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

Chapter 311 Born a Han Chinese, died a Han ghost!
"It was the strategist's plan, then I'm relieved."

Xiahou Ba was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Uncle, I knew it!"

As one of the most prominent Heavenly Star Lords, you are now leading the Han King's northern expedition, and the conquest of the world is within your grasp.

Our Xiahou family's days of great wealth and prosperity are yet to come. At such a crucial moment, how could you possibly be so foolish as to abandon a bright pearl for a dark box, or forsake the moon for a firefly?

Would you really do something like this, enduring years of humiliation while waiting for an opportunity to betray me?
"Isn't this going to stop our Xiahou family from joining the Han Kingdom this year and vying for a place among the top ten aristocratic families?"

Xiahou Dun: "."

Meeting his nephew's gaze, Xiahou Dun truly had no words to express his bitterness.

No, our Xiahou family and the Cao family have been related by marriage for generations, and I have known Lord Cao for most of my life.

How come in the eyes of you younger generation of the Xiahou family, if I were to side with Cao Cao, it would be as if I were hindering the Xiahou family's progress and blocking your path?

You unfilial son! Your father is still a general under Cao Cao, and you have no regard for him at all.

However, no matter what he thought in his heart, he naturally couldn't show it on the surface, so he could only nod slightly in a forced manner.

"If it can help the King of Han's great cause, then this plan of the strategist is not necessarily a bad thing."

However, Ba'er is still young and lacks the necessary status. I might be able to personally go and feign surrender to gain the trust of Cao Cao's camp.

However, when he said this, he was met with ambiguous smiles from the two strategists, Yang Hong and Lu Xun.

[Aren't you afraid that if you go in person, your feigned surrender will turn into a real one, or your feigned surrender will become a genuine one?]

Yang Hong chuckled and declined, "General Zhenbei, please don't overthink it."

For a general to personally go to the enemy camp during a battle between two armies is far too risky.

"What if Cao Cao is ruthless and beheads the general without a word? Wouldn't that ruin the King of Han's grand plan?"

Lu Xun chimed in, "That's exactly right."

I've heard that Cao Cao's army has strict military laws, and those who surrender are executed along with their entire families without any distinction of right or wrong.

"General, you only surrendered early; had you waited a little longer, you might have ended up in the same situation as General Yue."

Upon hearing this, Yue Jin's eyes, filled with resentment, gazed intently towards Cao Cao's camp, and he gave a cold laugh.

"The traitor Cao is wicked and shows no regard for past friendships."

General Xiahou, you should not harbor any illusions. As the commander-in-chief, if you dare to personally go to Cao Cao's camp...

I'm afraid that old scoundrel won't even consider whether it's a genuine or feigned surrender. He'll just behead you on the spot and use you as a sacrifice to his flag. It will boost morale and blunt our army's momentum—a win-win situation with no downsides. He'll definitely do it."

Xiahou Dun opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but then felt that what Yue Jin said made a lot of sense.

If he were to return to Cao Cao's camp, he wouldn't need to care whether the surrender was genuine or not; simply taking the head would be the best way to avoid all conspiracies and schemes and maximize his own interests.

Would Cao Cao make this decision?

Thinking of his current status as a Star Lord, Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, and General Who Guards the North.
Xiahou Dun remained silent.

Niang Xipi!
What is this thing called?
Yuan Shu has people watching me every day, keeping a close watch on me, fearing that I might commit suicide.

But when I returned to Cao Cao's camp, he wanted to kill me again without even asking what happened.

I.
At this moment, even Xiahou Dun was somewhat unsure whether he belonged to Yuan Shao's camp or Cao Cao's camp.

Or perhaps I shouldn't have been so afraid of death back then, and didn't make a decision immediately.

Yes, so many years have passed, and Xiahou Dun no longer makes excuses for himself.

Why keep oneself in the service of others? Why strive for a greater good? And why submit to Yuan Shikai in order to establish the rightful rule of the world?

In reality, it's nothing more than an excuse to eke out a living. Look at what you've done with your body that you've kept for so many years.

He painstakingly helped Cao Cao's camp but achieved nothing, while in the Han state he did nothing but his official rank kept rising.

