Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3781 Act according to your virtue and capacity.

The autumn wind is bleak, blowing harder and harder.

In the southern military camp of Ye City, Wei Yan stared at Wu Jing, remaining silent for a long time.

Wu Jing's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was pounding wildly.

In ancient times, being a persuader was not an easy job.

Those who have made their mark on history seem to be exceptionally skilled persuaders. They used their silver tongues to navigate the courts of various countries, attempting to turn the tide and change the fate of nations with their words. However, this seemingly glamorous profession actually harbors countless dangers and is akin to walking on a knife's edge, with a level of difficulty far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

Not to mention the constant threat to their lives, and the saying "in war, envoys are not to be relied upon," the reality is often that there is no room for negotiation and direct slaughter. Even when they do meet someone and sit down to persuade them, it is not simply a display of eloquence, but a precise grasp of people's hearts and minds.

First, they need to gain a deep understanding of the personality, preferences, concerns, and ambitions of the person they are trying to persuade.

Different people receive information in completely different ways, and even the slightest mistake can result in immediate death.

Such a high-risk profession naturally brings extremely high rewards.

A silver tongue can hold the seals of six kingdoms. Although the time was short, it undoubtedly inspired all those who wanted to rise to the top in one step, making them flock to it.

Wu Jing was the same.

If it doesn't work out, I'll just have a worthless life; if it does, I'll be incredibly rich!

As Wu Jing's heart pounded, he saw Wei Yan sigh deeply, then say with a seemingly unfocused gaze, "What to do? Naturally, I will obey the orders of the General of Chariots and Cavalry! Wherever the General points, I, Wei Yan, will fight!"

Upon seeing this, Wu Jing was overjoyed!

If Wei Yan had answered decisively without any hesitation, Wu Jing would naturally have changed the subject to something else. But seeing Wei Yan's response, which revealed a perfect opening, there was no reason for him to let it go.

"The General is undoubtedly wise and mighty," Wu Jing immediately echoed, but then his tone became meaningful. "However, the General is far away in Chang'an, the capital of Hebei. This is truly a case of being too far to reach... This newly conquered city in Hebei ultimately needs a capable commander to defend it. General Zhao has long been stationed in the northern regions, his service is meritorious; General Zhang is the General's right-hand man, having recently achieved great merit... and you, General, are unparalleled in courage and strategy, and you were a key force in this siege. Are you truly content to remain... subordinate to others?"

When Wu Jing spoke the last four words, his voice was almost inaudible, yet it carried a strange allure.

A ranking list?

Is it cliché?
It’s so useful!
Wei Yan knew perfectly well that this was an imitation of Li Su's old trick of persuading Lü Bu, using "future prospects" to lure him.

Wei Yan couldn't make any complicated expressions. He could only rub his face a few times, then slam his hand on the table, puff out his beard and glare. Anyway, this set of expressions was the simplest. Even someone who could only count 12345 could do the three-hit combo of glaring, frowning, and smirking. There was nothing particularly difficult about it.

Wei Yan's voice rose, and he roared, "Insolence! What do you mean by this? Are you trying to sow discord among our generals? Protector-General Zhao and General Zhang are both men I respect! If you dare to speak nonsense again, don't blame me for recognizing you as an old acquaintance, but for recognizing my blade!"

When Wei Yan got angry, his momentum was naturally terrifying.

However, Wu Jing did not show any signs of fear.

Those who can act as persuaders all have relatively high psychological qualities; otherwise, they wouldn't dare to come alone.

Seeing Wei Yan like this, Wu Jing was even more delighted.

After all, in Shandong, those who constantly spout high-sounding reasons are often the most despicable and vile in their hearts.

If you're really angry and furious, why don't you just take action and kill them?
Since they didn't actually fight, they're not really angry.

Wu Jing immediately realized that the bribery strategy might work, but he couldn't continue now. After all, Wei Yan had already refused on the surface, and he was making a big fuss about it. If he continued to drag things out and put Wei Yan in an awkward position, he might actually take action!

This seems to indicate that Wei Yan does indeed have some opinions about Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao!

That's a good thing!
Wu Jing immediately rose, bowed deeply to the ground, and his tone became fearful and earnest: "General, please calm your anger! General, please calm your anger! I misspoke, I misspoke! I had absolutely no intention of provoking anyone! It was just... just that I was thinking of our shared hometown and couldn't bear to see your brilliance tarnished. In a moment of panic, I spoke without thinking! Your loyalty and righteousness are as clear as day! It was my petty mind that led me astray. Please forgive me, General, for the sake of our shared hometown!"

