Tiger Guards

Chapter 403 Each Has Its Flaws
The Honggou and Yingshui rivers overflowed, causing flooding and waterlogging of roads and fields.

Furthermore, due to the impact of the war, the people of Chen State were unable to drain the floodwaters and provide disaster relief.

Now, apart from the people of Chen who are still worried about the autumn harvest, all the parties involved in the war no longer care about the autumn harvest or food issues.

Lu Bu's vanguard has entered Xuchang, and Zhao Ji has also relinquished control of Xuchang, concentrating his forces at Xutian Residence to secure the grain reserves there.

However, the imperial court and Lü Bu immediately dispatched Xun You, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, to lead his subordinates to inspect the residence and began issuing grain transfer documents bearing the seal of the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

In response, the garrison inside Xuxia Mansion obeyed the orders and Zhao Ji's orders to requisition grain, and never intended to withdraw or hand over the mansion's granaries.

Lü Bu may have only been testing the waters, and only after seeing that he could mobilize the grain reserves in Xuchang did he support the emperor's return to the capital.

Within the city of Xudu, revisiting familiar places, all the officials, from the emperor down, were filled with emotion.

Zhao Ji's entire army had already withdrawn from Xudu, and the officials and nobles had all returned to their respective residences, cleaning up the garbage left behind by the soldiers when they stayed overnight.

Man Chong, the former magistrate of Wandu, also followed the imperial court back to Xudu and was appointed as the magistrate of Xudu.

The various prisoners who accompanied the transport were also imprisoned in Xudu Prison. The prisoners who could be transported from afar were certainly not criminals, but mostly officials and scholars involved in court disputes.

The same was true for Yang Biao, the former Grand Commandant, who was transferred from the prison in Wandu to the prison in Xudu.

As Yang Biao was adjusting to his new environment, Yang Jun led several guards to see him: "By order of the General, we are here to request a letter from Lord Wenxian."

As they were talking, the jailer opened the door, and the guards that Yang Jun had brought opened the multi-tiered lacquered wooden food bucket they had brought, and laid out food and a pot of wine for Yang Biao.

Yang Biao did not get up, but sat cross-legged on a clump of straw, which was very impolite. The prison was poorly lit and damp due to the continuous rain.

So much so that Yang Jun immediately noticed the pendulum clock that Yang Biao had deliberately shown to him.

After the accompanying guards assembled the table and arranged the food, silk scrolls, and writing materials, Yang Jun continued, "Yuan Shu's rebellion has won him no popular support, and many people in the Jianghuai region have been coerced by him. Therefore, the General wishes to show a way of leniency and would like to request a letter from Wenxian Gong to reassure the people of Jianghuai."

Upon hearing this, Yang Biao, dressed in the ochre short clothes of a convict, stepped forward and knelt on the newly laid straw mat. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up a pen, and asked, "For whom do you wish to write?"

"This message can be sent to heroes of the Jianghuai region and wandering travelers."

Yang Jun stood still and spoke as gently as possible, stating that a systematic and comprehensive characterization and classification of Yuan Shu's rebellion was necessary.

You cannot simply assume that the natives of Jianghuai and those who came here to live were determined to follow Yuan Shu in rebellion, as this would be tantamount to indirectly slandering the court for its lack of virtue.

Therefore, it is necessary to limit the scale of the ringleaders and accomplices from the official perspective, classifying them as a small group of people; while the vast majority of officials and common people are innocent victims who have been coerced.

Only in this way can the morale of Yuan Shu's troops be broken and unnecessary casualties prevented.

When Zhao Ji was in charge of the front lines, he never thought about disintegrating or turning Yuan Shu's forces against him; he was determined to crush Yuan Shu's gang.

Now that the imperial court has returned to Xuchang, with the emperor above them, they will naturally use more comprehensive and far-sighted methods than Zhao Ji to deal with the rebels.

What the rebels think is their business; the imperial court must define it as a small group of treacherous officials inciting the majority of innocent officials and soldiers to rebel.

Yang Biao felt that this was a reasonable approach, and without being stingy with his pen, he quickly began to write, providing a guarantee of credibility for this attempt to persuade and win over the enemy.

