Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 236 Like a reed on the wall, bending with the wind; after eating the meat, gnawing on the bones.

Under the influence of the five major powers sending envoys to offer congratulations, various counties and prefectures in Jiangdong dispatched envoys to Qiantang to attend the meeting.

Among them were powerful families like the Zhou clan of Yuzhang, who dominated an entire prefecture, as well as local magnates occupying small territories. Even those unknown heroes from humble backgrounds and talented individuals from poor families, harboring ambitions to make a name for themselves, flocked to Qiantang like a swarm of locusts crossing a river, hoping to gain the favor of an enlightened ruler.

For a time, the official roads around Qiantang were completely blocked by carriages and horses, with officials and nobles coming and going in an endless stream for hundreds of miles. Its grandeur soon surpassed that of Wu County, attracting the attention of the masses.

Xu Gong discussed countermeasures with Wang Lang overnight, and Liu Yao, who had been lying low for a long time, also attended the meeting for the first time.

Liu Yao was unwilling to be a puppet. He outwardly kept a low profile while secretly cultivating relationships with powerful figures. Taking advantage of the chaotic situation, he successfully seized control of several important military and political positions in Wu Commandery, commanding hundreds of retainers and thousands of elite soldiers, thus becoming a rising force in Wu Commandery.

As the governor of Yangzhou, Xu Gong, loyal to the Han court, dared not go too far. With increasing external pressure, on Wang Lang's advice, Xu Gong changed his approach to controlling Liu Yao. He planned to grant him some authority, placing him in the background to share some of the burden.

Liu Yao was also quite shrewd. In public, he followed Xu Gong's lead without question, but in private, he considered himself Xu Gong's subordinate, quietly cultivating his power and making a fortune in silence.

Gradually, Xu Gong's camp developed into a situation of 'three giants ruling together'. The three were of one mind and all regarded Yan Yi as a major enemy who was causing chaos in Jiangdong, and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Inside the Xu residence, candlelight flickered gently, casting long, dark shadows on the three people on the wall.

Liu Yao leaned forward, waving his arms, and said decisively, "Yan, now the Prefect of Danyang, is growing increasingly powerful. We cannot allow him to continue to rise in power, lest the situation escalate beyond control. We should announce to the prefectures and counties that Yan has been bribing officials for positions, stating that this was done by Li Cui and not His Majesty's intention, and demand that all prefectures and counties completely sever ties with Yan. Since a major battle is inevitable, it is better to strike sooner rather than later; a preemptive strike is the best strategy!"

He was thirty-nine years old, with a thin face, high cheekbones, and a pair of bright, piercing phoenix eyes, but with a sickly bluish tinge under his eyes. His deteriorating health made him increasingly impatient in his pursuit of power, and he longed for the day when he would truly take control of Yangzhou.

For Liu Yao, the more chaotic the situation, the greater the pressure on Xu Gong, and the more opportunities he would have to step into the limelight. Therefore, he did everything he could to instigate chaos, hoping that Jiangdong would descend into utter pandemonium so that he could seize the opportunity to rise up.

Wang Lang harbored a deep resentment towards Emperor Xian for appointing Yan Yi as the Prefect of Danyang. He said bitterly, "The Emperor is young and has been misled by treacherous officials. He has so lightly entrusted the important position of a prefecture to a mere boy who is not yet twenty. This is a sign of the collapse of propriety and the utter destruction of the social order!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao and Xu Gong exchanged glances and nodded, their faces filled with indignation. They had spent decades studying diligently, becoming well-versed in literature and history, and only now, nearing forty, had they been granted the authority to govern a region. And now they were to be placed on equal footing with the son of a bandit. The more they thought about it, the more resentful they felt, as if a fishbone was stuck in their throat.

"Although Your Majesty is young, you are naturally wise and intelligent, and you will surely become a wise ruler in the future. What we need to do now is to eliminate the rebels in Jiangdong and make preparations for the future elimination of the traitors. Zhengli is absolutely right. This battle should be fought sooner rather than later. If we delay and wait and see, the Yan rebels will be difficult to control."

