Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3908 A Corrupt Frame Cannot Be Carved

Even though Xun Yu wasn't on the front lines, he could almost hear the distant, rumbling battle cries and the desperate cries of the Yingchuan militia in Yingyin City.

He had predicted everything, but when he actually saw the routed Yingchuan militia, Xun Yu still closed his eyes in anguish, unable to bear to look. His face was as pale as paper, and his body swayed slightly, almost unable to stand steadily.

The worst expectations in my heart have ultimately turned into cruel reality.

How much of this reality is there?

How long will it take?

However, Xun Yu was still Xun Yu. He quickly recovered, suppressing the turmoil in his heart and the self-blame for not thinking things through. He urgently mobilized the portion of Cao Cao's troops that he could control to support the defeated army, set up a blocking line at a strategic location outside the city, stabilized the situation, and did his best to prevent the rout from turning into total annihilation.

Guan Yu's troops pursued the enemy until they were only a few miles away from the walls of Yingyin City. Seeing that the city's defenders were ready and waiting with bows and crossbows, Guan Yu then showed off his power and slowly withdrew his troops.

Xun Yu's meticulously planned counterattack, which seemed to be on the verge of victory, ultimately ended in a crushing defeat for the Yingchuan militia.

The Yingchuan militia, on which Xun Yu had placed high hopes, suffered over 1,500 casualties...

It's practically as if the code has been removed.

Of course, not all 1,500 died on the battlefield; at least half of them abandoned their weapons and fled...

These aristocratic youths, who originally viewed war as a magnificent poem from the Book of Songs and considered life and death to be trivial matters, and the local militia of Yingchuan, suddenly felt their scalps itch when they actually faced iron and blood...

Within Yingyin City, a gloomy and desolate atmosphere prevailed.

The defeated soldiers were still in shock, the groans of the wounded were incessant, and their morale was almost completely shattered.

Officials and military officers at all levels were ashen-faced and speechless.

It was Xun Yu again, who had no choice but to step forward and take on the main responsibility once more.

In open field battles, after this defeat, it was difficult to contend with Guan Yu's vigorous army.

The chances of Xu County quickly resolving its crisis on its own in the short term are slim.

If it were an ordinary person, they might just throw themselves in, thinking hanging themselves in the spring is nothing...

However, Xun Yu's inherent stubbornness and resilience, characteristic of a top strategist, remained unbroken.

"Guan Yu is brave and skilled in battle, and his troops are all elite warriors who have fought countless battles. They are formidable in direct combat, and it is indeed difficult to seize their banners." Xun Yu muttered to himself as he unfolded a map of Yingchuan under the flickering candlelight.

His gaze was no longer limited to the Yingyin line, but he reluctantly prepared to trade space for time. "However, their isolated army has penetrated deep into our Yingchuan territory. The advantage lies in a swift battle, but the disadvantage is a protracted conflict. Their newly annexed cities of Wuyang and Kunyang have unsettled populace, and their supply lines are long… As for the Han family…"

My thoughts are gradually becoming clearer.

Xun Yu spread out the silk, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote two letters.

The first letter was a secret letter to the elders of his family who had stayed in his hometown of Yangdi.

The letter did not detail the defeat at Yingyin, but instead firmly instructed the family to take immediate, covert action, gather manpower, prepare supplies, contact powerful clans and gentry in the surrounding area who still recognized Cao Cao, and assemble a capable and flexible surprise force. Using their familiarity with the Yingchuan region, they were to infiltrate and disrupt Guan Yu's supply lines towards the Kunyang and Wuyang areas.

The second letter was written to the Han family of Wuyang.

The tone of this letter was completely different from the first one.

Xun Yu's words were harsh, almost rebuking, placing all the blame for the defeat at Yingyin and the loss of the Yingchuan militia on Han's lack of secrecy, which led to Guan Yu's discovery and the subsequent crushing defeat.

In particular, it was pointed out that if the Han family members hadn't been incompetent and exposed the deception, Guan Yu would have already fallen into their trap and been defeated and killed...

However, at the end of the letter, Xun Yu changed his tone and said that Guan Yu would definitely send people to capture and kill the Han family in this battle. Therefore, he ordered the Han family to quickly disperse and hide, and to use their local base to create chaos behind Guan Yu's lines...

They might spread rumors to undermine the morale of the troops and civilians in the newly annexed city; they might investigate Guan Yu's grain transport routes and the strength of his defenses; or they might seize the opportunity to harass his small transport teams, and so on.

