Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 315 If you think the price is too high, then try to negotiate it down! Why are you trying to negotiate it down?!
Dong Zhuo raised a wine cup with great gusto, toasted the middle-aged man to his right, then tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp. With a flick of his wrist, he turned the wine cup upside down, rim facing down, to show that he had drunk it all.

"Brother Yuanqi, please!"

The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing across his eyes. He then raised his cup and drank it down. After putting down the cup, he waved his hand repeatedly and said in a humble tone, "General, you are an important minister of the court and a favorite general of the emperor. I am but a lowly person. How dare I address you as a brother?"

Dong Zhuo, however, did not take it seriously. He walked up to Tao Sheng in a few steps, patted him on the shoulder, making Tao Sheng sway slightly. He laughed loudly and said, "Although I am the Left General of the court, I only have 25,000 troops under my command. But you, Brother Yuanqi, as the leader of the Black Mountain tribe, have 10,000 troops under your command, which is almost half of my men. How can you not call me brother?"

The middle-aged man, named Tao Sheng, was one of the leaders of the Black Mountain bandits. He was deeply trusted by Zhang Yan and was in charge of guarding Gushan Mountain in the Fukou Pass. (Note 1)

Gushan Mountain is steep and easy to defend, but difficult to attack.

As long as this place is not lost, even if the government troops forcibly cross the Fukou Pass, their logistics and supplies will inevitably be constantly harassed by the Black Mountain bandits on Gushan Mountain.

The fact that Zhang Yan entrusted such a vital location to Tao Sheng demonstrates the deep reliance he placed on him.

If Tao Sheng hadn't taken the initiative to send someone to make contact, even Dong Zhuo wouldn't have dared to hope that he could recruit this man.

According to the prisoners of the Black Mountain bandits, Zhang Yan, who was originally named "Chu Feiyan", was despised by many Black Mountain bandit leaders because she led a group of old, weak, women and children to escape into the Taihang Mountains before Zhang Niujiao became the leader.

Tao Sheng stepped forward as the initiator, advocating for following Zhang Niujiao's dying wish and supporting Zhang Yan as the leader.

As one of the few literate people among the Black Mountain bandits, Zhang Yan often consulted with Tao Sheng on matters, treating him as a confidant.

However, the reason why Tao Sheng took the initiative to contact Dong Zhuo was that he was not a desperate commoner, but a wealthy local magnate from Neihuang County, Wei Commandery.

Tao Sheng was originally a county official in Neihuang County and had the opportunity to be promoted to a prefectural official.

He was forced to become an outlaw because the Black Mountain bandits attacked and captured Neihuang.

This has been confirmed by the Embroidered Robe Direct Point.

Those who have served as officials will always be bothered by their identity as "bandits," especially when the Han Dynasty is at its peak. Who wouldn't yearn for a clean record?

Although Zhang Yan had previously defeated the former governor of Ji Province, Zhang Yan, the Black Mountain bandits were far weaker than the Han Dynasty. To describe Zhang Yan as "like a mantis trying to stop a chariot" would be an understatement.

Otherwise, why would Zhang Yan repeatedly petition the court for amnesty after defeating Zhang Yan?

If it were Liu Hong, he might have been happy to exchange a few nominal official titles for the Black Mountain bandits' submission.

But Liu Bian was different.

Zhang Yan is trying to use his slight victory to force me to compromise, isn't he?
I won't fall for that!
Not only will I not offer amnesty, but I will also send more troops to suppress them!
Zhang Yan's actions not only angered the emperor in Luoyang, but also provoked the wrath of the Black Mountain bandits.

The staunch rebels accused him of forgetting the blood feud with Zhang Niujiao and wanting to become a lackey of the imperial court.

Those who were inclined to surrender became even more hesitant when they saw that even their chief commander had repeatedly asked to surrender.

What kind of glory did the bandits Zang Ba and Sun Guan, who had previously occupied Mount Tai, enjoy after seizing the opportunity to surrender to the imperial court?

The chieftain Zang Ba was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei, and all the chieftains under him also received titles. Now they all serve in the most elite central army of the imperial court!
However, what truly shook even Zhang Yan's trusted confidants like Tao Sheng was the Emperor of Luoyang and Jia Xu's methods.

Jia Xu advised the emperor against exterminating the Black Mountain bandits, arguing that such an action was not benevolent and was a "worst strategy" in warfare.

Since the emperor deeply resented Zhang Yan, punishing just one of him would suffice.

Liu Bian thought Jia Xu had changed his ways, but Jia Xu offered an even more ruthless "best strategy".

