Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 433 Questioning the Heir Apparent
Gaotang, Yuan Jun's camp.

"Cough cough!"

Inside the main tent, Yuan Shao coughed several times, covering his mouth, and said, "Zhang Yu is so arrogant that he actually named this small city 'Ping Yuan'."

"Father, please calm down!"

Yuan Shang patted Yuan Shao's back and said, "Zhang Yu is only temporarily successful. Father, please don't be angry because of this."

Yuan Shao calmed himself down and said, "I am not angry because of the 'pacification of Yuan,' but because I am worried that the army will be affected by rumors."

"rumor?"

Yuan Shang's expression changed slightly, and he exchanged a glance with Feng Ji.

Since Zhang Yu named Xincheng "Ping Yuan," a strange rumor has been circulating in Yuan Shao's army: "The great river flows, with nine bends; wild geese soar high on the plains, their wings broken, falling into the mud."

Feng Ji rolled his eyes slightly and said, "Your Highness, rumors should not be believed lightly. The one who will replace the Han is Gao of Dangtu. Now Your Highness is stationing troops in Gaotang, which is exactly what Your Highness wants to do to turn the tide of the war and bring prosperity to the world."

"hope so!"

Yuan Shao sighed. He had heard that Zhang Yu was going to declare himself King of Tang, and Gaotang was a fitting place for Zhang Yu's title, which was in line with the saying "ascend to the heights and become King of Tang". So, wouldn't he become a stepping stone in the confrontation with Zhang Yu?

It wasn't that Yuan Shao was making wild associations; rather, he was quite superstitious about prophecies and rumors. For example, when he raised an army to fight Dong Zhuo, the reign title was Chuping, and Yuan Shao often believed that he would be the one to unify the world.

After exchanging a few words about military affairs, Yuan Shao was about to dismiss Yuan Shang when he suddenly heard a scout outside the tent requesting an audience.

"Your Highness, military intelligence has arrived from Bohai!" the scout reported.

"Speak quickly!"

Seeing the scout's tense expression, Yuan Shao's heart tightened, and he asked.

"The eldest prince led ten thousand troops to relieve the siege of Nanpi, agreeing to use fire as a signal to attack Zhang Liao's forces." The scout hesitated for a moment before saying, "Our army stormed into the camp and fought a desperate battle with the enemy. Unexpectedly, the enemy was heavily armored, while the eldest prince's troops were poorly equipped. He then used heavy cavalry to charge into the enemy lines, resulting in a great defeat for our army."

"Now the eldest son has retreated to Hejin, where he has gathered about four thousand refugees. Half of his troops have been lost, and much of his armor and weapons have been lost!"

"puff!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's face flushed red. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a surge of blood rushing to his chest and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Your Highness!"

"Father!"

Seeing Yuan Shao spitting blood, Yuan Shang and Feng Ji were terrified and rushed forward to help him up.

"Cough cough!"

Yuan Shao coughed several times, and looking at the blood on the ground, he was overcome with grief.

Born into a prestigious family, he rose to fame at a young age and established his career in Ji Province. At his peak, he controlled four provinces, and even Gongsun Zan was his vassal. However, after a military defeat, he not only lost Ji Province but also his family to Zhang Yu. In an attempt to rise again, he wandered to the coast, hoping to unite with other warlords to resist Zhang Yu, but he was still suppressed by Zhang Yu.

After the failed attempt to rescue Nanpi, Yuan Tan suffered a crushing defeat and returned home. How could he possibly resist Zhang Yu?

Pingyuan, Gaotang?
Could it be that I will be defeated and killed by Zhang Yu here, and Zhang Yu will use this opportunity to become king and rise to a higher position?

"puff!"

Feeling suffocated, Yuan Shao vomited blood again. He only remembered a brief commotion around him before he fainted. Fortunately, Yuan Shang and Feng Ji helped him up.

…………

After an unknown amount of time, Yuan Shao woke up groggily. His mouth was dry, and he called out "Water!" and a servant promptly brought him some.

After taking a few sips of water, Yuan Shao's throat felt a little better, but for some reason, he could feel his life slipping away, and he had a premonition that he would soon be gone.

After a long pause, Yuan Shao weakly said, "Summon Feng Ji into the tent!"

"promise!"

