Tiger Guards

Chapter 437 Dilemma
At night, a dozen knights escorted Yu Fan to the temporary camp in Fule at the front line.

The envoy who invited Wu Fan arrived empty-handed and returned to the camp first.

Lu Bu had already removed his armor and was pacing back and forth in his tent in a dark red undergarment. He turned and stared at the messenger: "Wu Wenze is not here?"

The messenger held a scroll of silk in both hands: "Yes, he is not in the residence, and his colleagues and fellow officials do not know his whereabouts either. He has not come to the office to take up his post yesterday or today. I found this scroll under his pillow, on which is written 'A letter to the General.'"

"Have you seen it?"

"Wu Wenze sewed it up with needle and thread. I only saw the text at the beginning of the scroll and do not know its contents."

The messenger bent down and held up the scroll of silk with both hands.

Lu Bu then stepped forward and grabbed it, and saw that most of the cloth roll was indeed sewn together with needle and thread. He immediately tore it open and saw that a large part of the cloth inside was blank, with only two Kan trigrams, one above the other.

He could also recognize the Kan hexagram, which was not a good hexagram, let alone the fact that it was a combination of two Kan hexagrams, which represented the water element.

It's obvious that Wu Fan probably predicted that he would seek his fortune telling, but the divination result was bad. Wu Fan didn't want to ruin his reputation, nor did he want to put himself in danger, so he left the divination result and fled alone.

Why leave this thing behind if you were trying to run away?

This is about showing off one's talents. To prove oneself, as a top figure in the industry, it's hard to resist the urge to display one's abilities.

Lu Bu's mood worsened. He dismissed the messenger, grabbed the silk scroll and divination symbols, sat back in his seat, and sneered, "Such a petty trick, trying to scare me?"

If one submits to the warnings of the divination, one will only damage one's reputation, while the diviner's fame will rise.

However, if one does not act according to the divination, one will suffer setbacks and obstacles, and one's prestige will still be diminished, while the diviner's reputation will grow even higher.

This curse can only be broken by profiting from the reverse of the hexagram; otherwise, the diviner's reputation will be damaged, and their confidence in personal divination will be shattered.

Therefore, the more famous a fortune teller is, the less likely they are to make a move.

But Wu Fan has already expressed his intention to take action, which means the situation is really bad.

The hexagram 'Kan for Water' is a well-known hexagram of predicament, but it is not without solutions.

The hexagram provides a solution: "Practicing Kan, there is sincerity, the heart is at peace, and actions are virtuous."

Xi Kan signifies entering this hexagram; Fu means credibility and moral conduct, that is, taking morality and integrity as the guiding principle for one's actions.

The last two sentences respectively express the need to maintain inner resolve and not be discouraged; and to practice noble pursuits and actively face difficulties, so that with the recognition and support of others, one can overcome the many difficulties of "Kan being water".

Given Lü Bu's current status, the I Ching is not a secret to him. He can naturally obtain the I Ching and various commentaries, and he will read and study it in his spare time.

The most difficult part of using the I Ching to solve problems is to divine and predict an accurate hexagram that fits the current situation; then, based on the interpretation of the hexagram's text and the interpretation of the lines, to come up with a reasonable solution.

Lu Bu naturally believed in the I Ching, but when it came to his own life, he was somewhat reluctant to believe it.

In Zhao Ji's view, the I Ching is essentially a summary of primitive big data, summarizing and modeling the various events a person will encounter. Each model hexagram corresponds to a solution; it depends on which one you choose.

Therefore, there are two difficulties. One is that professionals can objectively and neutrally determine the accurate divination based on various information. The other is that the person in charge must abandon the influence of personal emotions and take action with an objective and materialistic attitude.

In other words, if you want to solve a problem through divination, you need both judgment and the ability to avoid being influenced by subjective emotions.

While Lü Bu was deep in thought, another group of messengers brought Yu Fan, a court advisor, into the main tent. When Yu Fan arrived, he was carrying a string of tortoise shells in both hands.

The tortoise shells used for divination also had different grades. Under the dim light of the fire in the night, Lü Bu could not see the specific outline and texture of the tortoise shells clearly; even if he could see them, he would not be able to distinguish which grade of tortoise shell it was.

Yu Fan was recommended by Wang Lang and recruited into the court as a consultant. His status was relatively noble. After entering, he bowed to Lü Bu with an arrogant attitude: "I wonder why the General has summoned me so urgently?"

"I came specifically for divination."

Lü Bu didn't mince words, gesturing with his arms outstretched: "Please sit down, Mr. Yi, and allow me to explain in detail."

"Here."

Yu Fan hadn't expected Lü Bu to be so amiable, so he bowed in thanks and sat down on the low couch that the guards had brought over—it was basically a folding stool.

