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

Chapter 199 Yuan Shu: The person I fear most in Jingzhou is Huang Zhong!
As for how to deal with Jiang Qin's navy, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were the most suitable candidates for Liu Biao, and he had always been comfortable using them.

However, the Lingling battle has been quelled by General Xing Daorong at an unimaginable speed.

However, Liu Biao could not fully trust this general. Now that he had appointed him as the commander-in-chief, in charge of tens of thousands of troops and overseeing the war in Jingnan, he held great power.

This would allow Cai Mao, who had previously gone to persuade him, to continue staying by his side as a scout and messenger. With this brother-in-law watching over him, Liu Biao could feel at ease.

Moreover, it is said that Cai Mao often drank and chatted with Xing Daorong on his way to Lingling, and was impressed by Xing Daorong's glorious achievements, considering him a sworn brother.

It would be perfect to have him continue to cultivate relationships with this general and assist him in pacifying Jingnan.

As a result, Cai Mao was no longer in command of the navy, leaving only Zhang Yun. However, the previous attempt to win over Gan Xingba by sending people to the waterways of Shu was still unsuccessful.

If Gan Xingba were willing to lead the Jinfan bandits to help, then on the Yangtze River, he would no longer fear the Huainan navy.

With Xing Daorong of Jingnan, Wen Pin of Jiangxia, and Zhang Yun of the waterways responding one by one, Xiangyang immediately made arrangements to deal with Yuan Shu's invasion.

In addition, just in case, Liu Biao sent his famous and talented scholar Mi Heng as an envoy to Luoyang to meet with Cao Cao and ask for help.

Changsha County.

As the Yuan-branded flag fluttered in the wind, the six-horse carriage slowly approached.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xian was almost moved to tears. He nearly ran to the carriage frame and bowed deeply in reverence.

"Lord Yuan!"

I've been eagerly anticipating your arrival day and night, longing for it day and night. Finally, you've come!

You don't know that these rebels under Liu Biao are all cunning and treacherous, lawless and disregard the law. They don't take your imperial edicts seriously at all.

They have no sportsmanship; they launched a sneak attack! I wasn't prepared at all, and in a moment of carelessness, they took advantage of me.

Having lost most of Changsha, I have failed to live up to Yuan Gong's high expectations. I am filled with fear and trepidation, utterly ashamed.

Yuan Shu personally got off the carriage, helped him up, and comforted him.

Why did Prefect Zhang go to such lengths?

In this chaotic era, the land is torn apart and the state is collapsing; the people are in turmoil and heroes are rising up.

Those who despise the emperor and covet the throne are countless. If the world were without me, who knows how many would have claimed the title of emperor or king.

At this time, there are very few like Prefect Zhang who are willing to follow me to rebuild the Han Dynasty and obey the imperial edict to punish the traitors. He has become a model of righteousness for the world.

"We have only suffered a loss of one or two counties due to the enemy's misfortune. How could I possibly punish a righteous man like you for such a minor defeat?"

In his heart, Zhang Xian cursed this shameless man who kept calling himself "I" but never mentioned the restoration of the Han Dynasty and the support of the state. On his face, however, he was moved and showed the joy of finally meeting a wise ruler.

"To see Lord Yuan today is like seeing His Majesty in person. He is dedicated to serving the country and protecting the people, upholding righteousness for the world. I would gladly die ten thousand deaths for him."

Yuan Shu nodded slightly, his face beaming as he took Zhang Xian and the remaining six counties and five thousand soldiers under his command.

After Zhang Xian came Zhuge Jin, who also looked ashamed as he slowly approached Yuan Gong and apologized.

"When Lord Yuan left, he placed high hopes on Jin, but now Jin is incompetent, which has not only ruined the excellent situation in Jingnan in one day."

Furthermore, I failed to properly care for the second son of the Sun family, whom Yuan Gong entrusted to me, allowing him to fall into enemy hands and betray his country by surrendering. This is my fault.”

However, Yuan Shu chuckled and helped him up, holding his hand tightly.

