Tiger Guards

Chapter 542 Yuan's Illness
In late December, Jinyang was hit by another snowstorm.

Zhao Yanchen got up, and his servants attended to his daily needs. After a simple, light breakfast, he went up to the pavilion and looked at the soldiers and civilians clearing snow all over the city.

On the streets, the first batch of newly arrived Xianbei slaves worked alongside the Qiang slaves who had arrived ten days earlier, while a group of mounted knights from the Marquis of Jinyang monitored them.

The Grand Marshal's office now has extensive experience in the reorganization and utilization of slaves.

Even Xianbei slaves were given a term of service, or the dream of having their term shortened by meritorious service; as for the management method of halving sentences by reporting each other, there were naturally such methods as well.

Zhao Yan looked at the scenery for a while before lowering the window and returning to the warm little hall.

One of his former subordinates, Hou Zhong, held out a stack of silk scrolls with both hands: "My lord, a secret report from Hejian."

Zhao Yan sat down, reached out to take the document, and asked, "How is the battle situation for the Yuan clan in Hejian?"

"There is no information yet. The heavy snow has blocked the roads, and the investigation by Dai County is slow. This is Zhang Yan's investigation."

Hou Zhong replied in a low voice that Dai Commandery basically did not control many counties and passes. Zhao Lian, the biological father of the Grand Marshal, was appointed as the governor of Dai Commandery, but in reality, he only stationed himself in Dai County and did not take full control of the military and political affairs of Dai Commandery.

On the contrary, after news of Zhao Lian's victory in the decisive battle of Fushi spread, the counties and powerful families near Dai County began to actively gravitate towards him.

Now, the Han and Hu powerful clans and leaders in the Pingcheng area are beginning to gravitate towards Zhao Lian, and Zhao Lian is also considering moving his administrative center to Pingcheng. The relevant letters have only recently been sent to Zhao Yan.

However, the war in the four counties of Wuyuan had not yet truly stabilized, and Zhao Yan did not want Zhao Lian to take any risks.

In terms of talent and temperament, Zhao Lian could serve as a prefect, but Dai County was on the front line. In the southeast was Zhang Yan, and in the east were Yuyang and Shanggu counties, with the powerful Youzhou clans led by Xianyu Fu, and various Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes were also scattered among them.

The royal court during the Tanshihuai period was within the sphere of influence of present-day Dai County. Although it later moved west to Shuofang, the northern part of Dai County remained the area of ​​activity for the Eastern Xianbei.

This campaign failed to strike the eastern Xianbei; and besides the eastern Xianbei, there was the even more barbaric Liaodong Xianbei.

The future governor of Dai County must be replaced by a capable person; Zhao Lian is somewhat unqualified.

Zhao Yan pondered how to suppress Zhao Lian. He remained calm as he opened the secret military intelligence report that Zhang Yan had collected and submitted.

The battle situations in the three inner prefectures and the four outer prefectures were also reported to Zhang Yan simultaneously, so Zhang Yan's attitude was also changing.

Zhao Yan frowned after reading the military intelligence report solemnly delivered by Zhang Yan: "This should be Yuan Shao's plan to lure the enemy... However, it is also possible that it is true."

Hou Zhong had also read the military intelligence report, which was very simple: Yuan Shao suddenly fainted while using the toilet, and Yuan's army appeared to be withdrawing from Hejian.

While Zhang Yan reported this military intelligence, she also inquired about Zhao Yan's attitude, namely whether to mobilize the various units of the Black Mountain Army in advance to prepare for intervention in the Jizhou battlefield.

If Yuan Shao suddenly falls seriously ill and is forced to withdraw his troops, then the Black Mountain Army must prepare to balance the situation in Hebei.

The equilibrium standard is very simple: help whoever is at a disadvantage, and while you're at it, extort or plunder them.

The Grand Marshal's brilliant victories in the three inner and four outer commanderies indirectly boosted Zhang Yan's personal influence over the various units of the Black Mountain Army.

As an intermediary between the various units of the Black Mountain Army and the Grand Marshal, Zhang Yan could represent both the Black Mountain Army and the Grand Marshal.

Now that the Grand Marshal is in power, Zhang Yan's personal stance has naturally changed.

If you fight well on the battlefield, countless people will want to be your friend.

They not only want to eat meat and drink soup with you, but also want to use your power to stabilize their own leadership position.

If Zhao Yan and Zhao Ji harbor any ill intentions towards the Black Mountain Army, a single letter from them could incite some leaders to jump out and compete with Zhang Yan for the position. Even if they lose, it would still lead to a split within the Black Mountain Army.

