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

Chapter 357 I, Xu Ziyuan, have a world-shaking plan!
"I intend to head south; what advice do you gentlemen have for me?"

In the council hall, Yuan Shao interrupted the argument and slammed his fist on the table.

If we let these people keep arguing, they might not even reach a conclusion on whether to send troops south, and then new intelligence will come from the south, and we'll have to start arguing all over again.

Having personally experienced this several times, Yuan Shao was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally, and was no longer willing to listen to these people's antics.

However, he soon regretted his decision to consult the wise men, because the group stopped arguing about whether to go south, but started arguing about how to go south.

Ju Shou advised him, saying, "The King of Wei has served as a high-ranking official for generations, and his family has always been known for its loyalty and righteousness."

Now the Han Dynasty is in decline, the ancestral temples are ruined, the country is plagued by bandits who falsely claim to be Han prime ministers but are in reality traitors to the Han. There are also rebels abroad who call themselves Han kings but are in reality Han outlaws. Looking across the provinces, there is no one who cares about the fate of the nation.

Now that the north is pacified, with strong troops and loyal soldiers, if we want to march south, why not point our swords at Luoyang to welcome the emperor and establish the capital in Ye?

"Upholding righteousness to revive the Han dynasty, and raising troops to punish the rebellious, who can withstand us?"

After speaking, Ju Shou slightly bowed and said:

"According to your plan, we should send troops south from Jizhou, pass through Liyang, cross Baimadu, break through Guandu, and head straight for Luoyang."

Jizhou is the core of the king's rule. If troops are sent south along the west bank of the Yellow River from this route, they can easily control Liyang, an important town on the north bank of the Yellow River.

After crossing the Yellow River and capturing Baima Ferry, they advanced south along the Ji River to Guandu, which was the last line of defense for the imperial court. Once Guandu was breached, they reached Luoyang, welcomed the emperor, and ascended to the position of regent, thus rightfully ruling the country.

This route was not only close to Luoyang, but also relatively flat, making it easy for Ziyuan's new heavy cavalry to advance in large groups, virtually unstoppable and invincible.

Yuan Shao nodded and agreed to follow his plan.

"What Ju Gong said is very true. In the past, Cao Cao took the lead in rescuing the emperor at the Yellow River. In recent years, he has easily recovered the Central Plains by relying on his righteousness."

"If I were to become emperor now, I imagine it would be quite advantageous when I fight against my brother Shu in the future."

Guo Tu saw this and hurriedly advised him:

"The Han dynasty has been in decline for a long time. Now, if we want to revive it, is it not difficult?"

Moreover, various kings rose up, each occupying a prefecture or county, gathering followers and crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. Some became large states, while others established small territories.

Even if one holds the emperor hostage and upholds righteousness, can one command the kings of Han and Qi?
Those who enjoy great fame but gain nothing, like Cao Cao, suffer from infamy and become the target of public criticism; their downfall is imminent.

"The lessons of the past serve as a warning; our king must take heed."

As Guo Tu spoke, he also bowed with his hands clasped and said:

According to the plan, rather than vying for the emperor's throne and gaining empty fame, which would only result in being constrained by the greater good, it is better to prioritize practical benefits.

Now we can send troops south from Bingzhou, through Hedong County, across the Yellow River to take Chang'an, and establish the foundation for our nation's prosperity.

Bingzhou is the closest place to Guanzhong for our king. This route can take us south along the Fen River at the fastest speed, first capturing Hedong County in the south of Bingzhou, and then breaking through the western defense line of the imperial court.

He then crossed the Yellow River westward from Hedong County, entered the Guanzhong Plain directly, and traveled eastward along the Wei River to reach Chang'an.

This route is closest to Chang'an, allowing us to bypass the core areas of the imperial court near Luoyang and seize the relatively undefended Guanzhong region. With its flat terrain, we can advance rapidly and quickly conquer Sili, occupying the largest territory to prevent Cao Cao from returning to reinforce it, or Yuan Shu and Lü Bu from fighting for it again.

Furthermore, if Hedong Commandery is controlled by our army, it can directly cut off Cao Cao's connection between the Central Plains and Guanzhong, severing his nearest route of reinforcement and clearing obstacles for the westward advance to Chang'an.

