Tao Shang delivered this long, elaborate speech with considerable effort, and by the time he finished, he felt thirsty himself.
He promptly picked up the goblet and took another sip.
After drinking, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, only to find Kong Zhou staring fixedly at him with eyes full of deep confusion and bewilderment.
It was a dazed, unfocused look.
People with such an expression generally fell into only two categories: those who were about to die… or those already suffering from senile dementia.
Tao Shang felt uneasy all over from Kong Zhou’s gaze.
He coughed softly to ease the awkwardness and said, “Uncle, why are you looking at me like this… What do you think of your nephew’s appearance?” Kong Zhou seemed to snap back to his senses a little: “It’s passable.” Tao Shang was somewhat displeased.
Old and dim-sighted, no wonder you got beaten by Sun Jian.
What do you mean by “passable”?
I’m quite handsome, alright.
“Wise nephew, those three points you just mentioned… I feel they are a bit… a bit… How should I describe it?” Tao Shang respectfully chimed in: “A bit like talking nonsense?” Kong Zhou did not speak, but his flickering expression clearly said everything… he agreed!!
Tao Shang pondered for a moment and patiently continued explaining to Kong Zhou: “Uncle, in human nature, there are two purest things.
Do you know what they are?” Kong Zhou stroked his beard and answered with a chuckle: “This old man naturally knows, one is called loyalty, the other is called righteousness.” Tao Shang shook his head.
Talking to this kind of person was truly tiring; he was so slow-witted… Sure enough, there was an eighteen-hundred-year generation gap.
“Uncle, you are wrong.
The two things in human nature are: one called greed, the other called fear.” Kong Zhou’s face instantly became bewildered: “What thing?” Playing the lute to a cow, another Mi Fang.
Too lazy to explain so much to Kong Zhou, Tao Shang continued: “To achieve the three points I mentioned earlier, we must arouse Sun Jian’s greed.
Once Sun Jian reveals his greedy nature, fear will arise deep in Yuan Shu’s bones!” Kong Zhou could no longer hold back.
He slapped the table and said, “Wise nephew, can you speak in words… that this old man can understand?” “Fine, then I’ll make it simple and clear.” Tao Shang also felt he could no longer wrangle with Kong Zhou.
He had originally thought this old man was a bit foolish, but now he realized he had used the wrong word… It wasn’t that the word “foolish” was wrong; the wrong word was “a bit.” It should be “very much so.” “To overcome the current crisis, first, Uncle must trust me unconditionally.” Kong Zhou patted his chest and said, “That goes without saying.
We are allies!” “Good.” Tao Shang nodded.
“First, Sun Jian asked us for one hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder, fifty thousand for him and fifty thousand for Yuan Shu… Please, Uncle, give him two hundred thousand shi!” Kong Zhou’s face immediately sank.
“You already said this outside the city earlier, but this old man doesn’t understand… The matter of demanding grain and fodder is either Sun Jian making things difficult for me, or Yuan Shu conspiring with him to trouble me… Why should this old man double it for them?
Wouldn’t that be aiding the enemy?
Why should I do this?” Tao Shang stood up, looked around, then walked to Kong Zhou’s side, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a low whisper.
“With wolves surrounding us and danger imminent, Uncle is now setting a trap for wolves!
If you are unwilling to part with the bait, how will the wolves take the hook?” Kong Zhou: “……” Three days later, Kong Zhou’s two hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder arrived at Sun Jian’s camp as promised.
On the city walls of Yangzhai, watching cart after cart of provisions being transported into Sun Jian’s main camp, two teardrops could not help but well up in Kong Zhou’s eyes.
“Uncle’s heart aches?” Tao Shang stood behind him and asked with concern.
Kong Zhou let out a long sigh: “I regret becoming the Inspector of Yuzhou.
I regret joining this coalition against Dong!” Tao Shang didn’t have the heart to say it outright: If you hadn’t become Inspector of Yuzhou, these one hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder would have had nothing to do with you… And if you hadn’t joined the coalition against Dong, you might have been directly wiped out by Sun Jian several months earlier.
But the man was grieving inconsolably.
Considering Kong Zhou’s current mood, Tao Shang kept the words bottled up in his heart… In these times, saying too much… hurts people.
At this moment, Mi Fang hurriedly arrived behind Tao Shang and said in a low voice, “Young Master, we have found the person who leaked the news that Inspector Kong provided our army with supplies to Sun Jian.” Last time, when Sun Jian had directly mentioned that Kong Zhou had sent Tao Shang grain and military equipment, Tao Shang had found it very strange… How did Sun Jian know about it so quickly?
