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

Chapter 235 If Yuan Bofu can do it, I, Yuan Xiu, may not be unable to!
In Wancheng, the moonlight, cool as water, bathed the courtyard.

The Zhang residence was brightly lit, with palace lanterns illuminating the night banquet.

Zhang Xiu stood respectfully at the door, waiting quietly, while Jia Xu accompanied him from the side.

Before long, the sound of horses' hooves thundered on the long street, and a troop of eight hundred cavalrymen came galloping through the dust.

Surrounded by a group of generals, who else could it be but Cao Cao in his splendid attire?
"General Zhang, you have been waiting for me for so long. Are you late?"

Cao Cao dismounted and strode forward, his head held high. Dian Wei followed closely behind, his hand hidden in his sleeve, pressing his halberd without firing.

Zhang Xiu was surprised to see Cao Cao leading eight hundred men, fully armed and ready, making a great fuss. A shadow crossed his mind, but he kept quiet and smiled.

"The Prime Minister's arrival is an honor to my humble abode; why speak of delay?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Dian Wei and the eight hundred armored soldiers accompanying Cao Cao, and pretended to be joking, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"I wonder if the Prime Minister has arrived with his troops fully prepared, with Fan Kuai by his side, and whether he is the Hegemon-King of Western Chu or Emperor Gaozu?"
"Should we invite Xiang Zhuang, one of General Xiu's men, to perform a sword dance at the banquet?"

"General Zhang was joking!"

"We both return to the court, and one day we will serve as ministers in the same palace. Why be so formal?"

Cao Cao laughed and let the matter drop, saying, "These soldiers are those who have fought alongside me through thick and thin and have accumulated many merits in battle during this campaign against Yuan."

The general is hosting a banquet tonight, so he brought them here uninvited, just to share in the glory and enjoy the beauty of the moon.

The general's recounting of the past events of Emperor Gaozu (Cao Cao) reveals a profound misunderstanding of Cao Cao's abilities.

Zhang Xiu: "."

I invited you to dinner, and you brought so many people. Who's being the one who's being distant?
"The Prime Minister wishes to share wealth and honor with his subordinates, how dare Xiu An refuse?"
"But the mansion is too small; I fear it cannot accommodate her."

"You're too kind! General, you're too kind!"

Cao Cao, smiling and seemingly without embarrassment, instructed his generals:

"Three hundred of you will accompany me into the mansion for a feast, while five hundred will wait outside. General Zhang will bring you wine and meat. Just sit on the ground and don't stand on ceremony with General Zhang."

After saying this, he looked at Zhang Xiu and asked with a light laugh.

"General Zhang, do you think the household can accept this arrangement?"

Zhang Xiu: "."

Drinking on the ground in front of my mansion? At the slightest disturbance, I'd probably break down the door.

Your Excellency, Prime Minister, you are being far too formal!
He swallowed his anger for the time being and just forced a smile.

"Three hundred men is enough. Since the Prime Minister has given the order, how dare I disobey?"

"good."

The two sides had a very pleasant conversation, and after entering the mansion, a servant led Cao Cao and his party into the banquet hall.

In front of the hall, Cao Cao's three hundred men were divided into more than two hundred who took their seats in the open-air seats temporarily set up in Zhang's residence outside the hall, ready to respond to any movements in the hall.

Only Dian Wei and thirty-six elite soldiers followed Cao Cao into the hall and took their seats.

Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, under the pretext of arranging a banquet for these unexpected soldiers, managed to escape temporarily.

After they were out of sight of Cao Cao's generals, Zhang Xiu pulled Jia Xu aside and whispered something in his ear.

"A person who is upright has nothing to fear from a crooked shadow."

Now that I have surrendered the entire prefecture and given everything I have to submit to the king's rule, why is Cao Cao still so wary of me?
He must be feeling guilty!

Otherwise, since Xiu has already surrendered, if he has no other intentions, why would he need to be wary of me?

After returning from Cao Cao's camp, Jia Xu did not evade the issue as he had before, intending to ease tensions between the two sides.

He nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Zhang Xiu's words.

"What the general says is very true, but please rest assured that everything has been arranged properly."

Just follow the plan and observe his subsequent actions.

The two secretly plotted and agreed, then left the dark room and slowly walked to the table.

At this moment, the banquet hall was filled with a sumptuous feast, featuring all kinds of delicacies.

When Zhang Xiu entered, he saw Cao Cao sitting with guests, and feigned surprise, quickly inviting Cao Cao to take the seat of honor.

