Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 198 I'm Willing to Offer You My Elite Troops
Jia Ping saw through Han You's thoughts and couldn't help but say, "My lady, since our army followed the young lord on his expedition, we have had few battles. Several powerful enemies have been destroyed by the young lord. If you can take half of the spoils, my lady should be satisfied."

Han You was so caught up in his anxiety that he didn't notice the subtle change in Jia Ping's tone. Jia Ping's tone had become less respectful and more casual, and even the way he addressed Jia Ping had changed.

Previously, Jia Ping would address him as "Prefect" all the time in order to curry favor, but now he addresses him as "County Lady."

“How could I not know what Wenli said? It’s just that the Yong’an treasury is empty. Those who don’t manage the household don’t know the hardship of firewood and rice.” Han You sighed: “Right now, our army needs to expand its military equipment, and the required military funds are by no means small. Go and summon Wen Yuan, Zhang Zhang, and Han Yi immediately. I have something to tell you.”

Han You's lament was true; although Yong'an was famous for its porcelain, its population, land area, and territory were only considered small to medium-sized.

In order to survive in this precarious situation, he had to maintain a large army to fortify the city, spend money and grain to appease the bandits in Mogan Mountain, and pay annual tribute to neighboring states to avoid the calamity of war. The immense financial pressure he faced was unimaginable.

Now that we've finally received a large sum of money, the more the better.

"I'm afraid that if you eat it, you'll either choke to death or die from overeating."

Jia Ping sneered inwardly. Over the years, he had followed Han You, always subservient to him, compromising and maintaining the status quo as if walking on thin ice. He had long since become disgusted with some of Han You's practices.

You, a Confucian scholar, possess a treasure trove yet know how to manage it; you lack military strategy yet dare to vie for supremacy. In this chaotic world, how can you treat the struggle for hegemony as child's play?
Knowing when to stop prevents danger, and assessing one's abilities avoids harm. But if one acts contrary to this, even if one desires to avoid calamity, how can one possibly succeed? — You have studied the classics, yet you don't even understand this principle?
Jia Ping thought to himself, knowing he couldn't persuade Han You, so he didn't bother to say anything more.

"This humble general, Wen Yuan, from Zhangzhang Hanyi, pays his respects to the County Magistrate."

A short while later, Wen Yuan, Zhang Zhang, and Han Yi rode up at full speed, reined in their horses in front of Han You, dismounted, and paid their respects.

Han You laughed and said, "You will all immediately follow Wenli into the city and keep an eye on the various treasuries in Guzhang. Make sure no one tampers with the amount of money and grain. After the report is completed, immediately take 50% of the spoils belonging to our army."

Jia Ping frowned and said, "Your Highness, this action is rather imprudent."

Han You glanced at him with some dissatisfaction and said in a deep voice, "The 50/50 split was Yan Yi's personal promise. It's only right that I take my share. Whether I take it sooner or later, it's all the same, isn't it?"

A glint of light flashed in Han Yi's eyes: "Brother is absolutely right. Guzhang is the throat of Dan and Wu counties. Yan Yi has occupied Guzhang. How can Yuan Shu and Sun Ce let it go? After our army takes the spoils, we should find a reason to return to Yong'an as soon as possible."

Han You stroked his beard and smiled, "Brother, you know my heart very well."

Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan exchanged a glance, their eyes seemingly communicating. Zhang Zhang clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, having obtained so much spoils this time, shouldn't we share some with our brothers?"

A barely perceptible hint of disgust flashed in Han You's eyes.

Zhang Zhang was originally a Yellow Turban rebel, and his rough and crude speech had always been disliked by him. If this man hadn't been quite knowledgeable in military affairs and hadn't had close ties with the bandits of Mogan Mountain, would he have allowed such a person to work for him?

"In that case, let's take half of the spoils to reward the soldiers."

Zhang Zhang was taken aback and blurted out, "Only half a percent? That's far too little!"

