My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 129 Yuan Tan: Others hate the rich, but I hate the handsome
On the ninth day of the tenth month, in Linzi County, the capital of Qingzhou Prefecture and Qi County.

This day was originally just an ordinary day for Yuan Tan, the governor of Qingzhou.

Early in the morning, he woke up in the arms of his beautiful concubine, and waited until the sun rose to three o'clock before washing and finishing his breakfast. After putting on a robe that made him look dignified and wearing a seal that was slightly over the rules, Yuan Tan came to the front yard of the government office to meet with guests and directors.

The subordinates and guests who came to see him were not surprised by Yuan Tan's inappropriate dress and behavior and turned a blind eye to it.

Yuan Tan liked to wear official robes very much, but he thought the robes of the Inspector were too low in rank (because the rank of the Inspector was very low, even lower than that of the Prefect), so he would rather get a set of robes that looked like those of a provincial governor, but were neither correct nor incorrect, so as to avoid violating the rules and being ridiculed.

This kind of restrained dressing style is difficult for outsiders to understand, and even his father Yuan Shao doesn't like it very much. But he is just that kind of person, and he doesn't even realize it.

After handling official business in a rigid manner for a while, Yuan Tan finally received a piece of good news that cheered him up.

One of his attendants hurried into the main hall, holding a bamboo tube in his hand. "Sir, good news! Good news from the commander of Beihai County! The Bohai pirate Guan Cheng attacked Xia Mi County, and the Xia Mi County garrison took the initiative to fight back and killed him!"

"What? That villain Guan Cheng was finally brought to justice? That's great news! I have been in charge of Qingzhou for a year and a half, and I have finally made another contribution. Father will surely be pleased when he knows about this."

Yuan Tan was so excited that he suddenly stood up, then slammed his palm on the table, and could not help pacing back and forth, "Today's joy should be made public. Pass the order to hold a banquet in the government office tomorrow to entertain all the officials and celebrate this achievement. Let Guan Tong come to Linzi as soon as possible to report on his work!"

The attendant received the order and immediately went to make arrangements. However, just as he was about to leave the main hall, another person suddenly hurried in from the door.

The man had a square face with sharp edges and a resolute expression. He had a very thick moustache on his upper lip. He shouted in a low and firm voice: "Wait a minute!"

Yuan Tan heard the voice first and knew it was his deputy Wang Xiu without even looking up.

Yuan Tan was surprised and asked, "Guan Cheng was executed, which is a great joy. Why did Shu Zhi stop me from celebrating?"

Wang Xiu seemed to be very trusted by Yuan Tan. He just waved his hand and the attendant immediately retreated and waited outside the house, not daring to listen to anything he shouldn't.

Wang Xiu looked around and saw that there was no one around, so he told Yuan Tan in detail: "Sir, there may be other hidden stories behind the battle of Xia Mi. I just received a report that the envoy sent by Liu Bei to make peace with the lord was in Xia Mi a few days ago..."

Wang Xiu gave a brief description of the whole incident and said that he had just received a private letter from Liu Bei's envoy Zhuge Liang, in which he mentioned that they "let Beihai Commander Guan Tong report the victory through normal channels, just to conceal the truth and let the world know that this achievement was accomplished by the eldest son's subordinates", and said that Guan Cheng's head would be delivered directly by the delegation that day.

Upon hearing that the head was with Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun, Yuan Tan no longer had any doubts and asked Wang Xiu about some other situations. Wang Xiu did not hide anything and directly told him that Zheng Xuan was persuaded by Zhuge Liang to come and pay a visit.

Yuan Tan was delighted and felt refreshed. "After living in seclusion for many years, Minister Zheng is willing to come out and study in Yecheng? Great! I am so happy! When Kong Wenju was in Beihai, Minister Zheng did not come out. Now that I am in charge of Qingzhou, Minister Zheng finally comes out. Doesn't it mean that my governance is better than Kong Wenju's?

What kind of person is Zhuge Liang? He was sent by Lord Xuande as an envoy, and he was able to achieve such great achievements in both civil and military affairs? Moreover, Lord Xuande has been kind to me in promoting a talented person, so I should personally welcome him! Where is Lord Xuande's envoy now?"

Wang Xiu thought for a moment, then glanced at the letter, and said, "The envoys came by sea on a ship along the coast. When this letter was sent, they had just set out from Xiami and may have arrived in Shouguang. They will eventually enter the Jishui River from Le'an, come to Linzi to pay a visit, and then go to Yecheng."

Yuan Tan clenched his fist and shook it: "I should be courteous to the wise and humble. Since they still want to go to Yecheng, we will not wait in Linzi, so as to avoid them having to go back and forth.

I will personally go north to Le'an to greet them. After meeting them, I can lead them directly westward along the Jishui River to visit my father in Yecheng."

(Note: Le'an County is located at the mouth of the ancient Jishui River, now Boxing County of Binzhou City, bordering Linzi District, 60 miles away.)
After making some preparations, Yuan Tan rode north to Le'an with his guards and staff.

……

The next morning, when Zhuge Liang's fleet appeared at the Jishui wharf in Le'an County, Yuan Tan had already come to greet them personally with his staff and followers.

