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

Chapter 284 A dignified and upright spirit, a mighty and unstoppable flame of Yangming

Zhou Yu slowly stepped into the main hall and glanced at the three people in the room.

On the left is a handsome young man, while on the other side are a dark-skinned, ugly, short, and chubby young man and a middle-aged, overweight old man.

Zhou Yu: "."

Without saying a word, he sat down next to the handsome young man, took the official business from his desk, and began to chat with him.

"You must be Kongming? I've heard Ziyu mention you before."

"If the music is wrong, Zhou Yu will notice."

Brother Liangguan, you possess extraordinary elegance and refinement; you must surely be the foremost strategist under the King of Han, Zhou Yu, the esteemed Zhou Gongjin.

Liang also said, "I have long admired your name."

Zhou Yu flipped through the official documents in his hands, his pen never stopping.

"It was Kongming's name that resounded among the ministers."

To date, you are the only person the King of Han is willing to exchange for with an immense contribution.

This is equivalent to Lu Boyan destroying a country once, equivalent to releasing hundreds of thousands of people, and equivalent to offering up millions of acres of fertile land.

He truly deserves the title bestowed upon him by the King of Han: "He is the only man under heaven."

You probably don't know, but when we heard that Ziyu had gone home to fetch her younger brother, and that was considered a monumental achievement, how many people in the tent were filled with envy!

"The King of Han is too kind to me, I am ashamed to accept it."

He was a lowly and despicable man who merely farmed in Nanyang, barely surviving in this chaotic world.

How dare I compare myself to a nation or even a hundred thousand people? I urge my brother Gongjin to be careful with his words.”

The two chatted and laughed, but their hands moved as if they were locked in a fierce battle, neither slowing down at all.

Seeing that Kongming had gained this man's help and was once again faster than his own, Pang Tong on the opposite side felt that it was unreasonable for them to be so focused and unable to keep up with the two of them chatting and laughing.

Surely not everyone who comes into this room is a genius with extraordinary talent?

So what exactly caused this?
Pang Tong's gaze involuntarily fell upon Jia Xu, who seemed to be calmly boiling a frog beside him, and he urged him on.

"Old man, lend a hand!"

Handling official business isn't like going to war; why are you hiding your shortcomings in this kind of matter?

"I'm getting old, and my hands and feet can't keep up with you young people anymore."

Jia Xu remained calm and composed, as if he could maintain a steady pace regardless of how many people entered the room.

This greatly worried Pang Tong. Seeing that his teammates were unreliable, he could only work even harder, writing with lightning speed, his palms already sweating.

He was increasingly annoyed, realizing that he had been careless and fallen into the trap of that wicked man, Kongming, and ended up in this house, on this pirate ship.

Now he could see it clearly: what appeared to be a collaborative effort in the room to handle official business was actually a power struggle among Yuan's advisors, a situation that had been brewing for some time.

The outcome of today's events will surely be noticed by the King of Han, and the abilities of my ministers will be readily apparent.

Unfortunately, although Pang Tong was not bad at domestic affairs, his greatest strength was military strategy and ingenuity. He didn't want to fall into someone's trap and be tricked into this room to compete in domestic affairs.

All I can say is, Zhuge Liang, is your heart truly black? For the next six months, no, even three months, I will absolutely not speak to you again!

On the contrary, Jia Xu, who was standing nearby, was even able to leisurely fetch hot water himself, brew a cup of ginseng and goji berry tea, and lazily hugged it while drinking and warming his hands.

He squinted at the witty banter between Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, who were exchanging pleasantries, and at Pang Tong, who was working so hard that he was sweating. He couldn't help but sigh softly.

"It's so good to be young."

"I'm old, I can't compare anymore."

These young people nowadays really don't know the value of a moment's leisure. Judging from the way the King of Han has implemented these new policies, it's clear that he's saying, "If you're capable, do more."

If I still don't know where the King of Han learned about my talents, I'm afraid I'll be threatened and accused of deceiving the emperor again for hiding my abilities too much.

