Chapter 39: The Change in Ye City (Part 2)

  The Yuan family, as a great political family with four generations of three dukes, is known for its extensive network of descendants and former officials all over the country, controlling to a large extent the discourse power of local governance in the Great Han Dynasty, and can be absolutely called the most prominent aristocratic family in the Great Han Dynasty.

  If one can become the helmsman of the Yuan family, it means having extremely rich human resources and political resources. In this era where chaos is already apparent, for anyone with vision and opportunity, it has a fatal attraction.

  But becoming the controller of this big family is not an easy thing. What is needed is not just a name, but more importantly, the recognition of the internal forces of the Yuan clan. Just like Yuan Shu, who has always claimed to be the legitimate son of the Yuan clan, looked down on Yuan Shao, the eldest son born out of wedlock, but had to humble himself under the halo of Yuan Shao chosen by the Yuan clan's forces.

  Yuan Shao had three sons, the eldest being Yuan Tan. He was of a bold and fierce disposition, skilled in martial arts and warfare, and was deeply loved by the military officers under his father's command. This time, when Yuan Shao fought against Gongsun Zan, he followed closely behind his father and achieved repeated victories.

  Yuan Xi, the second son, was handsome and elegant in appearance, with a refined and flowing demeanor. He was well-versed in both literature and martial arts, and was highly regarded by the Yuan clan. The major families that were close to the Yuan clan also had a good relationship with him. This time, when Yuan Shao was fighting on the front lines, Yuan Xi assisted Taiwei Su Cheng in pacifying the large clans within the city of Ye, ensuring that Yuan Shao's supply lines remained unobstructed, which greatly pleased Yuan Shao.

  Yuan Shang alone, being young and having no achievements to his name, was overshadowed by the brilliance of his two older brothers. Although he was favored by Yuan Shao and Liu's family, it was not easy for him to stand out and gain recognition from various factions within the Yuan clan. With Yuan Shao still alive, the military and aristocratic circles had already been taken over by his two older brothers, who became the dominant figures in two of the three main interest groups within the Yuan clan. How could Yuan Shang, who also had the potential to become a leader of the Yuan clan, not feel anxious?

  Therefore, when Yuan Shang heard of Qin Xu's "kind" forgery of Xu You, how could he not be overjoyed. In Yuan Shang's mind, the military and aristocratic families had been divided between his two brothers, leaving only officials loyal to Yuan Shao, who seemed reluctant to get involved too early, and despite their best efforts, Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi had failed to get these people to clearly declare their allegiance.

  Now, as one of Yuan Shao's four great strategists and a sworn brother in adversity, Xu You, who had always been iron-like in his loyalty, spoke up. Although he didn't say it outright, the meaning was clear: he wanted to support himself. This made the 15-year-old Yuan Shang unable to sit still.

  His father, Yuan Shao, was someone whom Yuan Chang greatly admired. In the midst of Dong Zhuo's chaotic rule when all officials lost their voices, only Yuan Shao dared to scold Dong Zhuo and flee to Bohai; during the alliance of the lords to conquer Dong, Yuan Shao was again elected as the leader by the eighteen lords from across the land - what an honor! And all this was achieved while Yuan Shao held the position of the head of the Yuan family. Now that he is even closer to taking over this role, how could Yuan Chang not be extremely excited?

  "Third Master, there is someone outside the door who claims to be an official from the Henan Governor's office, sent by Governor Zhang to pay respects to you." When the servant handed over the bright red visiting card in front of Yuan Shang, he was still as if in a dream.

  "Has he really come?" Yuan Shang had already chosen to believe in Qin Xu's identity because of Xu You's actions, and now that Qin Xu had arrived so quickly to pay his respects, Yuan Shang was even more convinced. He hastily said: "Quickly invite him to the guest room to take a seat. Hmm, don't inform my wife for the time being."

  It was also Qin Xu's good luck that he didn't tell his mother, Liu Shi, about what happened at the city gate when he returned. He had intended to explain the situation to her, but hesitated and feared that she would scold him again for being too frivolous and impatient, so he didn't inform her.

  Liu was Yuan Shao's legitimate wife and also the birth mother of Yuan Chang. She had always been devoted to helping Yuan Chang ascend to a higher position, exhausting her mind and body in the process. However, with two older brothers above him and Yuan Chang not being particularly outstanding on ordinary days, it was unavoidable that she was somewhat strict with him. As a result, before confirming Xu You's true intentions, Yuan Chang did not dare to inform Liu about this matter even after much deliberation.

