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

Chapter 186 Gongsun Zan: Zilong, you cavalryman ( )?!

It's not surprising that Cao Cao didn't send enough. After all, everyone's money and grain are hard-earned, and they don't even have enough for themselves.

This was only because Gongsun Zan was still needed to hold Yuan Shao back; otherwise, if Yuan Shao were to free up his resources, everyone would be in a very difficult situation. That's why some resources were reluctantly allocated to Gongsun Zan.

The journey from the northern desert alone has incurred considerable expenses and costs.

But Yuan Jun was different. They not only suffered no losses or losses along the way, but they even carried so much that the ship couldn't hold it all.

The supplies and provisions sent were all from other lords, so Lord Yuan naturally didn't care at all. He even managed to transport another batch of supplies and provisions back to Huainan on his way back.

The government's large ships and military equipment, carried out by the Grand General's orders, followed the Yellow Heaven's Way. Jiang Qin had been a river pirate all his life, but he had never fought such a rich battle.

Who would have thought? After all they did was pledge allegiance to Yuan Shikai and accept the imperial pardon, they still had the chance to return to their old ways.

Meanwhile, Gongsun Zan was overjoyed to see Yuan Gong being so domineering and arrogant.

He strode up, grasped Jiang Qin's hand tightly, and said "good" three times.

"Lord Yuan is truly righteous!"

Brother Jiang, you must have had a long and arduous journey on the ship. Let me host a welcome dinner for you.

"It's not hard work, what's so hard about it?"

Jiang Qin waved his hand dismissively, "Practice makes perfect."

Gongsun Zan: "???"

"Oh? Brother Jiang often transports supplies for Lord Yuan like this? I never imagined that Brother Jiang is not only skilled in commanding the navy, but also a talented person in charge of logistics?"

Faced with Gongsun Zan's commercial flattery after receiving the generous gifts, Jiang Qin could only awkwardly agree.

What kind of logistics does he manage? Logistics is just about how much you can seize, and that's how much you get paid.

Just then, Cheng Yu's face turned ashen as he looked at the countless supplies piled up in Linyu County.

He just couldn't understand it. Even if you were a high-ranking official for four generations and the wealthiest family in Huainan, you couldn't afford to squander your wealth like this, could you?
So much money and grain, are you just going to give it all away to Gongsun Zan for nothing? Doesn't Yuan Shu feel any remorse?

But now that things had come to this, he couldn't let Yuan Shu redeem the man. He walked up to Gongsun Zan and casually mentioned it.

"But where is Zhao Yun, the Marquis of Zhao Army?"
General Gongsun, didn't you previously suspect that Cheng needed to be deceived? There's no need to send someone to investigate now. Now that Marquis Zhao has returned, whether it's related to Lord Yuan's adopted son or not, why don't you simply ask him?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Guo Jia with a meaningful look.

"That would be good for him to confront me face to face, clear Yu's name, and prevent people from saying that I was just trying to deceive the general."

Upon hearing this, a look of displeasure appeared on Gongsun Zan's previously smiling face.

Since Cheng Yu dared to call Zhao Yun out for a face-to-face confrontation, it's likely that the matter of Yuan Gong's adopted son is indeed true.

However, in front of Jiang Qin, the general who had just delivered over a dozen ships of supplies to Yuan Shao's camp, Gongsun Zan couldn't afford to make a scene. He simply said:

"General Jiang, where is Zilong? I heard he came back with me, and he even asked me for eight hundred horses."

Eight hundred snow-white horses have been ordered to be dispatched from the surrounding horse farms. I wonder if Zilong has received them? Why haven't you come to see me yet?

"Does the general mean to ask if Lord Yuan is going to adopt Zilong as his son?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin immediately noticed the underlying meaning and spoke up casually.

"You don't even need to ask Zilong about this; I already know."

General, Zilong did all this for you!

"Oh? How do you say this?"

Hearing Jiang Qin's words, Guo Jia immediately stepped forward to apologize, saying:

"If the general wants to blame someone, then blame Jia."

