ATPnovel Chapter 22: Bones exposed in the wild, not a rooster crows in the village.
Chapter 22: Bones exposed in the wild, not a rooster crows in the village.
Li Zhao did not answer directly, but walked to the charcoal brazier and poked at the embers with fire tongs to make the room warmer.
"Mr. Yuanzhi, what have you seen along your journey?"
Xu Shu was silent for a moment, then said, "After crossing the Yellow River, all I saw was devastation. Bones lay exposed in the wilderness, and for a thousand miles there was not a rooster crowing. Only when I entered the plains did I see cooking smoke and hear the sounds of chickens and dogs."
"Does the gentleman know what the situation was like for the 160,000 people in this plain area six months ago?"
Li Zhao turned around, his gaze intense.
"They were just like the people the gentleman saw on the road—vagrants, starving people, and two-legged sheep in the eyes of the powerful."
"If I have no soldiers, how can I protect their food supplies? If I don't establish my own territory, how can I secure a foothold for them from the exploitation of corrupt officials and powerful families?"
Li Zhao walked up to Xu Shu and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Whether you call me a feudal lord or a savior, that's for later historians to judge. I, Li Zhao, only know one thing: under my rule, the people will not starve."
"If you think I am an ambitious man, you may leave, and I will not stop you. But if you truly care about the common people, you may stay and see whether I, Li Zhao, use this sword to seek wealth and honor for myself or to carve a bloody path for the people."
The study was deathly silent, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.
After a long while, Xu Shu suddenly smiled.
He laughed loudly, with a mix of madness and relief.
"Good! Good idea that the people shouldn't starve! Good idea that they've fought their way out!"
Xu Shu stopped laughing, took a step back, straightened his clothes, and solemnly bowed to Li Zhao.
"Xu Shu was blind and almost missed a wise ruler. I am grateful for your kindness, my lord, and am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!"
Li Zhao was overjoyed and quickly helped Xu Shu up.
"With Yuanzhi's help, Zhao is like a fish in water!"
That evening, the temple in Pingyuan County held another banquet.
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others were all present to accompany him. Everyone was curious about Li Zhao's courteous treatment of this down-on-his-luck scholar.
During the banquet, Xu Shu spoke eloquently, demonstrating a keen understanding of the world's affairs and a mastery of military strategy.
Even the most arrogant Guan Yu couldn't help but stroke his beard and nod in admiration after listening to Xu Shu's recap and analysis of the Battle of Jieqiao.
After a few rounds of drinks, Li Zhao put down his glass and brought up a topic he had prepared beforehand.
"Gentlemen, Yuan Shao appointed me as the Chancellor of Pingyuan, but in reality, he wants me to risk everything to manage Qingzhou. Now that winter has arrived, our army is well-trained and well-supplied. I would like to hear your opinions on the situation in Qingzhou."
All eyes turned to the newcomer, Xu Shu.
Xu Shu did not refuse. He stood up and walked to the map of Qingzhou hanging on the wall.
"My lord, the situation in Qingzhou is in utter chaos."
His finger traced across the map.
"Firstly, the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou claimed to number a million. Although most of them were displaced people they had coerced and their fighting strength was not strong, their advantage lay in their large numbers and their elusive nature. Like maggots clinging to bones, they were extremely difficult to eradicate."
"Secondly, there is Kong Rong, the Chancellor of Beihai. Kong Wenju is a renowned scholar of his time, but his empty talk has led to the downfall of the country, and he is ignorant of military affairs. Now he is besieged in Duchang by Guan Hai, a Yellow Turban general, and his safety is imminent."
"Thirdly, there is Tian Kai, the governor of Qingzhou. He is a confidant of Gongsun Zan, occupies the area around Linzi, and is eyeing Pingyuan with covetous intent."
Liu Bei frowned slightly: "What does Mr. Yuanzhi suggest we attack first?"
Xu Shu smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes.
"I won't fight anyone."
Everyone was taken aback. Zhang Fei shouted, "What does the strategist mean by this? Our swords are already sharpened; are we just going to leave them to rust if we don't fight?"
"Yide, calm down." Xu Shu waved his hand.
