Chapter 904: The Strategy of "Feigning Weakness to Catch Prey"

Xin Pi and Zhu Ling didn’t take long to verify the situation. Indeed, Xu Shu had left, and based on Xin Pi’s judgment, it seemed likely that Yuan Shao’s forces were now ready to strike, with Liu Bei currently embroiled in a bitter battle, possibly in need of reinforcements.

Given these circumstances, Xin Pi and Zhu Ling were relieved and promptly entrusted the city’s defenses to their deputy generals. They then prepared gifts and hurried to the Cui family that night to apologize.

In fact, all of this was within Cui Yan’s expectations. There is a strategy called "Feigning Weakness to Catch Prey." Although Cui Yan didn’t possess extraordinary wisdom, once he made a decision, he wouldn’t turn back. Since he had decided to side with Liu Bei, even if Xu Shu was no longer there, he would still find a way to establish contact with Liu Bei.

Naturally, the three men drank heartily together, and they all became thoroughly intoxicated. Xin Pi and Zhu Ling had come to offer their apologies, and Cui Yan, drinking with gusto, poured drinks into everyone’s cups until even Zhu Ling, a hardened warrior, was laid out on the floor.

"De Ru, go and establish contact with Liu Bei. Among my kin, you are the only one I can truly trust," Cui Yan said, on the verge of vomiting bile, though his mind had already cleared.

"I will go immediately," Cui Lin nodded in agreement. "I have already instructed that the two be taken to the inner courtyard and given calming incense to ensure they won’t wake up for at least five hours."

"Well done," Cui Yan said, still dizzy. He knew that if things went wrong, when Xin Pi and Zhu Ling awoke and found themselves in the Cui family’s inner courtyard, they would not suspect anything. At most, they might think Cui Yan was an honorable man for taking such good care of them.

That night, Cui Lin left the Cui residence through a secret passage to establish contact with Liu Bei’s forces in Qingzhou. Unfortunately, by that time, Zang Ba had already moved on to Bohai, and there was no general left in Qingzhou with the authority to mobilize a thousand men.

With his sharp insight, Cui Lin quickly saw through the situation and understood what was happening. He immediately spurred his horse and hurried back to Qinghe, riding through the night without rest. The speed and mobility of an individual rider were truly impressive, especially when the horse’s strength was pushed to its limits.

Cui Lin returned just before dawn, rushing to the Cui family to report everything he had seen and heard to Cui Yan.

"You’re saying Zang Ba has already invaded Bohai? How is that possible?" Cui Yan asked, in disbelief.

"I’m afraid Liu Bei has spies not only in Bohai but throughout all of Ji Province. That old ruse from years ago—the self-inflicted deception—was likely staged for the benefit of all the Hebei aristocratic families and Yuan Shao," Cui Lin said solemnly.

"If the Zhen family has turned, Ji Province is lost. The Zhen family’s influence is widespread throughout Ji Province. This is no small matter," Cui Yan said with a bitter smile. If the Zhen family had indeed defected, even if Yuan Shao won on the battlefield, he would still have lost a great deal.

"The issue is that all families have reasons to rebel, except the Zhen family. They have no reason to," Cui Yan mused. "Does the Zhen family have a legitimate heir? No. Do they have any accomplished offspring? None." Cui Yan answered his own question, which was precisely why Yuan Shao had not been concerned about the Zhen family. A family that couldn’t solve its succession issues was not a threat.

Without a solution to their heir problem, who would they be rebelling for? Moreover, the Zhen family was led by women and had no interest in power games, merely observing from the sidelines.

Naturally, such a "well-behaved" family was the last Yuan Shao would target with any violence. At most, he would attempt to bind them to his cause through marriage. After all, the Zhen family was immensely wealthy.

But now, the Zhen family had turned, a family with no apparent reason for rebellion. This left Cui Yan utterly shocked. The Zhen family, if they remained neutral, would be favored no matter who ruled Ji Province, for they controlled the province’s critical resources like food and supplies.

"We should act now. There’s only one possible reason: the Zhen family is confident that Liu Bei will win," Cui Lin said, full of hope as he looked at Cui Yan.

"Let’s act. The Zhen family is so large and wealthy that they had no reason to rebel, yet they’ve chosen to do so. Our Cui family, divided as we are, must take a gamble. Some must test the waters. We’ll move now. All the elders will be placed under house arrest," Cui Yan said calmly.

Aristocratic families had long passed the era of risking their entire clan for small gains. Their pursuit was steady progress. The Zhen family’s sudden move could not simply be driven by short-term benefits; it was a calculated decision.

Years ago, when Zhen Yi handed over the family’s leadership to the Zhang clan, it was a signal to other families that the Zhen family had withdrawn from the power struggles among the aristocracy. Moreover, Zhang’s family valued the overall well-being of the Zhen clan immensely.

The current situation clearly indicated that the Zhang family’s values hadn’t changed; the only thing that had was the political landscape. With this realization, Cui Yan wasted no more words and prepared to act.

By dawn the next day, the Cui family’s private soldiers had taken over the entire city during the changing of the guard. As for Yuan Shao’s forces, they had been sent by Cui Yan, in the names of Xin Pi and Zhu Ling, to collect their reward money.

With the promise of rewards and meals, the soldiers were content. Given that Cui Yan’s men were patrolling the city, and that Xin Pi and Zhu Ling had gone to visit Cui Yan’s residence the previous night, no one suspected anything. Thus, Cui Yan successfully seized control of the entire city and quietly imprisoned Yuan Shao’s forces, scattered across the city.

Only after all this had been accomplished did Zhu Ling groggily wake up. Upon learning that Cui Yan had already arranged the city’s defenses and that no external enemies were approaching, Zhu Ling ate a light breakfast and went back to sleep, suspecting nothing.

When Xin Pi awoke, Cui Yan used the excuse that Zhu Ling had woken up earlier, felt dizzy, and had arranged the guards before returning to sleep, to explain away the situation to Xin Pi, whose head was pounding from the previous night’s drinking. To ensure they drank enough, Cui Yan had provided the finest wine.

Xin Pi, having always trusted Cui Yan, didn’t suspect anything. Upon hearing that Zhu Ling had handled the city’s defenses, Xin Pi went back to sleep himself, knowing that Zhu Ling could be relied upon.

By the time Xu Shu and Wei Yan arrived, Cui Yan had already taken full control of Ganling. Upon seeing the ceremonial Summer Dragon Sparrow Blade, which served as a sign of authority, the stern expression on Cui Yan’s face finally gave way to a smile. The Cui family of Qinghe had made the right bet.

Under these circumstances, Xin Pi and Zhu Ling had no options left. While still groggy, they were quickly captured by Xu Shu and Wei Yan, bound tightly, and taken prisoner. The seat of Qinghe County was thus captured by Liu Bei’s forces, and with the Cui family’s strong influence over the region, the entire Qinghe commandery was swiftly brought under control.

At this point, it had been less than four hours since Yuan Shao’s defeat, and already the essence of Ji Province, the heart of Hebei, was gradually falling into Liu Bei’s hands. If Yuan Shao had known, he would have sighed, realizing his loss had not been in vain.

After securing the entirety of Qinghe, Xu Shu and Wei Yan immediately began registering and organizing the population. Though it was only the two of them, with the news of Yuan Shao’s death already known to Cui Yan, the Cui family’s tight grip over Qinghe meant that no one dared defy the commands of Wei Yan and Xu Shu. The tide had turned.

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