Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

44

Gongsun Zan saw through his thoughts at a glance, and calmly waved his sleeve, saying, "It's just taking some precautions in advance. After all, the situation on the battlefield can change in an instant, and who can guarantee victory? It's always better to have an extra way out."

"call--"

Gongsun Fan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this: "That's good! I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

"Go ahead." Gongsun Zan nodded in agreement.

Only after Gongsun Fan had gone far away did he sigh deeply.

Within Pengcheng County, Dian Wei stood alone beneath the city walls and shouted, "Tao Qian! Now, eight of the nine cities of Xuzhou have fallen, leaving only Pengcheng isolated. Those who understand the times are wise; quickly open the city gates and surrender, and I may be able to persuade my lord to spare your entire Tao family!"

"You bastard!" Tao Qian, atop the city wall, was deathly pale, his hair standing on end in fury. "Dian Wei, you brat! In war, the suffering of wives and children should not be incurred. You dare threaten my people with your lives! Is there no justice or law left? Do you intend to condemn Lu Feng to eternal infamy?"

The sudden turn of events terrified him. Just days before, he was dreaming of conquering Yu Province, but now Xu Province was shattered. He was filled with regret—if only he hadn't been so greedy and reckless, things would have come to this.

"Ha!" Dian Wei's voice boomed like thunder: "This is my personal opinion, what does it have to do with our lord? Warfare is based on deception, what is a mere threat? Decide quickly! If you surrender, you may lose your land but your lives will be spared; if you have committed no serious crime, letting you leave the territory is not out of the question!"

[

"If you insist on defending the city to the death, the conditions will not be so favorable once our army breaches the gates!"

He could have launched an offensive immediately, but he wished to minimize casualties among his soldiers.

Achieving the greatest victory at the lowest cost is the essence of military strategy taught by Lu Feng.

Life is the most precious thing.

Even if the city falls, he will not actually exterminate Tao Qian's entire clan.

This action has had a very negative impact.

This could bring unnecessary enmity upon Lu Feng and provoke a desperate resistance from the powerful clans of Xuzhou and Yuzhou.

"you--"

Tao Qian, standing atop the city wall, was both angry and fearful, and his resolve had begun to waver.

Dian Wei, with his excellent eyesight, noticed Tao Qian's hesitation and immediately shouted, "You have one day to think it over. When the time is up, we will definitely launch an attack on the city! And let me give you a piece of advice—Liu Bei has already led his army westward; don't expect any more reinforcements!"

After speaking, he turned his horse around and led his troops back to the camp.

Is this really true?

Tao Qian stiffly turned to his eldest son: "Did Liu Bei really escape?"

Tao Shang bowed his head and replied, "I just received a secret report. Liu Bei has indeed gone west, either to join Lü Bu or to rely on Liu Biao..."

"Outrageous! I have shown Liu Bei an immeasurable kindness! He has always prided himself on benevolence and righteousness; how could he so betray his promise?"

Tao Qian's eyes widened in disbelief.

It turns out that Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence and righteousness was all a lie!

Tao Shang's eyes flickered as he whispered, "If there's truly no other way out, it would be better to surrender the city..."

"Lord Wu has always treated the gentry well, and my Tao family has never done anything immoral. If we surrender, perhaps we can still preserve our clan. Besides, my mother and siblings are currently under Lord Wu's control."

He is by nature indecisive and often hesitates when faced with a problem.

However, he values ​​his family very much, not wanting anything to happen to himself, and even less wanting his family to be harmed.

At present, submission seems to be the only option.

"you!"

Tao Qian's face changed drastically upon hearing this. He pointed tremblingly at his eldest son, almost shouting a rebuke, but ultimately let out a long sigh: "Alas..."

After a long silence, he waved his hand dejectedly and said, "So be it! Perhaps I was never meant to be a powerful figure, and you are even less suited for that. In that case... so be it."

"I am utterly exhausted. I entrust the affairs of the city to you. You are fully responsible for the surrender; make sure your family is safely brought back. After it is done, we will move our entire family to Jingzhou to live in seclusion. I... am truly weary."

After saying this, Tao Qian walked unsteadily down the city wall.

Tao Shang clearly saw that his father's figure had suddenly become much more hunched, as if he had aged decades in an instant, exuding an air of old age.

"father..."

