Chapter 419

Zhou Yu had been slow to give Sun Ce an answer.

Until recently.

With Gu Yi seizing the three provinces of Yuzhou, Yanzhou, and Xuzhou.

Sun Ce, as Gu Yi's little brother, seemed to no longer be ostracized by the aristocratic families as before.

After all.

As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

Even if they were unwilling to admit it, the fact that the aristocratic group had to acknowledge was that, relying solely on the strength they currently held, they were already completely unable to contend with Gu Yi.

Under such circumstances.

More and more aristocratic families hoped to seek cooperation.

For enemies, Gu Yi struck with heavy fists.

But for his own people, Gu Yi never mistreated any meritorious official.

For example, the Yizhou aristocratic families led by Zhang Song, Wu Yi, and others.

After taking the initiative to surrender, although they could no longer continue to hole up in Yizhou and be uncrowned kings as before, they had not suffered any grievances or mistreatment.

And like the Yuzhou and Nanyang aristocratic families who opposed Gu Yi at every turn.

They had now basically turned into ashes.

Only the Yuzhou Yingchuan aristocratic families led by Xun Yu, as well as those led by Xun Chen and Guo Tu, remained, clinging to survival under the camps of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

But compared to their peak period, the strength of the Yuzhou aristocratic families was less than one in ten.

How could the aristocratic families in other places not be afraid of the fate faced by the Yuzhou aristocratic families?

Among them.

Those who intended to put up a desperate resistance, such as the four great aristocratic families of Jiangdong;

They did not want to lose the qualification to continue being uncrowned kings, so they clung to Liu Bei's camp.

Those who were ambiguous, such as the Jingzhou aristocratic families;

They had always supported Liu Biao and maintained good relations with the Dong Zhuo faction.

But they had not become little brothers under Gu Yi's name like Sun Ce and Gongsun Zan.

Those who were panic-stricken, such as the Hebei aristocratic families;

They supported Yuan Shao on one hand, while on the other hand, they feared starting a war with Gu Yi due to suffering huge losses, fearing they would end up like the Yuzhou and Nanyang aristocratic groups.

Moreover, among the Hebei aristocratic families.

Tian Feng and Gao Lan, these two former high-level spokesmen, had all chosen to surrender.

This gap could be considered opened from Gao Lan and Tian Feng.

But most of the people among the Hebei aristocratic families still wanted to support Yuan Shao to defeat Gu Yi.

After all.

Only the new dynasty established by Yuan Shao's victory would be the "aristocratic dynasty" exclusive to them!

And top aristocratic families in the Huainan region like the Lujiang Zhou family.

Were not prepared to fight Gu Yi to the death.

But they also did not intend to join Gu Yi.

Previously, they had supported Yuan Shu and thus had a period of hostile relations with Gu Yi.

If they chose to join Gu Yi's camp now.

Their status and treatment would certainly not compare to the Yizhou and Xuzhou aristocratic families who took the initiative to surrender to Gu Yi.

As everyone knows, the competition between aristocratic families is extremely cruel and cold-blooded.

Gu Yi sending the Yizhou aristocratic family spokesman Zhang Song to Xuzhou to serve as Inspector was precisely to promote the strife between these two major aristocratic factions.

At the same time, the power of checks and balances would be firmly held in Gu Yi's hands.

It was equivalent to saying that these Yizhou and Xuzhou aristocratic families who took the initiative to surrender to Gu Yi.

Would never be able to obtain the qualification to become uncrowned kings of a region like before.

Between these two major aristocratic families, there would be more and more contradictions and infighting.

Gu Yi, as the "chess player," would sit back and reap the benefits.

After all.

Gu Yi's goal was not to let the aristocratic families grow stronger.

The harm of the aristocratic families had long been clearly visible in original history.

Gu Yi's ultimate goal was to completely eliminate the class of aristocratic families.

Of course, wanting to reach this step was quite difficult.

A hundred-year dynasty, a thousand-year aristocratic family.

A centipede dies but does not stiffen.

Wanting to eliminate this deep-rooted class of aristocratic families was far more difficult than unifying the world!

The two were not in the same league at all.

Moreover, there is a good old saying:

"The dragon-slaying youth eventually becomes the evil dragon."

The rise and fall of a dynasty, to a certain extent, is the new aristocratic families replacing the old ones.

Just like the group of people who followed Liu Bang to start their business back then.

Before establishing the Han dynasty, most of them did not have much of a background.

But after establishing the Han dynasty, one by one they all became emerging nobles.

Even if they did not take the step of oppressing commoners, annexing land, and plundering the people, their descendants would definitely embark on this path.

Gradually, they would become tumors within the dynasty.

In other words, their families became new aristocratic families.

Why wouldn't the group of people following Gu Yi to start their business today embark on this path in the future?

Therefore.

To completely solve the various problems existing in the class of aristocratic families.

The path Gu Yi had to walk was still long and arduous.

So much so that in original history, even a thousand years later, this problem had not been completely solved.

The aristocratic families just changed their names and changed their forms, but they still existed.

Commonly known as big capitalists.

……

And now.

Against the backdrop of the external environment.

After deliberation, the Lujiang Zhou family decided to save the country by a curved path and support Sun Ce, Gu Yi's little brother in name.

After all.

It is easy to get things done when you have acquaintances in the court.

Given the friendship between Zhou Yu and Sun Ce.

As long as Zhou Yu was willing to join Sun Ce's camp, he would definitely become Sun Ce's core team in minutes.

Besides this.

Sun Ce's original reputation had long become that of a "street rat that everyone shouts to beat."

Young talents born into aristocratic families could not possibly take the initiative to join him.

But now.

With the leading role of the Lujiang Zhou family, more or less some aristocratic talents would appear under Sun Ce's command to join him.

For Sun Ce, this was definitely a great happy event worth exploding with joy!

Besides this.

Zhou Yu also brought another "generous gift" for Sun Ce.

Inside the City Lord's Mansion.

Zhou Yu pointed to the map hanging on the wall and asked Sun Ce with a smile:

"Bofu, you now occupy the three commanderies of Huainan."

"But... are you really only satisfied with the territory of these three commanderies?"