After Yu Fan sat down, Lü Bu said, "Sir, you were recommended by Jing Xing, the King of Donghai. Your family has been studying the Book of Changes for five generations. In terms of the Book of Changes alone, your talent and learning are unparalleled in the world."

"You are overpraising me, General."

Yu Fan composed himself and replied, his smile spreading across his face, and he found Lü Bu much more pleasing to the eye.

Lü Bu chuckled, picked up the wine jug and poured himself a drink, then said, "Grand Marshal Zhao Yuansi is my son-in-law, young and impetuous. He was the first to advocate the righteous cause of protecting the country and punishing the rebels, and was highly regarded by the court and the people of the world. Later, he defeated the rebel general Ji Ling at Ruyang and besieged the rebel Yuan Shu at Chen County. General Cao Cao was urged by him to send troops to punish the rebels, but his troops were disorganized and he took the opportunity to assassinate Cao Jiande."

Yu Fan, thirty-three years old this year and the same age as Lü Bu, looked at Lü Bu with a puzzled expression upon hearing this: "What do you mean, General? The Emperor's decision is also a matter of public opinion, with everyone believing that Chen Rong and others have upheld justice and punished the wicked. Although it is against the law, it is still a righteous act of our time. Although I am lowly and hold the position of Consultant, I have been fortunate enough to accompany the Emperor and know quite a bit about the affairs of the court. The current dispute in Yanzhou is actually due to the governor Zhang Zhishu blocking the Grand Marshal from entering the country. This matter itself violates the principles of morality and reason. Why does the General still want to condemn the Grand Marshal for Zhang Zhishu?" "This is where my dilemma lies."

Lu Bu, no longer willing to argue, rubbed his face and said solemnly, "Zhang Zhishu is my close friend. He meant no harm. Yuan Si is upright and ruthless. Although he has repeatedly punished great villains, he has also harmed many innocent people. Zhang Zhishu merely prevented him from entering Yanzhou, and Yuan Si then lifted the siege of Chen County, allowing Yuan Shu to break through and escape to the Jianghuai region. Although Zhang Zhishu was the one who caused this mistake, is Yuan Si without any fault? Therefore, I stationed troops at the border of the province to make him aware of the imperial authority and hope that he would humble himself and uphold his principles. However, he reacted strongly, sending a large army to plunder the land, leaving devastation in his wake. Now he is stationed in Chenliu with less than ten thousand officials and soldiers, waiting to see me make a fool of myself?"

Yu Fan seemed speechless at Lu Bu's words. Lu Bu rose and paced back and forth: "Even if the two Yuan brothers were eliminated, for the sake of the country's stability and to consider personal matters, I would not be willing to fight Yuan Si. However, Yuan Si has now forcibly driven away my officers and publicly shot my messenger. He has repeatedly provoked me. Since his father has failed in his duty of education, I, as his father-in-law, have no choice but to take action. I fear that the war will get out of control, ruin the country's great cause of restoration, and cause our two families to fall apart and perish."

"To be honest, sir, I also sent envoys to invite your fellow townsman Wu Fan, Wu Wenze. However, he had long anticipated this predicament and left behind a 'Kan for Water' hexagram two days ago, resigning from his official post and fleeing to Xuchang. His whereabouts are now unknown. I wonder if you, sir, have any good ideas to help me out of this predicament?"

As he spoke, Lü Bu bowed deeply to Yu Fan with folded hands, displaying a humble demeanor.

Yu Fan hurriedly stood up and returned the greeting: "I dare not, this humble servant will do his best."

After the two finished exchanging greetings, Yu Fan sat down again and said, "In my humble opinion, if the General wishes to establish his authority, he should not investigate the Grand Marshal's faults. The Grand Marshal's merits outweigh his faults, and he is not a troublemaker. Moreover, he has achieved fame at a young age and is full of vigor and ambition. Why would he submit? If the General were in his position, why would he back down?"

Lu Bu nodded: "That's precisely why I'm in such a difficult position, knowing I'm in the wrong."

Seeing that Lü Bu still had a chance to salvage the situation, Yu Fan smiled and said, "Even if Zhang Zhishu caused this trouble today, or even if the Grand Marshal had caused it, I doubt he would have given in so easily."

Lu Bu nodded in agreement. As a ruler of a region, the cost of admitting his mistakes was too high.

Lü Bu could admit he was in the wrong, but he would not and could not admit his mistake.

