Chapter 182

"Both families are famous clans of the Middle Ages, with generations of officials earning two thousand shi."

Duan Yu had already learned some of these things from Li Ru and Dong Zhuo.

These two branches of the Wang family were the sky pressing down on Taiyuan, and even the entire Bingzhou.

"Although the Wang family has not stepped forward now, it does not mean that this matter is over."

"The more prominent the Lord's reputation becomes, the more the Taiyuan scholars will reject the Lord. This is a dispute of local factions; no matter where the Lord is, it is difficult to avoid." Jia Xu said.

Duan Yu understood what Jia Xu meant.

Local factions and cliques had permeated the four hundred years of the two Hans.

"Xiang" (local) did not refer to a single village, but meant the local area.

Fellow townsmen and people from the same hometown looked after each other, huddled together for warmth, and formed a force.

Like the Yingchuan group led by top noble clans such as the Chen, Guo, Xun, and Zhong families.

And the Guanzhong noble groups like the Yang, Sima, and Wei families, as well as the Zhuge, Wang, and Chen families of Xuzhou, etc.

And the Runan group headed by the Yuan clan, who had three dukes in four generations.

And Taiyuan was a noble group composed of the Wang, Guo, Cui, and other families.

These people represented the culture, foundation, and the rise and fall of a region.

They often formed cliques for personal gain in the imperial court.

This was also the primary reason for the Proscription of Partisan Factions.

These local cliques and factions were united in the imperial court, holding great power in the court and the public, prospering together and suffering together.

Although the imperial court had two proscriptions, which caused many cliques and factions in the court to disappear.

But in the local areas, they were still prevalent.

What Jia Xu was worried about was not just one Wang family, but the entire Taiyuan scholar class.

"Does Wenhe have any way to resolve this?" Duan Yu asked, looking at Jia Xu.

Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said: "That depends on what the Lord is planning."

Duan Yu raised his eyebrows upon hearing this.

Planning what.

Jia Xu was asking him what he wanted.

The general meaning was that if you want to achieve something, you must use corresponding methods and strategies.

Hearing Jia Xu's words, Duan Yu suddenly felt a sense of relief in his heart.

This was the benefit of having a top strategist by his side.

Ordinary strategists would only formulate some schemes and plans according to their own thinking and methods.

But top strategists would formulate different plans according to what the Lord needed.

The so-called lower level plans for things, the middle level plans for people, and only the upper level plans for the situation.

"If the Lord only wants to seek stability, hold a position, then be promoted, and then go under Lord Dong's rule, that's simple."

"As long as the Lord acts in moderation, does nothing, and avoids disputes with the world, that's fine." Jia Xu said.

Duan Yu shook his head without hesitation after hearing this.

Continuing to go under Dong Zhuo's rule, waiting for promotion to serve as a County Magistrate again, would certainly be very comfortable.

There was no doubt about this.

As long as he had no faults in his post, relying on Yuan Kui's current appreciation and employment of Dong Zhuo.

It would be very simple for him to get a County Magistrate position or continue to be promoted.

But this was not what he wanted.

One reason was that time did not allow it.

Another was that Dong Zhuo's ending was there; even if things might change in this life, he had to plan ahead.

The old path Dong Zhuo took was clearly not viable.

Even if he held the Emperor in his hands, he still failed in the end.

It was not because Dong Zhuo was not careful enough.

In fact, it was because that was simply a path that led nowhere.

At that time, Dong Zhuo was facing the scholars of the world, a chaotic Liangzhou behind him, and a broken Bingzhou.

Tigers in front and wolves behind.

Defeat was a foregone conclusion.

Even without Lu Bu, it was only a matter of time; it was absolutely impossible to last long.

Unless Dong Zhuo had the ability to quickly pacify Liangzhou and Bingzhou at that time.

But that was impossible.

The Liangzhou occupied by Ma Teng, Han Sui, and others, as well as many Qiang tribes—at that time, the Great Han had already declined, and these foreign tribes had been waiting for this opportunity for hundreds of years; how could they just give it up?

And the chaos in Bingzhou at that time was no less than that in Liangzhou.

The Xiongnu and Xianbei also smelled the scent of blood, which was why they stared at it like maggots on bones; how could they just give it up?

Dong Zhuo only occupied the Sili Colonel's department; how much war potential could be developed?

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others occupied the entire world.

At that time, behind Dong Zhuo, Liangzhou had the Han Sui and Ma Teng group, and Bingzhou had the Xiongnu and Xianbei.

Although Hangu Pass was blocked, there was no strategic depth behind or in front of him.

A dead end was inevitable.

Therefore, history had already proven that Dong Zhuo's path was not viable.

But Duan Yu could not say these words.

He could only change to an excuse: "This is not what I seek."

"Wenhe should know that if this were the case, when I returned from Longshan, or when Father-in-law found me, I could have chosen not to go to Longshan."

"The reason I entered Longshan to suppress bandits was that I never thought about living a stable life."

"If I wanted to live a stable life, why would I invite Wenhe?"

Jia Xu, who was kneeling on the ground, moved his somewhat numb knees and tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"Since that is the case, the Lord only has one choice: to fight."

A glint flashed in Jia Xu's eyes: "Use a strong stance, borrow momentum, and break the current situation."

Duan Yu nodded; this was what he wanted.

He had seen it from the Wang Gai incident last time.

Some things cannot be solved peacefully or by avoiding them.

Those high-and-mighty scholars would not care about the thoughts of a small person like him.

What they wanted, they would use every means to get.

Passive counterattacks will always be inferior.

The world will be in chaos in less than a year.

That will be the time to show martial virtue.

Whoever has abundant martial virtue.

Whoever has the bigger fist, whoever speaks is the truth.

Hiding under Dong Zhuo's wings, the achievements will be limited.

He didn't want to be labeled a disciple of the Yuan clan and end up with the name of a traitor.

"How to fight?" Duan Yu looked at Jia Xu with burning eyes.

In the study shrouded in night, the candle flame in front of Duan Yu flickered.

It shone on Jia Xu, stretching and enlarging the shadow behind him, gradually reflecting it on the door of the study.

The long, thin shadow looked like a black poisonous snake clinging to the wall.

"Wait!"

Jia Xu said with narrowed eyes: "Kill the enemy by grabbing their throat, cut the tree by cutting the roots."

"Only by waiting for the enemy to reveal their flaws can you kill them with one blow!"

"If you want to kill the enemy, you must kill them with one blow!" ===== CHAPTER 184 =====

"If you want to kill the enemy, you must kill them with a single blow!"