A bounty was issued: anyone who captured Zhang Yan alive and surrendered would be rewarded with fifty gold coins, and would be spared the death penalty.

Whoever presents Zhang Yan's head will be rewarded with five hundred gold pieces and granted the title of Marquis of a Thousand Households!

Furthermore, all previous crimes will be forgiven!

This bounty is tantamount to announcing to the world that the Emperor does not want Zhang Yan alive, but only that he is dead!

Since the bounty was issued, Zhang Yan has barely slept well and has even stopped drinking alcohol, fearing he might lose his head if he got drunk. He is also extremely wary of his subordinate commanders, trust has vanished, and conflicts have arisen between the various units.

However, Zhang Yan only has one head, while there are many leaders on the mountain.

Jia Xu then offered another strategy: for every 20,000 men who surrendered after descending the mountain, they would be granted the title of Marquis of Guannei with a hundred households and be pardoned.

He led 100,000 men down the mountain and was granted the title of Marquis of 500 households.

Even for minor leaders with only a few hundred or a few thousand followers, Jia Xu spared their lives.

The leaders were rewarded with money based on the number of people who surrendered, and the people who had been coerced were returned to their original places of residence and their farming tools were returned to them.

The entire Black Mountain bandits, including the elderly, women, and children, numbered no more than three or four hundred thousand. The imperial court was willing to offer three or four titles of marquis of five hundred households to ensure the annihilation of the Black Mountain bandits.

Small groups of men would occasionally venture down the mountain via treacherous paths, but all the major passes were guarded by Zhang Yan's trusted men, so no leader could lead his troops to surrender on a large scale. However, Zhang Yan overestimated the loyalty of his trusted men, and Tao Sheng, who already loathed the reputation of bandits, naturally did not want to miss the opportunity.

After several exchanges of letters, he agreed today to personally descend the mountain to meet with Dong Zhuo and discuss the matter of surrender.

As for the concern that Dong Zhuo might take the opportunity to capture him?

What's the point of taking him down? Can we pass through the Fukou Pass safely?

Tao Sheng was certain that as long as Dong Zhuo wasn't stupid, he would treat him, a commander who was willing and able to negotiate, well.

Even if we can't reach an agreement today, if the government troops want to enter the mountains through the Fukou Pass in the future, we may still be able to negotiate.

However, a price reduction is possible, but Tao Sheng also hopes to sell himself for a good price.

"General, your words truly shame me. Your 25,000 troops are government troops, and you also have the 5,000 elite soldiers of the Liyang Camp. As for my so-called 10,000 troops... to call them troops is just to say they are lowly bandits and outlaws. How can they be compared to government troops?" Tao Sheng quickly stood up, clasped his hands in a deep bow to Dong Zhuo, and smiled humbly. Then, he turned his gaze to Xu Chu sitting opposite him, and his tone became even more respectful. "Furthermore, we have the Emperor's trusted general, the Right General of the Martial Guard, accompanying us. No matter how brave Zhang Yan is, he can only hide in the mountains and live a life of ignominy. How dare he confront the two generals head-on?"

Upon hearing this flattery, Dong Zhuo narrowed his eyes slightly. Instead of looking smug, his gaze towards Tao Sheng was filled with apprehension and solemnity.

The imperial court did not deliberately conceal much intelligence; in fact, it published it in the "Great Han Gazette" to appease the people who had long suffered under the tyranny of the Black Mountain bandits.

But for the Black Mountain bandits who had been trapped in the Taihang Mountains for months, this information should have been difficult to obtain.

At the very least, they shouldn't have been able to easily obtain official reports sent down to the township level.

However, Tao Sheng not only found out the true number of troops under Dong Zhuo's command, which differed from the figures published in the official gazette, but he also knew exactly how the Liyang Camp was mobilized!
The Liyang Battalion, a mobile force directly controlled by the imperial court, was composed of good men from Ji Province and prisoners from You, Ji, and Bing Provinces. It was stationed in Liyang County, Wei Commandery, north of the Yellow River, and served as an ironclad barrier to the north of the capital, Luoyang.

Dong Zhuo remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. He broke off a glistening chicken leg from the food table in front of him, took a big bite, and chewed, his gaze still fixed on Tao Sheng.

After a long while, Dong Zhuo swallowed the food in his mouth and sighed with some regret, "What a pity, you were such a beautiful woman, why did you have to become a traitor?"

“However, you call yourself a nobody…” Dong Zhuo changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of reminiscence, and said, “In the past, I was just a small powerful family in Longxi County, a nobody. It was only by chance that I gained the Emperor’s trust that I have achieved what I have today.”