Ideally, we should block him at Huanyuan Pass and fight Yuan Shu to the death, so that our king can avoid the enemy's strength and strike at their weakness, and seize the fruits of victory before Cao Cao is completely destroyed.

"Once we have conquered the Guanzhong and Sili regions, and then take advantage of Yuan Shu's weakened state after defeating Cao Cao, we can contend with him for the Luoyang area and achieve a resounding victory!"

Yuan Shao: "???"

Guo Gong actually had such a scheme?
Indeed, you can always trust Master Guo when it comes to competing with others for benefits and stealing the fruits of their labor.

It must be said that compared to Ju Shou's plan to seize the emperor and gain the upper hand, Guo Tu's plan to seize territory from Cao Cao while Cao Cao and Yuan Shu were engaged in a war was indeed more appealing to Yuan Shao.

After all, no matter how vulnerable Cao Cao's rear was during his great battle with Yuan Shu, the area around Luoyang, where the emperor resided, was bound to be the toughest nut to crack.

However, the situation was different in the Guanzhong and Chang'an areas. Firstly, a large number of troops had been transferred to Huanyuan Pass, leaving the area already vulnerable.

Secondly, if Luoyang were attacked, Cao Cao might abandon Yuan Shu, or grit his teeth and squeeze out troops to save it, but the situation would be different in Chang'an.

He was currently tied up and didn't have a strong desire to rescue Chang'an. If he attacked Chang'an, he might be able to make the counties surrender at the mere sight of him and swallow up Guanzhong.

Yuan Shao thought about it more and more and found the plan to be brilliant, so he nodded and smiled.

"What Guo Gong said is very true, and this plan is exactly what I wanted."

Seeing that Guo Tu, a man from Yingchuan, had actually come up with a good plan that pleased the King of Wei, Shen Pei quickly stepped forward to offer his advice and support Ju Shou, saying:

"My lord, do not trust a villain, and listen to what I have to say."

Welcoming the imperial court today is both righteous and timely.

If Wang does not take it, and it instead falls into Yuan Shu's hands, it will surely bring endless disaster.

Yuan Gonglu was a man who boasted of his loyalty to the Han Dynasty and even called himself the King of Han. He would tell everyone he met that he had the ambition to revive the Han Dynasty. Many virtuous and righteous people were fooled by him.

Moreover, his schemes and intrigues are unparalleled in the world. He pretends to be loyal and virtuous, deceiving the public and others. He must have ulterior motives and sinister intentions.

If the emperor falls into their hands, they may not be prominent now, but they will surely bring disaster in the future.

At that time, Yuan Shu will be able to quell rebellions when he goes out and restore the Han dynasty when he returns, thus winning the hearts of the people and changing the course of history. Who can stand against him?

After Shen Pei finished speaking, he also bowed deeply with his hands clasped and did not rise.

"Guo Tu is a despicable man!"
Those who only seek immediate gains and disregard long-term losses will, though they may enjoy temporary pleasure, lose the hearts of the people. How can such a person last?

"Lord Ju's strategy is profound and far-sighted; Your Majesty should carefully consider it."

Yuan Shao: "."

What you said makes some sense.

One is immediate development, the other is long-term gains and losses. How should we choose?

While Yuan Shao hesitated, Xu You suddenly appeared calm and collected, looking down at everyone, standing neutral between the two factions with a smug expression on his face.

Yuan Shao knew this man must have a good plan in mind, so he asked him:
"If Ziyuan has a good plan, why not try to tell it?"

Xu You seemed to have been waiting for Yuan Shao to ask him this question. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over everyone, looking down on the ministers, and saying something that was sure to shock them!
“I have a plan that Yuan Shao can use to pacify the world in one battle and take the nine provinces as easily as putting them in his pocket.”

Yuan Shao was surprised and hurriedly asked him for his plan.

Xu You stroked his beard and chuckled lightly. "In today's world, what is the emperor worth, and what is Guanzhong worth taking?"
Who among the heroes of the world could rival them? Cao Cao and Yuan Shao!

If Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are dead, it will be as easy for my king to take over the world!
Now we should take the eastern route, cross the Yellow River westward from Qingzhou, detour through the northern part of Yanzhou, gather the scattered men of Liu Bei and Lü Bu, and head straight for Huanyuan Pass.

