Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 223 Huangfu Song: What's there to care about a Grand Herald!
Inside the Qiang and Hu rebel army's main tent, candlelight flickered, and animal-hide curtains rustled in the cold wind.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Bei Gong Boyu swallowed a mouthful of wine, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He slammed his gilded wine cup onto the long table covered with wolf skin, stared at the empty cup in Zhang Yi's hand that had been emptied again, and his eyes twitched twice.

He originally intended to get Zhang Yi drunk, so that Zhang Yi could negotiate with him while drunk, and thus gain more favorable conditions, even if it was just to pry open his mouth and get some information out of him.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yi, the Grand Herald, drank like water. Apart from going to the toilet quite a few times, he showed no signs of getting drunk at all. On the contrary, he drank a group of tribal leaders under the table.

Bei Gong Boyu's face was flushed, and he hiccuped repeatedly as he said, "The Grand Herald truly has a huge capacity for alcohol!"

There weren't many people still sober in the tent, and his astonishing capacity for alcohol alone increased his respect and goodwill towards this Han man.

People on the grasslands like to drink alcohol to ward off the winter cold, so their alcohol tolerance is relatively better than that of the Han people. However, they never expected to encounter such a good drinker among the Han people today.

On the grasslands, those who enjoy drinking are often considered to be sincere and bold.

"Not at all, Lord Beigong is truly generous. He was just being lenient with me, not letting me show my drunken ugliness in front of the guards."

Zhang Yi bowed slightly to Bei Gong Boyu, which warmed Bei Gong Boyu's heart and made him feel quite comfortable. He found Zhang Yi increasingly pleasing to the eye and even felt a sense of regret for not having met him sooner. He almost swore brotherhood with Zhang Yi under the influence of alcohol.

In fact, in the officialdom of the Later Han Dynasty, those who could rise to the rank of Nine Ministers were all eloquent; there were only Nine Ministers who did not want to speak properly. This was especially true for the Grand Herald, who was in charge of the affairs of the barbarians who had submitted to the four directions and the diplomatic affairs with foreign countries.

Even the current emperor was once fooled by Zhang Yi, so dealing with this uneducated and ignorant barbarian in front of him was even easier for him.

As for these words of praise, are they against one's conscience?

Just consider it a case of him being kind and generous, fooling a fool.

However, the negotiations at the banquet ultimately failed to achieve any substantial results. Although Bei Gong Boyu was not very knowledgeable or experienced, he was extremely stubborn and unwilling to back down when it came to matters of interest, and he was unwilling to compromise on many issues.

There was only one thing that Beigong Boyu responded to.

Watching the tribal chiefs being carried out one by one after they had passed out drunk, only Beigong Boyu and Zhang Yi, along with a few guards from both sides, remained in the tent. After drinking more than a dozen cups of wine, Zhang Yi lowered his guard and said some things that he would normally only say in private.

“Lord Beigong, we feel like old friends today, so I’ll be frank with you.” Zhang Yi’s eyes were slightly glazed, and he shook his head, pretending to be drunk. “General Zuo told me before he came that they are military men, and they need military merits to satisfy their long-distance expedition. If you can satisfy General Zuo and his generals’ needs for military merits, General Zuo will also give Lord Beigong many favors.”

A glint of light flashed in Bei Gong Boyu's hazy, drunken eyes as he instantly grasped the deeper meaning behind Zhang Yi's words.

It's just handing over people from other tribes as scapegoats. The Qiang people have done this countless times and are already very skilled at it.

"I wonder how many battle merits General Zuo needs?" Bei Gong Boyu looked at Zhang Yi, who was already somewhat delirious, leaned closer and shook his body, and asked tentatively.

However, this sway only made Zhang Yi more drunk. He leaned forward and slumped onto the table, slapping away Bei Gong Boyu's hand. He muttered impatiently, "The... the general said that the main force is the Han people of Liangzhou. That Bian... Bian Zhang, that's despicable! His Highness the Crown Prince and the Left... Left General... despise the Han... people who betray the country."

After saying that, Zhang Yi stopped talking and started snoring, clearly appearing to be drunk.

Bei Gong Boyu was still somewhat unwilling. He had just taken advantage of Zhang Yi's drunkenness to probe some of the bottom line for peace talks, but how could he have gotten completely drunk? If only he could have asked him a few more questions.

Just as he was about to shake Zhang Yi again to get more information, a hand suddenly pushed his arm away. Xu Huang pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes wary and threatening, and looked at Beigong Boyu, saying in a deep voice, "Lord Beigong, the Grand Herald is drunk. Please arrange tents for us to rest."