Han You's face darkened: "During this campaign, the soldiers engaged in very few battles; half a percent is already quite a lot. Furthermore, I intended to use the spoils to purchase military equipment and distribute it to the various units. Isn't this a reward?"

Seeing Zhang Zhang's displeasure, he softened his tone and reassured him, "With insufficient military supplies, how can we talk about war? Junzhi, you must understand my difficulties. Here's what we'll do: next time we have another victory, I will definitely reward the entire army handsomely."

Zhang Zhang nodded silently, said no more, and led a group of men with Jia Ping, Wen Yuan, and Han Yi to the various treasuries of Guzhang.

As the group entered the ancient city of Zhang, they saw that the war was nearing its end. Soldiers were busy moving about in the streets and alleys, either maintaining order or comforting the people. The chaos in the city was rapidly dissipating at a visible speed.

Guzhang was a military stronghold on the eastern border of Danyang and a vital transportation hub between Danyang and Wu County. If there were any battles between the two counties, Guzhang would be a place that would be fought over.

Within a radius of several miles, the area is all plains, extending eastward to Wucheng, where the road is wide and smooth. However, to its south, about seven or eight miles away, lies the Tianmu Mountains, which stretch for three or four hundred miles. The western and northern parts are also mostly mountainous and forested, and the area can be described as 'controlling the Dandong Mountains to the west and overlooking the Zhenze (Taihu) Plain to the east'.

As long as we firmly occupy Guzhang, the fertile land of the western part of Wu County will be safe and secure.

Therefore, Yan Yi attached great importance to Guzhang and immediately transferred Zhou Xin to handle government affairs and appease the people.

Things such as collecting and burying the corpses of soldiers, comforting the people, verifying the people's registers, measuring the fields, reading and judging criminal cases, supervising the harvest, providing relief to the orphans and widows, resettling the displaced people, and relocating the people from the west of Guzhang City to the east of the city are all being implemented one after another.

For Zhou Xin, these were all things he had long awaited. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to the restoration of people's livelihoods, almost as if he were atoning for his past regrets and guilt. It was as if he wanted to transform all his past regrets and guilt into diligence and dedication in the present moment.

The people of Guzhang trusted him implicitly, and they had been eagerly awaiting his arrival. Finally, they saw the ailing former governor of Danyang. Upon hearing that Zhou Xin had appeared in Guzhang, the people of Danyang, who had long suffered under Wu Jing's rule, flocked to him like weary birds returning to their forest.

Thanks to Zhou Xin's proficiency in government affairs and his reputation in Danyang, Yan Yi was able to extricate himself from the complicated government affairs and focus all his energy on the military and other important matters.

He first designated the western part of Guzhang as a military zone, relocated the local people, repaired the damaged fortified villages and camps, and strengthened the defenses of Guzhang by adding fortified villages where necessary and destroying bridges where necessary, in accordance with the newly formulated defense strategy.

In addition, the efforts to appease surrendered soldiers and recruit Yue soldiers from Tianmu Mountain are also being accelerated.

Throughout Jiangdong, Danyang is the region with the largest population of Yue people. Yan Yi certainly wouldn't overlook this; as his sphere of influence gradually penetrates into Danyang County, the Yue people will become an important source of manpower for his army.

While Yan Yi was busy planning various matters, Han You began to get restless.

With 50% of the spoils already in our hands, if we don't leave now, when will we?

Does he really want to accompany Yan Yi to endure Yuan Shu's furious retaliation? What's the difference between that and waiting to die? He's not stupid!

Han You was eager to escape the troublesome place of Guzhang. He had finally made a fortune and didn't want to lose it all.

However, Yan Yijun kept a close watch on his troops, and if he left without saying goodbye, he feared that something terrible might happen.

Han You racked his brains and finally came up with a solution.

