diymy Chapter 78 Xu You: Watch Me Stand Out from the Crowd
Chapter 78 Xu You: Watch Me Stand Out from the Crowd
Liu Bei sighed softly. His thoughts raced, and after ruling out Dong Zhuo's subordinates, he thought of Yuan Shao's generals.
Yuan Shao's family had held high office for four generations, making them a model of aristocratic families. His subordinates were mostly representatives of powerful clans, making them difficult to recruit.
Figures like Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and Xun Chen were either representatives of powerful clans in Hebei or leaders of gentry families in Yingchuan.
Even if they manage to recruit them, if their own foundation is not solid enough, they are easily controlled by powerful clans, as was the case with Yuan Shao.
Therefore, it is clearly not the right time yet.
And among them was one person.
Xu You, courtesy name Ziyuan, was a native of Nanyang. He was resourceful, well-versed in the unspoken rules of officialdom, and acted in an unconventional manner, without the pedantry and aloofness of a scholar.
He was neither a member of a powerful family in Hebei, nor a member of a gentry family in Yingchuan, and could not represent the clans of Nanyang.
This person is greedy for profit and power, but precisely because of this, he is easy to use and control, unlike Li Ru and Jia Xu who are difficult to manage.
He was most adept at currying favor, cultivating relationships with powerful figures, and was extremely skilled at bribing and smoothing things over.
If he were to infiltrate Luoyang and make contact with the Ten Attendants and various factions in the court, he could not only protect his border achievements but also gather intelligence on court secrets, making him far more effective than a virtuous gentleman.
Although there is a risk of disloyalty, given his abilities, he should be usable as long as he is not placed in an overly important position.
Xu You is not currently involved in the conspiracy to depose the emperor, nor has he attached himself to Yuan Shao. He is wandering around without a fixed master, making this the best time to recruit him.
In contrast, Lou Gui, Wang Bi, Lu Cui, and others were either skilled in warfare or adept at literary composition.
However, none of them were adept at court politics or cross-power diplomacy, making it difficult for them to shoulder the heavy responsibility of smoothing things over in Luoyang.
After much deliberation, Liu Bei had made up his mind.
At this juncture, the only person capable of taking on this role as the "black glove" and who can immediately begin recruiting is Xu You.
Once the thought was settled, another person inexplicably came to mind—Liu Yan.
Liu Yan, courtesy name Weishuo, was a native of Lu. He was elegant and eloquent, skilled in social interaction, clever, shrewd, and adept at managing relationships with all parties.
In the dream, he followed me around. Although he had no merit in conquering cities or fighting in the field, he managed internal and external affairs and maintained his network of relationships in a proper and thorough manner.
He could maintain his reputation for benevolence while subtly handling many sensitive issues that were best left unsaid.
If Liu Yan were by his side at this moment, there would be no need to go to such lengths to find a treacherous person; there would be respectable people to handle things for him both internally and externally.
He would never have known that after his death, Liu Yan, out of jealousy and suspicion that his wife had an affair with Liu Chan, ordered his soldiers to slap his face with the soles of their shoes.
He was sued by his wife and then inexplicably sentenced to death.
The outcome was rather bleak.
When thinking of Liu Yan, one cannot avoid mentioning his fellow townsmen and friends, such as Jian Yong, Qian Zhao, and Sun Qian.
Among them, Qian Zhao is still studying under her teacher Yue Yin, and it is clear that she cannot be recruited for one's own use.
Sun Qianyuan is in the Beihai Kingdom, so he can be recruited, but given his current status, it's not certain that he can be recruited, and it will take time.
Jian Yong was a fellow townsman from Zhuojun. They had been close friends since childhood. Jian Yong was a man who was unconventional and eloquent.
Although he was not good at scheming and plotting, he was skilled at persuading and appeasing his followers.
He can handle all the official diplomatic affairs and communications with counties and prefectures without any problems; he is a reliable and trusted advisor.
Now that his foundation is solid, he can begin to recruit his former subordinates and cultivate his loyal followers.
Liu Bei opened his eyes, all doubt gone, leaving only determination.
He immediately ordered his trusted confidants to secretly search for Xu You with a large sum of money and personal goods, promising him great benefits and showing his sincerity, determined to recruit him to Liaoxi.
Meanwhile, he also sent someone with a personal letter to the Northern Sea Kingdom to recruit Sun Qian, since he and Sun Qian were from the same school.
