The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 163 Zhuge Liang's Strategy to Pacify Black Mountain: When the Snipe and the Clam Fight, the Fisherman Kills First (3rd Update)
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, his tone resolute: "If the generals Zhang Yan and others are willing to sincerely follow the Left General in taking up arms to kill the Hu, the Left General may recommend Zhang Yan as General Who Pacifies the North and Marquis of Anguo. The remaining generals will be appointed as commanders or garrison commanders according to their abilities, all under the Left General's command, and will be promoted based on their merits in the future. As for those who wish to settle down and cultivate land in Changshan State, they will be registered separately and directly under the General's command, and will also have the opportunity to study and enter officialdom."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yun's breath hitched slightly: "For the weak to settle in the fields is actually similar to being held hostage. However, if they can obtain the opportunity to study and enter officialdom, being held hostage is not only not a bad thing, but also an opportunity."

In this era where books are more precious than gold, for ordinary people, reading is a rare and precious opportunity!
At this moment, however, the opportunity to study was directly presented to Zhuge Liang as a mere illusion!
"General Zuo, can you really enable even a country bumpkin to study?" Fu Yun looked at Liu Bei, his voice trembling, his eyes full of inquiry.

Liu Bei nodded and solemnly replied, "Chen Yuanlong of Xiapi gifted me a thousand volumes of books, and Zheng Kangcheng of Beihai gifted me six thousand volumes. I have books, but I lack people to read them. Confucius once said, 'In education, there should be no discrimination.' Although I dare not compare myself to the sage, I deeply agree: even a humble countryman, if he has a heart for learning, why should he worry about not having books to read?"

Liu Bei's frank words made Fu Yun overjoyed: "I will convey General Zuo's intentions to Commander Zhang truthfully!"

After seeing Fuyun off, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang ascended the city tower. A cool breeze blew by, and the distant mountains appeared like dark eyebrows. Liu Bei frowned and said, "Strategist, I have never met Zhang Yan and the others before, and I have only just met Fuyun. Will they really agree to this?"

Zhuge Liang also looked into the distance, his smile unchanged, his feather fan waving lightly, confident and composed: "This plan is only half complete. The other half still requires the general's action."

"Oh? The other half?" Liu Bei asked in surprise. "Please enlighten me, strategist."

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly: "General, you have personally entered Changshan with your invaluable resources to eradicate the threat of the Black Mountain bandits for the people of Changshan. Shouldn't they show their appreciation? You can persuade the powerful families of Changshan to donate gold and silk, which will be registered by the Left General's Office. They can then hire Zhang Yan and other Black Mountain leaders as their subordinates to specifically suppress the Tu Ge, Wuhuan, Xianbei, and other barbarian tribes. The merits gained will be distributed according to the amount of their donations. When the sons of officials in the prefectures and counties are assessed and promoted, they can all be given priority based on these merits."

"In this way, the general will have gold and silk to settle the garrison, the powerful clans will be freed from the threat of bandits and will be able to accumulate merit and advance in rank; Zhang Yan's troops will be relieved of their worries about the rear and will surely be eager to kill the barbarians! Over time, the old grudges between the soldiers and civilians of Heishan and the gentry of Changshan will gradually dissolve in this mutually beneficial way. When the younger generation grows up, all past grievances will be resolved, and they will be of one mind and one heart. Wouldn't that be a natural outcome?"

After the pacification of the southern barbarians, some people advised Zhuge Liang to leave troops to guard the area, but Zhuge Liang believed that there were three difficulties in leaving troops behind.

First, if outsiders are left behind, troops must be stationed there, and if soldiers are left behind, food will be needed.

Secondly, the barbarians have just been defeated, and many have died or been injured, including some fathers and brothers. If foreigners are left behind without soldiers to guard them, they will surely become a source of trouble.

Thirdly, the barbarians feared the charge of killing or abandoning their own people, and worried that their mistake would be too serious. If they kept outsiders around, they would never gain their trust.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang adopted a compromise, moving more than 10,000 strong soldiers and Qiang tribes from the south to Shu, dividing them into five divisions known as the "Wudang Flying Army". He further separated the weaker soldiers and assigned them to the powerful clans of Jiao, Yong, Lou, Cuan, Meng, Liang, Mao, and Li as his troops, and established five commanderies for each division.

