Bai Xiaowen looked at the Jingzhou gentry who had come to welcome him and smiled. "Jingzhou is truly blessed with outstanding talent." He immediately ordered that Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, Han Song, and twelve others—fifteen in all—be ennobled as Marquises Within the Pass.
The Jingzhou gentry thanked him profusely and surrounded Bai Xiaowen's six-horse golden carriage as they entered Xiangyang.
Xun You asked, "The Jingzhou gentry have rendered no meritorious service. Why has Your Highness suddenly granted them such honors?"
Bai Xiaowen answered with a smile, "Am I someone who cannot distinguish rewards and punishments? Honoring the Jingzhou gentry is merely a case of buying a thousand catties of horse bones for a thousand pieces of gold, to shake the resolve of the Jiangdong gentry. After seeing the Jingzhou gentry receive titles, the Jiangdong gentry will surely rush to offer their allegiance and submit to the imperial court, no longer supporting the rebel Sun Ce."
Xun You's face showed complete admiration. "Your Highness sees through the human heart. Your wisdom shines like the light of a sage."
Bai Xiaowen discreetly curled his lip. Fake. Far too fake. Xun You, Xun You—who would have thought that even you, with your solemn, honest face, had learned this routine?
Jests aside, Xun You certainly knew why Bai Xiaowen had honored the Jingzhou gentry.
He had pretended not to know and asked in order to dispel the doubts and resentment among Bai Xiaowen's civil and military officials, while also taking the opportunity to flatter the Prince of Yan.
After taking his seat in the Jingzhou Provincial Governor's Office, Bai Xiaowen received a report that the thirty thousand soldiers defending Hefei had reached Xiangyang and joined the Prince of Yan's army.
Jia Xu, Zhang Xiu, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang had led the troops there.