Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 156 A Father's Name, A Bond of Life and Death
"If one had a son like Zilong, who served under General Gongsun and commanded heavy cavalry across the north, what more could one ask for?"

This time, faced with Yuan Shu's abrupt request, Zhao Yun was clearly not as decisive as he had been at the beginning.

After much hesitation, he instinctively declined.

"I have no way to repay Lord Yuan's kindness."

However, Yun was merely a minor military officer under General Gongsun; how could he be qualified to command such heavy cavalry?
"Please, Lord Yuan, refrain from mentioning anything similar again."

“Marshal Zhao Yun is not suitable.”

Yuan Shu nodded slightly, staring intently at Zhao Yun. His eyes were clear and bright, his bearing as majestic as a dragon and as radiant as the sun and moon. He spoke with an air of divine authority:
"Shu's adopted son, Zhao Zilong of Changshan, is suitable!"

The adopted son of Shu, Zhao Zilong of Changshan, is suitable!
In short, his words were a wake-up call, resounding in Zhao Yun's mind.

Once he becomes Yuan Gong's adopted son, he will no longer be the insignificant military commander he once was when he returns home.

Instead, as Yuan Shu's representative to Gongsun Zan, all the support supplies, heavy armor, and cavalry equipment sent by Yuan Shu would be under the control of Zhao Zilong of Changshan.

He will serve as the link between the two alliances, thus freeing himself from the constraints of those mediocre men under General Gongsun.

He could use the supplies and weapons sent by his adoptive father to repay General Gongsun's kindness and seek revenge against Yuan Shao and Ju Yi for the loss of Jieqiao Baima.

He will be Zhao Zilong of Changshan, who will roam freely across the north, treating a million-strong army as nothing!
The greatest generals of antiquity achieved nothing more than this.

The most crucial point is that Yuan Shu thoughtfully helped him resolve the core issue of loyalty and betrayal.

He was both an adopted son of Yuan Gong and a servant of Gongsun Zan, showing filial piety to Yuan Gong and loyalty to Gongsun Zan.

As for the alliance between the two families, Yuan Shu had already made it clear to him that there was no possibility of them being enemies from the beginning.

Now he won't even have to worry about the dilemma of being unable to reconcile loyalty to his country and filial piety.

As an adopted son, he brought a large amount of supplies invested by Yuan Shu to support Gongsun Zan. Yuan Shu could rest assured because these supplies were in the hands of his adopted son.

Gongsun Zan can also save himself some trouble!
With such a loyal subordinate who used his adoptive father's wealth to fight against Yuan Shao, he no longer had to worry about being destroyed.

After considering all this, the proposal to become an adopted son was made.

It seems like a win-win situation for myself, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan, so why not? But in this process, who actually got hurt?

At this moment, after careful consideration, Zhao Yun realized that Yuan Shu's seemingly casual idea of ​​adopting a son was not at all abrupt.

This alliance plan, clearly the result of careful consideration, is far more reliable than General Gongsun's impulsive decision to threaten the strategist Fengxiao.

There was no conflict of interest or reason for General Gongsun and Lord Yuan to be enemies from beginning to end.

Under such circumstances, Yuan Gong used himself as an adopted son as a bond, while General Gongsun used Fengxiao as a hostage as a means of weighing the options.

This alliance between the two sides will be as strong as iron and will last until death!
Either Gongsun Zan was destroyed by Yuan Shao, or Yuan Shu was defeated and killed.

Otherwise, once Yuan Gong pacified the world, would General Gongsun be missing out on the position of a founding duke or marquis?
If that day really comes, wouldn't I, as his adopted son, be...

Zhao Yun: "!!!"

The prestige of Yuan Gong's adopted son is still rising!

Seeing Zhao Yun's ever-changing expression, sometimes joyful, sometimes worried, Yuan Shu seized the opportunity and went a step further, continuing his discussion.

"Zilong, don't forget why you came."