  As for Qin Xu pretending to be an official from Zhang Yang's mansion coming to visit, Yuan Shang naturally thought this was Xu You's intention, and was even more certain that Xu You wanted to make a move before he had fully emerged from the Yuan family's control, but didn't want to leave any evidence behind. This completely fit with Yuan Shang's understanding of Xu You's personality. At this time, what was making Yuan Shang hesitant was whether he should be friendly or stern towards Qin Xu, who was carrying out a "special mission".

  Qin Xu, alias Qin Jiu, finally got a warm reception from Yuan Shang, the third son of the Yuan family. In a friendly and enthusiastic atmosphere, both sides proposed their own demands with ulterior motives.

  Yuan San Gongzi highly praised Xu You for his efforts in securing the future and development of the Yuan family, representing his father Yuan Shao and the garrison troops stationed at Ye City. He expressed heartfelt admiration for Xu You's solo journey to Hebei to negotiate with Governor Zhang Yang about sending troops. Until now, there has been no news of the Black Mountain bandits approaching Ye City, which gave Yuan Shao precious time as he rushed back to reinforce the city. This was all thanks to the efforts of Xu You, one of the four great strategists of Ji Province, who had just begun to see results. When Yuan Shao counterattacked against the Black Mountain bandits and Xu You returned to Ye City after completing his mission, Yuan Chang would report to Yuan Shao that he should personally go out of the city to welcome him.

  As for Qin Xu, who had been preparing for a long time before coming, why he didn't bring anything that could prove Xu You's identity, it was all too late to say, and was taken away by Yuan Shang with a fiery gaze that seemed to say "I understand, I know".

  Yuan Shang's enthusiasm and infinitely automatic brain supplementing aura left Qin Xu stunned, and he sincerely expressed his utmost admiration, repeatedly applauding Yuan Shang's "high vision" with a nod of approval. At the end of their conversation, Qin Xu subtly brought up that Xu You was seeking to arrange a marriage between Yuan Shang and Flying General Lü Bu, which made Yuan Shang no longer harbor any suspicions towards Qin Xu, and even gave rise to the idea of recruiting this officer from the Henan governor's office who could be "trusted" by Xu You.

  "Third Master, Lyu Bu's lion opened its mouth wide, and the betrothal gift prepared for you by the master is not quite satisfactory." Qin Xu said to Yuan Shang with a pretended difficult expression, seeing that he had completely fallen into his trap.

  "I heard that Lü Bu was promiscuous and unruly, how could he agree to Mr. Xu's proposal so readily?" Yuan Shang asked in doubt. But the surprise and self-satisfaction in his eyes did not escape Qin Xu's gaze, which had been trained by years of business negotiations in his past life.

  "Gentlemen, that's 20,000 stones of military rations and 2,000 war horses!" Qin Xu, with a clear conscience, continued to slander Lü Bu, saying: "Lü Bu fled from Chang'an in disarray, his soldiers were already on the brink of collapse, and because he was once Dong Zhuo's adopted son, although he had merit for killing Dong, he was not tolerated by the world. Fortunately, Yuan Gong did not hold past grudges against him, and not only provided him with grain and supplies but also formed a marriage alliance with him. How could he not be grateful?"

  "Then why..." Yuan Shang's face was filled with joy, but he was confused by Qin Xu and asked in puzzlement.

  "Lü Bu is very close to my master, Governor Zhang. He has received a lot of favors from him in Henan, but the third son also knows that Lü Bu's reputation is unmatched in the world, so he naturally wants to be on good terms with him and receive support from my master..." Qin Xu replied.

  "Hmm! Indeed, Lü Bu is a fierce tiger of the world. He won't last long like this." Yuan Shang nodded in agreement and said: "I wonder what advice Mr. Zi yuan has for me?"

  "This is too easy? It's not very fulfilling." Qin Xu thought to himself, but his face was a picture of mystery. "The Black Mountain bandits are numerous," he said, "and my family's Zhang Taigong would be hard-pressed to deal with them alone. Mr. Xu's intention is that if we have Lü Bu's help, the trivial matter of Black Mountain will not be worth mentioning."

  "I'm aware of this, hasn't Mr. Zi Yuan already proposed to me on behalf of the Yuan family like Lü Bu?

  Yuan Shang's face flashed with a hint of arrogance and he said: "Is it that Lü Bu is dissatisfied with the betrothal gift being too little? The rumors say that Lü Bu is greedy for wealth, and his subordinates are also mostly greedy and corrupt, it seems to be true. But my father is currently at war with the old thief Gongsun, and our military provisions are also scarce, I wonder if Mr. Zi Yuan has any solution?"