Cao Cao could not refuse and had no choice but to accept.

The crowd clinked glasses, and after several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere became lively.

Seeing that the time was right, Cao Cao brought up the details of Zhang Xiu's surrender.

There was an implicit request that Zhang Xiu lead his army to accompany him north to Luoyang to await the emperor's arrangements.

As for Nanyang, it was left to Xiahou Yuan, with Cao Cao's army stationed there.

Zhang Xiu had Jia Xu to help him respond, mostly using empty words to deceive him, with the intention of delaying the inevitable.

The originally lively atmosphere of the banquet seemed to come to an abrupt end as the two sides could not reach an agreement, and the atmosphere suddenly cooled down.

Zhang Xiu raised his cup to Cao Cao, saying, "Since I have already surrendered, why is the Prime Minister in such a hurry?"
"This is a fine night; let us not waste this beautiful scenery and lovely people. I have specially prepared a song and dance performance for the Prime Minister to entertain him. The matter of surrender can be discussed tomorrow."

After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands to signal, and immediately a group of dancers dressed in colorful clothes gracefully entered the hall.

Cao Cao had come here expecting a trap, so he didn't expect to be able to settle things that night. Seeing that Zhang Xiu had already started singing and dancing, he agreed.

"That's fine then. Tonight, General Zhang and I will only talk about romance and not state affairs."

As the melodious chimes rang out, a group of dancers began to dance gracefully. Among them, the leader, her face veiled by a veil, her embroidered dress and skirt stained with wine, was slender and graceful. After the dance ended, the song faded away.

Her graceful steps, light as a feather, and the dust rising from her silk stockings drew everyone's attention. Cao Cao was also captivated, his mind wandering. However, he believed this was a trap and waited for her to make her move.

Even though Cao Cao was focused on his own life, he forced himself to suppress his thoughts, remained calm, and secretly guarded against Zhang Xiu's possible attack with Dian Wei.

Unexpectedly, the banquet continued with music and song, one after another, with fine wine and a sumptuous feast, until the moon was high in the sky, but Zhang Xiu did not make a move.

Cao Cao was surprised and suspicious!

But he couldn't openly ask Zhang Xiu, "Why haven't you made a move yet?"

Just as Cao Cao was about to unleash his power, he saw Zhang Xiu suddenly stand up, raise his cup, and hold it in his hand. Cao Cao's eyes narrowed, and he thought to himself, "Here it comes!"

In any case, he had already made arrangements from inside the palace to outside the palace, and even to the army outside the mansion and inside the city. At this moment, he was not afraid at all and only looked at Dian Wei.

Dian Wei understood, and held a small halberd in his hand under the table, waiting for Zhang Xiu to dare to smash the cup so that he could take his head with one halberd.

At the critical moment, Zhang Xiu drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Xiu, respectfully address the Prime Minister!"

Now that we have surrendered, in the future, when we stand before the Emperor, my words carry little weight, and I hope the Prime Minister will offer me guidance.

It's getting late, and I'm too drunk to continue with my studies, so I won't keep the Prime Minister from resting any longer."

Cao Cao: "."

Cao Cao had been staring intently at the hand holding the cup, tense for a long time, and almost died of anger.

No, you
Aren't you going to do anything? Are you going to do anything or not?

You were going to surrender, but when I tried to discuss the details of the surrender with you, you said you'd talk about it tomorrow.

But if you say you won't surrender, and that you've been waiting for this trap all this time, then it's actually just me scaring myself.
So what exactly did you call me over for tonight? It can't just be for a meal and drinks, can it?
Although Cao Cao was filled with doubts and couldn't figure it out, Zhang Xiu had already seen his guests off, so he had no reason to stay any longer.

So, nothing was said that night. They ate and drank well, and then went home.

The next day, Cao Cao woke up to find something that left him speechless.

Jia Xu arrived again, and he gave the exact same speech as yesterday: Zhang Xiu was going to reward Cao Cao's army with wine and meat again, and once again invited Cao Cao to a banquet to discuss important matters.

Cao Cao: “???”

Did I pass yesterday or not?

Not daring to be careless, Cao Cao led eight hundred soldiers that night, accompanied by Dian Wei, and cautiously arrived at Zhang's residence.

Logically speaking, Zhang Xiu, you should be discussing surrender with me today, right? But the only response he received was Zhang Xiu raising his cup with a beaming smile, "Prime Minister, drink! Let's not talk about state affairs."