As Cheng Zhongmou said, it was indeed Jia's plan to have Zhao Yun become Yuan Gong's adopted son.

However, this is not only for my lord, Lord Yuan, but also for General Gongsun!

Gongsun Zan: "."

His gaze grew increasingly strange as he scrutinized Guo Jia with a cryptic expression. "You did this for me too?"
"Did you already know about these things, Mr. Fengxiao? Then why did you previously accuse Military Advisor Cheng of lying?"

With the abundant supplies sent by Yuan Shu, Guo Jia was no longer afraid.

General Gongsun, do you still want so many supplies and provisions next time? If you do, try touching Jia! Do you believe that Lord Yuan would cut off your supplies in a heartbeat?
Since Lord Yuan has already spent a fortune to cut off Gongsun Zan's lifeline,

Guo Jia, who had a harmonious relationship with Yuan Shu, naturally understood the situation and took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility to protect Zhao Yun for Yuan Shu.

With this steady stream of money and supplies as a backing, neither he, Yuan Shao's strategist, nor Zhao Yun, Yuan Shao's adopted son, could be easily harmed by Gongsun Zan. All Guo Jia had to do was appease General Gongsun's emotions.

Therefore, he chuckled and said to him:
"I was just joking!"
Zilong, the adopted son of Yuan Gong, is precisely the future that Jia planned for General Gongsun.

Given such a large amount of supplies and provisions, how could Lord Yuan so easily grant them to General Gongsun? However, if Zilong, as Lord Yuan's adopted son, were to act as a mediator, the situation would be different.

The supplies donated by Lord Yuan were not for General Gongsun, but to support his adopted son, Zilong.

If these two families become one, even if they send thousands or tens of thousands of gold coins, what would my lord care?

Zilong was a military officer in the White Horse Cavalry of the General. He had followed the General for a long time and had experienced many battles. His loyalty and bravery were beyond doubt.

Now that he has received Yuan Gong's financial support and has contributed the wealth and resources of his family, which has held high office for four generations, he will surely assist the general in defeating Yuan Shao.

Guo Jia's words were well-chosen, but Gongsun Zan heard them with a different meaning.

To him, who is on Yuan Shu's side? I clearly threatened him with Guo Jia's life to pay ransom, didn't I?

Although Guo Jia's words were an apology, they contained a hidden threat. The meaning was clear: now that Lord Yuan is one of you, he is providing you with substantial financial support. If you, Gongsun Zan, are ungrateful and do not want to be part of this family, you will have to bear the consequences.

Can Gongsun Zan not resign now? Of course not!
Although Cao Cao's camp also sent supplies and money, the amount sent by Yuan Shu so far was not as large.

If this happened a few more times, not to mention Zhao Yun, even Gongsun Zan would be willing to swallow his pride and become Yuan Shu's godfather.

Why not just call him "godfather" a few times and receive a steady stream of money and food for free?

With his mind in turmoil, Gongsun Zan quickly understood Guo Jia's meaning.

At this crucial moment, when you need Yuan Shao's support the most, General Gongsun, are you truly willing to kill me or Zhao Yun, and thus turn against Yuan Shao?

This choice is beyond question!

For the sake of immediate gratification and immediate gain, how can it compare to a continuous and constant supply of money and provisions from the sea?

Gongsun Zan then smiled broadly and said, "What crime has Fengxiao committed? It's good that Zilong has become Yuan Gong's godfather. From now on, Yuan Gong and I are family. Youzhou and Huainan are one. Why be so formal?"

Seeing that Gongsun Zan's attitude was so good, Jiang Qin spoke up at the opportune moment.

"Now that the ransom has been delivered, and the two families are now one, I wonder if General Gongsun would be so kind as to allow my family's military advisor, Fengxiao, to return to us?"

"It's been so long! My lord misses his strategist terribly."

"This"

As Gongsun Zan hesitated, Cheng Yu, his face ashen, let out a cold laugh.

