Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 411 Qu Yi surrenders, according to Qi and Lu

"So you are Qu Yi?"

Qu Yi was unwilling to be captured, so he glanced at Zhang Yu sideways without answering.

Dissatisfied with Qu Yi's arrogance, Zhang Yu had no intention of tolerating him and waved his hand, saying, "Take Qu Yi out and execute him!"

Qu Yi's expression changed drastically. He never expected that Zhang Yu would drag him away and chop him up without even saying a word of persuasion. However, due to concerns about his reputation, he couldn't bring himself to beg for mercy.

"My lord, please wait!"

Zhao Yun cupped his hands and said, “Qu Yi is a famous general of Hebei. When Yuan Shao defeated Gongsun Zan at Jieqiao, it was Qu Yi who led his troops to the front and utterly defeated the White Horse Cavalry. Last night, I led my army to break through Yuan’s camp, but Qu Yi’s camp remained intact. If it weren’t for driving away the defeated troops and launching a fire attack from both sides, it would have been difficult to break through Qu Yi’s camp. Now that you, my lord, have achieved great success, it is a time when you need capable men. Why not try to persuade Qu Yi to surrender?”

"My lord, Chen has something to say!"

Xun Chen stepped forward, bowed to Zhang Yu, and said, “Qu Yi is of slightly flawed character, but he possesses the strategic acumen of a great general. Yuan Shao employed him to deal with Gongsun Zan, which demonstrates Qu Yi’s talent. Moreover, Qu Yi enjoys great prestige in the Hebei army. If Your Majesty wishes to achieve great things, you cannot do without Lord Qu. Therefore, I hope Your Majesty will be tolerant and magnanimous, and not hold Qu Yi’s rudeness against you.”

Unlike Zhao Yun, who advised Qu Yi because of his talent, Xun Chen advised Qu Yi because of their past relationship and the fact that Qu Yi had saved his life.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment, then beckoned and said, "Bring Qu Yi back!"

"promise!"

A short while later, Qu Yi was brought back by the soldiers. His face was full of displeasure. He had finally prepared to die, but now he was being dragged back. Was this a mockery of him?

"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. If the general wishes to kill me, then do it quickly!" Qu Yi said, glaring at Zhang Yu.

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yu laughed a few times, stepped forward and personally untied Qu Yi, saying, "This was to test the general's courage. The general's courage is extraordinary, worthy of being a famous general of Hebei and a superior soldier of Longyou."

Qu Yi snorted and said, "The general is tied up very tightly!"

"How can you not bind a tiger tightly?"

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "Yuan Shao is incompetent. He had you as his henchman, yet he suffered a crushing defeat at my hands. You've made a mistake in choosing a wise ruler. Are you now willing to serve me?"

Out of consideration for his pride, Qu Yi could only lower his head and touch his wrists, which were bound by ropes.

"You~"

Seeing Qu Yi's rudeness, Xu Chu drew his sword and glared at Qu Yi.

"Zhongkang!"

Zhang Yu pressed down on Xu Chu's hand as he drew his sword, saying, "General Qu is quite exhausted. You can go to Xindu with the soldiers to rest first. Your family has probably been waiting for you for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Qu Yi's expression shifted slightly, and he cupped his hands in gratitude, saying, "My family and I are deeply grateful for the General's kindness and protection!"

Xun Chen, fearing that Qu Yi might make a foolish mistake, reminded him, "Yuan Shao relies heavily on petty men and refuses to listen to good advice. Now he has been defeated and fled to Henan, and his fate is sealed. Your Excellency is magnanimous and has the world at your fingertips, so I hope you will not make a mistake for yourself."

Qu Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Although Yuan Shao is a man of many suspicions, I dare not forget his kindness in employing me."

Xun Chen advised, "Although Yuan Shao values ​​you highly, you have already repaid his kindness by defeating Gongsun Zan. You possess the talent of a great general, and the Grand General has praised you greatly. If you can follow you to achieve merit, won't you be able to return home in glory like Ma Fubo and leave your name in history?"

Zhang Yu cupped his hands and said, "General, you are a man of strong character, and your reputation resounds throughout Hebei. I have long admired your name, so if you surrender to me, I will treat you as a general."

Seeing that Zhang Yu was giving him a way out, Qu Yi quickly bowed in return and said, "Your Excellency's praise is too kind. I am unworthy of it. If Your Excellency does not despise me, I am willing to do my utmost to serve you and wipe out all the bandits in the world."