"What fault has Ziyu committed? Not only has he committed no fault, but he has also made great contributions!"
Your solo journey to Changsha not only persuaded Prefect Zhang to join Lingling and Guiyang in abandoning darkness and turning to the light, but also restored order to the region.

It even helped me find Sun Zhongmou, this deeply hidden traitor.

If it weren't for Ziyu, I wouldn't have known that such an ambitious person was hiding by my side. Now that he has betrayed his righteousness and defected to the enemy, he clearly had the intention of breaking away and establishing himself.

Tzuyu, don't blame yourself for others' mistakes. You've already done very well.

When Sun Ce heard this later, he felt both helpless and bitter. "How could you not know that there are people around you who want to break away and establish themselves? No one knows this better than you, Lord Yuan!"
However, Zhuge Jin, who had just arrived at Yuan's camp and was immediately sent to Changsha as an envoy, was unaware of the intricacies within the camp.

Upon hearing Yuan Shu's words, how could he not be moved to tears, bow deeply, and exclaim: "My lord!"
"How could I dare to betray your kindness, my lord? I would gladly face any danger, even death!"

After properly handling the affairs of accepting Zhang Xianzhi's Changsha, Yuan Shu led 60,000 main forces to join Zhang Xianzhi's 5,000 garrison troops and entered the counties of Changsha to fight against Huang Zhong's approximately 18,000 troops.

The outcome of their contest is obvious.

The Changsha army, which had been suffering repeated defeats, launched a counterattack on the counties and recaptured the lost territory, while Huang Zhong's Jingzhou army had no choice but to retreat and wait for reinforcements.

At the foot of Linxiang City, seeing the Yuan banner fluttering and a massive force of 65,000 men closing in, even Kuai Yue looked troubled.

"General Huang, Zhang Xian's reinforcements have arrived. Now that Yuan Shu's army is in front of us, how can we fight them?"

Huang Zhong stood atop the city wall, sword in hand, gazing at the enemy army below. He saw that Yuan's army was well-organized, its soldiers skillfully deployed, revealing no weaknesses, and couldn't help but sigh:
"People say that Lord Yuan was victorious in every battle during his Northern Expeditions, and that he was invincible in every attack and every fight. I had always heard that he was frivolous and arrogant, so I did not believe it at first."

Seeing this today, I realize that there are also capable people in Yuan's camp, and the troops of Jianghuai are truly magnificent.

There is no other way at the moment but to hold Linxiang and wait for reinforcements.

As the two were talking, they heard soldiers below the city shouting on behalf of Yuan Shu.

"I have long admired General Huang's name and know that his martial prowess is unparalleled in the world. Even Lu Bu of Jiuyuan did not dare to claim victory."

Today, with my general Ji Ling not by my side, I fear we will be no match for General Huang's military might.

We hope that General Huang will soon abandon his evil ways and join us in carrying out the Emperor's decree to punish the disloyal.

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong gazed at the person on the six-horse carriage from afar, his brow furrowed, feeling a sense of unease.

He didn't understand what the now-famous Lord Yuan of Huainan meant.

How can someone come with 60,000 troops full of enthusiasm, only to become cowardly before even engaging in battle, thus boosting the morale of the enemy and diminishing their own?

Fortunately, Kuai Yue, standing beside Huang Zhong, pondered for a moment, seemingly having seen through the scheme, and smiled, saying to Huang Zhong:

"Hahaha
This is a child's scheme!

Seeing Huang Zhong looking at him with surprise, he calmly explained, as if he had already seen through the plan.

"General Huang, you are unaware of this."

I have long heard that the reason why this traitor Yuan was able to launch a northern expedition against several warlords, destroying cities and capturing strongholds, and was invincible, is because he was good at winning hearts and minds!
Looking at his enemies, Xiahou Dun, Mao Jie, Yang Feng, Xiahou Ba, Yue Jin, and others, none of them surrendered.

This is because they are trying to sow discord and alienate people!
The reason I am saying this today is simply to lay the groundwork, to sow discord between you and the lord, and to prepare for his future capture of General Huang.