"General Gongsun, don't fall for their trick. If Guo Fengxiao isn't in your hands, do you think Lord Yuan will continue to send so many supplies? You don't really think Lord Yuan is a kind and benevolent person, do you?"
In the past, he intercepted and killed his strategist and chief advisor. If Yuan Shu had not been wary of Guo Jia and had not been too far away to send troops, would he have allowed the general to live to this day?

If we release Guo Jia now, we'll lose both Zilong and our army, ending up with nothing but a desolate and barren Youzhou.

Cheng Yu said these words not for Gongsun Zan's sake, but entirely out of concern that Gongsun Zan would side with Yuan Shu and make Yuan Shu's power even greater.

But how could Gongsun Zan not know the reasoning he was talking about?

The reason Yuan Shu swallowed his anger and kindly sent supplies was precisely because of Guo Jia.

If Guo Jia is sent back, wouldn't I lose my leverage?

As for Zhao Yun, just a few days ago he was still a loyal and devoted commander of the White Horse Army under our command.

This adopted son, whom Yuan Shu had only recognized for a few days, died without a second thought. He was clearly just someone Yuan Shu used to annoy him. How much sincerity could Yuan Shu possibly have for him?

Therefore, Gongsun Zan knew better than anyone else that Guo Jia was his real bargaining chip and should not be let go lightly.

Now that Yuan Ying has delivered the supplies and money he needed, he has to carefully consider his words on how to maintain this alliance of support while keeping Fengxiao as a bargaining chip.

After a moment's hesitation, Gongsun Zan finally spoke.

"As previously stated, since Lord Yuan has already paid the ransom, it is not unreasonable to return Mr. Fengxiao to Huainan."

However, our original agreement was not just about the ransom. Out of loyalty to the alliance, we also asked Lord Yuan to send troops to attack Yuan Shao, as a testament to our sincerity.

The day Yuan Gong dispatched his troops was the day Fengxiao returned them!

In Gongsun Zan's opinion, it was fortunate that he had left himself an out when negotiating the terms, adding an extra clause that he would also have to send troops to Yuan Shao.

Otherwise, this hurdle will be really difficult to overcome today.

As for whether Yuan Shu would attack Yuan Shao for Guo Jia's sake, that remains to be seen.

With the power of the various warlords of the Nine Provinces entrenched in their positions, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao were separated by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and others, so even if he wanted to send troops, he couldn't reach them.

If Yuan Shu could truly fight his way through several warlords and reach Yuan Shao, then his power would be immense.

There's no need for Gongsun Zan to bother with his demands for money and supplies anymore. The two families can just work together to destroy Yuan Shao, and then return Guo Jia to establish a good relationship.

To Gongsun Zan's surprise, upon hearing the obvious attempt to shirk responsibility in his words, Jiang Qin, the commander of Yuan Ying's naval forces, not only did not get angry, but instead pointed lightly to the supplies and military provisions that had been delivered and laughed heartily.

"Send troops to Yuan Shao? What's so difficult about that!"

"My lord has already done it. If the general does not believe, he will see for himself if he looks closely."

Gongsun Zan, not understanding his meaning, frowned slightly and picked up the delivered military supplies and provisions to examine them carefully.

After looking at just a few items, I was filled with horror and shock.

He had fought with Yuan Shao for many years, so how could he not recognize the standard of the soldiers and weapons in Yuan Shao's camp?
Although these items all belong to the Yuan family, they do not belong to Yuan Shu, but to Yuan Shao!

What shocked him even more was that among these things, he actually saw an arrow shaft with the character "吕" carved on it!

Good guy!
He said, "Why is Yuan Shu so generous, sending so many supplies as if they're free?"

So it's really free!
You must have plundered countless feudal lords along the way, aren't you?
Brother Jiang, you're not just a naval transport captain, you're clearly a general who conquers cities and territories!

Seeing Gongsun Zan's expression change several times, clearly recognizing the source of the item, Jiang Qin stared intently, remaining calm and composed.

"General, you don't need to think too much about where these things came from. Just look at all these spoils of war. Tell me, has my lord sent troops to attack Yuan Shao?"

