Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 875 - 836: Where Will the Stratagem Lead

"General, there is no need for this. Life and death are governed by fate, wealth and honor are bestowed by the heavens. For us to follow you and enjoy such prosperity, what more could we possibly ask for? As for Er Niu and the others, it can only be said that their blessings are thin. Perhaps returning home to live a peaceful life is not such a bad thing." A trusted aide who had followed Zhang Fei from Zhuo County stepped forward to console him, seeing him deep in thought.

Zhang Fei gazed at his trusted aide. Of those who had accompanied him from Zhuo County on campaigns far and wide, only a small number remained. Zhang Fei knew each of them by name.

"Only the eighteen of you are left," Zhang Fei said, uncharacteristically letting slip a trace of melancholy. Watching his personal soldiers, who, upon awakening, wailed uncontrollably, he chose not to rebuke them. They understood all too well that after such an incident, they could no longer follow Zhang Fei into battle and would have no choice but to return home to farm the land.

"General," the dozen or so men said, clasping their fists in salute.

"I will give you a name, in the hope that you may always remain by my side. From now on, you shall be called the Eighteen Riders of Yan and Yun," Zhang Fei said gruffly, as if placing his hope and trust in them. After all, Zhuo County was part of the Land of Yan and Yun, a region long known for producing righteous men and heroes. By granting them this name, Zhang Fei wished for them to stand tall like the heroes of old.

"We shall never fail the General's expectations!" The last remaining eighteen riders exchanged glances, then bowed deeply toward Zhang Fei, pledging their loyalty.

"Go now," Zhang Fei waved his hand, unwilling to say any more. [Perhaps it is already my fate to never have personal soldiers who can accompany me for a lifetime.]

After Li Yan returned from his great defeat, he recounted the day's events in detail to Li Tong. Although Li Tong was somewhat displeased by Li Yan's decision to mobilize troops without prior authorization, given the intelligence Li Yan had gathered and his straightforward acceptance of punishment, Li Tong chose not to pursue the matter further.

However, after this incident, Li Tong became far more cautious regarding Zhang Fei. The information Li Yan provided about the talent of Zhang Fei's Legion was so alarming that even Li Tong himself felt uneasy. He immediately tightened defenses to prevent Zhang Fei from exploiting any opportunities, while also contemplating potential withdrawal routes.

Meanwhile, it took Fa Zheng three days to cross the Yangtze River and arrive in Xuzhou, pressing forward as quickly as he could. By this time, he was already clad in Yuzhou Army armor, with a red silk sash draped over his shoulder.

Truth be told, had it not been for Yuan Shu's relentless stance on suppressing aristocratic families, it might have been Wen Pin and Kan Ze—wielding Zhou Yu's sword and riding alone—who were sent ahead to Xuzhou.

But due to Yuan Shu's strict orders, Zhuge Jin had no choice but to retain Wen Pin and Kan Ze to maintain stability in Shouchun. To Zhuge Jin, as long as nothing went wrong in South Huai River, the defeat in Xuzhou was merely a temporary setback. However, if something did happen in South Huai River and Shouchun fell under attack, the consequences would extend far beyond minor losses—it would be a crippling blow.

After all, when Zhou Yu spoke of the Talent Recruitment Order, he had already deviated from the norms upheld by contemporary aristocratic families. Shortly afterward, he departed from Shouchun and traveled to Jingzhou. With the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family lacking soldiers and justification, they found no opportunity to act.

Nonetheless, Zhuge Jin remained on guard against the aristocratic families. He, having come from such a family, deeply understood their strength. Therefore, out of necessity, he left Wen Pin and Kan Ze behind to prepare for a prolonged struggle with the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family.

Previously, Zhuge Jin's plan was to first reach a compromise with the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family, then defeat Jingzhou's Liu Biao and ally with the Jingzhou aristocratic families to conquer Yangzhou. After that, he intended to unite Eastern Wu's local aristocratic families with the Jingzhou aristocratic families to collectively oppose the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family.

While factional struggles would inevitably sap significant strength, it was far better than starting off by suppressing the aristocratic families and causing widespread upheaval. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned—Yuan Shu immediately instigated uncontrollable chaos.

If anyone else had acted as Yuan Shu did, they would have sparked universal outrage among the aristocratic families. Yet Yuan Shu's approach led to an odd outcome. No matter how severe his actions, it became clear that he did not intend to destroy the aristocratic families entirely—he sought only to reform them based on historical records!

Though his methods were harsh, the Yuan Family was already at the pinnacle of the aristocratic hierarchy. Besides, Yuan Shu struck down his own clan elders first.

As a result, the situation within the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family became bizarre. If Yuan Shu were accused of betraying his own class, that would be untrue. However, his ruthless actions left many aristocrats unwilling to question Zhou Yu's apparent betrayal of their class. After all, anyone could see that Zhou Yu was being positioned as a scapegoat.

At the very least, all the aristocratic families recognized one fact: any group could be influenced and divided, because as collectives, they were inherently rational. However, an individual was another matter entirely; humans are emotional creatures, prone to irrational decisions.

Thus, the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family now faced two choices: either flee or find a way to appease Yuan Shu. The first option was clearly impossible—Gan Ning's forces were still stationed in North Huai River, and no one wanted to seek their own demise. Therefore, they were left with the second option.

In such circumstances, the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family realized that allowing members of the Humble Family to execute Yuan Shu's orders was, in fact, a wise strategy.

On the one hand, this effectively constituted an internal compromise with the Yuan Family. On the other hand, introducing new members from the Talent Recruitment Order into their ranks made it easier to dilute influence compared to reshaping Yuan Shu's ideology altogether.

And so, the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family decided to align with Zhuge Jin first, supporting him as an aristocratic proxy. This approach ensured greater safety and eventually fostered further compromise with the Yuan Family.

As for the compromise, it ultimately settled upon Sun Ce. In this way, power was smoothly transferred, and Yuan Shu and the Yuan Family were effectively sidelined, leaving all parties satisfied.

To mediate between the aristocratic families, maintain Shouchun's stability, and prevent Yuan Shu from plunging into a freefall of unchecked fury, Zhuge Jin had no choice but to keep Wen Pin and Kan Ze in Shouchun. As for the one hundred thousand veteran soldiers in Xuzhou—many of whom were private soldiers of the aristocratic families—even if they were all true veterans loyal to the Yuzhou Aristocratic Family, Zhuge Jin would not hesitate.

"Xingba, how are things?" Fa Zheng, covered in dust from the road, asked urgently upon seeing Gan Ning return.

"The situation is not favorable. It seems that the Yuzhou Army is considering a retreat. From what I observed, their military camps are heavily fortified, with a large number of concealed sentries and patrols. It's likely they already know we are here," Gan Ning replied with a look of displeasure. To have hurried all this way only to arrive at such an outcome was frustrating.

"A retreat?" Fa Zheng's expression darkened. He pressed his temples for a long moment before speaking, "It seems they are indeed prepared. However, at most, Zhou Yu would have anticipated us attacking from the eastern region of Yuzhou. The likelihood that they anticipated an attack from Zhongli remains low—this creates a time window."

"But what does that even prove? Zhou Yu could easily have prepared for the possibility that we might head to Xuzhou, and then implemented stringent defenses, leaving us helpless," Gan Ning asked, puzzled. After all, he too was well-versed in military strategy.

"No, this is a golden opportunity. Sometimes, the wrong preparations can be more dangerous than no preparations at all!" Fa Zheng suddenly lifted his head, his eyes shining brightly. "We are destined to win, Xingba!"

(To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)