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yu helped Qu Yi up and said with a smile, "With your assistance, how can I not pacify Hebei?"

As he spoke, Zhang Yu patted Qu Yi on the shoulder and laughed, "Gongsun Zan is besieged in Yijing. Your Excellency is familiar with Gongsun's military tactics and will be able to help Zhang Wenyuan break through the city."

"I am willing to serve you, my lord!" Qu Yi said in a deep voice.

Qu Yi's reputation was not good due to his arrogant nature. However, since Qu Yi was willing to surrender, Zhang Yu was willing to accept him in order to win over the hearts of the Hebei army. It was impossible for him to be stationed in a region in the future, but he was more than capable of commanding an army.

Looking at the corpses of Yuan soldiers lying exposed in the wilderness, Zhang Yu ordered his men, "Collect the remains of Yuan soldiers and give them a proper burial."

"Your Excellency is benevolent!" the crowd exclaimed in unison.

Gao Shun, who was clearing the battlefield, rushed over to report, saying, "My lord, I have found letters of treason in Yuan Shao's tent. Among them are officials and soldiers from Anyi, as well as officers and generals. We must check the names of the letters one by one and then kill them one by one."

As he spoke, Gao Shun presented a bamboo slip.

Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Who can predict the outcome of the struggle between Yuan Shao and me? Before I left Anyi, my wife was even more fearful and uneasy. Now that Yuan Shao has been defeated and fled, the situation in Hebei has been settled. Why should we involve so many others? I will not look at it now. Zixun, just take some men and burn it."

A ruler should value self-awareness. How can one expect all his subordinates, both civil and military, to be saints and sages, fearless of death?
Water that is too clear has no fish; a person who is too discerning has no followers!
Burning the letters could be seen as having a political purpose, or it could be seen as a show. The political purpose was to reassure the public; the show was for Zhang Yu to demonstrate to the public that he was a kind and benevolent person.

As for whether it was following Cao Cao's example, Zhang Yu didn't care, since Cao Cao was following Liu Xiu's example. "Yes, sir!"

Gao Shun glanced at Zhang Yu, his eyes filled with admiration. Besides Gao Shun, all the generals around him and the surrendered people from Hebei admired Zhang Yu's magnanimity.

Xun Chen praised him highly, saying, "When Emperor Shizu conquered Handan, he obtained thousands of letters between officials and commoners and Wang Lang. Emperor Shizu ordered them to be burned. Your actions are just like those of Emperor Shizu. Your magnanimity is unparalleled throughout history, surpassing even that of Emperors Gaozu and Shizu."

Zhang Yu glanced at Xun Chen and thought to himself, "Are all the clerks under Yuan Shao this good at flattery? They're all incredibly skilled. No wonder Yuan Shao doesn't like Tian Feng, who is known for his honest advice."

Not to mention that Zhang Yu defeated Yuan Shao's army and ordered his men to gather Yuan Shao's defeated troops. Now, under the protection of Yuan Tan, Yuan Shao led his remaining troops south to Ye City.

Upon learning of Yuan Shao's defeat, Chunyu Qiong led his troops to meet him.

"Ming Gong!"

Upon seeing the disheveled Yuan Shao, Chunyu Qiong dismounted and asked with concern, "How are you, my lord?"

"Zhong Jian!"

On horseback, Yuan Shao excitedly grasped Chunyu Qiong's hand and said, "All the generals have betrayed their promises, but now only you can be trusted. I will now entrust my life to Zhongjian and appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the military affairs in Hebei."

After the rebellions led by Zhang He, Gao Lan, Jiang Qi, and others, Yuan Shao could no longer guarantee that Chunyu Qiong wouldn't defect to Zhang Yu. To ensure Chunyu Qiong's loyalty, Yuan Shao could only grant him considerable power as a temporary measure to appease him. However, once Chunyu Qiong accepted Yuan Shao's appointment, Yuan Shao would wait until the time was right and then execute him.

Chunyu Qiong was well aware of Yuan Shao's temperament, so he feigned surprise and said, "How dare I accept such an important task? Now that Your Excellency has arrived in Ye City, you should be in charge of the overall situation. As for me, I am content to serve as your subordinate!"

As he spoke, Chunyu Qiong personally led Yuan Shao's horse and said, "I have prepared a small banquet in Ye City. Please come with me into the city, my lord."

