Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Liu Ye, Li You, and others were all originally experts in the art of deceit, or what is called the strategic path of trickery. Essentially, this strategy involves using war to sustain war, relying on plunder, abandoning internal development, and directly annexing surrounding areas. The key is to defeat external forces before internal troubles erupt, and then settle down to recuperate.
This path is not unfeasible. For example, the historical Cao Cao, and the Cao Cao of this era, fundamentally followed this strategy. It's not that this path is bad, but it requires extreme speed, and both strategy and tactics must be flawless. The trickery path is fast but lacks a solid foundation. In other words, it's like defying fate—if you're fast enough, nothing will be a problem.
Now, however, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and the others have been pulled back by Chen Xi to follow the path of kingship, also known as the "high walls, abundant grain, step by step" approach. In this method, one or two defeats won't affect the overall situation. Even a major setback won't lead to total collapse.
The advantage of kingship lies in a solid foundation. The advantage of trickery lies in quick success. But when following the kingship path, one can always use trickery when necessary. However, if one follows the path of trickery, there's no way to transition to kingship unless all threats are subdued.
The further one walks down the path of kingship, the broader it becomes. This is why Li You and the others have focused on maintaining internal unity and rarely provoked external conflicts. Chen Xi has paved the way for kingship; they only need to maintain the situation, and the gap between the other lords and Liu Bei will only widen. In the end, a single general leading troops will be enough to make all adversaries surrender without a fight.
When the gap reaches such a point, strategy and schemes will no longer be necessary. This is the highest realm of a strategist: no matter how much the enemy struggles, one blow will finish them off.
This is why Li You, after careful consideration, still decided to eliminate the unruly families in Xuzhou. He needed to stabilize the situation.
As for how terrified the remaining families might be, Li You didn't care. Although Li You didn't know about Stockholm Syndrome, back when he was in Luoyang cultivating loyal ministers for Dong Zhuo, he had learned a valuable lesson—when the enemy is so strong that they can only bow down, even the smallest favor will make them eternally grateful.
Of course, Li You knew that what he gained wasn't true loyalty, but a mix of fear and respect. However, as long as you remain overwhelmingly strong, you can consider their loyalty to be at its peak.
As for the impression this might leave on the aristocratic families, Li You's actions, taken as a whole, represented Chen Xi's attitude toward the aristocrats: "Don't cause trouble, and you won't get hurt. On my turf, I'm in charge. If you behave, you'll be rewarded; if not, you'll be punished. We won't deliberately target you, but if you step out of line, we won't hesitate to strike back."
Due to the different styles of each local governor, some families have been beaten, some have lost their heads. Justice is subject to human interpretation. The same actions may lead to different outcomes depending on the person in charge, and the tragedy is that sometimes, it's just bad luck.
By now, most major families have understood Chen Xi's overall attitude towards them. The policy is reasonable—just follow the law. As for what happens if they don't, the consequences range from losing everything to just a slap on the wrist, depending on the local governor's judgment.
By the time this ordeal is over, as long as half of the families remain, no one will be able to criticize Li You. Military power in these chaotic times isn't something to be trifled with. Even small families in Xuzhou that dare to challenge Liu Bei's authority will not be tolerated by anyone in Li You's position.
Returning home, Chen Deng greeted his father, Chen Gui, with a bow. "Father."
"Sit, it's just us. No need for formalities," said Chen Gui, who had aged significantly over the past few months. Once robust, he now leaned on a cane. "Are you troubled by Li Wenru's methods, fearing that his blade may turn towards us?"
"The rabbit dies, the fox grieves," Chen Deng replied curtly.
"Sigh, Yuanlong, you still have much to learn. I've been reflecting on things these past few days, and I believe Li Wenru won't stay in Xuzhou for long. Sooner or later, the position of Xuzhou's governor will be yours," Chen Gui said with a sigh, slightly disappointed in his sharp-witted son.
"Li Wenru is too ruthless. After he's done, how many of the Xuzhou families will be left? Aside from those who genuinely keep to themselves and don't seek power, how many will survive this purge? I can't believe the families don't harbor resentment towards him. At first, I thought he had grown soft, but now I realize he's just baiting them," Chen Deng said with fear, realizing this was a plan to annihilate the aristocracy in Xuzhou. Liu Bei placing someone like him here meant there was no intention of accommodating the aristocrats.
"My son, you're unsettled," Chen Gui remarked. "Yuanlong, continue to follow Li Wenru. Just carry out his orders. Sooner or later, the Chen family of Xuzhou will fall to you. My health no longer allows me to lead the family."
"Father, don't say such discouraging things!" Chen Deng exclaimed, surprised by his father's words.
"It's the natural order of things for families to pass leadership to the next generation. I'm fortunate that you can succeed me as head of the family," Chen Gui said with a sigh. Reflecting on his past struggles to become the family head, he realized it had been far more challenging than what Chen Deng was currently facing.
"The Chen family and Liu Bei's Xuzhou will eventually be yours to manage. Don't harbor any ill intentions. Chen Zichuan, Jia Wenhe, and the others are all exceptional talents, while Guan Yunchang, Zhang Yide, and their peers are unmatched warriors. Liu Bei himself is known for his magnanimity. No matter what, the Chen family of Xuzhou must stand behind Liu Bei," Chen Gui advised, considering passing the mantle of leadership to Chen Deng sooner rather than later.
"I've always admired Mi Zizhong. Back then, the Mi family wasn't as prosperous as our Chen family, but now Mi Zizhong's name resonates across the land. His vision was indeed sharp. Yuanlong, you should interact with him more in the future. After all, he's also from Xuzhou, and we have old ties," Chen Gui added, feeling that vision and wisdom were just as crucial as intelligence.
Chen Deng silently listened to his father's advice, unaware that Chen Gui's casual words had given him insight into Li You's strategy. Indeed, Chen Deng was a keen individual.
Chen Deng thought bitterly, realizing that Li You's actions were all part of a plan—the Xuzhou aristocrats were merely his playthings.