Is there anyone in the world more conflicted and unsuccessful than myself?
It turns out, I had already lost.

He was defeated and captured at the walls of Yangdi, never having died a martyr in service.

Having been controlled by others for many years, a bitter feeling welled up inside him. His gaze fell on the ignorant and carefree Xiahou Ba, and he gritted his teeth as he asked:
"Where is Naba'er?"
If I cannot trust Cao Cao's camp, then why should I trust Ba'er?
If Cao Cao's camp will kill me, why won't they kill Ba'er as a sacrifice to their flag?

He is the adopted son of the King of Han; how dare you risk his life?

However, his defiant but actually pleading rebuttal under the guise of resignation was met with cold, almost contemptuous, gazes from the two strategists.

Yang Hong asked him in a cold voice:
"Young Master Ba, just as General Zhenbei said, this journey to Cao Cao's camp is fraught with peril. Are you willing to die for the King of Han?"

Lu Xun comforted him, saying:

"If you are unwilling, we will choose another better plan. It is only human nature to be afraid of death. When the teacher comes, he will certainly not punish you."

But when Xiahou Ba heard this, he thought, "What? How can I leave the King of Han with the impression that I, Xiahou Ba, am a coward who fears death?"
You have to understand that things are different now than before. There are plenty of people who claim to be adopted sons of the King of Han. With just a trial card, everyone can claim to be from a family that has produced four generations of high-ranking officials.

Although these people are still no match for him, the legitimate adopted son, this trend has made Xiahou Ba feel a sense of crisis.

Besides, it's true that he's afraid of death, but returning to Cao Cao's camp is nothing to him; there's no danger in that.

My uncle Xiahou Dun was killed when he returned because he was the highest-ranking general in the area.

Killing him as a sacrifice to the flag would throw the army into chaos.

But what use would killing a mere junior officer like myself have? Aside from the fact that killing me would thoroughly enrage the King of Han, it would have no impact on the morale of the army.

Perhaps, according to the Han army's traditions, the entire army immediately donned mourning clothes, stood in mourning, and their fighting strength increased significantly—this was not an isolated incident.

Besides, I, Xiahou Ba, also have connections in Cao Cao's camp!
My own father is still there, how can I just stand by and do nothing?

Didn't Cao Anmin, who surrendered a few days ago, come and go freely in Luoyang and escape unscathed?

As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold; if you want to achieve great things, how can you not take some risks?
Thinking of this, Xiahou Ba bowed deeply to the south.

"I have received great kindness from the King of Han, and have had no chance to repay it. I am willing to risk my life for my adoptive father, and I will not regret it even if I die a hundred times!"
Now, why should we cherish our lives and hesitate to move forward out of fear?

"it is good!"

Yang Hong smiled with satisfaction and looked at Xiahou Dun, "General Zhenbei, do you have anything else to say?"

Xiahou Dun: "."

Damn it! This unlucky kid, you're really risking your life to go back and harm your father, and I can't stop you?

Seeing that his uncle Xiahou Dun had tacitly approved of his loyal and righteous actions, Xiahou Ba felt that a tremendous achievement was right before his eyes.

If this plan succeeds, even if it's just to contact my father in Cao Cao's camp and get him to secretly betray us while he still trusts Cao Cao, I'll be able to achieve my goal.

If we were lucky enough to obtain Cao Cao's head and have him surrender, that would be an incredible achievement.
Based on the price Hanwang offered last year, this thing is worth at least nine Great Merits!
It might even go up this year.

The key difference is that, unlike aristocratic families that donate land and people, the distribution of benefits among large families can easily be diluted for individuals.

Nine monumental achievements were accomplished by one person. What will the New Year's Day of next year look like?
My father is the King of Han!

His biological father was Xiahou Yuan, the first star lord of the Heavenly Gang.

My eldest uncle is Xiahou Dun, the second star lord of the Heavenly Gang.

I am Xiahou Ba, the scion of the foremost family in the Han Kingdom!
Just thinking about those days makes me happy.

Therefore, Xiahou Ba hurriedly questioned the two military advisors.