A short while later, Feng Ji, with a concerned expression, stepped into the tent.

Upon seeing Yuan Shao lying on his sickbed, Feng Ji's eyes reddened, and he squeezed out a few tears, saying, "Your Highness should take care of your health and not overexert yourself."

Yuan Shao lamented, "Many people followed me in starting out, but only Gongtu truly served me. I cannot trust the others."

"Please give your orders, Your Highness!" Feng Ji said, bowing.

With the help of his maid, Yuan Shao leaned against a soft cushion and said weakly, "Since I fell ill last year, my health has been deteriorating, and medicine has not been able to cure me. Today, I am vomiting blood again, and I fear my life is nearing its end."

"what!"

Feng Ji said in a panic, "I am willing to find a good doctor for Your Highness to diagnose your illness."

"When the two armies are locked in a stalemate, wouldn't searching for a good doctor reveal the truth to both sides? With everyone in a state of panic, even if I recover, our army will still be defeated!" Yuan Shao said breathlessly. "Besides, if there really were a good doctor, I would have been cured in Linzi. How could my condition have worsened?" Feng Ji wiped away his tears and said, "Should we summon Prince Shang to the tent?"

"Not urgent!"

Yuan Shao calmed his breathing and asked, "My worries today are not for myself, but for the great cause of the Yuan family. My eldest son, Yuan Tan, is respectful and polite, but his talent is mediocre. His military strategy is not good, and his governance is second best. Fortunately, he treats the virtuous and treats the scholars with respect and has the demeanor of an elder. My third son, Yuan Shang, is handsome and intelligent, and I have always loved him. However, I am worried that he is still young and not born as the eldest son of the legitimate wife."

“Gongtu has followed me for many years, and now I am consulting you on an important matter. I hope you can answer truthfully,” Yuan Shao said.

Feng Ji hesitated for a long time before saying, "In these chaotic times, the Yuan family is in danger. We should establish a virtuous successor. The eldest son is mediocre. If he succeeds Your Highness, the Yuan family's foundation may be in danger. Although the third son is not the eldest son, he is intelligent and resourceful. If he succeeds Your Highness, the Yuan family's foundation may be preserved."

After a pause, to avoid appearing biased, Feng Ji added, "That may be true, but Qingzhou was formerly owned by the eldest son. If the third son is made crown prince, Qingzhou may become chaotic."

"Yes!"

Seeing that Feng Ji had mentioned both the advantages and disadvantages, Yuan Shao sighed and said, "I have long appointed my eldest son as the governor of Qingzhou. When I moved to Linzi before, I promised to appoint Tan'er as the crown prince. If I go back on my word now, Tan'er will definitely be dissatisfied. At that time, Qingzhou will be in turmoil, and I fear there will be internal strife."

Sensing the underlying meaning, Feng Ji said, "How dare the eldest son be dissatisfied? The army is personally overseen by His Highness. If an edict is issued to establish a new crown prince, no one would dare not obey His Highness's name."

Yuan Shao sighed in silence, torn between choosing Yuan Tan or Yuan Shang.
Seeing that Yuan Shao remained silent, Feng Ji said, "Now that the Third Prince is by your side, why doesn't Your Highness summon him to see his talents?"

“Gongtu’s words make sense. Let the Third Prince come and ask him questions!” Yuan Shao said.

"promise!"

After a while, Yuan Shang, clad in armor and with his hand on his sword, entered the tent. He looked majestic and imposing; he was none other than General Jun!
"Father, how is your health now?" Yuan Shang asked.

Yuan Shao waved his hand weakly and said, "My old illness has relapsed, but it's not serious."

Then Yuan Shao asked, "Xianfu has always been intelligent. Now Zhang Yu has sent generals to build a city on the south bank and construct a pontoon bridge. I wonder what Xianfu's thoughts are on this?"

Yuan Shang pondered for a long time before saying, "Your Highness, the enemy has now set up a pontoon bridge to connect the two banks. In my humble opinion, Father, you can prepare boats upstream, then connect them together, and send fierce soldiers down the river to burn the boats. This will destroy the pontoon bridge. If the pontoon bridge is burned down, the Shanxi soldiers on the south bank will not pose a significant threat!"

