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

Chapter 184, Zhang Yu: General, please kill Guo Fengxiao immediately!
Again!
Facing the assembled officials, Yuan Shao had nowhere to vent his anger.

Shen Pei Shen Zheng Nan!
Zhu Shi of Hebei is a man of integrity and unwavering principles.

Since he joined him in raising troops and conquering the country, he has always argued his case based on reason whenever there are important military matters. Although his words are strong, they are all from the bottom of his heart. He is truly a loyal and upright man.

When he governed Jizhou, he enforced strict laws and rectified official conduct, managing the ten prefectures of Jizhou in an orderly manner.

His contemporaries praised him for bringing peace and stability to the lives of powerful and influential people, a talent rarely seen anywhere else in the world.

If we're talking about loyalty, how many people are more loyal than him in judging Zheng Nan? Guo Tu's statement about being forced to commit suicide in the main hall was perhaps just a momentary slip of the tongue.

However, Shen Zhengnan was always upright and could not bear the humiliation. He said that he would die in front of the palace to prove his loyalty. If no one stopped him, he would really dare to die facing north today.

Guo Tu, Guo Gongze!
Although he was flawed in character and conduct, cunning, and selfish, he was also intelligent, eloquent, and often came up with ingenious ideas. He would devise strategies in his tent, advise on military affairs, and serve as a good advisor.

As for loyalty, if the empire is about to collapse and the nest is about to fall, he might change his stance to protect himself.

But now that Yuan Shao has one-third of the world under his control and his ambition to become a king is within reach, Guo Tu's loyalty is beyond doubt.

Shen Gong and Guo Gong were outstanding individuals of their time, each with their own strengths. They were capable and reliable ministers who could be of great use to him, and at present, they were more than loyal and had no ulterior motives.

Yet these two loyal, capable, and wise ministers argued fiercely before him, even threatening to die in front of the palace.

The argument wasn't just between the two of them; they led a group including Xin Ping, Feng Ji, and Xun Chen, who were also arguing incessantly.

Yuan Shao was ambitious from a young age and was hailed as a wise ruler by his contemporaries, with famous scholars from all over the country vying to attach themselves to him.

How could someone as wise and powerful as him not see the root cause of the chaos under his command?

However, the factional struggle between the Jizhou and Yingchuan factions, coupled with the power struggle between his two sons for the throne, made matters worse.

His ministers were deeply entrenched in the situation, each with their own interests and demands, and their words were no longer simply those of one person.

This deep-rooted struggle for interests caused problems in the Han Dynasty for four hundred years without a solution.

How could Yuan Benchu ​​possibly untangle this complex web of intertwined interests?

At this moment, he overturned the table and stood high in the hall, staring intently at the assembled officials.

That shout of "Enough!" seemed to silence the assembled officials, but wasn't it also the most desperate cry of someone mired in the mire, watching the filthy sludge of self-interest slowly rise up, threatening to engulf and submerge him, turning him into a clay or wooden sculpture used by everyone to fight for their own interests?

His shouts were deafening, his voice hoarse, he said enough! He wished it could all stop, he longed to return to the time when he was just a prefect who had just fled from Luoyang.

At that time, virtuous officials often visited him and famous generals came to serve him. They praised Yuan Shao's loyalty in denouncing the traitors of the country and admired his reputation as a man from a family that had held high office for four generations.

Everyone offered suggestions and advice, and everyone worked together to achieve the same ideal and future.

From the governor of Bohai to the leader of the eighteen warlords who opposed Dong Zhuo, then to the ruler of Ji Province, and now he controls the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You and Bing, and no one in the world can compete with him!
When did it start?
When did his brilliant strategists begin to scheme for personal gain, and his wise ministers, who seemed to have all the answers, start calculating the gains and losses of their families?

It probably started from the Battle of Jieqiao, right?
The battle shattered Gongsun Zan's backbone, and from then on, there was no one in the entire north who could rival Yuan Shao!
Dominating the north, eyeing the Central Plains, commanding the people of the Yellow River, and possessing a million troops, the world is as easy as a feather in his hand!
Yuan Shao looked on with a wistful gaze at the faces below him, faces he once knew so well, yet now seemed as unfamiliar as if they were new acquaintances.