Xu Gong's expression was gloomy, his fingers unconsciously clenching. Yan Yi's rapid, unchecked growth made him feel uneasy.

Liu Yao was secretly pleased to see that Boqian had agreed, but he did not show it on his face. He clapped his hands and laughed, "Now that we have Boqian's approval, we should strengthen our troops and prepare for the great battle. Boqian, I heard that the three generals you recently recruited, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin and Rui Liang, are all capable and skilled in battle. With such brave warriors in the army, we have nothing to worry about."

Xu Gong was secretly pleased, and spoke modestly with a beaming smile: "These three generals are nothing special, how can they deserve such praise from Zheng Li? Fan Neng, Zhang Ying, and Yu Mi, the three generals under Zheng Li's command, are truly valiant warriors who have fought countless battles and are admirable. I have heard that a new general has recently joined your ranks, named Du Yun. Although he is young, he has the courage of ten thousand men. Zheng Li's command is truly full of talent."

Wang Lang listened from the side, stroking his beard and smiling. Recently, he had recruited and promoted several good generals, one of whom, He Qi, was particularly favored by him.

A single call to arms drew out talents from all over Jiangdong, and all three benefited greatly.

"Jingxing, how is the expansion of the army in Kuaiji going?" Xu Gong asked somewhat nervously.

Wang Lang smiled calmly: "We have already conscripted 40,000 troops, who are practicing military drills day and night without stopping. The number of warships of all sizes in the navy has also increased to more than 1,500."

Xu Gong and Liu Yao exchanged a smile and both breathed a sigh of relief. The Kuaiji army had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Qiantang, but now it had not only fully recovered but was even stronger than before, which greatly boosted their confidence.

"Now, the two prefectures of Wu and Kuai have nearly 80,000 armored soldiers. With such a mighty army, why worry about not destroying the Yan bandits? Even if we cannot take them down in one fell swoop, we have already established an invincible position."

“Indeed! Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are far away in Yan and Ji, and cannot reach them; Liu Biao and Yuan Shu are about to fight and are too busy to take care of themselves. Even if these four men come to the aid of Yan, they will not send a single soldier. What is there to fear? We only need to make friends with heroes from all directions, isolate Yan, and make him besieged from both sides, and we can be sure of victory.”

The three of them talked back and forth, and all their worries were dispelled. They had no more doubts and immediately made decisions on various matters and went about their respective tasks.

The following day, Wu County issued another order to various places in Jiangdong to surrender, the text of which is as follows.

"Yan, a bandit from the mountains, is utterly devoid of virtue. He has seized the position of prefect through cunning schemes and bribery. He bribed petty officials in the court with gold and jade, deceived the young emperor, and misled the emperor's ears, thus gaining his privileged position. How can such a scoundrel, whose position is not rightfully his, govern the people? How can he command respect?"

"Having been ordered by the imperial court to guard Yangzhou, how can I sit idly by and watch traitors run rampant? Therefore, I issue this proclamation to all quarters, informing you all: All loyal and righteous men of Yangzhou should sever ties with this traitor Yan, leave Qiantang immediately, and cut off all contact with him. Anyone who continues to secretly communicate and collude with him is a traitor and will be punished by all!"

"The heavens and the sun shine brightly, and right and wrong are clearly distinguished. I urge you all to assess the situation and join forces in this righteous cause. Upon receiving this proclamation, make a swift decision; do not say you were not warned!"

Once the order to surrender was issued, Jiangdong fell silent. This was no mere order to surrender; it was clearly a declaration of war against Yan Yi. The two sides were irreconcilable enemies, with no possibility of reconciliation. A bloody storm sweeping across Jiangdong was now inevitable.

In this climate of fear and trembling, those forces that had attempted to play both sides were forced to choose sides. After all, the governor's edict had made it very clear: 'Those who sit on the sidelines and watch will be punished the same as the rebels.'

Just as the various counties were forced to make their own choices, Yan Yi quickly responded.