His heart skipped a beat, and he raised his hand as if to call out, but ultimately held back.

Before long, Tao Shang personally went out of the city to meet with Dian Wei to discuss the matter of surrender.

Dian Wei greatly admired Tao Shang's wise move and agreed to all of Tao Shang's requests to release his family and allow them to leave Xuzhou.

After agreeing on the terms, Tao Shang returned to the city and ordered the city gates to be opened, commanding the soldiers guarding the city to lay down their armor and weapons and surrender to Lu's army.

Dian Wei gladly sent men to receive the surrendered soldiers.

"General Dian, where are your family members now? Are they all well?"

Seeing that the soldiers of the Azure Dragon Camp had begun to take over the city, Tao Shang couldn't help but ask.

"Oh!"

Dian Wei smiled and said, "Your mother and others are all settled in your esteemed residence in Xiapi City. My lord has ordered that the Tao clan not be disturbed. Lord Tao was diligent in governing Xuzhou and served the people well; he deserves to be treated with courtesy."

"Those harsh words were just tactical intimidation; Young Master Tao, there's no need to take them to heart!"

These words made Tao Shang feel a tightness in his chest.

Ha! So all those words were just to fool me?

Of course, looking at Dian Wei's fierce face, Tao Shang had no doubt that if they really put up a stubborn resistance, those threats would eventually become a reality.

Some things are best left unsaid; if you take them seriously, you've already lost.

"Since Lord Wu so highly regards my father, why did he still invade Xuzhou?"

Tao Shang finally couldn't hold back his question.

Dian Wei looked him over meaningfully: "When did Xuzhou become yours? This is clearly the territory of the Han Dynasty, the Xuzhou of the people! My lord only wants it to return to the people so that everyone can live a good life."

"Young Master Tao, you probably haven't seen Qingzhou and Yanzhou as they are now, have you? Back then, they were far worse off than Xuzhou; the people lived like pigs and dogs. But in just a few years? Qingzhou has become the most prosperous of the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty, and the people's lives are sweeter than honey!"

"Prefect Tao is indeed quite capable in governing Xuzhou—but he's just one of the best among the worst. Compared to my lord's territory, he's not even in the same league!"

He then patted Tao Shang heavily on the shoulder: "Therefore, submitting to Lord Wu is the greatest blessing for the people of Xuzhou!"

"Take my advice and don't even think about Jingzhou. It's full of powerful clans and wealthy families, and many have fled there from Yanzhou and Qingzhou. Where is there any place for the Tao family to stand?"

"To put it bluntly, even if we do, my lord will still attack us in a few years! Where will you run then? Rather than being stray dogs, you'd better stay put now!"

Dian Wei only spoke so frankly because he saw that Tao Shang was sensible and honest. With anyone else? He wouldn't even bother to lift an eyelid.

"this......"

Tao Shang was completely dumbfounded.

Because upon closer reflection—these words actually make a damn good point!

Even in Xuzhou, the gentry were deeply entrenched and powerful; Jingzhou, on the other hand, was a den of dragons and tigers...

The situation is probably not much different.

The powerful families who fled south gathered in Jingzhou, and choosing to seek refuge there was indeed not a wise move.

But with the world so vast, where could they possibly go?

Should we stay in Xuzhou?

Upon hearing Dian Wei recount the current situation in Qing and Yan provinces, Tao Shang's heart was indeed stirred, but when he thought of those new policies and measures, he hesitated.

"This matter needs to be discussed with my father. If I ultimately decide to leave, I hope the general will be accommodating and allow me to go to Xiapi to bring my family home."

Tao Shang was in a state of confusion and unable to make a decision, so he bowed to Dian Wei and said...

"No problem!"

Dian Wei laughed heartily, "Having made a promise, I will never break it. Whether I stay or leave, I will ensure the safety of your family. Await good news!"

Watching Tao Shang hurriedly leave, Dian Wei stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "I didn't realize my words were so effective! It seems this young master Tao is probably swayed! He might actually be able to retain some talent for our lord..."

He knew all too well that his lord was eager for talented people.

This war came suddenly and should have been postponed for half a year.

The original plan was to first take Henan and Xuzhou, then rest and recuperate for more than a year before targeting another prefecture.

Given the current situation, it seems likely that both states will be taken.

The talent shortage is becoming increasingly apparent.

