funbook-pk Chapter 1211 The Western Liang Performance Deceives People
Chapter 1211 The Western Liang Performance Deceives People
The night was as dark as ink. In a secluded room deep within the Liang Prince's mansion, candlelight flickered dimly. Li Ru sat upright at his desk, listening to reports from his subordinates alongside Jia Xu.
"Xu You and Cao Ang had a private conversation for half an hour, and Cao Ang wanted to give him twenty cartloads of gold and silver."
"Feng Ji and Xu You wrote a letter overnight and have already sent it to Ye City by fast horse."
"Zhuge Liang visited Wang Lei at night and they talked for more than an hour."
Jia Xu stood to one side, listening to his subordinate's steady report. He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them, making him unfathomable.
After reporting to his subordinates and leaving, Jia Xu looked up at Li Ru, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "Mr. Wenyou, these people are making frequent moves, should we..." His fingertips twitched slightly, as if indicating that it was time to intervene.
Li Ru slowly shook his head. "No need." His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Let them make the contact. The more lively it gets, the clearer it will be to see who's jumping around and who's hiding."
Jia Xu raised an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled: "But if we let them collude, it might be detrimental to Xiliang. Yuan Shao is suspicious, Cao Ang is trustworthy but Cao Cao is cunning, and Liu Bei has always been ambitious. If we really let them join forces..."
"Connected in a line?" Li Ru chuckled, his fingertips tracing the crisscrossing red lines. "They each have their own agendas, using 'communication' as a pretext to scheme. Yuan Shao wants to use Xu You and Feng Ji to win over Yizhou; Cao Cao wants to use Cao Ang to win over Xu You, laying the groundwork for breaking the deadlock in the future; Liu Bei wants to use Zhuge Liang to leverage Yizhou and expand his territory; Zhang Song is passing on messages for us to keep Yuan Shao in check... This game is already chaotic. If we act rashly, we'll become their 'common target.' It's better to sit back and watch the tigers fight."
He paused, a cold glint in his eyes: "Besides, they think they're being secretive, but they don't realize that their every move is right under our noses."
After saying that, he picked up several secret letters from the table and handed them to Jia Xu: "Wenhe, take a look at these."
Jia Xu took the letter, quickly glanced through it, and his pupils contracted slightly. The first letter was for the general guarding Bingzhou, ordering him to strengthen the city's defenses, but deliberately spreading rumors that "supplies are running low and we may not be able to hold out." The second letter was for the front line at Yangping Pass, ordering Zhang Ren to temporarily halt the offensive and adopting the posture of "being exhausted from prolonged fighting and lacking strength."
"This is..." Jia Xu raised his eyes, a hint of understanding flashing in them, which then turned into admiration, "A feigned weakness to lure the enemy?"
“Exactly.” Li Ru picked up his teacup and took a small sip. “The more difficult your situation appears, the stronger their greed will become, and the more hasty their actions will be. Haste breeds chaos, and chaos exposes weaknesses. Yuan Shao is outwardly lenient but inwardly suspicious. If he learns that Tian Feng and Ju Shou are colluding with Yuan Tan and concealing the news of Lü Bu's defeat, he will surely be furious. Cao Cao wants to use Yuan Shao to restrain Lü Bu, but he doesn't know that Yuan Shao has long been eyeing the Central Plains with covetous intent…”
A meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Let them fight and struggle. Once they're both exhausted, we can clean up the mess. Wouldn't that be easier?"
Jia Xu clapped his hands, his voice finally carrying a hint of genuine agreement: "Sir, your insight is brilliant. This arrangement is both risky and profitable, truly a superior strategy."
Jia Xu lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, then said, "Mr. Wenyou, if we simply show weakness, it will be too bland. Why not add fuel to the fire and let them see things more 'clearly'?"
A glint of light flashed in Li Ru's eyes, and he leaned forward slightly: "Oh? What brilliant plan does Wenhe have?"