Zhao Yan and Zhao Ji both looked down on the dilapidated lands of the Black Mountain Army and did not want to create too much chaos in their territory, so they had no intention of forcibly relocating or absorbing the Black Mountain Army's population.

This did not conflict with Zhang Yan's personal interests, so Zhang Yan was content to be a vassal who served the greater good with a smaller one. At this moment, Hou Zhong was very puzzled: "Does Your Excellency mean that Yuan Shao is indeed suffering from a serious illness, and intends to use this to lure Gongsun Bogui into pursuit?"

When Zhao Yan served as the governor of Dingxiang County, Hou Zhong was the chief clerk whom Zhao Yan had recruited at that time.

Hou Zhong's talent is not particularly outstanding, but because he is in his current position, handles a lot of information, and stands at a high level, his vision is naturally broader and deeper than that of ordinary people.

"Yes, that's exactly what I think."

Zhao Yan placed the silk scroll on the table and said, "Although the Yuan family of Runan has been a famous family since the Later Han Dynasty, few of its outstanding figures have lived long lives, which shows that their bloodline is not good."

He naturally had the confidence to say this: the reason why there were few male members in the Langya Zhao clan was due to war, epidemics, and famine. If there were no accidents, the lifespan of most male members of the Zhao clan would be around seventy years old.

Nowadays, the average lifespan of people from wealthy and powerful families, scholars, and officials is mostly around fifty.

Some people do live past fifty, but during famines and turmoil, when resources are scarce, these people are more likely to die.

Therefore, even though Zhao Yan is now 66 years old, he is not worried about his lifespan at all. He has a good mindset and is very patiently waiting for the birth of Zhao Ji's other children.

He had ample time to ask Zhao Ji for some children to adopt from his four fallen grandsons... This was the true meaning of adoption.

The Zhao family's continuous military victories, both domestically and internationally, have boosted Zhao Yan's confidence, and he can now rightfully criticize and despise the Yuan family, a family that has held high office for four generations.

Hou Zhong found it reasonable, as the Yuan family's four generations of high-ranking officials were the result of their efforts during peacetime; while the Zhao family's rise to power was due to Zhao Yan's military achievements.

Amidst widespread chaos, the young Grand Marshal, a member of the elite elite troops, rose to prominence, sweeping away all rivals and becoming invincible.

Isn't this talent a concrete manifestation of noble blood?

Zhao Yan, however, stared at the silk scroll on the table, pondering other uses for this intelligence.

As the battle situation in the three inner prefectures and four outer prefectures continued to be announced to the public, based on Zhao Yan's understanding of the world, he felt that the Zhao clan in Changshan, Zhongshan, and Zhao State would definitely take some action.

However, apart from Zhao Yun, Zhao Yan disliked the other members of the Zhao clan.

His family moved to Langya, so naturally they were a minor branch of a minor clan. What good would it do to join the Zhao clan and be elevated to the direct line?
Not to mention other unrelated members of the Zhao clan, Zhao Yan even looked down on Zhao Rui, Zhao Fan, and Zhao Yan.

These two are using the power of a powerful figure to their advantage, and it's difficult for them to provide any positive assistance at the moment. Instead, they've started cultivating cliques and continuously trying to win over members of the Zhao clan in various regions, attempting to become the patriarch of the Zhao clan's main branch.

What's even more infuriating is that the court officials seem to support Zhao Rui, wanting him to gain the support of the Zhao clans in various regions.

If we can use Yuan Shao's influence to severely damage the Zhao family of Hebei...

Zhao Yan pondered the feasibility of this matter, then narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling that Yuan Shao might have already begun to take action and make plans. Given the opportunity, Yuan Shao would definitely eliminate the internal threat.

Previously, they feared that eliminating the deeply entrenched Zhao clan would arouse suspicion from other prominent families in Hebei. However, given the current situation, unless the Zhao clan in Hebei offered some kind of pledge of allegiance, neither Yuan Shao nor the other prominent families in Hebei would tolerate them.

Eliminating the Zhao family would allow Yuan Shao and the powerful families of Hebei to have enough to eat for a few more days... This was already enough to warrant Yuan Shao's action.

After Zhao Yan finished thinking, he said to Hou Zhong, "Send a letter to Zhao Rui, saying that Yuan Shao is feigning illness in order to lure Gongsun Zan into attacking. I am worried that the Zhao families in Ji Province will be deceived by Yuan Shao and suddenly raise troops, which would be a trap for him."

"Here."

Hou Zhong agreed and immediately went to write it down.

Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. If he could, he didn't want to get his blood tainted by his own clan. He couldn't set this precedent lightly.

(End of this chapter)