On the outskirts of Yangzhai City, Sun Jian was inspecting the soldiers as they set up camp.
The fierce tiger stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the campgrounds, his expression as cold as ice.
On the surface, he appeared to be urging the soldiers to bustle back and forth erecting tents, but the light in his eyes flickered, as if he were pondering something.
Behind Sun Jian, a burly man strode over and stopped beside him.
The man had a face full of stiff whiskers and an upright appearance.
He was the Lieutenant of a Separate Division under Sun Jian’s command and his most relied-upon right-hand man—Cheng Pu.
“Lord, why did you repeatedly press and provoke Kong Zhou today?” Cheng Pu and Sun Jian were close friends with no need for formalities.
He asked directly the doubt that had been hidden in his heart: “No matter what, Kong Zhou is a Governor of Yuzhou appointed by the imperial court and our ally in the campaign against Dong Zhuo… Lord, the moment you met him today, your words and actions clashed with him, which is quite unlike your usual demeanor… Could there be some difficulty?” Sun Jian let out a snort of laughter, full of sarcasm.
Only after a long while did he slowly take out a secret letter from his bosom and hand it to Cheng Pu: “Read it yourself.” Cheng Pu took the secret silk letter with puzzlement, unfolded it, and after a while exclaimed in surprise: “Yuan Shu wants to appoint Lord as the General Who Breaks the Enemy and Inspector of Yuzhou?!
Isn’t the Inspector of Yuzhou Kong Zhou?
What is Yuan Shu planning?” Sun Jian spoke unhurriedly: “What is he planning?
Hah!
I helped him force the death of Jing Province Governor Wang Rui and killed Nanyang Administrator Zhang Zi for him.
Now he has gained the Nanyang Commandery and his strength has greatly increased!
Jing Province is now leaderless and each region acts on its own; it will inevitably fall under his control in the future… In the southeast region today, both Jing and Yang Provinces have no major worries left.
If he can also obtain Yuzhou, he will have fulfilled his long-cherished wish of spanning three provinces… Who in the world can stand against such a hero?” Cheng Pu’s face showed anger: “He killed Wang Rui and Zhang Zi, yet it’s still not enough!?
Now he wants Lord to kill Kong Zhou?
He gets all the benefits while you bear all the blame!
Lord, isn’t this too unworthy?” Sun Jian sighed deeply and said helplessly: “The Yuan family has held the Three Excellencies for four generations; their reputation shakes the world!
The prestige of the Yuan clan of Runan is unmatched by almost anyone under heaven.
Yuan Shu is the legitimate second son of the Excellency of Works Yuan Feng and possesses quite a chivalrous spirit… Now he has also been appointed General of the Rear!
In time he will surely become a great power… For me to act as his blade today is only in the hope of finding a good place to belong.
After all, this world is murky wherever one looks.” Cheng Pu was silent for a moment, then said: “Lord’s repeated humiliations of Kong Zhou today were to force him to resist… so that you could find a reason to kill him on the spot?” A cold light flashed in Sun Jian’s eyes, like a hungry wolf spotting its prey.
“That was originally what Sun intended, but after seeing the young master of the Tao family, I had no choice but to abandon the idea.” Cheng Pu thought back carefully for a moment and said: “That young fellow?
I saw he looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, a mere yellow-mouthed child.
Could he really stand up for Kong Zhou?” Sun Jian chuckled: “Wasn’t everything he did today standing up for Kong Zhou?
Although his words and actions were mostly humble and yielding, his purpose was clearly to defuse the conflict… He even refused the military supplies and equipment Kong Zhou offered him, making it obvious that he has firmly aligned himself with Kong Zhou.” Cheng Pu stroked his beard slowly and said, “So what if he aligns with him?
I have long heard that old man Tao Qian of Xuzhou is muddle-headed, and his son is nothing more than a pedantic scholar!
Would we fear the Xuzhou army?
I heard Tao Shang has ten thousand troops… It is not that I boast, but with just three thousand soldiers, I could slaughter those ten thousand Xuzhou troops clean, leaving not a single one alive!” Sun Jian turned to look at Cheng Pu and shook his head: “My initial thought was the same as yours.
Tao Qian flatters the great clans and uses only mediocre people!
What combat effectiveness could the Xuzhou troops possibly have?
