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

Chapter 240 Wenhe, what are you doing?
"Still haven't found Cao Cao?"

Zhang Xiuyi remained in his armor and on his horse, his body already stained with blood, a testament to the bloody battle that had raged that night.

He looked up at Hu Che'er, who was slowly approaching carrying Dian Wei's head, and Zhang Xian, who had returned empty-handed, and frowned.

Zhang Xian looked embarrassed. "After Xiahou Yuan fled, my nephew led his men to pursue him relentlessly, and even sent messages ordering his men to intercept him."

Caught in a pincer movement with no way to escape, it's unclear how he managed to get away.

"It's truly Cao Cao's cunning that's at fault, not my incompetence!"

Hu Che'er cupped his hands and replied, "General, Mr. Wenhe instructed me to warn you to be careful of Cao Cao taking advantage of the chaos to infiltrate our army."

Tonight, Wancheng is in chaos. The general has ordered the army to scatter to search for and capture Cao Cao. Mr. Wenhe thinks that Cao Cao might take advantage of the situation instead.

If Cao Cao's traitors were all dressed in our army's armor, in the chaos and confusion, it would be difficult to distinguish them.

Zhang Xiu was taken aback upon hearing this, then sighed in realization, "No wonder we couldn't find Cao Cao even with our inescapable net; he must have used this tactic to hide among our troops."

As he spoke, he looked up at Zhang Xian and said, “You are clever and you know all the generals in the camp. Now you should lead the troops to thoroughly search our army and make sure that Cao Cao does not escape.”

"only."

Seeing him bowing and obeying orders, Zhang Xiu asked Hu Che'er with some surprise.

"What is Mr. Wenhe doing? Why did he send you to deliver a message? What is it that cannot be discussed with me in person?"

"I don't know either. I only saw that after Mr. Wenhe instructed me to pass on this message, he went back to his room to rest."

"Perhaps tonight's battle was too strenuous, and you seem somewhat tired, sir?"

"Is this the time to rest?"

Hearing Hu Che'er's explanation, Zhang Xiu's suspicions deepened. However, before he could ask any more questions, a messenger arrived, urgently shouting:

"Report!

"General, enemy troops have swarmed across the mountains and plains outside Wancheng, completely surrounding us."

Zhang Xiu was astonished. "Could it be that Cao Cao's reinforcements have arrived? How could it be such a coincidence? I haven't heard any news of troops being mobilized from Luoyang recently."

"It may not be Cao Cao's army. We only saw a dragon banner on them, but we couldn't make out the exact words written on it because of the darkness."

"Dragon banner?"

Zhang Xian was shocked. "Could it be that the Emperor himself has led an expedition to rescue Cao Cao?"

Zhang Xiu, however, laughed heartily and didn't take it seriously.

He already knew who the person was, so he was no longer flustered.

In this era, there are only two people capable of wielding the dragon banner: the Emperor of Luoyang and Lord Yuan of Huainan.

The person who is currently besieging Wancheng is not Lord Yuan. Could it really be the Emperor himself leading the expedition?

Zhang Xiu waved his hand and said:

"Don't mention any enemy troops, it must be Lord Yuan who has arrived."

The generals, as ordered, will accompany me, carrying the heads of all the Cao traitors, to welcome Lord Yuan as a pledge of allegiance.

As dawn broke and the flames of war subsided, 100,000 Yuan troops, like dark clouds pressing in, their iron armor gleaming and their spears and halberds like a forest, surrounded Wancheng.

Amidst the booming of war drums, Yuan Shu sat high on a six-horse chariot, his embroidered dragon robe fluttering in the morning breeze.

As he coldly surveyed Wancheng, Zhuge Jin spontaneously raised his voice on his behalf.

"The Regent General has arrived by imperial decree. Why do the Prefect and generals of Wancheng not open the city gates to welcome him?"

The city gates slowly opened, and Zhang Xiu, now dressed in clean armor, led his generals out on foot.

Upon reaching the carriage, Zhang Xiu bowed and paid his respects, tears welling in his eyes.

"The General has arrived!"