General Huang, please rest assured, no matter what he says, I will write to the lord, declaring that I will wholeheartedly serve you as my general and will never betray you.

As long as we work together with one heart, we will not give him any opportunity to sow discord.

Huang Zhong suddenly understood and sighed. "The Art of War says: The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities. Besieging cities is a last resort."

Therefore, winning every battle is not the best of all skills; defeating the enemy without fighting is the best of all skills.

Now, Yuan Shikai uses his mind as a spear to attack cities and capture strongholds. Therefore, no city can be breached and no stronghold can be destroyed. This is roughly the reason.

"Rest assured, Mr. Kuai, now that you have exposed his scheme, we will work together to ensure he returns empty-handed."

After speaking, Huang Zhong consulted with Kuai Yue and then ordered his soldiers to shout the same message:
“He deceived the emperor, acted arrogantly and immorally; I have never seen anyone as shameless as Lord Yuan.”

Liu Jingzhou, a member of the Han imperial family, guarded the borders of the country and governed Jingxiang for a long time. His people were prosperous and his prestige shook the nine provinces.

Yuan Gong, for his own selfish desires, has wantonly violated our borders. This goes against the principles of Heaven and the expectations of the people!

He forged imperial edicts and issued arbitrary orders, falsely claiming the title of regent; he was in fact a traitor!

I am ashamed to be associated with you. I wish I could take your head and present it to Your Majesty in Luoyang. How could I possibly abandon the light and surrender to your command?
"If you want war, then let it be war; death is the only consequence. Don't even mention surrender again!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two armies faced off at Linxiang.

Yuan Jun did not immediately attack the city. After all, he had come from a long march and naturally needed to rest for a day before attacking the city.

Huang Zhong's army was small, with less than 20,000 men against more than 60,000 enemy soldiers. He dared not give up his advantage in defending the city, so he took advantage of the fact that Yuan's army had not yet established a firm foothold and launched a night attack outside the city.

After all, a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow. Given the prestige that General Yuan has built up, if he fails to launch a night attack after leaving the city and instead falls into an ambush, wouldn't that be exactly what Yuan's army wants?

Therefore, given Huang Zhong's cautious and prudent nature, he decided to prioritize defending the city. As long as he didn't make any mistakes, Yuan's army wouldn't be able to break in.

Anyway, just like Zhang Xian before him, all he needs to do is stall until reinforcements arrive.

However, in Yuan's main tent that night, the fire burned all night long, and Yuan Gong was seen tightly holding the hands of Huan Jie and Zhang Xian, entrusting them with important tasks.

"This plan depends on Prefect Zhang and Mr. Huan."

Zhang Xian and Huan Jie bowed respectfully, saying, "Rest assured, Lord Yuan, we have long been based in Changsha and enjoy the high regard of the people. This matter will be easy for us!"

That night, flames blazed and shouts of battle shook the heavens. Just as Huang Zhong thought Yuan's army was attacking the city, he rushed to the city wall.

All that could be seen was a rain of arrows carrying countless letters as they shot into the city. Huang Zhong, recalling the scheme that Kuai Yue had seen through during the day, was greatly alarmed, thinking to himself, "They've really come."

"This must be a scheme by the traitor Yuan to bewitch people!"

So he immediately ordered his men to thoroughly investigate the letters and not allow them to be kept privately. However, as the letters were collected one by one, Huang Zhong and Kuai Yue examined them together.

Not wanting to finish reading these letters, Kuai Yue's gaze towards Huang Zhong gradually became strange.

Huang Zhong's face immediately flushed red, and he slammed his fist on the table, standing up abruptly. "Mr. Kuai! Do not forget what we said today! Haven't you already seen through it? This must be Yuan's scheme to sow discord and attack our hearts! Let us join forces!"

Kuai Yue quickly raised his hand to interrupt Huang Zhong, and nodded slightly, "General Huang, please don't get agitated. I trust you, but these letters are indeed strange."

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the letter, unable to look away for a long time.