He genuinely wanted to leave all the opportunities to the young people, while he himself would happily stay in Zuixianlou, enjoying wine and watching the snow.
Pang Tong, who overheard his words, watched as he brewed tea while maintaining the same speed as him.

Pang Tong: "."

A short while later, Zhuge Jin and Bu Zhi arrived together. Upon seeing the scene, Zhuge Jin naturally sat down next to Kongming. The two greeted each other with brotherly respect.

Meanwhile, Pang Tong saw that after Zhuge Jin sat down, although he wasn't as exaggerated as Kongming, his speed in handling official business was by no means slow.

He couldn't help but turn his pressured gaze to the last person on his side.

"My name is Pang Tong, Pang Shiyuan. Brother."

"My name is Bu Zhi, courtesy name Zishan."

"Good! Brother Zishan, you are now our last hope."

Whether you can defeat Kongming in this game depends on you.

Bu Zhi: "???"

"The King of Han only instructed me to come and learn from these seniors; how dare I speak of competing for victory?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Tong frowned.

“Zishan, I’m not saying this in general, but your thinking is wrong.”

If you don't fight for it today, you won't fight for it tomorrow. Will you fight for the star position in the Lingyan Pavilion? Will you fight for the rewards in the Hall of Merit?
The essence of the Han King's new policies lies in the word "struggle." Being involved in them is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you'll fall behind; if you don't fight, you'll be left behind.

The King of Han also explained that when we form a team to govern, we will receive a bonus when our achievements are tallied.

However, the attendants will keep records of who contributed more and less effort, who achieved more and who achieved less, and report all of this to the King of Han so that the credit can be distributed according to their contributions.

If Zishan doesn't contend today, will he not contend tomorrow either?
If we fight tomorrow, why not fight today? "

Bu Zhi: "."

Hmm~ That makes a lot of sense!

Since we'll have to fight for it sooner or later anyway, we might as well fight for it early and enjoy the benefits sooner, and make our mark early.

Moreover, at this point, what matters is no longer the immediate settlement of achievements, but rather the ranking of the advisors in the King of Han's mind as a result of this matter.

"Shiyuan is truly a great talent; Zishan has learned a great deal from him."

Pang Tong was pleased!

"It would be best if you could understand the reasoning behind this."

"If we on the right work quickly, we can get more when the next batch of official documents arrives. If we get more, Kongming and the others will get less."

Bu Zhi nodded repeatedly, "What Shi Yuan said is very true!"

However, I am of limited talent and virtue, and I fear that I may fail in my duty and delay important matters.

"It's alright. If you encounter any problems later, don't waste time racking your brains. Just come and ask me."

"Then thank you very much, Shiyuan."

The two quickly reached an agreement and got to work.

To Pang Tong's utter dismay, Bu Zhi spoke eloquently, claiming he was there to learn from his seniors and that he was of shallow talent and lacked virtue, thus failing to live up to the entrusted task.

When it came to real action, although he was slightly slower than me, he handled government affairs with remarkable ease and fluency.

Pang Tong: "."

Excellent! The King of Han truly has a wealth of talented people under his command, like a multitude of fish crossing a river. No one should be underestimated.

Within a few days, with Yan Xiang's return, the seven-person political affairs team took over the reins.

Everything, from the two million acres of land and the seven hundred thousand people, to the Lingyan Pavilion, the Hall of Merit, the coronation ceremony, and the council of princes, was handled in an orderly manner.

Anyone who fails to follow orders from above, who takes the Han king's decrees for the benefit of the people as a cover for their own benefit, and who outwardly complies but inwardly defies them, will be punished for all underhanded means and treacherous tricks.

Compared to this seven-member group, it's like snow meeting the spring sun, or demons being illuminated by sunlight!

A dignified and upright spirit emanates from above, while the mighty flame of Yangming illuminates ten thousand miles.