"Xianfu is exceptionally intelligent and resourceful, and has lived up to his father's expectations!" Yuan Shao said with satisfaction.

Yuan Shang seemed to sense that something was amiss in the tent, so he subconsciously looked at Feng Ji. However, Feng Ji, to avoid suspicion, dared not meet Yuan Shang's gaze.

After exchanging a few words, Yuan Shang was dismissed from the tent.

After Yuan Shang withdrew, Feng Ji said, "In terms of talent and strategy, the Third Young Master is indeed superior. However, in terms of winning people's hearts, the Eldest Young Master is slightly better."

Because Yuan Tan was older and governed Qingzhou well, he was a strong contender for the position of heir apparent, and even the civil and military officials under Yuan Shao favored him. Yuan Shao's refusal to officially appoint him was largely due to his preference for Yuan Shang.

"Whom does Your Highness favor?"

Yuan Shao remained silent for a long time, his mind in turmoil.

Compared to Yuan Shang's intelligence, Yuan Tan's abilities are mediocre. His defeat in the rescue of Nanpi has put him in a passive position in the war. However, from the perspective of stabilizing the political situation, if Yuan Tan were to take power, he would surely win the hearts and minds of the people.

After a long pause, Yuan Shao exhaled and said, "Although the Third Prince is intelligent, his foundation is shallow. I will make Yuan Tan the Crown Prince and let him live in harmony with Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan, so that the four of them can work together to defend against the enemy."

After much deliberation, Yuan Shao chose the safest option. Although Yuan Shang was smarter than Yuan Tan, intelligence was no substitute for cunning; if the people's hearts were in turmoil, the situation might be beyond saving. Therefore, it was most appropriate for Yuan Tan to take over.

Of course, there's a possibility that Yuan Shang could rise to power if he demonstrates even greater abilities than Zhang Yu and salvages the current precarious situation. But Yuan Shao dares not dream of such a thing and instead prioritizes making a prudent choice regarding his successor.

Yuan Shao's dilemma regarding Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang can be seen as a conflict between primogeniture and meritocracy. Privileged primogeniture facilitates the transfer of power, while meritocracy is a gamble on a capable son ensuring the regime's strength. In short, primogeniture represents a predictable future, while meritocracy represents an unpredictable one.

Yuan Shao dared not gamble, or rather, he dared not gamble with his last remaining capital, instead placing his hopes on his sons. After all, if Yuan Tan had taken the throne, his sons could still survive; but if Yuan Shang had taken the throne, he feared his sons would not be able to unite.

When Feng Ji saw that Yuan Shao had chosen Yuan Tan, he was greatly shocked. He had thought that Yuan Shao would choose Yuan Shang because of his outstanding answers, but the result was unexpected. Yuan Shao had chosen Yuan Tan, who had just suffered a defeat, to succeed him.

"Public map?"

Seeing that Feng Ji's expression was off, Yuan Shao asked.

"exist!"

Feng Ji bowed and said, "Forgive me for not understanding, but the eldest prince was defeated at Nanpi, losing his army and territory. If the eldest prince were to succeed him, and Zhang Yu led his troops to invade, the eldest prince's army would be slightly weaker and unable to cope. Then our Qi state would be in danger!"

"If we choose the Third Prince to succeed him, and Zhang Yu leads his troops to invade, with the Third Prince's intelligence, our Qi state still has hope of revival!"

"Hey!"

Yuan Shao sighed and said, "How could I not know what Gongtu said? Although the Third Prince is intelligent, he has little experience in military affairs. I fear that if I choose the Third Prince to take the position, he will not be able to defeat Zhang Yu. I am even worried that Yuan Tan will be dissatisfied and cause trouble from within."

"For the sake of stability and the continuation of the Yuan family line, only Yuan Tan is suitable for the position. Moreover, Yuan Shang is still young, and I fear he will not be able to command the respect of the people, and his brothers will leave him. Although Yuan Tan's talent is mediocre, his sons trust him, and he can still rely on brotherly affection to jointly govern Zhang Yu."

Before his death, Yuan Shao's mind was much clearer, and his decisions this time fully demonstrated his political acumen.

"Your Highness is wise!"

Although Feng Ji disliked Yuan Tan, he dared not show any dissatisfaction at this moment.

(End of this chapter)