They bowed their heads respectfully, none daring to meet his gaze, yet beneath those lowered faces lay shadows he could not see.

The calculations of the courtiers regarding public sentiment and personal interests constantly transformed into threads, binding and dragging him, turning him into a sword of factional strife.

After a long silence, he stroked his beard and sighed deeply, his expression solemn, and said:
"What you gentlemen say is very true!"

The claims that the Yellow Turbans were Zhang Jiao's fourth brother or that they were posthumous children are utter nonsense.

However, Yuan Tan is my son, and I know him well. He is not someone who is ignorant of the importance of things and would not lie about military intelligence. The matter of Qingzhou still needs to be investigated in detail.

Judge Shen, you just said that with your assistance, Tian Kai of Qingzhou could be wiped out in a year.

Here's what we'll do: you'll go to Qingzhou to assist Yuan Tan in defeating Tian Kai, and then come back to report.

At the same time, investigate the Yellow Turban Rebellion to find out its true nature, in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

Shen Pei was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He wanted to volunteer to go to Qingzhou in person to annihilate Tian Kai.

But that was assisting Yuan Shang and establishing merit. How could you go through all that trouble to help Yuan Tan establish merit?

But he was indeed loyal. Upon hearing that Yuan Shao had given the order, he could only sigh and obey the command. He led his troops to take their leave and went to Qingzhou.

Guo Tu hesitated to speak upon seeing this. Yuan Tan was the young master that their faction wanted to support. What kind of thing would it be to let Shen Zhengnan from the opposing faction go and assist him?

Will he do his best? Even if he deliberately harms Yuan Tan, delaying the elimination of Tian Kai will lower the lord's favor towards Yuan Tan, making him think that Yuan Tan is incompetent.

Seeing that his lord had made a decision, Shen Pei accepted the order and left. The situation was beyond saving, so Guo Tu hurriedly volunteered.

"My lord, I also have a good plan to destroy Tian Kai. I request permission to go and assist Young Master Yuan Tan. I will surely ensure that Tian Kai is destroyed within half a year."

Yuan Shao gave him a disapproving look. He sent Shen Pei because he knew Shen Pei was upright and loyal. Even if he was loyal to Yuan Shang's faction, he would still be meticulous in his work because of Yuan Shao's orders.

Are you suggesting Guo Tu go too? Are you suggesting he go and continue arguing with Shen Pei in front of Yuan Tan? Would you even listen if Yuan Tan shouted "Enough!"?
All this arguing and bickering will only lead to more trouble than the destruction of Tian Kai. In fact, the next military report might just say that Qingzhou has been lost.

Yuan Shao glanced coldly at Guo Tu and said to him:
"What? Does Lord Guo think that Tan'er is also young like Shang'er and is worried that he is not capable of controlling the situation and will be controlled by Shen Zhengnan and used to command Qingzhou?"

So, are you in such a hurry to teach him step by step?

How could Guo Tu dare to accept such a remark? He quickly bowed his head and apologized, "My lord, you misunderstand. I had no such intention! I truly wished to do my utmost to swiftly eliminate Tian Kai for you."

"There is no best."

Just as Yuan Shao was about to say a few more words of warning, he heard a soldier's urgent report.

"Report!

My lord, the Yellow Turban Rebellion has broken out in Bohai Commandery. The chief Yellow Turban leader calls himself General Hai Gong, who is Zhang Jiao's fourth brother. The second leader calls himself General Long Gong, who is Zhang Jiao's posthumous son.

These two thieves, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers, shouted that they were acting in the name of Heaven to avenge Han Fu, the governor of Ji Province, and went around killing and looting.

Bohai County is in dire need of help!

Upon hearing this urgent report, the entire room fell silent, except for Guo Tu, who stepped forward.

"My lord, look, Tu said before that the eldest son was not a person who spoke nonsense. Sure enough, there are Yellow Turban rebels! It hasn't been long, and they have already attacked Ji Province."