The two million mu of land that the Jiangdong aristocratic families rented to the Yuan family were just enough to rent to the 700,000 Tibetan slaves who had just been released by the aristocratic families of the two prefectures, as well as the soldiers who were given land for their merits after this great battle.

Meanwhile, the various powerful families, eager to make a name for themselves, were impatient to settle the population and provide agricultural tools. [First free the slaves, then distribute the land; with the arrival of the King of Han, there will be no shortage of food.]

Accumulate merit and achievements, accumulate rank and emolument, and the Yellow Emperor will govern the world with peace and tranquility.

Folk songs like these are widely circulated across three states and two sides of the strait, with some radicals even shouting:

The one who replaced the Han dynasty was Tu Gao!
The King of Han will ascend the throne as Emperor, becoming the Supreme Lord of the Great Peace Sect, the Manifested Sage Emperor!

The people live in peace and contentment, and all are happy and do not think of Liu.

Even before the grand ceremony of his coronation was held, the King of Han's fame had already spread northward along the Yangtze River, reaching all corners of the land.

Countless people who had suffered from the wars in the Central Plains longed for the peaceful rule of the Yellow Emperor. They carried the old and the young, and their families, and traveled down the Yangtze River to the Han Kingdom in the south.

The armies of the feudal lords on the border could not be stopped, and even more so because a large number of soldiers' parents and family members were among the people who went south.

Under their call for meritorious service and the establishment of the Lingyan Pavilion, some soldiers even defected on the spot to protect their families and head south.

Meanwhile, people living far away worshipped the "Emperor of the Taiping Sect, Manifesting Sage Daoist Lord" in their homes.

They gazed towards the day when the Han army would pacify the Central Plains, hoping to witness that legendary, dreamlike peace and prosperity in their lifetime.

The hearts of the people of the nine provinces are subtly changing, and the imperial capital of Luoyang is still burning after several days.

If foreign barbarians were to come and see the China of today, who could distinguish between Yuan Han and Liu Han, and who was the true successor of the Han dynasty?
On the other side, in Yuan Yao's study.

Liu Ye and Yuan Yin looked at each other, their brows furrowed in worry, while little Yuan Yao beside them looked utterly dejected.

"Donate two million mu of fertile land? Just for that mere Yuan Ce? Have those Jiangdong aristocratic families gone mad?"

He looked at Liu Ye with tearful eyes, "Teacher, you must help me!"

Liu Ye: "."

What use am I to you? Do I look like two million acres of land to you?
He sighed softly, "The only way to defeat Yuan Ce now is to go all in!"
"Pouring out three million tracts of fertile land might offer a sliver of hope."

Three million mu of fertile land?

Yuan Yao tugged at Yuan Yin's sleeve with his little hand, gazing at him expectantly.

"Uncle, you've always been the best to Yao."

Yuan Yin: "."

Don't look at me! I don't look like I'm worth millions of acres of fertile land!

Yuan Yin replied with a wry smile, "Yao'er, it's not that your uncle doesn't love you, it's just that Zhou Yu's plan is so vicious that we can't learn it."

The land of my Yuan family originally belonged to the king. How can we now offer the king's own land to him?
As for the powerful families, large and small, in Huainan and Runan, they had long been absorbed by the king. If they wanted land, they would have to force the powerful families in Liang, Chen, Lu and other states to surrender.

However, this area is newly annexed and borders the country. If we push them too far, we might not only fail to achieve any merit, but also bring about a catastrophic disaster.

Yuan Yao was startled by his words and dared not mention it again, only muttering:

"What should we do?"
Two million acres of land, three hundred thousand people—five monumental achievements, even Yama could not match them.

Are we just supposed to sit idly by and watch Yuan Ce dominate the court and achieve the greatest feat for our father in founding the dynasty?

"not necessarily!"

Liu Ye comforted him, saying, "This achievement, though great, should be shared equally by all in Jiangdong."

For example, the Gu family's contributions were attributed to Gu Yong, the Zhu family's contributions were attributed to Zhu Huan, and the Lu family's contributions were attributed to Lu Xun, and so on.