I am not afraid of the Xuzhou army… It is just that after observing this youth today, his words and actions were quite outstanding as the first point.
Second, I saw the general standing behind him, whose stature is similar to mine.
His every move carried the bearing of a true warrior, far from easy to deal with.
With that man present, we may not be able to touch Kong Zhou.” What Sun Jian referred to was Xu Chu.
Cheng Pu suddenly understood: “The man Lord mentioned, I also noticed… However, in such a vast place as Xuzhou, it is only natural that there might be one or two bear-like or tiger-like warriors among them.” Sun Jian sighed: “A mere warrior, what is there to fear?
However, the one I want to deal with is old man Kong Zhou.
It is better not to provoke the Xuzhou army if possible.
After all, they are all allies, and in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, we will still need their strength.
There is no need to needlessly create an enemy.” Cheng Pu sighed in realization: “Lord is right.
Yuan Shu covets Yuzhou, and we indeed do not need to make an enemy of the Tao clan of Xuzhou… But since we are not acting today, how does the Lord plan to accomplish this in the future?” Sun Jian smiled faintly, a smile that made one’s blood run cold: “For now, we will squeeze ten thousand shi of grain from him, then slowly pressure him.
No matter how good this old man’s temper is, he will surely not sit still.
Sooner or later, the day will come when we fall out with him.” While Sun Jian was pondering Kong Zhou outside Yangzhai City, Kong Zhou was pondering Sun Jian inside Yangzhai City.
Kong Zhou sat on a soft couch, his nostrils flaring open and closed, his face red and neck thick, clearly furious.
Tao Shang found his appearance quite amusing and could barely hold back his laughter… Earlier outside the city, the old fellow had been berated by Sun Jian like a scared rabbit.
Now that they had entered the city and Sun Jian was no longer in sight, his temper had clearly flared up.
“Sun Jian deceives people too much!” Kong Zhou gnashed his teeth, the wrinkles on his face all squeezed together: “How dare that whelp treat me this way?
Relying on Yuan Shu’s backing, he dares to order me around!
Who am I?
I am the rightful Inspector of Yuzhou appointed by the Son of Heaven’s clear decree!
He opens his mouth and dares to demand ten thousand shi of grain from me… If I don’t give it to him, what can he do to me?
This rebellious minister and traitor!” Tao Shang twitched his mouth.
These words truly lacked sophistication.
Rebellious minister and traitor… That phrase should be used for Dong Zhuo, right?
Using it on your own ally, what does that make you?
After complaining enough, Kong Zhou turned to look at Tao Shang and said: “Sun Jian has humiliated me so.
According to my worthy nephew’s opinion, what should I do?” Tao Shang spoke unhurriedly: “He is extremely rude.
I suggest that Uncle mobilize troops to deal with him!” Kong Zhou looked as if he had swallowed a large fat fly, unable to spit it out or swallow it.
If he could deal with him, he would have done so long ago.
Why wait until now?
“Well… that…” Kong Zhou hesitated and said: “Weapons are cruel instruments.
Sun Jian and I are allies.
If internal conflict breaks out and my subordinates strike without restraint, more lives may be lost.
It feels too unworthy.” Tao Shang smiled and said: “Uncle’s words are quite reasonable.
However, while a man may have no intention to harm a tiger, a tiger may have the heart to harm a man.
From Sun Jian’s performance outside the city today, this nephew feels that Sun Jian already harbors murderous intent toward Uncle.
Uncle is mindful of the alliance and wishes to coexist peacefully with him, but unfortunately the other party does not appreciate it.” “Worthy nephew thinks Sun Jian wants to kill me?” Kong Zhou’s face instantly turned deathly pale: “How did worthy nephew see this?” Tao Shang could not help but find it amusing.
He deeply regretted this Kong scholar’s insight and emotional intelligence, wondering how the old fellow had survived until now: “Uncle doesn’t feel that Sun Jian’s attitude was extremely rude?
The kind that is purely looking for trouble?” Kong Zhou frowned and said, “Just because he is rude to me, it must mean he wants to kill me?
Worthy nephew’s words are rather far-fetched… There are many possible reasons for rudeness.
For example, if I owed him money and deliberately refused to repay it, he would also be very rude to me.” Sun Jian let out a long sigh and shook his head: “Uncle, believe me.
