Chapter 1062: Liu Yu (1)
Chapter 1062: Liu Yu (1)
September 25, 2017
For Lu HaiKong, the fall of Liaoxi Prefecture was terrible news.
Youzhou consisted of ten prefectures: Daizhou, Shangguzhou, Guangyangzhou, Zhuzhou, Yuyangzhou, Youbeipingzhou, Liaoxizhou, Liaodongzhou, Xuantuzhou, and Yeluangzhou.
Liaoxi Prefecture was located right in the middle of these ten, dividing the entire Youzhou into two halves.
On the left side were Daizhou, Shangguzhou, Zhuzhou, Guangyangzhou, Yuyangzhou, and Youbeipingzhou, while on the right were Liaodong, Xuantu, and Yeluang, totaling three prefectures.
The situation on the left side was more complicated, with Daizhou under Lu HaiKong's control, Shangguzhou and Zhuzhou under Zhang Yan's, and Yuyangzhou and Youbeipingzhou controlled by Liu Yu, forming a three-way power struggle. In contrast, the right side was simpler, entirely under Gongsun Zan's control.
This was not a comforting situation, especially for Lu HaiKong, who couldn't find much solace in it.
On one hand, Gongsun Zan's side had a fool who Lu HaiKong had managed to isolate. He genuinely worried if the three prefectures under Gongsun Zan's leadership could withstand the massive army of the Foreign Demons.
Lu HaiKong's concern wasn't about Gongsun Zan's fool surviving; it was about the Foreign Demons capturing the three prefectures. If that happened, not only would millions of civilians suffer, but the Foreign Demons' strength would significantly increase, leaving Lu HaiKong in a dire situation.
However, while Gongsun Zan's side was worrying, the current situation didn't allow for concern. After all, Gongsun Zan's position wasn't ideal, and Lu HaiKong's own circumstances weren't much better.
Lu HaiKong's upcoming allies on the left side didn't seem like ideal partners. One was the mysterious Zhang Yan, with whom Lu HaiKong had dealt but never understood her intentions. The other was Liu Yu, who simply didn't get along with Lu HaiKong.
Just thinking about working with these two made Lu HaiKong uneasy. What made it worse was that, regardless of his willingness, these two individuals were about to become his allies, and they had to work seamlessly together. This situation was quite troublesome for Lu HaiKong.
But Lu HaiKong had no choice but to accept it. At this point, he had no other options, whether he liked it or not. These two had to become his allies.
In this situation, Lu HaiKong had to make a decision. After accepting this fact, he had to prepare in advance, which was why, apart from destroying the Mystic Gate, Lu HaiKong needed a long period of preparation before advancing into Youzhou.
Lu HaiKong wanted to make it clear to them that he wasn't targeting them. He sincerely wanted to help them, not take their territories and possessions. Lu HaiKong had to ensure they understood this, or their cooperation would be challenging.
Lu HaiKong made efforts in this regard, but naturally, they wouldn't trust his goodwill initially.
In fact, in the past ten days, Xun You hadn't made much progress in gaining the trust of these two individuals. He had planned to work harder, but the situation in Liaoxi Prefecture left him with no choice.
Under these circumstances, Lu HaiKong couldn't afford to wait any longer. He led his legion to Youzhou, and this time, he didn't fully obtain Zhang Yan and Liu Yu's approval. It was a risky move, as Lu HaiKong wasn't sure how Zhang Yan and the others would interpret his actions.
Fortunately, although Lu HaiKong's actions were a bit reckless, Zhang Yan and the others didn't seem to have any misunderstandings.
After all, on his way to Youzhou, Zhang Yan had given Lu HaiKong the green light, ensuring a smooth journey to Guangyang Prefecture.
In truth, Zhang Yan had no other choice.
She was well aware that she couldn't stop Lu HaiKong, and she also knew the strength of the so-called Foreign Demons.
The destruction of Liaoxi Prefecture overnight was a stark reminder, and with the intelligence Lu HaiKong provided and her own information, the pressure she felt was immense. In this situation, Lu HaiKong's willingness to help was the best outcome for her.
As for whether Lu HaiKong would do something unnecessary, she wasn't completely unprepared. She had a backup plan, waiting for Lu HaiKong, and if he were to act irrationally, a huge surprise would be in store for him.
Zhang Yan was prepared, and while she felt the pressure, it wasn't the most overwhelming for her. After all, her territory wasn't directly exposed to the threat of the Foreign Demons, and she hadn't witnessed the ravaging demons or experienced the human tragedy firsthand. She had Liu Yu as a buffer, so the real pressure was on Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan.
From the moment the Foreign Demons descended, these two had been extremely wary of them. These two old rivals not only worked together from the start but also, after Yan Gang was killed by the Foreign Demons, Liu Yu was the first to rush to Liaoxi Prefecture to take charge of the situation there.
In the previous ten days, Liu Yu had been managing the affairs of Liaoxi Prefecture.
When he arrived, Lu HaiKong's intelligence had already been delivered. Originally, Liu Yu had a strong dislike for Lu HaiKong, but when faced with the threat of the Foreign Demons, upon learning the source of the intelligence, Liu Yu trusted Lu HaiKong without reservation.
On one hand, he stabilized the situation, evacuating people as much as possible while ensuring safety, moving the people of Liaoxi Prefecture to the left, towards Youbeiping Prefecture. On the other hand, he set up various customs posts and thoroughly inspected for zombies, executing any discovered on the spot.
His actions were reasonable and mostly followed Lu HaiKong's suggestions.
In this situation, he trusted someone he had previously rejected without hesitation, prioritizing the resistance against the Foreign Demons and the lives of the people. This guy was indeed a good official.
However, he was also an unwitting accomplice.
He didn't follow Lu HaiKong's instructions to execute those injured by zombies.
Liu Yu might not be a pushover, but he was definitely soft-hearted. While he could be ruthless against zombies, he couldn't bring himself to kill those injured by them.
In a moment of hesitation, he went to see those injured by zombies. Among them were many with minor injuries, and their eyes, young and old, looked at him as if he were their savior. Liu Yu's heart softened.
He couldn't convince himself to kill these simple, kind, and even innocent children.
How innocent they were, yet they were to be killed just for being bitten or injured? How could Liu Yu bear it?
So, not only did Liu Yu not execute them, but he also began to doubt the accuracy of Lu HaiKong's intelligence.
This is how people are; when faced with something they can't or don't want to do, they look for excuses to deny the necessity of the task.
On one hand, it conflicted with his principles, and on the other, he had never had a good impression of Lu HaiKong.
In the end, he didn't execute them, and a disaster was set in motion!
Although Liu Yu had arranged a backup plan, it was of no use. When the zombie poison was triggered, Liaoxi Prefecture completely fell.
In fact, not everyone in Liaoxi Prefecture turned into zombies that day, but the transformation happened amidst the exodus. In such a situation, it didn't take many zombies, just a tenth or even a twentieth or thirtieth of the population turning, to throw the entire prefecture into chaos.
Chaos can sometimes be more terrifying than slaughter. The fall of Liaoxi Prefecture was due not only to the zombies but also to the chaos they caused.
It was during this chaos that Liu Yu fully realized what he had done.
His momentary softness had caused millions of people in Liaoxi Prefecture to become homeless, and several large and prosperous cities turned into hell on earth...
(End of Chapter)
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