Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 168 Your suggestion to attack Yuan is exactly what I wanted.

"Zi Rou's mention of the rumors must be something I'm thinking of to resolve."

As Liu Biao spoke, he said to Kuai Liang with a gentle expression:
"How could I not know what Zirou said? I have been tossing and turning and unable to sleep at night these days."

Now that you have spoken, how should I instruct you?

Kuai Liang flicked his long sleeves and began to speak eloquently.

"This matter is easy. Since it is the Emperor's decree, we shall obey the order to suppress the rebels!"

Upon hearing this, one of the people in the room immediately sneered and slowly stepped out of the line.

This man was Zhang Yun, Liu Biao's nephew, who, along with Cai Mao, commanded the navy.

“Kuai Zhubu speaks so eloquently that you don’t have to go to the battlefield.”

Ordered to suppress bandits? This edict doesn't order us to suppress mountain bandits or outlaws, much less the Yellow Turban rebels.

Instead, right there beside him stood Yuan Shu, the Great General of Han, Yuan Gonglu, who held sway over Jiangdong and commanded a powerful position in Huainan!

After Zhang Yun finished speaking, he glanced at the assembled officials.

"Gentlemen! My lord!"

Don't tell me you haven't heard of Yuan Gonglu!

Liu Yao, formerly the governor of Yangzhou, was a member of the Han imperial family, just like my lord. He was defeated and captured when he attacked Yuan Gonglu, and Yangzhou was lost.

It was this General Yuan who spared his life out of consideration for his kinship with the Han imperial family, and instead sent him to Luoyang. Unexpectedly, he had a different fate, which led to his current position as Grand Tutor Liu in the Luoyang court.

Liu Bei, the current governor of Yu Province, is also a member of the Han imperial family. The emperor respectfully addresses him as "Imperial Uncle," and his reputation for benevolence and virtue is renowned throughout the world.

He too was ordered to suppress the rebels, but suffered repeated defeats, losing soldiers and territory. The promising situation in Yuzhou was ruined in an instant, and now he is hiding in Pei County, relying on Lü Bu for self-preservation.

Learning from the past is a guide for the future. Now, these two members of the Han imperial family hold high positions and great power, controlling a province with well-trained soldiers and ample provisions.

All of this was due to the campaign against this great general, which led to military defeat, predicament, and loss of their foundation.

What? With the two Han imperial relatives serving as cautionary tales before us, do you expect my lord to repeat their mistakes?

Kuai Zirou, with your talent, don't say you can't see through this so-called successive imperial edicts. It's nothing more than the traitor Cao Cao, who coerced the emperor into issuing them!
As the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, he himself was no match for Yuan Shu and was too cowardly to fight. Instead, he asked my lord to charge into battle and weaken Yuan Shu's strength for him.

These imperial edicts are insidious; if anyone claims to be acting on imperial orders, they must harbor ill intentions and be loyal to Cao Cao!

After Zhang Yun finished speaking, the entire room fell silent!

Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, one being Liu Biao's maternal uncle and the other his nephew, respectively, made Liu Biao's stance self-evident with their presence.

I don't want to fight!
In fact, nobody wanted to fight! Anyone who heard that their neighbor Yuan Shu had broken into another neighbor Liu Yao's house and robbed him a few days ago, not only beating up Liu Yao but also taking away all of his territory, would be furious.

Not long ago, he beat up another neighbor, Liu Bei, and seized most of Liu Bei's territory. Liu Bei is still bruised and battered, and he only survived because of the influence of Lu Bu, the street tyrant.

I've even heard that when Cao Cao, representing the authorities, sent messengers to interrogate and enforce the law, Yuan Shu, the neighbor, beat them all up, to the point that the authorities are now too afraid to send anyone.

If your neighbor is such a vicious and murderous monster, who wouldn't be afraid?

The people of Jingzhou are so afraid that one of their neighbors might take a dislike to them and come to beat them up. They're too afraid to even think about provoking him.

Faced with this situation, Kuai Liang, who understood his lord's intentions, let out a long sigh.

"My lord! The intentions of Yuan Gonglu have long been known throughout both sides of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, and everyone knows it."

As a member of the Han imperial family, you are bound to fight him sooner or later. How can you avoid it by simply delaying?
If we do not unite with Cao Cao and Liu Bei to protect ourselves, are we going to follow the old ways of the pre-Qin period and sit idly by while Qin destroyed the five states before we think of resisting?
Moreover, even if we all know that Cao Cao was behind the emperor's repeated edicts, what will the people think if our lord disobeys them?

Seeing his elder brother's earnest and sincere words, the lord, though showing signs of hesitation, could not make a decision.

Knowing that his lord was conservative, he was afraid that it would be difficult to persuade him to make up his mind to compete with Yuan Shu in a short time with just words.

Kuai Yue sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and offered his advice on behalf of his elder brother, suggesting a compromise:
"If the lord is truly unwilling to obey the imperial edict, he may now feign compliance while actually going through the motions without putting in any real effort."

What Cao Cao and the court wanted was simply for us to send troops to force Yuan Shu to withdraw his troops from Yuzhou, so that we could have a chance to catch our breath.

If it were merely for this strategic purpose, the lord would not need to actually engage in battle with Yuan Shu's main force.

You may order General Wen Ping to lead 50,000 troops out of Jiangxia to attack Lujiang.

Lujiang is an important prefecture connecting Jiangdong and Huainan!
Once this place is besieged by a large army, Yuan Shu will surely send his main force back to reinforce it. When he returns to reinforce, it will be time for our army to retreat and defend.

When he sees that our army has deployed a large force to defend the border and is well-prepared, holding the city, a strong attack would only result in the loss of soldiers, so he will definitely not attack.

In this way, we not only obeyed the emperor's edict to send troops to quell the rebellion, but also achieved our strategic goal, giving Liu Bei and Cao Cao a chance to catch their breath and preventing us from being isolated and helpless in the future.

If Yuan Shu attacks in the future, my lord can also seek their help, thus putting Yuan Shu in a pincer movement, and Jingzhou will be safe.

Upon hearing this plan, Liu Biao's eyes lit up, his face having been hesitant!
This strategy of preserving strength, going through the motions without exerting any real effort, and only sending 50,000 troops to fight Yuan Shu's remaining forces, to attack the city and intimidate others, is exactly what he wants.

Liu Biao immediately slammed his fist on the table and stood up!

"Everyone knows what Yuan Gonglu is thinking. The only reason he doesn't declare himself emperor is because he's worried about Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and Biao!"
"If all the powerful figures are destroyed, then even a single pillar cannot withstand the attack. Your suggestion to attack Yuan Shao is exactly what I intend."

He then hastily ordered generals Wen Ping, Huang Zu, Cai Mao, and Zhang Yun to muster an army of 50,000 and set their sights on Lujiang.

(End of this chapter)