“My dear brother, our revered teacher is ill and bedridden. I am heartbroken and have no time for anything else but to rush to his bedside and personally attend to his medicine. Please allow me to leave temporarily to care for our teacher. Once he recovers, I will immediately lead my troops to Guzhang to assist you.”

When Han You arrived at the old Zhangguan Temple, he bid farewell to Yan Yi with tears streaming down his face, crying so hard he almost fainted.

A disciple should treat his teacher with the same respect as he would his father! This is a clearly stipulated etiquette in this dynasty. No matter how stern and domineering you are, you cannot stop me from visiting my teacher, can you? If you refuse, you are openly defying the way of the sages!
Han You scoffed inwardly, crying even more bitterly, frequently wiping away tears with his sleeve, while his eyes secretly glanced at Yan Yi, observing his reaction.

Yan Yi was stunned by his acting skills and said with a wry smile, "Since the teacher is ill, I should go and take care of him as soon as possible. However, I am busy with many matters and cannot get away for the time being, so please ask Han Jun to visit the teacher on my behalf."

Han You was overjoyed upon hearing this, and his crying stopped abruptly. However, he sensed something was amiss and wiped away his tears a few more times. "Don't worry, my dear brother, I will definitely convey your wishes to our teacher. There's no time to lose, I'll set off immediately."

"Wait! It's getting dark, and it's not convenient to travel. Let me prepare a small banquet to bid farewell to Lord Han." Yan Yi looked at Han You with a half-smile. "The generous gift you mentioned the other day has been prepared. Lord Han can take it with him after the banquet. This gift is something I carefully prepared; I'm sure Lord Han will like it." What? He really prepared a gift for me?

Han You was slightly taken aback. He had thought the other person was joking during their earlier casual conversation, but it turned out to be true. Judging from the other person's tone, the gift must be very valuable.

He was used to obeying Yan Yi's arrangements and knew he couldn't refuse, so he said with a grateful expression, "In that case, thank you very much, my brother!"

Yan Yi nodded slightly, ordered someone to bring Han You to the guest hall, and then buried himself in his documents again.

Han You arrived at the guest hall, sat for a while, and then walked towards the main gate of the official temple.

His every move was unmonitored, and no one restricted his freedom of movement, which made him breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Han You returned to the guest hall and instructed Jia Ping, who was attending him, "Wenli, go to the military camp immediately, order Han Yi to take charge at the south gate, and order Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan to lead the personal guard battalion to the official temple."

Jia Ping was slightly startled: "Is the county magistrate worried that she will have difficulty escaping?"

Han You nodded slightly: "Yan Yi is cunning, it's always good to be prepared."

Jia Ping bowed and accepted the order before leaving.

That evening at 7 PM, Yan Yi set aside his official duties and personally hosted a banquet for Han You.

The banquet was held in a small living room, without any other guests present, making it a private banquet.

Yan Yi and Han You sat on opposite sides of a low lacquered table, with Yan Yi on the west side and Han You on the east side.

Apart from the two of them, only a few maids remained in the main hall.

A calico cat lay on the soft carpet in a corner of the living room, its brown eyes constantly darting back and forth between Yan and Han.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Han You occasionally glanced outside the hall and saw the tall and imposing figures of Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan standing at the door. Feeling reassured, he drank a few more cups before declining, saying, "Brother, I am already drunk and cannot drink any more."

Yan Yi picked up the silver spoon from the wine vessel; the intricately carved dragon pattern on the handle gleamed coldly in the candlelight. He leaned forward, the jade belt buckle at his waist lightly tapping against the edge of the table with a clear 'tinkling' sound.

"Is Han Jun really drunk?" The silver spoon tilted slightly, and the wine in the spoon was slowly poured into the wine cup in front of Han You.

Han You covered the rim of the cup with his palm, saying repeatedly, "I'm really drunk. If I drink any more, I'll be behaving improperly."

Bang!