I beg the General to do justice for Xiu!
That treacherous Cao Cao was truly cunning, heartless, ruthless, and lawless.

Xiu had previously been deceived by his false words, unaware of his sinister intentions of holding the emperor hostage and usurping power. She only thought of him as the prime minister of the court, which is why she was fooled by him.

Little did I expect that he would take advantage of my kindness, not only eating and drinking in the city, but also harboring malicious intentions towards my aunt.

Fortunately, General Jiang reminded me, which prevented this villain from succeeding.

Cao Cao is truly despicable. Wherever he goes, he commits rape, plunder, and all sorts of evil deeds, leaving the people destitute.

"I only beg the Great General to punish the traitor Cao, save the Emperor, return Luoyang, and protect the state. I, your humble servant, will act as his judge for His Majesty and for the sake of all the people!"

Zhang Xiu's meaning is quite clear:
It's not that I, Zhang Xiu, refuse to surrender to Yuan, but that I've been deceived by the traitor Cao! It's not that I, Zhang Xiu, want to oppose Lord Yuan, but that the traitor Cao has cunningly deceived me.

I am also a victim. Cao Cao is truly wicked. The people are all waiting for Lord Yuan to uphold justice.

Yuan Shu naturally understood the deeper meaning behind this, but without revealing his expression, he merely glanced at him, nodded, and said:
"good.

It's never too late for a prodigal son to turn back. If the general can see through Cao Cao's true colors, then Nanyang and Wancheng will be fortunate indeed.

The Emperor issued several edicts ordering me to annihilate the traitor Cao and rescue him from the tiger's den in Luoyang.

The strategy was announced to the world, exposing Cao Cao's evil deeds. However, the feudal lords misunderstood me deeply and often allied with Cao Cao, sending troops to attack me.

This aids and abets the tyrant's evil deeds, acts as an accomplice to the tiger, causes the emperor to suffer, and brings ruin to the country.

"Now we have a general who understands righteousness and distinguishes right from wrong, enabling Nanyang to return to the rule of the king, and all the people to enjoy the blessings of Heaven. He is a wise and virtuous ruler of ancient times."

How can a guilty person be called a gentleman?

Xiu, having long admired the General's reputation, is willing to surrender the entire prefecture and serve the General with utmost loyalty.

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Xian behind him had already held up a book containing information on the population, taxes, mountains and rivers of Nanyang Prefecture, high above his head.

Zhang Xiu then bowed again and said:
"If the Great General does not reject me, I am willing to acknowledge the Great General as my father, and from now on I will serve by your side, obey all orders, assist in the great cause, and follow your lead without exception."

The heads of Cao Cao's traitorous followers here are presented as a token of respect.

After he finished speaking, Hu Che'er led his men to present the heads of Dian Wei, Cao Ang, and other high-ranking officers of Cao Cao's camp.

At first, when they heard that Zhang Xiu wanted to acknowledge Yuan Gong as his father, no one took it seriously. After all, they had seen many people like him recently, and they just thought it was another Xing Daorong.

Some astute individuals even took out the "List of Adopted Sons with Merits" that Yuan Shu had recently prepared specifically for this matter, intending to use it to dismiss Zhang Xiu and have him sit at the same table with Xing Daorong and the others.

After all, while the merit of surrendering the entire prefecture was great, it was still a bit short to directly become the lord's adopted son based on these merits.

After all, people like Xing Daorong and Cai Mao, which one of them didn't surrender their entire prefecture? Which one of them wasn't in the enemy camp but loyal to Yuan, and made numerous military achievements for Yuan?
But when they saw the two severed heads that Hu Che'er had taken out, everyone fell silent.

Dian Wei! The number one general in Cao Cao's camp! His martial arts skills and status in Cao Cao's camp were equivalent to Ji Ling's status in his own Yuan Shao's camp.

