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

Chapter 191 Zhuge Liang and Yuan Xi plotted to get Yuan Shao to retreat to Zhongshan for the summer (1st update)
The spies relayed the message back to Zhen Ding City, and one piece of news was particularly noteworthy:
Shen Pei and Xu You engaged in a private duel in front of Yuan Shao's General's Mansion. Following this, Yuan Shao issued the "Prohibition of Revenge," which stated: "Years of war have left the prefectures and counties unsettled, causing mutual harm among the common people, and increasing acts of revenge and murder. The law now applies: Anyone who engages in private duels out of personal grudges will have their entire clan exterminated."

The whole incident, when pieced together, is quite interesting:

After Xu You returned to Ye City, he was summoned by Yuan Shao, and the two immediately had a fierce argument:
Yuan Shao sternly questioned Xu You about his betrayal, which led to heavy losses in the Battle of Guandu, and rebuked him for being ungrateful.

Xu You refused to accept this and instead accused Yuan Shao of condoning Shen Pei's murder of his family members, which forced him to surrender to Cao Cao.

Yuan Shao angrily berated Xu You for distorting the truth, claiming that it was Xu You who first spread slanderous rumors, causing Shen Pei to be transferred back to Ye City, which led to the disaster.

Xu You retorted, accusing Shen Pei of having a powerful and domineering clan, and that his elimination of the treacherous officials was actually a relief to Yuan Shao, and that Yuan Shao had agreed to it at the time.

Yuan Shao refused to admit his mistake, emphasizing that even if Xu You had been wronged, he should have discussed the matter with him instead of defecting in anger and causing his defeat.

Xu You simply gave up, saying that things had come to this point and there was nothing left but death.

Yuan Shao was furious, claiming that if he really wanted to kill Xu You, there would be no way Xu You could return to Ye City, and that he had already protected Xu You's family, so Xu You should be grateful.

Upon hearing this, Xu You wept and admitted his mistake, grateful for Yuan Shao's kindness, but still insisted on taking revenge on Shen Pei.

Seizing the opportunity when Xu You softened his stance, Yuan Shao let Xu You find a way to save his own life.

Thus, with Yuan Shao's tacit approval, Xu You and Shen Pei, who had rushed back, ended up fighting like street ruffians in front of the general's mansion, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

Yuan Shao was immediately "furious" and rebuked the two for their disrespect for civility and the law. He then issued the "Prohibition of Revenge Order," which seemed fair but was actually biased towards Xu You, greatly angering Shen Pei.

However, both of Shen Pei's sons were killed by Cao Cao, and Shen Pei had no relationship with Cao Cao. It was absolutely impossible for him to follow Xu You's example and surrender to Cao Cao. Having suffered in silence, Shen Pei could only feel frustrated in his mansion.

Just then, Yuan Shang returned victorious and saw that Shen Pei had been wronged. Yuan Shang first went to inquire about Shen Pei in private, and then publicly impeached Xu You for treason, which almost made Yuan Shao vomit blood again.

This is not over yet.

Just when Yuan Shang thought he had the upper hand, Yuan Tan suddenly entered Ye City under the pretext of celebrating Yuan Shang's victory. After hearing that Yuan Shang had openly impeached Xu You for treason, Yuan Tan also openly impeached Shen Pei for colluding with Cao Cao and forcing Xu You to rebel.

For a time, Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan were locked in a bitter dispute, as were the civil and military officials who supported Yuan Shang and those who supported Yuan Tan, causing Yuan Shao to be constantly disturbed.

"General Zuo is safe for now."

Zhuge Liang put down the bamboo slips recording this event, closed his eyes and pondered. After piecing together the information circulating in Ye City, he understood.

For Liu Bei at this time, what he lacked most was time.

To accumulate strength in Hebei, military might alone is far from enough; what is needed even more is “human harmony”—this refers to both the loyalty of the common people and the allegiance of powerful clans, gentry, and scholars.

To win the support of the people of Hebei, Liu Bei had to spend a lot of time maneuvering and networking.

With his status as a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and the strong support of the Zhen family, a powerful clan in Zhongshan, Liu Bei's visits to local elders and celebrities in Zhongshan went relatively smoothly.