Xun Yu also stated that the imperial army would soon launch a larger operation, at which point, with the help of both inside and outside forces, they could defeat Guan Yu in one fell swoop!
If Han can perform meritorious service at that time, not only will his previous crimes be forgiven, but he will also be rewarded.

Xun Yu didn't really think that the Han family could still play much of a role...

It was merely Xun Yu's coercion to exploit the remaining value of the Han family, and also a cover to attract Guan Yu's attention, thus providing cover for himself and the troops of Yangdi.

Xun Yu's new strategy is very clear...

Avoiding Guan Yu's unparalleled frontal assault, he extended the battlefield into the unfamiliar depths of Yingchuan countryside.

By leveraging the intricate networks of local aristocratic families and their intimate knowledge of the terrain, they could harass supply lines from behind and deplete the enemy's forces.

Now, whether Han regrets it or is terrified, he is deeply involved, a pawn placed in the open to mislead and restrain Guan Yu, allowing the troops from Yangdi to play a greater role...

Of course, even Xun Yu himself cannot judge or know how great this "greater effect" will be.

……

……

Just as Xun Yu was racking his brains in Yingyin City, trying to regroup and secretly deploy troops to barely hold off Guan Yu, or even attempting to launch a counterattack, Xu County behind Xun Yu began to fester.

It's like a person who is terminally ill; there may not be any external wounds, ulcers, or decay, but the internal organs have already begun to fail.

This capital city, a symbol of the Han dynasty's legal system and the heart of Xun Yu's countless political aspirations and emotional memories, rotted away even before Xun Yu had done his best to resist.

Those people who were singing and dancing as usual are starting to really want to do something...

But unfortunately...

The cause of the decay can perhaps be traced back to the bloody incident that shocked Shilin several years ago.

That year, Cao Cao executed the scholar Kong Rong on charges of "slandering the court" and "disobeying filial piety."

Not only that, Cao Cao also wiped out Kong Rong and his entire family...

While this move was driven by multiple political considerations—eliminating dissidents, suppressing public opinion, and intimidating unruly scholars—its ruthlessness drew attention from both the court and the public at the time.

When Cao Cao's power was at its zenith, Kong Rong's old friends, students, relatives, and former officials, despite harboring deep resentment, could only bury their bitterness deep in their hearts and dared not reveal it in the slightest.

However, the death of Kong Rong was not just a matter concerning one person or one family.

Why was Kong Rong able to become a "famous scholar"?
In the Han Dynasty, it was certainly not enough for someone like Kong Rong to become a "famous scholar" simply by relying on his words...

Just like the influential figures in later generations, which one of them wasn't involved in huge interests?

Without substantial incentives, which platform would allocate resources to influential users?

The same was true of Kong Rong.

Not to mention that Kong Rong was the calling card of Beihai, even in the area around Xu County, the network of interests and connections that previously linked some upright scholars and local forces with Kong Rong as the center was torn open with a bloody wound by Cao Cao's brutal killing.

Killing those who disagree can indeed have a temporary effect.

But the wound has not healed to this day...

During the height of Cao Cao's power, these people could only silently lick his boots.

But now times have changed, external pressures have increased dramatically, and internal cracks have appeared. These people are like underground swamp gas, finding a crack to emerge, mixing with the oxygen in the outside world, and reigniting into a raging fire that can devour everything!

General Fei Qian, the commander of the Flying Cavalry, was renowned throughout the Heluo region and repeatedly defeated Cao Cao's army. Cao Cao himself suffered repeated defeats, which damaged his prestige and depleted his elite troops. Even Guan Yu, a subordinate general under the Flying Cavalry, was able to advance unstoppably all the way to the heart of Yingchuan, and his army even pointed as far as the gates of Xuchang!
Yingchuan was shaken!

Xu County was shaken!

After one or two tremors, cracks appeared.

Within the seemingly peaceful mansions and dark alleys of Xu County, the remnants of those whose interests were severely damaged by the Kong Rong incident, like insects in the darkness, saw the cracks and smelled the scent...

Long-standing repression and fear have now evolved into the flames of revenge.

They began to secretly and cautiously reconnect and make contact. The fact that these people could endure and lie low during Cao Cao's purges speaks volumes about their abilities…

Their secret plot was, of course, to create another hole in Cao Cao's ship, which was already rocking in the stormy seas and was about to sink!
This was both to vent years of pent-up resentment and to prepare some "pledges of allegiance" and accumulate some merits for the possible arrival of a "new master" in the future...

