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

Chapter 298 Sun Qian's eloquence persuades the governor of Bohai to submit to Liu Bei (5 additional chapters)
After persuading Zhang Zhi and Yuan Rong, Sun Qian only stayed in Lecheng for one day before rushing off to Nanpi, a hundred miles away.

Xu Xun, the governor of Bohai, once served as an aide to Yuan Shao.

When Liu Xie returned east, Yuan Shao was unable to act in time because his advisors had differing opinions and he was busy attacking Gongsun Zan, Zang Hong and others.

Cao Cao, following Xun Yu's advice, sent Cao Hong with troops westward to welcome Liu Xie. Yuan Shao was furious that Cao Cao had welcomed Liu Xie without permission but could not stop him, so he could only send Xu Xun to entrust Cao Cao to welcome the emperor on his behalf.

Compared to Zhang Zhi and Yuan Rong, Xu Xun, though worried about his family and friends in Ye City, had doubts about joining Liu Bei.

Xu Xun had personally witnessed Cao Cao and his civil and military officials' foresight in decision-making and their decisiveness in execution, and often worried that Cao Cao would become a major threat to Yuan Shao.

After the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao's fortunes declined. Xu Xun privately discussed with his confidants that no one but Cao Cao could unify the country.

Therefore, when Sun Qian delivered Liu Bei's letter, Xu Xun did not consider it a good thing to submit to Liu Bei, unlike Zhang Zhi and Yuan Rong.

"Mr. Gongyou," Xu Xun put down the letter, his tone scrutinizing, "General Zuo's letter is filled with heartfelt concern, which I admire. Sending troops to rescue the families of the officers and soldiers in Yecheng is indeed a benevolent act. However…"

Xu Xun paused, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Sun Qian: "Forgive my bluntness, but looking at the current state of affairs, Cao Cao has seized control of the Central Plains, amassing a powerful army of fierce generals. Although the Battle of Guandu slightly damaged his reputation due to the massacre, his foundation remained intact, and he even managed to seize Yuan Shao's elite troops and provisions. Now, he is again targeting Hebei with all his might. Given the current state of Ye City, its fall is likely imminent. Although General Zuo occupies part of You and Bing, his foundation is newly established, and his army is small and his provisions meager. How can he possibly compete with Cao Cao, who holds the emperor hostage and commands the other lords, and possesses a large number of elite troops and fierce generals, in the land of Hebei? As General Zuo stated in his letter, Cao Cao's actions may be ruthless, but his sweeping momentum is beyond human control. In my humble opinion, the fate of the world is seven or eight out of ten in favor of the Cao family."

Sun Qian was not indignant at Xu Xun's frankness, and remained calm: "Lord Xu is well-versed in the overall situation, and his concerns are not without reason. However, my view of the situation is slightly different from yours."

"I'd like to hear your insightful opinions," Xu Xun gestured.

"Firstly, it lies in the hearts of the people." Sun Qian's gaze was piercing: "Cao Cao swept through Hebei with the momentum of a great victory, his strength was indeed formidable. However, such strength must be maintained with virtue. The massacre of 70,000 surrendered soldiers at Guandu was not a killing in battle, but a massacre of surrendered soldiers! This incident, like a raging fire, has already burned away the hearts of the people of Hebei. Even if he can conquer Yecheng and subdue the counties with his military might, this resentment has become an ingrained disease, deeply rooted in his bones. What General Zuo did was not a matter of personal vendetta, but rather a matter of upholding the greater good of the world and fulfilling the wishes of the people!"
Cao Cao established his authority through ruthless conquest, while my lord wins hearts through benevolence and virtue. Ji Province is a battleground on all sides; if the people are not convinced, the foundation will be like a tower built on sand—how can it be stable? Even if Cao Cao gains the territory of Hebei today, the losses and obstacles he will incur in the future—to appease the people and mobilize their strength to consolidate his foundation—will be ten times greater than the losses and obstacles he will face today when conquering cities and seizing territories.

In contrast, General Zuo, based in You and Bing, implemented policies to stabilize the people and cultivate the land, taking in displaced people, reclaiming wasteland, and accumulating the people's strength. While this wasn't a momentary triumph, it laid the foundation for strengthening the nation's foundation. I ask you, Your Excellency, do the officials and generals of Hebei fear Cao Cao's power more, or are they more grateful for General Zuo's act of disregarding past grievances to protect their wives and children during the crisis in Ye City? The hearts of the people are fundamental; I urge Your Excellency to consider this carefully!