Yuan Shao glared at him, both amused and annoyed. Was this the time to argue about whether Yuan Tan had lied about the military situation?

The Yellow Turban rebels have come to kill us!

"This is not the time for debate. The Yellow Turbans have arrived. Does Lord Guo have any good strategies to defeat them?"

This group of Yellow Turban soldiers appeared as if by divine intervention, suddenly marching from Qingzhou to Jizhou. Without knowing the details, Guo Tu dared not make empty promises and jeopardize the matter.

Guo Tu pondered for a moment, then offered his advice:
"The enemy situation is currently unclear. I suggest that I lead 10,000 troops with General Chunyu Qiong to investigate and then discuss a strategy to defeat the enemy."

After Shen Pei resigned, no one argued with him, and Yuan Shao complied.

Watching his departing figure as he accepted the order, Yuan Shao sighed softly.

"It's a pity that Ju Gong led Yan Liang to block Gongsun, and Tian Gong led Wen Chou to resist Heishan, and they weren't by Shao's side. Otherwise, why would we worry about not having a good strategy to be bullied by the Yellow Turban rebels?" Before Yuan Shao could finish speaking, one of the ministers laughed loudly.

"If we accept what you're saying, does that mean you look down on the advice I gave you?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward to shake the other's hand.

"What are you saying, Ziyuan? We've been playmates since childhood, how could I not follow your plan?"

If you have a good plan, why didn't you speak up sooner?

"In my opinion, Guo Gong's journey will certainly not succeed, and the troubles along the coast of Hebei and Qinghai will begin from this point!"

Yuan Shao frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Would you like to hear the details?"

"My lord, you may consider this."

Why did the Yellow Turban Rebellion originate in coastal counties? And why did these rampaging Yellow Turbans spread from Qingzhou to Jizhou in such a short time?
"You must know that the entire route from Qing to Ji is under our jurisdiction, encompassing all the counties and prefectures. How could the Yellow Turban rebels have secretly harbored murderous intent towards the counties of Bohai?"

"Does Ziyuan mean that these Yellow Turban rebels came from the sea?"

"I have heard that there are large ships in the south, more than ten feet high, carrying hundreds or thousands of people, and of a very large scale."

I didn’t believe the rumors that it could cross the sea as easily as flat land. How could there be such a huge ship in the world that could overturn rivers and seas?

There is no other way on land now, so it must have come from the sea in this ship.

But whether it was actually the Yellow Turbans who came is another matter.

"Has my lord ever seen any Yellow Turban rebels capable of building such ships?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao was startled. He couldn't even build a ship that was tens of feet tall and could cross the sea as easily as flat land.

The Yellow Turban bandits were nothing more than a bunch of villagers and farmers who banded together. How could they possibly have ships at sea?

There are no ships in the world today capable of building such large vessels.
"Jianghuai Yuan Highway, Jingzhou Liu Jingsheng!"

Liu Jingsheng has always been wise to protect himself, more capable of maintaining the status quo than making progress, and it is inexplicable that he would invade our territory.

So it must have been my dear younger brother who did it.”

"My lord is wise."

Xu You bowed respectfully and said, "If these Yellow Turban rebels have the sea as their escape route, then Lord Guo's journey will only result in him being left to sigh in vain."

"If that's the case, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Yuan Shao, reminded by Xu You, was both angry and anxious, and hurriedly ordered someone to call Guo Tu back.

Xu You advised him, saying:
"My lord was angered by the dispute between Shen Gong and Guo Gong, so you withdrew and avoided them. Just now you dared not argue with them."

Moreover, the matter of the Yellow Turbans is merely a matter of personal speculation and conjecture, without any concrete evidence.

Even if Guo Gong returns empty-handed, he will surely have some clues to support Youzhi's conjecture.

If this is the case, then these Yellow Turbans will surely return one day. At that time, you should lead General Chunyu Qiong to ambush them in the coastal counties in advance, and you will surely defeat them decisively.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao let out a long sigh.
good good!
What do you mean I'm angry that Shen Pei and Guo Tu are fighting, so you, Xu You, dare not speak?

