Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Chapter 661: The Battle Between the Iron-Blooded and the Civilizing Factions

By the time Zhou Yu, stationed in Yuzhou, learned about the situation in Xuzhou, Sun Ce had already led his troops to march on Jingzhou. Meanwhile, Liu Biao, leveraging Kuai Yue's strategic wisdom and Huang Zhong's bravery, had successfully captured most of Nan County. This marked Liu Biao’s first successful counterattack since losing Jingbei.

Zhou Yu found himself in a dilemma upon hearing this news. However, given his clear sense of priorities, he decided, after some hesitation, to forgo what seemed like a golden opportunity to seize Xuzhou. He recognized that he hadn’t yet fully consolidated the territories previously held by Yuan Shu.

As for the southern parts of Yangzhou, they were still too far out of reach. Consequently, Zhou Yu had no choice but to abandon this promising opportunity, focusing instead on stabilizing his base before making further moves.

"Ziyu, I’m leaving the Yuzhou aristocracy and the upcoming spring plowing to you. I need to find a way to stall those Yuan family elders," Zhou Yu sighed, giving instructions to Zhuge Jin.

Thanks to Zhuge Jin’s efforts in persuading the local aristocrats, many had already pledged their support to Sun Ce. Even those who hadn’t openly declared their loyalty were no longer as resistant to Sun Ce’s rule. Meanwhile, Zhou Yu had also begun reorganizing the troops, aiming to maintain a force of 200,000 while enhancing the combat effectiveness of the Yuzhou army.

"I will take care of it, but Gongjin, sometimes you need to act decisively," Zhuge Jin nodded, then added with a light-hearted tone.

"Sigh, they are still Yuan Shu's clan and have done great favors for Bofu. I can’t treat them harshly," Zhou Yu shook his head. He had indeed considered taking more drastic measures, but both Sun Ce and Yuan Shu were men of honor. Acting against the Yuan family would greatly damage their relationships.

"It’s not about being harsh. Sometimes it’s better to channel than to block. Gongjin, perhaps you could consider other approaches. The reason the Yuan elders can’t work with us is clear to you. So, why not address the root cause?" Zhuge Jin said calmly. Since they couldn’t eliminate the Yuan family, they might as well turn them into allies.

"That’s true, but it won’t be easy," Zhou Yu sighed.

"On the contrary, it’s quite simple. Yuan Benchu can’t reach Yuzhou. All we need to do is consolidate our power and let the Yuan family see our strength. By the time they realize it, it will be too late. Besides, it’s uncertain whether Yuan Benchu in Jizhou will live up to the Yuan family’s expectations," Zhuge Jin replied with a slight smile. He wasn’t interested in suppressing others; he was more concerned with strengthening their own position."Very well. I’ll go along with their plans for now, and let them realize things aren’t as simple as they think," Zhou Yu said, inspired by Zhuge Jin’s words. A complete plan began to take shape in his mind.

"These Yuan family elders always talk about the Yuan clan and Yuan Shao. In that case, it’s time they learned the differences between their ideals and ours," Zhou Yu thought as he carefully considered the feasibility of his plan.

"Still, I need to be careful with the timing. I can’t let the Yuan elders run amok," Zhou Yu mused as he headed outside to speak with the Yuan family elders. For now, they couldn’t afford to provoke a conflict with Liu Bei—it wasn’t in the interests of Sun Ce or Yuan Shu. The so-called interests of the Yuan family didn’t align with theirs, so a clash was out of the question.

Though the Yuan elders were experienced and shrewd, they couldn’t match the innate brilliance of Zhou Yu. While they disapproved of Yuan Shu handing over military and administrative powers to Sun Ce, Zhou Yu’s argument, framed from the perspective of the Yuan family’s overall interests, left them with no choice but to concede.

When Fazheng and Zhuge Liang arrived in Yanzhou, Liu Yan was busy drumming up support for Lu Bu’s return to Bingzhou. He had already invited numerous scholars to discuss the threat of northern barbarians invading Bingzhou.

Before Liu Yan could even propose that Lu Bu was willing to march north to defeat the barbarians and secure the frontier, many scholars began to rally around the cause. A group of idle scholars even started advocating for the various warlords to set aside their differences and focus on eliminating the barbarian threat.

But events quickly took a different turn from what Liu Yan had planned. First, Chen Lin stepped forward to praise Gongsun Zan for his heroic efforts in exterminating the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes and securing the frontier. He argued that Yuan Shao should not have attacked Gongsun Zan.

It seems Chen Lin had also been angered by Yuan Shao’s previous actions, and he lavishly praised Gongsun Zan’s achievements in Youzhou, extolling his merits in defending the frontier. Although there was some exaggeration, Gongsun Zan’s title as the White Horse General was indeed earned through bloody battles and undeniable achievements.

With Chen Lin leading the way, a wave of support for Gongsun Zan quickly followed, accompanied by harsh criticism of Yuan Shao. Even Han Fu’s mysterious death in the latrine was pinned on Yuan Shao by some who harbored grudges.

Of course, where there is praise, there is also criticism. Liu Yu, who was still alive in Chang’an, began organizing people to denounce Gongsun Zan after hearing Chen Lin’s commendations. After all, Gongsun Zan’s methods had indeed been brutal, wiping out every barbarian he encountered, leaving no trace behind. Moreover, Gongsun Zan had once attacked a member of the imperial family, an act that was hard to justify.

The "kill every barbarian you see" approach, though favored by some scholars, clashed with the ideals of others who leaned toward cultural assimilation. Thus, a fierce debate erupted between the two sides. At this point, it was no longer a matter of who was right or wrong; it had become a full-blown factional struggle.

On one side was the Iron-Blooded Faction, led by Chen Lin and Xu Gan. On the other side was the Civilizing Faction, led by Liu Yu and Kong Rong. The Iron-Blooded Faction’s strongest debater was naturally Chen Lin himself, while the Civilizing Faction’s most formidable rhetorician was Mi Heng.

A glance at the lineup made it clear that the two sides were evenly matched. At this stage, neither would back down. One side staunchly supported Gongsun Zan, while the other vehemently denounced him. As a result, Lu Bu found himself sidelined, with Liu Yan dumbfounded by the turn of events. Chen Lin and Kong Rong even proposed a public debate, asking Liu Yan to provide the venue and serve as the arbitrator.

Naturally, Yuan Shao would have to be out of his mind to consider attacking Gongsun Zan now. If Gongsun Zan were killed at this point, both factions would surely turn their ire on Yuan Shao, and the resulting vilification would be relentless. Among these scholars were historians, members of the Qingliu (Pure Stream) Faction, and practical statesmen—all fully capable of tarnishing Yuan Shao’s legacy.

Moreover, the Iron-Blooded Faction and the Civilizing Faction weren’t just about debating. Their disputes also had practical consequences, as seen in the earlier clashes between Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu. Now, among the scholars involved in the current debate, there were those who preferred to let their actions speak for themselves. Some even picked up their weapons, ready to settle the matter through direct confrontation, believing that victory would silence the opposition.

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