If it was Liu Bei who came, not only Yuan Tan but also Yuan Shao would be the right person to greet him. But this time it was only Zhuge Liang who came, so Yuan Tan's greeting was already a great courtesy, but it was impossible for Yuan Shao to do so.

Seeing this situation, Zhuge Liang did not dare to be careless. He carefully straightened his clothes before getting off the boat. Sun Qian and Zhao Yun followed suit.

As for the menial tasks such as delivering Guan Cheng's head, there are others to do it. Upper-class scholars like Yuan Tan and Zhuge Liang would definitely not get their hands stained with filth and blood.

When Yuan Tan saw Zhuge Liang, his eyes first lit up, and then subconsciously became solemn: "Are you the Chief Clerk of Xuande Gong, Mr. Zhuge Kongming? I am honored to meet you today. I heard that you are going to Yecheng. I will definitely ask you for advice on the way."

"Envoy Yuan is courteous to the wise and humble, which is admirable. Liang is extremely terrified."

Zhuge Liang held a feather fan and bowed in greeting. His wide-sleeved crane cloak was rustling in the strong wind at the dock, and his clothes fluttered, making him look like he was ascending to heaven.

Yuan Tan made a few polite remarks, casually asking about the details of the dangers encountered during the journey, and expressed his gratitude to them for killing Guan Cheng. Then, Yuan Tan turned to Zheng Xuan and Cui Yan and was very polite.

Finally, Yuan Tan asked Zheng Xuan to go first, and he, Zhuge Liang and Cui Yan returned to the city together and held a grand banquet to entertain them.

At the welcoming banquet, after appeasing Zheng Xuan and others, Yuan Tan asked about Zhuge Liang's mission.

Zhuge Liang naturally avoided others and whispered briefly that "Liu Bei is willing to help Yuan Shao mediate between Cao Cao and Lu Bu, and force Cao Cao to stop implicating Yuan Shu's relatives in the case of proclaiming himself emperor, and let Lu Bu bear the pressure from Yuan Shao." Only Yuan Tan and Qingzhou Beijia Wang Xiu heard it.

Yuan Tan didn't fully understand the twists and turns at once, but it didn't matter. He had plenty of time to think about it slowly. As long as he knew that Liu Bei sent people for a win-win cooperation, that was enough.

He privately and solemnly thanked Zhuge Liang for his great gifts, both civil and military. After the banquet, he specifically instructed Wang Xiu to treat him well, arrange the best accommodation, and even wanted to send beautiful women to Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun.

Zhuge Liang did not spoil the mood or drive the woman away. He just accepted the beauty and asked her to help him wash and brush his teeth, but did not allow her to sleep with him.

Wang Xiu arranged all the details of the reception. Seeing that there was no one around, he waved away the beautiful servants as he had something to explain to Zhuge Liang.

He first made some excuses for Yuan Tan's "serious expression throughout" today: "Sir, you may have noticed that the eldest son was always solemn during the reception. Please don't be surprised. The eldest son has always been like this. In his heart, he is actually very grateful to you and is willing to learn more."

Zhuge Liang also realized that Yuan Tan's contact with him was indeed a bit stiff, giving people the illusion that he was just being servile. However, when Zhuge Liang listened to the other party and tried to figure out his wording and reactions, he didn't think there was any malice in him.

Hearing Wang Xiu mention this, Zhuge Liang, out of curiosity, encouraged him to continue.

Wang Xiu glanced around again and said, "These words are also for the sake of the harmony between Yuan and Liu. I explained them privately. Sir, please listen and don't leak them." Zhuge Liang: "Of course."

Wang Xiu sighed, "In fact, the eldest son really hates people who behave frivolously and dress up. You should have seen it today. The eldest son is wearing a robe that is similar to the color of the governor's uniform. His sash and other things are also simple and elegant.

The gentleman is elegant and graceful, with a celestial bearing, but also has many decorations, which may make the eldest son feel unhappy and unable to suppress it. But the eldest son's gratitude to Lord Xuande is absolutely true, and he is also sincere in his joy to see the two families make an alliance, so please don't doubt it. "

After hearing this bizarre statement, Zhuge Liang was stunned for a moment even though he was quick-witted.

He really couldn't understand this mentality, and one of the tasks assigned to him by his elder brother was to transform Yuan Tan and make him elegant and graceful. If Yuan Tan himself was unwilling, it would be very difficult.

Fortunately, Zhuge Liang had a very strong sense of empathy. He asked Wang Xiu a few more questions in detail, slowly investigated and figured out, and finally found out roughly where Yuan Tan's distortion came from.

It turns out that Yuan Tan’s mentality, in the words of later generations, was “hatred of the general.”

Perhaps many handsome people cannot understand this mentality, but if we think about the hatred of the rich by the poor, it is easy to understand.

Yuan Tan is not ugly, and he is handsome in the general population. His father has very good genes. Unfortunately, his family's reference system is too high. His father and his third brother are indeed more handsome than him, and his second brother is not worse than him.

Over time, Yuan Tan no longer liked people who wore fancy clothes, and he hated all kinds of flashy outfits, because he knew that if everyone turned on fancy and flashy decorations, the gap between him and his third brother would definitely widen.

