Chapter 50: Learn Their Strengths, Use the Enemy's Own Methods Against Them! Who Truly Rules Jingzhou?

Guan Yu, Mi Zhu, and the others all wore bewildered expressions.

"Military Strategist, what on earth does it mean to let Liu Biao fire the first shot?"

"We should be thrusting a sword at him, so how did it become firing a gun?" Zhang Fei shouted in utter confusion, scratching his head.

Xiao Fang gave a few dry coughs.

"What I mean is, we force Liu Biao to take military action against our lord first. When the lord subsequently fights back and takes Jingzhou in the process, wouldn't that make the action completely justified?"

Hearing this, everyone suddenly understood.

Zhang Fei's spirits soared. He slapped the table and praised excitedly:

"As expected, Military Strategist, you are cunning enough... Bah, I mean, you are smart enough!"

"Although my elder brother is benevolent and mindful of our shared clan ties, he is certainly no fool who will simply stand there and take a beating without fighting back!"

"If Liu Biao comes knocking to bully us first, my elder brother will surely not be so pedantic as to accept a beating without returning it. He will rise up in righteous indignation and capture Jingzhou in one fell swoop!"

"Wonderful, let's do just that!"

Guan Yu stroked his long, beautiful beard. Though he remained silent, his silence was a form of tacit approval, signifying his consent.

Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, and Jian Yong all nodded successively, their faces beaming with joy.

"Brother-in-law, Liang has a question. I wonder if I might speak my mind?"

Zhuge Liang, who had been listening quietly on the side, suddenly spoke up.

Xiao Fang gently waved his hand, signaling him to speak freely.

"Earlier, when the lord captured Wancheng, Liu Biao did not lead his forces to retake it; instead, he withdrew his main army back to Xiangyang."

"From this, it is evident that Liu Biao has tacitly accepted the lord's occupation of Wancheng and the north-central counties of Nanyang."

"Liang surmises that Liu Biao's action was largely intended to use the lord as his northern barrier, helping him ward off Cao Cao's threat."

"Since that is the case, what reason would he possibly have to take military action against the lord now?"

Zhuge Liang voiced the doubts in his heart.

Xiao Fang's eyes lit up slightly, and he couldn't help nodding in silent approval.

At only fifteen years of age, to be able to discern that the reason Liu Biao did not use military force to retake Wancheng was to use old Liu as a guard dog for his household was truly commendable.

He is indeed worthy of his potential as the Crouching Dragon, and truly my fine brother-in-law...

"Military Strategist, Young Master Zhuge makes a valid point. Under the current circumstances, Liu Biao indeed seems to have no reason to proactively deploy troops against the lord?"

"Unless the lord sends troops south and attacks Liu Biao first, but given the lord's regard for their shared clan ties, he would naturally never initiate military action against Liu Biao!"

Mi Zhu also nodded, agreeing with Zhuge Liang's assessment.

The conversation had reached this point, seeming to hit a dead end and forming a kind of paradox.

Yet Xiao Fang remained completely at ease. Without offering an immediate explanation, he shifted the topic:

"As for how to make Liu Biao strike first, I have my own methods."

"Once the lord arrives shortly, I will present two strategies to him. You all just need to echo and support them when the time comes."

Two strategies?

Everyone was stunned, wondering how the conversation had suddenly strayed so far off course.

"I wonder which two strategies the Military Strategist intends to present?"

Mi Zhu temporarily suppressed his skepticism and asked accordingly.

"This first strategy is to petition the lord to emulate Cao Cao and implement agricultural colonies in the Wancheng region."

"As for the second strategy, it is to thoroughly investigate and register all farmland, reclaiming unclaimed lands into state property."

Xiao Fang raised two fingers, laying out the points clearly for everyone.

Zhang Fei was as clueless as a monk in a fog, completely failing to grasp the deeper meaning behind Xiao Fang's actions.

However, Mi Zhu and the other strategists felt their eyes light up as they perceived the underlying mechanism.

"Although the lord has captured Wancheng, his military strength remains too weak to defend against Cao Cao in the north or seize Jingzhou in the south."

"Therefore, the primary task at hand is to recruit soldiers, purchase horses, and strengthen our military power."

"If we wish to expand our army, we must first secure sufficient grain and fodder. The agricultural colony system is indeed a shortcut to acquiring ample food supplies in a short period."

"I presume this is the intention behind the Military Strategist's first strategy, am I right?"

Coming from a background of wealthy merchants, Mi Zhu was extremely sensitive to matters of wealth and grain, making him the first to comprehend Xiao Fang's deep intent.

With his explanation, everyone else immediately understood.

Depending solely on the one hundred thousand bushels of grain brought from Xuzhou would eventually deplete their reserves; it was not a long-term solution. The bulk of their provisions had to be scratched from the soil of Nanyang.

However, Nanyang had been ravaged first by Yuan Shu and then pillaged by Zhang Ji, resulting in severe civilian flight and a sharp decline in the registered households controlled by the government.

Clearly, relying solely on grain taxes from the existing registered population was far from sufficient to sustain a massive army capable of defeating Liu Biao and swallowing Jingzhou.

Thus, establishing agricultural colonies naturally became the optimal solution for resolving the grain crisis in the short term.

"Brother-in-law, while agricultural colonies can certainly relieve the pressing shortage of grain, this system was employed by that tyrant Cao Cao."

