Chapter 726: Chaos Unleashed

"Not exactly; we didn't foresee this exact scenario back then," Jia Xu reflected. Initially, Jia Xu and others merely considered that Yuzhou couldn't be relocated, and they couldn’t just burn it down. After some deliberation, they decided to leave Yuzhou with some resources for a future confrontation, sparing themselves the trouble they encountered the first time.

As time passed, their thinking became more meticulous, leading to the current situation where they aimed to split Yuan Shu's forces into three.

"A middle strike to sever the line, then closing in for the kill—this is indeed a clever plan," Man Chong agreed, nodding. His military strategy was strong, though his expertise leaned more toward law enforcement.

"This tactic also makes me see some other hidden aspects of the strategy used by Xu You earlier. It seems that the intent might have been to divide our forces in Taishan, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou into three isolated regions," Xun Yue mused, realizing that one strategy could often be expanded into many insights.

"To truly make us defenseless, they would need to capture the entirety of Taishan. But Taishan is our defensive core. Of course, back then, Runan was also Yuan Shu’s defensive center, but Yuan Shu abandoned it himself, exposing his weakness," Li You said with a cold smile. When Yuan Shu moved his capital, he never considered that Shouchun wasn't in the center of his territory.

"Xu You might have had such thoughts, but he likely never had the thorough preparation that we have now, poised to decide victory in one strike," Jia Xu shook his head. He didn’t dismiss the possibility that Xu You had similar thoughts, but Taishan's defensive capabilities were far stronger than any possible offensive force Yuan Shao could muster. Any strategist who devises such a plan for others would certainly bolster their own defenses. To fail by one's own scheme would be a disgrace.

"Who among you will lead the forces to Xuzhou?" Jia Xu asked, looking at Li You and Man Chong.

"Wenru will go. I’ll transfer my city management troops to him, retaining only the regular garrison," Man Chong stated, his expression stern.

"I’ll ensure everything is timed perfectly and return as scheduled. I only need to take two thousand of the city management troops, leaving a thousand to defend the residences of the civil and military officials. If anything goes wrong, those will be prime targets," Li You calmly agreed to Man Chong's proposal.

"Strengthen the city's defenses. The aristocratic families may not be trustworthy. Yuan Shu’s rallying cry will likely lead many to believe we are doomed, so be cautious about how we deal with them," Jia Xu remarked, not even glancing at Xun Yue as he spoke, showing no consideration for his feelings.

"Move the families of officials residing on the outskirts into the city center. Have them temporarily stay within the core area. Notify Han Mou to return to Taishan; suspend fieldwork for now. Also, summon Doctor Hua back to the city center and keep him from leaving for the time being. Relocate master craftsmen of the highest rank into the city as well. Enforce a curfew, starting at three-quarters past Shen hour," Li You added.

"I agree," Xun Yue, though unhappy with Jia Xu and Li You’s attitude, acknowledged the soundness of their plan.

"I second that," Man Chong raised his hand.

"In three to five days at most, there will be a battle," Jia Xu said with a sinister smile. Although things were happening quickly, he saw this as good news.

Three days later, the aristocratic families had gathered some intelligence on Xuzhou. With Jia Xu no longer blocking the flow of information, the details of the situation in Xuzhou became increasingly clear. Some families, using their connections to the Yuzhou clans, learned the exact size of Yuan Shu’s forces—eighty thousand strong!

Such a massive army, especially with Liu Bei’s forces currently engaged with Yuan Shao, caused many families to see this as a critical opportunity. Even though Chen Xi had repelled Xu You's army, Xu You's presence had drawn away much of the already limited forces in Taishan.

Now, with Yuan Shu deploying his troops immediately after Liu Bei sent his forces to Yanzhou, Xuzhou, already weakened by its campaign to seize Yanzhou, was suddenly faced with an overwhelming force.

A storm was brewing, and the plans that had been laid out suddenly seemed like mere paper, easily discarded. Many families that had previously submitted to Liu Bei’s might now saw a chance. Liu Xuan De’s forces seemed stretched too thin.

Should they deliver a fatal blow to Liu Bei in the heart of his power? This became the question for many aristocratic families after Li You departed for Xuzhou with reinforcements. How to strike, and how hard, to bring Liu Bei under their control—these were the matters they now debated.

In this atmosphere of doubt and calculation, the aristocratic families convened again. But unlike the last gathering, this time it was virtually a council of the family heads.

However, before this meeting could even begin, the rebellion erupted. Those family heads present, hearing the battle cries outside, were momentarily stunned, and then realized they had been set up.

"Wang Yu, you’re despicable!" Bai Ying shouted in fury at Wang Yu, who was seated at the head of the table. At this point, how could he not understand that Wang Yu had orchestrated this meeting with no good intentions?

"Hehehe, why so agitated?" Wang Yu responded coldly, completely unmoved by Bai Ying's anger.

"You’ve trapped our families in a snare!" Fang Chen also realized what was happening and yelled angrily.

"If it weren't for your constant hesitation, I wouldn't have had to resort to such measures. Our families should be standing atop the jade steps, overlooking the world, yet you’ve thrown away our dignity for some petty gain by submitting to Liu Bei’s tyranny. You’ve disgraced the aristocracy!" Wang Yu scolded the crowd.

"I'll kill you!" Cheng Hui shouted furiously, drawing his sword and stepping forward. But before he could act, a man behind Wang Yu moved swiftly. A flash of a sword later, Cheng Hui's weapon was sliced in two, and his head rolled to the ground, blood splattering everywhere. The sudden violence threw the other family heads into disarray.

"Are you with Yuan Shao?" Chen Shang asked, taking a deep breath as he stepped forward.

"Yuan Benchu is also of the aristocracy, as am I. Does it matter whose side we're on? Elder Chen, please wait patiently. After tonight, you will be free to leave," Wang Yu replied, glancing at Chen Shang.

"Those of you who’ve allied with Yuan Benchu, step forward. At this point, there’s no need to hide it. We’re clearly your hostages," Chen Shang said, turning to the others.

Soon, seven or eight family heads stepped forward, bowed to Chen Shang, and then moved to stand by Wang Yu’s side.

"Good, very good. You’re truly formidable," Chen Shang said icily, his gaze sweeping over the defectors. These were the very people who had strongly advocated for peace with Liu Bei not long ago.

"The will of the people," the previously silent man beside Wang Yu remarked.

"The so-called 'will of the people'—yet you still need to coerce our family soldiers into this?" Chen Shang sneered. He wasn’t worried about his safety; he had learned from multiple sources how important Chen Xi was, which also served as his shield.

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