"good!"

"drive!"

Just as the army was about to enter the city, a scout came galloping up from behind, shouting, "Urgent report from Lord Wei!"

Yuan Shao slowed his horse and asked in surprise, "Has Zhang Yu sent troops to pursue us?"

The scout stopped his horse and reported, "It is not Zhang Yu's pursuing troops, but Zhang Yu who sent Zhang Yang to lead troops south to Baima."

Upon hearing this, Feng Ji's expression changed drastically. He said, "Zhang Yang led his army south to Baima, probably intending to cut off your escape route to the south and leave you in Yecheng. Zhang Yu's military tactics are vicious; this time he wants to exhaust you and destroy the Yuan family in one battle."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Yuan Shao looked grim. He had previously thought Han Sui was incompetent, but now that Han Sui had fled with his troops, he realized how ruthless Zhang Yu was in warfare. He truly gave no one a chance and relentlessly attacked.

For his own benefit, Yuan Tan advised, "The situation in Hebei is in a state of chaos, and the situation in Yanzhou is complicated. Father, it is not advisable for you to stay in Hebei. Please come with me to Linzi."

Yuan Shao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Ju Shou is firmly holding Handan. If I abandon Hebei and flee now, wouldn't that be abandoning Ju Shou in Handan? I want to send my two sons to lead troops north to Hebei and then find an opportunity to fight Zhang Yu."

"Mr. Ming, you should be cautious!"

Meng Dai rode forward and said, "Although Yanzhou is nominally occupied by the Second Young Master, due to frequent military conflicts, Yanzhou has a small population and few registered households. Moreover, the Second Young Master has not yet pacified the various counties of Yanzhou. If we order the Second Young Master to go north now, not to mention whether the army can reach 10,000, once Yanzhou is left vulnerable, I fear that Lü Bu will take advantage of the situation and invade."

"Although Ji Province is in dire straits, Your Excellency still possesses the lands of Qi and Lu. Your eldest son occupies Qing Province, and Gao Gan controls half of Xu Province. If Your Excellency retreats to Linzi, recuperates, and bides your time, you will surely have the opportunity to make a comeback. However, by being unwilling to abandon the lands of Hebei, you are abandoning the greater for the lesser."

Yuan Shao was intrigued and asked those around him, "Do you all share this view?"

Qian Zhao said, “My lord, Hebei is not indefensible, but Xindu is occupied by Zhang Yu, making it difficult for our army to hold every place. In my opinion, my lord could abandon the counties along the mountains and move to Qingzhou, cross the plains to the north, control the Bohai Sea, and compete with Zhang Yu for Jizhou in the west. If my lord were to compete for the counties along the mountains, it would be advantageous for Zhang Yu to plot against the coastal cities.”

As he spoke, Qian Zhao spoke eloquently, saying, "The land of Qi and Lu is protected by mountains and rivers on the left and by the sea on the right. It relies on the mountains and the sea, and boils seawater to make salt. This is the foundation of Qi's strength. It integrates Yan and Xu, has 100,000 armored soldiers, and blocks Zhang Yu in the north. With all forces watching the changes, Your Excellency may have a chance to prosper again."

The meaning of Qian Zhao is not hard to understand: although the counties along the mountain are in Yuan Shao's hands, they are like chicken bones to him. Therefore, it is better to withdraw the troops and rely on the troops of Qi and Lu to control the coastal areas in the north.

"What do you think, Zhongjian?" Yuan Shao asked Chunyu Qiong.

Chunyu Qiong said, "I agree with your opinion, but the current situation is as you all have said. Our army has just suffered a defeat, and many of our elite troops have been wiped out. If we hastily engage Zhang Yu again, I fear we will suffer more defeats than victories. Your retreat to Qi and Lu and your resurgence are the key matters."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao looked at everyone and asked, "Ju Shou's troops are trapped in Handan. What should we do?"

They looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

After a short while, Feng Ji said, "Your Excellency can write a letter to Ju Shou to see if he can lead his troops to break through the encirclement. The key thing now is to seize Baima before Zhang Yang's troops. If the crossing is lost, our army will have no way back."

"it is good!"

Yuan Shao gritted his teeth and said, "Send an order to Ju Shou to abandon Handan and flee. Now we will change our course, first occupy the Baima Ferry, and have the second prince go north to meet us."

"As ordered!"

(End of this chapter)