Cao Ang! The first heir apparent in Cao Cao's camp! The extent to which he was favored by Cao Cao and groomed as his successor was comparable to Yuan Ce's position in his own Yuan camp. Heaven knows how Zhang Xiu managed to do that? Did he raid Cao Cao's home base? You're practically wiping out the core members of Cao Cao's camp, aren't you?
Put yourself in their shoes. If your own top general Ji Ling or Yuan Ce were killed by an enemy general, how sad and heartbroken would you be?
Given our lord's temperament, wouldn't he immediately feel heartbroken and devastated, and then have the entire army dressed in mourning clothes and immediately become invincible until he conquers several states, only then can he vent his anger?

This shows how much damage Zhang Xiu inflicted on Cao Cao's camp. It's estimated that unless he offered up Cao Cao's head, there would be no greater achievement than this.

An incredible feat!

Unbelievable wealth!

The way everyone looked at Zhang Xiu had changed. They wondered if there was really another young master in Yuan's camp today.
Among the crowd, only Sun Ce looked at Zhang Xiu with a strange and complicated gaze. He didn't understand why anyone would actually want to jump into this fire pit.

If you were to say that you're like Xing Daorong and the others, striving to become an adopted son, that would be fine.

Do you really want to acknowledge Yuan Gong as your father and become his stepson?
No way, no way, no one would actually believe his nonsense about "the youngest child is often sick, you should encourage him", right?
Based on Sun Ce's understanding of Yuan Shu over the years, he would definitely take his beloved stepsons with him when he died.

There was nothing we could do; our father loved us too much and couldn't bear to part with us.

It's such a blazing pit of fire, yet there are still fools who dare to jump in.

"To assist my adoptive father, to uphold the nation, to give my all, even unto death, I have no regrets!"

I beg my father to grant my request.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Yuan Shu remained silent, and Zhang Xiu bowed again!
To be honest, he was a little unsure at this moment. According to his initial plan, if he could really get Cao Cao's head, the matter would be a sure thing.

But now that Cao Cao has escaped, all that remains is Cao Ang's head, which is still somewhat lacking.

Yuan Shu carefully examined Zhang Xiu, who was bowing his head and refusing to move, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Today is a day of great joy for me as I welcome a son of exceptional talent."

Zhang Xiu was overjoyed upon hearing this and was about to bow again, but Yuan Shu raised his hand to stop him.

"My son, don't be anxious."

With your achievements today, being a godson under Shu's name is enough. If you want to go further, Xiu'er still needs to work harder.

As Yuan Shu spoke, he told Zhang Xiu about how Xing Daorong and others had accumulated merits to obtain the title of adopted son, and gave him a nearly identical "List of Merits for Candidate of Adopted Son".

Zhang Xiu never imagined that there was now such a systematic upward mobility system for acknowledging Yuan Gong as one's father.

He was immediately captivated by her words and bowed three times.

"My godfather opened the door of convenience, providing us ordinary people with a path to advancement. His virtue benefits all living beings, and his merit will last for a thousand years."

Zhang Xiu wasn't afraid of needing to achieve further merit or of the difficulties involved; what he feared was not having the opportunity.

Otherwise, if everyone is worshipping a godfather, why do they all prefer to worship Lord Yuan instead of going directly to Luoyang to worship the emperor, or worship Cao Cao or Yuan Shao?

This is because Yuan Ce was a role model under Yuan Gong's command!
Let alone emperors and Cao Cao, whether they were willing to take in adopted sons is another matter. After all, not everyone is like Yuan Shao, who was famous throughout the land for taking in adopted sons.

Yuan Gong's adoption of a son was based on the reputation of Yuan Ce and others, which gave him credibility.

Others, like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, had so many biological children that they couldn't even count them all. Even if they became stepsons or adopted sons, what status did they have?
Yuan Gong was different. Although he had one son, there were already rumors that his young son was sickly, and even Yuan Ce was among the top in the line of succession.

Here we go! We are all adopted sons or stepsons. If you, Yuan Ce, can take the position, why can't we?

After accepting Zhang Xiu as his adopted son, Yuan Shu figured that giving him one or two would be the same thing, so he casually took out a small booklet and handed it to Sun Ce. It read:
[Heroic Deeds of the Crown Prince Candidate]

He raised his hand and patted Sun Ce's shoulder heavily, saying:

"Ce'er, you still need to work harder!"