Yu Fan then said, “Cao Cao is a beast in human form in this world. Even the likes of Li Jue despise him and have given him the title of Jian De. The Grand Marshal’s condemnation of him as being utterly depraved is also a matter of public opinion. When punishing evil, the methods should be ruthless and leave no survivors. Now it is Zhang Zhishu’s fault. Chen Gongtai’s actions in protecting his fellow villagers, even if he is wrong, are understandable and should not be investigated too deeply. In my humble opinion, Zhang Zhishu was greedy for the ferocity of Cao Cao’s evil party, which is why he resisted the Grand Marshal and dragged the General into this predicament.”

Lu Bu nodded slowly: "I understand. Zhang Zhishu did this in order to preserve the vitality of Yanzhou in order to resist Yuan Shao's invasion. Judging from Yuan Shu's rebellion, Yuan Shao's rebellion is not far off."

Yu Fan spread his hands and asked in return: "If we recruit Cao Cao's evil party into our own service, and if Hebei rebels in the future, why would Cao Cao's evil party do their best to serve the court? I'm afraid that at that time, they will cause trouble in Yanzhou and become the vanguard for Yuan Shao."

"We must eradicate evil completely. We urge the General to severely punish Zhang Zhishu so that the Grand Marshal can act expediently."

Yu Fan spoke calmly: "The Grand General presides over the key affairs of the court and acts fairly, so the court and the people will naturally admire him. If he were to quarrel with his virtuous son-in-law and loyal minister, the Grand Marshal, due to a dispute of personal feelings, then all discerning people in the country would be disappointed, and the treacherous faction in the court would inevitably rejoice."

Lu Bu remained silent, and Yu Fan also stopped speaking, awaiting Lu Bu's final decision.

There are now five factions in the court: the emperor, former officials, neutral parties, Lü Bu's faction, and Zhao Ji's faction.

Wang Lang was recruited into the court by Zhao Ji from the position of governor of Kuaiji and appointed as one of the Nine Ministers. Yu Fan was Wang Lang's former subordinate, and Wang Lang recommended Yu Fan to succeed him as Grand Historian.

Because Yu Fan bore the marks of Zhao Ji's faction and because of the precedent set by the former Grand Historian Wang Li, Wang Lang's proposal was rejected, and Yu Fan was promoted to the position of Consultant.

The official rank of the Grand Historian was 600 shi (a unit of grain), and the rank of the Consultant was also 600 shi.

The I Ching, as well as related knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, were very popular in the Langya region.

Zhao Yan led his fellow villagers to assist in suppressing the rebellion, and his strategy of "Wuyang County Soldiers" was well-known throughout the country.

The Zhao family of Langya also had family expertise in astronomy, calendar systems, and the Book of Changes. Therefore, Yu Fan's career path and family learning were highly similar to those of Zhao Ji.

Yu Fan was naturally dissatisfied with Lü Bu regarding this conflict.

Yu Fan was not interested in killing Zhang Yang, but rather in mediating the war and having Zhao Ji wipe out Cao Cao's remaining forces. If he could do that, he would be satisfied.

The Yu family studied the Book of Changes for five generations. The maritime trade routes between Langya and Jiangdong were smooth, and people from each generation exchanged and learned in Langya. The massacre of Xuzhou by Cao Cao's army caused a large number of Xuzhou scholars and civilians to flee to Jiangdong, which made the people of Jiangdong have a very poor impression of Cao Cao.

If Cao Cao were alive, the people of Jiangdong would still speak to him politely.

Now that Cao Cao's body is in two pieces, Yu Fan is already being very restrained in his speech, considering his temperament.

It should be noted that Zang Hong's father, Zang Min, had served as the governor of Wu Commandery and later as the governor of Yangzhou, and had good relations with various families in the Jianghuai region.

Cao Ren assassinated Zang Hong, and with that grudge still there, the people of Yangzhou would naturally seize any opportunity to retaliate against the Cao family.

After a long silence, Lü Bu asked, "If I punish Zhang Zhishu, the people will think that I am afraid of Yuan Si and will inevitably disrespect the court. What should I do then?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Fan smiled and said, "The Grand General and the Grand Marshal are in charge of the most powerful armies in the land, much like the Marquis of Changping and the Marquis of Champion in the past. With the two sides in harmony, who in the country would dare to disobey? Cao Cao is a prime example of this, so what is there for the Grand General to worry about?"

Lu Bu nodded slowly and looked at Yu Fan: "Then I will trouble you, sir, to divine the outcome. If it is the will of Heaven, how could I dare to disobey it?"

"Dare you disobey?"

Yu Fan smiled and agreed, then immediately took the tortoise shell outside the camp to barbecue... As for techniques like drilling holes in the tortoise shell, they were completely unnecessary.

As long as cracks appear after burning, whether they are horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or intersecting, Yu Fan naturally has countless ideas to combine and always comes up with an explanation that fits the situation.

(End of this chapter)