It turns out that these letters all contained the same thing, almost all of them saying the same thing:

People, soldiers, the person Yuan Gong feared most in Jingzhou was Huang Zhong!
Please, out of consideration for my many years of governing Changsha, even if I haven't received any favors, I have still worked hard. Please do not let him continue to serve as the commander.

Otherwise, Yuan Gong's army would have had difficulty conquering Linxiang, and how could Taiping in Huainan have withstood Changsha?

—Zhang Xian

【Fellow nobles and old friends, while I was in Yuan's camp, I often heard Lord Yuan say: If Huang Zhong were here, Jingzhou would be difficult to conquer!】

Please try your best to sow discord between Huang Zhong and Xiangyang, so that Liu Biao can transfer Huang Zhong away. Otherwise, even a single county like Linxiang can hold off an army of 100,000.

—Huan Jie

What could Kuai Yue say about these letters?

If Yuan Shu truly feared Huang Zhong, he shouldn't have casually mentioned someone like Sun Quan, who recently achieved a series of victories, conquering several counties with only a thousand men.

It is said that he feared Sun Quan so much that if Sun Quan were appointed as general, Yuan's army would be unable to advance an inch.

They are imitating the old story of Zhao Kuo at Changping, waiting for us to replace Huang Zhong before we can decisively defeat Sun Quan.

Kuai Yue could easily understand such a scheme.

The problem now is that Kuai Yue is staring blankly at the letters that Yuan Jun shot at him, and he is confused.

Despite his calm demeanor and apparent contemplation of a good strategy, he was actually in a state of utter panic.

Because he couldn't understand it. And when a strategist can't understand the enemy's plan at all, he probably thinks he's fallen into the trap.

Kuai Yue's strange gaze wasn't because Huang Zhong suspected him, as Huang Zhong had thought.

His eyes were full of doubt; he was actually doubting himself.

It's unbelievable! With Kuai Yidu's intelligence, how could he not see through Yuan Jun's plan?
What's the point of these letters?

Yuan Shu treated Huang Zhong the same way Qin treated Zhao Kuo, surely he didn't mean he wanted us to be more determined to make Huang Zhong our main general?

But if he were to ask Yuan Shu for help, he would be doing the opposite.

The point is to make us see through this scheme, which is actually a counter-strategy of Zhao Kuo's. The more he claims to be wary of Huang Zhong, the less he actually is wary of him, so that we replace Huang Zhong, which would be even more ridiculous.

It is clear that the more Yuan Shu does this, the more he uses this kind of scheme against Huang Zhong.

The more you say that, the more it shows that you are truly terrified of Huang Zhong, fearing that we will continue to appoint Huang Zhong as our general.

Doesn't that bring us right back to the same question?
The more Yuan Shu uses this strategy, the more we will rely on Huang Zhong and the more determined we will be to appoint Huang Zhong as our general. So Yuan Shu still hopes that Huang Zhong will be the main general.

But if he really feared Huang Zhong, why would he use a scheme that would only backfire?

No matter how Kuai Yue reasoned, he could only conclude that the only result of Yuan Shu's scheme was that Huang Zhong, whom he feared most, would sit even more firmly in the position of commander-in-chief.

Once this conclusion was reached, Kuai Yue was completely confused.

So, was Yuan Shu actually wary of Huang Zhong?
If he was wary, why would he have resorted to this tactic to make us give Huang Zhong a more important position?
But if he had no fear, why would he write a letter saying that he feared Huang Zhong, and use this to target Huang Zhong?

But the letter contained nothing but words of the enemy shooting to sow discord among the people; how could it be believed so easily? So, was he actually not afraid of Huang Zhong?
Kuai Yue felt as if he was trapped in a labyrinth of schemes that he couldn't escape from and couldn't figure out!
He had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he just couldn't figure it out.

Is Yuan Gong wary of him?

Is Yuan Gong not wary?
Did Yuan Gong hope that Huang Zhong would be the commander-in-chief?
Yuan Gong did not wish for this.

These thoughts kept contradicting each other in Kuai Yue's mind; he couldn't tell them apart, he really couldn't tell them apart.

(End of this chapter)