Tao Shang turned his head: “Who?” Mi Fang smiled darkly: “Wu Zhao!” Tao Shang was somewhat dazed upon hearing this: “Who is Wu Zhao?” Mi Fang said urgently: “Hey, your memory is really something!
It’s that Wu Commandant you flogged with dozens of military rods before we set out!
The one who claimed to be a Commandant personally appointed by Cao Bao!
The one you used to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys.” “Oh!” Tao Shang suddenly understood: “Now that you mention it, I remember.
He’s the one I used to establish your authority before we marched out…” Mi Fang hastily waved his hands: “What do you mean you used him to establish authority for me?
You took all the authority… and you spent the money too, my money!” Tao Shang chuckled lightly and patted Mi Fang’s shoulder: “Don’t be so stingy!
This time you uncovered a spy, that’s a great merit.
When I return, I’ll memorialize Father and guarantee you a high official position and generous rewards!” Mi Fang snorted and muttered, “You don’t even have an official post yourself, yet you’re promising me one…” Tao Shang felt like kicking him… This kid was an ungrateful white-eyed wolf!
“By the way, what should we do with that Wu Commandant?
Do you want me to…” As he spoke, Mi Fang made a slicing gesture with his hand.
Tao Shang shook his head: “No rush.
Keep him; he may still be useful later.
Just keep a closer eye on him from now on… Don’t worry.
Someone else will take care of him for us in the future… Dealing with our own people is not my style.
I am a gentleman, after all.” Mi Fang gave Tao Shang a sideways glance and shook his head with a sigh.
Tao Shang turned to look at Kong Zhou and asked, “Inspector Kong, Yingchuan is a place filled with prominent scholarly families and private academies everywhere.
Do you have any renowned scholars of the current age among your subordinates?
Especially those with great influence?” Kong Zhou had not yet recovered from the grief of losing two hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder.
Upon hearing this, he sobbed: “What do you want to do?” Tao Shang said slowly: “I need someone qualified to go to Yuan Shu’s side as a persuader!” Kong Zhou wiped the tear stains from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and sighed: “There is one person who is very suitable…” In Sun Jian’s camp outside the city, Kong Zhou’s envoy was reporting the quantity of grain and fodder and the number of transport carts to Sun Jian.
Sun Jian listened expressionlessly, then casually said to the envoy, “Go back and convey my thanks to your master, Inspector Kong.” With that, he ignored the envoy and turned to enter his command tent.
Behind Sun Jian, a group of trusted generals filed in one after another.
Among them, Huang Gai had the most fiery and straightforward temperament.
As soon as he entered the command tent, he said to Sun Jian, “Congratulations, General!
Felicitations, General!
Two hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder!
That Kong Zhou has truly been scared out of his wits by you.
He actually did something so self-damaging and face-losing!
Hahaha, with this, our army will have no worries about provisions for several months as we advance on Luoyang.” Sun Jian snorted coldly: “That scoundrel Kong Zhou got scared by a mere threat and did something so disgraceful and ridiculous… He truly has no backbone.
A man like this is unworthy of sitting as the master of a province!” At the lower end, Zu Mao, one of Sun Jian’s four great fierce generals, also said, “Who says otherwise!
General, rebuke him again tomorrow and frighten him once more.
I fear he’ll end up handing over the entire Yangzhai city with both hands!” As soon as the words fell, everyone in the tent burst into loud laughter.
Only one person remained relatively calm.
Cheng Pu suddenly asked, “My lord, how much grain and fodder should be sent to Yuan Shu’s side?” Sun Jian replied unhurriedly: “Previously, I already made it clear to Yuan Shu that once we reached Yingchuan, I would demand fifty thousand shi of grain and fodder from him as a congratulatory gift for entering Nanyang Commandery… Now that this has been accomplished, send fifty thousand shi of grain and fodder to Luyang to assist Lord Yuan.” Cheng Pu frowned, feeling vaguely that something was amiss.
“My lord, Kong Zhou sent two hundred thousand shi of provisions, yet we are only sending fifty thousand.
Isn’t that a bit too…” Sun Jian waved his hand: “The two hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder were sent by Kong Zhou of his own accord.
It was never something Sun demanded from him… Moreover, our army has marched far on a long expedition and urgently needs provisions!
In this campaign against Dong Zhuo, our army will surely serve as the vanguard among the feudal lords!
The supplies of each division should naturally prioritize our army first!