When Tian Feng and Ju Shou were around, the arguments were even more heated. Didn't I get angry then? I didn't see you, Xu Ziyuan, being afraid to speak up then either.

At this point, Yuan Shao understood perfectly well that Xu You was deliberately trying to make Guo Tu suffer a loss by returning empty-handed first, so that he could demonstrate his abilities by quelling the Yellow Turban rebellion.

However, Xu You's words make sense. What he said before was just his own speculation at that time, without any evidence. It is only right that Guo Tu should go ahead and find out.

Yuan Shao was a wise and capable man, but his subordinates were all among the most intelligent and resourceful people in the world. If he did not have the talent to overwhelm his virtuous ministers and use his abilities freely, how could he deny each of these strategies that sounded extremely reasonable?

A long sigh escaped his lips. Yuan Shao's face broke into that familiar smile as he grasped Xu You's hand tightly and said:

"What Ziyuan said is very true!"

If it weren't for Ziyuan, I fear I would have been misled by Guo Gongze.

Seeing this, Xu You proudly raised his head and looked at them, "Benchu ​​has my excellent plan, pacifying the Yellow Turbans will be as easy as turning one's hand!"

Youzhou, Youbeiping Commandery.

Because Zhao Yun participated in several major battles for Yuan Shu in the south and also plundered along the way with Jiang Qin, the time was delayed.

On the contrary, Cao Cao's camp was closer, and although it was by land, the supplies they sent arrived first.

Gongsun Zan stood atop the city tower, gazing down at the endless stream of supplies sent across the desert by the Xiongnu Right Wise King Qu Bei's troops. How could he not be overjoyed?

He gripped Cheng Yu's hand tightly, his face beaming with smiles.

"Sir, you are truly a man of integrity!"
"If it weren't for your help, sir, Zan would still be barely surviving in Yijing, and how could he have achieved such a prosperous state today?"

Having witnessed the previous incident where both sides gained an advantage, Cheng Yu was well aware of Gongsun Zan's character. He no longer believed these words, silently pulling out his sleeve and sneering, "..."

"Now that the provisions and military equipment have arrived, I have presented the general's requested items in full, which shows the sincerity of my lord."

Now that things have come to this, General, if you still don't kill Guo Fengxiao, when will you?

"This"

Gongsun Zan hesitated. "Zhao Yun has not yet returned. I'm afraid the things that Lord Yuan sent are still on their way. If he also grants my request..."

If both of your families keep their promises, I will break my promise to Prime Minister Cao if I do not kill Fengxiao, and I will break my promise to the General if I do kill Fengxiao.

If that's the case, then Zan is indeed in a difficult position.

"Sir, perhaps we should wait a few more days. If Zhao Yun returns and Lord Yuan has not yet delivered the promised supplies, then it will not be too late to kill Guo Jiaxiao."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu couldn't help but sneer, "General, stop dreaming! Not to mention that Huainan is thousands of miles away, spanning several warlords. How are Yuan Gonglu's supplies supposed to fly over here?"

Even Zhao Yun, whom the general sent, has now become Yuan Shu's fifth adopted son and will likely never return.

"What? What happened?"

Seeing Gongsun Zan's surprise, Cheng Yu's words became even more cutting.

"I'm afraid General Gongsun hasn't heard the news yet. This young general under your command is actually brave enough to take on ten thousand men."

To repay Yuan Shu's kindness in taking him in as an adopted son, he charged through ten thousand troops seven times on horseback, slaying eighteen generals and taking the head of a high-ranking general.

These valiant men were given to Yuan Gonglu by Guo Fengxiao under the pretext of a chance encounter, yet they never expected to be so loyal to Yuan Gonglu.

Knowing full well that certain death was imminent, he risked his life to secure a brave general for Yuan Gonglu. Could General Gongsun truly be at ease if he didn't swiftly eliminate such a cunning schemer?

(End of this chapter)