Sun Ce: "."

"Thank you for your kindness, Father."

Seeing Sun Ce's strange and somewhat bewildered expression as he thanked him, Yuan Shu smiled.

Following that are the "Book of Merits for the Princes," the "Book of Merits for the Crown Prince," and the "Book of Merits for the Regent," so that all the heroes of the world may become my adopted sons, and I will not be afraid that you will not fight to the death.

As for fulfilling the promise?
【joke!
What does what Yuan Gonglu promised you have to do with me, the Great Zhong Emperor?
Enough said! The nation's treasures, the lives of countless people, are at stake on a few thin pieces of paper—is this not child's play?

How dare you be so disobedient and unfilial! Are you plotting a rebellion?

After everything was settled, Zhang Xiu hurriedly tried to welcome Yuan Shu into the city, but Yuan Shu glanced around as if looking for someone nearby, and then frowned and asked.

"I have long admired Jia Xu's name, but why is Mr. Wenhe nowhere to be seen today?"

Zhang Xiu then remembered that Hu Che'er had mentioned Jia Xu earlier, and that he seemed a bit strange.

Now that he was asked the question, Zhang Xiu, remembering Jia Xu's previous attitude towards Yuan Shu and his usual style, immediately felt a pang of anxiety and cautiously replied:
"Thanks to Mr. Wenhe's planning, we fought a fierce battle with Cao Cao's army all night. Perhaps you are tired? Are you resting in your room?"

Zhang Xiu himself felt guilty saying this, but if asked to reveal where Jia Xu was now, apart from the house where Hu Che'er last saw him resting, he didn't know!

Fortunately, Yuan Shu hadn't expected anything from him anyway. He just sneered, didn't enter the city, and pretended to sleep outside the city.

Everyone was terrified and dared not speak.

Before long, a troop of elite cavalry surged in like a flood, led by none other than Xu Chu.

He rode up to the front, cupped his hands in greeting, and reported:

"My lord, just as you predicted, we indeed saw a suspicious person sneaking out of the city under the cover of night."

He specifically chose to travel through those deep forests and wilderness areas. If it weren't for our large numbers and the fact that our lord hadn't given prior orders to have spies everywhere, he might have actually escaped.

Yuan Shu then raised his hand and ordered, "Let's go, follow me to meet our Mr. Wenhe."

On the other side, before Yuan's army even arrived, news came that Zhang Xiu had opened the city gates to welcome Yuan. Jia Xu, having absentmindedly finished issuing the last order to strictly investigate Cao Cao's infiltration, was already preparing to flee.

Unlike Zhang Xiu, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, and others, no matter how much the warlords carved up their own territories and strengthened their armies, they were still, on the surface, subjects of the Han Dynasty.

What about Yuan Gonglu? Although he keeps claiming to be a loyal and virtuous man of the Han Dynasty, as long as the court isn't blind, it knows he's a traitor!
If things go wrong, the court will definitely purge his associates. As the chief strategist of Yuan's camp, how can I expect to fare well?
What if it succeeds? If it succeeds, things will be even worse!
Based on the conspiracy theories about Yuan Shu that Jia Xu had heard before, this man was as intelligent as a demon, as cunning as a fox, as sinister as a snake, and as elusive as a dragon.

Have you not seen the old stories of Emperor Taizu Gao?

Such a person, if successful, will surely eliminate all potential threats before passing away.

Unfortunately, someone like Jia Xu might just be one of the hidden dangers that needs to be eliminated!
So we still need to run!
However, Cao Cao is out of the question right now, and Yuan Shao would probably be ostracized by his advisors. Where else could they go?

It's true, all I, Jia Xu, seek is to preserve my life in this chaotic world, so why is it so difficult?

Just as Jia Xu was in the deep forest, struggling to travel, pondering the vastness of the world and not knowing where to go,

The sound of horses' hooves echoed behind them, and a voice seemed to come from the clouds, resounding in their ears.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

Xu was drenched in sweat and could barely speak.

(End of this chapter)