Chapter 725: A Fatal Move

Jia Xu and Li You were unaware of many of these developments. Their focus now was to set everything in motion and guide the situation to unfold according to their plans.

“Zi Chuan really has a grand vision,” Man Chong remarked as he read the proposals in Chen Xi’s letter, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. “Who was the first to spread the rumor about the emergence of the Tianren Two Cauldrons, or where did it originate?”

“I don’t know,” Jia Xu replied, shaking his head with a blank expression, signaling that he too was unsure.

“If Wen He doesn’t know, then it’s truly intriguing. Either someone has orchestrated this on a grand scale, or it might actually be real,” Man Chong commented, his usual stern demeanor giving way to a fervent excitement. The opportunity to engrave laws and human values on such an artifact was a long-held dream of Legalists, and Man Chong wouldn’t let it pass by.

“Perhaps,” Jia Xu responded briefly, glancing at Li You. Though Jia Xu hadn’t uncovered the source of the rumor, it had spread widely across the land, evading his detection. This led Jia Xu to suspect those closest to him.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Li You said calmly, lifting his eyelids slightly. He knew very well the origins of the rumor—it was his own doing. “I believe that law, morality, and civilization should coexist.”

“Thank you,” Man Chong responded, understanding that Li You was endorsing the idea of engraving laws onto the Tianren Two Cauldrons, thus solidifying the rule of law as eternal.

“We’ll discuss it when the time comes. For now, let’s focus on dealing with the rebellion. The aristocratic families have divided into three categories. Bo Ning, you’ll handle the third category,” Jia Xu said, addressing Man Chong. “Wenru, you’ll take care of the second category. As for the last category, once everything is settled, Zizhong and I will handle it.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure they understand where they’ve gone wrong,” Man Chong replied, his stern demeanor returning.

“Report!” Just as Li You was about to speak, a messenger hurried in, holding a red envelope.

“It’s time…” Xun Yue, who had remained silent and passive like a piece of wood, finally spoke. The red envelope signified a situation just short of the most urgent level—an indication that what they had been anticipating had begun.

Jia Xu quickly took the letter, scanned it briefly, deciphered the oracle text, converted it into numbers, and cross-referenced it with the Book of Songs before giving his analysis.

“It has begun, just as we predicted. The Yuan family in Yuzhou has mobilized, and our inside sources report that Zhou Gongjin has also agreed to dispatch troops. This means the Yuan family’s forces will far exceed our estimates,” Jia Xu stated calmly, tossing the letter onto the table.

“The forces we have stationed in Xuzhou are insufficient,” Xun Yue commented, narrowing his eyes and looking at Li You. “Some of the Xuzhou families might actually rebel. Those in the second category may fall into a lower category.”

“The northern campaign requires internal unity. It’s better to eliminate these hidden dangers early on. As for the gap in Xuzhou’s forces, hasn’t Zijing already moved to Yanzhou? A small difference in forces isn’t significant,” Li You retorted, his approach undeniably harsh but necessary given the families’ previous attempts to undermine him.

Xun Yue was momentarily stunned, recalling that Lu Su had indeed arrived in Linyi and conducted a troop exchange, with Gan Ning and Fa Zheng moving to Shanyang, while Zhuge Liang and Taishi Ci moved to Jiyin.

“You’re insane!” Xun Yue suddenly realized the implications, his face showing shock as he looked at Jia Xu and Li You.

“So it seems that Xiu Ruo has figured it out,” Jia Xu said calmly, unperturbed by Xun Yue’s reaction. He expected that once everything was laid bare, Xun Yue would deduce the strategy.

“What if a single corps can’t hold Xiapi? Do we really need such a risky plan? Even if the aristocrats in Yuzhou have a tendency to support the winning side, they wouldn’t betray Yuan Shu at this time!” Xun Yue argued, understanding the mindset of the aristocratic families better than anyone.

“A risky plan? On the contrary, after this, Yuan Gonglu should exit the stage of history,” Jia Xu replied evenly. Fa Zheng’s plan might be audacious, but it was undeniable that this one move could cripple Yuan Shu beyond recovery.

“Exit history?” Xun Yue almost laughed in disbelief. “Do you think Yuan Shao won’t see this as a golden opportunity? If our war with Yuan Shu doesn’t end in a decisive victory within three months, we’ll be forced into a death match with the entire Yuan family. I don’t see our forces easily defeating Yuan Shu’s 100,000 troops. That’s 100,000 soldiers, not 100,000 pigs!”

“Yuan Shu will be out of the picture within a month. As for why—remember that we’ve already fought through Yuzhou once before. This time, it’s even better. Once we sever the Liangguo-Runan line, Liu Jingsheng and Liu Jiayu will both know what to do,” Jia Xu explained calmly. “We’re taking everything north of the Huai River!”

Xun Yue silently processed Jia Xu’s words, realizing he had been too emotionally involved to see the full picture. Now that Jia Xu had laid it out, Xun Yue understood. For Zhou Yu, currently stationed in Shouchun, his primary concern was Sun Ce, not the Yuzhou forces attacking Xuzhou.

Even if Zhou Yu learned that his 100,000 troops' supply lines had been cut off by Liu Bei, he would prioritize rescuing Sun Ce. If he failed to do so, the moment the situation became clear, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Liu Bei’s auxiliary forces would undoubtedly make it their top priority to eliminate Sun Ce.

More crucially, Zhou Yu knew that the Yuan family was likely rejecting Sun Ce’s involvement. If Zhou Yu didn’t move to rescue Sun Ce, the Yuan family would abandon him, leaving Zhou Yu no choice but to lead the rescue personally. And it would have to be his naval forces.

This ensured that Fa Zheng and Gan Ning could safely take the northern Huai River. As for Zhou Yu’s naval forces disembarking to rescue Sun Ce, Zhuge Liang would be there to meet them.

As for Xun Yue’s concern that a single corps might not hold Xuzhou, it was valid. But a corps could defend Xiapi for a month, which was enough time for Fa Zheng and Gan Ning to march from Runan to Xuzhou and cut off Yuan Shu’s entire route of retreat.

“A war of encirclement… Yuan Gonglu’s forces are too spread out. Once we cut through the middle, he’ll be unable to respond,” Xun Yue murmured to himself. “What a ruthless strategy. So, it was you who manipulated Yuan Gonglu into relocating his capital. Did you anticipate this outcome from the start?”

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