"Now I am willing to take the risk of sending false messages to Cao Cao's army, to show my uncle the determination to endure hardship and humiliation."

"How can Cao Cao's army trust me?" The two strategists were prepared for this, and Lu Xun explained to him with a smile.

"Don't think this is just a sudden flash of inspiration on our part. In fact, it's the result of our teacher's years of planning, all for this day."

When you arrive at Cao Cao's camp, if you are suspected, you can say that General Zhenbei has been in our army for many years, and most of the time he has been confined to a room and has not been free.

Furthermore, whenever he travels, his words and actions are supervised by high-ranking officials, and he is not allowed to express his true feelings.

He has never personally fought a single day, nor offered any advice or strategy, etc.

In short, how could we not have made oversights in restraining a person who has endured hardship for so many years?

The only problem is that General Zhenbei has been trapped within our army for many years. Even if there are oversights, we can easily handle them, which is why he hasn't had an opportunity for so many years.

Yang Hong also chimed in.

"Young Master Ba, you can rest assured."

King Han has been planning this strategy for many years. During these years, Cao Cao's army has also had spies who have infiltrated our camp to gather information.

Such strange occurrences, even with our best efforts to guard against them, were already discovered by Cao Cao's traitor long ago.

Cao Cao must have been suspicious, thinking that the General of the North was being coerced by us.

However, there is no concrete evidence. Later, the Prince Ba became the adopted son of the King of Han, and the rank of General Zhenbei was also increased.

His suspicions deepened, and he realized that the General of the North had truly pledged allegiance to the Han.

Such a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake, caused him great anxiety and made him unable to discern loyalty from treachery.

Otherwise, what does the young master think, after what happened between you and the General of the North, your father Xiahou Yuan, would still be so trusted?

Xiahou Ba was shocked!
The two strategists spoke with great seriousness and reason.

Now, not only those in Cao Cao's camp, but even he, the adopted son of the King of Han, began to doubt whether his uncle was truly biding his time and plotting a rebellion.

Is it possible for a lie to be told so convincingly that it sounds like the truth?
The more Xiahou Ba recalled the details of his interactions with his uncle Xiahou Dun, the more reasonable it seemed to him!

Not to mention Cao's camp, whenever he saw his uncle, who was the General Who Guards the North, always living alone and never seeing outsiders, while there was always a large army guarding outside, how could he not be suspicious?
Especially every time I met my uncle, he was always surrounded by soldiers and generals, with a look in his eyes that seemed to want to say something but didn't, yet he didn't say anything at all.

Once or twice is fine, but after spending a lot of time together, how could he not notice something strange?
This is also why he reacted so strongly today after hearing the two strategists say that his uncle was a spy in Cao Cao's camp, who had been biding his time and had ulterior motives.

What he couldn't believe at the time wasn't that his uncle was actually a spy for Cao Cao, but rather that "Oh no! My uncle's identity as a spy for Cao Cao has been exposed!"

Only then did he hastily declare, "Impossible! My family has held high office for four generations," in an immediate attempt to distance himself from the situation.

And now, he understands!

It's all clear now.

If all the unusual and strange things were part of a plan that the King of Han had started years in advance, then it all makes sense.

After getting his uncle to surrender, he deliberately revealed many abnormalities, enduring for years, all for this day.

To make something appear real while making it appear real is a common tactic in the Han King conspiracy theory.

After all, this information wasn't hard to find; over the years, Cao Cao must have had intelligence on it.

Even he himself, the one executing the plan, had to believe it, let alone the traitor Cao.

"My adoptive father used astonishing methods to protect my father's position and life in Cao Cao's camp."

I admire him greatly!

How could I not risk my life to repay Heaven's grace?

Seeing that not only Xiahou Ba, but also Yue Jin, "Li Dian" and others around him, they all suddenly realized and marveled at how the King of Han had once again laid out plans years in advance, demonstrating his extraordinary abilities.

Xiahou Dun: "."

I'm so angry!

No, I didn't! I truly endured hardship and humiliation, my body in the Han camp but my heart in Cao Cao's!
Thinking of this, he almost felt dizzy and thought to himself that he was doomed.