Because of his resolute and ruthless nature, he had a very poor relationship with powerful clans. Zhuge Liang then advised these clans to donate gold and silk to hire barbarians as servants. The more barbarians they hired, the more likely they were to inherit official positions.

By using a combination of kindness and force, the barbarians were gradually brought to submission.

Zhuge Liang's strategy was an optimization of the strategy for pacifying the south, adapting it to the specific circumstances of the Black Mountain Army.

Essentially, it's all about leveraging existing resources to counter existing ones, and reorganizing existing resources and conflicts.

Liu Bei's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

In dealing with the people and soldiers of the Black Mountain tribe, Liu Bei privately considered many strategies, but ultimately abandoned them all because they were too difficult to implement and would have too great a consequence. Zhuge Liang's strategy, which had been put into practice in the process of governing the Southern Barbarians, broadened Liu Bei's horizons.

"What if..." Liu Bei pressed, "the powerful clans are unwilling to relinquish their wealth?"

Before he could finish speaking, Fuyun spurred his horse back and galloped up to the tower: "General Zuo! I was in such a hurry that I forgot something important. Commander Zhang sent Gongsun Xu to see you earlier, but this fellow has been lingering outside the city for several days. Today, he suddenly sent back a message, falsely accusing you of 'disregarding your old friendship with Gongsun Zan and expelling him from Zhen Ding,' and even lying that you went there to capture young men from the Black Mountain for Yuan Shao to conscript! Gongsun Xu has already headed to Bingzhou, intending to ask the four battalions of Tu Ge and the Yanmen Wuhuan to come south for 'assistance.' In my opinion, these barbarian cavalry have probably already set off. Gongsun Xu's trip is only to provide support. You must be on guard immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's smile froze instantly, turning into a deep sigh of sorrow. He then bowed to Fuyun and said, "Thank you for telling me."

After Fuyun left, Liu Bei's tone was extremely bitter: "Brother Bogui hates the Hu people the most. I never thought that his son would join forces with the Hu people. The Tu Ge and Wuhuan are all wolves and jackals. How can Gongsun Xu control them? We are inviting wolves into the house."

Seeing his old friend's son go astray, Liu Bei felt deeply saddened.

"Heaven's calamities may be averted, but self-inflicted calamities are inescapable. Everyone has their own ambitions and accepts their fate, so General, there is no need for excessive sorrow." Zhuge Liang spoke calmly, revealing the crux of the matter: "However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and danger contains opportunity. If Gongsun Xuzhen truly leads four battalions of Tu Ge and Yanmen Wuhuan to raid Changshan, the powerful clans of Changshan will only have two paths to take. Either they will simultaneously become enemies with Zhang Yan's forces and the Hu barbarians, or they will readily offer gold and silk, asking General to hire the elite Heishan soldiers as their troops to fully suppress the invading Hu barbarians."

Then, Zhuge Liang's eyes flickered slightly as he reassured Liu Bei: "If Gongsun Xu is lucky enough to survive the battle and shows remorse, then this battle will be credited with a great contribution from Gongsun Xu!"

Liu Bei's spirits lifted, and he understood completely: when the soldiers and civilians of Heishan and the people of Changshan were irreconcilable enemies, the four battalions of Tu Ge and the Wuhuan of Yanmen brought by Gongsun Xu would become their common mortal enemies!
When the anger of the military and civilians was directed at the foreign invaders, this battle became an excellent opportunity to eliminate internal troubles.

Gongsun Xu, who "lured the enemy," can naturally also be credited.

Of course, this is all predicated on Gongsun Xu being able to live and repent!

"Then we will follow the strategist's plan." Liu Bei's smile returned, and he regained the heroic spirit of a regional hegemon: "Perfect timing! I've been holding back my anger for a long time. If the four camps of Tu Ge and the Yanmen Wuhuan really dare to raid Changshan, I will make these barbarian bandits understand: the Han Dynasty is not a place they can come and go as they please!"

Behind Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, who had been silently protecting them, opened his phoenix eyes and gripped his crescent blade tightly in his right hand.

That fierce aura was exactly what Guan Yu had in mind.

Four Battalions of Tu Ge?

Yanmen Wuhuan?

How does it compare to Tadun?

　Third update! Requesting monthly votes! I'm back!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)