Not only him, but all the nine ministers from Situ Zhao Wen down wrote letters to officials, military officers and scholars they knew in the Jianghuai region, urging them to choose an opportunity to serve the country and strive for lenient treatment.

Yang Biao traded a letter for a hearty meal of wine and meat; he had long anticipated his current predicament.

Even personally experiencing torture and torment would give him a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, as if the Yang clan was repaying the kindness of the Han Dynasty.

Yang Zhong was secretly executed, and Yang Qi suddenly died of illness... Anyone with eyes can see how they died. In the end, they all died for the Han dynasty and its people, so they can be considered to have died a worthy death.

Despite his sadness, Yang Biao was able to accept his current situation and had no intention of violent confrontation.

He feared Zhao Ji more than Lü Bu, because Zhao Ji was truly capable of leading a band of 'Huashan bandits' to wipe out the direct descendants of the Yang family.

Yang Jun took the letter and went back to report to Lü Bu.

At this moment, Lü Bu emerged from the palace, his wooden clogs clicking crisply as he walked on the wooden floor of the corridor.

Yang Jun stood at the corner: "General."

"Ji Cai, how is Yang Wenxian doing?"

Lu Bu raised his arms to signal them to walk together. Yang Jun followed half a step behind and replied, "His demeanor was as before. When I left, Lord Wenxian was sitting with his legs spread wide, looking arrogant. It is clear that his nature was upright and unyielding."

"He didn't yell at me?"

"No, I explained my purpose, and Lord Wenxian readily agreed."

Yang Jun handed over the written silk scroll, which Lü Bu took. As he walked, he read it and chuckled, "He still has lofty ambitions, undiminished in the slightest."

Yang Biao still considered the well-being of the nation his own mission, which is why he actively stepped forward to endorse and persuade the Jianghuai people to surrender and defect. Seeing this, Lü Bu was relieved, realizing that Yang Biao truly had no intention of cooperating with Yuan Shu to destroy the court and the country.

With Xizhou under Zhao Ji's control, the Yang family could no longer exert the destructive power to subvert the region, but they could still strike at and shake the authority of the imperial court.

As long as Yang Biao still has the will to protect the country, there are many things that can be discussed.

After thinking for a moment, Lü Bu said, "Man Chong is quite discerning. He boldly cleared Yang Wenxian of suspicion and upheld the dignity of the court. When Ji Cai has some free time, let's test him. If he is both literate and martial, you can recommend him to me."

"Here."

Yang Jun agreed. Finding a cruel official was not difficult, but finding one with a broad perspective and a sense of proportion was extremely difficult.

According to normal human thinking, since they dared to torture Yang Biao, in order to avoid retaliation from Yang Biao after his release from prison, it would be best to end it all by beating him to death on the spot, or by killing Yang Biao while he was recovering from his injuries or in prison, thus eliminating any potential threat.

Man Chong dared to torture Yang Biao to clear him of suspicion, and he also dared to guarantee Yang Biao's life, thus protecting the face of the court and Lü Bu.

Yang Qi and Yang Zhong are already dead. If Yang Biao also dies in prison, regardless of whether it was at Man Chong's behest or he was tortured to death by some experienced jailer, the blame will fall on Lü Bu.

Therefore, Lu Bu was genuinely satisfied with Man Chong, and sending Yang Jun to assess Man Chong was merely a formality.

Someone as brave as Man Chong, who can see through the situation and grasp the key points, would be more reliable than most generals and captains if he didn't understand military strategy.

Lu Bu had no shortage of mid- to high-ranking officers with tactical acumen and command talent; what he lacked were generals with a broad perspective and strategic vision.

Gao Shun and Zhang Liao both had this talent, as did Chen Gong and Wei Yue, but each of these four had their own shortcomings.

Gao Shun was too upright. Lü Bu was able to use him and dared to use him, but people like Gao Shun were easily swayed by the court and the emperor in the name of loyalty between ruler and subject.

This is extremely dangerous. Even though he is currently on good terms with the emperor, Lü Bu must be wary. He was the one who killed Dong Zhuo with his own hands, so naturally he must be wary of another version of himself who is loyal to the emperor and serves the country.