As he spoke, Dong Zhuo stood up, casually wiped his greasy hands on his robe, then walked over to Tao Sheng, sat down on the ground, and placed the chicken leg he was holding, now only bone, into Tao Sheng's bowl. A smile spread across his face as he said, "Today, I'm willing to offer you an opportunity. Aside from the rewards the court should give you, if you're interested, you can join my Left General's office as a clerk. In the future, I'll be more than capable of recommending you for a high-ranking military officer position or even a county magistrate!"

Sitting to the side, Li Ru coldly observed the changes in Dong Zhuo's expression and instantly understood his general's intentions.

He glanced discreetly at Yang Teng, who was serving as the commander under his command, and gave him a subtle look.

Yang Teng understood immediately. His left hand moved down quietly, his thumb resting on the hilt of his sword. His muscles tensed slightly, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

Dong Zhuo's smile remained unchanged, but one hand pressed firmly on Tao Sheng's shoulder, while the other hand toyed with the small knife he had just used to cut meat, the blade occasionally flashing a cold light.

Tao Sheng immediately sensed the sudden stagnation in the atmosphere of the hall, and his heart tightened. He was somewhat flustered, but he still forced himself to remain calm and asked, "General, do you really want to kill me?"

Dong Zhuo's lips curled into a smile, his gaze sharp as a knife, and he replied, "Anyone... would be easier to deal with than you."

Tao Sheng was a smart man, but unfortunately, he wasn't smart enough.

If you can't solve the problem, then get rid of the person who caused it!
Truly intelligent people, like Li Ru, rarely put themselves in dangerous situations, especially in Ye City, which was a death trap for Tao Sheng.

Tao Sheng thought that Dong Zhuo would not kill him, but in Dong Zhuo's eyes, those Black Mountain bandit leaders who came from humble backgrounds were simple-minded and easy to deal with and control.

If a clever person like Tao Sheng, who is intelligent, well-established, and quick-witted, cannot be used for our own purposes, it is better to get rid of him as soon as possible to prevent future troubles!

If I can't solve your problem, can't I at least solve you?
"General, you..." Tao Sheng's face turned deathly pale instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror.

He never expected that Dong Zhuo would be such an unreasonable person!

If you think the price is too high, then try to negotiate it down! Why are you trying to negotiate with me?!
Despite cursing Dong Zhuo a thousand times in his heart, at this moment he was truly the fish on the chopping block, and Dong Zhuo was the butcher. Any resentment was of no use.

Tao Sheng didn't want to die, at least not because of something like this. Were there any other options?
Moreover, the conditions offered by Dong Zhuo were quite generous: a position as a clerk in the Left General's office, while the positions of Colonel of a Thousand Stones and County Magistrate were merely the minimum acceptable levels.

"I am willing to surrender; please accept me, General."

Tao Sheng sighed, rose from his seat, and prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing in surrender.

(3401 words)
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Note 1: From the *Book of the Later Han*: Yuan Shao held a grand gathering of his guests at Boluo Ferry. Upon hearing of the rebellion of the Wei Commandery troops, he joined forces with tens of thousands of bandits, including Yu Du of the Black Mountain Bandits, to overthrow Ye City and kill the commandery governor. Those guests from Ye who were present were all terrified and pale, some rising to weep. Yuan Shao, however, remained composed, not daring to act as usual. Among the bandits was a man named Tao Sheng, who called himself "General Who Pacifies the Han." He alone rebelled against the other bandits, leading his troops over the west gate of the city, closing the gates of the prefecture, and preparing heavy carts to transport Yuan Shao's family and other officials and gentry within the prefecture. He personally guarded them and escorted them to Chiqiu. Upon Yuan Shao's return, he stationed his troops at Chiqiu and appointed Tao Sheng as the General of Jianyi.

In short, while Yuan Shao was hosting a banquet for guests on the banks of the Zhang River outside Ye City, the Black Mountain Army colluded with the Wei Commandery troops inside the city to capture his stronghold, Ye City. Tao Sheng decisively chose to close the west gate, preventing the Black Mountain Army from entering the city, and even released Yuan Shao's family and officials, in exchange for the title of General of Jianyi.

P.S.: Hehe, I tried a newly opened barbecue restaurant tonight, and it was pretty good!

So I'm in a good mood, and I'll add a short update of 2000 words.

Dear readers, please give me some extra monthly votes in recognition of the extra 2000 words I've added!
(End of this chapter)