Lord Yuan is wise and discerning; how could he fail to understand this logic?” Cheng Pu still felt something was off and wanted to speak further, but he saw Sun Jian wave his hand, clearly unwilling to listen anymore.
Cheng Pu sighed inwardly.
His lord was good in every way… except for being somewhat headstrong and self-willed.
Once he decided on something, he would not listen to others’ remonstrations.
This flaw might not seem serious, but if something happened later, it could easily lead to a great disaster… Hopefully, he was just worrying over nothing.
At Lushan, eighteen li southwest of Luyang, Yuan Shu’s army was currently stationed there.
Yuan Shu had arranged his troops in the Xuanwu and Crane Wing formations interlaced, with five camps spread wide in front and seven forts at the back.
The entire camp formed a ring protecting the central commander’s tent.
Inside the commander’s tent, four braziers burned with glowing red charcoal.
A lean man wearing silver armor and a red brocade robe was reclining on a wooden couch with his eyes closed, resting.
His appearance was extremely handsome.
Although already past middle age, he still looked elegant and refined, with skin as fair and delicate as a twenty-year-old’s, perhaps even surpassing that of a woman.
Because he took such good care of himself and possessed such handsome features, he appeared somewhat effete, but in today’s world, no one would dare look down on this man because of his good looks.
A descendant of a family that had produced four generations of three dukes, son of one of the Three Elders, Situ Yuan Feng, and holder of the post of General of the Rear, a position below the Nine Ministers!
These halos that ordinary people could not touch in several lifetimes, Yuan Shu had obtained them all before the age of forty… During the Ten Eunuchs’ chaos, he had shown decisive courage by burning the Nine Dragon Gate of the Southern Palace!
Now he harbored the grand ambition of dominating the south of the Yangtze!
With these alone, at least among the people of the realm today, no one dared underestimate Yuan Shu, not even Dong Zhuo.
At this moment, Yuan Shu leaned against the soft couch with his eyes slightly closed, seemingly dozing.
Before him stood a tall, middle-aged scholar who waited calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
This man was the envoy sent by Kong Zhou, who had just entered Yuan Shu’s command tent.
“You are Inspector Kong’s envoy?” After a short while, Yuan Shu slowly opened his eyes.
There seemed to be a sharp glint in them, appearing quite sinister, like a falcon’s, inspiring wariness.
“Yes.” The envoy’s voice was steady and resonant.
Yuan Shu raised his head to look at the envoy’s face.
The moment he saw the envoy’s features, Yuan Shu could not help but freeze.
This person… looked somewhat familiar?
The envoy straightened his clothes, saluted, and said, “I am Xu Jing, here to see General Yuan.” “Xu Jing?” Yuan Shu blinked, probing: “Which Xu Jing?” The visitor replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Xu Jing of Pingyu in Runan, currently serving under Inspector Kong Zhou of Yuzhou in the capacity of Accountant Clerk.” Yuan Shu straightened up slightly and looked the man up and down several times before asking in confusion: “Sir, could you be the elder cousin of Xu Shao, Xu Zi Jiang of Runan?
The Xu Wenxiu, Xu Gong, who once served as a Gentleman of the Secretariat and is renowned throughout the world for evaluating the characters of men?” Xu Jing bowed again in salute and said gravely: “General Yuan need not feel ashamed on my account.
I resigned from the post of Gentleman of the Secretariat long ago.” “Oh!” Yuan Shu hurriedly rose to his feet, shedding his previous arrogance.
He cupped his hands in salute: “In the past, when Lord Xu served in Luoyang, I had long heard of your great name!
It is only regrettable that when Lord Xu held office at the Secretariat, I was serving as Henan Intendant, overseeing the twenty-one counties around Luoyang, and rarely returned to the capital!
By the time I returned to the capital as General of the Tiger Warriors, the party prohibitions and the Ten Eunuchs’ affair had occurred, making my position awkward.
It was inconvenient to associate too much with the high ministers, and even less so with the Secretariat.
Though I had admired Lord Xu’s reputation for a long time, I could not form a connection!
Today, meeting Lord Xu in this place fulfills my long-cherished wish.” When Tao Shang had persuaded Kong Zhou to send two hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder to Sun Jian, he had simultaneously asked Kong Zhou to dispatch an envoy to see Yuan Shu, while making one specific requirement about the envoy’s identity: he must be a renowned worthy scholar of the realm with the ability to recommend and evaluate officials from a prominent scholarly clan!
This might have been difficult in other provinces or commanderies, but Yingchuan was full of outstanding talents.
After much deliberation, Kong Zhou finally selected Xu Shao’s elder cousin, Xu Jing!