This is like those unhandsome people in the future schools, when they meet handsome classmates, they wish the teacher would use the school rules to force everyone to wear school uniforms and cut their hair short. In this way, the handsome classmates can't use clothing and hairstyles to make a difference, and put an end to the comparison of handsomeness and curling.

This kind of person will take the initiative to report to the teacher when he sees handsome classmates not wearing school uniforms.

Unfortunately, Yuan Tan's report was obviously used in the wrong place.

It’s like in a class, if the head teacher is an old and ugly nun named Miejue, then if you report those flashy female classmates, the head teacher will definitely punish them severely.

But if the head teacher is the kind of socialite English teacher who never wears the same outfit for three years, this kind of snitching will only backfire. Even if she has to enforce the school rules, after punishing the student, she will secretly hate the student for being nosy.

Yuan Shao was obviously the type who never wore the same outfit for three years. He was naturally carefree and self-willed. The more Yuan Tan pretended to be mature and tried to highlight his third brother's frivolity, the more Yuan Shao disliked him.

Although Zhuge Liang did not know about those examples in later generations, he felt the same way. After understanding Yuan Tan's miserable "shadow of his original family", he finally understood where Yuan Tan's problem lay and how serious his condition was.

This won’t do. This is a disease and needs to be treated!
Zhuge Liang thought for a moment and bowed to Wang Xiu sincerely to express his gratitude:
"Thank you, Biejia Wang, for your hard work in mediating and clearing up my doubts. If Yuan and Liu can live in harmony in the future, Biejia will also make an indelible contribution.

But I think that Master Yuan is so reserved, maybe he doesn't like Master Yuan? Master Yuan is brave and free, with a rare heroic spirit, and is brave to take on responsibilities, which is known to the world."

Wang Xiu's eyes flashed with admiration and appreciation when he heard this: "Sir, you are very perceptive. I really admire you. I also know that it is not appropriate for you to do this. But I have only been following him for two years. There are some things that we outsiders should not say. We are close friends even though we are distant."

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "My dear, you are too kind. You are not asking Master Yuan to compete with his brothers. You just want him to find his true nature and follow his heart. After all, some people are deeply trapped in a mystery, so it is better to be a bystander."

Wang Xiu couldn't help but feel curious: "Does Mr. Wang have any opinion on this?"

Zhuge Liang: "You worry too much, my dear. I was just expressing my feelings casually."

……

After knowing Yuan Tan's problems, Zhuge Liang had new ideas about how to reform him.

The group rested for two days in Le'an County and soon set off for Yecheng. Yuan Tan had to escort the envoys personally so that he could show his merits to Yuan Shao.

Whether it is to eliminate Guan Cheng or to invite Zheng Xuan, these are major events that require personal involvement.

It is still more than 600 miles to Yecheng. First, go along the Yellow River to Liyang, and then go north to the bank of Zhangshui. The whole journey will take ten days, which is enough time for Zhuge Liang to find an opportunity to subtly transform Yuan Tan.

Two days before the journey, Zhuge Liang first impressed Yuan Tan with his talent and knowledge, making Yuan Tan gradually realize that this Mr. Zhuge was indeed a man of extraordinary wealth and wisdom, and that what he said must make sense.

After Yuan Tan gradually built up trust in his wisdom, on the third day, Zhuge Liang went straight to the point and pointed out Yuan Tan's worries, telling him that the previous actions of "General Qiu" were actually very inappropriate, not helpful to his father-son relationship, but harmful.

Yuan Tan was very surprised at first, and felt very ashamed and angry when his fig leaf was exposed.

But Zhuge Liang cut the Gordian knot and pointed out: In fact, more than one of Yuan Shao's civil and military officials had noticed this flaw in the eldest son, but no one dared to point it out because it was too thankless.

Only he, an envoy of Liu Bei's forces and a temporary guest, would speak these heartfelt words to the eldest son. Because he had no interests to pursue, he just treated the eldest son as a friend, and was not afraid of not being able to get along under Yuan Shao in the future. He came only for the friendship between the two armies.

At first, Yuan Tan chose to deal with the situation behind closed doors and no longer discussed government affairs with Zhuge Liang. But after two days of calm, he learned from his mistakes and actually figured it out.

Then, although he did not repent and say "I want to play basketball" like Mitsui Hisashi did when he returned to Coach Anzai, he was not much worse.

In short, Yuan Tan took the initiative to privately tell Zhuge Liang that "I want to have Rong Zhi."

Zhuge Liang finally smiled triumphantly.

Plan passes.

The most important thing is the mentality. As long as Yuan Tan has a positive mentality and no longer hates the general, it will be easy for him to become magnanimous. After all, the foundation is not much different.

With Zhuge Liang around, he would help him control the "character growth arc" so that Yuan Shao would not think that his son was deliberately changing to please someone.

Moreover, he was too rigid, and Yuan Shao had a low basic impression of him. After two years of exile in Qingzhou, Yuan Shao would definitely be pleased if his son had matured a little and became more sharp, chivalrous, and graceful.

(End of this chapter)