Currently, Yanzhou is in chaos. Liu Bei and Lü Bu are fighting each other and have already killed each other. If my king were to send troops from Qingzhou, cross the Yellow River to the west, and take advantage of the fact that Liu Bei and Lü Bu are both exhausted, he could mobilize the troops of four provinces and launch a sudden attack. Which of the two could stand against him?

First, eliminate Liu and Lü, take all of Yanzhou, then advance to Huanyuan Pass. While Cao Cao and Yuan Shu are locked in a bloody battle and both are exhausted, my king will mobilize the entire army of the country, like divine troops descending from the sky. Who can defeat Cao Cao and Yuan Shu?

In one battle, Cao Cao was defeated and Yuan Shu was severely damaged. Who in the world could rival him?

By repeatedly employing the mantis-stalking-the-cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, he eventually wiped out all the warlords, looked down upon all directions, and blocked Yuan Shu outside Huanyuan Pass.

At that time, when they swallow up the two capitals of the Central Plains, whether it be the emperor or Guanzhong, wouldn't it be as easy as taking something out of a bag?
From this point on, we have two-thirds of the country. Even if Yuan Gonglu gains control of the south, he is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb. My king will surely capture him one day.

Is this not a case of settling the world in one battle and pacifying the nine provinces with one plan?

"If it were not my brilliant plan, who else could have done it?"

When Xu You announced his plan, the courtiers were silent for a moment before erupting in uproar, all criticizing Xu You for his risky and unorthodox scheme.

"Xu Ziyuan, are you trying to ruin my lord's great foundation and destroy the current favorable situation by resorting to such a drastic measure?"

What are your true intentions?

"He resorted to ingenious schemes and dangerous tactics, which led to his demise."

According to your words, one battle might pacify the world, but a single scheme could also destroy the Great Wei!

"Exactly, every time it's like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; there are just too many variables involved."

How do you know that Liu Bei, Lü Bu, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shu all acted according to your plans?

The entire army, mobilized from Qingzhou, embarked on a long journey, passing through Liu Bei and Lü Bu, before reaching Cao Cao. This isolated force ventured deep into Huanyuan Pass, facing immeasurable risks along the way.

Do you know that if this plan fails, we will lose everything?

Xu You, who had been arrogant and self-assured, believing he had offered some groundbreaking wisdom and was ready to be amazed by the King of Wei and his ministers, blushed as he faced everyone's criticism and skepticism. He muttered a few words in rebuttal.

"How could you ordinary people understand my brilliant strategies?"
"How can one be unaware of the oriole behind, when one has a good plan in mind?"

"If you don't believe my good plan, you'll regret it later!"

However, facing the combined attacks of Ju Shou and Guo Tu's factions alone, he was naturally at a disadvantage and could not help but look to Yuan Shao for hope.

Yuan Shao was initially impressed by Xu You's confident and eloquent pronouncements, such as "One battle will settle the world, one plan will pacify the nine provinces," and "Who among the heroes of the world can rival me?"

They were also fired up by what he said and felt that Xu You's words made a lot of sense. If they could seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pacify the world in one battle, why delay?
But in the blink of an eye, whether it was Ju Shou and others or Guo Tu and others, they were all criticizing Xu You, and he quickly swallowed back his words, "What Lord Xu said is very true."

It was rare for Yuan Shao to see his ministers so united in their opposition to the same plan, so it's clear that Xu You's plan had many flaws.

He secretly rejoiced that he had reacted in time and had not spoken of his agreement with Xu You's plan, otherwise he would have lost face in front of the ministers.
However, in reality, everyone opposed it, and it was not Xu You's plan at all; it really had no merit.

Although Xu You's plan was indeed much riskier than Ju Shou's and Guo Tu's, the rewards were far greater.

Moreover, how to choose the right time and how to stalk the cicada are things that can be carefully planned later.

Even if they ultimately fail to defeat Cao Cao and Yuan Shu at Huanyuan Pass, they can still settle for second best by marching from Yanzhou to Luoyang to seize the emperor and repeat Ju Shou's plan.

The reason why everyone unanimously opposed Xu You was precisely because he was neither a member of Guo Tu's faction nor Ju Shou's faction, but a "free agent" whose core was personal interests.