Wu cleverly shifted his motive from "lobbying" or "sowing discord" to "saying the wrong thing in his haste because he was thinking about the future of his fellow townsmen," attempting to salvage the situation and ease the atmosphere by appealing to hometown ties and apologizing.

Wei Yan stared intently at Wu Jing, seemingly still furious. After a long pause, he let out a heavy snort, waved his hand, and said, "Considering this is your first offense and your ignorance of military law, I'll spare you this time! A second offense, and you'll be executed without mercy!"

Wei Yan's tone was fierce, but he ultimately gave the other party a way out, which gave Wu Jing more hope.

Wu Jing sat down again, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. His tone became sorrowful yet sincere: "Thank you for your magnanimity, General… To be honest, I have come here on the behalf of many fellow Nanyang natives in the North. We are adrift in the North, like rootless duckweed, yearning for our homeland day and night. Hearing of your army's arrival is like seeing family… We only hope that the royal army will soon conquer and pacify the world, so that we can return to our hometowns and pay respects at our ancestors' graves…"

Wu Jing began to appeal to emotions, using the homesickness of a wanderer to evoke feelings through the concepts of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness.

These words sound reasonable and are very persuasive.

Wei Yan's anger gradually subsided, replaced by a solemn expression. He remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "To launch a northern expedition to conquer the Central Plains and pacify the Han lands is the General's ambition, and also the duty of us warriors. I am aware of the intentions of you, sir, and the other esteemed fellow villagers. Once Ye City is pacified, there will be laws to settle the displaced people, and it will not be difficult for them to return to their hometowns to pay respects to their ancestors."

Wei Yan's reply was impeccable, both offering comfort and attributing everything to the General's will, leaving no room for any personal promises.

Wu Jing observed the situation and realized that this path was not entirely smooth either; this General Wei was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined. His mind raced, and he decided to make one last attempt, subtly adjusting his direction once more.

Wu Jing's face showed gratitude, and he nodded repeatedly: "General, you are absolutely right! I was indeed very anxious."

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, then took out a small cloth bag from his robes and presented it with both hands. "This was entrusted to me by several elders of the clan when I left my hometown. It is a handful of soil from the Yiyang Village Ancestral Hall. They said that if I saw any fellow villagers in the army, they hoped I would pass it on to show us, the sons of Nanyang, that no matter where we are, our roots remain unbroken and our hearts are with our homeland. Today, having met you, General, I offer it to you. I hope you will not find it too meager."

This move is extremely powerful.

A handful of soil from one's hometown is not only a symbol of homesickness, but also a subtle reminder of one's roots...

Wei Yan looked at the bag of soil, and a very subtle ripple finally crossed the depths of his eyes.

He reached out and took the cloth bag; it wasn't heavy at all.

After a long silence, Wei Yan slowly spoke, his voice slightly lower: "Thank you for your trouble, sir, and thank you all, elders of the village... I will accept this gift."

Wu Jing was overjoyed, thinking he had finally touched Wei Yan's heart. He was about to continue using their shared hometown as leverage to widen the rift in Wei Yan's heart when Wei Yan's next words chilled him to the bone: "Sir, you have traveled a long way and must be tired. Please rest in our camp tonight. Our camp is simple, but safe. In a few days, I will send someone to escort you back... This chaotic place is not a place for a scholar like you to linger."

What does this mean?
House arrest?

see a visitor out?

However, Wu Jing couldn't force him to do anything. Seeing that Wei Yan had accepted the soil and embraced this "hometown friendship," as long as he remained in the army camp, there was still a glimmer of hope.

Wu Jing dared not show the slightest change in expression, and could only bow again: "Thank you for your kindness, General. Well then... I will trouble you."

Wei Yan summoned his personal guards: "Take this Mr. Wu to a side tent to rest; do not neglect him."

The guards obeyed and left.

Wei Yan sat there, watching Wu Jing's retreating figure. After a moment, he sneered, "Men! Keep a close eye on this guy! Don't reveal yourself. Let's see what he does and who will associate with him..."

The guard whispered, "My lord, you suspect..."

Wei Yan chuckled. "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to find Protector Zhao."

……

...The autumn sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, cutting out stripes of light and shadow on the ground.

Inside the central command tent, between the light and shadow, dust floated, much like the various thoughts in a person's heart, fragmented and intricate.