"I have been granted the position of Prefect of Danyang by the Emperor's grace, and I am here to govern the people with the imperial authority. This is a clear decree of the court, witnessed by all officials. Now, there are people like Liu Yao, Xu Gong, and Wang Lang who disregard the Emperor's will, distort the truth, and falsely accuse me of being unjustly appointed. This is treason and disloyalty to the Emperor!"

"These people occupy the prefectures and counties, harboring rebellious intentions for a long time. They outwardly obey the court while secretly forming cliques. They have no respect for the emperor and abuse their power. Xu Gong is arrogant and domineering in Wu, Liu Yao has seized control of the prefecture, and Wang Lang uses clever words to deceive the people. The three of them collude to obstruct the emperor's rule, causing the people of Jiangdong to suffer and the government to collapse. These treacherous officials are the source of all the chaos!"

"Yi has always been known for his magnanimity and disregard for sectarianism. Now I hear that people like Xu Gong, Wang Lang, and Liu Yao are coercing various prefectures and forcing them to take sides. This is the work of narrow-minded people, not the magnanimity of a hero!" "All talented people of Jiangdong, regardless of whether they have any prior relationship with Xu Gong, Wang Lang, Liu Yao, etc., are free to come and go in Qiantang. Yi will treat them all equally and welcome them with open arms."

Compared to Liu Yao's menacing order to resign as governor, Yan Yi's attitude was undoubtedly much more lenient, with a hint of "the ocean is vast because it accommodates all rivers." This magnanimity won the favor of many onlookers.

At Yan Yi's instruction, Xu Zhao immediately stood up to offer his support.

"Now there are Liu Yao, Xu Gong, and Wang Lang, who are nominally Han officials but are in reality traitors! Liu Yao has usurped the state seal, Xu Gong has cruelly oppressed the common people, and Wang Lang has overstepped the bounds of propriety. These three are wolves by nature and vipers by heart; they are truly the poisonous weasels of Jiangdong and parasites on the state!"

"Lord Yan was appointed by the Emperor to govern Danyang, and he is kind and benevolent to his people. Although I am not talented, I can distinguish right from wrong. I am willing to lead the troops of Yuhang to follow Lord Yan in punishing these three traitors!"

Xu Zhao was the first to openly take sides, and given his reputation for loyalty, trustworthiness, and wide circle of friends, this move immediately had a significant impact in Jiangdong, causing many to begin siding with Yan Yi.

When Xu Gong and his companions learned that Xu Zhao had thoroughly berated them, they were furious. Yan Yi was, after all, the lord of a prefecture, his power evident. Xu Zhao, a mere city lord, what was he to dare spout such nonsense? He was utterly ignorant of his place!
The three men, proud of their status, were unwilling to engage in a verbal dispute with Xu Zhao, so they wrote a letter to Zu Lang, asking him to come forward and challenge them to a duel.

Since Yan Yi was appointed governor of Danyang, Zu Lang had regarded him as a thorn in his side and wanted to use Xu Gong to eliminate him. Under the enticements and coercion of Xu Gong and others, Zu Lang finally tore off his pretense of neutrality and openly sided with Xu Gong's camp.

However, he still left himself an out and did not push things to the extreme. He only exchanged insults with Xu Zhao from afar and did not mention Yan Yi at all.

Zu Lang's power far surpassed Xu Zhao's. After he joined forces with Xu Gong, Yan Yi was suddenly besieged on three sides, and his situation was extremely precarious. Some of those who had previously sided with Yan Yi hesitated and retreated, while others simply sided directly with Xu Gong's camp.

Just when Yan Yi was in a very passive position, someone unexpectedly stepped forward to support him.

"As I write this, my anger is barely contained! Zu Lang, that scoundrel, is a wolf by nature. He has repeatedly invaded my territory, plundered my people, and burned my houses, leaving my Yuzhang land scarred and my people destitute! I have repeatedly yielded, hoping he would repent, but this villain not only does not restrain himself, but has become even more ruthless, taking my benevolence as weakness and my retreat as cowardice!"

"I have reached my limit of tolerance and vow to rid Jiangdong of this traitor!"