"The art of war says: the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans. Now that winter has arrived, the land of Qingzhou is lacking in food and clothing. Those million Yellow Turbans may seem powerful, but in reality, they are at their last gasp. What they lack is not weapons, but food."
Xu Shu turned to Li Zhao and said, "What our lord has the least shortage of is grain."
A glint flashed in Li Zhao's eyes; he had roughly guessed Xu Shu's intentions.
"Yuanzhi wants to..."
"Drive away the tiger to devour the wolf." Xu Shu uttered four words.
"We just need to spread the word that the plains have plenty of food and supplies and are willing to sell them to all parties in Qingzhou at preferential prices, regardless of their background. Whether they are government troops or Yellow Turbans, they are all welcome to buy."
"This..." Liu Bei hesitated, "Selling grain to the Yellow Turban rebels, wouldn't that be aiding the enemy?"
"Lord Xuande, you are mistaken," Xu Shu shook his head and said, "Most of those Yellow Turban rebels are also common people who can't survive. If you give them food, they won't be willing to fight to the death. If you don't give them food, they're going to die anyway, so they'll fight to the death."
"Besides, we're not selling this grain for free."
Xu Shu pointed his finger at Linzi City on the map.
"Tian Kai, as the governor of Qingzhou, possesses a fortified city, yet he turns a blind eye to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. We sell grain to the Yellow Turbans, and once they are well-fed, they will naturally look for a place to spend the winter. Linzi City is rich in money and grain, making it the best place to go."
"At that time, the Yellow Turbans will surely besiege Linzi. Tian Kai will be too busy taking care of himself to deal with us."
"Brilliant plan!" Guan Yu couldn't help but exclaim. "In this way, I can make Tian Kai and the Yellow Turbans suffer heavy losses without losing a single soldier."
"What about Kong Rong?" Zhao Yun asked. "He's still besieged."
Xu Shu laughed and said, "Kong Rong is a renowned scholar throughout the land. Saving him will win the hearts of the people. When Tian Kai and the Yellow Turbans are locked in a fierce battle, our lord can lead a righteous army south to rescue Beihai. By then, the Yellow Turbans will be exhausted from prolonged fighting, and our army, having rested and prepared, will surely be able to defeat them in one battle!"
"After rescuing Kong Rong, my lord will have a foothold in Qingzhou. At that time, with the momentum of a great victory, whether it is to pacify the remnants of the Yellow Turbans or to force Tian Kai to submit, it will all be up to my lord."
After hearing this, Li Zhao couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.
"Excellent! What a brilliant strategy of using one tiger to devour another! Yuanzhi is truly my Zhang Liang!"
He stood up, looked around at everyone, and was full of vigor.
"Pass down the order!"
"Order Sun Fu to immediately arrange for men to spread the word throughout Qingzhou that Pingyuan is opening its granaries to sell grain at fair prices, and that no one, young or old, will be cheated!"
"Order Zhao Yun to lead the cavalry to strengthen border patrols and prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to cause trouble."
"Order Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to intensify their training of troops and prepare them for an expedition at any time."
"This winter, let's see how this grand drama in Qingzhou begins!"
……
The news spread like wildfire across the cold winter land of Qingzhou.
Li Zhao, the Prefect of Pingyuan, who is said to have an inexhaustible supply of grain, is actually going to open his granaries to sell grain! And he doesn't care about people's background, he'll sell it to anyone who pays!
This was undoubtedly a thunderbolt for the various forces in Qingzhou who were struggling with hunger and cold.
Outside Changcheng, the capital of the Beihai Kingdom, lies the Yellow Turban Army's camp.
Commander Guan Hai was a burly man with a full beard covered in ice crystals. He was wrapped in a tattered fur coat that he had stolen, and he was gnawing on a hard, rock-hard dry biscuit. His eyes were fixed on the city wall of Duchang in the distance with a sinister look.
He has been besieging Kong Rong for a month.
The city was running out of food, but he himself was also having a hard time.
With over 100,000 people under his command, they all need to eat and drink every day.
The surrounding villages had already been looted by them, and even the tree bark had been gnawed clean.
If this continues, his men will riot without the government troops even needing to fight.