Sun Qian's tone grew increasingly impassioned, and his eyes became more resolute:

"Secondly, it lies in their character and temperament. While Cao Cao is undoubtedly a man of great talent and strategy, his reputation for suspicion, cunning, and ruthlessness is also widespread among the warlords. Although Cao Cao employs surrendered generals, he always prioritizes those from his own clan and treats surrendered generals as secondary. If you, my lord, were to surrender to Cao Cao, how could you possibly have another chance to govern a prefecture? Moreover, he has always sought to exterminate his enemies. You, my lord, still have family and friends in Ye City. If Cao Cao were to breach the city, he might use old grudges against you or slaughter them to establish his authority, with dire consequences! On the other hand, General Zuo acts with integrity and uprightness. This time, his expedition is not for conquering cities and territories, but to rescue the families of the officers and soldiers in Ye City. His sincerity has already impressed Zhang Xiang of Hejian and Lord Yuan of Wei Commandery. You, my lord, are a wise man of this time and should be able to discern this difference in character and safety." Upon hearing this, especially after Sun Qian pointed out the vulnerability of his family's safety in Ye City, and considering Cao Cao's past actions, Xu Xun's expression finally lost its previous certainty, revealing worry and struggle.

"Thirdly, it lies in the strategists and generals." Sun Qian pressed on, saying, "Cao Cao is indeed the strongest in the world, without a doubt. Few can withstand his military might. However, the strategists and generals under your command today are far superior to those under Cao Cao. The strategist Zhuge Liang possesses extraordinary talent, and in two and a half years, he helped you rise to prominence in You and Bing, comparable to Jiang Ziya who brought prosperity to the Zhou Dynasty for eight hundred years and Zhang Liang who brought prosperity to the Han Dynasty for four hundred years. He is no ordinary person. Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Tian Feng, and Ju Shou have the talent to govern the world, while Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Zhao Yun are all brave enough to defeat ten thousand men. Others such as Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Gao Rou, Qian Zhao, and Tian Chou are all outstanding figures of our time. With such strategists and generals, what is there to worry about in defeating the traitors of Han and restoring the Han Dynasty?"

Seeing Xu Xun's increasingly complex expression, Sun Qian emphasized, "Cao Cao's 'momentum' lies in the sharpness of his military might, like oil being poured on a raging fire. While its intensity may be enough to conquer Ye City, its cruelty will not bring peace to Ji Province! General Zuo's 'momentum' stems from the support of the people, the combined efforts of civil and military officials, and the accumulation of strength to await the opportune moment. It originated from his act of rescuing the orphan in Ye City, manifested in his policies of pacifying the people and cultivating the land, and was rooted in his righteous act of opposing Cao Cao's tyranny! For the sake of the world, for the sake of Hebei, and even more so for the sake of your family, Lord Xu, if you can choose General Zuo as your wise ruler, this is not a matter of seeking survival, but rather choosing a suitable place to settle and acting in accordance with the prevailing trend!"

Xu Xun remained silent for a long time, his hand stroking the letter, his gaze shifting repeatedly between Sun Qian's sincere face and Liu Bei's seal on the letter.

Xu Xun also knew what Sun Qian said.

Cao Cao's nature, the situation in Ye City, Liu Bei's righteousness, Zhuge Liang's wisdom, Guan Yu's martial prowess, and even Yuan Shao's willingness to retire to the coast of the East China Sea and give way to Liu Bei, and even recommending Tian Feng, Yan Liang, Wen Chou and others to Liu Bei.

This forced Xu Xun to reconsider the pros and cons of joining Cao Cao or Liu Bei.

Xu Xun and other disciples of Yuan Shao would inevitably feel confused after witnessing Yuan Shao's defeat and retirement.

Or perhaps it could be said that Xu Xun, as a disciple of Yuan Shao, did not want to serve Cao Cao, but could not find a reason to secure his life without serving Cao Cao. He only wanted to find a reason to convince himself that he could secure his life without serving Cao Cao in his moment of confusion.

Sun Qian's analysis of the overall situation was like a spring breeze, dispelling Xu Xun's confusion and strengthening his resolve to continue upholding the honor of being a disciple of the Yuan family.

a long time.

Xu Xun sighed deeply, slowly rose, and bowed solemnly to Sun Qian: "Mr. Gongyou's words analyze the general trend and speak directly to people's hearts. I, Xu, am ignorant, and only today do I understand what the general trend is. General Zuo's benevolence is evident. I, Xu, am willing to offer the entire Bohai prefecture to General Zuo's command to bring peace to the people of this prefecture and to ensure the safety of my family!"

　That concludes the make-up chapter. I've tried my best today, please vote with monthly tickets!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)