I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 908: Would You Like to Be Prime Minister?

In late July, in Shouchun City, at the County Magistrate's Mansion, the sun was setting.

Su Yao sat high in the hall and heard Yuan Shao's laughter from a distance:

"After more than a year of absence, the great general is even more impressive than before. This time he has pacified the bandits and has made outstanding contributions. It is truly a blessing for the court and the world!"

Su Yao stood up to greet him, a smile on his usually cold face: "Mr. Yuan, you are too kind. If it weren't for you holding back Yuan Shu's main force in the six counties, I wouldn't have been able to wipe out his lair so easily."

"General, you are too modest." Yuan Shao said with a bow, "I have only done my best. But you are so powerful that you conquered Huainan in one battle. I really admire you."

Yuan Shao had a smile on his face, but he was secretly alert in his heart. In addition to congratulating him on the surface, he also wanted to test Su Yao's attitude towards his forces.

Although he took advantage of the situation to seize control of Runan and parts of Lujiang, his army suffered a severe blow and suffered considerable losses.

Especially the precious war horses, all of them were killed. Except for the 300 cavalrymen left behind in Nanyang, he had no cavalry force left.

Therefore, whether it was asking the court for some troop reinforcements or confirming the occupied territory, he needed Su Yao's nod.

So, knowing that Su Yao did not like small talk, Yuan Shao presented a gift list after just two words, saying that he was thanking Su Yao for his timely rescue and care for his daughter.

Su Yao took the gift list and glanced at it. He saw a large number of gold, silver, jewelry, silk fabrics, precious medicinal materials, and famous teas from Jingchu listed on it.

At first glance, although it was not as luxurious as Yuan Xiaoyu's dowry that day, it was enough to show Yuan Shao's intentions.

After all, Yuan Shao is no longer as wealthy as he was back then, and it was reported that most of these gifts were seized from the spoils of war and directly given to himself.

Su Yao accepted the gift with a smile, and also showed Yuan Shao more enthusiasm and patience, which was rare. He helped him to the hall in the mansion and invited Yuan Shao and others to sit down and have dinner.

As they walked, Su Yao kept praising Yuan Xiaoyu for being virtuous and sensible in the mansion, and how much he loved her.

Yuan Shao was pleased when he heard this, but he was thinking to himself: It seems that giving my daughter away was the right move. He said:

"It is my great honor to be favored by the great general. But..."

Yuan Shao changed the subject, looking embarrassed:

"Nanyang has just been settled, and Runan and Lujiang have been through wars. People's livelihood is in decline, and bandits are rampant. Although Shao is willing to protect the country and the people, he suffers from the loss of soldiers in the war and the lack of food and grass. I wonder if the court will allow it."

Su Yao knew very well that this was Yuan Shao's real intention in giving him both his daughter and gifts.

Su Yao first invited Yuan Shao to take a seat, then raised his glass in front of all the officials:
"Don't worry, Lord Yuan. The court will not mistreat the meritorious officials."

"This general has submitted a petition to the court to confer the title of Marquis of Runan on Lord Yuan, with an additional fief of 5,000, and to allocate another 1,500 war horses to Nanyang to help rebuild the local cavalry."

Before Su Yao finished speaking, everyone in the hall was shocked.

One thousand five hundred war horses, this is not a small number. Even though the imperial court has rebuilt the rule of Bingyou and stabilized Liangzhou, and can obtain horses more stably from horse farms and grassland trade, a full one thousand five hundred war horses are definitely important strategic materials.

After all, even the Twelve Guards of the Capital set up by Su Yao are not fully staffed and have a large number of vacancies.

At this time, the general was so generous as to allocate 1,500 cavalry to Yuan Shao. Could it be that he was really dazzled by the beauty of the Yuan family? Could he not see Yuan Shao's evil ambition?

Many officials frowned secretly, but Yuan Shao was overjoyed.

For him, who was in the heart of the Central Plains, these 1,500 war horses were something that no amount of money could buy!
So he quickly stood up and thanked him: "Thank you for your generous gift, General! Shaoding will do his best to guard the gates of the capital for the court!"

Su Yao smiled and helped Yuan Shao up. The two of them toasted each other and the scene was quite lively for a while.

While patting his chest to express his loyalty to the court and His Majesty, Yuan Shao, together with Su Yao and everyone present, denounced Yuan Shu's despicable behavior, from the big things like Yuan Shu overestimating his own abilities, trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm, and openly rebelling to bring about his own destruction, to the small things like Yuan Shu's arrogance and tyranny as a child, and his various misdeeds as petty thefts. Yuan Shao knew them all and told them one by one, fully satisfying the gossip desires of everyone present.

After three rounds of drinks, seeing that the atmosphere was right, Yuan Shao, while looking at Su Yao's face, raised the issue of selecting officials for Runan and Yangzhou areas.

"General, now that Runan has just been settled, the position of prefect is vacant. Lu Kang of Lujiang has also made contributions in defending the territory and is about to be promoted. Shao dares to recommend a few talented people to stabilize the local area."

Su Yao put down his wine glass and looked at Yuan Shao with a half-smile:

"Mr. Yuan is thoughtful. However, the imperial court has its own arrangements for the appointment and dismissal of officials - the governor of Runan will be Wei Ming, the Grand Master of Imperial Households, and the governor of Lujiang will be Xu Qiu, the former prime minister of Donghai."

Yuan Shao's face changed slightly and the wine glass in his hand almost fell to the ground.

One of these two men was Su Yao's confidant before he became rich, and the other was an old official of the imperial court who had been well-known before the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Neither of them had anything to do with his Yuan family!
Su Yao seemed not to notice Yuan Shao's misbehavior and continued, "As for the generals under Lord Yuan's command, the court will not treat them unfairly. Yan Liang and Wen Chou can enter the capital as generals, taking over Yun Chang's position and commanding the left and right cavalry guards. Feng Ji, Chen Lin and other counselors will also be assigned to other positions and each will receive a reward."

what? !

After hearing Su Yao's words, Yuan Shao's face suddenly turned pale and sweat broke out on his forehead.

What do you mean by "each has his own reward"? This is clearly an attempt to clip his wings!
Yan Liang and Wen Chou were his most capable generals, commanding the most elite infantry and cavalry in Yuan Shao's army. Feng Ji and Chen Lin were his only two right-hand men who could give him advice and control public opinion.

With just a few words, Su Yao was actually trying to dismantle his core team and insert them into the court system, under the euphemism of "assigning them to other positions". In fact, this was just cutting off the source of his trouble!
At this moment, Yuan Shao finally understood why Su Yao had been so magnanimous just now.

It turns out there is something waiting for him behind!
Yuan Shao suppressed his anger and smiled: "General, the soldiers under my command are crude and uncouth. I am afraid..."

"Mr. Yuan is too modest." Su Yao interrupted, "The court is in need of talents, how can we let talented people go unappreciated? Besides--"

Su Yao suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Doesn't Lord Yuan want to serve as a prime minister? With the reputation of the Yuan family and his contribution in suppressing the rebellion, isn't it natural for him to be granted a title of nobility and appointed as a prime minister?"

"The rank of General of the Cavalry is already a high-ranking general, with the same rank as the Three Dukes. As long as Lord Yuan is interested, I can submit a petition to the court to appoint you as the Minister of State Affairs, and you can serve as a military advisor. Isn't it more honorable to assist the king than to lead troops outside?"

"This way, Xiaoyu can be reunited with her parents and enjoy the company of Mr. Yuan, fulfilling her filial duty as a daughter."

(End of this chapter)