

Zhao Qi readily agreed, and after Liu Biao's three envoys arrived, they all tried to persuade their old acquaintances.

The purpose was clear: to promote the theory of Lü Bu's threat and get Zhao Ji's subordinates to persuade Zhao Ji.

This way, during formal negotiations, the cost to Liu Biao's side can be reduced.

After a dozen or so moves, Zhao Qi showed no mercy, blocking Zhao Ji's path to survival. Zhao Ji then gathered his pieces, saying, "A powerful ally is not a good ally. I fear that Lü Bu's power will crumble and he will die in the streets, and I also fear that he will unify Yan, Yu, Qing, Xu, and the four southern provinces. If we were in his shoes, with so many people around him offering advice, he wouldn't sit idly by and watch me take over Yong and Liang."

Zhao Qi chuckled upon hearing this: "I suppose the General thinks the same way."

"Yes, I agree to this matter, but after the spring planting, I need to build the Golden Terrace in Jinyang, and I lack materials. I would like to trouble the strategist to tell Wang Can about my difficulties and ask Liu Jingsheng for assistance."

Zhao Ji smiled as he spoke, "Next year, when there's a shortage of food, everyone will go hungry. Why should Lu Bu's side be able to eat their fill and be plump and strong?"
It wasn't that Zhao Ji lacked the magnanimity to tolerate the growth of allies and the imperial court; it was simply, as Zhao Qi said, that this was for Lü Bu's own good.

The faster Lü Bu grows stronger, the more likely he is to explode and die suddenly.

Ultimately, the only ones who benefited were the people of Yanzhou, Ruzhou, Yingzhou, and Nanyang who cooperated with Lü Bu, as well as the former nobles.

The most unfortunate were Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, two important vassal states.

Their presence was the ballast of the imperial court's prestige.

The court has prestige, so that I, as the Grand Marshal, won't be too careless or lose face.

If these two imperial princes are truly purged by the scholars, then the imperial court's reputation will become worthless.

Dong Zhuo and Li Jue both knew the importance of supporting powerful clansmen, but unfortunately, Lü Bu's situation was much worse, and he couldn't afford to worry about that anymore.

It wasn't just them; Liu Yao, from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, also couldn't hold on after Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, who were from the upper reaches, fell from power.

Losing these three important vassal states would truly plunge the world into chaos!

Seeing that Zhao Ji was able to weigh the pros and cons, Zhao Qi breathed a sigh of relief.

Speaking up for Liu Biao was driven by both public duty and personal feelings.

Objectively speaking, Zhao Ji also needed time to grow stronger, and preserving the important strongholds of the Liu clan would be more beneficial to him.

(End of this chapter)