Although various families, large and small, would share a portion of Yuan Ce's achievements, they wouldn't elevate him to the position of the founding minister.

Even so, it is still an achievement that Yaoyuan could not match.

What should we do now?

Unexpectedly, just when Yuan Yao was at a loss and at a loss, he heard Yuan Yin tentatively speak up.

"Since the right path is blocked, should we take the wrong path?"

Yuan Yao was surprised and astonished.

What is heretical doctrine?
My uncle actually has a brilliant plan?

Yuan Yin, with an expression that said, "For you, kid, I'm going all out," spoke in a low voice.

"There is another great achievement, supreme and priceless."

And as long as it resonates with my cousin's feelings, it's incredibly easy to do.

"What is the purpose of this merit? Why didn't you say so sooner, Uncle?"

Unlike Yuan Yao's surprise, Liu Ye raised an eyebrow. After hearing Yuan Yin's description, he already had a guess in his mind.

[I fear this achievement will be the kind that is all talk and no action, with a very high rank and position, which may sound impressive but could also be worthless, entirely dependent on the will of the King of Han.]

Sure enough, Yuan Yin said awkwardly:
"This is a meritorious deed for establishing the nation and setting an example for the world!"

Although the King of Han has taken the two Qiao sisters as concubines, he has not yet established an empress.

After the coronation ceremony, if one of the two Qiao sisters were to become empress, it would be a matter of course, without any merit or achievement.

But if we can select one person to be the empress, it would be a fitting tribute to the emperor, a merit worthy of being associated with the phoenix!

Yuan Yao: "."

His small face held an extremely strange expression as he stared at Yuan Yin in disbelief.

Uncle? Did I hear that right? You want me to send a woman to Dad?
Your unorthodox methods are truly outrageous.

What's the difference between this and a sycophantic, flattering, or treacherous official?

Although Yuan Yin looked embarrassed, he resolutely looked back at Yuan Yao and met his gaze.

Forget about all that for now, just tell me if this achievement is significant or not.

Since things have come to this, what else can we do?
So what if they're treacherous, sycophantic, or villainous officials? It's all written in black and white in the history books. In crucial moments, this method works!

Everyone fell silent, and an awkward atmosphere spread among them.

Finally, Liu Ye sighed and spoke, "The King of Han and the Two Qiaos share a deep and profound bond; this action may offend them."

Before Liu Ye could finish speaking, Yuan Yin interrupted and answered.

"Having become king, he had three palaces and six courtyards to govern all nations."

Yin should join his ministers in submitting a petition to select women from respectable families to fill the palace.

Liu Ye glanced at him in surprise. Had this old man planned everything out? Was he trying to recruit me into the Yao Party?
Okay, okay, all that talk about loving your nephew is a lie. I think it's just that you, Yuan Yin, are too eager to advance your career.

You also hoped to climb higher in rank, but you couldn't find a place where you could make a difference, so you came up with this ingenious trick.

This is very much like Yuan Yin.

He sized up Yuan Yin and let out a cold laugh.

"I suppose Brother Yin already has someone in mind, and is quite confident that he can stand out from among all the respectable girls?"

Yuan Yin smiled sheepishly and replied:

There is indeed one person.

Feng Fangnu, from Sili, fled to Yangzhou to escape the chaos. She possessed a beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, and a face that could shame the moon and flowers.

At the prime of her life, with a stunningly beautiful face, a gentle temperament, and elegant manners, she possessed the grace of a noble lady and the bearing of an empress.

When Yuan Yin mentioned this woman, he had a smug look on his face. Although his cousin had now become the Prince of Han, no one understood his cousin better than him in this matter!

Liu Ye: "."

What a despicable person!

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, as if he could already see another bloodbath following the destruction of his own land.

This battle, which spanned across the three states and involved powerful families vying to offer their daughters for merit, began with Yuan Yin.

(End of this chapter)