  "NND! You're the one who's greedy!" Qin Xu cursed in his heart, taking a secret loss, but still forced himself to say: "Indeed, Mr. Xu also understands that the grain stored in Ye City is the foundation of Yuan Gong's expedition against Gong Sun. Originally, the grain stored in He Nei could have been handed over, but Lü Bu is a person who values face extremely and has never had much scruples. If this matter were to spread, saying that Yuan Gong proposed marriage without betrothal gifts, it would inevitably affect Yuan Gong's reputation..."

  "Hum!" Yuan Shang's face was full of anger, and he said: "This Lü Bu is also hateful. Must he send troops to resolve the matter of Ye City?"

  "Third Master, don't be disturbed!" Qin Xu said: "Mr. Xun's refusal to reject Lü Bu in the world is also for the sake of Third Master."

  "What do you mean by this?" Yuan Shang was confused by Qin Xu's words and said: "Mr. Zi Yuan is a master of the universe, with unparalleled wisdom and strategy. You only need to tell me his original intention, no need to say anything else."

  "Good!" Qin Xu's mouth corner flashed a hint of a smile, and he said: "Mr. Xu said that it would be better to create some momentum, send 300-500 soldiers, transport some military rations over, and pretend it's the first batch. Deceive Lü Bu into sending troops, and then we can discuss the rest slowly. What do you think, Third Master?"

  "Ah...” Yuan hadn't expected Qin Xiang to say such a thing, and hesitated for a moment before saying: "Not to deceive you, Lord Qin, but Mr. Zi's plan is indeed ingenious, however, if the city of Ye is already short-handed and vulnerable, if we were to send out another three to five hundred...”

  "Alas..." Qin Xu also wore a worried look, and after some deliberation said: "Actually, Mr. Xu's intention is not like this, it's really hard to make Lü Bu believe that General Yuan is sincere, anyway, it's just for show, and not much grain and grass are needed, so why not send some farmers and miscellaneous soldiers disguised as soldiers? Moreover, if there really is a war, these people will only dampen the morale of the soldiers, and have no other use."

  "It's just that..." Yuan Shang was confused by Qin Xu's sudden words, but still felt a faint sense of unease, he just couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

  "Yuan Shao also knew that Lü Bu was the greatest warrior in the world, and he had only one daughter. If he became Yuan Shao's father-in-law, he would certainly be favored by Yuan Gong. At that time..." Qin Xu saw that Yuan Shang was still hesitant, so he added fuel to the fire, not believing that Yuan Shang couldn't see the benefits of this arrangement.

  "Good! Don't delay, I'll inform my mother and carry it out immediately." Yuan Shang heard Qin Xu speak of Yuan Shao's trust in him, and suddenly thought of his older brother Yuan Tan's prestige in the army. If Lu Bu were to join later, he could replace him, and his heart was overjoyed. He looked at Qin Xu with increasing favor, saying: "Lord Qin is indeed a loyal and wise strategist. If things don't go smoothly with Governor Zhang, you can come to my camp at any time."

  "Thank you, Third Master!" Qin Xu expressed his gratitude with a humble attitude and then suddenly looked as if he had just remembered something. He said, "However, Mr. Xu instructed that for the time being, it's best not to let too many people know about your relationship with each other, lest..."

  "Oh?" After hearing Qin Xu's words, Yuan Shang's eyebrows furrowed and he muttered to himself: "Mr. Xu still has the habit of keeping something in reserve for everything he does, is he afraid that others will know and accidentally reveal it?"

  "Qin Jiu!" Yuan Shang thought for a long time, then raised his head and said to Qin Xu who was waiting respectfully beside him: "Since Mr. Xu can send you to meet me, he must be a trusted person of Zi Yuan. In that case, let Zhang Taishou's family temporarily stay in Ye City, I will dispatch ten personal guards to take care of them, and have you lead three hundred soldiers to escort three hundred stones of grain and fodder to He Nei!"

  "Yes!" Qin Xu said with a loyal and devoted expression, "It's just that Miss Zhang has a bad temper, please forgive her, young master. Otherwise, I'll be scolded by Governor Zhang!"

  "Look at your age, similar to mine, why are you still afraid of a woman? Well, since you've handled this matter well, come under my command." Yuan Shangzhi was pleased, with an air of bestowing great favor, and said to Qin Xu, "As for Miss Zhang, since she is the relative of Governor Zhang, chosen by Mr. Ziyan, she's like a sister to me. I'll go persuade him not to make things difficult for you, so don't worry!"

  ……

  I haven't heard that Yuan is a lecher! The implication of this sentence, no matter how you listen to it, seems like he's going after "Miss Zhang"!

  This is going to be a disaster! I hope Lü Linggui doesn't go too far.