Bei Gong Boyu wasn't angry. He had already heard about the conflict between Xu Huang and the chief of his tribe at the banquet, but instead of blaming Xu Huang, he thought the young man was a respectable warrior.

After Xu Huang and five guards helped Zhang Yi leave the tent, led by several Qiang women, Beigong Boyu closed his eyes, pinched his brow, and exhaled a breath of turbid air filled with the smell of wine.

Bian Zhang's head? Indeed, if it were him, he would feel even more disgusted with the Qiang people who betrayed him.

Sigh, brother, I originally wanted to share the joys and sorrows with you.

Unfortunately, neither your Han crown prince nor your generals want you to live.

For the sake of my wealth and glory, I have no choice but to ask you, brother, to die.

I will cherish your wives and concubines on your behalf.

The thought of Bian Zhang's slender, fair-skinned wives and concubines filled Bei Gong Boyu with even more sorrow, and tears welled up in his eyes.

As he pondered, Beigong Boyu carried the two Qiang women back to the rear tent. Unfortunately, the effects of the alcohol kicked in, and before he could do anything, he lost consciousness and began snoring loudly.

At the same time, in the Han army camp 400 paces away, Huangfu Song suddenly summoned all officers of the rank of colonel and above to the commander's tent for a meeting.

Chief Clerk Xun Yu had just gone to take inventory of the army's food supplies and the fodder and beans for the warhorses, so he arrived a little late.

As Xun Yu, who arrived late, lifted the tent flap and entered the main tent, he heard Huangfu Song loudly ask the generals, "My lads, do you want to achieve more military merits?"

broken!

Xun Yu was startled. Although he was not as skilled in military strategy as Xun You, he was not ignorant of military matters either. A possibility immediately came to mind.

"If we don't wipe out the Qiang and Hu rebels, you'll at most get a promotion of one or two ranks in Liangzhou this time. We don't even know how much reward you'll receive. Some court officials might even think we military men are incompetent, having returned empty-handed after such a long and arduous expedition."

Normally, Huangfu Song wouldn't care about these so-called military achievements and other people's opinions. He had already been granted the title of Marquis of Ting with a fief of a thousand households, and he didn't need to prove anything to the world about his ability to lead troops. But who could blame him for the numerous impeachments he received from the court during this campaign?

If it weren't for the Crown Prince's trust in him, he would probably have been arrested and imprisoned in the Court of Justice prison long ago, where he would have been bullied by the prison guards.

Huangfu Yizhen also has a temper!
Furthermore, His Highness the Crown Prince trusts him so much. Since ancient times, how could a minister who commands troops in the field receive such great favor and trust from the emperor?
Even Wang Jian had to resort to self-degradation to gain the First Emperor's trust.
He was given the power of war and peace, and he believed that he was not afraid of war. He even burned the memorials impeaching him and forbade anyone to report on the matter and impeach him. How could he not arrest that scoundrel Beigong Boyu and bring him back to perform a dance to repay the trust of the Second Prince?
Moreover, after waiting for so long, Liu Bei and Zhu Jun finally finished their business!
At this point, if these generals couldn't understand the hidden meaning in Huangfu Song's words, they might as well just retire and return to their fields.

Cao Ren frowned. He also wanted to make more military achievements, but he hesitated for a moment and advised, "However... the Grand Herald is currently in the rebel camp. If we... I'm afraid the Grand Herald's life will be in danger."

Sun Jian, Gao Shun, Liu Yao, and others nodded in agreement, echoing Cao Ren's words.

If one of the Nine Ministers were to fall, none of them could bear the responsibility.

"This is precisely the reason why the Marquis of Huaiyin defeated the State of Qi." Huangfu Song waved his hand, his gaze resolute, and said loudly, "What is there to care about a Grand Herald!"

"If the imperial court pursues the matter, I, as the commander-in-chief, will take full responsibility. At worst, I will resign from my position as Left General!"

"Even if I am dismissed from my post, I will still eliminate these traitors for His Highness the Crown Prince. I must not let His Highness down!"

After speaking, Huangfu Song gripped the imperial halberd tightly, and gave a stern order, shouting, "There's nothing more to say! Sun Wentai and Cao Zixiao, lead the elite cavalry in a surprise attack, while Gao Xiaofu, lead your main force in the assault. I must capture Beigong Boyu alive to present a dance to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

He didn't come to discuss matters with the generals; he was the commander-in-chief of the army, holding the authority of a general, and he came to demand that the generals obey his orders!
"Act as ordered and send out troops!"

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Things had come to this point, and even the imperial halberd bestowed upon them by the Crown Prince had been brought out. What else could they do?

Grand Herald, may you have good fortune!
(2682 words)
(End of this chapter)