If you owed him money and refused to repay it, Sun Jian’s first action upon seeing you outside the city today should have been to kneel before you, not to shout and order you around.” Kong Zhou: “…” After a long while.
Kong Zhou’s expression gradually became serious: “Why does Sun Jian want to kill me?” Tao Shang said: “Because you are the Inspector of Yuzhou.” “Why must he kill me just because I am the Inspector of Yuzhou?” Tao Shang said: “Because Yuan Shu covets the land of Yuzhou?” “Why must Yuan Shu occupy the land of Yuzhou?” Tao Shang said: “Because Yuzhou is one link in his strategy to span Jing, Yang, and Yuzhou, and Runan is Yuan Shu’s homeland where the Yuan clan’s influence is very strong… The answer is that simple.” This simple answer was truly outrageous.
Kong Zhou’s hands hidden in his sleeves clenched tightly into fists, his knuckles turning white and emitting faint cracking sounds, fellow imperial officials of the Great Han and allies in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, yet Yuan Shu, for his personal ambition, could so ruthlessly and deliberately harm a colleague.
It was worse than a beast.
Of course, when Sun Jian had followed Yuan Shu’s secret order to kill Nanyang Administrator Zhang Zi and Jing Province Governor Wang Rui, Kong Zhou’s feelings about those matters were at most shock; his personal feelings toward Yuan Shu were far from reaching anger.
But now that he himself had become the next lamb to the slaughter, Kong Zhou could no longer control his emotions.
Humans are such creatures: when it does not concern them, they hang it high; once it concerns them, they curse their mothers.
“Yuan Shu and Sun Jian are truly despicable people!” Kong Zhou shouted at the top of his lungs.
Tao Shang sighed helplessly… A nobleman of a famous clan had been forced to curse vulgarly.
This was an omen of the collapse of ritual and music.
“Worthy nephew!” Kong Zhou suddenly turned to Tao Shang and said angrily: “Since Yuan Shu and Sun Jian intend to plot against me, I might as well go all out and fight them to the death.
What do you think?” “I think it’s feasible.
Uncle is truly a hero!” Kong Zhou suddenly stood up and strode toward the outside of the hall, shouting as he walked: “I will go muster the troops right now and fight Sun Jian to the death!” Tao Shang picked up a shang (a vessel used by people of the Han dynasty to drink water), took a sip of clear water, and lightly tapped the surface of the table with his fingers, murmuring to himself as he tapped: “One, two, three… Come back!” “Worthy nephew!” Kong Zhou suddenly stopped, turned around with a crying face, and said: “That despicable Sun Jian, I cannot defeat him!” “Uncle, come, sit, sit.” Tao Shang stood up, walked over, took the sobbing Kong Zhou by the hand and led him back to the kneeling couch, pressed him down to sit, poured some clear water into his shang, and said: “Uncle, vent as much as you like.
Some things cannot be taken too seriously…” Kong Zhou drained the shang in one gulp, his voice filled with both anger and grief: “They bully people too much!
Think of me, Kong, since taking office, not saying I did it perfectly, but I have been diligent and cautious, hardworking and uncomplaining, not failing the court above and not deceiving the common people below… And yet they, on the contrary, decide to deal with me whenever they wish…” “When soldiers come, block with generals; when water comes, block with earth.
This nephew will help Uncle finish off those two bastards,” Tao Shang comforted him.
Upon hearing this, Kong Zhou immediately perked up.
Earlier outside the city, Tao Shang had said this to him, but at the time he had not taken it seriously… But at this moment, Kong Zhou regarded these words almost as a life-saving imperial edict.
“Worthy nephew, what brilliant plan do you have?” Tao Shang smiled and said: “Actually, it is quite simple.
Yuan Shu thinks Sun Jian is his blade, using this blade to eliminate the various governors and administrators so that the southern half of the realm will be his.
We only need to reverse three points.
The first point is to let Yuan Shu know that even if he eliminates the various governors and administrators, his strength will still be insufficient to seize the southern half of the realm.
The second point is to let him know that his most trusted Jiangdong fierce tiger, Sun Jian, is actually his greatest obstacle.
The third is to let him know that we are the ones who can best support him at present.”