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

Chapter 84 Yuan Shao's Poisonous Strategist, Liu Bei Experiences Both Ice and Fire (2nd Update)
If Guo Tu's plan for Liu Bei succeeds, Liu Bei will no longer need to follow Yuan Shao and be at Yuan Shao's beck and call.

Throughout the entire process, Liu Bei never forgot Zhuge Liang's strategy for conquering Hebei: if he wanted to gain influence in Hebei, he had to mediate between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and use their strength to bolster his own position.

If Liu Bei had remained in Yuan Shao's army, he would have been unable to make decisions independently.

If we are not careful, we will face the same danger as today: Cao Cao used a cunning plan to sow discord between Yan Liang and Wen Chou and Liu Bei.

From Cao Cao's perspective, whether Yan Liang and Wen Chou killed Liu Bei, or Liu Bei killed Yan Liang and Wen Chou, it would be beneficial without any drawbacks.

However, Liu Bei did not want to do as Cao Cao wished.

Killing Yan Liang and Wen Chou would weaken Yuan Shao's power and reduce the pressure on Cao Cao to resist Yuan Shao, but it would also cause Yuan Shao to resent Liu Bei and make it difficult for Liu Bei to survive in Hebei.

Guo Tu's plan perfectly resolved Liu Bei's concerns, allowing him to leave the core area of ​​the Yuan-Cao conflict without causing resentment from Yuan Shao.

Furthermore, Yuan Shao might even compensate Liu Bei in other ways because of Liu Bei's "understanding of the bigger picture".

Immediately.

Liu Bei drafted a letter entitled "Memorial of Resignation as Grand General".

The table makes no mention of Yan Liang and Wen Chou's assassination attempt, only stating that he was tired of fighting on the battlefield and wanted to return to Zhuojun to teach.

Guo Tu also drafted a memorial, which he co-signed with Chunyu Qiong.

The memorial denounced the crimes of Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and also detailed Liu Bei's righteous deeds, earnestly requesting Yuan Shao to treat Liu Bei well so as not to discourage virtuous men.

Guo Tu then dispatched fast boats and horses to deliver the two memorials to the Liyang camp.

"Liu Bei's resignation letter?"

Upon seeing the five large characters "Memorial of Resignation from the Grand General" on the memorial, and learning from the messenger that it was Liu Bei's resignation, Yuan Shao's eyelids twitched.

However, the memorial contained only a few words:
Having spent half his life wandering, he grew weary of war.

My lifelong wish is to return to Zhuojun and teach.

Hebei is full of talented people; it is not a waste to have even one mediocre one.

I humbly request to be relieved of my post and allowed to return home, thus fulfilling my long-cherished wish.

Looking at the contents of the memorial, Yuan Shao was puzzled.

Just a few days ago, he swore that he was "mortal enemies with Cao Cao and could not sleep at night. He was willing to kill Cao Cao's general on the battlefield and present his head to the general's tent." Now he is "weary of war"?
"I have never neglected Xuande, so why is Xuande acting this way?"

Confused, Yuan Shao opened the joint memorial signed by Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong.

It’s okay if you don’t watch it.

I was shocked when I saw it.

However, the text states:

Your subjects, Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong, respectfully submit this memorial:

Yan Liang and Wen Chou committed three crimes:

While crossing the river to pursue the enemy, he was caught in an ambush by Cao Cao while looting supplies.

After his two crimes were exposed, he spread rumors that the Left General had conspired with Cao Cao.

He falsely claimed to be pleading guilty while carrying thorns on his back, but secretly plotted to assassinate General Zuo with a sharp blade.

General Zuo had three virtues: First, he remained calm in the face of danger and personally went to the enemy lines to save the army from peril.

Although the two righteous men were assassinated by the two generals, they repaid their grievances with straightforwardness and spared their lives.

To save face for Quanming Gong, Sanyi lied and claimed that he voluntarily returned to Zhuojun to teach.

Your subject humbly requests:
Yan Liang and Wen Chou were stripped of their military power to uphold military law; the Left General's request to return to his hometown was granted, and he was generously rewarded with gold and silk to appease him.

"I have treated Xuande with great courtesy, how dare Yan Liang and Wen Chou ruin my important plans!"

Yuan Shao threw the memorial on the ground, furious.

Yuan Shao was already annoyed that Ju Shou and Tian Feng were claiming illness and refusing to see him, and before he could even calm down, Yan Liang and Wen Chou caused trouble.

