At this moment, Liu Fu finally felt a bit like Cao Cao and Liu Bei back then.
It's so great to have a wise advisor by your side!
As far as Liu Fu is concerned, he can indeed accomplish many things with the help of the strange beasts, but doing something and doing it well are two different things.
Take this trip to Pingcheng for example. Of course, he could easily conquer the city with the help of strange beasts.
However, the city gate tower was breached, and its reconstruction would require money and resources, causing hardship and financial strain on the people.
However, by adopting Xun Yu's method, the hardship of their work was greatly reduced. The city walls were saved, and unnecessary casualties were reduced, leaving many able-bodied men alive for Liaodong and the entire Later Han Dynasty.
Now, Liu Fu and his men are waiting outside the city, setting up camp to rest.
Liu Fu released the treasure-hunting rat into the city to investigate the Bai family's situation.
Now let's talk about the other side.
The magistrate of Zhaozhou led three thousand men straight to the horse feed warehouse in a great hurry.
This place contains a large number of haystacks, all filled with hay used to feed horses.
At this time, the magistrate of Zhaozhou ordered half of his soldiers to carry dry grass and the other half to carry dry firewood. He then surrounded the entire Bai residence from the outside, filled all the areas with dry grass and firewood, and prepared to set the residence on fire in order to attack the Bai family.
Although Magistrate Zhao was impulsive, easily angered, and lacked strategic thinking, it did not mean he was a fool.
There are hundreds of thugs in the Bai mansion, plus servants, secret assassins, and the Bai family members, totaling more than seven or eight thousand people. If our three thousand soldiers rush in, they will only be throwing their lives away.
Therefore, the best course of action is to set fire to the Bai family mansion and then surround the entire mansion with archers from a distance, shooting down any who come out. This is the safest method.
Just as the magistrate of Zhaozhou began preparing to burn down the Bai residence, the head of the Bai family had already received the steward's report.
"What? You're saying that Magistrate Zhao has led several thousand soldiers to besiege my Bai family?"
The head of the Bai family looked incredulous and immediately led several grandsons and guards to the top of the mansion to look down at the outside world from the height.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the entire Bai Mansion was surrounded by countless torches, and the total number of soldiers besieging the mansion was probably no less than three thousand.
Because of the numerous torches, the entire area around the Bai Mansion was illuminated as brightly as day, including the piles of firewood stacked outside like small mountains, which were all clearly visible.
The Bai family head inwardly realized something was wrong, slapped his thigh, and roared angrily:
"This magistrate of Zhao Prefecture was just acting like a grandson in front of me, pretending to offer treasures, but actually he came to test my stance. When he learned that I had shown any intention to rebel, he immediately led his troops to take action. It seems that he had already received Liu Fu's orders and was plotting to deal with me!"
At this moment, in the mind of the Bai family head, the magistrate of Zhao Prefecture had become a loyal lackey who worked for Liu Fu.
They must have come on Liu Fu's orders to test me before turning against me.
He gritted his teeth inwardly, but the Bai family head forcibly suppressed his anger and decided to come out and have a good talk with Magistrate Zhao to buy some time.
“Go tell Ah Long and Ah Hu that I have been secretly raising these 1,200 elite warriors for many years, feeding and drinking them well and paying them handsomely for many years. Today is the time for them to repay my kindness.”
"Also, Guang'er, quickly take my token and go out through the secret passage. Gather the troops I recruited outside the city and quickly order them to raise an army to rescue the emperor. This Zhaozhou magistrate is a troublemaker who has delayed my important matter. The Later Jin has not yet sent troops, and the troops sent by the Liao emperor to support my uprising have just infiltrated the pass and have not yet fully arrived, but I can't wait any longer."
"Only by rising up in rebellion now and raising our flags on the city walls of Pingcheng can we let them know what is happening here and send them to our aid at top speed!"
At this moment, the head of the Bai family felt a surge of excitement mixed with trepidation.
After waiting for several months, we are finally going to raise an army!
What worries him is that his two strongest backers haven't been able to arrive to support him yet, and he fears that things might change if he starts a rebellion!
"You despicable magistrate! If I catch you, I will skin you alive, tear you to pieces, and rip your body to shreds before I can vent my hatred!"
The head of the Bai family was so angry that his beard trembled.
Now the only option is to break out of the Bai residence first, and then rely on his grandson to gather the thousands of soldiers he had secretly recruited earlier, so that they can coordinate an attack from within and without.
The only option is to eliminate the magistrate of Zhao Prefecture and his troops first, and then hold Pingcheng to await reinforcements. The perfect plan that was originally discussed with the governor of Zhao Prefecture to rebel with several thousand troops is now impossible to realize.
Upon realizing this, the Bai family head immediately descended the high building and went to the front yard to stall for time.
"Little Zhao, you were all so polite and respectful when you left my residence just now, how come you turned on me in the blink of an eye?"
"Why is that?"
The Bai family head secretly resented Zhao Zhouling, the dog sent by Liu Fu, for ruining his grand plan.
However, he outwardly acted like a kind elder, because he wanted to stall for time.
In just a short while, Magistrate Zhao was caught in the middle, caught between two opposing forces.
On Liu Fu's side, he was a traitor who rebelled, and his fate was to have his entire family arrested, executed, and punished for treason.
As for the Bai family head, he wasn't much better off.
He was identified as Liu Fu's lackey sent to test the four major families, and now the Bai family wants to tear him to pieces.
Both the magistrate of Zhao Prefecture and the head of the Bai family are now in a precarious position, and the instigators of all this are Liu Fu, Xun Yu, and Du Ruhui.
The three of them were still outside the city, enjoying hot pot and drinks while watching a good show.
Looking at the Bai family head, his delaying tactics worked at first, but Zhao Zhou magistrate is a powerful official who governs a province, so he's no pushover.
The cunning old man also saw that the Bai family head intended to stall for time, so he immediately summoned a skilled archer, pretending to want to see the Bai family head in person to clear up the misunderstanding, and then took the opportunity to make his move.
"Patriarch Bai, there may be some misunderstandings here, but you are talking to me from behind the wall. Where is your sincerity?"
"Why don't we both show up and have a chat? If this resolves the conflict, that would be wonderful."
In order to buy time, the Bai family head had no other choice but to do this.
For his own safety, Zhao Zhouling used a dozen soldiers and shields to cover himself completely, and also wore a breastplate and a mask. He peeked out from the gap and looked at the Bai family head standing on the opposite wall.
The Bai family head and his grandson, under the protection of more than a dozen guards, were fully armed and protected without leaving any gaps.
The two sides finally met face to face.
Unexpectedly, the cunning and treacherous magistrate of Zhao Prefecture suddenly pointed to the spot behind the Bai family's grandson:
"Young Master Bai, be careful!"
"ah?"
Upon seeing Zhao Zhouling's terrified expression, the Bai family head instinctively tried to protect his grandson. However, the grandson was caught off guard and, in the blink of an eye, had already escaped the protection of the guards, exposing his vital parts amidst a wall of people.
Just then, the magistrate of Zhao Prefecture shouted:
"Release the arrows!"
"Shoot arrows like crazy! Kill that old beast and that little beast!"
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