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

Chapter 167 Named Eight Steeds, Their Might Shakes the Nine Provinces

Xiahou Dun stared at the letter from Yue Jin in his hand, speechless for a long time. He opened his mouth to curse, but then, thinking of the extermination of Yue Jin's entire clan, he hesitated to speak.

He understood the meaning behind Yue Jin's letter; he had now decided to surrender to Yuan Shikai and plot revenge.

Unfortunately, within Yuan's camp, various forces were deeply entrenched, leaving him alone and vulnerable.

Even if he wanted to persuade Yuan Gong to let him lead troops to attack Cao Cao immediately, it would be impossible, just like when he had previously asked to see Yuan Gong.

At that time, those surrendered officials from Cao Cao's camp in Yuan's camp naturally banded together for warmth and shared a common destiny.

If we can form a faction with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and assist Yuan Shao in achieving great things, we may well lose the position of a founding duke or marquis.

The idea is good, but the problem is... Xiahou Dun didn't surrender at all!

Where can we go to seek justice for this?

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh.

"My lord, we are not surrendering, but enduring humiliation and hardship to restore order and emulate the rightful ruler of the land. Why have you gone to such lengths?"

After Yue Jin, the second letter was from his good nephew Xiahou Ba:

Uncle! I never imagined that Cao Cao would be such a ruthless, heartless, and ungrateful person. Fortunately, you had the foresight to save your nephew from dire straits and sacrificed yourself to uphold justice!
I recently heard that Yue Wenqian's entire clan was exterminated for surrendering. Although my Xiahou clan has escaped this fate, we will inevitably face his purging in the future.

My uncle had lofty ambitions and was appointed General Who Conquers the North by my adoptive father. He commanded an army of 30,000 men and pacified the entire Yingchuan prefecture.

De Longwang was highly respected and his achievements were renowned throughout the north and south. At some point, he suggested to his adoptive father that he should raise an army in the north to attack Luoyang in order to rescue the emperor.

This is a time for loyal ministers to sacrifice their lives and for martyrs to achieve merit. We will eliminate the traitors and return to the old capital, so that the Xiahou family will not be implicated, and we will follow the path of Yue Wenqian.

If my uncle leads an uprising, though I am unworthy, I am willing to serve as a lowly soldier under your command, leading the charge to persuade my father, even at the cost of my life.

Xiahou Ba's letter was quite simple: "Uncle, I heard that Yue Jin's entire clan was exterminated because he surrendered. I am very worried about my father."

When are we going to head north to Luoyang to save my father?

Xiahou Dun: "."

You unlucky kid, only now do you realize you need to worry about your dad?
Now that you've become Yuan Shu's adopted son, what's the point of bringing this up now?
My poor brother, how could I have given birth to such an unlucky child like you?
While the surrendered officials of Cao Cao's camp in Yuan Shao's camp were filled with fear and unease because of the execution of Yue Jin's entire family, far away in Xiangyang, Jingzhou, there was a man named Ba Jun, whose prestige shook the entire land.

It was none other than Liu Biao, Liu Jingsheng!
"Report! A man claiming to be an angel has arrived outside the city, carrying an imperial edict!"

Having heard this news countless times, Liu Biao's face turned bitter. Forcing a smile, he addressed his ministers:

"Here we go again, gentlemen. Please follow me. We will kneel and await your imperial decree."

The courtiers also looked helpless and exhausted.

Logically speaking, they should be living in Jingzhou, far from the emperor's reach, where they might not even receive an imperial edict once a year—they should be quite content. But who would have thought that their governor might have somehow stirred up trouble with the emperor these past few days?

Every two or three hours, an imperial edict would be delivered, each one more scathing in its wording than the last.

Liu Biao had boldly delayed seven orders, and now it was the eighth.

Having skillfully received the imperial edict, Liu Biao invited the envoy to rest at the post station, while he led his officials back to the main hall to discuss matters.

Kuai Liang was the first to step forward, bowing respectfully, and said:
"My lord, this cannot be delayed any longer. I fear that the tenth, or even more, imperial edicts will arrive tomorrow."

Even the largest post station could not withstand such an imperial edict, and rumors were already circulating throughout Jingzhou:
"Our lord has disobeyed the imperial edict, which shows he harbors rebellious intentions. The court in Luoyang will soon dismiss him from his post as governor, and may even strip the Liu family of their titles and reduce them to commoners."

"They dare!"

Upon hearing this, Cai Mao stepped forward and said to him:

“My lord is in Jingzhou, serving as the emperor's governor of this region. He is diligent and conscientious, and though he may not have achieved great merit, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work.”

Looking at the world today, warlords are vying for power, and the common people are living in misery.

Of the thirteen provinces under heaven, war has been frequent, and none has been as peaceful as Jingzhou, all thanks to the virtue of our lord!
Now that His Majesty has not overstepped any bounds and has lived up to the expectations of the people under His Majesty's rule, how can the high-ranking officials in the court arbitrarily establish or abolish governorships, or seize the Liu family's status without just cause?

Such an edict is a chaotic command. Even if it were sent to Jingzhou, you should all refuse to obey it in order to honor our lord. Those who disobey will face the wrath of my sword!

As soon as he finished speaking, he placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist and stared intently at the assembled officials, who were all too intimidated to speak.

Without him!

Cai Mao was Liu Biao's brother-in-law and was in charge of Liu Biao's navy. If the court dismissed the governor, would it be Liu Biao who was being dismissed?

This clearly demonstrates the immense power and influence of the Cai family in Jingzhou!

Seeing this scene, Liu Biao, who was sitting high in the main seat, was also very satisfied.

Putting everything else aside, my brother-in-law is very considerate when it comes to things that I can't do myself or say.

For example, in the matter of being dismissed by the court, their interests were aligned, but Liu Biao, as the lord, did not dare to step forward to intimidate the officials, so it was just right for Cai Mao to do it.

As the lord, he stepped forward at this crucial moment to reassure the people.

Seeing the assembled officials fall silent, and the atmosphere becoming slightly oppressive due to Cai Mao's words, Liu Biao quickly spoke up.

"De Gui, don't speak like that!"

The assembled officials, whether civil or military, are all my trusted confidants. They differ only in their thoughts and actions; how could they harbor any intention to betray me?
Zirou mentioning the rumors must be part of my strategy for dealing with them.

(End of this chapter)