Unfortunately, if Xu You's plan fails, it will undoubtedly be just as everyone is criticizing it now: a risky and ingenious scheme that will ruin the overall situation.

However, if Xu You's plan actually succeeds, then things will be even worse!

You, Xu Ziyuan, have already "pacified the world with one battle and pacified the nine provinces with one plan," so what use are we, your many strategists,?
All the credit will go to you. From now on, you, Xu You, will be the first minister of the founding of the country. The reason why King Wei ascended to the throne and ruled the country has nothing to do with our two parties!

You, Xu You, are still a lone wanderer. If we don't oppose you, who will we oppose?
Under the harsh criticism of his ministers and Yuan Shao's inaction, Xu You's "outlandish" scheme quickly faded into obscurity.

After that, Yuan Shao fell into a familiar routine. The two factions of Ju Shou and Guo Tu each held their own opinions, one advocating an attack on Luoyang and the other advocating taking Chang'an. The strategists of each faction took turns speaking, arguing and cursing each other, making a great commotion.

While Yuan Shao hesitated, he finally lost his patience and stopped the argument, deciding:
"Since everyone has a valid point, why not launch a two-pronged attack and advance together?"
The emperor is what I desire, and Guanzhong is also what I desire; I cannot have both. Welcoming the emperor is tantamount to taking Guanzhong.

The ministers: “???”

Facing the bewildered gazes of his ministers, Yuan Shao, convinced of his cleverness, made his decision and declared:
"Now we will send an army of 100,000 men, following Guo Gong's plan, to march south from Bingzhou, pass through Hedong County, cross the Yellow River, and take Chang'an."

This army, led by Zhang He and Gao Lan as generals, Guo Jing as strategist, and Xun Chen and others as advisors, is poised to conquer the Central Plains, seize Guanzhong, and lay the foundation for my rule over the world.

Zhang He and Gao Lan stepped forward to receive the order, while Guo Tu and the others bowed and withdrew.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Shao nodded in satisfaction and then continued speaking.

"Then, the emperor will lead an army of 100,000 men from Jizhou southward, passing through Liyang, crossing Baimadu, breaking through Guandu, and heading straight for Luoyang to welcome the emperor."

This army was led by Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Chunyu Qiong as generals, with Tian Feng as strategist, and Xu You and others serving as advisors.

Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Chunyu Qiong stepped forward to receive the order, while Tian Feng and the others bowed and withdrew.

Yuan Shao then looked at Ju Shou and said to him:

"Duke Ju commanded an army of 100,000 in Wei, and Duke Shen assisted him, sitting in the rear to provide support at any time in case of unforeseen circumstances."

After I depart for war, the important affairs of Wei will still rely on you, Duke Ju. The allocation of provisions and support to all sides are entirely your responsibility; do not fail my expectations.”

Ju Shou and Shen Pei bowed and accepted the order before leaving.

Then everyone discussed the details and trivial matters, and after everything was agreed upon, they all went home to prepare for the expedition.

Not long after, King Yuan Shao of Wei issued a proclamation to the world!
Cao Cao was the descendant of a eunuch, a man whose influence was pervasive and harmful.

His wolfish ambitions led him to hold the emperor hostage, seize power, and bully the emperor.

He killed Liu Biao and Liu Yao, persecuted his relatives, and cruelly murdered loyal officials.

They formed cliques for personal gain, suppressed dissent, disrupted the government, slaughtered the people, and committed heinous acts that angered both heaven and man!
I, Yuan Shao, am a loyal and virtuous man from a family that has held high office for four generations. I was enfeoffed as the King of Wei and have been blessed with the Han dynasty's favor for generations.

In response to the edict issued by the King of Han, we are sending a million troops south to restore the Han dynasty, rescue the emperor, eliminate the treacherous and wicked, and uphold the state.

I urge all righteous men and governors of the land to raise the banner of righteousness together and jointly protect the nation.

Eliminate the traitors, return power to the emperor, restore peace and tranquility to the nation, and comfort the hearts of heaven, earth, and the people!
For four hundred years, our dynasty has nurtured scholars; today, the day will come when those who uphold righteousness and die for their principles will shine!

(End of this chapter)