Instead of directly attacking palaces or official residences, they went back to their old ways.

To mobilize the people.

……

……

As news of Guan Yu's approach intensified day by day, Xu County had already entered the highest level of combat readiness.

All four gates were tightly closed, with only the side gate heavily guarded and strictly checked for entry and exit, prohibiting the movement of any personnel or supplies that were not militaryly necessary.

While this is certainly a necessary measure to defend against foreign enemies and prevent spies from infiltrating, for a densely populated city with huge daily consumption, it is tantamount to tightening the noose around its neck, making even breathing a problem.

The city has a fixed quota for grain reserves, which are usually replenished by external imports. However, if the blockade lasts for a long time, the reserves will become insufficient.

Essential supplies like firewood and charcoal are consumed even faster. When the supply is almost completely cut off, market prices, driven by panic and scarcity, begin to run wild. The saying "rice is worth its weight in gold" is no exaggeration!

In Yingchuan, especially Xuxian, a few years ago, life was generally quite good...

On the one hand, it is relatively stable, and on the other hand, it is a "price subsidy".

Just like when Cao Cao invaded Jingzhou, he mobilized a large amount of resources to Yingchuan.

Therefore, the people of Xu County did not realize the approaching death line when Cao Cao was on the decline...

However, as time went on, ordinary families, especially poor households and small businesses, gradually fell into a huge survival crisis.

More and more rice bins are running out, and more and more people are going hungry!

Just when people were filled with anxiety and struggling to make a living, those who were secretly colluding started spreading rumors again and again.

Rumors may not have enough logic, but they're like flies carrying germs; as long as there's a crack, they can spread and contaminate...

"Have you heard? Commander Wang at the East Gate said the city gate will remain closed for at least another month or two! The higher-ups are determined to hold it to the death, regardless of whether we have food!"

"More than that! My cousin works in the city garrison, and he said there's a strict order from above: not even a fly is allowed to leave the city! They're saying they're afraid some spy from Guan Yu's army might send a message! What spy? It's not that they haven't found the spy; it's that we're all going to be trapped and starve to death in this city!"

"Hey! Prime Minister Cao himself is almost defeated by the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and he can barely take care of his hometown of Qiao County. How could he possibly care about the lives of the people of Xuchang? I heard that the official granaries are piled up like mountains of grain, all plundered from various places years ago, but they're hoarding it and refusing to distribute it, preferring to let it rot rather than give us a single sliver of life-saving rations!"

"That makes sense! What difference is there between our lives and those of ordinary people in their eyes? Rather than have our whole family freeze to death inside, we might as well risk it all! Let's all go to the city gate and beg for help. If that doesn't work, we'll just rush out! We don't even have a single piece of firewood left. If this continues, we might as well all freeze to death without even the imperial cavalry coming!"

The instinct to survive is the most primal driving force for humankind.

With the continuous instigation of those with ulterior motives, panic and anxiety continue to grow.

The dissatisfaction and resentment towards Cao Cao and his army fermented and expanded rapidly, like a snowball rolling downhill.

Soon, a large number of people driven to desperation, mainly the poor, laborers, and small merchants, began to gather at the city gates of the north and west of the city.

These people were among the first to be brought to the brink of elimination amidst the economic downturn and tense situation.

At first there were dozens of people, then hundreds, a dark mass.

They carried the elderly and helped the young, their faces pale and their clothes tattered, their eyes filled with despair and pleading as they bowed, cried, and knelt before the Cao army soldiers and officers guarding the gate...

"Please have mercy! Please let us out! We dare not go far, we'll just gather some firewood on the outskirts of town!"

"The children at home are crying from hunger, and the elderly are sick with no firewood for warmth; they're on their last legs!"

"We won't go far, we'll be back in half a day! Please!"

That's right, at first all the lambs knew was how to bleat and beg...

The crowd grew larger and larger, and cries, pleas, and complaints merged into a wave of sorrow that crashed against the cold city gate.

But how could Cao Cao's military officers guarding the city gate possibly open it?

