587. Zhou Yu's Attempt

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Yuan Shao's head throbbed as their words blurred together in a cacophony. He waved his hand weakly, silencing them. "Enough," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "Leave me. All of you." The retainers hesitated but eventually bowed and left the hall. Alone, Yuan Shao slumped on his throne, his mind a storm of despair and regret. His grand vision of unifying the land under his banner had crumbled, leaving him with nothing but ashes.

Meanwhile, Yuan Xi was sent to the Great Wall, as he was ordered to gather the remnants of Yuan Shao's northern forces. The troops were trained and elite, their morale hadn't shattered yet as they hadn't heard the news of the crushing defeats they had suffered.

Yuan Xi's mission was clear, which was to consolidate what remained and bring them south to reinforce Zhongshan. But even he knew that time was running out. Lie Fan's forces were relentless, and their momentum seemed unstoppable.

Far to the south, Zhou Yu was making progress in his investigation of Lingling. His keen mind unraveled the intricate web of deceit spun by Ju Shou. The forged letters, the suspicious troop movements, and the rumors of betrayal all pointed to a single conclusion, someone was orchestrating the chaos to pit the Sun Clan and Shi Xie against each other while Liu Bei's forces reaped the benefits.

However, Zhou Yu's findings came with a sobering realization. Shi Xie's mobilization of 200,000 troops was a reaction to the perceived threat from the Sun Clan. If Shi Xie's army marched into Lingling, it would ignite a full-scale war, playing directly into their enemy's hands. The young strategist's options were limited. He could not allow the situation to escalate further, but he also could not afford to appear weak.

"We must act swiftly and decisively," Zhou Yu told Chen Qian during a late-night strategy session. "Shi Xie's paranoia is driving him to rash decisions, and Liu Bei is waiting for the perfect moment to strike. If we cannot expose the truth soon, Lingling will be lost."

The next morning, Zhou Yu convened a meeting with local leaders and merchants in Lingling. He presented his findings, carefully outlining the evidence of forged documents and fabricated rumors. His eloquence and reputation earned him their trust, and they pledged their support in calming the tensions.

However, Zhou Yu knew that gaining their trust was only the first step. The real challenge lay in confronting Shi Xie and convincing him to stand down, in the case Shi Xie doesn't want to stand down, Zhou Yu doesn't have any choice but to ask for the Sun Clan army to be sent to Lingling.

In Shi Xie's capital, preparations for the campaign were nearly complete. The army of 200,000 was ready to march, their banners fluttering in the wind. Shi Xie stood atop the city walls, overlooking the vast expanse of soldiers.

To him, this display of power was a necessary deterrent against the Sun Clan's supposed aggression. The clatter of hooves, the rattle of armor, and the rhythmic beat of war drums filled the air. One of his generals approached, saluting him crisply.

"Everything is ready, my lord. The men are moving as ordered," the general reported.

Shi Xie nodded with a tight smile. "Good. Do not delay. I want them in Lingling before the Sun Clan has a chance to entrench themselves. Speed is of the essence."

The general hesitated for a moment before bowing deeply. "As you command."

Shi Xie turned back to the horizon, confident that his decisive action would secure his domain. What he didn't consider, however, was the toll of his hasty orders. The men under his banner were being pushed to their limits, marching twice as fast as originally planned.

Though they obeyed without question, the grueling pace wore heavily on their bodies and minds. The once-proud banners began to sag, and the soldiers' combat readiness diminished with each passing day.

In Lingling, Zhou Yu faced mounting pressure. Despite his tireless efforts to expose the truth, the people remained skeptical. The narrative that the Sun Clan had incited the chaos persisted, fueled by Shi Xie's propaganda and Ju Shou's carefully planted misinformation.

Zhou Yu stood in the center of a bustling market, addressing a crowd of wary townsfolk. His voice was calm yet firm as he spoke.

"Friends of Lingling, I ask you to consider the evidence," he began, gesturing toward a collection of forged documents laid out before him. "These letters implicating the Sun Clan bear the marks of forgery. They were not written by our hand. Someone seeks to pit us against one another for their own gain."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some nodded in agreement, but others crossed their arms, their expressions skeptical.

"Why should we believe you?" one man called out. "Shi Xie says your clan is hungry for power, that you'll do anything to claim Lingling for yourselves."

Zhou Yu met the man's gaze without flinching. "If the Sun Clan desired conquest, we would not be here pleading for peace. My presence in Lingling is not as an invader but as a servant of justice. I ask only for your trust, so we may find the true culprits and restore harmony to your lands."

As Zhou Yu worked to sway public opinion, he received unexpected assistance. Jia Xu's Oriole agents, operating discreetly, began to plant evidence that pointed directly to Liu Bei's forces. Under Jia Xu's meticulous direction, the agents uncovered Ju Shou's hidden activities and subtly steered the narrative in Zhou Yu's favor.