Yan Yi suddenly let go, and the silver spoon fell onto the table, shaking uncontrollably.

He maintained his forward-leaning posture, his deep, dark eyes fixed on Han You's eyes: "Teacher is unwell, yet you, Han Jun, still have the mood to drink here, and even got drunk?"

Han You felt a chill run down his spine from his icy gaze and stammered, "No...no, didn't you invite me for drinks?"

"I only invited you for drinks, I didn't make you drunk. Tell me the truth, is the teacher really unwell?"

“It is true, how could I dare to deceive my worthy brother.”

"How do you know?"

"It was my personal attendant, whom I sent to visit my teacher, who told me this himself after he returned."

"Wenli, come in." Yan Yi sat back down on the couch, his face expressionless. "Is what he said true?"

Jia Ping slowly walked into the main room, bowed to Yan Yi, and said respectfully, "Young Master, he is lying."

Han You jumped up like a startled cat, pointing at Jia Ping with a look of shock on his face: "You...you..."

Jia Ping glanced at him slowly and deliberately: "I'm sorry, I have already pledged my allegiance to the young lord."

Han You took two steps back, trembling all over, his expression turning to terror. He suddenly screamed, "Zhang Zhang, Wen Yuan!"

Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan strode into the main hall, stopped in front of Han You, clasped their hands in salute, and said, "Your subordinates are here!"

Zhou Ang and Chen Gan followed closely behind and stood beside Yan Yi.

The raccoon lying in the corner seemed startled by the sudden change in atmosphere. It slowly raised its body, let out a sharp cry, and darted out of the house like an arrow.

Han You was startled by the cat that darted past his feet. His anxious gaze fell on Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan, and his voice trembled slightly: "I've had too much to drink. Help me back to camp."

However, Zhang Zhang merely stroked the sword hilt with a half-smile, while Wen Yuan stared at him with a strange look; neither of them moved an inch.

Yan Yi's lazy voice came: "Han Jun, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I specially prepared a generous gift, but you didn't even look at it. Isn't that going against my wishes?" He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. "Junzhi, Zizhan, why don't you help Han Jun to sit down?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhang and Wen Yuan each grabbed Han You's left shoulder and right arm, lifting him up like a chick and slamming him down onto the mat.

Han You's knee hit the corner of the table, and he groaned in pain.

With tears welling in his eyes, he looked at Wen Yuan and said, "Zi Zhan, I have treated you well, why did you betray me?"

He could still guess at Zhang Zhang's rebellion, which was nothing more than driven by self-interest, but Wen Yuan...
Memories flooded back. When Sheng Xian was the governor of Wu Commandery, he and Wen Yuan stood side by side, one holding a pen to pacify the people, the other wielding a sword to quell the chaos. Sheng Xian once clapped his hands and praised with a smile: "With Han Yu and Wen Yuan, I am like a fish in water."

Now, Wen Yuan is going to destroy his foundation with his own hands?
Wen Yuan stared at him expressionlessly, as if looking at a stranger: "Han You, in the past few years, you have indulged in pleasure and been blinded by lust for power. In order to consolidate your position, you did not hesitate to collude with the bandits of Mogan Mountain and let them plunder the villages. Have you ever heard the cries of the old, weak, women and children crying out for hunger and cold?"

He paused slightly, then his tone suddenly turned stern: "What's worse, when the bandits were ravaging the people, you actually ordered your troops to block the roads, preventing the people from escaping! This is not just foolishness, it's the behavior of wolves! Have you forgotten the teachings that Master Sheng gave you back then?!"

Upon hearing this, Han You slumped onto his seat, his eyes darting around frantically like a startled bird, finally settling on Yan Yi: "Brother... no, young lord, I have helped you conquer Guzhang, and thus have rendered meritorious service. I humbly beg you to let me return to Yong'an. I am willing to offer you these five thousand elite troops. I beg your mercy."

(End of this chapter)