Even without revealing any intention to establish their own independent forces, some far-sighted powerful clans were willing to place their bets on Liu Bei. In terms of military strength, provisions, family background, and prestige, Yuan Shao was far superior to Cao Cao, yet he suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Guandu.

Such an outcome caused many powerful families in Hebei to not only hate Cao Cao, but also feel deeply disappointed in Yuan Shao.

Liu Bei, the Left General who was valued by both Cao Cao and Yuan Shao and was also a descendant of the Han Dynasty, was regarded by some far-sighted aristocratic families as a new political investment target.

May.

When Yuan Xi returned from Shangdang, he brought back Gao Rou, a cousin of Gao Gan.

"Strategist Zhuge, I had to use all my persuasive skills to convince Gao Rou to come to Changshan with me," Yuan Xi complained on the surface, but couldn't hide his pride.

On his way back, Yuan Xi learned that Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan were locked in a fierce battle in Ye City, and he was even more delighted: Fight on, fight on! When you two are both exhausted, the position of heir will eventually fall into my hands.

Zhuge Liang praised him at the opportune moment, saying, "Congratulations, Young Master Xi, on your rising fortunes! With the assistance of the Left General and the allegiance of virtuous men like Gao Rou, given time, you will surely be able to command Hebei and control the armies of four provinces. Heading south to serve the emperor and restore the Han dynasty will be just around the corner!"

This praise made Yuan Xi even more arrogant, and he suggested, "Strategist Zhuge, should I go to Ye City in person? It is May and the heat is rising. The General is troubled by the dispute between Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan. I can take this opportunity to invite the General to Zhongshan to escape the heat."

"Is Young Master Xi confident that he can persuade the General to move to Zhongshan?" Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan, already having a plan in mind.

Yuan Xi's idea was not wrong. This move seemed to be to show filial piety, but in reality, he wanted to use the excuse of going out to escape the summer heat to isolate himself from interference and accompany Yuan Shao alone to show filial piety and curry favor.

Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan were locked in a fierce battle for the succession, while Yuan Xi was only concerned that Yuan Shao was too old to withstand the summer heat. This contrast was enough to make Yuan Shao show more favoritism towards Yuan Xi.

But Yuan Xi was in a dilemma at this moment. Although his idea was not bad, he was not entirely confident.

Seeing Zhuge Liang's confident and composed expression, Yuan Xi hurriedly asked again, "Please, strategist Zhuge, teach me a good strategy."

"The Liu family is also from Zhongshan." Zhuge Liang casually reminded, "Young Master Xi can bring his wife back to Zhongshan to pay respects to their ancestors, and the General can also bring his wife back to Zhongshan to pay respects to their ancestors. In this way, no one will stop you."

“But what if Lady Liu comes too?” Yuan Xi immediately felt reluctant. If Lady Liu were present, how could he possibly show filial piety to Yuan Shao?
The thought of Liu's past behavior made Yuan Xi feel nauseous.

Especially when he thought about how Liu would always jump out and praise Yuan Shang for being so filial and just like Yuan Shao whenever he tried to curry favor with Yuan Shao, Yuan Xi felt an urge to strangle Liu.

Seeing this, Zhuge Liang advised, "Young Master Xi, those who achieve great things must endure what others cannot. You must not ruin your plans because of your hatred for the Liu family. If only the Grand General leaves Ye City, Yuan Tan will not be able to compete with Yuan Shang there. Yuan Shang owes most of his success to the Liu family. Removing the Liu family from Ye City would be like losing an arm for Yuan Shang. Although Shen Pei and Feng Ji support Yuan Shang, they are both very self-serving, and their plans may not necessarily win the Grand General's favor. When facing a stronger opponent, the best strategy is to make the opponent make a mistake."

Yuan Xi suddenly realized, clapped his hands and laughed: "Fortunately, with the guidance of Military Advisor Zhuge, I have been able to understand the principle. I will go to Ye City now to invite the General and Lady Liu to Zhongshan to escape the summer heat."

With a decisive glint in his eyes, Yuan Xi seemed to have a grand plan in mind. He then bid farewell to Zhuge Liang and hurriedly drove to Ye City that same day. His actions revealed a sense of urgency, as if he would miss the opportunity to become the heir if he were even a day late.

　Update 1 is here!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)