"General, your diligent study and practice naturally make you eloquent. Ultimately, isn't it all for the sake of serving our lord?"

The deputy general beside him joked with a smile.

"Ha ha!"

Dian Wei clapped his hands and laughed: "Indeed! My lord's magic is so profound that even a rough man like me can read and write. It's just that the experience of reading and writing is truly a headache!"

How wonderful it would be if there were a wonderful method that could be understood without painstaking study!

"As our lord often says, 'No pain, no gain.' General, isn't your achievement today the best proof of that? How many people would gladly seek such good fortune!"

The lieutenant couldn't help but shake his head, trying not to laugh.

To have such an extraordinary master is truly a blessing from heaven.

"really!"

Dian Wei nodded, then waved his hand and said, "Enough! Let's not talk about that. First, we need to quickly incorporate the troops from Xuzhou, and then order the secret guards to report to the lord immediately to see how to deal with these surrendered soldiers. I estimate their numbers are at least 100,000."

Who would have thought that Tao Qian would actually surrender without a fight?

Even Dian Wei found it unbelievable at this moment.

The lieutenant echoed, "Perhaps Tao Qian truly valued his family highly. Of course, it's also because he realized early on that this battle was unwinnable!"

"A large army and many generals do not necessarily mean strong combat power."

Moreover, the Lu family army was equipped with many sophisticated weapons such as repeating crossbows and divine crossbows. Even if Tao Qian led 100,000 troops to defend Pengcheng to the death, he would not be able to hold out for long.

It will only result in more casualties.

The combat capabilities of different armies vary greatly.

"Maybe."

Dian Wei nodded again.

Meanwhile, Tao Shang bid farewell to Dian Wei and soon found his father at the prefect's residence.

"Everything's been agreed upon?"

Tao Qian looked up at his son.

"Yes, Father."

Tao Shang replied, "General Dian Wei did not make things difficult for me. He promised to spare the lives of my entire family and some of our belongings, and even promised to escort us safely out of Xuzhou. However..."

At this point, he suddenly became hesitant.

Tao Qian immediately frowned: "Just what?"

Tao Shang took a deep breath, and said anxiously, "General Dian Wei has also offered a second option—to stay in Xuzhou and submit to Lord Wu."

"What?"

Tao Qian flew into a rage, slamming his hand on the table: "You agreed?"

His family's foundation had just been taken over by Lu Feng, yet this man dared to dream of subduing the Tao family.

It's absolutely absurd.

"No, no! How could I possibly agree to that!"

Tao Shang trembled at his father's fright and forced a smile, explaining, "General Dian Wei merely made a suggestion; he had absolutely no intention of harming anyone!"

"only……"

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Tao Shang secretly glanced at his father, his throat bobbing, unsure whether he should utter them.

He feared that his violent rage would reignite.

It's laughable that a grown man, standing seven feet tall, is so timid and cowardly towards his own father.

Such a timid nature is surely the result of years of suppression by a strict father.

"Speak! What kind of manners are these, stammering like this? How can I, an old man, entrust the Tao family's legacy to you with such indecisiveness?"

Seeing his eldest son's cowering appearance, Tao Qian felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, and he pounded his knuckles on the table.

A wave of bitterness welled up in Tao Shang's chest.

It was clearly the father who first unleashed his fury, and now he's being blamed for not being upright enough?

Should we follow the example of that rebellious son who defies his parents?

The more he thought about it, the more indignant he became. He stubbornly retorted, "General Dian Wei has analyzed the future of the Tao family for me!"

"Jingzhou is hardly a place of peace and comfort; it's nothing more than a place where we depend on others for our survival!"

"That place has long been divided up by the local tribes of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, as well as the powerful families who fled from Yanzhou and Qingzhou. Where is there any place for the Tao family to stand?"

"On the other hand, those who have served Lord Wu have no past grievances or present enemies, while my Tao family has repeatedly offended him, yet Lord Wu has not suffered the slightest loss."

"If they sincerely submit, how could Lord Wu, with his magnanimity, possibly treat them unfairly?"

"I have heard that the new policies of the Marquis of Wu have angered the powerful clans, and he is in dire need of talent. Even someone as mediocre as I am, I may be able to find a job, which is better than drifting like duckweed in Jingzhou."

"Father, consider this: given the strength of Wu's army, how many years can Jingzhou hold out?"