You wouldn't want to watch General Gongsun be defeated and killed by Yuan Shao because he lost my support and had no heavy cavalry, would you?

Having said this, Zhao Yun let out a long, melancholy sigh. Right now, it was General Gongsun, forced into a precarious situation by Yuan Shao, who desperately needed this alliance, not Yuan Shu, who held sway over the southeast and eyed all the warlords of the land.

As for the previous threat to kill Mr. Fengxiao, Yuan Gong had already made his stance clear when he burned General Gongsun's letter at the beginning.

He does not accept any threats!

Need support? Sure! Need an alliance? Sure!

But we must negotiate according to his method!
"I understand Lord Yuan's profound meaning, but since this matter is of great importance, I dare not act on my own initiative. I will report back to General Gongsun and then give a reply."

"Will he still be called Lord Yuan?"

Yuan Shu narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled as he called out to him.

"It is a matter of great importance to the alliance, and I dare not act on my own. Does Yun'er have to go back and ask General Gongsun about even the private matter of recognizing a godfather?"

Thinking that he would return to Youzhou and explain the situation, General Gongsun learned that Yuan Shu was willing to provide strong support with heavy armor and cavalry, and all he had to give up was his own insignificant military rank.

As for the fact that the military equipment and supplies provided by Yuan Shu were all to be under the control of his adopted son, it didn't really matter to General Gongsun.

It wasn't his own property to begin with; Yuan Gong gave it to him for free, so why bother making such a fuss?
The goods have all arrived in Youzhou, so how could they possibly escape?
For General Gongsun right now, it doesn't matter whose adopted son you are, as long as you can come and fight Yuan Shao together, you are a good subordinate!

Therefore, even after the report is submitted, the matter will likely be settled. Zhao Yun finally looked embarrassed and called out softly.

"Godfather".

"Excellent! Now that we have Zilong, it is like Zhao having Li Mu. With our cavalry running rampant, I have nothing to worry about."

For Yuan Shu, Zhao Yun was not like Lü Bu; having recognized him as his adoptive father, he would certainly not betray him.

Sending military supplies to Zhao Yun's command is no different from transferring them from one's own left hand to the right.
Moreover, this adopted son also had his own strategist, Guo Fengxiao, by his side, who would devise plans for him.

They could use Zhao Yun to build up a cavalry force capable of competing for control of the Central Plains before Gongsun Zan was defeated by Yuan Shao, thus making up for their lack of horses in the south.

As for Gongsun Zan?

There's no such thing as a free lunch. He was just like Cao Cao, used to restrain Yuan Shao.

Relying on allies for money, food, supplies, and weapons is not a sustainable solution.
Even if he raised an army of 100,000 in Youzhou to fight against Yuan Shao, the day he was cut off from supplies would be the day he died.

"How can he be compared to Lord Wu'an of Zhao? My adoptive father is too kind in his praise."

Zhao Yun answered shyly, while Yuan Shu's face was full of pleasantries when facing his newly adopted son.

"I know that General Gongsun's army is in grave danger and the military situation is urgent. Yun'er, can you take my letter and go to Shouchun to find Yan Xiang?"

At that time, all grain, fodder, and military equipment stored in the Shouchun warehouse can be taken by the individual to aid Youzhou; nothing will be refused.

what!
You may take whatever you wish from the Shouchun warehouse; nothing is prohibited.

How could his newly recognized godfather trust him so much?
Zhao Yun was moved and bowed deeply.

"Among those who travel far and wide, none can compare to Lord Yuan."

Today, I formally acknowledge him as my godfather, a source of immense comfort throughout my life. Even if it means sacrificing my life, I would do it willingly.

“What belongs to your father, my son, is not wrong to take. We are father and son, why should we be so formal?”

Although he allowed Zilong to take it himself, Yuan Shu was not afraid that he would empty his own house.

Because if you're allowed to take it, you have to be able to actually carry it away. Shouchun and Youzhou are thousands of miles apart!
(End of this chapter)