ushernet Chapter 218 Weakness is Original Sin
Chapter 218 Weakness is Original Sin
The plan to relocate the people of Yanzhou was forced to stop after only half of its implementation. The Hulao Pass passage had been blocked by the autonomous region's army, which, according to the autonomous region's organization, consisted of an entire infantry corps plus a reinforced artillery battalion. This was a force that Yuan Shao could hardly shake.
In the earlier wars, Yuan Shao had been suffering heavy losses. The 50,000 troops in Yanzhou were now a result of Yuan Shao's aggressive military campaigns. Yuan Shao did not want to have a direct confrontation with Chen Er at this time. Therefore, Yuan Shao had to issue a statement saying that he was ordered to guard Hulao Pass and that no other army could be allowed to pass without the imperial edict. If the King of Wei's army insisted on entering the pass, they should show the emperor's edict. As long as there was an edict, he would let them pass immediately.
Well, when Chen Er received Yuan Shao's rejection, he could only say that he had shot himself in the foot. This time, he was the one who spoke first, claiming to be on imperial orders to defend the emperor. Now Yuan Shao had also said that he was on imperial orders to guard the pass. If Chen Er forced his way into the pass, he would become a traitor. As a person with an excellent reputation, Chen Er did not want to bear the name of a traitor, even though many loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty considered him a traitor and a usurper of the country!
"Yuan Hao, what do you think?" Chen Er asked Tian Feng. Now that they had raised the banner of righteousness, if they attacked Hulao Pass directly at this time, it would obviously give them a pretext for criticism. Chen Er could not do that.
Tian Feng understood this as well. He said to Chen Er, "My lord, since Hulao Pass won't let us pass, let's just forget about it. We only need to keep the people of Yanzhou, and we can control Hulao Pass from other directions."
"You mean to get Bingzhou moving?" Chen Er immediately understood Tian Feng's meaning. He immediately said to Wang Hui, "Immediately order the Second Cavalry Division to change its mission and go to Bingzhou. They will work with the Huangpu General to put pressure on Luoyang and Hulao Pass from the direction of Bingzhou!"
"Yes! Lord."
Military coercion is also a political tactic. When a region's strength reaches a certain level, it can subdue its enemies without fighting.
"In this way, even if Yuan Shao holds out at Hulao Pass, as long as our army crosses the river from Bingzhou and cuts off the connection between Hulao Pass and Luoyang, let's see what Yuan Shao can use to defend Hulao Pass."
Chen Er smiled and said to Tian Feng, "Yuan Hao's mind works faster."
"I did all this according to your plan, my lord. The credit should go to you, my lord," Tian Feng said modestly.
“Yuanhao, there is one sentence you must remember. This sentence is a warning to all of us.” Chen Er suddenly said to Tian Feng. Seeing Chen Er’s seriousness, Tian Feng immediately stood up and said to Chen Er, “Please instruct me, my lord.”
Chen Er said to Tian Feng, "This saying only has five words: 'Weakness is the original sin.'"
Chen Er's words, imbued with Western religious and philosophical ideas, made Tian Feng fall into deep thought. Although he didn't fully understand the meaning of Chen Er's words, he understood what Chen Er was trying to express: Chen Er was reminding Tian Feng that the weak have no voice.
Although the autonomous region did not directly use its powerful military force this time, all of its actions and tough stance against foreign powers were earned through its own strength.
It was precisely because the autonomous region possessed such formidable strength that Chen Er and his group were able to confidently propose resolving the issue through political means, rather than resorting to military force as their first reaction.
"Whether it's between countries or between different forces, military means are always the last resort," Chen Er said, a point that Tian Feng agreed with.
Chen Er said to Tian Feng, "More importantly, our soldiers are precious, and I don't want unnecessary sacrifices unless absolutely necessary."
Although Chen Er has gradually become more ruthless over the years as he has fought on all sides, the modern sense of compassion in his heart has not completely disappeared; he believes that life deserves respect.
Besides, everyone is born of parents, not sprang from a stone. Life is incredibly precious, and not everyone should fight or die for you.
Of course, more importantly, the compensation for fallen soldiers in the self-governing area is getting higher and higher, and Chen Er is already feeling a bit heartbroken, after all, money doesn't come for free.
Although tax revenue in the autonomous region was also increasing, Chen Er felt a pang of heartache every time he received compensation after a battle. He felt sorry for the money and thought that it was best to avoid major wars if possible.
If possible, we should avoid using force, otherwise the expenses will be unbearable.
Although Chen Er was heartbroken by the expense, he knew that this money could not be spared. He would never delay paying any soldier's salary, nor would he embezzle any pension funds.
Anyone found guilty of embezzlement, especially those receiving soldiers' monthly allowances and pensions, in the military within the self-governing area will be executed.
Chen Er had reminded all the generals more than once that money was never enough, and that the soldiers were risking their lives to earn money. If any of them dared to drink the blood of their soldiers, they would be executed, and anyone who dared to plead for mercy would also be punished.
Soon after, Yuan Shao received a message from the autonomous region instructing him to comply with the imperial edict, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief, even though the population migration plan for Yanzhou was only half completed.
The plan to abduct young men was thwarted by the self-governing region, which was both overt and covert, but this did not affect Yuan Shao's plan.
He gained a large number of able-bodied men, who would become his largest source of soldiers for future conscription or land reclamation. Moreover, the fact that he took away more than 100,000 able-bodied men would be a significant blow to agriculture in Yanzhou.
Not only has agricultural production been affected, but many families have also lost their breadwinners and main labor force, plunging the people into hardship. The self-governing district, which has always touted its focus on people's livelihood, could not possibly remain indifferent to such a situation.
Left with no other choice, Chen Er ordered the mobilization of grain and supplies to quickly aid the people of Yanzhou, while also expressing strong dissatisfaction with Yuan Shao's tyranny.
Furthermore, through spies and agents of the intelligence department, Yuan Shao's atrocities were exaggerated several times over and spread throughout the land. People and scholars across the land expressed strong dissatisfaction with the news that Yuan Shao, as the official power of the empire, had forcibly relocated people, causing the deaths of a large number of people.
Yuan Shao, who had just entered Sili, had not yet had time to control the region when he encountered opposition from the local people. Many people were afraid that one day they would be forcibly conscripted like those people in Yanzhou and taken to an unfamiliar place by the army.
Most importantly, Liu Xie and the officials of the small court in Luoyang also began to have some doubts about Yuan Shao's actions. If it was just to serve the emperor, why did he have to mobilize so many people to relocate?