After all, if the city gates are not opened, only the desperately pleading common people will die, but if the city gates are opened, it will be ourselves who die!
Faced with the overwhelming public outcry, the soldiers and officers guarding the city initially managed to claim that if there were any problems, they should go to their superiors, as their orders forbidding the opening of the city gates were strictly enforced. However, as more and more people gathered, they lost patience and could no longer offer any explanations. All they could do was shout and shove, trying to drive the crowd away...

Under normal circumstances, the people of Xu County would have been torn to shreds and run away in a panic after being intimidated, pushed, and beaten by Cao's soldiers and officers. But things are different now.

The reason why the common people retreated and endured before was not because they thought that the actions of Cao's soldiers and officers were reasonable, but because they thought that if they endured and suffered, they and their families could still survive!
There's no turning back now. If we continue to endure this, even if our entire family doesn't starve, they'll freeze to death!
Normally, when such a situation occurs, the imperial court should immediately arrange soup kitchens, distribute supplies, at least give some money, or even some welfare vouchers, to at least calm down the agitated emotions of the people.

But the officials in Shandong and the Central Plains are all cunning and treacherous!
The high-ranking officials felt that whether they distributed money or grain, it would be corrupted by lower-level officials. Therefore, in order to prevent corruption, they could not distribute money or grain, but could only issue a document expressing their confidence in the Han Dynasty and in Prime Minister Cao.

This is a classic example of putting the cause in the effect.

Everyone knows corruption exists, but when problems actually arise, you can't use things that haven't happened yet as reasons or excuses to justify giving up...

Without orders from above or any funds or provisions, the military officers at the city gates could only shout, threaten, push, and beat the civilians. But the number of civilians was simply too large, and their will to survive completely overwhelmed their fear of military might.

When pleas proved ineffective, despair gradually turned into anger.

Resistance began to emerge from the crowd, involving not only insults but also attempts to break through the barricades blocking the way and the throwing of stones at the Cao army's formation.

The patience of the city gate guards quickly ran out, causing them to become even more violent.

"Rebellion! Outrageous! A bunch of unruly commoners, trying to storm the city gates? Are they trying to infiltrate the rebel army?" A village headman, his face contorted with rage, drew his ring-pommel sword and roared hoarsely, "All of you, stand back! One more step forward, and you're dead! Do you think my sword is just for show?"

The sparks of conflict were finally ignited at a certain moment.

It's unclear whether it was those lurking in the crowd who struck first, or the city guards who started the attack, but when the first scream rang out and the first drop of blood appeared, everything descended into chaos!

"Murder! They're not letting us ordinary people live!"

"You dog soldiers! You can't stop the Flying Cavalry yourselves, so you take it out on us!"

"See that? Their granaries are overflowing, but they won't give it to us, and they're even trying to kill us! Let's fight these bloodthirsty lackeys! Only by seizing the granaries can we all survive!"

"I can't survive! If I fight, there's still a chance!"

Some people took the lead, and some people encouraged them.

Like a torch thrown into oil and kindling, it instantly burst into flames amidst the crowd!

What started as a timid and pleading riot quickly turned into a looting and rioting fueled by the instinct for survival!

Some of the civilians, completely enraged by the bloodshed and anger, began to charge the defending troops' lines with reckless abandon, picking up stones, sticks, and even trying to seize the soldiers' weapons with their bare hands.

Those who were prepared took advantage of the chaos to attack the isolated Cao army soldiers, and deliberately spread the disordered crowd to more critical areas within the city.

Liu Ye, who remained in the city, was also in a state of utter distress.

Xun Yu was in charge of blocking Guan Yu's troops from the south, but Liu Ye wasn't idle either; he had to consider the situation north of Xu County...

The defeat of Cao Zhen and Cao Zhang in the Qiao and Pei areas caused Liu Ye's original plans to suffer a major setback.

The rapid deterioration of the situation caused some staunch Cao family members in Yanzhou and Yuzhou to begin to waver, their original deep blue allegiance fading and gradually turning faintly red...

When the commotion broke out at the gates of Xu County, Liu Ye was still pondering how to deal with this new change and how to reverse the shift in the city's color. Suddenly, a panicked messenger rushed in from outside the gate, bringing an urgent report from the city gates!

Liu Ye was so shocked that he almost jumped up from his seat!

Internal strife!

This is more terrifying than an attack from an external enemy, because it directly undermines the will and foundation of defense from within!

We must absolutely not allow internal strife to spread!
Liu Ye immediately ordered the urgent mobilization of troops to rush to the city gate where the incident occurred to quell the unrest and restore order as quickly as possible...