Wei Yan strode in, his armor clattering, and recounted to Zhao Yun without any concealment the details of the bag of soil from the previous night and his meeting with the so-called "old friend from Nanyang," Wu Jing.

Finally, Wei Yan said with a nonchalant expression, "Zilong, Ye City is a tough nut to crack. We've been gnawing at it for days, it's not breaking our teeth, but it's still a pain. Now these guys from Shandong are playing this game, clearly trying to disrupt us... to drag things out and wear us down. Rather than wasting time outside the city watching them pull these underhanded tricks, I'd rather go somewhere else!"

Zhao Yun sat quietly in the main seat, his face calm and composed. He listened to Wei Yan's account, seemingly unsurprised by the news that "an old friend from Nanyang" had arrived at Wei Yan's camp.

Although "Old Friend from Nanyang" came alone and wasn't a particularly conspicuous figure, it was clearly possible for him to pass through the cavalry scouts' defensive perimeter undetected. Since the cavalry scouts had spotted him, it meant Zhao Yun also knew about him.

What Zhao Yun didn't expect was that Wei Yan would come looking for him so soon...

After Wei Yan finished speaking, Zhao Yun raised his eyes, his gaze clear and bright. "What is Wen Chang's meaning?"

"I'm heading south!" Wei Yan waved his hand, laughing heartily, almost as if he were standing with his hands on his hips, leaning on a stool or a stone.

Wei Yan pointed south, "That pedantic fellow wasn't he using the guise of an 'old friend from Nanyang' to probe my intentions? Excellent! I'll use this as an excuse to feign leaving camp in anger and heading south for food! The area around Ye City has been repeatedly ravaged by Cao Cao's army and is already devastated, but in Xuzhou and Qingzhou, Cao Cao's forces are weak, local warlords are acting independently, and their fortified villages are overflowing with grain! I'll lead a light detachment, quickly infiltrate, both to forage for the enemy and wreak havoc, and to support the main force, making it difficult for Cao Cao to attend to both ends!"

Wei Yan had already considered going it alone since Wu Jing hadn't come, and now he was taking advantage of the opportunity to head south!
Zhao Yun frowned slightly. "Wen Chang, this proposal is far too risky! You've led your army deep into enemy territory, far from any natural defenses or reinforcements. While Xuzhou and Qingzhou may seem undefended, they are rife with powerful local warlords whose intentions are unclear. If anything changes, you'll be bogged down, surrounded by enemies on all sides! At that point, the slightest misstep could lead to the annihilation of your entire army!"

Zhao Yun's concerns were clear and direct, based on purely military risk considerations, without any personal emotions involved.

Wei Yan understood Zhao Yun's good intentions, but he waved his hand, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes. "Why is the Protector-General so hesitant? Back then, I was able to cross the Taihang Mountains from Bingzhou and penetrate deep into the heart of Jizhou. How can I not go to the mere Xu and Qing regions? What war is without risk? Being trapped here is the greatest danger! If the Protector-General is truly worried—"

Wei Yan abruptly changed the subject, his gaze fixed intently on Zhao Yun. "Then allocate a detachment to me, and give me a general to assist me! I don't need a large army, but I need elite troops, and generals who can keep up with my pace!"

Zhao Yun's heart sank slightly; he already had a premonition: "Whom do you want?"

"Captain Gan Feng!" Wei Yan exclaimed without hesitation, his voice resolute. "That lad is on my side! With him by my side, even the deepest dens of dragons and tigers are no obstacle for me!"

Just know!
Zhao Yun suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Wei Yan was already notoriously audacious, and what about Gan Feng, who was known for his bravery and wildness?
The two of them together were like throwing fire into an oil depot; Zhao Yun could almost foresee the violent waves they would stir up in Shandong.

From a security perspective, the more trouble Wei Yan and Gan Feng cause in the heart of Shandong, the more likely they are to be besieged and suppressed by all sides, and the higher the level of danger will be...

This risk is simply too uncontrollable.

Zhao Yun pondered.

He disliked this completely uncontrollable mode of warfare.

This goes against his prudent nature.

The atmosphere inside the tent became somewhat tense for a moment.

Wei Yan still had a smile on his face, then turned his head to look left and right.

Zhang Liao's northward march can be seen as the cavalry opening up a route from Hanoi to Chaoge and then to Yecheng, but it may also signify something else...