Yuan Shao could almost picture Ju Shou mocking him if he knew: "I told you long ago that Yan Liang was narrow-minded and unfit for great responsibility, but you wouldn't listen, General. And what was the result? First, the loss of Baima, then the defeat at Yan Jin. He didn't heed my advice, and now he's suffering the consequences."

At that moment, Xu You was in the tent. Seeing Yuan Shao's anger, he went forward and picked up the memorial.

Xu You glanced at the contents of the memorial and his pupils shrank.

"General, we can no longer let Yan Liang and Wen Chou command the troops." Xu You put down the memorial, dismissed the others, and solemnly advised.

Although Yuan Shao had gathered 100,000 infantry and cavalry in Liyang, not all of them were his direct subordinates; most of them were private troops of powerful families in Hebei.

The troops commanded by Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Guo Tu, and Chunyu Qiong already accounted for more than half of Yuan Shao's direct forces.

Yuan Shao originally intended to have his loyal followers achieve merit to deter those who were not loyal, so that he could later use the private armies of the powerful families in Hebei to fight against Cao Cao. However, he did not expect that Baima would be lost to Yan Liang, and Yan Jin would be lost to Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

Forget about intimidating those who dared to defy him; Yuan Shao's elite troops have almost been halved.

Without enough loyal troops to deter those who dared to rebel, how could one command the private armies of the powerful families of Hebei to fight against Cao Cao?

"Yan Liang and Wen Chou, you have disappointed me greatly!" Yuan Shao sighed. "I will issue a secret order to recall Yan Liang and Wen Chou to Ye City to temporarily serve as Yuan Shang's guards. The troops under Yan Liang and Wen Chou's command will be temporarily led by Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong."

Liu Bei's concerns were valid.

Even though Yan Liang and Wen Chou committed serious crimes, Yuan Shao had no intention of killing them.

Sending Yan Liang and Wen Chou back to Ye City to serve as Yuan Shang's guards may seem like stripping them of their military power, but in reality, it was a way to protect them.

Otherwise, if military law were to be strictly enforced, both of them would be severely injured, if not killed.

Although Yuan Shao was fond of revelry, he wasn't foolish enough to cripple his own forces. Yan Liang and Wen Chou remained his trusted generals.

If Liu Bei had truly done as Cao Cao wished and killed Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Yuan Shao would have resented Liu Bei and might even have suspected that Liu Bei had conspired with Cao Cao to deliberately cause Yuan Shao to suffer losses.

"As for Liu Bei," Yuan Shao hesitated, clearly not wanting Liu Bei to return to Zhuojun, then looked at Xu You: "What advice do you have for me, Ziyuan?"

Xu You succinctly stated: "Cao Cao has not yet been defeated. General, you and Liu Bei are friends, not enemies!"

Yuan Shao lowered his head and pondered: "Although Gongsun Zan has been defeated, there are still many who do not submit to me in Dai Commandery, Yuyang Commandery, Youbei Commandery, and other commanderies. Yuan Xi is also failing to effectively supervise the commanderies of Youzhou, which worries me greatly. I intend to bestow generous gifts of gold and silk upon Xuande and request that Xuande be appointed as the governor of Zhuo Commandery to assist Yuan Xi in supervising the commanderies of Youzhou. What do you think, Ziyuan?"

Xu You said in a deep voice, "Liu Bei has the spirit of a hero and will not remain subordinate to others for long. Although we can ask Liu Bei to go out and guard Zhuojun as the governor, we still need to find a way to restrain him to prevent any changes in Youzhou."

Yuan Shao agreed with Xu You's assessment, saying, "I also know that Xuande is capable, which is why I went two hundred li from Liyang to personally welcome him, intending to keep Xuande under my command. Unfortunately, Yan Liang and Wen Chou did not understand my intentions and ruined my great plan. For now, I can only settle for second best. If I want to hinder him, what method should I use?"

Xu You's lips curled into a smile: "The most important way to restrain him is to have a military supervisor. Coincidentally, there is a man in the Liyang camp whom the General both loves and hates, and who will absolutely not be won over by Liu Bei. If the General has this man as his military supervisor, even if Liu Bei has lofty ambitions, he can only stay in Zhuojun and behave himself."

Yuan Shao didn't need to think much to guess who the supervisor Xu You was referring to was.

In the Liyang camp, the only person Yuan Shao both loved and hated, yet would never be won over by Liu Bei, was Ju Shou!
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(End of this chapter)