Cao Cao: "."

So today is definitely a trap for you, isn't it?

Even after they had eaten and drunk their fill and returned to the mansion, Zhang Xiu still made no move, as if he had only asked him to have a drink.
So, on the third day, to Cao Cao's further dismay, Jia Xu came again!
"Prime Minister, the General invites you to his residence for a banquet to discuss important matters."

Cao Cao: "."

Thus began Cao Cao's life in Wancheng.

One day: I was invited to a banquet at Zhang Xiu's residence.

Day 2: I was invited to a banquet at Zhang Xiu's residence. The banquet was dull, but the dancers at Zhang's residence were exceptionally beautiful.

Day 3: Attending a banquet, that beauty glanced at me more than usual today, so she must have heard of my illustrious reputation.

Day 4: Attending a banquet, with a beautiful woman.

Five days: Attending banquets for several days in a row, whether for entertainment or to admire beautiful women, is inappropriate!

This must be because Zhang Xiu made me careless, or perhaps he has a hidden murderous intent. I must be vigilant now and not let this happen!
At night, he led eight hundred elite troops to a banquet!

Sixth day: Attended a banquet.

Seven days: I have been to the banquet for a long time, but I did not know the name of the beauty. I should go again today.

Day 8: Attended a banquet all night.

On the ninth day: Xun You advised him, and I agreed.

I hereby admonish all my ministers that I will not attend any more banquets.

That night, Xiu did not see me arrive, so she came to invite me in person.

So he went to the banquet.

On the tenth day: He went to a banquet and was invited to drink with her; the beauty accepted.

She must also believe the truth!
】

For more than ten days, Zhang Xiu invited Cao Cao to banquets every day, and Cao Cao attended them every night.

Cao Cao remained vigilant against Zhang Xiu's murderous intent and dared not be careless. Whenever he visited Zhang's residence, he would bring eight hundred elite soldiers with Dian Wei accompanying him, in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

However, Zhang Xiu had not made any move for more than ten days, which truly puzzled him. He then addressed the assembled officials who had come to dissuade him from attending the banquet:

"Zhang Xiu's actions must have a deeper meaning. Please allow me to attend the banquet to test his heart. I am by no means a person who indulges in sensual pleasures."

The courtiers: "."

Prime Minister! Cao Anmin has already told us that you recently had him inquire about the identity and name of that beauty from the Zhang family. Don't think we don't know!

But Cao Cao was only going to a banquet to discuss important matters with Zhang Xiu. What bad intentions could he possibly have? How could the ministers possibly advise him against it?
On the other side, Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu sat facing each other, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"From what I've observed, Cao Cao seems to have no ill intentions other than always bringing a group of armored soldiers with him to every banquet and being particularly vigilant."
Could it be that I've been deceived by Jiang Gan and am overthinking things?

Jia Xu also frowned, "Not necessarily! I have recently noticed that Cao Anmin, one of Cao Cao's subordinates, has been lurking around the Zhang residence all day, acting suspiciously, as if he is trying to find out the name of Madam Zou."

Let's wait and see for a few more days. It'll just mean spending more money on food and drink and hosting a banquet.

If he is truly a ruthless and powerful figure, unmoved by beauty, then we should sincerely surrender to him.

"good."

On that day, Cao Cao returned from a banquet, drunk. He went to his quarters and was surprised to see a man peeking out. It was none other than Cao Anmin.

Anmin, knowing Cao Cao's intentions, didn't wait for him to ask and secretly replied:
“My nephew has been inquiring about news in the city for days and has learned that the beauty you mentioned does not live in the Zhang residence, but rather next to the Zhang family’s guesthouse. She is extremely beautiful and her beauty is renowned far and wide.”

Upon inquiry, she revealed herself to be the wife of Zhang Ji, the embroiderer's uncle.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao laughed loudly.

"No wonder Xiu remained calm and composed during the banquets that lasted for more than ten days, only insisting that I attend the banquets."

I had never understood its meaning before, but now I see the reason.

Cao Anmin was surprised and asked him why.

Cao replied with a smile, "He must want to present his aunt to me in order to receive a reward from the court, but he doesn't want to say it outright."

Given his status as Zhang Ji's nephew, and the fact that his subordinates were all Zhang Ji's former subordinates, how could he openly commit such a crime?
Therefore, she pretended to be a beautiful woman, performing dances for more than ten days, before asking the real minister to take it himself!