Wei Yan disliked politics, so he decided to seize the opportunity to leave.

Wei Yan had no desire to get involved in, nor did he care about, the delicate issue between Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao regarding the future ownership of power in the Northern Region. He was tired of such speculation and preferred to step out and earn merit for himself on the wider battlefield with his sword—that was the fighting arena he knew best.

Wei Yan wasn't sure if Zhao Yun understood the deeper meaning behind Zhang Liao's visit, but he felt Zhao Yun had probably guessed it. However, such precautions were normal. Even if Wei Yan were in the same position as the General of the Cavalry, could he completely trust the sudden appearance of a large army on his flank during a life-or-death battle with Cao Cao?
Even if Zhao Yun has no ideas, what about his subordinates or other people?

Conversely, even if Fei Qian could trust Zhao Yun, would Pang Tong also trust Zhao Yun?
These were all very subtle questions, so Wei Yan could neither ask them nor express any doubts.

Overemphasizing loyalty can actually make one appear insecure.

Therefore, Wei Yan thought it best to take this opportunity to leave...

Just then, a voice came from outside the tent announcing that Zhang Liao had arrived.

Zhang Liao lifted the curtain and entered, seemingly oblivious to the stagnant air inside the tent. He merely bowed slightly to Zhao Yun before standing quietly to one side, his gaze sweeping over Wei Yan and then landing on the cloth bundle that Wei Yan had tossed to the ground.

Zhao Yun briefly informed Zhang Liao about the matter of the "old friend from Nanyang," as well as the intentions and risks that Wei Yan subsequently raised.

After listening, Zhang Liao remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting between Zhao Yun and Wei Yan.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Liao guessed that Wei Yan's move was not only a military action, but also a political "voluntary withdrawal".

Wei Yan's actions may, to some extent, ease the current delicate atmosphere.

"Wen Chang's strategy, though risky, is not without its merits," Zhang Liao said slowly, his voice steady. "Being trapped under a fortified city and unable to fight will indeed demoralize our troops. If we can send a surprise force to stir up trouble in Shandong, forcing Cao Cao to attack from both sides, it will also benefit our lord's great cause."

Zhang Liao first affirmed Wei Yan's strategic value, then changed the subject, turning to Wei Yan and instructing him: "However, Wenchang, remember this: the purpose of this expedition is to contain and harass, not to conquer cities and seize territory. Avoid being greedy for merit and advancing rashly, or venturing deep into enemy territory alone! Furthermore, do not easily trust the promises of local powerful figures; they are fickle and unreliable. We must strike quickly and retreat swiftly, prioritizing our own safety!"

Zhang Liao came on Fei Qian's orders, and his primary task was not to conquer Ye City, but to stabilize Hebei.

This "stability" naturally refers to stability in many aspects.

If Wei Yan's move succeeds, it will naturally be a great achievement; even if the effect is not good, it can temporarily remove Wei Yan, this "unstable factor", from the core battlefield, reduce possible internal friction, and make it easier for him to cooperate with Zhao Yun.

Zhang Liao supported this proposal out of consideration for the overall situation.

With Zhang Liao's statement, Zhao Yun's mind finally turned.

Zhao Yun made a decision: "Since that's the case... Wen Chang, I will give you two thousand elite cavalry... Remember Wen Yuan's words: this mission is a surprise attack, not a decisive battle! Everything must be for the sake of our lord's great cause! Consult with Colonel Gan on all matters, and do not act unilaterally. If things cannot be accomplished, retreat immediately!"

Zhao Yun's eventual nod was both a military compromise and a political statement.

He won't cling to military power.

—Zhao Yun prioritized Fei Qian's overall situation and had no desire to cling to power.

Wei Yan glanced at Zhang Liao, a hint of something in his eyes, but quickly straightened up, clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, and with a resounding voice, declared: "Rest assured, Protector! I will not fail in my mission. I will make sure Cao Cao is caught between two difficult situations in Shandong! I will not hesitate to sacrifice myself for your cause, my lord!"

Wei Yan didn't hesitate. He turned around and strode out of the tent, seemingly eager to inspect the troops and call Gan Feng to go south together.

Only Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao remained in the tent.

Zhao Yun's gaze returned to the map, and he remained silent for a long time.

He wasn't entirely sure whether releasing Wei Yan and Gan Feng, these two fierce tigers, would bring them good fortune or misfortune.

Zhang Liao stood to the side, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

The tent fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the flags fluttering in the wind outside.