"Our lord is a benevolent ruler. If we imitate Cao Cao, Liang fears it will damage the lord's reputation."

Amidst a chorus of agreement, Zhuge Liang raised a different perspective.

When mentioning Cao Cao, his words revealed a deep-seated hatred originating from the bottom of his heart.

Xiao Fang naturally understood his brother-in-law's state of mind.

The Zhuge family were Xuzhou natives; why had they left their homeland behind and traveled thousands of li to seek refuge in Jingzhou?

Was it not because Cao Cao waged two campaigns against Xuzhou, repeatedly slaughtering cities to vent his wrath and display his might, turning Xuzhou into a river of blood and choking the Sishui River with corpses?

Zhuge Liang, who was not even ten years old at the time, had witnessed with his own eyes the bloody massacre of his hometown by Cao's army. How could seeds of bitter hatred toward Cao Cao not have been planted in his heart?

"Cao Cao is indeed the lord's enemy, and the lord's actions are often the exact opposite of Cao Cao's. However, this does not mean Cao Cao possesses no merits that the lord may emulate."

"In fact, agricultural colonies have historical precedents dating back to antiquity. It is merely that in the present age, Cao Cao was the first to implement them. Yet we cannot reject the merits of this system simply because Cao Cao used it first."

"As long as it benefits the restoration of the Han Dynasty, the lord can entirely adopt and apply it to solve the grain crisis. Only then will he have the confidence to march south and conquer Jingzhou, and one day, when his wings are fully grown, turn back to lead his forces northward to destroy Cao Cao!"

"This is what is known as 'learning the superior skills of the enemy in order to subdue the enemy'!"

Knowing that Zhuge Liang harbored a complex, Xiao Fang patiently explained and guided him through it.

Possessing exceptional intelligence, Zhuge Liang was instantly enlightened upon hearing Xiao Fang's words.

"Learning the superior skills of the enemy in order to subdue the enemy... learning the superior skills of the enemy in order to subdue the enemy. Brother-in-law's words are profound truths indeed, Liang has been instructed..."

Having gained a deep insight, Zhuge Liang hurriedly took out his bamboo slips and began recording his notes.

Xiao Fang took a sip of tea and asked smoothly:

"Ah Liang, do you know what the intention is behind my second strategy?"

Zhuge Liang stopped carving his notes, furrowing his brow in brief contemplation.

"If the lord wishes to implement agricultural colonies, he must have sufficient state-owned farmland to attract refugees back home to farm."

"Yet with the severe flight of the Nanyang populace, the fertile fields in various counties have largely become ownerless lands, seized by local powerful clans and prominent families taking advantage of the chaos."

"By asking the lord to investigate and register the farmland, brother-in-law intends to reclaim these abandoned fields from the hands of the powerful clans and prominent families, thereby securing ample land to resettle the returning refugee farmers."

With his agile mind, Zhuge Liang explained the underlying purpose in just a few sentences.

Xiao Fang nodded slightly, highly satisfied with Zhuge Liang's analytical capacity.

Mi Zhu and the other strategists also grasped the motivations behind Xiao Fang's two strategies at this point.

"The Military Strategist's two strategies are indeed wonderful prescriptions that will enable the lord to rapidly enhance his strength in the shortest possible time. Zhu deems them entirely viable!"

Mi Zhu expressed his endorsement and approval.

Sun Qian, Jian Yong, and the other strategists concurred as well.

"Wait, hold on a moment!"

Zhang Fei interrupted the discussion, a look of utter bewilderment on his face as he said:

"I more or less understood the benefits of the two strategies you mentioned, Military Strategist."

"But didn't we initially discuss how to force Liu Biao to turn hostile against my elder brother first? How did we stray into matters that seem completely unrelated?"

"After talking for so long, I still don't know how this forces Liu Biao to make the first move!"

Zhang Fei's shouting successfully dragged everyone back to the original topic.

Guan Yu stroked his fine beard and nodded, saying:

"Military Strategist, Yide makes sense. Your two strategies can at best greatly increase the lord's military strength, but how can they compel the lord to resolve upon conquering Jingzhou?"

The gazes of everyone turned perplexed and uncomprehending once again.

Xiao Fang, however, took another sip of tea, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly as he countered with a question:

"Then let me ask you all: which family holds the greatest power in Jingzhou, and which family has usurped the most abandoned farmland in Nanyang?"

This question left everyone stumped. For a moment, no one could grasp its profound meaning, and they all stared blankly.

"I understand brother-in-law's meaning!"

Zhuge Liang suddenly stood up, his expression excited as he exclaimed:

"The most powerful noble clans in Jingzhou are naturally the Cai and Kuai families!"

"Under the protection of Liu Biao, these two families have naturally seized the greatest share of ownerless and abandoned fields in Nanyang."

"If the lord investigates and registers the farmland, it will inevitably harm the interests of the Cai and Kuai families. Cai Mao and Kuai Yue will certainly not sit idly by; they will most likely incite Liu Biao to retake Nanyang in order to protect their own interests."

"Liu Biao owes his dominion over Jingzhou entirely to the support of the Cai and Kuai clans. Though he is nominally the lord of Jingzhou, the true masters of Jingzhou are actually the Cai and Kuai families."

"If Cai Mao and Kuai Yue insist on deploying troops against Nanyang, how can Liu Biao refuse?"

"Doesn't this mean forcing Liu Biao to turn hostile and deploy troops against the lord first?"