“What they want to find out most right now is the strength and weakness of Xiliang,” Jia Xu said in an even lower voice. “Why don’t we turn the tables on them? If we’re going to confuse them, let’s make it as real as possible.”
He paused, then revealed his plan: "Let's find some people to pose as refugees and let them loiter around the embassy. We'll say that Xiliang suffered a snow disaster, and the able-bodied men were conscripted to fight, but most of them died on the battlefield. The remaining elderly, women, and children have nowhere else to go but to come to Chang'an to beg for food."
"Have the soldiers disguised as city patrolmen, and 'drive' the refugees through the crowds several times a day. The movements don't need to be too forceful, but the envoys should see them from afar. Also, teach the refugees a few complaints like, 'We're about to run out of food,' 'Our children are about to freeze and starve to death,' 'The government doesn't care'... Wouldn't such a scene be more impactful than empty rumors?"
Li Ru stroked his beard, his brows furrowing slightly: "This plan is ingenious, but what if the people in the city see it and mistakenly believe the complaints of the displaced people, thus unsettling the public?"
"Rest assured, sir." Jia Xu was prepared, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's a cold snowy night now, and most people are staying indoors. We'll just set up our 'show' after nightfall in a few alleys near the embassy. We don't need many people, a few dozen will suffice. The people of Heishan have just settled down, and with these young children from the Youlin Army, we can have them pretend to be the children of refugees, shivering from the cold. Then, have a few seasoned veterans lead them, crying and sobbing. That will be most believable."
He looked at Li Ru with certainty in his eyes: "Everyone has a compassionate heart, especially when it comes to children suffering. When those envoys see this scene, they will only think: If Xiliang is really as powerful as it seems, how could it allow children to suffer from hunger and cold? Moreover, seeing is believing. They already had the desire to investigate Xiliang, and now that they have seen it with their own eyes, they will definitely pass the news back."
Upon hearing this, Li Ru clapped his hands and laughed: "Brilliant! Brilliant! Wenhe's move seems simple, but it is the most effective at hitting people's hearts. Speaking of 'dirty tricks,' you are truly an expert."
Jia Xu bowed and smiled, his tone calm: "It's just going along with their wishes and adding fuel to the fire. The more they want to know something, the more we 'let' them know it. Mixing truth and falsehood makes it the most unpredictable thing."
Li Ru nodded, his eyes already filled with determination: "I'll do as you say. We'll make arrangements tonight, so that the children can 'act' well and not give anything away."
"Yes," Jia Xu replied, turning to leave with a lighter step.
With the Spring Festival approaching, a faint festive atmosphere permeated the city. With nothing to do, the envoys from various places were chatting quietly in twos and threes when they suddenly heard that Pound had come to the embassy to extend an invitation.
Standing in the embassy, Pang De's voice boomed: "Generals of the guards under the command of the envoys, my lord invites you to come and observe the Young Lin Army."
The guards exchanged glances, their faces questioning. The envoys, who were looking for an opportunity to investigate the true state of Xiliang, readily agreed. When they arrived at the neighboring military camp to the right with Pang De, they saw a group of teenagers standing on the drill ground. The oldest was no more than eleven or twelve years old, and the youngest was only seven or eight. They were wearing thin winter clothes and were practicing in formation in the cold wind.
"Ha!" the children shouted, punching and kicking. Their movements weren't perfect, but they were full of fierce energy. Their little faces, red from the cold, were covered in sweat, and even their eyelashes were frosted. One child stumbled from the cold, but immediately gritted his teeth, steadied himself, shook his frozen hands, and continued to keep up with the rhythm.
Guan Yu couldn't help but frown and whispered to Wen Chou, who also looked reluctant, "It's freezing cold, and you're making the children suffer like this..." Although his words were tinged with displeasure, there was a hint of emotion hidden in his eyes.
That evening, Pound invited everyone to dinner in the camp. On the wooden table lay coarse rice, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a pot of bland radish soup—not a single piece of meat. The generals picked up their chopsticks, looked at the food before them, and their lips twitched. This treatment was worse than even the laborers in their own camps.