With all the plans settled, Liu Bei began to proceed step by step, immersing himself in Liaoxi, where he reorganized the military and promoted agriculture, never slacking off for a single day.
He personally went to various counties to supervise the border residents in reclaiming wasteland and dredging ditches to reassure the people.
They then reorganized and trained the local militia, hunters from Linyu, and Xianbei guerrillas they had gathered, slowly practicing riding, archery, and defensive tactics day and night.
Wang Lie was in charge of education and civil affairs, while Cheng Pu and Han Dang commanded the troops; each had their own responsibilities.
In just two months, western Liaoning has become vibrant and full of life, with soldiers and civilians returning home and a completely new atmosphere emerging.
These fulfilling and busy days pass by extremely quickly.
On this day, Liu Bei received a report from his trusted confidant that Xu You from Nanyang had arrived on orders to recruit him.
Liu Bei immediately issued an order, summoning Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Xu Rong, Tian Yu, and Wang Lie to gather at his residence.
Then the central gate was opened wide, and armored soldiers lined up to welcome Xu You into the mansion with the respect due to a noble scholar!
The main gate swung open with a roar, and two rows of elite soldiers stood tall with spears in hand, stretching from the gate to the main hall. Their imposing military might displayed the grandeur of a powerful border lord.
Seeing this grand spectacle, Xu You, standing outside the mansion, grew even more arrogant, his heart filled with self-importance.
Liu Bei certainly knew his stuff!
None of the heroes under heaven recognize my great talent, Xu Ziyuan, except for this Commandant of Liaoxi, who is willing to welcome me with generous gifts.
Today I will display all my knowledge, surpass all the scholars and warriors present, and stand out from the crowd!
He walked up the steps with his head held high and entered the main hall, where he saw six people sitting upright.
At the head of the table was Liu Bei, with the civil official Wang Lie on his left being gentle and dignified, and the military generals Cheng Pu and Han Dang on his right being heroic and spirited. Xu Rong was calm and composed, and Tian Yu was young and sharp. All of them were people of extraordinary bearing.
After Xu You paid his respects according to etiquette, Liu Bei smiled and offered him a seat, then immediately invited everyone to discuss the past and present, and talk freely about the world.
Xu You, who intended to showcase his talents, spoke first, discussing classics, history, philosophy, and literature, hoping to impress everyone with his literary skills.
But no matter what he said, Wang Lie could respond calmly, quoting classics and tracing their origins, every word a gem, his knowledge of Confucian classics and the various schools of thought unfathomable.
After several rounds of debate, Xu You was completely outmaneuvered, and all his words were seen through by Wang Lie. He was utterly crushed in terms of literary talent and had no power to fight back.
Xu You's heart sank, and he turned to talk about the general trend of the world, trying to turn the tide with his strategic thinking.
He analyzed the political landscape of prefectures and counties, discussed the dangers of eunuchs interfering in politics and border troubles, and believed that his vision was far-reaching and unmatched.
Unexpectedly, Liu Bei sat upright in the main seat and spoke calmly, from the undercurrents in the Luoyang court to the advantages and disadvantages of the border counties of Youzhou, from the strength of the Xianbei Tanshihuai to the decline of the Han dynasty's foundation.
His vision was far-sighted, his perspective grand, and every word hit the nail on the head, far surpassing Xu You's shallow views.
With just a few words, he analyzed the overall situation of the world with great clarity. Xu You's proud vision and perspective were nothing but a narrow-minded view in front of Liu Bei, and he suffered another crushing defeat.
Unwilling to accept defeat after setbacks, Xu You discussed military strategies and border defense tactics.
He had long studied political intrigue and considered himself unparalleled in wisdom and strategy.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Tian Yu stood up and spoke frankly, saying that the strategy for defending against the Xianbei and Wuhuan was a combination of orthodox and unorthodox tactics, with meticulous consideration and unique insights, and every word was a practical and sound strategy.
Compared to Xu You, it is no less accurate, and perhaps even more in line with the realities of the frontier.
Xu You suppressed his emotions and finally discussed the military formation and the methods of marching and troop deployment.
This time, Xu Rong responded in a deep voice. His expertise in military formations, troop deployment, and defense of dangerous terrain was superb, demonstrating composure, experience, and strict discipline.
Even if Xu You exhausted all his knowledge, he could hardly gain the upper hand. The two were evenly matched and it was difficult to determine who was superior.