Cao Anmin suddenly realized that this made sense!
Cao Cao had been impatient for a long time, but because he didn't understand what Zhang Xiu meant, he endured it for more than ten days. He never expected that he was actually fighting wits with thin air.

In his mind, since this beauty was Zhang Xiu's aunt, if Zhang Xiu really cared about her, why would he let her pretend to be a dancer and dance for him for more than ten days?

What else could such behavior be but an implication to offer his aunt as a gift to curry favor with himself?
He then ordered Anmin to lead fifty armored soldiers to the guesthouse to retrieve it.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiu had already arranged spies near the inn. After waiting for more than ten days, he finally saw that Cao Cao's army was coming to take people, and he hurriedly reported back.

Zhang Xiu had just gone to bed when he learned of this matter and hurriedly asked Jia Xu for advice.

Xiu was furious!
"After more than ten days of no action, I almost really thought he was a good person."

"That traitor Cao is despicable! Knowing full well that Lady Zou is my aunt, he still dared to forcibly abduct her. He truly doesn't respect me. Lord Yuan was right!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu felt that although he had been seduced by a beauty like Zou Shi for more than ten days, it seemed...
However, he also knew that he could not persuade Zhang Xiu, who had listened to Yuan Ying's words and still harbored prejudice against Cao Cao.

As expected, Cao Cao fell into the trap, and there was nothing more to say.

No matter how much he said, Zhang Xiu would only feel that he had tested the waters correctly. Fortunately, he had tested him for several more days, otherwise, how could he have seen through Cao Cao's beastly nature when he was hiding such a deep secret?
Fortunately, Jia Xu, having heard the horrifying conspiracy theory about Yuan Shu, no longer intended to be an enemy of Yuan Shu. Therefore, he followed Zhang Xiu's words and continued to speak.

"This matter must not be publicized."

Fortunately, we had already made all the necessary arrangements in the past ten days or so.

For more than ten days, the general has been rewarding Cao Cao's soldiers every day. At first, they were cautious and on guard.

For more than ten days nothing has happened, and people have gradually indulged in drinking and eating meat, leading to a relaxation of discipline in the camp.

In contrast, our soldiers have been waiting for a long time, awaiting only the general's command to utterly defeat Cao Cao's army!

Zhang Xiu nodded, determined to launch an immediate uprising to rescue his aunt, capture her and the stolen goods, and make Cao Cao a laughingstock to the world, thus venting his hatred.

Then he summoned his lieutenant general Hu Che'er, who led his troops in a rapid attack on Cao Cao's camp.

That Hu Che'er could carry 500 jin and travel 700 li a day; he was an extraordinary man.

He then offered a suggestion to Xiu, saying, "It's a pity that Dian Wei is so brave and difficult to approach, and because he accompanies Cao Cao to banquets every day, he is under constant guard by his personal guards and has not been able to drink any wine."

Otherwise, while he is drunk, seize his double halberds and kill him as easily as taking something out of a bag.

Xiu frowned, "He's not drunk yet, what should we do?"

Jia Xu laughed, “No matter how powerful he is, he is still just one person.”

If Cao Cao were at his peak and led an army of tens of thousands, our surprise attack would only be a single blow. However, if we were stopped by Dian Wei, our mission would be difficult to accomplish.

However, times have changed. Cao Cao has suffered repeated defeats, and his army is exhausted and on the verge of collapse. He has only 40,000 troops in total, 20,000 of which are Jingzhou soldiers under Wen Ping. If something happens, they will only care about protecting themselves and will not come to the rescue.

The remaining 20,000 men got drunk in the camp and put up signs to sell their heads.

At that time, Cao Cao's army will be completely defeated. Although Dian Wei is brave, how can he fight against my 20,000 troops?
Besides, the one we want to kill now is not Dian Wei; we can simply have someone lure him away and trap him.”

Zhang Xiu replied, "Excellent."

"If we can take Cao Cao's head and present it to Lord Yuan, Xiu might become Lord Yuan's adopted son and rise to the top in one step!"
I often hear people say, "Young children are often sick; you should encourage them."

This general boasts of his martial arts skills and talent, which are second to none. If Yuan Bofu is suitable, then Xiu is certainly capable as well.

Jia Xu: "."

Okay, okay, I'll understand why you're so persistent.

It turns out that last time I advised you that even if you had many adopted sons, you wouldn't be ranked very high.

So you actually listened to that and are now thinking about becoming Yuan Gong's adopted son?

(End of this chapter)