Zhou Shu only scolded Zu Lang and didn't mention Yan Yi, but anyone who wasn't a fool could understand his attitude.

His support for Yan Yi was also due to being forced by circumstances.

Yuzhang Commandery is situated between Jingzhou, Danyang, and Lujiang, and is sparsely populated with fewer than 30,000 soldiers. If any two of the three powers—Yan Yi, Liu Biao, and Yuan Shu—join forces to attack, Yuzhang Commandery alone would be powerless to resist and would be annihilated in an instant.

Previously, Yuan Shu and Liu Biao had wanted to use Zhuge Xuan to seize Yuzhang, which had terrified Zhou Shu. However, Zhuge Xuan changed his mind at the last minute, and Liu Biao and Yuan Shu could not find a more suitable person to replace him. They were also busy preparing for war, so the matter was put on hold, giving Zhou Shu a glimmer of hope.

Zhou Shu knew that once he died, his sons would be powerless to handle the complex situation. At best, they would lose their family business; at worst, their lives would be in danger. Under Yan Yi's persuasion and promises, Zhou Shu decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless, to restrain Zu Lang in order to gain Yan Yi's support.

Zulang's repeated military raids on Yuzhang were also one of the reasons that prompted him to make this decision.

In Zhou Shu's view, the chaotic situation in Jiangdong would last for at least several years. As long as the Zhou family remained of use to Yan Yi, serving to restrain Zu Lang, Yan Yi would undoubtedly do everything in his power to protect the Zhou family. Given Yan Yi's complex relationships with Liu Biao and Yuan Shu, he was also the only suitable person to protect the Zhou family. After a few years, when his sons had grown up, the Zhou family might see a turning point.

His decision reversed the already unfavorable situation once again.

All the major and minor factions in Jiangdong were going crazy. The winds were shifting unpredictably, leaving them completely bewildered.

Between Wu County and Qiantang, a series of absurd scenes unfolded. Often, an envoy from a certain power would arrive in Qiantang, then hastily turn back towards Wu County, only to shamefully turn back to Qiantang halfway there.
Xu Gong and Wang Lang watched helplessly as the opportunities they had in their grasp slipped away, feeling utterly frustrated. On Liu Yao's advice, they finally steeled themselves, opening their granaries wide and using money and grain to pave the way, beginning a costless effort to win over various factions.

This move struck at Yan Yi's weak point. Although he was extremely adept at amassing wealth, his economic foundation was still shallow, making it difficult for him to compete with the wealthy and powerful Xu and Wang. The various opportunists made a fortune and then rushed to Wu County.

Yan Yi was a shrewd man, so naturally he would not use his own weaknesses to attack the other's strengths.

With Zhou Shu and Xu Zhao under his command, he no longer cared about the other minor forces. He wanted elite troops; the weak and insignificant soldiers could go to hell.

With a major battle imminent, money and provisions are the lifeblood of the army. The more the better; there's no reason to complain about having too much. Xu Gong and the others have lost their minds; he won't follow suit.

Yan Yi not only stopped trying to win over those opportunists, but also secretly inflated the market price, forcing Xu Gong and others to pay a higher price to win them over.

This is the difference in ideology between the two camps. Xu Gong and others believed that the more soldiers the better, and they would accept any kind of scrap metal. Yan Yi, on the other hand, was selective, only accepting the elite.

Time flies, and it was already January of the second year of Xingping. The situation in Jiangdong was now clearly divided, with powerful figures from all sides choosing their allies. The forces of Yan and Xu were intertwined, and from the banks of the Yangtze River to the foothills of Kuaiji Mountain, the two armies were locked in a standoff.

At this time, the situation in Jiangdong fell into a strange calm, like the stillness before a storm.

Everyone knew that in two months, when the weather warmed up, a major battle that would affect the entire Jiangdong region would break out.

However, the open and covert struggle between Yan and Xu did not completely cease, but only became more covert. The two sides were like two starving wolves, having finished the meat, now starting to gnaw on the bones.

This "bones" refers to those scholars and heroes who have not yet entered officialdom, in short: talents.

(End of this chapter)