Zhang Liao's problem is also obvious. He has his own troops and a way out, as well as the right to choose. Although they are called subordinates, they are more like partners developed from old colleagues, who are only temporarily subordinate to him.

If Zhang Liao were appointed as a governor or prefect, things would definitely get out of control; he would only become an ally, not a loyal subordinate. Even under the influence of the court's righteous indignation, Zhang Liao might dare to send troops against him, or even force his troops to remain neutral.

Zhang Yang was different. Even when he became the governor of Yanzhou, his main concern was still Lü Bu, rather than his own gains and losses.

Chen Gong is essentially an enhanced Zhang Liao; he's difficult to control when he's not in power, and even less likely to be willing to follow orders once he's in power.

If Zhang Liao only rebelled after being incited by the court's righteous cause, then Chen Gong was the one who waited for the opportunity to create and manipulate the court's righteous cause.

Although Wei Yue is his cousin, Wei Yue cares more about the family lineage and is conservative in his attitude.

Several times, Wei Yue was sent to Zhao Ji as an envoy, but Wei Yue always acted too casually, clearly having his own ideas and refusing to obediently follow Lü Bu's instructions.

Because of their close relationship, Lü Bu couldn't show any displeasure and could only suppress and utilize Wei Yue, not giving Wei Yue the opportunity to make independent decisions.

On the contrary, when Qin Yilu was the envoy, he was able to fully implement Lü Bu's will and would not dare to speak on Lü Bu's behalf or make promises beyond what Lü Bu had authorized.

Therefore, cultivating and promoting a group of scholars from humble backgrounds was an urgent need for Lü Bu.

Man Chong clearly fits the bill, and Lü Bu plans to bring him into the Grand General's staff to balance Yang Jun's influence.

After Han Ji was killed, Xun Yu faked his death and fled, and Huan Jie and Lou Gui fled, no one in the shogunate could stand against Yang Jun.

By having Yang Jun investigate and bestow favors upon Man Chong, Man Chong would owe Yang Jun a favor, thus preventing Yang Jun from being overly resistant to or suppressing Man Chong.

As Lü Bu and Yang Jun chatted idly as they walked toward the council hall, a subordinate official hurried over and handed them an urgent military dispatch: "General, urgent dispatch from Yanzhou."

"Oh?"

Lu Bu was slightly puzzled, then smiled and said, "It must be Cao Cao."

He picked up the military letter sent by Zhang Yang, which stated that Cao Cao's vanguard Xiahou Yuan had already sailed upstream from the Ji River into the Honggou Canal and was currently collecting boats in Chenliu so that Cao Cao's army could sail south to the State of Chen after arriving.

Along with it came Cao Cao's memorial requesting permission to fight, which was forwarded by Xiahou Yuan.

After reading it, Lü Bu handed it to Yang Jun: "What does Ji Cai think?"

Yang Jun read quickly and replied without hesitation: "Chen State already has a Grand Marshal and Sun Taolu. If Cao Jiande comes, how can the Grand Marshal and Sun Taolu be at ease to fight the rebel? In my opinion, we should use the Grand Marshal's hand to force Cao Jiande to attack Chen County, break his army, and cut off his claws and teeth."

"Ji Cai's words are too simplistic. Yuan Si has a grudge against Cao Cao. If it really comes to the point of forcibly driving Cao Cao to attack the city, he will naturally provoke and kill Cao Cao. Cao Cao's death is not a pity. In the future, when the court is in trouble, who will dare to lead troops to defend the emperor and punish the traitor?"

Lu Bu remarked with emotion that Cao Cao was currently in a very passive position. If the imperial court were to issue an order upon Cao Cao's arrival at the Chen Kingdom battlefield, there would be a real opportunity to force Cao Cao to divide his forces and launch a fierce attack, gradually pulling out his teeth.

With his henchmen wounded, how could Zhao Ji possibly hold back?
Upon seeing this, Yang Jun immediately suggested, "Why not consult the Grand Marshal?"

"Yes, send an envoy to Ruyang to report this matter and inquire about Yuan Si's intentions."

(End of this chapter)