Now, as the general said before, when I am in charge of attacking Yuan Shao, the general will return the military advisor Fengxiao.

Do you have anything else to say?

Gongsun Zan was speechless for a moment after being confronted by Jiang Qin's sharp retort, but he knew clearly that Guo Jia must not be let go!

Now that things had come to this, and he was at a loss for what to do, he heard Cheng Yu speak up in a sinister tone, offering a reminder.

"General Gongsun, have you forgotten that my lord, Lord Cao, also sent a lot of supplies before?"

According to the agreement, you were supposed to kill Guo Fengxiao quickly for us. Now that you've taken everything from our master, you mustn't break your promise and betray the trust of the world!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin's expression changed drastically, and he angrily rebuked him.

"What? General Gongsun accepted my family's belongings as well, and gave us far more than you did!"
"Now, if we don't obey your word, are we also going to break our promise to my lord?"

"Brother Jiang has misunderstood. Military Advisor Cheng, you should say less."

Cheng Yu's words of enlightenment made Gongsun Zan realize that he could have used the power of Yuan's camp to coerce Cheng Yu into refusing his suggestion to kill Guo Jia.

Conversely, they could also use the influence of Cao Cao's camp to refuse Jiang Qin.

It truly lived up to its name as a brilliant idea born of a sudden flash of inspiration. The ingenious plan to use Fengxiao to control Cao Cao and Yuan Shao was so skillful that it allowed for both advance and retreat, leaving the team in an invincible position.

Immediately, Gongsun Zan feigned a troubled expression and said to Jiang Qin:
“Brother Jiang, as you can see, it’s not that Zan wants to go back on his word, but Cao Gong has also offered a lot of money and grain to buy Mr. Fengxiao’s life. I’m really in a difficult position.”

Having anticipated Gongsun Zan's opportunistic behavior, and knowing that it was nearly impossible for him to release Guo Jia so easily, Jiang Qin stopped pressuring him and instead backed down.

"If that's the case, is it possible that the money and provisions provided by my lord can save Mr. Fengxiao's life?"

"It's impossible."

Gongsun Zan quickly agreed, but Jiang Qin shook his head.

But Jiang didn't believe it!

General Gongsun, we both know that there are people in your camp who harbor murderous intentions towards Mr. Fengxiao, and my lord is truly worried about them.

How about this, General, you entrust Mr. Fengxiao to the care of your subordinate Zhao Yun.

At that time, he will take care of my son and place Mr. Fengxiao in his camp, which will not be considered a breach of your agreement.

As for Zhao Yun's troops, they are all under your command, General Gongsun, and you need not worry about them.

If that is the case, then the general can rest assured, and my lord can be at ease. What does the general think?

Yup!

Gongsun Zan's eyes lit up. Now that Zhao Yun was Yuan Shu's adopted son, handing Guo Jia over to Zhao Yun would fulfill the agreement to return him to Yuan's camp.

Moreover, he had originally entrusted Guo Jia to Zhao Yun's care before this.

Zhao Yun only had eight hundred men sent by Yuan Shu. This small force was completely under Gongsun Zan's control, and he would not lose control of Guo Jia because of this, so that Cao Cao's camp would not feel that it was going to completely side with Yuan Shu's camp.

Although Zhao Yun has always been loyal, he has now become Yuan Shu's adopted son. He has suddenly become rich and powerful, and it is unknown whether his heart is still with him.

Just as this thought crossed their minds, they heard the sound of horses' hooves breaking through the air, raising a cloud of dust, as eight hundred riders rolled in.

The 108 generals at the forefront were fully armored cavalry, their imposing presence shaking the heavens and earth, causing all who saw them to tremble in fear.

As he reined in his horse, the leader dismounted, removed his mask, and knelt on one knee before Gongsun Zan.

"Commander Zhao Yun has led his 800 men to complete the collection of the horses, hence his late arrival. I hope the general will forgive him!"

Gongsun Zan: () ? ! !

(End of this chapter)