"Western Liang is currently facing a shortage of food supplies, I apologize for the inconvenience," Pang De explained expressionlessly, before taking a large gulp of soup from his bowl.
The generals remained outwardly calm, but inwardly they were filled with apprehension. Upon returning, they reported what they had seen to the envoy: "The Young Lin Army is just a bunch of children training, and their dinner is quite meager..."
The envoys were secretly astonished upon hearing this. "Wasn't it said that Ma Chao's Xiliang cavalry was unparalleled? How come they can't even muster a decent force, and are so short of supplies?" Some wondered, "Could it be a deliberate show of weakness?" Others speculated, "Perhaps they are truly outwardly strong but inwardly weak..."
The night snow fell softly, covering the embassy's glazed tiles with a pristine white. The envoys had just undressed and lay down when they were startled awake by a commotion outside the courtyard—cries and shouts mingled with reprimands, piercing the snow curtain like icicles into the warm rooms.
"What's that noise?" Someone threw on a coat and pulled back the curtains. In the distance, flickering firelight could be seen, and shadowy soldiers were dragging a group of refugees toward the alley entrance. The cries of women and children drifted over with the wind and snow, their intermittent sounds making one's heart tighten.
"This is... the Xiliang army?" An envoy recognized the style of the soldiers' armor, his brows furrowing. "Isn't it said that Ma Chao is extremely strict in disciplining his army and never bullies the people?"
The person next to him quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Shh! Keep your voice down! Watch carefully!"
The crowd huddled together in the shadows, squinting in the snow to get a better look—most of the refugees were women and children in tattered clothes, carrying rag bundles, being pushed forward by soldiers. One emaciated child lost his balance and fell to the ground with a "thud," the half-frozen bun in his hand rolling into the snowdrift. He immediately burst into heart-wrenching sobs.
"What a disaster..." Guan Yu couldn't help but sigh. He recalled the "Xiliang Iron Cavalry protecting the people like family" that he had heard before setting off, and looking at the scene before him, he felt it was all absurd.
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from the crowd: "We just want some hot porridge! My husband was in the Xiliang army, and he died in battle!" A disheveled woman rushed towards the soldier, but was violently pushed away. She staggered and bumped into a corner of the wall, her forehead bleeding.
The scene shocked the envoys. Liu Zhang's envoy, Wang Lei, clenched his fists and whispered, "Is this what they call loving the people like one's own children? I think it's blatant disregard for human life!"
As night deepened, the snow fell even heavier. The envoys who tried to approach the soldiers were blocked by their cold faces. The soldiers stood like ice sculptures in the wind and snow, their eyes sharp as knives, not bothering to utter a single unnecessary word. The envoys, rebuffed, retreated dejectedly to their lodgings, their minds a jumbled mess.
"Are they really refugees, or is it all an act?" someone murmured to themselves by the candlelight, their fingertips tapping unconsciously on the table. "If they're real, then Ma Chao is known for his love for his people; if they're fake, then the weeping of women and children, the frostbitten cheeks of kids, are truly heartbreaking..."
The candlelight flickered in the envoys' rooms, illuminating their restless faces.
The snow hadn't stopped that night, but the candlelight in two rooms deep inside the embassy was exceptionally bright.
Sima Yi stood by the window, watching the commotion in the distance gradually subside, his fingertips lightly tapping on the window frame. The image of the young Lin Army children training during the day now intertwined with the scene of the refugees being driven away, like two seemingly chaotic but subtly patterned threads in his mind.
During the day, the boys, though their movements were clumsy during practice, had eyes as steady as rocks, far from ordinary children. At night, the refugees, though their cries were genuine, kept repeating "lack of food" and "freezing and starving," as if they had been taught lines.
Zhuge Liang on the other side had the same idea, so it is said that great minds think alike. Wise people in the world are generally like this, able to see the essence of things from their appearance.