Based on what Yang Hong and Lu Xun said, not to mention outsiders, even they themselves had to believe it, because it was indeed true!
The more I investigated, the more I believed; the more I believed, the more real it seemed. Cao Cao actually perished at my hands?
Only at this moment did he feel that deep-seated, bone-chilling fear; he seemed to have truly become the Star Lord of the Han Kingdom and a loyal subject of the Yuan family.

Once you enter Yuan's camp, it's like entering a deep sea; from then on, your fate is no longer in your own hands.

Xiahou Dun realized with almost despair that even if he had died back then, with the Han King's extraordinary abilities, he could have his life resurrected and revived, and his name would have been engraved on the Yuan family's monument of loyalty and righteousness, thus contributing to the Han state's military achievements.

At this moment, he recalled the scene in Yangdi City when he heard Jiang Gan return and spread the story of the King of Han eating people. At the time, he didn't take it seriously, after all, he had eaten people before when he followed Military Advisor Cheng.

But only today did he truly witness the Han King's cannibalistic methods.

Regardless of personal will, life or death, success or failure, once you enter Yuan's camp, there are always all sorts of terrifying methods to squeeze every last drop of value out of you and make you an excellent loyal servant of Yuan.

Amidst Xiahou Dun's trepidation and Xiahou Ba's eagerness, Yang Hong, with a look of satisfaction, relayed the message that Xiahou Ba was to deliver to Cao Cao's camp.

"Young Master Ba, we have our own arrangements for everything."

In the next few days, the generals will feign an attack on the city to reassure Cao Cao's army. They will wait until Lü Bu is almost here.

I request that you go to Cao Cao's camp and, in the name of the General Who Guards the North who has endured for many years, deliver the message that Lü Bu has traveled a thousand miles to launch a surprise attack and turn against Cao Cao.

Tell them that our army has been ambushed by Lü Bu and is in a fierce battle. Ask them to come out of the city to help us, and they will surely defeat our army.

"If the King of Han were to launch his northern expedition just as it was about to begin, and then lose an arm, his campaign would be unsuccessful, and the morale of his army would be severely damaged."

Xiahou Ba bowed respectfully, "Yes!"

After the generals dispersed, only the two of them remained in the tent. Yang Hong and Lu Xun looked at each other and smiled.

"Master Yang, if we pin this plan on our teacher, won't he be angry?"

Yang Hong laughed and said:

"Hong followed the King of Han for half his life, never abandoning him for more than ten years. Apart from Lord Yan, no one understands the King of Han better than me."

The king has always valued reputation and loved great achievements, but he was often too proud to speak his mind.

Now that I hear that you and I are working for his fame, I will surely do you a favor in my heart.

Moreover, ever since this conspiracy theory spread in the court, as long as anything is attributed to the Prince of Han, no one doubts it.

You see, fueled by conspiracy theories, everyone heard that this was a scheme orchestrated by the King of Han years in advance. How could they not be full of confidence and have their morale soaring?

As he spoke, he looked at Lu Xun with admiration in his eyes, saying, "This time, we are very grateful for Boyan's wise strategy."

Compared to your actions of repeatedly using Li Dian, which brought him to the brink of death, my previous use of Xiahou Dun was indeed rather superficial.

I was even worried that he would commit suicide, so I sent people to keep an eye on him every day. Only today do I realize that whether he lives or dies is of no importance.

Regardless of loyalty or treachery, life or death, all who can serve my king are loyal and virtuous to my great Han!
"Boyan truly deserves to be called a disciple of the King of Han; meeting him today, I see he has truly mastered his teachings."

Lu Xun remained silent, quietly shifting his gaze, and changed the subject.

"Does Master Yang think the people at Huanyuan Pass will believe the story of Lü Bu's sneak attack?"

"This is precisely the time to test it out!"
If they believe me and come to my rescue, they will surely fall into my ambush.

If he doesn't believe it, let the young master go a few more times. When Lü Bu really comes in the future, he will definitely not come to the rescue.

If the tyrant were to die for his country, it would be a noble cause, and he would be worthy of being called a hero.

This is an irreconcilable hatred; the entire Han nation swears to avenge it with their lives!

(End of this chapter)