The Orioles spread whispers throughout Lingling, carefully crafted to erode Liu Bei's reputation. Stories of his supposed "neutrality" being a façade for secret ambitions began to circulate, along with tales of his advisors manipulating events from the shadows.

Though Zhou Yu remained unaware of the Orioles' involvement, their efforts began to bear fruit. More and more townsfolk came forward with information, revealing strange troop movements and suspicious activity linked to Liu Bei's men.

One evening, Zhou Yu convened a meeting with his trusted officer, Chen Qian. The room was dimly lit, the flicker of candlelight casting shadows on the walls.

"Chen Qian," Zhou Yu began, "the tide is shifting. The people are starting to see the cracks in this illusion, but we are not there yet. We need definitive proof—something that will leave no doubt in their minds."

Chen Qian nodded. "Our scouts are combing through the region. If Ju Shou has made a mistake, we'll find it."

Unknown to them, Jia Xu had already set the next phase of his plan in motion. His agents intercepted a courier carrying forged orders from Ju Shou to a supposed informant within Shi Xie's ranks. These orders, implicating Liu Bei's forces in the chaos, were quietly delivered to Zhou Yu's camp.

When Zhou Yu read the intercepted documents, his sharp mind quickly pieced together the larger picture. Though he couldn't identify the source of this newfound information, he recognized its value.

"This is it," Zhou Yu said, his voice firm. "With this, we can confront Shi Xie and put an end to this madness."

Meanwhile, Shi Xie's army drew closer to Lingling, their pace relentless. The soldiers' fatigue was evident in their sunken eyes and weary steps, but the generals drove them onward, fearful of incurring their lord's wrath.

As they approached Lingling's borders, news of the advancing army spread like wildfire. Panic gripped the region, and Zhou Yu knew time was running out.

He summoned a council of local leaders and Sun Clan representatives, presenting the intercepted documents as evidence. "We must act now," Zhou Yu urged. "Shi Xie's army marches on Lingling, believing us to be the aggressors. If we do not confront him with the truth, war is inevitable."

The council agreed, and Zhou Yu dispatched envoys to intercept Shi Xie's generals. These envoys carried the forged documents and a personal letter from Zhou Yu, appealing to Shi Xie's sense of reason.

Shi Xie's generals received Zhou Yu's envoys with suspicion but reluctantly delivered the message to their lord. Shi Xie, who was awaiting the news of the victory of his army from his capital, read the letter with a deep frown.

"This is a ploy," he declared, tossing the documents onto the table. "The Sun Clan seeks to buy time while they consolidate their forces."

One of his advisors hesitated before speaking. "My lord, I urge you to consider the possibility that these claims are true. If our army march on Lingling without verifying this information, we risk falling into a trap."

Shi Xie's voice boomed through the grand hall, shaking the room as he slammed the table. His anger was palpable, his eyes sharp as daggers as they darted across his cowering advisors. "Do you think me a fool?" he bellowed. "I know someone has planted this trail to frame the Sun Clan. But this is exactly why we must strike now! Do you not see? If we take Lingling, we gain a foothold into Jing Province, the gateway to controlling the south. And all the while, we keep our hands clean in the eyes of the people!"

The advisors exchanged uneasy glances. They had not expected their lord to be so calculating. Shi Xie's acknowledgment of a larger scheme behind the chaos made their positions more precarious.

One advisor, braver than the rest, spoke cautiously, "My lord, while the strategy you propose is bold, it carries risks. If the truth comes to light, it could damage our standing with the imperial court and other warlords. We must tread carefully."

Shi Xie glared at him, his expression unreadable for a moment before breaking into a sly smile. "The truth? The truth is malleable. Whoever controls Lingling controls the narrative. By the time anyone pieces together what happened, it will be too late. Jing Province will be ours to claim." He rose from his seat, pacing back and forth. "Send word to the army. Push them harder if necessary, but Lingling must fall within the week."

Back in Lingling, Zhou Yu was hard at work trying to prevent the very scenario Shi Xie was orchestrating. Despite the progress he had made with local leaders and the growing public sentiment against Liu Bei, Zhou Yu knew that he was racing against the clock.

Shi Xie's army was closing in, and the fragile trust he had built with the people of Lingling could shatter the moment soldiers appeared on their borders. Late one evening, Zhou Yu sat with Chen Qian in his quarters, poring over maps and reports. "Shi Xie is no fool," Zhou Yu muttered, his voice heavy with concern. "If he suspects the Sun Clan's innocence, yet still marches, it means his ambitions go beyond defending his domain."

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains

Age: 32 (199 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 1325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 951 (+20)

VIT: 613 (+20)

AGI: 598 (+10)

INT: 617

CHR: 96

WIS: 519

WILL: 407

ATR Points: 0